Snippet #1916421

As the orphans set to rest their bleary eyes, darkness slowly descended upon the mortal world. In most cases, the evening brought with it an ambiance and the peacefulness of sleep. It was anything but such in the case of the Brittle House. In many ways, the night shift of the Brittle House brought forth the most eventful hours of the day – after all, only the most… eccentric of creatures loitered about in the human world to seek the house’s nightly services. Now, how did Gwen know this? Well, seeing as he was one of the busiest waiters on the night shift, he felt that he had the right to pass judgement.

As always, the Dining Hall was marked with full tables and dirtied wooden floors that had just moments before, been swept and polished spotless. Gwen’s smile faltered as the sharp note of yet another shattered glass pierced through his ears. His ears, furred, triangular, and perched atop his head, flattened against his skull at the accompanying shriek of one of the female patrons. It was certainly from far away enough, but as a kitsune, a fox-spirit, he was granted the curse of keener senses – sensitive ears, a finer nose… Gwen stopped a moment when the one who’d screamed threw a glance in his direction… and the uncanny ability to attract the opposite gender, apparently under any circumstances. In a well-rehearsed maneuver, the waiter cut around a cluster of tables, away from the accident and unwanted eyes.

Really, in a place like the Brittle House, it was every employee for himself. Compassion or any sense of amiability never ended well. He knew from experience that there was no such thing as a ‘pleasant customer’, so Gwen took it upon himself to make his life a little easier to live. Just then, a distressingly familiar voice called out, “Gwen, why didn’t you wake me up?!”

… Well, as easy as he could make it when some others just tried to make it harder.

Now, it wasn’t that Gwen didn’t see the other waiter – it was hard to miss the vampire in his crumpled dress shirt, with red-amber hair a mess and silver nametag askew on his vest. It was just that he'd long since noticed a pattern with this individual: it seemed that whenever Ren appeared on the scene, the kitsune found himself in another mess to attend to. So he instead turned his attention to one of many tables, taking up the empty glasses to return to the kitchen. However, to his dismay, the newly arrived waiter chose to follow, continuing his onslaught of complaints. Before Gwen realized, the one-sided conversation had changed to something far more alarming.

"So anyway, Gwen, I had this dream last night," Ren started. A broad grin displayed his prominent fangs and his crimson eyes flashed with mischief. Nothing good ever followed that expression, so with a warning to his own green eyes, Gwen finally gave the other waiter his attention. "... and I've heard from some of the customers that it's supposed in some human cultures that vampires can turn into bats - " This already sounded bad. "– so maybe I could use echolocation!" Ren exclaimed, taking up one of the refilled glasses and taking a sip before continuing, "You know, that thing where you navigate using sound alone?"

"That's for a customer," Gwen snapped, but made no attempt to take it back. Instead, picking up a trayful of the other orders, he set off back into the fray of things. "Stop being stupid and get to work," he called before plastering on a pleasant smile and returning to his work.

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'Really, what sort of demented spirit orders mermaid with maiden's blood at this time of night?' Gwen was wheeling a trolley of various platters through the main lobby of the Brittle House at the request of one particularly... ravenous customer. The no-limit room service provided by the establishment was only one of many banes of Gwen's life. Others would include the ever-present fragrance of smoky incense, the shamelessly lustful patrons of the otherworld, and... Ren's ridiculous ideas.

Gwen's composed expression didn't do his surprise justice when he saw the vampire, just a few steps ahead, staggering about with black cloth over his eyes and a trayful of beverages. However, the bewildered one he wore when the blindfolded waiter tripped over one of several bodies strewn about by reception matched his sentiments fairly well. The kitsune didn't even bother wondering why the bodies were there. He abandoned his own order to deal with the one falling to the floor.

For once, it was fortunate that alcohol was such a common order in the Brittle House. Rushing forward, Gwen threw out his hand, and focused on the spilling crimson liquid – whatever it was had enough alcohol in it to be flammable… which was perfect for a kitsune’s ability. Before a drop could hit the wooden floor, the liquid burst into blue flame and evaporated. Fox fire – a convenient flame that burned only what Gwen willed. Unfortunately, it could do little to save the glass which promptly shattered on the ground.

Thoroughly agitated, Gwen rounded on the vampire, who had in the meantime, knocked into some shorter female figure and fallen to the ground. “Could you, for once in your life, not make a spectacle of everything you do?” he hissed in hushed tones, but was cut short as Ren pulled off the blindfold. The vampire’s eyes widened in surprise, and Gwen quickly realized why. All further words withered on his tongue.

Humans? That couldn’t be right. Humans were never at the Brittle House. They shouldn’t be there. They couldn’t be there… yet strangely enough, there they were. A glance told him that the short, black-haired girl – the only one conscious, was human as well. ‘Why now?’ Gwen knew all too well what role humans played in the works, and he knew that humans had been there before… Had… Brittle brought them?

Ren was the first to speak. “So, lovely first impression we made, eh, Gwen? To the most interesting guests, too.” Lighthearted words. Too lighthearted.

They foretold nothing of the fate to come.