The next day was busy. First stop was the mall that resided within the Commercial District, to pick up my suits.

  “Fabulous, absolutely fabulous! I dare say, you wear that suit finely!” The proprietor yelled out. “I admit, I had my doubts, but truly, you wear it like a lioness on the prowl, or perhaps like an ice queen standing before her subjects!”

  He really was noisy. But… he wasn’t wrong. A full powers suit with padded shoulders to make me appear slightly more imposing. The suit itself was dark blue, with a white blouse underneath. The tie was slightly eye catching, being light blue. On my hands were a pair of fitted leather gloves, that just added to the whole ensemble.

  “You do good work.” I admitted freely, I didn’t feel constrained at all.

  “Of course, I pride myself on my work.” The proprietor puffs up his chest in response. It was a little adorable, even with his age. “Ah! And that smile! Truly, like the polar ice caps are melting portending calamity!” He says with all too much drama.

  It was funny, but I schooled my face. I didn’t mean to let a smile slip, but this guy was an interesting sort.

  “If I order more, could you have my suits delivered to my home later?”

  “I can, of course.”

  I went ahead and paid for more. “I’ll be leaving the other behind and wearing this one out.”

  “Of course, madame, ah, and before I forget.” I watched as he ran out to the back with surprising energy then came right back. “An older gentleman had me hold this for you.” In his hand was a box, and inside the box was a surprisingly tasteful watch. It had two faces on it as well.

  Tasteful, but no doubt expensive.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s too much.” Even if I wanted a watch, accepting a gift like that was a bit…

  “I believe you met him yesterday, a Mr. Torres. He called it a meeting gift.”

  I sighed. “Very well, I’ll accept the gift.” I took the box and fit the watch around my wrist. The tailor letting loose praises. I ignored that and opted instead to inspect the watch. It didn’t look expensive, but it felt expensive. Probably made by a real clockmaker. I had an eye for these things and apparently Jason, or Mr. Torres did too.

  “If you see him, let him know that I loved the gift.”

  “Of course, madame, and please, come again.”

  “I will.” I promised and headed out… My next stop was nearby…

  It didn’t take long to arrive via public bus. My destination was nothing like I imagined.

  I was before the largest bank in the city of Purgatory. The Dragon Vault. It was huge. Statues of dragons littered the premises made out of precious metals and imbedded with precious gems. It was ostentatious. Something I didn’t expect from a bank.

  The interior was just as rich. The floor was black marble, with gold lines for grout. Crystal chandeliers hung above. The upholstery or furniture oozed wealth as well. An attendant greeted me, wearing a pure white suit without a single blemish. He led me back towards the personal bankers and into an enclosed office.

  The office itself was just as extravagant, with a black solid wood desk. Various implements and pens were coated in gold or silver. I was sat down in an absurdly comfortable chair while I waited for my banker to arrive.

  I was beginning to question if I even had enough money for them to care. This felt like a place for the ultra-wealthy and not… me. Not as I am right now.

  Before I could even contemplate leaving, the door creaked open.

  “Miss Belle, was it?”

  The man walked in, a silver mask on his face. Only his gold eyes could be seen peering through. I hurried to stand and greet him. Our hands met and shook. No kiss there, thankfully.

  “That is my name.” I reply.

  “Very good, my name’s Dan. Feel free to call me as you please, be it Dan, Danny, Danny Boy, Daniel, anything is fine!” He said with a light laugh and moved to sit behind his desk. “I’m told you were looking to open an account?”

  “I am… though, I was just thinking that this place might be too rich for my blood.”

  We shared a short laugh.

  “Nonsense, we here at The Dragon Vault accept any and all. Money is money after all.” Despite the mask, I could almost imagine him waggling his eyebrows.

  “Now… from what I understand, you are new in town, yes?”

  I agreed, no reason not to.

  “Good, good, now, as a preface, there is an opening deposit, but it isn’t much. You need to maintain a minimum balance though, or your account will be closed.”

  I nodded as he went on. Explaining the terms and conditions, on top of which was the interest rate.

  “We also offer a wide variety of opportunities for investment, including the exchange of silver and gold, should you ever find yourself interested. We even deal in… Less common currencies.”

  I quirked my head at that, but he barreled on. Soon enough I was signing forms and the next thing I knew; I was the owner of a new account. He handed me the information along with a bank card and checkbook.

  “Ah, and do be warned. Most places do not accept card!” He announced as I left.

  “I know but thank you for the reminder.” I’ve noticed that this city functions as a cash economy and not a credit based one, like I was used to. Hard cash was the go-to. Luckily, teller machines were in abundance, so I doubt I’d ever have an issue with that.

  With my main errands done, I spent more time walking around, getting a feel for the city. I stopped and picked lunch up at a café, opting to eat at the city park instead of inside the café.

  The park was bustling, as was most of the city. People were jogging and groups were on the grass exercising. Benches were placed along the park path and the one I chose was in a nice shady spot. A perfect place to eat my lunch that I had bought at a nearby café. With my lunch at my side, a napkin on my lap and another tucked into my collar, and my gloves off, I reached inside and grabbed the sandwich I bought.

  It smelled great. I brought it up to my nose, taking a good whiff of it. A nice breeze blew through. I opened my mouth to bite…

  “Hey.”

  I blink and stare. A girl… no, a young woman was standing right in front of me. She was… and odd sight for sure. She wore a thick coat with long sleeves and a hood. The front was open, revealing a dirty white shirt soaked in sweat. As it was, the shirt did nothing to hide her black sports bra underneath. Her pants were baggy, fingerless gloves on her hands, and combat boots on her feet. In her hands was a large sketchbook and an array of colored pencils were sticking out of her coat pocket.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Hey hair was a blinding gold. Her eyes were bright yellow. Her face was smudged with dirt. With me sitting, she was at eye height. The oddest part was the single strand of hair sticking up off her head like it had a mind of its own.

  “You there?” She asked, her head tilted to the side.

  “Ah, yeah…” I slowly put down my sandwich. “Can I help you?”

  “Could I sketch you? I saw you and I thought, gosh, I really want to sketch her.” Then she showed me her sketchbook. It was filled with very nice sketches. “So, how about it?” She asked, pulling the book away.

  “I don’t mind, but… do you normally ask if you can sketch people?”

  “Nope. Normally they pay me to sketch! You’re getting a real deal! Ah, and my names éclair!”

  “Like the dessert?”

  “Mm! It also means lightning in French!”

  I… okay? This girl had a lot of energy… didn’t she? “Are you allowed to do that?” I asked, mostly to pivot as she hummed to herself. She was already opening her sketchbook and looking at me, with pencil in hand.

  “Officially I have a permit to operate in public spaces, unofficially~ don’t tell anyone I’m here.” She gave me a wink and a finger gun.

  “Right, I’ll be sure to do that…” I watched her as she looked at me and made weird poses with her tongue stuck out. She moved around me, seemingly not content. “You need me to do anything?”

  “Mm… yeah, could you act normal, like… pretend I’m not here?”

  I eyed her and sighed. “I’ll try.”

  “Great! I promise, you’ll love it!”

  I wasn’t sure if that would be the case. Either way, lunch was calling. I settled in and brought my sandwich back up to my mouth. I took a small, careful bite.

  “Ah…” I sighed. It was surprisingly good. I took nice, slow bites. Taking my time to enjoy my meal. Stopping occasionally to drink the bottle of water I brought. It was almost perfect.

  Almost… If that weird girl wasn’t laughing creepily while eyeing me. I swear, she must have been drooling as she drew, only stopping occasionally to wipe her mouth with her coat sleeve. It took all my willpower to ignore her and not call her out as a pervert or worse.

  Just as I finished, the girl, éclair cried out. “Done!” Then she threw herself onto the bench beside me. “See, great, isn’t it?”

  I had to admit. Even with it being thrust in my face that it was a good sketch. Ah, it was strange. Even knowing that this was me, the expression on the young woman’s face had my heart throb. A kind of subtle bliss as she ate. How the small stain on her cheek added an innocence…

  Stain?

  Ah… I hurriedly wiped my cheek, and of course, there was a stain.

  “Great right!?”

  “Yeah, it’s good.” I agreed. I reached into my bag for my dessert but paused. The girl, on seeing what was in my bag, immediately froze. Her eyes widened. Her strand of loose hair stuck straight up. For a moment, nobody moved. I felt like I was being watched by a hungry dog.

  Slowly, I took out my dessert. Her eyes following it, as did the strand of hair. The dessert was a small slice of chocolate mousse cake. I felt distinctly uncomfortable with the way she was staring, the clear longing in her eyes.

  “Would you like my slice of cake?”

  “Oh, would I!” Again, I sighed and passed it over. She let out a cry, tears in her eyes as she put a piece of cake into her mouth.

  “MM!!! Delicious!”

  Leaning back, I settled for my bottle of water, slowly sipping it down. The young woman, éclair, slowly ate her cake, with each bite exclaiming in joy, like she never had a sweet before in all her life. When she finished, she patted her belly and let out a long-contented sigh.

  She placed her hands together and bowed. “I thank you for that delicious cake.”

  At least she had some manners.

  “It’s no problem. Consider it the price for the cake.”

  “Mm, that won’t do… then again…” She eyed me oddly, sniffed. Did I smell bad. “Your new in town, right?”

  I nodded. Already used to hearing that specific phrase. “Fell down the rabbit hole too?” She asked again. This time, I narrowed my eyes but nodded slowly. That officer, Grim had used that exact same description.

  “Thought so, you don’t fit the typical profile for a fox, or a dog, and we’d all know if you were a Tiger. Obviously, you have to be a rabbit.”

  Rabbit? The rabbit came to mind. “Do you know something?”

  “I do.” she said, kicking her legs in the air. “Unfortunately, we can’t say much on the matter. They don’t like that.”

  “They?”

  “Mm, they prefer rabbits to be lost and confused. No idea why, but it’s just how it is. Part of the narrative and all.

  I felt dots connecting. “I’m a rabbit then? Because… I fell down the rabbit hole?”

  “Yup, doesn’t matter how, every rabbit goes down the hole, willingly or not.”

  I opened my mouth to ask another question, but she scowled. I heard leaves rustle, I looked over, but there was nothing. éclair though, she looked annoyed.

  “Bah, they really don’t like when people meddle.” She said with an annoyed sigh. “Still, when the time comes, don’t be afraid to stick your neck out.” Before I could reply, she was gone. In the blink of an eye seemingly, she vanished…

  I heard something crack. “Gaah!” A short scream. It was the young woman I was just talking too, éclair, was now on the ground where she had been, with a branch under her. I looked up and noticed the tree and its limbs above, well, with one now missing a limb.

  Right… I sighed… and just left… I didn’t feel like dealing with her anymore. Not just that, but my mind was occupied by what she had told me. The warning she gave me.

  When the time came, don’t be afraid to stick my neck out… I’ll have to keep that in mind. No reason not to.

  I spent the rest of the day checking a few more places out, on arrival back home, I found my new refrigerator delivered…

  “Oh, your item arrived. It’s in the mail room.”

  I had to carry it up five flights of stairs… At least it was a mini fridge… My day wound down with a trip to the bath and a final pickup meal at the convenience store on the way home. For the third consecutive day, I drank cold beer on my pavilion ledge while watching the sunset.

  Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. Tomorrow, was my first day at my new job.

  Just like that, tomorrow came. My new suits were dropped off in the lobby, and I was able to fetch them and change. I made sure I had everything I would need in hand and made my way out. The streets were busy, the sidewalk choked with people in suits like me.

  Like a living tide, we moved towards the nearest train station, piled into the train car like sardines in a can. We swayed back and forth as the train started and stopped. Picking up more people, until we all piled out at the station closest to the Business District

  This part of the city was a whole magnitude of difference from what I had seen so far. Near every building towered into the sky, practically blotting out the sky with their immensity. Small cafes and restaurants dotted the alleys, stairs led further down into underground bars.

  There was an energy to this place that the other districts lacked. I made my way towards my place of work, Taurus Corporation Headquarters, a building that looked no different than the other nearby buildings. Barring the company logo of an ox emblazoned on the side.

  Though, the surroundings were rather unique. Surrounding the company building were numerous statues of both ox and minotaur. Most notable, was a massive bronze statue of a minotaur wielding an axe near the entrance, placed in the main courtyard before the building. It gleamed in the morning sun, and looked regal, despite all the pigeons roosting atop it. An interesting choice, but somehow, it just worked. I noted the employee parking beside the building and the underground parking lot belonging to the building before making my way in.

  The interior was oddly absent of early risers. I made my way to the front desk, greeted the man at the desk with my name and showed him my identity card. After a quick check, I was given a lanyard and told to report to my division on another floor.

  Just as I finished, a flood of people came in. They walked with a bit of pep in their step and crowded around the elevators. Barring the path.

  I checked my watch and looked back at the crowd. If I waited for the crowd to disperse, I would be late. Which meant… I looked at the stairs… I sighed and adjusted my suit, prepping myself for what was to come…

  A dozen flights of stairs, especially this early in the morning was not in the plan initially, but I made it. With time to boot, according to my watch. I opened the door and stepped into my new workplace.

  I was immediately hit with a worrying realization.

  The office was notably understaffed. At least half of the desks were empty. I stood in sight, near the elevators, but nobody seemed to notice me.

  That is, until a door opened. A man, blonde, wearing sunglasses came out. His suit wrinkles, hair slicked back. The door he came from was the manager’s office. Meaning…

  He took one look at me and froze. For a moment he seemed unsure of what to do, like a deer in headlights. Then, he adjusted.

  “Ahem.” He started with a cough, coming up. “You must be one of the new employees?” He asked, almost like it was a question. It really shouldn’t have been.

  “I am, my names Prima, Prima Belle.”

  “Ah, pleasure to meet you, Prima.” He smiled and I caught a whiff of alcohol on his breath. His hand was extended for a shake, and never before had I been so glad that I was wearing gloves. I grasped it firmly and gave him a polite smile.

  “Are you the manager?” I asked, just to be sure.

  “Hm, ah, yeah. Names Leo. I’m the manager of this division.” He seemed completely out of his element, and clearly coming off a hangover. Before he could make much more of a fool of himself though, someone else joined in.

  “She the new hire Leo?” Startled, Leo looked over, and I could see the relief wash over him.

  “She is Terada.” He said to the man, Terada, then turned to me. “This is the Division Leader, Terada Ken. He’s in charge of everything here. It was a pleasure to meet you, Prima.” And like that, he slid off for the elevators. I glanced back, before looking at the man. I offered him a nod.

  “Prima.” I said, offering my hand.

  “Terada.”

  “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Terada.”

  He smiled. “It should be my pleasure to meet you, Miss Prima. But please, call me just Terada.”

  “I understand, but only if you call me Prima.”

  He smiled and we shook.

  “I can do that.”

  “So, Terada, what exactly have I been hired for?” I asked next, cutting to the heart of the matter. Surely, they’d ease me into it…

  After all, today was my first day.