Amongst the confusion and cuteness, late as always, strolled the short and cocky form of the short-order cook, Conor. He paused, looking around at the gathering of women and the adorable little spat between his boss and the head chef. "All right!" He grinned cheesily, looking around at the assembly. "Jack, you dog, you finally hired some hot chicks!" He chuckled obnoxiously.

He'd always insisted on calling Jade "Jack", claiming that "If a cafe is to be named 'Jumping Jack's', it has to be owned by a Jack!' Conor could be intensely annoying, or intensely funny, depending on your sense of humor, your mood, and how patient you could be with a hyper-excitable young man who didn't seem to have a serious bone in his body.

His eyes fell on the slight yet tall form of the fox-eared girl, and his grey eyes lit up with amused excitement. "Oh. My. GOD she is so ADORABLE Jack where did you FIND her!" He put on his best obnoxiously gay voice, running up to the redhead and inspecting her from head to foot. It was clear he was keeping himself from touching her... Conor kind of had trouble with the concept of "boundaries".

"The whole sandwich? Really?" She was inching closer to the indicated sandwich. "Well, friends show affection too. It's not like friends are supposed to be distant and unfeeling to each other... Besides, it looks like he's only teasing you." The sandwich was gone in less than two bites, the growl of her stomach lessening with each bite.

When the new guy entered the cafe and came right to her, her first reaction, like so many others that day, was the bad reaction. Instead of jumping back and crying, her instinct took over. This guy was not Jade. He was not being 'nice' in his actions. It was like he was trying to attack her. At least, that's what the animal side of her mind was thinking.

As such, she attacked the threat. With a cry of surprise, she lashed out, her fingernails arching toward the attacker's face. Her ears were pressed flat on her head, her eyes narrowed to slits, and her tail poofed up, but pressed against the backs of her legs. She jumped back, hiding behind Jade, near the other males as close as possible. "He attacked me!"

"Buuut. Friends don't do things like that! He practically molested me!!" Jade was still whining and blushing over that little bit of teasing when Conor entered. Before he could do anything, Conor was already making a horrible impression on the ladies. A flicker of annoyance passed through Jade's eyes though only a flicker and mostly unnoticeable. "My name is not Jack. I've told you, it's Jade. The cafe is named after a playing card. You know...the Jack card." An over-exaggerated sigh passed his lips.

"W-wait..!" He tried to stop Conor from approaching Miranda so haphazardly. Though Jade didn't move to stop Miranda from lashing out. Mostly because it had happened so quickly he didn't realize it was happening until she had hidden herself behind him. Glancing over his shoulder at Miranda briefly before those eyes turned to Conor and they were narrowed in a rather successful glare. "Stop it. Stop it!" Those arms crossed across his chest and Jade looked rather angry.

"Stop attacking my new employees!" All of Jade's anger fizzled out with that sentence and now he only looked mildly annoyed. "And please..For the sanctity of all gay and straight people alike, do not use that obnoxious tone you have. It's grating." Jade had shivered slightly and shook his head and reached out to pat Conor on the shoulder lightly. "Anyway. Miranda is freaked out by over excited people. Bad experiences I suppose..so..please try to be delicate around her."

Jade turned to Miranda and wobbled a bit, not enough to fall over, just a little and slowly he reached out to put his hand on Miranda's shoulder. A gentle touch to reassure her and to help steady that wobbling of his. "It's okay, he didn't mean to attack you. He's just..well...You'll get used to it eventually....I hope."

Carina sat quietly throughout this whole exchange seeing how Miranda attacked the newcomer and then quickly hid behind Jade. She didn't really blame her either for doing it either. tilting her head she watched as Jade quickly got angry and then fizzle out again a second later and sighed.

"HO-ly JE-sus F--K on TOAST!" Conor yelped as Miranda replied in kind to his obnoxious behavior with claws and snarling. He staggered back, clutching his cheek where her nails had dug into his freckled flesh, glasses askew and eyes huge with surprise. "Ow! Ow ow ow! Motherf-----g OW!" He certainly had a filthy mouth. He seemed pretty young, no older than eighteen or nineteen at best, with the manners of an ill-bred child indeed.

He turned his eyes accusingly on Jade. "D--n it, if I need a rabies shot after this shit, you are paying for this you don't even KNOW, man!" He was joking, obviously, but he didn't know Miranda yet. He didn't know what sort of prejudices she was subject to, nor that she may not understand that his offensive comment was meant in jest.

The kid was cute and fun, but he would be very trying, especially on the young ladies. He was already a handful and a half for Jade and Kris.

"I wish I was rabid, you jerk!" Her fear had turned to anger, her embarrassment at being attacked in front of new friends feeding the anger. "Why'd you attack me?! I didn't do anything!" She was still hiding behind Jade, using him as a shield, but also using him as a reason to not attack the now bloodied male again.

"I didn't do anything... Kris said I could have the sandwich..." Of course, as with anything that happens to Miranda, the fear that she'd done something wrong always resurfaces once more when whatever anger she's feeling is gone. She looks to Jade, her tail snaking around her leg so she can grip the end again, taking hold of the bruised part that she'd damaged earlier. She was wringing the life out of the white tip once more, fighting back the tears that were building in her eyes. "He attacked me... Am I fired because he attacked me? I didn't mean to scratch him... I wasn't doing anything..."

"Hey, hey! I wasn't attacking you, I was inspecting you!" Conor said in his defense, raising his hands in a peaceful gesture. "There was no harm or insult meant, really!" He knew when he'd put his foot in it -- less because of being scratched, more because he'd made the cute little fox-girl cry. He did feel kind of bad.

After all, he considered himself a wisea--, not a jacka--.

The youth ran a hand through his freshly-died, obnoxiously pink hair. "'M sorry," he mumbled, suddenly embarrassed. Looking around at Jade, Kris, and the assembled ladies, he muttered something about using the bathroom and hurried off. The kid could be sweet when he thought about it, but he never really troubled to think about... anything. Nothing serious, and not for too long. His running joke was that "Being serious gives me hives".

"Of course you didn't do anything" Carina replied watching as the man scurry toward the bathrooms "BUT I also don't think it was right for you to scratch him like that." she said trying to think of the right words to say that wont start Miranda crying even more. "I think it's just something you have to get used to, ok? I mean if a customer is a little rowdy and loud you have to learn to control that reaction to scratch them."Looking toward them Carina gave a smile to show that what she said wasn't supposed to be mean but just some advice for her to take in.

Getting up she walked forward and around Jade to reach Miranda. Seeing her ringing her tail Carina slowly mover her hands to grab Mirandas and gently removed them from the tail. "If you keep doing that you're going to wear all the hair away." she said this lightly trying to brighten up the heavy mood.

Jade flinched, cringed and winced at the awful words that had left Conor's mouth. His body was tense and he made sure that he remained between Miranda and Conor. "N-no profanity in the workplace!" Jade called a little late, after getting over the initial stun of such words being used in front of ladies AND in the work environment. As it was, Conor had already moved towards the bathroom.

Jade watched Carina and after she had moved Miranda's hands gently away from that already bruised tail, he put his arms around the fox girl and hugged her gently. "You didn't do anything wrong or bad and I'm not gonna fire you. Not for something like that." He pat the top of her head softly, as if he were comforting a small child. "Now, there's no need to cry or worry. Just..please don't scratch any more employees or any customers unless they absolutely, without a doubt deserve it. 'Kay?" He pulled back from the hug and looked at her.

He stopped Conor before he could get into the bathroom, thrusting a chef's uniform into the boys arms "Your late, get changed, get in back and get scrubbing, Jade used a lot of dishes making the pastries"

"But I keep doing everything wrong..." She was hearing phantom voices from her past attempts at making a human living, even though she wanted to believe she could make it on her own. Miranda stills her wringing hands, letting Carina pry her tail from them. The poor appendage was matted once more, the fur clumpy where her hands had begun to sweat. "Maybe I am just a wild animal... They always said I belonged in a zoo, not a job with people. I do everything wrong..."

When Jade hugged her, the first reaction she had was to freeze up, then she slowly relaxed into it, leaning against the male after a moment. All too soon, the comforting touch was gone, and she was hit with reality again. Her eyes widened a bit and she bit her lip in uncertainty. Not only was she not being fired, but all she got was fussed at a bit.

This was a group of people she didn't want to disappoint. Ever. They were being nicer to her than anyone had been since she left home four years before.

Miranda nods, her ears pricked upright, her eyes wide in determination. "I won't scratch anyone else." With a bowed head, she apologizes again, truly meaning it. "I'm sorry I reacted like that. I should have thought first. I'm going to do my best to tamp down on the fox's instinct in the future so that doesn't happen again." She was holding her tail again, but not like before. Now she was feeling the tip, finding out where it hurt, and smoothing down the fur.

"I'll go and apologize to the creepy guy now, okay?" She really didn't want to be near him, not so soon after she scratched him, but she did need to tell him she was sorry for hurting him. Even if she really wasn't. "I'll do better so I don't make you look bad for having me here..."

Jade's heart was breaking, shattering, crumbling from what she said. A zoo? How could people say such mean things? A shiver ran down Jade's spine and he did look as if he might cry. "How...." He paused..there was a catch in his throat, tears in his voice, even though they weren't on his face yet. He cleared his throat softly. "How could anyone say such horrible things to you?" His voice was a whisper. Any louder than a whisper and he feared it might break.

It was easy to see that Jade was saddened by her words. He even sniffled very lightly. "Why are people always so mean?!" Those arms were around Miranda again, hugging her tight and close. "You poor dear. Don't listen to anyone when they say mean things to you. If anyone says something mean to you in my cafe you just come tell me and I'll take care of them for you....or...I'll get Kris to take care of them for you." He hugged her a little bit tighter. "....You don't have to apologize to Conor if you don't want to. I won't make you." Reluctantly, he let her out of that hug in case she really did want to go apologize.

Maria tilted her head a bit from confuzion about what had just happened between everyone as she had been in her own little world for a few minutes. im not sure what just happened Maria thought to herself as she stood up."um..is everything alright?"Maria asked in a gentle tone as if anyone needed help she would be happy to do so

Conor beamed at Kris. "Aw, c'mon, man. At least let me get the blood off. I don't think you want me garnishing everything with type B negative, do you?" He put on his best wheedling expression, tying on his apron and dancing from foot to foot. His grey eyes glanced around behind shining spectacles, as though worried Miranda might catch up to him and tear him to pieces. Or cry at him. Or something. Feeling like a complete moron over his treatment of her, he was ready to escape the embarrassment instead of face it head on. He was, as his ex put it, a "slitherer-outer". Anytime things got too tense or intense, he'd find a way to slither out.

"Scrub? Dishes? Man, I'm a short-order cook, not a scullery maid. Can't we get someone else to do it?" He always complained, but he always got things done, quickly and efficiently. Conor may have been hard to work with, but he was an excellent employee, and a nice guy deep down. Really, really deep down. Somewhere in the region of his kidneys, probably.

"Dont push me Conor, go wash up and then get scrubbing... " He turned and smiled to the cute fox girl "would you like another sandwich? or some soup? you still look hungry to me"

Miranda doesn't lean out of the second hug as quickly as Jade does. She wasn't really anxious to apologize to Conor. Besides, she wanted to wait till he was elbow deep in the dishwater so she could scare him like he scared her. She looks to Kris, her gaze not really falling on him, more like his shoulder or the wall behind him. "I don't get food till I do something worthy of food, though. That's the way it's been since I came to the human city. To live with the humans, I have to do something worthy of the human food." She knew she sounded stupid saying it like that, which is why she says it softly, but it'd been what she was taught since moving out of her home. "No, no thank you. I'll eat something in a couple of days...or...something...? What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Completely whacked," Conor muttered after staring at Miranda for a long while. Shaking his ludicrously-colored head, he slouched off, clearly still painfully uncomfortable with having "royally f----d up", as he was prone to putting it. A quick wipeoff of his face with paper towels and a judicious amount of water from the bathroom sink and he was fine -- a bit red and sore, but no oozing gashes. She'd really only barely scratched him. It was a lovely reminder of what an jerk he'd been, though.
He quickly changed into his uniform, popping a baseball cap over his head and tying his butcher's apron around his wiry waist. Soon enough he was elbow-deep in dirty dishes and soapy water, swearing under his breath all the while as the new waitresses, Jade, and Kris socialized. "This is why you can't have nice things, you little f---h--d," he grumbled under his breath. "Scare the pants off that cute new girl and you get stuck with dishes and nobody liking you very much."

Jade looked as if he had just been slapped in the face. REALLY REALLY hard in the face. "Oh..gods." He reached out to grab something...or rather. Someone. His hands grabbing Miranda gently as he fell back, landing on the floor on his bottom with his back against that counter and Miranda safely in his lap. He held her close and he held her tight. "You poor poor dear!" One hand ran through her hair while his other arm kept her close and in his lap. "If your hungry you can eat. I won't let you starve. If you want food just tell Kris to cook it up for you. He won't mind." Jade glanced at Kris as if to confirm that, though he already knew what Kris' answer might be.

"You're not an animal..and you shouldn't be treated like one. You shouldn't tolerate that kind of treatment, not from anyone." Jade was still holding her and didn't seem to have any intention of letting her up anytime soon. "You're more human than the people that treat you so cruelly."

Rolling her eyes a little at Jades exaggerated display and moved to stand next to Maria threading an arm around hers. "I think we're the only sane people here." she whispered to her jokingly

"Ack!" It was all she could say as she landed in Jade's lap and was huggled. She didn't even have a chance to go stiff, her usual reaction to someone without animalistic features getting that close to her. "But I was always told that I would get fed when I've done something to deserve getting fed for. At least the circus fed well for awhile..." She looks up to Kris, an almost pleading look in her eyes. "I really can have another sandwich?"

"Of course you can hun, ill make you as many sandwiches as you want, in fact, why dont i go make a plate of them, so everyone can have some too" He turned and went into the kitchen, partly to make sammiches, mostly to check on conor, to see if he was doing what he was told

Conor was indeed washing dishes, the earbuds of his mp3 player shoved into his ears as he shimmied around, elbow-deep in suds. When Kris walked in, he blinked and pulled one of the buds out of his ear, frowning. "Hey man, is she okay? I really, really didn't mean to offend her... she isn't still crying or anything, is she?"

The young man grimaced as he shoved a pile of baking sheets into the sanitizer, closing the door of the large machine and jamming the broken "CYCLE" button with his thumb. Turning to the sinks, he began scrubbing grime from a large cookpot, eyes fixed on Kris. Using his shoulder, he shoved his glasses up his nose. "S---, I should have just been normal and introduced myself to the girls instead of f---ing it all up like that." Mostly that was muttered to himself, although he was also admitting this to Kris.

Despite his jerkishness, Conor tried to get along with Kris. He liked the head chef. Kind of saw him as a brotherly figure.

Tallie walked into her new work place and smiled at the smell that was wafting through the air.
"Hellooo?" she sung, hoping for a reply.

Miranda wriggles out of Jade's arms, thinking they had a customer and not wanting Jade to get in trouble. Just like he was worried about misconduct between Kris and him in the workplace, Miranda knew that most people would see his hugging her on the floor as sexual misconduct as well. Something that could get him into trouble, and she didn't want that. "Jade, I don't want you to get into trouble. Not because of me."

Her head pops over the counter, sees the new girl that walked in, and pops back down. "She has shiny stuff growing out of her head..." In actuality, she wanted to pounce on the sparkly stuff, but she knew it was attached to a person, and that could be seen as an attack. Only her ears poked above the counter, turning and twitching to follow the sounds of the potential customer.

Tallie pursed her lips.
"Hello? Do you work here?"