He looked at the small diner with interest. It was close by to where he worked, within walking distance, and easily enough reached were he to run. He looked at the sign in the window but didn't give it more than a passing glance. He already had a job, and it paid a far sight more than any diner job could. Looking in the window a mere moment before pulling open the door, he saw a cute blond behind the counter, surrounded by females. He steps inside quickly, making sure to clear the door completely before letting it close behind him.

He stalked up to the counter, silent as the night, despite the heavy boots he wore. "Hey, are you guy's open? If you're open, can I order a black coffee?" He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a five-dollar bill and putting it on the counter. "You can keep the change babe."

He flexes his chest under the skintight shirt he wore. His voice was soft, smooth, and somewhat deep and husky. He runs his left hand through his somewhat short hair, stretching his chest once more, this time by accident. The hair straightening thing was something he did when he felt slightly nervous, though with his usual attire, that feeling wouldn't last long.

Behind him, his black wolven tail wags slowly.

The door had opened and that drew Jade's attention immediately. His breath caught in his throat for a few moments as he watched the male walk the distance to the counter. That tongue flitting out to lick his lips a bit, just to moisten them. A small blush had colored Jade's cheeks, as he soon realized the man was speaking and he only caught part of what had been said. For a few moments Jade couldn't find his voice..it had completely left him.

And then there was that annoying ringing sound coming from the kitchen. Jade blinked. Those eyes widened. "Oh my gods." Jade had turned on a dime. "MY CAKE IS GONNA BURN!" That blond had rather quickly disappeared into the kitchen, his cake. His perfect, soon to be gorgeously painted cake. He had to save it. That oven was tossed open and the mitts were grabbed so quickly and then..there it was. That cake. Sat on a cooling rack on a counter a ways from the oven.

Rather sheepishly Jade now stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Looking over that male a bit hesitantly. "R-right. Sorry about that..uhm..You wanted a coffee?" He bit his bottom lip, he couldn't stop staring.

He looks after the blond cutie, wondering what pinched his butt when he ran out of the main room and into the kitchen. He briefly thought he'd have to deal with another close-minded human when the blond returned again. Perhaps the guy wasn't against him being there. He nods, his ears down slightly, though a snarky grin was on his lips. "Yeah, babe, coffee. Black as my hair if you have it. I just woke up and work is gonna be hell tonight." He holds the back of his neck with his right hand, his left hand resting on his hip with the thumb under the studded belt. His tail still wagged slowly behind him, even though the snarky look didn't leave his face. "You alright, man? You look glued in place." The snarky grin widened, his sharp canines poking out from under his crooked lip.

((Kry said I could!))

Jade blushed and looked away for a moment at the word 'babe'. Clearing his throat slightly. "Right away, sir." For a moment Jade didn't move, then he blinked and shook his head slightly. Making his way to where the coffee pots were and snagging a cup on the way. He glanced over his shoulder at the male as he filled the cup and blinked. It just hit him.

"You..You have ears..and a tail." Seeing two people with ears and a tail in one day..wasn't that a bit unusual. Well. Seeing one person with ears and a tail was unusual. Maybe he was related to Miranda? Jade was quick to pounce on that thought. Then again, he would probably assume anyone with ears and a tail were related to Miranda. Jade stopped pouring the coffee and looked back at the cup. That was close, he had nearly over filled it.

The coffee pot was put back in it's place and Jade picked up the cup gingerly and brought it over to the man.

"oh, well the position i was hoping for was cashier" she blinks as she thinks "yes! yes! yes! I have a job!" before asking "is there a uniform?" looking over at the male who had walked in she couldn't help to stare at the male, having noticed the ears and tails first off though it was a larger surprise when they moved rather than acting like so many fake tails out on the market. "are your tail and ears real?"

staring at him unabashed she barely notices the five dollars he laid down and jade pouring his drink. "what is he so nervous about? the guy doesnt scare him does he?"

"Oh my, I'm so sorry girlfriend. I completely didn't see you with that blond beauty standing so cute like. Were you in line?" He truly did look ashamed for approaching the counter, but felt at ease hearing that the girl was applying for a job. "Yes, and if you touch them, I'll have to bite your hand off." He drops his hand from his neck, the collar settling back into place once more, and moves a step closer to the counter to take the full cup from the cute blond. "Thank you, love."

Despite all appearances, he was really a nice guy, once you got past what looks to be the rough exterior. With the dark blue jeans he wore and the black biker boots, he looked like he could belong to a motorcycle gang or something. With the skintight black shirt, he looked like a muscle head that belonged to the local gym. With the collar and slave bracelets, he looked rather 'night club'ish. Throw it all together, and he looked like something that no one in their right mind would want to meet in a dark alley.

It was all a facade though. If he looked tough, and this is not to say he's a pushover, then no one can mess with him about his animalistic side, which always comes in handy when dealing with issues on the job. He was really gentle and fun loving, a big flirt, and according to his sisters, a big puppy. This was not to say that he couldn't hold his own in a fight and come out the victor. He could, can and does so nearly every night. It was part of the job description, knowing how to fight and kick ass without compunctions about hurting someone.

He sat down at one of the tables near the counter, but far enough away to give them privacy. He knew he could come on too strong at times, but he really never learned how to reel himself in. He sat with his tail dangling out the back of the chair, where it hung somewhat skewed to keep the end off the floor. His ears dropped a bit when he took a sip of the brew. "Whoa, it's hot... but man, that hits the spot."

He turns to look at the blond, his right ear up straight and the other kind of plopped to the side. "Did you just open up?"

blinking she holds her hand up to show her peaceful intentions "cool, a real neko, maybe hell come here more often, though he does seem to be gay," her thoughts though still did not show on her face, as she continued to stare for a moment at the male before returning her focus to the owner, "jade" she mentally reminded herself.

Jade was at a loss. He blinked those green eyes and stared for a moment longer, then he quickly, very quickly recovered. "Oooooh!" Jade had leaped over the counter and nearly pranced towards the male. Bouncing around him a bit, his hands tugging slightly on the apron he wore. Jade was wriggling with excitement. "You're our first customer! I should give you a free piece of cake. Or pie. Or a cookie. Do you like cookies?"

Jade had stopped bouncing and leaned down slightly, peering at the man and reached out to poke his cheek lightly. "You remind me of someone." He looked very thoughtful for a moment, blinking. "Oh..You remind me of Miranda..Except, she has fox ears and a bushy fox tail." Jade stood up straight, no longer invading the other's personal space. "Are you related to her?" Jade had completely forgotten about the girl that was seeking employment.

"miranda?" "another neko?" Antria was ecstatic, though she didn't show it on her face, "does she work here too?"

Only because he'd grown accustomed to having people near his face or getting too close, was he able to refrain from biting the appendage that poked him. He was snickering at the blond's actions. The fact that the cuteness factor goes down drastically after chomping off a person's finger might have also occurred to him too. "I like cookies, yes. But if you have a slice of red velvet cake, I'd die of happiness right here."

He was taking a sip of his coffee when the blond asked about Miranda. That coffee was on it's way down the wrong side of his throat an instant later, then getting coughed back up. When he could speak, he was on his feet, staring the blond in the eyes, his own silver eyes taking on a cold sheen that only a protective older brother can have. "You know Miranda! When'd you see her last? Where is she? We haven't heard from her in a year! How is she?" He was tall enough for his size all around, and five-foot-ten was plenty tall when you had ears on top and noticeable fangs in your mouth. "I haven't seen my sister in years, where is she!"

He knew he was over reacting, and that it was a big explosion compared to how he should be reacting, but the last they'd heard from her, she was in trouble. Then nothing. No one heard any more from her, no one even knew if she was alive or not.

His voice took on a bit of a growl. "If anything has happened to her..." He let the threat hang there, figuring that he didn't need to finish the thought.

Jade had grinned and was about to dash off and grab a nice big slice of cake for the male when he started to choke on his coffee, but then before Jade could ask if he was alright the wolf was towering over him and looking a bit. Well..scary. Jade took a few steps back, stumbled and fell on his ass. Those green eyes a bit wide as he blinked up at the male.

"Don't eat me!! All I did was give her a job...That wasn't bad. She needed a job. So you cant..can't eat me for that." Jade's arms were up and over his face, as if hiding behind his arms would save him. "I think she's still upstairs....Looking over the apartment." Jade wriggled a bit.

He'd snapped... Again... And scared possibly the cutest guy he'd seen in a couple of years. His eyes went wide, and he'd stepped back, his ears down in the same way his sister had done when she'd entered the very diner not long ago. He drops to the floor, crouching before the blond, his hand out to him to help him up. "I'm so sorry, I... I thought she'd been killed or something... We haven't heard from her in a year." He looks down, his hand still held out to the owner of the diner. He was doing his best to not look menacing at all. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm so sorry. I'm just scared something happened to her."

His tail was curled tightly between his legs and around the topside of his right thigh. He knew he'd done wrong by losing his cool. He just wasn't sure how to fix it. "She's... she's alright then?"

Jade's fear melted away almost as soon as it had appeared, when the man apologized. He didn't hesitate to take that offered hand and allow himself to be helped up. "It's alright...I understand." He squeezed that hand as if to reassure the male that his sister was fine. "She's fine. I've employed her and offered her the use of my upstairs apartment. I told her she could sleep in the bedroom and I'd sleep on the couch. It's only proper, you know." Then Jade was bouncing, and still holding that hand. His eyes wide with a splendid idea.

"C'mon. I'll take you up." Jade was tugging a bit excitedly at that hand, urging the male to hurry along. "The stairs are in back of the kitchen. Ooh. I bet she'll be so surprised to see you." Jade giggled a bit. "Ooooh. A happy family reunion!"

Upstairs, after Jade had left the room, Miranda sat down on the bed to calm her twitching nerves. She was scared that Jade would demand that she do...that...if she took his offer to sleep in his room. "No, I won't do it."

Leaving the room, she looks around the living room a bit and finds a decent corner in which she can put a blanket and a pillow. She searches behind all the closed doors, looking for, and finding, a spare blanket, a pillow, a towel and washrag so she could take a shower. She pulls one of the cushions off of the couch and lays it in the corner, covers it with the blanket, puts the pillow against the wall, and folds the blanket over the pillow. "There, that looks comfy."

She moves to the bathroom, checking the shower for shampoo that she could use without depleting his supply. She bounces happily when she sees the cheery blossom shampoo and body wash. "Yee! Sakura blossoms!" She hops in the shower, placing her only clothes on the toilet in a neatly folded pile, and gets herself cleaned fully. Once cleaned up and dried off, she pulls back on her dirty clothes, a slight grimace on her features. "Ew. I think when I get paid, I'm going shopping..."

Dressed and clean, she lays her towel over the curtain rod, and goes back down the stairs to the diner once more. "...Brandi...?" Only one person had that scent, and it was her older brother.

Jade had stopped. Let go of Brandon's hand and bounded over to Miranda, hugging her rather suddenly and gently. "Welcome back." Jade grinned and grabbed her hand, tugging her over to where Brandon was. "Look look. Isn't this grand? I've found your brother...kinda by accident..or maybe he found me." Jade was bouncing and rambling. "A happy family reunion?" He had let go of Miranda's hand and bounced to Brandon's side. Tugging his arm a bit. "While she's employed by me, I won't ever let anything bad happen to her." Jade wriggled a bit.

"No, that might not be a good idea. We'd had a fight the last time I spoke to her. She might still be mad..." He trailed off, looking at the girl with the fox features standing before him. "Miranda... You've grown..."

"Brandi, you got muscular... How is Timmy?" She was pulled close to her brother, but couldn't look at him. She looked down at the floor, the far wall, Jade beside them, anywhere but at her brother.

"Timothy is...was..." His voice hitches a little. It'd been years, but it still hurt to think about it. "He was killed, Mira. Some asshole killed him a few years ago." He looked away from his sister, away from the cute blond and toward his hands in front of him.

"What...?" She might have thought it was a sick joke, had he not begun to cry. "Oh my god... Brandon... Oh no..." This was the first she was hearing about it. No one told her. She didn't know why, but for some reason, despite being kept in the dark, she couldn't bring herself to be angry about it. Her brother was still hurting.

He moves back to the chair and sits down. "Mom and Dad didn't want to upset you with the news after you'd only just left home, then it got harder and harder to tell you the truth." He was still looking at his hands, his ears were so flat on his head, they looked like tufts of hair that wouldn't spike right. "Speaking of which, no one has heard from you for at least a year!"

"Well, after the circus was hunting for me, I couldn't risk using the phone... They were looking for me for two years..." She stood a few feet away, not getting too close to her brother. Her tail was pressed against her legs and her ears were back. "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten." She moves to where the coffee was cooking and grabs the pot. Refilling her brother's half drank cup, she puts it back. "I only now got to a place where I can work for actual money instead of an occasional meal..."

Brandon, for that is what his name is, was seething at the table, but he wasn't mad at his sister or her employer. He was mad at everyone who'd treated his sister wrongly. "If I find them..."

Miranda places a hand on his shoulder, leaning down and hugs him. "Let it go. There's no point in dwelling on my past. It can't be changed with violence."

Jade had blinked. He was very very quiet. Besides he shouldn't intrude upon something like this. A shiver ran down his spine and very quietly, Jade was moving towards the kitchen. His cake had undoubtedly cooled enough to be decorated now. He was chewing his bottom lip a bit as he moved. He'd let Miranda and her brother have some...privacy?...Well..some time together..as they no doubt probably needed it. Jade wasn't really entirely sure how a loving family that hadn't seen each other in years would act, but he had a general idea.

Jade was nearly into the kitchen, and would continue into it unless someone called his attention.

antria's quiet cough was to do just that as she watched the entire thing. "umm, about my earlier questions..." she trails off as she had been staring at the kitsune and had to forcibly tear herself away to look at the owner. "mmn shes cute, wonder why she crying though... looks like she gotten some bad news..." when she next looked over her eyes were curious but just a slight glance as she once more looked around the shop studying where she would be working. "if jade would answer me"

Miranda glances briefly at the female at the counter then at the cake in the case. "Jade...? Is it alright if I give a slice of red velvet to Brandi? It's his favorite cake." She was still crouched beside her older brother, still in mid-hug pose. "I'm sorry Brandi. I wish someone had told me instead of keeping me in the dark like that..." She doesn't wait for Jade's response, figuring that if her brother was looking the way he was, he must not be broke. She hunts around for a plate, her tail moving on it's own behind her, cuts two equal slices and places one in front of Brandi with a fork. "You can buy me a slice of cake, okay?"

"Sure, but you have to sit down to eat it." He pushes a chair out with his foot next to him. Looking over at Jade, he looks apologetic again. "Is it alright?"

"Do you want one too?" She was looking at both Jade and the other girl she didn't know. For some reason, the way the girl kept looking at her, it reminded her of the way she was looking at the sandwiches earlier. Like she was a piece of meat and the other girl was a predator. It was actually starting to freak her out.

"Wait..what?" Blink blink. Jade had stopped in almost mid step he looked at the girl. "Questions? What questi... Oh..right. Right. RIGHT!" Jade shook his head as if to clear it of a thick fog or mist or both. "Yes yes. You have the job..and the aprons are in the kitchen..well next to the door...eh..you'll see them." He blinked again. Turning to smile at Miranda and her brother, waving a hand slightly. "It's alright. Everything is alright." He was grinning at them. "Though no cake for me..well..I mean..I've one in the kitchen that needs decorating..so..I'ma go do that. You kids behave yourselves now." Then Jade was gone, disappearing behind the metal double swinging doors.

"Huh, he seems flustered. Cute as can be, but definitely flustered." Brandi was munching on the red velvet cake and watching Jade retreat to the kitchen. "He has a nice butt."

Miranda nearly drops her head to the table. "What did you do to my employer, Brandi?" She was hungry as can be, having only had that one sandwich, and the two fox shaped sandwiches that Arthur made for her, but all the same, she ate the cake slowly, like she'd been taught growing up.

Brandon shrugs with one shoulder, not really answering. "Like you said, the past is past, no point to dwell on it. Are you eating enough? You look too thin." He pokes her side with the hand not forking the cake into his mouth.

"I'm technically homeless, that's why. All I own is what I'm wearing." She tugs at the stinky shirt under the apron. She finishes her cake and waits till he's done. "I'll take the plates to the kitchen and be right back." She moves past the girl, giving her a leap-wide birth and passes through the double doors. "Jade...?" She still felt weird calling him by his first name. "Are you okay...?"

Jade was humming and wriggling and just moving about, without moving around enough to mess up his lovely work of art. A nice layer of fondant lay over the cake and now he was delicately painting the decorations on with a small brush made for such a thing. He didn't realize that Miranda had entered the kitchen until she spoke, Jade almost jumped but at least he pulled his hand back from the cake, so it wouldn't mess up the art. Actually. He was almost done. He was quick when it came to painting cakes.

"Hm?" He turned to look at Miranda and made sure he blocked the cake from view. He wasn't ready for anyone to see it just yet. "Oh..I'm fine. Just wanted to get this one cake all finished up. It's almost ready. I'll bring it out soon." He smiled sweetly at her and wriggled a bit. "It's gonna be so pretty when I'm done."

"Did... Did my brother say something to you? You seem kind of flustered." She wasn't even looking at the owner or the cake. It was his work, she wouldn't intrude until he showed here. She puts the plates in the sink and washes them. Sterilizing them, she continues. "We all grew up together. Less like siblings and more like friends. Timmy was the boy who lived down the road. On of the few humans who lived nearby to make friends with us." She was holding her tail after the dishes were done and her hands were dried. It wasn't a painful way, just a lost way. "I know it was a few years ago, but I wish someone had told me sooner..."

She shakes her head. Now was not the time nor place for mourning her friend. "Sorry, nevermind." She looks at Jade while he's working. "He's a nice guy, you know? he comes on strong at times, but he's a nice guy."

~X~

Brandon looks around the diner, sipping more of the coffee. He looks to the girl at the counter. "So why are you applying here anyway?"

Jade had sat down the paint and brush he had been using and moved the few steps it would take to bring him close to Miranda. He pulled her against him in a soft and gentle hug. "Your brother is fine..he was just flirting with me a bit..and it put me off balance..I did like it though." He giggled softly, and held her a bit tighter and in a softer voice said. "I'm sorry for your friend, I know how it must hurt." He kissed the top of her head softly and let her go. "Anyway..I'll be out as soon as I'm done, 'kay?"

He was already moving back towards the cake and grabbing the paint and the brush to finish up what he was doing.

"apron? he does remember i was asking for an cashier.... must think i said waitress..." walking into the kitchenshe turns and grabs an apron slipping it on quickly before walking back out the door. she had glimpsed something and had walked out just as the kitsune was walking in. "huh, wonder what her problem is, she acts like shes scared of me" though she doesnt say anything to her she continues an hears the Ookami's question. "pardon? oh, im applying because i need the money for college." "not to mention a chance to escape from father" continueing as though she hadnt had any continuation in her thoughts she went on "another reason im applying here is because i was applying all over the neighbor hood." slipping around the counter she began to familiarize herself with the cash register.