She'd returned the hug, taking that bit of comfort to help ease back the sorrow from the old news finally reaching her. Then he was back to painting and she was heading for the door. On her way out, Jade moved to the perfect position, allowing her to see the cake and his paint job on it. It was beautiful, but she wouldn't distract him from his work again. She'd tell him it looked wonderful when he finally showed it to them.

Back out in the main room of the cafe, she sits down at her brother's table once more. "So why are you in this city? It's not exactly close to home. Want some more coffee?"

Brandon shakes his head no and drains the rest out of the cup. "Work is here. I actually work just down the way there, at a club called "Catz Rawr". I'm a bouncer at the door." He puffs up his chest a bit, then laughs. "It pays good, and I get to pummel idiots. Its a cool gig."

"cats roar?" "you said it was just down the road? hmn whats it like there? is there a dress requirement?"

((she heard it as cats roar instead of how its actually spelled))

Antria was interested despite herself, though she hoped that there wasnt a formal dress code there she realized that some places had such a dress code

It wasn't long before Jade came out of the kitchen with a lovely cake on a silver dish in his hands. He moved slowly, carefully with that cake towards the glass enclosed shelves a bit to the side of where the register was. He slid that cake down easily and gently in to an opening between a German chocolate cake and a carrot cake. "Hm." He mused softly as he stepped back and looked over all the deserts in the case, then he slid the door closed and wiped his hands on his apron.

Jade was beaming when he looked at the others. "Right..No one eats that cake. That's my desert cake for after supper. But it's sooo pretty I just had to put it on display." He wriggled a bit. Jade's cell phone began to ring. Some j-pop song as the ring-tone. His entire demeanor dropped about six stories, his face paled a bit. "E-excuse me." Jade fished the phone from his pocket as he turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.


][click on the word 'cake' in the first line to see what it looks like.][

"No, you're pronouncing it wrong. Cat-z Rah-oar. Common dress code is a fake tail and ears, though a lot of people show up after work in their plain clothes. There's no actual dress code, but if you wear anything skimpy, what happens to you is your own fault. It's just like any other club, and crap happens." He wasn't really looking at the girl, not really wanting to talk about work until he got there, but still not minding it too much, given that if she says he referred her, he gets a bonus in his check. "Just tell whoever is at the door when you get there that Brandi referred you to the place."

"Should you tell her that, Brandon? I don't think she's over eighteen... She looks young." Miranda looks up when Jade leaves the kitchen with the cake in hand. "Oh my god! Jade, it's beautiful!" She was gawking at it in the glass case. Having her brother there has clearly helped her fear of everything, and she didn't notice that she wasn't so skittish while he was sitting so nearby. It might occur to her later that night when Jade sees the bed she'd made for herself in the living room, but for the moment, she was in her happy place.

Brandi gets up from the table to get a closer look at the cake as well, whistling low at the detail painted on the icing. "Hot damn, sexy and an artist. Sweetheart, I hope you're single." He was giving him his heart stealing smile when Jade's phone rang. When Jade looked about ready to cry, Brandon started to stutter over his words, trying to bring them back, but then the blond was out of the room and he was left standing there looking lost. "What'd I say? Was it the phone that had that reaction on him, or was it me?"

"Oh Brandi, I'm sure it was the phone." Miranda was always available to comfort her brother when he needed it, and given that his tail had drooped and his ears had dropped, he apparently needed it. She was by his side and offering a hug that she needed as well as he. "I'm sure it's just someone he doesn't like hearing from."

Jade had wanted to reply to Brandi's comment about being sexy and single..but well...his reply probably would've been a blush and lots of stuttering. For that he was glad the phone had rang. Jade had hid himself in the most secluded, farthest from everything corner in the kitchen, and he spoke very softly on the phone. Mostly because he didn't want to chance anyone over hearing any of the conversation. It wasn't a long conversation, a few minutes at the most.

The flip phone was closed and in Jade's pocket. He was moving almost mechanically, removing his apron now as he moved through the kitchen. Hanging the apron on the hooks beside the door, inhaling deeply and rubbing at his eyes for a moment. His face was still a bit pale, his eyes were a bit red but really there were no other signs of how he was feeling or what that conversation could've been about. He inhaled deeply again before pushing open the door with a smile.

"I..I'm glad you like my cake. The only thing I can make without killing the kitchen is baked goods." His smile faltered a bit and he chewed his bottom lip. "I think..I might need to go lie down for a bit." He was very hesitant, uncertain almost as he turned as if to go back through the kitchen.

Antria agreed; it was a beautiful cake; but as she started to say something the phone ringed. after looking for the phone for a second she realized that it was Jade's cell, a fact shepherded by the way the emotions change across his face.

"Brandi..." repeating his name she made sure she was pronouncing it right while thinking to herself "Hmn wonder where they sell some good fake tails and ears"

Miranda was by Jade's side in a matter of moments, holding his arm. Her reasoning for trying to hold him there was simple, she didn't want him to see her makeshift bed in the living room until she was with him. "Jade? Are you alright?"

Brandi was beside his sister, but standing back a bit. "I know you don't know me too well, but if you need to talk, I'm a good listener." He was a bit hesitant himself, not knowing if he should approach the blond or hold back and let his sister handle it, or if he should just leave them be and go to work.

Both siblings ears and tails were down, but there was a bit of a wag to Brandi's, a hesitant movement that signified his slight uncertainty of his offer to Jade. Despite his outgoing attitude, he was just a guy that wasn't sure of where he stood with other guys. This was a side that was often covered up by the outgoing attitude he always wore. His face was down-turned a bit, though he looked out from under his brow at Jade. The hesitant wag was still there to some extent.

Jade blinked, looking at Miranda and lightly pat her on the head. "Be a dear and get me some tea?" He smiled at her, if only for a moment. Then he was pulling his arm from her grip. "Maybe I'll sit over there.." He mumbled softly to himself. Jade felt so lost, and almost looked as lost as he felt. Biting his bottom lip as he took a few steps towards a table on legs that didn't seem to want to hold him up anymore. Three steps and then he was falling, and tears began to leak from his eyes in nearly the same moment, already, as he fell a hand was going up to cover his face. If no one caught him, Jade would land on his knees.

Of course its always the cute slightly muscular red heads who catch crying friends....isn't it? maybe I'm thinking of blondes? Anyways, Kris let Jade fall against his chest, wrapping his arms around him. "Woah there kiddo, whats got you so upset all of a sudden? Did someone say mean things about you?" He looked up glancing at the various people, his eyes settling on Brandon, Antria, the only two people he hadnt met "Was it that guy over there?"

"It was not him. It was not I either, it may have been the phone call he had just received a minute ago." Antria spoke up her eyes watching the people passing by on the sidewalk, going about their daily lives

((sorry i am posting so shortly... dont really have much to work with atm

Jade clung tightly to Kris. He would have clung tightly to anyone who had caught him. His eyes were closed tightly and he gripped Kris' shirt tightly, hiding his face against the other's chest. Not wanting to look at anyone. He didn't want the others to see him, not like this at least. His shoulders shook some as he sobbed against Kris, his sobs were soft and light. Barely audible, the tears fell like a torrential downpour. It would be awhile before he could form coherent sentences, but for now he just cried softly.

"shhhh shhhh i gotcha kiddo, lets go sit down eh? its no good crying on your feet" He lead him over to a chair and sat down, pulling him into his lap, rocking him gently and singing softly into his ear, so softly that only jade and maybe the animals could hear him he sang this YouTube - Vincent (Starry Starry Night) Don McLean

As Kris led Jade over to the booth and began to croon softly to him indiscernible words, Antria resumed her previous task of familiarizing herself with the register and the prices. "hmn is this place always this interesting? wonder what a customer would think if he walked in and saw all this right now." though her thoughts she was still working and was trying not to concentrate on the boss crying.

turning to Brandi she frowns as she remembers remembers the kitsune's off handed comment. deciding to let it slide, she asks quietly "anything else i should know as to what or what not to do there?"

When Jade had begun to fall, Brandi took a step forward in the attempt to catch him, but it seemed that from no where, the red headed male was beside his friend. "I didn't... No, he got a phone call..." He withdraws his hand and holds his tail in the same way that his sister does when she's nervous, though a wolf's tail was a bit harder to get around to the front of his body. Fortunately, his tail was longer than his sister's, being that it was proportionate to his height.

"He's like me... That phone call scared him and he's like me." Something clicked in Miranda's mind, something that had begun to fall into place earlier. "Brandi, he's like me. That's why I feel comfortable here. Brandi?"

Brandon was looking at the crying blond and the red head holding him, wringing his tail with his hands. "I'm always too late to reach people, aren't I." It wasn't a question. "That's part of why I'm a bouncer, Mira. So I can catch the kids before they ruin themselves."

"Brandi, not everything is you're fault. You do know that, right?"Remembering Jade's request, Miranda quickly snags a cup and fills it with some tea, and places it in front of Kris and Jade. "Would you like some too, Kris?"

Brandon, watching his sister serve her boss a tea, answers the female's question. "Yeah, don't take anyone home when you leave. You don't know what you'd be letting into your life, or following home yourself. Unless you like the idea of being murdered while you sleep." He doesn't look to her, his eyes on the blond. He drops his tail, straightens his ears before laying them flat again, and steps closer to where Kris held Jade. "It was a phone call. I didn't do anything to the sexy blond in your lap. But I guess, like always, if it makes it easier to blame me, then do so."

"Brandon, no, that's not what Kris meant~" Miranda was cut off by Brandon's hand on her head.

"It's alright, Mira. I couldn't save Timothy, and it looks like I couldn't save you either. So if I'm to be blamed for causing a sweet blond to cry, so be it. I'm a wolf after all." He was out the door in moments, not wanting to see what impact his words would have on the 'normal people' in the room. He knew that Miranda would understand his feelings, having been so obviously beaten around. He'd have to apologize just the same later, or their sister would have his tail for a scarf, and ears to match.

He was at work not long after, having walked down the block quickly enough. If he ever got the balls to go there again, he could make it to work easily enough after.

"Yo, Brandi, what's wrong? Looks like someone just ran over your cat." It was a buddy and coworker of his, a bartender at Catz Rawr, Cherise.

"No, Cheri, just one of those damned days that ya can't wait to be done with so the embarrassment will end." He grabs his badge and zap-baton from his locker and takes his place just outside the door. His shift would start soon.



((The girl 'Cherise' is just a supporting character for Brandi to work with. Sorry this post is so damn depressing... Personality clashes, I guess...))

Jade clung tightly to Kris when the red head moved them to a chair. He wriggled some once Kris had sat down, to get a bit comfortable. Jade's soft sobs had subsided some. He kept his face hidden against Kris as if he could burrow into the other's chest as if he could hide there. For the most part, Jade had calmed significantly, only whimpering softly when Brandon took blame upon himself, a louder whimper when the wolf left the cafe. Jade looked up just in time to see Brandon leave.

"..I liked him..." Jade whispered so softly, then his face was hidden and he sobbed again for a few moments before he looked up at Kris. Jade hugged Kris tightly before slowly slipping from his lap. "...thanks.." He mumbled softly before he ran off in the direction of the bathroom. As soon as he was in there he locked the door.

Miranda stood where she'd been when Brandi left, first watching her brother leave, then watching Jade run to the bathroom. She sighs, not asking about the reaction to the phone call, and starts to tidy up whatever she could see. In other words, she didn't know what she should be doing, so she was doing anything to appear like she wasn't just standing around.

While she tidied up a little, her mind was on Brandon's departure, his insistence of taking the blame for that which he so clearly didn't do, and for blaming himself for her own plight. It was weird that he should do that, given that he doesn't even know what he's blaming himself for, not that she'd probably ever tell him. Her brother had a quick temper toward those that hurt his friends and family. It got him in trouble more than once before.

Which was something else that was odd. In the past, he never would have backed down like that. Then again, I'm remembering him from a time when he had Timmy. Timmy always brought out the best and worst in him. She moves over to the window and looks out at the street, watching the cars go by and the people pass the cafe. What must they're lives be like? Do they have to deal with everything that we deal with here? Are they perfectly happy? Her ears were up, but listless as she thought her deep thoughts. A tornado could have landed behind her, and she'd be oblivious to it.

I need to call home, don't I... Natasha might have better idea on how I should proceed... But, if I call home, will they demand I go home as a failure? Would Natasha try to find someplace nearby? I would like to see her again, my dear tiger sister, but would she want to see her failure sibling? Her tail presses firmly against her legs, a sign of her darker thoughts. She was wringing the hem of her shirt, her only shirt. Had her tail been in her hands, it would have gone numb already from the force of her wringing out the thoughts in her mind. Brandi... What's happened to you since you left home...


((Sorry, she doesn't say anything in this post... If it's not enough to work off of, please let me know and I'll add something else.))

"are you alright?" approaching from behind Antria reaches out intending to touch Miranda lightly on her shoulder, if her softly spoken words had not garnered her attention first. "whats wrong?"

Miranda didn't really feel like pouring her heart out to this girl she didn't know, but she didn't want to brush her off either. It couldn't hurt for her to get a friend or two while working here.

"I'm worried about Jade. He got that phone call, and then started crying..." She looks out the window still, looking at the girl in the reflection while continuing to watch the people go by outside. "So the club scene sounds interesting to you then?"

Antria blinks at the sudden change of subject after hearing sentiments that echoed her own but she responds all the same. "a little, though truth be told the thought of acting as a kitsune is not an unlikable idea." in her head she continues to think to herself "hmn... is she shy? maybe she is just scared of me still.... like it seemed she was earlier"

"what about yourself? does the club sound just as interesting to you?" as she spoke her eyes seemed to watch the distance though most of her other senses where tuned to the kitsune beside her. "by the way i dont believe we have been introduced, my name is Antria, whats yours?" she had heard Brandi call her Miranda but wasn't sure if that was just a nickname or something so figured it was polite to ask

"It's unoriginal though. Fox ears and tails aren't that uncommon. If you wanted to stand out, I'd suggest something not seen a lot. Like maybe a raccoon or armadillo. I have an aunt that was a kangaroo. My cousins never stepped out of line around her..." For her part, Miranda was talking to a total stranger quite a bit. Perhaps she felt comfortable enough here that she'd claimed it as her territory. Any predator who can't stand on their feet in their territory won't have a territory to stand in. She shakes her head slowly, still not looking to Antria directly. "No, last time I was in a club, they caged me and tossed beer bottles at the cage walls. Not too fun picking glass out of hair and tail fur." She shakes her head again, causing her braid to swing behind her. "No, I don't think I'd do that again. Besides, I have no money. And these are my only clothes. I can't go out till I have my first pay check."

She looks to Antria, actually looking at the girl before her. "I'm Miranda. Brandon is my older brother."

Antria giggles, a rare occurrence in of itself which was followed closely after words with a blush as she spoke, an amused tone in her voice. "probably they were afraid of her kicks, as to the raccoon.... i don't know i would pretty peculiar with a ring tail and and ears... no? as too the particular club that your brother works at, i dont see your brother allowing that to happen anytime soon..." "at least as far as i can guess about his actions so far" continuing speaking "about your clothes, if you want you can borrow a few of mine, I have more then enough, so it'll be no problem, and unfortunately i hear you about the no clubbing situation, i'm in the same boat unfortunately.

changing the subject she continues "so Miranda, when do you think that business is going to pick up? or is it always going to be this... slow?"

"Purple and black or blue and black would look good on you, if you did want to do the tanuki look. My sister makes ears and tails as a hobby, and I need to call her anyway..." She shakes her head as she continues. "No, I don't think I'll be going to any clubs for awhile, whether I have clothes or not."

She moves over to where Kris sits still. "So am I calling my sister and making an order for tanuki ears and tail?" Miranda picks up the untouched mug of tea that had grown cold and nasty, and sets it on the counter.

Antria blinks at the unexpected compliment as well as the offer "C-could you?" as she uttered these words her eyes turned pleading for a second before she composes herself and looking down at the floor says "thank you for the offer, i would really enjoy that, and the clothes are for you whether you want them for partying or something else, its up to you." still staring at the floor she fights to hide the blush thats fighting its way up her neck

Jade gripped the sides of the sink tightly, his eyes were closed tightly and he was taking deep breathes. As if trying to calm himself down, his body shook a little. His heart ached so badly. The feelings, sadness and anger all tangled together and flowing through his entire body. His heart ached, his head throbbed. In fact, his whole body felt as if it ached. Every nerve and nerve ending. There was one release. One thing that would make it all melt away, met away and manageable. Jade opened his eyes, glanced briefly at his reflection and drew back. He couldn't. It wasn't good. It would make him feel better, but still. Jade frowned deeply.

He washed his face with the sink water, pat his face dry of water with some paper towels and inhaling deeply, he exited the bathroom. Very slowly, uncertainly he made the trek down the hall and back to the main room where the others were. For the most part Jade looked as if he had collected and composed himself. His voice an uncertain whisper. "...I cant be by myself...not right now...not today. Please, don't let me out of your sight for more than a few seconds...." Jade paused, he looked away, down at his shoes. "..I'm dangerous to myself..."

Miranda was about to pick up the phone and call home. She'd gotten her nerve up and everything. She'd psyched herself up to talk past her parents concerns, to go through anyone till she reached her little sister. Despite all her prep work, right as she put her hand on the device, it rang, causing her to jump back a step or two. She snatches it up after just one ring. "H-hello, thank you for calling Jumping Jacks Cafe. How may I help you...?" She was clearly uncertain how she should answer the phone, but this seemed to make sense.

"Mira, this is Brandi. Can I speak to the blond if he's available?" It was her brother. She could hear a lot of noise in the background, the music pumping out the amplified speakers was just the type of stuff she listened to when she was a kid.

She looks around the room, just catching Jade entering from the direction of the bathroom. "One sec, Brandi." She puts the phone down and hops over to her employer, hoping the call goes well for them both. She could only imagine that Brandi had to gather as much if not more courage than she did with calling home. "Jade? Brandi is on the phone. He wants to talk to you about something. He wouldn't tell me what."