The loud blare of her alarm tears Nimue from her slumber. She flails around in the darkness, wildly searching for the source of the noise, but by the time she has managed to extract her alarm from its place under her pillow, she is fully awake. She checks beneath the blankets, and is pleased to note that her legs have remained human throughout her rest. It has been a long time since she has slipped, but it still feels like a victory every time she manages to maintain her shape while sleeping.

Nimue mentally prepares herself for what she must do next. It is easily her least favorite part of the day, but it is unavoidable. She closes her eyes and lets go of the thread of concentration that she constantly holds on to. Her stomach unfolds like a lotus, and she twitches as her body enters its true form.

The young couple two streets away, taking their first uncertain steps into physical intimacy. The moans and cries of a man in a basement being whipped. The palpable tension between three coworkers at the grocery store. She is one with all of them, and they are a part of her.

She bathes in their energy for as short a time as she can, then with some amount of effort she shifts back into human form. She shudders. What she wouldn't give to never have to go through that again. Unfortunately, she has to feed somehow, and this short experience every morning is better than the alternative.

There is no time to waste; she had promised Kaia that she wouldn't be late again. Nimue leaves her house without bothering to get any breakfast and half-skips, half-runs down her lonely street. The light of pre-dawn has only barely begun to creep into the sky, lending everything an emphemeral, flattened look.

Nimue tries to be on time. She really does. But she has to stop on the way to say hello to the jogger she passes every morning. Then she has to get the mail for the elderly spirit that lives just down the road from her. Then she has to stop by one of her customer's houses. He is a new father, and she will not be able to forgive herself if she doesn't make sure he eats.

By the time she reaches the bar, dawn is getting nearer and nearer. When she gets to her destination, she rips the door open, but not before taking a moment to admire the lovely designs on it. It was so nice of the Crimson Kiln to donate a new door to the bar, even though they didn't exactly know that they were donating it. Dirk and Kaia are chatting behind the bar, and they both look up when she enters.

“Had a good night?” Nimue enquires, taking Kaia's place behind the bar.

Dirk nods emphatically, and Kaia shrugs. “Eh, it was all right.”

“Just all right?” Nimue asks, her instincts tingling. She knows it's pointless, but she can never keep herself from worrying about her employees. They get into trouble too often. Kaia studiously avoids her eyes, so Nimue looks to Dirk for an explanation.

“She spent the whole night flirting with a guy,” Dirk says in an exceedingly loud stage whisper. “They were really hitting it off, and then Kaia accidentally knocked him over and spilled beer all over him.” Kaia attempts to swat at his face but he leans away, laughing uproariously. “And then,” he gasps, fighting off Kaia's fevered attempts to cover his mouth. “When she tried to help him up, she slipped on the spilled beer, and they ended up on the floor in a... compromising position.”

Kaia throws her hands over her face and lets out a groan. “It's not funny!”

“My poor K!” Nimue exclaims, sweeping Kaia up in her arms and squeezing her. Kaia struggles for only a moment before resigning herself to muttering profanities under her breath. When Nimue lets her go several moments later, however, she is doing her best to hide a smile.

“Okay, well, it's a little funny. Only a little, though.”

Dirk yawns hugely. “Not that this isn't fun, but I have to get to bed. Gotta get my beauty sleep. Happy Holidays!”

“Yeah, I gotta get home before the sun rises,” Kaia says. “Happy holidays, Nimue.”

Nimue waves and watches them leave, the two of them arguing good-naturedly the entire time. She glances at the clock. Only eleven and a half hours until she sees them again.

She smiles, because this is the place to wait for the people she loves.