The following day, after the Thursday classes had come and gone like a wind.

Aya Ribbuns walked idly down one of the back hallways, arms cradling her basket—empty now except for a clean napkin or two. She was flanked by two classmates from the same strand, both still in their aprons and puffed-sleeve Meadowcut uniforms, they were chatting with her.

“Okay, but imagine this—custard buns, but with a peppermint glaze,” said one.

“Ehh, I dunno… too cold on the tongue,” said the other. “I’d go for a spiced berry compote. Ooh! Or a clove-apple reduction. That’s a fall special waiting to happen—”

“Mm, wouldn’t that overpower the bread?” Aya chimed in.

“Yeah… wait, oh! Right—Aya,” her first friend said, suddenly tilting toward her with a weird teasing look in her eye. “We almost forgot to ask.”

“Hmm?”

“We heard from someone that they saw you talking to that transfer student during break yesterday,” She leaned in dramatically. “You offered her a scone, didn’t you? The panther-folk?”

“…Oh, winds, that,” Aya mumbled, then she giggled lightly. “That question makes it sound like I committed a scandal.”

“Well, it was scarily brave of you!” said the second girl with a half-laugh and half-whisper. “Didn’t she… like, got pissed at someone on the first week? Then there’s those rumors about her life before transferring here.”

Aya shook her head. “I don’t know about that,” she said gently, “but… it’s not like she was hurting anyone. She was just sitting there.”

“Sitting there, you say?”

“I had an extra scone, and she looked like she might enjoy one. That’s all.”

Her classmates exchanged a long look before they let Aya continue.

“I mean, rumors are just rumors, aren’t they? And besides, she was probably just full from lunch, so I thought that everyone deserves a bit of dessert.”

The first girl scratched her cheek. “Still... she’s so quiet. Like, scary-quiet. I got the shivers last time I passed by her when I had to go get something from the workshops.”

“Yeah,” the second one nodded, “and not even the lion-folk or bear-folk in our year carry themselves like that. It’s like her whole aura says ‘don’t breathe too loud.’”

Aya chuckled softly, slowing her steps until she came to a gentle stop. “Well… Miss Vespe—mm, Raveena, I mean—didn’t really seem like that kind of person up close. She was… surprisingly easy to talk to, actually. I think she’s just quiet. That’s all.”

“Really?” one of the girls blinked.

And the other sighed. “Even so, just be careful around her, Aya. You never know with the quiet types.”

“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about her,” Aya responded with a sweet little smile. “She’s actually really…”

Then her voice trailed off, because right behind her classmates, just across the intersection where another hallway met theirs—

A figure passed by.

Long black hair with crimson streaks.

Ears like ink-velvet.

That unmistakable panther silhouette, it was Raveena.

“Ah—speaking of...” Aya mumbled in tiny surprise.

Her two classmates looked at her, confused, prompting one of them to ask, "Speaking of what?"

Aya smiled again. “Umm, apologies, you two, but I’ll see you next time, okay? I’ve got to run ahead for a bit!”

“Eh? Wait, wha—Aya?”

But she was already stepping around them with a polite wave, then jogging off down the hallway, her basket bumping lightly at her side as she made her way to the direction where she saw Raveena heading towards.

Raveena had made good time, somehow covering the length of an entire corridor with her stride. While Aya, whose breath was already light from the jog, finally caught up just as the panther-folk slowed near the Westwing access hallway.

“Raveena!” she called out softly.

The taller girl turned, just slightly surprised enough that her ears twitched once.

“Oh. Aya,” Raveena spoke as soon as she recognized the rabbit-folk.

Aya’s eyes flicked down, curious when she saw that Raveena was holding a medium-sized cardboard box in both hands, and while it was neatly sealed and labeled, the barely audible clink of metal from inside gave it away—tools, maybe? Arcane parts?

Hard to tell, but it definitely sounded like it wasn’t light.

“O-oh, that looks a little heavy…” Aya said. “What brings you all the way here? I didn’t think the Arcane Tech labs were on this side of the school.”

Raveena adjusted the box slightly in her grip, with… surprising ease. “They’re not.”

Aya tilted her head, “…Then what are you carrying?”

There was a slight moment of silence before Raveena could give an answer. “Professor Vask told me to retrieve and replace a thermocatalytic relay,” she answered. “It’s for the Culinary Strand’s Home Living Oven—Room C-4. Supposedly busted?”

“Oh, dear crumbs… you’re fixing that one? That oven’s been misfiring since the beginning of classes!”

“Wouldn’t know,” Raveena responded dryly. “This is my first time seeing it.”

“Well… did you manage to fix it?”

“…I haven’t seen it yet. I wasn’t given a map. And I don’t know where to find that room.”

Aya’s ears twitched. “Eh—really?”

Raveena nodded once. “Didn’t think I’d run into anyone from Culinary that's willing to speak. But… seeing you here is a bit of a relief, I guess.”

Aya’s heart gave the tiniest flutter at that simple statement. “Oh! I'm... happy to hear that!"

"So... do you know where it is?"

"W-well, yes, of course I do! I know where that is, I can show you right now if you'd like?” she offered.

Raveena looked sideways for a moment, then gave a quiet response.

"...Sure."