[Current Location: in the car at the base of the Perilous Cape in Enhet, Norway at around nine at night.]

Finding himself back in the car, the chimera groaned. When did he get back here? Why can't he seem to remember the last hour or so? What happened again? Oh, right, he went inside an alien ship and got Mr. Tux back. He did, right? Unless that was all just a dream? Ha, he wishes it was all just a dream. Eyes wandering towards him, he could feel the world ready to fall apart with what came his way next.

"Can you hear me, kiddo? I'm taking you to emergency services," Pira said, tone serious.

Emergencies services brought to his attention, the hyena crawled up into a ball. No, please, don't take him there! Think about all the bills he'll have to pay back! They're in foreign soil right now! It's fine, right, the bruises aren't all that bad. And besides he? He totally didn't fall from that far a height, nope. And, wasn't it already too late? Definitely. It'll heal on its own, yup! There's no need for this.

[I'm fine, Pira. Can't we just go get Varg, Natalie and Coiote and go home?] An electronic voice asked through his smartwatch.

"No can do, kiddo. The demons who run this place said they saw you fall three quarters of the way to the top. You're probably suffering some form of internal bleeding. I'm taking you to the hospital," Pira responded, tone serious. "Don't worry about those three, I texted them. They'll take a ride home. Natalie has connections."

[I have work tomorrow! I don't have any more paid time off! Please, can we just go home? This is nothing. I've been stabbed at a job before. This is potatoes compared to that!] An electronic voice asked through his smartwatch.

"Absolutely not." He shook his head. "I'm starting the car now. Try and hang in there until will get to the hospital, alright?" He then turned towards Mr. Tux. "And, you behave yourself, or I'm taking your new castle away."

"Mrow, mrow!" Mr. Tux shouted.

[Do you really need me for this? Mr. Tux said, "You'd better not!" Kay, bye.]

No escape hatch allowed, the chimera huffed a breath. Looks like he's going to lose pay again! Here's to a sixty percent cut to his salary for the next month or so, woo hoo! No more electricity, no more meat, no more fun money either! He's going to be buried in medical debt too, awesome, just wonderful, amazing, stunning! The aliens had better remember this day forever, because he's going to make their SoulCritter searching a living nightmare, and then some! Eyes growing heavy, he drifted off.

[Current Location: some random hospital in Norway at around ten at night.]

Blah, blah, blah, strange looking tiger doctors seeing him immediately, a bunch of medical nonsense had come his way. Deep bruises, blah, blah, blah, no fractures, how lucky, bloop, bloop, blooparoo, if they'd please just? Get to the point already so he can get out of here? Why does everything feel so far away? He wishes he knew the answer to that question.

And, then the hammer soon came down.

The wicked blow.

Doctors saying to refrain from going to work for at least forty eight hours, everything stung. No, please, can they take that back?! He doesn't have any more days he can take off! Oh, great, lovely, his boss is so going to fire him, no scratch that, the CEO will be knocking straight on his door informing him they'll be replacing him with Meilong and Tulong! His days are numbered now, completely numbered! It was a nice three years with a stable job, he guessed, but it's all about to come to a screeching halt!

[Please, doctor, I can't take off work! My boss is going to kill me if I tell him I can't come in!] A page from his communication log shouted.

Doctors shaking their heads, the next blow was about to send his head out to space. Blah, blah, blah, he can't put any weight on his legs with how deep the bruises are. Bloop, bloop, bloop, and besides, he was surrounded by foreign invaders who could be carrying diseases, best to not risk it. Blemp, blemp, blemp, remind them what job he has again please, older brother? Ugh, there they go asking Pira everything. His fingers aren't broken, thank him very much.

"He works for Fixer Upper Solutions, and activity is very strenuous," Pira said in a serious tone. "He's out in demon junction all day."

Blah, blah, blah, then working is not an option for at least forty eight hours, bloop, bloop, bloop, keep him in an elevated position for the time being, and if pain is still an issue, go to a clinic near them for further treatment. Great, there goes the rest of the week, he guessed. Goodbye, money, so long secure future, boss is going to have his pay cut for this! Please, reconsider? He's dealt with worse! A tranq? Check. Demons making him lament by playing knife roulette? Check. Tied to the shame stake with a bat biting his shoulder the whole time? Check. He's so not going to win this battle, is he?

Carried back to the car, the young adult could feel the world about ready to crash down onto him. Lovely, wonderful, amazing, he's so getting a notice of termination in the mail this weekend. Ha ha ha, he may as well make himself comfortable with being the alien's SoulCritter searcher because that's going to be his only job for the rest of his life going forward! Wonderful, just peachy. Closing his eyes, tears streamed down his face.

Ugh.

[Current Location: Sweet Spot Apartment Complex in Enig, Sweden at around four in the afternoon on Tuesday, a day and a half or so later.]

Hearing a loud knock on his door, the chimera grumbled from underneath the covers. Did the aliens find his address? Please, go away, he can't go finding them any SoulCritters today, sorry, he's kind of busy being trapped in here until? Sigh. Tomorrow, he thinks. Maybe. Or, maybe later than that, who knows?

Mr. Tux in fantasyland in his little castle, the knocks kept themselves going. He swears, whoever that is on the other side, they have to go! He swears, the entire world wants to be at his doorstep lately. Hearing Pira's voice kick in, he crossed his fingers. Don't let it be those pesky fiend gleep glorpers, it hasn't been ten days yet!

"Kakapo, sir, I already explained the situation to both you and Siorc's boss, he needs to take some time off from work for a couple days," Pira said, arms crossed. "If you're here to demand he get out of bed and help out the demons with this and that, you have to leave."

"Th't's right, ya'd better get l'st if th't's why ya came h're!" Varg shouted. "Ya ain't gonna sweet talk yer way into gettin' him back on th' demon front lines 'till at least Th'rsday mornin', got it?"

"Of course, of course, I heard what happened! Sorry that happened, by the way!" Mr. Kakapo cried, hands clapped together. He then moved them up and down as he continued. "I just want to speak to him really quick about, you know? The alien project?"

"That's why you came here?" Pira asked, hand on the side of his temple. "Look, Mr. Kakapo, you really need to knock if off. I know you said before that you need an answer as soon as possible, but it can wait."

"Promise I'll only be a few minutes, kay? Let me in, please? After all, it's thanks to my company this silentbox of yours even has a job in the first place!" He laughed.

"That's right, that's right! Kukaw, kukaw, remember your place!" Leonard cried. "Remember your place!"

"M'ke it quick, ya got twenty minutes, then, yer outta here!" Varg shouted. "An' quit treatin' my brother like he's some k'nda ch'rity case t' feel s'rry fer!"

"Woof, woof!" Halen cried, strumming his guitar.

[Do you really need me to translate this for you? Halen said, "Why are you standing around that lazy bum's apartment door? Let's play!" Ooh, shouldn't have said that Halen, it's over for you now!]

"Yer just askin' me t' take yer guitar 'way aren't ya? I ain't got time t' jam t' some tunes r'ght now, Halen!" Varg exclaimed. He then locked eyes with the CEO. "Twenty m'nutes, th'n yer outta here. And, if ya pressure him, yer out!"

Loud boots stomping through his apartment, the chimera buried himself underneath his covers. He's getting mud all over his rug that he just had washed last month, awesome, add yet another expense to the list of things that need to be paid! Fridge opened as well, he wanted to lunge at this man. Hands off his leftover quail! Grr. This bird man, he swears to? He swears to the alien overlords, he'd better drop it.

"Mrow, mrow, mrow!" Mr. Tux cried at his door.

[Why do you need me to translate ever little thing for you? I'm supposed to get some time off too, you know! Whatever, blah. Hello, your fellow SoulCritter Translator here. What did Mr. Tux say just now? "Beat it, owner of the company peasant works at, you aren't allowed one step further!" Uh, wow, shocker! Mr. Tux protecting little purply hair here? We all must have died and got sent to the underworld! Kay, peacers.]

"Aww, aren't you a little cutie in that expanding baby ball of yours?" Mr. Kakapo asked, giggling. "I gotta speak to your bondee, okay? It's super important. Move out of the way, and Leonard here will give you a red cape in your honor!"

"Mrow?" Mr. Tux asked.

[Do you really need me to translate this? Mr. Tux asked, "Really?" There you go, see ya.]

"Really, and truly, your royal highness, so move out of the way, kay?" A giggle.

Ugh, he's getting quite tired of that laugh.

CEO stomping through his room mud dripping everywhere, the chimera resisted the urge to pretend to snore. Make his entire apartment covered in the outside world while he's at it! Why couldn't Mr. Kakapo have waited until Thursday to hold this meeting with him? Does it look like he's ready to take on the demands of aliens right now? He'll go with no to the thousandth power right about now, thanks.

"Afternoon, sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to talk to you about the alien SoulCritter Project, okay?" Mr. Kakapo asked. "Also, that leftover quail in your fridge was kind of bland, you ought to put more salt in it!"

"Kukaw! Needs more flavor, more flavor!" Leonard cooed.

Alien SoulCritter Project dropping more mud on his carpet, the hyena gave Mr. Kakapo a sharp glare. That's why he came all this way here? He thought he already texted him about this, the aliens already roped him into finding them their SoulCritters! Wasn't that enough of a confirmation for him that he's taking the job? Let him guess, he wanted him to sign off on it? Oh, he'll sign off on it, alright. Prick his finger and put his blood on the paper! Tch, on second thought, no thanks, that's what a demon would make him do. His fingers are closed, sorry.

[Make this quick. I already told you that I told the aliens find their SoulCritters, didn't I? Consider that your yes and please leave. I'm sorry I can't come into work until Thursday, dock all my pay for the rest of month as punishment!] A page from his communication log shouted.

"Woah, woah, now, why would I do that? Does Oriole look like a cruel slave driver to you? Don't worry about losing pay over your current sticky situation. I promise you, you won't lose anything!" Mr. Kakapo cried, waving his hands in the air. He then bit through the rest of the leftover quail. "Leonard, bring me the salt!"

"Kukaw, salt coming up!" Leonard cried, sprinkling down the salt.

"Ahem, now, where was I? Ah, yes. So, do tell! The aliens asked you directly to help you find them their SoulCritters, is that right? Because, if so, I say we get to work on this as soon as you're able!" Mr. Kakpo shouted. "After your shift ends of course!"

[The aliens told me I don't have to start finding them their SoulCritters until eight days from now. If I don't do exactly as they say, they'll eat Mr. Tux! So, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can't start on this project on Thursday!] A page from his communication log shouted.

"You sure? I'll pay you quadruple the amount your boss pays you! Pretty please?" But his collar had soon been grabbed.

"En'gh, g't outta my brothers 'partment!" Varg cried. "Knew ya'd try an pressure him. He said he'd help out eight days from now, so, I'mma have t' see ya out."

CEO soon gone, the chimera groaned as that pesky laugh burned in his eardrums. He can feel it now, as soon as he returns to work, it's going to be alien SoulCritter searching this, that, and demon jobs tripling! Ugh, Mr. Tux is so going to get eaten by the end of this month, isn't he? It's so over. No, worse than over. Over to the millionth power over. Brothers walking towards him, he closed his eyes.

"He's gone now, kiddo," Pira said in a low voice. "You alright?"

 [Fine. He ate my leftovers, though. And, he got mud all over my carpet! I'm going to have to clean it now!] A page from his communication log shouted.

"D'nt w'rry 'bout the carpet, A'll clean it," Varg said, shaking his head. "Jus' go back t' sleep fer now, ya look pretty beat."

Brothers taking his bedroom carpet, the young adult let out a yawn. Please, don't let the mud stain this thing forever. Intense wave of tiredness flowing through him, the fixer upper closed his eyes. World of dreams about ready to drag him down onto the cloud of darkness, one last thought took him away into zzzlandia.

When he goes back to work, that CEO is so going to force him to help the aliens find their SoulCritters early.

Lovely!

Mr. Tux's going to get eaten, just fantastic.

Nice going, Mr. Kakapo!