Myrra pouted as she carried a plate of food, to a table with a lone adventurer. Her face slightly red as she internally screamed.

     Why did I take this job? She thought to herself.

     She received a special request after someone saw her walking in the market. At first, she had been overjoyed, thinking her talents had been noticed. When the job was revealed to be working in a café, she was a little disappointed, but it paid well, and she thought it could be fun. So she accepted, but when she arrived and was handed the uniform, her happiness evaporated.

     What she was handed wasn't some cute fantasy outfit. Or some western style waitress outfit. It was a maid outfit, how and why they had maid outfits here she didn't know. But she didn't find out until after she accepted already, so she was locked in. Unless she wanted to have a mark against her and pay the cancellation fee. Thankfully, it was only for three days to advertise the café’s fifth year anniversary. 

     “Oh my gods, you are absolutely adorable,” gushed the owner, Beatrice. “I knew I made the right choice when I requested you.”

     Myrra blushed at the praise, shuffling her feet shyly. “Thank you,” she replied, unable to think of anything else to say. Embarrassed as she was, she still appreciated the compliment. 

     “This is for table ten,” she said, gesturing to a tray. 

     Myrra picked up the tray, carrying it over her head. Using her vines to hold it more securely. As she made her way through the tables, several people turned and gushed at her appearance. She reached table ten and handed the customers their orders. After asking if they need anything else, she made her way back to the counter to retrieve another order.

     She picked up another order and carried it to the customer, and was greeted by the most adorable catgirl she had ever seen. Her fur color was similar to traditional calicoes, except with the black parts replaced with tabby cat striping. She was tinkering with some kind of device, while buzzing around her head was a small flying golem that was scanning the Café. Myrra dumbfoundly stared at her for a solid minute before setting down the girls food.

     “Here's your order, ma’am,” she said respectfully.

     “Thank you,” the girl replied without looking up. Just as Myrra was about to ask if she required anything else, the golem emitted a small series of beeps and chirps. Making the cat girl's head popup as she intensely studied the small Nymph. “How unusual, I didn't expect to find one of your kind here.” 

     “Um excuse me?” 

     “Sorry, I forget my manners. I am Evelyn,” she said, looking at the small girl expectantly.

     “Oh, I'm Myrra ma’am,” she replied with a small curtsy.

     The cat girl waved the gesture off before continuing. “I’d love to ask you some questions, but it would appear you are busy now. If you don't mind coming to my shop later, I’d love to get to know more about you,” she requested, handing the small girl a card.

     “I’ll think about it,” she replied.

     “Please do, you can come anytime before dark.”

     Myrra gave the girl another bow and put the card in her inventory, the small piece of paper disappearing from her hand. With a sigh, she set back to her work.

 

*****

 

     “Alright, today is the day,” Beatrice began, “the day we have trained for. With the extra help we have assembled, I hope we will be able to appease everyone. Now you all have your assignments. So let’s go!” She nodded to one of the employees at the door. With an audible click, she unlocked the door, opening it inwards.

     “Welcome to Enchanted Apron Café,” the woman said, greeting a line of customers already assembled.

     The customers began to enter, the owner directing people who were dining in towards the tables, where every employee and temp descended upon them and began to assist. Those who were getting to go orders lined up at the order counter. Most people were here for the house special. A simple yet delicious and hearty stew. A secret recipe passed down thorough the Delacroix family. A line of distinguished maid’s and butlers, who were granted minor nobility for their impeccable Domestic Services.

     Despite the amount of customers that flooded through their doors, the employees were handling it well. A minor scuffle here, a few complaints there. Most were stopped when Myrra was asked to resolve them. Her innocent charm disarming the situations with coos and awws.

     While these interactions left her feeling patronized, she did appreciate the compliments. With a sigh, she picked up the next order, carrying it to the instructed table. The past two days, she had been dwelling on whether to go visit the cat girl. She wanted to ask her sister, but a late night at her work and an emergency session forced her to stay at work the whole night.

     Miss Myrra this is Hanna, you’ve received a text from Madam Katherine. Hanna said as a notification appeared in her vision, ‘Hey sis, sorry I didn’t come home yesterday. Work was busy, and we needed all hands on deck to test an emergency patch for a game breaking bug that needed to be verified before the release tomorrow. I’ll be home today, then we’ll do something fun. Love you <3’ Once Myrra finished reading, Hanna continued. Your body has also started to become hungry. 

     Thank you, Hanna, Myrra thought in return. Turning her attention back to the task at hand, she sighed again and continued to take orders.

 

*****

 

     Her vision flashed white, and she was staring at her ceiling. With a yawn, she stretched her limbs. After the long day, they had a party with the employees to celebrate their five years of operation. It ran so late that Myrra began to fear that she’d miss dinner with Kat. After the party it was well into the night and the owner insisted on escorting Myrra back to her room.

     Her musings were interrupted by her stomach growling loudly. She hopped out of bed, her sleep shirt fluttering slightly. She retrieved the dish that Kat had prepared yesterday before work and slipped it into the oven. Her sister was due home in just under an hour, and the food only took half that to cook.

     Turning on the TV, she began to search or something to watch. Settling on a new magical girl anime, isekai. The main character was a guy who had decided if they couldn't be a small cute girl, they would be the most manly man ever. While secretly harboring a desire so strong that it overcame many trials.

     After being turned into the magical girl of her dreams, she was transported to a fantasy like world where the demon queen had seized control of half the world already. Deposited in a destroyed rural town, she set about growing her power in secret, along with four other summoned magical girls. To hopefully depose the queen and save the world.

     By the end of the first episode, she was thoroughly entranced. She lamented the fact there wasn't more to watch yet when the oven timer dinged. She stood up and made her way to remove the food. Hearing the front door open just as she removed the food.

     “I'm home,” Kat announced loudly. Sam heard her sister set her purse down on the entry table.

     “I'm in the kitchen,” she replied.

     “Ah my ever dutiful little sister, what ever would I do without you,” she said leaning on her sister's should and hugging her.

     “Probably be living like a neet,” she giggled.

     “Bah, you wound me,” she gasped and mimicked being struck in the heart. Before kissing her sister's forehead. The two of them served up a bowl, a nice bowl of beef curry over rice. One of the dishes brought over by the Japanese immigrants that fled their homeland.

     “I really like this curry recipe,” Kat said, taking a seat on the couch.

     “Me too,” Sam agreed.

     Kat put on one of her animes and the two girls ate their dinner, snuggling together once both their bowls were empty. They finished the episode, it was some magical mech anime. The main character was from earth and got sent to a fantasy realm with mechs and magic.  

     “Wanna watch another or hop on Loreth?”

     “Loreth, that anime was kinda mid to be honest.”

     “Yea, it's not the best. Thankfully, things settled after the destruction of Japan.” 

     “It’s not like people weren't warned. I'm glad that not too many people got hurt.”

     “Such a sweet and innocent girl,” Kat said, hugging her sister. “But, let's get logged in.”

     “Alright sissy, I’ll see you in game,” Myrra chirped excitedly before running to her room.

 

*****

 

     Myrra nodded, satisfied with her skill choices, she closed her status and waited for her sister. She made a note to get the inspect skill so she could find out what her new title did. Snuggling in bed with Kat’s avatar, she closed her eyes to wait. Her sister took long enough that the small girl drifted back to sleep.

     “Wake up lazy bones,” Kat said teasingly.

     “Nngh?” Myrra said groggily. “How long was I asleep?”

     “Twenty minutes or so after I logged in, so maybe just short of an hour? Let's take a bath then do something.” 

     “A big quest?”

     “No I don't have the time, I have less than a day so something nearby.”

     “Do we need to take a bath then?”

     “I do, I feel so gross.”

     “Fine,” Myrra pouted and grumbled.

     “After we bathe we’ll go take a quest then set out tonight, finish it tomorrow and be back in time for me to log out for work.”

     Myrra continue to pout throughout their bath, sputtering when her sister dumped a wash bowl full of water on her head. They finished their bath, Kat blow-drying her sister's hair. Once both of them were dry, they dressed and made their way downstairs for dinner. Kat had her usual of mostly meat, where Myrra changed it up with grains, leafy greens, and delectable juice made from an exotic fruit. 

     The common room of the inn they were staying at was bustling and loud. A band played in the corner. The song they were playing wasn't quite the ‘fantasy’ song she had in mind when playing other RPG games. It was more like the old music from the pre-collapse US. The rest of the patrons were mostly human, there were some other races. But none as striking as Myrra and her sister.  She tried not to pay attention to the stares that were surreptitiously tossed her way. 

     Once their food was finished, and paid for, the two of them made their way to the Union branch. Myrra looked around the building while her sister looked through the posted jobs. Despite the late hour, the lobby was still fairly full. Kat picked a mission to recover a lost item for the guild. And took it up to the counter.

     “Hello, I’d like to take this job,” Kat said, handing the woman behind the counter the request.

     “Of course!” the woman said excitedly, taking the listing and their ID’s. She looked at the posting before setting the ID in a small receptacle and typed something in the floating display that appeared. “This job is to recover one of our packs. One of our scouts was examining a cave to verify a request. Before they could fully complete their job, they were attacked by an unknown assailant and were forced to activate their emergency retreat device.”

     “So we are looking for a pack, what's the description of it?”

     “It’s going to be a chameleon pack, to help our scouts blend into the environment. You’ll need a tracker,” she explained, setting a small blueish colored disc on the counter. “This will glow faintly and vibrate when you near the pack. You’re to retrieve the pack. And if you can identify what assaulted our scout, we’ll add a bonus to your payment.”

     “Right. We’ll take that then,” Kat smiled.

     “Very well, your ID’s will track the quest. Have a great evening.”

     She tapped a few more times on the screen and handed them back their ID’s as well as a crudely drawn map. Kat looked at the map and nodded her head.

     “Let’s go,” she said, taking her sister's hand.