Thank you for waiting.

Chapter Three

Flor didn't think very highly of the bar. It reminded her of the way her kitchen smelled before she and Joe cleaned it; body scents combined with sour-sweet rotting beverages. The floor was sticky to walk on, and Flor felt like her new shoes were deteriorating by the second. Worst though were the people. The diversity was nearly identical to that of outside the resort - every age, hairstyle, body shape, and color scheme of being was present, even some that didn't appear human. However, the looks on their faces were all the same, generally content but foggy in the eyes. The only consolation she felt in this environment was that Yenri and Joe seemed familiar here.

The four were sitting at the front in barstools. Yenri was between Flor and Ryo, and Joe was positioned on the opposite side of Flor. They were each situated with their own beverages - Joe with a martini, Yenri with a shot glass, Ryo with a bottle of beer, and Flor with an elaborate ice cream sundae. Save for Flor, they were all happily consuming their drinks. Flor couldn't get over the sticky grossness of the barstool, or the fact that the milk in her shake was a tad bit too sour-scented, or that the neon across the walls was hurting her eyes.

"So," said Joe, "You took your cookie out of your sundae and just ate that by itself?"

She nodded.

Joe sighed. "Wasted. And not the good kind."

Yenri finished her third shot glass. She didn't appear to have any adverse effects. "Fu-chyeo, do you want a different sundae?"

Flor blinked, frozen. Her eyelids were a bit jittery.

Yenri took Flor's hand and gently rubbed her right shoulder. "I know something that should cheer you up."

Ryo winced. Only Joe seemed to notice.

Yenri placed a hand on the bar surface. She cast her eyes to the side towards Ryo. He wasn't looking at her. Then, she moved the hand on the desk in an odd way. Flor stared at it, unsure what to make of it. Then, Yenri let out a smile. "Check behind you."

Flor turned around, her heart beating quickly for just a moment. Surely enough, in the same bar as them, appeared to be Shinjidai Mirai. She had the same braid and bushy bangs, black and white color scheme, tie, skirt, and checkered mark printed on her face – something like a diamond split into four squares, the ones on the top and bottom dark and the two on the sides a bright white. However, her excitement soon faded, and her face slumped just a bit. She remembered the pack from earlier and knew that this was just another one of them, and surely nothing good could come from that.

The girl walked over, bowing towards Yenri. Yenri stood up out of her barstool and bowed back.

"Shinjidai-schi," she whispered.

"Pinku-schi," replied the girl, chuckling a bit, "And guests."

"Fu-chyeo, this is the real Shinjidai Mirai," whispered Yenri. Then, she held a finger against her mouth and shot a glare towards Flor as if to tell her, 'Don't say anything.'

The girl pulled out her identification card, and surely enough, she was the legitimate Mirai. Her picture and name were clearly stated on the front.

Joe sipped from his martini. "Charmed to meet you, Master."

Flor froze, but in an instant got out of her barstool. Yenri winced. Flor bowed as low as she could; in fact, she bowed so low that she tripped, falling on her face.

Mirai chuckled. "Cute. And.." She turned to Yenri, "You're Yenri, now?"

Yenri nodded. Flor got up, feeling disgusted that the whole front of her body was lightly coated in whatever sticky, stale material was on the bar floor. Her face turned tomato red and she returned to her seat, burying her head in her folded arms, embarrassed. Yenri didn't look to her but rubbed her shoulder sympathetically.