The sound of soft, breathy snores filled the silent, dark bedroom. The source of the snores, Coraline Hardwick, lay fast asleep in a crumpled heap on her queen-sized mattress, her mouth slightly open and a trail of drool running down her cheek and onto her pillow. She'd been so tired after a long, hard day of making coffee and dealing with the blatant passive-aggressiveness of her boss that she didn't even bother taking off her shoes or uniform before plopping down on the bed. Her lazy, over-sized ball of fur, otherwise known as her German Shepherd Sarge, lay stretched out at the foot of the mattress, snoring even louder than Coraline herself. When the four note tune chimed throughout the hallway, Coral groaned and turned over in bed, pulling the comforter up over her head. At the mention of a banquet on the fourteenth floor, however, her eyes shot wide open. 

A very startled Sarge lifted his head and ears when Coral suddenly hopped out of bed. He laid his head back down, his eyes disinterestedly following the young woman as she snatched off her work apron and flung it towards a growing pile of clothes on the floor. Coral didn't remember being told anything about a banquet, but was eager to go; after all, food would be provided, meaning that she wouldn't have to go another day eating a cup of noodles because she was too lazy or tired to cook. Coral had changed into a completely different outfit, brushed her teeth, and fluffed her hair in less than ten minutes. She even sprayed a little bit of light perfume on her wrists, a failed attempt to overpower her faint scent of coffee beans.

Before leaving, the young woman made sure to grab the last unopened bottle of Hennessy VS Cognac from her cabinet. Although Margorie had said that food and drink would be provided, she wasn't entirely sure if that included [i]alcohol[/i]. She would also feel a bit odd showing up empty-handed. [color=#6C3C37][b]"Be safe, make good choices, and don't chew up my shoes again."[/b][/color] she called to her dog as she shut and locked the front door. After a brief elevator ride, Coral was on the fourteenth floor and approaching the meeting room. She'd arrived just in time to catch the last bit of the mayor's introduction. 

On her way towards the food table, Coraline smiled warmly and nodded at Helena, Fletcher, and everyone else she passed by. Her smile slightly faltered, though, once she spotted what had been placed on the table: containers full of servings of herring, asparagus, and mashed potatoes. Taking in a deep breath, she shrugged, placed her bottle of alcohol with the rest, and reached for a plate and fork. It wasn't much, but it sure as hell beat Ramen noodles.