[center][h3][u]Northern Marrenfall, Gybol's Cafe[/u]
[sub]4th of Summer - 10:50 AM[/sub][/h3][/center]

	Nina rolled her eyes back into her head. Gybol was such a stubborn bastard, a quality that most of his customers didn't have a single qualm with. If she had another job lined up [i]anywhere else,[/i] she'd quit on the spot. But nobody was willing to hire in the eastern suburbs, and her frail body wouldn't do well in a [i]factory.[/i] Life for those without magic might have been more peaceful, but people like Nina saw it as a curse. Gybol's strange appearance and stubborn traditions only served as a constant reminder that she would likely be stuck as a mundane waitress in the middle of [i]hell[/i] for the rest of her known life.

	Nearly an three hours had passed since opening, and with the afternoon closing in, the breakfast rush has long since died down. Some of the customers from the west had left before getting served, while others waited patiently for their meals. Regardless, the cafe was thinning out fast. It didn't take long for the place to return to its usual [i]laid back[/i] atmosphere. Nina took solace in being stuck behind the counter. Having to walk around the tiny building front was exhausting for the girl. It seemed strange, but it wasn't uncommon for even the most youthful to end up fatigued with such a small amount of work. Nina was only nineteen, but she had been born with breathing problems, along with most of the kids around that area. The fact that she worked such long hours without rest was a miracle. Maybe she had a [i]right[/i] to complain! He illness never defined her, though. Whether that illness was a result of the ashen air, her absentminded family, or something else entirely, was of no concern to the eastern suburb's mayor, [b]Reginald Foreman.[/b] Their section of Marrenfall's middle-class residences had been breathing the brunt of Varbos' pollution for decades. If its factories truly were to blame for the rampant disease, local health wasn't going to improve any time soon.

	Nina didn't concern herself with any of those politics though. She was a simple girl with simple desires. Get rich, get a guy, and then get [i]gone[/i]. It wouldn't have been too hard for her to snatch an eligible young bachelor if she prettied herself up and went on a trip to the richer cities in Marrenfall. Nina was [i]not[/i] a bad looking girl. She had a pretty thin frame, and modest proportions, but all the boys at her school used to flock around her like idiots. It might've been her hair, or her eyes, or [i]something[/i], because it sure as hell wasn't her charm. Nina was brash, bold, and swore like a sailor whenever she didn't have to watch her language. Despite having silky blonde hair, pretty blue eyes, and features like a [i]doll,[/i] there wasn't a bachelor in all of Marrenfall that would put up with her attitude just because she was a [i]pretty girl.[/i] That pissed her off. This whole Nation pissed her off.

	With most of Gybol's customers either eating, or [i]gone,[/i] the shop got really quiet. This time of the day was always slow. It wouldn't pick up again until an hour or two past noon. But that didn't mean they wouldn't get the odd fellow passing by now and again. For people to be present during working hours usually meant one of three things though. They were jobless, worked a night shift, or [i]were just passing through.[/i] While Nina was busy slacking off, fiddling with her new watch, one such man walked through the wooden door that marked Gybol's establishment. The bell rang Nina back into attention, and she sprung up from the counter-top with a feigned smile. But when the girl caught a glimpse of the newest customer's face, it was hard for her to not [i]cringe.[/i] thankfully, he didn't seem to care, and sat down on one of the bar stools with a gentle smile.

	He wore a torn top-hat, something that fell out of fashion at least a [i]century ago[/i], and had a pair of worn down glasses that were covered in scratches. The trench coat he wore was just as hideous, too. He looked like something out of an old-timey storybook, or something. His face was just as marred as his apparel, or perhaps even [i]moreso,[/i] which is what initially prompted Nina's reaction. Scars of varying severity ran up and down behind his glasses, crossing over both cheeks, his chin, and even part of his forehead. It looked like he'd just been mauled by a beast! Hell, even one of his [i]eyes[/i] was sealed shut from the scarring, and the other one was 
completely bloodshot. 

	"H-Hi, welcome to Gybros', er- Gybols cafe!" Nina's tongue felt like cotton in her mouth. "What'chya hungry for?" The man rose a hand, and didn't speak. It was a little hard to tell past all the scarring, but he wasn't exactly youthful. As he lowered his hand, he let out a series of deep coughs, and rummaged the back of his throat before swallowing [i]hard.[/i]

	'[i]ick'[/i] Nina thought.

	"Gimme a minute, dear," He wheezed quietly, "I'll call you when I'm ready to order." Nina nodded quietly and backed away into the kitchen, which was separated from the rest of the restaurant by a series of transparent plastic drapes. Gybol was in there, probably tending to the oven or something. It was kind of [i]freakin' boiling[/i] in the kitchen, but she didn't mind it. She preferred it to having to sit face to face with that weird old man. When she caught sight of her boss, Nina swept her long braid behind her back and groaned- Sighed... Groan-sighed [i]loudly.[/i]

	"Gybol," She said quietly, "Freak at 12 o'clock."

	She didn't really know what that phrase meant, but she liked the sound of it.