[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/w9BxBGP.png[/img]
[h2][color=FCFE8F]M[/color]ayu [color=FCFE8F]I[/color]ovina[/h2][/center]

[i]Mayu moved as slowly as humanely possible, taking utmost care in shifting her weight from feet to feet. She was carrying a bright red cherry that was the size of an entire pumpkin. It was to be the finishing touch for her life sized gingerbread house. She had spent days assembling the delicious work of art and all that was left was to place the cherry on the frosting topped chimney—she just needed to make sure the roof did not crumble as she made her way over. 

Drip.

She felt a droplet of water hit the top of her head. Oh no, she thought. Please don’t rain! Despite her inner pleas, more droplets of rain started falling. Within seconds, it was a torrential shower. She felt the cookie roof start to sag under her weight. The house was going to fall apart-[/i]

[color=FCFE8F]“Nggnggh…!”[/color] groaned Mayu as she awoke. Her face was covered in slobber, courtesy of Cumin. Groggily, she tried to fend off the fluffy critter.[color=FCFE8F] “Stop it already, Cumi-”[/color]

Her eyes shot wide open. She glanced around in a panic. Eun-ji was nowhere to be seen, all that remained was her neatly tidied bed. The only ones left in the room were her and Cumin. Judging from the rays of sunlight coming in through the window, it was already the late hours of Shune, possibly even Oraff. Her plan to wake up early and prepare a meal for Zeno Zemana and her fellow apprentices was in shambles. She had planned to use her culinary skills to give Karim a second bribe as well as Eun-ji whom she had revealed Cumin to after she discovered they were sharing a room.

[color=FCFE8F]“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”[/color] Mayu asked Cumin. 

The young kitten mewed back in annoyance. It had been trying to do just that. 

[color=FCFE8F]“Oh,”[/color] she responded.

She petted the kitten apologetically. Cumin purred in response. 

Hurriedly, Mayu started undressing and putting on a fresh set of clothes. A comfortable green top and a white skirt. The moment she was done, she rushed out her room after telling Cumin to stay behind. In her haste, she had forgotten to shut the door; an opportunity that the kitten did not miss.

As Mayu was halfway down the hall, she caught a whiff of the scent of freshly baked bread. Somebody was already preparing breakfast! Mayu quickened her pace, increasing the distance between her strides. She ran down the stairs two steps at a time, then three, then… BAM! Mayu found herself crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, both her feet in the air. The only silver lining was that she was relatively unhurt.

Mayu scrambled to her feet to greet those already in the kitchen. [color=FCFE8F]“G-good morning everyone. T-today looks like it’s going to be a wonderful day!”[/color] she said awkwardly. She could feel her soul cringing from within.

To add insult to injury, Cumin who had been following after her, decided to jump atop her shoulder. He was out in the open, for all to see. [color=FCFE8F][i]Oh shite[/i][/color], she thought.