Submission (#7351) Approved

The invitation arrived with the rest of the mail, its cursive lettering and elaborate, gold-leafed border standing out among stacks of their usual bills on their front doorstep. Though the mailman was timely in their delivery, as usual, it would be some time before Grant opened his eyes, let alone the front door to check for any letters. His evening shifts for work and late nights spent with his two roommates were a daily occurrence, and so was his tendency to sleep in. Luckily the weather was good, leaving the mail safe on their welcome mat until such a time that Grant could peer outside, half-drained coffee mug in one hand and a still-bleary expression as his eyes slowly focused on the floor.

Ah.. yes. There was mail. He scooped up the pile and tucked it under his arm without sparing their contents a glance, also making sure that his tail didn't get shut in the door as he kicked it softly with a sock-covered heel. Instead of navigating through the letters immediately, he instead decided to make his way back to the table. Cassia’s breakfast that she prepared for him was too good to resist, the delicious aromas alone would make any distasteful news in the letters’ contents seem more bearable. But first.. Coffee. Grant needed the coffee. And maybe a few bites of food.

With a sigh they pulled back the chair and dropped the letters on the place mat next to him, draining his mug with slow, deliberate gulps until it was emptied Of course, she made it just how he liked it. Then again, his favorite drink was somewhat difficult to mess up, as he enjoyed it most ways; black or creamy, delightfully bitter or full of sugar and other interesting spices. Why be picky when there were so many different ways to enjoy his delectable bean juice?

Bean juice.. Grant snorted softly at the term, before he took a bite of dark, crispy toast with a beautifully seasoned fried egg on top. He’ll thank her later for this. She spared no effort in making sure his food was fresh and ready for him when he awoke, even though she had a bakery to prep and run. He’ll think of a suitable way to convey his appreciation without words, as was his custom. Hm.. Maybe a nice kiss. They seemed to be super-effective against her, especially when she was least expecting them. The imagery of her blushing cheeks and stunned expression quirked up his own lips into a small smile as he ate.

The egg’s yolk broke as his fangs bit into it, spilling down the toast and his hand in the process. He spent the next while finagling the rest into his mouth, eating at an angle to try and strategically drizzle the rest onto the rest of his plate of goodies so it didn’t go to waste. Tasty, yolk-covered sausages and hash browns.. Maybe she’d get two kisses today. That only seemed fair.

His eating slowed as his attention began to focus thanks to his morning dose of caffeine, and he decided it was finally time to start going through their deliveries. He picked up the top letter in the pile, fork hanging out of his mouth as he opened it up.

The first was just a reminder that their internet bill would be due in a few weeks time. Even though he had switched to paperless billing… he’ll have to call them about that again.

The next letter is a notice for Yako. He’s been pre-selected for a loan application. Up to five thousand dollars..! Grant snorted and set the letter aside. Those kind of offers never lived up to the promises they made, he’ll make sure to suggest his roommate throw it away rather than consider taking advantage of the scam. If he needed money to buy more clothes or shoes.. Or toys. Or accessories. Then Grant would help him, as always.

The newspaper was set aside, for later coupon-clipping and deal-searching. There was a subscription for Playboy Succubunny for Yako, a Bakers Digest for Cas, his own.. Bills… from the casino in town. He’ll clear his throat after swallowing a bite of sausage, and tuck it into his pajama bottom pocket for later. His habits were his own business.

After getting through most of the letters, his hand brushed one aside to reveal the decorated envelope, making Grant pause. This was.. much fancier than he was used to seeing in their letter stack. Was it something of Yako’s?

No.. after carefully tugging it free from the remaining letters, he could clearly see his name written in what could only be the fanciest calligraphy he’d ever received. Sealed in the back with wax that had— ah… he gulped.

This.. this symbol was Angora’s. Hm. He pulled out the pocketed letter to check it over again. Had he gone over his usual budget at the slots? No, no, it was about the same amount that he owed her every month. Then what was this second letter doing here? Addressed to him, specifically?

His palms felt sweaty. Had she decided to cut him off from his gambling at last? She’d already limited him to one round of blackjack per day, with only the occasional roulette spin or go at the slot machines when she was feeling generous. Would she limit him further? Or worse, ban him completely? But he dutifully paid all his balances.. The potential prospect of losing his most selfish of addictions— no. Not addictions. Hobbies. The possibility of losing one of his favorite hobbies, seemed dire.

But as Grant thought about it, the more his logic kicked in. He shook his head, his dark mess of hair covering his eyes before he blew at his bangs to clear them away. No.. it would be bad for her business to do that to him. He would simply see for himself what she wanted, and be done with his senseless worrying.

As much as he tried to reassure himself, he opened the envelope with extreme care, keeping the seal intact as he undid the back of the letter as though he were handling a bomb. He’ll remove the letter, noting that both the envelope and its contents were made of extremely high-quality materials. She really spared no expense... As his eyes scanned over the information, the worry left his heart, and his tense expression faded back into his usual face of relaxed calm as he realized.

Ah. It was a job application request. And, looking at the rest of the envelopes Grant hadn’t opened, it looks like there was one for Cassia as well.

Looks like he’ll be able to help Yako get those stilettos he wanted sooner than expected. His tail will wag gently behind him as he finishes up the rest of his breakfast.

Three kisses, perhaps. She’ll get three, today.