Chapter Text
Intern(Xanthe) was a Nice person to work it, new. But pretty good I guess. Just with time you began to notice a few weird things. And also how they stare in the camera footage. See. Anomalies usually stare at it blankly, and intern did too.
the truth he didn't know was- intern was an anomaly! But they tried to hide it, they didn't want to hurt anyone. Really. They wanted to just live a normal life. Like anyone else did. And they got the job here, and had a hope nobody will notice
You entered the room to see intern spinning on the chair with coffee in paw, and they greeted you with a hand wave
"hey!"
Should he tell about his suspicions? Or not?
Secret agent or rather Milo Vex..He been working here for a while(since the anomalys show up).He is mostly quiet and calm but look cold and dangerous on outside.Intern(Xanthe) tried to be friendly and be friend with them or even have a simple talk with them but it's always end up as Milo left where they are or just ignore them..They never understand why..but don't really think too much about it either..Maybe Milo just shy..?Or maybe he knows something.
Milo's ears bends down with annoyence and their pupils get sharp and cold like a very agressive black cat.He turn his head away and went to take a coffee for himself.
Intern’s ears twitched at the shift in Milo’s energy—so subtle, but she felt it like static before a storm. The air thickened. She gripped her coffee mug tighter, pretending not to notice how his presence suddenly dominated the room.
She spun once more on her chair—slowly this time—then stopped facing him again. Not directly staring, no… just glancing over the rim of her cup as he moved toward the coffee machine.
The silence was heavy. Uncomfortable even for someone who thrived in quiet moments.
"Uh..."
She opened her mouth without thinking.
"You want cream? Or sugar?"
A small offer. Harmless.
But inside? Her heart pounded.
Milo look at them coldly "I don't tajke cream or sugar.." he said coldly "I like my coffee black and sugarfree."
Xanthe nodded quickly, her ears flicking back a little—like she’d just been scolded by a teacher. She didn’t smile, not fully. Just that small, nervous curve of lips.
"Oh! Right! Black coffee… cool!"
She took a sip from her own cup—hers had three sugars and whipped cream (totally obvious). The contrast was ridiculous: warm sweetness vs his icy black void drink.
The machine hummed as Milo poured his coffee with precise movements. No rush. No wasted motion.
He didn’t sit near anyone else at the table.
Didn't look around.
Just stood there like a shadow in uniform.
Xanthe looks away nervously they wasn't sure what to say or do..Milo was harder to get trough than anyone else she ever deal with..Others were nervous around her at first too but they get used to her and even like having her around but Milo..He look at her like she is a criminal..
The silence stretched again—thick and suffocating. Xanthe stared into her coffee, swirling the whipped cream with a spoon she didn’t need to use. Her tail twitched under the chair, a nervous habit she couldn’t control.
She kept stealing glances at Milo—not long ones, just quick peeks when he wasn't looking directly at her. Every time his cold gaze swept over? She flinched inside.
*Why does he hate me.*
*The thought popped up uninvited.*
*I’ve been nice… I smiled… said hi every morning… offered snacks once!*
A memory flickered: last week, offering him half of her chocolate croissant. He’d looked at it like it was poisoned meat before walking away without a word.
Her ears drooped slightly now—almost imperceptibly—as sadness crept in beneath the nerves.
"Are you okey Xanthe..?" A soft voice call on her..It was the shopkeeper nurse,Melody.She was the nicesist one here..always making sure everyone is okey..
Xanthe’s ears perked up instantly at Melody’s voice—warm, gentle, like a hug in sound form. She turned her head so fast her hoodie strings swayed.
"O-oh! Melody!"
Her face lit up—too brightly for someone who’d just been emotionally crushed by Milo five seconds ago. She forced a big smile, the kind that said "*I’m fine*", but really meant "*Please don’t ask why I look sad.*"
"Yeah! Yeah… totally okay!"
She waved her free paw cheerfully before taking another sip of coffee to hide the fact she was absolutely not okay.
Melody gave her that soft nurse-look—the one with knowing eyes and quiet concern—and sat down beside Xanthe without being asked.
Melody look at Milo then to Xanthe again and gently hold her hand
"Don't worry about him..he is like this with everyone..he is just..doesn't trust easyly.."
Xanthe’s breath hitched a little when Melody took her hand. It was such a small gesture—but so kind, so *motherly*, that something inside her throat tightened.
She didn’t cry. Nope. Not at all.
Her eyes just got suspiciously shiny.
"Oh…" she whispered, voice suddenly smaller than before.
Melody squeezed her paw gently and gave Milo another glance—one filled with understanding, not anger.
The nurse wasn't judging him.
She knew his story too—how he'd lost someone in the last outbreak… how he carried guilt like armor now.
Xanthe looked down at their joined hands again, then slowly back toward Milo—still standing by the counter like a statue made of tension and black coffee.
A tiny pang hit: Maybe it wasn’t personal? Maybe... maybe he’s just broken inside?
"I'm sure he'll get used to you..he is just not good with new faceses." Melody said with soft tone she always used with people.Her motherly aura slowly calmed Xanthe.
Xanthe nodded slowly, absorbing Melody’s words like they were medicine. A tiny spark of hope flickered in her chest—fragile, but there.
"Yeah… maybe," she murmured, stirring her coffee again even though it didn’t need stirring.
Her ears lifted slightly—a sign she was starting to relax. The weight on her shoulders eased a little. Not gone completely… but lighter now.
She wasn’t being rejected because she did something wrong.
Milo wasn't mad at *her*. He just... didn't open up to anyone easily.
A soft sigh escaped her as the truth settled in: he wasn't cold because of Xanthe—he was always like this with everyone new.
The realization made him feel less scary and more... lonely.
"If you want i can talk to him to be nicer to you..?I know he sometimes get too mean...he never meant to hurt anyone..he is as upset about all this as we are..The..anomalys are..you know.." she look down sadly.her ears bends down even more than before
Xanthe’s heart squeezed at the sadness in Melody’s voice. The nurse wasn’t just talking about Milo anymore—she was talking about everything. The fear. The loss. How weird life had become since anomalies started appearing.
She hadn't realized how much it weighed on everyone—not just patients, but staff too.
"No… no, don’t talk to him,"Xanthe said softly, shaking her head.
She reached out and gently patted Melody's hand this time—the roles reversing for once.
"It's okay… really."
A small smile returned—genuine this time.
"He doesn't have to be nice right away... I can wait."
The thought crossed her mind: maybe kindness isn't always smiling big or speaking loud... maybe sometimes it's just being patient with someone who hurts without showing it.
Melody looks at her and softly smile "You are a good kid Xanthe...i'm sure he'll understand too one day."
The compliment hit Xanthe like a warm blanket—soft, comforting, and *so* unexpected that her eyes instantly welled up again. This time, she couldn’t stop the tiny wobble in her lower lip.
"M-Melody…"
Her voice cracked just a little. She wasn't crying! Nope! Not at all!
*She definitely was.*
A single tear escaped before she could blink it away—just one—and rolled down her cheek fast.
She didn’t wipe it immediately. Just sat there for half a second, letting Melody see how much those words meant to her.
Nobody had called her "a good kid" since... well... ever.
Most people found anomalies scary—or weird—or dangerous.
But Melody? She saw kindness instead.
But she couldn't say anything outloud..no one here knew she is anomaly...no one here like anomalys..yet it was still meant so much to her to hear that.
Xanthe stayed silent, the tear drying on her cheek as she stared into her coffee—like it held all the secrets of the universe. Her chest ached with something heavy and beautiful at once.
Melody’s words echoed inside: "You're a good kid."
No suspicion. No fear.
Just pure acceptance.
A dangerous warmth spread through Xanthe’s body—not because she felt safe exactly… but because for this one second? She *was*.
The irony wasn’t lost on her—the only person who truly saw how kind she was… didn’t know that beneath this soft smile and friendly waves? She was exactly what everyone feared.
A tiny part of her wanted to confess right then.
*"I'm an anomaly too."*
...But no. Not yet.
Instead, she leaned slightly into Melody—just a little—and rested her shoulder against hers in quiet gratitude.
Melody hold her close not let go..Xanthe felt safe but worried..would this kindness still be there if someone knows what she truly is..?
The hug was gentle but firm—Melody wrapped her arms around Xanthe like she was shielding her from the whole world. No questions asked. Just warmth.
Xanthe melted into it, trembling just a little, eyes squeezed shut. She hadn’t been held like this since… maybe ever? Not in a way that felt *safe*. Not in years.
The room stayed quiet around them—just the soft hum of the coffee machine and distant chatter from other staff down the hall. No one paid much attention to two coworkers hugging.
Milo was still there, though—frozen by his cup like a silent observer. He hadn’t moved since he got his coffee. His sharp eyes flicked toward Xanthe and Melody for just a second… then away again.
Something unreadable passed over his face
A flicker? Regret? Guilt?
Maybe seeing someone so gentle being comforted made him remember how cold he’d been all day.
But he didn't approach. Didn't say anything.
Just stood there... watching... thinking things no one could hear.
But beneath the comfort came the fear—the gnawing doubt that always lived in her chest: What if Melody knew? What if she found out Xanthe wasn't human... not really...
A sudden chill ran through her despite being held close.
Would Melody still smile at her?
Would anyone here keep treating her kindly then?
Her paws curled slightly against Melody's sleeve—not pushing away, just holding on tighter to this moment while it lasted.