<div style="background-color:#6c9cb8; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #000000"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Century Gothic;">As soon as her eyes drowsily slid open, they set upon a sight so familiar that it should have startled her to see again.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Mornin',"</span> she mumbled, lifting a hand to rub the worst of the sleep out of her eyes, only realizing when it drifted back to its original position that it had been resting on Dimitri's waist. She smiled, just the smallest little curve of her lips. She would allow herself to pretend that no one had broken up with anyone for perfectly logical reasons for just a moment longer.<br/><br/>Eventually, though, nature had to run its course, and Alannah left the bed in pursuit of the bathroom instead. <span style="font-weight: bold">"You know where the kettle is, make yourself some instant, eh?"</span> Even after they'd stopped dating, she'd kept some in her cupboard. <span style="font-style: italic">For no reason, really. Just because. Not like you hoped he'd ditch his crazy pops and come running back to you, no, not at aaaaall,</span> said the voice in the back of her mind, who seemed to be rather irritated with her on the topic of her ex-boyfriend. Alannah imagined flushing the tiny, self-righteous version of herself out. It was oddly satisfying.<br/><br/>Picking out her overall skirt and a striped t shirt to go with it, she padded barefoot into her small kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Don't even have eggs,"</span> she mumbled to herself, not at all willing to admit how much she enjoyed the feelings of domesticity that were washing over her along with the smell of dissolving, freeze dried coffee. Pushing the fridge door shut with her foot, she reached up in a cupboard to take out the box of Cheerios that was lurking in there.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Right, so, Ocean's Eleven. Think I explained it last night, too, butcha didn't look like you were listenin',"</span> she said, grinning as she poured milk on the cereal and plucked a spoon from the drawer. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Y'see, they're - we're - kinda like guidance counselors. Lotsa youngsters these days don't get why they should hide their powers. More supernaturals run away from home than they used to. God, I feel old sayin' that,"</span> she snickered, waving the spoon at him, accidentally sending a Cheerio-loop sailing through the air. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Oops. Well, anyhoo, we try to sniff them out before they do some stupid things and get caught doing things humans can't, y'know? And Lola's real nice, talks to them and things, tries to get the more rebellious ones to get back on the secret path. Which means your little friend would be of interest to them, can't have her just running around."</span><br/><br/>The mermaid took a last thoughtful scoop of her breakfast, placed the spoon between her teeth and managed to look both pensive and ridiculous as she stared out the window with the handle sticking upwards from her mouth. <span style="font-weight: bold">"And then there's the dead fish and the ichor..."</span> she said, lisping slightly because of the spoon. She put her bowl in the sink and turned to Dimitri. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Mind explaining that before we go see Lola?"</span></span></div></span></div>