<strong>Kunoichi - disembarking from the elevator</strong><br/><br/>This time, upon stepping out of the elevator, Kunoichi managed to avoid tripping over the doorway and tumbling out into the hallway that lay beyond those sliding doors.  This in itself wasn't all that unusual.  In fact, it was a feat she had done dozens of times before, riding the elevators up and down from work to leisure time every day.  What was unusual was that she was able to accomplish it without much of a state of focus, however.  In fact, one might almost say she was entirely distracted, especially since she didn't even notice that she'd failed to trip over something.  In her current state of mind, that was probably a good thing, however.  She'd probably have just worried herself about what else she was going to run into, instead.<br/><br/>And just why was the young woman driven to such distraction?  The sweeping of the gallery on the first floor had been going well, up to the point where Miss Myobi pulled her off that job.  Then the subsequent tour she gave to the new models had gone well, as well.  They were even now getting settled in, so it wasn't that, either.  Some third item?  Well, she had run into Avarice shortly afterwards...<br/><br/>Avarice was the name of one of the more experienced models at Waxing Rhapsodic.  She was a woman whom Kuno found more than a little scary, though exactly why is a story she preferred to keep to herself.  After all, many people, upon first coming to the photo studio, were left with the impression that the model was a kind, caring person whose only flaw was having a high opinion of herself.  The young assistant had thought exactly as much, herself...  For perhaps five minutes.  That first day had seen her hanging around shyly in the background and watching her new coworkers interact, though, and it wasn't long before she saw a few things in that woman that made her blood run cold.<br/><br/>Now, whenever she came face to face with the model, all she saw was something... predatory.  Frightening.  And in the same way that a pack of wolves have no trouble sensing the weakest member of the herd, that woman sensed a definite weakness within her.  Fortunately, she was at least never asked by Aline Myobi to ever assist on a photo shoot with that woman.  At least... not after that first disaster of a photo shoot they'd been on together.<br/><br/>And now, here she was on the second floor, fumbling for her keys and pulling out the one to door #2-1.  Her room, where she could sit and be completely alone for a few minutes while trying to get ready for the rest of the day.  Her sanctuary, her (to borrow from Superman comics) Fortress of Solitude, her--<br/><br/>Shortly after rounding the corner, she abruptly ran into something.  Trying to reach out for any form of support she could find, she fell backwards, her fingers clenching around something that promptly gave way under her hand and came down to the floor with her.  Instantly looking away from whoever it was that she'd bumped into, she set about apologizing, holding up the item that she had grabbed in order to return it.<br/><br/>"I-I'm sorry.  I w-wasn't looking where I was g-going."  She stated meekly, stuttering a little as she commonly did when flustered.  Of course, it didn't take her long to notice that the item she was holding was a towel, and then she got even more flustered.  Worried about something, she risked a peek at the person she had bumped into, and...  "<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">Oh, dear...</span>"<br/><br/>Run?  She would have liked to.  She was frozen to the spot, however, absolutely mortified at the full consequences of what she had done.