Being hired by the Mage Academy of Wyllmochvar had never been about being part of a prestigious group for Natsumi. There was no community for her in such a place; no fellowship to be found. Her sole concern had been a stable income to support her daughter, and she had acquired such a thing through any means necessary. As a result, "Pariah" was the least of names she had acquired; but she didn't care so long as they kept paying her due.
Of course, that attitude of the druid's did not remain isolated in whom it affected. Natsumi and the coat tails of her reputation became of particular burden to the poor, unfortunate souls that served as receptionists at the Academy. They often got to know her intimately, simply because her favorite spots to rest – given that she was never welcome in any break room – were the entryways scattered throughout campus. Even the day after she finished paperwork on The Drago Incident, she could be found there, sipping ginseng tea from a pewter cup while on a wooden bench. She was reading a book she had borrowed from the library while lounging in a black overcoat, much to the chagrin of the nearby, female clerk.
"Must you lurk around the entrance like a Koschei banshee," the apprentice serving work study eventually asked Natsumi when she reached to turn the page? The words were less than friendly and more bored than anything else; but negativity was not something that readily stuck to the fox girl in present day.
Giving a wry smile, the hated party merely shrugged off her passive aggressive company, and proceeded to toy with her. "You know as well as I that my colleagues despise me," she said while taking a sip of her brew. "Besides, I do enjoy our banter."
"I don't!"
"That man the other day who had the hots for you certainly did, Debbie."
"It's Kyra! For the bloody, 5th time, it's Kyra!" So went the typical interaction between Natsumi and receptionists at the Academy. They disliked being associated with the Pariah, so they tried to get rid of her through various means. The newest personality to fill the position just so happened to favor manipulation and hurtful words for her purposes; and, therefore, Natsumi had dedicated a portion of her mental facilities toward finding ways to get under her skin. Kyra was not a fan, to say the least, when the druid discovered her distaste for being called the wrong name; but then that was the entire point of her retaliation.
At the very minimum, these daily conversations with random people were meant to make Natsumi's leisure days more bearable. Magical artifact hunts didn't come in a constant stream, and were, quite often, waylaid by delays of varying length. A request would come in eventually, likely through the front gate where Natsumi had positioned herself, but there was no telling when or if Kyra's suffering would temporarily be put to an end. For now, events continued as they were: filled with relatively silent disgust.
