She chose the neon pink lipstick that day, and also violence. She felt entirely entitled to both, seeing as she was serving her 4th consecutive shift at the Front.

And so she began her shift, planted in the Hotseat like a spreading carnivorous plant, awaiting her prey

Several hours later, she had worn down several runners with her various missives in tart reply to the Professor's incessant and sequential demands for materials, reduced at least two of another Professor's students to tears with her pert insults, and acquired lunch

That was when the tall man turned up. He had also chosen violence today, and a particularly hideous shade of green, with blotches of mustard dotting the over robe that fluttered about his form as he strode up to the Front, and snarled at her

"First, you take the last pepperoni sandwich from the refractory, which only soured my mood, then you Deliberately allocate the Wild Oats to Vinges in complete disregard of seniority and precedence of request

And now i find that you have been flirting with Sweren by runner and there is not one runner left to this wing for love or money

You are a menace to this institution, and i demand restitution for all the inconveniences you have perpetrated upon my work!"

She looked coolly at his livid face, raised an eyebrow at him, and opened her neon pink mouth, so a bubble of gum could pop.

"You!", he uttered, barely coherent in apoplectic rage.

" i. I am not able to grant any of your demands, however sweetly you have phrased them "

She grinned at her interlocutor, who was now speechless with rage, had raised one finger to point with trembling fury at her.

"Recalling allocated materials, and service recovery are the remit of the Resource Manager, who is away for the week, having given birth to a son."

"And ~her~ reporting officer is also away to be with the Resource Manager and his newborn son.

No there is no peer of mine or theirs you can appeal to. whilst you can seek my dismissal to the Dean, you will earn the ire of your peers who will suffer the same lack of resources"

"So, my dear professor kaelib, suck it up. You hate my guts, but i have you by the short and curlies. Learn to phrase your request in a specific and civil manner, and perhaps you may proceed with your work after all"

Then she gathered all the popped gum that covered her lips with her tongue, and leaned back to placidly chew her gum.

The man slammed a hand on the Front, and declared thunderously, "you have not heard the last of this!"

Then he whirled, his hideous garment flaring around him like dragonwings about to be extended, and stalked out.

Another shorter man slouched in as the tall professor kaelib stomped out, and grinned unctously at her, as he slid a chit and a takeaway cup to her. She raised one of her thick brows at him and popped a smaller bubble.

"I heard that dragon all the way from the refractory, and thought you could use a little something to cool off"

"Och." She clucked. "Your appeal is still under review and no amount of liquid bribery will expedite its approval."

"O come now honey, whats one ghost pepper between friends?"

"One ordinary ghost pepper between friends is just a little rumble in thr tummy after a terribly spicy meal. But a ghost of meals yet to come pepper is a tightly conTrolled substance, the leak of which is worth my life"

Breaking here to sleep. See ya tomr