She had not even counted to two when Rita heard frantic pounding against glass. She followed the sound to a transparent box near the ceiling.
Inside stood a light coffee-colored sea squirrel, barely larger than the Lightchaser sprite, with a fluffy tail nearly twice its body. It was hammering the pane in panic.
"Aba Aba." I need to verify you really are Moonlight Marsh Rita.
"Aba—!" Tell me, how many gold coins do you still owe your teacher?
The sea squirrel's anxiety vanished, replaced by stern gravity. It lifted its right paw and made an emphatic zero.
What gold? When have I ever owed any? Absolutely not.
Rita's eyes lit up at once. Ignoring the Lightchaser sprite that had hopped onto her head to stomp on her skull, she pointed at the sea squirrel and told the curly-haired woman behind the bar, "Aba Aba!" That one is my Another Me!
Bitter Chalice clicked their tongue. "Tsk."
…
