No one expected a realy break in reality today, much less Coal, but as she lay on her back next to the birch inn zoning out while the new Crypted Corp radio ad interrupted her late 90's/early 2000's pop songs, she felt a familiar nostalgia. That wasn't actually the exact term for what she felt just then. She felt like she was a small 11 year old after just moving to a place.

Apprehensiveness came before years of bullying, and the only other long term things in that stage of life were the house itself, and FM radio, the shortest of the three. This totally alien experience wormed its way into her brain and felt as real as her already terrible past.

And that terrified Coal.

With that terror also came a small thought in the back of her mind. She knew where Crypted Corp was, and she took off to get answers from them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crypted Corp was in the middle of a meeting when Coal rudely barged in. Charlie and Lindor just stared in shock, clearly not expecting this and totally not used to Coal. Jaimie, a bit more used to Coal, instead tried to calmly approach her, though his calm started to dissolve when he saw Coal's usual resting meh face trying so hard to resist twisting into terror.

"Coal, what's wrong?" he asked hesitantly.

"I literally listened to your new radio ad and felt like an 11-year-old human girl about to start some of the worst years of her life," She let out, her body and face losing tension.

What? "Could you explain?" Jamie asked.

She did and Jamie tried to wrap his head around it before offering up this explanation. "It's probably just a multiverse you leaking over." he shakily explained.

Coal didn't appear to believe it, but Jamie was hoping the lack of tension and new theory to ponder would keep her from going...there again.

"Thanks," she said before leaving.

When she was gone, Jamie turned back to his business partners.

"New business rule. No giving eldritch horrors existential crisis."