Here we are again! Thank you so much for leaving your feedback. I'm so glad to know that people are enjoying the story. It always motivates me!

(that being said, I apologize for such a late post. That was on the part of poor scheduling today, my bad.)

Updates to previous chapter: I edited the sentence structure slightly in the last chapter and hopefully I made it clear that Bunny is talking about Clover. This is what it means: Bunny does not understand why the Spirit of Spring, which is a season about life, thriving, and general happiness, is living with a spirit of death, in a whole community of death spirits. Jeez, I hope he learns something over the next few chapters. Well, please enjoy!

"C-crikey…"

There was a reason that Bunny had called her an ankle-biter. Admittedly, it only made sense in a joking way, since she definitely wasn't a toddler or even a child by age. But one look at the spirit standing in the doorway and the joke made much more sense.

She was shorter than everyone present, except Sandy. She was quite a bit more petite than Tooth. Wavy, dark brown hair fell past her shoulders, kept out of her face by a red kerchief. Bright green eyes stood out on her tanned face. The big t-shirt she was wearing made her look even smaller than she was, and the shirt's hem came down past her hips. Only the ends of her shorts, coming to the middle of her thigh, could be seen.

"Whaaaaat…" She surveyed the crowd of spirits on the stairwell. "Jack? Jay? What's going on?"

"Hey, Clo~" Jack grinned, nudging Bunny sharply with his elbow. "I brought some friends over that I wanted you to meet."

"Easter Bunny?" Clover looked up at said Pooka, who seemed to be having major trouble gathering his words. "I know him. Is that Santa Claus…?"

"Can we come in, Clover?" Julius asked. "We were hoping to properly introduce everyone to you, and you to them."

"I mean, I guess. Not like I was doing anything." she quirked her lips, not actually bothered but willing to complain.

"Bet you were drowning in snacks and games, you nerd," Jack suddenly poked at Clover's head. She stuck her tongue out, and Jack snickered quietly.

"Come in, then. Never thought I'd see Santa Claus again."

"Again?" North questioned, his brow wrinkled as he studied the smaller spirit. Clover gave a little nod and smile.

"I caught a glimpse of you when I was little. I'm sure of it."

"O-oh…" North didn't look surprised, as surely it was a moment that happened for at least a solid few children, but he seemed to be thinking back, searching for a young, human Clover in his memories.

"Come in, come in." Clover waved her hand at the group. "Can the last one please close the door? Also take off your shoes or Tenshi'll kill me."

"Tenshi...is that the, ah, reaper spirit that lives here?" Tooth asked, looking between North carefully pulling his boots off and Sandy shutting the door after tugging Bunny inside.

"Yep." Clover walked into a room down the hall from the entrance. "He's the biggest mother hen you'll ever meet and he hates it when I don't do my chores, so let's keep the floors clean!"

"So you seriously live here. With a Reaper." Bunny made no move to follow the others as they squeezed into the hallway.

"What's wrong with Reapers?" Clover called. Everyone else, minus Bunny, filed in the same way Clover had gone. It led them to...a regular open living and dining room. Clean tile flooring in the kitchen part up to the dining table, meeting plain cream carpet that continued up to the wall with door leading to the balcony. There was a blanket tossed over the back of the sofa, which was facing an older model television. Julius sat down at the flat square table - chabudai, in the center of the carpeted area between the sofa and TV. He gently pushed away a pile of books, colored pencils, and snack wrappers to make room for himself. Jack sat down to his left, resting his staff against the wall.

"Make yourselves at home," Clover said to everyone still standing. "I'll try to find some tasty things…" she began to mumble to herself as she rummaged through the kitchen cabinets.

"Why so bitter, Cottontail?" Jack leaned back and called out in the direction of the hallway. Tooth sat down at Julius's right side, looking worried. Sandy floated toward the kitchen, unwilling to get involved. North glared at Bunny, who was begrudgingly making his way in with a distrustful frown on his face.

"Can it." the Pooka replied to Jack. He stopped just before his feet touched the kitchen tile.

"Whoah. Who trampled your carrot patch?" Clover turned around, frowning, with a cup in each hand. "What's with the attitude?"

"Bunny, don't be rude." North said gruffly. "We are here to learn, not to condemn!"

"I heard you guys yelling about Reapers. You got something against them?" Clover asked as she began setting cups down on top of the chabudai. They were mostly mismatched; glasses of different sizes and plastic cups with writing or cartoon characters on them.

"I'm just not understanding why someone like you is hanging around in a place like full of death spirits." Bunny finally walked all the way into the room. He walked to the glass balcony door, peering out at the courtyard below with squinted eyes.

"Whadda you know about me?" Clover asked. Her tone wasn't hostile, but it was very matter-of-fact. "Things are chill here. I like it. I've been liking it for lots of years now."

"That's what we're here for, Clo." Jack said, sitting back up to examine the cup in front of him. "We can get some perspective."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I don't mind you coming to visit." Clover made one more trip back to the table, this time carrying a large bottle of barley tea. "Sorry I don't have more to offer. Tenshi's supposed to be getting groceries this evening."

"Did you eat all the snacks, then?" Julius asked, smiling as he pointed out the colorful trash mixed in with the books and art supplies. Clover pouted at him.

"I wouldn't have run out if Tenshi kept them stocked up."

"Clover, you should be more responsible. Just because you don't get permanently affected by food anymore, doesn't mean you can just keep eating~" Jack wagged his finger at her, putting on a nagging voice that suited him quite poorly. Clover chuckled and sat down at the corner between him and Julius.

"Spot on. Are you gonna show that off to him later?"

"Um, I value my life, thanks."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bunny asked. He hadn't sat down yet, instead watching with the others as Jack bantered with his young friends. Jack rolled his eyes, almost unwilling to explain that he was joking.

He did not get to answer, however. There came the sound of the front door opening, and someone's voice announcing their arrival.

Hehe, Clover is small. Jack is about 5'9", and I think Tooth is 5'4" in the movie? So Clover is between 5'0" and 5'2".

Thank you so much for reading!