3 PM. All Madria had to do was get to 3 PM, and then no matter how heavy her shrinking spell hit her, she’d be able to end her shift, round the block, and just tuck away into her apartment until her little ‘small spell’ ended. She could call over any one of her friends she’d given keys to who knew just where to find the sometimes shrimpy, and yet often speckish rooess until she’d finally feel those warm tingles of growth again.

But it was 12:30, and with her arms already loaded with a tray piled high with all sorts of thick, heavy foods that only the hungriest of customers would order, that was when she felt it. That dipping sensation. The feeling of her little steel name-badge tugging her loosening uniform down, and of that meal tray wobbling somewhat dangerously in her little paws as she struggled to heft it with just one of her hands. That thick milkshake’s foamy top wobbled dangerously over the rim of the glass…

Madria, however, was a professional. Her other arm slid dexterously beneath the tray to counterbalance the off-kilter weight, and with a grunt of effort, while also deftly stepping out of the way of a portly-sized horse-woman sweeping past, the dwindling rooess managed to keep the tray aloft without losing a single fry. She -was- used to this, after all.

“Alright, you can do this. It hit a little early, but it’s just…a little over two hours, and then you’re in the home stretch. No problem is too big,” Madria murmured to herself, quietly. It had become her own little mantra when getting through an oversized shift.

Madria weaved in and out of the occasional crowds loitering between tables, narrowly avoiding getting bowled over by the cute, short plump fennec waitress who couldn’t help but stifle a quiet snicker as her co-worker passed, nearly chest-high on her 4’6” frame, struggling with a tray held over her head. And Madria herself had to deftly hop over a spilled soft-drink that had splashed in her path, the contents of her tray wobbling wildly as she struggled to maintain the increasingly heavy load’s balance for a few seconds after. And bit by bit, Madria struggled to keep her uniform on with shrugs of her shoulders. She was almost there…

…All the awaiting couple saw at first was their order, a thick tray piled high with food, seemingly hovering for a few moments before a pair of tiny paws slid it onto their table. The pair of pandas gave each other a curious look, as squeaky noises of struggle appeared to emanate from beneath the table…and then again, as two little hands grasped the edge of it. Madria arose, her body wrapped haphazardly in her apron alone, the strings tying the cloth all around her to keep herself at least vaguely modest.

The rooess calmly brushed herself down, smoothing out the wrinkles in her attire, little paws straightening the little nametag that read “Madria”, now nearly as wide across as her little torso. And standing next to a milkshake that, as she stood there, she slowly dwindled until her little head met the rim of, she tried to take a deep breath and maintain her composure, even barely standing a foot tall at 12:40…

“Is there…um, anything else I can bring you two?” she squeaked.

The couple glanced at each other rather bashfully, and the panda woman raised her hand. “I was actually wondering…could I get another No. 4 special? We decided to get more after all…”

---

I got this adorable piece from Padunk (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/padunk/) last year as a pre-order for MFF, and oh gosh, she did a beyond-incredible job making one of the cutest renditions of my little waitress ‘roo Madria that I’ve ever seen!

…Suffice to say, Madria’s friend had to bring in the high-powered scope to scour the counter for her after that shift. >>;