[Piper]

Piper stood at the edge of the sidewalk opposite the cafe for a long time, trying to work up the nerve to go in. She'd been telling herself for months that she really needed to try and break her dependency on Wolf. It really wasn't fair to use him as a walking buffet and she'd already had one accident, so to speak, when he turned her away. She didn't want to end up making the same mistake again if Wolf wasn't well and didn't want to feed her, so she'd been working up the nerve ever since to come down here.

The problem was, not only did part of her like being dependent on her fiance because of the connection between them when she fed, but there was just something about drinking blood from people she wasn't in love with that made her feel incredibly nauseous. It always had. Landon had joked once that she was addicted to Dragonblood but in truth, it was just Wolf she was addicted to.

Either way, she had to find a way to make this work, so she'd come down here intending to walk right up to the counter and order the most delicious food she could find on the menu that had blood in it. She'd even left her pets at home so she could be completely focused. Except she'd stalled on the sidewalk and couldn't get her feet to move.

Damn it.

Finally, a horse and carriage passed her, blocking her view of the cafe long enough that she was forced to blink and refocus her eyes. Somehow, that gave her the strength to move, one foot at a time, and she slowly made her way across the street. The light in the cafe was different, slightly darker, and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust. She'd never been inside before, and she felt as if she were marching to face a death squad as she made her way to the counter and stopped behind a grey-winged Anyelos to wait her turn. Thankfully, the place seemed fairly empty. All the customers seemed to be occupying the tables out front since it was a nice day, but it gave Piper a bit more courage. At least she wouldn't embarass herself in front of a chock-full cafe.

Now she just had to decide what to order.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

When someone is hungry, they generally cook something to fight off fatigue and the hunger, but Sabs had been completely and utterly absorbed that day. All she’d done is try to bond with her new lemur, feeding and playing with the timid little creature. Eva had been surprisingly co-operative, but on more than one occasion had raced off when Sabs glanced away, up the curtain pole of her room or getting her owner onto her feet to chase the mischievous little animal around. Eva was becoming used to Sabs, but lost none of her obvious independence and freedom, frequently causing the Nymph to shriek in distress when she ran out of sight, or climbed around the room. The curtains were currently her favourite hideout because they were fun to climb and had folds of material to hide in, but if you asked Sabrina, she’d comment bluntly that it was because the Lemur was a handful and often enjoyed playing around by getting Sabs to chase her. So now, the Nymph was completely wrecked, and had seized the first opportunity when Eva had fell asleep - most likely worn out by the days events - to dash out to get a break.

Now dead on her feet, Sabrina had found her way through the Underground to the first eatery she laid eyes on, making a mad dash for the café. Hunger gnawed away at her stomach like an irritating parasite, having had nothing to eat since the slice of apple she had ate discreetly while feeding Eva. Though it hadn’t been at all satisfying, she’d managed to ignore hunger for the rest of the day. In Bangor as a child, she’d rarely be in the house with her brother because all they had done was run around and play games, and not notice hunger until about 6pm when they’d run back home. That’s what today had felt like. Sabrina had felt childish because of ignoring her need for food, and even more so for barely getting a chance to sit down. Eva seemed to have wanted her to be on her feet all day, drawing her away from any form of comfortable thing to sit on and over to places where she would have to be on her hands and knees trying to search for her Lemur.

The café was comfortable and inviting inside. The smells caused her mouth to water and it took every ounce of strength she had not to leg it into the kitchen and devour the first thing in sight. Oh yes, she was going to eat well, whether they liked the amount of food she was ordering or not. It was a little dim, but all the same, warm and cosy. Not that Sabs was concerned about how comfortable her chair was or where her table was situated. Her main concern was not what was going into her stomach, but how much she was going to eat and how long it would take to reach there to ease the feel of hunger. If the fledgling Anyelos at the front of the queue would hurry her pace, then everything would be just fine and dandy; Sabs would not have to tell them to make it snappy. Maybe it would make her food get to her quicker if she was blunt and to the point.

Examining the menu, the Nymph folded her arms over her growling stomach and decided on a cheese toasty, hot chocolate with marshmallows, a croissant and maybe, if she could fit it down, a slice of that delicious looking jam sponge. In front of her, she noticed the owner of that shop Sabs had decided she liked very much, Piper’s Boutique. Or at least, Sabs was depending on the fact that this was the owner of the shop as she said, "Hello, Piper! You can order now." The Nymph gestured to the empty space in front of the girl who she crossed her fingers and hoped to Xanth was Piper. This whole thing had the sole purpose of getting Sabrina closer to food instead of being courteous.

[Piper]

Piper got lost in the menu. There were so many options for vampires it was like standing in a candy shop for the first time and just not knowing which you'd prefer. In true Piper fashion, she got so muddled with confusion and growing fear that she just stood there, oblivious to everything around her.

And then, suddenly, "Hello, Piper! You can order now."

Piper jumped out of her skin and squeaked, freezing for a second before slowly turning her head to see a vaguely familiar face over her shoulder. She recognised the girl as a customer but couldn't for the life of her remember her name. Oddly, she remembered what she'd ordered, though, and Piper pasted on her customer smile. "Hello, I... Oh!" Finally registering the fact that the Anyelos had received her order and moved to one of the tables, Piper's smile turned into a nervous gulp as she stumbled forward to the counter. The attendant leaned forward, both hands on the counter, and arched her eyebrows waiting for her order, but Piper had no idea what she wanted.

"Ohhh, crap."

Glancing down, away, back at the menu, at the counter attendant, and back at the menu, Piper finally opened her mouth and stammered, "It, it's my first time," as if that could explain everything. It might not, but the flash of fang had the woman inclining her head in an understanding gesture. "Wh- How... May I have the hot chocolate? And um, with... you know, blood in it?"

"Certainly, ma'am. Do you have any preferences as to blood type?"

Piper stared at the woman blankly. Preferences? Yes, sure, but she doubted they had a Wolf on tap here.

Blinking, Piper shook her head, her mouth too dry to respond. Her hands shook as she unzipped the wallet attached to her belt and pulled out a $5 bill. As the attendant disappeared to make the hot chocolate, Piper came to her senses enough to get out of Sabrina's way. It occurred to her as she looked at the Nymph that she really didn't want to be alone right now. She didn't particularly want to embarass herself in front of a near-stranger either, but maybe being with someone would give her the strength to actually down the drink. God, she wished Wolf were here. Although if he were, she wouldn't be doing this in the first place...

"Hi um..." Damn, she couldn't remember the girl's name. "Hi. I was wondering, if you're eating in, would you like to share a table with me?" Three cheers for social bravery! This had to be the first time she'd approached anyone like this. It had always been Elise or Wolf who'd made the plans before, or invited others, or whatever. Piper just stood there like some kind of freak. Say yes, say yes, say yes...

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Piper looked rather nervous. Sabrina blinked at her indefinitely, confusion crossing momentarily over her face. Was it something she’d said? Put the poor vampire on social standby? The poor girl had let out a small, high-pitched cry, and Sabs was rather, to be blunt, taken aback. She had looked focused as if some terrible and treacherous decision lay before her, when the only decision that presented itself to Sabrina was what to order. That didn’t seem such a bad thing, but she supposed that some people could hide their problems as if they had no permanent place in the world. Well, as if Sabs knew. Sabs was not of any use, socially, when she was ravenous.

Maybe Piper was conflicting with herself as to whether the jam sponge or the chocolate cake and whipped cream might be tastier. Sabrina’s current running preference was the jam sponge. Chocolate cake was too rich and outright for her liking, whereas jam sponge had a subtle yet prominent refined taste.

It appeared that Sabrina’s solution that Piper couldn’t decide which type of cake to have was wrong. The art shopkeeper seemed to not know how to where to start, nor how to make herself clear. At least the cashier was being helpful, for Sabs processed that she was a little sympathetic and questioning Piper as to whether she had any blood preferences. The Nymph’s heart skipped a beat when that word dashed across her mind, and she averted her gaze. Sabs fainted at the sight, or more of the smell, of blood. A queasy feeling rose up to her throat, and her stomach threatened to bring up any morsels of food that might be hiding skilfully in there. Ew, ew, ew. Hopefully she couldn’t see the blood being added.

The cashier was waiting expectantly. Sabrina took a few shaky steps forward, gripping the counter for support, and relayed her order. "Can I get, um… Hot chocolate with marshmallows, a cheese toasty, a croissant with strawberry jam and a slice of jam sponge?" Her voice was slightly uneasy, the woman’s surprised eyes on her. Probably wondering how such a slight little thing could eat all of that. But Sabrina would do it. She would be able to wolf it down, she was so ravenous.

"“Hi. I was wondering, if you're eating in, would you like to share a table with me?”"

Handing over her cash and stepping aside to where Piper was, Sabrina smiled, hoping that it looked friendly. She felt friendly, anyway. Piper seemed like a nice type of girl, and the Nymph would happily make friends with her. "Sure! I hope you don’t mind the amount I’ll be eating…" Sabs replied, flushing slightly with a nervous laugh. "I’ve been… busy." Her stomach threatened to growl, as the Nymph surveyed the area, scouting around for a solitary table where no-one would be able to see her eat her meal. If you could call it that. "How about over there?" She gestured to near the farthest end of the café where people had avoided to sit in the sunshine, hoping Piper would agree. "I’m Sabrina, by the way. But Sabs is better."

[Piper]

The attendant placed a mug of steaming hot chocolate on the counter, the giant pile of squirty cream already melting over the side onto the saucer. The long-handled spoon that stuck out from the leaning tower of cream made her mouth water but it was the discernible coppery scent of blood that really got to her. It made her fangs ache with bloodlust and her eyes began to hurt again with the telltale signs of the pupils enlarging, but at the same time she began to feel sick. She knew logically it was just a psychological aversion because she didn't have a problem drinking when it was Wolf's blood, but that didn't make the nausea any less real.

Piper stared blankly at the mug, and then at Sabrina as the Nymph spoke, slowly leaning forward to place her money on the counter and draw the chocolate closer. She smiled faintly, pretending she was waiting for the girl to finish and that's why she wasn't sitting down yet, but she was losing her nerve.

"Sure! I hope you don’t mind the amount I’ll be eating... I’ve been… busy."

Piper's blank stare moved to the plates being placed on the counter before the girl. The embarassment on the girl's face, and the sudden sound of her stomach growling hungrily, brought a genuine smile to Piper's lips. "Don't be silly. I used to eat way more than that when I was..." Human. "Young." She felt awkward suddenly about being a vampire. It seemed silly but despite everything she'd been through she still thought of herself as human in so many ways. Being with Wolf had allowed her to ignore certain aspects of being a vampire and she'd been too chicken to deal with others. Even visiting with Landon, himself a vampire and quite happy to be one, hadn't made her any less uncomfortable about introducing herself like that. Hey, I'm Piper, I'm a vampire just sounded so... surreal.

She really had eaten like a horse when she was human, though. It seemed that for all her diminutive size, she had a very high metabolism and was physically quite active too. She didn't get as much exercise since she was turned but it seemed being a vampire had its uses anyway.

That was when she realised that Sabrina, like her, was quite small. Slightly smaller, actually. The difference wasn't too noticable but for someone who'd spent her entire life looking up at people it was such a welcome change to see someone eye to eye without craning her neck or feeling like she was a bug about to be flattened. It was a lovely feeling that boosted her confidence and made her smile.

Glancing across at the table Sabrina gestured towards, Piper picked up her hot chocolate and wandered over, sitting down and scooting across so the girl had plenty of space. Smiling at the introduction, Piper nodded and reciprocated, "Hi Sabs, I'm Pip- Er. Piper. But you knew that already." Glancing away, blushing furiously, Piper lifted a spoonful of chocolate-covered cream and ducked her head to it, swallowing several mouthfuls before she even realised what she was drinking. There was blood in this. Oh god, there was blood!

Jerking back, Piper let her spoon clatter to the table, looking around wildly for a bathroom. Her fingers clutched at the edge of the table as her gaze fixed on the Nymph and she breathed deeply. It's just blood, you idiot. It's just like Wolf's. Get a grip!

"I... I'm sorry, this probably looks weird. I'm... Well, I'm a vampire," she blurted out. "Have been for the better part of two years, now, actually." Wow, had it really been that long? "But, um... Well this is the first time I've drunk... Well it's not, I mean, I've drunk blood before, and blood that wasn't his - " She was starting to ramble now, and just assumed Sabs would know who 'he' was. " - but it always made me sick but I'm trying to not rely on him so much because he's just been through so much and he deserves better than to be treated like a walking buffet, so here I am except..." Snapping her mouth shut, Piper fiddled with the spoon and refused to look at Sabrina. More to shut herself up than anything else, she ducked her head for another spoonful and squeezed her eyes shut.

It didn't actually taste so bad this time around. Maybe there was hope for her yet...

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Sabrina held back a series of retches at the smell of blood, her head spinning. The first incident of noticing that she fainted, or was sick, at the sight or smell of blood, had been ten years ago. At the age of eight, you could imagine how it was typical of a child to get obtain all sorts of injuries. And it wasn’t even her own blood that had made her sick. It had been one day when she had been out playing with a girl who had lived over the road at home, a girl called Rebecca. What had happened? Of course, she had ran into a tree and broken her nose. Naturally, there had been lots of blood. That had been the first time that Sabs had passed out after smelling the blood, let alone seeing it. Fun memories of time at the doctor’s with an icepack on her head, describing what had happened from start to finish, to a balding doctor with glasses that magnified his eyes alarmingly.

Plates were laid before the Nymph on a tray with a receipt and a quizzical smile from the woman doing so. Sabrina gripped the tray firmly. It was slightly heavy but she managed to cautiously weave through the tables, following Piper, to sit down opposite her and place the tray in front of herself. She stared for one moment at the goodies in front of her before she seized a half of the cheese toasty and took a huge bite out of it. Sabs chewed while Piper attacked her hot drink. The scent of chocolate, luckily, overpowered the coppery scent of blood, as did the smells from her own food.

"I... I'm sorry, this probably looks weird. I'm... Well, I'm a vampire," she blurted out. "Have been for the better part of two years, now, actually." Wow, had it really been that long? "But, um... Well this is the first time I've drunk... Well it's not, I mean, I've drunk blood before, and blood that wasn't his -"

Sabrina, taken aback, took another bite of her toasted sandwich, and, listened awkwardly as Piper paused slightly. She seemed frightened of herself, but the Nymph said nothing, chewing her food slowly, intent on finding out what was the matter with Piper. Swallowing, rather loudly, Sabrina raised her cheese toasty to take another bite, missing her mouth and instead hitting herself in the cheek with the sandwich. So intent on the vampire, she wordless lifted a napkin and wiped away the result of paying too much attention to someone talking.

"- but it always made me sick but I'm trying to not rely on him so much because he's just been through so much and he deserves better than to be treated like a walking buffet, so here I am except..."

A mixture of emotions brewed up inside of Sabrina. Confusion, who was him? Sympathy, for Piper. And finally, a feeling of being pathetic and not knowing how to make Piper feel better. So she did what she thought might be a sign of friendship to the vampire. She extended her hand, hesitantly, and squeezed Piper's gently. It was the least she could do. Very much the least.

"I'm sure it's not that bad, Piper," Sabrina chirped up after a short silence, her mouth watering and her stomach still begging for food, but never the less she took a moment to comfort her. "Shush. Don't put yourself down so much! You need a postive attitude. Drinking blood is not as bad as it looks, in my opinion. Trust me when I say, I faint at the sight or smell of blood, but at least you're receiving it from willing donors, right? Not like the other ones who feed from humans without permission! So just... don't be like that, please!"

[Piper]

Piper had forgotten what it felt like to have someone to cheer her up. Wolf did in his own way of course, and he always managed to bolster her confidence in little ways. Sadly, she was ashamed but honest enough to admit that somehow his love just wasn't enough. He couldn't fulfill every single need no matter how much he loved her. Heck, nobody could. It was odd to realise that it was actually his mother, torn apart by her own woes with her husband, who she had relied upon so heavily, that had made Piper recognise how dangerous it was to rely totally on one person. She'd focused on the feeding and her guilt for using Wolf that way but she'd started to realise, too, how much she relied on him in other was as well.

Of course it was natural for anyone to rely first and foremost on their partner but Piper herself had so few friends. She got on well enough with Wolf's mates and she was good friends with Nymphadora, but not enough to feel comfortable running to the Nymph for help. Elise... her best friend of twenty years... had become unrecognisable. She didn't even know where her family was at any given moment so it wasn't like she could go to visit them or even call, not that Zach or Nancy would be interested anyway.

She was completely alone in the world except for Wolf, and maybe the traumatic relationship his parents shared had scared her but she relished Sabs' complete willingness to reassure someone she barely knew. It gave Piper strength in ways she couldn't really describe.

Pausing to gaze at the other girl, Piper's lips quirked in the faintest of smiles. She understood then just how selfish she had been, always so wrapped up in her own little woes and her own little world. Just as Wolf blanked out pretty much everything unless he made a concerted effort, she glossed over the things that didn't really impact her personally. It wasn't conscious or malicious but it was no wonder she had so few friends.

"Thank you," she said, her voice soft as she continued to gaze at the Nymph, head tilted slightly in full sincerity. She wasn't just thanking the girl for her words but the fact that she had reassured her at all and sat with her to begin with.

Drawing in a deep breath, breaking herself out of the almost trance-like state she'd been in as she stared at Sabrina, Piper spooned the last of the squirty cream into her mouth and swallowed with merely a wrinkle of her nose. It was somehow easier knowing that someone was there to encourage her if she chickened out.

Sitting back in her chair again, Piper eyed the meal Sabs had chosen, mulling over her words again. "You're right, you know. A positive attitude. I'd kind of decided to try that, when I came in here? But... I guess I'm used to being too much of a chicken." She gave Sabs a self-deprecating smirk to show she wasn't fishing for compliments or anything like that, and continued quickly so the girl wouldn't be obliged to deny it. "Is your lunch okay? Oh, god, are you okay with the - " Gesturing vaguely at her drink, Piper bit her bottom lip gently, her fangs indenting into the flesh. "If the smell's making you sick, I can get something else and try again later?"

ooc: Um, I can't remember if it's lunch or another meal. If I got it wrong, I can edit.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Bite, chew. The process continued as the doer observed her hands with some interest, a little embarrassed to make eye contact with Piper. Sabrina, unaware that she was mimicking exactly what Piper was doing as she finished the first half of her toasty and lifted up the long spoon that had been given to her for the cream and marshmallows on her hot chocolate. Spooning some of the cream, squirted to a small spire, she put it into her mouth. And again, and again until all of the cream was gone, and the marshmallows were reveal. Melted. Sabrina put down her spoon and took a mouthful of the hot chocolate and its thick, melted companions.

Sabs' mother had made the best hot chocolate ever, in her opinion. It should have had a patent slapped upon it, it had been perfect. Bubby and hot, the perfect remedy for a blocked nose or the cold of a freezing winter's day. Though she had oftenly joked that Sabrina would lose her scrawny figure and it all of the stuff she ate that was bad for her would come back to haunt her in a few decades. It had not happened yet. She assumed she was safe enough, but suddenly she was conscious of her calorie intake. Typical female.

And now onto toastie half number two. Sabrina chewed and looked up at Piper as the vampire spoke, obviously a little distressed. She was slightly startled to Piper's sensitivity and offer of sacrificing her own needs only for the sake of keeping Sabrina's stomach at peace. It was indeed lucky that the copper smell of blood was dominated by the delicious smells coming from the kitchen and her tray.

The cheese toasty was demolished, and Sabs took a moment to take a mouthful of her hot chocolate and pull the croissant with her. Cutting in through the middle, she took a moment to answer her companion. "I'm fine Piper, I swear," she protested, insisting with a smile. "No. Drink it down, you need it. And my meal is fine, I'm just a little ravenous." What an understatement, she admitted grimly to herself. "So, you been in Elysia all your life?"

[Piper]

Reassured that the smell of blood wasn't upsetting Sabrina's stomach, Piper picked up her mug and blew on the hot chocolate inside, her own nostrils picking up the scent and making her fangs ache with bloodlust. Taking a sip, Piper squeezed her eyes shut but the taste wasn't as foul as she'd subconsciously been expecting. She felt ridiculous sitting here making a big deal about drinking blood from a mug after feeding from Wolf so long but he had a way of distracting her from what she was doing...

"So, you been in Elysia all your life?"

Piper snorted and put down her mug before she spilled it all over herself. Shaking her head as she carefully set the mug down, she smiled ruefully. "I lived in New York all my life. I mean, until I was turned, you know." She shook her head again, still smiling. "Funny thing is, I always kind of hoped for some kind of adventure in my life. Elise and I would spend hours pretending we were Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris or something." Elise had always been more interested in making weapons and they had plans to become some kind of crime-fighting duo when they were kids. Of course in the end, Piper was too much of a wimp, especially after she was turned, and Elise... Well she still made weapons, but Piper didn't think it was to fight crime. "When it happened, though... Well, I wasn't prepared, you know? I mean, vampires existing for real?" Piper shook her head emphatically. "Not something a New Yorker can wrap their heads around easily, I guess."

Tilting her head, Piper gazed at Sabs quizzically. "How 'bout you? Were you born here?" She looked human enough but you could never really tell.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Jam tasted better on toast, Sabrina noted with apprehension as she took the first bite of her now jam-smothered croissant. She was never really one for food as sweet as jam or cake, but today, anything that tasted good, or smelled good, was a potential meal for her. Hunger had ravaged her, and somehow, she still managed to retain her eighteen years of manners and remembered the rules of etiquette. Her parents had somewhat took their only daughter up as the victim for being taught how to be polite and civil.

Sabrina had never agreed with those lessons. She had been quite a quiet person before the time had come to finally visit where her family originated, and was now more of a chatterbox who was not always in tune with society than before. Perhaps it was because she had escaped adolescence and opened up more? Whatever it was, it was certainly a beneficial advantage to her obscure social life.

The jam was good, though. Nothing could beat good old homemade food. That was probably one of the reasons why Sabrina had never fitted in with American society, and despite the fact that she had lived in it for eighteen years, takeaways had never looked as appealing to her as the homemade stuff that her mother would make for she and her siblings. Especially the bread. Just thinking about it was enough to activate her salivary glands.

Chewing slowly as she listened to Piper, Sabrina was more concerned with savouring the buttery taste of the croissant, even though she listened intently. Interested in what Piper had to say. Even though she had no idea who Elise was, she guessed that she was a girl Piper used to play with. Sabs used to have a friend like that, even though most of the time she simply played with her twin.

"How 'bout you? Were you born here?"

Sabrina had barely any experience with Elysia, but she guessed that it never showed that you were a nitwit to it if you weren't staggering about with a puzzled expression. She knew her way around nowhere but the Underground at the moment, and even then she had to recognise shops to find out where she was. It had never crossed her mind - it was not what you did if you were a Casius - to ask for directions. Ever. "I wish. I was born in America too, Maine," she replied with a grin. "But not somewhere bigshot like New York. Quaint little town that doesn't have much history nor attention."

[Piper]

Piper tilted her head. "You make it sound like quaint is a bad thing." She liked quaint. At least, what she imagined quaint to be. Living in New York had been insane. She was too quiet and reserved to really enjoy the rush of city life and had never felt safe or confident. She'd always assumed that if she'd grown up somewhere quieter, cosier, that she'd be more self-assured, maybe even more self-reliant.

She wondered what it would be like to live in a small place like Sabs apparently had, lifting her mug for another mouthful of disgusting delicious hot chocolate. It took her a second to realise she'd actually started to enjoy the tang of blood against the sweet liquid and the second she did, she set the mug down with a jolt and pulled a face. "Two years and I still can't get used to this whole Vampire thing," she lamented, only half joking.

Glancing across the table at Sabs, she frowned quizzically. "I hope this isn't rude or anything but, um, what are you...?" Piper thought she was pretty enough to be a Nymph but she didn't want to make assumptions, not least because she wasn't exactly up on all the species in Elysia and how would she know how pretty someone had to be before they were too pretty to be anything but Nymph? There were some gorgeous human women too, littered across billboards all over New York. Unless those were Nymphs too, which actually, when Piper thought about it, wasn't too far-fetched...

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Quaint was sometimes a bad thing. Despite the fact that she and her family had lived happily in Bangor, that cute little town whose name no-one would probably recognise, Sabrina had always held a silent longing for excitement. She knew no bustling atmospheres, like she supposed New York would have, nor had she entered a city that was well-known more than three times. In fact, she had barely travelled. Yes, there had been family holidays to Alaska and several other cold places - only two members of their household had been able to tan; Suzanne and Stan - but she couldn't say that they were vivid memories. The only holiday she remembered was the one where Stan had fell on her while they were at the crest of a snow-covered hill, and the two had rolled all the way down it in thick winter coats. And it was not a happy memory.

Sabs, stopping her progress on the butter croissant smothered in strawbery jam, carefully lifted her mug of hot chocolate and took a large mouthful. She had drank hot chocolate on numerous occasions in the past, but never on a hot day. The feeling wasn't as sensuous when you were glad for the steaming mug, with its chocolatey froth, during the icy depths of winter. All the same, it was good stuff. Even though Sabs expected that she was gaining six pounds just by looking at it.

"I hope this isn't rude or anything but, um, what are you...?"

The Nymph looked up at Piper, a little confused. Her question processed and she made sense of it; it had seemed so... odd. Asking someone what they were. For a moment, Sabs suspected that she had thought herself back on Earth. Because on Earth, you didn't ask someone what they were. You were a humane creature and it was assumed that there was only one type or humane race, since when did humans have time for urban myths or ethereal legends? Never. Humans were so deep in their own business that fairytales and folk lore were a waste of time. And... Sabrina could see the logic in that. She supposed it made sense... somehow. On Earth, people asked what you worked as, or how old you were. Not what you were.

Answering her question, Sabs giggled and smiled. "I'm Nymph, if it helps," she replied, carefully taking a bite of her croissant. Oh, Xanth. It tasted so good, especially for her slightly-less-empty stomach. "But I don't really know much about my race. I know that we're supposed to be pretty, and we're attached to Nature, but I don't know much about what I can do with my element... I'm new here, but I guess it doesn't shine through unless your lack of experience is made known, huh?" Pause. "Forgive the question... What can vampires do?"

[Calanthiel]

By the time Cal had finished up at the bank (and had money again! For food! Such luxury!) he was fighting a fog of exhaustion and a very strong urge to just find anywhere warm and dry, and curl up to sleep. The only thing keeping him going was the knowledge that he could, in fact, now have food and something to drink besides somewhat stale water from the canteen in his pack. He'd sleep oh-so-much better after he'd had something to eat. Should be careful, though, I haven't had any food worth the name in... his train of thought was derailed as he attempted to figure out precisely how long it had been since the last meal he'd really enjoyed, and he wandered down the street in the vague direction of a cafe he sort-of remembered eating at once without thinking about where he was going at all. Only to be jolted back to reality when he found it wasn't there any more. He literally had his hand on the door, and only came back to himself when it wouldn't open. Huh? Cal blinked dazedly for a second, and then looked around the plaza in confusion. No, this was definitely where the cafe he was thinking of had been... but there was one he didn't remember just a few shops away. He gave himself a mental shake, (of course not everything is the same, Cal! You bailed for a year, remember?), and walked over to 'Le Bon'.

He slipped inside, and then stood contemplating the menu behind a few other patrons. A good sign, he thought, a queue usually meant the food was good, and this queue wasn't so long as to be obnoxious. He noticed one or two of the customers give his odd outfit (he was still wearing his desert-encrusted cloak) a sideways glance or two, but everyone was too polite to openly strare, a fact for which he was profoundly grateful. He'd have preferred to cut a more dashing figure, but he simply couldn't be bothered carrying the thing instead of wearing it. Not that the clothes he had under it were any more impressive. He ignored the occasional glances, and focussed on not slipping back into a daze again (it being embarassing to have to be prompted by the counter staff to order) and waited for his turn.

[Piper]

OOC: OMX, sorry it's so huge!

Piper held her breath, afraid she'd made a social blunder, and when Sabs stared at her, she bit her lip and mentally cursed herself for an idiot. She just had to go and ask, didn't she? She couldn't word it a bit more carefully or just keep her mouth shut, she had to blunder in. She wasn't even sure she was all that curious; she'd asked partly just for something to say. And now she'd managed to offend a girl who, at least on the surface, shared so much in common with her that Piper had begun to hope she'd made a friend.

But then she laughed. And answered, like Piper hadn't unwittingly called her a freak.

Piper's exhale was audible but she relaxed a bit. Maybe "what are you" wasn't such a bad question to put to Elysians, since they weren't all human. Not that everyone living on Earth was human either, if she wanted to get really technical.

Lifting her mug for another drink, Piper was surprised to realise she'd drunk over half of her chocolate with no real ill effects. As she pondered the dregs, half of Sabrina's words barely registered, but the inexperience and lack of knowledge struck a chord in Piper. When the Nymph asked what vampires could actually do, Piper could only glance up at her with a rueful smile. "In all honesty, I have no idea. I've been a vampire for nearly two years now and... I don't know..." She shrugged helplessly, because she really didn't know. Aside from a few brief bursts of interest, she'd avoided what she was. Subconsciously, she still thought of herself as so very human, so it wasn't much surprise that she'd rejected the darker side. No matter who tried to make her stronger, to make her embrace her vampiric nature, she always ended up backtracking and clinging to what Kaida had called her human weakness.

"I did try to research vampirism when I was first turned, you know? But, er, well..." She shrugged, unable to explain even to herself how somehow she'd let herself be distracted from it time and again. And then, she'd met Wolf and gotten caught up in the dramas and joys of being in a relationship, and simply forgotten about everything else. She was still curious about just how much she could do though, and wondered if maybe it was time she popped over to the vampire sanctuary to find someone who could teach her or at least talk to her about it. She hadn't been to the Crypt in so long, not since Sylope exiled her even though Scarlett waived her predecessor's decision, but maybe it was time to go back there, as well.

"I do have some, er... well superhuman abilities, I guess." Grinning self-consciously, she continued, "Like a better sense of smell and, um, well I think I'm stronger." She knew she was, especially when she was hungry for blood, but that side of vampirism scared the crap out of her. Reminded of that, she glanced away, embarassed, and took a deep breath to try and calm the sudden swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

Speaking of a better sense of smell, though... Something smelled off. It didn't seem like anyone else had noticed but she'd just got done telling Sabs that was one of her vampiric abilities, so that wasn't really surprising. It wasn't a disgusting smell like raw sewage or anything but it was enough to make her look around in confusion because it was the kind of smell you didn't get in a public place, especially not one that sold food.

She didn't recognise him at first because he was skinnier and a bit rough around the edges, not at all like the Cal she remembered. In all likelihood, she wouldn't have recognised him at all, but he'd been there during a really sucky part of her life and for that he'd made a huge impact on her. He'd been kind and genteel and she'd immediately considered him a friend, but then he'd just... gone. Like Elise, and Tom, he'd just disappeared and she'd felt awful because the last time she'd seen him, Wolf had been rude to him. Not that Wolf being rude or Piper feeling bad about it was unusual, but as if that wasn't bad enough Cal was there when the Viper Group came after her.

No wonder he hadn't wanted anything to do with her after that.

She almost didn't say anything in light of that, feeling guilty and dejected, but she was so stunned to see him, and so excited, and she wanted to apologise. She couldn't let him walk away without saying something.

"Excuse me a minute, Sabs, okay?" Smiling at the girl, Piper pushed back her chair and stood slowly, carefully skirting around their table to place herself behind Cal, glancing at the counter staff as they nudged him to make his order. She should probably wait until he had but she didn't want to wait. So she ducked around to his side and reached out to tug on his sleeve, clearing her throat and gazing up at him with a grin. "Hey, stranger!"

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Despite all his best intentions, Cal's brain had absented itself almost immediately. He stood in the queue, with nothing in his mind but a warm and fuzzy anticipation of food and sleep. Someone... attention... huh?! He came back to himself with a physical start as he realised someone was nudging him to get his attention. Oh, damn. Nudged by the counter staff, waiting on his order – oh, and now a tug on his sleeve, no doubt from someone else waiting and wondering when the heck...

"Hey, stranger!"

...Can't be. He turned quickly to look at the diminutive figure tugging at his sleeve, and a smile of shocked pleasure lit his face. "Piper?!" She was one of only two people that he really felt he'd come close to making friends with back in New York - but he'd run out, without a word of farewell, twice, and he really thought he'd burned his bridges too well to ever have another chance at her friendship. Apparently, from the smile on Piper's face, she felt differently. It had been one of his few regrets over the past year spent in Australia, that he'd thrown away this friendship, and he felt an almost painful flash of gratitude for her open-heartedness...

..But there had been two people trying to get his attention a second ago. He turned back to the counter and reeled his order off at top speed: "I'll have a toasted chicken and avocado panini, a chocolate danish, and a long black, thanks." He smiled at the girl behind the counter at, (who looked distinctly as though he were not her favourite kind of customer) and turned back to the unexpected gift of a smiling Piper with a grin, tiredness forgotten.

"It is so good to see you again. How are you?"

OOC: Just a thought Emma - if you want it, Piper can have limited GM to get Cal over to your table faster, where Sabs can get back in on the RPing!

[Piper]

She was nervous and unsure of how Cal would react to seeing her but the look on his face relaxed her almost instantly. It was weird how he had a way of reassuring her just with a look and her smile deepened.

"Cal," she responded with a teasing grin that seemed out of character for her. In truth, she spent so much time fretting that she was never comfortable teasing but he made it so easy.

She blinked at him slowly as he reeled off his order, incredibly grateful she wasn't the wait staff here. The only thing she managed to catch was "long black" and all she could think was... long black what? She instantly forgot about it though when he turned back and asked how she was doing.

"I'm good," she responded genuinely, stepping aside to let someone pass. She caught a glimpse of Sabs out of the corner of her eye and blushed guiltily. "I'm actually with someone, come sit with us!" She grabbed at his arm to tug him towards the table she shared with Sabrina, grinning like a goofy idiot.

"Sabs, this is Cal! He's an old friend. Cal, Sabrina." Still smiling, Piper hovered at the table, glancing between the pair hopefully, completely clueless as to what to say next.

OOC: GM with permission.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

Now the last time Sabrina had eaten like this, she had been ill for a week with a stomach virus and not eaten anything at all during the six days that her health had made not-so-steady declines and ascensions. Nothing a little tender care won't fix, her mother had said reassuringly. And true to her word, all six days had been filled with fussing over the seven year old, filling a good number of hot water bottles and fishing out numerous fluffy pillows and buckets. While she was glad that she felt better at the end of the virus' course, Sabs had missed food. And eaten quite the amount when she was sure she wasn't going to regurgitate the food back up.

"In all honesty, I have no idea. I've been a vampire for nearly two years now and... I don't know..."

Sabrina smiled. Well she'd been a Nymph for eighteen years and had not paid the fact that she was different much heed until she had turned sixteen. At that age, she'd had to do that whole 'rite of passage' thing, she supposed marking her adulthood and maturity. Not that she was anything above being puerile once she got chattering. And she loved it when she didn't feel as adult as she ought to. It was a great relief, and it reassured her that she was still quite young. Irresponsible at times, and trying to be self-reliant. Trying.

Piper was speaking, and Sabrina vaguely heard what she said, staring at her croissant. The jam seemed almost hypnotic in her trance-like state, and after realising how impolite she must be seeming, she quickly looked up at Piper with an expression of interest. Super-human abilities, eh? She wondered if Superman was a vampire, and the whole kryptonite thing was a cover-up...

Sabs picked up her croissant and allowed herself a bite. Chew, chew, chew. She barely registered the sweet, buttery taste combination from the jam and the pastry, as Piper left her with a smile and a, "Excuse me a minute, Sabs, okay?" A little surprised, she nodded and shifted herself further onto the small, delicate European chair. Well, Piper didn't seem like the type of girl to leg it when she got sick of you. That little piece of information reassured the Nymph.

It occured to her that she had never, ever tried to use her allure. It was a simple fact that she had barely any control over it, and on top of that, she didn't know enough men to discreetly try to keep them a little spellbound. It might be good to practice her abilities, but there was something about using her allure that made her feel a little, well... uncomfortable. Sure, she was used to the second glances she oftenly received. But no. Sinking to using her allure yet was a prospect that didn't seem endearing in the least.

Sabs glanced over her shoulder to see Piper talking to an Anyelos, possibly a fledgling, but she might be wrong. She knew barely anything about Anyeli except the fact that, if you know what to look for, you could differentiate them to place them to how much experience they had in the world. She envied his wings, though. Oh, if she could fly, she was sure that she would only use her wings for decoration. She was a true Dryad, an Earth Nymph. She preferred her feet to be planted firmly on the ground. They were pretty though. All those soft feathers. She'd love to touch them.

Mission croissant accomplished. Sabrina stacked her empty plates up into a short pile and pushed them to one side, pulling the cake toward her. For someone so small, she had a big appetite. But size didn't matter, if you asked her. She picked up a clean piece of cutlery and broke off a forkful of the delicious-looking cake, with its trelises and swirls of cream. Too bad she was going to ruin the decoration by eating the whirls of cream and the perfectly layered jam and cake. And it tasted good, too. Well, the Nymph would certainly clear her plate. She couldn't help a smile as she took a napkin and wiped her mouth.

Piper appeared again. Accompanied by the Anyelos, too. Sabrina stood politely, the difference in height between all of them potentially comical. Sabs was barely one or two inches shorter than Piper, but both females held quite a height difference with the angel. "Pleased to meet you, Cal," she chirped up cheerfully, offering a hand to the haggard-looking male. "Sabs is better, though." She glanced at Piper as she spoke, smiling pleasantly.

[Calanthiel]

"I'm actually with someone, come sit with us!"

Cal was suddenly and acutely aware of how terrible he looked the second Piper invited him back to meet her friend. He was filthy, his hair was a crazy tangle, he was wearing clothes that wouldn't even be fit to paint in, he looked like... well, like someone who had been living out of his pack for a couple of weeks. He winced inwardly, though he was careful not to let it show in his face - he really did not expect to make a good impression on whoever it was, but that was no reason to make Piper uncomfortable. Meeting someone new may have been about the last thing he felt like doing, but if he wanted to have a real life here he was going to have to make an effort, so he just let Piper drag him across the cafe (was he meant to be waiting for his food, or did they bring it over?!), and introduce him.

When the pretty, petite girl Piper seemed to be leading him to stood up at their approach, he relaxed a little though. Good manners! Everything was always so much easier when dealing with other people whose parents had drummed some basic etiquette into them.

Piper introduced her friend as Sabrina, and Sabrina jumped in first with the next stage of the nice, easy script, so he took her hand in a light shake and returned her smile.

"Sabs it is, then. I don't tend to go by my whole name, either. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He kept smiling at both of them, and he would have liked to just smoothly take his seat, but his gear just wouldn't allow him to without some adjustments. He unwrapped the dusty cloak from his shoulders and wings (inadvertantly tumbling a small cloud of red dust that chased across the cafe floor in a draft of air), and then unclipped the straps of his much-abused pack to set it down without needing to try and lift it around his wings and risk breaking feathers. Once it was possible to sit down in comfort (and his more ordinary clothes of dusty jeans, and a faded t-shirt that might once have been black, whose cracked print seemed to advertise something called 'The Birthday Party', were showing) he took his seat and directed his attention back to Piper and Sabs.

OOC: I might be a little slow, sorry. I've got the flu, or something, and I can hardly think, let alone type. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long, though!

[Sabrina]

¤ Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Kyuusho ¤ Aethereality ¤ Hanna Beth ¤

The Nymph beamed. She liked new people, especially if they were pleasant and amiable enough to maintain a decent conversation with them. And not only that, but she had made the start of what would preferably be a nice friendship with two people that day. A pretty little vampire who hopefully didn't slight herself anymore, and the obviously decent but haggard Anyelos. She was not one to base everything solely on appearances, but he looked like he'd travelled a lot. Or maybe she was just underrating him? Well she wasn't going to ask.

Cal shook her hand, and Sabs smiled timidly; she had never paid much heed to other people's opinions of her, and wondered what Piper and Cal thought of her. Nevermind. She had never ever been blunt and to the point with anybody. This trait had probably branched from her occasional timid nature. Sometimes, she could be chatty and carefree, but she could also be timid and tentative.

She was acutely aware that the Anyelos had sat down and dittoed him, sipping the remains of her hot chocolate. She wanted to make conversation, but had no idea what to say. Sabs didn't know what subjects to touch on and what to steer clear of. She'd think of something. Sometime soon. For now, she just took a forkful of cake and chewed it slowly, her eyes constantly flickering to the wonderful - at the same time rather bedraggled - wings on Cal's back. Her gaze adoring, longing, but at the same time unsure. She wasn't sure that she'd made a good Angel, for the simple fact that the skies were no place for someone whose soul belonged to the Earth.

Sabrina had in fact never been any good for creating substantial conversation, and had been more of a person who would rather have someone mention a subject so she could encroach upon it or ask questions. It was much easier and less painful for her that way, but at the moment, she felt perhaps a little awkward with nothing to say. She would say something. She would not permit herself to remain mute.

"So... are you a peacekeeper or a warrior?" Sabs asked, inclining her head toward Cal. Well, at least she found something to say, a subject to lean toward, on her own. The odds of that were normally astronomical, she supposed. And besides, she might learn something. The only thing she knew about Anyeli was that they had wings and were probably angels. She knew nothing of their culture, of their society, nor of how to differentiate them by the colours of their wings.

[Piper]

Piper hovered at the table with the vague intention of paying for Cal's meal and perhaps ordering something else for herself and Sabs while she was at it. She couldn't think where he'd been to put him in such a state but he looked as if he hadn't eaten a proper meal in ages. Piper couldn't imagine why anyone would starve themselves intentionally, so she could only really assume that he was dirt poor and didn't have the cash to pay for his meals. She didn't think of it as charity, though; she was doing pretty well at the Boutique and he was a friend. She was simply sharing, and it never crossed her mind that he wouldn't do the same if their roles were reversed.

There was no awkward silence after her introductions and she relaxed slightly, only then realising she'd been a bit tense. She'd only just met Sabrina and knew next to nothing about the Nymph. In fact, she knew very little about Cal either! - and she was so accustomed to Wolf's unexpected outbursts that she half-expected one of them to snap or do something equally unsociable. Instead, they were both picture-perfect and Piper released an audible breath of relief.

"Sabs it is, then. I don't tend to go by my whole name, either. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Oh... crap. Piper's mouth went dry as she realised that, despite her affection for the Anyelos, she didn't even know his full name. Maybe he'd told her when they first met but she thought of him as "Cal" and had somehow forgotten the rest. Hoping it wouldn't come up because she didn't want to offend him, she interjected, "I'm probably the only one who goes by their full name around here," smiling brightly. Wolf sometimes shortened it to "Pip" but her name was short enough already, and her mother had absolutely refused to call her anything but Piper, so she'd just grown up used to hearing. It seemed alien to her to be called anything else, really.

"Panini, danish, long black!"

Piper turned her head to wince at the girl who slammed the order down on the countertop, eyeing the food as her stomach rumbled. Wasn't that what Cal had ordered? "I'll get it!" she cried, perhaps with more eagerness than she really needed as she dashed to the counter in an attempt to beat Cal there. "Could I get another hot chocolate with the, um, you know, blood in it as well, please? And you know, this danish looks absolutely delicious, could I get another one?" As she rattled off her order and smiled brightly at the attendant, she yanked more money from her purse and handed it over. The assistant glared a little, sorely tempting her to stick out her tongue. Ignoring the childish urge, Piper twisted to look at Sabrina. "Sabs, do you want anything else?"

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality