[Official NPC]

The small mouse ran as fast as it could along the wall of the cafe, sticking to the shadows. His whiskers quivered in anticipation. Directly in the line of his path there was a tantalizingly mouth watering chunk of a croissant, waiting for him. He could almost taste it now. His nose worked in overtime, telling him that it was still there. He could definitely grab it and scurry back to the small space between the pipe and the wall in the back of the cafe, but only if he was fast enough. He stopped beside the leg of a table, staying perfectly still as his ears listened for any signs of danger...

Lucky for him today there weren't too many two legged beings inside, but that also meant not as many tasty morsels of food got left behind from them eating the delightful things the cafe served.

Oh! The coast was finally clear! He made a frantic dash for the leftover croissant piece, his feet barely seemed to touch the floor as he sprinted to it and picked it up with his mouth. He turned around quickly and made a bee-line for the table leg that he'd stopped at previously, resting there for a brief second before running back along the wall to the pipe. With a small push, he squeezed himself through the tiny space around the pipe and the wall, safely returning to the back room.

Stock Art . Layout Design

[Calanthiel]

Piper could really move when she wanted to. He'd barely registered that his food was ready, and Piper was already a tiny blur of energy moving towards the counter. He grinned to himself, amused. If she was that keen to grab his food for him, he was far too tired to argue! Anyway, the counter staff seemed tetchy - abusing the food tray by slamming it down like that. Long day, perhaps... He hadn't been that annoying, surely?!

He realized, after a moment, that Sabs kept glancing at his wings, like her eyes were magnetized to them. He resisted the urge to look himself to see what had her attention, with some effort of will... I wonder if they're turning orange from all that wretched dust? I assume there's not a spider or something - even a one-minute acquaintance would surely tell me if there was a giant Australian spider crawling down my wing... His wings twitched, reflexively, while he sternly told himself that the creepy crawly feeling was because he needed a bath, not because there was something walking on him. He needed that coffee - nice, strong, dark coffee, and he might be able to focus a little better than this, and make a better effort at conversation

"So... are you a peacekeeper or a warrior?"

Well, that got his attention! He looked at Sabs, startled by the question, but her face showed nothing but pleasant, mild curiosity. He relaxed again - the question wasn't as loaded as it felt to him. "Well, neither, actually," he gave Sabs an apologetic grin, "I'm too young to have had to choose a path like that. Though, even if I was at that stage..."

"Sabs, do you want anything else?"

He trailed off at the interruption, laughing softly at Piper's apparent determination to feed them all, and waited for Sabs to reply before continuing. Though, Gods, I really am tired, what on Elysia was I about to say? I've barely met this girl...

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Sabrina]

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

Sabrina had only roughed it a few times, in a tent, and it had been pleasant enough - if the whole tent hadn't been flooded out several times. Or if Zach hadn't tripped over the tent supporting the stupid canvas the last time. It had been in the evening when all five of them - a full grown man and four adolescents - had been sorting out their bedding arrangements. Zach had tripped over the middle pole, which was basically their life support, and, when the pole had fallen down, the whole heavy canvas had came crashing down on the unsuspecting Casius family. And after that, they had all wordlessly packed up and left, complaining only when they had left the site.

The Anyelos, however, Cal, looked like he'd been roughing it for quite a long time. Sabs did not dare encroach upon asking if he had a place to stay, a roof over his head, or if he needed any help. She supposed that his financial situation might not be all too good, but he might think she was being funny if she offered to give him something. She was currently only an acquaintance, and besides, men were touchy like that.

"I'm too young to have had to choose a path like that. Though, even if I was at that stage..." Sabrina smiled pleasantly, her mind a little drawn away from what Cal was saying. She didn't mind that he was haggard, but it was awkward seeing as he looked like he'd just arrived and didn't have much to his name. It might not have been her place to ask questions as personal as that, but she couldn't help curiosity. And as for lifestyles, she would probably be one of those peace-people. Even if she wasn't Nymph, Sabs supposed that she wouldn't willingly be violent anyway.

"Sabs, do you want anything else?" Sabrina opened her mouth to answer, but her face twisted into a frown. She jumped to her feet with a small shriek and, ignoring the funny looks she was getting, bent over to look under the table for the offending object. She was sure something had touched the bare skin of her foot - sandals didn't really cover your feet up. There was nothing there, however, as she demandingly searched the ground with her eyes.

Slowly, the Nymph sat back down, telling herself she had imagined the tiny feet scampering past her foot, and the fur brushing against her skin. "I'm sorry, for a minute I thought..." she began to apologize to Cal profusely and trailed off, ending her sentence before she answered to Piper. "No thankyou, Piper. I bet I gain five pounds just by looking at something else." She spooned some cream off her cake and slowly tasted it, before thoughtfully looking to Cal. "I don't know a lot about other cultures, to be honest. In fact, I don't know much about my own." She paused and took a small forkful of the sponge cake, absent-minded. "Isn't it compulsory to choose anything...?"

[Piper]

Completely oblivious to the mouse wandering about, and not really bothering to wonder why the staff seemed so cranky, Piper waited for Sabs' reply as she continued to look back over her shoulder. She was also unaware that she'd cut Cal off mid-sentence, and would have been mortified if she'd realised how rude she'd been.

Instead of an answer, the Nymph shot to her feet with a shriek that made Piper jump out of her skin and squeak. And when Sabrina sat back down and started peering under the table, she could only scan the floor nervously herself, wondering if there was something nasty running around. It would be just her luck, wouldn't it? She'd been attacked so many times since she was initially turned and brought to Elysia, she'd actually lost count of all the damage she'd taken and all the issues that were dancing through her head. Wolf would go ballistic if she went home covered in bruises and scratches again. What was it this time, anyway? If it was Kaida or Destiny in disguise, she was going to the police because she was sick and tired of -

"I'm sorry, for a minute I thought..."

Her mouth twisting slightly in a dubious frown, Piper continued to scan the floor but if there was anything down there, she couldn't see it. And Sabs was acting now like nothing had happened after all, so maybe it was just... the hem of her skirt touching her leg or something. That had happened to Piper a couple of times when she was younger. Or not so much younger, actually. She'd be sitting and suddenly she'd see something out of the corner of her eye and think it was a spider or a wasp or something equally creepy crawly, and she'd freak out and run off only to realise it was actually a strand of hair that had come loose from her braid, or something equally embarrassing.

Still wary, Piper nevertheless chuckled at Sabs' self-deprecating humour as she answered, and turned back to the counter to receive her change. As the assistant went off to make her hot chocolate, she took the coffee and panini, carefully setting them on the table in front of Cal before returning for the two danishes, and then again for her hot chocolate just as it was set on the counter waiting for her. "Thank you," she told the assistant again, smiling brightly. She received a smile in return that she couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, but she didn't really mind if it wasn't.

Dropping into the chair between Cal and Sabs, Piper pushed his danish at him to clear room for her chocolate. "This looks delicious," she interjected with a grin, delighted that they seemed to be getting on so well. She didn't know much about Elysian cultures either, and she figured she'd confess as much. "I've been here getting on for two years and I still don't know very much," she told them both with a self-deprecating smile. "Actually, I've been living in the Cloud Palace the last few months. My boyfriend's half Anyelos, so you'd think I'd know a bit more about them, right?" In her defense, she'd been kind of busy. Between the Boutique, trying to look after Wolf, dealing with his parents, and not to mention recovering from various attacks, she felt like she hadn't really had time to learn as much as she'd have liked to. Although she wasn't blameless, in all honesty, because if she'd really wanted to, she probably could have found the time to explore. Wolf kept promising to take her places, like the Ceracen Islands that she'd really wanted to see, but they'd only ever actually made it to Paris. She didn't blame him at all, though, it was just that things kept happening to them and interrupting their plans, but she'd never felt comfortable going without him so she had to wait for his moods to turn in the right direction.

Maybe she should do something without him, though. It might do them both the world of good. She knew he felt pressured by her reliance on him, he'd as much as admitted it that day he turned her away when she needed to feed. And who better to explore Elysia and share cultures with than her new friends? Maybe she could suggest some kind of activity or exploration later, when they'd finished eating and they'd all had chance to get to know each other a bit better.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

This post has been edited by Piper: 23 July 2008 - 11:20 PM

[Calanthiel]

Cal's half-started train of thought was brought to a screeching (literally) halt, when Sabs jumped up with a squeal. His wings fanned out a little in surprise, before he got the instinctual reaction under control, seeing that Sabs was just scanning the floor, clearly looking for some kind of creepy-crawly. He wasn't terribly bothered by the majority of small-things-that-make-girls-shriek but the sheer number of poisonous things he'd been at risk of sharing a sleeping bag with lately had made him cautious - he leaned over to scan the floor, too, suppressing an inward wince at the idea that it might have been something from his backpack. Though I wonder if the portals would even let you bring something like that back by accident...? He couldn't see anything, though, and when Sabs sat back down and started apologising, he relaxed and smiled reassuringly at her, shaking his head to cut off her apologies, before she returned to the pre-squeal topic.

"I don't know a lot about other cultures, to be honest. In fact, I don't know much about my own. Isn't it compulsory to choose anything...?"

Cal tilted his head to one side, thoughtful, as he considered how to reply. "It's not compulsory, exactly, it's just..." He paused for an instant before continuing, his voice soft but loaded with a certain tension, "...expected." Piper deposited his coffee and panini in front of him and he shot her a grateful smile, then lifted the coffee and inhaled the rich scent while he gathered his thoughts. "You can't really force that kind of decision onto someone if you want them to take it seriously. So, you can avoid it for a time, if you're not ready." He smiled at Sabs, feigning a lightness he didn't really feel at the subject, then turned an unfeigned smile on Piper when she returned to her seat, grateful to have her pick up the thread of the conversation. He took a sip of his coffee, half closing his eyes and reveling in the taste as he listened to Piper.

"I've been here getting on for two years and I still don't know very much, Actually, I've been living in the Cloud Palace the last few months. My boyfriend's half Anyelos, so you'd think I'd know a bit more about them, right?"

Cal raised an eyebrow in surprise at the news of Piper's current accommodation. "I don't know about that, things have changed so much lately for the Anyeli. You certainly wouldn't have found any non-Anyeli living in the Palace two years ago!" He grinned at her, but he'd really had enough of the current focus of the conversation. Time for a change. "Surely you know much more about your own people?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realised that there was every chance Piper was about to tell him that she knew plenty about her people. Americans. He hesitated, colouring ever so slightly at the realisation that he had no idea who Piper's 'people' were, beyond what her accent gave away. As much as he liked her, he didn't really know her that well. He looked down and hurriedly turned his attention to eating some of his panini, before Piper and Sabs could notice his embarrassment.

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

"I don't know about that, things have changed so much lately for the Anyeli. You certainly wouldn't have found any non-Anyeli living in the Palace two years ago!"

Piper's lips quirked in amusement. She remembered hearing the news and wondering briefly what had changed so much that the Anyeli had opened their gates to foreigners, but she didn't think she knew Wolf back then and had been caught up, as always, in her own little world so she'd pretty much forgotten about it. She hadn't even really thought about it when she moved there, but now she realised it must have been a shock to the Anyeli people. The palace was kind of a national treasure, after all, and it had been a major upheaval. It made her wonder how he'd taken the change.

"Surely you know much more about your own people?"

Blushing furiously, Piper shook her head and looked away. "I'm... I..." She sighed, her lips parted on a half-formed sentence, but there was nothing she could say. She couldn't even justify her ignorance to herself. "Something always gets in the way" just sounded so lame, and even if it was the truth, it was only true because she'd let it be. She was so spineless. "I don't know anything about the vampires," she finally blurted out, just assuming he knew what she was and focused on his reaction to her ignorance.

She was aware on some level, deep down, that she'd placed Cal on a pedestal. He'd been there, purely by happy chance, just after Suka beat her to a bloody pulp. She was fragile and vulnerable and in desperate need of a friend, and there was Cal. And then again, he'd returned from his travels (she really must remember to ask him about that, she'd love to hear about the places he'd been to) during the Viper Group's attack on her shop, and even though they'd barely spent a few minutes together, the fact that he and Elise both were there made her stronger than she would have been otherwise. It was probably natural in a way that she'd come to think of Cal as a kind of guardian angel. It wasn't conscious at all, but it did make her care much more about his opinion of her. She didn't want him to think she was a lazy ignoramus, she wanted to at least look as if she'd grown stronger and more confident since the last time they'd seen each other.

On the other hand, she knew damn well she was failing miserably.

Clearing her throat, Piper watched him eat for a moment, glancing at Sabs once or twice before latching onto something to say. "You've been travelling." Way to make yourself seem smarter, dumb-ass. More a way to win a state-the-obvious competition than a question, Piper hoped it would still lead them away from the awkward conversation into something a bit safer. Besides, she was genuinely interested in what he'd been doing while he was gone, and the state of his clothes - and him - suggested he'd been walking, or maybe working. Either way, it had to be better than her showing off her complete lack of vampire knowledge.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Cal felt, if anything, even sillier, as he realised that he had known Piper was a vampire. He'd learnt that the very first time he met her and she'd been awkward about it then, too. Her blush made him regret pushing the topic back to her. Good job, Cal. Let's raise topics you already know Piper is uncomfortable with. That sort of cleverness will make you very, very popular.

He really did find it impossible to think of her as a Vampire, though. It hadn't made any sense to him back when he first met her, and it didn't make sense to him now. He knew he was subscribing to blatant stereotyping, but he expected Vampires to be tough, hardened, confident and dangerous... Not delicate and vulnerable the way Piper was. Though, maybe it was just how very broken she'd seemed that first time he'd met her. It could be hard to shake first impressions and the image of Piper standing in the shadowed trees, her eyes so very haunted and wary, had been a powerful one to begin with. The response that she'd evoked in him then - wanting to help her, to protect and reassure her - hadn't really left him. She obviously wasn't as physically damaged as she had been; she seemed happy and vibrant, not terrified of every movement - but there was still a fragility about her that he didn't think he'd ever be able to reconcile with the idea of her as a vampire... He knew he should be trying not to pigeonhole, her, though, and he tucked the thought away for later, in the hopes that this time he'd remember her race for longer than ten minutes.

He hadn't even really noticed the pause in the conversation, distracted by his thoughts and his panini as he was, when Piper broke it.

"You've been travelling."

Piper's turn for a sudden shift... Try to make this work - otherwise we're all going to be reduced to discussing nothing more personal than the weather and the quality of our food! He looked up from his meal and gave Piper and Sabs a wry grin, a bite of panini suspended on his fork. "I know, I know, I'm a mess!" he said with a laugh, "I literally just got back here an hour ago. I've been backpacking in Australia for... a year or so?" He gave a shrug that made his feathers rustle softly. "Anyway, the trip back to the portal was a little longer than I remembered, so the last few days got a bit rougher than I planned." There was nothing in Cal's tone to invite sympathy - though there was a degree of ruefullness at his own stupidity.

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

While Sabs continued to eat and listen silently, Piper's eyes lit up at hearing Cal had been to Australia. She didn't know much about the place beyond the 'dangerous' stuff that TV documentaries seemed to take great delight in, like poisonous spiders the size of footballs and snakes the size of... Wait, were there snakes in Australia?

From what she'd heard of Australia, and the pictures of the outback she'd seen, the dust on Cal was beginning to make a whole lot of sense. "You've been to Australia?!" She probably sounded like a complete idiot. It certainly wasn't the kind of place she could imagine wanting to travel alone or with no experience under your belt, so she was beginning to look at Cal with fresh admiration. Travelling any part of the world seemed like such a romantic thing to Piper, but to do it alone? That had to take guts.

"I've only ever been to Paris for a day trip." She sighed dreamily. She'd loved that trip with Wolf but it had been cut short, just as every trip they'd tried to take, and while it had been amazing it also wasn't all that much of a feat given that it was so easy to travel the world these days. Even though Earth didn't have portals to get around quickly, it didn't seem to take that much to get halfway across the planet, and given that Paris was just a couple of portals away, it really hadn't been that spectacular of an achievement.

Well... no, because it had been that to her, but she couldn't help imagining how it would seem to others. And given that they'd just been discussing how little they all knew of Elysia, their home, it stirred her desire to explore.

Propping her chin in her palm and stirring the spoon in her hot chocolate, Piper forgot about her food and gazed at Cal with deep curiosity and a hint of envy. "What's it like there? Did you travel alone? Are the spiders really as big as footballs? Was the outback as hot as it sounds? Did you meet any Aborigines? What's Sydney like? Did you see the coral reef, or any sharks? Oh my god, did you see any kangaroos or koala bears?!" Oh, she could go on for hours.

OOC: GM of Sabs eating with blanket permission.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Cal was definitely starting to feel more alive. Between his almost-finished panini, the espresso, and actual, friendly, people to talk to, he hadn't felt this much himself in weeks. To be honest, he hadn't even realized how much he'd missed having company. In a way, the friendly chatter was every bit as reviving as his coffee.

He just nodded lazily in agreement at Piper's exclamation that he'd been in Australia, his mouth full of a bite of panini. He would have grinned if he hadn't been chewing, though. For a fledgling from a tiny Dusky Mountains village, anywhere on Earth sounded exotic and exciting, but clearly Australia still qualified for those even if you were from America! Piper's next comment about only having been to Paris surprised him though – daytrips, with the portals, weren't any more taxing than a quick walk. But maybe it was because she was a vampire – he didn't think she'd be able to go out in daylight on Earth, so a lot of places she'd probably want to visit would be closed, perhaps...

"What's it like there? Did you travel alone? Are the spiders really as big as footballs? Was the outback as hot as it sounds? Did you meet any Aborigines? What's Sydney like? Did you see the coral reef, or any sharks? Oh my god, did you see any kangaroos or koala bears?!"

Cal almost choked on his last mouthful of panini at the sudden flurry of questions. Instead he swallowed hastily, took a gulp of coffee, and laughed out loud. "One at a time, Piper!" He smiled at her gathering his thoughts and trying to sift out her first question. "ah... Yes, I was traveling by myself. It's not like humans don't do it all the time, though, so I figured why not? Just me and my backpack." He grinned and patted the top of the enormous, battered pack he'd been carrying. "It's beautiful there, but very, very dry. The people are pretty friendly, for the most part, really depends on where you are. The outback... I loved it there, but you can really see the effects of the drought they're going through. It's not meant to just be a desert, but there simply hasn't been enough water, and the dustbowl is growing." He frowned into his coffee for a moment, then gave Piper a slightly embarrassed look. "Sorry, what else were you asking?"

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Piper blushed and ducked her head, embarrassed that she'd practically attacked Cal with questions when he'd clearly come straight from his travels. He must be exhausted, poor thing, and here she was, demanding answers to questions she could even find out for herself. If she were brave enough, or curious enough. How hard would it be to take a portal to someplace she'd never been before? Maybe she should, with or without Wolf. Just think of somewhere random and close her eyes, and pop out the other side someplace foreign.

"One at a time, Piper!" It was odd. Coming from Wolf, Piper would have been stung and closed down, knowing he was irritated. But Cal smiled, and it was completely different. It felt like she was being teased, and she wasn't quite sure how to react to it. Elise had teased her when they were younger, but as they'd grown up the teasing had become more erratic and once they were drawn into Elysia, the dynamics of their relationship changed altogether. Actually... Piper couldn't remember the last time she'd been teased in a way that was comfortable. Wolf's buddies had tried, but they overwhelmed her and she'd felt more embarrassed than ever.

"Ah... Yes, I was traveling by myself. It's not like humans don't do it all the time, though, so I figured why not? Just me and my backpack." That pedestal gained a few inches. "It's beautiful there, but very, very dry." What he said fit with what Piper had heard and seen on TV and in holiday magazines, as well as the dust covering him. "The people are pretty friendly, for the most part, really depends on where you are. The outback... I loved it there, but you can really see the effects of the drought they're going through. It's not meant to just be a desert, but there simply hasn't been enough water, and the dustbowl is growing." Piper hadn't realised they were suffering from a drought. Actually, it wasn't something she'd really notice even if it was happening around her, but it spoke to Cal's nature that he noticed and cared.

And the pedestal grew just a bit more. She couldn't help it. She loved Wolf so much but she'd been through so much, and he was really hard to live with sometimes. He'd get that blank expression and faze out everything around him, including her, and it hurt. She always felt like his friends merely tolerated her; his parents, especially his mom, looked at her like she was some kind of freak. She was starved for affection, desperate to have someone be interested in her, and so far Cal had provided the kind of friendship she'd been craving.

"Sorry, what else were you asking?"

Piper smiled drily but shook her head. She'd love for her questions to be answered eventually but, her initial outburst aside, she wasn't selfish. Or at least, tried not to be. And Cal looked like he needed a breather. Not to mention a shower...

"Do you have a place to stay?" she asked softly, setting her spoon down on the table and glancing around for serviettes. She wasn't hungry enough to eat the danish now, but she was loathe to waste it, and it looked lovely. Or maybe Cal would want it...?

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

No, he'd definitely lost the thread of the rest of Piper's questions. Something about Koalas? He slid the empty panini plate away and started to tug his chocolate danish over towards him, when Piper spoke in a softer tone "Do you have a place to stay?" He glanced quickly across at her, surprised by the shift in her voice, but he couldn't quite read what had inspired it in her expression. She'd seemed so transparent just a second ago; the sudden shift in her apparent mood puzzled him, but he took her question at face value.

"Not just yet, no. Last time I was in Elysia I still qualified for fledging accomodation in the dorms at the Palace," His mouth quirked in a lop-sided half smile, "But I very much doubt they'd let me in now. Do you happen to know if there are any backpacker's type places in town here?"

If he was going to stick around and try to make a life for himself in Elysia, he knew he'd need to look for something more permanent pretty soon, but he was used to backpacker's hostels right now... and, anyway, finding somewhere he could settle was going to take a little more time. He had a somewhat wistful hope that if he could find a place and took the time to turn it into something resembling a real home, it would help give him some roots here. Even though he knew he was prone to wandering, he really was tired of not fitting in anywhere he went. Maybe, just maybe, if he made a real effort this time...

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Piper had gotten used to living amid people who were much older than they appeared to be, and had subconsciously taken to just assuming that everyone was much older than they appeared. Hearing Cal refer to himself as a fledgling, even if it was the past tense, was a bit of a shock. He hadn't been gone that long, so it was weird thinking his people still thought of him as a kid. And it made her wonder, and blurt right out, "How old are you?"

It was one of the rudest questions known to Man, and she immediately started blushing - although at this rate the red would be a permanent feature - and she glanced away, her eyes finally lighting on some abandoned serviettes at the next table. As she returned to the subject of accommodation, she leaned back in her chair to grab them, wrapping the danish while she talked. "I'm not sure if there even is such a thing in Elysia." She smiled wryly, realising again how little she knew about the place. "But there's a phone directory at the shop if you want to check it out?" She'd made sure she kept an updated one in the Boutique after the Viper Group took out her electrics and the front window was smashed - because having her stuff broken was something else she'd gotten used to and she liked to know she could call someone for repairs straight away instead of floundering for numbers.

OOC: I dunno if you want to go to the boutique to use the directory, or overhear a conversation here about Le Bon's hotel, or something like that. Up to you. ^^

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Mmmm... Fresh pastry. The danish deserved to be savoured. It had been a long time since Cal had last had a treat like that. The hard part was going to be not just gobbling it up greedily without even noticing the taste in his hunger...

"How old are you?"

Cal blinked up from his contemplation of the delights of chocolate danishes in time to catch Piper turn an entirely new shade of pink. He repressed the urge to tease her - if she blushed any more she'd burn her skin! - and smiled a slightly apologetic smile for the confusion he was about to cause if she didn't already know how Anyeli aged. "I'm 200." He didn't continue, not wanting to insult Piper with excessive explanation if she did already know about Anyeli.

He absently sliced off a bite of his danish and ate it without even really noticing as Piper returned to the topic of where he was going to stay tonight. Before he could reply to her, though, one of the waitresses who had been clearing a nearby table spoke up: "Um, excuse me?" Cal turned to look at her - the hesistant tone she used didn't suggest he was about to be told off for sheding half of Australia over the floor, but he was worried nonetheless. He did his very best to look innocent and pleasant when he responded. "Yes?" She still didn't look like he was about to be summarily kicked out... "We have bunk rooms here. Five to a room, and it's $20 a night. You can ask at the counter if you're interested."

Cal thanked the girl, and turned back to Piper with a delighted smile. "I guess I'm home for the evening then! I could come visit you at the shop again another time, though?"

---

OOC: Wemma! I don't know if I did what I should to have the waitress overhear and respond, or if I've trampled on the rules. It seemed to make the most sense, but I'm an easily startled mewbie ^^; meep! Halp!

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

OOC: Ordinarily, if NPCs say something, we prefer them to be played on the NPC account but this conversation is so short it doesn't matter.

Piper blinked. Repeatedly.

She really hadn't expected him to tell her his age so she'd moved on with the conversation to worry about his accommodations. It had taken a moment for his answer to register and now that it had, she could only stare at him, her lips parted in surprise.

Two hundred. Two hundred. Twenty decades. He was... he was her age with an extra zero. Okay so she was 21, not 20, but what was a year against so many? He was ten times older than her.

It really shouldn't be such a shock, but she'd gone from thinking he was older than he looked - without any real numbers in mind, just a general sense of it - to thinking perhaps he was actually younger if his people still considered him a fledgling, and suddenly returned to realising, with exact numbers attached, that he actually was much older.

She was vaguely aware of a woman offering him a room right here at the cafe. Shaken from her surprise, she glanced up at the waitress and offered her a weak smile.

"I guess I'm home for the evening then! I could come visit you at the shop again another time, though?"

The delight on Cal's face brushed away the last of her unease and she returned it, strangely excited by the idea of him visiting her shop. He'd been there before, of course, but she'd made some additions to her range of bears and now offered stuffed dragons too, and she adored the idea of showing them off to someone she imagined would actually appreciate them. "You better," she teased, leaning forward to poke his upper arm gently. "I added a few items I think you'll like."

She was relieved to know he had somewhere to stay, too. She hadn't liked the thought of him wandering about in search of shelter but she wasn't sure how she could have dealt with Wolf if she'd offered Cal the use of her flat on Fox Street. He might have been okay with it, but if he caught how glad she was that Cal was back, things might have gotten ugly.

"Oof," she murmured, pushing her danish towards him with a pseudo-innocent look in her eyes. "My eyes are too big for my belly. Do you want this? I don't want it to go to waste..."

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

It only occured to Cal after he said he'd visit Piper at the shop again just how badly his last visit had gone. He didn't like to ask if the boyfriend Piper had mentioned earlier happened to be the same boyfriend or not. He still had no idea how on earth he'd managed to offend so badly last time he'd gone to visit Piper at the shop! He'd just have to hope that Piper remembered - he really wasn't keen on a repeat performance. The whole thing had been so awkward for Piper, too. Not going wasn't an option, though, not with Piper looking so pleased with herself when she poked him in the arm. She was far too sweetly charming like this to disappoint...

"My eyes are too big for my belly. Do you want this? I don't want it to go to waste..."

Cal eyed the solitary remaining bite of his own danish and the danish Piper had pushed over towards him for a moment, feeling sorely tempted... then shook his head regretfully. "I'd really better not. I haven't eaten well for a few days, and I don't want to stuff myself on pastries until I'm sick. You save it for later." He smiled gently at Piper as he spoke, then stretched his arms and wings out for a moment, feathers rustling as they settled back down into place. "I'm so glad I ran into you here, but I think I should go see about one of those bunk beds. Maybe even a chance to get clean!" He smiled wryly - the truth was, getting clean was going to be the very first thing he did. "I'll see you again soon?"

---

OOC: Sorry I've been so slow, work is just... pwning me. I has no words for it's awfulness. Hopefully should get better soon? I hope?

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

OOC: I'm sorry work's been sucky! *huggles*

Piper was unsurprisingly disappointed that their accidental lunch date had to end. If she really thought about it, this was probably the first social interaction she'd had in a long time that didn't leave her feeling awkward and unwanted. It was nice - the kind of warm and fuzzy nice that made you want to stay snuggled in bed for fear of losing the feeling - to have someone enjoy spending time with her instead of merely tolerating her, or not even that.

She almost begged Cal to stay for a while longer but as he warmly rejected the danish she'd offered, Piper bit her lip at her own selfishness. She shouldn't have kept him as long as she had, let alone asking him to stay. He'd as much as admitted he was exhausted and Piper frowned at him, tempted to put the back of her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. "A bath sounds good." She stared at his wings as he stretched them out, a little awe-struck. She'd seen Anyeli, of course. Heck, she lived with one in a tower filled with them, but Dazadi Rhea never let her get close enough to really see hers and they were a different colour - and larger - besides. This close, even covered in red dust as they were, Cal's wings were spectacular. She'd actually started to lift her hand to touch the downy feathers before she caught herself and yanked it back, smoothing the tablecloth to hide what she'd been about to do.

She studied him with concern now that she knew this was his first meal in however long. "Well, here, I know I'm not going to eat this now. I'll only end up giving it to Comet. I tell you, that wolf will eat anything." Shaking her head with fond exasperation, she pushed the serviette-wrapped danish closer to Cal. "Please, keep it for later." It wasn't like she'd go hungry.

"And you will definitely see me soon," she replied with a grin. She didn't intend to be bothersome, and didn't want to scare him off, but she was trying to be more independent and that meant finding ways to feed that didn't involve Wolf. She'd probably be visiting the cafe regularly now so Cal would likely see her anyway as long as he was staying here. She hoped he wanted to see her, though. She hadn't realised how desperate she was for friendship until today.

"I'd better go, though. I closed the Boutique for lunch but that was over an hour ago." Self-employment had its perks but as well as the Boutique was doing, she still couldn't afford to just close down for hours on end.

She was still reluctant to actually get up and go though, and wanted to hug Cal goodbye but wasn't sure if she should or not. At any rate, she stood and picked up the crockery she'd used. She didn't know if the waitresses would clean up or not, but she felt weird about just walking out and leaving the dirty dishes there on the table. The girl at the counter who'd seemed so annoyed earlier actually smiled at her as she left the plates there.

"Enjoy your bath and bed." Piper smiled at Cal as she gathered the rest of her things.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Cal blinked at the serviette covered treat Piper pushed towards him for a second, as his brain worked through the fact that Piper had a pet wolf of all things. Somehow, she seemed more like the bunny type. Maybe a kitten. Something tiny, fluffy, essentially harmless... Not a canine that had to be at least as big as she was! Though, canine... Hang on - isn't chocolate poisonous for dogs?!

"Well, if it's between me and a wolf..!" Cal faked a tragic expression and gazed in hammed-up sadness at the plate "I'll save your wolf the stomach ache and eat the chocolate myself. Somehow. I'll just have to be brave" He couldn't sustain the drama for long and his face broke into a grin. "Thanks, Piper."

He really was very glad he'd run into Piper again. It was a charming surprise just how natural it felt to be sitting and talking with her again. When she said they'd see each other again soon, he beamed a smile and agreed. He wouldn't have wanted to make a pest of himself, but she really did seem to want to hang out again soon.

"I'd better go, though. I closed the Boutique for lunch but that was over an hour ago."

Cal nodded and then suddenly found himself wondering if the boutique was still in the same place. If he was going to be visiting, he'd need to know where he was going - and the wiring at the shop he'd visited last time had seemed unreliable... He realised that Piper was packing up her plates, so Cal stood and did the same, clearing what was left at their table and taking them to the counter. It wasn't really standard cafe procedure, as Cal knew it, but if Piper was packing up, he might as well do so too. He'd feel like a complete slob, leaving his plates while she tidied!

"Enjoy your bath and bed."

Cal smiled back at Piper, "Before you head back - is the Boutique still in the same place?"

He reached for his pack and threw his cloak over an arm, getting ready to go and acquire a bed & shower. He didn't much care that it was still only mid afternoon here - it had been early evening in Australia, and he felt tired enough to sleep for days, not merely one very long evening!

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Ouch! Busted.

He didn't seem mad about it, though, and Piper was relieved they could laugh and joke about it. She'd taken him at face value for a second there, but when he laughed she'd known it was okay, and laughed along with him. She'd wanted to tease him about his acting skills but felt like maybe she'd pushed it a bit far already, so she'd kept her mouth shut.

"Before you head back - is the Boutique still in the same place?"

Piper smiled and shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Too much drama at the old place." She was beginning to suspect that old building was cursed because nothing too bad had happened at the new residence since she'd moved in. "It's up on Weyton Avenue now." She grinned as she wondered who'd decided to call the alley an avenue; it couldn't manage to be an avenue if it grew legs, got up and walked over a few blocks. "Which is an alleyway between a bank and a shoe shop." Trying to remember the directions, she bit her lip and looked at the ceiling. "If you go from here, turn right, go down past Thea's - she has a bunch of pewter dragons in the window - then the bank and shoe store are on the left." She hoped that was good enough. Those were the only landmarks she knew. "Oh! But there's one of those triangle sign stand things just outside the alley telling you what shops are up there so if you see a picture of me holding a bear, you'll know you're in the right place." She hated that picture but without that ad, she'd lose over half her customers. A building down an alley had been a bad idea for a new location but at the time she didn't have many options and she'd hoped the website would attract more customers than it had.

At least the alley served a purpose; it wasn't just a dead end, but connected two streets that saw a lot of pedestrian traffic so she caught a few customers as they zipped between the buildings, and those who didn't see her on the way past saw her ad instead.

"Well," she said, feeling awkward again. She reached out to touch his arm, her expression suddenly serious. "I'm really glad you're back." It was a heavier goodbye than she'd intended but she couldn't help it. Determined not to freak him out or turn this into the longest goodbye ever, Piper affected a brisk manner and bobbed into a playful curtsey. "I really have to go. Bye!" Waving over her shoulder a bit more frantically than she'd meant to, she dodged between a couple of tables and skipped out the door. As she passed the window outside, she waved through it again, grinning happily.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Cal listened very carefully to Piper's directions, concentrating as they passed smoothly in one ear and out the other. Really, he wasn't very good at remembering that kind of thing, anyway. The fact that he'd need to find the shop again, since it wasn't in the same place did stick however. And that was all he really needed. He'd just be sure to get up early when he went to visit, so he could spend a bit of time looking for the shop.

When Piper reached out to touch his arm he smiled gently, her sudden odd seriousness prompting him to load his reply with sincerity, his voice low and husky. "Thanks, Piper, really. It means... a lot to me to be welcomed back." It was an understatement, really, but he hoped she'd understand. Having someone miss him, being welcomed as a friend, made Elysia feel that little bit like a home; and he hadn't felt like he had a home in a long time now.

Piper broke the loaded moment with a silly little bobbed curtsy, though, and he laughed and swept a graceful bow back. As she danced off across the cafe, he called after her rapidly retreating figure "I'll see you again soon!" and waved back at her as she flitted past the window. She looked so happy as she waved. Strange little Piper - so serious one minute, so happy the next. He smiled to himself, thinking about her mercurial moods, as he lifted his pack and went to the counter to acquire one of the offered bunk beds and the shower he was so looking forward to.

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.