[Txelu]

Txelu did try to give the queenly little snake one last tickle under the chin if she so permitted. Then he patted Sophy's silky head in good spirit to prevent her from getting jealous, as the windfur had been tilting her furry head to steal suspicious glances at Sanna.

The vampire did not miss the look that came across Euphenia's features in the next moment, as it was something he received often when a person realized. Inevitably, she must have glimpsed his fangs. Txelu generally did not purposefully draw attention to them when he spoke to others and even smiled in such a way that the deadly tips would be harder to see, but it was mostly for convenience's sake and couldn't possibly work forever. And quite truthfully, it did not really matter, not anymore. His changed existence no longer bothered him. If it scared others even when he didn't intend to harm them, then that was their choice, wasn't it?

He couldn't describe Euphenia's expression as frightened, though. As he returned her stare with a fairly easygoing expression, Txelu saw more of surprise on the nymph's face... and then flushed embarassment. Oh, now that didn't happen often. He had no desire to pursue the topic of his race, but Txelu couldn't resist asking jokingly, "What is it, Euphenia? Is there something interesting about my face?" He purposefully turned his head a quarter to the side with the obvious intention of giving her a better view of his profile, all the while keeping a steady, amused gaze.

Ah, he was mean.

Txelu's smile increased when she rather self-consciously turned the subject to animals. "Yes, animals are easy to get along with, aren't they?" he agreed, and added with a chuckle, "That is, if you spoil them properly. Pets demand a lot of love -- especially this one." He tipped his head to Sophy, who affectionately nudged him back before wrapping the ribbon around her furry shoulder like a scarf. She puffed up her chest proudly. Princess of the shiny, be she!

[Euphenia]

In the span of two seconds, Phen's face went from pink to almost red. Behold the power of a nyad's blush! If only she knew how to reverse the process just as fast. "Your face?" Phen asked more steadily than she'd thought possible. Goddess, she was trapped! Not only had he mentioned his face and not his teeth ... "Fangs count as teeth, right?" ... but he'd used the word "interesting". If she didn't respond, or tried to divert the conversation again, she might insult him.

Panic flashed across Phen's eyes. It had been her slip in the first place, right? She should just say something and get it over with. The problem was, Phen's experience with people in general was mostly learned from her history lessons rather than actual interaction. So part of one of her grandmother's songs popped into her head and out her mouth before Phen fully reallized she was talking again. "With rakish charm, he found her arm, and with a smile he led her. Away from home, far yet to roam, the rogue of Aldrameda."

With her cheeks still flaming, Phen fumbled to recover. She felt a little less awkward with Sanna sliding her coils comfortingly about her nyad's throat. She tried tossing her head back some and tilting it, imagining herself in her mother's place as Enyo stared someone down with the utmost of confidence and unbreakable calm. "You remind me of some of the men my gram told me about. Fair of face, gentle manners, and likely twice as dangerous as the brutes that lurk behind metal shields and spit atrocities."

Phen tried to curve her lips up in a cunning smile, but she only managed to look sweeter than before. At least her eyes held enough intelligence that she didn't fully resemble a child in a woman's body. "The affinity with animals is new," she admitted, toning down her expression to something more nuetral. Her blush wasn't going with the flow, though, and Phen fought the impulse to rub at her cheeks again. Oh please, let her not have blown it! "I volunteer on a pretty regular basis at an animal shelter, called Haven. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Txelu dropped his act after his teasing achieved the desired effect. A bone in his neck twitched as he tried his best to prevent himself from laughing. He succeeded for the most part and watched Euphenia with kind yet humored eyes as she struggled to provide an answer to his playful question. Breezes continued to sweep past regularly; he could almost smell her panic on the wind. Sophy apparently found it equally funny how apple-like the nymph's face had become, for she snickered in her own windfur way. Seriously, it took a cakewalk for that girl to blush!

Euphenia's reponse, however, admittedly caught Txelu off guard. What? She countered him with an excerpt from some story? It definitely possessed a folklore quality, although Txelu paid little attention to that right now. He stopped his efforts and shook with a few laughs. This nymph really was a strange girl. He might have voiced his thoughts, but he had made her squirm enough for now.

He stood patiently as she proceeded in an attempt to stare him down, although their heights made it so that it didn't work completely efficiently. Even so, Txelu admired the calm effect she put into her recovery. The gentle, soft-spoken nymph had transformed into a collected, almost shrewd woman as she gracefully accused him of being a "dangerous" type. Even so...

"Well then, thank you for your compliments," he replied easily, addressing the nicer adjectives she'd placed in her statement. "I'm glad you see me in a... a somewhat good light."

He dropped off a little toward the end and smiled at her a little unsurely, because he needed practice with a certain aspect of people, too.

"I volunteer on a pretty regular basis at an animal shelter, called Haven. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

When Euphenia asked that, Txelu looked at her in mild surprise and nodded affirmatively. Out of the conversations that drifted about on the streets and in Ella's store, he recalled having heard it mentioned several times. "I've never been there myself, actually."

[Euphenia]

Txelu may have been a hard read for some, but for Phen, in a moment it went from an uphill climb to a cakewalk. It was almost as if someone had whisked the cover off of a mirror, leaving Phen to stare at her own reflection. Oh sure, on the surface Txelu appeared reassured and steady as a rock, but the side of him shimmering in her mind's eye showed the vampire to be as insecure as Phen when it came to being around and interacting with others. Realizing that helped the nyad to better deal with her natural tendency to distance herself, though not to the point that she was ready to actually touch the man. "You're welcome," she murmured with a brief stretching out of her wings. Ask anyone who has them, wings need circulation, and giving them a quick stretch does much to relieve tension. "As for 'good', I can only hope that you're as 'good' of a person as I perceive you to be."

They had some common ground. She'd work with that. "When we're done here," Phen began in an attempt to be more lighthearted, "Would you like to go there together? Christie is always looking for more volunteers, but don't feel pressured to sign up."

It was right about then that Phen remembered that they were supposed to be cleaning up the quadrangle. With her blush renewing itself by a few degrees, both of her hands went to the broomstick and she gave the cobbles a few quick sweeps. Sanna took her nyad's new posture as a sign to sneak back into Phen's hair and curl up for what she felt was a well deserved rest.

"May I ask what brought you here to Xanth's Quadrangle?" Phen asked while diligently sweeping, "Other than the opportunity for a nap, of course."

That last wavering uncertainty in Txelu's smile confirmed what Phen had suspected earlier, or at least so she thought. It made joking with him all the more appealing. Kiel's teasing her always helped Phen to feel more comfortable, so maybe she could provide the same for Txelu?

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

"I hope so, too," Txelu said lightly, giving her a kind smile. He found her very likeable: friendly and sweet-hearted but with a commendable edge as well. Sophy the Princess of Shiny seemed to agree, for she nudged Txelu roughly with her head and gave an almost chortling purr as though saying, You didn't win this one, my dear.

Euphenia's offer to take him to the Haven came as both pleasant and unexpected, as visible by Txelu's brightened expression. "Sure, I would like that," he replied, and casually looked off to the side as he reflected upon his schedule. "I'm unfortunately busy often," he admitted, "but I will gladly make some time."

There was only one thing he felt both excited and dreadful about: there might be cats at the shelter. He didn't expand on the matter, for Euphenia suddenly began sweeping the cobblestone in obvious recollection of her cleaning duties. Txelu had realized all along of what they were neglecting, but he didn't mention it as it wasn't his purpose to clean the Quadrangle anyway, and it entertained him more to speak with Euphenia. Nonetheless, he took her precedent and returned to polishing Xanth's statue. He was of course a bit less enthralled about it than the nymph.

His movements wavered just a little when she asked her next question. Oops, how should he answer that?

"Actually..." Txelu began as a hundred different excuses surfaced in his mind. He hesitated for a moment, looked at Euphenia a little innocently, and then decided he might as well tell the truth. He returned to polishing and reassumed his calm demeanor. His next words came directly and formally as though he was making a report. "Please disregard this after I tell you, but I am deserting work today."

He touched a finger to his lips in a mischievous "shh" gesture.

[Euphenia]

"At what hour do you tend to be active most mornings?" Phen asked as she swished dirt, leaves, and other debris into a growing pile. She hadn't made as much headway as she'd hoped that morning, but there were days yet to come. Phen had made a promise to her Goddess, and she fully intended to keep it. Now, as for her questions directed to Txelu, the nyad decided to step outside of her usual restraint for a short while. It always seemed to keep Kiel entertained, and she really wouldn't be able to make arrangements with Txelu unless she knew more about his schedule, right? "I'm an early riser, so I'm usually the one opening up the shelter. Not every day, mind, but enough that it's become something of a habit."

"If getting up during the wee hours isn't your thing, I could always pick a day to switch my schedule around to guide a late sleeper such as yourself to Haven's door." Phen flashed a little grin over her shoulder after her playful nudge at Txelu's potential sleep schedule. She was feeling better already. The reminder of Xanth's statue looming over them brought out the lighter aspects of the nyad's personality. "I'll show you ... How would Christie put it? Ah, yes. I'll show you the ropes."

Then her efforts to keep moving were halted by Txelu's admittance to dodging work. Phen's sense of diligence was stung by that, and for a moment it showed. Then one of many treasured memories of sneaking out to have some alone time as a child tickled the nyad's brain, and she chuckled musically. "Christie would call that 'playing hooky', if I recall correctly." She shrugged, her wings mimicking the motion in their own way. "That is your business, Txelu, though I do find it ironic that you avoided one task only to find yourself ensnared by another."

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Txelu stepped around a little as he moved to polish other parts of the statue that needed his attention. "I wake up early most days," he answered in response to Euphenia's question. "My job requires me to do that, you see, when I'm not 'playing hooky'."

He vaguely realized that he had just inserted even more work into his schedule by agreeing to go to the shelter, but he could worry about that later if any conflicts occurred. Maybe he could mention his new obligation to Ella as a peace offering when he returned to her shop. He knew that the ayad loved animals like most nymphs, so perhaps she would forgive him just a little for being missing today... I'm getting a bit too wishful there, though, he acknowledged to himself with a mental sigh of submission. Sophy petted his hair in sympathy.

The vampire checked Euphenia's face to see if he had offended her with his confession, wondering in mild amusement whether he had just degraded his own image. Interestingly, it didn't seem so. "Thank you for understanding," he said, grinning at her acceptance of his misdemeanor. "Although I'll definitely be receiving retribution for my actions in the near future."

When Txelu said that, he was thinking about Ella. He had already predicted a few possible punishments the nymph would send tumbling his way. To say it arrogantly, they were nothing he couldn't handle, sore muscles and intense pain aside.

"Anyway, please don't feel compelled to adjust your schedule for me," he reassured Euphenia. "I just have to check with Ella to make sure the times are okay." To avoid a confused look in his direction, Txelu quickly explained with a smile, "She is my boss. Ella's Fabrics. Have you heard of it?"

[Euphenia]

"You're welcome, and of that I have no doubt," was Phen's reply as she got back to her sweeping with another chuckle.

Phen had learned years ago that to get caught when sneaking about never failed to equal trouble. Her grandparents were strict, something that Phen found herself grateful for later in life. How badly would she keep track of time if they hadn't drilled what little she managed into her?

"How would you prefer we get back in touch, once you've spoken with ... Ella's Fabrics?" she asked, once again stopping in the middle of her task. It was a wonder the quadrangle didn't sign in resentment of the Goddess's newest acolyte being so easily distracted. "Is that a place that sells cloth, silks, and such?"

Oh, how her face lit up at the mere suggestion! Phen adored the stalls that sold fabrics in the marketplace. She liked to run her hands over them to feel the difference in their textures, and comparing colors and patterns to see what would make the best combination never failed to thrill her. There was an entire building devoted to such wares?! With something like hunger gleaming in her eyes, Phen clasped the broom's handle to her chest and leaned forward as she breathed, "Would you take me there?"

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Earlier that morning, when he'd decided to skip work, Txelu had accepted the consequences the moment he laid down on the bench. Euphenia probably didn't know the horrors of the wrath of Ella, and he truthfully had no desire to inform her.

He stopped in the middle of his task as well in order to retrieve a COM device from his pocket. He walked over to Euphenia and held it up in his hand. "Do you have one of these?" he asked. "We can keep in touch with our phones."

When his mention of Ella's Fabrics caused the nyad's eyes to almost literally beam in joy, Txelu unwittingly leaned back an inch from her radiant eagerness, a surprised smile lighting his own features.

"Is that a place that sells cloth, silks, and such?"

"Well, I would suspect that based on the name," Txelu pointed out nicely. He shifted into marketer mode, averting his gaze because of how silly he was probably about to sound. " 'We sell not only Elysia's smoothest and most colorful handwoven cloths and silks, but also all kinds of ordinary objects made wonderful treasures by the hands of our talented staff. Ella's Fabrics maintains a warm, homely environment on 34 Windine Avenue and defines itself by honest dedication to quality and natural elegance in all our products.' "

After he finished the speech Ella had him memorize ages ago, Txelu took a deep breath and calmly received Euphenia's excitement about going to the store. "Sorry for making you listen to all that," he apologized with a light chuckle. "Yes, I'll be happy to take you there."

[Euphenia]

During Txelu's canned speech, Phen walked to where her satchel sat waiting. She removed her gloves and tossed them to the side of the bag, then flipped open the satchel's main pouch. Leaving her broom leaning against the same bench that her possessions were on, the nyad moved back to her previous position with her COM prominently held before her.

"Would my sending you a contact card be acceptable?" she inquired once Txelu seemed to be done talking, already touching her COM's screen to set it alight, "If so, may I have your COM number?"

Phen went blithely on with the conversation once she had the vampire's reply concerning the exchange of their COM information. "Does she have you say that to all prospective customers? It's quite a mouthful. Perhaps you could type it out onto a business card and hand those out instead? It's what the greeting girls of the Birdcage do. They also offer COM versions, as well. I could send you an example, if it would help?"

"Oh, but thank you for saying you'd take me," Phen added in a rush, "I really appreciate it. My map and I may be good friends, but sometimes we still don't communicate well."

"What a stroke of genius," she mentally mocked, "Now he'll think you're excitable and incompentant ."

"There's no rush." Phen yawed as she stepped closer to Xanth's statue, ending up with her left hand brushing one of its lower legs. "I still have quite a bit left to do here, anyway. Speaking of which, I think the area around the statue is looking far better. Thank you for your help."

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Txelu tapped open his COM address onto the screen and showed it to Euphenia. "Here you go, and yes, a contact card is fine." With a few more precise clicks, he added her number as well. Confirmed! the screen blinked merrily at him.

"Does she have you say that to all prospective customers? It's quite a mouthful."

In all honesty, Txelu had never found the marketing speech difficult to make at all, but it was a little annoying to do often. He did ignore Ella's procedure quite a lot, but Euphenia had seemed so interested in the shop. "Not to everyone," he explained, "but Ella thinks that it adds 'style'. She always prefers traditional methods over technology. That's why I'm the only one in the shop who uses the HoPC."

At the nymph's suggestion of a business card, Txelu almost nonchalantly retrieved a small stack of the said cards from the inside of his coat. "Oh, forgive me for not mentioning: I have fifty of them," he said politely, holding one of them out to her. It contained the name of Ella's store, a logo in the image of a stylized feather, the street address, and an Internet address. "I suppose you would like one? We also have a website that you can go to for the latest updates."

He accepted her offer of sending a COM version of the card. He knew that Ella would happily approve almost anything that attracted more customers.

After communications had been set, Txelu waved away Euphenia's thanks with a shake of his head. She would do well with a GPS, he thought, suppressing a grin when she implied that her map-reading skills were not up to par.

"Are you all right, Euphenia?" He took a step forward in concern when the nymph's movements began to waver. Returning his COM to his pocket, Txelu went back to polishing the statue. Almost done. "I'll keep working if you want to rest for a while."

[Euphenia]

Phen's cheeks flared up for what felt like the thousandth time that day when Txelu presented the stack of cards. "How silly of me. Of course you're prepared. I apologize for my presumption."

All she had left to do to make even more a fool of herself would be to trip over something and need help getting up. Phen fluttered her wings in annoyance at her behaviour. Why couldn't she relax?

The nyad took in a slow breath and let it out at the same pace. With a nod, she accepted the business card Txelu offered and tucked it under her dress's sash. "Thank you."

"Mm? Oh no, I'm fine," she replied when she realized her lack of coordination had been taken as a sign of weariness. Phen had been trying to avoid a semi-loose cobblestone that she'd been meaning to attend to all morning.

Since he'd drawn her attention to the stone, Phen shrugged her shoulders and then knelt to start working her seemingly delicate fingers under one of its edges. "This could cause a bad spill," she explained as she worked, grateful to have something she could do and feel confident about. At least she understand the laying of stone thanks to her grandfather. "It needs to be reset now that its surface is clean."

"We're just about done," she decided as the cobblestone finally let itself be pried up. "It's probably near lunch time now. Have you eaten yet?" Phen asked before her brain caught up to her.

"Real smooth," she thought with an internal grimace, "Are you going to volunteer to be the meal next?"

"I brought some sandwiches with me," she tried to continue as if she hadn't noticed that she'd said something potentially irksome, "My friend Kiel made them. They're always really good. It's nice to be spoiled sometimes."

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Assurred that Euphenia wouldn't be collapsing anytime soon, Txelu finished polishing the statue with speed and efficiency. After he finished, he set down the cloth near the pot of marble polish and lowered himself onto one of the benches without even surveying his work. If he had, however, he would have seen Xanth shimmering in all her glistening lavender glory as though her statue had been erected that very day.

Sophy could have sobbed at her master's indifference. She at least could appreciate the statue as though it were a sacred jewel. A sacred jewel that she wanted. She goggled at it with desire in her brilliant amethyst eyes, as though trying to pull the entire magnificence of the fifteen-feet-tall tower of stone into her hungry pupils. Txelu noticed and ruffled her fur, causing it to perform a beautifying effect of its own. "Control yourself, Sophy," he suggested wisely, being a master of self-control himself... at least most of the time.

It didn't work for Sophy. She flew off his shoulder and hugged the leg of the statue.

Txelu watched Euphenia as she proceeded to finish her work on the cobblestone. No visible reaction came from him when she mentioned food. "I haven't eaten yet," he answered to her inquiry. He continued thoughtfully, "I might like some food, but I am not thirsty."

At the mention of sandwiches, Sophy tore herself off the statue and landed on Txelu's head. Foodies? Foodies? her eyes asked as she stared at Euphenia. "Nice to be spoiled, hm?" he said with a laugh. "Sophy here is very spoiled... as you can see."

[Euphenia]

Phen got more dirt on her hands, though miraculously not on her dress, as she worked. Txelu's polishing and her digging were accompanied by her melodious humming.

Sanna had been dreaming about crickets, snails, and shadowkin tails when Phen's gentle music took the angel snake's consciousness down another path. She went from victoriously chasing a dark shape that looked suspiciously like Shane to drifting in a garden that sprawled around a larger than life fountain. The statue of Xanth was set at its top, and water gurgled from Her cupped palms. With a reptillian version of a "Whoopee!", Sanna's dream self literally flew straight for the mostly full basin of the fountain.

The angel snake's tail flopped to once again be over Phen's shoulder and twitched in response to its owner's dream. Phen absentmindedly petted her Sanna's feathery tail tuft before she began to move the cobblestone again. That time, the nyad listened for the telltale "click" that announced the stone settling into place before she let go and rubbed her hands together to free some of the dirt they'd accrued.

"Much better," she said in appraisal of her results, then sat back and gazed up at the magnifience of Xanth's statue. "Xanth be praised! You've done beautifully, Txelu! It looks as lovely as the day it was finished!"

"Or so I believe," Phen corrected herself with a chuckle, already getting to her feet, "The statue predates me by at least a few centuries. I can only imagine what those days were like."

Phen's exclaimation had been a rude awakening for Sanna. The angel snake was fully prepared to flit right out of her nyad's hair to find a quieter spot, until Phen reached into the winged reptile's sanctuary and lightly stroked Sanna under her chin. It looked almost instinctual by how quickly Phen did it, too, like she knew exactly where her pet's head would be.

"There, there, my Lily," Phen crooned in Sylvan, "I'm sorry I spoke with such volume. Rest now. Rest."

Sanna slowly sagged, then tucked in her tail to curl up into a little ball of snoozing angel snake.

"I need to find a way to desensitive her to noise," Phen sighed as soon as she was certain Sanna had gone back to sleep, "Just enough that she won't react quite so frantically."

"You make it hard not to laugh at your antics, Sophy," she informed the windfur as Sophy returned to be atop Txelu's head. "Yes, I can see that," she agreed with Txelu's assessment of Sophy being spoiled, though the sparkle in her eyes didn't seem to be one of disapproval, "Sanna is probably just as pampered."

"Is there a place that you prefer to take meals at?" Phen asked mostly out of curiosity. Normally she didn't like to ask questions of those she barely knew, but Txelu seemed nice enough. She'd heard of vampire themed drinks being serviced at miscellaneous businesses, but she'd not yet been able to point out items on any menu that were definitely of that nature other than the Twin Cat Cafe's.

"You look like you would appreciate a bite of one of my sandwiches," she confided in Sophy, "I have roast beef and phikeia on wheat today. I also have some baby carrots and chiolen tea, though you probably wouldn't be interested in my tea, would you?"

Phen crossed over to open up her satchel, touching it as little as possible, and snagged a handkerchief. Then she turned around, briefly putting her back to Txelu and Sophy, and Called out her element from within her pendent to rise and wet down the material in her grip. The nyad Shaped the water back into its bottle before she turned back around and started rubbing the muck from her hands. The soap she'd let soak and dry into the handkerchief early that morning frothed and smelled of lavendar.

"Would you be so kind as to put the cloth and polish you used into that side pouch there?" Phen indicated which she meant with a nod of her head toward her satchel. Still, just in case, she continued, "Second pocket to your right."

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Sophy nodded in approval at Euphenia's praise of the statue. Txelu did spare a look up for good measure and was temporarily blinded by both Xanth and the bright noon sun that had peeked out from behind the clouds. "Oh thanks," he said simply, blinking, and added, "It's very shiny."

Then Sanna caught his attention, for the angel snake had once again been startled by the sound of someone talking. "You'll have to teach her to get accustomed to noise," he sympathized. "Or let her sleep somewhere more sound-proof, although I'm guessing she prefers your hair? Sophy is the same, actually."

As though in agreement, Sophy blew on his fringes, causing strands to fall over his eyes. Txelu good-humoredly brushed them aside and answered Euphenia's next question. "Ella's shop has a restaurant nearby called the Paradise Cafe. They serve very nice foods." He didn't mention that they also had an exclusive lounge with certain dark dishes on a private menu. "What about you?"

All this talk of food, meanwhile, had made Sophy increasingly hungry. The windfur flew off her master's head, leaving behind a mess of windfur-blown hair that he had to straighten out. She couldn't reply to the nymph's questions, but Phen seemed to be a good person (she had allowed her to keep the ribbon), and Sophy trusted that she would provide delicious foodies.

While Phen and Sophy occupied themselves, Txelu placed the cloth and polish back into the proper pocket of the satchel. He stood and looked across the street into the city as he waited for Euphenia to finish cleaning her hands. Should he stay and possibly have lunch with them? He had been in the Quandrangle all morning... maybe it would do to check on poor Ella just once to make sure that she hadn't blown up the shop or anything to that effect. Then his eyes caught the sight of Euphenia and he suddenly realized that she looked so much more radiant than a moment ago.

"Do you have any plans this afternoon?" he asked conversationally.

[Euphenia]

"Sanna does prefer my hair," Phen agreed as she persisted in washing up, "I'll try to think of something."

After answering him, Phen performed an about-face with an apologetic smile as Txelu's only warning. She didn't want him to see her Calling her element again so she could rinse off her handkerchief and then her hands. Hiding such things whenever she could was an old habit that Phen wasn't sure she wanted to break.

With the water back in her pendant and the lavendar scented soap wrung out of the cloth, Phen pivoted back around in time to catch Txelu's response to her question about where he liked to eat. "There are a few places I like to go," she acknowledged, "The most prominent being the Birdcage. Since I'm an employee, I get a nice discount. They have a lot of variety because of their customer base. I've danced there for months, and I still haven't tried everything!"

Phen considered going on about how the Birdcage had a section of their menu devoted entirely to more macabre dishes intended for their vampiric clientele, but decided against it.

"There's also Le Bon Café, the Twin Cat Café, and an all-purpose shop that I frequent, Mimi's Meats and Miscellaneous Merchandise. Most just call it Mimi's."

By the time she'd finished regaling Txelu with her list, Phen had her damp hanky tucked into a pocket of her satchel and was fetching her lunchbox. "Here, Sophy," she cooed as she opened up the metal lid and then unwrapped a pile of tiny carrots. Phen scooped up one of the orange sticks and waggled it at the windfur. "Would you like a carrot?"

"Just to stop by Haven and see how things are going today," Phen answered truthfully, looking up from the organizing of her lunch with an innocent smile. Her blush was back, though that time it was little more than a faint pink flush across her cheekbones that made her look more pleased than embarassed. "You're welcome to come with me, Txelu."

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

Since Euphenia didn't seem to want him looking at her while she Called her element, Txelu had initially politely turned away. A few seconds later he unabashedly glanced back around to watch her manipulate the water, albeit not in any overly curious manner. He had lived in Elysia long enough to be used to such specialties, although he still didn't meet nyads often in New Alexandria. Ella, he thought, made up for more than enough nymphs in his life. So no loss.

Txelu also realized that this was the second time Euphenia had mentioned the Birdcage. He recalled seeing advertisements for the theatre before and therefore did not need to ask. It sounded like a place Adelie would be interested in, at least, and a place of possible leisure for him.

"Le Bon and Twin Cat are excellent," he remarked, noting the cafes that Phen listed. He thought about the sushi Le Bon frequently imported; it was a great thing that a vampire could digest more than just blood.

Euphenia's offer of a carrot to Sophy was well-received by the ravenous windfur. The furry animal took the orange goody from Phen with glee and tucked it under one paw. She held out the other one expectantly as a person might when requesting money. Her amethyst eyes blinked up innocently at the nyad in a demand for more! more!

Txelu subsequently sat down on the bench, crossing his legs and all the while keeping an eye on his pet. Greedy as usual, he noticed with a smile. He withheld any effort to scold her, however, since in honesty he didn't really care if Sophy stole none or all of Euphenia's carrots. She seemed very pleased to feed the windfur anyhow.

When the nyad welcomed him to come with her to the Haven, Txelu returned her smile with a nod. "If it's convenient, I would like that," he agreed pleasantly. "Where is it, exactly?"

[Euphenia]

"Le Bon's fish is especially nice," Phen approved, "And I didn't like coffee until I had the Twin Cat Café's white mocha expresso." She sighed with obvious longing at the mention of the drink.

Giggling at Sophy's posture, Phen gladly gave the windfur another carrot. "No empty paws for you," she promised before the nyad popped one of the peeled veggies into her own mouth and chewed.

Phen was sure to swallow before she answered Txelu's question. "On the corner of Rhyme and Reason. It's the old blue building with the tall fence and the dogwalk out back."

She crunched her way through some more carrots before Phen let her grin overtake her mouth. "I'm glad you'll come along, Txelu. Haven's a great place, and I think you'll like it there."

"Are you sure you don't want a sandwich?" she asked, unwrapping one of two packages that were much the same.

Phen had always wondered whether vampires could take sustenance from something other then blood. The stories she'd heard were too conflicting for her to decide, so she offered Txelu a sandwich in the hopes he'd solve the mystery in one fell bite.

Piper's Boutique # Raine # Celestial Star # DaFont # Angel

[Txelu]

"I never did like coffee myself," Txelu mused, having always shied away from the drink in preference for tea or soda... and occasionally wine.

He opened his arms after Sophy had obtained her carrots so she could come back to him. The windfur spread her ears for flight and loyally returned to her master, munching on the little carrots happily. She bit into them quickly but in tiny chunks, obviously savoring the flavor. If a windfur could seem rabbit-like, this was the time.

When Euphenia offered him a sandwich, Txelu smiled and gratefully accepted the food item from her. "If you don't mind, thank you," he said. "I will try your friend Kiel's praiseworthy sandwich, then."

He broke off a sizeable chunk and deposited it in Sophy's constantly-needy paws before taking a bite of his own. Fangs made for piercing flesh broke into soft gentle bread instead and whatever fillings Kiel had placed into the sandwhich tasted delicious in their blended assortment. "It's very good!" Txelu said to Phen once his mouth was clear. "You must thank your Kiel for me."

He looked down at the top of Sophy's creamy head. She had finished the carrots and was swallowing the sandwich now. "What do you think, Sophy?"

Sophy glanced up from Txelu to Euphenia with what could have been tears of ultimate joy in her eyes. She had been petted, loved, fed, and given to this morning. What more could her little soul want? Txelu laughed at her reaction. "Yes, I think she agrees."

After they finished lunch, he offered to help the nyad clean up and then prepared to leave. Sophy took her rightful spot on his shoulder again, prepared for a good walk in which she would not have to do any walking.

Txelu returned to the earlier information Euphenia had given on the Haven's location. "Rhyme and Reason, hm?" he said, bringing forth a mental image of New Alexandria's layout. "I believe I know where that is." So he walked along with Euphenia as they left the Quandrangle, with blue buildings and cats on his mind.


(( Feel free to make the new topic, Phen, if it's fine ending it here And you can still reply to this post of course! ))