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Yoddi

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The sun was already high in the sky by the time Ruth Straw woke up. She checked her watch - 10:30. Well, that was fine; it was a Saturday, after all. With a yawn and some creaking of joints, she hauled herself out of bed. I'm getting old, she thought, with a touch of sadness as she shuffled into the hall. Tim and Haley would be impatient for breakfast, probably squabbling over some imagined disagreement while they waited. It'd be chocolate chip pancakes for the two of them, and high-fiber bran cereal that tasted of cardboard for her and Fred. Ah, to be young again.

She was surprised to see only Tim sitting at the high wooden table in the breakfast nook, playing with a plastic stegosaurus. Well, Haley would show up quickly enough at the promise of food. She was going through another growth spurt, and Ruth wouldn't have been surprised if she ate them out of house and home. She started getting out ingredients, lining them up neatly along the countertop, next to a big yellow mixing bowl. Batter mix, eggs, milk, and the all-important chocolate chips... She couldn't help but smile at the look of anticipation on Timothy's young face. The children loved to watch her cook.

"Haley, I'm making pancakes!" she called absently, pouring the milk into the bowl and stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon in one hand, as the other placed a pan on the counter. It was at this point that one might notice there was no stove in the kitchen, but Ruth didn't appear bothered. "Haley," she called again, louder, but there was still no response. Ruth waited for a moment, listening intently as she completed the pancake batter. "Tim, honey, have you seen your sister?" she asked, and the little boy shook his head. Could she still be asleep? she wondered.

She poured a good amount of batter into the pan, which she held balanced on her hand like a plate. It only took a moment for the pancake batter to start to bubble, and then cook to a rich golden color, with dark blotches of chocolate. With a flip of the wrist she slid the pancake onto the plate in front of Tim, handing him a fork with a smile, before walking towards the children's rooms. The far door, Heley's door, was painted white with big yellow flowers, at Haley's insistence. Ruth knocked politely before opening the door. "Haley? Sweetie are you awake -" she stopped. The room was empty.

Afterwards, Ruth would say that had been the moment she'd known. She couldn't have, really. Haley might have been just playing outside, or in the bathroom, or maybe hiding as a joke. But that was the moment she felt a tiny chill in her heart, the sense that something might be terribly wrong.

They didn't find Haley.
 
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Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: None, Yet
Mentioned: Haley Straw, Ruth Straw, Tim Straw

​
Alexei Irwin 'Danny' Daniels
The light filtering into the bakery made the area rather serene. Well, it would be, if it weren't for recent- really recent -events. However, there was still a cheery air to the place somehow, replacing what would have been 'serene', as the man behind the counter who was rolling out some dough was humming a tune similar to that of a musical.

His name was Danny. Well, it wasn't actually Danny; that was simply a nickname he had taken on instead of his real name. He was the owner of the small bakery, in all of it's cutesy pastel-themed glory. It was, of course, closed right now. Not that it was particularly late in the day, but after what had happened, the town was shaken. He was too, don't get him wrong- he was pretty sure his hands were shaking as he rolled the rolling pin -but for the sake of his sanity and getting his work done, he played it off. For now. It was likely that he'd be freaking out fully later.

Even though the bakery itself was closed, the doors were still unlocked, and visibly so. He wasn't about to keep anyone out of the building. He certainly wouldn't mind company, and he wouldn't turn away anyone that wanted to talk. He wasn't particularly sure if anyone would even want to talk to him, as he was really just a baker, but it didn't hurt to be prepared for it.

He certainly couldn't help being prepared for it, either. He wanted to help the Straw family as much as he could, the poor people. He just didn't know how. Talking was the only thing he could do kind of well, other than baking, which was currently already in action as a way to get rid of some of the stress.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he suddenly, somehow, managed to roll the pin over his own fingers. His hands shot back with an "Ouch!", spraying flour over his apron and the floor while the pin clattered to the floor. Oh, well, he'd clean that up later. The dough was spread out enough right now anyway. He bent down, picking up the object and placing it next to the sink, before shaking his hands a bit to get off excess flour and moving to take out the cookie cutters.

Today was going to be a long day.
 
Thaddeus "Taxi" Jones
feytaxi_by_yo_dra-daifnkz.png

​
The bell over the door jingled merrily as he stepped inside.
"Danny? Dude, are you in there?" he asked.
"Did you hear? About the kid? Man, that's frickin' scary, I tell you what." He doesn't look particularly scared, but then again he doesn't look as absurdly calm as usual. He's eyeing the pastry section, though, so he can't be too upset. "Don't worry, though, I'm here to protect you. Creatures of the night, I will teach you to fear the name of Taxi Jones!" He grins, and adds: "For the low, low price of a single donught with sprinkles." Then his grin drops. "It'll turn out aright, right? I mean, there's no way there's a creeper in Paxton. Right?"
 
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"..." There was that long pause again as he held a drama filled book to his face. It'd been a few days since he last came to school. A sick day here and there, allowing him time to properly shed his scales. His eyes gazed upon an empty classroom, rows of seats reaching further and further upwards, where in the back he often caught sight of kids gossiping or even kissing. "How long ago did school end?" he stood behind his desk, a shimmering name plate labeled Professor Sasori rested beside graded papers and fresh inked pens. With a stiff suit and tie on his upper half, his nude lower half allowed him to lean over towards the door, giving him further reach than any two legged creature.

"The sun is still out... class must not have even started yet." though no one could tell by his face, his sigh was that of sweet relief, perhaps if he tried hard enough maybe even a smile would have come through. "At least the principal won't scold me again." still, checking the clock on the wall he saw a few hours before English would begin. "I'm very early. Again." his rush to throw fluffy flakes at his pet turtle and the panicked gum bleeding teeth brushing fiasco of this morning seemed more ridiculous than he thought.

His elbow rested on his desk, propping up his head as fingers tapped impatiently to the beat of his own heart. "I knew I should have gotten a watch."

A bell rang, the bell for first period, but without any first period attendees the forgetful professor could only sigh and curl back to his desk with his book. A few pages of romantic affairs, betrayal between brothers, and claims of evil twins later he quickly came to attention and looked about the room.

"Did class start yet?"
 
Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: Thaddeus "Taxi" Jones
Mentioned: The Straw Family
​
Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Danny jumped a little at the sound of the bell, before turning towards to new arrival, a bit of flour creating a small cloud-like look around him as he placed his hands on his hips. Ah, that was rather embaressing. He'd have to get washed right after this, he supposed. And to wash the floor. And the counter. Practically everything, now that he thought about it. Flour was about everywhere from the previous incident.

He was a bit relieved to see it was only taxi, though, and sighed- though the sigh was a mixture of relief AND disbelief. He walked up to the counter, leaning on the glass surface casually as he looked the other over. Well, at least he was doing well. There was that.

"Mm, my knight in shining armor." He mumbled at first, before flicking a bit of flour at Taxi "Be more considerate! This is actually pretty terrifying, thank you. Plus, the poor family! And even if you make the 'creatures of the night fear you', I'm not sure if I should give you a doughnut considering the bakery is closed."

Even so, he reached into where the pastries were stored a moment later, and pulled one of pastries out for the other, placing it down. He wouldn't miss one of those, anyway. He could make more, and since the day was a bit awful and everyone was shaken, it wouldn't hurt.​
 
"Er, yes?" answers an indistinct voice from the sea of faces staring back at Sasori. There's a ripple of laughter from the other students. By this point they were well used to the English professor's habits, and a couple of them were making use of the time to finish up homework for other classes. Irena Stattow, in the front row, stuck out like a sore thumb with her ruler-straight posture and piercing gaze, waiting patiently for the lesson to begin. Did that girl ever relax?
 
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Taxi seemed to shrink in on himself a bit, his ears lowering.
"I guess you're right, man. Just, like, really? In the Middle of Nowhere, Temdeil? It seems like it can't be real." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, as always a disorderly mess. Danny could tell he wasn't bothering to charm him with his magic. It's been years since he did that to Danny, back in Junior High. Just now, the lack of it made him seem oddly vulnerable.
"Thanks for the pastry, though," he added, as if he hadn't just shown that chink in his armor. "Hey, you should see about offering some bread or something to the Straws. My Mom's making them a casserole, I guess so they don't have to cook? I don't know. But it's something people do when bad stuff happens, I've seen it on TV." He bit into the pastry with relish, eating the whole thing rather faster than he probably should have, and licked filling off his fingers.
 
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Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: Thaddeus "Taxi" Jones
Mentioned: The Straw Family​

Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Ah, Taxi. In the midst of everything, Danny had somewhat forgotten how fast he could devour pastries. And now he remembered why he didn't let the other into his stock: He didn't want it all to mysteriously disappear. The thought cheered him up a little, but he was quickly brought down by the mention of the Straw family.

He sighed once more, dusting his hands off with a towel "I actually just was. Cookies. I figured something sweet might be nice..." He mumbled, a little awkwardly, using a now-clean hand to rub the back of his head "Not that I can guarantee they'll like it, it's just the only thing I can do. Much less impressive than a casserole."

He turned, going back over to his work space and beginning to cut out cookies. It was in a much more haphazard way than usual, even he knew that himself, but he figured it was better than nothing. He just couldn't focus right now. He was sure it'd be like this for days.

God, he probably wouldn't be able to even sleep like this. He chewed on his lower lip a little, feeling the panicking settling in. He had expected that to happen- for the surreal feeling to go away and to face the fact that a child got abducted. This was terrifying. He wasn't used to being terrified.
 
"Ah, welcome to English 111." Sasori gave a cold stare back at their laughter, fingers caressing the hard bind of his book. His eyes shift from one student to the next, his lesson was beginning and time was of the essence. "Please, pull out your text books and turn to page sixty-nine--do not get me started!" the inhale preparing an immature laugh was cut off mid breath. Sasori quickly slurped his tongue back into his mouth, "And please prepare for your tests to be passed back. We will be going over the questions before the class bell rings."

"Will we?" he heard some of the students muse. Scolding them was pointless, as rage was one of his more dormant properties instilled in every Naga. It only caused his head to sweat and body to coil.

"If you would like, we could discuss mid term. I still haven't gotten around to preparing a study sheet, I suppose I'm too forgetful." threats of ruining a child's future always came through. However, he was certain many caught his bluff, preparing cheat sheets and study guides took up more of his time than anything else.

Sasori's body shifted, eyeing the crowd of students, swaying slightly as he sized up the room. "Who will be my victim today...? Ms. Stattow. Please, pass the papers on my desk to the first row so they can pass them back."

Though he'd never admit it, his scales still felt sensitive from shedding the few days prior. Any excuse to stay still was welcome. Take a few more days off, the principal said... Ha... but who else would tolerate my students?
 
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"Nah, man. I know if anything bad happened to me I'd want a batch of your cookies more than anything else! They're food for the soul." Taxi paused, taking a closer look at Danny's face. "Are you alright? You seem a little shaky there, buddy." He reached out a hand, then stopped. "You, uh, y'know I've got your back, right?" he asked awkwardly, crossing his arms with an uncomfortable expression on his face.
"Here, let me help with those cookies." He jumped over the counter with practiced ease, and, nudging Danny out of the way, began cutting smoothly into the sweet dough. His hands were large and covered in calluses from his guitar practice, the slight unnatural grayness of his skin looking odd against the teal counter, but he was quick enough with finishing the cutting.
"What next?" he asked, looking up. "Are they ready to bake, or is there other baker-ly stuff to do to them?"
 
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There was a rustling of paper as textbooks were opened to the correct page. Irena stood primly, and retrieved the stack of papers from the desk, before returning to her seat and passing them along, with an expression that betrayed neither satisfaction nor dismay at having been called on.
All was going as it should be, until the PA system crackled to life. "Attention students," rasped the ancient speakers, "We regret to inform you that Police Office of Paxton has decided to shut down the University in connection with an ongoing investigation. As such, all classes are dismissed, and students should return to their dorms or homes. Faculty, we will ask you to join us in the Teacher's Lounge for an emergency staff meeting."

The speaker shut of with a small click, followed by a moment of silence. It wasn't long before the whispers started, a sussurus of speculation, worry, and excitement. Some students looked to the professor for guidance, others began packing their things.
 
Sasori lifted his head to listen, feeling his tongue flick along his lips. A police investigation? In this town? Along with the murmurs of his students, even an often impartial professor quietly speculated to himself. Drugs? A town like this, some punks could be here looking for new turf. Maybe a thief? Not uncommon. But steal what? Perhaps--he ceased his thoughts at the sight of his students.

"I expect you all to go over tonight's homework, read chapters six though seven."

"That was last week, Professor."

"Don't tell him!" a quiet laugh came from the students, it was all he could ask for. I won't have a hand in causing a panic in this town by showing fear in front of my students. Everything must remain calm as to not cause mass hysteria. The darkness in his eyes followed each student as they began to pack up and walk out of his class.

"Behave yourselves! Or else I'll assign another essay on family values." Sasori threatened, taking hold of his book and skimming the pages. I won't rush out of here just yet. I must remain calm... I can almost hear my father now, demanding answers, swearing up a storm... Pathetic. Perhaps the scowl on his face helped encourage the students to flee in a more orderly and quiet fashion.
 
Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: Thaddeus "Taxi" Jones @Yoddi
Mentioned: N/A​

Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
"I'm....just freaking out, that's all." Danny replied to the second comment, twisting his hands a bit "Thinking about how little sleep I'll be getting the next few nights. I know you have my back." He himself paused for a moment, before shrugging "I-It'll probably blow over soon."

He looked back quick enough to see Taxi hop over the counter, and briefly thought about how normal the action was at this point. Danny didnt even bother scolding him for it anymore. He allowed himself to be moved out of the way, watching as his friend cut the cookies.

Ah, he was supposed to be making those, even if he was freaking out. It was his gift, right? Taxi shouldn't have to do this. And yet, here he was, helping. Danny couldn't help but feel a little bad about that.

He just stood there, staring down at the cookies for a minute, before his head snapped back to look at Taxi in a surprised manner. "What?" He felt himself getting embarrassed, his cheeks heating up and everything "...Sorry. I zoned out a bit. Um, these ones just need to go in the oven for a little bit. And after that they get jam and stuff, but I think I can do that." Then, after a beat, he said "....Thanks. For the help."
 
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Sasori watched the students file out of the room, still murmuring among themselves, but with noticeably less tension than they'd had a moment before. It was only a minute or two before the classroom was again silent, the chairs in disarray, carelessly pushed aside by the students. On one desk there was still a sheet of lined paper, abandoned - on it was a crudely scrawled cartoon of the professor, curled up behind his desk with a book and a frown. The caption read "Arrives at work early, starts class late," with a little smiley face. In the hall, the sound of closing doors echoed, along with the occasional word, as teachers began to make their way to the Lounge.
 
"No problem, man, anytime," Taxi replied easily. "Try to stay calm, okay? Here, let's get these in the oven." He started looking about for a cookie sheet. "You should stay with your parents tonight, if you're gonna be freaked. I don't want to hear you were hiding in your closet from imaginary kidnappers. I still remember the time after we watched that one movie, remember?" Even without his charm magic, his voice was naturally soothing as he rambled about the various times Danny'd been scared. The time passed quickly, and it seemed like hardly been five minutes had passed when the oven timer started beeping shrilly.
"Well, I'd better go, Mom wants me to deliver that casserole. I'll see you later, okay?" He gave Danny a good-natured slap on the back, and sauntered out the door.
 
Sasori sighed to ease his tension. It's nothing. Of course, it's nothing, just my imagination getting the better of me. He blamed his Naga blood, already boiling at the mere thought of some careless punk causing trouble in his new habitat. Sure, he was no alpha male, not even a figure of authority outside of his classroom, but the thought was enough to make his tail rattle.

"I'll be fine. I should catch up with the other teachers, grown ups gossip even worse than kids do." with a slight adjustment of his crimson tie, Sasori took his satchel of graded papers and practice tests over his shoulder and began to slither his way out of the room. His tongue flicked, smelling an increase of perspiration in the hallway. I know I'm not the only one a bit on edge. Perhaps this has happened before I moved here--but I doubt it.

Teachers and students alike filed together and began to leave, he noticed a few faculty members already questioning the decision to evacuate the school.

"Perhaps someone is sought after by the FBI."

"Don't be so dramatic. It's probably just another drill of some sort."

"You don't think it has anything to do with--"

"Absolutely not. No one is starting a weapon black market. Don't be ridiculous. The FBI sounds more believable than that."

Ugh, nothing helpful. His shy nature prevented him from enquiring further, continuing to slink passed without so much as a "hello." I'll just head home I suppose, perhaps it really is nothing.
 
The walls of the hallway were plastered in motivational posters and student projects, a kaleidoscope of school spirit above the floor of dirty white tile. Behind Sasori lay a string of classroom doors, and in front of him was the stairwell leading to the lobby, which in turn connected to the Teacher's Lounge, or the exit.
 
Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery, Then Street
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: N/A
Mentioned: N/A​

Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
"....Right. Bye." Danny said rather awkwardly, though it was a few moments after the man left. He then sighed, sounding rather defeated, and worked on getting the cookies done and ready. Which, of course, took a bit. But after, he had to say, they looked rather nice.

All he had to do at that point was wait for them to cool, decorate, and go deliver. But he didn't have anything to do til that point, and the bakery was too quiet for his tastes. Maybe he should take a walk. That might help him clear his head, which was currently cluttered with various thoughts on the situation.

It didn't take him long to go out the door, lock it, and begin his way down the sidewalk. Maybe he'd run into someone he could talk to. That'd be nice. Well, he assumed it would be; he wasn't TOO sure how he would be talking to other people, but he figured it'd be better than being alone.
 
"Mm." Sasori let out a soft comfort noise as the sun outside f the school basked his skin and she'd away his worries. "Feels so nice." thought it was tempting, traveling without his suit on would be rather inappropriate on school ground. Just convincing concerned parents that he could not wear pants was more than enough of a headache.

He'd gotten used to the stares, but it didn't mean they came off any less awkward. Mermaid Syndrome is always the worst this time of year. Mermaid Syndrome he called it: developing a crush for or an infatuation with a creature he was "human" in all of the wrong places. Sasori had adapted to politely rejecting childish love letters and daring students asking him to prom every year--didn't make the parents any less concerned however.

Maybe I should take a breather, it's rare I have time to enjoy natural sunlight outside of holidays. Sasori dared to smile a little in the privacy of his slithering along the sidewalk. Even the most brutish of Naga enjoyed a sunbath to calm the nerves.

"Mm... mm?" his tongue flicked the air, slapping his upper lip as it often did when catching a particularly good whiff in the air. "I must be hungry..." a brief pause in his heart concerned him. The growing desire, the hunger, could it be this time someone was irresistible to a dieting Naga?

"... oh." he sighed in relief, seeing a figure leaving the bakery. A sweet scent of sugars and dough followed the figure and traveled along the breeze. "Yes, that must be it."
 
Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Location: Bakery, Then Street
Status: Doing Well
Emotional Status: Shaken (Not Stirred ;'^) )
Interacting With: N/A
Mentioned: Sasori @Luna_Gillian​

Alexei 'Danny' Daniels
Being outside was definitely helpful. He breathed in the fresh air with a smile, enjoying something not contaminated with a floury mess. The sunlight being directly on him was also enjoyable. He rolled his shoulders a bit, but didn't bother to take off his apron; he'd be going back soon anyway.

He was about to continue, but he felt someone looking at him. It wasn't a particularly uneasy feeling, but after what had happened so recently, he wasn't about to NOT be cautious. So, he turned to look around, and soon spotted someone also walking along the sidewalk nearby. Ah, alright. Not a murderer. That was good.

He was pretty sure that was the English teacher from the College. He'd seen him around before- he found the guy to be quite frightening looking, to be honest -but he hadn't really ever talked to him. Ever. A bit embarrassing, considering how small the town was.

He raised a hand, deciding to wave a bit. It couldn't hurt to be friendly, and it wasn't like just waving would disrupt anything he was doing. Even if it did bring along conversation, Danny was only going to put on his headphones before, a conversation wouldn't bother him that much.
 
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