IC Turner City

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ELODIE
It wasn't as though they weren't used to sharp teeth. Their mother had always gotten on her back about her bad habit of not watching her fangs, always nicking up her lips as a child. She had only slightly outgrown the habit, but it still followed her in her adult life, even after her teething phase had long left her. Between Elodie, Estelle and all the other vampir that frequented the shop, The Witching Flour saw more than a few sharp teeth every day. But still, going from complete, terrifying, mind-numbing silence, to one of the heartiest, sound-barrier-smashing laughs they'd ever heard, with gnashing teeth nearby to boot, well...

It was a hard adjustment to make. She worried her lower lip between her teeth, feeling her fangs threatening to descend once more as she was awkwardly shook about by a single hand dwarfing her entire shoulder. He was strong. They could feel just his mirthful blathering threatening to toss her body against the counter if they didn't brace for it.

Elodie's eyes met the merfolk's again as the hoodie was lowered, his approval bright on his face. They weren't even sure what he was saying at this point, something about rapids and rocks, but... It was sort of nice, being so enthusiastically praised like this. The shorter vampir took his hand, even though it disappeared quite easily within, shivering slightly. Cold and clammy.

"... Okay." she said softly but pointedly, "... You forgot to say your name."
「 @TerraBooma 」
code by wren.
 
Ok, so Daniel might have gotten ahead of himself. And by ahead of himself, he of course meant behind the plot. He had been so caught up in Elodie's burst of spirit that he had completely forgotten to share his own name. There was something really cute about the way that she pointed it out too- there was a little puff in her cheeks, was she even aware that she was doing it? Maybe he was just seeing things. Regardless, he thought that it was both a very funny thing having done it, and a little embarrassing.

"Woah-hoah-hoah! Shit. You're right. Totally right. That's entirely my bad there Elle." He waved a single hand, expressing his dearest apologies with a stoic nodding of his head. For a few moments, it looked like he would forget a whole second time to introduce himself before he opened his eyes and slapped his cheeks. "C'mon! Don't slip up eh boss?" It was directed at himself- something of a self depreciating joke. "My bad. Name's Danny. Well it's technically Daniel. Daniel Rivergash, but most folks just call me Danny if we're friends. Or whatever else they wanna call me really. Big D. D-Man. D-money. I've heard most of them. Though Danny seems to be the only one that really sticks regularly..." He scratched his chin, as if pondering why this could possibly be the only iteration of his nom du jour to take off. "The people who like me give me lots of other names too, but they're not as fun to say in polite company. Starts at thug and ends at no-good-fish-bait-bastard. Not as much a fan of that one if I'm being totally honest." He growled that out in an almost pouty way, but there was something about his frame that made it more imposing than a simple upturned lip.

"Anyway. I'd say put 'er there. But you already did put 'er there. So to be totally honest, I'm not sure what to do at this point. Believe it or not, you're actually the first person I've ever revealed my secret identity too. Swimming around some turbulant waters there, but you seem like a trustworthy type y'know?" He went to slam them in the shoulder with his fist, but for once in his life thought twice about it instead standing to his full height once more.

"Now, your food is delicious- seriously good. I'm definitely gunna come back for more eh? But my rib's still aching like someone ran an icebreaker into it, so I'm figuring I should probably get home before it gets so bad that I can't walk. Be bad if I end up getting jumped in the streets because I'm too dizzy from the pain to defend myself again." He sighed in reluctant memory before pulling out a beat to shit flip-phone. It looked like it was getting held together with duck-tape and dreams...and he was running out of dreams. "Can I grab your number? I wanna come by sometime you're working- you make great stuff, so I bet it'll be double tasty next time." He wasn't remotely phased about asking her for her phone number. He had not only revealed his secret identity to her but she had gone and fed him. As far as he was concerned? That made them fast friends- even if she was a vampire. Something about her...lacked a lot of bite that other fangs had spit in his direction. They were just nice to be around, and he liked watching them light up. Maybe that was worth coming back for besides the food?
 
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ELODIE
Elle. Like dry skin catching on fabric, a minor discomfort, Elodie watched Daniel use her sister's nickname on her instead. It had always been Elle and Odie, though she'd never liked her own nickname, only finding less irritation in it when it was her sister saying it. The sound of it had always felt off, like they were referring to someone other than them.
They wondered if Daniel could see it on their face, that every word he said was the equivalent of adding another layer to a puzzle that was confounding them, the mental gymnastics spinning their brain into a tangled mess.

She didn't like his nicknames either. The thought of calling anyone Big D sounded horrific and the other ones were not very positive either, in her opinion. "... I'll call you Daniel." she told him, though the tone of it almost seemed like a question. It felt a touch rude to be saying so when he said that those who were friendly with him called him Danny, but she was not quite sure where the two of them stood. How could they consider him a friend when they'd met no longer than an hour ago? She didn't understand herself, much less him.

It was surprising to hear that she was the first to learn about his identity. Surely, that was a joke? Again, they'd just met? It was strange how his face, somewhat alien to her, could become so boyish and gleeful, words flying out his mouth at high speed. He certainly liked to talk.

"Thanks." they finally said, cheeks warm as they stood, unmoving for a moment, before realizing that when someone asked for your number, you had to physically give it to them instead of just staring. Fumbling with the numbers, they enunciated each sound a half-second too long, thumb running circles along their palm repeatedly. "You're, um... Welcome anytime. Stay safe out there. Maybe you can meet Estelle next time."

She watched him leave.
「 @TerraBooma 」
code by wren.
 
TIME STAMP: FIVE DAYS LATER


FORECAST​

DATE: November 5th, 2035. Friday.

TIME: Up to the players for their scenes.

WEATHER: 50.2°F (10.1°C). Chilly but sunny.

CITY ACTIVITY​

A bit chilly, but the skies are clear and the sunlight is warm. Some take advantage while others stay inside.


 
It had been a few days, and to Daniel's credit he hadn't become more grievously injured while patrolling! Weren't you supposed to...not go patrolling when you were injured? Possibly. But as long as there were scumbags and criminals that Danny-boy here figured he could bully or beat into submission even with a bum rib the only thing he had to decide was weather or not his ribs would actually be in danger. The man was good at cracking skulls! Small time thugs usually ran away from him anyway and his hulking form had been building something of a reputation among the criminal elements. He was thinking he'd need some kind of better disguise, but short of putting a really big bag with eye holes over his head there wasn't much more he could do. At least, that he could think of.

But his mind had been busy anyway. His brain kept running back his recent intervention in the shadowy alley. Of the vampiric person that he had saved there. He couldn't stop thinking about them, their smile. The little pout that had crossed their face. The food that they had made had been particularly good...every time his stomach rumbled Daniel thought about the baked goods that she had prepared for him. Damn, those would taste really really good right now.

The water had been getting kinda chilly, but Daniel had never been bothered by the cold; far more used to working in frigid waters that nobody was supposed to be working inside. Sometimes the heat of leaking electronics systems or crackling radiation was the only thing you had to warm yourself with when you were in the middle of a weld job; but he didn't mind. He'd found ways to make it work. Guy was still alive as it stood right? So nothing to worry about!

Daniel returned to the scene of the crime (the crime being delicious tarts with a sway in his step. It was payday! And while most of his money went to bills, he had budged out just enough overtime this week to justify spending money on at least two more tarts, so Daniel was basically having the time of his life. He didn't let his arrival go totally unannounced either! He set a very helpful text to Elodie before he left his shift, planning to arrive at the bakery in his work clothes.

'I'm Coming. Be Ready. :shark:'

The monstrous merman poked his head into the bakery, announcing his presence with a booming voice. "Hey! Elle! Ar-" Wait there were people here. Shit. He didn't want to be imposing! "Ahem. Ah...heyo." He waved awkwardly to the room. "I'll wait my turn, don't worry." If Elle was in the room, Daniel would give her a toothy grin and an entirely awkward thumbs up. Surely nothing they wouldn't already be expecting!

@PavellumPendulum
 
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ELODIE
The November chill did not seem to put any sort of damper on business. Though no one was scrambling for last minute pumpkin cupcakes or cakes with piped icing bats anymore, the end of the year was swiftly approaching and everyone was prepping to start celebrating with all of their might. Advance cake and pastry orders were coming in, turning the order calendar in the kitchen into a large collection of modern art consisting solely of gel pen scribbles, with names, times and details on sticky notes. The Witching Flour really needed to transfer to an online system or something, but Elodie rarely ever seemed to find the time.

With a neatly pressed apron laid atop her pastel green turtleneck tank top (easier to not have to roll her sleeves up), Elodie worked away at the till, packaging orders for clients, taking phone calls and tending to the line. At the very least, no one seemed to be in a huge rush. When they'd gotten the ping on their personal phone, it'd taken them a while to even pay it any attention, trying to make sure that the line of clients did not stretch out past the door, but once they had a moment to themselves, they peeked at the screen, the notification coming from the contact Daniel! (which of course included the exclamation point, because Elodie had had a hard time picking an appropriate emoji to sit next to the name.)

'I'm Coming. Be Ready. :shark:'

Well, that was faintly ominous, but Daniel seemed to have no problem talking as though he were a criminal or perhaps someone who meant you harm, not even seeming to notice that his casual speech could be interpreted as threatening. She stared at it for a moment, before quickly replacing the exclamation point in his contact name to the shark emoji he'd just sent, a faint smile on her lips.

Cute.

They almost didn't understand that Daniel was calling for them when the door opened, his voice booming through the few patrons who were still in line, giving a couple of them a jolt. Elodie blinked rapidly, before shyly offering the towering man a little wave and half-smile, then turning back to the customer in front of her. Daniel always looked like he was cut and pasted from somewhere else, sticking out like a sore thumb, his frame so imposing that it was as though the bakery grew smaller when he entered it. His toothy grin was still refreshing though.

As for his near yelling, Estelle probably heard that, huh...? She would probably assume it was a call for her. Elodie waited for their sister's head to poke out of the kitchen, not wanting to raise their voice too loud. When Daniel finally made it to the front of the queue, with blissfully, no one behind him, Elodie breathed a sigh of relief. They could actually speak.

"Hi. I saw your text." she greeted, her head tilted up to look at him, her smile faintly pleasant, "You, er... You should call me Elodie. My sister's the one who goes by Elle."
code by wren.
 
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ELLE
While decorating cakes and cookies with silly Jack-o'-lanterns and spooky bats for the fall season was one of her favorites, gone were the days of spooky (or slutty) costumes and trick-or-treating (although you couldn't tell her that in her bat cut out top) now it was time for white and silver piped snowflakes and snowmen. Elle scrambled to put the final embellishments on a cake that was supposed to be picked up today, leaning over to peek at the sticky note to make sure she was using the right colors (she'd have to try and talk Odie into getting a better system for these things) . when she heard her name being yelled from the front. Although she couldn't quite place the voice of whoever was calling for her.

Estelle finished her cake, putting it into its box. She washed and wiped her hands free of any frosting before making her way to the front counter, a cheery smile on her face. The vampire had never seen the shark-man before, but had heard about him enough in the last week or so to know—

"He's the one you said helped you with those assholes!" Estelle beamed wincing a little thinking about her improper front of the house etiquette. Her smile faded even more at the thought of her sister being mugged. As much as her heart ached thinking about the trauma her sister endured not even a week before, the circumstances fueled her fire for both her and Elodie to learn some means of self-defense. It wasn't like TC was the classiest place to live, and besides their father (why would she count her unforgiving, overbearing mother) who else did they have really but each other?

"I'm her little sister, Estelle, it's nice to meet you!" Elle turned to the man, holding her hand out over the counter. "I'm grateful you were there to help."
LOCATION | INTERACTIONS | MENTIONS
code by wren.
 
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So far things had gone GREAT. Not perfectly great. He had kind of spooked the customers and he was like 20% sure his oafishness was being a little bit of a nuisance. Beyond that? Going pretty good for a guy who had never walked into a vampire bakery before those few nights ago...Daniel DID understand enough of the situation to know he should probably pump the breaks on the yelling and the shouting when there were other customers were in the store. That meant he had to stand and watch. This was something that the big merfolk wasn't admittedly great at. His tail swayed from side to side, occasionally pumping into customers with a 'oop, sorry. Didn't see ya there' regardless of what position they were in. Even if they were right in front of them. He had never been really good at sitting still. Sharks were supposed to be moving right? So what was he if not a mighty hunter! Swimming forward in the slowest of streams, suffering as he waited for the chance that he might be able to speak with Elle again. At the very least he got to watch them work. Slipping pasties and buns in bags, filling orders and working the counter. There was something kind of...homely about it? He had seen the bakery before but it had been well into the middle of the night. All but abandoned save for the wayward souls of savior and street sucker. The bakery had felt empty then, like an extension of a house that wasn't quite finished being renovated. The vibe of the customers, while watching Elodie flit around? it made the place just...kind of feel right. Plus he had to admit that watching her work was kind of enthralling in its own way, even if he couldn't put a finger on what they were doing that he actually liked. Maybe it was just the passion? It was nice watching them work. It made a strange bubbly feeling in his stomach that he could not adequately describe.

They were cute. He liked it. Maybe that was all there was to it?

"Your sister is Elle? But I called you Elle first!" The giant pouts, a look entirely unbecoming him and the fact that they had literally a lifetime worth experiencing backing the established naming conventions. He's quickly distracted by the actual Elle arriving onto the scene though, actively decrying the thieves that tried to rob her sibling and declaring that they were assholes. In light of such rapid denouncement of the bastards he fought on a semi regular basis, the hulking merman couldn't help but offer a grin full of sharp fang as he GRAPPLED an arm out to eagerly shake her arm. "HAH! I like you! So you're Elle eh? Guess you can have your name back...but I'm still gunna come up with a new nickname for Elodie! Full names are too formal, y'know? If you got people you like, you give 'em a nickname. Just how it works. If Elle's already taken....how about Dee? You like that one Dee?" He flicked a large hand back towards his current favorite vampire. A pointed finger fishing for an opinion or a positive reception. Probably both.

"Though hey. You gotta keep it down a little! This is kind of a secret operation, yeah? Folks could get hurt if they suss me out. Don't want no bad trouble coming back to you guys just to get to me." He shook his head seriously. "So sh....yeah? Not that I'm complaining about the praise. Kinda nice to be honest. Most people either scream and panic or tell me to fuck off. I know I got an ugly mug, but I guy can hurt y'know!" He mimed himself being stabbed, which was very authentic, because had had in fact been stabbed in the past. Street thugs with knives or claws? Kind of a priority target to avoid that nowadays. You could all Daniel a lot of things, but he was a semi-decent learner.

"I diiid come to visit Dee, but I will admit, the food she gave me was also pretty really fuckin' tasty. I wanted to see if you had...more maybe? The pastries and the tea. I forgot what they were called but like. Damn, that was some good food. I got money! I can pay too, I promise." He held both hands up as if surrendering for...some reason.

"But uh, anyway. How's buisiness today? Creeps leaving you guys well enough alone? If anyone ever harasses you two lemme know, and I'll go beat 'em the fuck up. You still got my little defense drought Dee? I can always whip ya up another one! I just need the bottle back...it's expensive..."

@PavellumPendulum @Ghostie
 
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ELODIE
Estelle was the bright one. Where Elodie was more of a candle, a subtle light, burning quietly all on its own, Estelle was the sun. As soon as her sister emerged and the answer lined up in her head, that beaming smile both warmed Elodie's heart and made her feel somewhat like she was lacking. Their own lack of self-confidence had only continued to eat itself in a never ending spiral after the mugging incident, generating more and more negativity, that she held onto so tightly that it felt impossible to let go off.

Estelle's smile cooled off and Elodie tilted their head a bit at her, questioningly, though they did not ask aloud. If Daniel was bothering her, she didn't want to have that conversation with her when the man in question was there. They'd discussed the event and Elodie had made sure to mention Daniel's unique appearance in detail to avoid any surprises, but even prep had its limits sometimes.

Regardless, Estelle went for the handshake. Elodie felt her own expression warm again... Until Daniel's response was to shake her sister's entire arm, instead of just her hand. Elodie, alarmed, threw out their own hand, placing it on the sharkman's, blinking rapidly. "Hey, hey, um... We're not as strong as you. Careful." The scolding tone in their voice was genuinely a touch stronger, a touch more solid than their usual tone of voice. Defending themselves took more courage, but defending Estelle? Elodie could face anything if it wasn't on her own behalf. Especially if it was for her sister.

Daniel tried to nickname her Dee instead. Elodie gave him a half-amused glance, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "... Okay. That's fine."

The man went on about how he had to keep things lowkey, though Elodie wasn't so sure that he could manage being anything near that. Maybe when he wasn't with them, he was quieter and more discreet, but that in itself seemed out of place, out of character. Daniel being anything other than exuberant and in your face just seemed awfully incorrect. Still, Elodie kept that to herself, since it seemed kind of mean to point out.

They held back a little laugh at his requests for food, even going as far to generously offer to pay for such goods. Elodie pulled a takeout box from the neat stack near the register, assembling it so that it could hold a few treats. "What would you like today? I've still got those tarts you liked... And there are a few spicy hot chocolate brownies. Spicy and sweet... If you like that sort of thing."

Elodie frowned at his questions about the bottle. "I... We're fine. Yes, I still have it. If it's important, you should keep it. It doesn't have to be mine..."
code by wren.
 
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