#❀ eat flederprey love

[spice-and-fire]

eat, flederprey, love ❀ fang & meera

TIMING: Months ago LOCATION: Bigfeet’s Adventureland PARTIES: Meera @the-haunteang and Fang @ronin-for-hire SUMMARY: Meera hires Fang to help her rescue a friend from "vampires." CONTENT WARNING: None

After she received a private message hiring her to deal with vampires in Bigfeet’s Adventureland, Fang immediately set out to finish the job as soon as possible, bringing with her her usual hunting gear that was mostly comprised of her oni facemask and her trusty katana. But she had never been to the place before, so she had to take her time, consulting the directions her landlady, Sara Fukuhara, had so charitably shared with her. 

When she arrived at the place, she immediately took to the shadows, lurking as she searched for any sign of a vampire or two. The damned monsters were often as elusive as they were dangerous, so when she noticed someone else in the area, she immediately tagged them as possible prey. Or possible bait. Fang grinned as she watched the woman walking around, hoping her quarry would soon reveal itself to her. Then she can cut its head clean off of its shoulders and get paid. Easy.

Meera didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to be anywhere close to “vampires” or whatever went bumping in the night. She already had plenty on her plate at home, what with her ghostly ancestors randomly showing up to scream and whine at her. At least that’s what she thinks they’re doing. Most of the time, they were incoherent, hard to understand, and all they ever were were annoying distractions. Years ago, she’d be afraid of them. These days, though, they’ve become badly timed jumpscares.

“Tariq!” Meera whisper-yelled under her breath. She wanted to be heard, but only by the employee she was trying to find, not by the so-called “vampires” that were supposedly flying around. This was the last place Tariq was according to her sister, who also informed their employer of the fanged menaces in question. Khadija wanted to go look for him herself but the girl was too sickly to go anywhere, especially at night, so Meera had to play the responsible boss. 

“Where’s that handler person thing? It’s been like over an hour? Are they even going to come? Goodness, why did I even message them instead of the cops?! I must be losing my mind!”

Fang stalked the woman, lurking behind the shadows she used as veils to keep herself hidden. Either she was just a normal idiot or she was playing the part of a normal idiot to draw her in, making the slayer reveal herself before she transforms into a more formidable version of herself. Like those damned vampires. Smart, Fang thought. Classic bait and switch. Or classic bait and trap. Whatever worked. 

Slowly, silently, Fang crept up on the woman. She discreetly unsheathed her katana, about to slice the other woman’s head off, or at least checking if the nearby slight movement would alert its supernatural senses, when she heard it complain about…a bunch of normal idiot stuff. Fuck, Fang heaved a sigh as she sheathed her katana again. Neither of those actions revealed her to the woman, so the slayer instead poked her on the shoulder. “Hey,” she calmly stated. “You the one who hired me to handle the vampires?”

Meera screamed. Like her life depended on it. Like she was about to die. Like everything inside of her needed to come out through her mouth. Even as she stared at the newly arrived woman in the face with her eyes wide in horror, she still screamed, arms crossed over her chest, as if that would be any defense, as if that was enough protection. When she finally tired herself out, she began to pant. When she was finally tired of panting, she took a moment to catch her breath.

Hands on her knees, she raised a finger, gesturing for the other woman to wait as she tried her best to regain her composure quickly. If the other woman wanted her dead, she would’ve done so in the first few times she started screaming. Maybe that would have spared her from looking like a fool right then and there. Certainly would’ve spared her from the makeshift asthma attack. “O-okay… Y-you’re the vampire hunter?” Meera looked over the woman from head to toe. She didn’t look like a vampire hunter. “Are you sure?” What would an actual vampire hunter even look like?

“You okay?” Fang raised an eyebrow. She had to ask. If she died right then and there, out of shock, then she might not get paid. There wasn’t anything more than that from the slayer. This was all about her rent money, not some strange woman’s stranger health. Screaming like that in a place like this? She should be thankful Fang wasn’t an actual monster. Otherwise, she might’ve screamed her last. “Yeah, I’m the…slayer.”

When she asked if she was sure, Fang took a step back, taking offense to that statement. It reminded her of the early days of her training in Japan, when the other students of her late mentor questioned her as well. The old man had brought her in after none of her surviving relatives wanted to take her back. She wasn’t experienced in killing monsters, sure, barely even athletic, but getting an “are you sure” from the other students made her worried about her own survival. If the master would throw her back, out into the streets, she would die. She needed to be sure. 

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Fang squinted at the woman, annoyed at her very animated actions. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head and stowed her katana, keeping her voice low and deep, just in case this woman could not keep a secret, which she seemed like it, to be fair. With all that screaming and doubting. “Are you sure there are vampires here? And you have the money to pay me?” That last bit was just petty revenge.

“I’m fine,” Meera finally managed to calm herself down fully. She was still a little suspicious about the other woman, though. Well, maybe somewhat suspicious of things about her. After all, she was supposedly a monster hunter or whatever but she wasn’t asking for much and she was advertising it online like one of those scammers on that list website. What was it called? Ah, phooey! “Slayer? That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?”

Meera was quick to realize she had done or said something to offend the girl with the sword but wasn’t quite sure what. Maybe it was just her? Maybe she was just that off-putting after having spent so many years not socializing, afraid to accidentally scare new friendships when a ghost related to her inevitably popped up. But then the woman questioned her finances, and to someone who wasn’t sure she was doing her dead relatives proud business-wise, it was an insult of the highest order. “Y-yes, I’m sure! I have the money, how dare you?! Why would I hire you if I didn’t? Let’s just find my friend, okay? He might be in trouble right now.” 

Fang simply rolled her eyes. She did not have time for the woman’s side comments. She did not even come up with that name. In Japan, they were called something else. She had been calling herself that something else before she found out what the local hunters were calling themselves, and since she was stuck here for the time being, she felt it more appropriate to adopt the local terminology than stick with the name from Japan. Either way, it wasn’t even the point of all this. “What does your friend look like? Do you have a photo on you?”

Fang tried her best to focus on the business part of this interaction. She didn’t want to get stuck out there with the frantic woman any longer. As long as the client had the money, she’d bear with them until the transaction was over. Fang’s clientele wasn’t really as great as far as clienteles go. Most of them were annoying, privileged, or even just plain lazy. But they good money, and Fang needed that good money. “You can pay half now and then half later,” she stated without a tone but extended her hand for the dough. All business.

At the questions, Meera immediately scrambled to retrieve her phone from her purse. Once she had gotten it out, she showed it to the other girl while still browsing for a photo of Tariq, accidentally showing her random and blurry selfies that she had taken, mostly with the ghosts of her dead relatives but unless she had the sight, the slayer-for-hire might not be able to see them and would just think these photos were terribly shot selfies. “He’s…a bit on the short side, but he’s really nice and kind and does everything at the shop.”

“Oh, well, okay,” Meera gave the other woman her phone as she once again scrambled to retrieve something else from her purse, this time half of the promised payment. It was a regular deal, come to think of it. Half now so if it was a useless errand, at least the hired hand wouldn’t feel as ripped-off. Maybe she’ll tuck that idea somewhere in her mind’s purse. “Should I come along? I feel like I should come along in case you forget his face. I’m Meera, by the way.”

Fang took her time staring at the photo supplied to her by her employer. She tried her best to memorize the guy’s face, but to be honest, who else would be dumb enough to be there? Let her rephrase that thought: Who else, that wasn’t the three of them, would be dumb enough to be there? At least Fang could defend herself against the vampires. This…Meera? Fang had major doubts she could even defend herself from a four-year-old kid. “All right, then,” she heaved a deep sigh, turning her attention to the area at large. “I’ll take it from here.”

When Meera suggested she come along, Fang almost burst out laughing. No offense to the woman but she did just get scared easily, and she does strike Fang as someone who was rather better off watching things unfold on the side than risk herself for something she had no idea what to do. Not a lot of people knew what to do in situations like this. All the vampire fiction they consume from the mainstream media? Not as useful as actual experience in fighting actual vampires. “Oh…no, you should just get back to your car and wait for me to bring him back. Or drive back home and wait for me there. Where exactly do you stay? Scratch that: Where would you like me to bring your friend once I rescue him? You do have a car, right?”

“Oh, uhm, okay?” Meera wasn’t quite sure how to take that response from the so-called slayer. The first part, she was okay with. Of course she was going to take it from there. After all, that was her job, and Meera trusted her as a professional to be able to do her job better than the medium could only imagine. Her almost laughing at her, though? That was a little unnecessary. Also her doubting that she had a car. Of course, she had a car. How would she had gotten there if she didn’t have a car? “I do… I guess, you could bring him to my car? It’s the only one at the curb right now.”

Meera turned toward the curb, where her car was. It was hard to see clearly from where they stood, so she wasn’t even sure if the other girl would believe her, but it didn’t really matter, did it? She wasn’t going to just wait in her car. She was going to do her part and bring Tariq home. No matter the cost. She owed it to him, and Khadija, and herself. She wasn’t going to just play the innocent civilian in this scene. Also, wouldn’t it be much safer to go with the slayer than be alone in her car? “Do vampires also need to be invited inside a car to attack someone? Because I feel like I’d be much safer next to you.”

“Got it,” Fang nodded at her employer before turning her full attention toward the greater area of Bigfeet’s Adventureland where Meera’s friend should be, Fang’s target. “Bring him to your car. At the curb.” Those were the only things she needed to hear. It was a simple job for a decent amount of money. Nothing more, nothing else. The rest, the experienced slayer would be suited enough to handle all by herself. Just slice and dice some vampires. Easy peasy electric sushi. 

But then her employer had a great point. An annoying point but it did make a lot of sense. She’d definitely be much safer with Fang than alone in her car at the curb, especially if there were more than enough vampires to distract her while they fly away with her cash cow, especially with how Meera seemed panicked and inexperienced with vampires, though to be fair, an ordinary citizen should not have to be burdened with such experience. 

With a groan and with a sigh, Fang relented, shaking her head. “All right, but stay close,” she almost growled as she tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana and slowly proceeded forward. “Do you know how to defend yourself at least?”

“Defend myself?” Meera psh’d at Fang, in complete disbelief that she would even ask such a question. Of course she could defend herself. Anyone can defend themselves. Right? Heaving a sigh at her own uncertain thoughts, she scrambled to find something in her purse, showing it to Fang once she had it in her hands. It was pepper spray. “Of course I can defend myself!” 

At the time, Meera was defiantly proud at the revelation that she had pepper spray in her purse. If she had had enough time to think it through, however, she’d question how effectively pepper spray can actually defend her against these vampires. But she didn’t have the time or more precisely the luxury of time to do all that and more. Instead, she immediately followed Fang’s lead, skulking behind her, pepper spray at the ready. 

“So, uhm, how long have you been a, uhh, vampire hunter?” Probably not the best time to make small talk but Meera was scared, and sometimes when she’s scared, she talks a lot. She was also extremely close to Fang’s back, only inches from holding the latter’s sleeve to make sure she wouldn’t get lost in the park like a lost child. Or lamb sent to slaughter. Either way felt appropriate.

This was most definitely not the time for small talk. Fang and her stubborn client were slowly making their way inside the park, bodies hunched and closer to the ground to try and be stealthy about it, which the talking wouldn’t help. What it would help, though, was maybe calm Meera down. Fang was often oblivious to such things, but the woman was very transparent. It didn’t take her long to realize her attempt at small talk was a cry for help. Sort of. 

“Ever since my parents died,” Fang whispered back, not realizing she was unloading a brief version of her traumatic backstory to a complete and total stranger. “We were on holiday in another country when our car crashed because of a monster. I survived and was taken in by a local slayer who trained me to fight monsters in the dark. I’ve hunted more creatures than just your vampires. Less talkative and egotistical creatures.” That last part was a lie. Most of the monsters she’d encounter before had their fair share of egotistical moments. It was just easier to continue the stereotype unfortunately.

Meera blinked. Not just once, not just twice, but more times than she’d have cared to count. Or liked to care. Or thought she could in a span of seconds. The vampire hunter had just unloaded her tragic backstory to her, and she wasn’t quite sure what to say back. She didn’t even expect her to respond, if not just shush her like people always did. Was that a good thing? Was the unexpected response better? It was starting to seem that it wasn’t. It just made her feel a bit uncomfortable, if not embarrassed and awkwardly scrambling for an appropriate response. 

“Oh, no,” Meera gulped. “That’s so…sad.” In retrospect, maybe she should’ve just kept her mouth shut, but it was still better than just going ‘there, there’ like she was the other woman’s mother and the other woman was her child. That…just didn’t fit well, not even as an image in her head. Unexpectedly, Meera blurted out loud when she found a figure seated in one of the currently abandoned carts of a roller coaster ride: “Tariq!” Unbeknownst to the inexperienced Meera, it was a trap laid out by the things that were watching them in the dark. But Meera didn’t care. Not for her own safety. All she cared about was finding her friend. “Tariq! It’s me, Meera! Are you all right?”

What. The actual. Fuck?! Fang would’ve screamed at her client if she could afford blowing her own cover, revealing her currently safe position. The woman knew there were vampires all over the place. The woman had been scared of them from the get-go. The woman should’ve been less of an idiot and smarter at how she should have gone about this. But Fang also knew that emotions, especially the ones that gave you relief after worrying too much, often clouded someone’s judgment. Despite the danger they had put herself in, the woman was probably just extremely happy to see her friend still alive and kicking, the complete opposite of the worst that could have happened to him. She couldn’t say the same for her now.

From the corner of her eye, Fang noticed something move toward Meera. It came from the shadows. A hunter. Not a hunter like her but a vampiric hunter. A creature born of night and hunger. An abomination created by evil. Fang immediately swung into action, grabbing her katana by its handle, and swiftly slashing at it as she lunged out of her hiding spot, catching the damned thing by its…wing? The creature squirmed and squealed on the ground, and only then did Fang realize something confusing, the reason why she only sensed it when it started moving in the darkness, not before. “This isn’t a vampire,” she frowned, before turning around to look for others like it. One was fine. A swarm? That would be a mistake. “It’s…not alone.”

Meera screamed. As soon as something tried to fly toward her, she let out the loudest, most frightened scream she could muster. Her hands also flew but only over her head, as if that was enough defense from whatever the heck the monster was. When she could steal a glimpse at it, she realized the slayer was right: It was not a vampire. Or wasn’t it? It didn’t look like a traditional vampire, neither broodingly hot nor pasty white ancient. It did look vampiric, something with wings but not an actual lower half of a body. “What the heck is that thing?!”

Gulping, Meera threw her hand over Tariq who was unconscious on the cart that was part of the entire roller coaster thing. “Tariq? Tariq, wake up! It’s me, Meera! You’ll be all right! I found you! We’ll get out of here soon. I found a vampire hunter. She’ll keep us safe,” she tried her best to wake Tariq up but he was unresponsive, only groaning in turn. At least he wasn’t missing any limb, though there was a bit of blood around his neck. Meera gulped again, hoping that didn’t mean what she thought it meant. She then turned to Fang, alarmed at her final statement and furious at the same time. “What do you mean it’s not alone?! You can take out the rest, right? RIGHT?!” 

Right. Fang took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She took a moment to concentrate, searching for her, what her late mentor liked to call, center. It was always something she believed in wholeheartedly. Even before her parents’ tragedy, their upbringing already allowed for something akin to it that she would readily believe. 

Faith, in her culture at least, was not the same thing in essence to the kind of faith this part of the world liked to believe in. There was no singular god to save them all, even though that didn’t mean there was no place for such a being. Rather, everything had godly essence, which when corrupted turned into the monsters she hunted. Faith was not just bound to religion as well. Faith could be found everywhere, and at this moment, faith was Fang and her swordsmanship.

Without the expected battle cry, Fang slashed at the first flederprey that tried to attack, opening her eyes at the same time her steel rendered its wings unusable. Two more came at them, two more were disposed of. When a larger swarm came flying toward them, the slayer clenched her jaw. Without looking at the civilians behind them, she offered them a quick warning: “Head down. Stay down.” The Fanged Oni then began slashing at the oncoming cloud of death, wincing as some of them survived her retaliation, as some of those survivors even managed to scratch and bite her skin. Stupid beasts driven by hunger, deprived of intellect. It did not take long for Fang’s blood to poison those that tried to consume it, bubbling like scalding oil from within. 

As the swarm of bat-like vampire things or whatever the things were began to launch their ambush, Meera could do nothing else but defend the unconscious Tariq with her body. She looked around fervently, trying her best not to get surprised by one of them, even though she was already surprised and could not even fight them. Still, she persisted, gulping and sweating, as she put her body on the line to protect her friend. 

Catching a glimpse of the vampire slayer slashing the monsters on her own, Meera almost ran to her defense but realized she would only be a burden to the obviously experienced expert. Besides, Tariq needed her more. When the warning was given, her eyes widened in horror. The swarm she thought was frightening enough? It was a mere scouting party composed of fewer than five creatures. The actual swarm was like a blanket of darkness, the many wings combining with their screeches, a symphony of terror.

Meera froze in fear, just standing there, as Fang dealt with what she could, using her sword to take down as many as possible. The few that survived her defense rushed toward Meera and Tariq, the latter’s body less viable as a target with the way it was slumping in the cart, almost fallen to the floor, but as the medium closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that was inevitable, a ghostly figure appeared before the swarm could even touch her, screaming as it pushed her down on the ground. The swarm flew past her and Tariq, screeching as they fled.

Fang took a deep breath, bracing herself for the second fly-by. She never expected a single brush with monsters. All her life, she was thought to expect that they’d attack over and over again, until they were put down. It was their instinct to kill and hunt and eat, as it was their instinct to kill and protect and survive. But lo and behold, much to her shock, the swarm never returned, instead fleeing the area. Why? Was it because of her? Or was it because of something else? 

Catching a glimpse of Meera down on the ground, Fang rushed to her side, checking if she was all right. Most people would expect that she was being kind or nice or even human, but the fact of the matter was, if Meera died, she wouldn’t get paid the rest of her fee. Survival trumped anything else, at least for someone like Fang. “You okay? We should get out of here before they come back, though I don’t think they will. At least not for a while. That your friend? I’ll need help dragging him back to your car.”

At the sound of Fang’s voice, as well as her suddenly startling presence beside her, Meera instinctively opened her eyes, wide in fear and concern. The medium didn’t even think twice. With zero hesitation, she got herself up, off the ground, and hurriedly grabbed Tariq. The slayer-for-hire had the best point: They needed to get out of there. As soon as they could. Before the swarm could come back and take their fill of them, of their blood or whatever those monsters liked to gobble-gobble like deranged turkeys. “This is him! My car’s at the parking lot. It’s the only one there.”

Together with Fang, Meera lifted Tariq and dragged him along, his arm over her shoulders, the rest of his body slumping over her every other step. The medium was not a woman of action. This was all new to her, so she struggled whenever she could, almost stumbling here and there, stepping over her feet every other second. Meera breathed fast and hard, as if in a race, and a race it was, a race to their safety. In her head, she could hear those wings flapping fast behind them. Was the swarm back for seconds? Meera huffed and puffed, forcing her feet to be faster. They were so close to her car. They were almost there. Just a few more…

Fang did his best to help Meera with Tariq, though she kept her other arm free just in case she needed to take out her sword and start slashing the flederprey that would think they should keep fighting. And there was a few, around three of the creatures that tried to attack them again, swoop down at the three to give them cuts and bruises for souvenir. 

Fang fended them off with her katana, but despite her many wild slashes, only one or two actually made contact with her unlucky targets. She glared at them to boot, and when the trio neared the parking lot, the creatures must have decided it was no longer worth it and flew away, back to their swarm.

With a groan, Fang dumped Tariq in the back seat of the car while grabbing at Meera and pushing her toward the driver’s seat, a gesture that should have told her to start her damned vehicle. As soon as she deposited the friend safely in the car, Fang herself took the passenger’s seat next to Meera and heaved a sigh of relief once the doors were closed. 

“Go, go, go!” The flederprey swarm didn’t come back for them, at least they weren’t around visibly, but Fang didn’t want to take that chance. She wanted them to get the hell out of there as soon as possible, her job done. Some other local hunter would take care of that mess. All she was getting paid for was to get the friend out. Easy peasy… “...lemon squeezy.”

Fang didn’t have to tell Meera twice. As soon as all the doors were secured, all three of them in her car, the inexperienced medium put the pedal to the metal. With an adrenaline-fueled, but totally not appropriate battlecry. More like a scream, but in her head it was a battlecry, less scared and more courageous. “YEAH! So long, you gross bloodsuckers! Suck on these—” she cut herself off when she realized she was losing it. “…vampires looked weird, didn’t they?” 

“Should we go to the hospital? I don’t think Tariq is wounded. I think he’d be better off at the tea shop,” Meera kept her eyes on the road, even as she tried to steal glimpses of her fallen friend. He didn’t have any wounds on him. At least as far as she could have seen in all that night. Still, he wasn’t wet anywhere, so even if he had wounds, they’d probably be closed already. Unless… “Is he going to turn into one of those things? Also, is this how you spend your nights? That’s messed up!”

The road back to the tea shop was long, at least longer than she’d like, but at least it was quiet. Well, with the exception of Meera struggling to make small talk as a way to calm herself as well as everyone else in her car, nothing else stirred. Thankfully not bat wings in the dead of the night. She’ll probably have to sleep early for the next few days. Then again, she had ghosts at home, so they’ll probably keep the vampires away, right? One of them even pushed her to safety. At least that’s what it looked like. Ghosts wouldn’t kill her, right? Especially not her ghosts relatives. “Should I drive you somewhere later or are you going to call an Uber back home? Where do you live anyway?”

Fang ignored the semi-personal questions the woman threw her way, not wanting to share intimate information that could get her in trouble. She simply mumbled that she would get off where her employer lived, which she assumed was the tea shop she mentioned. Get off the car, for anyone out there currently thinking green. Save the environment, right? “No, he won’t,” the slayer growled. “No bite marks on him…strangely.”

Did the flederprey not like his scent? Did they think he wasn’t fresh enough of a prey, suitable enough of nourishment for them? Do they even think? Fang had more questions than answers and she scowled at that fact. Those weren’t even vampires. At least not yet. Not as far as she knew. And how she spent her nights was not the woman’s business, though Fang realized she was most likely just saying things to calm herself down. She’s seen it before. Won’t be the last.

Finally, they arrived at some sort of family business at Gaitlin Fields. Best Exotic Tea? Fang raised an eyebrow at that statement. The woman did not look like an expert at tea or anything really, but tonight was filled with surprises. Quickly, she helped her with her friend, carrying him with her inside before dumping him on the nearest couch. Fang immediately searched him for bite marks and found nothing grievous. Just as she had assumed. She heaved another sigh, almost disappointed. 

“Where’s my remaining pay?” Fang growled again. Once she had it, she’d get out of the woman’s hair. The job was done. The deal was over. She needed a shower herself and some much-needed rest. “You and your friend should stay out of that place until the flederprey are gone.”

Meera heaved a sigh of relief when Fang confirmed that Tariq would not suffer any detrimental changes to himself and his well-being. Between the two of them, or maybe even among the three of them, the hunter-for-hire was the sole expert on all things vampires, so Meera had no choice but to accept her prognosis. Not that she had any reason to think otherwise, too. Meera had zero basic knowledge on vampires, most of what she knew were from movies and books, and what had just happened to them at that place was not from movies and books. 

“We’re here,” Meera nodded as she drove into the makeshift parking lot of Best Exotic Tea, barely enough space for five vehicles, but it was the best she’s got. Hurriedly, she parked her car, and with Fang’s help, managed to drag the still unconscious Tariq inside the tea shop and onto a couch where he could rest up. She looked him over one final time, concern all over her face, and frowned at his condition. At least Fang did another check on his body to fully ensure her earlier statement. “He’s going to be fine,” Meera muttered, not to convince Fang but mostly to convince herself. “He’s going to be just fine.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Meera scrambled to locate her purse, and the remaining amount that the woman had definitely earned tonight. “Don’t worry… None of us will ever go back to that place ever again.” Once she found it all, she immediately surrendered the money to Fang with an awkward smile, before immediately growing concerned as soon as the slayer began to leave the premises. “The fleder… Those things will be gone soon, right? I mean, I’m not just worried about me and my friends, but also about the other people that might get lost there or left behind or whatever?”

Fang was already on her way out when Meera asked her one last question. In her head, she wanted to just get on out of their, pretend she didn’t hear it, but the concern in her voice, well… Damn it. She just couldn’t walk out on the woman like that, like this. Something about Meera, something inside of Fang, melted, as if the former was a bright sun and the latter was a frozen wasteland that needed to thaw. 

With a deep sigh, Fang turned her head to look back at Meera, mustering her warmest smile, which wasn’t as warm as everyone else would be able to do. It was like a toddler’s attempt: Half friendly, half annoyed. It was the thought that counts, though, right? 

“Sure,” the slayer tried to reassure her employer as best as she could, considering Fang didn’t even believe the same. “Those things won’t stay there forever. Sooner or later, another hunter’s going to clean that place up, chase them out of there. That or they’ll get a brain, realize that they’ve been found, that that place wouldn’t make for a safe nest anymore, so they’ll just leave, fly away and never return.”

Another sigh. “But you have my number,” she nodded at the woman, hoping the concern on her face would dissipate soon. She looked better without them. Meera was annoying but her heart was in the right place. The world needed her smile. Or something like that. Fang heaved a final sigh before walking out of there. Staying a second longer might break her solitary mystique. “Call me if you need anything, Meera.”

[wickedsrest-rp]

NAME: The Party Thrifter

LOCATION: Deersprings

Unless you’re really into the thrifting scene or wandering aimlessly around a less busy part of Wicked’s Rest, it’s unlikely you’ll find this little hole in the wall thrift store. The owner Leila Beaulieu does nothing in the way of advertising, but somehow the business stays afloat. This thrift store only accepts vintage and costume pieces and as such, is especially popular around Halloween. However, the costumes do draw interest year round and there’s no off-season for thrifting –who knows what vintage gem you’ll find? Despite being a consignment shop, with the number of estate sales in town, The Party Thrifter is one of the best places to find a truly unique costume that no one else at any party, faire, parade, or festival will have. 

As one might expect, Leila loves costumed events. Any time the town planning committee meets, she’s always in the crowd corralling for some new event. 

Unbeknownst to Leila (possibly...), any item that remains in her store long enough takes on some special properties. Said properties may cause whoever wears the item to take on the personality of who or what they are dressing up as, or in the case of the vintage items, of the person who used to own that item during the height of its popularity. 

Because of the clothing’s special properties and the owner’s tendency to wear them around the shop, you never know which side of Leila you’re getting on any given day. The shop can get particularly dicey when she chooses to wear some unknown super villain’s costume. 

There’s a colony of flederprey that live in the rafters of the store. It’s hard to get them out, but they don’t tend to bother anyone and Leila has become fond of them over time. She thinks they fit in with the Halloween theme and most customers assume any flederprey flying around are “special effects”.

Their vintage clothes section is respectable even with the store’s focus on costumes and Halloween. They separate out their clothes by decade, so you can decide whether you’re in the mood to be groovy or grungy.

The store has a partnership with the restaurant Hallow’s Eats, and both locations come with coupons to each other.