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thiswasinevitableid · 1 year ago

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Late Shift (Danbrey)

The winner of the "creatures and people" prompt poll was: A vampire who works the night shift at a gas station

Anywhere else, Dani would get in serious trouble for adding fresh herbs to the donut case offerings at four-thirty am.

Amnesty Lodge, with its attached gas station, does things a little differently. For starters, the head cook at the Lodge restaurant refuses to let them sell the standard gas station snacks without adding a few of his own into the mix. Hence the fairly fresh batch of doughnuts that he dropped off fifteen minutes ago. Dani’s basil plant has been growing even wilder this year, and she worked out that a sprinkle of basil makes the lemon filled donuts–even the ones Barclay doesn’t make–taste a million times better.

At least, that’s what customers tell them. Dani hasn’t eaten a donut since 1964.

Even when Stokers Famous Tonic became mainstream, allowing vampires to eat human food without getting violently ill, it’s not always cheap to get your hands on. And Dani likes to save hers for the fresh fruit from the garden, or when Barclay wants a recipe tester or Mama invites her for an early-morning cup of tea.

Or, if she plays her cards right, dinner with her favorite regular.

The door opens and the object of her dinner plans walks in, with far more energy than most humans have in the darkness of the morning.

“Hi Dani!” Aubrey waves. She’s brightened the flame-orange streak in her hair since Friday, making the black curls around it shine like a raven in the sun.

“Hi” Dani is relieved, not for the first time, that she can no longer blush, as Aubrey bends over to grab a Double Shot Oatmilk Monster Energy Coffee. She’s in her stage outfit, black dress jacket with studs sewn on the shoulders, and shorts and white dress shirt that look like someone ripped the arms and legs from a tuxedo.

Aubrey looks over her shoulder with a smile and Dani pretends to find a spot on the counter to clean with her nail.

“Just the usual please, if you’ve got it” The magician sets the drink on the counter. Dani grabs a waffle sandwich from the warming station; eggs, cheese, and hot sauce on a slightly sweet waffle, the kind Barclay makes in huge batches and then freezes.

“We do. Did you just get back from a show?”

“Nope” Aubrey leans on the counter, allowing Dani to see the bra peeking through the dress shirt, “heading to one. They booked me for a big brunch show at some country club in Huntington but they want me there, like, super duper early. Oh, wait, do you have baby carrots today?”

“Ummm” Dani glances at the chilled food display, “nope. Shipments are still kind of weird. Sorry.”

“Dr. Harris Bonkers will live without them. I’ve got other stuff to bribe him with to stay calm in the car.” She takes her change, but doesn’t move her hand right away. Instead she adds, “But you’re gonna owe him nose pets the next time he comes in.”

“I can handle that. Break a leg at the show.”

“Always do.” Aubrey gives her a wink and heads out into the parking lot, leaving her to rest her chin in her hands and sigh at the candy display.

—----------------------------------------------------------------

Aubrey’s totally going to do it. She’s going to ask Dani out when she stops for gas today. She’s made this promise to herself every day for the last two weeks, but gosh-darnit today she means it.

Dr. Harris Bonkers, PhD, runs circles around her feet as she swipes on black lipstick and stamps on her eyeliner.

“Just a sec buddy, I’m almost done.”

A honk in reply.

“Look, if I had my way I’d spend all day petting you, but I need to get groceries and you’re not allowed in Leo’s after the banana incident.” She crouches down pets the rabbit’s nose, “but you’re coming with me tonight even though we don’t have a show. I’m gonna need emotional support for this. You gonna be my wingman?”

She moves her hand back a half-inch, and he immediately bumps it with his nose.

“Thanks doctor, knew I could count on you.”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

Dani is dumping blood orange syrup into the slushee machine when Aubrey walks in. The magician makes a bee-line for drinks, Dr. Harris Bonkers hopping behind her. The white rabbit is close to the size of a Corgi, sporting his black harness with flames on the sides as his claws click on the tile.

Technically he’s not supposed to be in here, but Mama has never booted him when she’s spotted him inside the Lodge or the restaurant, and Dani figures people who are stopping for gas at eleven at night have more on their minds than complaining about a fluffy bunny.

She heads over to the counter and Aubrey follows her, setting her Cherry Coke next to the sign for the Kepler Trunk or Treat.

“That all for tonight?”

“Yep” Aubrey says a bit too cheerfully. She’s worrying the chain of her necklace, something Dani wishes she would do less or do much more, depending on how in control of herself she’s feeling that night.

She has such a gorgeous neck.

Oh no that’s too creepy.

“Anything for the doctor?”

“Nah, he got an apple slice earlier–Dr. Harris Bonkers you put that down.” She disappears from view, reappearing with a pack of Double Bubble in hand. There are two, square teeth marks in it.

“This too. Sorry, he really likes the smell of bubblegum.”

“Silly bunny, that’s not for you. And don’t worry about paying for it, it’s like a buck and also Indrid will eat the stuff that didn’t get chomped.”

Aubrey laughs, “Thanks. Um, so, I’m doing shows at the Kepler Fall Festival this weekend. One at eleven and one at three. I know your schedule is probably weird because you work so late here but, um, I realized I’d never actually invited you to one of my shows. This one is going to be super freaking cool, I made up some Halloween tricks and everything. Do you know it’s weirdly hard to make a pumpkin disappear? Uh, anyway, just thought I’d ask.”

If Dani goes, there’s a very high chance she’ll get a serious sunburn.

Aubrey smiles hopefully, the expression crinkling her nose and making Dani want to lean over and kiss it.

“I’ll be there.”

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dani wasn’t at the first so, and with five minutes to go before the second one starts, Aubrey’s worried she won’t show. She so rarely sees the other woman around the Lodge during the day, like she sleeps through it, and it was silly of her to think she’d see her now.

She straightens Dr. Harris Bonker’s skull and crossbones tie, looks at the crowd and doesn’t see her. So she straightens out her cuffs and looks again,

Dani is there, in a seat in the back row. Her blonde hair falls over her shoulders, and she’s wearing a long, mint-green dress, brown boots up to her knee, lacy green gloves to her elbow, and is carrying a green and white striped parasol. She looks so cool and hot, how the hell is Aubrey supposed to focus on anything else?

Then again, Dani clearly made time to come see her perform.

The festival emcee announces her name. So she strides out to give the best performance of her life.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dani is pruning her night-blooming jasmine when she hears it; the unmistakable sound of something munching her collards.

“Hey Dani, have you seen-”

She holds up a hand to shush Barclay, “Can you see what’s making that noise at all?”

“Uhhhhh” the cook scans the beds, then raises his eyebrows, “unless my eyes are going, it’s Dr. Harris Bonkers.”

“What the hell?” Dani slips into the next row and finds Barclay is right; the massive rabbit is happily munching a big, green leaf without a care in the world.

“He must have hopped out the Lodge door.”

Barclay shakes his head, “Aubrey hasn’t been here since this morning, and I saw her leave with him in her arms. And her car isn’t in the lot now. He must have run away from home.”

Dani frowns, “Her apartment is three blocks from here. That’s a long ways for you to have gone, doctor.”

“C’mon little guy, let’s get you into the Lodge and give Aubrey a call. She’s probably worried sick.” Barclay bends down but the rabbit swiftly hops away, leaf still in its mouth.

“He’s right, we–whoops” Dani makes a grab for him, but he darts between her legs.

After ten minutes of failing to catch him, Dani is even more impressed with the fact Aubrey trained him for her act. Because if he doesn’t want to do something, there seems to be no way to make him do it.

“Hang on, I have an idea. Stay here and make sure he doesn’t run into the woods.”

Dani looks around, then turns into a bat and zips across to the gas station, grabs a pack of gum, and runs back to the Lodge garden. She kneels and calls, “Doctor, look what I’ve got.”

The rabbit, done with it’s collard, sniffs the air and turns towards her.

“It’s your favorite” She holds out the pack and the rabbit hops forward, bobbing now and then like he suspects a trap. Only when he gets his teeth on the wrapper is Dani able to scoop him into her arms.

He snorts, annoyed, as Dani passes Barclay the gum, “can you toss that or give it to Indrid? I’n gonna go call Aubrey.”

Dr Harris Bonkers explores her room as Dani picks up the landline and dials. Three tries over fifteen minutes leads to nothing. Kepler is in the NRQZ; if Aubrey’s not at home, Dani’s going to have a hell of a time getting a hold of her.

She keeps trying until it’s time to go to work, at which point she sticks the rabbit in a small laundry basket and carries him over to the gas station with her. After several attempts to get out, he calms when she gives him a few baby carrots and turns on the audiobook of Bunnicula on her phone (it helps her fall asleep).

Around midnight, the door dings and Aubrey walks in, looking more haggard than Dani’s ever seen her.

“I” she sniffs, wiping her eye, “I was wondering if you’d maybe seen Dr. Harris Bonkers? He, he got out while I was asleep earlier and I, I looked all over the neighborhood and I can’t, can’t”

“Hey, fireblossom, it’s okay.” Dani hurries around the counter a tad faster than a human should, “we found him in the garden. He’s behind the counter.”

“Ohthankfuckinggod.” Aubrey collapses against her, hugging her, “I was so worried, thank you so much, I owe you, like, big time.”

Dani hugs her back, takes a deep breath, and says, “How about dinner tomorrow?”

Aubrey looks up at her and grins, “I was hoping you’d say that” she kisses her nose, “and it’s cute that you already have a pet name for me.”

“Look, I have a lot of free time during work and it’s more fun to think about you than rearrange the candy bars again.” Dani kisses her cheek, “here, the doctor is waiting for you.”

They find the rabbit lounging, legs out, as the story drifts from the nearby phone.

“You are in big trouble young man” Aubrey scoops him up and holds him tight, “you jerk, never ever scare me like that again. You’re lucky Dani found you and not a coyote. Or the Johnson’s cat.” She pauses, listening, “awww, Dani figured out your favorite book.” She smiles like a thousand stars as she says, “I loved that one as a kid. I’ve always been a big fan of vampires.”

Dani licks a fang and kisses Aubrey on the cheek again, making her laugh, “Then I have another really good piece of news for you.”

#danbrey #aubrey little/dani #aubrey/dani #taz amnesty #promptober #vampire girlfriend

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thiswasinevitableid · 2 years ago

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Siren Song (Danbrey)

The runner up for "weird mer" prompts was: A siren musician annoyed no one can give unbiased feedback on their songs

Sirens know many things. How to lure ships just where they want them. Which sharks make the most loyal pets. The best sunken wrecks for a Sunday brunch. And, ostensibly, how to make their sea gardens grow lusher than the mind can imagine.

The secret, of course, is singing to the plants. Which should be easy for a siren.

Dani has been singing at hers for two weeks and has barely gotten so much as a sprout. And she’s pretty sure that, statistically, that would have happened for her whether she was singing or not.

Every other siren’s garden is already busting out of it’s bed. And Dani usually has no issue with her plants. Which means the most likely culprit is her voice.

She’s pretty sure it sucks.

But there’s not a way to prove that; humans will always hear a beautiful voice promising whatever their heart desires. Siren’s hear each other's songs as fish hear each other bark; they know it’s happening and what it communicates, but quality is not registered.

This is why Dani is currently sitting on a rock in a small sea cave in the cliffs that make up the shore, trying to see if the acoustics will somehow give her a realistic sense of her voice. When that doesn’t work, she covers her ears to see if she can hear herself better that way. No luck there either, though she can tell she doesn’t sound like the humans who sing on the outside stages in the nearby town square.

Uncovering her ears, she picks up a conversation on the beach beside the cave.

“What’s wrong, doctor? The seagulls aren’t even calling, there’s nothing to be upset about.”

There’s no reply, but the voice continues, “Here, do you want a strawberry? Yeah, see, there we go, everything’s fine.”

Curious, Dani swims out of the cave and peers around the rocks to the beach. It’s the middle of the week, when most humans are at work, and according to her friend Mama, the schools aren’t out yet so no one is on vacation.

The only person who can see her is the owner of the voice, who may be the most beautiful woman she’s ever seen, human or mer. There’s a mess off curly, black hair piled on her head, and even from here Dani can see a spray of freckles on her nose and more dotting her tan arms. She’s wearing sunglasses–always dangerous, it’s harder to tell where a human is looking when they do that–in bright red frames. She’s sitting on a bright orange blanket, and at her feet is the little land otter humans call a rabbit. But this isn’t the kind Dani sees nibbling grass on the sloping hills near the sea; it’s huge, its sand-colored fur smushed in places by a vest connected to a leash.

“There we go buddy” The woman pets the rabbits head, “honestly, what freaks you out sometimes is a mystery.”

On a hunch, Dani stays low in the water and starts singing. The rabbit’s body goes stiff and then it thumps its back feet into the sand, looks at the woman, and thumps again when she continues sitting there.

“Okay, if you’re this freaked out we’re going home before it turns out there’s, like, a sea monster or something.”

“There isn’t”

“JESUS CHRIST” The woman jolts on the blanket as Dani appears on the shore, “sorry, scared me. I’m totally cool with mermaids.” Her posture relaxes, “Do you know why Dr. Harris Bonkers is freaking out?”

“I think it’s my singing. I’m a siren, and I was practicing when he started getting upset.”

“Cooool. Um, I mean, I guess that could be it? I didn’t really hear you singing.”

“I was trying to do it softly so I didn’t send anyone over the cliffs or something like that. Maybe his big ears heard it?”

“Probably. Bunnies do have great hearing. Yes you do.” She rubs the rabbit's ears and it hunkers down into a happy loaf.

Dani fiddles with the ends of her hair, “This might sound weird, but could you and your rabbit help me out? I’m trying to tell if my singing is any good and he might be the only animal that could tell me.”

The woman looks at her a moment, pink creeping up her cheeks, “Um, yeah, that’d be great. We’d love to help you out.”

“Fantastic! Meet me here this time tomorrow?”

The human smiles, “It’s a date.”

—-------------------------------------------------

The human–Aubrey, as she introduces herself–is more covered today, thanks to the cloudy skies. Dani tries not to be too sad about it. She can still see the little, cartoon fire tattoo on her ankle and wonder what it looks like while it’s owner swims about her in the water.

“Do I need to, like, cover my ears?” Aubrey rubs the rabbit’s nose as Dani settles on the shore.

“You should be fine. I’ll just sing scales. Also I can pull you out of the water if you wander into it in a trance. “

“Glad to know I’ve got a lifeguard.” Aubrey’s smile is even more enchanting close-up, “okay, Doctor, you ready?”

The rabbit wiggles its nose but does nothing else, so Dani starts up the scales she’s heard other sirens use. It only takes one trip up and down before the rabbit is thumping. When Aubrey rubs his ears and tells her to try again, he can be a tough critic, Dani obeys.

The next set of scales results in the rabbit trying to hide under the blanket Aubrey is sitting on.

“Hmmm, okay, maybe let’s take a break. Here, I brought lunch.” She pulls out a bagel sandwich, then another with salmon on it, “I figured this’d be safe for you? My friend Duck says sirens can eat all kinds of things but also I think his boyfriend might have more of a, um, garbage palate.”

“Thanks” Dani scoots up to sit on the sand beside her, “sirens who’re full of themselves will only eat fresh fish with nothing on it. Not me; my friend got me hooked on sushi from that place on the pier. He’s been bringing other stuff back too but I’m not sure where he’s getting it.”

“Ooh, I can for sure bring sushi next time. Mrs. Takahasi gives me a discount since I perform at all the family birthday parties.”

“Are you a singer?”

“Pfft, no.” She smiles like it’s no big deal, “I’m a magician! Dr. Harris Bonkers is my assistant.” She reaches behind Dani’s ear and comes back with a small, black card reading The Lady Flame.

Dani sees there’s a phone number on the card and wishes for one that works underwater.

In no hurry to embarrass herself more for the day, she asks Aubrey what it’s like to perform in front of kids, and listens as the human describes the good (little kids hugging her or parents saying their child demanded Aubrey come for their party after performing the prior year) and the bad (cake. So much thrown cake).

The music from the nearby bar blares to life, signaling the start of the evening, and Aubrey freezes mid-sentence.

“Crap! I have a show in a half hour!” She scrambles up, “same time tomorrow? I really want to keep seeing you I MEAN helping you.”

Dani blushes, “See you then.”

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is hopeless.” Dani lays face down, body in the sand but face on Aubrey’s blanket. Aubrey strokes her back in sympathy. They’ve been at this two weeks and made no progress. Today show downloaded an app on her phone that’s supposed to help you determine if you’re on key by turning notes green when you hit them.

The dang thing is still flashing every color under the sun.

She wishes she knew how to help; Dani is amazing and it sucks to see her so down on herself day after day.

“Dani? Why is it so important that your voice be objectively good? Like, it works how it’s supposed to on people, so everyone thinks it’s good, then why not just call it good?”

The mermaid rolls onto her back, golden hair fanning onto the blanket. She’s wearing a bikini top of woven, bright green sea grass that Aubrey thinks looks great but also kind of wishes would disappear.

“It’s for my garden. Or, part of my garden. Every year there’s a huge garden show and any siren who thinks they’ve got what it takes spends months, if not the whole year, singing their entry into shape. Mine isn’t growing how it’s supposed to under my singing. And you know the worst part?”

Aubrey shakes her head.

“I’m a great gardener! People ask for my flowers for their birthdays!I have all kinds of cool plants in front of my house, have a kitchen garden and plants from seeds and cuttings that have been in my family for generations! Which is really hard to do; one weird current or freak temperature change and they could be gone. I’m good at this but…but it took me years to work up the nerve to enter the show. Because the judges favor certain plants and if it’s not the greenest and lushest they barely look twice at it. So I figured, what the hell, if I can grow heirloom sea beans I can grow giant Aqua Monstera. Now I just feel silly.”

“It’s not silly. You wanna show off what you love and what you’re good at. You didn’t know about the singing thing beforehand. Honestly you’re probably, like, the first siren in history to wonder if she can sing.”

“I guess.” Dani sighs, “maybe I should just bow out. Give my spot in the competition to someone else.”

“Or…” Aubrey pets a strand of sunshine hair, “you could enter it on your own terms. Even if you don’t win, maybe you’ll, like, remind people that there’s more than one way to be beautiful, you know?”

Dani looks up at her, eyes like sunken gold, “Yeah, I think I do. And I just got the perfect inspiration.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey, Dani, I was-”

“Sorry Barclay, no time to talk, I’ve got to get all these planted.”

“Holy fuck, aren’t the judges going to lose their shit if you include that?”

“Maybe but I don’t care, I’ve wanted to try growing them for years and Aubrey was right, this is about showing off what I love.”

“That’s the spirit. Wait, Aubrey? Who’s Aubrey?”

“Uhhh, can’t talk, these need to be in beds ASAP.”

“You better invite her to dinner soon!”

“Yeah okay I will it’ll have to be on shore bye!”

“What?”

—---------------------------------------------------------------

Aubrey sets cake on the blanket, checking her phone every ten seconds like that will make the time go faster. She’s left Dr. Harris Bonkers at home; whatever Dani is feeling after the garden show, she wants the siren to have her full attention.

When her friend surfaces, Aubrey can’t get a read on her expression, even when she slides up the damp sand onto the blanket.

“Did it go okay?”

“No.” Dani grins, “but also yes. The judges made a lot of snide comments about how my greenery showed a siren lacking in essential skills. But” she holds up a pearly-green coin on a strand of tiny puka shells, “there’s an award for crowd favorite, and guess who won?”

“Holy crap! That’s amazing”

“I know! I–why does that cake “congratulations/I’m sorry.”

“I, uh, I thought you could pull it off, and I wanted something for us to have if things went well. But also you made it clear that the judges are dicks so I figured it needed to have another meaning just in case.”

“You’re sweet, fireblossom. Here, I have something for you too.”

Aubrey is so busy processing the potential pet name that she barely notices Dani zipping into–then back out of–the water. The siren sets a bundle of plants tied with a red string on the blanket.

“Wow, I didn’t know you could grow stuff like this in the sea.” Aubrey picks up the bouquet of red, black, and orange blooms. Some are star-shaped, others swirled like shells or spiky like urchins, “I love the colors.”

“I knew you would. You were my inspiration.” Dani grins, sharp toothed and beautiful, “once I thought of making a garden to remind me of you, it all came together.”

Aubrey leans forward and kisses her, the siren humming happily and climbing between her legs as she returns it.

“Don’t suppose there’s a way for me to see the whole thing?” Aubrey murmurs, stroking Dani’s cheek.

“A friend of mine can hook you up with a spell so you can breathe underwater.” The siren nibbles her ear, “and I’d love to show you my garden. I even have one by my bed.”

Aubrey smirks, then kisses her nose, “Okay cutie, you can show me your garden any time.” She sighs as Dani kisses her neck, “you wanna have some,uh, dessert after we have the cake?”

A teasing, loving, vaguely toothy kiss finds her shoulder, “Reverse it and we’ve got a deal.”

“You sirens, so wily and persuasive, you’ve convinced me. C’mere.”

#mermay #danbrey #aubrey little/dani #taz amnesty #monster girlfriend

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