Urban Legends

c6h12o6^3

c6h12o6^3

Mememan 2017
Once upon a time, there was a city.

Perched on the edge of the sea, in a very familiar country with a very familiar name, it stood tall and proud. It gleamed against the rising sun and cast a shadow across the sea when it set. It was large, busy, and loud.

The people who lived there called it Aegea. It was filled with every type of person that one could imagine. People who had pointed ears, people who were short and hairy, people with scales and fur, and even people who weren't even from earth. Aegea housed them all.

But, it was a gray place. It knew both joy and sorrow. The nights were dangerous, but the days were bright. Monsters roamed the streets, but not all of them meant to harm. Heroes fought every day, but not always for the right reasons. It was muddled. Muddled as any city could be.

We begin our story in this city, and there are many stories to tell, all with their own battles and fights and heroes. Their everyday lives and their everyday struggles. How they laughed and how they cried. We will follow them as they go.

And we shall begin where they rest now, in a small diner off the coast of Morgan Avenue.
 
The Lucky Shoe was Tamara William's pride and joy.

A little spot nestled in the quiet section of Morgan Avenue, the diner was a cozy establishment with wide windows, open doors, and the constant smell of something good perfuming the premises. It's ceiling was raised high and it walls adorned with little news clippings and pictures and signs with cheesy phrases. There was a simple atmosphere about the place. A sort of quiet friendliness that Tamara found absolutely charming.

However, customers were few and crowds, if they could even be called that, were small. But, to the young centaur, few was better than none. All this was was just a rough patch. Everyone went through these. At least, that's what Tamara told herself. Few people came, but she wasn't going to let that diminish her effort. If anything, that just made her want to work harder. One day she'd get past this. Until then, it was time to get to work.

The centaur clopped around the diner, tying her apron around her waist as she carefully maneuvered through the carefully arranged tables and chairs. The smell of brewing coffee perked up her senses and bright sunlight streamed through the large windows. Behind her, the small staff she had hired milled about in the kitchen in a comforting chorus of clinking silverware and prepared ingredients. Tamara unlocked the double doors, propping them wide open before flipping the 'Closed' sign to 'Open' with a simple flourish. With a satisfied smile, she trotted back behind the counter to await the day.
 
A white-winged Nephilim looked intently into the diner with a tired expression. He buttoned the last button on his white shirt, and his hands were in the pockets of his long white jeans. Class had been hell today; how could someone forget that they had wings? What with all the stress he had to go through on certain days, he loved going to the Lucky Shoe. It was always a pleasure to be at; comfy view, top-class seats, and though the rather cheesy phrases might've put some of his friends off, Kennedy could handle it easily.

Seeing Tamara (he didn't know her name) at the front, changing the sign from closed to open made him smile a bit. He needed this diner; it was where he could relax. Well, what am I standing here for? Let's go eat! With that thought, Kennedy was about to go in... but he had forgotten his wallet. With a shocked expression on his face, saying Son of a- he started to flap his wings and fly eagerly back to his house to get his wallet.
 
Asaciel clutched her stomach as it made the most unappealing growling noises.

Being a freelance personal stylist did not bring in the piles of cash it had hinted to when Asaciel Googled 'simple jobs that make tons of money' two years earlier. Even though the job was a lot of fun and the payload was more than enough to pay the bills in her tiny apartment, profits always went quickly on new outfits or blood packs that never lasted more than a week and a half. Not having a consistent work schedule often left Asaciel how she was today, hungry and disoriented.

The stares of nearby people as Asaciel rushed down the crowded sidewalk only made her anxiety worse and stomach louder. If I don't find something to eat soon this might really be the end. As if by weird coincidence, Morgan Avenue came into view. Not many people knew about The Lucky Shoe, but it was a place Asaciel went many times to escape the harsh sunlight. The owner was very nice, considering Asaciel never bought anything, and the interior was very appealing, almost homey.

Without thinking about it, Asaciel began sprinting toward the diner, narrowly avoiding a speeding taxi. Before going inside Asaciel took a deep breath while smoothing out her skirt. Even some tomato juice would be enough to hold me over, I just hope they have some. With one light push Asaciel opened the door and nervously shuffled inside.
 
Clarice sprints up to the diner doors, crashing through them and slamming them shut behind her. She backs away, just in time to see the flock of birds catch up and swarm against the door. They halt in front of it, staring at her expectantly through the glass. Then mumbling under her breath, she takes her finger and drags it down the front of the door. A bluish sheen appears around it and the birds become startled and quickly hop away. Her shoulders slump as sighs to herself, both in relief and exasperation.

As she tries to turn and walk away, she nearly crashes into a vampire girl. She hastily backpedals and pipes out a "Sorry!", then hurries around her. Taking a seat at the diner bar, she buries her hands in her pockets with a huff.

Pulling out her phone, she plugs in a set of headphones and puts them on. She gives Tamara a small friendly wave and smile as she walks by, automatically scooting up her chair to give her a bit a room where she needs it.

"Hey Tammy, can you get me a lil' milkshake when you got the time?" Clarice asks as she lays out the money on the table and rests her head in her arms.
 
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"Damn, I'm so booored," Alma said to no one in particular.
The weary spirit looked around her. Crowds of people walked about; any other day, Alma might have approached an unsuspecting stranger, attempting to start a conversation, but she wasn't in the mood for that today.
"What to do... what to do..." Alma murmured to herself. She briefly considered calling her sister to hang out, but remembered she had already done that a few days ago and didn't want to seem clingy.
Lost in thought, Alma didn't even notice a stylish-looking lady sprinting in her direction.
Making a noise that could only be described as the verbalization of "!", she stepped away, barely averting a chaotic and embarassing collision with a pretty woman.
Alma stared as the lady rushed into The Lucky Shoe, still marginally baffled.
The Lucky Shoe was a pleasant place, it had a very welcoming atmosphere that Alma loved to bits. Alma couldn't eat the food, but she was sure it was marvelous as well, from what she could see and smell.
Alma walked into the diner, opening the door with the help of her telekinesis.
 
Nix's stomach growls and she looks around. She had the day off and had spent the entirety of the day walking around to look at the leaves which were changing from green to all different kinds of colors. Nix would also glance into stores to see the displays they had.

The wall had made her hungry, and forgetting breakfast definitely did not help, so she started looking around for a place to eat. She quickly finds a diner she had gone to before that she liked, she she quickened her pace and walked inside.

She glanced at a couple people who had walked in before her and had bumped into each other. She gives them a curious look before preceding to walk past them to sit down. ​
 
Rocio's day had been.. rough.

She had started no fewer than three fires in her truck. First, a clumsy grab at a handful of paper napkins had erupted into a blaze, startling the small line of customers at her trailer. Then, after a bathroom break, the shower curtain in her bathroom had caught ablaze.

Her food truck was a converted minivan- unlicensed - which thankfully housed a tiny bedroom and bathroom in case of emergency.
Not long after that, she'd be told her apartment was flooded (again) by her neighbor. He was keeping Fi, her snake, until everything was resolved. She was stressed. Crying.

Rocio didn't exactly cry water like most people, mostly due to her innards being on fire, so she supposed it could be unsettling for some. One of her tears got into a customer's food - french fries, somehow - and it caught their shirt alight.
Despite her insistence of paying them back, they called the police, and she got a ticket.

She just.. hadn't gotten around to renewing her license yet.
After that ordeal, she had parked her small trailer in the alley adjacent to Morgan Ave, and headed into the Lucky Shoe. She was seated in a booth towards the back - visible to the door, but barely, glowing vividly in the darkness.

A few tears came again, after she got her order, and she let the molten rock drop onto her wrist where it formed a hard lump. It would melt down, back into her body, in time. Goddamn it all.
 
Life was good. Extraordinarily good. Well, as far as he was concerned. The man wondering how his two dozen eggs suddenly all hatched into bright yellow chicks might not be seeing it quite the same way. That didn't really matter to Flaxel. The man had been very rude to the grocer who was simply trying to ply her trade. Laughs and wonder filled the air and Flaxel grinned brightly to himself happy with his work.

He had nothing to do. Literally. He had some temporary work lined up but he was still looking for something he was good for. Some dance show perhaps. He was good at it and he enjoyed it. His folk said he was born to it like a duck to water. He glanced back at the chicks all chirping to be fed sat in the egg box. Perhaps he mused. Even ducks had to learn how to swim and so it went for his kind though they had a considerably longer time period in which to perfect the art.

Flaxel strode with his hands in his pockets, his stride light and almost floating. His stomach rumbled and he peered downwards before he smiled. It had been a while since he had eaten. He was in no rush just ey and lightly strolled around the place, turning corner after corner and flitted down alleyways which he was always suspicious about. Dark corridors were never a safe idea.

It was not long before he happened upon the diner and he stood outside before his trademark grin stretched across his features. "Oh, yes, this will do quite nicely," he said aloud, to no one in particular before he pushed against the door. "Here we go," he rumbled to himself quite merrily as he moved through the wide spaces and sat on a bar stool against the counter.

"Menu... menu... menu..." he trilled before such an item spotted his attention and he moved to take it into hand.
 
Achiel walked slowly, head down, staring at the sidewalk. He had pulled an all-nighter last night, despite knowing he had work in the morning the next day. His stomach suddenly growled, loudly, and he stopped in his tracks and he frantically looked around, hoping nobody was close enough to hear. He stopped when he noticed a diner just a few steps away. Achiel let out a sigh in relief that, hey there was food nearby, but, it also meant he’d have to order something, meaning, he’d have to talk. He walked up to the diner door and took a deep breath, and he headed inside. God, there’s a lot of people, he thought. He plopped himself down in the nearest empty booth and clasped his hands together.
 
Faster than a speeding snail, Rajah appeared in front of the diner. "Whew... that could've been a problem," he said, wiping some sweat off his head. He opened the door to the diner, amazed by the set of characters that were already inside. It was always a pleasure to see new species.
Anyways, Rajah got behind Tamara, looking at the menu. Hmm... I'll get [insert something the Lucky Shoe sells here].
 
As Tamara watched patrons file into her little eatery, she couldn't help but smile a bit. The diner was lively that morning, much to her pleasant surprise, and Tamara had found herself cheerily trotting about as more and more customers found their way inside. Activity buzzed between tables as the centaur maneuvered her way between them with practiced ease.

Tamara nearly jumped as a cacophony of birds fluttered by the door, raising an eyebrow as one of her regulars, Clarice, rushed inside. "As long as those birds don't crap on my windows again. I spent all day trying to clean it all off." Despite her scolding frown, there was a joking lilt to Tamara's tone as she scribbled down 'milkshake' onto her notepad. She was about to head to the kitchen before the slouching, firey form caught her eye. She hesitated for a moment before scribbling something down onto her notepad. Tamara rushed into the kitchen, motioning one of the staff to momentarily take her place.

A few moments passed before Tamara stepped out of the kitchen, a tray of food expertly balanced on her back. She placed a milkshake before Clarice, scooping up the money before plucking a stray feather from the cash. Finally, she set down a tray of fries before Rocio. Unlike the usual salt covered potato sticks usually served alongside burgers, these were a vivid red and freckled orange with spices. A strange heat seemed to emanate from the seemingly innocuous pile. "Red Hot Chili Fries. It's new recipe I'm trying out, and I figured you'd like them," she explained briefly, giving Rocio a sly wink. "It's on the house."

Before Rocio could say anything, Tamara was on the move again. She roamed around the diner, handing out menus, taking and delivering orders orders, and directing entering customers towards empty tables. All while making general small talk with the occasional side of sass. It was almost second nature, her ease in this environment, that she almost didn't notice a puddle on the floor. Tamara yelped as one of her hooves skidded across the slick floor. She was quick to regain her balance, but not to save the tray of food that had been balancing on her back. She grimaced as the plates shattered on the tile floor, sending a bit of the food on unfortunate customers that were a bit too near.

"Damn," she groaned, face flush with frustration at her clumsiness. "I'm so sorry."
 
Clarice jerked when a sudden freezing sensation of split iced-tea splashed across her back, sending her shooting up in her seat with a shout and cracking her head on an overhanging lamp. The loud wet thud of metal on skin and skull rang out throughout the restaurant. A few of the customers that weren't started by spilled trays looked in her direction as she collapsed back into her seat, holding her head and curling away from the pain.

As she regained her senses, she became aware of the awkward silence. She looked around, noticing the mess next to Tamara and how a few people were staring, either in concern or while withholding laughter. She waved it off, chuckling nervously. "I'm fine, I'm fine! No-no blood. Just'a bruise!"

Some of the patrons did start laughing. Pretty loudly, too. Her face grew hot and she wasn't sure how to respond to that. Was it that funny? Probably, she did shoot up in her chair like a rocket. Crap, she hoped no one took a video of that.

Not sure what to do now to recover from that show, Clarice just jumped off her chair and looked around at the mess. The cup holding the tea was shattered on the floor, along with all the all plates of various diner food scatted around a concerned-looking Tamara. Seeing the soggy mess of what used to be delicious cheese fries lying in a hideous puddle of strawberry milkshake and caesar salad struck a chord with her. She knew what she had to do, so she turned towards Tamara. "Do you need some help? I can cast a reconstitution spell on this."
 
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Asaciel had been in a daze since she'd walked into The Lucky Shoe. Being out during the day was already very taxing, but being around so many unfamiliar faces only added to her exhaustion. It was as if someone else had gained temporary control of Asaciel's mind and she had no way of regaining control; that is until a stranger accidentally bumped into her.

"Uhm. I-it's-." Before Asaciel could utter a response the girl had already left. Great job being awkward. Taking very small steps Asaciel found her way to a table closest from the windows as possible. Just act normal, you're fine, everything is fine. Just as Asaciel had gotten comfortable she heard a loud crash and turned just in time to see plates falling to the ground and the girl from earlier hit her head rather hard on a lamp.

Maybe everything isn't fine. Asaciel decided to just stare at the menu; helping other people was the right thing to do, but you could also make things worse which was the last thing anyone needed. Just order a drink and stop being awkward! Full of regret, Asaciel slowly set down her menu and raised her hand, something she had seen in movies when someone wanted to get another person's attention, but didn't want to cause a scene.
 
Clarice didn't wait for an answer, afraid that Tamara might say no. She whispered a small incantation under her breath and bent down to draw a sigil in the spilled food. The pieces of plates and glasses began to vibrate in place, rattling fiercely on the ground. Then the flew together, the dinnerware reshaping back to what they were before.

The food was still all over the ground, but at least it wasn't filled with broken glass. " Ain't much I can do for ya about the food, but at least ya don't have to go out to buy new crap." She said, picking up the plates and cups. She handed them back to Tamara.

Behind her, she noticed the vampire girl Clarice rammed into earlier holding her hand up shyly, along with Rocio crying into some glowing fries. Friendship instincts began to kick in, and she pointed towards the vampire, drawing Tamara's attention to her, then rushed to Rocio.

She took a seat in the opposite booth. Slowly, she reached over the table to gently poke Rocio in the arm. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, carefully. "Did you have a bad day? Do you wanna hug? I can hex whoever was mean to you if that's what happened."
 
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