Moonlight Nocturne

Everyone between eighteen and thirty looks pretty much the same anyway. They're all adults who aren't old enough to be her mom, quite.

She squeezes Miriam's hand and goes up to sit in the other chair behind the counter, her backpack in her lap. "Are you reading about monsters? Do you rip arms off too, or do you just read?"

 

"Modern Architecture Since 1900," he replies, lifting the book. "What's this about ripping off arms?"

(( https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Architecture-Since-William-Curtis/dp/0714833568/ref=zg_bs_15762881_10 ))

 

"A rat zombie monster tried to eat me and Nick kicked its butt," she says, kicking her feet. "A, um... shartha?"

Werewolf words are hard to pronounce, like they're made for someone with a different kind of throat.

"... were you reading it already, or because you're working here?"

 

"Shartha," he corrects slowly, growling the word out better despite the human throat. "And it's because I'm helping design a new project. I mostly make art, but..."

 

"... shartha?" she tries with a frown, the growl coming out more kittenish than intimidating. "... what are you making? Are you going to kill a giant monster with a building?"

"Godzilla's not real, right?" she asks, looking over toward Nick.

At this point, she wouldn't be that surprised. She means, vampires and witches and werewolves are all real. Maybe Godzilla just hides really well.

 

"Mh-hm. No, nothing yet..." he glances up. "I make things. I don't make them to be destroyed."

He considers, making a show of thinking. "...no, probably not an issue."

 

"... So what do you make them for?" she asks, frowning. "Can you make, like, an awesome knife?"

She sticks her tongue out at Nick. "You turn into a giant wolf guy, it wouldn't be that weird!"

 

He reaches into his boot, then flips a knife carved of bone out, holding it hilt-first towards her. "Yes."

 

"It'd be kinda weird."

 

Elena perks up, bouncing excitedly in her seat as she turns the knife over and over in her hands. "Is it really made of bone, or just ceramic? What kind of bone? Is it magic? Can I make one?"

Clearly, Lou is an awesome person.

 

"It's real bone," he hums. "Deer, this time. I like working with things my friends and I catch. Feels much better to use the whole of an animal than leave useful things to rot."

He woggles one hand, making a pair of long, triple-wrapped bracelets clack on his wrist - they appear to be made of animal teeth. "...magic? Nah... not that one...and if you learn, yeah, you probably could."

 

"... really? Will you teach me? Can I help catch a deer?" Elena looks like she may implode from sheer excitement. This guy makes knives. This is the coolest day ever.

"Are you a werewolf too, or are you a different kind of thing-- um... per... son?"

Is it rude to call people things? It seems rude. Oops.

 

He considers, then finally looks up from his book, examining her with calm eyes, then grins and holds the expression for ten seconds, eyes going gold and teeth going sharp, before returning to neutral and completely human.

 

She scowls, stiffening and glaring into his eyes. "Are you trying to scare me? I'm not a kid. I'm not scared of you. Either you eat people or you don't, and Nick wouldn't be friends on purpose with monsters, and if you tricked him, the whole shop is full of silver stuff and I know where all of it is."

Maybe she's a little scared, but like hell she's going to show it. She's not a kid.

 

Lou blinks, then breaks his gaze, hand coming up to cover his mouth as he breaks into giggles. "You asked!"

He bites his lip, looking up with a bit of mischief in his eyes. "And I already hid the silver."

 

Elena blinks a few times, nonplussed. Then she starts laughing, tucking her knees up against her chest. "I like you."

"Are your bracelets deer too, or are they made of something else?"

 

"Deer," he holds one up. "Coyote..." he gestures to another. "Mmm... these are raccoon claws..."

 

"... why'd you kill a coyote? Do wolves not like coyotes?" she asks, leaning in to peer closer at them.

 

"It picked a fight with one of my cats. I finished the fight for lil' Red."

 

"...Lou's cats are fearless," Nick grins.