Misc features: Frizzy hair, always warm, smells like clean clothes and fresh pastries
Occupation: Owner of Fennec's Confectionary
Other affiliations: N/A (pending)
Residence: N/A (pending)
Established relationships: N/A
Personality: Piper has always been something of a bubbly extrovert her whole life. She's extraordinarily ambitious, and when she sets out to do something, there's very little that can get in her way. Her greatest joy is being a dependable and genuine companion to those she loves and cares for, which- honestly- is everyone. When she’s not busy baking at her sweets shop or relentlessly trying to befriend other townsfolk, she can be found somewhere around her cluttered home practicing her hobbies.
Hobbies: Crocheting, gardening/foraging, playing her guitar
As much as she hated to move, she loved exploring new places, walking around the streets with no destination in mind, just random turns until she found something that caught her eye and made her want to go in. Kate had visited a few places already, looking for inspiration to decorate their new home, she wanted something that they were both used to, something that they both missed over the years, which would be like a final touch to make this feel truly like home.
Katherine was carrying a few things, some flowers that reminded her of the place she first met David, an old mirror that almost seemed like the one she broke a few centuries ago, and a few other items, she was making her way back home when a new place called her attention and she walked in. "Do you need help with that?" Katherine offered.
Running a business certainly had its unique and rewarding moments. The ones where Piper could connect with customers on a personal level and bring a smile to their faces made her job worth all the strenuous work. On slow days or late nights she often waited diligently behind the counter in utter suspense, almost unable to wait to see who’d walk through the confectionary doors next. Of course, there were also the less pleasant moments- such as now. A customer was surely the last thing she’d have hoped for while she was unsuccessfully battling a measly old broom out of the admittedly cluttered and disorganized closet.
Although startled, the sheer gentleness of the customer’s tone caught Piper off guard. The voice was oddly soothing, laced with some sort of mystically charming, olden resonance. “No need! Just one moment, madam!” She mustered all her focus into the task at hand, hurriedly freeing the broom without causing too much more of a ruckus. Scuttling back to the front counter, Piper flashed the idling customer a determined, albeit slightly stressed smile. The gesture became much more relaxed as she studied the almost enchanting nature of the woman waiting patiently before her. “Wow… Ah, hi! Be right with you!” Even as she got busy with sweeping, Piper couldn't help but sneakily admire how gracefully the woman seemed to carry herself, exuding an air of raw elegance with every small motion. As she finished up clearing away the broken centerpiece, Piper's bright eyes grew wide.
“Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. You've got your hands full there!" Piper swiftly moved aside to balance the broom against one of the counter displays. "Let me get you a bag-” She dipped behind the register, popping up seconds later with a large unfurled paper bag. She laid it on its side, open and facing the woman. “Aha, well- This might be a little late now… but welcome to Fennec’s! Is there anything I can get for you tonight?”
She said she didn’t need help but, in Kallan humblest opinion, she did need some help. He was in a weird mix of horror and amusement as she tumbled out of the closet. “Yes I see, all fine,” he said smiling back at her just as widely. He wouldn’t comment on her nearly hitting the ground or the party of mops behind her.
“Thank you. Thank you. It smells amazing in here. Everything looks so delicious it’s hard to chose what to get, but don’t worry I won’t take too long. I was unsure if you were open or not and I don’t want to put you or make you stay longer. Which I just realize I am doing with my rambling sorry sorry.” He said, his cheeks heating up slightly.
Kal hand shot out to catch the broom as he saw it moved towards her, but missed by a few centimeters, he winced as it hit her. “I’m sorry, I should have better reflexes,” he said. “Are you alright? And do you have a recommendation.”
“Awh, thank you, that’s too sweet! I promise everything tastes just as good as it smells! And take your time- we’ve got a lot of options to sift through.” Piper simply didn't have the will to hold back the cheesy smile that grew across her face from the man's compliments. A kind word about her shop was taken as a kind word to herself, and she certainly appreciated the praise either way. Piper was quick to pick up on his slight embarrassment however, which absolutely wouldn’t do. If there was anyone in the world who wholly understood chattiness, it was her. She shook her head with a giggle, promptly reassuring her customer. "Oh no no, really, that’s perfectly okay! It's hard to find the time to get out and meet people when I've got this place to run, so please, go on with the rambling!"
She gave the broom a few firm grips as she walked it over to the wall behind her, all the while still smiling warmly at the customer. “Aha, I’m alright! It's not your fault at all, I think I'm just being a little silly tonight. Definitely isn’t the first time that's happened, more than likely won’t be the last. It helps to have a thick skull every now and then!" Moving back to the counter, Piper glanced down at the display between them and made a drawn out, thoughtful noise. “Recommendations are always so difficult for me, I have a new favorite every week if I’m being honest! Buuut- my longtime weakness is any kind of sandwich cookie; latifeh, macarons, cuccidati. There’s a little bit of everything here! Otherwise, if you’re wanting to play it safe, my father came up with our mean whoopie pies. One of my childhood staples from Pennsylvania! Just give me a heads up once you’re ready!”
Niska needed a moment to recover. Her somewhat bumpy arrival to this place seemed to have an immediate effect on her confidence. When the other went silent and raised her eyebrows, Niska immediately wondered if she would shy away, ignore her even, as the other people on the bus had done. Was there maybe really something about her that was different?
Too quick!, she reminded herself and smiled in relief as the girl answered. Indeed, there was no regret or uncertainty in her response. And why would there be? “Really?”, Niska smiled, relieved and a little amused even about the enthusiasm of the other. Maybe one day she would be able to approach people with the same energy? “Actually, I just arrived less than an hour ago. There are a couple of things I need to buy for my new flat” The girl seemed eager to hear her response, though not as eager as she was to do the talking herself. As Piper opened her mouth, she wasn’t quite so sure when it would shut again for longer than a moment. But she, who struggled to keep a conversation going recently, appreciated this a whole lot. “I’m Niska”, Niska introduced herself. She hesitated momentarily but then let her arm be taken by Piper, smiling. “And it’s nice to meet you. The other people I came across on the way here didn’t seem very open to strangers”, she admitted. Niska would later be grateful to connected with someone so quickly. Studies seemed to indicate that the first friendship at a new place was always the hardest to make. So, maybe things would get easier from now on. “And, to answer your question”, Niska giggled, “I don’t know what my style is. I never thought about it”
"Niska?” The lovely name was enough in itself to make her already full smile grow just that much wider. “I've never heard that one before, but it's beautiful!” Piper seemed nothing short of ecstatic to be the first of Niska’s hopefully many new friends in town. For someone who talked as much as she did, she was also an unexpectedly good listener.
Sometimes though, Piper accumulated so much sheer excitement that it became impossible to restrain it all- leading to her often being ostracized for her intense congeniality long before anything involving being a supernatural. “Ah, don't let that get to you! You seem great to me! I'm pretty used to getting the cold shoulder, too. I like to think the folks around here are still a little wary about being themselves, you know? It's easy enough to understand, the judgment sure is scary and all. But… we're all here for a reason, right?" She gave Niska a gentle nudge as a little more pep appeared in her movements. "Don't worry though, I've met tons of great people already! Maybe I could introduce you to them sometime! Just imagine, we could all hang out together like real neighbors- how exciting is that?!"
Piper's face fell just barely, and her pace slowed. "You- you don't know what your own style is...?" She studied her new friend with a soft, confused pout. Just when it seemed like the girl couldn't get any more animated, she immediately lit back up again as if some metaphorical light bulb had appeared over her head. Beaming up at Niska, Piper pulled them a little closer together and resumed walking towards the furnishing store with the same previous glee. "That's alright, I can help! Tell me a little about yourself, maybe we can figure something out based on your personality. After all, they say a person's home is a reflection of their mind!"
Piper pursed her lips and and nodded to herself before muttering something faintly. "Explains why my place is a little cluttered…"
Cianan knew exactly what time it was and who'd he find when walking into Fennec's. You could set a clock to his visitations: every Friday night just before closing. Since aimlessly wandering in one day, it had become a weekly pilgrimage. Not normally one for sweets he had other interests. The owner was a petite charismatic young familiar he'd met early on in his arrival to Saintes. The overt bubbliness was almost too much to bear at first, but in time he'd grown immune to the overly joyful disposition of Miss. Piper Allegheny. He knew she'd likely be closing up shop shortly, and stopped in to select a few scones for the weekend. The counter had been abandoned which was very odd, but when he heard her call out from the back and noticed the shattered glass on the floor it made sense. Careful to step over the mess he headed towards the sound of her voice and obvious chaos.
With slight mirth in his normally sober tone, he replied, "No need. It's just me. What have you done silly fox?" Piper was apparently waging war against cleaning supplies, and it was enough to make him snicker before reaching out to remove a small bundle of mops allowing her to access the broom. Placing the mops back into the closet his arm gently brushed against hers. "What happened?" he asked slightly concerned by the disarray.
Piper beamed, just about dropping the broom in an attempt to get a visual on her curious new friend who was approaching from the lobby. Cianan was simultaneously one of the more recent and challenging developments of her brief time in the town. Ever since he'd first shown up one incidental night, Piper had been putting a hefty deal of effort into getting the initially reserved man more comfortable with her overall presence. Truthfully he was a tad imposing and perhaps even a bit difficult in the beginning, though Piper wasn't the kind to be easily dissuaded by such traits. When Cianan started coming around more willingly the following few times, he'd disregarded her excitement and claimed it was simply due to having business to attend to in the area. Piper was truly just happy her efforts seemed to be paying off, at least enough for him to now tolerate her over a quick bite to eat.
For as long as Piper had worked the confectionary it was a common practice to stow any excess goods that hadn't been sold by the end of each day in the back freezer, which then would be collected and distributed to the local food drives around the end of the week. As Cianan had begun dropping by on a more punctual basis however, Piper had taken it upon herself to keep a variety of her Friday items fresh and warm inside one of the ovens for his consistently scheduled visitations. Her hospitality simply wouldn't allow someone she cared for to leave without a small offering, especially while working so late. An added plus was how every now and then, if she were lucky, she'd be able to squeeze some personal conversation out of him before he'd vanish into the night.
"Oh, well you could say redecorating. Or- that's what I was trying to do, anyway. Instead it looks like I'm making a bit of a mess with breaking things." She shook her head with an abashed laugh. "I’m sorry, I guess I'm a little out of it tonight, huh? I didn't even realize the time. It's always still good to see you, though!” Piper offered Cianan a curt nod and a widening smile as a quiet 'thank you' for kindly assisting her with freeing the stubborn broom. When his sleeve ghosted over her arm she clutched the broomstick a little tighter, holding back a bigger sentimental grin. She exhaled a soft laugh from her nose in quiet acknowledgement while her gaze finally fell away from him, moving over to the broken centerpiece behind the counter. Her lips pursed and shifted to the side of her mouth as she tutted at the mess. “I hope at least you’ve been holding up alright. You have business tonight as usual?”
Kallan was in the mood for something sweet. Since coming on land, he started to developed a sweet tooth and his apartment was severely lacking in something that would give him a tooth ache and bouncing off the walls for a few hours. He walked up and down the street a few times looking for a shop that would fix his craving when he saw Fennec’s Confectionary. He happily jogged towards the door, but the placed seemed closed. Unsure if they were open or not, he pushed the door inside peeking his head.
He walked in when she called out to him and quickly looked around the shop looking at everything. He was slightly overwhelmed with all the options everything looked so yummy. Kal paused when he heard her struggling and he cautiously wandered towards the closet. “Umm, do you need some help?”
"Hmm? Oh, no, I'm alright! No need to trouble yourself! I'm totally fi-" Piper quite literally almost kicked the bucket, barely managing to catch herself with the broomstick just before she could faceplant like a buffoon in front of her rightfully worried customer. "Fine! See? All good!" With one last triumphant pull, the broom finally came loose. Accompanied by a few of the mops as well, which clattered to the ground loudly. Piper flashed a toothy half-hearted grin as she shimmied out of the closet, broom in hand, not so discreetly kicking away one of the discarded mops in a swift motion as to shut the door behind her.
"Welcome to Fennec's! I'm Piper, it's great to meet you!" Her flustered grin quickly turned to a worn yet genuine smile as she greeted the young man. She proceeded to start sweeping the broken centerpiece up into a neat pile away from the counter. Her gaze flashed down to her watch, humming out a curious noise as she observed the current hour.
"Looks like you got here just in time! We close in about 15 or so minutes. Well, would've if it weren't for me being such a clutz." Her attention fell back down to the growing pile of glistening glass shards as she swiftly swept the last of them together. Once finished she retired the broom against the counter, leaning in excitedly only to have the damn thing slide against the edge of the slick surface and bonk her right on the head. Piper reacted with a sharp jerk, casually pushing it away from her as she continued to smile hopefully at her guest. "So! What can I get started for you?"
Piper eyed the brick she’d tripped over, nodding along and listening keenly to Francis’ knowledgeable explanation. Her initial impression of him was of a well educated and impressive fellow, who was likely much more experienced than herself. He even sounded intelligent, or perhaps that was in more large part due to his posh accent. When he gestured to the willow tree, Piper took a moment to study it in silent veneration; she’d never witnessed anything quite like it back in Pennsylvania. “I don’t think I would’ve realized that on my own, to be honest with you. I’ve never heard of a tree so stubborn that would keep growing in spite of being built over. I’ll definitely start watching my feet a little closer from now on!”
She beamed up at him and offered a somewhat over-energetic handshake, obviously relieved with how pleasant Francis came across to someone who’d gracelessly knocked into him mere minutes ago. Thankfully she didn’t have to think very hard about an answer to his question. Her decision to migrate to Saintes solo was without a doubt one of the most substantial choices she’d ever made, and quite a deal of thought had gone into the whole ordeal prior to her arrival. “The community, really! I’m a familiar, like most of my family. I run the confectionery just down the street.” She flicked her head around toward the direction of Fennec’s, motioning to the general vicinity as she continued. “It used to be my grandpa’s, then my dad’s, and now it’s in my hands. I.. just figured- you know- what better way to show humans us supes aren’t all bad and scary than by sharing something sweet with them? Food has a way of bringing folks together like that, it’s a remarkable thing! What about you, though? You seem to know a lot about the area already!” Piper cocked her head to the side with intrigue. Although she was genuinely interested in hearing his answer, she couldn’t help but get an odd sense that she’d seen this man somewhere before. It lingered even as she attempted to shrug the feeling away, trying to convince herself that maybe he just had one of those faces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“You should visit England sometime, the trees are very stubborn,” he told her with a slight chuckle and then grew quiet as he listened to her. When she gestured towards her confectionery he looked towards the area and then nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll have to pay you a visit sometime,” he said thoughtfully. “I am actually a chef,” he said as he touched his own chest, happy to talk to someone who was as enchanted with food as he was.
When she pointed out that he seemed to know the area already he gave her a slight nod. “Ah, yes, well, I’ve been here for about a year now. I was contacted by the Mayor some time ago, asking if I would come bring a restaurant to town. Something about celebrities bringing more people to her tourist trap town,” he commented dryly before smiling and winking at her. “She does want tourists, but it’s not a tourist trap,” he assured her. “It’s a lovely town, with some very interesting people.”
"I'd love to, touring Brighton is actually on my bucketlist!" Piper giggled and squirmed anxiously in anticipation at the thought of someday traveling the world. "And thanks to you, I'll be keeping an eye out for those trees when I'm there."
Despite her doing the very best not to show any trepidation, the mere prospect of a professional chef making a pit stop at her little family confectionary rattled Piper quite a bit. To be fair, she'd only gotten a shot to serve the seemingly endless hordes of one-time tourists so far. While she was more than confident in her abilities and recipes, there was a slight pressure carried with the suggestion regardless. Of course, she'd never turn down a customer of any kind- even a potential critic.
She listened intently at first as Francis elucidated his history in Saintes, though as he uttered the phrase ‘celebrity’ Piper unknowingly tuned into her own perception instead. 'Celebrity' heavily implied that he was in fact someone she remembered, or at least she did at one point- and that odd sinking feeling from earlier quickly slithered itself back into her chest. It would be unlike Piper to automatically assume he was boasting some pretentious self-proclaimed fame, and even still Francis currently didn’t strike her as the type to do such a thing. She knew better than to question it either way, even if she was just running with her gut instinct. Something about the subject alone felt off, perhaps signals from memories she couldn't actively trigger; and being unable to place why exactly had Piper finding herself even more on edge. As she slowly checked back into reality, Francis' last few words echoed distantly in her mind. She realized she must have been staring at him awkwardly while lost in thought.
“Interesting…? Oh, right, of course! I mean, I hardly believed there were other supernaturals outside of my immediate family- before the revelation, that is. I felt so closeted when I finally found out just how many species of us there are! It’s a wonderful thing to have built a community around our cultures, isn’t it? I think it’d do us all good to set aside our differences and, y’know, coexist- as equals!”
Piper’s impromptu speech came from an uncharacteristically nervous place, her fingers dancing over her thighs in unease. She pretended to dust herself off with a hushed laugh. “But look at me, yapping your ears off. I’m so sorry again for bumping into you! I'm sure you've got better things to do this evening than hear me ramble!"
♡ Open starter ft. Piper Allegheny
♡ Location: Fennec's Confectionary
♡ Date & Time: Friday, 6:40pm
Finally settling into Saintes presented Piper with a plethora of unforeseen challenges. One example was how it had taken her a solid few days to comfortably sort out running Fennec’s alone, since she'd been so accustomed to having her father around as a helping hand. Likely the worst part by her own standards was that there wasn't anyone she could divvy up the lengthy, arduous list of closing tasks with anymore.
However, one of her favorite chores since she’d been a little girl had always been freshening up the floral centerpieces for the seating areas. Although she was no designer by any means, Piper felt fairly confident in the shop’s early autumn makeover. The vivid red poinsettias she’d been cultivating in her garden at home added a fitting contrast against the rest of the orange toned fall decor, and being able to reuse a few emptied jam jars as vases was the perfect way to tie in the confectionary’s essence. Just as she’d finished setting up the second to last centerpiece, Piper accidentally bumped one of them off the counter with a misplaced swipe of the hand, sending it careening to the floor. She winced as it shattered by her feet, water and glass shards spreading around a handful of the poor red flowers.
Piper let out a defeated sigh and cautiously stepped over the mess, hurrying off to the utility closet for a broom and dust pan. As if with no better timing, she could hear the welcome bell above the front door chime as a last minute customer entered the shop.
"Ah- hello! I'm so sorry, just give me one teensy moment and I'll be right with you!” Piper shouted to them from inside the closet as she struggled to fight the broom out, which for some forsaken reason was trapped behind a barrier of raggedy old mops and cleaning buckets. “Feel free to take a look at the menu!"
@piperallegheny
Since the first light of dawn Piper was kept preoccupied with tidying up her shop, mindlessly cleaning every surface and preparing the many appliances inside for another hopefully busy day tomorrow. Although she was fairly accustomed to working in your standard high-stress restaurant environment, the overwhelming tourism in Saintes during her very first week in town made each moment keeping Fennec's running pass by in a blur. She figured it was about time for her to finally take a break from the confines of the confectionary, and allow herself a little fresh air out on the still bustling streets. There was something so soothing about the chaos of community outside. Piper quietly tuned in to the mostly discernible conversations shared between the waves of masses brightly illuminated by the burning evening sky. Her eyes shined like sparklers each time she meandered her way around the town, admiring the colors and smells and of course, the people.
Everything and everyone here was so different, so unique. She truly doubted the sights and sounds of Saintes would ever cease to restore that sweet childlike wonder in her heart. With wide eyes Piper felt her foot brake abruptly against something hard and rough, which sent her staggering aimlessly into a poor passerby. "Geez, I'm so sorry, I'm okay! Don't worry!" She swiftly flicked her head to the side to push away a few stray hairs as she stumbled back, taking a moment to assess the kind soul who’d caught her. "Huh. So there's nothing actually holding all those together...? Well, it's alright! I still kinda blame myself, it's not the brick's fault I'm a little clumsy today." She grinned bashfully and shook her head, casually shrugging off her embarrassment before extending a hand out to the man before her. "Thank you for saving me from- well, the ground. I'm Piper by the way! It's great to meet you!" Her voice raised with excitement at the opportunity to use this little mishap as a means to get to know someone new.
"Not technically no," he explained as he walked over and gave the brick a slight tap with his foot. "You see, when trees grow," he gestured to the tree that was growing nearby, a large willow. "The roots will occasionally push up on the bottom of the bricks and make them an uneven step." he explained. "Piper, enchanted," he said as he offered a hand. "I'm Francis," he introduced himself. Sure he could have given a fake name- or hell, even a nickname, but what was the point, people always found out in the end, and a nickname would do nothing but demean him if he was honest. He hated nicknames.
"What brings you to Saintes Piper?" he asked, curious and interested about the influx of new people. Sure he was among them, but he also liked to know what brought the others to their new hometown.
Piper eyed the brick she'd tripped over, nodding along and listening keenly to Francis' knowledgeable explanation. Her initial impression of him was of a well educated and impressive fellow, who was likely much more experienced than herself. He even sounded intelligent, or perhaps that was in more large part due to his posh accent. When he gestured to the willow tree, Piper took a moment to study it in silent veneration; she’d never witnessed anything quite like it back in Pennsylvania. "I don’t think I would’ve realized that on my own, to be honest with you. I’ve never heard of a tree so stubborn that would keep growing in spite of being built over. I’ll definitely start watching my feet a little closer from now on!"
She beamed up at him and offered a somewhat over-energetic handshake, obviously relieved with how pleasant Francis came across to someone who'd gracelessly knocked into him mere minutes ago. Thankfully she didn’t have to think very hard about an answer to his question. Her decision to migrate to Saintes solo was without a doubt one of the most substantial choices she’d ever made, and quite a deal of thought had gone into the whole ordeal prior to her arrival. "The community, really! I'm a familiar, like most of my family. I run the confectionary just down the street.” She flicked her head around toward the direction of Fennec’s, motioning to the general vicinity as she continued. “It used to be my grandpa’s, then my dad’s, and now it’s in my hands. I.. just figured- you know- what better way to show humans us supes aren't all bad and scary than by sharing something sweet with them? Food has a way of bringing folks together like that, it’s a remarkable thing! What about you, though? You seem to know a lot about the area already!" Piper cocked her head to the side with intrigue. Although she was genuinely interested in hearing his answer, she couldn’t help but get an odd sense that she’d seen this man somewhere before. It lingered even as she attempted to shrug the feeling away, trying to convince herself that maybe he just had one of those faces.
Niska had been nervous with excitement as the plane landed and she got into the bus. “The suburb where…” – and she had to speak no further. The driver knew precisely where to go and from the look on his face, she had not been the first to ask. Would it be crowded? Maybe there would be tourists? But the closer they came to her destination, the more her excitement turned into something darker. Passengers who overheard her conversation with the driver looked at her strangely, observantly, as if she had something that stood out. A kid poked her in the arm but before she could say anything, her mother dragged him away. Hopefully, they’re not all like this…
The last bit of excitement faded when she finally did arrive at the suburb. She had deposited her suitcase in her near-empty flat, ready to go out and explore. Yet the neighbourhood was so… normal. The people who walked around were just like her. There was no magic, nothing extraordinary. Niska felt silly for thinking that the supernatural people would suddenly come out and act out of the ordinary when they had lived among the humans for so long. But what if…. they’re not real?
“Oh, excuse me” Niska held her breath as she looked at the person she nearly bumped into. “Hey, before you go, do you know where the next shops are? For home stuff, you know, bed sheets, cutlery and so on?”
Piper almost couldn’t believe it was already her day off. Ordinarily, her plan would’ve been to spend this ever so finite freetime at home practicing chords to another song, or making progress on the blanket she’d been gradually crocheting for her father’s birthday. Today didn’t feel like a day for either of those things however. Today felt more like a chance to splurge a bit with some well earned retail therapy.
Her first stop was at one of the numerous gift shops littered about Saintes. Sure, all the tacky memorabilia was substantially overpriced for the tourists; but as an astute collector of many otherwise useless things, Piper was a total sucker for any and all nicknacks. She ended up leaving with a large paper bag loaded to the brim with assorted keepsakes, which she intended to send in a care package to her father. Well, maybe that adorable miniature snowglobe could be hers. And that tiny stuffed alligator would fill in the empty space on that odd shelf in her living room perfectly... Piper was so distracted with the task of sorting through the load of items in her bag that she hardly even registered almost knocking shoulders with someone walking the other direction. “Goodness, sorry! That's my bad, really.” Piper peered back at the stranger with raised eyebrows and an apologetic smile, quickly ringing the bag around the crease of her arm.
The lost woman’s inquiries made Piper pause in place on the sidewalk, blinking a few times as if her brain needed to buffer. After that brief moment, Piper's face lit up brighter than the sun, her mind scrambling with just about a million questions of her own. "I sure do! Are you moving here?! You'll love it, trust me! I'm actually kind of new too, except I'm a little less new now- obviously y'know, less new than you and all- BUT it's still good to be relatively new and meet new people when you're still mostly new and-" She cut herself off from her own jubilant tangent with a cordial grin that made her wide eyes crease upwards. "I'm Piper! C'mon, I'll show you thee best stores around town. It’s funny, I was actually out doing some shopping myself! So what's your style like, what're you into? Do you have a favorite color?" She lifted onto the tips of her toes excitedly as she reached out for the woman's arm, apparently quite fervid to lead her around. "Sorry! I just- this is really exciting! Oh, hold on a sec. Before I forget to ask again, what's your name?”
Working had always been one of Francis' favorite things, ever since he was young he loved to work, but now, in this restaurant, with his... Reputation, he found this kitchen staff was much more willing to have everything done without his input. They were doing a deep clean of the kitchen, so he had the time to go to the local seafood store and see what was fresh for the evening special. As he walked through the town, he couldn't help but notice all the new faces, people were moving into Staines in droves- well, not people, other things.
As he crossed a street he waved to the car who stopped for him and when he hopped onto the sidewalk, he couldn't help but catch the person who tripped on an uneven brick in the street. "Oh- careful. Old streets, they don't use cement here," he pointed out. "You need to watch out for uneven stones," he said as he righted the person. "You okay?"
Since the first light of dawn Piper was kept preoccupied with tidying up her shop, mindlessly cleaning every surface and preparing the many appliances inside for another hopefully busy day tomorrow. Although she was fairly accustomed to working in your standard high-stress restaurant environment, the overwhelming tourism in Saintes during her very first week in town made each moment keeping Fennec's running pass by in a blur. She figured it was about time for her to finally take a break from the confines of the confectionary, and allow herself a little fresh air out on the still bustling streets.
There was something so soothing about the chaos of community outside. Piper quietly tuned in to the mostly discernible conversations shared between the waves of masses brightly illuminated by the burning evening sky. Her eyes shined like sparklers each time she meandered her way around the town, admiring the colors and smells and of course, the people. Everything and everyone here was so different, so unique. She truly doubted the sights and sounds of Saintes would ever cease to restore that sweet childlike wonder in her heart.
With wide eyes Piper felt her foot brake abruptly against something hard and rough, which sent her staggering aimlessly into a poor passerby. "Geez, I'm so sorry, I'm okay! Don't worry!" She swiftly flicked her head to the side to push away a few stray hairs as she stumbled back, taking a moment to assess the kind soul who’d caught her.
"Huh. So there's nothing actually holding all those together...? Well, it's alright! I still kinda blame myself, it's not the brick's fault I'm a little clumsy today." She grinned bashfully and shook her head, casually shrugging off her embarrassment before extending a hand out to the man before her. "Thank you for saving me from- well, the ground. I'm Piper by the way! It's great to meet you!" Her voice raised with excitement at the opportunity to use this little mishap as a means to get to know someone new.
Piper was born and raised on her family's homestead in rural Pennsylvania on October 4th, 1995 to familiars Jack Allegheny and Selene Gruffudd-Allegheny. She was brought up almost exclusively by her father as Selene was often away, busy serving a mysterious witch as her long term partner. Jack, who had personally dismissed the concept of pairing with a witch or warlock, was often worried about how hard Selene was being worked after having just birthed their first child- which was something of a miracle in and of itself, seeing as the couple had struggled to conceive for quite some time. His fears turned out to be founded as Selene frequently fell ill and appeared notably weaker each time she returned home to rest. Despite her condition, Selene remained aggressively loyal to her witch, even in the days leading up to her disappearance. When she began missing her scheduled home visits, things started to grow tense. Selene would often write her family letters during any unforeseen prolonged absences, yet Jack and Piper would rush to the mailbox every weekend only to find bill notices and ad fliers. They had no clue who or even where her witch was, nor more importantly what she had done with Selene. Months went by with no signs of hope, leaving Jack and Piper to assume the worst. Jack began grieving, burying himself in work while Piper tried to keep her mind distracted with school and club activities. Despite the harsh loss that struck them both, Piper held fast to her optimism that someday things would change for the better.
Eventually Piper moved out of state to study business management at the University of Virginia. During her second year of college, the supernatural revelation occurred. She expressed to Jack how deeply she wished to be open about her identity and support the community but he was adamant about keeping up the low profile, especially while away from home. She caught wind of Saintes after graduating and moving back to Pennsylvania to take on the family business, Fennec's Confectionary. Piper was quick to surface the idea of bringing their business to a 'supe oriented' town like Saintes, an idea which was swiftly met with Jack's reluctance and disapproval. The two argued heavily on the subject for about a week before they finally sat down to discuss their differences. In the end Jack chose to stay in Pennsylvania; part of him weary to leave the promised safety of the homestead, part of him still hopeful that Selene would someday return. Piper accepted his choice, just as he accepted hers to still move forward with the plan for Saintes. She promised to keep in close touch, and after saying her final farewells and setting up the property arrangements, Piper packed her things and headed off to Louisiana.
♡ About the business: A small, relatively well hidden street corner confectionary and bakery that emanates warmth and mouth watering smells from early in the morning to late in the evening. Originally a family business rooted in Pennsylvania, Fennec’s has just recently appeared in Saintes along with the arrival of its newest owner, Piper Allegheny. Despite the change in location, Piper’s proud to say she still follows the centuries old coveted Allegheny family recipes. Boasting a wide variety of baked goods, unique candies, and specialty coffee brews prepared fresh each and every day, Fennec’s offers sugary treats that are sure to sweeten any supernatural’s senses.
♡ History: The Alleghenys were a long-standing familiar bloodline with reputations as resourceful and wise tradespeople. During the early 1700's, old Roe Allegheny was the first of his lineage to finally set down permanent roots, exchanging his caravaneer lifestyle for a small slice of land in Pennsylvania. He and his wife, a human named Edith, turned to farming as a means of income and found good profits from their work- enough so to turn their home into an inn only a stone's throw away from the nearest town. It quickly became something of a safe haven for travelers of all sorts to seek shelter, drinks, and home cooked meals at. It wasn't just the hospitality that made the Allegheny Inn so popular however. Edith had a way with baked goods that alone had customers forming lines at the inn's doors in the early mornings. Gingerbread, cream filberts, eclairs and more- Edith's recipes were the inn's secret weapon.
Roe and Edith's only son Fennec, born in the late 1700's, continued to build upon the family legacy long after his parents passed. The young familiar successfully kept the inn in steady business before his first troubles arose around 1855. The county sheriff William Magill had recently opened subtle investigations into numerous rumors of the inn being a front for supernatural beings seeking refuge in the town’s shadows. The rumors were all true of course- Fennec had started keeping tabs on any other supernaturals that frequented the area, often helping them flee into Toronto to evade bounty hunters and the likes. Despite this, it seemed Fennec was always one step ahead of the sheriff and his pesky officers.
By 1859, Fennec had consistently outsmarted sheriff Magill and his protégé shreiff Patterson, tiring the second lawman out after only his first year of duty. The newest sheriff, James Grahm, would prove to be a bit more stubborn than his peers. Grahm believed the rumors to be true, but also recognized the failures of the sheriffs before him. Knowing Fennec was a witty adversary, he turned to the freshly established Pinkerton Agency to assist him in the investigations. At that time many of the agents had already passed the sheriff's tales off as little more than ghost stories and superstitious banter, and after a month had gone by without any solid evidence being uncovered to back the town's rumors, the Pennsylvania Pinkerton operation decided to recall the town's party. Their departure left sheriff Grahm and his reputation in the dust. It was another win for Fennec and the town's supernaturals, however it would be very short lived.
In the summer of 1860, the Allegheny Inn burned to the ground in the middle of the day. Grahm and his officers investigated the "accident" and claimed it was simply an unfortunate act of God. Fennec was quick to refute the claim, arguing that Grahm surely had more to do with the incident than God did. The public dispute turned physical, and the sheriff's lackies jumped in to overpower Fennec. They brandished him a heathenous outlaw, and promptly ran him out of town.
With nothing to his name and nowhere to go, Fennec had no choice but to return to his family's old way of life. He wandered the outskirts of the Appalachians, exchanging his foraged goods and camp services with travelers. It brought in just enough money to keep him alive, but Fennec wanted more than mere survival. He started saving up, keeping portions of his meager earnings tucked away in hidden caches along his trade routes. By 1905 he'd accumulated enough money between the caches to open a small rest stop further up in northern Pennsylvania. It wasn't much, but Fennec was optimistic. In a few years time his mother's recipes would become something of a staple for locals and newcomers alike, and grow the business into the bones of a bustling new enterprise: Fennec's Confectionary. Only a handful of years later Fennec would meet a young Earth elemental named Ruth, and the pair birthed their only son Jack in 1918. Jack took to working in the town's mines while Fennec and Ruth lived out the rest of their days happily serving the confectionary until Ruth's passing in 1967. Following his mother's death, Jack left the mining industry and started working alongside his father. Fennec passed away in 1991, just a year after Jack married a female familiar named Selene.
Jack and Selene struggled to conceive a child for years until their miraculous pregnancy finally came. On October 4th, 1995, little Piper Allegheny was born. Not much is publicly known about the Allegheny family after this, though it's said Jack and Selene had some sort of falling out to the point where she decided to up and leave her husband and daughter overnight. Piper completed highschool and moved out of state briefly to study business management at the University of Virginia. After graduating she promptly took over Fennec's, and only a few months into officially owning the business Piper relocated to the new supernatural safe haven in Saintes, Louisiana.
One of Piper's life missions is to make friends with as many good people as she can, and she will always believe that there is at least a small sliver of good in everyone. It would take a lot of effort or some fairly awful deeds to make an enemy out of her.
♡ Coworkers (0/?)
Self explanatory! All employees of Piper's family's shop, Fennec's Confectionary.
♡ Friends
The moment Piper's eyes lock onto someone new she's immediately running up to them, eager to introduce herself. Every new Saintes resident automatically starts as a friend in Piper's life.
♡ Familial roles (0/?)
Piper is a gentle, if not easily excitable soul. She'd be more than happy to take someone in need under her wing without any second thoughts. As it stands, a majority of her closer friendships feel more like family bonds anyway. Piper would make an excellent older sister role for the younger townsfolk!
♡ Best friend (0/1)
Piper's idea of a 'best friend' may be slightly warped from her childhood. Many of the kids her age outcasted her for being overly rambunctious and slightly annoying. Unfortunately, that only made her try even harder to get close to them. This sparked her tendency to seek out dreary, lonely looking individuals to spread her cheeriness to. If they don't shoo her away or seem to mind her presence (too much), her fondness for them will only snowball into favoritism. She'll do whatever it takes to brighten their day and be by their side- even if they don't end up reciprocating her endless enthusiasm.
♡ Witch/Warlock (0/1)
This would be a complex relationship in the beginning, considering the early trauma brought about by her mother's unusual disappearance involving a witch. Piper wouldn't exactly be opposed to a partnership with a witch or warlock, though it's certainly something that would take her some time to adjust to. Her partner in magic would also have to be someone she deeply trusts, as in the back of her mind she may always wonder if she will someday meet the same fate her mother did.
♡ Romantic interest (0/1)
For someone so sociable and lighthearted, it'd take a surprising amount of effort to capture Piper's heart in a romantic sense. Many people see her as slightly dense or even dimwitted at times, however she's actually quite bright! Piper would find herself most attracted to someone with similar core morals, a beautiful understanding of words, and a mutual devotion to loyalty and honesty. Her love languages are gift giving, physical touch, and words of affirmation.
♡ Insignificant other (0/1)
While she's not one to entertain one night stands, if Piper takes enough interest in someone who doesn't share her feelings, she’d be willing to settle for a friends with benefits deal. This will ultimately cause her some heavy inner turmoil, since there's just no way Piper could see sharing her body intimately with someone as anything less than a meaningful connection- even if there's not supposed to be any strings attached.
