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[right]Interactions: Elena [@Qia], ‘James’ [@NoriWasHere]
[code]The Cozy Bakery[/code][/right][hr]
Loni visibly relaxed further when she realised Elena was also a South sider. It wasn't discrimination on her part as much as it was anticipating it toward her. All of her customers were from the North, and none of them treated her badly (they couldn't), but that didn't mean they really treated her like a person. Then there was the judgement she got for being such a young mother. She knew people thought it was typical of someone like her - poor upbringing, a stripper. It all made her uncomfortable around people from the North. Even if it was all things [i]she[/i] could brush off, she worried her daughter would understand it.

But she didn't get any of that from Elena. 

“Nah ahhh mabah!” Luciana babbled, waving her hands at Elena again before twisting around to stare out the window excitedly. Loni laughed lightly, carefully holding Luciana as she wriggled around enough that she definitely would’ve fallen over without the support.

[color=ff7360]"Yes, nice to meet you too, very good, Lu,"[/color] Loni said, managing to decipher the undecipherable. It wasn’t necessarily what she was actually saying… Loni wasn’t sure how much Luciana understood right now. All the books and articles she’d read said she should be speaking a lot more words by now, so she might not understand anything… it did worry her. But those worries weren’t for right now! 

[color=ff7360]"You’re right about that! I always think you gotta count your blessings, y’know? Take the little things and meetings."[/color] Loni smiled brightly back, seeming to grow comfortable incredibly quickly. That was just how she was. As long as people showed a little openness, she was friendly and at ease. Even with those that didn’t… she made it work. [color=ff7360]"Even if the North’s pretty stuffy, there’s plenty of nice people who come round here. Like my boss! She ain’t from South but she don’t treat us like we’re any less. Makes sure no one else does too."[/color] She was surprisingly cheerful as she talked about work - bright and bubbly. She genuinely enjoyed her job, even if it wasn’t one a lot of people approved of, and everyone there was like family to her. [color=ff7360]"You work in the North too, or just come-"[/color] 

"Mama..." Luciana interrupted. Her voice was suddenly quieter, not as cheerful, little hands grasping onto Loni's arms. She was staring at something - someone - near the door. Then she started to wail. "[b][I]Mama, mamaaaa![/I][/b]"

[color=ff7360]"What is it, baby?"[/color] Loni immediately scooped up Luciana, holding her close and gently rocking her. Luciana hid her face in Loni's shoulder as she sobbed loudly, little body trembling. One arm pointed towards the door. Loni turned to follow it, staring down a well dressed man with a wide smile. 

"[I]M-maaama,[/I]" Luciana's terrified voice was muffled by Loni's jumper. It pulled at Loni's heart to see her normally cheerful daughter like this. What the fuck had he done? It didn't matter what it was, because her baby was distressed. 

[color=ff7360]"Sh, it's okay, my love, it's all okay,"[/color] Loni gently bounced Luciana. Her eyes narrowed at the man. [color=ff7360]"Mama's got you."[/color]

Really, she should let it go, as much as it hurt to see her daughter like this. But she didn't want to. Maybe it was all those years of listening to Vin telling her how much the North sucked - about how she shouldn't put up with any shit from them or anyone else. Loni didn't really care, because she was content with how she lived, and she'd grown up being treated worse... But not when it came to Luciana. All her buried protective instincts came out for her. And if she let it go then she'd just be teaching Luciana to accept whatever was done to her. 

[color=ff7360]"What did you do to my daughter?"[/color] Loni cradled Luciana against her chest, while glaring at the eerily smiling man. She took a step towards him, still near the table with Elena at it, and frowned. What did she want out of this? An apology. [color=ff7360]"Apologise to her. And stop creepily smilin' at kids. Maybe you think cause you're from the North you're above everyone, but you ain't! You can't just fuckin' scare my daughter like that."[/color]
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[right]Interactions: An idiotic busybody [@Atrophy], Malik, Caleb & Not David [@NoriWasHere]
[code]South Side, Circle Neighbourhood, David Smith’s Home[/code][/right][hr]
[color=51684c]”Stay back.”[/color]

Vin's arm came out to stop Paloma from getting past them, meaning she was trapped awkwardly close to them in her attempt to get past in the small doorway. But as [i]it[/I] made itself known, it seemed more like a blessing. Vin wasn’t one to get disturbed easily, but even this made their stomach turn a little bit. Fuck, the boss was not going to be happy about this…

[color=51684c]”Shit.”[/color]

With catlike reflexes, Vin's strong, striped arms wrapped around Paloma's waist and pushed her towards the ground. Vin flipped, landing them both on their side where Vin took the brunt of the impact, then rolled so Paloma was trapped underneath them. The spear meant for Paloma scraped their back. The wound started healing as soon as sticky blood matted their fur, and they didn't even flinch. It was nothing. 

[color=51684c]”It’s right. You should know better than to get between a predator and its prey.”[/color] There was an almost excited glint in Vin’s yellow eyes as they loomed over Paloma, keeping themselves held just above her. They quickly and carefully lowered themselves down to whisper in her ear. [color=51684c]”Stay down. Get out if there’s an opening.”[/color] 

They pushed themselves back to their feet, looking towards Malik and Caleb. He hadn’t had the time to answer, too busy saving the fucking [i]nosey woman’s life[/i].

[color=51684c]”Weird Apparition. Dunno, but I can fuckin’ hurt it. Cover me.”[/color] They cracked their neck, lips pulling back into a savage grin towards the doppelganger. A dark shadow rippled across their skin as they cast their Apparition Wounding spell across their body. It showed how they wanted to fight - properly and brutally. It wouldn’t weaken the creature, but it would hurt it just like it could hurt them.

A proper fight. A fun fight.

[color=51684c]”Hey, bastard, pick on someone your own size,”[/color] Vin snarled, baring their sharp teeth at it. Hopefully it would ignore Paloma with three of them coming at it.

They jumped forward, closing the gap between them. Their sharp claws went right for the throat, enhanced to cause intense pain to apparitions, and their foot swept around to try and kick its legs out from under it.