outfit x song x hex 799EAA
.calledby. eli
.prounouns. he/him
.location. vincents bodega, midgrasp
The damn bell shop was what woke him up. Heād managed to ignore the thing for the first two hours of open- it only rang once every thirty minutes that early in the morning and Eli was a heavy sleeper. Even crunched up on Vincentās old beat up couch, Eli rarely woke up before 10am.
The large vintage-style windows were lazily drawn closed with cheap curtains, filling the small living room with that orange sort of glow that only existed before 8am. He stared into the room and inhaled deeply, the wooden floors bathed in glow and a dusty smell, the humid warmth of the books lining almost every wall striking against the bitter scent of bad coffee from downstairs. Vincent was not a clean man, but everything had its place in this small apartment. Eliās small pile of stuff stood out strikingly against the nestled comfort of the single-room home. Heād grabbed a dark hoodie, a few changes of the same grey shirt, and an extra pair of black jeans on his mad dash to vacate his own apartment. Heād been re-wearing, re-washing, or begrudgingly borrowing the bodega owners' clothes for the majority of the month now and knew it wasnāt going to last much longer.
But he was getting clean. He still lacked the heightened senses he was used to and had yet to shift- but he no longer constantly yearned for the government-mandated oblivion of Wolfsbane. Vincent was helping with that, Eli wasnāt really sure how. He felt a difference in control when he was in the same room as the other man, like his cardigan-covered disheveled appearance somehow forced Eliās mind out of its haze. He slipped up sometimes, slipped back into that spell that made him want to fall into his listless programming, but Vincent somehow always tugged him back.
He was hungry and that meant scavenging the remnants of last night's dinner or heading downstairs early. It wasnāt as if he was going back to sleep either way- his ears were tuned into the bustle of the street outside, hyper-fixated on the slow even sweeps of Vincent's broom. Someone was in the shop bustling around, opening fridge doors and shuffling around on a lame foot. The coffee was gurgling, meaning Vincent had already started another pot.
Blue alerted to him as soon as he walked down the stairs, the small pupās pitter-patter across the linoleum almost enough to shove Eliās early morning pissyness aside. He crouched and greeted the dog fully, stifling a smile at the annoyingly cute and wet kisses.
Vincent looked up at the sound of Blueās excitement, grinning as Eli stooped down to greet him. Blue had always been a fan favorite but heād taken a special liking to Eli early on. Heād always been a good judge of character as far as Vincentās experiences go. Though admittedly there were other reasons Vincent had noticed Eli begin with.
āāBout time,ā Vincent teased. He liked to give Eli a hard time here and there but overall heād been a pretty generous boss. The kid just needed some help that wasnāt shoving sedatives down his throat. āCoffeeās fresh, beer vendors get here in an hour. I had to put in an emergency order for Solstice, noticed we were running low on 40ozs.ā
Eli offered a gruff grunt as a reply, standing up slowly as Blue circled his legs. He eyed the full pot of hot garbage with a look of pure disdain. No matter how much he informed Vincent he was drinking burned rabbit shit, he refused to change up his supplier or get a new machine and continued to offer a cup to Eli every morning. Eli wandered over and grabbed some jerky out of a box, the fake taste of beef and teriyaki better than nothing at the moment.
āI gotta turn you down for that casserole leftover,ā He made brief eye contact before looking outwards through the open doorway, āThink the market is still open on the Solstice? You want me to grab us something?ā
āNah, not worth it.ā Vincent scoffed, blowing a bit of air out his lips as he shook his head dismissively. āEveryoneās scrambling over there, by the time you make it back Iāll be closing up the shop.ā
He walked over to the door, glancing down either end of the street. People were starting to filter out, their body glitter still perfectly placed and drinks in hand. Half of these people leaving their houses now would end up passed out in front of his shop at some point tonight. It was always a shit show at the bodega Solstice night, but for the first time since he bought the place he planned on closing early. Let someoneās late-night craving for a wildberry fauxfizz wait until morning, he had bigger things in mind.
āYou ever been in the city for the Solstice? As in Midgrasp?ā Vincent looked back at Eli, leaning against the doorframe behind him.
Eli followed, leaning his shoulder on the other side and peering down the same direction. āNoā He answered, yellow eyes following the day drinkers and oblivious bodies down the street. Eli hadnāt been around crowds in years, maybe ever. Before his capture the only reason heād be near a crowd is if they were running and now that heās released he avoids humans like the plague.
āI havenāt been in the city for Solstice for a long timeā his eyes followed some elven girl as she tripped and dumped the majority of her cocktail in the bushes, the following laughter so piercing he pulled his head back inside, āI donāt really know what it is. An excuse to drink?ā
āYou could say that,ā Vincent laughed under his breath, he wasnāt wrong. Most of them did just use it as an excuse to drink, hard not to when the city made it an inescapable party. āFor magic practitioners itās a pretty powerful day, holds a lot of significance - you know?ā
Vincent didnāt make a habit of letting his powers be known. He learned it was always best to fly under the radar, but he didnāt mind helping those he could with it in the meantime. Admittedly he wasnāt sure how Eli hadnāt caught on yet, though he supposed the lingering effects of withdrawal didnāt make him too on the ball.
āIf you know where to go, thereās actually some cool little spots that do something special for Solstice. Theyāre a little more low key so they donāt get as crowded as the rest of the city.ā Vincent looked over at Eli with a raise of his eyebrows. He knew the werewolf was still wary about crowds, but Vincent had a way about him that made others at ease regardless of circumstance. A natural charisma some would say.
āI assumed you were hunkering down if you were closing earlyā Eli fully turned towards Vincent now- the shop owner rarely strayed far from his apartment and work, a steadfast presence on the block. Eli grown used to the routine. Heād also planned to hide upstairs from the all-night party, but if Vincent wanted him to goā¦ āAre you saying āsomething specialā like magic?ā
Vincent shrugged, rubbing his hands together as he suppressed a smirk. It was true he wasnāt really one to go out, especially not when the streets were flooded with dumb asses - but he was ready for something new. Clasping a hand on Eliās shoulder, he gave it a reassuring squeeze the werewolves muscles taut beneath his fingers.
āEli, you are in Midgrasp. Where isnāt there magic?ā