Chapter Text
The whole world stops for a moment.
You hold the metal lock between your forefinger and thumb, looking out past the windowed door and into the dark of the promenade streets just in front of you. Your eyes are glued to a pair of teenagers running down the cobblestone, kicking up garbage and belly laughing so loud you can hear it through the glass.
There’s a small tug in your gut as you watch them flit about.
“ If you keep zoning out like that we’ll never get there on time ” Someone groans from behind you.
The rest of the group mutters and whispers their own grievances, clearly impatient after waiting on you to close up for the past 30 minutes. You choose to hold back stating that it would've been faster if you had help from the 4 of them.
A little sigh leaves your mouth as you loudly turn the key in its mechanism, before putting it back into the pocket you retrieved it from.
The moment is gone.
You turn around with a practiced smile on your face. Quietly, you make your way to the bathroom to change while your coworkers resume their chatting about ‘knowing someone who knows someone who will most definitely let us in tonight’ among other excited drabbles.
You linger for a moment to listen in before a pointed look has you back on the path to the restroom.
After shutting the door, You take a long look in the mirror across from you, soaking in a bit of alone time before what's to come. Even though you feel well beyond your years, the face gazing back at you was very much one in their early twenties, though the dark circles did nothing to help how obviously tired you looked.
With a quick tousle you pull your locks out of the many clips intricately holding your wisps in place and swipe a finger below each eye to try to remove the day-old smudged makeup. You force your doppelganger's wince into a crooked smile.
It doesn’t change a lot but you figure you don’t have to worry too much about lighting where you’re headed. Impulsively, you try to strike a provocative pose but only end up laughing at your own expense.
You really didn't think anyone would consider you the seducing type. Not anymore.
Letting your private little giggle bubble out, you smooth a hand down the swell of your chest, past the softness of your belly and back up over the deep dip of your hip. For a fleeting moment you consider fresh eyes on the curves of your figure before deciding you much rather don’t want to imagine how other people see you tonight.
No more overthinking, remember?
Finally, you force yourself to jut your chin high as you walk out into the bar, filing out through the back door with your hasty companions.
You're obligated to hang out with these sort of friends who kind of like you in the way that you've worked together for much too long to not spend a few nights drinking away your collective sorrows.
It’s not that you don’t enjoy working at Minnie’s, the small coffee bar has basically become your second home. No doubt you’ve come to be the shopkeep's favorite. Making a habit of dedicating extra time to perfecting your work and keeping up maintenance to distract your addled mind has gone well noticed by a self made woman like Ms. Minnie.
She’s stated more than once how much your tenacity reminds her of her younger self, but somehow each time she mentions it, the more tired you feel.
Being one of few ‘round these parts to reach an age of retirement, She had long since been implying her intentions for you to take over management… much to the chagrin of the coworker you were currently trailing behind.
Renma, though lacking in your skill, has tried her damndest to win over the old woman with intense flattery and flirtation. That’s what wins over the customer’s tips for sure. You’d be a fool to deny you haven’t felt your own cheeks heat up a little under her fresh faced gaze.
Unfortunately for her and you, the old spinster isn’t the type to give batting eyelashes and a few well placed comments about how “all the highest paying customers ask for her by name” much thought.
She’s never been outwardly mean to you or anything, if anything she’s been nicer than you would ever expect from someone trying to steal the show. Somehow though, you get the feeling that when your eyes aren’t turned to that sugary smile there's a sneer in waiting.
It doesn't help that since she’s started, the other tenders have slowly stopped asking you to come out after shifts as often. Surprisingly though, they just about insisted on your company tonight.
You weren't particularly complaining, your empty apartment has been feeling a little more empty than usual as the Fall season slowly approaches so you more than welcomed the invite.
Thankfully, pouring out upcharged java for the higher class Zaunites and the curious Piltovian tourists afforded you enough money to go out like this often enough and still keep a place out of the lower levels. Your life was still modest but it’s much better than living off couches and other people’s hex like you had done for so very long.
As the group filed out for the night you couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the destination, The Last Drop. It’s not like you were unfamiliar with the bar turned nightclub, everyone and their mother has had their fair amount of shots in that old building. What gave you pause was the increase of shimmerheads since you last stepped foot inside.
Two panicked pairs of feet rush down the alley, one clutching their side. He’s almost caught up to -.
You shut that train of thought out as you pull the collar of your coat up against the breeze. You’ve fallen a bit behind from the rest of the group and jog a second up at them, seemingly without notice.
Listening to them bicker back and forth to themselves as you follow behind, your eyes end up drifting back to Renma’s willowy form.
You can’t help but feel a bit grubby next to her ensemble. She’s no doubt just as undercity bred as you are, but her neatly styled hair and well kept clothes try to sell a story of wealthier means.
You begin to anxiously twist the metal band on your thumb, eyes drawing a line up with those toned legs seemingly unbothered by the weather. You know she can't afford the intricately embroidered skirt and jacket combo she’s sporting now but you have no doubt it came as a gift from a topside admirer. You drag your gaze up to land on her foxish face, so perfectly framed by deep red waves. Embarrassingly you can’t help but feel a little pulled in yourself.
Your eyes dart away, instead focusing on the rest of their faces, How easily they laugh and hang on to her every word. You feel the first licks of displeasure in your ribs before you once again force yourself to push those feelings back down into submission.
You’ll just do yourself more harm than good thinking about being someone you're just not meant to be. No need to project your feelings on someone who's done nothing to you.
Turning your gaze back on yourself though, Trencher was the only word you could bring to mind.
Despite knowing you were hitting the streets tonight you pulled on the same worn, black jean shorts you always do. At least you’ve managed to switch out one of your ratty shapeless pullovers with a fitted tank top. That tanktop having once been a t-shirt with holes in the armpit that you had brutally murdered the sleeves of out of unwillingness to search for thread.
Sure it wasn't your most youthful or exciting outfit but it's the only one that didn’t make you look like a sad slob. You had reservations about showing too much skin but when your plan to get through the night was show face and to try to score a couple freebies off whatever sorry drunkard took interest you really didn't have much of a choice.
At least you had your brother’s old leather jacket and some thin stockings as a bit of a shield against the unexpected early chill.
Snowdown was still 4 months out for Janna’s sake.
As the group approached the queue outside the club that same tugging feeling came to rest back in the pit of your stomach. You wanted to leave already but true to his word, your coworker got you all in without complaint. You’re sure it's because you had a higher ratio of females to males in the small crew but chose not to question good fortunes.
Regardless, you’re already here so you might as well take the night in stride.
Walking in the large room you’re immediately hit with a blast of warm air laced with the must of a full room of dancing people, underlaid with something absolutely cloying. No doubt that sweetness can be attributed to the shimmery smoke hanging in a thick cloud above the crowd.
Great, worse than you thought.
You take a quick sweep of the area, trying to ignore the old memories niggling at the edges of your mind. Your eyes catch on the staircase next to the entrance, or rather at the two bouncers taking guard at the foot of the stairway. Both characters are large and imposing enough to tell you they’d keep any funny business in line tonight. It puts you at ease, if only a little.
In the time it takes you to glance over the club, the group you came in with has already left you to join the wriggling bodies out on the floor. With a light shrug you steal away to the only open space at the bar.
Out of your peripheral you notice the head of the man a couple stools down snaps over before throwing a quick smile at you. Your body smiles back in politeness but something at the back of your neck prickles under his gaze.
He’s not irritating to the eye at all but your hackles rise at his bulging, muscular mass. Besides, somehow you get the feeling he’s not the gentle giant type and you’ve had more than enough rough and tumble men for a lifetime.
You decide you’d rather pay for your own drinks than try to wrangle in that one.
You peer over bar top and recognize the man on staff tonight, if only because last time you were here you and your brother couldn’t get your half drunken mouths around the name Theirum without laughing or knocking over drinks. You had absolutely embarrassed yourselves. It seems he must also remember you because he cuts eye contact and doesn’t walk over to you until everyone else is taken care of.
You really didn’t blame him, you also didn't want you to be here.
Once your period of shunning had ended, you finally put in your order of a rum and punch. In an act of peace, you double the usual amount you’d give at an establishment like this.
It’s not like you had anything or anyone to spend it on these days anyways.
He gives you and your silver hexes a sidelong glance before quirking a smile and topping off your drink with a dash more liquor and sliding the glass over onto a coaster.
A smile passes your own face in victory, getting one person's favor tonight. Well maybe more than one now.
Though you've been trying to ignore the blatant staring you’ve been getting from that same man next to you at the bar, he clearly has not noticed or cared. During your purchase he had somehow nudged his way over the new gap in barflies and was sitting next to you, waiting for you to look over for an opportunity to talk.
He reeks like he’s spilled a whole bottle of old perfume on himself and is slightly swaying in his seat. You think at first he’s just drifting in and out because he’s pissed out his mind but the subtle purple glitter at his iris tells you everything you need to know. You quickly down your drink before calling out for another, trying to distract yourself from the suffocating bubble you found yourself in.
You’re regretting coming here in this get up if this is whose attention it catches.
Waiting on Therium to catch up, you look back on the crowd, avoiding making eye contact with the man still drooling after you.
You almost feel relieved as Renma slithers out of the group and struts up to your seat, laying her small hand on your broad shoulder. It puts an unpleasant burning below your skin but you try to ignore it as you give her a tight, little smile. Therium finally slides a cold glass back into your hand, instantly turning back to take a tentative sip.
“Who’s this? Finally putting yourself out there?” she hums in a playfully coy tone. You bristle at the tease, everyone including Ms. Minnie has been making little jabs about your lack of interest in a love life. Frankly it’s not that you weren’t interested in company, you definitely were, you just didn’t think anyone would want someone with your….baggage.
You however did NOT want someone like the slab of meat next to you and for the umpteenth time tonight you find yourself swallowing down uncomfortable feelings.
“I don’t know what you're talking about '' you chuckle, keeping your face tipped down towards your drink on the bar and trying to keep the conversation light.
“I'm talking about tall, dark and handsome next to you” she chirps.
You slightly turn your head incredulously toward her before going back for another sip. Can’t she tell how uncomfortable you are? Surely the shoulder her fingers are still attached to is as stiff as steel.
“I don't know that guy” you grumble around your straw “I don't want to know him either, I’ve already told you I'm not looking for anything. Go look for gossip somewhere else”
You go to take another strong sip before she turns your shoulder with more force than you’d expect, almost spilling your drink as it drags across the counter’s edge. You almost say something in annoyance but she grins sickly sweet down at you before leaning in close to whisper in the ear between you and the man.
“Maybe it’s time you let loose, let go of that tight grip you have on everything. Y’know live a little. Don’t want to end up alone like the boss right?”
She pauses for a second before adding “We all know what happened but you can’t keep wasting away like this”
Your stomach sinks at the insinuation as you quickly pull your head back and throw her a dumbstruck look.
She just about looks like the cat that got the cannery, reveling in finally getting a claw under your thick skin. A fire ignites in your chest as you twist around in place, grabbing your drink with newfound vigor.
You’re almost happy to taste the venom behind that smile she always puts on. You almost can feel the bottle you’ve kept your ire trapped in rattling with delight.
You hold eye contact and take a big swig, chugging the rest of the liquid in one go and give her a big, toothy, wet smile. Though you know its petty you can’t help but be a little proud at the widening of her eyes bouncing between you and the glass in your hand.
You won’t admit it but she has a point, you’ve been a zombie these past months. If it means pulling down her high horse even a little bit then you have no problem accelerating your hangover for both of your amusements. Hey, you might even enjoy tonight after all.
The shock dissipates from her face as she simply gives you another feline grin and a cheeky wink. Before you know it she’s tottling back to the swarm of bodies in front of you and her the bright streak of auburn is gone.
Somehow you feel like you’ve just been the butt of the joke and have no idea why .