Chapter Text
Rain was poring down outside and had been for the last couple of days. Usually Serpine didn't care, but he had some errands to run. Like buying food to live.
Going outside was always a risk for him. Not because of glass on the floor and people bumping into him, because people just didn't like him. Even if he wasn't this dimensions Serpine, he was still a dimensions Serpine. And that seemed like a good enough excuse to make his life even harder.
Sighing and pulling on his rail jacket, he left his apartment and made his way down to the streets. Where people would stare, whisper, glare, anything to show their disliking of him. The worst part always came when he was buying stuff. Since the reputation he had wasn't a good one, he couldn't get a job anywhere. So he was living off of the money the Sanctuary gave him.
Finally, he got to the market. On days like this where it was raining, they would move the market into the community center, so nobody had to worry about the weather. The only problem with this for Serpine, was that he couldn't hide his face with his hood. Oh well.
As soon as the hood came off, he could feel the glares and stares at the back of his head. Though when he glanced behind him, no one was looking. At least right now. But he had better things to do that worry about what others thought about him. And nobody was going to buy his food for him.
"Hello" Serpine said to a story owner. All he needed was a loaf of bread. But nothing ever seemed to be easy for him
"Ah Serpine! What can I do for you?" They asked grinning. He knew that grin. It wasn't I kind one. It was a 'I know I can get some extra cash from you' one.
"Just a loaf of bread please" he replied
The store owner nodded, still grinning. "That'll be twelve bucks."
"Wait, twelve? I thought it was only seven
"They shrugged "Inflation. Take it or leave it."
Serpine sighed. People would always do this it him. Raise the price only for him just because they could. "Fine."
He handed over the money, and the shop owner handed over a bag of bread. It definitely wasn't the best one at the stall, and Serpine swore there where less pieces in the bag than any other ones.
More like shrinkflation
A/N This is a word I made up meaning when prices for something get higher, but the actual product size or amount gets smaller :D
Next up, eggs.
The shop owner saw him coming and gave a very seeable eyeroll.
"What is it?" They snapped
Serpine frowned "just some eggs. Please"
The stall owner muttered something, grabbed a pack of eggs, and shoved them at Serpine so suddenly that he nearly dropped them. "15 dollars."
They both knew that the actual price was ten, but Serpine was just too tired to care at the moment. He payed the amount begrudgingly before wondering off. Now only one more thing, tea and alcohol.
Great thing about this stall, was that the owner selled both of the two. And, she never raised the prices on anything he brought. Sometimes she would even lower them because she knew that the other stall owners were scamming him out of his money.
"Afternoon Serpine. What can I do for you?" She asked. The smile on her face seemed genuine, unlike all the others.
He smiled back. "Black tea and a bottle of my usual please."
She went reached under the stall and pulled out the two. He held out his hand going to grab them, but she pulled them out of his reach."You know, I don't really ask personal information about my customers, but can I ask, how much do you usually drink?"
Serpine bit his lower lip "when you ask that, do you mean in a day, or a week?"
She raised an eyebrow "both."He sighed "uh, in a day? Sometimes maybe two or three glasses? Probably four if it's a rough day. And over the week... maybe, five or six bottles...? I'm not entirely sure. Though sometimes I drink a whole bottle in a day so..."
She stared at him like he had grown a second head, then shock her own. "Then I can't give you this."
Now Serpine stared at her, very confused "what do you mean?"
"The alcohol! Of you're drinking that much every WEEK, that's not very healthy and so I can't give you this. Believe it or not it is actually one of our rules. 'If the costumer is consuming to much alcohol in a week, you are able to not give them more'"
Serpine just kept staring, until he snapped out of it. "You know what? Fine. Just give me the tea."
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Whilst heading home, he could stop think about what she had said. Maybe he was drinking too much.
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By the time he had gotten home, his very cheap raincoat had failed its job, and the bread was probably partially soaked. But he just dumped the food onto the kitchen bench and sighed. Maybe the day wouldn't get worse.
But lo and behold, it got worse.
Serpine noticed a letter at the bottom of the door that he hadn't seen on the way in. And of course it had the sanctuary's seal on it. He hesitated before opening it, but sighed and did it anyway. It read:
To Serpine,
We would like to inform you that your monthly payment has been set down from $350, to $250. This change will be effective immediately, and we are sorry for any difficulties or casualties this may cause.
From The Sanctuary
Short, quick, and absolutely devastating. Serpine pressed his back against the wall and sled down it till he was sitting on the floor.
Two hundred and fifty dollars
Two hundred. And fifty. Dollars.
That was way too little. Having to pay for groceries, clothes, rent (The Sanctuary dealed with half of it, but money was still money), and everything he needed to live would all cost more than this.
Three fifty barely got him by. Two fifty? Practically impossible. He would have to eat less, drink less, do less. So wanting to stop thinking about it all, he got up and went to a cabinet next to the sink. He still had some wine left, about half a bottle, so it would have to do. He pulled it out and grabbed a wine glass. But before pouring it in, he remembered what the stall owner had said. "It's not healthy"
Screw it.
He didn't bother even poring it into the glass, just went over and sat down on his couch, turned on the TV, and drank straight from the bottle.
——————
A few hours later, Serpine was unconscious on the couch with an empty wine bottle on the floor at the base off the couch, and the TV still on and playing. And little did he know, that tomorrow would be the most chaotic day he's had in a while.
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1158 Words