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realmackross · 11 months

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PARTIES: @lithium-argon-wo-l-f; @realmackross TIMING: Early August SUMMARY: On a (rather peculiar) whim, Gael decides to chance by the Dance Macabre when a bar fight breaks out. Mack, who’s on shift, hops in and the two wrestle with some undead. WARNINGS: Alcohol Mention tw, Physical Violence tw

He had to be honest, the Dance Macabre wasn’t the type of place Gael saw himself visiting - while he enjoyed nightclubs and had a proclivity towards bars, something about this one didn’t really appeal to him. However, he wasn’t a quitter and though he felt as though he should’ve been accompanying someone, he showed the indifferent bouncer his ID and he was granted access. The feeling that bubbled in Gael’s gut before entering the establishment seemed to churn even more once he was confronted with dark industrial music and, much more worryingly, a sense that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. The place felt… dead. Even as he carefully made his way to the bar, the room felt chilled, as though he were actually in a morgue (which didn’t seem entirely inaccurate as the gothic decor was through the roof in this place). He also felt like he was the oldest person there by about 20 years, which never felt good. Wondering if maybe he should’ve turned then and there and gone somewhere more familiar and warm, Gael approached the bar where he looked at the grotesque collections on the shelves, including what appeared to be a jar of fingers and several cases of thick red liquid. “I’ll uh… Okay new plan. What would you recommend?” He asked the bartender, a lovely younger lady with blond hair and bright eyes.

— It had been a pretty busy night for Mackenzie. All the undead and emo teens alike had been dancing the night away as if their lives and undead lives depended on it. And the tips were coming in hot. There had been maybe three kids total who had recognized the young actress, which, in her opinion, made for an even better night. She was easily going to make enough tip money to pay off her As Seen On TV bill that was pushing $400.

Seeing an older gentleman approach the bar, Mackenzie quickly grabbed a towel and wiped everything down. She could remember the days when she’d go out with friends and rest her arms on the countertop only to be grossed out by all the condensation and spilled beer, “Hey there.” She could tell this wasn’t his scene. He seemed a bit confused by the decor and what was being offered, and honestly, Mackenzie had to tell herself lies to make what she was serving seem acceptable. But how could she deny what it really was, when even she consumed human flesh and brains? “What do you like? Fruity? Spicy? Hard liquor?”

Since coming to Wicked’s Rest, it seemed like her life had changed even more than she ever could have realized. There was just something about this town that wasn’t quite right and made even Hollywood look normal. But it just felt right. Like she belonged now. Maybe it was slowly starting to sink in more than she had wanted to admit, but Mackenzie wasn’t the same girl she used to be. Yet, she still wasn’t ready to leave her old life behind, and it was a fine line she was teetering on between going off the deep end or accepting that maybe after time, everything would be okay.

—

Gael realized dumbly that he didn’t even say hello to the bartender. That wasn’t like him. He was savvy enough, however, to continue the conversation and he knew he’d be able to circle around to it. “Well,” He mused, trying to relax a little more and he tapped his chin in thought. “I lean towards mojitos and tequila sunrises so by those standards, I like fruity!” He let his natural charisma take back over his features as he settled into where he figured he was going to be spending at least the next hour trying to mold himself to fit in with this environment. Notably, he kept his eyes on her now. “And I’m really sorry niña, I was totally rude and didn’t even ask for your name or how you were doing tonight.” Gael offered a sheepish scoff. He then leaned back and motioned to her. “I know you probably get this question a lot but what do you like? Like, gimme the insider information.” He leaned back forward, propping his torso on his elbows as he looked at her with his dark-circled brown eyes, conveying curiosity and attention to her; he wasn’t entirely comfortable here so he did what he did best - focus on someone. She was the only person who mattered right now.

—

Fruity. Mackenzie could definitely work with fruity, “Hey, I love a good fruity drink. Is this dealer’s choice tonight or were you thinking of something in particular?” She hadn’t been bartending too long, but she had enjoyed it. It was always fun mixing up the different drinks, and remembering the ingredients seemed to keep her mind sharp for when she would be able to go back to acting. At least that's what she kept telling herself. Truth of the matter was, it would probably never happen, unless she could ever face her own fears of who she was and somehow workout what she had done.

“Hey, you know what? That’s totally fine! You’re honestly the first person to ask.” She looked out towards the dance floor, “Most of the people here are more concerned with getting laid, then knowing my name or how I’m doing.” It was true. They wanted their drinks, to dance, and to find someone to either take home and eat, fuck, or kill. “But as for me, like I was saying earlier, I do enjoy a good fruity drink, but I also like the hard stuff, like vodka or fireball.” Fireball was Mack’s new favorite, because she could somewhat feel the burn on her tongue.

— She’d obviously been in that business long enough that she knew how to avoid answering that type of question, as she provided neither her status of how she was doing nor her name. He made a note that if she wasn’t going to offer her name, he was sure he’d learn it eventually but he opted to give her an impromptu nickname, as he tended to do. “You’re telling me!” Gael laughed in response to the ‘hard stuff’. “I’m a baby; I was thinking like, a mojito.” He gave a small smile. “Blackberry mojitos, those are my ultimate favorite.” The professor then briefly revisited the comment about people frequenting that bar so they could, in relative terms, ‘get laid’, which just served as another tally on Gael’s list for how he didn’t think he quite fit into the mold there. Indeed, he seemed to feel eyes on him and he casually looked around again, his unnatural gaze that helped him see much better in the dark than they used to dancing on the lights, the colors that bounced around, the people that moved around. Fortunately, he’d been in enough bars both before and after his accident that the sound, while grating on him at the worst of times, was passable and somehow easy for him to circumvent. He couldn’t tell if someone was looking at him, though. Not that he necessarily minded most of the time - he was aware of how he looked and his pride wasn’t petty enough to feel insulted by staring. “How, uh… how long have you been here?” He asked, turning back to face the bartender. “Oh! Also uh… blackberry mojito! Er, please.”

—

Blackberry mojitos. It had been forever since Mackenzie had tasted one. All the things she was missing out on as a zombie had sucked. She could recall what things tasted like to the point of if it was sweet, bitter, or salty, but actually enjoying it was a totally different story. Being a zombie sucked. In fact, the more Mackenzie sat on the thought, she hadn’t found any part of it that she had actually enjoyed. And now, here she stood, in a bar full of emo goth kids and probably some dead ones too, considering the things that lingered on the shelves behind her, serving alcohol to people who were probably living in her same depressed way of thinking forcing a smile for others to enjoy.

“Hey, you’re not a baby. You just have great taste.” She winked at him. The one thing Mackenzie had been good at was playing a part, and in her mind, to compensate for the crappy days, she acted like this was just another movie role she was preparing for. Bartending hadn’t been that bad. She had actually found solace in the social scene, even though this had been far from her usual scene.

Mackenzie pulled out a tall glass and began mixing up the drink for her new bar friend, “Since early June. That’s when I actually came to Wicked’s Rest. Just needed an escape from some things back home.” And an escape it was. “What about you? Been here long yourself?” She had become pretty good at serving up drinks and was smooth in the actual process of it all, even throwing in a few tricks, when she was confident her deadened fingertips wouldn’t cause anything to fall and shatter. That had happened once or twice, and it was not pretty.

—

“Only June? That’s not long at all for someone as confident as you seem.” Gael replied lightly, going back to keeping his sunken eyes on her again, ignoring any pairs he might’ve felt on his back. “I’ve been here since January and now that I think about it, I feel like we might’ve spoken online before.” He added. Then again, so many people seemed to move there so frequently, he didn’t think it right to assume that she was one of the ones he’d spoken to about fun things to do around town. “In any case, just January for me. Go back to school at the end of August so I’m just enjoying my summer.” As he talked, watching her make his drink with the ever-admirable level of skill bartenders seemed to have, he couldn’t keep his head from jerking instinctively as he something seemed to push through the thump of the music. He wasn’t sure if he would’ve even noticed it in a regular bar but this one was obviously… unique. It sounded like two individuals starting to argue. At first, Gael was inclined to shrug it off; even a goth dance rave was still ultimately a bar, arguments were bound to break out, right? Or maybe that just spoke to the nature of all the bars he tended to frequent. “How you liking it?” He asked, maybe subconsciously a little louder as though the argument was happening closer to them, which it wasn’t… at least, not at the time.

—

“I think my other job probably had to do with the confidence thing.” Acting had been Mackenzie’s life, literally. And everyday she missed it just a little more. It was hard watching tv and movies sometimes. Knowing the ins and the outs of the business and what it felt like when the director would call action, and she’d lose herself in the character she was playing. God, she missed it so much. “January isn’t that long either, if you think about it. It hasn’t even been a year.” She continued to fix his mojito, “Oh? What’s your name?” Mackenzie had talked to quite a few people, but meeting someone in the wild was always an interesting experience, until he mentioned school, “Wait…are you a professor at the local college here?”

Mackenzie had already made a few friends around town, but if this had been who she thought it was, it was going to be a much more enjoyable night. As she put on the final touches of the beverage, she couldn’t help but notice the man raise his voice somewhat. It wasn’t surprising though in a place like Dance Macabre. Sometimes the music would get super soft and other times super loud, which didn’t always help Mack’s dulled senses, “I’m enjoying it for the most part. It’s not home. But the people have been nice so far.”

She passed the drink over to him, “There you go, sir. One blackberry mojito, with extra blackberries, because I like you.”

—

Gael beamed - he knew he remembered her. Her name was Mack, the actress that he assured he wouldn’t tell anyone about to preserve her anonymity. They talked about singing, martial arts, and fun things to do around town. It all made sense now, much to his relief - he loved both having a name to the face and that he actually sort of knew her in this otherwise-alien environment. “I am! Gael, the chemistry one.” He made a small motion with his head as though to say ‘that’s me!’. Immediately feeling himself lightening up - though he wasn’t entirely wound-up to begin with - Gael tapped his hands on the counter with a childish enthusiasm as she continued with her work. “I completely get that. It can always be weird to move somewhere new, especially by yourself but I’ve noticed that there are a lot of friendly people around here so I think you’ll get on just fine.” He meant that honestly, and going by what he could retroactively recognize by her public conversations, she was already doing great. The thought, accompanied with the drink she mentioned had extra blackberries for no other reason than because she liked him, made Gael smile and he all but decided to block out the increasing noise that was occurring around him, electing to just enjoy the thing Mack made for him. “It’s beautiful!” His smile widened, pulling the glass closer and he enjoyed the sour accents of the drink entering his sensitive nose– ‘...The hell away from me!’ A voice became too loud to ignore and Gael caught it just before he felt someone collide with his shoulder, jostling him forward and as his hand shot out to keep himself upright, fingers rammed into the glass of the mojito, crinkling as the drink was tipped over, spilling the contents onto the otherwise-clean bar countertop. “What the– my drink!” He lamented, his tone pitched. He quickly turned to confront whoever it was that made him waste such a thing. “Hey, you planning on– Uh…” Of course whoever ran into him looked to be about 25 at the oldest and he immediately felt himself try to loosen up. “Okay, look, you seem young and I don’t want to hit a–” His sentence? Unfinished. A fist? To his face. The drink? Still on the counter as he was knocked back into one of the tall bar seats. “Ow??” The professor exclaimed.

—

It was nice finally getting to talk to another online friend. And one who didn’t really know much about who she was or her acting career. Those were always the best. The oblivious people, because they treated her just like any other regular person. Not some celebrity they saw in a movie or online in some meme; though Mack had been made into a meme a couple of times. It was both flattering, but very humbling all at the same time.

“Well it’s nice to finally meet you in person, Gael. And I think you’re right. There have been some pretty nice people here so far. I think I’m even starting to make a really good friend with someone not too much younger than me. Her name’s Alex.” Alex had been a Godsend, and someone that Mackenzie was really starting to vibe with, which didn’t make things feel so awkward.

Looking over her work, Mackenzie had been proud of the drink she had made for Gael. It was almost perfect. Perfect, until she watched it go tumbling down and the glass shattering all because some idiot couldn’t take the fight outside. But it was the punch to Gael that had taken it way too far. Here we go again…

Rushing from around the bar, Mackenzie ran over to Gael to check on him and make sure he was okay, while the other two began to fight each other with swift punches to the face, “Gael, are you okay?” She had moved in close to observe his face under what little light was present over the bar, until she felt something…or someone get shoved into her really hard, causing her to get crushed between the bar and a body, not really hurting her, but angering her instead causing a low guttural growl to come out of her mouth.

— The drink being knocked over was one thing. A small thing, even if it was heartbreaking if given enough care and attention. Being punched when he didn’t do anything to deserve it was another matter entirely but even then, Gael was old and pragmatic enough to know how to disengage from a situation like this, given the age of the other party and the fact that he wasn’t inebriated enough to truly care about preserving his pride. As he recovered from the surprise and a newly-aching cheek, Mack having come from behind the bar to check on him which he started to respond to with a nod and a wave of his hand to indicate that it was okay and to not worry about it, the other member of the opposing party had shoved her. Flares of anger immediately coursed through the professor. “¡Oye!” He launched from the chair and swung at the guy who pushed the bartender, socking him in the jaw while the latter was too busy not focusing on him. “Leave her out of this, asshole!” Gael exclaimed, his instincts as a brawler, a brother, a son and a man all kicking off at once. “You guys wanna fight? C’mon, let’s go.” He settled into a stance as the commotion seemed to draw the attention of the rest of the patrons and he wished right about now… “They need to change the music to uhhh that song they play on Tortuga.” He glanced sideways at Mack. “From Pirates of the Caribbean, you know the one.” Then he popped his neck. “C’mon, Fireball. Let’s take out the trash.” He glanced at Mack, remembering that she was a fighter, herself - this was gonna be easy.

—

Mackenzie had not expected for the night to go the way it was going. She had seen plenty of bar fights since working here, but she was usually able to distance herself as security would come running and break things up, but tonight there seemed to be a larger crowd. And the more action that took place, the more of an audience that grew around them. Something the actress didn’t need happening, but considering she had just been pushed and the internal rage of her unfortunate inherited zombie virus was beginning to take over, nothing else seemed to really matter at that point. Besides, she had missed getting to do stunts and martial arts. Tonight would just be a little gift from the universe.

With Gael fired up and having already thrown at least one punch, a rare, sadistic little smirk fell over her soft features, “Forget Pirates of the Caribbean.” Turning her attention to the DJ on stage as if they had some mental connection, she nodded and suddenly “Bodies” by Drowning Pool started blasting over the speakers throughout the gothic club.

Mackenzie, with a quick nod to Gael at his request, went full force and lunged towards the other member of the pair that had started the fight. As a swift balled fist came flying her direction, she ducked, before sweeping her leg and sending him crashing to the ground, “Come on, Bitch! Get up! You wanted to fight! Let’s fucking fight!”

—

“Oh, c’mon!” Gael shouted over the music as it became deafening to his sensitive hearing. “This is so cliche!” He had a smile on his face despite that, though, and he seemed to adapt to the energy the bar had suddenly shifted to; it’d been a long time since he got into a bar fight proper, even if he did wish that the song wasn’t edgy screaming. Hearing a sound from behind him, reacting before he had a chance to cognizantly think about it, the professor turned and he managed to lean back as a punch from a different guy aimed for him. He scoffed, his grin getting more lopsided. “While a guy is turned around and deaf? And older than you?” He didn’t have to try too hard to make his voice heard but it still came across louder than he probably had to have been anyway as he reciprocated to the attempted punch with one of his own. It missed, of course, since he was too busy making quips and while he did so, a fourth guy seemed to have materialized out of nowhere and looped his arms around his at the shoulders. “Hey, wait–” Fortunately, Gael had been in this scenario enough times, too and he cast a quick glance over in Mack’s direction; true to her word, she seemed a lot more graceful than him when it came to fighting but this wasn’t a contest, this was a fun bar brawl. “Heads up!” He yelled at her as he used the body weight of the guy behind him to lift his legs and he kicked out at the the first guy (Okay his name was now temporarily ‘First’, Gael decided), sending him stumbling towards Mack. —

Mackenzie had managed to make out what Gael was saying over the music just in time, as she popped back up with a roundhouse kick square to the guy’s face that the man had pushed in her direction. “This night just keeps getting better and better!” She looked over to Gael with a smirk, before feeling a fist meet with her face.

Stumbling backwards, Mack scrunched her face up in pain as she felt her jaw pop. Yep, that’s broken. It reminded her of a fight scene she was doing for an episode of Dropped when the stunt guy she was sparring with popped her in the face with his foot by accident. But she had still been alive at the time, and the pain had taken her out for the rest of the day and included a trip to the ER. But tonight, she had felt it a lot less, and with a firm grip on her jaw, popped it back into place, before looking up with hollowed eyes at the man who had punched her.

Without hesitation, she lunged forward at him pushing him backwards, before climbing on top and hitting him as hard as she could. The struggle not to lean in and take a bite out of his neck was very real in the moment, until she realized where she actually was. Giving him another swift punch to the face, she stood back up, waiting for the next person to come at her.

—

What was initially a clever expression on Gael’s face in exchange with hers as she kicked the guy he sent her way, it quickly dissolved into one of concern as she was sucker punched. “Oh my god are you okay?” He said, panic easily lacing his tone as he struggled a little harder to get out of the grip he still found himself bound by - whoever was holding him was a little stronger than he was giving them credit for. He was decidedly less worried about that than he was for the bartender who just got punched. …The bartender who just got punched and he heard the unmistakable click of bones being popped into place. Did she just… relocate her jaw? Gael didn’t have long to think about it before she jumped onto the guy who decked her, barely missing a beat. Did she even feel that? Was her jaw metallic? Was she a CYBORG?? With all of these questions and newly invigorated because she didn’t seem to be removed or dissuaded from the fray at all by that, the professor lifted his legs again and this time pushed himself bodily backwards, using the bar as the anchor he needed. The two men toppled over and Gael rolled off of the stronger guy he accidentally landed on. “Oops sorry–” He didn’t have time to say the whole apology before a different guy picked him up by the collar of his shirt, not unlike the scruff of a dog and he was turned to face one of the young adults, who– “Oohhhh what large… fangs you have.” He said, purposefully not being heard very well if at all by anyone who wasn’t him as he found himself being easily held above the head of what appeared to a vampire, eyes glowing and mouth wide as two long canines stretched across the opening.

—

Glancing back over at Gael as he went down, Mackenzie was just about to move forward to help him, when she noticed that not long after he was being raised up by his collar. Is that fucking fangs? Her eyesight may have been shit, but she knew fangs when she saw them, especially considering this place did serve blood. Just another one of the many perks she was having to adjust to of Wicked’s Rest. But it made sense that there were vampires right? I mean she was a zombie after all. But of course, the young actress had a plan in mind.

“Hey! Douchebag! Put him down! You want fucking blood. It’s on the house!” Was she going to actually serve him blood? No, probably not. Would she serve him a hard kick in the little bats sleeping between his legs? Yes.

Moving away from the guy she had already left in the fetal position on the ground, she walked slowly towards them acting like she was going back behind the bar, but just as she made her way to them, Mack stopped right behind Mr. Vampire, sending a straight legged kick up between his legs as hard as she could hoping the little Nosferatus would shrivel up and die leaving Gael a way out.

—

It was an adjustment, Gael had to admit. He had gotten accustomed to the knowledge that werewolves, vampires and zombies existed but he’d only had formal conversations with werewolves, who were just… people. They were just humans except for when they weren’t. They seemed normal by comparison, when he thought about it. Well… Well. WELL– The professor’s head, even as he was staring dark-eyed into the face of a for-sure vampire, tilted as it picked up on Mack’s pre-asskicking one-liner. She had ‘em, too! Maybe the pre-asskicking one-liners were why Gael never seemed to shy away from bar fights; he had what was called a ‘quick wit’. That being said, his wit might’ve been quick but even he knew what his limits were and loath as he was to admit it, as he was dangling cleanly off his feet being held up, he probably didn’t have the strength or reflexes to keep up with vampires. Surely… surely they wouldn’t bite him in public, right? While it was a bar and the music was very loud and the lights were very… pulse-y and flashy, maybe it gave the vampire the vibes it needed? Was– Was Gael going to become a vampire that night? A sudden horror of realization thundered through his mind, lingering longer than it should’ve even as Mack kicked the vampire in the groin. Once again, Gael and whoever was hanging onto him tumbled to the ground and he hopped up much faster this time, ignoring the thumping in his lower back where he kept seeming to land on his scar of all places. “So!” He said hurriedly to Mack. “I don’t have any vampires in my repertoire.” He said before he hopped clean over the bar and opted to crouch behind it, looking up at her. “Any ideas? I’m thinking about… owing you for that mojito and just laying low. I’d rather not turn into a vampire today.”

—

Once both the vampire and Gael went down, Mackenzie scurried behind the bar. She knew he could easily come around to the other side and drag the pair, now in hiding, out, but right now, he was down for the count, “Uh, yeah, that makes sense. I don’t want you to become a vampire either.” The words had slipped out in the moment. She had already been dead, so any chance of her becoming a blood sucking creature of the night was impossible, as far as she knew. Besides, blood was gross. But brains on the other hand. Get it together, Mackenzie.

Slowly raising up, she peered over the bar to see he was still out, and quickly ducked back down, “Damn I must have hit him just in the right spot.” Mackenzie snorted before looking over to Gael, “I’m not exactly sure why the bouncer on duty tonight hasn’t come to take care of this yet, but I know there’s a door that leads out back into an alley. I can get you there while he’s down for the count.” Mackenzie was pretty sure she’d be fine. But it was Gael, she was more so worried about, “Does that work for you?”

—

“Glad we’re in agreement on that.” Gael nodded, not missing the part where she failed to mention that she didn’t want to become a vampire either, but if her weak (or nonexistent, from what he could hear) heart rate had anything to say about it, she probably wasn’t a human and he didn’t know a lot about vampires but he figured that nonhumans couldn’t become vampires since they were already something else. Right? He stayed where he was as she peered over the top of the bar, his head instinctively tilting as though trying to hear for something underneath the pounding music. When she reappeared, Gael’s dark eyes darted back to her. Ah, so there WAS supposed to be a bouncer, that made sense - it had been a while since the professor had found himself in a bar fight where the bouncer had taken longer than a few minutes to involve themselves so when one hadn’t shown up yet and apparently there was a vampire involved, his mind was starting to raise questions. The man listened to her instruction and he glanced over as though he’d have been able to see the door from where he was crouching. He couldn’t, of course, so his gaze instead grew concerned as he looked back to Mack. “You sure? You aren’t gonna, like, get in trouble or hurt or anything, are you?” He asked.

—

Mackenzie wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. It was like all chaos had erupted when the bar fight initially broke out. But she’d sure as shit be having a few words with the bouncer that was supposed to be on duty when all was said and done. This was unacceptable even for a nightly emo rave, “I’m positive. And I’ll be fine. It’s not my fault the new guy isn’t doing his job. But you better move soon, because I don’t think that guy is going to stay down for long.”

Feeling her knees and bones pop as she stood back up still bent down somewhat hiding from what lay just on the other side of the bar, she glanced back at Gael, “Follow me.” The music had been loud enough to mask footsteps and the people gathered around the unconscious guys on the floor. Along with the strobing lights, it would definitely be the perfect camouflage as she led Gael towards safety.

—

The thought that he was going to be able to leave while Mack had to clean up afterwards didn’t sit quite right with Gael. But at the same time, they’d talked previously about her skills with martial arts, not to mention he got to see some of them first-hand during the scuffle. Plus, she worked there; surely she wouldn’t have gotten in trouble on Gael’s behalf, right? So, after a noncommittal nod, Gael followed her as she instructed, treading lightly though he placed a hand on his back as he felt the scar tissue stretching and aching uncomfortably as they moved - he really was getting too old for acting like a college kid, wasn’t he? Nonetheless, he followed behind the barista, which seemed easy and quick enough given that their environment was lending itself well to a discreet exit strategy. Once he saw the door with his sharp vision (though it wasn’t helped by the strobing lights), he loosed a laugh, recalling what all had transpired, weird vampire appearance notwithstanding and he gave Mack a look with a mischievous glint in his tired eyes. “Well that was fun! Sorry for starting something back there.” Gael gave her a small, gentle pat on the shoulder. “You weren’t kidding online about the martial arts thing; maybe you should teach me a thing or two sometime!”

—

When the pair had made it to the door, Mackenzie felt a wave of relief. He was safe. She couldn’t, in good conscience, let him stay to possibly become vampire food. It just wasn’t right. Besides, the manager liked her pretty well, and she’d speak directly with him regarding the situation that was at no fault of Gael’s, “Hey, you didn’t start anything. It was the two assholes who are laying on the floor, hopefully still next to the one with the fangs.” It was so weird saying it out loud, especially since this had been the first time meeting Gael.

Mack quickly glanced back to see the crowd still gathered round, before setting her attention on her friend, “Oh, yeah no. I wouldn’t lie about that. It’s a bit of a passion of mine, so if you really want to learn, I’d be more than willing to teach you.” She had noticed Gael’s hand on his back, “But you might want to take care of that first.” She nodded downwards, “Looks like a good hot shower and an ice pack might be your best friend for the next few days.” She felt bad he was hurt, and she’d be sure to check in on him to make sure everything was okay.

Barely making out a growl over the music and the noise of the crowd, Mackenzie knew that the vampire had probably found his footing again, “Okay, Friend. You’ve gotta go. But message me and let me know you made it home safely. I’ll keep tabs on this asshole.” Sure, she wasn’t very strong when she wasn’t hungry, but she did know self-defense, and plus, she was sure she could butter him up with so many drinks that he’d forget Gael ever existed. But what a hell of a night it had been. Unexpected, but fun. “And hey, thanks for a fun shift.”

#para: gael #para: another one bites the dust #lithium argon wo l f #alcohol mention tw #wickedswriting

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eliaskahtri · 1 year

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And They Were Roommates || Gael & Elias

TIMING: Early June, morning. LOCATION: Latte to Love PARTIES: @lithium-argon-wo-l-f and @eliaskahtri SUMMARY: Elias and Gael meet in person to discuss the possibility of being roommates. They find that they just click.

Elias nervously drummed his fingers on his latte cup as he looked around the coffee shop after ordering and picking up his vanilla latte. He remembered to wear his Fellowship of the Ring shirt with all the characters on it, as he had promised when he had been talking to the person online. He hoped that he wasn’t about to be stood up or, worse, this guy turned out to be a serial killer that hunted unsuspecting apartment hunters. That would be just his luck after moving his entire life all the way across the country. Still, he held out hope that this would be a good encounter, finally finding a place to live in such an expensive area, not that California was any better.

He should have asked for a description of the guy, he only had his name to go off of, but no facial features. So he stood awkwardly at the coffee pickup, looking for someone sitting alone that seemed to be looking for someone. He spotted a man sitting off to the side, looking at him, so he decided to move over to him, hoping that this was the guy he was looking for. “Gael?” He asked, tilting his head to the side in question. “If you’re not, this is awkward. I’m Elias.”

The professor couldn’t have anticipated spending so much time at a Latte to Love this week but the heart wanted what it wanted and Gael wasn’t about to strictly turn down a cup of coffee or… a few. He supposed he got there sooner than the individual known online as Elias and he wondered if he should’ve mentioned any visual indicators. He was looking for a Lord of the Rings shirt but what was Elias looking for? Oops. Well hopefully the man he met online wouldn’t be one for calling Gael out on it, not that he would’ve minded. Seemed justified to him. So, while he mused these superficial things among other questions that buzzed in his mind about the stranger he was potentially going to let into his three-bedroom home in Deersprings, he sipped on an iced latte. He wasn’t sure how long he was there before he saw an individual come in, order something, then stand there rather awkwardly. Gael tilted his head to get a look at the shirt the man was wearing as he… admittedly wasn’t paying attention when the man came in. He didn’t have to wonder for long though as his eyes locked with the man and the latter made his way to him. Gael gazed at him unwaveringly, smoothly following him as he looked up to regard the stranger. He heard his name and while he might’ve normally made a joke about it, he opted to just be straight this time. “That’s me!” He said, getting to his feet and holding out a hand. “You’re Elias; I love your shirt!” He complimented.

Finally giving himself a minute to take the man in, Elias froze for a fraction of a second, where the only thoughts that flooded his mind were Oh no, he’s hot, and Shit. Shit? Shit. Mentally shaking himself out of it, he quickly took the man’s hand and shook it, then let go. “I’m glad you like it, my ex told me it was hideous and tried to burn it. Now it’s my prized possession out of spite.” He admitted with a grin before putting his latte down on the table and gestured for the two of them to sit down. He tried to shake the deer in the headlights look off of his face, but it was hard. Why was everyone in this town so damn attractive? It wasn’t fair. Come to think of it, he hadn’t come across one person in this town that wasn’t a New York 10.

“So, roommate interview. I haven’t had one of these since I was fresh out of college,” he confessed, running a hand through his hair. Usually, he wasn’t this nervous, but when it came to sleeping on a cardboard hotel bed another day and actually going out and buying his own, there was a lot on the line. “I have money saved up from my engineering days, I just wanted to be careful with working a bartending job.” He explained as he sat down, then took a sip from his latte. “So you don’t have to worry about me missing rent or anything. Do you live in an apartment or a house?” He then followed up, realizing he didn’t know much of anything.

The two exchanged a glance as well as a handshake and Gael took the opportunity to study Elias’ body language, his eyes, his style from the shirt he hung onto out of pride and spite to the hair that fashionably rested atop his head. He was handsome, Gael had to admit, which certainly didn’t hurt if he had to see Elias’ face on a near-daily basis. They sat down as Elias went through a little crash course of an ‘about me’ for Gael, the professor keeping his dark eyes on the other man keenly but genuinely; he was listening to everything Elias was saying - the man was obviously intelligent (enough) as he had gone to college and had a history in biomedical engineering, he’s a bartender (which Gael was more than happy about), he wanted to give the impression that he was reliable but he seemed on edge. Gael imagined that it was because he was living in a hotel at the moment, had a track record of not being able to keep either a roommate or living accommodations and… ssssome third thing. Well he didn’t want Elias to feel on edge so Gael seemed to ease his posture up, softening his gaze. “I wasn’t worried about you missing rent,” He assured the other man with a good-natured chuckle. “I live in a house in Deersprings,'' the professor started to explain. “It has three bedrooms and two bathrooms so you’ll have your own space.” He paused, wondering what else Elias would want to know that he could say ahead of time. “Let’s see… Well, let me just start at the beginning. I’m Gael Córdova. I’m the chemistry professor over at UMWR,” He introduced, giving Elias a small bow of his head. “When I’m not working, I’m usually out and about in town. I don’t spend very much time at home currently as I… live alone.” Gael continued. “As I mentioned, I’m not worried about rent or how loud your sewing machine is.” He paused and inhaled, licking his lips as something danced on the front of his mind and he was torn about whether or not to say it. Perhaps it should wait until further down the line so he put the thought into a bottle and saved it for a later time. “I also have no pets though I would like to know if you have any, like, allergies or medical requirements.” He paused again. “Not that those are going to be determining factors. …Am I going too fast?” He suddenly asked, holding his hands out.

Elias’s friendly demeanor never faltered. His bright eyes and soft smile stayed on his face as he talked and listened to Gael. It was akin to a dog that was always so excited to see its owner. Of course, he was nervous. What if this didn’t go well and he was stuck in that hotel for another, however long it would be? He hadn’t eaten a home-cooked meal in three weeks, and it was starting to really get to him. He needed to cook his own food before he found himself reenacting the horrors that were Supersize Me. He closed his eyes for a moment, then willed himself to calm down, his shoulders relaxing and his smile losing the bit of edge it had. It was clear that Gael was a kind soul, he may not know much about him, but he could tell. He felt safe, and not at all like that ham person on the internet made him feel.

He thought about living in a house. He had lived in apartments for so long that he had kind of forgotten that living in one was an option. It just sounded like a lot of work to live in a space so big when it was only him. And there was the fact that he felt weird having to find someone to live with instead of finding his own place. He was past the age he felt was appropriate, but at the same time, he knew he wasn’t the kind of person that lived well alone. And after he had done it for so long, trudging through the same day over and over again with working a nine-to-five job and sacrificing his social life for better job advancement, he just needed a giant change of pace, do everything he did before completely different this time.

After Gael introduced himself, Elias nodded with that happy smile and took another sip from his latte. “Elias Kahtri, former biomedical engineer turned bartender, as I try to figure out my next steps.” He responded, letting the smile finally drop, but the excitable eyes didn’t falter. “Chemistry professor, huh? Not too bad. Most people hated organic chemistry in college, but I didn’t mind it,” he added wistfully. It helped that the person he sat next to in the class was a genius on the subject and helped him out when he found himself confused and overwhelmed.

“You’ll have to clue me in on the best places to hang around. I’m more of an extrovert who fuels themselves off of other people.” He then added, running a hand through his hair, a nervous tic. “I am allergic to cats, though I wish I weren’t.” He then explained when asked about allergies, frowning for a moment. “Not dogs, though. I was spared from living a life with no pets.” He blinked as Gael questioned the speed at which he was going, and Elias quickly shook his head. “No, not at all! Getting down to the brass tax, I can appreciate that.” He shot a grin at the other, that same puppy dog energy returning.

Much to Gael’s rather excited expectations, Elias seemed to possess a measure of the same energy as he found himself having that day and he couldn’t explain why - earlier when he spontaneously offered a complete stranger a place to live, he didn’t think he was anticipating on being able to see the vivacity in the person he was talking to. Not that Gael minded most of the time - the world was full of varying people but he found himself surprised consistently at how considerably friendlier people were in person. It helped that he could hear tones, read what body language he remembered and see emotions when he was sitting in the same visual vicinity as the other. He also took a few more mental notes - he would’ve been lying if the “no cats” thing didn’t make him just a little sad but all things considered, he’d rather have a human around the house than a cat. Elias was extroverted, which worked wonderfully with Gael who was ALSO the outgoing type; and if Elias wasn’t then it was pretty gutsy to publicly post about finding a place to live. The bartender didn’t mind chemistry, which was a first that Gael met in person, which fluffed him up a little… the man came from a scientific background and liked Lord of the Rings so he was probably intellectual enough for Gael to have conversations with that he wouldn’t have to the average person, whether that was to not make himself seem like a know-it-all or just so he wouldn’t scare his company away with exhaustive terminology. The part about the dogs was good to hear and he hadn’t mentioned other animals so Gael assumed they were non-factors. The part about dogs, though… He shook his head; wherever that train of thought was going could stop where it was; he didn’t need to entertain more foolish theories about why he found dog hair in his apartment on occasion. That wasn’t his problem at the moment. In fact, Gael had no problems with finding a prospective roommate in Elias and the thought excited him more. “Fantastic!” He said enthusiastically, taking another drink of his latte. “Where do you bartend? Are you thinking about going back to school? What’s your favorite scene in Fellowship of the Ring?” He quick-fired the questions, again without thinking much on them but maybe this was a secret test though he couldn’t say if it was for him or Elias - he couldn’t remember the last time he was this… chatty out the gate.

Elias relaxed back in his chair, holding onto his latte with both his hands, letting the heat of the drink warm them. “I work at the Mushroom Circle,” he explained. After he had met the doctor, however, he wasn’t too sure on if it was safe to work there, but that was a problem for another day. “It’s got a bar for anyone, then an exclusive club in the back for people who dress up as fantasy creatures, it’s really cool.” He nodded his head as he recounted, though left out the part where he wasn’t sure if it was a laundering scheme or not.

When asked about schooling, he shuddered. “A biomedical engineering degree is enough for me, thanks.” He shook his head, pulling a face. “I’m more just in a place where I’m trying to figure out what I want in life. I know I can make money if I need to, but I just… I want to live a life full of excitement.” He leaned forward in his chair, grinning again. “I heard of a cryptid club in town, and it’s my dream to join them. I used to be an avid Bigfoot watcher for a long time. I’ve seen the statue of Mothman, and I have, in fact, touched the butt. It’s a very important step in seeing Mothman.” He looked to the other, trying to gauge his reaction to his love of all things cryptid. A childhood fascination that had never died, it was something that mattered to him.

“Oh, my favorite scene is easy. It’s when Bilbo turns into a crack addict for half a second when confronted about the ring.” He shot finger guns at Gael, proud of his answer. “That or Bilbo’s birthday party in general. What I would give to go to a party like that.” He gave a wistful sigh, wishing for a moment that strange things were out there to make life more exciting. “Favorite character is easily Gimli, by the way. I feel like he’s an underrated member of the fellowship.”

So Elias wasn’t a workaholic. Gael figured as much but while he hadn’t meant to ask about the schooling, he was glad that he did and one of the questions that he was going to ask down the line anyway was put in a bottle in his mind and set on the memory shelf. He also had no idea what the “Mushroom Circle” was but the fact that it has a section in the back for dressing up seemed like something Elias benefited from since he was into cosplay. Gael could also easily gel with someone who was adventurous and didn’t prefer to spend too much time at a desk - he could work with that. The bartender obviously wasn’t too destitute to afford a hotel so he was one of those types to be happy and not wealthy instead of the other way around, though Gael wondered if things might’ve been different for the man currently if he had made more money. He might not need a roommate then. Then came the part about a supposed “Cryptid Club” and Gael raised an eyebrow in evident curiosity. An avid Bigfoot fan, eh? Touched the butt!? This man was serious. Now if only Gael knew who the hell “mothman” was. “Maybe that could be something you’d be willing to regale me one of these days?” He started by asking. “The only cryptid I’m familiar with is the chupacabra.” He laughed. “I do appreciate the passion that people have with cryptids though, either as a hobby or a passion or maybe even a career. Why haven’t you joined the club yet?” He asked. “Also Gimli’s pretty cool,” Gael agreed with a little nod. “I wish they played him a little more seriously but he was a lot of fun and it was nice to know that he wasn’t going to be really dour whenever he was on screen.” A pause accompanied by another sip of his drink. “They really made Boromir a lot cooler in the movie though so everything equals out.”

Elias decided at that moment that he liked this guy. He matched his energy well, and found that he was very easy to talk to. He tilted his head from side to side slightly, as if dancing to himself that he had finally met someone that wasn’t half bad. Sure, he had talked to people online, but meeting people in person was different; it gave him a burst of energy he didn’t have otherwise. And a professor at that, it was impressive.

“Oh, absolutely. I have many stories of close encounters that never panned out.” he shrugged a shoulder. He hadn’t ever seen anything, not really. But the thrill of looking for it was what got him going. Adventuring out in the wilderness, taking in the natural scenery, and just letting himself be as wild as he sometimes felt; that’s what made it all worth it for him. He then scrunched his face up for a second, thinking back on his experiences looking for anyone that was part of the club. He hadn’t come into contact with anyone. “I haven’t found them yet. They’re as cryptic as the cryptids they claim to love.” He shrugged his shoulders up and down once, a plain look on his face. He’d find them. He wouldn’t let up until he did.

Elias then grinned at the topic of making Boromir more exciting than he appeared in the books. “And don’t forget, they gave Legolas speaking lines in the movie.” He waggled his brows, a crooked grin on his face. “Still a shame that they omitted Tom Bombadil,” he added, resting his head on his hand for a moment. “He was always my favorite.” He took another sip from his drink, then cleared his throat. “I guess it’s just weird that I’m even looking for a roommate,” he admitted. “Though there’s something about living alone that’s just… lonely, you know?” He thought aloud, raising his head off his hands to sit up straight again. “Maybe you’d understand; being around people just makes things feel, well, more alive!” He tried to explain, waving his hand in the air as he attempted to get his point across.

“What made you decide to be a chemistry professor over working in the field?” He then asked. He had always been a fan of the sciences. “I almost went into chemistry. Pharmacist, actually. Then changed my mind at the last minute.” He waved his hand. “I was always good at it, though.” He shook his head to himself, realizing he was rambling on a little bit.

He hadn’t found the cryptid club yet. “Well, that checks out,” Gael made a note - maybe if Elias was interested in doing things together, he could pitch that as an idea. He didn’t believe in any of that stuff but he wasn’t about to stamp on the man’s dreams. “They did!” Gael said. “And c’mon, we all know Tom Bombadil would’ve been too magical a presence to confine to the screen. Then, like, no one else would be anyone’s favorite character.” He laughed. Then he decided to go a little bit out of order in the interest of streamlining their conversation - he wanted to bounce between subjects as he subconsciously started to match more of Elias’ energy. “Ooh, pharmacy is a good option! I thought about that, as well.” He nodded. “ I went into teaching because I like helping people. I don’t think I have good bedside manner but it’s easy for me to get excited about what other people like,” He explained. “So I see all these kids and I want to be able to be a person who can help them figure out what they want to do, even if it’s not chemistry, y’know?” He tilted his head as he looked at his hands this time. He paused, a smile on his face. “Yeah, I definitely feel you when it comes to being around others.” He inhaled. “I’m one of those people who gets energy from being around people - even if it’s a bunch of strangers in a bar.” Another pause before Gael looked at Elias again. “You don’t have to answer but may I ask why you’ve been unable to find a roommate before? Er… or if you’re having trouble keeping one?”

Elias thought for a long moment about the cryptid club. He then thought how he was probably being perceived to the other man. With wide eyes, he held his hands out in front of him. “I should amend, I don’t think that the cryptids are real.” He began to explain, expression turning to a sheepish smile. “I think the idea of them are cool and the stories people have are interesting, but I’m mostly into it to see what the real deal behind these sightings are. Like for Bigfoot, is it someone in a costume or is it something more, like an undiscovered species or an animal that experienced a mutation?” He ran his hand through his hair again, realizing that he probably came off as a bit extreme.

“Teaching is a noble profession, not for the light of heart,” he decided with a nod of his head. “I imagine it’s easier to be a professor, though, seeing as the students are all grown and elected to be there.” He remembered his high school experience and how vastly different it was to college and being surrounded by like-minded people who wanted to learn instead of sitting next to someone who was actively falling asleep in the middle of class like what happened when he was younger and still in school. He thought about how much he liked school and how much he actually missed it. He was good at learning, not so much at doing. Hence why he felt like he had failed in the workforce. He frowned for a brief moment, not wanting his thoughts to get to him, at least not at that moment.

“Well, what about your interests?” He then asked, tilting his head to the side as he waited expectantly. “I could go on for centuries about the things I’m interested in, but let me hear about yours!” He leaned forward a little as he waited for an answer. The man claimed to like hearing about others' interests, but now Elias was just as curious to hear about Gael as Gael was to learn about Elias. There was something about listening to what people were passionate about, the way their eyes lit up when they talked about it, and how they could get lost in explaining it. It was wonderful to see, at least in his mind.

Ah, he must not’ve wanted to talk about it. Gael could only assume it was something that was out of Elias’ control and not something along the lines of his lifestyle or that he ate the food in the fridge that was clearly labeled for someone else. He was sure it would come up eventually. For right now though, Gael tilted his head as Elias straight up asked about what he was interested in. It wasn’t unusual for Gael to get the general question but for some reason, as he sat across from such a like-minded individual, seeing his body language and posing almost as though it were Gael himself on the other side, he realized that this wasn’t the generic question: Elias was asking him what he had asked so many other people. “Well, I like chemistry but that’s kind of a given.” Gael started by licking his lips and tapping his chin in thought. “I got into that when I was rather young so it’s a long-standing interest. What I’d love to do is get more into nuclear physics and engineering,” he lit up as he said that, adjusting in his seat. “Last year they were able to create self-sustaining nuclear fission and that’s incredible,” He dropped his voice, almost as though it were a secret even though it wasn’t. “So now we just need to figure out how to make it small enough to use more applicably. Can you imagine driving a car powered by a nuclear battery?” He asked rhetorically before shaking his head with a scoff at himself and clearing his throat. “Sorry,” He apologized. “Uh yeah, I really like nuclear science.” Gael found it humorous how much easier it was for him to listen to other people than actually answer the questions themselves, as though he were afraid of boring the other person. “I read a lot, as I might’ve mentioned. But if I haven’t, I read a lot. I’m currently going back through the Star Wars EU books I have,” He explained. “I also rather enjoy sampling various types of alcohol. I like to joke that I moonlight as an alcohol connoisseur,” He laughed. “Which was why I thought it was kind of funny that you worked at a bar I’d never been to.”

Elias froze, realizing he had asked a question but already didn’t remember what had been said. Well, he thought, hopefully, it wasn’t an important one. He had just gotten so excited to learn about Gael that he had completely bulldozed the conversation. His mom always told him it was his worst trait, not staying on topic.

He smiled as the man spoke. It was obvious how passionate he was as he talked. He didn’t know much about nuclear anything, but it was clear that this guy was more than just chemistry. He liked all science. That was something he could admire. “Oh, I heard about that. It’s a really big deal when it comes to the implications of producing energy, right?” Admittedly, Elias didn’t know much about the topic, but watching Gael’s face light up made it worth it.

“Well, the engineering part I can help you on, but the nuclear physics goes over my head, as exciting as it is.” He spoke with a grin. “Graduated with honors at Stanford.” He explained, drumming his fingers on the table. He didn’t talk about it much, but he figured a professor would appreciate the fact, even if no one else would. “Worked with medical software for a major hospital system back home. It’s what contributed to my decision to start over.” He shrugged a shoulder, not letting the fact that he had left his old life behind bother him very much.

As soon as Gael apologized, Elias pointed a finger at him with a serious expression taking over. “Don’t ever apologize for your passion because I think it’s cool.” He spoke, then let his relaxed smile take back over. “I’m definitely new to the world of mixed drinks and bartending, admittedly.” He explained when speaking of alcohol, “So any pointers you have on what tastes good, I’ll put to good use.” He tapped a finger against his temple.

“Can I confess something to you?” Elias looked around conspiratorially for a moment. “But I’ve never watched any of the Star Wars movies.” He made a face like he was about to be berated, which he absolutely had been in the past. He was far more interested in high fantasy than science fiction. Something about mixing fantasy with technology always became lost on him.

“Is there anything you want to ask me that we haven’t covered?” He then asked, tapping his fingers together. “I realize I get kind of distracted from time to time, it’s easy for me to get lost in a conversation,” he then apologized, attempting to get the conversation back on topic.

“Really, Stanford?” Gael raised his eyebrows. With honors, at that. So he really was attractive AND smart. The professor couldn’t imagine doing something for a good portion of his life only to realize that it wasn’t what he wanted to do anymore but that was fine; one was never too old to find new passions and figure out what you might want to do instead. Speaking of passions, he smiled sheepishly as Elias told him not to apologize; he’d take that to heart. After all, who would he be if he could take it but not dish it? Then when Elias mentioned that he’d never seen Star Wars, Gael gave a small, understanding nod. “I get that; I have a sister who’s much more into fantasy than sci-fi.” He wondered if that would be something he could convince the man to suffer through just every once in a while if they found themselves bored for some inexplicable reason. “The good news is that while you might not know a lot about Star Wars, I don’t know a lot about how to actually make drinks so I’ll pretty much try whatever you think would be tasty,” He laughed. “Though I’m pretty easy to please. Just throw some tropical flavors in there and I’m in.” A pause. “Or just red wine.” The professor thought for a moment, finishing up his latte and setting down definitively. “Well, I suppose the main question I have now is ‘when can you move in?’,” Gael chuckled. All things considered, this went much better than he was anticipating… he was expecting a polite exchange, with a professional discussion about the distribution of household chores and concluded with the knowledge that someone he was seldom going to see moving into his house. Instead, he found someone that he was already subconsciously making plans with in the hopes they would be down to get up to shenanigans or just chill on the couch watching Lord of the Rings. Then again, would he have had the heart to say ‘no’ if they just didn’t mesh well? He liked to think he did. “Oh yeah, sorry, one more thing: Uh, I asked earlier why you were having trouble finding and/or keeping roommates in the past.” He brought up absently, scratching the side of his nose to indicate that he wasn’t treating the question as though it were dire. He was just curious.

Elias grinned, thinking about the possibilities of a possible friendship with the other. “Well how about this: you introduce me to the wonderful world of Star Wars, and I can figure out some fun and inspired drinks based on the movies.” He wiggled his brows, quite proud of himself for coming to the idea. “I’ll be honest, I’m not one for the taste of alcohol,” he admitted. “I really took the job I have so I could figure out everything while still making money.” He finished off his latte, staring at it for a moment before turning his attention back to Gael.

It was easy for Elias to see himself getting along with the man sitting across from him. They were both men of science and fans of Lord of the Rings. Anyone who was a fan of Lord of the Rings couldn’t be that bad in his book, after all. The first real test would be seeing how Gael reacted to his cosplay attempts. Not that they were bad, just that not everyone reacted with the same level of excitement that he did, was all. And the hours he would spend splayed out on the kitchen table with a heat gun and worbla was sometimes a week-long project just to make one fake armor gauntlet.

“When? Well, anytime you’re ready for me to move in, I suppose. I’m living out of a hotel, after all. I can be out of there at any time.” He figured with a soft shrug. He then frowned, realizing that’s the question he had forgotten to answer. Yeah, that felt like an important one he shouldn’t have forgotten. “Oh, roommates have been a nonissue for me,” he began to explain, waving a hand in the air as he spoke. “I’m pretty good at adapting to those around me. If they like a more secluded roommate that doesn’t bother them, I was that. If they wanted someone to bounce ideas off of and shoot the shit, I could be that guy too.” He nodded his head once. “I just got here, so I suppose reaching out over the internet my next step in putting my feelers out there, seeing what was available. You just happened to be the first person to reach out that didn’t have a cat. Or was a college student.”

“Ain’t no shame in taking a job just to have a job,” Gael said though he did give a point with a smile at Elias’ idea of drink ideas. Blue milk all day, every day baby. “Money’s money, just makes it so that you can do the things you want to do.” It’s not like all they would do was drink. In fact, from their limited interaction, it seemed like the possibilities for what they could get up to were limitless. He was more excited than he was letting on and even then, the facade was slowly slipping more and more into ‘yes let’s do it today’ mode. Practice some self-control, Gael. Don’t seem too desperate just because you found such a kindred spirit in this stranger. He leaned back in his chair, absently tipping his empty cup so it balanced on the corner of the cylindrical bottom. “More good news is that the semester has ended so I’m free pretty much all summer.” He paused and glanced up in thought briefly. “I’m… this weekend I have pre-existing engagements,” He partially lied for the first time since meeting Elias in the cafe; he could feel something in his bones, something pulling him out into a memory he didn’t own. Pent-up energy. He shook his head. “But I’m glad we met! It seems like it’s gonna work out great,” He gave Elias a smile. “How much stuff do you have to move? Should I hire someone to help?”

Elias lit up at the prospect of how soon he could have his own place, all the stuff he had in storage would finally have a place of its own. He didn’t have much, only the barebones. He didn’t put much thought into a living space since he tried to spend as much time out running around as much as possible. “That’s right, summers off. That must be a nice gig,” he mused for a moment. “Maybe I should be a professor…” He wiggled his brows before waving a hand in dismissal. “I’d be terrible at it.” He decided aloud with a smirk. “I think so too!” He then spoke in return, a big grin returning to his features. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I just have a tiny storage unit with all the bare essentials. You know, a bed and dresser, some nightstands and cookware. Nothing too crazy. Already have my wardrobe in the hotel room. I don’t have much. Only thing that really takes up space is my collection of costume supplies.” He shrugged a shoulder. “No need to hire help, I’m a big boy. I can handle my own things. Just might need a hand with the dresser though.”

He let his mind wander at the possibilities of having someone around that was a lot like him, someone that would be interested in what he liked, and he could be interested in what they liked. It was something new, and he could feel in his bones that he’d just made an important connection, as cheesy as it sounded aloud. Yes, this was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship, Elias thought to himself.

#And They were Roommates #(Oh mah gah they were roommates)#lithium argon wo l f #t;lithium argon wo l f #threads #they'll be unstoppable

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