[center][color=lavender][h2][b]Eli[/b][/h2][/color][/center] [hr] The bright afternoon sun shone high in the sky. Santa Celia's lunch rush was well under way as the bustle of the city filled the streets. Eli would have been walking down the same street she walked along now had she started her day with work instead of a vampire hunt. Any other day, Eli would have turned left at the next street and headed towards the park to enjoy the sunny day. Instead Eli continued forwards towards her apartment. She desperately wanted to take the long route home so she could think, but she could feel that her body and mind needed rest after her 12+ hour crusade. Despite her exhaustion, Eli walked at a casual pace. The people around her seemed to blend into the background as she kept her eyes on the ground in front of her. Her right hand was inside of her jacket's pocket, gently grasping the lace mask. Touching it anchored her to reality; her mind was consumed with thoughts. She was going over everything that had happened last night, taking mental notes about certain details that hadn't struck her interest in the moment. She barely noticed that she had arrived home until she found herself stepping into the alley next to the building. She glanced around to ensure that she was alone before she climbed up the fire escape to the third floor. Once there, she slowly raised her apartment's window and stepped into her [url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ec/27/07/ec2707d40508b284198e9575dfd9ad9e--kitchen-rug-kitchen-runner.jpg]kitchen[/url]. Eli promptly shut and locked the window before heading into a small hallway which simply held the front door. From there she turned right into the only other room. She now stepped into her [url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/86/fe/2b/86fe2bed6c2fe3296fe743c4c1b401ec.jpg]bedroom[/url], which also served as a living area. She headed towards the closet, peeling off every layer of black clothing on her body. The mask she set down on her dresser. After lazily pulling on a t-shirt and sweats, Eli crawled into her bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. There were only two notifications displayed on her screen. The first, an email from her boss. The second, a text from her mother. She huffed and set the phone back down. Either message was too much for her to handle at the moment. She would take care of everything later, after a decent moment of rest. With a sigh Eli pulled her comforter up over her head. She was fast asleep the second her eyes closed. [hr] Hours later, Eli was roused from her sleep by her grumbling stomach. She groaned lightly and sat up in her bed, rubbing her tired eyes and pushing her hair back from her face. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told her it was evening and she realized that she hadn't eaten since yesterday. She shuffled her way into the kitchen and as she pulled open her fridge she also realized that she'd forgotten to get groceries as well. She'd have to go out for a bite. Before leaving the comfort of her apartment, Eli took a hot shower to wash off the lingering smell of sweat and scorched vampire. She soon stood in front of her bathroom mirror in just a towel, looking over the scars on her shoulders from her tussle with the vampire. They'd heal soon. Aside from the cuts, Eli only sported a bruise here and there along her body- normal damage compared to the vampire's affliction. Without putting too much effort into her outfit, Eli pulled on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. She pulled her wet hair up into a ponytail and put on mascara and concealer to hide her tired eyes. She took a minute or so to put away the black clothes she'd left on the ground. She removed the note Kyle gave her from the pant's pocket and tucked it into the pocket of the jeans she wore now, which also reminded her to grab her phone from the night stand. On her way out of the door she grabbed a denim jacket, her keys, and her wallet. A warm breeze greeted her as she stepped out of the complex and carried her down the street. She walked for a while, enjoying the city sights. The city seemed calm, which gave Eli a surreal feeling after this morning's events. Tonight there would no doubt be more vampires looking for a meal, but Eli wasn't sure if she could handle another night out. She'd have to get to work early tomorrow to apologize, and she planned on bringing coffee or donuts as a gift for her mentor's worries. She still wasn't sure what excuse she would use for missing work. Today had been the first time she'd ever missed. Perhaps she could forge a doctor's note and simply apologize for forgetting to call out. Thinking of this reminded Eli that she hadn't contacted Kyle Foster yet. She pulled the note from her pocket, reading over the ten digits before she put them into her phone. She sent him a message. [b]"Hello, Foster. Its Eli. Give me a call whenever you need help."[/b] After the message sent Eli checked the message from her mother. She rolled her eyes as she read it. Her stepfather would be joining them for lunch tomorrow. Something about "he wants to spend time with you" and "he's not as bad as you think he is", which honestly made Eli want to barf. In the years she'd known Hank, she had unofficially diagnosed him as narcissistic, a pathological liar, and that he had a smidge of a god complex. Basically, Hank was a total douche and she was surprised that he could even fool her mother into loving him. Eli tucked her phone back into her pocket and shook her head. She could already tell she was going to have a [i]fantastic[/i] day tomorrow. With that thought, Eli looked up to see a bar down the street and decided that she was going to have a drink or two with her dinner. She hadn't been to this bar yet, and the name intrigued her. Her stomach growled, as if it was saying that it didn't care where she went. So, without making her stomach wait another second, Eli stepped through the doors of the Tír na nÓg.