[img]https://i.imgur.com/roaeg9T.jpeg[/img]
[right][img]https://i.imgur.com/9qIY4OK.jpeg[/img][/right][right][sup][color=#d4af37][b]#d4af37[/b][/color][color=2e2c2c]...[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]...[/color][url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9d/6c/dd/9d6cddf90421ceb4a4114345d38541ee.jpg][color=9b9b9b][b]outfit[/b][/color][/url][/sup][/right]

[indent][color=#ffffff]Elias was halfway through chewing a mouthful of food when an unfamiliar voice cut through his focus. The feminine tone was polite but unexpected, causing him to turn his head while still processing the bite. His eyes landed on a girl gesturing toward the empty seat beside him, her lips moving in what was clearly a question, though the actual words didn't immediately register in his sauce-distracted mind. Operating on autopilot, he gave a quick, [/color][color=#d4af37]“Nope, go right ahead,” [/color][color=#ffffff]and absently waved his fork in permission like a bored traffic director barely paying attention to the intersection he was controlling.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The moment the utensil left his grip, he realized his error. There was a split second where time seemed to slow, just enough for him to see a glob of sauce threatening to launch from his fork's tines before Tapeesa's arm suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision like a well-trained goalie making a critical save. Her palm intercepted the airborne condiment, preventing what would have been an embarrassing assault on their new companion's face. Elias winced internally, his chewing slowing as he recognized the close call.[/color]

[color=#0bbdaf]“Let’s not wave our forks around pretty girls in nice… clean clothes,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Tapeesa chided, her tone carrying that particular mix of amusement and exasperation he was starting to recognize as uniquely hers. Before he could formulate a proper response, she'd already slipped away on a mission for napkins, leaving him with the aftermath of his near-disaster. The girl, whose outfit he now noticed was indeed both nice and clean, simply blinked at the aborted food missile incident, her gaze darting between the offending fork and Tapeesa's retreating form before breaking into a light, gracious laugh. [/color][color=#5a3e85]“It's fine,”[/color][color=#ffffff] she assured with a smile that suggested sincerity rather than offence. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias, meanwhile, stared after Tapeesa, momentarily dumbfounded by both her quick reflexes and sudden disappearance, then looked down at the fork in his hand as if it had personally betrayed him. [/color][color=#d4af37]“My bad,” [/color][color=#ffffff]he muttered to no one in particular, the words coming out gruffer than intended as the new arrival took her seat beside him. He carefully set the utensil down, suddenly hyper-aware of every potential food hazard in his immediate vicinity.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]It wasn’t until Tappi returned with what looked like half the napkin supply at the party that Elias truly looked toward their third. And froze for half a second.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]He took her in like a man who'd spent too long in the cold desert and had just stumbled upon an oasis: slowly and drinking in every detail. The boots she wore didn’t seem all that practical given the snow, but they hugged her legs up to mid-thigh where the fabric of her dress just brushed the tops of them. The beret on her head sat slightly askew, revealing more of her face than she probably realized, and firelight played across her features in a way that made her skin seem to radiate its own warmth. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]For half a second, Elias forgot how breathing worked.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Then, he made a choking noise at the back of his throat, finding himself taking an involuntary breath just to confirm she smelled as good as she looked. She did.[/color]

[color=#d4af37]“Thanks,” [/color][color=#ffffff]he managed, accepting his share of the napkin mountain with what he hoped passed for nonchalance. He set about cleaning his hands with exaggerated care, suddenly hyper-aware of every smear of sauce and stray crumb that might be clinging to him. Classy. Very classy. He stayed quiet as the two women exchanged introductions, committing the name “Anissa” to memory while pretending not to listen as intently as he was. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]When Tapeesa announced her departure for the dance area with her characteristic buoyancy, Elias watched her go with an odd mixture of relief and something he couldn't quite name. There was something mesmerizing about how easily she moved through space, completely unselfconscious in a way he envied. The moment stretched slightly too long before he remembered he wasn't alone, turning back to find Anissa already studying him with those fire-lit eyes.[/color]

[color=#5a3e85]“She’s nice,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Anissa remarked, setting her drink down beside the plate she hadn't touched yet. [/color][color=#5a3e85]“Is she your girlfriend or…?” [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias snorted, shaking his head. [/color][color=#d4af37]“Nah,” [/color][color=#ffffff]he answered, shaking his head with more emphasis than necessary.[/color][color=#d4af37] “Just a friend. We only met today, actually.” [/color]

[color=#ffffff]The surprise on Anissa's face was oddly satisfying, though he couldn't have explained why. As she started to comment on how close they seemed, he smoothly interjected, [/color][color=#d4af37]“Tapeesa's a hard person to say no to.” [/color][color=#ffffff]The words came easily, carrying a truth he hadn't realized until he said them aloud. [/color][color=#d4af37]“And she's got this habit already of dragging me everywhere, not that I mind, you know? It's just...how she is.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Anissa hummed thoughtfully. [/color][color=#5a3e85]“Well, she seems like the kind of person who would get along with anyone.”[/color][color=#ffffff] The subtle shift of her body toward him didn't escape his notice then, though he pretended not to see it as she added, [/color][color=#5a3e85]“I like that.”[/color]

[color=#d4af37]“Yeah, she's easy to like,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Elias agreed, the words coming out more fond than he intended, so he quickly tacked on, [/color][color=#d4af37]“Too easy. She'll probably convince you to do something reckless before the night's over. Like…”[/color][color=#ffffff] He jerked his chin toward the pulsating music, making a face. [/color][color=#d4af37]“Dancing to [i]this[/i].”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Anissa raised an eyebrow at that, and he smirked at her unspoken judgment.[/color]

[color=#d4af37]“I’ve seen worse, to be fair,”[/color][color=#ffffff] he added. [/color][color=#d4af37]“Used to end up at these warehouse shows back home. Albuquerque. Half the time, the speakers were busted, and someone’s cousin was DJing with a cracked iPhone. You’d think it was Coachella the way people acted. Glow sticks, duct-taped shoes, the works.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Anissa's laugh was unexpectedly bright, her gaze moving to where Tapeesa spun wildly across the makeshift dance floor. [/color][color=#5a3e85]“I can't imagine you at a warehouse party,” [/color][color=#ffffff]she admitted, and something in her tone made Elias bristle a little. [/color][color=#5a3e85]“Seems like more of a Tapeesa thing, to me.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The observation needled him more than it should have. [/color][color=#d4af37]“I liked the energy,” [/color][color=#ffffff]he defended, then caught himself and dialled it back with a shrug.[/color][color=#d4af37] “And I liked watching people try to look cool when they didn't have a clue what they were doing.” [/color]

[color=#5a3e85]“You talk like you know everything.”[/color]

[color=#d4af37]“Nah, definitely not. Some might even say the opposite is true most of the time.” [/color][color=#ffffff]He flashed a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table.[/color][color=#d4af37] “But I do have my moments when it comes to noticing things like… how you're still wearing your gloves even though it's really warm here. Or how you're sitting so straight like you're afraid to get comfortable.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The minute stiffening of Anissa's shoulders didn't escape him, though he couldn't quite parse its meaning. That familiar fog settled over his thoughts, the awareness that he'd noticed something important without understanding what to do with the information. He chewed the inside of his cheek, suddenly uncertain. Had he crossed some invisible line?[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Then she said, lightly, [/color][color=#5a3e85]“It’s just a circulation thing. My hands are always cold.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias latched onto the explanation with relief, nodding like she’d just explained quantum physics to him.[/color][color=#d4af37]“Like… a lizard thing?”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Anissa's nose scrunched in a way that might have been cute under different circumstances.[/color][color=#5a3e85] “A lizard thing?”[/color]

[color=#d4af37]“Yeah. You know.” [/color][color=#ffffff]He flashed a sheepish grin, digging himself deeper.[/color][color=#d4af37] “Cold hands. Warm... heart?” [/color][color=#ffffff]The moment the words left his mouth, he knew they'd landed wrong. There was something in the way her posture went rigid, the way her smile froze in place. Shit.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias scrambled to backtrack, words tumbling out in a hasty jumble. [/color][color=#d4af37]“I mean, uh, not in a scaly way. I’m not saying you’re like... a lizard-lizard. Or a snake or anything. Unless you were going for mysterious and venomous, in which case, you nailed it.” [/color][color=#ffffff]The crooked grin he offered felt brittle on his face, a last-ditch effort to salvage the conversation. [/color]

[color=#d4af37]“Though you don’t hiss. That’s good. I think.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]But nothing about Anissa’s expression changed, that polite, frozen mask still present, and that told him nothing and everything all at once. Elias felt the weight of his misstep settle heavily in his gut, though he still couldn't quite pinpoint where exactly he'd gone wrong. The music pulsed around them, suddenly too loud, the heavy bass grating against his nerves. He opened his mouth to say... something, anything, but no words came. The realization hit him with dull surprise:[/color]

[color=#ffffff]For once, Elias had absolutely no idea what to say next. He cleared his throat, the sound embarrassingly loud to his own ears. The weak soda in his hand had long gone flat, but he'd been clutching it without realizing it before. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]And now it served as the perfect excuse to escape this conversation he'd clearly torpedoed. [/color]

[color=#d4af37]“I uh. I’m gonna grab another drink other than this soda. Something a little stronger. You want something?” [/color][color=#ffffff]It wasn't clever. It wasn't smooth. But in that moment, with his brain scrambling to recover from whatever social landmine he'd stepped on, it was the only olive branch he could think to extend.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Anissa didn't answer immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice had changed; quieter, more reserved than the easy tone she'd used earlier. [/color]

[sup][color=#5a3e85]“Sure.”[/color][/sup]

[color=#ffffff]He nodded, the motion jerky and overeager. The chair legs screeched against the ground as he stood too quickly, the harsh sound making him cringe. Heat flooded his cheeks as he muttered a hasty apology, already backing away. [/color][color=#d4af37]“Cool. Yeah. Be right back.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The moment he turned, Elias exhaled sharply, relief and embarrassment warring in his chest. He wove through the crowd with single-minded focus, shoulders hunched slightly as if trying to make himself smaller.[/color]

[/indent]
[hr]Location: Elias and Tappi's Table -->Bar
Interactions: Anissa (Me), Tapeesa before she leaves ([@Mjolnir]) 
Mentions: N/A