[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][indent] [color=#ffffff]The bar's overwhelming crowd didn't bother Elias one bit. If anything, he welcomed the suffocating press of bodies surrounding him as they formed a living barrier between himself and whatever social disaster he'd just created back at that table. Shoulders bumping against strangers, he could almost pretend the awkwardness hadn't happened. Almost. His mind kept replaying the conversation on loop, trying to pinpoint exactly where things had gone sideways. They'd been joking about terrible music and ridiculous parties one minute, then suddenly Anissa's smile had turned to ice, her posture stiffening like he'd insulted her ancestors. Exit stage left indeed.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias's fingers kneaded the tense muscles at the back of his neck as he shuffled toward the bar. [/color][color=#d4af37]“Cold hands, warm heart,” [/color][color=#ffffff]he muttered to himself, the words tasting even dumber aloud than they had in his head. What kind of idiot says that to someone they just met? Was he trying to be charming or auditioning for a role as the world's worst greeting card writer? The self-loathing was so thick he almost missed the sudden explosion of reflected light dancing across the bar's surface.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Rhinestones. Rhinestones everywhere. Flashing with each bounce of movement, like someone had decided to take inspiration from a disco ball tonight. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elias blinked, his brain stuttering at the sight of the girl orchestrating the shot line like a Vegas magician about to saw someone in half.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Okay. That was... certainly an aesthetic choice. Not one he'd make personally, but he could respect the commitment to the bit. Besides, the way she commanded the space suggested she'd stab anyone who questioned her fashion decisions, and honestly? Fair enough. After his recent conversational train wreck, Elias wasn't eager to open his mouth again anytime soon anyway, especially not around someone who clearly had both the confidence and probable willingness to verbally eviscerate him if he said something dumb. And this woman? She looked like the type who'd do it while smiling and making it sound like a compliment. Still, when he noticed several limes threatening to escape, his hands moved before his brain could stop them, catching the rogue citrus before it could roll off the bar. Not that he seriously thought she needed help, but it gave him something to do besides stand there like an idiot. 

When she called out, [/color][color=#c9bef3]“Who's in?”[/color][color=#ffffff], Elias simply nodded and grabbed one of the waiting glasses. The salt-lick-tequila-lime routine happened on autopilot, the burn clearing his mental fog better than any deep breath could.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Then reality came crashing back with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Shit.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]He'd completely forgotten to ask Anissa what she wanted to drink, having been so focused on escaping the awkwardness. Now he had to return empty-handed or with some random drink he'd chosen for her, both options equally terrible. The tequila that had initially warmed his chest now sat like acid in his stomach. He stared down at the mangled lime wedge in his hand, lamenting the fact that life didn’t come with do-overs like some cheap video game. He could almost hear the imaginary reset sound effect as he squeezed the citrus between his fingers, the juice stinging tiny cuts he hadn't noticed before. With a defeated sigh, he tossed the lime back onto the bar where it landed with a sad, wet plop.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Running a hand through his hair, Elias reluctantly turned to scan the crowd. His eyes immediately sought out that distinctive beret, the one that had looked so effortlessly chic earlier. Part of him hoped she'd disappeared into the party, saving him from this fresh humiliation. No such luck. Not only was she still there, but some random guy had already claimed his abandoned seat. Even from this distance, he could see from their body language that their conversation appeared to be flowing with an ease his own with her had painfully lacked. A bitter taste filled his mouth that had nothing to do with the tequila once he took notice of the drink in her hand as well. 

Elias quickly averted his gaze before he could see more, the brief glimpse confirming what his gut had been screaming this entire time: he'd well and truly fucked up.[/color]

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[hr]Location: Bar
Interactions: N/A
Mentions: Anissa, Sylas, Blair, General bar crew