no mercy

Suffice to say, Ellora had never felt like this before. She’d never even had so much as a buzz before, so now that she was totally and utterly drunk, she kind of didn’t know how to handle it. And now that she was standing, all the blood had rushed to her head and she was just thankful that Chandler was there– even more than that, she was thankful that even in this inebriated state, she knew she could depend on him and trust him to keep her safe. That was probably why she didn’t fight it harder when she felt herself swaying and her thoughts going fuzzy, and why she just nodded when Chandler said he was going to pick her up. And no sooner was she in his arms did Ellora immediately curl into him, turning more towards him and resting her head on his chest, letting her eyes close as he walked them to…wherever it was he was taking them.

Eventually though she was being put down again, this time in…a room? A bedroom. His bedroom. Ellora’s heart skipped and if she’d been a bit more coherent she might have gotten flushed and flustered. But as it was she just gave him a little smile when he helped her sit down and took her shoes off for her, letting him take care of her, even brushing the hair out of her face. “Are you gonna kiss me, Mister Chandler?” She’d said it playfully, teasing and clearly not totally in her right mind since it wasn’t something she’d say aloud if she were sober. Moments later though she was laying down and once she did her head started throbbing and the room spun a bit and she automatically reached for his hand, giving it a little squeeze “Please stay?” She asked it quietly, practically pouting at him even as her eyes were heavy-lidded and she looked moments from falling asleep. Thankfully he’d agreed and Ellora forced herself to stay awake long enough for him to come back and once he did she moved, lifting herself up onto her elbow so she could watch him getting ready to sleep on the floor…

“You coulda put me on the couch so I didn’t steal your bed…” She mumbled, watching him for a moment more before she laid down again, letting her arm dangle off the side of the bed just to be closer to him. And after that she was asleep within moments, the alcohol clearly winning out.

The next morning when she woke up her head was throbbing and she was admittedly a bit disoriented. But soon enough the night before came back to her: the bar, getting drunk, Chandler…  Right. She was in his apartment..in his bed… Ellora flushed as she looked around, and when she looked over the edge of the bed and saw the pillow and blanket there, her flush just got even darker. She’d asked him to stay….

Carefully sitting up, Ellora drank the water and took the pills on the bedside table, wincing a bit at how her head felt but she pushed the feeling aside and moved to stand, slowly leaving the bedroom and tentatively looking around his apartment. As she walked the smell of food and coffee hit her and Ellora followed it, bare feet quietly padding down the hall until she finally found Chandler in the kitchen. She remembered he told her he liked cooking, so he was clearly in his element and Ellora watched him for a moment, taking it all in before she finally knocked her knuckles gently against the entryway, giving him a little smile, “Good morning.”

✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

Not usually one to eat so early in the morning, Chandler was pleasantly surprised to find he had enough breakfast foods to make a solid meal for him and Ellora. There was bread, butter and jelly to make toast, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. He even had some muffins from the bakery he had bought a couple days ago. On the drink front, he always had orange juice for screwdrivers and mimosas, and he drank far too much coffee for his own good. And he kept sports drinks in the fridge; he didn’t get hangovers anymore, but he had always stayed in the habit of trying to take care of himself after a night of heavy drinking. 

His first thought was to do something more interesting than eggs and bacon for breakfast. It was far too basic, and not very challenging and he wanted to show off his culinary skills. But then he remembered hangovers usually caused nausea and made it hard to eat a lot, so he figured basic was better for her. As he cooked, his mind wandered to the night before.

“Are you gonna kiss me, Mister Chandler?”

“No,” He had  responded, a soft smirk on his face. “‘Cause it should be special, and you should be sober.”

He’d been wanting to kiss her for several weeks now -- ever since they first met. But he had waited this long and he sure as fuck could wait until she was in her right mind. 

Over the sound of the cooking eggs and the kitchen appliances, and the smell of both the coffee and the bacon, Chandler didn’t immediately catch onto Ellora’s scent or footsteps. It was only as she knocked on the entrance to the kitchen that he turned and noticed her. “How are you feeling?” He asked as he moved to fridge to get a gatorade, then handed it to her. “This will probably help with the headache I’m guessing you have. Hope you like fruit punch.”

.

Once the words were out, Ellora almost regretted saying them, but then she found herself just wondering…why? Why should she regret it? Why should she fear or worry saying something that was true about him? Chandler had become someone she was close to. Over the weeks they’d spent more time together and spoke more and more, he started learning things about her and vice versa. When something happened to her at work that was funny or frustrating she found herself wanting to tell him. He was the person she’d grown closest to…and she wasn’t embarrassed to say so.

So when he smiled at her and even agreed, Ellora just smiled right back at him, bright and happy and feeling pleased with herself at the thought, warmth flooding through her and surging through her veins and practically radiating out of her. “I’m glad to hear that. And will happily work to keep that top spot in your life.” she laughed as she said it, grinning at him. All the while she’d toyed with the glass she had and took another few more drinks from the cocktail, finishing it off soon enough while Chandler finished the shots, and by the end of the drink she could definitely feel its affects. Her head felt fuzzy, making her a bit dizzy with it. She felt warm and a bit hazy, and as the minutes ticked by and her blinks got slower she found herself slipping a bit further down onto the booth, slumping a bit.

Almost unconsciously, Ellora found herself leaning more into and and eventually with her head ending up laying on his shoulder, her breathing a bit slower and deeper as the alcohol definitely had taken its hold. She probably would have ended up falling asleep on him too if it hadn’t been for Chandler suddenly nudging at her and she just nodded, lingering on him for a second more before she moved to slide out of the booth. Once she was standing though, her head rushed a bit and she swayed, stumbling a bit over her own two feet before finding herself leaning heavily into his chest and as she let out a little noise, almost like a little whimper. “M’sorry..” she mumbled, muffled into him- but not moving away just yet either. 

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Chandler chuckled to himself at Ell’s drunk state, but then she was whimpering and apologizing. Suddenly, he remembered this was her first time drinking. Oh god, should I have taken this slower? He thought to himself. But he was already taking this much slower than he usually would, and the shapeshifter was barely drunk at all. He had been trying to not go overboard because he knew witches couldn’t drink as much. She’d only had eight drinks (or something like that, he hadn’t really been counting) and he could have sworn he sometimes drank that much before he shifted for the first time. But....even without his supernatural abilities, he was much bigger than Ell wasn’t he? Shit. As he started to realize all the reasons he’d pushed Ellora too hard, he started to feel really bad that her first drinking experience was too much too fast. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, okay? I've got you.” 

Chandler slowly walked Ellora out of the bar, but she was clearly struggling to walk very well. He’d have to get her back to her place as soon as possible, and planned on staying with her so he could make sure she didn’t end up getting alcohol poisoning. But outside the bar, as he asked for her address, her speech was so slurred and she kept repeating the numbers in different orders, and he couldn’t understand what she was saying the street name was because it sounded like verbal key smashing. 

Under any other circumstances, Ellora spending the night at his would have been a fantastic development. But as he realized that’s where he was going to have to take her, he worried. How much would she remember tomorrow morning? If she blacked out and woke up in his apartment, he hoped she wouldn’t assume the worst. Chandler thought back to his own experience blacking out at a party. The event had really shaken him at the time and he’d had the luxury of waking up in his own bed. He couldn’t imagine how scary it would have been to woke up in an unfamiliar place like Ell was going to.

As they walked, he tried to support her and keep her upright but she was so far gone and they weren’t getting anywhere fast. He briefly considered giving her a piggyback ride before remembering she probably wouldn’t be able to hold onto him. But as she slumped against him, he stopped and lightly nudged her to get her attention. “I’m gonna pick you up, okay?” He gently warned her before placing a hand on her back and under her legs and in one fluid swoop had her laying in his arms. Only a few steps later he realized how much easier this was going to be than making her walk.

Once they got to his apartment, he had to set her back down in order to get his keys and unlock his door. From there, he was able to guide her to his bed. He tucked her in, placing a pillow behind her back so she couldn’t roll over and choke on her own vomit during the night. Next, he went into his first aid kid and removed a small bottle of ibuprofen, and filled up a glass of water in the kitchen. He placed both in front of her on the nightstand, then looked down at her. It was hard to tell if she was sleeping or not, but she looked more peaceful than drunk to him in the moment. He brushed her face out of her hair and, as he moved his hand away, felt her grab it. His anxiety spiked slightly, because he hadn’t expected her to be able to move normally and it caught him off guard, but his brain caught up quickly and he didn’t jerk away. Instead he just watched as she asked him to stay in a barely-audible voice. He wasn’t sure he would have picked up on her request without his shifter ears. “Anything you want, Princess Ellora.” Chandler smiled gently at her. But there was no way he was going to have her wake up hungover next to him in bed, so he slowly pulled away. “Just give me a moment.” He walked across his studio apartment and removed a pillow (since he’d donated the one he usually slept on to Ell’s collection of back cushions) and a smaller blanket, then placed his setup on the floor next to her. 

The alcohol burned again as it made its way down her throat, but Ellora also felt her body feeling hotter in general, her head feeling a little fuzzy (in fact, her whole face kind of felt that way). Even her posture was a bit different, more relaxed and loose and….oh. This must be the effects of the alcohol. Huh. And she’d had..how many? Three shots, she was pretty sure. Along with the couple other cocktails he’d had her try. Ellora stopped letting her mind drift though as he started speaking and she blinked to focus, immediately smiling at him again, “Good. I like your smile.” She liked a lot of things about him, but she wasn’t about to say that just yet.

Instead when he patted the spot next to him she wasted no time in moving to sit beside him, not really caring about the concept of personal space just then either as she slid in until she was pressed up against his side and she grabbed for one of the other cocktails on the table, the same sweet strawberry one he’d ordered her before that she’d enjoyed as she watched him effortlessly down another shot on his own. He didn’t seem as affected as she was though….she wondered if that had to do with his being a shifter. Or maybe it just had to do with the fact that she’d never drank before. Either way, she just hoped he wasn’t embarrassed by being beside such a lightweight.

As he thought about a question to ask her Ellora sipped at her cocktail, enjoying the sweetness of it, and as she drank he spoke again, asking about who she was closest to and immediately she looked up at him, again feeling her cheeks heating up (but at least this time since they were already pink from the alcohol, it could at least be hidden some). “O-Oh well um…a..aside from Meena, I..” she licked over her lips before biting on the lower one, tentatively meeting his eyes, “I um..I guess I’d have to say…you?”

✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

Good, I like your smile. Before Chandler could even process her saying that, she was sliding into the booth much closer than he thought she would. He quickly found himself reaching for his new cocktail to hide how flustered he was. But she was definitely too drunk to notice. “Maybe we should get you some water soon.” He suggested, then rested his arm on the top of the booth’s backrest behind her. In a perfect world, he’d be resting it on her shoulder but not when they weren’t together and she couldn’t think clearly. 

It was only as he turned to look at her better that he realized he was slightly buzzed. It probably would have been a good idea to let his own alcohol consumption come to an end fairly soon, so he could think clearly and make sure Ellora got home safely. But in his fourteen years of drinking, he had never been good at stopping once he got started. He made mental note to flag down the bartender the next time he walked past their table. 

Chandler had never been big on physical contact. It was hard to say if it was his personality or his childhood that made him like that. Probably a combination of both, but it didn’t really matter why he didn’t like people touching him so much as it mattered that he found it made him nervous and not in a good way. But there had always been exceptions to that. Romantic relationships were the obvious allowance, but so too was his friendship with Hannah. She always wanted to hold hands or cuddle to the point that people often mistook them for a couple. The final exception was sex. In that context he didn’t even think of it as physical contact, and after his life went to shit he found it to be the only way he could comfortably connect with people. 

Ellora was none of those three things. At least, not yet. He wanted to be able to call her his girlfriend and best friend, and certainly wouldn’t be upset if they were sexually involved one day. But right now she was just a friend. One that he’d only known a short time and was already talking about destiny with. Someone who had touched him several times now and even if his reflex was to pull away, it was never what he wanted to do when his brain caught up and remembered who was touching him. That was when he realized how nice it felt to trust someone enough to let them do this, and how much he missed something so simple. 

He was thinking about all of this when Ellora admitted that she was closest with him outside of her family, and while he found himself slightly surprised by this news, he supposed it wasn’t shocking. “Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow as he tried to act cool but he was smiling again. Why the fuck couldn’t he stop smiling at her? “You’re the person I’m closest with, too.” He admitted. She would probably assume he meant outside of his family but that was barely true. It felt almost sad that he kept people at such an arms length that a girl he’d known for such a short amount of time was so high up on the list. But as she leaned into him a bit more and rested her head on his shoulder, he remembered she could plow through the defenses he’d spent his whole life building as if they were nothing.

Chandler took their two remaining shots and handed one to Ell while he kept the other one. “Cheers to both of us needing more friends.” He joked, then downed his shot. While they finished their last cocktails, he flagged the bartender down and asked for their bill and one last round of shots. Once they finished those drinks, Chandler nudged Ell out of the booth and watched her stand up. She was even more far gone than he had realized. And as he finally got up for the first time since their totally-platonic-not-a-date night started, he realized he was a little more tipsy than he had realized. “Let’s get you some pedialyte and get you home safely, okay?”

Ellora was glad he was going along with her silly little kismet idea and she smiled, nodding. “Exactly. So…maybe us meeting wasn’t a notion of if but rather just…a when.” She offered it with a little shrug, trying to play it off as something light and playful even though it had connotations of seriousness under it. Just friends didn’t tend to talk like this about each other after all. But Ellora definitely wasn’t about to bring anything like that up. Especially not when the conversation clearly had shifted into something more serious….–a bit darker.

She’s dead. Ellora blinked for a moment, taking a second to register the words at the same time she had to register him pulling his hands away from hers. For a second she found herself pouting, missing the feeling of his hand in hers and having to resist the urge to reach forward again, but just as soon as those feelings hit they went away and she focused on the conversation, forcing herself to try and focus as he explained more- but even as he did, the frown stayed on her face. 

“Chandler, no… don’t….–you can’t think like that..” Ellora just shook her head, resisting then the desire to stand up and go around to his side and hug him…and that was only because she wasn’t sure how he’d react (and she wasn’t sure how she’d react if he’d rejected her touch twice). “Hunters are….they’re bad people. They…they hate us, and they hurt us..for no reason.” like when they’d attacked here. A dozen people had been killed…senselessly so. “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault…not being able to stop hunters…that..that’s not something to fault yourself over..”

Ellora watched him down another shot and then grab the remaining drink on the table and she decided to not let an otherwise good night get marred by the dark turn of conversation and she moved suddenly, standing up and tapping her hand on the table, “I’ll be right back.” She didn’t wait for a response either as she turned and wove her way through the crowd to the bar, managing to at least do so without stumbling over herself given the alcohol in her system already. But she came back just a few short minutes later, two shots in hand–and a bartender following her carrying a tray with two more shots and two other cocktails and Ellora smiled a bit tentatively as she moved to stand beside Chandler, giving him a little nudge, “I don’t like seeing you sad. And you were smiling before watching me make a fool of myself so…” she trailed off and knocked back another shot, again scrunching her face as she forced down the burning liquid. “Smile? Please? For me?”

✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

Logically, Chandler knew Ellora was right. Nobody in his pack had ever hurt humans, yet they were wiped out for merely existing. In a small town near the woods where nobody should have even noticed them. If he had been with his pack that night, he probably would be dead too. He was the most inexperienced out of all of them, so what would he have been able to do that their alpha, Kiyo, couldn’t? But at the same time....he should have been there. For all he knew that night could have ended differently. And there was no reason he should still be here when nobody else was. When he only survived because he spent the evening with his human boyfriend instead. 

Chandler shook his head, trying to nonverbally say that he didn’t want to talk about it anymore because thinking of Ellora’s reassurances and trying to believe them was only making him sadder and he didn’t want to be sad. Not right now, not with her. When she suddenly got up and walked away, he opened his mouth to tell her to stay but then she was gone. He quickly focused on her scent, and once he knew that she wasn’t just getting up and leaving he calmed down. She had said she’d be right back, and he had to trust her. 

And now that she was gone, he felt somewhat embarrassed for revealing some of that trauma to her. He literally hadn’t talked about this since he told his parents. He didn’t want to rely on them too much, and he’d never found another supernatural before moving to the island so he couldn’t talk about it even if he had wanted to. It surprised him that he was physically capable of opening up, even just a little. Why had it needed to spill out now, then? At the same time....he didn’t think that was just some mistake. Ell made him feel safe and like maybe one day everything might be okay again even if it’d never be fixed. He just hope he hadn’t scared her away with his vulnerability.

When Ellora returned with drinks, Chan blinked in surprise at what he was looking at. Four shots and two cocktails. He glanced down at his drink, but before he had a chance to pick it up and take a swig of it, his witchy companion was talking again and he looked up to pay attention to what she was saying. A sarcastic comment was bursting to escape his lips, but before he could even think of something to say she was taking another shot and her face twisted comically as a result. He chuckled slightly before it dawned on him that she was trying to cheer him up. Despite his embarrassing display of feelings she still wanted to be around him and wanted him to feel better, and he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth at her caring about him like that. 

She was standing so close to him now, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her down to sit next to him in the booth. But she was definitely inebriated and he knew he had to be mindful of her mental state. “Well, you did say please, so....I guess.” Chandler’s smirk returned and he patted the seat next to him, silently asking her to sit on the same side of the booth as him. He rapidly finished off the cocktail that was in front of him and then took the new shot out of Ellora’s hand, nodding to the bartender as he set down their drinks and left. After quickly downing the tiny glass of liquid (without making any comical facial expressions), he looked at her. “Is it my turn to ask you then? Uh....let’s see..." He thought. Maybe it was because they had just talked about Hannah and whether or not Chandler was close with anyone on the island, but he found himself wondering what her social circle looked like. Based off things she had said to him, she was a lot more content with her books than with the company of other people. “I know you’ve got your sister on the island, but....who would you say you’re closest to after that? On Paradisus, so you can’t say your family back home either.”

-

“I take up free drinks.” Alex gave a little shrug, though it wasn’t entirely the truth, because Alex didn’t drink much at all, it was mostly drinking wine with Charlie at dinner, or tequila when Charlie would bring it home every now and then. Even then, Alex wasn’t one to drink an excessive amount, not even enough to get a buzz. That is, unless something was bothering him enough he just wanted to silence it for a bit. This was one of those times, however, considering how in his head he was about not belonging anywhere. He could definitely see himself having too much, especially if someone else was willing to pay for it.

✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

“It’d be dumb not to.” Chandler smiled slightly. He usually felt more comfortable in queer environments than their straight counterparts, and was used to the idea of strange men offering to buy him drinks as a result. But that wasn’t what this was. Alex was aesthetically attractive, but Chandler didn’t think of him in that way. “Although I guess letting weird men from the woods buy you drinks might be the adult equivalent of getting in a stranger’s van, if you’re not careful.” He thought out loud. 

“You shouldn’t steal. Especially not when I’d happily give you whatever you wanted.” Ellora said it with a readied little nod, looking way too serious over something as silly as a bookmark. The somewhat seriousness of the conversation(s) continued as well then with mentioned of meeting and she hummed softly, shrugging, “Well I also believe in kismet. And things happening for a reason–even if that’s childish of me.” She tacked it on with a little grin. “So even if we’d never met here….maybe we could have met someplace else someday. I mean, who knows. Maybe alternate universe me would have wound up in the States eventually for some other reason. Or maybe alternate universe you would have wanted a stark change from all this and like….pointed randomly on a map, and wound up on the outskirts of London. There are very many variables, Mister Chandler.” Again with the serious little nod and look in her eyes.

And apparently the seriousness was going to stay despite this conversation having begun as some silly little question game but…she didn’t care. Even with the slight buzz in her brain, Ellora was more than coherent enough to register a few things: like that he hadn’t pulled his hand away from hers yet, and that his own body language had gotten a bit tense, and…he was saying he liked her…

His other hand going on top of hers made Ell’s heart skip another beat, her breath coming out a bit stuttered, but even then she couldn’t fully lose herself in how nice it felt to have her hand (somewhat) held, because she was finally registering the rest of his words and she immediately shook her head. “I beg to differ.” She started softly, “I haven’t known you for long but what I do know is nothing but positive. I know that you’ve been kind to me. You’re sweet and funny…patient.” She gave him a little grin as she nodded over to the shot glasses that he’d had to walk her through and then she only hesitated a second before moving her other hand and placing it on top of his. “I think you’re a good person…and I really like you too and I don’t know what you think would happen to me by being around you but..I’d like to differ on that too? Because if anything I…I’d like to think I’d be..safe around you? ….Or am I thinking too much into all this and you actually wouldn’t get all protective around me?” She had a little smile on her face still but it turned a bit nervous, like she’d again said words she hadn’t meant to.

. "Yes, Princess." Chandler teased, referencing their Disney joke from a few days before. It wasn't like he had been sneaky about the bookmark. She knew exactly where it was the whole time.

While Chandler didn't believe in things like fate or 'everything happens for a reason', he didn't think it was childish either. Maybe if he were a happier person it would make sense to him. This moment felt great; being at a quiet bar with an amazing girl and (despite the serious and sad tone the conversation had warped into, and despite how frustrated he was with himself for being the reason that happened) actually talking to her. About real things he didn't know he still knew how to talk about. But that didn't cancel out all of the bad. His pack dying may have led to this moment, but that didn't make losing them worth it in any way. Instead he focused on the hypothetical; if Paradisus didn't exist, then maybe they would have met another way. "I think its entirely possible I could have ended up pointing randomly on a map and found myself in England. Or that if you ended up in America its likely that, at some point, we would have been in the same city." He liked that idea, and he decided to hold onto that.

.

“You um…you can keep that. The bookmark.” She nodded towards it, biting her lip, “If you want that is.” She tacked on with a little shrug, not wanting him to feel like he needed to or anything. In fact, she was kind of regretting not using a better one that she’d made for him to see as an example. Oh well.

“Is different worlds so bad?” Ellora tilted her head as she asked it, still chewing a bit on her lower lip as she watched him. “I kinda see it as…learning about different ways of life? Everyone is different, and part of existing at the same time should be about sharing experiences and..all that. I think anyways.” Again, clearly the alcohol was starting to get to her with how rambly she was starting to become. It just made her flush in embarrassment, not wanting him to suddenly think she was being silly (or annoying). But it was when Chandler’s smile kind of faded and he began speaking about his family (or lack thereof) that Ellora again found herself acting without thinking. But this time instead of speaking it was her moving, and she’d reached over, resting her hand on top of his.

“Well…I’m on the island. And I like having you around and…I’m here with you now? A-And I’d..like to continue to be. To…to be that someone around. If.. you’d be okay with that.” The flush was still on her face and she didn’t doubt he could hear the way her heart was pounding, but she didn’t really care- nor did she move her hand away just yet, absently thinking about the fact that his skin felt a bit rougher than hers but it was warm and she didn’t want to let go just yet.

✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

“I know,” Chandler grinned at her, then put the bookmark inside Hunchback. “I was gonna steal it - not borrow it - but thank you for not forcing me to commit misdemeanor theft.”

He shook his head as Ellora seemed to think his laughing at their different upbringings was a bad thing. But still, he listened as she explained why she felt it was a good thing. “Totally agree. Even if I don’t do much sharing myself. I just think it’s funny because, it’s like, you and me probably never would have met if this place didn’t exist. Like....if there was no Paradisus, what are the chances we would have ever bumped into each other? I’ve never been to England and you’ve never been to America, after all.”

For the second time, Chandler found himself telling Ell things that he had never told anyone (except for Hannah, but she was dead so that didn’t even count anymore) and for the second time, she reacted by holding his hand. It was strange and unfamiliar, but far from unwelcome. He could hear both of their hearts beating fast, and it took a few seconds of feeling his pulse to puzzle out the tempo of hers as well. And then he realized she was speaking and he needed to listen. What he wanted more than anything was to spring out of his seat and join her across the table, and kiss her. But she was clearly starting to feel drunk and he was still sober and he didn’t want to do anything that she might not feel comfortable with the next day. This gave enough time for reality to sink back in and for him to remember why there wasn’t anyone around him. 

“I....” He sighed. “I really like you. A lot. But...I’m not a good person.” Even as he said this, he couldn’t help but focus on how soft her skin was and the way she smelled just like her plants she no doubt had in her own apartment. Chandler placed his free hand on top of hers, and swallowed hard because he knew it was undermining his attempts to keep her safe from him. “And it would kill me if something happened to you because of me.”

.

“If you were allergic to it then it probably would just bother for a few minutes before your cells essentially repaired themselves, yes. Although I still wouldn’t test the theory–or bother the bees when they’re just trying to do their jobs and live their lives.” Ellora smiled as she said it- obviously a big proponent of protecting nature and all its inhabitants.

“Oh, um..well, I have plenty of bookmarks. You can frame them as well. Recently I’ve been looking into things like adding them to melted wax to make pretty candles, or even coasters and silly little things. Or I’ll add dried flowers into potions, natural remedies..things like that.” Ellora trailed off with a little shrug, realizing she’d been rambling a bit, so she was glad when he seemed to take control of the conversation (and the situation in general) and he grabbed her drink, piquing her intrigue as he replaced some of it with the juice, effectively diluting it before passing it back.

Hesitantly she picked up the little shot glass, humming softly again at the question, “I’m…not sure.” She answered honestly. “This was the first time I’d ever moved anywhere else. I’ve only ever lived at home with my family, and considering that took twenty-three years…” she shrugged. “But maybe? Especially if it continues to grow in the way it has. And if I continue to feel comfortable here, and safe. Like..I did back in England. I want it to continue to feel like home.”

Sufficed with her answer, Ellora knocked back the shot- and while it still definitely burned, it wasn’t nearly as much– in fact, it was pretty good. She smiled as she chased it with another sip of her first drink, absentmindedly aware of the slight little buzzing starting in her head, and how she was feeling a bit warmer. “Okay…your turn. You know about my sister, my parents back home…how about you? Parents? Siblings? Anyone here too? Or do I have to double my efforts to make sure you have someone around for…whatever reason?”

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“Hey, there’s a reason I don’t know from experience; if I gotta live on this planet for almost a thousand more years, then I’m gonna need bees to stay alive.” He half-joked. Also he had read once that they died horrible deaths when they stung people and he definitely didn’t want to make a bee suffer. 

Chandler was surprised by just how much you could do with pressed flowers. “Candles and coasters sound like nice things to add them to. And these bookmarks are really fucking cool.” He said, holding up the one he’d quietly taken from her. He wanted to comment about using it in her magic but he still didn’t know much about how any of that worked. He wondered if she knew much about shapeshifters.

Ellora talked about how she’d never moved away from her parents before now, and feeling safe and at home both there and here. He couldn’t relate to any of it. Even when he’d been part of the pack, he never really knew what safe felt like. And he had nowhere to go to now, nowhere to call home. But instead of dwelling on the contrast, he found himself laughing. “Wow, we really come from completely different worlds.” He shrugged, but smiled softly at her so she knew he wasn’t laughing at her.

He was so endeared with Ellora as he watched her try the new shot. She actually seemed to be enjoying it and he felt great knowing he was getting her out of her comfort zone and seeing her happy. So when she asked about his parents, he was thrown right back into reality. He reached for his cocktail and began drinking quite a bit of it as he thought about what to tell her. “Yeah....okay.” He nodded to himself as he set his drink down. “Uhm. They live back in the states. My mom’s a doctor - which you already know - and my dad has some generic office job that he hates. We, uh....kinda have a complicated relationship. But they love me and my mom especially would drop everything to help me out,” Following his pack’s death, she flew out to where he was and took care of him for awhile. And he would always appreciate her helping him recover from the worst moments of his life. “I think they, uh....are happier not having a kid around though. There’s not a lot of parental instincts between those two.” Chandler honestly hadn’t expected to share that much, but he still shrugged as if he meant to reveal all of it. Then he took another sip from his drink. “But to answer your other question, I’m an only child. And there’s no other family, or anything else. Nobody here on the island with me.” It seemed kind of sad to admit, like he was lonely or something but he was fine. He always had to be fine because if he stopped being okay, then who would put him back together? So he didn’t give Ell time to reflect too much on that. “‘Having someone around’? What did you have in mind?”

“I..don’t think they’d double date. His girlfriend seems scary. She threatened to burn my sister’s face off.” Granted, Meena was in the middle of barging over when Alex was wounded in Charlie’s arms…but still. But then Ellora realized something very important that’d been said: the word date…. She was going to need a little more liquid courage before she asked aloud if this counted as a date as well. So instead she focused on Chandler explaining the shots and everything, a surprised smile pulling onto her lips when he said that he’d spoken to the bartender beforehand for her.

And then he effortlessly drank one of the shots and she watched a bit fascinated, letting out a breath. It didn’t seem too bad… Ellora reached for one hesitantly and brought it over to herself, not drinking it just yet though as she listened to him again, “Water might be a good idea–or yes, I like orange juice..” The confused little smile was on her lips again. I’m allergic to apples though, so none of that.” She figured it didn’t hurt to mention- especially considering he was pre-planning drinks for her.

Her smile soon went from confused to a mix of bashfulness and pride when he took the bookmark and she nodded, “I did. It is a hobby, like you asked.” She teased, grinning at him. “I make them when I can, I have a few more at home.” And if she was maybe making one for him already, well…she wasn’t about to say that aloud either without more liquid courage.

Ellora was still smiling when he called her out on taking his question and she just shrugged before taking a sip of her cocktail. She was glad she’d asked it though, since the fact that he liked to cook definitely surprised her. “Maybe I can try something you make one day.” the words kind of blurted out of her before she could stop them, just making that flush once again color her face. And to make matters worse, Chandler was speaking again, and….he was mentioning her, alluding to spending time with her as a hobby…. S to try and mask the way the words were affecting her Ellora took the shot all at one go like he did instead of sipping it–and almost immediately she regretted it since she wasn’t expecting the burn from it, making her wince.

Great, she probably looked ridiculous… “Maybe I should stick to the cocktails…”

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As Ell brought her shot closer to her, Chandler looked over to the bartender to try to quickly get her a chaser. She explained drinks, and he quickly shook his head. “Not water. It’s, like, the worst thing you could chase it with.” He corrected her with concern, then noticed the bartender was finally looking at him. “Orange juice, please. Just orange juice.” The bartender nodded and went behind the bar. “Definitely good to know you’re allergic to apples, though. I’m allergic to bee venom. Or....I was? My body probably heals itself from that shit now. Haven’t really pissed off any bees since I was younger.”

The orange juice was brought to the table as they began talking about the bookmark again. Chandler ordered two more shots for them while he had the bartender’s attention again. “Actually, make it four? Then I don’t have to bother you again for a little bit.” He suggested. He felt kind of bad that he could drink almost as fast as the bartender could make it, which made him a fairly high-maintenance customer. He didn’t like to be. Chandler chuckled as Ellora reminded him flower pressing was her hobby. “Do you flower press other stuff? Like....what else can you make with flower pressing anyways? I don’t know much about it.”

At her suggesting she try his cooking, his face lit up. “Yeah?” He asked, leaning forward. It had been so long since he really cooked for anyone else, despite how much he loved it. Last year, while staying at someone’s house he had made them dinner as a thank you for giving him a place to crash for a couple weeks. That was the only time he could think of that he had cooked for anyone in recent memory.

Chandler couldn’t help but laugh at the face she made at the shot. “Sorry,” He immediately blurted out once he realized he was doing so, but the grin was still on his face. He nudged the orange juice closer to her to help with the burn of the drink. “Nothing wrong with cocktails. They definitely taste better than shots.” He offered, not wanting her to feel pressured into drinking something she didn’t even like. But...”Let me just....” He trailed off, having an idea.

First, he took one of the shots that was before them. This one was strawberry, and it tasted delicious but definitely had a little bit of a kick to it. As refreshing as he found it to be, he knew it’d be more of a struggle for Ell. So he then took another shot and poured some of it into his now empty shot glass, then topped off her small drink with a tiny bit of orange juice from the glass in front of her. “Try this. It shouldn’t be as strong. And I think it’ll taste really good.”

He then realized they needed to continue twenty questions, and he spent a few seconds trying to come up with a question to ask her. There was so much he wanted to know about her; her family, dating history, her friends....but those were all questions he wouldn’t know how to answer himself, so he thought it best to avoid them for now. So instead of looking to the past, he thought about the future. “Do you think you’re still going to live on the island in ten years?”

“He’s usually with his girlfriend. My sister knows them, says they’re pretty inseparable.” Which was good, honestly- since her sister had also told her of saving Alex’s life a few months ago during the attacks. It was good to have someone–or so she’d imagined, given Ellora had never had anybody. Not really anyways, other than Meena. But she pushed that thought aside and instead focused on the boy in front of her, giving him a smile again as he agreed with her offer on trying out one more book from her. What she hadn’t expected though was for him to agree to her silly little suggestion of twenty questions, so his agreement just made her smile grow even more (even if it tinged in surprise when he was suddenly ordering more alcohol.)

“Interesting?” She echoed and when he elaborated she bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. “I…think it goes without saying that I’ve never drank a shot before.” she wrinkled her nose a bit just at the thought–and that was before the bartender came by and dropped off a new tray of drinks. “But um…o-okay. Deal.” 

She brought one of the new drinks towards her, inspecting the glass for a moment before she took a sip; this one tasted stronger, the alcohol having more of a burn and she made a bit of a face even as she took a longer drink before she looked to him again. “That is what I do for fun.” Ellora replied with a wry little smile. “But I suppose, um..I like going for walks, exploring and learning my surroundings. I like watching old black and white movies. Oh! Along with talking to my plants, I also like pressing flowers. Look-” she took one last sip of her drink before moving into her bag and pulling out the book she was reading and taking the bookmark out to hand to him, looking far too pleased with herself as she did so, grinning brightly. “And now how about you? Same question, what do you like to do for fun, Mister Chandler?”

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Chandler had only met Alex a few times, so he wasn’t sure why it surprised him the other man had a girlfriend. Maybe it was because Alex was a man of few words (which Chandler was totally cool with), and because he’d never seen a girlfriend around him. “Okay, so a library double date at Alex’s job with whoever he’s dating.” Chandler smirked. 

“Shots aren’t so bad. Especially these ones. I talked to the bartender before you got here, so he knew not to give us like...straight up vodka in a shot glass.” That was Chandler’s usual, since it was pretty effective at getting him drunk. He probably wasn’t going to end up too drunk tonight since he was trying it down to a level more comfortable for Ellora. But he was with her, and somehow she made him feel like everything was okay even when he was sober, so he supposed he really didn’t need to drink like a sailor tonight. He took the yellow shot (either a limoncello or a lemon drop, he was guessing from the color) in his hand and held it up dramatically. “Since I have two here, I’ll show you how it’s done.” With that, he held the small glass to his lips and flicked his wrist back to tilt the drink into his mouth. He swallowed it, then looked back at her. “If it’s still a little strong, then use the cocktail as a chaser. It gets the alcohol taste out of your mouth. Though.....it’s alcohol too. So you may want to get either a pop or a water." Ellora made a face at the LA Water, which told Chandler she’d need a non-alcoholic chaser. “Not part of twenty questions - do you like orange juice?”

While Chandler didn’t think of any of the things she listed as his own hobbies, he could imagine himself doing and enjoying them. Walking and exploring sounded like a great time, as long as he could bring his camera and wouldn’t annoy the shit out of her by constantly stopping to take pictures. And he liked movies, although he wasn’t specifically familiar with the old black and white ones. Then she was handing him a bookmark, and he stared down at it. “This is really cool. You made this?” He asked, setting it on top of his book and hoping she’d let him keep it. 

Now the question was turned around and asked to him. “Fine, but you can’t just reverse uno every question I ask. You gotta come up with your own after this one.” He smiled at her, then took a drink of some of his cocktail. He had no problems with trying to answer this, or talking about the most outer layers of his persona. He assumed he had brought up being a photographer to her by now, despite not being able to think of when that would have come up. So he went with the less obvious examples. “I love cooking. And I play a lot of video games. I....think that’s it? I didn’t really have time to explore different hobbies the last couple years so I’m not actually sure what I like to do anymore, I guess. But I recently met this really smart woman about my age,” also fucking beautiful as shit, but he felt like Ellora would rather be complimented on her brain or her personality than her looks. “And she has me reading books Disney movies were inspired by, which has been pretty cool.”

Alex wasn’t startled by the other when he came up behind him, he’d sensed him coming and Alex knew he was bound to see shifters in their animals forms here. Alex, however, wasn’t entirely comfortable shifting just yet- even if he’d been on the island for close to a year now- he was still so used to hiding and feeling the need to be wary of anyone. The only person on the island he completely trusted was Charlie, and he was slowly, slowly warming up to his sisters. 

“Sure.” It wasn’t like Alex to take someone up on an offer like that, but he felt he could use a drink himself, considering how shitty the shifter woods made him feel. He was a shifter, but he was raised by witches, and he couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t belong with either species. Alex didn’t really belong anywhere, and the shifter woods was a great reminder of that. 

Not much was said between the two as they walked to the bar, and it only made Alex feel a tinge worse when he saw they were going to the Moonstruck- the pub owned by a shifter. Once seated, Alex ordered immediately, wanting to let himself drink and relax, even if it was with a total stranger. “You always ask strangers you meet in the woods if they want to drink with you?” Alex wasn’t entirely sure what else to say, they’d pretty much only shared their names with each other and that was it. Not that Alex was hoping to make a lifelong friendship out of this, he just thought maybe they should at least break the awkward silence. 

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Even as a kid, Chandler always had an antisocial streak in him. His family had taught him at a young age to trust nobody, and he grew up harboring so many secrets from the humans around him. His own company was often the easiest, and least tiring, option. But despite all of that, he knew how to act extroverted. Chandler had many friends all through school, and found it to be very transferrable to his customer service skills as a photographer. Asking Alex to drink with him had been simple; he needed a drinking buddy and Alex was there.

He appreciated the silence as they walked towards the pub. He was already buying the other man alcohol, they didn’t need to talk about how clear the night sky was, or how the island had bounced back so quickly from the hunter attacks, or where they were from. It was comfortable. 

Chandler was oblivious to how uncomfortable Alex was in the shifter bar. It didn’t occur to him that a shifter would feel out of place here, either. But he caught on to Alex ordering immediately and nodded in approval with that choice. He quickly asked for a vodka soda himself (extra vodka, of course). He chuckled as Alex finally broke the silence with a question. “Oh yeah, all the time. It keeps life a little spicy.” Chandler chuckled slightly. There was some truth to his sarcastic comment, but only with the context that parties in the woods were fairly common in Minnesota. Especially in the college town he moved to after high school. “Do you always take strangers in the woods up on free drinks?”

If the puzzled look on his face while he was observing the stones wasn’t proof enough, his response confirmed that he wasn’t a witch himself. While Meena took her craft seriously, she couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped her lips as he spoke. “I hate to burst your bubble, but Disney has its own take on what magic is. I’m afraid it’s not based on anything we do. However, my mother did own a bottomless bag like the witch had in Halloweentown.” Meena mused, giving him a little smile as she spoke. 

“Green magic? My sister specializes in green magic. I know a bit myself, but she is well-versed in the subject.” Meena smiled, assuming absolutely no connection between the man and Ellora. “Let’s see– you managed to kill a cactus?” She had cut herself off, perplexed by the idea of killing something so low maintenance. “I’m hoping that’s one of those jokes of yours. If not, maybe we should steer clear of anything pertaining to green magic with you.” She couldn’t help but tease the stranger as she spoke. 

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“Yeah...I’m reading Hunchback of Notre Dame right now...if I didn’t know any better I’d say Disney’s just not good at sticking to source material in general.” Chandler chuckled at his own sarcasm, though he was impressed to find out that bags of holding were a real magical thing. “I always wanted one of those bags. It’s gotta be a lot easier than carrying my photography gear around all the time.”

He was a little surprised to find out her sister was also a green witch, but he figured there must be quite a few of them on the island. And while this shopkeeper did look a bit like Ellora, he knew Ell’s sister worked on a rescue crew. So he assumed it was just a coincidence. “Yeah. But....I also didn’t know how to take care of it. I inherited it and I think I watered it too often or something? I don’t know. It died a slow and painful death.” He shrugged. “So....if me and green magic mixing is a bad idea, what would you recommend, then?”

“You say I get to pick as if I know of many places on the island to go on…–well, to go to.” Ellora took another long sip of her drink to try and ignore her blush. “Just know we much fully end up at the library or something.” The drink didn’t leave her for long though, and moments later she was continuing to drink, the fruitiness far outweighing the alcohol as far as she could tell, making it easy to drink it down rather quickly–which was good, since the next thing she knew, Chandler was ordering them another round of drinks with some silly name.

“I’d read it in English when I was younger. But it’s a classic, so…yes. I wanted to experience it as it was originally meant to. I found it quite moving.” Ellora’s expression softened as she said it, but the smile that was just beginning to peak out instead was quickly replaced by a look of curiosity. Hannah. Not a name she’d heard of before. And a part of her (a big part) wanted to ask more fo her, since it was a rare tidbit she’d been given into his personal life. But she also registered the past tense in his sentence. Was his best friend. So she thought it best to not bring that up just yet and instead took another drink from her glass, finishing the first drink off moments later.

“Um, well..iiiii will say that it’s not exactly a Disney happy ending?” She offered, giving him an apologetic little grin as she shrugged. “But it’s another classic! And I promise, if you manage to at least get somewhat through it, that’ll be great. But there’s no pressure to. You can toss it back at me as well if you truly find it that awful. And next time I also promise to find you a happily ever after. Deal?” She offered her hand out as she said it, smiling at him again. “Or maybe you can tell me what kinds of books you’ve read before I came into your life? So I know what I’m getting myself into?” she was grinning again. “Maybe even play twenty questions.”

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Chandler could have sworn Ell almost called their potential next get together a date, but he couldn’t be quite sure. Maybe he had just imagined it, and she was going to use a different word that meant something a lot more platonic. He finished off his daiquiri, and held onto the empty glass with his hands. Fidgeting with the glass stem would hopefully hide some of his nervous energy and his smartass comments could maybe hide the rest. As she jokingly suggested a library, he raised an eyebrow. “A library? Do you really want that Alex kid chaperoning and shushing us the whole time?” The shifter teased. 

He still couldn’t believe that he mentioned Hannah like that. He thought about her a lot, but he almost never verbalized her name. Instead he would usually say ‘a friend made me watch Les Mis awhile back’ or something else that wouldn’t lead to questions like who she was or why she was no longer his best friend. God, he wished the green cocktails he had ordered were here because he wanted another drink right now. He watched Ellora do just what he was thinking about, but when she was done taking a drink from her daiquiri she didn’t say anything. He leaned back and folded his arms, biting the inside of his lip slightly to mask the relief he felt.

Not a Disney happy ending. That was a vague response. He didn’t necessarily mind sad endings, but Alice had been nice because it was a break from his thoughts. He worried that an ending more akin to Les Mis might just force him to think about the things he was always pushing down. But she wanted him to read it and was saying he could stop at any point, so he reminded himself to breathe and stop being such a buzzkill. Leaning forward so his arms were resting on the table, he stared at the book cover. “Deal.” He finally said. 

He didn’t know how to answer Ell’s questions about the books he read before. It wasn’t like he never read, but it was definitely a lot less than he had since meeting her. So instead of answering that question by talking about the best stories he had seen in TV shows, he decided to go with the twenty questions option. It was certainly a lot more dangerous, because he wasn’t exactly open and he really didn’t like talking about himself. But Ell already knew what she was getting herself into asking him to play something like that. “If we’re doing twenty questions, I’m gonna need more alcohol.” He admitted, then motioned across the room to the bartender to bring them three shots. He’d gotten good at asking for that kind of thing non-verbally since he often got drunk at Moonstruck Pub. The bartender soon brought over all of their drinks, and Chandler divided them up (one raspberry-melon cocktail for each of them, two shots for him and one for Ell). “Let’s make the game interesting, though. Well....more interesting.” He found her fascinating and would enjoy learning more about her, despite how unsure he was about answering questions about himself. “Whenever you ask anything I’m not comfortable answering, we both have to do a shot.” This seemed reasonable to him; he was hopeful he could answer more than half of her questions. This would mean less than ten shots each, and that was a normal work night.

“I guess I’ll go first." He drank some of his new cocktail, thinking about what he could ask her. “When you’re not reading or talking to plants, what do you like to do for fun?”

Closed starter: @chvndlr​

Alex hadn’t planned to stay on the island for as long as he had. He came to town with the intentions of visiting his friend for a few months and then leaving not only the island but the entire supernatural world behind. In his mind, it had caused him more pain than anything. He made a point not to spend any time in the shifter woods either, always having that feeling that he didn’t belong anywhere. But now he was creating a home on the island with Charlie, and it was set in a neighborhood just a little way outside of the shifter woods, so he figured he would allow himself to explore it a little. It reminded him of his childhood when he and Charlie would play in the woods, climbing trees and hanging out in the treehouse Charlie’s father and brother built for them. The area seemed perfect for them to live in.

Maybe he was still a bit paranoid from the attack or maybe he felt so out of place that he worried someone would call him out on it, but he stopped in his tracks as he heard someone coming up behind him, turning to face them. “I was just about to turn back and leave.” He said, almost like he was trying to beat them to telling him he shouldn’t be there.

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Chandler often came out to Moonstruck Pub to drink, feeling more comfortable in the shifter space than anywhere else on the island. But, in his few months of living on Paradisus he had completely avoided the nearby shifter woods. Growing up in the suburbs, he had always preferred larger cities and downtown areas. He almost didn’t think about the forest on the island and when he did remember it existed, he could always tell himself he was too busy. There weren’t enough hours in the day to step into woods for the first time since his whole pack had been murdered and actually deal with that trauma.

Today felt different though. He almost felt like he could handle it and, if not, there was always a bar right there that would let him drink until he forgot. He anticipated that his first step into the woods would bring back everything from his old life, but anticlimactically....nothing happened. He heard a branch snap under his foot, smelled the sweet aroma of the koa trees, and listened as the wind played with the wood around him. This was nothing like the fir and cedar of Northern Minnesota. It was like comparing Eden to Wayzata; they were so different that it felt safe. And for the first time in three years, Chandler found himself letting his guard down enough to fully shift.

It felt almost foreign to be on all fours again, but natural at the same time. He imagined this is what it felt like for most people to go visit their childhood homes, or to watch a movie you knew by heart but hadn’t actually watched in a long time. His skin felt like someone else’s, but the fur was his own. His movements as he ran through the woods were his as well. So, too, was the howl that left his mouth. That part felt best of all. 

He picked up on Alex’s scent before he saw him, but still slowed down so that the other shifter wouldn’t think he was attacking. As Alex turned to face him and spoke, Chandler switched back to his human form. He stretched a little, his body already a little sore from how long it had been since his last shift. “Uhm, okay?” Chandler replied, not really sure why Alex was telling him that. But despite how good it felt to shift and run through the woods, Chandler was still in desperate need of a drink and he was worried he’d gone to Moonstruck Pub alone a few too many times to not raise suspicions. “Want to get a drink then? My treat.”

When Chandler didn’t ignore her words and actually circled back to them Ellora bit her lip but she smiled, looking up at him, “I….I’d like there to be. A next time. I-If you do too.” She didn’t doubt for a second he could hear her heart racing–and she didn’t care. She knew she was a bit…odd. She didn’t have many friends that were outside of the words on her books, she didn’t really go out places. She’d rather spend her time with plants and novels than people…yet he still wanted to spend time with her, even if she felt she was woefully boring, he apparently didn’t.

When the drinks were passed over then Ellora looked at it for a moment; it was a pretty color at least, definitely something akin to strawberry, and she playfully toasted it towards him before taking her first sip. It was…definitely alcoholic, but the sweetness of the fruity flavor cut that, even make it good. She immediately took another couple sips, clearly enjoying it. And when he spoke again and equated something she did with the word cute it was a wonderful she didn’t snort frozen strawberry concoction up her nose. 

“The Flowers of Evil.” She corrected lightly, smiling at him still. “There’s an English translation, I’m pretty sure we have it in the shop.” She tacked it on before taking yet another sip: obviously the drink being a good choice on his behalf. She just hoped then that her choice of bringing him a book as well was a good one. 

“You don’t have..to…–” Ellora’s voice was soft and just got quieter as she trailed off, half-ready to reach over and take it back because it was silly…–but then Chandler immediately blurted out a yes and she paused before a smile immediately began pulling onto her lips. “Yeah?” She asked, hopeful, before a soft laugh soon followed, “Les Miserables, yes. That was actually the first novel I read when I learned French enough to read it. And yes, that’s the same author. Maybe…you can read this and then watch the Disney movie, compare the two.”

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“Yeah, I uh....” Chandler sipped some of his cocktail, though it couldn’t hide the pink on his cheeks. He didn’t really know how to openly and honestly talk about his feelings. While that often kept him safe, it had been an obstacle ever since he met Ellora and he didn’t really know how to get past it. It didn’t really matter, though, since a part of him felt relieved that he couldn’t give her too much power to hurt him. “We should. And since I got you out of your comfort zone, next time you get to pick what we do.”

He was glad to see Ellora clearly enjoyed her drink. He was proud of his abilities to find something for her and quickly called the bartender over to order two L.A. Waters. As a shifter, he had an extremely high tolerance; it was hard to get drunk when your body was always healing itself from the poison you were ingesting. So he was in the habit of drinking hard and fast. He had to keep in mind that witches had a more human-like tolerance. The only problem was he couldn’t remember how much he drank in high school (before his first shift), but he figured he’d be able to watch Ellora and figure out where to stop her.

“Les Miserables was your first French novel? That shit’s kinda fucked. Hannah - she was my best friend, she made me watch it once.” He hadn’t planned on mentioning Hannah, or anyone else from his pack, and his surprise resulted in a visible moment of buffering. He finished his strawberry daiquiri before he continued speaking. “Is....the actual Hunchback as depressing as Les Mis? Like, do all his friends die? Cause you gotta tell me if that’s what I’m getting myself into.”