#dh. thread

 the sound echoed against the stone walls, a single foot repeatedly tapping out a beat as they leaned against the wall. deron let out a light grunt as he tugged, for easily the tenth time, the collar that sit too tightly against his neck. the entire outfit made his skin nearly itch and he desired to shed it so that he may feel as if he could breathe properly once more, deron mulled over when the last time he'd been able to soak in the sidra. eyes drifting shut as he imagined the gentle sound of the water brushing the dock, the motion of rocking with the natural current till it would inevitably lull him to a light sleep. the half fae hadn't been able to truly soak in at least a week, work having kept him from velaris and then his presence desired here. nose scrunched up with distaste as the waft of something that was definitely not pleasant hit his sense, plucked unkindly from his own memories. 

the building hardly cut an imposing figure, sandwiched in between two similiar ones, with a worn emerald colored door that had seen better ways. it had been a gift to himself once he settled within the city, an upgrade from the questionable place he rented previously. deron slept here at least a few nights a week, a bit impractical considering how often he passed out behind nightshade or was away for other business. but he'd passed it a few times on his walk to the bar, eyes catching often at the dark windows that faced the street, till a tiny voice within his head head whispered to inquire about it. a gift to the young half fae who wished for nothing more than a home. there was a time in his life when deron believed there was no place within prythian where he would ever belong, and a stranger had outstretched a hand to show him otherwise. zora had introduced him to cerys and for a moment deron swore he saw something familiar flicker within those mortal eyes. a kindred spirit, perhaps. so, he had outstretched his hand and home to cerys. 

her blue eyes had nearly pierced him a dozen times over in the brief amount of time they remained in the same room, deron purposefully avoiding eye contact. the fae had made several promises to various others that he'd remain silent throughout this process, less his sharp tongue create issues that azrael wouldn't turn a blind eye to. and veila damaris lived to only bring out the worse pieces of him since they crossed paths, centuries ago. when they both wielded blades for the highest bidder. now she had seemingly set that life aside to play court with the other fae in the snow. it was nearly admirable, deron wishing he had that desire or even skill, but the compliment quickly faded as she approached him. 

 it was a bit of a chilly night, yet the slight breeze did little to prevent the fae from shucking his shoes and dipping his feet into the water. the slow static building in his chest quieted as soon as he felt the current brush again his ankles like a lover's embrace, deron had swam in various rivers across prythian but not a single one ever compared to the sidra. every dip into it felt like coming home. he remained grateful that zora allowed him this bit of sanctuary, never once questioned the amount of times she returned to the nightshade to find deron asleep in the back, tethered loosely to the dock so that he couldn't drift away and miss his shift. 

  the river nymph had existed long enough to know to maintain a collected composure when under the mountain, a mostly neutral expression permanently etched on his face. it flickers to occasional disinterest when eyes meet his own, former clients who recognize deron but remain polite enough to keep their lips sealed. a blessing from the mother, it would be exhausting to sift through the careful catalogue he kept of those memories to seek out who's blood they had demanded. deron's skin crawled ever so slightly, shaking the idea out of his mind with a grimace as he turned the corner that he recalled seeing his friend turn down earlier. the door soon came into view, a grin tugging at his lips when he was able to slip into the room with little noise. eyes swept quickly over the space till he saw another door, quick steps till he reached the door and let himself into the adjoining bath room.