“Let me ask you again-what in the black hell are you doing?”
Nico greeted a particularly cross Elliot in the middle of her pickpocketing pose, her fingers daintily stretched out to where his pocket was just a moment ago before he turned around with his arms crossed, glaring ominously at her.
She scrambled to her feet, scratching the back of her head to look innocent, although a trickle of sweat off her forehead betrayed her. “Just trying to get your attention!”
“By stealing the dorm key in my pocket?”
“You’re a hard man to find. I figured it’d be easiest to catch you at home.”
“And what’s the point if I’m right here?”
“Because then I don’t have to worry about witnesses.” She rubbed her hands together and smiled mischievously, her fang-like incisors making her expression seem overly wicked. Elliot turned to walk away without saying a word.
“What? It was just a joke!”
Among the humans that Nico disliked the least, Elliot quickly became her favorite, Trust aside. Not quite in the same way as any normal bond, however. All personal feelings notwithstanding, they shared a mutual respect for eachother related to a silent agreement that lingered in the air between them.
“Geez, Sparky, chill out. Don’t you ever just relax?”
The more she pushed the more visual his expressions of irritation became. “What did I tell you about that nickname?” he said, still trying to avoid giving her the pleasure of eye contact.
“To forget about the fact that your arm lights up like a firework?”
“So why do you keep using it?”
“Because it’s funny.”
“Well you can forget my cooperation for whatever it is, then.”
“Oh, come on!” Nico pouted, stepping in front of him. “I just need to ask you a few things, quit being such a stiff!”
Elliot sighed. “Will you leave me alone if I let you ask them?” Nico nodded enthusiastically. “Fine. As long as it isn’t how many coppers I have in my pocket, then you can ask away. The sooner I get rid of you the better.”
“You should have a full pocket now.”
“That’s because I had to rip them from between your teeth.”
“Wouldn’a had to if you hadn’t man-handled my arms like such a human.”
“Shut it.”
Nico gestured him to follow, and he did. They made their way just outside of the Killrush Korner and were welcomed by a greeter.
“Let’s hang out by the bar instead of a booth,” Elliot suggested, “There’s a lot less students from the high school there.”
“Whatever revs your engine.”
As soon as they took their seats in the bar stools the bartender gave the both of them a sideways look. Elliot took it as his cue to show his proof of age. He pulled a card from his pocket and gave it to the bartender.
“Already seventeen?” Nico asked with a surprised smirk.
“Older than that,” he said.
“Never would have guessed!”
“Sir,” said the bartender, “What about the misses?”
“Ah, it’s fine!” said Nico, “I’m an elbion, you don’t need to apply your human rules. Give me a pint of Baranove with a slice of lemon-unless you have electric pineapple?”
YOU ARE READING
Decemberland
FantasyThe Elbionic race, also known as "elves," is all but extinct, forced to call a world dominated by humans home. Their culture dissipated, their ancestry only found in history books, and what's left of their magic is scattered across the globe inside...
