Who: Alex S and Eve L What: Drinks When: Evening (March 22) Where: The White Wyrm Rating: low
“I’m happy to shift to mocktails at a moment's notice.” She decided to lead with that as they sat down and she ordered herself a Long Island Iced Tea to start. She shrugged out of her coat and thought with annoyance how she wouldn’t need a jacket just when everyone else really wouldn’t need a jacket either. She was sure that was ironic or something. Eve wasn’t a fan.
“Thank you for coming out. I figure this was better than an actual pity party.” Back home no one even really knew what or where she was except occasionally for Jaime and maybe Paige and Lucas when shit hit the fan. “Though I do plan on being less bad at the whole corporeal ghost thing this time around.”
Alex didn’t often have people who offered to not drink in front of her and she didn’t realize how much she appreciated it from Eve. For now, Alex settled on a glass of dry white wine. She found she preferred white wines, but dryer ones. Sweet wines gave her a headache before she even finished the glass.
“I…people don’t generally offer to stop drinking with me. Thank you.” Of course, it made only one drink a bit harder to stick to, but Alex managed.
She shook her head at her friend’s choice of alcohol. “I could never drink those and I don’t know why.” In fairness, Alex tended to drink shitty alcohol when she did drink, which was rare when she lived on the streets.
“Of course. I’m happy to hang out with you in either form, but I understand. At least it’s not forever.” Of course, easy for Alex to say. “Well regardless of how corporal you are, at least you know I’ll be here.”
“They don’t? Well, they’re assholes.” Eve didn’t often mince words and it looked like she wasn’t going to do that down. It probably had something to do with the mood she was currently in. What sort of person had to keep drinking when it made someone else uncomfortable. A Cabal, that was who.
“Long Islands? Why? Too much?” Eve had decided to go for a drink with a lot of alcohol to start. Go big or go home, after all.
She sighed. “No you’re right. And at least if I’m a ghost I can pretend to care less about what’s happening with Kristof.” She rolled her eyes at herself. How pathetic she was being.
Alex didn’t exactly make her addiction recovery public knowledge, but she appreciated Eve even more. “I agree, but people don’t always think and it’s not like I broadcast my addiction recovery.”
She shrugged. “Nah. I was more of a cheap alcohol like Fireball kind of girl. It’s not like I could afford anything. Everything went to drugs.” Or rent.
“What is happening with Kristof?” Alex could use something light hearted to discuss.
Eve had a lot of vices, but drugs had never really been one of them. She thought Alex was doing pretty good about it here.
"Nothing's happening with Kristof which is the whole damn problem." She hated that it was a problem too. "We went to that murder mystery thing and had a lot of fun. As friends. I hate that I'm pining for him. It's beneath me, for one." Or she thought so anyway.
Alex used drugs for escape, so the greys faded into the background. Also so she could forget how people thought she was crazy. So far she hadn’t faltered, which Alex found impressive.
“It makes sense though. In your world you’re together, right? Here, he’s been without you for a while and had a whole other life. I think you’ll have to give him time or find some way to be okay with only friends.” Alex sipped her drink. “My two cents, you need to give yourself time to grieve what you had and be okay with friends.”
Pining probably was beneath Eve, but Alex kind of understood. As well as she could, considering.
"Obviously. I'm just not great at letting go of things. I already gave him up once for his sake which was easy since I died shortly after. Then he got himself killed like an idiot and there was nothing in our way. I'm just trying to remind my heart it's not the same for him, but like me, it's stubborn as hell." She sighed and shook her head. "I'll be fine and I'll get over it if Kristof here never gets those feelings again. It's just harder this time since I have nothing to focus on. I'm stuck in this town with only the occasional chaos." Sometimes Eve thought about conjuring up some trouble of her own, but she stopped herself.
Alex listened as she took another small sip of wine. She couldn’t imagine the situation in which Eve found herself. To be in the same place as the person she loved, but unable to do anything about it, because the other person might not reciprocate feelings. At least she and Lilly seemed to be on the same page. And really Alex really liked Lilly.
“I understand. Why did you give him up the first time? Because you obviously adore him.” Alex didn’t have a lot of experience with healthy relationships, obviously. But even this sounded odd to her.
“I know you’ll be fine. But it doesn’t make things suck any less.” In fact, maybe it made things suck more. She chewed her lip for a second. “If he doesn’t it’s his loss, but maybe when you get back to human/angel form we can take a friends’ trip. Get your mind away from here for a few days.”
"Back home there are these organizations run by powerful sorcerors called the Cabal. Kristof was the heir to his family's Cabal and the idea of home marrying a witch like me was a stain of an idea to daddy dearest. Kristof's dad came to explain to me why it would be in my best interest to leave Kristof -" her told suggested it was not a pleasant conversation. "- ultimately I decided to leave for Kris. It wasn't about being an heir for him, but he needed to stay for his son's." Particularly Sean. "And when I found out I was pregnant with Savannah I didn't tell him to keep things easier for him." She sighed. "Then I died of course and Savannah went to live with Paige, but Kris found out about her and it was all handled terribly and Savannah ended up killing Kris, though it wasn't her fault at all." She was rather pissed off at the whole situation really.
Alex listened and knew her eyebrow raised a few times as her friend spoke. “Wait. If witches are only women and sorcerers are only men, who was Kristoff supposed to marry? Or was it you specifically?” Based on what Eve said, Alex assumed it had less to do with Eve specifically and more witches in general.
“I’m sorry. That sounds rough.” Alex choked on her water. “Savannah killed her father unintentionally?” Man, that must have made things awkward.
“Your world sounds as fucking complicated by rich and powerful people as mine.”
“It was me specifically. I’m not high enough status, for one, and I dabble in black magic. It wasn’t the first or last time someone’s told me I’m worth less than shit, but I take that as a challenge every time.” And every time she had proved them wrong, even if she had to die to prove it.
She waved off the idea. “It is what it is. The rich, especially men, are always going to think their shit don’t stink and feel the need to compare their sizes. It’s why no one here in town comes from a world with peace.”
Alex thought the fact her friend dabbled in a little black magic made her far more interesting than a lot of people. Of course, it could easily trip into harm, but that wasn’t really Eve’s style. She seemed more of a ‘I’m doing this to have this outcome’ and less ‘I’m doing this to harm people for a power trip’.
“They sound exhausting. Not Kristof or his son, but in general. And their opinion doesn’t matter one ounce. I think you’re fucking awesome.” Alex raised her mostly still full wine glass. “To a hell of a witch and friend.”
“How better the world might be if men weren’t so…men like.” Alex couldn’t think of a better analogy at the moment.
Eve picked up her glass. “Amen to that, sister.” Men, in general, were the worst. Sure, some were good, but the idiots ruined it for everyone else much like there were no doubt some nice Karens out there who had their name tainted forever.
“Enough about me, how about you fill me in on March for Alex Stern? Then we can go back to judging my life choices after.”
Alex smiled at her friend. She couldn’t imagine this town without Eve. The woman made her laugh and feel comfortable being herself. Plus, it never hurt to have a part-time ghost on her side.
“I went on a date with a lovely woman named Lilly. We’re going to take a trip to France. We haven’t really talked about my past much, but she knows to take physical touch slowly.” Sex didn’t count. Intimate and every day touch, though? Definitely counted.
She took a small sip of her wine. Alex couldn’t be sure, but she didn’t think she’d finish this glass tonight.
“Well I want to dish on some of that. You tell me more and I’ll tell you more details about me and Kris if you like.” Eve winked. “I’m happy for you though. Sounds like you have some good things coming up for you.” And Eve thought Alex desired it. At least here in Madison Alex could have a better life.