For as long as Eleanor had held off on finding a job in Vallo, when Marina finally prodded her into looking, she'd easily found two. And even more surprising, she enjoyed them both. The bookstore was fun, somewhat cheesy, but had milkshakes whenever she wanted. And she got to dress up as Wednesday Addams which was pretty much living out a childhood dream.
The Apothecary did not involve dressing up, but it had every sort of treat-yourself product that Eleanor hadn't known she needed, and she was living for the discount. She'd also become better friends with Alexis, which was an added bonus. And with part time hours at both, she still had plenty of time for things like binge watching depressing television shows and weekly death donut meetings.
It was the depressing television show that was on her mind when Alexis dropped in, and after filling her in on store related stuff, Eleanor asked, "You know how I was telling you about watching my life play out on television and everything?"
She'd filled Alexis in on the basics; the good place that was really the bad place, her soulmate and friends, creating a new afterlife system, how the good place let her spend however long with Chidi. (She may have understood Jeremy Bearimy time on the show but not having lived that out? No clue.) And then how she'd apparently found the right time to step off into oblivion and how it seemed like a good thing? Somehow.
Honestly her afterlife was the only part of her life that really compared to Alexis's life in terms of craziness, and she wasn't sure it was even that close. But Alexis reminded her a bit of Tahani, if Tahani had sometimes been kidnapped and thrown in trunks.
"Anyway, it was a pretty good ending, oblivion and all. I did the same thing with a friend lately and it was... " She made a face and shook her head. "Not a good ending. By any means."
Hearing about Eleanor’s (after)life was definitely wild - and Alexis liked swapping stories, digging back into her past which she had learned from but still marveling at some of those crazy times. Like co-chairing the Teenage Rosacea Ball, or dating all three Hanson brothers one summer just to get backstage passes to the Teen Choice Awards; she’d also hooked up with Adam Levine after getting bubble tea once, so, it was just the full gamut but nothing that involved figuring out what happened when you died, and learning it wasn’t too late to make better decisions.
Like, she basically thought that when you died you had the red carpet unrolled for you and there was a reckoning or something. Karma was also totally a thing but she wasn’t sure about angels blowing trumpets or the pearly gates of whatever Heaven was supposed to be. Besides, Hillsong church didn’t know either and no one should trust Justin Bieber regardless.
“Either way, you’re pretty brave for watching yourself,” she said, handbag slung over her arm, and she tossed golden waves back over her shoulder before pausing near the display with natural rice shampoo bars - they seemed to be selling pretty well, along with the lavender body butter and the hibiscus facial scrub; all of these were good products for the onset of spring and saying bye to winter blahs. “So what happened with your friend?”
Eleanor didn't know about brave. Curiosity had gotten the best of her and while it was awkward watching at times, she was becoming more and more comfortable with who she was and acknowledging that she'd grown up from the person she had been before she died.
She chose her words carefully in answering Alexis's question because she knew Marina well enough to try and hide her identity. "Well, she was in a relationship before she ended up here," Eleanor began, not mentioning any other stop between here and Marina's life in New York. "And her show wasn't as final as mine but let's just say she didn't have a Chidi and Eleanor love story for the ages. Just a cult-like personality change for someone definitely not worth her time. But," she acknowledged, "someone who she'd hoped she'd have a future with."
Eleanor shrugged. "I just feel… guilty? I mean she watched my show with me. I have no complaints about how that ended. Then we watch hers and it's a total shit show. Not just her life, all of it. Anyway, is there a candle or something that says, 'I'm sorry your future sucks?'"
“Ooh - “ Alexis winced, because changing yourself that much for someone only to be left in the dust was so not cool. Maybe someone inspired you to be the best version of yourself that you could be but that should be something you did after some self-reflection and all of that. Not because someone was telling you that you weren’t good enough as you were. “That someone sounds like a total drag - I mean, we all have our terrible exes, like, Stavros? We were so on and off, and when we were on we were hot - but when we were off it was because he left his molly in my glove compartment and I got arrested for it or gave me his ex-wife’s engagement ring. Took me awhile to move on from that mess and realize I deserved way better.”
Then she found Ted, who was the official end of her bad boy lovin’ streak - and it was a positive thing, because she’d come into her own and didn’t need to be the other half of some Hot Couple to feel good about herself. Her and Ted were done, amicably, and here in Vallo she just couldn’t believe how lucky she was sometimes - that Cullen fell into her life as her Prince and swoon.
She headed for the candles section, because surely they had something. “This one’s good, it has clary sage in it which reduces stress. I can throw in some bubble bath too, if you want to put together a care package for her?” Alexis asked, and she wouldn’t press about names. Someone in Vallo who needed self-care, that was good enough.
"And you found way better," Eleanor agreed, though she hadn't met Cullen yet, only heard about him and seen how Alexis's countenance changed every time she mentioned him. "And that's important, because we're here and not back home and who knows what the future looks like here."
Marina didn't really seem like someone who indulged in things like bubble baths, but Eleanor realized that meant little, as Marina's image was calculated, and getting to know her meant slowly chiseling away at that facade with extreme patience.
Or that night of too much alcohol which wasn't really ideal.
It's what had made watching the Magicians worth it. There was so much she had learned that would have otherwise taken eons, or so it seemed. But that did not include whether Marina was a fan of bubble baths. "Yeah, let's include that." A care package was a good idea, and if Marina hated it, she could give it back. Win win.
She put the conversation on pause as a customer entered the shop and asked questions. Eleanor, who had once scammed sick old people by selling them fake medicine, apparently did even better in sales when she was a fan of the products. The job fit her, and when the customer left, she turned her attention back to Alexis.
"So the future thing is kinda really weird when you've watched almost your entire afterlife play out without having actually lived it? Like when I left, I was definitely in love with Chidi but he was just getting to the point of reciprocating it? And my memory was erased of when we'd fallen in love before. So should I be wanting to go back to that? Or should I focus on whatever future there is here, knowing that here could disappear at any time?"
Alexis was so proud - and she knew things, okay, she wasn’t an idiot about hiring people to work in David’s store (David, who had been in Vallo and disappeared twice - yes, it still stung) and so she also knew that bringing Eleanor on board was a solid choice. It hadn’t taken her too long to familiarize herself with the products and she had a way about her that was affable with people - those powers were now used for good, and not scams.
As Eleanor helped the latest customer, Alexis had grabbed a gift basket - one that was used for care packages and other specials, when they had seasonal things going on. Into it went the candle, and also some honey bubble bath, which was handmade and locally sourced. Of course. Like all of Rose Apothecary’s items were. She’d let Eleanor pick what else could go into the care package, but there were plenty of options.
“I mean, I think there’s only so long you can wait?” she mused. “Yeah, he’s your soulmate - but people can have like, multiple soulmates. I don’t believe there’s only just one person for everyone. And he’d want you to be happy, if he really loved you. So I say you gotta grab the happiness here by the testes while you can, you know?”
Eleanor grinned, because that's what she needed to hear, even if she wasn't one to even know where to look. It had taken dying for her to fall in love, and she knew now she was capable of having a lasting relationship, she had just never experienced it for herself. Really, that only put her a step or two ahead of Marina, didn't it? Maybe she could relate better than she thought.
She found a few more things for the basket, because she was familiar with the products the Apothecary sold and already had her own favorites. And then she started straightening up a display.
"Well I need an update on you and Cullen then. Give me hope that that sort of happiness exists here."
“Hmm, well - “ Alexis couldn’t help the twitterpated expression that came across her face, a happy flutter of those volumized lashes. She just got that way, whenever Cullen was brought up. “We’re doing really good! We went sledding for Valentine’s Day, and brought the dogs. Which is weird because I never thought I’d have a dog? But there’s his dog and the one I found for someone else who disappeared so I took him instead.”
She couldn’t bring Queenie back to the shelter - he was so big and dopey, all he wanted to do was lay around by the fireplace and be warmed by the flames, or pretend like he was a lapdog and didn’t weigh more than she did. Super slobbery but super cute. So, yeah, sold. “And I moved into the castle with him sort of recently. We’re like, doing the family thing. It’s nice.”
Not like she wasn’t aware that either of them could disappear at any time, but she didn’t see the point in dwelling on it. If she woke up one day and Cullen had vanished, she’d need some time to be depressed and eat her feelings but she wouldn’t regret anything they had shared.
"That does sound nice," Eleanor agreed, happy for Alexis who was living her best life here in Vallo, in spite of various things like her brother disappearing twice. She balanced it out really well and focused on the positive, which made her fun to be around. Even when she wasn't at the Apothecary, Eleanor appreciated the atmosphere.
And the idea of settling into Vallo was on theme, giving her more to think about.
"Not to mention, except I'm going to mention it... a castle?!"
Alexis laughed, a twinkle in those jade eyes. “Totally wild - you need to come out sometime!” she insisted, with a gentle little swat at Eleanor, like, giiiiirl. Why had she not done that already? But then again, it wasn’t as if those who lived in the place really had people stopping by to borrow a cup of sugar - though she’d attended a wedding there once, and it was available for other events like that. Just - a castle wasn’t like walking next door.
“It’s called Skyhold,” she added, bringing the care package basket to the front counter so Eleanor could get checked out with her employee discount once she was all set. Hopefully the person she had in mind to get these goodies would appreciate the thoughtfulness. “He and his found family lived there when they were fighting this wannabe god-type thing. But there’s a waypoint in the courtyard and we can do a girl’s night there easily, and don’t worry - there’s electricity and running water.” Maybe a slumber party in that little nook above the tavern, which was so boho medieval and awesome with all the pillows and torchlights.
"Count me in," Eleanor replied. "The only castle I've ever been in was the cheesy facade of a sex toy megastore. Entire chain of them in Arizona. Great discounts though."
Wait, what?
Alexis blinked in confusion, because how had she never heard of this before? A castle-themed sex toy shop? Sign her up! “Too bad we’re not in Arizona,” she sighed dejectedly. “...but if you’re ever up for a trip to a sex shop here, I could use a buddy.” Cleo was her merm bestie but there was something innocent and sweet about her that Alexis didn’t want to tarnish with cock rings or sparkly dildos, so, she thought it was a good time to ask Eleanor. Not that things were boring in the bedroom with Cullen (far from it) but she did like spicing things up and adding fun little surprises.
Not ‘up the butt’ surprises, those weren’t any fun. That sort of thing you had to talk about first.
"No, it's fantastic that we're not in Arizona," Eleanor replied. "You get a real castle, and I don't have to be in Arizona. But yeah, I'm your girl. Anytime you wanna go." There was no judgment or assumptions made there because even the best of situations could only get better with a pair of handcuffs.
“True enough,” she grinned. It probably wasn’t worth the crappy parts of Arizona and Eleanor’s obvious Arizona disdain, just to have the sex castle. Surely in Vallo there had to be something different too - not just your standard sex shop, but something run by fairies or orcs and the toys must be crafted out of unicorn tears or something. You just never knew around here.
Checking her phone to see what time it was, Alexis decided she maybe ought to get a move on. Usually she just came by the Apothecary to check on how things were going, now that she’d hired some locals in addition to Outlanders - so there were plenty of employees and she didn’t need to be here for babysitting purposes. Which was good, since sometimes the place just reminded her of David so much it hurt. And she could do her actual job, which involved PR things. “So, I’ve got to run but first I’m going to pick up some more Filthy Viking for Cullen and a shampoo bar. Let me know how your friend likes the care package though, ‘kay?”
Eleanor was thinking along the same lines, with Vallo being different than anywhere she'd previously lived, including the fake good place. So that was an adventure in the making and she was here for it.
"No problem," she said, moving to the register. "I'm glad you dropped in while I was here." And that they were making plans for off the clock. If Eleanor was going to embrace Vallo as home, it would be easier to go all in.
"And yeah, I'll let you know." Unless Marina decidedly didn't like it. Then a little white lie wasn't going to hurt anyone.