Drinking Buddies
Shiva unpacked her supplies onto her unmade bed. Six cans of paint, a handful of gloves, and a few very battered stencils. She shook one of the cans, and heard the hollow tin rolling noise.
'Guess I'm almost out.' she thought bitterly, tossing the can to the corner. It clanged against the wall, and a frightened yip could be heard in response.
"Danyla!" She panicked. The pure white Great Dane clicked her little paws against the floor as she ran to Shiva's side, tail between her legs. "I'm sorry, baby." She pet the massive dog's neck affectionately. Looking back to her supplies, she was anxiously reminded that she needed to go shopping soon.
Saying that the tiny home was messy was a kindness. Stacks of hospital bills covered the kitchen counter, and piles of clothes lay scattered throughout her bedroom. Photos, images ripped from magazines, art prints, doodles from friends, phone numbers, and everything else imaginable could be found tacked on her wall, making it near impossible to determine the color of the wallpaper underneath. Ashtrays were scattered throughout the house, filled with dirty ash and butts smoked to the filter. The bed was filled with candy wrappers and half-read books, but that didn't stop her from flopping down on it. She pulled a cracked hand mirror out from under the pillow, and rummaged through her end table for some cosmetics. She mussed her short silver hair as best she could, still looking as though she had just rolled out of bed. She noticed her black roots, and cringed.
'I guess I'll have to do a root touch up soon.' she thought, fiddling with her hair once more. Once satisfied with her intentional dishevelment, she lined her eyes with thick black liner, and popped on some dark plum lipstick. Considering her reflection, she wondered if the look seemed childish on her pale, freckled skin. Her vallaslin remained a dark brown under her eyes and along her temples. She contemplated covering it up, but decided against it. Tonight wasn't for that. She had just cut her hand open, after all.
Satisfied with her look, she stood up from the bed and snapped her fingers. "Come on, Danyla." she ordered. Her dog stood up, short tail wagging. Shiva groped through her closet and threw on a dark denim jacket. Keys, wallet, check. She had just about everything... Wait. No.
She ran back, snatching a ratted old messenger bag, and proceeded to exit her house, Danyla running happily to meet up with her. ‘Just in case’ She thought, patting the bag securely against her side. She didn’t want to be without her tools should inspiration strike. Shiva retrieved her phone from her pocket and opened her texts.
SERA xx
11:02 PM
gtfo ur house slut
SERA xx
11:02 PM
we have shit 2 do
SERA xx
11:03 PM
places t go
She snorted. Only a few minutes late, and of course her best friend was losing it.
11:09 PM
on my way.
PS- fuck you.
She clicked her phone off, satisfied. She walked along the path through the alleys outside of her house, the journey so familiar that Danyla sprinted ahead of her excitedly. They came to a ramshackle house that looked as though it was built solely with rusted steel beams and dust.
"Sera!" Shiva shouted. "I'm gonna steal your car if you don't get out here."
"Jussa minnit!" came a rushed response from inside the steel structure. A pair of tiny feet could be heard stomping down the stairs, and the front door flew open not a moment after. A tiny punky elf came stumbling out of the doorway, toting a huge black duffel bag behind her. "Hey. Elfy." She waved her car keys in the air. "Ge' in."
Danyla yipped excitedly and ran to the back of the car, bouncing on her paws. Shiva opened the rusted old door of her friend's car, letting her jump in and find a comfortable spot to lay on. The trunk creaked open, and it slammed shut as Sera tossed in her massive bag. They entered the car, and Sera tried to start it with her key. After a few attempts, and an alarming whirring noise, the car roared to life.
"Off we go." Sera smiled at Shiva slyly, and put her foot to the gas.
The ride was bumpy, and Sera had a strict policy of sharp turns, not paying heed to traffic lights or stop signs, and blasting the worst punk music possible at top volume. Shiva rolled down the manual window and stuck her head out. The trees flew by them and the wind whipped her short hair against her face. The stars were just starting to come out, and the moon shone bright on the streets.
"Ow OW!" Shiva howled, laughing from sheer giddiness. Sera followed suit, and they took turns shouting, howling, and screaming obscenities out the windows together. By the time they had arrived to their destination, they were in a fit of giggles.
They had arrived at an old warehouse. It was covered in graffiti, and there was most definitely a party going on inside. Colorful strobe lights shot out of the high windows, and the dull thump of bass could be heard from outside.
"Let's get in there and nab a few drinks before they're all gone, yeah?" Sera banged her door shut and looked excitedly at Shiva. Danyla pawed at the window, and Sera opened the door to let her out.
"Hold up." Shiva fished around in her purse for a moment, and pulled a cigarette free of its pack and a lighter out. She cupped her palm over the tip while she tried to light it, and got it after a few tries. She took a deep pull from her cigarette, and responded after a moment. "Lead the way." she eyed Sera, a smile at the corner of her lips.
They entered the warehouse, and were immediately hit with the loud music. The place was full of people drinking, dancing, and chatting. Sera waved over to someone in a corner.
"Velanna's here!" Sera nudged Shiva, her eyes wide. "Whoa. She's elfy, but... Whoa." She sighed.
Shiva laughed. "I'll go get us some drinks." She offered, and Sera went off to join her friend.
This was the usual. The parties were almost all the same. The same crowd would get drunk listening to the same music, and Shiva would always talk to the same four people before either her or Sera got too drunk to drive, and then they would take the same route home, and they would pass out on the same couches, ready to replay the whole thing the next day. It wasn't much of a way to live, but there wasn't much else to do for an elven degenerate in Haven. The town was small, religious, and very judgmental. The only thing it was worth in Shiva's opinion, was the blank building walls she had yet to cover in art.
Sighing with this thought, Shiva dropped her shoulders and headed over to the bar.
"Two." She lazily held up two fingers to the bartender.
"Well, if it isn't the Herald of Andraste herself!" He smiled at her. She rolled her eyes.
"Shut it, Dorian. I get it. It was in bad taste. Can we just let it go?" She huffed.
"Quite the contrary." Dorian fetched two chilled glasses and held them to the tap. "I think it was a hilarious decision to tag a chantry. I'm just more interested in the story behind it."
"Perhaps another time." She took the filled glasses in one hand distractedly. "I have to find Velanna before Sera steals her away for the night." She stuck her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a few bronze coins that she left on the counter. "I'll catch you later, dude."
"Of course, Herald." He teased, leaning over the counter to help another customer. "So, the Iron Bull, is it?" Shiva could hear him inquiring of another patron.
She headed to the table in the back, in which a few new people had joined. "Hey, Sera." She pounded the drink on the space in front of her friend, making the table shake. "Here's your fucking drink. Now move your ass so I can sit."
"My, my. The Herald herself is gracing us with her presence!" The woman named Velanna teased, scooting over in the booth to make room.
"Yeah, well..." Shiva sat down and took a long swill of her drink. "...Fuck the chantry." Her response was met with laughter.
"You're ridiculous." another woman chimed in. Shiva's heartbeat quickened as she saw the woman run her fingers through her hair and move to leave the booth. "I'm going to dance." She stood up, her skin already glistening with sweat from the overheated room. Shiva stared as the woman crossed the room and danced, her perfect hips twisting with the beat, and her plentiful breasts bouncing with each movement. She sighed and returned her attention to the table.
"Just talk to her." Sera chimed in. Shiva looked over, and she already had her arm around Velanna. "It's not that hard. 'Hey, sexy pirate. I want at your booty.'" She laughed at her own joke.
"I can't." Shiva ran her fingers through her hair, and rested her head on the table. "Isabela's way out of my league. She's too hot for me." She groaned and thudded her forehead against the table.
"Drink." Velanna ordered. Shiva sat back up reluctantly and raised her glass. "Then we'll get you nice and distracted."
The night got blurrier as Shiva finished her drink, and then another few. Sooner than she would have liked, she found herself dancing to the pulsing beat of some overly produced electro music she hated. What she didn't hate was having Isabela's slick body moving so close to hers, close enough that Shiva could smell her skin. Hot, musky, and sexy. Her arousal peaked when Isabela took her by the waist and swayed with their bodies pressed up against one another. She radiated pure sex. Shiva was overcome with lust, and it wasn't until Sera took her by the arm that she let her go.
"Whassat?" Shiva slurred, surprised by the interruption.
"You're blasted." Sera commented, unimpressed. "Come on. I'm taking you back." Shiva noticed that her dog was already at Sera's side, whining. Sera got a better hold on Shiva’s wrist, and pulled her unwilling friend out from the throng of dancers.
"Just a little longer?" Shiva pleaded.
"No." Sera rolled her eyes. "Get out, get in, or I'm leaving you for the night." She started to head to the door, still pulling her friend along. Shiva followed reluctantly, complaining the whole way out to the car. Her complaints turned into mumbled sighs and exasperated noises during the ride home, in which Sera dropped her off right in front of her house. Shiva exited the car with Danyla, and leaned in through the window to face Sera.
"Thaaaank you, Sera." She drawled. Sera rolled her eyes again, sighing.
"We need to get you laid." She muttered. She drove away as soon as Shiva found the strength to stand up on her own.
She drunkenly fumbled for her house keys in her pocket, realizing she had left her bag in Sera's car.... or at the party. She was too drunk to care, really. The keys fell from her fingers, numb from the cold, onto the dirt of her front lawn. As she got down on her hands and knees to find them, she saw something that made her look twice.
Standing in her driveway was a large, hulking creature. It could have perhaps been a cougar, but it had sharp, pointed ears. Its bright blue eyes glowed in the dim streetlight, and Shiva felt a sobering chill run down her spine.
"Danyla!" She panicked. Her dog bounced over to her happily, not yet noticing the massive creature watching their every move. Shiva grabbed her by the collar and rushed her inside, making sure every door and window was locked. Not that it mattered when it came to a creature like that. Whatever it was could just break her windows to get in if it wanted to.
She shook the thought from her mind. No. That was too much stress for the night. Hopefully, if her house was broken into and the beast ate her, Danyla would have time to run away. Yeah. That's what mattered.
She pulled her curtains together, undressed, and slipped into bed. Closing her eyes, she felt herself too tired to stay from sleep. Her initial panic had eased into a disbelief of what she had seen, and her dreams were then filled with the glowing blue eyes.