Running an errand

I’D LIKE TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

It had become sort of routine for him to grab some supplies. Eli would never want to admit it, but he actually started to feel comfortable in the middle ring of Alderrath. He didn’t have to worry about running into anyone troublesome, and the lifestyle was good enough for him to live normally. Of course it was nothing compared to the life he had lived before, but every time he thought back about the mansion he felt his heart grow heavy. He wouldn’t want to go back to the upper class even if he could. Not with them still living in his house.

The shop was bringing in some money as well. And he was doing something he loved. Eli kept telling himself this was temporary, that he would get back what was rightfully his eventually. But truth was, he wasn’t in a hurry.

It was entirely irritating.

“I’m here for the metals?” Eli walked up to the counter without even looking through the shop. He could see there was another person waiting, but he didn’t like to be kept waiting and the shop clerk knew it.

TO BE SOMEONE ELSE.

Ugh, errands. He hated doing them. Probably because he was running a shop he didn’t even like. It was his father’s idea for Evan to take over the place and Evan couldn’t say no, even if he wanted to. He knew from a young age what would happen to him if he defied his father and he hadn’t dare do it ever since. His mother had known about what his father did to him al along, but she was just as powerless as Evan was. Evan was muscular, yes, but he could never stood up to his father. It was a both emotional and physical fear that was literally beaten into him. It had made him cold, bitter and distant from other people. People came to his shop because of his father’s name and because of the fact that Evan’s goods and skills were good, not because of his friendliness.

Evan didn’t bother to be friendly in his shop, neither did he bother to be friendly outside of it. So when a man had the audacity to cut the line and walk up to the counter when Evan wanted to buy something first, he frowned. He wasn’t going to back down, not anymore. His father had suppressed him long enough and he wasn’t going to take bullshit from a stranger. He hadn’t done it ever since he started running the shop and he wasn’t going to it now.

So get out of my fucking way, loser.

Evan stepped forward, slamming his hand on the counter to attract both the attention of the man next to him and the merchant. ”And I was here first, so wait for your turn and get back in line, fool,” he snarled at the man next to him, not minding one bit to watch neither the tone or the words he used. This fool needed to back down and he was going to make it clear to him. That was one thing that was for sure.

I’D LIKE TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

Eli had been living amongst the middle class for years now, and still he expected to be treated like a noble from time to time. How could anyone blame him? It was his birthright. He had the passport to prove it. He tried to hide the fact that he was noble, didn’t mean he was very good at it. Not everyone seemed to appreciate it though…

Eli startled at the sound of the hand slamming the counter, and looked in shock at the other person in the shop for the first time. “Who are you calling a fool?” he shot back, his shocked face now turning into an angry one. “Do people have any manners anymore? You could’ve been a lot nicer about that,” he grinned between his teeth. Not that Eli would’ve easily allowed anyone first. But if the stranger had been nicer about it he might’ve considered it sooner. He turned back to the shopkeeper “The metals, please."

TO BE SOMEONE ELSE.

Evan raised his eyebrows when the man spoke his words. Although it annoyed him that the man had the audacity to talk back to him, he could also appreciate the fact that the man didn’t back down. He loved a challenge from time to time, although it didn’t have to drag on too long. Then he would get annoyed and bored and there would be no fun in that. Evan made it a point to look around him crossly. The store was empty aside from a few customers, but they were too far away to even hear what the men were saying to each other. ”I think that would be you,” he spoke sarcastically after giving the shop another look around. He snorted when the man spoke his words about being nicer about asking to go first. ”Says the dork who cuts in line,” he gave his snarky remark.

The man obviously wasn’t going to comply with Evan’s commands, which he made clear by ordering some metals. Metals? The show owner didn’t want to be part of their scuffle and disappeared in the back of the shop as soon as he could. Evan snorted. Pussy. ”You’re lucky he doesn’t have much of a back bone, I guess,” he mumbled, tapping annoyed with his fingertips on the counter. Then he averted his gaze back towards the man. ”What do you need the metals for? Do you own a shop?”

As a weaponsmith he rarely needed metals himself, only when a special assignment was asked for a special weapon, so he doubted he had competition with the fool standing in front of him. But asking surely couldn’t hurt. And he had to kill time anyway now that the spineless old fool chose that guy standing in front of him first.

I’D LIKE TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

Eli was used to not being handled with as much respect as he used to. He had learned that the hard way too. But it was simply in his system to expect people moving out of his way from him. He couldn’t be blamed, it was the way he was raised. Every now and then, it got him in trouble. Like now.

“Can you back off? You’re being incredibly rude,” he sighed annoyed. As if pointing it out would make the other behave. Eli watched with a smile on his face as the shopkeeper disappeared, like he’d won.“It won’t take long,” he grinned to the stranger. It wouldn’t. The shopkeeper knew him and knew where to get his money. So he’d simply have to pick up his metals and be on his marry way. "Why are you suddenly so interested?” he raised a brow. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

TO BE SOMEONE ELSE.

A mocking smirk appeared around the corners of Evan’s lips as the man asked his question. ”I’m afraid I have to say no to that. Being rude is my way to go. Being kind to others will only result on other people using you for their own good,” he spoke almost nonchalantly, although if you were listening closely, you could hear a faint, bitter tone hidden in his voice. It was the truth. He used to have been able to trust his parents, but they had let him down in more ways than one, so how could he expect more from other people? It was better if he could keep them at a distant, where they wouldn’t be able to hurt him.

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders when the man asked his question, but his gaze hardened. ”Are you a pathetic little chick who can’t make up her mind? First you want me not to be rude and when I actually try to make conversation, you start asking questions. Make up your damn mind.” He let out a little laugh, but his eyes weren’t laughing at all and he averted his eyes, making it a point to roll them harshly at the man as he looked in the other direction.

He hadn’t even known himself why he had asked the stupid question. Probably to figure out if he had competition. Yeah, that was probably it.

I’D LIKE TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH

Eli was starting to loose his patience. He didn’t want to make a habit out of starting a fight, especially not within a shop he came often. He needed to stay friend with the shopkeeper. But this guy was being absolutely ridiculous. ”must be a sad life, being unkind to everyone,” he scoffed. Eli couldn’t blame the guy. In fact, he quite agreed. But he couldn’t let him show that. Wouldn’t want to start making friends now, that would show defeat and Eli’s ego was way to big for that.

”Okay, that’s it. John!” he called the shopkeeper irritated after the other had insulted him once again. The man came mumbling from the back of the shop, holding a little bag with rinkling contents. ”Sup Eli?” He couldn’t help but smile at the stranger. ”This man is bothering me. Would you please make sure he brings his business elsewhere?” Eli kept his gaze on the stranger, a slight smile on his face. As if to tell him; I won.

TO BE SOMEONE ELSE.

Evan narrowed his eyes at the stranger. ”Look, pal,” he spoke sarcastically, but a slight growl was to be heard in his voice. This guy was getting on his nerves and he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but he wasn’t going to let the little brat win. Not today. ”You worry about your own pathetic life and I worry about mine. As much as I appreciate the effort, it isn’t necessary so back the fuck off.” His words were filled with venom and sarcasm as he spoke and he raised an eyebrow when the stranger decided to be a little child and called for the owner. Damn. Couldn’t he just take the consequences of his own words on himself instead of counting on others?

Evan was long enough in the Middle Ring to know that money could change someone’s mind real quick. The owner, John apparently, returned and looked at Evan with a puzzled look in his eyes. Evan kept his gaze on the man in front of him and narrowed his stormy blue grey eyes even more when he saw the little smirk. That was it. Game’s on. With a quick movement he conjured a sack of coins almost out of nowhere. He hated bribing anyone with money, but this was his ego that was about to be crushed if he didn’t lower himself to the more drastic methods.

”I’m sure we can arrange something without the nice shopkeeper having to be bothered,” he spoke, throwing the sack of coins almost nonchalantly on the counter. The top of the sack was loosened a bit so it was easy to see that the sack was filled with a few golden coins. It would take a bit of money out of his budget, but he wasn’t going to let this fucking loser win. Not today. His eyes averted to the shopkeeper, where he found the men’s eyes to be glued to the sack of coins and his lips turned upwards as well, looking back at the stranger in front of him.

Victory was his alright.