𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 / 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑

softly, as if i played piano in the dark.

[heartearn]

( harry styles. demiboy. publicly he/him, privately he/they. alaska & maggie rogers. ) have you seen ABEL FULTON strolling around central park at lunchtime? rumor has it they’re actually TWENTY SEVEN years old, but i’m pretty sure they’re only TWENTY SIX. they’re currently posing as a(n) CEO at FULTON INCORPORATED, but when dusk falls, you can usually find them heading home to MANHATTAN by PRIVATE CHAUFFEUR. apparently they DID attend the met gala this season! // @duskintro​

stats tba!

ABOUT / tw. car accident, parental loss

abel is the eldest child of the new york city fultons, recognized by name by most people in today’s business world. but don’t let the money and the status fool you; the fultons blend in easily as socialites but they’re new to the game, products of hard work and good timing as opposed to old money.

because of this, abel’s parents, sandra and alexander, care as much about giving back as they do gaining profit. they’re well known for their philanthropy and always talk about being good and real, not rich. and it was this same philosophy that they instilled in abel – so much so that as he grew older, he realized that what was real to him was writing and theatre. and much to the dismay of his parents’ associates who had hoped for a legacy to buoy the company, he turned down offers from schools with prestigious economics and business program to attend nyu tisch as a performance major.

his college years pass by uneventfully, each one offering more and more avenues to express himself. and when graduation comes, it’s with connections through internships up and down broadway that land him his first job.

though abel’s dream is to write his own plays, he’s content to start off supporting others, doing stage management, and eventually assistant director work, for a small off-broadway theatre. 

the hours can be long, and days busy, but it isn’t enough to stop him from being appreciative. and it certainly doesn’t keep him from staying close to his family. 

like his time in college, he pops in to see his parents at work or his sister at home on a regular basis, blessed that he’s able to be so close.

and in the end, it’s that closeness that would take two of them away from him just a few months ago.

he could have taken the subway, he told them -- the ride would be just as long as driving from headquarters to his hell’s kitchen apartment and more convenient too.

but his mother and father insisted, wanting just a little more time together before a business trip overseas.

he agreed in the end, not one to complain about the extra time together.

but in a flash, what started as a car ride full of warmth turned into a nightmare, spurred by a stranger’s split second decision to run a red light.

abel doesn’t recall much after impact, but when he comes to a few days later, disoriented and impossibly thirsty, his parents are dead and he’s become a vampire. 

the turning would have startled him, terrified him even, if he didn’t know  who did it. his friendship with minnie had been sudden, but genuine; and her decision to turn him and ultimately save his life has put it in a completely new light.

it’s rare now for him not to be sticking close.

especially now, as he, in his mourning, has made the heavy decision to give up on his dreams for playwriting and step up, instead, to take over his parents’ livelihood. 

anything to protect their legacy.

extra tidbits

abel has always been pretty open about his gender identity, but as he transitioned into the role of ceo, he had concerns about safety and being taken seriously. as such, he’s decided to go by he/him pronouns exclusively in business settings, cut his hair to be a more “work-appropriate” style, and has shifted his wardrobe some to be more formal.

abel has plans to move back into his childhood home at some point, but since his sister is still there and he’s still freshly turned and earning about being a vampire, he’s stayed in his solo apartment in hell’s kitchen.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

younger sister: i would love to get abel’s younger sister in the mix! they’ve been incredibly close all their lives, because of both their overall family dynamic and the fact that she isn’t too much younger than him (max is probably 5 years). the loss of their parents has been a strain, especially with abel not as present as he could be with the recent turning, so while they are okay overall, there is some distance that they aren’t used to.

business partners: these would be people abel’s parents worked with before the accident; it’s possible he knew them before taking over as a ceo. i’d specifically love for some of them to be supernatural beings since it could turn into a mentorship type deal for both the business and his new identity as a vampire. for context, abel’s parents run a manufacturing company, with a specific focus on technology and advances in it; think tesla vibes!

high school / college friends: abel has lived in new york all his life and stayed close with his friends from school, so anyone in his age range that’s also been in new york all that time could either know him from school or all the various activities he’s done in the city during that time.

childhood friend: this specifically is for a friend who has been in his life the longest; but, as time has gone on, they’ve talked less and less. after seeing each other at his parents’ funeral, though, the friend is hoping to reconnect - abel is interested, but isn’t always engaged with his fears being a new vampire. this connection would be with a human!

ex-hookups/exes: would definitely want some people abel used to see; in college and during his initial work years, he was very emotionally available, but struggled with finding time to really focus on dating. he definitely had at least one serious relationship that ended because of time commitments. now, he’s more or less exclusively focused on one night stands if they happen at all - he would have ended any kind of ongoing dating/hookup situations right after the accident, which is a good source of angst (maybe unrequited love with one of his old hookups????).

[heartearn]

📲 ↳ minseo & abel.

MINNIE : heyyyyy :) ♡

MINNIE : how's my fav vampy vamp ♡♡♡♡♡

MINNIE : ♡ can u order me an uber ♡

ABEL: hey min :)

ABEL: hehe your favorite? i'm touched! but i'm doing alright, just got home from a little time with my sister, it was good to see her

ABEL: of course, where are you??

[heartearn]

"𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔," he pauses for a beat, hand moving to his mouth, then his clammy forehead. he imagines he looks as terrible as he feels, dizzy from the press of his unexpected hangover, so he’s happy it’s only sasha witnessing it. the previous night had done a good job of bringing them closer ---- this will certainly continue the trend, whether they like it or not. “i don’t think i realized that vampires could still get this hungover. may have made a mistake.” // @leveauxtm​

[heartearn]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓; a buzz through the room as the music shifts from slow and classical  to something more modern, more fun. it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of things ( no one’s transitioned to the dance floor despite their approval for the tunes ) but it’s enough to pry abel out of his heavy head to sway.

he has two drinks in tow; a glass of cabernet for himself and a cocktail, already sweating, for a currently M.I.A minnie. he’s been holding it, dutifully, because she’s bound to show up, but he imagines it’s naïve to think she hasn’t found herself her own drink – or two – by now. so, he’s started to sip it, accidentally first, absently now. it tastes surprisingly good mixed with the wine and gives him enough of an illusion of being tipsy that he’s loosening. relaxing. talkative. “i love this song,” he chimes to no one in particular, though the person closest ends up reacting enough to spur him on. “i can’t believe no one is dancing to it.” he knows, of course, he could remedy the problem if he wanted, but he’s content to use the two drinks as a scapegoat for as long as he can. 

he isn’t that loose yet. // @duskstart​

[peacekeepcrs]

Bejo rubbed his temples as he heard the music change. Classical music, he at least recognized classical dribel. Modern music is a headache and a half. He didn’t think it was going to be worse. 

He couldn’t help but do a double take . “Why are you holding two glasses?” He asked the other. “Why would I ask to this mindless dribble?”  The dragon couldn’t help but be extrememly confused. Some people are really out there.

[heartearn]

𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 a sheepish look before returning his focus to the stranger. “oh, i’m waiting on a friend,” he chuckles, “though i keep forgetting and taking a sip.”

mindless, huh? he means the whole exchange to be playful, but it’s not hard to tell that the atmosphere between them is off kilter. it catches him off-guard, certainly, but his limited time as ceo has done good work of teaching him diplomacy and his discomfort hardly shows. “hey, to each their own! it’s not everyone’s taste, i get that.” they shrug, already starting to shift to make space between them - never one to be a bother. “but hopefully they play something you like soon - gets boring otherwise.” 

[leveauxtm]

heartearn​:

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓; a buzz through the room as the music shifts from slow and classical  to something more modern, more fun. it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of things ( no one’s transitioned to the dance floor despite their approval for the tunes ) but it’s enough to pry abel out of his heavy head to sway.

he has two drinks in tow; a glass of cabernet for himself and a cocktail, already sweating, for a currently M.I.A minnie. he’s been holding it, dutifully, because she’s bound to show up, but he imagines it’s naïve to think she hasn’t found herself her own drink – or two – by now. so, he’s started to sip it, accidentally first, absently now. it tastes surprisingly good mixed with the wine and gives him enough of an illusion of being tipsy that he’s loosening. relaxing. talkative. “i love this song,” he chimes to no one in particular, though the person closest ends up reacting enough to spur him on. “i can’t believe no one is dancing to it.” he knows, of course, he could remedy the problem if he wanted, but he’s content to use the two drinks as a scapegoat for as long as he can. 

he isn’t that loose yet. // @duskstart​

   two vampires that rely on one small, blonde, chaotic firecracker of a being to c o m p l e t e their ensembles. the magnified admiration and adoration bestowed upon minnie by her creation is one that sasha does not entirely understand, if only for the reason that they had not, would not, could not, even fathom the idea of turning another being. they’d been reckless, of course. almost as reckless as minnie. but sasha draws the line at almost. 

‘  it’s a good song,  ’ sasha agrees, immediately wondering whether that was abel’s good - taste talking or if it was simply something abel adopted secondhand from minnie. it’s a rare occasion that abel and sasha have a moment alone together, and if they do it is neither filled with much nor lasts long. when it comes to one another’s worlds, they simply co-exist. a small laugh bubbles beneath sasha’s surface. ‘  hm. i think these people care more about tradition than good music, abel.  ’ 

[heartearn]

𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 had been terrifying in a lot of ways ( most of which abel’s still parsing through now ) --- but there’s no denying its good parts. there’s no denying the instant camaraderie he’d been able to find just by being sired by minnie, and how crucial it’s been to keeping him sane in the last few weeks.

even if he doesn’t know sasha, or any of the others, as well as he knows the woman who’d turned him, it’s nice to be around someone who gets it. someone he doesn’t have to be scared of hurting, or scared of scaring. the ease shows in the way he laughs beside them, towering frame almost tipping to get a bit closer. “well, they’re boring for it ---- why throw a party in the first place, you know what i mean?” their face takes on a faux indignance that’s almost comical - exaggerated and unusually expressive, at least for someone who’s only known abel in his most pensive, shadowed times. “i bet there are a dozen places in a half block radius with the music and the vibe --- do you know if we’re doing anything after this?” of course, he knows the answer to that question - but it still feels fair to ask.

[heartearn]

minsec​:

       𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒  𝐒𝐇𝐄  𝐅𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒  in  order  to  make  it  clear  she  has  no  intention  on  unearthing  any  deep,  philosophical  conversations  about  vampirism  is  gone  as  quickly  as  it  comes.  truth  be  told,  it's  all  in  a  selfish  pursuit  to  have  fun  -  there  are  few  things  minseo  loves  more  than  a  party,  especially  a  party  where  people  are  dressed  their  best  and  there's  a  non-stop  flow  of  champagne.  the  excitement  flickers  in  her  eyes  as  soon  as  they  enter,  smile  fixed  on  her  mouth  with  ease.

it  doesn't  surprise  her  that  abel  does  exactly  as  he  should,  fetching  them  both  champagne  as  soon  as  they're  in  the  venue.  immediately  minnie's  gaze  is  busy  scanning  the  room  as  she  holds  her  flute,  mentally  noting  what  she  recognizes.  “  oh,  fuck  me!  "  minnie  curses,  harshly  smacking  the  side  of  abel's  arm  and  pointing  to  someone  across  the  room.  the  movement  is  enough  that  the  champagne  nearly  tips  out  of  her  glass,  but  the  innate  poise  saves  them  the  spill.  "  alexander  mcqueen  everywhere.  "  she's  jealous,  maybe.  "  who  would've  guessed  it?  you  know,  fuck  you  rich  people.  "  minnie  turns  to  hold  her  glass  at  him  as  though  to  emphasize  her  point.  "  all  the  money  in  the  world  and  you're  wearing  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of  black  fucking  clothes  to  a  horror  themed  gala.  i  swear  i  could  kill  all  of  you.  just  strangle  you  and  step  on  you  with  a  hot  pink,  eight  inch  platform  BOOT  !  "  with  that,  minnie  downs  the  rest  of  her  drink,  already  grabbing  abel's  hand  to  drag  him  to  the  bar.

in  a  moment,  there  are  two  tequila  shots  in  front  of  them.  "  now  tell  me  i'm  pretty  again  because  not  one  other  person  has  said  it  and  i've  been  here  a  whole  five  fucking  minutes.  can  you  believe  this  place?  "  her  eyes  scan  the  crowd  for  rosamie,  but  she  waves  it  off  and  looks  at  abel.  "  no  working  tomorrow.  "  minnie  commands.  "  you're  literally  going  to  live  forever  -  whatever  it  is,  it  can  wait.  ”

𝐈𝐅 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄’𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌, it doesn’t show as abel turns fluidly in the direction she’s pointing. there are enough people in the way to make it hard to pinpoint what she’s looking at, but the confusion’s gone as soon as she continues speaking. he knows her passion for clothing well; in some ways, it’s what drew him to her that first night, bleeding into her already explosive personality to create an aura that’s hard to miss. and even as that passion manifests in a couple dozen curse words for him and his fellow ‘elite’, it’s endearing.

in fact, he’s just snickering, taking another sip of champagne as his eyes continue over the room. he doesn’t know nearly as much about fashion, but it’s not hard to see what she means ---- the crowd around them is a flat sea of black, each look as standard as the last. it makes people who’ve just gone for a different color stand out, let alone a more unique style. of course, abel’s sympathetic --- his longline blazer is all black save for a blood red accent on the inside. 

almost too predictable, given his species.

“we probably deserve it, but hey - no one said money equals style.” draining the rest of his glass as well, abel follows minnie to the bar, offering a grateful smile as the tequila shots arrive. “let me do you one better,” he teases, reaching for his glass and lifting it towards her. “cheers - to how good you look tonight.” he means it of course, with or without her asking. after all the intimacy between them, there’s no point in being embarrassed about admitting what she already knows.

in a smooth motion, he downs the shot, grimacing some at the taste ---- no amount of supernatural powers can make tequila taste good. once the glass is set aside, he orders the two of them another drink, this time mixed. it’s busy enough to take some time, so he settles in, leaning against the bar to get comfortable. “i’m not planning to,” he muses, expression a bit pensive as he watches her. “but i feel like they get me with ‘urgent’ work all the time these days. forever doesn’t even feel long enough for it all.”

[adriensfm]

heartearn​ !

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓; a buzz through the room as the music shifts from slow and classical  to something more modern, more fun. it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of things ( no one’s transitioned to the dance floor despite their approval for the tunes ) but it’s enough to pry abel out of his heavy head to sway.

he has two drinks in tow; a glass of cabernet for himself and a cocktail, already sweating, for a currently M.I.A minnie. he’s been holding it, dutifully, because she’s bound to show up, but he imagines it’s naïve to think she hasn’t found herself her own drink – or two – by now. so, he’s started to sip it, accidentally first, absently now. it tastes surprisingly good mixed with the wine and gives him enough of an illusion of being tipsy that he’s loosening. relaxing. talkative. “i love this song,” he chimes to no one in particular, though the person closest ends up reacting enough to spur him on. “i can’t believe no one is dancing to it.” he knows, of course, he could remedy the problem if he wanted, but he’s content to use the two drinks as a scapegoat for as long as he can. 

he isn’t that loose yet. // @duskstart​

       ‘  dude  ,   i get it  -  ’   adrien  says  ,   and  he  sips  some  of  his  beer  before  nodding  out  to  the  dance  floor  .    ‘  the  dance  floor  is  so  calling  my  name  .   i  can’t  dance  ,   though  .   i  wouldn’t  want  to  ruin  anyone’s  night  with  my  moves  .  ’   and  despite  being  a  fully  fledged  himbo  ,   adrien  knows  social  cues  well  enough  ,   and  also  thinks  that  the  world  could  revolve  around  him  .    ‘  and  that  slow  dance  music ?  really  gets  me  going  ,   actually  .  ’ 

[heartearn]

       𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐋 𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒, 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃 but doing his best to stay polite. “is that something that’s happened to you before? like...people telling you you ruined the night because of how you danced?” he doesn’t think the other a liar, of course, but sometimes, it’s hard to believe what people will pick on others about. “either way, i feel like this crowd is the right one for any kind of moves --- most of them will probably leave you to dance in peace.” 

[matthewstm]

heartearn​:

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓; a buzz through the room as the music shifts from slow and classical  to something more modern, more fun. it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of things ( no one’s transitioned to the dance floor despite their approval for the tunes ) but it’s enough to pry abel out of his heavy head to sway.

he has two drinks in tow; a glass of cabernet for himself and a cocktail, already sweating, for a currently M.I.A minnie. he’s been holding it, dutifully, because she’s bound to show up, but he imagines it’s naïve to think she hasn’t found herself her own drink – or two – by now. so, he’s started to sip it, accidentally first, absently now. it tastes surprisingly good mixed with the wine and gives him enough of an illusion of being tipsy that he’s loosening. relaxing. talkative. “i love this song,” he chimes to no one in particular, though the person closest ends up reacting enough to spur him on. “i can’t believe no one is dancing to it.” he knows, of course, he could remedy the problem if he wanted, but he’s content to use the two drinks as a scapegoat for as long as he can. 

he isn’t that loose yet. // @duskstart​

   a conversation about the music. finally, a conversation sutton could gladly partake in. not because they have a significant amount of pop culture knowledge, but because they had been analyzing the lyrics of the song since it caught her attention at the start. sutton turns to find her intellectual equal and when she does, said equal is holding a surplus of beverages. a heave of disappointment washes over sutton, like all options had been exhausted, abel being the very last one she tried. even still, she’s already connected with abel’s gaze. it would be awkward to ignore them now. ‘  is this song good ?  ’ sutton inquires. ‘  or is that, uh, one of your friends talking ?  ’  hands gesture towards the drinks, the one that barely leaves abel’s lips as he speaks, and the other one, waiting idly in hand.

[heartearn]

         𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒, certainly, but it isn’t hard to pick up the shift in sutton’s demeanor when they make eye contact. he’s in two minds to inspect himself, double check that he hadn’t spilled on himself ( or worse ---- left his fly undone? ) to earn the reaction. but the urge is easy to swallow with another swig, their attention refocusing as she speaks. “i mean, both could be true at the same time, but right now? yeah, the song is good. to me, at least. i’ll let you know if that changes after i finish these, though.”

[heartearn]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓; a buzz through the room as the music shifts from slow and classical  to something more modern, more fun. it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of things ( no one’s transitioned to the dance floor despite their approval for the tunes ) but it’s enough to pry abel out of his heavy head to sway.

he has two drinks in tow; a glass of cabernet for himself and a cocktail, already sweating, for a currently M.I.A minnie. he’s been holding it, dutifully, because she’s bound to show up, but he imagines it’s naïve to think she hasn’t found herself her own drink -- or two -- by now. so, he’s started to sip it, accidentally first, absently now. it tastes surprisingly good mixed with the wine and gives him enough of an illusion of being tipsy that he’s loosening. relaxing. talkative. “i love this song,” he chimes to no one in particular, though the person closest ends up reacting enough to spur him on. “i can’t believe no one is dancing to it.” he knows, of course, he could remedy the problem if he wanted, but he’s content to use the two drinks as a scapegoat for as long as he can. 

he isn’t that loose yet. // @duskstart​

[tosufferawitch]

“𝐈   𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊   𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘   hung   this   upside   down…”   Leticia   tips   her   head   to   the   side   and   then   immediately   tries   again   from   another   angle.   “Or   maybe…”   She   hesitates,   brows   furrowing   as   she   tries   to   decide   how   she   feels   about   the   painting.   Surely,   it   was   framed   by   a   professional   —   maybe   the   composition   was   supposed   to   feel   this   strange   and   she’s   simply   over   thinking   it.   “What   do   you   think?”   She   asks   as   someone   gets   close   enough   to   look.   “Does   this   look   wrong?   Maybe   I   need   another   drink.”   (   @duskstart​​   )

[heartearn]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐋’𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐘 sits at the other end of the building —- far enough for the gala to sound more like static than the main event, even with enhanced hearing.

a refuge for those who need it. 

abel in particular finds himself there whenever minnie disappears into the crowd to socialize ( a habit growing more common with every drink ). he hardly minds it, of course; as it is now, the gala is more her scene than his and it’s nice to separate when it’s a smidge too suffocating. and with all the things about him that’ve changed lately, being surrounded by art is familiar —- safe. 

even the question from the person beside him feels comfortable; a reminder of all those years in college wandering museums and galleries with friends. he’s always loved some good art talk and his contentment shows in the smile he offers before glancing up at the piece. “it kind of does,” he muses after a beat, head tipping to take better stock of the work. “but, you never know with artists --- looking off doesn’t mean it wasn’t totally intentional, you know what i mean?” 

[minsec]

         "  𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓  𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊  𝐒𝐎  𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐒,  𝐈𝐓'𝐒  𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓  𝐀  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘.  "  she  adjusts  the  fabric  of  her  dress  and  checks  her  phone,  eyes  distracted  as  they  make  their  way  inside.  "  just  remember  i’m  here  to  have  a  good  time,  i’m  not  your  fang  guru,  so  don’t  get  too  drunk  and  don’t  cockblock  me.  "  she  gives  abel  a  pointed  look,  though  it’s  clear  she  believes  the  warning  is  necessary.  it’s  not.  anyone  else  would  point  out  the  person  most  likely  to  cause  any  sort  of  problem  is  her.  "  you  look  good,  by  the  way.  though  this  doom  and  gloom  theme  is  such  a  buzzkill.  "  she  rolls  her  eyes,  waving  abel  on  behind  her  but  not  waiting  for  him.  "  everyone  is  wearing  black.  barf.  " @heartearn

[heartearn]

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐘, 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 —- the difference a couple months can make. at one point ( not nearly long enough ago ) , there was a version of him that would have thrived at something like this.

now, abel feels utterly out of place, walking beside minnie like a fawn taking their first steps. if pressed, he’d liken the feeling to an exposed nerve - an ache that’s dull at its best and punching the air out of his lungs at its worst. and try as he might to keep it under wraps, it’s the sort of thing that bleeds through without trying. who can blame minnie for calling him to calm? “i know, i know,” he returns with a sheepish smile. “i think my brain’s just getting into ‘party mode’ still, but it’ll get there.” 

with anyone else, the warning might have caught them off guard. but abel only laughs, a genuine sound that unwinds his tense shoulders. he knows minnie well enough now not to read malice or take offense to the implication of him causing trouble. instead, he’s playing right along, a mock salute to drive it home. “you won’t have to worry about me --- scout’s honor.”

his hand falls to his side as they step further into the ballroom, but it’s hardly idle. with a precision that’s almost impressive, he spots a waiter from the corner of his eye with champagne flutes filled to the brim and snags one for them both. they won’t do much, as he’s starting to learn, but it’s nice to settle into the familiar motions of social drinking. he offers minnie hers with a smile, a little pink in the cheeks from her compliment. “thanks, min. i had a lot to do for the board the past couple weeks, so i’m glad this came together - i barely had time to actually look.” he pauses then, offering his glass for a toast.  “you look really good too -- beautiful. and a nice break in all the black, hm?”