Wellesley looked between them. On one hand he didn't want to be alone with a stranger. On the other hand, he wasn't sure how angry Luciana would get if he did his own thing.
"Um..! Lucifugus! Can I go with you?" He asked. Luciana looked skeptical.
Lucifugus stopped. "Sure.. I'm just going to the market coffee shop to get something to drink," he said not looking back.
"Go with them!" Luciana insisted. Holter looked hesitant and regarded her suspiciously.
"I have other things to do -" he protested. And winked off at some girl walking by.
"Do it because your future alpha told you to," she sneered grabbing his aviator jacket.
❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃⍟❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃
After enduring Holter trying to forcibly befriend Wellesley while insulting Lucifugus for harboring the monster Bandersnatch and seemingly for existing at all, they arrived at the coffee shop.
"Hi, Leslie can I get a large cup of mango dragon fruit refresher with a kiwi and starfruit base, please add strawberry purée as well. Top with vanilla sweet cream cold foam with strawberry purée blended in," a girl with short brownish orange curly ringlets and a cropped dark red faux leather jacket, dark jeans and grey ankle boots. Her tail wasn't out but her ears were and matched her hair.
Wellesley wondered if there was a reason she faintly smelled of cinnamon, same as Lucifugus did. There were two guys, behind her and in front of them. Holter was trying to engage in a competition about something but wasn't sure he fully understood the topic.
The coffee shop was emptier than Wellesley expected, due to most of the werewolves helping around the community or being in the city. So there were only three people in line besides them, instead of maybe nine.
"And what name would you like to put down?" The barista asked, obviously Leslie from the name tag.
The girl supplied her name and Wellesley chose to ask Lucifugus something.
"Why are you arguing with Holter?" He asked while fiddling with his cerulean sweater from someone that left it for him. "I would have thought staying unnoticed was your main thing?"
"It will actually look more suspicious if I'm the only male in the community who doesn't have an issue with Parris." Lucifugus responded.
Wellesley stared at him. Before dragging out a perplexed "huh-"
"you aren't expected to understand just yet. You're new here," Lucifugus shrugged.
"Parris isn't liked because of his ... Behavior particularly around women, ambiguous allegiances because he wasn't always a member of the community and his belittling of most other people in general. He's not even that strong or powerful as a werewolf -" Lucifugus said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why do you specifically dislike him?" Wellesley asked.
"That's a history book I'd rather not open," he decided after closing his eyes.
Wellesley got the message and pretended to be fascinated by the menu selection.
"So even werewolf Communities have guys like that huh?" Wellesley asked.
"Oh you have no idea," Lucifugus smiled wryly.
"So why do they?" Wellesley asked him.
Lucifugus stared at him.
"You know, why do they tolerate him?" Wellesley asked. Lucifugus shrugged. "I don' know. I like to believe that women have more sense than to genuinely fall for his flattery. Surely they can see him go through dates and girls like candy," he remarked cynically.
After a moment he had a deeper answer. "I think sometimes they like hearing compliments even if the person saying them doesn't deserve their adoration. I used to be like that once," he said softly acknowledging that he could understand that reasoning.
The two guys behind the girl with the red jacket must have gotten their orders because now they were at the register.
The girl at the counter, clearly not Felicity from yesterday, Wellesley noted, stiffened and she froze up in fear.
"Can... I-" Lucifugus started.
"Stand aside. You're scaring her," Holter smirked sardonically as Lucifugus looked decidedly blank at the reaction.
Wellesley was unsure if Lucifugus let himself be pushed aside or if he actually moved.
"Hello beautiful, I'd like four chocolate cupcakes, two grilled cheese sandwiches-"
Leslie looked warily at Lucifugus while he was in the middle of a yawn as if he was more dangerous than the random flirting while she was at work.
"Maybe I'd get you something you like, to ease your nerves?" Holter offered. Leslie smiled, Wellesley (secretly partially jealous) hoped she was being polite.
"Oh and some apple juice for the kid behind me," Holter grinned.
Lucifugus glared threateningly at Holter's shin. Wellesley wondered if he was going to kick him. Instead Lucifugus exhaled sharply and forced a neutral expression.
"I'll pass on the apple juice I'm not twelve. Can I just have a ticket to customize my own drink at the DIY custom machine?" He asked over Holter whose eyebrow twitched in irritation.
Leslie nodded looking relieved "what size cup?"
"Large," Lucifugus remarked.
"I'll just have a Mont Blanc latte," Wellesley said nervously. He double checked for his wallet, grateful he thought to put it in his pocket. He was supposed to be laying off the coffee addiction. Guess his fourteen days without it in hopes of budgeting his allowance meant nothing.
Lucifugus stopped him, "I'm the one inconveniencing you I'll pay for it,"
"...Not like I have anything outside of this community I can actually buy with my money.." Wellesley heard him mutter.
" Well your total is $39.7-" Leslie started.
"Eh- I'm not paying for anything that person orders," Lucifugus interrupted ignoring Holter's offended grunt.
"Oh-- then your new total is $ 18.26," Leslie responded.
"Damn what the hell were you buying?" Wellesley asked Holter who looked happy to answer the question.
Leslie handed him the ticket and the large size cup, as she accepted the money.
"One moment while your latte drink is prepared. May I have your name" Leslie said to Wellesley.
"Uh you can call me Wellesley" he responded. Leslie looked briefly disappointed before covering it with a smile.
Lucifugus looked at Wellesley with an intrigued side glance.
"Hard to believe that you were the exact same kid who tracked down a missing Lycan elder just for the apple seeds he'd collected." Holter said. Lucifugus glowered at indicating that he should shut up.
"What is wrong with collecting rare apple seeds?" Wellesley wanted to know.
"No one collects apple seeds because they are 'interesting,'" Holter scoffed.
Lucifugus facepalmed "I don't judge you for collecting girls!" He complained.
"Wait so you're mad because someone has a hobby?" He asked, confused. Wellesley earned a curious gaze from Lucifugus.
Holter's smile cracked. "You'll realize he's not normal in other ways," he warned bearing his fangs and automatically Wellesley backed up. "Um-" he started.
"Don't feel threatened Wellesley," Lucifugus advised. "He's not much of anything besides a flirt." He hummed disinterestedly.
Wellesley looked between them.
"But he has his wolf abilities and I -" he took another glance at the man studying them both carefully.
"Really don't want to fight him"
Lucifugus hummed and looked contemplative. 'Too many people are around to use a command...'
"Back away, firstly you're not an alpha and even so, that behavior isn't attractive," the girl wearing the red leather jacket interrupted getting in-between them. She had to be a head shorter than Lucifugus but she silenced him with little issue.
"You owe me one Lucifugus," she said as she walked away.
Lucifugus scratched behind his ear looking somewhat embarrassed.
"You're not seriously embarrassed you got saved by a girl are you?" Wellesley asked hoping he wouldn't have to lower his opinion or respect for Lucifugus.
Lucifugus looked perplexed. "Why would that be a problem? I'm a beta and a 'monster,'" he snorted like it had meaning.
"Being saved by a girl is an achievement,"
"Then what's wrong?" Wellesley asked following him.
Lucifugus regarded him. "Why do you have so many questions?" he asked instead.
"It's... I'd like to know how you live your life," he admitted.
Lucifugus tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because you -" he started to say.
"Hey..? Wellesley I brought you your mont blanc latte," a server said handing him a cup half the size of Lucifugus's, filled with a creamy beige colored liquid.
"Gah??" Wellesley pitched forward, earning an amused grin from Lucifugus as the table caught him.
That is to say, he crashed into a table.
"I'm sorry," the server apologized.
"No it's okay this is absolutely normal for me." Wellesley waved off without actually getting up. 'At least this time no one pushed me into the table.'
❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃⍟❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃❃
"I don't always come here to order like you and Parris would," Lucifugus began as he sipped his drink. Something fruit based that smelled a lot like apples.
"Why?" Wellesley asked, watching Holter flirt unapologetically with a different girl and the barista looked.. jealous?
"They usually get my order wrong," Lucifugus admitted.
"Surely that doesn't happen every tim-" Wellesley started.
"It's okay, it's just their way of being petty," he shrugged.
"Maybe they're just scared?" Wellesley tried weakly.
"Scared of someone who lets them treat him like they do? They have nothing to fear. I've never made a move to hurt them. But of course. It matters not. Just like it matters not how powerful they suspect the beast inside my body is, they vastly outnumber me." He sighed.
"Not to mention my trained in loyalty from a young age. I couldn't dream of leaving this place, what good I have going for me is here," he scowled disdainfully.
"You wanted me to stay here? When the people here don't even treat you kindly?" Wellesley asked appalled.
"They'll see you as an equal," Lucifugus assured.
"You, someone you used to be a normal human, has more freedom and status than I do simply because I happen to be a vessel for Bandersnatch,"
Wellesley bit his lower lip. "That's unfair,"
"I'm given an allowance to spend on anything I wish. I can go to the variety of places within the Blackwater Community property line. I'm not questioned when I disappear for hours on end, they know how I operate by now.
"All they ask is that I walk around in chains, endure the respective appointments and abide by the ever changing rules," he shrugged. Wellesley looked up at him sympathetically. He saw the gaze and tried for a smile.
"It's not so bad. They used to make me walk around wearing far more chains until they understood it was hard for the people who had to be around me to interact with me." he laughed cynically. There Wellesley couldn't help his appalled facial expression.
'Are you serious?'
"But Lucifugus... If things are so bad for you why can't you seek out help to escape?" Wellesley asked.
"The 'what if's'" Lucifugus answered simply.
Wellesley blinked as it slowly clicked into place.
"...Let's head to the community bookshop. You said you go to school right? When you're allowed to go back after you have adjusted, fath- Alpha Blackwater will want you to be as prominent in your studies as Luciana. If what you want isn't there you can request it or go to the city," Lucifugus said.
"But what about Holter-?" Wellesley asked.
"It's obvious he'll be awhile," he said darkly.
"And they wouldn't want me to interrupt them," he looked back again and his expression turned displaying an emotion he wasn't sure he recognized.