Genesis Alodos sighed as she sipped at her brandy, wondering why she couldn't sleep. It had been like this for the past few days; she'd try to sleep, would fail, and would end up drinking. Her brother Aiden told her she had a drinking problem; in reality, she was just bored. She glanced at the clock; it was 4 in the afternoon. Most people would be ending their day; She should have still been asleep, being a woman who constantly worked night jobs.
But no, she was ever so awake, and the effects of a lack of sleep were starting to show.
She looked up as her front door opened, her older brother Aiden strolling in. "I got you some groceries," he said, kicking the door closed beind him. "Lord knows you don't eat enough." She fixed him with a wary look, setting her glass down on the counter.
"Aiden, I told you not to buy me things," she said, sounding tired. He gave her a warm smile, setting the bags on the counter before her.
"Gen, don't," he told her. "If it makes you feel better, you can pay me back later. Speaking of, shouldn't you be asleep? You start tonight, don't you?"
"Mhmm," she hummed, knocking back the rest of her drink. "Except sleep is pretty elusive right now." She made a face at her brother as he eyed the cup in her hand, before turning her back on him and sticking it in the sink (which was overflowing with dirty dishes- she really needed to start cleaning up.)
"Drinking before starting a job as a bartender? Now that's dedication," he said with a wry chuckle, earning a scathing glare from his sister.
"Don't judge me."
He held up his hands, shaking his head, then rested them on the counter, examining her as she turned to face him. "How have you been holding up?" She didn't reply right away, the question hitting her hard. She knew he worried- after months of depression and a near-suicide, he had every right to be worried. But she wished he wouldn't.
"Well enough," she finally said. "At least, well enough to get a job. I was thinking of going in early, to get a feel for the place."
"That should get you brownie points," he said with an approving nod. She smiled at him gratefully; he knew a change in subject when he saw one. "You heading in now? It's pretty early for a bar to be open."
"Well, this bar opens early, I guess," she said, glancing at the calender on her fridge. "I'm not going in right away, I have some errands to run first." He nodded, then crossed the tiny kitchen and pulled her into a bear hug.
"Be careful," he said, then ruffled her bright red hair affectionately. "Don't go beating up every guy who looks your way."
"We'll see," she said with a laugh, before slipping away and crossing the apartment. "Lock the door behind you," she called, grabbing her jacket and slipping out the door. She put her jacket on as she left the complex, wondering just what kind of place the bar would be like. She decided she'd swing by and take another look; she only lived a few blocks away from the bar, and it was on her way. She paused as she zipped her jacket up, an odd chill crawling up her back. Like she was being... watched?
She looked over her shoulder with a frown, then shrugged and headed along her way, deciding she was probably being paranoid. Pretty soon, she found herself before the bar; it hadn't opened yet, but that might have been for the best. She stared up at it for a moment, loosing herself in her thoughts.