✦ lazare

it was peculiar to see someone of his disposition working at a clothing store. to be so austere in demeanour, yet surround himself in such colourful fabrics? it felt as mismatched as paisley and polka dots. one would not be amiss in thinking that perhaps he was coerced into tending the shop, but do not be mistaken; he opened this little store out of his own volition, and he has yet to regret his decision to do so. after all, a seaside location was hardly something to complain about.

unsurprisingly, this was not how he thought he would be spending his time. having worked so hard to get out of a bad situation and "make it" as a detective at a young age only to be met with the realisation that he had to return to the exact city he ran away from to sell clothes was heartbreaking. at least his glory days were glorious, he would say to comfort himself. and indeed, they were. the thrill of the chase, the cracking of a case; their resulting adrenaline compounded with the restlessness of youth kept him up for nights on end.

and yet, despite things being far less exciting than they used to be (except the occasional gambling session, which he loved to do), he still remained sleepless, albeit not by choice. haunted by nightmares, he loathed the prospect of resting, so much so that he only slept when his body forced him to. as gaunt and fatigued as he looked, he would claim that he was perfectly fine, but his temperament suggested otherwise.

with so many hours of the day afforded to him, he could do whatever the fuck he wanted. yet, he stayed in his clothing store, staring out at sea, as if waiting for a sailor to return...