the ghost kings penthouse [tgcf]

[2] sky rise apartments

It had been a week since Xie Lian left The Heavenly Capital. And, guess what? He finally had himself an apartment. It was small, and modest. Just a small studio apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room, but really that was all he needed. The simplicity of it all made him feel at home, however the small space made him a bit claustrophobic at first. The large windows gave him a good view of the city, and looked beautiful at night.

He was still looking for a job, and was currently just living off of funds gifted to him by Shi Qingxuan, once again, they had been so kind to him, offering him so much help like that.

He sighed and shook his head, once again, trying to forget about the other Gods. He hadn't ate in days, he didn't necessarily need to eat, he wouldn't die, though, he was famished, with a growling stomach and headache that didn't seem to stop.

He sighed as he grabbed his bag from the coat hanger, throwing it over his shoulder and heading out. He went for the stairs, ascending down to the first floor and stopping at the reception desk.

"Excuse me, miss?" Xie Lian cupped his hands in front of him, a small smile on his face.

The woman sighed, mumbling something into her phone before hanging it up. He could've sworn she was giving him a glare, a glare that made him feel extremely unwelcome. She brushed herself off before staring at him, a passive aggressive smile on her face. She never acted this way with the other people living here, at least, not that he saw.

"How can I help you?" She tapped her fingers on her desk, he took a step back.

Xie Lian smiled politely, attempting to ignore the receptionists unfriendly demeaner. He felt a shiver go down his spine. "I was wondering if there are any nearby places to eat? I'm afraid of wandering off or, getting lost if I go a little bit too far from my apartment."

She pointed ahead, "Across the street is a little cafe, should be good enough for you." She rolled her eyes, dropping her hand and typing something into her computer.

"Thank you." His stomach seemed to growl in agreement at the receptionists suggestion. As he turned to walk off, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't exactly quite right. The way the receptionist looked at him left him feeling uneasy.

As he left the building, he clutched tightly onto his bag and decided to head forward, driven by hunger. 

Xie Lian stepped into the building and quickly dusted his clothes off. Almost immediately he was hit with intense smells, overwhelming ones. As he looked around he realized how full the cafe was. He sighed and shook his head, sitting down at an available window seat and looking at the menu in front of him.

What the fuck is a... chocolate croissant?

Things really were different since he last visited the mortal world, however he also wasn't in America last time he visited. Even food had been changed, upgraded, in a way he didn't quite like. 

He sighed as he looked for something atleast slightly familiar to him. Ah, tea. That would be perfect. Finally, something he was familiar with.

He stood up and walked up to the register, though, the unfamiliar foods on display only added to his discomfort. He sighed and shook his head, taking his tea and sitting back down.

As he took a sip of the tea, he froze, his eyes going slightly wide. He placed the cup back onto the table, brushed his clothes off, and forced himself to swallow. He breathed in, then breathed out, then whispered under his breath,

"That is not tea."

It was cold, sweet, and tasted watered down. He coughed slightly, slowly pushing the cup away from him. He sighed and looked around.