let’s play a game.

It’s not unusual that she finds herself here lately, sitting across from Eris, her head starting to feel light as she nurses her third glass of wine. Considering her own contempt for magic and the way Eris uses it so openly it shouldn’t make sense, but Valerie found it all to easy to make her the exception to her rule. “Hmmm?” she hums at the mention of something Eris has been meaning to ask, thinking very little of it. The mention of a hoverboard, though, is enough to make her heart skip a beat, the other woman saying it with too much confidence for it to be a mistake or even just a lucky guess. All this time she’s held the secret close to her chest, not letting anyone in on it, and somehow Eris knows. Touching the wine glass to her lips she takes a long sip, doing her best to regain her composure, hoping that her shock wasn’t written as clearly across her face as it feels. Finally setting the glass back down on the table she laughs it off as though it’s nothing more than a joke, trying to play off just the right amount of confusion. “Now what about me looks like someone that rides around on a hoverboard?” Fingers fiddle nervously with the stem of the wine glass, her heart still racing her in chest. “I think we both know I’m way too cute for that.”

the amused smile is hard to keep off her face, no matter how hard eris tries to. she doesn’t even feel bad as she watches valerie struggle to make sense of how to string together a decent excuse. but, she needs to pretend to. so, she raises her own glass of wine to her lips and takes a sip, hoping to hide her own merriment. “wow,” eris lets out a small sound of surprise, setting her glass down once valerie finishes speaking. “are you normally such a terrible liar or are you just nervous?” honestly, she does want an answer to this one. she needs to know if valerie is capable of keeping it together, though she can’t imagine someone who works in fashion by day and moonlights as a monster hunter by night can’t keep a secret. “unless this is part of your next move.” she clasps her hands together, eyes lighting up with the new possibility. as if what she’s thinking is even more exciting than watching valerie trip up. “now that i know your secret, you’re trying to lure me into a false sense of security so you can kill me with your stupid gun?” mentioning her weapon of choice was another deliberate move, admission that eris had seen her, and had seen enough to make it impossible for valerie to play it off as a fluke. though, knowing the other woman, she certainly would try. 

Elsa wasn’t handling the blizzard very well, especially after her texts with Eris and being stuck in the house with Anna and Hans. Of course, she didn’t mind being stuck at home with her sister, but between her practically exposing her secret to Hans and Hans continuing to raise her suspicions, it hadn’t gone over very well. So when the blizzard was mentioned during the next council meeting, Elsa found herself tensing up and immediately getting nervous, though she kept her poker face during the meeting the best she could. Luckily, Eris seemed to save the day, making Elsa believe she could trust her just a little more … Though, it was still strange to put her trust into someone she barely knew. She shouldn’t have been surprised as Eris approached her after the meeting; Elsa was trying to leave as quickly as possible to avoid any confrontation, but Eris was obviously too quick for her to escape. She didn’t want to say no, however, for she was almost curious to see what exactly Eris wanted to talk about. She did have a faint idea, though. “Sure, I can make time for lunch,” she answers with a small smile of her own, even if it isn’t quite genuine. “What did you have in mind?”

elsa was practically impossible to read. eris had learned that fairly early on, accepting that this would be one person she wouldn’t be able to sway quite so easily. but, instead of deterring her, it only made eris all the more interested. a challenge was something she was hardly presented with, and eris moreno had never met a puzzle she couldn’t solve, a game she couldn’t best. and she was certain that with enough time and patience elsa arrendelle would fall the same as any pawn on a chess board does. it just meant she’d have to pretend to like her. “perfect,” eris smiles, the gesture warm and inviting even if eris could never be classified as those things in truth -- not that many people on this island knew that. “i’m open to anything honestly. but you don’t strike me as someone who likes ot be around too many people,” the woman hardly spoke with any of their other council members and rushes out of a room as if spending more time than necessary with any of them would cause her ruin. which, fair. half of the people who held council seats were idiots. “so perhaps bella note? the owner always offers me a private table away from the main floor.” 

Elsa was rather intimidated by Eris in this moment. She always found the woman a little intimidating, but with her knowing her secret now, their relationship was now completely different. She could continue to stay clear from her like she had before, but it still wouldn’t be the same. Standing in front of her now closed office door, her eyebrows raised curiously as Eris seemed amused by how she treated her magic, though her expression stayed serious. “Well … it’s always felt like a heavy curse,” she answered truthfully, crossing her arms over her chest. She wasn’t used to talking about this stuff with anyone, but she felt the need to explain herself to Eris for some reason. “— My parents were afraid of me .. I almost killed my sister when we were children .. I’m not exactly proud of it.” She was almost offended that Eris was laughing at the matter, for it was something that had burdened her since childhood. Eris’ answer and her smile put her somewhat at ease, though she was always extra cautious. Hesitating to reply, she walked back over to her desk, finally taking a seat and motioning for Eris to take a seat also. She was still blatantly ignoring the ice stuck to her desk — it was nothing compared to what her bedroom at home looked like. Her thoughts were swarming with a million questions as she thought of what to say next. “ ….. If you .. helped me, what exactly would you do to help?” She asked, her gaze meeting Eris’ hesitantly. “And, would you promise to keep this between us?”

as expected, elsa has some sort of sad tale to attach to her explanation of why she regards magic the way she does. and as expected, it’s the last thing eris wants to hear right now. but, she suppresses the instinctive urge to roll her eyes and scoff -- works even harder to suppress the mocking ‘boohoo’ that threatens to expose all the things eris is thinking. “people often are,” she frowns, refraining from what she truly wants to say about elsa’s parents. small minded people foolishly fear the things they can’t control, but she’s not yet sure how elsa feels about her parents and it seems it’ll do her more harm than good to speak poorly of her dead family. “as for your sister, the important thing is she’s alive and well. but i understand, i’ve been there. it’s hard to control it, especially when you’re young. sometimes innocent people get hurt.” it should be noted that eris does not understand -- any harm that had ever come to her siblings due to her magic had always been premeditated, but, she could paint on a sorrowful expression, she could soften her words and make her tone gentle as if she had suffered the same sorrow elsa had. hopefully relating to her woes (or rather lying about it) would make the blonde trust her just a little more. “well, if you allowed me,” careful choice of words, letting elsa think she would retain any control in this arrangement at all. “i could help you understand your magic, figure out what triggers it, how to control it properly if you want.” because gloves in the summertime really weren’t the most inconspicuous thing in the world. “so you don’t have to be so afraid of it, for your sake and your sisters.” 

“i started nothing,” eris begins, placing her hand over her heart in a flourish in an attempt to give off the impression that she was offended by the accusation. “all i did was encourage a student try something new and offer no assistance when it became clear they couldn’t handle it.” and, she might have personally worsened the storm once she realized elsa was stressing about it and it’s possible relation to her powers. but that was beside the point. “she’s impossible to talk to.” eris rolls her eyes at the mention of elsa, not even put off by how easily zhan simply gets down to business. “but, i shifted the blame of the storm at the last meeting, and she seemed to be grateful for that, so i think she’s warming up to me in her own little way.” @powerfulzhan

“yes.” eris nods, answering without even a hint of hesitation. everything is too festive in her eyes, the joy of the season making it impossible for eris to tolerate it or anything related to it. “you look nice though, if that’s any minor constellation.” she shrugs, dropping down into the chair as she watches valerie finish getting ready. “too nice to be wasting a cute dress on your co-workers but that’s hardly any of my business.” @valcriegray

Elsa ignored Eris’ offer to come back later, for she was too focused on calming her nerves to even respond. It was one thing for her sister to know about her powers, especially since she had willingly admitted to them, but to have someone like Eris find out like this? It was uncharted territory for Elsa. Her expression changed to a confused one, meeting Eris’ gaze to try to understand what could possibly be going through the woman’s head. Eris’ laugh alone made Elsa nervous, which was why she tried to play it off like nothing had happened. Obviously, that was a mistake. Taking the paperwork from the brunette, she dropped her arm down to her side, the paperwork still in her grasp as she tried to think of what to say. “Maybe.. But something tells me you can’t be fooled,” she admitted truthfully. Turning around and setting the paperwork on her desk, she continued to ignore the ice that remained on the edge of the surface. “I really can’t have people knowing about this,” Elsa continued, now walking past Eris to close her office door. “— I’ve kept my circle small my whole life for this very reason, and I need to know I can trust you to keep this to yourself.” 

“many have tried, hardly any succeed” eris shrugs, letting the weight of the words hang around them. the truth of the matter was eris was far more suited for deception as opposed to being deceived, but that hardly seemed like something she should be sharing with elsa. it wasn’t an admission that would earn her the blonde’s trust — and her faith was key. “you treat your magic like it’s some heavy curse.” she can’t help the surprised little laugh she lets out, disbelief clear on her face. upon moving here eris had known magic use was hardly discussed, not many on the island using it freely and fearing it more than she initially imagined. but she didn’t think elsa would be this burdened by her own powers. “it’s literally my job to help and protect the magic users on the island.” eris reminds her with a small smile. it was, in fact, her responsibility to protect and keep this secret at elsa’s request; and she would. but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t have some fun with it before hand.

elsa: That's very kind of you to check in ... I went home a little early from the festival today so safety wasn't an issue for me thankfully. I'm assuming you made it home safely, as well?

elsa: oh ... I'm okay, I think? This is all really confusing, if I'll be honest.

eris: you bailing early on your own event? why is that not even a little surprising. but yes, i did. i just hope everyone else is as fortunate as we are.

eris: i really hope i'm not intruding right now, but i just wanted to reach out and make sure you were doing alright.

star thought eris was one of the coolest people on the island. she was so confident, especially when it came to her magic, and star wanted to be like that. she was constantly trying to impress her in some way and she figured hanging out at the festival would help her get some ideas. at the idea of karaoke she perked up, but she didn’t want to look lame in front of eris so she just nodded her head in agreement. “yeah. ew. christmas karaoke…..” she shook her head. “this festival would be a lot more cooler if it was….more cooler, ya know?”

the non-committal way star agrees with her is not entirely lost on eris. she hears the vague response, the mere echo of her own words. and more importantly, she knows star. christmas karoake sounds exactly up the younger girl’s alley -- eris simply doesn’t care enough to take it back. in fact, she barely even acknowledges her words at all. “you want to make it colder?” eris asks, looking over at star with raised eyebrows. or at least that’s what she thinks the blonde is suggesting. the cold was one of the worst parts about tonight. but, just as she thinks it and idea comes to mind. “but if you mean snow i can’t say i disagree. a white christmas could be exactly what this night needs.” snow was not what this night needed at all, but if it was coming from star’s fingertips then it would be exactly what eris needed to make tonight less dull. 

    —- pursing his lips and nodding, edric pursed his lips. “right, right,” he agreed, “right, right. like when my parents go to events they don’t want to because it’ll look good politically.” edric turned to her and winked, “don’t worry, boss, secret’s safe with me.” though, he was still intrigued with the news of last festival. vanishing. which was fair why eris would be there. combat magic with magic or… whatever. “mmmm how noble, much the same reason i’m here,” he stated, pulling up a seat. resting elbows on the table and leaning his chin on his hands, edric looked up at eris eagerly. “it’s quaint,” he stated, glancing around. “needs more excitement, though.”

“yes, exactly.” eris nods at the comparison he draws between her and his parents. learning edric’s family was well prominent on the island had been one of the first things she learned about the boy, and, ultimately one of the things piqued her interest. “noble is hardly it, more like dutiful.” she rolls her eyes, but moments later she’s lifting a brow when he takes a seat with her. eris had never cared much for people hanging around, much less when they invited themselves. but she allows edric for the time being. “i absolutely agree.” there’s very little eris herself can do about it, well aware that if something were to happen she’d have to give off the appearance of trying to stop it. but that didn’t mean she couldn’t turn a blind eye if edric did something. or, at the very least encourage it. “i’m sure you have a few ideas. run them by me.” 

star didn’t expect a hug. she loved hugs more than anyone, but eris never seemed like the type to give them, only receive. so this felt more special than anything. she sought out approval from so many people, but getting it from her magical mentor was a completely new experience for her. her own mother wasn’t this kind to her when it came to magic on a normal day. “i wanted to,” she said, looking up at her from the hug, not wanting it to end right away. “you have been teaching me so much. and i really, really, appreciate it. you’re someone i would consider very important to me, so i should give you a very important gift.” it made sense in her head. besides, once star learned how to use it herself it didn’t matter if eris owned a page.

she wants nothing more than for this to be over. but she doesn’t let it show on her face, smile and find expression in tact even as star doesn’t let go immediately. she’s not necessarily surprised that star seems to be drinking this moment up, the blonde was clearly an affectionate person whereas eris can’t recall the last time she’d ever hugged anyone. maybe her mom when she was a child? “i’m happy to help,” eris nods, giving her a little squeeze in hopes that’s enough for her to be able to end this without star being upset. pulling away, she fights the urge to take a step back as if being this close in general was making her uncomfortable. star loved so much, her heart infinite and eris simply didn’t know what to do with it other than find it repulsing. “you’re important to me too star. my favorite student, without a doubt.” and while there were countless other students the competition wasn’t exactly stiff, so even if the compliment was true it didn’t mean all that much. “thank you. really. did you want to try it out? or would you rather focus on something else today?”

guy looked around before looking back at the very obviously striking woman in front of him. he knew he was good looking, but attracting her out of the blue like that? he must be on a good streak. not that he ever had a bad streak, but still. he felt lucky which was probably a really good thing or a really bad thing in this situation considering she had a gaze that made him want to fall on his ass. “yeah, sure,” he said simply, keeping his words short so that he didn’t blow it. “what are you interested in having? i can sneak behind a bar and make it.”

“perfect.” eris wastes no time, grabbing the stranger’s hand and leading the way. the path they were taking had no immediate end in sight, so long as it got her away from whatever that conversation was. when he suggested that he could sneak behind the bar to make their drinks she turns to look at him, small pleased smile on her face. she would have been just fine ordering the drink at a bar with him, but the prospect of doing something they clearly weren’t supposed to was far more enticing to her. “a martini.” she answers simply. “you don’t have to sneak. just walk back there and make it. who can stop you?” perhaps not the best outlook to have, especially when it came to other’s businesses but eris grew up well aware the world was hers and she was not interested in letting that idea go.