#erik text

     As soon as Erik found out Rutaci would be attending the ball, her goal was to simply keep Omnius in check. A task easier said than done but was going well until Omnius’ eyes caught glimmers of gold and pyrite entering the ballroom. She followed the direction of his gaze, her hand quickly securing itself to Omnius’ forearm once she saw exactly what, or rather who, he was looking at: Rutaci Faurux.

     Erik's nails made the grab itself clumsy, but her grip on Omnius was tight. Staying by her side wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand punctuated by a gentle tug further away from Rutaci. The smirk on Omnius' face twitched and faltered to an acceptable smile as he turned his head to meet Erik's gaze, lukewarm and getting colder by the second.

    "You're not going to do this, Omnius. Whatever you're planning, you will drop it. You are known as my moirail, do not let that slip your mind. You're not going to ruin this night for me and embarrass me in front of my other quadrants, friends, and colleagues." Erik hissed under her breath, a frustrated huff escaping from her flared gills, the only other sign that the King's mood was being soured.

    "What do you mean?" Omnius placed his hand on Erik's arm gently and slid it down, dragging his palm over the silk before letting it rest comfortably on the back of her gloved hand. The gentle affection was accompanied by a tone that felt like running a thumb over a sharp blade; A demonstration of potential and a warning to pull back if she wanted to avoid getting cut.  

    Erik would grip the blade when she spoke, heeding no warning she was given, "I am not ignorant, please do not act as if that's the case. You're going to turn your back to him and we're going to go somewhere else. I would rather not argue with you on this or argue at all." She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she spoke, not daring to stray above a murmur to keep whatever pleasantries were left and to camouflage their conversation in the surrounding sound.

    "And what, pray tell, do you expect me to do? I have my dignity, and he is an old friend. Am I not allowed to see him? Is he such an unsightly thing to your image? And what could I possibly do to hurt it so much? I'm not some wild animal. You know me better than that."

    A wild animal wasn’t too far off to what Omnius was to Erik when it came to Rutaci. Wild animals have the capacity to scheme, to trap, to take advantage of those weaker. Wild animals don’t know what they do is wrong, all they know is self-fulfillment at any cost. Doesn’t that sound familiar to you? Those words died in her throat, but their struggle upward caused her jaw to tighten until they stopped fighting. The pressure caused her fins to twitch and inch backwards, folding flat against her head when the words ‘old friend’ fell from Omnius’ lips. It was a lie by omission. It misrepresented what their relationship had become. It bet on the fact Erik didn’t pay close attention whenever Omnius’ name was mentioned during her audiences with the Alternian government, and that was a bet he lost.

    She glanced past Omnius, her gaze passing over Rutaci from across the ballroom. If their eyes met, she didn’t notice or acknowledge it as she continued speaking, "Correct, you're not allowed to see him. Because he is not the problem here, you are, Omnius. Nothing good can come of it, he deserves as much as anyone else to spend this night without stress and enjoy it to its fullest."

    Omnius’ smile had left his eyes while his lips pressed thinly together, his bottom lip flushing teal as his canines dug into them, "You speak as if you know something about him and I. What do you think you know, Erik?” he asked, the tips of his fingers pressed into the back of Erik’s hand. His body tensed as he teetered on his own tightrope, knowing that if he fell The Initiate would catch him.  

    "I know better than to allow you within a hundred feet of him. I promise this neurotic pining of yours isn't worth losing me over, nor losing anyone else over." Erik replied, his words just a dry bite in hopes it would be enough to get Omnius to back off.  

    "I won't. The truth of the matter is that he will likely be the one to chase after me. I'll be a good boy, Erik, I always am a gentleman first." Omnius’ smile returned, using Erik’s hold on his forearm to pull her closer and lean in close to her ear. "I appreciate you stepping in as my moi… friend, but not all business can be sorted out so favorably."  Whether or not it was a true warning mattered little to Erik, it was enough to ring alarm bells and bring forth his own persona. It was no Initiate, cut from the same cloth perhaps but tailored into something fit for a King.

    Erik released his arm, brushing off his hand and bringing her own up to Omnius’ face. She cradled his jaw in her thumb and forefinger, tilting his head and bringing her lips close to his ear just as he did, "Whether you approach him or vice versa, I am not allowing it to happen. That is not debatable in the slightest. I want a night of peace, for once I do not have to worry about who might be around me and no one is going to take that from me. You are not going to 'sort out' any business here, not unless you want to make me upset." She squeezed gently before letting go and pulling away from him completely. As she gave her words time to settle, she held out her right hand to him, palm upwards, silently demanding Omnius take her hand.  

    With his own glance back towards Rutaci, his shoulders relaxed as he relented. Reluctantly, Omnius placed his hand in Erik’s.