[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tHK3yAW.png[/img][/center] [hr][hr][sub][b]Location:[/b] Hot Springs > Eye of the Beholder[/sub] [hr][hr] Looking up — far, far, far up — Eris met the man’s eyes as he introduced himself. In a way, he reminded her of Ivor. His imposing stature, his unruly hair, the outwardly friendly nature — in a much quieter sort of way. Unlike with Ivor, however, she couldn't get an immediate sense of which kingdom Valthyr belonged to based on his surface alone. She offered a small, formal bow, lips parting to introduce herself, but Sya beat her to it. Smiling, Eris turned her focus to the innkeeper, trying to keep her gaze fixed on Sya’s face and not her bare chest or the reptilian tail she’d so suddenly gained. As Sya led Valthyr away, Eris quietly followed behind the mismatched pair. Her blue eyes flicked between the two, curious about the nature of their relationship, but her attention inevitably pulled back to Sya’s tail as it slithered through the dampened dirt along the spring’s edge. The hair at the back of Eris’s neck stood up, sending a chill creeping down her spine. Nervously, she swallowed, trying to steel against her inner instinct to run back to the safe warmth of the temple. Fingers curling tight around Tia’s hairpins, Eris looked up to meet Sya’s eye as the two came to a stop. She smiled, and felt herself soften as Sya — sweet, sweet Sya — showered her with more undue praise and called her sister. [color=B1E4FC]“You’re too kind, Sya.”[/color] Eris shifted her gaze back to Valthyr, the faint smile still in place. [color=B1E4FC]“I’m Eris Hightower. The Lead Sage here. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Valthyr. Anyone who is a friend of Sya’s is a friend of mi—.”[/color] Suddenly, Sya was hugging her. Eris stiffened, eyes growing wide, but the tension eased almost immediately. Hugging Sya felt no different than before. She was just as warm, just as inviting. Slowly, Eris removed her hands from her pockets and returned the embrace. When Sya kissed her cheek and booped her nose, a quiet laugh escaped her, her smile briefly turning playful as let Sya step — slither? — out of the hug. Her smile faltered, however, at Sya’s next comment. [color=c4df9b]“vou came back, I can convince vou to join ve in bed with your handsome lover, Voking, joking!. But vou are pretty Erisss.”[/color] Her… [i][b]lover[/b][/i]? The word hit her harder than it should have. What sort of gossip was circulating about her? Sya’s compliments weren’t unusual. She praised many people freely and generously. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard Sya call her pretty. That wasn’t out of the ordinary. But [i]who[/i] was she referring to as Eris’s lover, exactly? Had Ayel already spread word of his intentions to marry her? No… no, surely he couldn’t have been [i]that[/i] confident in her acceptance… right? And Sya wouldn’t have called him handsome… would she? He didn’t seem her type. Her type seemed more… Eris’s eyes found Valthyr briefly before shifting back to Sya, who had already moved on. [color=B1E4FC]“Uhm…”[/color] Eris tried to force herself out of her panicked train of thought, acutely aware of how rumors could cling to people. Gossip held weight — especially for people like her. It always had. [color=B1E4FC]“Going to the eye sounds wonderful, Sya.”[/color] She forced another faint smile, despite the nerves building and buzzing within her chest. [color=c4df9b]“How are vou Eris, i hear handsome man ask vou to dance, you have do vi need to ban anyone vor hurting you? Any Interesting … talk about town? “[/color] Her heart sank. The dance. The [i]damned dance[/i] she let herself partake in. Of course. Now half the town likely thought she was sleeping with Nathaniel — worse, a fellow Sage, her subordinate — and casting all her responsibilities to the side. She should have just gone back to work — and everyone who had been at that tavern knew it too. Eris slipped her hands back into her coat pockets, fingers finding the gemstone and Tia’s hairpins to grip and channel her nervous energy into once again. Her stomach twisted at the thought of the rumor getting back to her family in Aurelia. As Sya hooked her arm through Eris’s, she fought the urge to stiffen. On the bright side, the shame spiraling through her thoughts dulled her awareness of Sya’s tail brushing lightly against her hip as they moved away from the springs with Valthyr in tow. [color=B1E4FC]“Well, I… ”[/color] Her throat felt dry, her steps unsteady. Her mind was chaotic as it searched for what she should and shouldn’t say — all too aware of the stranger who followed behind. [color=B1E4FC]“I helped heal the Princess yesterday. Along with a blight-born Aurelian Priestess named Ranni… I believe she’s new to town, but she was a great help. I’m grateful the Princess is okay….”[/color] As they continued toward the tavern, Eris offered safer details of her day. Meeting Charlotte, who helped her get away from a guard named Aliseth. How Aliseth punched the stone mason. And how the stonemason had, thankfully, shown some restraint after Eris tried to force the two men apart. Purposely, she said nothing of the new blight discovery, or the intruder and the gemstone weighing heavy in her pocket. Neither did she dig deeper into what Sya had heard about the nature of her and Nathaniel’s relationship. She didn’t know Valthyr, nor trust him, regardless of Sya’s friendliness with him. Inside the tavern, Sya guided them to a new addition that had been added to the Eye — a library. Eris gently untangled herself from Sya and wandered the shelves, eyes tracing the spines of each book. [color=B1E4FC]“This is a lovely addition, Sya.”[/color] She said softly. [color=B1E4FC]“Much quieter than the bar. Perhaps I’ll visit more often.”[/color] She smiled, glancing at her friend briefly. [hr] [sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Sya [@PrinceAlexus], Valthyr [@Fetzen][/sub]