Hero

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Living Room -> ???
TIME ⤑ Night
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Crush]
FEELING ⤑ Total and complete panic.}

Huh?

Arthur had the Joker card. And for just a moment, the gears in Eva's head finally seemed to churn. Oh no. Wait, oh yes! Wait, she wasn't ready for this! Wait, THIS was why Helene gave her that look! But it was too late, much to late, and everything promptly exploded into action. Why? What? She couldn't think straight, staying rooted in her seat as if afraid any sort of movement would cause some sort of reaction. Unfortunately, it became an invitation for the group to do the movement for her. Getting pulled out of her seat was pretty unexpected, moreso when she found her legs going along for some reason. The deafening roar of the crowd had made her jump, but the many, many death glares she received were jarring. Oh god they were jealous! Because of the thing! The Joker! Seven minutes! Arthur! She wasn't going to be able to handle this! It was a set up, that was why Helene had given her that suspicious look! Why hadn't she seen this coming--no, she never saw Helene's schemes coming, that was a silly question.

"I-I can't do this...!" Eva's voice was drowned in the cheers, and as she looked around, she was both grateful and terrified to see that the only familiar face was Helene's. Boy, was she tickled pink. As Helene looked at her, she saw Eva's horrified expression. "Don't--I can't do this!" She pleaded, but she was way too quiet to be actually heard.

"It's okay to be nervous!" Helene shouted, somehow making her voice pierce through the chants. "Just go with what your body wants! Let the passion take over!"

What?! Eva shook her head, trying to put her weight on her feet and dig her heels into the floor, but apparently it was anticipated as she was lifted clean off the ground. Her fear was forgotten for a moment as she gave Helene an unappreciative look, though the fear returned in full force as she was practically thrown into the room. She landed on her knees, skidding to a halt by the sheer force of the throw, and as she looked back, she could only watch as poor Arthur was getting pushed in. Of course, he didn't have the same luck, though Eva watched Helene wave at her.

"Don't forget rule number three!!" She yelled as the door closed, eclipsing them in darkness.

The dark did little to quell her nerves, and she stood up with rather shaky legs. A littlle too shaky, as she bumped into something--no, someone, that must've been Arthur--but the movement was unexpected. She wasn't sure if she had spooked him or made him lose his balance. She vaguely remembered Alyssa mentioning that fooling around was better in the dark, but she wasn't seeing the appeal. Eva expected to hit the ground, but it didn't hurt for some reason, and when the dim light granted her vision, she found herself face to face with Arthur. He had inadvertently pulled her with him, though their current position was enough for the circuits in her brain to fry temporarily. Despite their hug earlier, she had never been so close to his face like this. Honestly though, if it were up to her, she'd be perfectly content to stay like this, getting to examine his face. Of course, he might've been uncomfortable, and as if on cue, he placed his hands on her hips. For a split second her mind went straight into the gutter, but her earlier thought was proven right when he lifted her off him, somehow getting her to her feet. It was only by a miracle that she hadn't fallen back down, considering how weak her knees felt. He said something to her, which took a moment to register, and another moment for her to slowly nod her head.

Her arms were straight at her sides, though at least she didn't feel so nervous anymore. He looked...calmer? That wasn't the right word. His eyes weren't on hers, and it took her a second to realize he was looking at her. He was looking at her. And suddenly it was like her heart went into overdrive. Now what? Were they going to stay like this? She knew perfectly well that they could technically spend the time as they wanted, and didn't have to do anything. Then again, knowing Helene, she'd probably somehow get Marcus to continue rigging the game to continuously get thrown in here. That wasn't any fun, and she can't imagine Arthur enjoyed it any more than she did. At least she was able to be there with him and not anyone else. When that thought crossed her head, however, she remembered Ricardo kissing her, her hands to her lips. No, she didn't want to think about him anymore. She wanted to think about Arthur.

She had to make the first move. Somehow. If she could get her legs to walk like she wanted them to. Taking in a breath, Eva moved in closer, trying to channel her inner Helene. Except, geez Arthur was way taller. Knowing Helene, she'd make it work. Feeling her heart in her throat, she couldn't help but stare into his gorgeous eyes. Yeah, she liked looking at him up close a lot better than at a distance.

Despite having already answered his question with her nod, Eva decided to verbally answer. "I am now that I'm here with you," She admitted, rubbing her right forearm as she spoke.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Flights Household
TIME ⤑ Night
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ No One
FEELING ⤑ If my heart beats any harder than it is right now, it's going to pop out!}

Now that she was there, she hadn't the slightest idea what to do. His initial response to her question was to punch the wall, much to her surprise. Maybe she should have asked what was wrong rather than if he was okay or not. He looked torn, barely changing his expression even as the fresh cuts bled around his hand. He said he was fine, but he looked anything but. For a moment, they didn't say anything, and even though he was looking right at her, she wished she was somewhere else for once. If there was some way she could have made him feel better, if she could have done something, say anything--but the words never came. There was a part of her that thought she should leave him be, but he moved first. She incorrectly assumed that he was going to return to the party or outright leave, but to her surprise, he ended up pulling her into a hug.

She wanted to blame the booze for the sudden increased heart rate, and she knew that if she saw herself into a mirror her entire face was probably the shade of a beet. Never in her life had she been so close, going from not even registering a passing glance, and suddenly there she was in his arms. She could feel how warm he was, the perfect way she seemed to fit with him, and there was no hiding the smile on her face. Could they just stay that way? Did it mean anything?

Of course, reality ensued, and he broke it off first, much to her disappointment. He gave her another nod and walked out, and for a moment, she just watched him leave. She should have been sad, but something seemed to click for her. First things first, however, she really needed a second to calm down.

"Wasn't that nice?" Gigi said, scaring the ever living crap out of Eva as the blonde jumped.

"I thought you went outside!" Eva said, definitely feeling her blood pressure spiking.

The dark haired girl shrugged, waltzing into the cupboards as she mixed her own concoction. "I did. Munez is gone, so I came back," She stated, putting a cup down and pouring what she made in there.

Watching Gigi, she perked up as she heard her name being called. Tapping her fingers against the counter, she grabbed Gigi's drink without hesitating, practically gulping it down as she walked back into the living room. What a mistake, whatever Gigi was brewing was way stronger than what Alexander had given her before. "Coming!" She called, coughing slightly, but she was much more determined this time. She just needed some liquid courage, but by the time she reached the group, she was halfway through the cup. As she sat down, she caught Gigi's annoyed look, and after giving her an apologetic look, took the card Marcus passed to her.

Feeling much more relaxed, she leaned back in her seat, swishing her cup in her hand and taking another sip, figuring no one would match again. As she finished, she caught Helene's eye, and a certain look that told her there was incoming danger. For it wasn't just any old look on Helene's face, there was a mischievous spark in them, the one that said 'gotcha'. Was it the drink? It was stronger, but she felt fine so far. At that point Marcus said to show the cards, and it hit her about two seconds later as the rest of the group revealed their cards. Wait a minute, she got a Joker? But that meant--shoot that meant something, she just couldn't remember.

"You going to show your card or not?" Alyssa asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Lowering her hand, Eva's Joker gently floated onto the table. It took her a second to realize the implications of it, and she nearly dropped her cup when it hit her.

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Flight Household
TIME ⤑ Nighttime
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Arthur [Crush]
FEELING ⤑ What the...?}

Eva's jaw dropped as she watched Helene gladly reciprocate Terrance's kiss, though a little lightbulb went off as she remembered the earlier conversation she had with her. She looked over at an unsurprised Gigi, though she looked slightly concerned. Alyssa seemed to agree, getting close to Gigi and muttering, "I think we're going to need another ride home." especially when the pair seemed to get so into each other that Marcus had to remind them that they were in public. Letting out a sigh, the dark haired girl dug something out of her pocket, showing it to the other two: Helene's car keys. "She gave them to me before we went inside," She explained as she pocketed them. "The gesture and this game say enough. She has no intention of going home--not alone, anyway."

"She did?" Eva's voice nearly drowned as the crowd erupted around them, the implications slowly dawning on her. "So then..."

"So one of us better remember to sober up to drive home," Alyssa said, slightly exasperated. "She probably planned this all out...clever girl, can't even get mad 'cause I'm impressed she thought this far ahead."

Eva was surprised the two were so cooperative, though as Gigi and Alyssa didn't say anything else, she figured it was fine. Though she could've sworn she heard Alyssa mumbling something about 'better be protected', she didn't get a chance to ask as the next round had begun. And then the next, and the next, and her cup was finished before she knew it. It was a secret relief to know she didn't have to kiss anyone, though she did find it comical when Helene and Alyssa kept wanting to get matched with Gigi, much to her chagrin. The game itself was still fun, though she had to admit seeing Gigi so on edge was pretty funny. Everyone was having a good time, and as she looked at Helene, she definitely noticed how enamored she was with Terrance, at one point getting very close and whispering something into his ear. Looking around, Eva was a little disappointed Arthur hadn't turned up, but she was distracted by Alexander giving her another drink. She couldn't stop thinking of Arthur the more she drank, though she still wasn't sure what to do. If he was going to go lose his lunch every time he saw her, what was she going to do?

Her eyes landed on Helene, and she remembered what she said earlier: 'But by the end of the night, I expect you to have put the moves on Arthur, you hear me?' And why shouldn't she? At least, she could try to get an answer out of him. If he wanted nothing to do with her, then fine, she'd leave him be. But if it was the opposite, if she even had the slightest chance, then maybe--

The crowd cheered from behind her, making her jump slightly. Shoot, she was overthinking again. As she looked back, she was surprised to see Ricardo strolling in. From what she saw earlier, he didn't seem to get along too well with the guys, so why was he here? None of them said anything, so it was probably okay, but the way Terrance and Jacob sudenly came to full attention bothered her a little bit. Helene crossed her arms, though said nothing as she watched him walk over. Gigi's cup was to her lips, but she hadn't drank, her eyes on Ricardo instead. They narrowed as he chose to sit next to Eva, and she ended up putting her cup down outright. As he gave Eva a wink, she smiled back, though wasn't sure what to say to him.

Alyssa was slightly oblivious, greeting him as Marcus did, though she seemed eager to continue the game. "Marcus, are you going to let me change Gigi's mind on who's the better kisser between me and Helene or not?" She whined as once again there were no matches.

Helene scoffed. "Oh please, Aly, just cut Gigi out and admit you want to make out with me," She teased, wiggling her eyebrows at her, to which Alyssa ended up bursting into laughter.

Gigi ignored them, leaning towards Eva and prodding her elbow lightly. "Switch seats with me," She told her quietly.

Eva looked at her confused, and she leaned in, signaling that she hadn't heard Gigi properly. At that point, however, the matches were made, so Eva ended up taking a sip instead. Before Marcus would deal out the next hand, she looked at Gigi to ask her what she had said, but it looked like Ricardo had pulled her closer to him. For just a moment, she was face to face with him, though she had no idea why. Had they matched and she didn't notice? But there was this look in his eyes that she didn't like. Of course, her senses were greatly inhibited by the alcohol, and the next thing she knew, he was kissing her. The crowd roared again, and Eva froze in shock. It was always a possibility of the game, but she wasn't ready for this. Of course, shortly afterwards he backed off, or rather, was ripped away from her, and chaos erupted. Arthur had appeared, having been the one that had taken Ricardo off of Eva, but apparently that hadn't been enough, as he slugged him.

Eva's hands flew over her mouth, though she let out a slight yelp of surprise as she was pulled back and away from the commotion as Arthur went in on Ricardo, outright stomping on him. She could hear Gigi saying something, but she felt paralyzed, and let Gigi drag here from them. Turning her around, she shook her shoulders slightly, and suddenly everything seemed to hit her. Gigi watched the boys for a moment, though she passed Eva to Alyssa and gave chase, the dark haired girl pushing her way to the front to see Ricardo drive away. "Of course," Gigi scoffed, clearly annoyed. "And now..."

"Hey! Eva! Are you okay?" Alyssa asked her.

She didn't know what to make of the situation, although to ease Alyssa, she nodded. "Y-Yeah..." Crap, she couldn't hide the shakiness in her voice.

"I'm calling it, then," Gig said as she rejoined them, shaking her head. "You're not okay."

"No, wait," Eva said, shaking her head. "He's gone now, it's fine."

Helene was ranting so fast and in a language Eva didn't know she spoke that she had no idea what she was saying until she landed on an English word she definitely understood: "Idiot! What the hell was he hoping to accomplish with that little stunt?!" She fumed.

Taking in a deep breath, she shook her head at them. "Relax. Can't let one person ruin the night, right?" Eva said, throwing on a smile to reassure them. "I don't want to go yet."

Gigi sighed, procuring a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. "Fine. I need some air," She grumbled, popping one into her mouth as she decided to look for a light.

"I'll be right back," Eva told the pair, breaking away from them. Looking around, she wandered down the hallways, trying to see where Arthur had went. She didn't know why, but her gut told her she needed to find him. She didn't bother asking anyone where he was, choosing to look for him on her own. Finally, she spotted him walking somewhere, and she chose to follow him. She lingered at the kitchen's entrance, watching him down a drink. He still seemed pretty mad, and for a second she hesitated. But her mouth made the decision for her, as she called out to him. "Are you okay?" She asked him cautiously.

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Cielle had absolutely no idea what Kai was saying, though she just assumed that there was no kingdom where he came from. It wasn't unusual; there were plenty of worlds that had abandoned the ways of royalty, or hadn't developed to that point. Anna and Elsa listened politely, though it was obvious that Anna was the more expressive of the two, showing more curiosity than the reserved Elsa. Cielle had nothing to say on the matter, though she did clear her throat slightly as Kai finished. Best not to say anything that would require too much questioning, and she could tell Anna certainly had a few questions to ask.

Instead, Cielle took the lead. "Has anything unusual happened around here?" She decided to ask, thinking that it was as good a place to start as any.

"None that I've been informed of," Elsa replied.

That was an odd answer. Seeing Cielle's confusion, Anna elaborated, "This is the first time in a long time that we've opened the gates to everyone. But if anything like that happened, I'm sure they would have told us!"

"Forgive my asking, but...opened the gates? As in, they had been closed?" Cielle was a little confused, her hand to her chin as she thought.

For just a moment, Anna looked at Elsa, the slightest bit of sadness in her eyes, though she perked up immediately. "Yeah, you know...I don't really know why, I just went along with it," She admitted. "But that's okay, they're open now and they can stay that way, right, Elsa?"

The blonde hesitated. "...if only, but it can't stay this way," She admitted.

"Wh-why not?" Anna asked, touching her sister's hand. To everyone's surprise, Elsa quickly jerked away from her, though recompsed herself shortly afterwards.

"It just can't."

The statement seemed to make Anna upset, the younger girl shaking her head at her sister. "If you'll excuse me..." She said to the three, choosing to take her leave.

Watching Anna disappear into the crowd, Cielle felt there was something else going on that she wasn't aware of. But if she pushed it too hard, she felt that it could upset Elsa further. What happened? Anna was clearly the more sociable, but if Cielle didn't know better, she would think that the two had been isolated from people for a long time--and from one another. But why? Did it have to do with Cielle's hunch where their parents were gone? No, there had to be more to it. Whatever had happened was the result of years.

Fearing that either she or Kai would make it worse, she would take Kai by his arm. "We've taken enough of your time, if you'll excuse us, Your Majesty," Cielle bowed once more, and without waiting for Kai to say anything, dragged him away. Once she thought they were out of earshot, she shook her head. "Something unusual has happened, alright, but I can't say it's Darkness or Heartless related."

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Flight Household, Living Room
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ A mix of friends and acquaintances
FEELING ⤑ Hoping some liquid courage can help me out. What's in this drink, anyway?}

Uh...what just happened?

Honestly, the blonde had been prepared for a nod in acknowledgement at best. Maybe a smile in her wildest dreams. Well, no, her wildest dreams contained a lot more than a smile along with one or two options of something more romantic, but him up and running away was the complete opposite reaction of what she had expected. Whatever little hope she had seemed to have crumbled away, and she wasn't really sure she could handle the rest of the party at this point. Terrance and Jacob gave chase, and as they did, Eva turned around and went for the door. Helene managed to hang onto her, putting a halt to her march, and she turned her around. "Where are you going?" She asked, spotting Eva's rather disappointed expression.

"Home. This was a mistake," She shook her head, her voice making her sound like she was on the verge of tears.

Looking at the other two for help, Helene jerked her head towards Eva, motioning for them to say something. Considering the fact that she wasn't exactly the best at comforting people, Gigi thought she would do more harm than good, but Alyssa was still thinking of something to say, so she decided to go first. "Nicely done, you shattered him," Gigi's comment was likely to be a compliment, but in the moment, Eva didn't see it as such. When Helene shot her a look, the dark haired girl rolled her eyes. "Maybe he needs a little time to recuperate."

The brunette watched Jacob and Terrance struggle on the stairs, though she seemed to have come up with something. "Wow, maybe it's not such a hopeless endeavor--OW!" Alyssa's sentence was cut off by Helene kicking her shin. "What? He's got it bad! That's a good thing! I mean, I was just as surprised to find out you had all that hidden under the uniform!"

"Way to be supportive!" Helene chided them.

"I don't do emotions well, and she's distracted by Jacob," Gigi replied in earnest, causing Alyssa to glare at her. "What did you expect?"

"He looked nauseous," Eva frowned.

"He'll be fine, Terrance and Jacob went to check on him," Helene tried to wave away Eva's concerns. "You just caught him off guard! He looked drunk, and I'm pretty sure he has never seen you outside your uniform. The shock must have been too much!"

Deciding a change of subject was best, Alyssa snapped her fingers. "Oh, right, we should get a new code word," Alyssa reminded the group.

"Code word?"

"If spoken or texted, it means we leave no matter what. Best used for emergencies," Gigi explained.

"We've really only used it three times, though, Terrance is pretty good at keeping the party people under control," Helene pointed out.

"But you still had to use it?"

"Well, there was that one time Anthony Malone got a little too frisky with Gigi, so she ended up roundhouse kicking him right into a table," Alyssa recalled. "And the table broke in half...with all the food and drink on it."

Gigi shrugged. "I warned him. I also replaced the table, no harm no foul."

"No harm--he must have gotten injured!"

"Pretty sure that's why the Knights didn't make it to the finals that year," Helene chuckled.

"How about when Miss I Know My Limits got completely plastered after having three drinking contests?" Gigi reminded her.

"I still won them all," Helene defended herself.

"Oh yeah, and passing out shortly afterwards made for a great victory speech," Alyssa grinned.

"And how could any of us forget you throwing a drink into poor Jacob's face?"

"You don't know what happened," Alyssa snapped. "And I'm not the first girl to do that, I'm still not sure why you called it."

"She didn't call it, I did. You looked like you were ready to attack him," Gigi shook her head. "That would have ended very poorly."

Oh, boy, apparently even mentioning Jacob was enough to get Alyssa into a mood, though luckily for the group, Terrance started coming down the stairs. Eva was a little surprised, but Alyssa nudged her. "Anyway, let's just enjoy ourselves. The code word is 'panther'," She decided on the spot, the three agreeing to let things go. For now, anyway.

Eva felt Alyssa push her gently from behind, the little group following Terrance into the kitchen. Gigi looked about ready to hide when she spotted Alexander, the poor bartender either oblivious to her reaction or just playing it off. After being handed her cup, Eva surprised Helene by immediately taking a swig. She thought she'd have to maybe persuade Eva to take a drink, but it looked like things would be easier than she thought. Grinning, she watched Eva drink, though made a mental note to make sure she didn't go overboard. Last thing she wanted was for Eva to end up in the bathroom like Arthur. But Eva didn't seem to mind, only after letting out a sigh did she realize the group was moving again. There were a lot more people around than Eva had anticipated, though she just trailed behind Helene and Terrance. Watching them for a moment, she took note of how they looked at one another, and she couldn't help but get a little jealous. If she had Helene's confidence, then maybe...

Her thought was interrupted by said redhead waving her over, pointing to something. When Eva took a look, she noticed there was some sort of game happening. Cards? She didn't recognize the game happening, though the way people reacted to it did catch her interest. As Marcus spoke of it, she found herself a little lost--until the phrase 'kissing a stranger' was uttered. What?! Was that really what people did? Helene grinned at Marcus' statement, and as he went to explain the rules, Eva thought she followed. Sort of? No, not really, the music pumping and drink in her hand left her just a little muddled if she was being completely honest. When he finished speaking, Terrance explained that Marcus was an expert with the cards--so technically she had nothing to worry about.

"Maybe I'll just watch the first one," Eva said, unsure.

If she wasn't going to play now, she wasn't going to play later, this much Helene recognized. She shot a look at Alyssa and Gigi, as if urging them to play. The girls looked at one another for a moment before looking back at Helene, who looked like she was about to get up and physically drag them in. The faintest hint of a groan escaped Gigi, and she dragged herself to the chairs. "As long as I don't end up getting partnered with Helene again..." She reluctantly took a seat.

Helene grinned, giving Gigi a playful wink. "Oh please, we both know that was the best kiss you've ever gotten," She batted her eyelashes as she spoke.

Gigi rolled her eyes, instead looking at Alyssa. The brunette seemed resigned, nodding. "I've been told I'm a pretty good kisser, so prepare to have your heart stolen, Gigi!" She joked, grinning at Gigi's grimace.

"What--ugh. Come on, then," Gigi told Eva somewhat grumpily, clearly not happy with the prospect of having to kiss one of her friends again.

"Okay," She agreed, earning her a cheer from Helene. "But...just girls?"

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Flights Household
TIME ⤑ Evening
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Helene, Alyssa, Gigi [Friends]
FEELING ⤑ Excited!}

Closing the door to Helene's car, Eva had to admit she was impressed by the sheer number of cars lined up around them. Watching Helene take one last look at her compact, Eva followed suit as the girls walked together to the entrance to Terrance's house. It was a lot bigger than what Eva had expected, though at the moment they seemed to be the only ones headed in. 'Fashionably late', as Helene had called it, though truthfully it had taken some time for them to get ready. Eva's nerves had gotten the best of her, and after arguing, fake crying, and outright trying to run away, Alyssa had to calm her down before she could get ready. She (wrongly) assumed they would just get dressed and go, but nope, the Helene Etoile makeover included hair and makeup, and for the first time in a long time, Eva wished her hair wasn't so long. But eventually, their combined efforts paid off, and after what seemed like forever, they had finally got on their way. Surprisingly, Helene hadn't spent too much time on herself, but Eva guessed that her stuff had already been prepared beforehand. Helene's own little black dress showed quite a bit of cleavage, topped with a very daring red lipstick. Alyssa's red dress was a little more decorated, sleeveless and on the sparklier side, and Gigi...Actually, they had to wait for Gigi, because when they first arrived at her home, she was once again covered in dirt, apparently having lost track of time, but she didn't take terribly wrong, choosing a dark green romper and ignoring Helene's insistence on adding some more glam to her look.

Honestly, the closer they got, the more nervous Eva got. Second thoughts kept popping into her head, one crazy theory that this was actually a trick of Helene's showed up. Not getting the chance to see Arthur also got to her. What if he forgot about her? Would she just play it off? Get mad? Remind him? The thought of him forgetting about her was depressing, and she found herself biting down on her lower lip, her pace slowing somewhat as she brought her nails to her lips. Ah, anxiety, she did not miss that feeling, but it gripped her mind and squeezed it so tight she thought she was going to have a panic attack. Luckily for her, Helene had noticed, though her approach was a little harsher than intended. The older girl slapped Eva's hand that had been on her mouth, scolding her with, "If you keep biting your lip, you're going to smudge it!" Exasperated, she pulled out a clear, shimmery lip gloss and handed it to her. "Relax, we're here to have fun!"

"And my definition of fun is getting plastered to the point that I forget where I am," Alyssa told them, crossing her arms. "I really don't know how you keep dragging me to these parties."

"The best things in life are free," Gigi commented, much to Helene's delight, though she caught Alyssa's glare. "Free drinks, free food...and probably free smokes, if that's your thing."

"Just remember the three rules of partying: keep an eye on your drink, keep all valuables in your front pockets, and if you're getting lucky, use protection," Helene reminded them, much to Alyssa's chagrin. "Maybe you and Jacob can make up, hmm? I hear it gets real good after a fight~"

It? Smokes? Like cigarettes? She wrinkled her nose slightly, not a fan of smoking herself. Alyssa grinned at the girl's ignorance, and then it turned into a grimace as Helene opened the door to Terrance's house. As the door opened, Eva nearly jumped back from how loud the music was. Taking her hand, Helene led Eva in, and just seeing how loud the people were made her nervous again. She clung to Helene somewhat comically, letting her lead the way. Coming to a halt, her heart skipping a beat as she noticed Arthur first and her nerves seemed to melt away to give room for excitement. Of course, rather than step forward confidently, she couldn't help but hide behind Helene, suddenly feeling very exposed. This was a bad idea, what was she thinking?! Was her face red? Did he see her? Shoot, she thought after their first day she'd get used to him but for her it was like losing all progress.

"Hello~" Helene greeted both Terrance and Arthur as she pulled Eva along. Sensing Eva getting cold feet, she pulled her to her side, hugging her around her waist. Oh yeah, he definitely saw her now whether Eva wanted it or not. "Hope you didn't miss us too much, Arthur~"

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Grant Household [Home]
TIME ⤑ Late Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Evelyn and Marshall [Mother and Stepfather]
FEELING ⤑ ...}

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, all things considered. More introductory lessons, a few assignments, and a couple of new faces to interact with. At first Eva thought her luck had run out, as she didn't get a chance to see Arthur again, but she could have sworn she could have seen him after class with the rest of his crew. Not that she had a chance to interact with him, as she was distracted by the fact that she still had to reschedule her appointment. A lot of the excitement was replaced with dread as she sat in Helene's car, her stomach twisting once she had arrived home. After bidding the girls goodbye, she walked up to her front door, noticing the sleek, black car parked in her driveway. It looked like she was home. Standing still for a moment, Eva examined the door to her house, and it took her a while to bring herself to open it.

Stepping in, Eva gently took off her shoes at the door, leaving them behind as she stepped into the living room. Marshall was watching something on television, slightly dozing off, and next to him sat a stern looking woman. Her short brown hair was cut just above her chin, her blue eyes hidden behind glasses scanning the laptop in front of her. She was still in her suit, though her jacket was placed neatly over the armchair nearby. As Eva walked in, Marshall perked up, nudging the woman. She stopped what she was doing for a moment, taking off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose. Wow, she actually stopped working. Eva couldn't quite hold back her bitterness, though she reminded herself to stay civil. Until she turned eighteen, she still had to ask for permission, and so long as she kept her head low, she'd likely get what she wanted. If it were just Marshall, it would've been a million times easier, but if she wanted to go to the party, she'd just have to deal with it.

"Hi Marshall," Eva greeted her stepfather first, her tone somewhat quieting down as she went to address the woman. "Hi Mom. I'm home."

"Welcome home," Evelyn returned the greeting, noticing Eva still standing there rather than continue on to her room as usual. "What is it that you want?"

Marshall let out a nervous laugh. "Evelyn, what's with that tone?" He asked, watching Eva's expression turn cold.

"I know my daughter. She wants something," Evelyn waved his concern away. "Out with it, Evangeline. What is it?"

Eva wasn't surprised. Her mother always did describe her as an open book. She reminded herself to stay calm once more before deciding to get straight to the point. "I was wondering if I could reschedule the visit to Dr. Galen this Friday," She said.

Evelyn's eyes narrowed slightly, though she didn't skip a beat as she asked, "For? Do you have any extracurricular activities? I'm positive missing one wouldn't affect them. If you need a note for an excused absence, I'll call the school office before I go to work."

She could feel her heart pounding already. So long as she stayed the course, she should be fine. "It's not for school. I was invited to go somewhere with my friends," Eva admitted.

Her mother shook her head. "This follow-up is important. You can get together with your friends any day," She replied.

Preparing herself for the worst, Eva pressed on. "I know. I don't want to cancel it, I just want to reschedule."

To no one's surprise, Evelyn's face hardened considerably. Great. "You're assuming Dr. Galen will even have any openings," Evelyn wasn't budging on her point. "He's renowned around this area, anyone with any sense would go to him, it could be weeks before he gets an opening. And if you get worse before then? Then what?"

"I'm sure he can fit me in somewhere," Eva insisted.

"And if he doesn't and something happens, you'll spend weeks in a hospital. Again."

"That was a long time ago, and I feel fine. If that changes--"

"If it changes? When it changes, Evangeline. I'm not discussing this with you any longer."

It was getting harder to stay calm at this point, and the only thing Eva could think of was Arthur. He'd probably handle this a lot better than she did. But Eva wasn't a calm and collected stoic, she was an overly emotional person, and it was taking everything she had not to start yelling. The last thing she wanted was to end up grounded. "Please Mom, reconsider," Eva pleaded with her, coming clean. "I got invited to a party and I really want to go. All my friends are going to be there."

Evelyn was in disbelief. "You want to skip an appointment for a party?"

That probably made it worse. At this point, however, Marshall granted her mercy, looking at her mother. "She finally got an invitation to go somewhere, they don't know about her medical history and she wants to go have fun. Right, Eve?" He asked her, to which Eva nodded. "I'll call Dr. Galen tomorrow and ask if he has any cancellations so we can go before Friday."

"Marshall," Evelyn turned her attention to him. "Are you serious?"

"The school year's just getting started so there's no homework, if Dr. Galen squeezes us in she'll have that taken care of, and then she won't have to sit in class Monday morning hearing about the raging party she missed," Marshall cheerfully pointed out. "You know how it is, it's senior year."

Eva gave him a grateful look, though it turned meek as her mother glared at her. The seconds for Evelyn to make her decision seemed to stretch on for an eternity, until finally, she conceded. "Fine. You can go," She muttered, putting her glasses back on.

There was no hiding the giant grin she had on her face at that point. "Thank you!" She told them both, practically skipping up the stairs. As she reached her bedroom, however, she heard footsteps following suit. Of course she wasn't going to get off that easily. Deciding that it was better for Marshall not to hear, she entered her room, not bothering to close the door behind her. Sure enough, Evelyn walked in not a second later, laptop in hand. "What is it?" She asked, her tone somewhat dull as she braced herself.

Evelyn shook her head at her, seemingly disappointed. "If Dr. Galen doesn't have an opening before Friday, you're not going, and I'm not going to change my mind," She stated rather sternly, clearly leaving no room for argument. "Don't think Marshall will change my mind, either."

There was a part of her that knew she was trying to bait her, but Eva instead nodded. "Okay," She said, unbuttoning her jacket. "Is that it?" When there was no response, Eva took off her jacket and looked at her mother, who seemed like she wanted to say something. A quiet Evelyn wasn't usually a good sign, but it looked like she didn't want to argue. That was a first. Instead, Evelyn simply nodded, turning around and exiting her bedroom. Letting out a sigh of relief, Eva looked at herself in the mirror. Maybe she should have been a little more understanding, but the way her mother talked was infuriating. Sure, she had gotten sick a lot as a kid, but it had been a long time since anything happened. Even these follow ups were just that: follow ups. There was nothing to worry about.

Well, there was one thing for Eva to worry about, but that tall, blonde Swede had nothing to do with her health. Unless she had a heart attack on Friday from trying to talk to him.

_{LOCATION ⤑ The Heights Outlets [Mall]
TIME ⤑ Friday, After School
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Helene, Alyssa, Gigi [Friends]
FEELING ⤑ Wary. Helene's going to trick me, I just know it.}

Luckily for Eva, an opening for Thursday proved her mother had nothing to worry about. With that aside, it was back to the usual routine, and the rest of the week went off without a hitch. Well, that wasn't entirely true. While things seemed like they were back to normal, she couldn't help but wonder where Arthur had gone. It wasn't that strange to see him gone, as she recalled him often taking off for family matters every once in a while. She wasn't sure if she should ask about it, especially since no one else seemed to comment on it. The rest of his friends carried on like nothing was wrong, either, and she didn't have the courage to ask them if he was okay. Okay? Did she think he was sick? Then again, he did have that odd occurrence during lunch, so maybe it was food poisoning?

Of course, she had her own issues to deal with, but she couldn't stop thinking about him, especially when Thursday arrived. Her follow up was, as expected, perfectly fine, and she spent the rest of the night in a conference call deciding what shops they should hit. It was stereotypical, but there was just something about shopping that was therapeutic to her. Her mom even surprised her and gave her some extra money to get what she wanted, so right after school, the girls hit the road, and before she knew it, they were walking into one of Helene's recommendations, a little shop called 'Extravagance'.

"Mon amour!" Helene called out to a blonde man, waving excitedly. "Je suis la pour nettoyer le magasin!"

"Ah! Ma magnifique etoile! It has been some time, I got worried you forgot all about me!" He returned her enthusiasm, his name tag revealing his name was Bijou. "Have a look, take what you please, just ring when you need me~" He winked at the girls as he walked to the backroom.

Helene nodded, and then turned to her friends. "It looks a little fancy, but it's right in your price range. I'll make sure to help Eva. Remember, we're going for as much exposure as possible," She told them, smiling as she pulled Eva along to one of the racks. To her surprise, Helene wasn't pulling clothing after clothing, choosing things very carefully and rummaging extensively. The one thing Eva did take note of was that everything was blue. A blue dress, a blue shirt, a blue skirt--a variety of darker shades, though everything in Eva's arms was blue. It was a little weird, considering the last time they went shopping together Helene ended up dragging the entire rack into the dressing room. Helene hummed to herself, not having much to say besides asking for Eva's size and making a few comments on the materials.

"Everything okay?" Eva asked her as Helen placed another dress on the pile.

"I'm hanging out with my friends doing my favorite pastime," Helene replied cheerfully, leading her to the dressing room.

"You're a little quiet today."

"Am I?"

"Yeah," The pair went into one of the large dressing rooms, Eva placing the clothes on the hangers to make going through them easier. As she took off her jacket, she looked at Helene, who was checking her phone. Maybe it was Terrance? The thought made her miss seeing Arthur. Now that she thought about it, though, she really only wanted to go because he would be there. "Do you think Arthur will show up?" She asked, loosening her tie and unbuttoning her white shirt.

"To the party?" Helene asked. "I don't see why not. I haven't heard otherwise."

Yeah, she was definitely keeping in touch with Terrance. "How do you know?" She asked as she pulled on one of the shirts Helene chose, though she wasn't really a fan of how glittery it was.

"Terrance hasn't said otherwise," Helene replied, taking a seat as she shook her head at Eva. "Hmm, that looked better on the rack, how the hell anyone is supposed to pull that off is beyond me. Next!"

Aha! "I think he likes you," Eva teased as she tried on the next dress.

Helene only smiled in response. When Eva looked at her, she shrugged. "Maybe."

"And you like him?"

"Maybe."

She was definitely acting weird, but Eva wasn't sure how to approach it. There was a part of her that wanted to pursue it, but she didn't want to upset Helene. Still, if something was bothering her, Eva wanted to know so she could try to help. As she pulled on the next garment, she decided to voice her thoughts. "I think you guys would look good together," She admitted. "Are you planning to make a move?"

That seemed to get a reaction out of the redhead. "Not the kind of move you're thinking," Helene winked, leaning back in her seat. "Guys like him are just looking for a good time. And I'm the same way."

A good time? "Like...a fling?" Eva asked, her voice hushed. She was a little surprised to hear that. Sure, she knew Helene was flirty, but she always emphasized how and where she drew the line.

"It's best not to get attached. But by the end of the night, I expect you to have put the moves on Arthur, you hear me?" Helene perked up considerably, once again changing the subject as she hopped to her feet. Going through the selections she made, she pulled out something that Eva immediately knew was trouble. "Try this one."

Eva's eyes widened. "That's--"

"Sexy is the way to go! Your body is way too hot to be hidden under something frumpy!" She declared. At Eva's hesitation, Helene narrowed her eyes. "Eva, either you put it on or I'm going to dress you myself. Your choice."

"What? That's harassment--AHHHHHH!" Eva's sentence was cut off when Helene tackled her, the pair struggling somewhat comically against one another. Of course, Helene had her way, and soon Eva was standing in front of the mirror, desperately trying to tug the skirt down somewhat. Honestly, it wasn't as risqué as the other options Helene had. No cleavage, the outfit relying on her curves to do the showing off, although she didn't really like her midriff getting shown off so much. But boy, the skirt was shorter than anything else she had in her closet. How was she supposed to sit? Rubbing her hips, she frowned at the mirror as she examined her body. She really did put on some weight over the summer.

As if reading her mind, Helene chimed in, "You gained it in all the right places," She assured her, resting her chin on Eva's shoulder. "It's okay, guys don't really like sticks, they like a little meat on those bones."

Most guys would, but would Arthur like it? A knock on the door caught their attention. "We're all set over here," Gigi's voice told them and they could hear her walk away immediately afterwards.

"Let's get going, we still need to get ready before we head out," Helene said. "I'm thinking either pumps or short boots, something comfortable but simple. We can dress it up with accessories. A little light makeup, and voila! You'll be gorgeous!"

Eva agreed, though as she changed back into her uniform, she noticed Helene on her phone again. That was when she felt like she should go back to the topic of Terrance. "I think you should give it a chance." She told Helene as they walked out of the changing room.

"Give what a chance?" She asked as the cashier rang up her outfit.

Making sure Alyssa wasn't in listening distance, she said, "You and Terrance."

"Arthur wouldn't be happy if he knew you were talking about Terrance so much." Helene was pushing back in her own way, not outright saying it, but basically implying that she no longer wanted to talk about it. "Watch, he won't be able to keep his eyes off you once you get the Helene Etoile Makeover!"

Opening her mouth to protest, something else distracted her for a second. "Etoile? I thought your last name was Jameson?"

"It is, Etoile is my middle name, silly," She grinned. "Alrighty, onto shoes!"

_{[1]My love! I am here to clean out the store! [2]My gorgeous star!}

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ Courtyard
TIME ⤑ Afternoon
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Helene, Alyssa, Gigi [Friends], Ricardo [Acquaintance]
FEELING ⤑ Confused. What's that all about?}

Eva was fighting a losing battle with Helene and Alyssa ganging up on her. She should have been glad they weren't fighting anymore, but boy were they a force to be reckoned with when they teamed up. Of course, it was all in good fun, but she didn't understand the need to be so out there. She wasn't really comfortable with revealing outfits, if her freshman year taught her anything, it was best to stay as covered up as possible, or else you'd get uninvited attention. But her concerns fell on deaf ears, as Helene was set, even going through her phone trying to get some ideas. Nearly everything she suggested wanted to make Eva pull her hair out: low cut, super tight, sleek...none of that was to her taste at all! After pushing away Helene's phone, exasperated at her more recent suggestion, she noticed Gigi staring intently at something. The fact that Gigi had given her attention to anything was usually a surprise, and she she followed her line of sight to see a bunch of guys completely still, throwing looks at one another. Except, those guys included Terrance, Alexander, and Jacob. Were they going to fight? She suddenly noticed how quiet it was, realizing that both Helene and Alyssa were also watching the group. They weren't the only ones watching, though; a lot of people were getting somewhat antsy.

To Eva's surprise, Helene let out a huff, taking a few steps forward, as if to break it up. However, Gigi grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Nothing's going to happen," She said with an utmost certainty. "We don't need to get involved."

Helene scoffed, though she relented as Gigi released her. As much as Eva wanted to ask how she knew, she admitted that they looked really threatening. She looked around for Arthur, finding him with Ricardo Munez. She didn't know they knew one another, but the tension between them was so thick it was obvious to whoever looked their way.

"I'm pretty sure he's killed a guy," Helene said rather nonchalantly, having noticed Arthur and Ricardo as well.

"That's not very nice to say," Eva scolded her, frowning.

Helene could only shrug in response, clearly unhappy with whatever was going on. Eva wasn't sure she understood, but Helene wasn't offering any explanation, either. Was there something else Helene and Gigi knew that she didn't? Gigi herself was rather concentrated on Ricardo, her eyes narrowing as he looked their way. What was so bad about him? Granted, she didn't know him too well, only remembering that he was pretty popular himself. She got paired up with him once last year for a project, but their conversations were cordial. As Ricardo waved, Eva did as well, returning the gesture with a small smile. He walked off, and it was like deflating a balloon, a majority of the tension evaporating as he left.

"That's a really scary look..." Alyssa mumbled, physically shuddering.

"What look?" She asked, looking at Arthur, but apparently missing his previous expression, though she gave him a wave as well.

"Remind me to never piss Arthur off if I can help it. If looks could kill..."

"Then Jacob Petrone would've died this morning with the way you glared at him," Helene smirked, jabbing Alyssa.

Gigi let out an uncharacteristic huff, surprising the other three girls. "I don't like it," She muttered, actually sounding rather annoyed. "Why was he looking this way?"

It was probably meant to be a rhetorical question, but Alyssa decided to answer anyway. "You've got a bunch of cute girls hanging out, why wouldn't he look over here?" She joked.

Helene shrugged, patting Gigi's shoulder. "It's fine. back to the topic at hand!" She decided to change the subject, winking at Eva, who let out a groan. "You really should be taking my advice! Sex appeal is like, sixty percent of a girl's appearance!"

As much as Eva wanted to ask what was going on with Ricardo, she figured it was best to handle one problem at a time. Mainly that she wasn't going to the party wearing a bunch of squares stitched together showing way too much advertised as a dress. "It's not that I don't believe you, I just...don't think it's a good way to get his attention," Eva said, frowning. "He's not really like other guys, he's more mature, and cool...Like, he doesn't even act his age."

"All that is irrelevant," Alyssa informed her. "He may have the emotional range of a teaspoon, but he's still a guy."

"Thank you! That's what i'm saying!" Helene grinned, flipping her hair off her shoulders. "And what do guys want?"

Eva wasn't really sure where this was going, shaking her head in confusion. "Um...they want girls, don't they?" She asked.

"You sweet, summer child," Alyssa patted Eva's head comfortingly. "They want girls for physical relations, if you know what I mean."

She did not know what Alyssa meant as her blank expression would tell. "She means sex," Gigi stated rather bluntly.

"WHAT?!" Eva's outburst was a lot louder than intended, but the shock of stating the (obvious) intention of men was too much for her. Sex?! She hadn't even thought that far ahead! Is it still wrong to have it before you get married? Well, things have changed, so it wasn't so bad if it was with a boyfriend or girlfriend. But her and Arthur? Doing that? Was that even possible--of course it was possible but she couldn't even look at him without getting nervous. And to even do that they'd have to get naked! She had never seen a naked guy before! What would she do? Not look? Was it impolite not to look? The more she thought about it, the more she felt that as embarrassing and confusing as it was, maybe it wouldn't be so bad with Arthur. He was a little aloof, but he could be caring, like when he spoke to her earlier today. A passionate kiss as he laid her down on the bed, using their hands to undress one another, and then--Whoa, she needed to stop that thought right there, her imagination was getting the better of her. Shaking her head wildly, she couldn't quite get rid of her pink cheeks, though she tried to compose herself as she spoke again. "It's just--I haven't so much as gotten his attention, how...why would I...?" She blubbered, her words jumbling in her throat.

Helene chuckled, clearly enjoying Eva's reaction. "Wow, you must have ran all the way with that thought, hmm? Lucky Arthur," She commented cheerfully. "Listen, Eve, I'm not saying to go on and serve yourself on a platter for him to go and eat you up. What I'm saying is, dressing just a little sexier than usual is a good way to get his attention, you know?"

Oh! Sighing in relief, she was much more comfortable with that idea. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Helene did have a point. If it was only today, the first day of their senior year and a good year after she first got her crush on Arthur, that she finally managed to introduce herself, maybe she could use the help. Nodding to Helene, she raised both her arms in defeat. "Okay, you're right. I leave myself in your capable hands."

"Of course! Now, how do you feel about a top and a skirt?"

Behind Blue Eyes [1x1]

_{LOCATION ⤑ School
TIME ⤑ Lunchtime
INTERACTING WITH ⤑ Gigi [Friend]
FEELING ⤑ Distracted. And... I think I'm being watched?}

"Come on, stop scowling at me like that!"

Eva and Gigi ate mostly in silence, the pair watching Helene and Alyssa continue to bicker on between eating their own lunches. They hadn't stopped fighting all day from what Eva saw. If they weren't arguing in whispers during whatever classes they shared, they were texting one another constantly. She had to admit, it was somewhat jarring to see them fight all things considered. The topic, however, seemed to be the boys: Helene was obviously trying to get the two groups to mingle some more, and Alyssa didn't appreciate it. They, or more specifically, Jacob, was still a sore spot for the brunette. Eva did find Helene's insistence a little strange, but she secretly enjoyed it, so she wasn't sure whether or not to actually speak up about it. And of course, Gigi offered nothing, watching the two with mild amusement.

Classes had been--well, actually, Eva hadn't exactly been focused on any of them. It was the first day, so nothing was missed and she let her mind wander. Her time had been spent reflecting on her eventful morning, and she was actually delighted. She knew today would be a good day, she just didn't think things would happen to quickly, so it was taking a little getting used to. Now she could proudly say Arthur definitely knew who she was...except once in a while she caught him looking at her, and he looked slightly distressed about it. That was a slight blow to her confidence, but she tried to look at the positive side. He was looking at her, even if she caused him to react in a negative manner. Was it her face? She did gain a little weight over the summer, her fingers lightly poking her full cheeks as she thought about it.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Alyssa's rather loud cry, and Eva's eyes widened as she watched Helene pinching Alyssa's cheeks. The redhead avoided Alyssa's swipes, a mischievous smile on her face. "You know I'm right and you're just mad~" She said, wagging a finger at her.

Shoot, Eva had missed the whole conversation. She looked at Gigi, who had finished her lunch, but she was surprised that she was actually paying attention. "It's selfish to think she wouldn't have some sort of reaction," Gigi pointed out, earning her a sheepish expression from Helene. "And I understand your concern, but if that is her desire, it's just as selfish to try to stop her," She told Alyssa, who had nothing to respond with.

"So they're both wrong...?" Eva asked, watching Helene pull Alyssa into a bear hug and apologize.

Gigi stared at Eva for a moment. "You're more distracted than usual today," She commented. "You're usually the peacemaker."

"Ah...yeah...I'm sorry," Eva apologized.

"Love is quite the emotion, it befuddles the senses and causes most forms of thought to evaporate, rendering the mind useless," Gigi shrugged. "How dangerous..." Dangerous? What? Eva was entirely confused by the entirety of the other girl's words, but Gigi nodded. "I can't stop you, but I strongly advise you to be careful."

Her words were rather omnious all things considered. "What makes you say that?"

"A hunch," was Gigi's curt reply.

Was she concerned that she would end up like Alyssa? There was certainly a possibility. Eva watched Helene and Alyssa, who seemed to have made up, though her eyes eventually wandered once again to their inevitable stop: Arthur. Catching herself, she looked back at Gigi, who brought out one of her engine manuals and began to read, leaving Eva free to do as she liked. It wasn't like Gigi was wrong; Arthur could probably have his pick of any girl he wanted. But he didn't seem like the type to have a fling, and as far as she knew, he never dated anyone from their school. She had just as much a chance as any other girl, right?

Helene blocked her view, bringing Eva out of her thoughts once more. Gigi was right, she was more distracted than usual today. "Now that we are all on the same page--" Helene began.

"Some by force," Alyssa added quickly.

"--Still the same page! We need to make sure to get something that we will look fabulous in," Helene finished, elbowing Alyssa. "Eva, we're going to get you something short and tight!"

What?! "No way! I don't have your legs, I'd look like a potato!" Eva protested.

"I disagree, your legs are fine," Alyssa chided in. "It's about time you started showing off that body."

"It's two on one, you're not winning this one~" Helene giggled. "Short and tight it is!"

"B-But, it won't look right!" Eva whined. "Short and tight--What if I look like a hooker?"

"Then you'll be the most beautiful hooker in the world," Gigi said, giving her a thumbs up with the most serious expression she had ever seen.

"Y-You're supposed to be on my side...!"

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘋𝘶𝘴𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 | 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 // 𝑻𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂

Kai didn't have much to say to her response, and Cielle felt it was for the best. Maybe it was just dumb luck that he didn't want to talk about it much longer; he usually didn't seem to know when to quit. Whether it was just having nothing to say or knowing she didn't want to talk about it anymore was up for debate, but either way she would agree with his next statement, and thus she returned to the focus at hand: finding the world's keyhole.

Putting all the unpleasant thoughts behind, the pair got in a short line of people who were wishing the Queen well. Their greetings were rather brief, simply complimenting on her grace or saying something about how the girls had grown. Cielle couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. It was almost like rather than a simple debut as a queen, the girls were...well, debuting to their kingdom in general. No, that couldn't be right. She must have been mistaken, or misunderstood. But the closer they got, the more the same compliments were repeated over and over. It was strange, to say the least.

As soon as Princess Anna saw them, she gave them a restrained, yet terribly excited wave. She was definitely the more energetic of the two, though knew how to keep her wits about her. Her excitement seemed to bubble the closer they got, until finally, it was Kai and Cielle's turn. Cielle stepped forward, placing her left leg behind her right and bowing her head, executing a perfect curtsy. "Greetings, Your Grace, Your Highness," She seemed to know exactly how to greet both sisters, bringing her head up after she spoke. "I am Cielle. This is my traveling companion, Kai."

"And I thought you spoke pretty fancy before..." Anna couldn't help but murmur under her breath, clearing her throat as Elsa shot her a look. "W-Well, I'm glad you guys could make it!"