dominance | ( eudio inbox )

[ expecting her to knock at any moment, bellamy at least has time to prepare himself. dressing in dark jeans and a light grey shirt, he leaves his jacket on the table by the door. the dogs remain slightly rowdy, licking at the ice chion manages to headset over the walls of his pen and the ice cooler he'd bought to occupy him within. ]

[ it's when he hears the knock he walks to the door, zelo running behind him. waiting until his dog seems to have stopped and won't slide across the threshold and smack into the opposite corridor wall, bellamy opens the door, peering through the space, kicking his leg up to keep zelo from bolting toward her. ]

[ he smiles, small, ] Hey. [ zelo brushes his wet nose against the bare heel of bellamy's foot. ] He doesn't bite. [ bellamy pushes zelo back with his foot before bending down to pick him up, letting the door slowly fall open so he can walk inside with the golden puppy that peers over his shoulder to stare at elsa before glancing away. he walks toward his couch, where chion is, in his cooler and surrounded by a small pen. dropping zelo, bellamy sits to pull on his shoes. ]

Hi – hi!

[ the rise in pitch is obviously elsa's reaction to bellamy's puppy, clasping her hands and holding them to her chest as she peers down at him. eventually, she turns her smile onto bellamy himself, her eyes still on the small dog that peers back at her.

she follows them both inside, gently closing the door behind her, leaning against it as she waits for him to finish getting ready. ] He's darling.

[ tying his shoes, he looks up at her in amusement. ] He's not. [ zelo looks at him for a moment, as if suspecting a mere gaze will earn bellamy's attention, before he chooses to turn on his feet and trot over to elsa. standing on his hind legs, he reaches up to place his paws on her legs. ]

Get down, Zelo. [ bellamy sounds exasperated as he rises to his feet. zelo doesn't listen, looking up at elsa while nike looks on. if he continues to do that, she'll be hounded by both dogs instead of one. ]

[ bellamy walks over to her, shaking his head in exasperation at his dog's antics. ]

Oh! [ of course elsa loves it. with anna's pomeranian and pig, she is well accustomed to having pets. she lowers herself to her knees and rubs zelo's face between her cold hands, making sure to scratch behind his ears. ] But you're a good boy, aren't you? Aren't you? You're going to be good for Bellamy, aren't you?

[ preoccupied with talking to his dog, elsa almost misses the owner approaching. she smiles up at him. ] When did you decide to get another dog?

[ zelo leans into her touch, tail wagging. bellamy can hear nike walking along the floor, nails scraping against the tiles, as she catches the scent of zelo getting too much attention when it should be directed toward her. nike walks into him and past him, wagging her own tail as she pushes into zelo and elsa. ]

A while ago. [ he looks at his dogs, making sure nike and zelo don't become too aggressive. he isn't so sure himself of the reason why he'd gotten zelo. getting another dog meant he was willing to stick around for a little longer. it was another being to be responsible for. even though bellamy's become used to caring for over forty kids, he supposes it's something he's missed. ] I didn't want Nike to get lonely.

[ standing before her, he looks down at the dogs. one blonder in tone than the other, they ignore him as they pay attention to elsa, nudging her and sniffing her hands. considering he's felt her hands before, he has to wonder: ] Are your hands cold?

[ elsa laughs. anna seems to have an aptitude for animals, or at least bringing them home, but elsa does just fine with them, dividing her attention evenly – a hand behind zelo's right and nike's left ears. she scritches and scratches and even lets them lick her chin, which really gets her giggling. ]

No colder than yours would have been if you had been outside. I think their fur protects them. Oh – ! [ when it seems that one dog's nostril has nudged under her dress, she leans back with a start. ] Naughty dog. [ but elsa isn't offended, of course, giving them their last pats on the back before she stands up and brushes herself off. ]

Good, you've got siblings now!

[ that's another way to look at it, even though bellamy had been thinking more along the lines of nike and zelo keeping one another company. the sibling he wants isn't here, but he supposes it can't be too bad to have two dogs who seem to behave like a sibling would — annoying and in his face, even though he's come to miss it from o. ]

[ he smiles before he moves toward his counter, picking up two of the dog treats he'd left there by accident. squatting, he clicks his fingers, whistling quickly to gain the attention of nike and zelo. zelo looks back at him, and that's when he holds out his hand, showing him the treats. breaking it into pieces, he throws it to the opposite end of his apartment near his bed, and watches as zelo runs toward the other end of the apartment, leaving nike to slowly clue in and follow suit. ]

Come on. [ he cocks his head in the direction of his front door. he begins to walk toward the table to grab his dark jacket from it. ] It'll be easier to leave now.

[ he moves to open the front door for her. ]

[ were anna to leave – that day would never come, but just in case – elsa wouldn't be sure if she would stay any longer, eager to follow her sister instead of continuing the life she has established here. on the other hand, her cuddle quota hasn't been met yet, though she thinks she has achieved some surprising emotional intimacy in the city. elsa is here for her kingdom's continued safety, and that is no easy task.

her eyes follow the two dogs and she chuckles, slowly rising to her feet and brushing her hands off on her skirt. ]

They're adorable, [ she tells him, stepping away from the door so that he can open it again. ]

[ opening the door for her, he stands to the side. glancing back at the dogs, he can see nike looking at them, ears pricked up as she studies their intentions. he knows she'll stay, despite how interactive and even excitable she becomes. the only times she becomes rowdy are for her walks — and bellamy suspects she's able to tell the difference between elsa's blonde hair and clarke's. ]

They're okay. [ he smiles, flicking his lock and closing the door behind them. his dogs are more than okay, but bellamy's never been the type to be overly affectionate with his words. if they need something, he knows one of his neighbours will check up on them. it's familiar, the kindness he finds here, as that's how the people of section 17 had always been with him. ]

Do snowgies like animals?

Well.

[ just as elsa starts towards the exit of his apartment building, she turns suddenly to face him, speaking seriously. ] They don't dislike animals. I imagine that they like a great deal of things when they aren't being nuisances.

[ she suspects that he likes them more than "okay" implies. ] How is Zelo fitting into your household?

They get along. [ he says it like he's uncertain, even though he's tried to read everything he can about introducing a second dog into the home when he already has one. ] Nike and him.

[ he lifts his hand behind his head to scratch at his neck for a moment. letting it drop, he shrugs his shoulders, leading her to the end of the corridor where there's an elevator. ] I think I'm doing it right.

[ glancing at her a little sheepish, he knows he doesn't have to explain why he's so unsure, but he does so, anyway, almost out of habit. ] They don't have dogs back home.

[ what a dreadful thought, a life without dogs. after a brief frown, she smiles reassuringly at him, even going so far as to take his arm while they wait for the elevator. it isn't quite a habit with bellamy, but she likes to do so. it isn't out of a need to prove that she can initiate contact either, but a gesture she rarely offers to anyone else save her sister. ]

You're doing wonderfully, [ elsa says kindly, patting his arm. ] I know it isn't the same, but you do have a lovely little family now. [ a thought comes to her and she lifts a finger. ] But perhaps when the dogs are bigger, you may want to find a bigger space for them.

[ bellamy doesn't move his arm from hers, letting him take it. it's not as though he expects she'll do it, but after walking her home a few months ago, it doesn't surprise him any longer. she's cold, and maybe he'll never get used to that, always needing to bite back the desire to inform her that she is, but it no longer shocks him whenever she reaches out. ]

[ glancing over his shoulder, as though he can see the dogs or his apartment, his brows crinkle together. living in a small space with three people, just as it had been intended to be, but not for the blake family, hadn't been easy. but it's normal for bellamy. living on top of others — he doesn't see how it's any different in the city with his dogs. ]

Why? [ he turns back to her, jabbing at the button for the elevator again. ] We'd just go outside more. I know dogs need to run around.

Just a thought! Bigger space might benefit all parties in the foreseeable future. [ elsa makes no promises herself regarding her future in eudio. she knows that he would like to finish his task so that he can return to his sister and his people as well. ] Of course, I have been spoiled with more space than I need.

[ elsa sighs and looks sheepish. ] I can't even tell you how many spiral staircases we have at home.

I've seen them in pictures. I've never walked down one.

[ bellamy's about to punch the button again when the elevator doors ding open, dragging themselves apart to reveal an empty box. bellamy moves forward, throwing his arm out in front of it so the sensor can feel him and keep the elevator he's always impatient for sitting where it is. ]

[ he turns inside of the elevator, hitting the ground floor button. looking at her, he raises an eyebrow, appearing amused despite the fact that she's only confessed to the privilege he sometimes still finds himself loathing. it's what had made clarke a target for him, an easy one to use to manipulate the masses who hadn't grown up as well-off as her on the ark. ] Is your castle bigger than this building?

Considering the architecture here, I would assume there have to be a few. I'll have to show you.

[ it seems like a silly promise to make, but it is the closest she can get at the moment to showing someone her home, or parts of her home that she remembers fondly.

releasing his arm, elsa steps into the elevator with him, folding her hands over her lap again. ] It's much bigger than this building.

[ bellamy smiles, glancing up at the little display informing him they're moving down the stories rather than up. in compression to her, and many other people, bellamy doesn't know much. a spiral staircase may be something many people take for granted when it's something new for him. ]

[ he looks down at her with interest. ]

How much bigger? Two of these buildings side by side?

Oh.

[ she touches a hand to her chin, looking down at her shoes as she thinks about the size of her home. blessedly, it is still a clear memory to her. she smiles proudly up at him. ]

If you've been to the Eudio Museum, it is about three times the size of that. Perhaps four. I may be a little too modest, but it is our royal castle.

[ bellamy looks at her with an arch to his brow, unable to quite believe what he's hearing. it's hard to imagine such space, especially space belonging to one person. bellamy doubts the ark is even as big as the museum, despite having walked inside of it many times since roxy had given him the grand tour. ] How many people and snow things live with you again?

[ just as he says it, the elevator stops, the doors about to pull open. he doesn't look toward it when he feels and hears the elevator meet the ground floor. ]

[ instead of pressing a button to hold the doors open, elsa easily slips through, standing in the entranceway as she turns to face him, ticking them off her fingers. ] Well, there's the entire staff of the castle: the stewards, the constables, the marshals, the valets, the domestic servants...

[ elsa ducks her head, embarrassed by her own riches when she otherwise wouldn't be. ] It seems to be the standard for royals.

[ if bellamy hadn't extended his arm for the sensors to keep the doors open, he'd be in the elevator, stationary, waiting to pick a floor to travel to. sometimes he forgets that elsa's privileged, lucky enough to be born with status and power and even money, despite the latter never having been much of a contender for him on the ark. it's what he hadn't liked about clarke and wells, feeling as though the spoons they'd been born with in their mouths would threaten him while on the ground. ]

[ he doesn't feel threatened, but bellamy has always been uneasy around those who are simply better than him. it's a lesson he learned quite quickly on the ark, having it repeated to him over and over by those around him in positions of power. even though he hasn't returned to that job he held on the ark, he's still janitor blake in his own eyes. ]

[ stepping through, the doors close shut behind him. it's an impressive list, one that he's vaguely familiar with given what he's seen and read about royalty back in the medieval era. ]

I guess it's not as lonely as I first thought. [ it seems stupid to him now, thinking she only shared that castle with snowgies and anna. he walks, keeping his strides small, even though elsa has the legs to keep up with him if he chose to storm out of the foyer like he walks on his ground. ] I figured you just lived there with your sister.

[ elsa isn't entirely certain why her gut reaction is to feel anxious at telling him about her home. bellamy has only given her inches when she's given him yards as far as personal stories go. her life isn't an open book, but if he seeks to understand her better, then she is happy and comfortable enough to tell him anything he wants to know.

mostly.

she goes back to wringing her hands. ] We hardly had playmates as children, save for each other. Well, for a time, at least. Our servants were always so kind and loyal to us, practically family, especially when we needed that most.

[ after her parents died at sea, even if she felt utterly isolated, they ensured that she and anna were always cared for and protected. she doesn't take that lightly, regardless of her royal status. ]

[ bellamy knows his life had been close to what normal could be on the ark before octavia. with friends and a life that wasn't plagued by needing to watch his actions and his own language, he thinks he had the childhood anyone else had on the ark, from wells to raven. but with octavia, things had changed, and elsa's words ring true for him with how it'd been on the ark growing up. ]

[ he doubts it'd been the same for her. maybe more isolating, given how he's come to understand being a child of royalty may have singled her out from any of the other children. and how it may have been isolating, given her parents may not have wanted her to mingle with the kids in the town of arendelle. ]

At least you had someone. That's always a good thing. [ bellamy had mom for seven years before he'd had octavia. he doesn't understand what having a servant would be like. aside from the films he's seen, where they're mistreated, hardly people themselves, he thinks he understands it to an extent. the people of section 17 had been like that for him — simply there when he needed them. ]

[ he looks around as they walk, hands in the pockets of his jacket. he doesn't wave to anyone, barely acknowledges any person in the foyer as someone he recognises. ]

[ he shrugs, looking at her from the corner of his eye. ] I kind of don't know what a servant is. We didn't have them on the Ark. No royalty, either. [ he lifts his shoulders upward, a purposeful shrug as he purses his lips. he settles his posture as he triggers the sensor of the automatic doors. ] You're kind of my first.

I'm eternally grateful for that.

[ there they are, two people with the weight of the world on their shoulders but with miles of distance between them. for all that she doesn't know about him, she thinks that she understands parts of him that she can see. and though she will never truly understand what the suffocating environment of the ark was like, she can at least piece together an image for her to keep in mind whenever her discusses it. ]

People under our employ, essentially, some with or without titles lower than say, queen or princess. Some live within the palace walls, the others live just outside of it in the village.

[ but something about what he says makes elsa giggle softly behind a lifted hand. ] I'm your first royal? Truly?

I don't really count the Commander as royalty.

[ if anything, he dislikes lexa. it borders on hatred for a girl who had stabbed them in the back and taken clarke away from them, but — bellamy's sometimes been hesitant to call hate hate. it feels intense. the respect the grounders have for her, that maybe lincoln holds for her, isn't something found within bellamy blake. if anything, he pities her as much as he resents her. ]

[ keeping his hands in his pockets, bellamy shifts his shoulders. looking down at the pavement as they walk, he finds that maybe he shouldn't have said that — her being the first royal person he's met. or, at least, the first that's bothered to inform him they're royal. ]

[ he looks ahead on purpose, finding that he feels like he's seventeen again in front of gina martin. he tries to sound casual, but his words feel slow and weighted. ]

I think you are the first queen I've ever met. Probably the only one.

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