dominance | ( eudio inbox )

Bellamy, you've known me for months now.

[ she takes the fork and knife off her plate and rests them on the napkin on the table, making room for the pizza slice she has her eye on. taking the crust between her fingers, it isn't too hot for her, but she can still tell that it is fresh from the oven. she moves quickly, not wanting to scald the tips of her fingers, and places the steaming slice on the platter. ]

It smells divine, [ she observes without sniffing theatrically as she is prone to doing around her sister. ]

[ it doesn't matter, bellamy still finds it odd that he knows someone who can easily ice a drink with a mere wish of her own will. he's slightly embarrassed by her comment, but doesn't respond to it, instead waving his hand over his thick slice and leaving it to cool down. ]

[ looking up at her, he arches his brow. ] Did you do your smelling thing already?

[ making fun of her is fun for him. elsa has always been slightly unique, even eccentric in the way she behaves and the things she takes pride and joy in. he can't help but find his mood improves by how innocent her own intentions often are. being around someone who simply wishes to enjoy the world around her makes him feel a little lighter — and more open to noticing what's around him isn't as dangerous as he wants to believe. ]

No, and I won't because you'll tease me for it again.

[ pulling at the melted cheese stretched between her plate and the pizza platter, she plucks it up and deposits it in her mouth, then hastily wiping her bottom lip with a paper napkin tucked beneath the lip of her plate. it would be easy to blow cool air over their pizza but she supposes that takes half of the fun away, so she waits with him, watching the steam rise from the food. ]

I can certainly see that you requested extra cheese, [ she comments with a raise of her eyebrows. ]

You should do your smelling thing. [ he doesn't stop smiling, not when he looks to the pizza before them then up at her. a part of him wants to see her do it for the sake of getting to tease her, another part wants her to keep up her tradition of behaving so innocently and unguarded. ]

I ordered a cheese pizza with extra cheese. [ he picks up his slice and takes a bite out of it, finding that ordering extra cheese leads to strings of it and a potential mess. clearing them away with his fingers, he looks down at his slice. ]

[ his first extra cheese on a cheese pizza. he does think to tell her that, but forgoes it for now. ]

How's all the snowgies? Did they do something for you today?

[ fine. she does it, closing her eyes, lifting her chin, smiling as she inhales. it's quicker than the last time, but she does it because he's asked and she doesn't want to disappoint, even if she's risking embarrassment. ]

There.

[ she holds the pizza, one hand around the crust, the other supporting the smaller end of the slice. before she answers, she recalls the mildly disastrous results of the morning spent in the arendelle townhouse. ] Well, they certainly made breakfast interesting. I ruined the pancakes.

[ bellamy smiles, but says nothing. as much as he wants to tease her, leaving her alone to enjoy herself — and in his company — is what he wants. he thinks he can tease her about it later, if she ever takes him out to another food place. ]

[ picking up his pizza, he's about to take another bite when she answers him. looking up at her in amusement, eyebrow slightly arched, he doesn't eat his slice. given how chion didn't seem so bothered by the day, he can hardly imagine what a bunch of snowgies would do for an event he still thinks is stupid to publicly celebrate with a day dedicated to it. lowering it, his voice contains an amused laugh, ] What happened?

[ as she chews and before she even begins talking, elsa laughs around her slice. there is a gleam in her eyes even as she chews with her hand covering her mouth. ]

You step away from mixing the batter for one moment and suddenly you're no longer the chef in your own kitchen!

[ she shakes her head and licks her lips, swiping a string of cheese away from her chin with her napkin. ]

It was quite the mess. I told Anna not to worry herself since she had places to be and I had the morning to finish what I started. And then I messaged you.

What did they do?

[ and why isn't she providing pictures of the catastrophe? when it comes to snow — and the snowgies, marshmallows, olafs — bellamy finds he wants all the information. despite being her friend, he still isn't over the thought of snow. his snowball remains in his freezer, just as chion stays in his care despite the problems he's had with the animated snowball. ]

[ he doesn't eat, looking at her, waiting for her to paint the scene in incredible detail — or take him back there so he can experience it for himself. ]

Well, they took it upon themselves to finish the pancake batter, of course! And grill them, and get their feet into them. I was frightened that they would melt themselves on the stove and managed to get there in time to save the day. In a way.

[ elsa exhales, but her eyes remain wide, covering her cheeks with her hands. ] It was horrible, milk everywhere, flour all over the floor. I fear I may have some batter behind my ear.

[ she laughs and closes her eyes and leans back against the cushioned seats. ]

[ bellamy doesn't even think to eat. much like a kid enrapt in a story, he watches her, and laughs. he tries to imagine it, a hoard of snowgies attempting to assist in the kitchen. he can only assume it ended in disaster, even though, looking at elsa, he doubts it was that bad. ]

I wish I could've seen it.

[ and he does. the snowgies seemed to work as a well-oiled machine, a good group of snow-warriors who seemed content to assist at olaf's, despite their mischievous nature. ]

[ taking a bite out of his pizza, he looks at her, as though he can see behind her ear. ] You've got batter all along here. [ it's with a smile he drags his finger down the slope of his nose. ]

Do I?

[ with him, she can be gullible, but she isn't so gullible to believe that she missed something when looking straight at her reflection in the mirror. even so, she blushes. ] It wasn't that amusing a sight. Well, it was a little bit. Will you get the batter off my nose, please? I've a bit of pizza grease on my hands.

[ leaning over the table, she presents her nose, jutting her chin out a little bit if it helps him reach her better. she blinks a few times, casting her gaze to the window. ] If oyu please.

[ usually elsa blushes a red similar to that of someone lost in the snow. and though he thinks he sees her blush, he doesn't expect her to play along. it'd been on a whim he'd even said it. whenever elsa tends to say anything, he tries to latch onto it to see her smile. ]

[ dropping his pizza on his plate, he reaches for a napkin, wiping his hands before he rubs them on his jeans. he expects her to lean forward then pull away with a laugh, but when she stays where she is, he finds himself leaning forward. gliding his fingers along the slope of her nose, his eyes trace the curve of it. ]

[ his smile is small. he looks up at her hair, expecting to see some snowflakes still there, despite knowing they melt when in the sun. his voice is quiet, ] I think it's gone.

[ if this is taking the joking a little too far, elsa isn't sure if she wants to back down or not. watching his face, she holds her breath while he gently swipes his finger down the bridge of her nose, licking her lips nervously.

she likes the teasing. it's always good-natured and she thinks it means ... something. she isn't sure what thing, but she knows it's important. her eyelashes flutter and she doesn't pull away immediately after he touches her. ]

Thank you, [ elsa whispers, leaning away from the edge of the table. ]

[ while bellamy is more than content to be as oblivious as he had been before new years, he knows that this means something. it may not factor into the grand scheme of things, but he knows that reaching out and touching elsa means something. he hadn't thought much of holding her hand or pressing his fingers into the small of the back, too caught up in talking to her and trying to remember the way to the chocolate shop he thinks she favours above any other. but he knows that this one means something. ]

[ after everything that's happened lately, bellamy can't quite run or hide from this. ]

[ so, he pulls back, hands in his lap, and glances down for a moment. reaching for his beer, he takes a sip, eyes following it when he places the bottle down. ]

[ his voice sounds a little rough to him. ] Do the snowgies do that in your castle back home? Come over and cook?

No, not at all, [ elsa laughs a little too much. she takes this moment to take another bite from her pizza, a hearty one that requires her to chew a lot and lick a bit of cheese from the corner of her mouth. her gaze remains fixed on her lap for the duration of this chewing before she looks up at bellamy again, having gathered herself enough to continue. ]

I think they've learned a thing or two since their ... inception in Eudio. They mostly are up to no good in Arendelle, but since there are fewer of them and they tend to follow me around more often than not, they seem to have evolved.

[ snowgie psychology? elsa isn't sure. ]

Evolved.

[ it's like he wants to laugh out his doubt. he's read as much as he can on snow, and he isn't so sure on how much they can evolve other than grow larger and breathe with carrots for noses. but it at least explains how chion has his calm moments, instead of behaving mischievously every second of every minute. ]

[ he reaches for his beer, fingers wrapping around the neck of the bottle. ] You'll just have to take care of yourself. If you don't want to have an entire army of snowgies misbehaving in the city. [ since she has to be sick to produce them. he takes great amusement in that, given how strange it still is to him. ]

I have been consuming just the right amounts of vitamin C, [ she informs him proudly, leaning forward to wrap her lips around the top of her straw, taking a long drink of it. her lips make a small smacking noise when she pulls away. ]

I can't imagine it would be met with much ire, considering that most people, the mayor included, have a sense of humor about themselves and enjoy the company of curious creatures. [ having a pig isn't the oddest pet to have, she knows. ]

I know that you'd like it.

[ bellamy's glad he can hide behind his beer as he smiles, taking a long drink of that. ]

Maybe.

[ it isn't a secret to anyone that he likes chion, despite how he'd been set out to destroy his belongings and hog his bathroom. it's different, owning a snowball that lives and breathes and makes indistinguishable noises. she's given him something else to focus on, even though roxy had given him a dog and he'd gifted himself another. ]

[ placing his bottle down, he looks at her drink. ]

Handed them off to anyone else lately?

[ without hesitation though she doesn't look directly at bellamy, she replies, ] You're the only person I've given any of them to.

[ elsa looks up, somewhere over his shoulder. they both know why he had received the snowball, to keep him company in his sister's absence. elsa doesn't explicitly tell him that he gets special treatment from her, though it might be evident from the way she lights up like a firebug whenever he's around.

this is new to her.

turning back to him, she leans forward and folds her hands over the table, over her half-eaten slice of pizza. ] And I certainly won't be handing off the snowgies you made for me.

[ he doesn't know what he expected, for her to have given a snowgie away to a few of her other friends. (it is what he had expected. elsa's likeable, and he doesn't doubt she has a flock of people ready and willing to spend time with her.) but he looks at her, observes how her gaze remains down and away from him when she says it. she's given him a snowgie to keep him company in the city, but sometimes he wonders if she had done so with the intent to encourage him to stick around. ]

[ he lets his gaze drop when hers lifts to him, and he reluctantly even looks up at her, though his head remains bowed, when she seems to shift in her seat. ducking his head in embarrassment, he can feel his neck heat as he smiles. shaking his head, he inhales before he even speaks. ] Yeah. Well, they're not animated. They have half the allure the real ones do.

But you made them and Olaf for me! They're just as special, Bell.

[ she almost stops and backtracks, stumbling over the accidental nickname, but she decides to stay with it, even nodding ever so subtly to herself. rolling her sleeves up, she picks up the pizza and decides to finish off what is left on her plate.

the gift does mean a lot to her. it's very personal, it shows that he does take note of the little things she tells him and doesn't tell him. she's elated. ]

[ olaf the snowman with the carrot nose and a shop named after him. bellamy thinks he's the only snow creature elsa has that has feelings. he'd be elated to know she loves him that much. ]

[ he thinks. though he may posture himself as the snow expert amongst his friends, he still has no clue how any of this works. ]

[ but his face feels heated, and so he's glad that he can at least distract himself from having to form a reply when he grabs his beer and takes another sip of it. he does take a bite out of his pizza, finding it to be as stringy as he remembers the order of extra cheese to be. it's odd, still, having food at his fingertips when he'd been so used to having a little and taking nothing. ]

When you were younger, did you only just do things with snow? Play with snow, do the skating on ice thing — [ he looks up at her. he remembers her informing him she's more than just the snow, and while bellamy takes delight in seeing her use her powers in front of him, there's more to elsa than her abilities and kingdom. he's always known that. ]

[ plus, it seems like the type of direction to head in now that he doesn't particularly want to talk about what he'd made and given her. ]

[ elsa goes quiet, a bittersweet expression befalling her. her eyes lower to the rim of her glass, watching some bubbles rise to the surface in her iced tea, the frost around it beginning to melt. the quiet lasts a little too long, even for someone who almost always thinks carefully before speaking. ]

No, I did other things, but the snow was our favorite part. She'd wake me up in the wee hours of the morning and tell me – [ here, she imitates anna's dramatics, throwing her head back with the back of her hand covering her eyes briefly. ] "The sun is up, and so am I." We'd slide down hallways and take over the ballrooms and ice skate or build snowmen. I'd clean up our messes. [ she laughs, touching her fingertips to her cheeks as her eyes become a little misty at those fond memories of early childhood. ]

Anna liked playing in the mud. I think she still does. I liked sitting in my room and reading, playing little logic games, learning chess and checkers. I went outdoors on occasion, taking solitary rides with my horse. [ she sighs. ] I stopped going out as much for several years.

[ he laughs at her impression of anna. and tries to imagine it all, overwhelmed by attempting to picture something he's barely begun to understand. she had a freedom she hardly knows she had. with the chance to go outside, ride a horse, build snowmen, even opt to do none of those at all, he envies her for the upbringing she had, for the chances she took to spend time with her sister without needing to be shushed when they grew too loud. ]

It must've been nice to be able to feel the sun like that. To do any of that.

[ all they had on the ark was the dull glow of the lights. everything on the ark was now dull in comparison to what he'd learned on the ground and in this city. placing his hands on the top of the table, he curls his palms against the edge, fingers tapping momentarily against the surface before he stills them. ]

[ he lowers his gaze, a fond, small smile blossoming on his lips. ] Octavia used to wake me up real early to go into the jungle. Or to tell her about the stars again. [ he shrugs his shoulders, shifting in his seat. ]

[ leaning forward, he rests his arms on the table against the lip of his plate. looking up at her, he smiles as he teases, ] I'm glad you did more than just play in the snow.

It was, [ she agrees, lowering her head as the tips of her fingers slide over her jaw to the lobes of her ears. she shakes off the feeling and settles her hands into her lap again. it was nice. it was even nicer to open the gates of the castle and allow their courtyard to once again be filled with their people. the sun is for anna, as is the company, for it is she who prefers to be around people. at the same time, finally opening the castle doors signified the the acceptance elsa long avoided and sorely needed her entire life.

her thoughts wander back to her aunt, who was once young and played with her sisters just as elsa had with anna. their stories mirrored each other so much that it frightens her from time to time. but elsa is different. that much has been clear from the start of this storybrooke madness. ]

What did you tell Octavia about the stars? [ elsa asks, mirroring his position as she folds her hands over the table again, leaning forward. back to the conversation at hand. it isn't often that she hears snippets from bellamy's life and she would be upset with herself if she didn't pay attention to this. ]

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