[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/VgbuqO2.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240522/49791553b35fa05b88864f9127dc2df9.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Inside Eye of the Beholder[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Eris watched as Daphne appeared, her uniquely violet eyes set confidently on Nathaniel. The tall brunette woman had been the same person who stopped her earlier to talk about Sya. Eris furrowed her brow, wondering why Daphne was inserting herself, and even more curiously, why she had asked Nathaniel for a dance. Did they know each other? Eris's gaze flickered toward Nathaniel, searching for any sign of familiarity or warmth, but his expression revealed little.

When he leaned in to whisper his apology, Eris smiled softly and nodded, understanding the unspoken rules of noble decorum. A lady's request for a dance could not be easily refused, and Nathaniel was only being polite. Still, a small pang of something stirred inside her. Maybe she should have asked him for another dance before Daphne had stepped in. She pushed the feeling down quickly, shaking off the flicker of jealousy. This wasn’t the time for such things.

As Nathaniel rose and joined Daphne on the dance floor, Eris averted her gaze and pulled her coat around her shoulders. She stared into her mug of mead, feeling the weight of the drink in her hands. She toyed with the idea of leaving—returning to her notes, preparing for the upcoming journey to the Blight Lands. That was where her focus should be, not here, not watching Nathaniel dance with another woman.

She bit her lower lip anxiously, battling her instinct to leave, her eyes eventually wandering back to the pair. Daphne moved with ease despite her leather armor, her confidence evident in every step, and Eris felt a sting of envy. Daphne had no hesitation in asking for what she wanted, no second thoughts, while Eris had hesitated.

She sighed softly, her mind drifting back to the conversation about Sya. The guilt crept in as she took another sip of mead, feeling the alcohol warming her cheeks. She scanned the crowd, hoping to catch sight of her friend, but Sya was still nowhere to be found. Even though Sya’s transformation unsettled her, it didn’t excuse how she had reacted. She should have kept her composure. Her brother would have never let such emotions slip. She grimaced at the thought, taking another large gulp of her drink.

Returning her focus to Nathaniel and Daphne, Eris watched as he spun Daphne with the same practiced grace and charm he had shown to her earlier. She couldn't help but question the butterflies she’d felt during their dance—was she really so touch-starved that she had feigned some kind of spark between them? Perhaps she had been foolish and naive to think anything of it. No doubt Nathaniel had been trained in the art of charm, raised to be effortlessly charismatic. It wasn’t personal, was it? Yet, as she studied his face now, something told her that it wasn’t quite the same. To her, he didn’t look as comfortable as he had when they had danced. He didn’t wear the same ease or warmth that she had seen when they had been so close. 

But feelings were impractical, especially in a time like this. In fact, why did she even care? Eris raised her tankard again, taking a long drink to drown the thoughts swirling in her mind. There were more important things to focus on—things that mattered far more than the butterflies still lingering in her chest.

Eris glanced down at the notes neatly stacked on the table, her mind still half-distracted by the dance happening across the room. With a small sigh, she finished off the rest of her drink and gently set the mug down on the table. One by one, she gathered her notes and folded the papers with careful precision before sliding them into the inner pocket of her coat. Somehow, the weight of them felt heavier now, like a reminder of the responsibilities she had been avoiding during this fleeting moment of social distraction.

Pulling the coat tighter around herself, she stood up from the booth, glancing briefly toward Nathaniel and Daphne still entwined in their dance. The soft music carried on, but Eris no longer felt part of it. Duty called. It was time to go.

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[sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Daphne [@PrinceAlexus], Nathaniel [@Echotech71][/sub]