AN: Yyyyup, getting this picture right is DEFINITELY being a pain lol. Anybody got any tips? ^^;
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Eris simply nodded, acknowledging the host’s presence, but Siffia, clearly flustered, attempted to bow even though they were currently seated at the table. Eris couldn't help but chuckle watching Siffia clumsily collide her ample bust with the table by accident, having failed to calculate her movements properly, causing Siffia to become even more flustered than before.
Watching all of this unfold, the Countess crinkled her eyes and smiled, as if she were seeing something terribly wholesome.
Eris, however, knew enough to spot the silent mockery hidden behind that look.
Though Eris remained silent about it as she always had, for some reason it bothered her much more today than usual.
“What a lovely young lady you've brought along with you, Lady Mescal.”
“Ah, um-”
Siffia opened her mouth, clearly unsure how to respond to the compliment, especially with how the Countess hadn’t even spoken it directly to her. For some reason, Eris couldn’t help the slightly satisfied squint that her eyes performed when she saw Siffia gazing towards her with a helpless, pleading look.
“...Yes, she is indeed a lovely one, isn't she?”
Eris’s eyes forced themselves away from Siffia, turning with a commanding glint towards the Countess.
“And a very lovely… friend to me.”
The word still felt a bit wrong passing through Eris’s lips, but the fact that it achieved its purpose couldn’t be doubted. Judging from the way her smile slightly stiffened and became more polite, the Countess had clearly gotten her message to treat Siffia well.
And as a secretly intended bonus, the word had made the previously flustered Siffia quickly brighten up again as well.
“Oh my, I see... How wonderful for you, Lady Mescal! If I’m recalling correctly, this is the first time that you’ve brought a friend along to such a function!”
Though the Countess’s words clearly sounded as if they were intended for Eris, this time she’d made sure to say them while smiling at Siffia, making it clear that she was praising and including her. Siffia, for her part, seemed more surprised and confused at what she’d just heard than flattered, judging by the way that her eyebrows suddenly rose up in disbelief. However, before she could utter the question that seemed was about to burst out from her lips, a commotion from the pathway resounded, and a small grouping of ladies appeared, bustling forth to take their seats in the gazebo.
And just like that, everyone had arrived to the tea party.
Eris almost wanted to sneer as she watched the Countess reluctantly slink away to her seat to start the party. Perhaps with so many people present, it would be much easier to exclude someone, but Eris didn’t mind; No matter what silly antics they tried to pull, Siffia would come out without a single scratch, and all the more knowledgeable for it.
Especially since she had Eris at her side.
~~~
“And so then-”
“Ah, I see!”
“Oh, but I heard that-”
“No! My, that can’t be true!”
“No really, my friend said-”
The idle chatter of the group went on and on. It was the same as almost every tea party that Eris had ever been to, eventually devolving into idle gossip about whatever party or large event had recently occurred. The group, knowing how little Eris cared for such talk, kindly did their best to not force her to chime in. However, the Countess, as host of the party and having received Eris’s warning early, tried multiple times to find ways to include Siffia into the conversations. Having little experience in the social world, Siffia could only naively give her thoughts on some of the scandals, or chime in with a few stories she’d covertly come across here and there. The few times that anyone tried to bring up any awkward or difficult topics that might have caused Siffia to stumble or become silent, Eris would always step forward to rescue her with a steely gaze and an iron fist, either skillfully or forcefully changing the subject, making it impossible for anyone to remain unaware of who she was backing.
Each time such displays saved her, Siffia would give Eris a small thankful smile or glance, or perhaps a subtle and gentle tug of the sleeve under the table. For some reason, each of these little appreciative gestures made Eris feel a sense of pride and accomplishment welling up inside of her that she’d rarely ever felt before. She could only imagine that this must be the sense of joy that one was supposed to feel from helping others.
Almost an hour had passed, and the tea party was beginning to reach its final stages. Things had been going quite smoothly, and most of the drinks and finger foods had been eaten, when suddenly a new topic of gossip was introduced.
“Oh, but you won’t believe what I heard happened just a few days ago at the banquet!”
“My my, what could it possibly be?”
“Ah, I think I know the one that you’re talking about! That scandal that happened secretly in the back hallways?”
“Yes, someone said they witnessed something absolutely dreadful happen back there!”
Siffia suddenly stilled, her face turning slightly pale. It was a change that went completely unmissed by Eris, who turned her head to look at Siffia in confusion. Though Siffia bit her lip and gave her head the slightest shake, as if she didn’t want to risk saying anything, the way that she gazed worriedly into Eris’s eyes before letting them stray back to the gossiping women was enough to convey her thoughts.
It didn’t take long for Eris to realize what was going on. It seemed that Siffia thought the women might be gossiping about what had happened between her, Eris, and the foolish nobleman that she’d rescued Eris from that night.
The memory of it brought a soft chuckle out of Eris.
“You see, if what my friend said was true, then two nobles were sneaking off to have an affair back there!”
“Oh, is that all~? Really, I thought you had actual news to share-”
“No no, but you see, it was a male and female omega! Two omegas, going at it!”
“Agh!”
“Ew!”
“Disgusting!”
“How could they?!”
The faces around the tables flinched and grimaced, as if hearing something truly unbelievable. Eris scoffed and turned her gaze, knowing full well how hypocritical their reactions were.
The thought that two omegas together was filthy, while the nobility openly applauded a pair of alphas being brought together, made little to no sense to Eris.
Every other combination of secondary sexes coming together was somehow fine to their own degrees in the public’s eye, and yet any combination of omegas was somehow foolishly deemed ‘taboo’.
Rolling her eyes at the thought, Eris was surprised when they landed on Siffia’s reaction next to her. Far from the pale worry that had been fixed on her features only a moment ago, Siffia’s face was now rapidly blushing. She blinked constantly, her eyelashes fluttering like a bashful maiden in love. And when those shaky eyes of hers repeatedly shyly glanced Eris’s way, Eris no longer knew how to react. No, it would be more accurate to say that she no longer had the mental power to think of anything at all.
“Si- LadySiffia-”
Though Eris was so stricken that she couldn’t get herself to say anything more, Siffia still turned towards her demurely, glancing all around and occasionally staring up sweetly towards her through the thick sweeping strands of her hair. The two stared at each other, both unable to say a word, until suddenly the voice of the hostess rang out, awakening them.
“Oh dear, I can’t seem to remove the dreadful taste from my mouth from that story! I’m afraid nothing is going to be able to remedy my mind from hearing of such awful things for the rest of the day, so I suppose it’s time that I sent all of you ladies home for the evening.”
There were playful cheers and boos across the table, and the sound of several seats being scooched back to release their captives. Though such a cacophony was being put on, no one really seemed against the idea of ending the party at all, perfectly ready to return to their homes.
Eris and Siffia, on the other hand, seemed much more reluctant to leave than the others.