Celebrating

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa looked a good deal like her matching twin these days. It wasn't just that she let her hair curl about her face, or that she applied perhaps a bit more makeup than she had normally. It was something in the way she walked, the confidence she radiated. Anyone who knew the twins could tell that this one wasn't Erika, of course: she had the sharp eyes and the cool demeanor still. But it would be just a bit harder for those that relied solely on first impressions.

Which might explain why a few of Erika's neighbors greeted the nice young newlywed they thought lived next to them as she passed. Elsa waved at a few, not bothering to correct. It also meant that they didn't slow as Elsa let herself in, finding a "hidden" key easily enough and slipping inside.

"Erika?" she called, pulling her coat off to put onto a hanger, and adjusting her grip on the light champagne she had in one hand. "It's your sister: I've some good news and I wanted to celebrate." and explain, and share, and make sure that Erika wasn't in the dark. But Elsa was definitely focusing on the brighter points at the moment.

Erika Conner (Bellefonte)

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Erika heard the front door open and she put the pencil down along with the sketching book. Her brows furrowed slightly as she rose from her chair. She walked over to the door, opened it and peeked her head outside. They had made one of the downstairs bedrooms into something of an art room, where they had all their art supplies. It was also one of the rooms Erika spent most of her time. She figured now that she had taken a more serious look upon her artistic talents, and considering how there weren't any children planned in the horizon, the least they could do was make use of one of the room, and keep the other as a guest room of sorts.

Not that they had a whole lot of guests that slept over, mind.

Her brown eyes fell on her sister's similar ones and her lips cracked into a wide grin. "Hey there," she greeted her, brushing her pencil marked hands off on her pants. She stepped further into the hallway and gestured towards the staircase leading to the upper floor. "Considering the bottle, I assume these news are best shared with proper glasses and ice." She smirked at that as she stepped towards the stairs.

Once Erika reached the living room, she walked over to the kitchen area, which was basically the same room, only separated by a kitchen isle. She opened one of the cabinets and pulled out two champagne glasses before placing them on the kitchen isle. She opened the freezer and pulled out some ice cubes and put them into a bowl. She lifted the glasses with one hand and held the bowl in the other. She moved towards the couch and sat down. "So, these news much be incredible if it makes you come all the way over here," she said as she looked over to her sister, assuming she'd followed her upstairs.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa's grin actually widened as she saw her sister's. If anyone would immediately note the differences, it was Elsa's twin sister. After all, Erika was bound to notice that her sister's hair curled in nearly the same manner as hers now. Or that makeup. Or the other differences. Elsa just raised the bottle up and gave it a wiggle at Erika's comment though.

Then it was Erika to the kitchen, which meant that Elsa should head up to meet her in the living room. Sometimes having that quasi-twin telepathy and years of practice certainly helped things. Elsa wasted no time in arranging things: nudging a coffee table into place and pulling some chairs about. She only debated sitting though: her desire to share this news with her sister keeping her on her feet for the time being. Soon enough Erika was coming in and sitting on the couch. Her twin extended the bottle toward her, still smiling.

"Felix is back," she said, her smile hitting her eyes. Time to test that twin telepathy again...

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Of course Erika noticed the changes in her sister's demeanor as well as her appearance. She hadn't commented on it, and she probably wouldn't either. She had a few suggestions as to why this change had occurred, but this was Elsa's news to share, and Erika wouldn't spoil it for all the money in the world.

Accepting the bottle, Erika popped it and started filling the glasses, her eyebrow arching in an amused manner as her sister started talking. "Is that so?" she asked, unable to hide the coy smirk that grew on her lips. She lifted her gaze, her eyes narrowing momentarily. "You had sex," she replied, almost shocked, though in all fairness, it shouldn't have been that shocking.

Erika placed the bottle down against the table and stared at her sister. "You're such a slut," she laughed. Erika was happy for her. She really, truly was, and if Felix ever did anything to hurt her, Erika would crush him without hesitation. Even if he was her best friend.

"Wow," she laughed.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

The coy smile had one nearly perfectly mirrored. Elsa knew precisely where Erika's mind was likely to go, and sure enough: she went there. The comment had Elsa raising her brows and moving to pour herself a glass of the bubbly alcohol. "A few times, actually," she finally said as she had a glass.

Elsa held the glass while Erika laughed and walked through things. The supposed insult was met with a raised glass, Elsa taking a sip of the alcohol withing. The bubbles tickled her all the way down, though she kept the same tight smile all the while. Elsa swirled the glass while she heard the wow and the laughter.

"You almost seem surprised: I'm just as pretty as you are," Elsa said, her voice teasing. she moved to sit down next to her sister, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath. "It was pretty damn amazing, actually. He found me in the courtyard in more or less the state I'd been in and realized that I needed something, someone," Elsa paused, opening her eye to look at her sister. There was a lot in those few unspoken seconds, but Elsa didn't want to dwell on it. Besides, it wasn't as though her sister could have given her what she'd obviously physically needed.

"But yes," Elsa took another sip, smiling coyly again, "he's quite good, even in... unique locations."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"Not really surprised... I mean," she stopped and threw her hands up. "I'm really happy for you guys. It's about damn time too." She looked at her sister and offered her a warm smile. She was glad that Felix had finally manned up enough to face her sister, and well, she was pleased to know things had ended up going so well for the two of them. Erika nodded at her words, the smile only growing further. If anyone deserved Felix, it was her sister. He was good for her. They were good for each other.

Holding up her hand, Erika grimaced. "Yeah, okay, I don't need to know quite that much," she said as she shook her head. She didn't blame her sister for wanting to share, but Erika was one of those people that didn't share lewd details about her sex life - or lack thereof. 

She reached for her glass and tapped the tip of her index finger against it as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Congratulations. Have you guys talked? I mean, are you together, or what?" She wanted nothing more than the two of them to be together, but she could understand if they needed time to figure things out. Unlike her sister, Erika was far more impulsive and rarely thought things through before acting.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa raised her eyebrows at Erika's comment. Happy for you, about time... part of Elsa certainly agreed. Felix had pulled her out of one of the worst downward spirals she'd been in for some time, and, well, she definitely was different now, and it wasn't just what Felix did or said. There were many more factors.

Though for now: she was focused on tormenting her sister. IT was very tempting to continue and share, especially after that reaction, but instead Elsa just grabbed her own glass to take a sip. There was a bit of a pause there, and then Erika asked the question that Elsa didn't really want to answer.

Elsa looked down at her glass. "Not in so many words," she swirled the liquid for a moment. "It's... complicated. In some ways it doesn't help that I was at my weakest and he came sweeping in like some sort of hero from a romance novel," she took a deep breath, then looked over at her sister. "Or that he fell for you first..."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Nodding sagely at Elsa's words, Erika remained quiet until her sister had finished talking. She wasn't really surprised and she understood perfectly why the two of them had a hard time figuring things out. On one side, Felix was anxious and probably wanted to give Elsa room, and Elsa had her own demons to fight, of that Erika was all too aware of.

"I could kick his ass in action for you if you'd like." She'd done it before, after all. "As for your last statement... That's not why he fell in love with you. There's a reason he picked you." Besides, Erika didn't even consider what she and Felix had almost had as either of them having genuine feelings. She had always seen it as more as them confusing their strong friendship with romantic feelings instead of what it'd always been; just friendship.

Besides, it was such a long time ago.

"Like you said, you're just as pretty as me," she winked at her sister. "And you don't pick who you love out from who their sister are, or how they look." Erika grew a touch more serious at that. "You pick them because of their personality. The heart wants what the heart wants."

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa had to laugh at Erika insisting that she could handle Felix for her. There was something in that that just sounded so very sisterly, and so very much like something Erika would say instead of her. Though the bit about falling in love had Elsa shaking her head, raising a hand. "Please, don't go there, not yet. I don't... I don't know if that's what's going on here or not," Elsa lowered her hand, took a sip.

He'd fallen for her first, and Erika had ended up rejecting him, on some level. Things had been so complicated then... not that they were any easier now. Though now, now Erika was married, settled, had the "King" attached to her name.

"Mm, that almost sounds like something I'd say," Elsa said, lowering her glass. "Since when are you the one to make comments like that, hmm?" She ran her finger along the glass. "It's not easy though, not that cut and dry. I don't... I don't know what's going on, like I said. I just know that I needed him and he was there and..." She shrugged, then turned her sad smile to Erika. "It happened."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

Erika had to stop herself from replying; she wanted to comment on it, but figured it was better if she didn't. After all, this was between Elsa and Felix and they needed to figure this out on their own, and if either of them asked for her advice or help, she would be more than willing to offer either of them that. But if not mentioning it was what Elsa wanted, then Erika would oblige.

Smiling at her sister, Erika simple shrugged as she lifted the glass to her lips. She took a small sip, her brown eyes studying her sister's face for a moment before she nodded. "Then why don't you simply ask?" If she wanted to know what was going on, there was only one way to figure it out, right? Sitting around, doing nothing wouldn't solve anything, and well, Elsa wouldn't let this opportunity slip through her fingers because of something that had happened a year ago, would she?

Well, Erika figured she was hardly one to judge. She made more mistakes and rash decisions than she could count with her fingers. Unless Elsa who took her time and moved slowly, Erika moved through life like an impulsive wrecking ball.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Elsa let out a slightly harsh chuckle at Erika's comment, shaking her head. "You always make it sound so simple," she said, her voice soft, layered with admiration. Elsa took another sip, looking around the house for a few moments. It seemed cheery, though somehow small... probably because Elsa still lived in the family mansion, at least for now.

"Anyway," she said, nodding, "I'd rather enjoy the success," she smiled, turning back to her sister. "I feel so much different now, stronger, as if I've been... rebuilt, I suppose,' she took a sip of her alcohol. "And no, it wasn't just because I slept with someone," though there was no denying that was part of it. "I... I think I just needed to be reminded that I'm worth rebuilding, and that there are parts of me that I don't have to hide any more."

Elsa traced her fingers along the glass, while her eyes went to her own curled hair, before looking at Erika's, which matched her nearly curl for curl. It still felt strange, especially now that Elsa had "allowed" herself to look a bit more like Erika. Of course, it had also been something of a conscious decision, of Elsa admitting that she wanted some of Erika's better traits.

I should say that...

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"That's because I want it to be," she admitted with a faint shrug. "But in reality, nothing worth having is ever easy to achieve." Erika was a romantic to a flaw. Or, she had been. She had always walked around thinking that romance was this fairy tale thing that brought nothing but happiness and constant good moments. She was slowly understanding that real life wasn't at all like that, and neither were people.

Reaching out her hands, Erika took the glass out of Elsa's hand and placed it on the table before taking Elsa's hands in her own. "Elsa," she began, her voice stern, yet still warm. "You were never not worth rebuilding. You are an amazing person who just... You need to believe in yourself. You are not me, you're not your family. You are you. You are not what people say about you. Heck, only you can decide who you are." Erika licked her bottom lip. "You shouldn't feel ashamed. You don't have to."

Maybe she was being sappy, and maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe Elsa already knew this. But Erika wanted to tell her anyways. She wanted to make sure that Elsa knew.

"I know-- I know that being identical twins is hard. It's hard for the both of us. We both have our demons to fight when it comes to that, and well... You don't have to fight alone. I'm here, and Felix is here, and Franck, and-- and--" she trailed off, shaking her head as a sheepish smile formed on her lips.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Oh, if only want and making something sound a certain way was enough to make it so. Elsa knew all about positive thinking. She'd met those that embodied it all too well. She also knew that Erika was, at her core, a romantic who wished that she could live a sort of fairy tale life of her own. Not the kind that Disney wrote, but a grittier, realer one.

A hand took Elsa's drawing her eyes to it. Words soon followed, words insisting that Elsa was worth it. She was amazing, not her family. Elsa looked over at Erika as she finished, that slight half-smile on her face. "You did--" she began, only to stop as Erika continued.

Yes, yes it was hard. Erika knew that Elsa had always struggled with it. Even now, as she'd finally owned that she looked like Erika, that she could leave her hair curl like her twin's, that she could let herself be pretty like her twin, freer, Elsa couldn't help but compare. And she also knew, knew now, that she didn't have to fight alone.

"Franck? That's the first person who--" Elsa closed her eyes, shaking her head. She took a breath, opened her eyes, matched her sister's gaze. "Erika, I've often wished that I didn't look like you. That we looked different, that you, well, weren't as pretty as you are. But I have never," she turned her hand to squeeze her sister's, "wished that we weren't twins."

[Erika Conner (Bellefonte)]

"We both have," Erika said as she offered Elsa a half-smile. Maybe Elsa struggled with it more and maybe she put more weight on it than what Erika did, but she too had often thought and wondered what would happen when people realized that there were two of them - looking exactly the same, just that Elsa was clearly the smarter, more talented one. "You don't look like me. You look like you, and I look like me. We look like each other." Erika's gaze moved, averted away from her sister's.

"Like you said; you're just as pretty as I am." In theory, the only difference between them were their personalities, and clearly, if it came down to it, Elsa would win that every time, and with that, Erika flipped on her psionic white noise; there was certain things Elsa didn't need to know. Not here. Not now.

It felt weird, being the one who tried telling her sister that she was so much more worth than what she seemed to think, as it was one of the main roots to her own insecurities. "You have to give yourself a little more credit than that." Erika dropped her hands as she leaned back in her seat, feet crossed. It was almost comical just how similar they really were when it came down to the nitty gritty details. The very same details that haunted them to this very day - and probably would for the rest of their lives. 

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Naturally being identical had some issues, as they had both realized when Erika had been kidnapped. That was certainly nothing that either of them wanted to discuss right now, so Elsa was going to tactfully not bring it back up again. Though she was tempted to laugh as Erika insisted that Elsa "looked like her." She actually gave her sister an amused smile.

Just as pretty? Elsa let out another little laugh at that, moving to take another sip of her drink. Clearly they both had issues, but they both knew that, were both working through it, and apparently doing so with some help. At least it was somewhat relieving to think that they bot had issues.

"Excuse you: I'm giving myself plenty of credit," Elsa pointed out, motioning toward her sister with the hand holding the glass. "I happen to be in something like a pleasant relationship. I'm rebuilding my friendships. And I'm wearing my hair all nice and curled. I give myself plenty of credit. Now drink your champagne and be happy for your sister." Elsa followed through with her own suggesting, knocking back the entire glass and reaching to pour another.