Hiding

[Drew Conner]

A low chuckle escaped as Drew's head shook. He should have figured Elsa would have responded like this. She always seemed to be attempting to get the upper hand in any situation even when there was nothing to be gained. He didn't blame Elsa for being on guard and looking to get any advantage she could while interacting with him. The two of them had a history of going back and forth as sort of unspoken rivals. It only made sense Elsa would continue to play even when Drew had long thrown in the towel.

But times had changed. The variables in the equation had changed. Everything had changed. The amusement faded from Drew's face as he watched Elsa, his features a stoic mask. There was no resentment or anger present in his visage, though it was apparent Drew was through dealing with the typical nature of their exchanges. "No." He said curtly, his gaze unwavering. "This isn't a game, and it's not business. I don't know what you hope to gain by playing this but I'm not buying it. I'm not talking to you as a Conner or trying to discuss business. I'm talking to you as someone who loves your sister and wants to see all this stupid, childish bullshit put to bed." His head shook again as he took a step back. "So no, Elsa. I'm not going to entice you with any deals or keep acting like we're anything more than a pair of teenagers who think we're more important than we are because this isn't about me and you." A hand came up and waved dismissively. Drew was going to let Elsa leave and get to her appointments, he had his fair share of prior commitments to tend to as well. He was simply going to have his say first. "If you want to keep playing this game, that's fine. But I'm out. I've got more important things to worry about than sitting here and going back and forth with you about things that, in the end, don't really matter."

And with that Drew backed away a couple steps before turning on his heel. He's said everything he needed to say. He and Elsa had never seen eye to eye, this is true. No amount of 'dealing' between teenagers that held remarkably little of the power attached to their respective last names was going to change that. Maybe, Drew hoped, reason and logic, however, would.

[Elsa Bellefonte]

Not a game? Not business? Elsa was surprised to hear that from Drew. She was tempted to quip off that he should consider talking to his sister, or perhaps looking into the whole SIGURD business, or maybe even literally taking a long look at either of their last names. Yet he kept going and, well, for once Elsa found herself believing a lot more of what he said than not. Elsa actually found herself believing Drew when he insisted that he wanted to put this to bed. Did she fully trust him? No, and she couldn't without more proof.

Because the simple fact was that she'd tried. She'd extended the hand. She'd tried to socialize, to actually be friendly to this family, to try and be something more than tense quasi-rivals staring at one another from across a game board. It had been less wanting to stop playing the game and more wanting to start playing at least on the same team. Drew didn't see that, and Elsa couldn't fully understand why.

Well, let him think what he would. Elsa supposed that given another chance, she might take it. She just couldn't say for certain. She cared too much for her sister yet simultaneously had learned to shut off the part of her that should care about relationships. Erika had married someone their parents had approved of, a businessman who seemed to be at least somewhat ruthless yet kept acting the part of someone who wanted to change. Erika might believe in the kittens and rainbows there, but Elsa simply couldn't just yet.

It just made her think of Felix, and how that had moved away. Maybe she was just stuck in game mode while everyone around her quit. It didn't really matter; he was heading away, and she had her own appointments to keep. The busy life of a college student, investor, and potential heiress.

Joy.