To Smile at The Carnation. | Open.

It is midnight and the dining room is empty, the quiet noises of the kitchen workers can barely be heard as silence settles around the room.  Suddenly there is a flash of light and a sparkling mysterious figure floats through the room.  Then as soon as the mysterious figure came, it is gone and in its place lays a carnation on one of the tables closest to the entrance of the dining room.  The pink carnation although normal in its appearance is emitting a smell that could attract even the strongest of persons.  What a strong occurrence indeed.

Once again gripped by an inexplicable anxiety attack, Iris had roused herself from her bed, choosing to wander Foresta's halls rather than agonize in her room. If a teacher reprimanded her for being out past curfew, so be it, she didn't want to continue mutilating her fingers anymore. Clad in a simple tank top, black leggings and socks, she shuffled through the corridors in silence, her eyes lingering towards the ground. Her hair cascaded about her in long, gently tousled waves, barely disrupted from their natural positions from sleep. She longed to be held comfortingly in the arms of her caretaker, or stroll through the woods without worrying about unfamiliar beasts leaping out to attack her, but there was nothing that could be done.

It wasn't until she passed by the Dining Room that she spotted what presumed to be the faint outline of a human, causing her to pause and peer inside of the large hall. However, it seemed to be her imagination, for the only thing that remained was a flower laid on one of the tables. Something about the carnation seemed alluring and drew Iris like a moth to a flame, her feet seeming to have minds of their own as she crept forward to the pink object. Her eyes weren't able to wrench away from the loveliness of the delicate, rosy petals, and before she knew it, her trembling hand reached forward, her baited breath caught in her chest for a moment. The stem felt pliable and soft in her grasp, making her way towards a window where moonlight streamed through in order to further examine the beautiful plant. Bringing it close to her nose, Iris inhaled with a contented sigh, filled with euphoria and tranquility. It was exactly what she desired, something that made her heart halt its frantic quivering. An entranced sensation coursed through her veins as she leaned against the wall, relishing these brief moments of calm.

ACHOO

Eris's sneezing echoed through the hallway leading to the dining room. It was obvious that the young man was sick, if the miserable look on his face wasn't a clue then the tissues in his hands were a sure fire way to make it obvious. He had tried sleeping and had only managed to do so for about an hour before waking up sweating. It's because you tried to be manly. "Oh, sure. Fault me for being nice." Eris replied back with quite a bit of irritation. It was only when he was sick that it seemed as though all his in capabilities of expressing emotions came to a grinding halt. It was a strange trait, but something that happened to him nonetheless.

Finally, finding himself at the entrance of the dining room - Eris was hoping that he would be able to find some way to get soup. Something to make him feel better. His appetite was lacking, but the young man was aware of foods that could help him feel better. You should just lay down and wait for Iris to find you so she can nurse you to health. "I doubt she would even if she wanted too." Eris replied back, barely noticing the said girl by the window until the brief scent of the carnation caught his attention. He could barely smell it because his nose was stuffed up, but it was strong enough for him to catch a whiff. Realizing that Iris was there, the young man hesitated before speaking - he was in his pajamas after all. "Oh, Iris." Eris finally decided to say. Was it just him or did she seem extremely attractive today? You think she's pretty everyday.

Iris nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden sneeze, although the calming sensation brought on by the carnation kept her from freaking out too awfully. However, when she recognized the light blue and black hues imprinted upon the young man that entered, she exhaled a sigh of relief, recalling that Eris had possessed such colors. Although he spoke to himself, that very trait caused her to feel at ease, for it was a comforting and identifiable trait of his. That didn't brush off the fact that he sounded congested and his constant sneezing must mean that he contracted an illness, and it brought the image of him coughing in the snow to the girl's mind. Had she caused it? Nonetheless, even if she blamed herself and apologized for it, it wouldn't be like him to outwardly accept it, most likely telling her that it wasn't her fault. So, instead, she decided to cross that bridge when it came.

As he greeted her, she smiled, taking a few steps forward to close the space between them, "H-Hello Eris.." She frowned as she approached him, for even in the dimmer light, he appeared truly dejected. "Y-You do not a-appear well, nor do y-you sound it.. D-Do you need m-me to t-take you t-to the nurse, o-or back t-to your room? R-Rest is a very i-important c-component to b-becoming well," she murmured, concern filling her voice for her friend, however the dreamlike state she was in kept her tone soft and gentle. And, if it hadn't been for the aromatic scent, she might've been a bit more frenzied, seeing that her worry often escalated to unhealthy amounts. Not to mention that Eris had escorted her to receive medical attention when she needed it, so it was only natural that she should offer to do the same. Iris then ventured to try and apologize, despite how fruitless it may seem, "W-We should not h-have stayed out i-in the cold th-that day... C-Certainly that wouldn't have h-helped your i-illness, I-I'm sorry.." The girl then proceeded to glance around for the figure she'd presumed to have been existent before her arrival, however it was to no avail.

Hearing only half of what Iris was saying, Eris reached forward to grab the girl's hand in a surprisingly charming manner (his sniffing lightly only somewhat ruining the mood). "You don't have to worry about me, Iris. You're looking beautiful as always." The completely out of character compliment as well action would be enough to completely surprise any person that knew Eris at all. Oh, you're going to scare her away definitely now. "No, I'm not. I'm just telling her what I'm thinking right now." You never tell her what you're thinking, she's going to be scared off. "You're just over thinking things." Me? Over thinking things? You're the one that never does anything because you think too much.

Eris shook his head then, turning his attention back to Iris in a randomly quick manner. "I feel bad for not telling you before, but I find you very attractive and I would like to be able to kiss you sometime." Any normal person would automatically be embarrassed by the situation at hand, Eris on the other hand seemed almost clueless as to what he was saying. The situation would have been incredibly endearing, sweet and even a bit romantic if it wasn't for how ridiculously sick the young man looked. Letting go of Iris's hand for a moment, Eris turned to the side to sneeze into one of the tissues that he had been holding in his other hand. Don't grab her hand again! "Why not?" It's not sanitary! "Oh, Iris you don't mind me holding your hand do you? Athena says it's not sanitary if I do."

For a few moments, Iris watched the sickly young man before her with her typical interest, and even though it was laced with worry, it wasn't until he complimented her that she reverted her features to bewilderment. Her face gained a light tint of a blush as she registered just what exactly he'd said, matched with his hand clasped around hers. "I-I.. U-Um," she stuttered, gazing at their intertwined hands in slight embarrassment, "Th-Thanks, I suppose.. I-I'm just i-in m-my sleepwear.." She would've been displaying a bit more panic and surprise had it not been for the tranquil effects of the carnation, however that didn't quell her rapidly beating heart. She'd never connected her hand with anyone before like this, and the onslaught of emotions it caused only made Iris wish to be in solitude. And, the fact that he was telling a soul that he was stating what was on his mind only disconcerted her further. "E-Eris, this i-is very... V-Very unlike you.. A-Are you sure--" she began to whisper, though due to her hesitation, he interjected with something that she really wasn't prepared for.

In an instant, she felt herself take a tentative step away from him, but was only able to move a limited amount due to their joined hands. "O-Oh n-no, you do n-not w-want that," she replied quickly, her face now a deep shade of crimson, "Y-You see, I-I am v-very.. I-Inexperienced with th-that kind of th-thing, a-and.. U-Um th-thank you for the c-compliment, I-I think.." Never in Iris' entire life had she felt so flustered, especially when it came to something as intimate as kissing and being considered.. Attractive, of all things. She flinched as he turned to sneeze, briefly consulting with Athena, apparently, as he did so. Not wanting to bluntly turn down the offer to preserve his feelings, Iris attempted to deter him with another method, even if it wasn't honest, "W-Well, I-I don't th-think you w-want to h-hold my h-hand again, i-it's rather dry a-and cracked now, u-unpleasant t-to the t-touch.. R-Rather than th-that, wh-why don't we g-go to the n-nurse? I don't th-think i-it's too f-far f-from here, y-you do not s-seem like yourself, s-so she m-may be able t-to provide y-you with m-medicine." Desperately attempting to change the subject, the girl placed a quivering hand upon her forehead, heat seeming to radiate off of her skin as powerfully as the sun itself. Iris then proceeded to gently take his upper arm in a gentle endeavor to begin guiding him down the corridor, murmuring shakily, "I-I can lead y-you, r-really, w-we should g-go.." More than anything, she wanted to return him to his natural self, for she was a bit apprehensive around this ill Eris.

If Eris had been in his right mind, he would have been able to comprehend what Iris was saying. Thanks to the hazy fog that had settled over his mind that went along with being sick, that same fog seemed to stifle some of the souls voices in his head. The only souls that were able to really make themselves heard at this point being Gaia and Leto. Hearing the word inexperience, Eris attempted to focus more on Iris, "You're very welcome. You deserve nothing but the best." For a second there, his words slurred together almost as if the young man had difficulty coming up with what he was saying. Smooth move. Don't encourage him. How am I encouraging him? He's then one that's being an idiot.

"Shhhhhh." Eris then said as he looked away from Iris. The souls seemed peeved at that, but nonetheless quieted as he looked back at the pretty girl before him. Why was she being so nervous with him? His logical side argued several reasons, but at the time being Eris couldn't hear much of that side. "Where are we going? I don't see any problem in being here." Eris said then, reaching out for Iris's hand again. He didn't like it when she frowned, instead the young man preferred the girl's smile much more. Why did it seem like she was restraining herself around him this time? It was difficult for Eris to grasp onto these thoughts as he turned a charming smile toward Iris - only to turn his face away quite quickly and sneeze once more.

Concern brimmed upon Iris' features as his words began to blend together, apprehension for his safety increasing exponentially. "J-Just focus o-on me, E-Eris... D-Don't speak," she murmured, forcing the panic out of her voice. He had to conserve his strength if he couldn't even talk properly, or at least, this was based off of Iris' little medical experience. If he could keep his attention pinpointed upon her, then at least that might be a factor that could aid in keeping Eris conscious and at least a bit like himself.

At Eris' inquisitions, however, Iris managed a small smile to try and encourage him in a sense, "W-We're going t-to go to the nurse a-and g-get you l-looked at. Y-You'll feel better o-once we do, I-I'm sure of it." For now, she pushed down the disconcerting statements Eris had made earlier about her so that she could relax herself, for she knew that it was her who had to take the initiative. And, although she wasn't completely comfortable with it, she took the young man's outstretched hand and began to guide him out of the dining hall. Since it seemed to bring him tranquility in this sickness-induced state, she felt that she owed him at least this much. Iris started leading him down the corridor then, her feet pressing silently against the tile floors as she turned down a few halls that she presumed would bring the duo to the nurse's office, yet in the extreme lack of light, she was unable to discern just exactly where they were. All that she was aware of was the fact that they weren't where they should've been, causing Iris to furrow her brow and begin muttering to herself, "I-I could have s-sworn that it was o-over here.." Slowly, her pace was halted, and she stood motionless in the center of the spacious corridor, turning towards Eris, "I-I.. U-Um, I-I think... I-I don't know w-where we are... I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean.. M-Mean for us t-to get lost.." She peered about anxiously, alarm rising in her chest as her freed hand began to carve the outline of her jagged necklace, however she chose not to break the skin yet in case Eris reacted negatively to it.

Whatever Iris was saying, Eris blindly followed her. Hell, he would follow her to ends of the world if he had too. She had that effect on him, perhaps it was something in the way she just looked at him that made him want to reach out and hold onto her for a long time. As his thoughts ranged toward more inappropriate things, Gaia made a light coughing noise which caused Eris to notice that Iris seemed to have had gotten them lost. "It's okay." Eris started off slowly, intertwining his fingers with hers (by the hand of his that she had been holding). Bringing the back of her hand up to his lips, Eris lightly kissed the girls skin - the action would have been incredibly sweet if it wasn't for the fact that Eris was burning up at this point and the temperature difference between them was more than obvious. It's times like these I wish you would have brought our bodies along "I don't see what's so different, I'm just as I always am." Sure you are. Leto said in quite a unforgiving manner, putting much emphasis on sure.

"Iris," Eris then started - keeping a grip on the girls hand now. "Do you suppose it's just a coincidence that our names sound so similar? Your name makes me think of peace though, mine just means chaos. My parents had a sick sense of humour," Eris then said to the girl - the young mans eyes seeming to darken for a moment at the thought of his family. "What I mean is, I feel very connected to you." The souls in his mind would have been surprised, if they hadn't seen these sort of sudden rushes of emotions before. It was the equivalent to heating a pot of water until it started to boil over, there wasn't really much you could do to stop it until the water emptied itself accordingly.

A sense of relief washed over the girl at Eris' words, causing her to smile briefly. "I-I'm glad you're not t-too irritated," she started to murmur, however her words cut off with a very unfamiliar feeling heralding from her hand. She'd turned around to view him leaned down to press his lips to the back of her hand, and for a few, dumbfounded moments, she both said and felt utter nothingness. Did she really just see that? It was so unlike the solemn boy she'd known from before, and yet it was his body and mouth brushing against her skin. A delayed, jolting type of sensation coursed through her veins rapidly, her heartbeat having increased its rate as well as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I-I-I... M-Mmnn," Iris stuttered softly, truly tongue-tied and bewildered with herself and Eris, especially since she didn't think the blush on her face could deepen anymore.

Despite this, the feeling of his lips and face seemed to radiate immense quantities of heat as well, signifying that his illness was as prominent as ever. Trying to control her heightened heartrate and breathing, Iris managed to say quietly, "E-Eris, y-you're.. U-Um, well, you're h-heating up.." However, she was unable to speak any more than that, for he'd spoken up himself. It was true that their names were similar to one another, and she hadn't realized that little fact before. Iris noted the way his expression darkened at the talk of his parents, wondering just what type of people they were for a moment, before shaking herself out of her thoughts to return to the present. "Y-You.. Y-You think s-so?" she mumbled absently in response to his connected remark, now confronted with a queer combination of emotions. Being both flustered and concerned conflicted with one another, but the overpowering desire to care for her friend kept her grounded and from fleeing right then and there to try and sort out everything herself. "Y-Your name i-is nice despite i-its negative meaning, E-Eris," Iris said in an attempt to reassure him, before beginning to lead him towards one of the walls gingerly, "W-With your fever, i-it w-would be best th-that you sat d-down.. I-It's pretty high, f-from what I can t-tell.." With that said, she attempted to seat him against said wall, placing her freed hand on his shoulder and gently pressed down, so that he would hopefully bend downwards into a sitting position. If that didn't prove to be successful, she sat beside him, their hands still loosely interlocked, pressing her back against the wall and motioning for Eris to do the same. Despite Iris not being quite medically gifted, she knew that running all over the school to find the nurse wouldn't improve his health, and that had to be her main priority.

Eris watched the girl as she responded to his kiss on her hand. A sudden overwhelming amount of sensations hit him then, causing the young man to break out in a cold sweat (this being a combination of his sickness and how he was feeling about the situation). "Yes, I know. You're the one doing this." In his mind he could hear Leto cracking up as well as faint laughter from Erebus. Eris was planning on telling Iris more about what his name meant, but it was then that she tried to prompt him to sit down. Surprisingly enough, Eris willingly did so - he had no real reason to argue with her after all.

After sitting down and leaning against the wall behind them, the sudden cold sent a shock through the young man's system - causing him to only briefly come to his senses before turning away and sneezing once more. Looking back at Iris then, Eris was glad that she was still holding his hand - it was a welcoming feeling. "Do I make you nervous?" Eris then suddenly asked the girl, looking to connect his eyes with hers - his own having quite a bit of intense feeling behind them.

If anything, Iris really wasn't expecting when Eris pointed at her for the cause of his excessive heat. Had she been right when she'd thought that because of her taking his coat, he'd gotten ill? Guilt washed over her body in a sickly pulse, her expression growing desperate and horrified with herself. "I-I.. I-I am? O-Oh my goodness E-Eris, I-I'm r-really sorry," she replied, biting her lip as she felt the burden of blame weigh her down considerably, "I-I shouldn't have l-let you g-give m-me your c-coat that day... I-It's all m-my fault, I-I'm so sorry." Slowly but surely, her apologies grew a bit more frantic as she spoke, peering about anxiously as if a cooling agent would simply appear before the duo, but Iris was met with nothing of the sort. She tentatively lifted up her freed hand then, trembling with apprehension but wishing to correct her fatal error at once. "U-Until you g-get some i-ice, m-my hand is a b-bit cool, s-so I owe th-this to you f-for getting you sick," the girl murmured, gingerly reaching out and resting the back of her hand upon his forehead, positioning herself in front of him with her legs folded neatly beneath her. The moisture was painfully evident on his skin, and anxiously she continued to try and blot his skin gently with her hand, pressing it softly against his temples briefly as well. She let her voice drop to a pitiful whisper, since there wasn't any noise that competed with her, "Y-You're r-really sick.. Th-This is b-bad.."

The emerald-eyed girl blinked a couple of times in silence to Eris' sudden inquisition, however the intense vigor of emotion within his gaze caused her to shyly shift her gaze to the ground, thinking for a moment. Replying in a brutally honest tone certainly wouldn't be polite, so Iris had to sew together a reasonable reply that both expressed how she felt and didn't harm his feelings. "W-Well, I-I'm kind of n-nervous around e-everyone to an extent, I-I mean I c-can't even s-speak c-correctly with a-anyone.. I-It's kind of h-humiliating," she began softly, her face flushed with both embarrassment and.. An uneasy emotion that she didn't want to name, "B-But I think... I-I think y-you more o-or less s-surprised m-me more th-than made me a-anxious.. H-However, I-I'm p-pretty sure your illness i-is making y-you say th-things you n-naturally wouldn't ever s-say. A-And I think a-anyone would be a-a little a-apprehensive if... I-If the subject of l-love surfaced in c-conversation.." She kept her eyes lingering on her own hand on his face as she spoke, hoping that she'd worded everything she way she'd wanted to. Iris continued to move her hand delicately over his heated face, mumbling to herself, "I-I wish I-I had the a-ability to c-create i-ice.. Y-You really c-could use some right now.." Her gaze flickered at their intertwined fingers as well, unsure as to why he kept his grip on her hand, but not going to be the one to potentially upset him, Iris chose to leave it as it was.

At some point through the hazy fog of his sickness, Poseidon was finally able to make himself heard.Eris, at this point you might as well fall asleep.That's a horrible idea, making him fall asleep right here for the poor girl to deal with.It's the only thing that will make him sane again...He does have a point. Gaia tsked, the sound echoing through his head like a church bell. He frowned quite a bit all the way up until Iris laid her hand on his forehead, causing the young man to reach up as well to wrap his fingers slowly around her wrist - laying his fingers against the point where her pulse could be felt. "Not the sickness, for me thinking that you're beautiful. It's a compliment. I will compliment you more until you stop saying I'm sorry." Eris then said - quite fervently at that. It seemed as though that action alone was again, charming enough - all the way up until he turned his whole body away from her once more to hack and cough, sneezing at the very end of it all and turning back to her his breathing hitching just a bit.You're all kinds of smooth today, Eris "Oh, just shut-up already." Oh, I like that fire in you.

Eris resisted the urge to roll his eyes, this sudden onslaught of being able to express emotions like a normal human being was causing quite an onslaught on his mental stability. "I don't think it's that bad, people just need to pay attention to you more to hear what you are saying." Eris said - sounding reasonable for just a moment if not for a few minutes longer. When he spoke again though, was when the nonsense really started flowing. "We had a perfectly fine conversation about it before, did we not? I do want you to feel comfortable with me, even when I'm like this - I just can't help thinking about you." Eris moved the hand that was intertwined with hers into his lap, as well moving the other one with it so that he could be holding both of her hands close to him. I don't think you could get any cornier than this. "Well, what am I supposed to do?" You could kiss her.

Oh, no don't start taking advice from that -

In one surprising swift movement, Eris let go of one of Iris's hands - moving his hand behind the girls head to grip some of her hair in his fingertips - urging her lips towards his. The action itself was weak though and could easily be avoided if need be. In the back of his mind, Leto's laughing could be heard quite well as Gaia and Poseidon let out almost perfectly matched exasperated sighs.

Iris had presumed that her actions were completely necessary to blot the young man's face with her hand, seeing that her form-fitting tank top wouldn't be able to serve for that purpose. However, when Eris clasped her wrist, she let her arm fall limp immediately, her face flushing as she diverted her gaze to the floor in response to his compliments. "O-Okay.. I-I'll stop," she murmured, wishing for the rain of sweet words to end so that she didn't have to experience the flustering emotions flowing through her. She flinched at the loud sound of his hacking, but was able to properly face him once the coughing had subsided. "Th-That didn't sound g-good," she mumbled in worry, unsure of what to do now that her one method of cooling him had been disabled. And, both of her hands were rendered useless as well, seeing that she didn't have the heart to retract them from his grip. It seemed to be an element that comforted the sick boy, and at this point, it was the least Iris could do to let him indulge in this one pleasantry.

For a few moments as he spoke, Iris could've sworn that Eris was beginning to sound like his former self, causing her expression to brighten a bit at his words. The logic and simple manner it was delivered implied that the illness had been dissipated, and she nodded with a hint of enthusiasm, however it was more or less muted excitement. She wished to encourage this side of Eris, but it hadn't lasted long. To Iris, the romantic words spewing from the young man's mouth were ones he never would've considered in a healthier state of mind, but perhaps it was her naivety that assumed everyone she encountered was only interested in a friendship. Still, the immense quantities of heat coursing through her cheeks rapidly showed that they still had an effect upon her, and although she wished to be comfortable with the lovesick boy before her, it would prove to be nearly impossible to achieve something like that. Her gaze shifted from his face to her hands neatly grasped upon the boy's lap, her features filled with slight discomfort and embarrassment along with the constant reddish tint plastered to her cheeks. And it wasn't until Eris positioned his hand behind her head that time seemed to slow down, eliciting silence and bewilderment from Iris. In these prolonged moments of closeness, she presumed that he was leaning himself close to her in an embrace of sorts, which she would just have to endure like the rest of his "more-than-friends" gestures. But, upon closer inspection, their heads were closing the space far too quickly for that to be the case. The girl's incredible sense of innocence got the best of her, though, as she tried to speculate what was going on. However, in this time that she tried to comprehend just what was transpiring, a bizarre feeling surged through her. Something soft had begun to brush up against her lips, and to her horror, she realized it was Eris' own mouth that was beginning to interlock with hers.

What. Is. Going. On.

Those were Iris' exact thoughts as, without another moment's hesitation, she broke the kiss off, which had a finishing duration of one second, if that, by ducking her head down and pushing off of him gently with her hands upon his chest to propel her backwards. Never before had the red hue to her cheeks been so violently evident, even in the dimming light, and her breathing's pace had increased exponentially. Her hand instinctively cupped over her mouth as she recalled the exhilarating yet mortifying experience, akin to an electric charge, for anything both unfamiliar and romantic frightened the girl out of her wits. And, although she'd had a fairly high tolerance for everything Eris did up until this point, this crossed the line, for her disquiet had risen far above a comfortable level. She'd immediately untangled her fingers from his as well, leaning upon her arm as she sat, petrified and confused, upon the tile, staring at Eris with both of these feelings evident in her expressive, green eyes. When Iris had finally regained her ability and removed her hand from her mouth, she began rising and stumbling away from Eris. "I-I-I-I-I... W-W-W-Well, I-I-I-I-I-I'll go f-f-f-f-f-f-find the n-n-n-n-n-nurse to g-g-g-g-get you," she sputtered, barely even able to pronounce her words, before rounding the nearest corner at a full-on sprint, emotions swirling rapidly within her heart. She needed to find the nurse to come escort him back to his room, but then, as for her.. Well, she certainly needed a lot of solitary contemplation.

(You can end it with your post~)

[OOC; I don't think I need to reply. xD Your post was perfect in itself. Thread end! ]