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The grand ball
Playing the damsel stung more than the wound she had been tolerating all night, but Natalie would use whatever tools were at her disposal -- however foolish it made her look. Jensen must have little idea what he'd stumbled into, but he was unwaveringly gracious in his concern. Only Jay's final words fanned the blood as they departed.

The darkness felt familiar.

"Life is seldom fair," she told Jensen once they'd moved away. His attempt at lifting the mood was earnest, and it sparked in her relief for the respite from darker manipulations. Enough that she offered him a small smile, though also spared a glance at Jay for the sting of her next words. "In fact sometimes it's foolhardly and goes on unnecessary detours. I'm Natalie."

Once they'd escaped the ballroom, Jay helped her down onto a bench. She wasn't quite such an invalid, but she didn't stop him either. The tension writ his face like stone before it eased out with a breath; she read the toll of hard lines in his jaw, and wondered how much more weight would be revealed to crush his shoulders before the night was through. His attention already spun round like he feared what might come bursting through, before he finally sank beside her. Buried his face in his hands. 

It sprung something loose in her chest, an instinct that offered to share the burden. She didn't know the details, and though eventually she would ask, she would also take silence for an answer. But the weight she would carry whether he agreed or not, whether he knew or not. Natalie had no platitudes, but something in her ached to smooth the line of his fingers, to kneel and break the shield across his face.

If they had been alone she probably would have.

Instead she turned her attention to Jensen, one palm raised from her lap to forestall him before both returned to a poise of elegance. "I wouldn't wish you to waste your gift on this. It'll heal on its own. I regret the ruse was necessary to part from unsavoury company. But we do need your help."
Reply


Messages In This Thread
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 04-13-2018, 08:34 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Cruz - 08-04-2018, 07:23 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-05-2018, 04:11 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-05-2018, 06:28 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-05-2018, 08:21 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jay Carpenter - 08-05-2018, 11:37 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-06-2018, 12:30 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 08-06-2018, 01:36 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Natalie Grey - 08-06-2018, 02:47 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-06-2018, 06:52 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-06-2018, 10:53 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jensen James - 08-07-2018, 12:35 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-07-2018, 08:56 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-07-2018, 09:28 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Natalie Grey - 08-07-2018, 10:29 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-08-2018, 07:48 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jay Carpenter - 08-08-2018, 08:26 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-08-2018, 09:16 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 08-08-2018, 10:21 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Natalie Grey - 08-08-2018, 11:26 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jensen James - 08-09-2018, 12:26 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 08-09-2018, 01:32 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Jay Carpenter - 08-09-2018, 04:48 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Natalie Grey - 08-09-2018, 05:52 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-09-2018, 07:26 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-09-2018, 08:06 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-09-2018, 09:00 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-09-2018, 10:03 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-09-2018, 11:28 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-10-2018, 01:31 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-10-2018, 06:18 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-10-2018, 06:26 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jensen James - 08-10-2018, 07:15 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Vena - 08-10-2018, 11:01 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-12-2018, 12:17 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Jay Carpenter - 08-12-2018, 06:20 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Natalie Grey - 08-12-2018, 07:39 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jensen James - 08-12-2018, 08:35 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-12-2018, 09:49 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jay Carpenter - 08-12-2018, 10:39 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Armande - 08-13-2018, 04:54 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-13-2018, 05:15 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Cruz - 08-13-2018, 05:23 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-13-2018, 10:53 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-13-2018, 11:00 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 08-14-2018, 12:33 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-14-2018, 08:40 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-14-2018, 09:28 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-14-2018, 10:50 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-14-2018, 11:03 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 08-14-2018, 11:48 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-15-2018, 02:11 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-15-2018, 01:50 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Cruz - 08-15-2018, 06:33 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-15-2018, 07:06 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-15-2018, 07:22 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-15-2018, 07:31 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-15-2018, 08:02 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-15-2018, 09:14 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-15-2018, 11:16 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-16-2018, 08:59 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Cruz - 08-16-2018, 05:16 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-16-2018, 05:48 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Sören - 08-16-2018, 08:33 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-16-2018, 09:40 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 08-17-2018, 12:24 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Sören - 08-17-2018, 11:24 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-17-2018, 11:53 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-18-2018, 02:03 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-18-2018, 11:33 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-19-2018, 02:46 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-20-2018, 11:17 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-21-2018, 01:46 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-21-2018, 08:24 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-21-2018, 03:38 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-21-2018, 05:04 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 08-22-2018, 10:56 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 08-22-2018, 11:06 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-23-2018, 11:48 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-24-2018, 12:01 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-24-2018, 12:21 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-24-2018, 12:31 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-24-2018, 11:31 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-24-2018, 06:45 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-24-2018, 09:14 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-24-2018, 09:41 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Sören - 08-25-2018, 10:53 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 08-28-2018, 11:18 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 08-29-2018, 12:34 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-29-2018, 04:32 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Cruz - 08-29-2018, 10:08 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Jaxen Marveet - 08-30-2018, 11:30 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Nox - 08-31-2018, 12:10 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 08-31-2018, 12:50 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Oriena - 08-31-2018, 08:43 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 08-31-2018, 09:21 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Lawrence Monday - 08-31-2018, 11:25 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 09-03-2018, 01:16 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 09-03-2018, 03:54 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 09-04-2018, 12:16 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 09-07-2018, 04:25 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 09-08-2018, 12:06 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 09-08-2018, 11:58 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 09-09-2018, 02:15 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Ryker - 09-09-2018, 02:33 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 09-09-2018, 07:51 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 09-14-2018, 12:23 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 09-14-2018, 03:52 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 09-14-2018, 11:36 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Danika - 09-15-2018, 01:22 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Marcus DuBois - 09-16-2018, 05:23 AM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 09-24-2018, 11:52 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 10-04-2018, 10:50 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Evelyn - 10-14-2018, 11:36 PM
RE: The grand ball - by Ascendancy - 10-15-2018, 11:58 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 05-17-2018, 06:00 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 05-17-2018, 06:16 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 05-24-2018, 06:05 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 05-24-2018, 09:26 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 05-25-2018, 04:22 PM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 05-29-2018, 11:05 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 05-29-2018, 01:45 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 05-29-2018, 02:50 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 05-30-2018, 04:52 PM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 05-31-2018, 06:48 PM
[No subject] - by Oriena - 06-01-2018, 07:19 AM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 06-01-2018, 10:27 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 06-01-2018, 12:47 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-01-2018, 01:21 PM
[No subject] - by Emily Shale-Vanders - 06-01-2018, 01:32 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-01-2018, 02:21 PM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 06-01-2018, 04:35 PM
[No subject] - by Danika - 06-01-2018, 05:49 PM
[No subject] - by Jared Vanders - 06-01-2018, 10:27 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 06-03-2018, 07:26 AM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 06-03-2018, 09:09 PM
[No subject] - by Oriena - 06-04-2018, 09:20 AM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-04-2018, 07:56 PM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 06-05-2018, 03:04 PM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 06-05-2018, 03:20 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 06-05-2018, 07:13 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 06-06-2018, 11:39 AM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-06-2018, 12:09 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 06-06-2018, 03:43 PM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 06-06-2018, 05:59 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 06-07-2018, 10:34 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 06-07-2018, 02:43 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 06-07-2018, 07:44 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 06-08-2018, 11:49 AM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 06-08-2018, 03:30 PM
[No subject] - by Danika - 06-11-2018, 04:33 PM
[No subject] - by Emily Shale-Vanders - 06-15-2018, 10:37 AM
[No subject] - by Jared Vanders - 06-15-2018, 10:49 AM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 06-15-2018, 05:46 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 06-22-2018, 11:40 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 06-22-2018, 11:53 AM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-23-2018, 08:06 AM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-24-2018, 04:38 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-25-2018, 11:20 AM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-25-2018, 12:24 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-25-2018, 02:46 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-25-2018, 04:31 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 06-26-2018, 11:08 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 06-26-2018, 04:54 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 06-26-2018, 08:08 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 06-27-2018, 05:35 AM
[No subject] - by Nox - 06-27-2018, 02:18 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 06-27-2018, 08:28 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 06-28-2018, 11:37 AM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 06-29-2018, 11:45 AM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-02-2018, 06:19 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-02-2018, 06:40 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-02-2018, 08:15 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-03-2018, 05:47 AM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-03-2018, 03:07 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-03-2018, 05:58 PM
[No subject] - by Danika - 07-03-2018, 06:30 PM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 07-05-2018, 10:41 AM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-06-2018, 04:42 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-07-2018, 08:04 AM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-07-2018, 08:31 AM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-07-2018, 10:03 AM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-07-2018, 03:11 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-07-2018, 05:23 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-07-2018, 06:43 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-07-2018, 08:17 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-08-2018, 05:25 AM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-08-2018, 02:36 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-08-2018, 02:54 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-08-2018, 07:51 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-09-2018, 10:52 AM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-09-2018, 05:16 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-09-2018, 06:26 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-10-2018, 03:46 PM
[No subject] - by Jacinda - 07-10-2018, 05:28 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-10-2018, 06:13 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-11-2018, 04:31 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 07-11-2018, 06:56 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-11-2018, 09:31 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-12-2018, 09:26 AM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-12-2018, 06:09 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 07-12-2018, 09:41 PM
[No subject] - by Yun Kao - 07-13-2018, 01:29 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-13-2018, 04:22 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-13-2018, 08:57 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-16-2018, 10:10 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-16-2018, 04:17 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-16-2018, 04:36 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-17-2018, 11:51 AM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-17-2018, 12:11 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-17-2018, 08:03 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-18-2018, 05:49 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-18-2018, 06:56 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-19-2018, 01:57 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-19-2018, 02:16 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-19-2018, 06:49 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-20-2018, 04:31 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 07-20-2018, 06:18 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-20-2018, 06:27 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-21-2018, 08:56 AM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-21-2018, 02:52 PM
[No subject] - by Oriena - 07-22-2018, 03:38 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-22-2018, 08:37 PM
[No subject] - by Emily Shale-Vanders - 07-23-2018, 12:46 AM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-23-2018, 08:18 AM
[No subject] - by Yun Kao - 07-23-2018, 08:25 AM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-23-2018, 03:35 PM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-23-2018, 04:54 PM
[No subject] - by Evelyn - 07-23-2018, 08:49 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-24-2018, 03:35 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-24-2018, 04:33 PM
[No subject] - by Danika - 07-24-2018, 08:55 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-25-2018, 05:16 AM
[No subject] - by Marcus DuBois - 07-25-2018, 01:12 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 07-25-2018, 05:38 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-25-2018, 06:37 PM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 07-25-2018, 08:24 PM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-26-2018, 07:42 AM
[No subject] - by Oriena - 07-26-2018, 09:08 AM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 07-26-2018, 04:39 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-26-2018, 06:08 PM
[No subject] - by Jay Carpenter - 07-27-2018, 09:08 AM
[No subject] - by Jaxen Marveet - 07-27-2018, 09:47 AM
[No subject] - by Oriena - 07-27-2018, 10:03 AM
[No subject] - by Nox - 07-27-2018, 10:45 AM
[No subject] - by Ryker - 07-27-2018, 10:53 AM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 07-28-2018, 08:46 PM
[No subject] - by Cruz - 07-29-2018, 05:33 PM
[No subject] - by Ascendancy - 07-29-2018, 07:21 PM
[No subject] - by Ivan Sarkozy - 07-30-2018, 12:28 PM
[No subject] - by Natalie Grey - 07-31-2018, 03:35 PM
[No subject] - by Sören - 08-02-2018, 02:43 PM
[No subject] - by Jensen James - 08-03-2018, 10:02 PM

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