07-10-2018, 06:13 PM
it was almost like the shock of their touch flashed electricity through her muscles. She tensed like salt pressed into a fresh wound. But Jay wouldn't let her go. His grip was firm enough to hold her from flight, but the graze of his thumb across her hand was gentle. The seal across her soul was delicate. He realized that now.
She spoke of Africa and he felt his jaw tense. Knowing what he did about Cayli, and that she was going through it alone, he almost - No. Best not to even think about it. Didn't matter at this point anyway.
The music welcomed them like old friends. But the threshold between outside and in was more than a doorway. Their connection to the past and to each other severed. Jay painted a smile on his face and broadcast it for the room. Those nearest offered their best judgmental appraisal of Natalie's appearance, but for Jay they stepped back in that ever-friendly "don't get too close" kind of way.
He glanced at Natalie, "They're a friendly bunch,"
he smirked.
Being the taller, he had the better view to direct them in Ascendancy's direction, but it wasn't necessary. The pull of the power was his guide. The closer they came, the greater the repulsion, like two magnets pointed at one another. It was wildly uncomfortable, and flat out sickening once in arm's reach. The Facility forced all kinds of new armor; magnetic repulsive forces included.
He glanced at Natalie alongside, wondering if she noticed the bubble around him. "Clearly they're uncomfortable being around a princess of D-7."
The joke was probably not taken well, given how much she liked to talk about her heritage.. Jay's smile was apologetic, but not too much so.
Sure enough, they found who they were looking for. He recognized Evelyn from the news, and for all the comments the guys made about her, Jay definitely didn't disagree. In many ways she was almost the exact opposite of Natalie. Yet she held herself with that same regal bearing that sparked chills across the back of his neck.
Now or never.
When her gaze settled upon him, he felt examined like a bug under a microscope. He smiled and approached anyway.
"Miss-, er- Representative Avalon, ma'am?"
He felt like a hick.
Her chocolate eyes swiveled knowingly to Natalie, then back at him. Whatever message was shared between the two women, Jay had no clue. He went on. "Uh? Can we have a few words with you?"
She glanced over her shoulder to study the throng of people enveloping Ascendancy, but then she smiled and the warmth of her presence burst forth. "Of course, Mister Carpenter. Please come with me."
Jay glanced curiously at Natalie before they were led away.
The room they found themselves in was not a long walk, but it was distant enough to smother the noise of drink and dance. What surprised him more than the fact that he gained a private audience with the exact person he needed to find, but that Kremlin security seemed to let her go wherever she wanted. Like she was queen and this was her palace.
The door to this conference-style room closed softly and Evelyn blinked up at him with those big brown eyes. Jay swallowed and tried to not make an ass out of himself.
"What can I do for you?"
She stated matter-of-factly, hands folded before her.
Jay glanced at Natalie who also seemed to be urging him on silently, or maybe patiently waiting him to take the shot so long-aimed.
This was crazy. Evelyn may have all kinds of power in the States, but she wasn't going to have the authority to get him a plane ticket, not without starting a war. Given the reason she was here in the first place, war was what she was trying to avoid.
Alright, Jay took a breath, and laid all the cards on the table. "My little sister is dying of cancer in a rural county hospital and I can't get a fuc- er- I mean, a plane ticket out of the CCD because there seems to be some.. irregularities.. with my travel allowances."
He scrubbed his hair, frowned, and made himself go on. "I'd row a boat myself across the ocean, but there's not time. I'm terrified she's going to die before I can get to Iowa."
Every word betrayed him. Like pulling teeth, the extraction made him flinch, but there was no other way around it. Evelyn wasn't going to go on any kind of limb for him without knowing why.
He started to ask for her help when she lifted a hand and cut him off.
"I'll help you."
Her smile was confident, like there was no question at all as to what he needed or how to go about getting it.
Jay felt his jaw drop. "Uh-"
Evelyn swept around them, opened the door and flagged someone down. Jay glanced at Natalie, silently asking her what was going on, until Evelyn returned to them.
"It'll be a few minutes. Now while we have a chance to chat, Jay, right?"
She strolled past him and folded herself into a chair like it was a throne. Jay shook his head. Natalie warned him that she would know who he was. It made his skin crawl, but he ignored it.
"Jay. Tell me about yourself while we have a chance to chat. I thought you were Legion Premiere?"
Her question cut straight to the heart of the matter, but the tone was so friendly, he might have thought she was his grandmother asking about his homework.
Jay shifted in his stance, briefly rubbing his forearms. He glanced at Natalie again, not sure if the interrogation was worth the plane ticket. Course, actually, it was. But it didn't make it any less intolerable.
"Uhh. I think I still am."
"How can that be?"
She asked almost before he finished the last syllable.
"You'd have to ask Danjou."
Jay responded, voice calmer than he thought it would be. "He's the one that made the arrangement."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before she hummed a response. "The arrangement?'
Jay nodded. "with Ascendancy."
A ripple of power yanked at his senses, suddenly. Jay flinched, power filling him instinctively, and turned to face it. A moment later, the door opened on threads of light revealing Brandon himself.
((Moding with permission.))
She spoke of Africa and he felt his jaw tense. Knowing what he did about Cayli, and that she was going through it alone, he almost - No. Best not to even think about it. Didn't matter at this point anyway.
The music welcomed them like old friends. But the threshold between outside and in was more than a doorway. Their connection to the past and to each other severed. Jay painted a smile on his face and broadcast it for the room. Those nearest offered their best judgmental appraisal of Natalie's appearance, but for Jay they stepped back in that ever-friendly "don't get too close" kind of way.
He glanced at Natalie, "They're a friendly bunch,"
he smirked.
Being the taller, he had the better view to direct them in Ascendancy's direction, but it wasn't necessary. The pull of the power was his guide. The closer they came, the greater the repulsion, like two magnets pointed at one another. It was wildly uncomfortable, and flat out sickening once in arm's reach. The Facility forced all kinds of new armor; magnetic repulsive forces included.
He glanced at Natalie alongside, wondering if she noticed the bubble around him. "Clearly they're uncomfortable being around a princess of D-7."
The joke was probably not taken well, given how much she liked to talk about her heritage.. Jay's smile was apologetic, but not too much so.
Sure enough, they found who they were looking for. He recognized Evelyn from the news, and for all the comments the guys made about her, Jay definitely didn't disagree. In many ways she was almost the exact opposite of Natalie. Yet she held herself with that same regal bearing that sparked chills across the back of his neck.
Now or never.
When her gaze settled upon him, he felt examined like a bug under a microscope. He smiled and approached anyway.
"Miss-, er- Representative Avalon, ma'am?"
He felt like a hick.
Her chocolate eyes swiveled knowingly to Natalie, then back at him. Whatever message was shared between the two women, Jay had no clue. He went on. "Uh? Can we have a few words with you?"
She glanced over her shoulder to study the throng of people enveloping Ascendancy, but then she smiled and the warmth of her presence burst forth. "Of course, Mister Carpenter. Please come with me."
Jay glanced curiously at Natalie before they were led away.
The room they found themselves in was not a long walk, but it was distant enough to smother the noise of drink and dance. What surprised him more than the fact that he gained a private audience with the exact person he needed to find, but that Kremlin security seemed to let her go wherever she wanted. Like she was queen and this was her palace.
The door to this conference-style room closed softly and Evelyn blinked up at him with those big brown eyes. Jay swallowed and tried to not make an ass out of himself.
"What can I do for you?"
She stated matter-of-factly, hands folded before her.
Jay glanced at Natalie who also seemed to be urging him on silently, or maybe patiently waiting him to take the shot so long-aimed.
This was crazy. Evelyn may have all kinds of power in the States, but she wasn't going to have the authority to get him a plane ticket, not without starting a war. Given the reason she was here in the first place, war was what she was trying to avoid.
Alright, Jay took a breath, and laid all the cards on the table. "My little sister is dying of cancer in a rural county hospital and I can't get a fuc- er- I mean, a plane ticket out of the CCD because there seems to be some.. irregularities.. with my travel allowances."
He scrubbed his hair, frowned, and made himself go on. "I'd row a boat myself across the ocean, but there's not time. I'm terrified she's going to die before I can get to Iowa."
Every word betrayed him. Like pulling teeth, the extraction made him flinch, but there was no other way around it. Evelyn wasn't going to go on any kind of limb for him without knowing why.
He started to ask for her help when she lifted a hand and cut him off.
"I'll help you."
Her smile was confident, like there was no question at all as to what he needed or how to go about getting it.
Jay felt his jaw drop. "Uh-"
Evelyn swept around them, opened the door and flagged someone down. Jay glanced at Natalie, silently asking her what was going on, until Evelyn returned to them.
"It'll be a few minutes. Now while we have a chance to chat, Jay, right?"
She strolled past him and folded herself into a chair like it was a throne. Jay shook his head. Natalie warned him that she would know who he was. It made his skin crawl, but he ignored it.
"Jay. Tell me about yourself while we have a chance to chat. I thought you were Legion Premiere?"
Her question cut straight to the heart of the matter, but the tone was so friendly, he might have thought she was his grandmother asking about his homework.
Jay shifted in his stance, briefly rubbing his forearms. He glanced at Natalie again, not sure if the interrogation was worth the plane ticket. Course, actually, it was. But it didn't make it any less intolerable.
"Uhh. I think I still am."
"How can that be?"
She asked almost before he finished the last syllable.
"You'd have to ask Danjou."
Jay responded, voice calmer than he thought it would be. "He's the one that made the arrangement."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before she hummed a response. "The arrangement?'
Jay nodded. "with Ascendancy."
A ripple of power yanked at his senses, suddenly. Jay flinched, power filling him instinctively, and turned to face it. A moment later, the door opened on threads of light revealing Brandon himself.
((Moding with permission.))
Only darkness shows you the light.