Lunch Date (Estella Restaurant)

[Emily Shale-Vanders]

Emily turned to listen as Natalie began to open up after she first gave Emily a glare that said "don't apologize for things that don't require an apology." Admittedly, that was a flaw Emily had. She understood that she had done nothing wrong by sharing what had happened. They were friends, and that was something friends did.

Natalie didn't open up much, but when she did, Emily made sure to listen. Natalie had many scars, and had few she let into her circle. Emily was glad to be one of those. In truth, today had shown Emily how much their relationship meant to her. Natalie didn't offer any answers, and by her own admission, knew that wasn't what Emily was looking for. She instead was there, telling her she knew what it felt like and even offering Rachel an out.

Emily clinked glasses with Natalie when she offered and gave her a bright smile. "Thank you! I'll keep that in mind, it will do Rachel good to get out I think. Right now, she's not there yet, but soon, I hope," Emily sighed and took a drink of her water. "And sometime after Baby Vanders has come to the world, we will have that irresponsible afternoon of cocktails. I will hold you to that."

The waitress arrived with their orders and Emily thanked her. As desired she had a side of pickles, which Natalie had taunted her for. Emily ate a couple of slices. "You know it's weird. These are both disgusting and delicious at the same time." She chuckled a bit. "Okay - so deep stuff out of the way. Tell me about Belizna. What is going on with that. I have memories of you mentioning it, but wedding brain meant it didn't always take. Essentially a school right?"

[Natalie Grey]

“Open offer, whenever she might need it. Kind of selfish on my part, really. It’ll take years to renovate the whole estate. I’d be happy for the help.”

Natalie was glad to let the quiet edge to her own mood dissipate without prodding her own feelings too deeply, and Emily seemed lighter for having the opportunity to voice her fears. She made a mental note to check in some time later though. Not that Emily didn’t already have a supportive network around her, but she was also the glue of the Shale family. Unlike Emily, Natalie was the reckless middle child, not the responsible eldest, but she knew something of how fragile a burden it could be – being the one others looked to.

“Deal,” she said, to the future cocktails, and smirked with a little glimmer of devilishness.

The food arrived then. Natalie hadn’t realised she was hungry until the plate was laid before her, and she tried to recall if she’d remembered breakfast that morning. Jay was an early riser, they both were, but he was a mouth full of toast and slurp of coffee blur out the door. Natalie only kept to the routine of returning to the apartment because he was there, and she didn’t choose to spend much time inside its sterile walls when she was alone. So, probably not.

“Essentially,” she agreed as the topic shifted. Belizna was primarily business, and she had never mixed that with Emily’s friendship beyond them talking about what they were both up to when they got the chance. “Or it will be. The Custody is hardly pulling its weight in that respect.” She half raised her brows, aware it was somewhat controversial for a Patron’s granddaughter to speak so flippantly about the governmental systems that gave her family power. Of course, there were reasons for that. But she could hardly tell Emily everything she had seen in Texas – the sanctioned experiments on children which subdued and controlled their gift. Witnessed right before the State was ushered in as the newest Dominance.

“I think I’ll be able to open the doors in the new year. Teaching girls through the Sickness, to start.”

It would be more than that, of course. A consortium. A sanctuary. A voice. Not just for the girls, but for the women who would teach them. But it needed careful framing, lest it be tarnished a rebellion before its roots grew deep enough to withstand opposition. Despite working briefly with Marcus DuBois, and having been offered a position in the Consulate, she had not approached any official channels to ask permission, or avail of their resources. Instead, in the elite social circles Natalie had begun engendering support, she chose to lean heavily on her mother’s philanthropic reputation. Most already knew the Northbrook’s blacksheep daughter had self-exiled to aid work in Africa. They built their own picture of her intentions from there.