carsgovroom

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

Ella smiled a little more, seeing a bit of the old Stephen breaking through the surface. She though she might have seen a bit of color rush through his cheeks when they met gazes, but it may also have been a trick of the dim lighting. Yes...that was what she had seen. It had to be. She was in high spirits when they entered the hall that she did not notice at first that the crowd had parted upon them entering. Then Ella's brown eyes blinked and they turned to see the parted crowd and Edward approaching them, a perfect and dazzling smile worn on his face. And directed right at her. Confusion filled her when Edward stopped before them, and it took her a moment to realize that he said his "partner" he was talking about her. And then he was looking at her, and she was taken aback by just how handsome Edward was. It was intimidating and enthrall inc to have all of his attention on her, and when he asked for a dance she was speechless. "I'm sorry Edward, but Stephen asked for a dance first. Perhaps after." That was what she wanted to say, what she should have said, but Edward didn't give her a chance. He took her hand, the one that wasn't holding Stephen's arm, and before she knew what was happening Ella felt herself being pulled forward. Stephen's arm was wrenched from her grasp as Edward spirited her away to the dance floor, and Ella's head turned to get one last glimpse of Stephen. Her mouth was parted in an unspoken protest, her expression surprised and her eyes filled with regret. Seeing Stephen there left alone seemed to break her heart for an inexplicable reason. Then she was in Edward's arms and he began to dance, Ella instinctively falling into step with him. They swept across the floor with perfect grace, and she was somehow certain that they were now the center of attention. Her head turned, catching a glimpse of her godmother watching them, but Edward swept her away before she could clearly see the queen's expression. Ella's head turned again and she tried to find Stephen in the crowd, but that was an impossible task. Edward spoke, complimenting her beauty, and Ella looked up at the eldest prince as he gazed at her in a way he had never looked at her before. The words and his gaze made her cheeks go warm as she blushed. "Thank you," was all she was able to get out. His next words caught her by surprise, and she looked up at him with a small but genuine smile across her lips. "I distinctly remember you throwing some of that mud at me, Edward." She joined in on his laughter, she couldn't help it really. He had an infectious laugh. She couldn't remember the last time Edward had made her laugh. Or that last time he had paid this much attention to her. Edward twirled her around and around the dance floor, the skirt of her red gown swirling around them and Ella thought that some strands of her brown hair must have surely come loose. She leaned into him and clutched his hand and shoulder a bit more tightly. "Sorry," she breathed, looking up at him with slight embarrassment. "I got a little bit dizzy. You are very good at this. Dancing, I mean."

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

ooc; it's Lady Beauchamp :p There it was. The stiffness and formality that had never been in Stephen when they had been young, but had started happening more and more when they had reached adolescence. When he had changed. Perhaps he thought she had changed, as well. But couldn't he see she hadn't? That she was the same Ella she always had been? The one he had played with, the one who loved reading stories and singing songs and exploring the secrets of the palace? She had grown older of course, more mature as well, but Ella hadn't changed that much, had she? Avril proposed that he asked her to dance, and Ella looked over at her in surprise. Where had that come from? She looked back at Stephen, who was offering her his arm, and noticed Avril gesturing for her to accept. For a moment she looked at her friend, surprised and confused over why Avril was being so insistent and enthusiastic about this. But then her brown eyes met Stephen's and she let herself smile. "I would be honored, Stephen," she replied as she took his arm. Quickly shooting Avril a quizzical smile over her shoulder, Ella allowed Stephen to escort her from the balcony back to the hall. As she walked arm and arm with him Ella looked over at Stephen and felt herself smile. "This should be interesting," she said, "I think the last time we danced I was twelve and you were thirteen? I stepped on your toes." She smiled a littler wider, hoping the statement would get a smile out of him, as well.

Fade into the Moment (Jiskastya x carsgovroom)

I could edit something in to start it, but I might not get a chance til late tonight or tomorrow night. Work and school ugh.

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

Ella's arm was still looped through Avril as they moved across the hall, weaving through couples and groups of conversing nobles. They giggled and whispered to one another, just like they always did, and admired the lord's fine coats and the ladies's sweeping gowns. Avril seemed to know her brother's favorite hiding spots because it didn't take them long to find themselves at a doorway leading out to a balcony. There was a magnificent view of the kingdom and beyond from up there, the golden lights from the village windows illuminating the ground while the stars and moon twinkles and glowed in the night sky above. Admiring the view was two figures, young men in black, and it was only when Avril spoke that they turned and they were able to distinguish them. One was garbed in the uniform of the guard, the other in finer cloth. Edward was the prince who made heads turn, the handsome one who the girls downstairs were waiting to dance with. That was a bit unfair for Stephen, and seemed to insinuate that he was not handsome. That wasn't the case at all. His hair was very dark and he had intelligent eyes, and it was a different kind of handsome. A softer kind. Ella smiled at him, inclining her head and giving him a short curtsy of respect. "Prince Stephen. It's been too long. I hope you're well?"

Fade into the Moment (Jiskastya x carsgovroom)

I'm fine either way, as well. Having them awkwardly interact might be fun.

Fade into the Moment (Jiskastya x carsgovroom)

If you think I should add anything to the end/go further into the evening just let me know~

Fade into the Moment (Jiskastya x carsgovroom)

Nothing happened for a while. Laurel just stood there, breathing shakily and staring at James. Or James's ghost. Or her hallucination. Whatever he or it was. And James stared right back at her. She was typically fairly adept at reading people, due to the years spent in law enforcement that had honed the skill. Laurel couldn't read him, though. He was just...standing there and looking at her.

Then he made a movement. A shrug. She blinked in response to it. He was turning away from her, moving across the wooden floor, util he stopped in front of her couch and took a seat on the furthest cushion so he was close to the wall. James turned his back on her and then was motionless.

Laurel stood there for several long moment, staring at his back in disbelief. For another moment she wondered what she was supposed to do, since she sure as hell did not want him there in her apartment. She didn't want to see him, she didn't want to be aware of his presence. She wanted to be completely alone. But she couldn't throw him out, he wasn't even real. Just a figment of her imagination. She couldn't just grab him and drag him to the door and push him into the hallway before slamming the door in his face.

Taking what was hopefully a calming breath Laurel decided all she could do was ignore him and pretend he wasn't there or real (which he wasn't). Then maybe he'd fade away forever. It was her turn to turn her back, and she went over to her bags of groceries, quickly stowing them away before forcing herself to do the thing she really didn't want to do: fill out the incident report.

Earlier that day she had learned that James's lawyer girlfriend was just a paralegal, and it had taken all of her self control to not punch a wall over the fact that she had allowed herself to be intimidated by a paralegal. But Laurel still took the report seriously, was still wary of Virginia. She may be just a paralegal, but to work at Gibson Dunn meant she must have had some serious skills, and undoubtedly friends in high places. So Laurel took her time with the report, probably more time than was really necessary. She recorded everything that had happened the evening of the shooting, no matter how much she didn't want to think about it, dotted every I and crossed every T, and then proofread it about a dozen times until she was satisfied that it was without flaw. Saving the file so she could print two copies at the office the next day (one for her bosses, one for Gibson Dunn), Laurel shut the laptop and closed her eyes. Letting out an exhausted sigh, she rubbed her eyes before peeking to her right to see if James was still there.

He was. Goddammit.

She was seated in one of her chairs, pulled as far from the couch as she dared, and after stashing the computer on one of her end tables Laurel stood and moved to the kitchen. She had changed into pajamas before starting on the report (blue and white stripped pajama pants and a overlarge band t-shirt that had belonged to Ben), and she was now ready to start her pity party for one. She preheated the oven for her take and back pizza and poured herself a glass of her cheap wine. It certainly tasted cheap, and she hoped it would wash the taste of bitter guilt and despair away.

Hating the fact that it was not yet late enough to slink off to bed without looking suspicious, Laurel seated herself back in her chair and sipped at the wine. After a few moments a glancing over at James's form again and again she finally had enough and turned on her tiny television to distract herself. "Hope you like reality television," she said out loud. She eyed him for a moment before looking back at the screen. "Because I love it."

It was a lie. Laurel did not love reality television, in fact there was a very long list of things she would rather do than watch reality television. But if James was just a figment of her imagination than maybe she could force him out by watching some. It was worth a shot since ignoring him and hoping he'd go away didn't seem to be doing the trick.

"Yep," Laurel continued, sipping at the wine. "Love it. Can't get enough. Watch it whenever I can. I always love seeing what those crazy Kardashians are up to, don't you. Now is it krazy with a K when it refers to the Kardashians? I can't figure it out? You got any ideas?"

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

It was fun~ The crowd wasn't unmanageable, which was surprising for a Saturday.

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

Stephen had always had a talent for slipping away and hiding. He had always been the quietest of the siblings, her friends, but over the years he had grown quieter, more distant. There were many times when she had visited the castle and hadn't seen him once. He seemed to have changed, like Edward had, only Ella had never been able to think of an explanation for Stephen. One day he was there, the next he wasn't. And when she did actually get to see and speak with him he was oddly stiffer and more formal than he used to be. It had pained her at first, because they had been so close. And for years she feared that it had been because of her. That she had done something to cause him to act this way. Sometimes she still wondered if that were true, but Ella was just happy whenever she did get to see and speak with Stephen. She still considered him a friend, despite it all. Edward, as well, even if their interactions were almost as brief. Still she longed to ask Stephen why. Why had he started to act so distant and strange? She looked at Avril, brows furrowed in consideration. Her brown eyes flickered to the dance floor, catching sight of Edward twirling his partner. She did so love to dance... But exploring the castle in search of her friend, something she hadn't had a chance to do in what felt like an age... Smiling, Ella's eyes met Avril's again. "The night is young, and there will be more dances and more partners later. Let's go look for Stephen."

Fairy Tale (closed. RE: carsgovroom only)

Ella's mouth spread into a smile at Avril's words. "Unfortunately no other girl at this party tonight is a princess, Avril." She looked over at her friend, eyes warm and genuine. She had known the princess for what seemed like her whole life due to her mother's and now her own close relationship with the queen, and she had spent many days playing and wandering with the princess, riding horses and taking lessons in dance and sewing. She had also spent many nights at the castle, sharing secrets and late night treats with Avril. She knew the sort of man Avril dreamed of, and knew that it was more than likely none of the young men here were what she wanted. "I am sure a hero will come to sweep you away someday soon, Avril." She genuinely meant it. When Avril mentioned that she had feared she wouldn't see a friendly face Ella laughed a little. "You know I would never miss one of your parents' parties. I have to admit it, but I think this one is even grander than the last, if that is even possible." Her head turned to look at the dancers, catching a glimpse of Avril's oldest brother, Edward, sweeping a beautiful girls around the room. "I see Edward is having a good time," she said conversationally. As small children Ella and all three of the royal children had been close friends and playmates. In many ways Ella had almost thought of herself as a fourth sibling, or at least a close cousin. The two boys grew and drifted, though. Edward had probably changed the most. He had grown into a handsome young man, the kind of handsome that made people's heads turn. He was very aware of it, though. As for the middle child, Stephen... "Where is Stephen?" Ella asked Avril, glancing around the ballroom and not spotting the second prince. "He's usually the one who chases the boys away from you, not that I mind doing his job for him." She smiled a little at her own jest. "Hiding away again?"