Thread: Living Blade (Blood/Fury & deadmanshand)

W hose brilliant idea was it to put steep heels on shoes anyhow? That was the only thought in Vivians mind as she scanned the crowd looking for something of interest. Looking might have been a bit of an involved word, of course, since it was now at least at a dozen turns and shed failed to spot anything that stood out in her mind. Everything, by this point, was a wash of colour and voice, even that done badly. The colours were dull, especially in the bright lights, considered stately and austere by some, though in her mind Vivian had never considered them to be anything but lackluster and entirely too somber. She self-consciously ran the palms of her hands from her hips and down over the navy blue satin of the gown that stifled her, too many layers and not enough give. If shed had her way, she would be dressed in sky-blue silks and fiery oranges that would explain why her hair was left to float and coil about her shoulders instead of the tight pins and curls that were held to her head now with biting metal picks. Were it not for the affection she held for her mother, she might have rebelled anyway and found something scandalous and comfortable to wear. That was what prompted the bitter ire with which she reflected on her footwear. The gathering was tedious enough to let her thoughts wander, which only served to heighten her loathing of the arrangement. If she were to be forced to attend these parades of the pompous, the least they could do would be to liven the music a little and give her something to focus on. As it was, all the same voices clamoured for all the same attentions that were generally sought in places like this. A whole room full of people congratulating themselves on being born to the right parents. To make matters worse, there was an endless litany of so-called accomplishments that were forced to make their way out from their shelters to serve as reinforcement for the validity of internal favour. It was too much to bear. Whether her feet or the air or the mindset in the room, even Vivian didnt know, but she needed out. She turned her scanning instead to the task of finding the quickest escape route. One that would see her safely past pandering hands and into the safe, dark, quiet arms of the terrace beyond the grand closed double doors. At first she thought this might be impossible, seeing as it was a favoured place to remain out of the way while appearing regal against the backdrop of the intricate molding around each pane of glass, each doorframe, each mooring on which the great wine-coloured curtains hung. They were pulled back just enough to give an enticing, heart-wrenching view of the distant lake, the stars, the trees And then she realized she could see them. There were no bodies in the way. It was now or never, and she started across the ballroom floor. It wasnt so easy as that, of course, as here and there a hand or a voice rose up to impede her progress. But so many practiced years at court allowed her to welcome, embrace, retreat and continue on with the diplomatic touch of tact that hid her haste. Still, a full three minutes and few dozen feet later, she pushed her hands against the pair of doors nearest to her and shoved them open, leaving her hands to rest in the air. Her eyes slid closed and she drew in a deep breath, the fresh scent of the nearby woods bringing a radiant smile to her face. Her back was bathed in the golden light of the party inside, but she reveled more deeply in the soothing silvery hues of the moonlight. The doors swung open on easy hinges why put effort to something when you can buy ease? which left them to bang against the outside of the building. There was a momentary start as she whirled to look back over her shoulder, sheepish at the noise before resolving not to care. The doors swung slowly back into place behind her, eventually closing with a click that meant she surely would be locked out of the gathering until someone allowed her back inside. That was fine with her. She could feel the presence of someone nearby, but studiously ignored it, heading instead to the crenelated edge of the terrace and seating herself on the cool stone. With a laugh she didnt bother trying to hide, she slid her feet from the shoes and gave a happy little sigh. What a wonder it was to finally feel ones own toes! She slid herself around on the wall, looking over to the drop that awaited her. Ten feet, perhaps, not much but enough to discourage just exactly what she expected to accomplish. Momentarily defeated, she looked around finally to discover him. You might give a lady a hand, you know. She said to him in a teasing voice that mimicked her mothers. Somewhere between amusement and chiding that Vivian had always felt compelled to answer.