second l i g h t

"Listen, I don't know how well you know the family that employs me. But they're family friends. Jakvon is practically my uncle. So I'm not planning on letting him down. And this job determines whether or not I'm back in my family's good graces. So I'm not about to fuck it up or lie. Believe me, I'd rather be somewhere having a fucking ball than watching your every move. Since that's not realistic. Here we are for better or worse. Stuck in this situation." No matter what she wanted, he wouldn't give into it. He would instead do his damn job, because his money was on the line.

"You sure are wordy when you're sober. I wonder what you sound like when you've had some fun," she teased, insisting that she was more than alright even as she moved with sluggish movements and words at the alcohol mixed with a few party favors to get her through the night. She'd made her appearance, had shaken the right hands, and done her duty for the day so that meant that the night could be hers for the taking. If there weren't a wet blanket covering the entire situation. Her smile shifted into a slight frown, only enough so to acknowledge the other's words as he hadn't stopped her at any point but wasn't enjoying it either.

"I don't know...you're more crafty than you let on Lark," he smirked. She was exquisitely indiscrete in the most advantageous of ways. For all he knew, his dear friend could have been loitering around in closed-off areas around the palace. Scratching her own curiosity and interest. Then again, she could very well have been leaving remnants of their friendship and time in Haven throughout his new home too. Nonetheless, her company would always be received well by him and Sebastian was not one who was swayed by this misconceptions people may have had of the songbird. "If I signal this," he said slicing his throat, "I need you to save me." If anyone could cause a distraction, it definitely would be her.

"I would rather be underestimated than overseen, but it seems I have lost the battle on both fronts," she replied with a smile, considering all that she hide from those that were closest to her but was struggling to keep the division between both sides of her world. Between her new guard that was posted at all times, tracking her every movement, it was only a matter of time before it all blurred together. Lark smiled. "I can do that. I don't know if you know this, but I'm an amazing distraction for anyone to disappear in the background because of me." At least she could sing and they would be listening to her while he made a getaway.

He pouted but it was a playful pout, "so even that job of mine is taken." His pout turned to a grin and he laughed with her before walking towards the bar. "I guess it's a good thing I suggested then. People would be ridiculous to not want to dance with you. I would never say that. I would dance with you anytime but I can't promise I won't step on your feet too." He pointed to the bartender and smiled, "what do you want? I'll order it for you."

"That's what you get when you move on without me. They hire help to ensure that I won't up and disappear again," she teased, though it was a heavy one when she thought about it. All the more reason to not think at all. "You won't be able to step on my feet because I can fly. I have always been able to fly." Her voice a bit higher now than before as she grinned wider at the promise of another drink. "I want what you want, but make it a double."

Ace smirked, "alright, but only for tonight." She said shaking her head and knowing she wouldn't even truly entertain the thought. "Whispers are good for business. So I'm okay with that. Just spreading the word however would be great." Her brows raised, "I think you're going to celebrate with or without me."

"But I would celebrate more with you than without," she teased, though the other wasn't wrong that no matter what happened she would be enjoying the rest of the night with the other's supply. "I'll whisper my pretty little head off to anyone that wants to listen to me, but I won't be so loud as they're hear it from me." It was the way this worked, that a secret could be kept as long as it didn't get out either. "Plus you would make for a better plus one than my usual company."

"I don't think I have the courage to even try to summon that confidence." She laughed before looking back at Lark and shrugging, "You could probably get away with it though, sneaking on stage I mean. I am definitely not a killer. I would ruin the whole thing. I would be a nervous wreck." She laughed knowing it would be worse than a nervous wreck though a part of her couldn't help but wonder what she might be capable of with the new abilities she had started showing.

"You would be the distraction. That job is as important as any of the rest, because you'd be the misdirection that I would need to get away with it all," she joked, though she was sure that it anyone questioned why either one of them were near a stage that she would be able to lie through her teeth. And grant them access to the performance from another angle, but the other's nerves were felt more than she wanted to admit as she made a small face. "Okay, if we don't go on stage then what do you suggest? I am not sitting here for the rest of this."

Lark shook her head and kept her hand outstretched towards the other with a smile. "I didn't ask if you were the best or not, I only asked if you would. Come dance with me. No one's watching," she added with a small laugh as she gestured around with her other hand at how many weren't paying attention to anything other than themselves. Lark wanted to dance, but alone was starting to bother her as the music wasn't enough to drown out all the noise in her head. Another soul? That might be more than enough to help her enjoy the rest of the night. "Please?"

"That's all that I can ask. Besides, I'd be mad at myself if I didn't inquire." Sebastian knew that with his new reign of power and the accessibility to an assortment of things, he wanted to bring those he grew up with along for the ride. Wherever he could help to benefit someone else, sprinkle a new blessing, or provide them with a new opportunity he wanted to do so. They helped shape him to the man he was today and that would never go unnoticed as far as he was concerned.

"What else would I possibly be here for if not to break up the mundane?" Her smile cracked a little bit, grateful that despite all that was changing around them wouldn't change their friendship. Her own position in Westland wasn't a real one, but plenty there believed her to be a princess despite her inability to act like most one of the time. Her heart belonged on the stage, singing where those could take part and feel some of her music affect them and stay with them long after her night was done. It was why she wanted to tell him yes immediately, but the fear lingered on that she wouldn't be good enough. "Though some of the events for the weekend could use some life put into them, others are well versed in being exciting," she pointed out with a small laugh.

Ace smirked and gave a nod, "I got it." She shook her head Lark being in a good mood was always a good sign for business, but it could become a bad sign at any moment as well. "I don't plan on giving you any special treatment. Definitely don't want you expecting it now. I'll keep you supplied though. Whatever you need." She nodded, her brows pulling together again, "feel free to spread the word too. I got plenty on demand while in Kings Hill."

"At least pretend to think about it," she replied with a roll of her eyes, barely containing the bout of laughter that threatened to bubble to the surface at the other's steadfastness. Lark shook her head as curls fell in all directions, ready to take what she'd bought and fly high for the rest of the night as the silent disco called her name. "It might be a whisper of a word, since I've got more ears and eyes on me now. Whisper, whisper." Her voice a whisper now as she smiled at the other. "Wanna celebrate with me?"

Aila nodded, "I do wanna see how it ends." She laughed and shook her head, "no I have no clue, though my bets are on that one too. Probably next to go though, not the killer." She enjoyed the others reaction to it all and the energy seemed to spread to herself as she laughed. "I don't think we could just easily sneak backstage."

"All you have to do is act like you belong, then no one even thinks to ask how you got there in the first place," she concluded, as if it were as simple as storming the backstage area and be let on to the stage. Lark wanted to know the ending as she barely was able to stay seated, but instead wanted it to skip straight to the end as she glanced sideways and back again. "I think you would make a better killer than anyone on that stage. No one would suspect which means you're the most likely to get away with it. Have fun. Do murder," she laughed, while perched on the edge of her seat watching in rapture.

Viggo laughed and shook his head, "I have never expected you to wear shoes. Only for you to hand them to me when you're done with them." Viggo watched her and nodded, he always enjoyed this side of Lark. This side of her that was fun and he couldn't help but join her in the dance, swaying to the headphones she had put on his hears and following her through the crowd, "I can tell," he smiled, "you need a drink or anything?"

"Too bad you're weren't here earlier to be the one to carry them, that belongs to my shadow now," she laughed, her voice rising a bit higher than before as she grinned when Viggo followed as she led him along. "I always need a drink or something, but there's so many that think me a waste if I get too much in me and then they won't want to dance with me anymore. You wouldn't say that, now would you? You'd dance with me even when you're busy with your new life?"

Sebastian wasn't all too familiar with Lark's story. Growing up in Haven, he viewed everyone there as a merry band of misfits. People who were burned, forgotten, or chosen to take the path of neutrality within their world. It's why he took everyone at face value and made sure that rumor's didn't sully his perspective on getting to know anyone. Something which had become even more applicable for him since coming to Kings Hill. Although he could tell she carried this weight on her shoulders, Seb just hope in due time that Lark would one day feel comfortable enough to unload whatever baggage she was carrying onto him. That's what friends were supposed to be for as far as the Isley was concerned.

She nodded with a smile, considering the other's offer despite the way that she'd shied away from larger crowds recently, choosing to indulge more in her addictions than seek the spotlight. But even as she sat there and didn't accept right away, an ache grew in her chest that was her longing for being back on the stage. Lark missed singing, she missed it like a piece of her was gone and the only place that she hadn't sought it out was exactly where she knew it would be - right where Sebastian was asking her to be. "I promise you'll have my decision by then, at the latest," she offered, as close as she could get to a decision in the moment even as it weighed on her once again.

Ace rolled her eyes but grinned, "no, you don't." She nearly laughed at Lark teasing her, it fought hard to pass her lips. "You're always on time but I don't want you to expect any special treatment now that I am holding more cards, is all." She shrugged, dealing with Lark was the only time she could really be happy about this. Not because Lark was a frequent customer but because Lark had the nerve to tease her now. She was lucky. She was one of the few customers that hadn't had to meet her father. "So I should expect to see you more this weekend?"

"Do crows fly at midnight?" She smiled at the other, slipping her fingers into her hidden pocket that somehow fit somewhere into her gown for the coronation before she handed over the necessary money for enough to get her through the night and maybe the next day. Not enough to get her through the entire weekend or set her up when they returned to one home or the other, but she needed to plan her timing right now that she had an unwelcome shadow not far behind. How she'd managed this long for him not to intervene, Lark didn't know. "That was a yes in case it wasn't obvious. I'll have more on me later this weekend, enough that I should be set until the next time you think twice about giving me special treatment," she laughed, feeling light already knowing that she could find some release from everything else.

"My apologies, Lark it is then. But there's no if I stick around. Unfortunately for the both of us, you need a bodyguard and in order to keep my inheritance, I have to successfully keep you safe." Even if that task and notion felt unfair to him, he knew that his last fuck up meant he had no choice in the matter of proving to his father he wasn't as fucked up as he believed him to be.

"Or you could just say you did your job and kindly fuck off? Then it's a win win for both of us without having to be near each other," she proposed, almost laughing at the sheer audacity that she faced to think that he would consider it even for a moment. Or that she would be let to roam freely again after what happened. Not when she continued to suffer from the effects of that night, even if she buried them down to where no one else could see them, or so she thought. However having him hover behind her like a shadow meant that she couldn't find the escape that she desperately chased as easily as she once had, because this shadow was meant to keep her safe.

.

"Always." Even when she was at her lowest, unable to carry a tune much less an entire concert on her shoulders - Lark knew where she wanted to be, where she thrived. But the festivities did not belong to her, neither was she about to make enough of a spectacle to take the stage by storm and create one herself. She was much too comfortable and relaxed to push herself out of the box to seek out the stage. "But for once, this isn't me making it about me. I think." She cocked her head to the side, contemplating if she wanted to go on with the others performing or not but stayed in place. "Maybe that means I'm finally growing up a bit," she teased softly, more at herself than anything as she glanced over at the other. "My momma would be so proud."

"Before it wasn't my supply... now it is." She shrugged she had been just a salesman and one of the better ones for her dad at the time. Now she was owning it and running it. Her eyes rolled at Lark admitting she was kidding but she smiled. "Honestly, not a bad idea but I'm no cook, definitely not a baker." She sighed and slipped what she had into Lark's hand. "Still expect payment up front as usual. Just because I run it now doesn't mean you get some kind of discount."

"What do you mean I don't get a discount? I've been a client for years now," she teased lightly with a shake of her head because she figured there was little loyalty in a business where the customers were likely to die eventually. "You act as if I've ever not paid, boss. It seems like it might be right up your alley if you're already giving me the shakedown and you've been in power for how long? Five minutes?" She smiled softly, not a care in the world would change her mind as long as there was a way to make it forget everything for a few hours.