Beloved of Science

[animerider223]

Shut up in the old manor atop the hill, with no one but the staff to keep him company, he spends his time in his lab, laboring over strange experiments, leading some to wonder if that line of insanity has since been crossed…






This is a private role-play by animerider223 and PepsiNarcolepsy.



I’m known as: Burton DeTamble
My race: Human
My age: 26
My history: Burton was one of the last born to the dwindling DeTamble line. Both his parents and the majority of his extended relatives are deceased, leaving him the impressive family manor and bank account as an inheritance. When he was younger, he attended the most prestigious European science colleges and was considered a prodigy in his blossoming career. He returned home with the love of his love, a young woman he met during his studies. For a while they enjoyed a blissful life together, until a tragedy took her life and drove Burton to the brink of insanity. Now he has shut himself up in the old manor atop the hill, with no one but the staff to keep him company. He spends his time in his lab, laboring over strange experiments, leading some to wonder if that line of insanity has since been crossed…
My power: Science!
My class: Upper
My Song would be: “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie
My looks: Tall with thin features and a prominent nose; Pale complexion and green eyes; Wavy brown hair cropped at his ears; Constantly pained expression.
My weapon: Science!
I belong to: PepsiNarcolepsy



Im known as: Emma Crick
My race: human
My age: 19
My history: The only child to her parents as her mother died a few days after she was born. She lived with her father, who loved and doted like any adoring father. He was killed in a factory fire, leaving his five year old daughter to the graces of the world. Her father had no family connections, her mother had some living relatives, but none wanted the orphaned girl. It was finally decided that she would attend Cross Academy, a boarding school. She never stood out in her studies, never failing but never excelling. She did cultivate modest art skills and after graduating stayed and taught art. Deciding she didn't want to be stuck in the small school the rest of her life she found a job as a servant in a rich gentlemans manor...
My power: Innocence!
My class: working
My song would be: The Holly and The Ivy by George Winston
My looks: Average height with smooth, flawless skin with plenty of freckles; plain blue eyes that are more grey with a tinge of blue on the edges; brown hair that is long, usually pulled into a neat bun.
My weapon: Defenseless!
I belong to: animerider223


~Day of the Week~

Sun / Mon / Tues / Wed / Thurs / Fri / Sat


~Month~

Jan / Feb / March / April / May / June / July / Aug / Sept / Oct / Nov / Dec


~Weather~

Clear and chilly

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

The creaking carriage stopped at the base of a wooded hill allowing a passenger out. The lady looked out at the dense trees shrouded with just as dense a fog with a shiver down her spine. She was handed her two parcels and before she could change her mind the carriage left. Emma pursed her lips, telling herself to be excited about this new venture in life. With determination she collected her things and began walkig up the drive, old trees over hanging the road making the dark early morning turn gloomier. Emma didn't mind walking. She rather enjoyed going out, fresh air never hurt anyone. A bird disturbed the heavy quiet, startling the trees peace and Emma's nerves. She continued walking, thinking herself silly to have been frightened. The trees suddenly ended, as if there was an invisible line they could not grow past. Emma marveled at the beautiful manor that she could now perceive at the summit of the hill. It rose majestically against the dusky dawn, creating a stark contrast. It look lifeless, not a soul could be seen with in the tall dark windows that looked out over the hill. Emma could not help but feel like she was being watched from them. There was a tall fence around it, not far from the invisible line the trees dared not pass. She passed at the entrance to the estate, noting the lack of vegetation. The grass made one feel like it was the middle of winter, brown and dead. Coming nearer Emma realized why the windows looked so dark. Smudged with soot, probably as old as her covered them, hiding the inside from the outside, and most like vice versa. She become exceedingly nervous as she approached the large door, taking a minute before knocking solidly with the brass knocker.

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

Burton sat silently at the old oak desk. On it sat an unlit oil lamp, a stationery set, and a picture frame. The row of obscured windows cast a smoky light into the nearly empty granite and marble room. It was long and narrow, filled only at one end with the desk and his old red velvet armchair. A bookcase of novels waited on standby in the nearest corner, although Burton had not read a work of fiction in close to 5 years. The rest of his books, important volumes for research, were in his basement lab. Shelves of them filled an entire wall.
When he shifted, the sound echoed in the room. He began to tap his fingernail tensely on the desktop, until he noticed another, faint sound accompanying it- the clip-clop of carriage horses, traveling easily through the cold morning air. The new maid was here.
It was a shame what had happened to Mrs. McCreevy. She'd ran the upkeep of the manor since he was a boy. Maybe she had even been something like a mother to him. But she had been getting old, and he'd been preparing himself for something like this to happen for a while now. He hadn't had any say on who to hire for the replacement- he couldn't care less really, and the remaining staff naturally took up the duty of finding someone. The house was running essentially autonomously these days- the master made an appearance only for meals and that was all. They had all been doing their jobs for years now and needed no instruction. Burton didn't move from his seat. They would take care of it.

The butler opened the door. He was pudgy but distinguished and sported a thick mustache and long nose. "Welcome to the DeTamble Manor," he greeted the new arrival. "You must be Miss Crick, then." He bowed, gesturing her in.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

Emma entered into the elaborate entry. It had a vaulted ceiling, high, high, high up. An immense stair way went up to the second floor, graced with marble hand rails and lushly carpeted steps. A beautiful and emaculate chandalier was over head and Emma could not help gasping over the sight of it. It was the only form of decoration in this area, no chairs, tables, pictures or such things were to be seen, and it stood out. The chrystals caught what little light there was coming in from the smokey windows and reflected it doubly. After being amazed over the house (which Emma made short, not wanting to seem rude ohing and ahing over everything) she studied the man who let her in. She presumed he was the owner of the place, but she wasn't sure. She really wasn't sure who owned this place as no names had been mentioned, beyond the name of the mansion, DeTamble.

"Yes, and I'm presuming you're Mr. DeTamble?" She asked politely..

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

"Oh, no indeed," he replied waving a gloved hand. "My name is Mr. Harpshire. I am the head butler. The master is in his study. He spends much of his time in his private chambers, but if you are fortunate you may catch a glimpse of him at lunch time." His voice was deep and words carefully annunciated, but his tone was overall friendly.
Some of the other staff had gathered at a doorway on the other side of the foyer- three women: two were relatively young with dirty aprons and curious eyes, and the third was middle-aged. She also wore a maid's outfit, but in a considerably larger size; a gleeful expression covered her rosy face as she trotted forward to greet Emma.
"Ohhh, you must be Emma!" the woman crooned as she warmly shook her hand. "I am Ms. Weatherbee. I am the head of housekeeping, which means that we are going to be spending a lot of time together!"
"I could find someone to show her to her quarters now," Mr. Harpshire cut in.
"Oh no no no, I'll do it," she replied, waving him off. "Come, dear, and make yourself at home- It's so dreadful out there- I told them to bring the carriage right up the house but it seems like no one ever wants to come so close- I'm sorry you had to walk so far..." she spoke as if she had to constantly interrupt herself in order to keep up with the words that popped into her head.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

Emma smiled, overwhelmed by the greeting. "Oh no, it was no problem, a walk does me no harm." She assured Ms. Weatherbee. The staff seemed gladly amiable, making Emma feel good about take this position. She already felt connected to them and was sure it would be no time before she felt at home here. She followed her towards the back of the house, greeting the other two girls as she walked by. They were just as likeable as the other two servants. She wondered if there were more around and asked so.

"Is this all there are here? It seems like such a large place for so few people."

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

"Well, there are a few more," Ms. Weatherbee replied, "Let's see now...Mr. Lorne is the chef and his assistant James helps cook and serve the meals- He's such a funny young man, you may like him- Mr. Arnold is the groundskeeper, and Josiah keeps the stables- those poor horses see such little excitement these days-" She turned the corner into a short hallway with several doors, and stopped at the one at the end. "Here we are..." Taking a key from her apron pocket she unlocked the room and entered. "Who else...Well you saw the girls; they do a lot of the cleaning- dishes and laundry, and of that sort. There were more servants, a time ago, but since we don't entertain anymore, the workload has diminished considerably. We were just in need of one more maid." Ms. Weatherbee paused and made a sympathetic face, lowering her voice a level. "Mrs. McCreevey, your predecessor, recently passed away due to a heart attack. We miss her terribly, but meanwhile, life does go on, and work doesn't wait for convenience." She put on a quick grin and held out the room key to Emma. "It's yours now," she said.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

"That's horrible. I'm sorry to hear of your loss and I hope I can make a decent replacement." Emma told Ms. Weatherbee as she looked around her room. It was very plain compared to what little she had seen of the house so far. Dark wood covered the room, thick beams stretched across the flat roof. There was one window, looking out over the lawn, thick dark brown curtains available to be drawn for privacy. A fine bed, a dresser with a wash bowl, and a standing mirror were the only pieces of furniture. Emma placed her bags on the bed, its frame creaking ever so slightly. It'll do she decided. "Thank you." She returned to Ms. Weatherbee, whom she had momentarily forgotten.

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

She smiled and nodded. "Your uniform is in the dresser. Once you're settled in, come find me and I'll give you the orientation. Do you think you can find your way back to the foyer?" Ms. Weatherbee asked.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

"Yes, I believe I can." Emma replied. Ms. Weatherbee left her alone, shutting the door behind her. Emma let out a long, slow sigh as she let it all sink in. This was the farthest she'd ever come from her long time home of Cross Academy. Done with the short reflection she got to work, opening first one suit case, pulling out her few dresses, all looking similar to the next. As a teacher at Cross Academy Emma had not dressed to impressed, but rather just for modesty and fuctionality. Not that impressions would matter here, with a uniform to dorn. She opened the dresser drawers, deciding not to put her dresses in yet when she discovered the layer of dust covering the bottom of the drawers. She placed them neatly on her bed then moved on to the next case. Within she retrieved three books, two fictional romance novels, her most treasured possessions. The third was the bible, worn from many morning devotions. She also had to place these next to her clothes on the bed for now. She also pulled out a faded painting of a couple, her parents, a small box which held a pearl necklace, the only valuable object Emma owned. At the bottom of this bag was an extra pair of shoes and a scarf and mittens, for colder weather. Finished Emma turned to more pressing matters. She examined the plain uniform. Nothing fancy, just a dress and apron. She undressed, carefully folding it and placing it in its own place on the bed, before slipping into the new dress. It was a bit to large in certain areas, mainly the bust and shoulders. If this had originally been meant for some one else, it was a girl with chests, which Emma did not classify herself as. She put the apron on, which covered the dresses flaws, smoothing out the wrinkles. She looked at herself in the mirror, excited to begin this new adventure.

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

Burton drummed his fingers nervously on his desk. Haphazardly strewn sheets of formula notes littered the desktop and the disorder was making him anxious. He quickly arranged them in a neat stack and placed them in the corner, then lay a clean sheet squarely in front of him. His brow remained set in an uncertain crease.

He checked the watch he kept in a drawer. Nearly lunchtime. Should he come down today? Maybe he should just let Ms. Weatherbee bring up his meal...But then, the new maid arrived in the morning and it would be good to put in an appearance. He was the master of the house, whether or not he particularly gave a care. The affairs of the manor had almost become entirely separate from his interests; there were new developments, private and unrelated, presently consuming his attention.

Quickly, Burton left his chair and strode over to the nearest window. He rubbed a clean spot in the sooty glass and peered out at the sky. It had the potential for rain tonight. He wondered if it was too cold for a storm.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

Ms. Weatherbee gave Emma the tour of the house. Emma marveled over the size of the house but disgusted by the state of decay it was in. She could just imagine it once was a beautiful and stately building, glistening with decadence. She could imagine partys full of elegant folks, ladies in dresses that swished and gentleman in dauper outfits. She sighed over her romantical fantasies. She helped the girls in the kitchen making the master of the house lunch. The kitchen was the warmest room in the manor and Emma found the girls to be quite socialble. Ms. Weatherbee had the table neatly set, only one place.

"Does the owner of this eat alone? Does he not share his meals with someone?" Emma asked, placing the water pitcher on the table.

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

"Oh," she began with a sigh, and walked back to the kitchen, wringing her hands in her apron. Opening the stove door, she examined the roast. "I've worked here since the master was a boy. I was probably close to your age," she said, angling an elbow to indicate that she was addressing all three girls. After determining that the meat need more time, she closed up the stove again. "His mother died in childbirth, so that left his father to raise him, though he was too depressed and busy with work to be very involved early on. Mrs. McCreevy acted as a nurse for Burton- Master DeTamble. That would explain a little bit of why you may not see much of him for quite a while; they were very close. Check the bread, will you dear?" One of the girls scurried to do so.
Ms. Weatherbee smoothed out her apron and put her hands on her ample hips. "Master DeTamble and his father got along better as he grew up- I just don't think the man knew how to handle children so well is all. Anyway, the master had gone abroad to pursue his studies when his father fell ill- it was a longterm thing, long time coming, but God bless him he managed to keep it a secret from all of us for so long- and so Master came home to be with him while he was dying. After he passed, he left again to complete his education, and then came home again after, and- Well. That left him as the last of the DeTambles, to make it short," she concluded.

[animerider223]

Life is full of Beauty. Notice it.

Emma took in this bit of information. "If there is nothing here for the master, then why has he returned to this place?" She asked, curious. Seemed to her if you had money and places of education to study at this out-of-the-way place where some rooms were so drafty the curtains never stayed still or dry. "Does he not enjoy company?" It was the only logical conclusion she could come to. If she had money... well she could never imagine having money. It had never been in her life in very large portions. But if she did have money she would travel the world and see what there was to see.

Smell the Wind. And. Feel the Rain.

[PepsiNarcolepsy]

The other girls stayed silent and awaited Ms. Weatherbee's response curiously.
She thought it over a minute and stirred a pot that was simmering over a small fire. "He returned because this place is his birthright and responsibility. And no, he prefers to be alone." She left it at that and checked the roast again. "Oh, it's done," she announced, and got to placing the meat on a platter. "Could you girls help bring this food out to the table? I'll be going to get the master now."