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 Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:21 pm
The manor was the kind that children crossed the street to avoid, and had for years. The windows had been smashed and boarded for years, the paint rotting and chipping, and there were sections that had entirely collapsed with disuse. Young vandals may have had a field day if it weren't for the story associated with the house. It had been an empty building for eight years, and then one day a large team had arrived and begun gutting and rebuilding. They were somber men who frequented the taverns nearby, spreading gossip like the flu to anyone drunk enough to listen and compound upon legend. They returned to the properly and worked hard in silence while their employer supervised. There had been some seriously damaged furniture and some very odd stains. Nobody felt safe, but everyone needed the money.
It was these men who now toiled inside and outside the old Blithe house. The sounds of construction boiled from the grounds, and a pair of workers tossed what appeared to be part of an old floor into a carriage full of debris.
Gabriel watched from a window on the third floor, cold eyes staring at the men in his employ. He was a still form, arms crossed, and seemed to be keeping his men in line. Within the room, though, the reality was somewhat different. Anger was bubbling under an apparently even exterior. A hallucination had been met with a rage inexplicable to anyone who had not seen it. A rather sturdy chair had perished at the hand of its master and lay in a pile of limbs and guts at the back of the room. Someone would need to clean that eventually. Gabe would do it himself, but what would the workers think? He was still a member of a wealthy family, even if he was the only one to survive. There were standards.
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Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:06 pm
Merry was half tempted to drop it. To just burn the note and cast the memory of the both intriguing and frightening man to the darkest recesses of her mind. He had the air of someone disreputable. The gaze like a predator. Yet he'd helped her in his own way. He had made the offer and saying no- He was chosen, just as she was, so part of her reasoned he couldn't all be bad. Asking around however made her question just what part thought he wasn't bad. An run down manor, rumors of haunts and terrible things. A family that fell to ruin and a curse that plagued them. The new rumor that they had sided with wolves and when the guardians returned they had been cursed. Eris snorted at that one, Merry huffed. They both doubted a guardian of all beings would curse a family. Still the rumors were not comforting, and wrapping her shawl around her shoulders, she made her way to the manor of mystery, the one that now, was being rebuilt. Yet another thing that made it seem more eerie if that was even possible. The men working gave her a few odd looks as she walked up past the gates and garden to the front door. Eris behind her, the chosen walked up, knocking on the door. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, but, it could perhaps be enlightening.
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:39 pm
Burning the note was probably what most people would do, or had done when everything had gone bad. Attempting to reconnect with old family friends and acquaintances had been met with resounding silence. One letter had asked Gabriel to never attempt to make contact again. What rumors were circulating beyond the old time, he did not know. It did not matter. People would say what they wanted to say, and he had no interest informing them of the truth.
Rage was punctuated by something like surprise as Gabriel saw the barmaid approach. She had come? He never forgot a face, and that was the same deer regardless of the woman. His brow arched. It was an interesting angle he had up here, come to think of it. The man's head tilted deeply, admiring the view a moment. He had heard Morai leave, but thought nothing of it (indeed, nothing at all) until he saw a worker approach the barmaid.
He probably should have given her further instruction.
Morai perked at the knocking, bumbling down the stairs and going to pace before the door. Having no thumbs, he could not welcome the person whose scent he recognized through a crack in a nearby window. He began to clatter and whuffle. A worker gave him a wide berth as he carried a pail out through the front door, closing it directly behind him and ignoring the woman who had approached the manor. Poor wench. Had no idea what she was dealing with.
A man who appeared to be landscaping stood and approached, taking off a pair of filthy gloves and tucking them into his pocket. He squinted against the sun and looked to the house before turning again to the woman. His accent was decidedly foreign.
"Can I help ya with somethin', miss?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:09 am
Merry had very little idea she was being watched by the man, and the only hint of such came from sudden paranoia that Gabriel might have made of fool of her and was just wanted to mess with the helpless bar wench from the tavern. Some guys just got their kicks in weird ways after all. As she waited Merry knew they were looking at her, the workers. She could hear them in her mind, wondering why she was here and if she knew what she was doing, perhaps they were silently mocking her. But none of it mattered. She'd arrived and she'd take what came of that. Arms cross as her foot began to tap on the ground, the tiny sound of snowmelt underfoot. It was Eris who hear the clatter of hooves first, and then the sound Merry knew a deer made when it wanted something. A sound Eris made lightly tapping the door with her leg, wanting to say hello to the fawn on the other side. Merry's attention was more on the man ignoring her, (even if he was a worker). Her annoyance at the man vanished when another approached, slightly more friendly than the rest. "Maybe." She looked to Eris, still waiting by the door. "I'm looking for a man, he's... interesting to say the least, last name Blithe. Has a fawn with bone like markings for a companion. He gave me directions to this residence if I wanted to speak with him again." Merry gave her hair a small toss. "Which I do, so, if you can point me in the right way?"
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:43 pm
The worker's gaze first turned to Eris as she pawed at the door, as if he considered Guardians rare and perhaps unsavory. When he returned to Merry he looked like the next words out of his mouth would be dissuasion. This was a place no woman should be, and perhaps it would be best if she just left. He opened his mouth to speak and suddenly, abruptly, gave a curt bow and walked away swiftly. It took a moment for the reason to show itself.
"I am Gabriel. I don't believe that we've exchanged names."
No footsteps or rustling of clothing had heralded him. The man had simply appeared over Merry's shoulder. He offered her an unusual, fleeting smile before stepping to the door. Morai burst forth, his clattering ceasing immediately, and moved to Eris to snuffle her legs and chest. Clearly he was excited to see his friend again.
The master of the house meanwhile held the door open with an arm and gestured for Merry to enter. So she had actually come back? How strange. Delightful.
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Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 9:41 pm
Eris wasn't about to just up and leave, even if the man had tried to talk her out of it. But the change on the man made her raise an eyebrow, wondering what made him leave, certainly not Eris or- The voice of the man from the tavern didn't make her jump so much as tense, the instinct to pull a knife and defend herself shoved down as she recognized who it was. "Gabriel Blithe then? Merry Storm. You already know Eris I think." He smiled and she felt herself relax if slightly. She smiled back at him, steeping in as Eris gave a small nuzzle into Morai's head, followed by a nudge to go inside. "I wasn't exactly expecting... a mansion of all things." In repair or not. "I hope I didn't come at a bad time?"
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:28 pm
Morai followed, keeping contact between his and his old friend's side as i drawing some strength from her.
"...Merry Storm," Gabriel repeated, a small smirk jumping up on his face briefly. He waited for the barmaid to enter and begin inside before closing the door and allowing the warmth to envelop them. The drafts in the house had been counteracted by the lighting of several expansive fireplaces, one of which now held a great group of men on their break. A few watched the group pass as Gabriel led Merry into the only fully-finished parlor. It had not been touched when things went wrong. He gestured for the woman to sit on what was likely a re-upholstered couch and crossed his hands behind his back. Not only was she in a mansion, she was greeted by a man dressed for wealth.
"Ah, yes. I must apologize for the dichotomy. I was hoping to go unnoticed upon visiting your establishment. I may have tried harder to continue the charade if I had been thinking properly. Either way, welcome. Can I get you something to drink?" His pleasant manner and expression were counter-acted by an emotionless gaze. Morai extracted himself from Eris and wandered over to the fire as if showing her its glory. He stamped twice and snorted happily. Gabriel gave him a glance, but turned immediately back to his guest.
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Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 11:12 pm
She gave a nonchalant shrug. She certainly never asked for a name like Merry. Or storm. The warm air around her gave her a small transitional chill before she removed her shawl. The workers got a look of curiosity while she was led to the parlor, Eris following and occasionally giving Moria a small nudge. Sitting Merry felt more than very out of place. Here she was, a bar wench, in a mansion of all things, whit a guy who was apologizing for... actually she wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. No one told her what dichotomy meant, and she just assumed it meant the house being repaired. "...You don't need to apologize to me you know. I did come over a bit unexpected." As Morai went to the fire, Eris followed, a small shake of her fur before she enjoyed the warmth. "And no thanks, I'm alight. Um." Looking over the parlor she wondered if all manors had rooms like this one. "Thank you again for what happened. Haven't seen the men since." Fingers twisted in her skirt not sure if he was nobility and if she was somehow rude or improper. She actually wondered if he even cared.
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 1:39 pm
What did her timing have to do with his stark change in wardrobe? Well, never mind. Presumably she had come here for a reason, and that ranked beyond the importance of her phrasing. Gabriel felt a bit odd as he sat across from the young woman, adopting a stiff and awkward posture. He could honestly not remember the last time that he personally had taken company in his adult life. Perhaps it had never been so. Morai stepped in and folded his head down and his ears back, effectively giving Eris the deer equivalent of a hug. He seemed very content.
"Very well," Gabriel nodded. While the manor was full of workers, there was stunning lack of maids or butlers to assist the master. A builder with a hammer looped in his belt passed by, perhaps simply to see what was going on. Gabriel eyed him until he left.
"Anyway," he said finally, "You're welcome, although I don't think that I did much. I do not agree with the sort of attitude that they seemed to hold toward you. I presume there is some other reason for your visit, though?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:37 pm
A small pick at her skirt, Merry absentmindedly managed to get a thread loose. He seemed almost as out of sorts as her, and while in a way comforting, she continued to feel like this had been a bad time. That, or he might have been embarrassed with all the construction going on. His home wasn't the most 'presentable' and nobles liked that sort of thing, didn't they? The worker who spied got a passing glance as Merry also hoped she hadn't given the workers some kind of bad impression. Not the she was the most reputable of women, she didn't like the notion of 'house calls'. This wasn't anything of the sort. "You did more than what most men do." She said, her attention back on Gabriel. "Most men and women just let it happen, don't really pay any mind what happens to us bar we- ah, serving girls." She was used to being called a wench. It was second nature at this point. "But I did come to thank you and well... I've never quite met another chosen. Not like you, and..." Looking to Eris, Merry was half surprised to see the doe nuzzling little Morai, but not too surprised. The guardian had grown a small soft spot for the fawn. "Eris is fond of Morai, which is well... interesting." Merry didn't mention how she'd come to learn more about the man who scared her yet intrigued her as well.
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:50 pm
Had Merry not stumbled over her own words, she might have gotten away with it. As things had gone, however, "wench" was the first word in his mind. He smirked and put a finger to his lips briefly. A woman was a woman regardless of whether or not she took a little on the side. To each their own. There was nothing inherently evil in accepting money to do things you might have done anyway. His hand left his lips and Gabriel nodded.
"An undesirable facet of the tavern community, I presume." They both knew by now that he was not a regular in that circuit. There was not even much alcohol in the manor except that provided for the workers, and with his track record it was possible that there would never be. A variety of alcohol was necessary only when entertaining guests. Of course, his grandmother had instilled in him a healthy respect for wine, but people rarely wound up on doorsteps from the responsible use of wine.
"I find that very few people are 'like me'." The statement hung on the air for a lingering moment before he spoke again. "Can I offer you... a tour, perhaps? Something to eat? A fine young immigrant man? I find myself at a loss. I do not generally have company. ...I'm sure by now, a smart girl like you has learned why."
There was, after all, apparently a book and people talked with wild abandon.
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:44 am
He was hard to read. In the tavern you understood basic signals. That someone was looking for trouble, someone wanted more drink, that they hated you and everything, that they wanted company... or 'company'. Gabriel was more like one of the men that edged to lbe looking for something, problem was she wasn't sure what he might even be looking for. If he was looking for anything at all to start with. "....The Taverns don't have much a community. Just regular rubes and the occasion person who comes in for certain seasons. You tend to be left to handle yourself." She'd grown up that way, as such it wasn't that odd to her. She waved it off before she realized what he'd offered her. Or rather a 'who'. Casting him a speculative look, Merry looked briefly to Eris, who was busy enjoying the fire and Morai's company. "I... An immigrant?" She blinked once, twice, before she began to giggle slightly. "I'm afraid I don't have any need. I also try not to listen to to many rumors. Supposedly wolves are back, but the only hounds I ever see are those that whistle at every girl walking down the road." Smiling she nodded. "A tour would be nice. I've never been in a mansion before."
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:34 am
"Isn't that community enough?" Gabriel smirked. The description reminded him of his father's social circles, really. The culture of any one place was defined entirely upon its coming and goings and the people within, was it not? He knew, for example, that he did not quite enjoy the tavern atmosphere. That may of course have been because he did not really enjoy the company of others in such numbers.
"...ah, yes. My sense of humor must be dulled with age. Some of my men are immigrants like my grandparents before me. It was easier. There were no rumors yet. Of course, now..." There was no disappointment in his voice. It was something he had expected; an inevitable growth of character when intermingled with the locals. Even the men from Oldcastle hadn't eyed him in such a way. He stood then and offered out a hand to Merry in a gentlemanly gesture that he did not recognize himself in. What was it that was so infuriatingly comfortable about this young woman... this girl?
"Unfortunately, I can vouch for the wolves in the more rural areas, and the Great White Thing. I have not seen the latter myself, but I'd swear I've seen the movement of wolves in the wood." Not that he had seen them, per se, but seen signs of them. "The evidence of some kind of beast is apparent but, then again, farmers are just as prone to gossip as the wealthy, I've learned." With his reputation for being a bit of an "odd duck" amongst the people of Oldcastle, he had been permitted to wander amongst them without question. The things he heard were terrifying, and the fresh graves he'd passed spoke something of the state of things.
"Anyway, now is not the time for such discussion. A tour you wish, a tour you shall receive. I'm afraid that not every room is safe for showing yet, and still a few that I'd rather not share... an abridged tour, then. You had never been inside a mansion before, and I had never been inside a tavern. Perhaps consider it a trade."
Then he smiled.
It shocked him, to be feeling anything. In fact he felt a bit queasy, to be honest. There was this odd little stirring in the base of his chest. Was it... by god, was it enjoyment? It had been so long, so dreadfully long-- his smile disappeared and he swallowed hard, looking briefly concerned. As he began around the corner, motioning first for the parlor they had exited and then for a bare room that he claimed had once been an office, he looped his arm into Merry's to properly escort her through the grounds.
Sure, the wealthier families had reputations to uphold, but since when had he been worried about reputation?
When he realized that his Chosen was leaving, Morai began after him and then returned to nudge Eris into the hall. He rarely left Gabriel's side, and if they were going to see the mansion than they'd might as well follow. Eris had probably never seen a mansion either.
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:01 am
Merry shook her head. "Its not safe. A community is supposed to shelter. Taverns its all for one, all for none." Growing up with it, she knew the fact that no one looked after you, you looked after yourself. That was just how things were. You lived and made your own way, using who and what you could. She stayed silent as he explained about his joke, nodding a little bit. "The rumors are just rumors. If I believed everything I hear I might have gone off looking for mountain men, swum across the sea, or seen a man with a third eye." She may have been young, but she wasn't foolish or stupid. A bit ignorant of somethings but really. A man telling about his third eye didn't need to be entertained. Taking Gabriel's hand she blushed, not used to the gesture. She was a commoner, and a low one at that. Even men of her own social class didn't do things like offer her 'help' up. "That's um... worrying. The wolves that is." To have seen them, traces or glimpses.... She shuddered. "It bodes ill, but you're right, I didn't come to discuss depressing matters like foolish rumors or wolves. Please, do show me around!" She had to admit she was a bit excited. A mansion was a mansion after all. She'd never imagined she'd be in one (even if in repair) as a guest. Walking along side him, Merry smiled before jumping a bit when he looped his harm in her own. Again, things she never expected. Even if the place was in need of attention it was hardly unpleasant. For Eris she was less nervous for her chosen now, and Morai leading was perfectly fine for the doe. The guardian looked to a few of the floorboards, not quite sure they were all that safe but- she relented with Morai leading. She wasn't to leave the fawn on his own.
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iStoleYurVamps
iStoleYurVamps
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:07 pm
There was no more mention of rumors or gossip as Gabriel led the barmaid around his property, although his tour was fraught with random information. It was an oddly pleasant situation to not have to discuss his adolescence.
As promised, there were rooms that could not be entered and others entirely that were not even shown but simply mentioned. The manor was three stories beyond the basement, the first of which saw the most rooms of varied use including a ballroom, an outdated library, and an elaborate dining hall that had once acted as his family's nightly venue. The kitchen was lacking in any staff, oddly enough, and the door leading to the basement was mentioned with a stiffening of limb and brief bout of uncomfortable silence, but it passed in a moment or two.
The second floor consisted predominantly of personal suites, some of which had names. Those with names resumed being closed and locked. Gabriel could not yet bear to enter these, and he did not trust his workers as such. Morai perhaps revealed a bit of the tension in the air in suddenly stamping the ground. Guest bedrooms struck no chord with him and they had entered the more interesting of them, but he felt odd speaking the words "Marie's suite" and "Elise's room". He had not spoken his family's names in years. There was a particular tension when he mentioned the nursery, but nothing got quite the reception of the final room before the staircase.
"That was once the master suite. We do not want to go in there. Up here, however..." He had not even paused, simply pointing to the bedroom door as he passed by. Morai gave a soft clatter. Up the creaking stairs they went sturdy beneath their feet but in deep protest. Entering the third floor required a slight duck for the sagging of the door frame and a shift for the chests in the hall, but once inside it seemed like a different home entirely. Where the furnishings in the lower realm had been predominantly antique, up here there had clearly been a recent decoration in sharp contrast to the worn floorboards. There was an high-backed chair beside a roll-top desk and a book case. A large stand was erected against the far wall and was laden with old blueprints and new sketches. Someone had placed a decorative vase of winter flowers beside it, matching the rich fabric of the chair but not so much the grey wood of the old estate. There was a closed door as well, presumably some kind of storage.
There was a destroyed chair in the corner, though, in a pile of broken limbs and spilled stuffing. It was so far away from the mood that had lingered here when Merry had first arrived not long ago. Morai wandered over and sniffed the dead furniture, his first real movement from the tour.
"This is my base of operations, at the moment. It was just storage when I was a child, and even then I would come to escape. There are no negative memories in this place." Gabriel gave a contented sigh and, once again, he smiled. There was emotion here, and they were all pleasant with company at his side.
Merry may notice the cobbled cot in the corner, presumably the master's bedding. He had not mentioned it and, in reality, had not remembered that particular detail of this room. He did everything here, when things got bad, and he did indeed sleep here. There was a small window out back overlooking the garden which he led Merry to. Most of the fauna was dead, but workers milling about seemed to be repairing and gardening the best they could. Out back sat a dilapidated shed that seemed particularly unkempt and overgrown. It seemed... out of place.
"It's a little frozen now, but it's beautiful come spring."
It was the last thing his mother had ever seen.
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