Morningstar Manor

( For Adam )

( For Joe )

( For Andy )

All Del's unwanted possessions had been packed away and he was left with one smallish bag, his wallet and his phone. Where they were going clothes would be optional and if Eris decided to take a trip to warm up Anchorage they were in sufficient funds to buy what they needed when they got there.

He got a last coffee and seated himself in his favourite seat in the Mocha to wait for his lady.

###

Gil was grabbing some quiet time in the library with a heap of recipe books and one of the computers. While the printer churred and chugged and spat out nice new inventory lists he leafed through the books wincing at the over coloured pictures and occasionally snorting at the recipes.

But sometimes he nodded and scribbled in a dog eared notebook. You could always learn something new.

###

Charlie was in the conservatory with a pile of printed off pictures and a pair of scissors. If anyone passed he went very still, trying not to attract attention. He was good at that - still hadn't lost the knack of self-effacement he'd found so necessary when he arrived.

But this time it wasn't because he was scared of the world and everything in it. It was because the pictures he was so carefully cutting out were of handsome, smiling and mostly naked young men and were destined for a very special project he had in mind.

He just didn't want to give offence.

###

Andy read a novel with a sense of utter luxury and sipped a latte from time to time without much enjoyment. Her doctor had impressed upon her that double shot espresso could be overly stimulating, in fact addictive and that she really wouldn't want a new born that was going cold turkey.

She turned another page, read a bit, and snickered. Harlequin Historicals. Priceless. And hardly stimulating anything at all, other than her funny bone.

She'd gotten a bit distracted the last time she'd tried to bring up the trip and this time was determined to actually have the conversation. She was so tired of the dreary grey skies of the City and the snow/slush on the sides of the roads.

Shifting against Del in his bed, draped half over him, she kissed and nipped at his collar bone then folded her hands on his chest and rested her chin on them, looking at him.

"Wakey, wakey," she said with a smile, and one hand slipped beneath the covers to help him wake up.

The start of a new week and the Mocha was hopping.

Deacon had dropped Nia off at the daycare already as he and Charlie both had things that needed to get done. Charlie of course had the gallery. Deacon needed to take the cars to get their new inspection stickers and do some general shopping. But first - coffee. Charlie was still getting ready and had had to take a phone call and Deacon would likely be gone before he got down there so Deacon just got himself a coffee and found a place to sit and enjoy it before going on the first of his errands.

****

Eris was in the Mocha as well, once again at a table and looking through brochures on warm sunny beaches.

****

Seth entered the Mocha just after Deacon had left, passing in the doorway and exchanging a few words. Now, coffee in hand, he sat at a table and sipped his drink as he happily sketched the passers by.

****

Gabe was in the Mocha as well, sprawled on a couch and sipping his coffee and idly flipping through a fashion magazine.

****

There was one customer not quite at the Mocha yet but oh he was ready for it. Rhys had just gotten off a forty eight hour shift and was slouched in the back of a cab headed for the Manor. He was exhausted and looking forward to his bed but his stomach was rumbling and he didn't have the energy to make something so he'd stop in the Mocha first, get something to eat and some decaf coffee and then sleep for a day. Maybe two.

He coughed, and that cough turned into a bit of a coughing fit and when he could breath again he murmured an apology to the cab driver. Looks like his boss had been right. Rhys was sick. And a sick doctor was not what you wanted in the ER of a hospital. Maybe that forced time off wouldn't be so bad after all.

Bea - party Saturday Flamingo Lounge 8pm, make own way there, lift home! Emily's birthday. Hope you can come. xx


When Andy finished that one she thought a while before sending the next.

Hi Eris, hun. Fancy a bday party at the Flamingo? All girls but I'm sure we can find some guys to dance with. 8pm and we get a lift home. *hugs*

She didn't think it was Eris's kind of evening but really didn't want her hair set on fire if Eris felt slighted at not being invited.

Zack was beginning to feel a bit better. It had been very touch and go for a while and if Brendan hadn't been staying with him he might well have ended up in the hospital. But he'd gotten through what he hoped was the worst and now actually felt up to going down to the Mocha for a coffee and to nibble on a muffin.

He looked pale, small in his oversized hoodie and scarf. He'd lost weight and that didn't help matters and his eyes had dark shadows under them but they twinkled again now and his smile, though tired, was genuine.

He sat curled on one of the couches near the fireplace and answered an email from his iPhone while he waited for Brendan to come back with their coffee.

***

Gabe had had a grand time with the photoshoot but he was glad it was done. Lewis, bless him, was a dear and lord knew Gabe had had a fine time with a few of the models but he could only handle them all for so long was thankful he had his and Kris's apartment to themselves again.

Sitting at a table he chuckled as he replied to a text to one a friend. Oh the gossip that had come from that shoot!

***

Eris sat at a table, sipping a white chocolate mocha and looking through various brochures on various tropical places. Money wasn't a problem and she knew Daddy would keep her apartment open for her so how long to be gone wasn't an issue either.

The only question was where to go?

***

Loki was sprawled in one of the overstuffed arm chairs, legs dangling over one arm and head dangling over the other, bright red hair nearly touching the floor. His eyes were closed, headphones stuck in his ears and playing something with a low bass loud enough to be heard by passers by.

***

Max was headed to Sanctuary but he had a bit of time yet so stopped into the Mocha for a coffee and found himself an empty table to enjoy it at as he flipped through a newspaper someone else had left.

The pool house had been specially warmed for the occasion and extra loungers brought up. Screens had been erected for the models to change behind and everything was ready for the beautiful people to arrive.

They had their schedules - the ones who would be wearing the collection items and those who would be providing a back drop - and it was anticipated that the shoot would last most of the day and maybe into the evening. There was no knowing.

[ooc: Party post so tag in and let the pups chat amongst themselves, or if they want input from one of the staff, please give us a poke.]

All the boxes had been emptied, and the ball room was full of clothes and clothes and clothes, on racks and on chairs and in stacks and in bags.

There were a few makeshift curtains between the pillars, and Lewis was hopping between them like a goblin, bringing new suggestions for outfits, or parading his makeshift models in front of a big mirror.

He was being followed by a calm woman in her fifties who was wordlessly scribbling on a large pad, Andras who was snapping the 'winning' outfits with a compact camera, and a little girl of about five who just gaped at everything and tried to stay out of the way.

When Andras almost fell over her, he just turned, grabbed her, put them on his shoulders before she could even squeal, and just carried on working as if she wasn't there.

Into the Mocha they went and Kris looked around, seeing a few of the gorgeous faces and bodies he had hoped to see, and he cleared his throat and tapped on a table to attract their attention.

"Um - ladies, gentlemen," he said, "we are in - frankly - awful trouble and are hoping some of you might be kind enough to help us out. The fact is - we have a designer and a complete collection of clothing but the photographer and all the models are stuck in Switzerland. So - would you be prepared to wear Lewis's clothes and have photos taken? What do you say?"

He looked round hopefully. "Anyone?"

The Manor was filled with a festive spirit. Nick had fixed the lights on the massive tree in the lobby so it was twinkling brightly. More decorations had been strung through the lobby and Mocha and gave the Manor a warm glow. A wide variety of Holiday music played on the intercom system, softly enough not to be over bearing.

Jason sat at the desk and even he had a bit of a smile on his face. He liked Christmas music. Especially when he caught a bit of what was being played down in the ballroom.

Jack and Zack were having a spur of the moment jam session, Jack on the old baby grand piano and Zack with both his acoustic guitar and his bass, switching between the two depending on the song. And if some of their songs were a bit heavier than the traditional holiday music - oh well.

Eris was decorating her apartment. Hey even she could get into the spirit from time to time.

Kara was in a pair of comfy pjs and sitting in a pile of presents and wrapping paper on her living room floor. She had her own Christmas music playing on her stereo - lots of good ole Irish tunes in there of course - and was happily wrapping away.

Hugh was wandering the Manor - humming along to the music playing over the speakers and searching for something he had seen in a dream the night before. But he just knew it was really here.

Erik, bundled up in coat and scarf was in the garden enjoying the freshly fallen snow.

Loki sat in the Mocha, sipping coffee and wondering how much trouble he'd get into if he made the tree in the lobby vanish.


[ooc: Even those not mentioned here are available if you want them, just say. Only pups not here for play are Deacon and Demitri as they are out of town.]

After work Jazz finally taken time to do a spot of Christmas shopping. Jane and her sister were accounted for now, but something for Tom still alluded her. What did she get a man who could and did get everything he wanted?

Toting a large Michaels Bros. bag she crossed the Lobby from the garage and headed into the mailroom, pondering to herself the merits of trying online shopping in his case.

~.~

In the Mocha the McClaren boys were also taking of some Christmas related work. They sat side-by-side in a booth, Adam's laptop powered up in front of them and currently they were quietly arguing over whether or not to purchase something designed for pure entertainment value, or something more practical.

Holiday weekends were slow at the escort agency and that was FINE because Del had been able to demand Eris's attention for the evening. Both were regulars at Sanctuary so had headed there without discussion.

Over the course of the evening they danced together, danced apart, and found a boy who didn't mind forming the other slice of bread in an Eris sandwich. In fact Del had to push the stranger's hand back up to his waist a couple of times.

Not that he minded. it was all good fun.

Anastasia sat at a table by the window wearing a pale yellow sweater that bared both shoulders and a pair of jeans. She stared out the window, not paying attention to the coffee or the donut in front of her. It seemed she thought more than she did anything else anymore.

Niles stood in line in a gray t-shirt that was inside out and a pair of busted jeans. He'd put the shirt on inside out on purpose, dammit. He'd decided that after the third person pointed it out. He was a big boy. He could dress himself.

Isabella stood in line in a deep v-necked red sweater dress and a pair of knee high black boots, her jaw firm. She'd had a nice weekend with her mother, but as soon as she'd gotten up this morning her father had started blowing up her phone which always put her in a bad mood. On top of all of that, she was going to have to reprimand Sterrin today. She didn't like scolding anyone or acting like a badass, but it had to be done.

Smith sat in one of the armchairs working a Sudoku puzzle. It was a complete waste of time, he decided. He should be doing research or working out or something, but instead he sat here, glaring at the sudoku section of the paper and letting his coffee get cold.

Bea sat at a table in the corner reading through a folder of legal papers concerning her comic. Apparently they wanted to make more Stiletto-inspired merch, t-shirts and dolls and stuff like that, which was fine with her. Someone had even expressed interest about making it into a movie, which made her laugh. They'd have to make it XXX rated just to do it justice.

Declan sat at a table, flipping through the latest issue of Smashing. He'd already seen and been involved in the process of putting everything in the magazine together, but he still liked to look at the finished product. Tugging on the black scarf around his neck, he flipped the page.

Olivia stood in line, texting her boss. Julian had decided a long time ago that he didn't like talking on the phone,  so all his orders would come down through text message. Olivia hated it. She missed the satisfaction of being able to raise her voice or hang up on him to convey her annoyance, but it seemed she was stuck thumbing out a five-minute paragraph that would have taken her 30 seconds to type on the computer.

Sterrin sat curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace wearing a white off the shoulder sweater dress and  a pair of brown boots, smiling wickedly back at Joy who was glaring at her. There was a gentleman sitting at the table in front of her that couldn't seem to stop staring, so she looked in his direction long enough to shoot him her best smile. She wouldn't date him in her free time, but if he wanted to make a move she'd be more than happy to give him her De Rossi card.

Friday - the weekend was here! Even in the middle of the work day the Mocha was plenty busy.

Eris, dressed in one of her new tops and jeans and killer heels, was sitting near the fireplace in the Mocha and sipping a peppermint latte while watching the flames.

And if they danced more brightly than normal, well - it must be coincidence.

****

Jack was busy behind the counter for a change. But not serving coffee. One of the machines had been acting up and he was busy working on it and doing his best to give Joy the flirting she wanted without having to pay much attention to her. Lately she was just getting on his nerves way to much.

So when someone came to the counter he was happy for the distraction.

****

Seth was in the Mocha as well, drinking a Karma Chai Latte and stretched out on one of the couches, doing what he usually did in the Mocha. Sketching the rest of the Mocha's customers. Some where flattering, some were cartoonish. It depended on who Seth was sketching at the time.

Either way he was having a grand time.

Del sat reading through some notes he had made about his job for tomorrow night - a man this time though he had been promised that no 'special services' would be required or expected - and took occasional sips of his chai latte. He still hadn't made up his mind about it.

###

Nick had no doubts - Karma Chai was the business with a whole night of on-call ahead of him. He took his cup over to the couch, settled down with a book and hoped nobody would require hi services.

The day before Halloween and the Mocha was hopping.

Eris sat on one of the couches dressed in a pair of jeans and cashmere red sweater and flipping through a magazine. She had her costume all picked out and was ready for the ball tomorrow. Normally she liked Halloween but the year her father had sent a demon after was still fresh enough in her mind that she was wary. As far as she knew she hadn't pissed Daddy off this year so hopefully she'd be safe.

****

Between meetings with his agent and attempting to get some writing done Hugh had not been seen out and about in the Manor nearly as much as he would have liked. He'd gotten started on a new book but was stalled again so had decided he needed to get out and do something else and hopefully would have a fresh look on thing later. So this morning he'd come down to the Mocha and was people watching. It was a fantastic way to get ideas and with Halloween the next day maybe it would be inspiring.

****

Gabe loved Halloween. He liked the costume that Kris had brought back and had a few appointments today and tomorrow getting people ready for their respective Halloween parties and was nearly as giddy as some of the kids. This morning he was up and about and down in the Mocha for some sweet caffienated goodness. And if he was humming "This Is Halloween" under his breath, well who could really blame him?

He finally had a night off and had ordered far too much Chinese food, so thought it worth taking the chance on Eris being in to see if she would like to share it.

So he carried the bag up to her door, still in his museumy tweeds, and knocked.

He had got home close to dawn so had slept late this morning, Then he had showered and messed around in the kitchen for a while and had only emerged at 3pm to collect his mail and have some life-giving coffee.

Lounging on one of the couches he sipped his espresso and helped himself to one of the dark coffee truffles he had made and read his mail.

A letter from mother, one from Junia, one from an old friend now working at the V&A and finally, he smiled, a letter from the Ashford.

... The Ashford Museum's winter exhibition, The Rocks Remain, will run from Saturday 17th October, 2009 to Sunday 31st January, 2010. There will be a private viewing for sponsors and Friends of the Museum on Friday 16th October, commencing at 7pm. Please be at the museum at 5.30 prompt for briefing. Black tie essential. A list of approved suppliers is appended should you need to hire. Also enclosed are the information sheets associated with the exhibits. Please ensure that you are completely familiar with all the details ...

Del grunted with approval and leafed through them until he found one that interested him and took another choclate then began to read.

[ooc: the link goes to quite a substantial document that I got overenthusiastic about. There are pictures! I don't really expect anyone to plough through it but basically it's about greed and being cursed.]

Monday morning, start of a new week, and the Mocha was jumping as usual.

Deacon sat in one of the over stuffed arm chairs, sipping his coffee and his laptop on his lap. Nia was at the daycare, not so much because he needed the time off but because it was good for her to be around other kids. And if that meant he could enjoy a cup of coffee and do a bit of work without also making sure a toddler didn't run out of the Mocha then all the better.

********

A coffee shop right in the building was Hugh's idea of heaven. He'd spent the weekend unpacking and now it was time to do that thing he got paid for. Or at least try anyway. So Hugh sat at a table, very large coffee in hand, reading glasses in place, and jotting notes on a very well worn and scribbled on pad.

*****

Micah was dressed in jeans and boots and a Sanctuary security t-shirt. He'd have to go into work later but until then he could enjoy some coffee and read the paper and run a few errands. And maybe he'd get lucky and see a certain lovely lady.

*****

Eris was lounging on the couch, sipping coffee and flipping through some fashion magazine. She was bored, itching for something to do.

Adam had slept like one dead for full nine hours before finally stirring and stumbling into the bathroom for a shower and a shave. As he walked into the kitchen afterward, in a glorious much missed pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he felt like a brand new man. He felt so good he spent several long minutes teasing Icene, stealing ingredients off plates and pans while she cooked just because he could.

When she threatened to beat him with a spoon he finally relented and settled for nibbling on her neck for awhile instead. When whatever it was she was cooking threatened to burn he pulled away with a grin and promised to be back by the time she was done. It might have only been his first day back, but there were still things he needed to do. Of which, stopping in to see his brother was one.

Joe looked a little thinner, and there seemed to be some new lines of strain around his eyes, but he was for all intents and purposes in one piece and for now Adam was content with that. He also picked up his mail and stopped in at his apartment, but neither of those held his attention for very long.

No, he was much happier in the gardens, standing barefoot in the grass and looking up at the dingy, cloud-covered sky.

"I'm home!" he shouted randomly at the clouds.

From a distance someone yelled back, "Nobody cares!"

Adam just laughed. He loved this place.