Morningstar Manor

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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

Elspeth was, for once, not terribly busy. Instead, she was sitting at her desk sneaking a peek at an entertainment magazine and drinking hot tea while she listened to hip-hop on her iPod.

I'm feeling domestic. Making dinner tonight. Want some?

Sterrin had found one of Jack's shirts. It had to be Jack's because she'd never seen denim in her brother's closet, and figured finder's keepers, right?

So when she knocked on Trevor's door it was in that shirt tied up above her navel and a pair of skinny jeans tucked into brown boots. She was in a weird mood and wanted some company for dinner.

It was dark inside, the things of doing which were busy in the sense of stuff that had to happen. Scribbling. Long hand, pen scratching on paper, scent of ink like liquor on this tongue and writing. Writing.

Writing.

Bea had checked the mail first thing this morning before going to the grocery store and found Eli's letter.

She'd read it in the parking lot of the grocery store and was ashamed to admit that she'd started crying in relief. She hadn't heard anything out of him in 3 weeks, and the first sign that he was still alive and well had brought her to tears. She read his letter several times after getting home before carefully folding it and putting it in the box that she kept all of his letters in, even the ones he'd written her before they met officially.

Sitting down, she started to write a reply.

"Bura na mano Holi hai!" That was Rahul, first thing in the morning, greeting Bethan with a mischievous smile and a pinch of bright pink powder right on the top of her head. He knew he wasn't to make a mess in the apartment, but no-one else was going to colour Bethan before he did! She blinked at him for a moment, and then remembered why she'd taken the day off - it was Holi, and she'd promised Rahul (and Chandika) that she would spend it with them.

"Happy Holi to you too, brat," she told him affectionately, planning to get her own back later. Let's see how he liked being bright yellow. . .