Morningstar Manor

On Saturday afternoon, Vine Square was busy as usual. Many people were about, among them:

• Sibyl, who was browsing the basket of bits, scraps and ends in front of the Indian shop; they always had interesting little bits that would come in useful at some stage
• Andras, who was talking to somebody on the phone, throwing around all sort of technical terms while lounging on the steps of the angel statue
• Chandika, who was trying to keep Hanu under control on his leash while at the same time trying to cheer up little Rahul by promising him ice cream; she couldn't see any, though, and started looking decidedly harried
• Ricky, who was cheerfully bopping along while making a meandering diagonal across the entire square; he was wearing big earphones labelled 'Bose' that held back his fluffy blond curls
• Cindy, who was sitting in front of the building that was up for renovation next, just looking at it
• Urquhart, who was sitting outside the Auberge watching people being busy while sipping a triple espresso.

[[OOC: Say in your tag whom you want! Open all weekend.]]

Everybody knew about taking pictures these days, or at least they thought they did.

So Andras first had to tell them what to forget, and then tell them a few basics that they took in with big eyes. 'Always photograph the whole thing, select details later' sounded painfully obvious until you saw why a car with the bottom edge of its tyre cut off was completely pointless.

Then, he told one obnoxious little know-it-all to get the hell out.

Afterwards, the rest had been docile and listened.

Now, Andras was sitting among chemicals and printed-out examples, feeling as if a tropical storm had been through.

He would revive in a minute.

This wasn't Fin's idea of a fruitful morning but he supposed that sometimes one had to support one's SO. He had no idea what was in the boxes he was loading into the elevator, just that there was a lot of them and he had to handle them with care.

He set one down and went out to the alley to get another out of the back of the car. Charlie's Kia was a godsend.

He had been perfectly right. There was a lot of paperwork but most of it seemed to have been started at least so Charlie was able to mop the remainder up in an hour and then address his most pressing other problem, which was to get in touch with those of his partners who were interested in helping with the summer classes.

Allan was no help. "Nobody under eighteen," he stated emphatically. "In fact nobody who isn't prepared to sculpt wearing a cheerleaders costume need apply. Tell 'em to bring their own pompoms."

"You're disgusting," Charlie shouted as Allan pompomed out of the room, heading for the desk and Leena. Then he settled down to email Seth and Anastasia with variations on the theme of "hey gorgeous, get your lovely body down here so we can talk about summer education *nudge nudge, wink wink*"

Actually there wasn't that much difference in the wording between them.

Fin had no particular idea of where they were going, but Andras seemed to know his way and he was happy to follow along.

It had been a while since Fin had visited the UK and, as usual, he found it amusing and exasperating and just plain damn scary. There was just too much old stuff for his peace of mind and the new stuff was mostly shoddy and unloved.

"God," Fin said, looking at the battered fascia of a florists shop, "this is a ramshackle little country. You'd never see anything that shabby looking at home."

Fin liked a quiet life but was prepared to disrupt his routines in a good cause. He made a neat line of the socks he had selected to take with him then opened another drawer and contemplated his boxers.

The Lamb was never exactly quiet but Wednesday was one of its slightly less busy nights and there were a few free tables and the dartboard was free.

Charlie came in and looked around, waved to Molly and headed for the bar. "Hello sweetheart," he said. "Happy thhhhhhinko da mayo. Guiness please. Ah - and one for my friend here. What're you having?"

"So one room ... no, en suite's essential I'm afraid. You have? Oh grand. Thank you. Yes, we'll be arriving quite late, probably, so we won't need dinner. Oh? That's good. Thanks. Right, see you then. Thanks. Goodbye."

He finished the call and put the phone on the kitchen counter and said, "Andras? Have i seasoned this gravy enough? Come and see."

Vincenzo was having a break in the conservatory, which was just as well as he was trying to deal with a call from his mother. "I know," he said. "Well, we have been telling her to look for a better job. It's not her fault it's in Chicago. No ... no, I won't tell her she can't go. Good luck to her. And it's not as though she'll be leaving before the wedding. She has insisted on being free for that. Yes, if necessary I'll take her there myself. AND check out her accommodation. Sure Mom, yes I will. Yes, bye, Mom."

He put down the phone and gave a deep sigh. Between his sister exulting because she had landed a good job in Chicago and his mother complaining because ditto life was getting overly complicated.

###

Guy had been summoned to pick up one of the tenants - Mrs Phillips, a real looker who tipped well, so he could put up with her leading comments about the length of his shifts and what he did in his spare time - but today he was a little early so he leaned against the hood of his cab and texted Sean, grinning as he got a reply.

###

Kris had laundry. Rosa had offered to do it for him but today he was in the mood for some tedious drudgery - while Gabe accepted and stowed a load of Spa supplies. Naughty, yes, but oh so satisfying.

He grinned as he ambled across the lobby on his way to wash his Egyptian cotton sheets, as yet unshared, but surely only a matter of time.

###

Nick yawned as the elevator opened into the lobby. Mrs Eddings chuckled and waved him out.

"I hope that means you've been having a good time," she said in her cracked and wheezy old lady voice.

"Oh you betcha," he lied and she went on her way happy.

Nick yawned again and headed for the basement to fetch another lock and set of keys. Second time this month Mr Paris had got locked out but why did he always have to break the door down?

Show off.

###

Charlie had dropped Nia off at day care and was now drawing in the Mocha. Vincenzo looked troubled, Guy looked cheerful, Kris looked like he was planning something and Nick - Nick looked exhausted.

Angling his pencil Charlie sketched them all into the drawing he was constructing, but tilted the page coyly whenever someone walked behind him. Gay vampire pirate cartoons weren't to everyone's taste.

Celeste walked through Morningstar's lobby and headed straight for the Mocha needing to warm herself up a little, the wind still a little too biting to be comfortable despite the sun. She was dressed in a vintage navy blue dress from the late 40s, her short jacket matching. Even her luggage matched - deep blue leather case on wheels, a smaller carry case balanced on top.

Removing her gloves and unwrapping the fur stole from around her neck, she walked up to the counter, ordering a cinnamon latte and a slice of cake. She was going to order it to go, but it had been a while since she'd people watched, after all. Sitting down in the window, she picked up a magazine, half-reading it and half-watching the inhabitants of Morningstar go about their business.

She'd been away for so long that she barely recognised the faces that passed - and after all, she hadn't spent much time in the Manor, even when she did live there full-time. Nonetheless, it was good to be back, and Celeste was hopeful that there would still be one or two familiar faces. That darling photographer, perhaps...what was his name again...Andrew? Andras, that was it.

At the appointed time Fin rapped on the door of Declan's apartment and shoved his hands in his pockets. "All set?" he said to Andras.

The photos were the important thing in this case, Fin's text merely acting as a show case for them. They would probably sell themselves.

Andras came hopping down the corridor after his phone calls, and knocked on Fin's door, which wasn't all that far from his own.

Better talk it all over while it was fresh, before considerations started piling up.

Andy silenced the TV with a contemptuous flick of her thumb on the remote, wriggled into a more comfortable position on the sofa and picked up her phone. She chose a number and let it ring.

Andras once more looked at his Macbook, to make sure that he had everything he might want to show Declan, at a moment's notice.

Then, he picked up the phone and dialled the man's number .

The rattle of keys ceased suddenly and Fin grunted. There was a silence then he said, "So who do we offer this to? News Week? Or shall we go for one of the more local rags. Or how about young Declan? Just as a change of pace from totty?"

There were several people around Vine Square going about their business this fine Saturday morning. Nobody would have thought there had been a blizzard only a week ago!

	Andras was wheeling his bike over the Square, talking into his phone as he went. "No, she won't want any fucking promotional items, you fucking moron," he growled. "She's a fucking pro and wants to use stuff she fucking knows. Where the fuck did you get my fucking phone number anyway, you fucking dick, and on a fucking Saturday morning!" He glared at his phone as he disconnected the annoying call. He'd need some coffee now!
	Charlotte was leaving the Auberge just at that moment, having paid up, carrying three dainty shopping bags that screamed of luxury, and looking airily around her. Had the air just turned a shade bluer?
	Cindy was visiting her building site, where the plasterers were putting in an extra shift so everybody could get on with things on Monday. Of course, they were being paid for it, but she still thought it great that they'd give up their Saturday instead of keeping everybody back another day. So she was bringing them several large bags full of Chinese food from those little folding boxes, fresh from a restaurant three blocks down, as a surprise lunch.
	Maude was hesitating in front of the gallery windows. She had had a call from a friend in California, who knew a friend who had a question. Pity Andy wasn't working here any more. So, Maude was pretending to look at the things in the windows while trying to determine who was there.
	Chandika was rather exhausted and made a beeline for the Auberge as well. She'd done lots and lots of Easter shopping. With a Catholic flat-mate, there was an excuse to get a good breakfast for when Bethan came from church, nice dinner, and lots of seasonal candy. You were never too old for hot chocolate with tiny yellow peeps in! But you had to find all the stuff somewhere.
	Ricky was sitting on the base of the bronze angel, smoking a roll-up. It was not discernible as anything but an ordinary roll up, but you could never tell what might be in one of Ricky's roll-ups. He wasn't quite completely happy. Something had gone wrong lately, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
	Sibyl had been browsing the disreputable antiques shop that was still sprawling through several old garages, workshops and commercial storage space in an alley off Vine Square. She was proudly carrying three late 19th century dining chair with their upholstery in an unspeakably vile state. But re-upholstering a chair was one of Sibyl's most familiar tasks; she'd find some nice fabric, pamper the wood a little, and then make them all pretty again. The substance of the chairs was completely sound, so she proudly lugged the apparent ruins across the Square.
	Urquhart was lounging on what was, temporarily, his own doorstep, sipped a coffee he'd fetched from the Auberge, and watched people. By now, he knew where he was going with this contract. Some rumours about the Manors were rather weird, though. Some were quite silly. A few were laugh-out-loud preposterous. One or two were actually worrisome.

[[OOC: Open all weekend and Monday! Say in your tag whom you want!]]

The cab was going to cost a fortune but Fin hadn't got a car and wasn't organised enough to have hired one. Brendan Miller having left for Florida was a blow but during a phone call he had promised to arrange things so Fin and Andras were expected.

"Wait here?" Fin asked the cab driver as he got out.

"It's your money," the young man said and turned off the engine and took a book from his glove box. Fin glanced at the meter and shrugged at Andras. "Okay," he said, "let's go," and he led the way towards the door of the house.

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.

Having company in his apartment was still quite a new thing for Fin but he thought he was getting the hang of it.

He passed Andras a mug and a coaster to put it on and said, "Would you like cookies to go with that?"