Morningstar Manor

Declan knocked on the door of apartment 233, dressed in a charcoal grey dress shirt that fit him like a second skin and was unbuttoned halfway down his chest and a pair of darker grey slacks with black boots. There was a line of stubble on his jaw, and a bulge in the front pocket of his shirt from his cigarettes. With no hesitation, he knocked.

Declan stood alone in the gardens, a cigarette held between his index and middle fingers, looking over his new home. His tight charcoal grey button up shirt was unbuttoned a few buttons down his chest with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his black slacks were perfectly tailored. He gave everyone that walked by a slow once over, especially the women, mostly out of a vast appreciation for the female form but partially also due to his desire to find his next model of the month, a regular feature in his magazine Smashing. 
Anyone that caught him looking or gave a look back he gave a megawatt smile, all charm.

Joe's routine normally kept him to himself to begin with: work, home, work, home...with the occasional detour into the Mocha or similar. But now he avoided even that. It had been a close call up on the roof and while the doctor, Laura, had finally backed off, he didn't for an instant think that she'd forgotten about their encounter.

The only thing that kept him from bustling quickly through the Lobby to the relative safety of the elevator was the knowledge that he hadn't gotten his mail in three days. That, in itself could be problematic if he didn't keep on top of it.

He detoured into the mailroom, which was mercifully empty, and opened up his box, catching the cache of mail that tumbled out as he did so. He turned to the counter to start sorting, determined to keep things short.

Bill, bill, oh, the new Popular Mechanics, a flyer for square dancing lessons - what the....

Del was up early for once, bright eyed and bushy-tailed and amusing himself with the crossword in the local paper. He took a sip of coffee, gave Joy a blinding smile as she voluntarily refilled it and tried his best to ignore the amused look of the man two tables along.

Leo Beck scribbled on his feint ruled paper, half an eye on the time and half the other one on the man sitting near young Mr Avilar. For some reason he made him feel slightly edgy.

Palug hid in a dark corner behind a potted plant and growled softly - the sing-song snarl of a cat that's very very scared and trying not to show it. At no time did he take his eyes of the man and every time he moved the growl grew a little louder.

Fin Welch had started off in the Mocha but someone had brushed past him and he had started feeling the first gasping breathlessness of a full blown panic attack. Now he sat in the conservatory close to an open doorway and tried to get his breathing back under control.

Mr Vision sat with his coffee and his cigar, perfectly well aware of what was going on around him and thoroughly enjoying it.

She'd felt the remains of it when she'd gotten home last night. The heat, the fire. With Adam gone there was only one person it would come from and she sighed. How many times did she have to tell him he needed to let it out from time to time before it forced him to?

Still, she'd waited until tonight to pick up her phone and send him a text message.

You alright? I felt it.

Another fat, brown package envelope came for Joe. After opening it and reading the short note inside, he separated the contents and made sure they got where they were supposed to go.

At the front desk he left:

( Eris )

( Icene )

Because of neither of them would fit under their respective doors.

Luckily he didn't have to worry about that with his own letter and he merely slipped that into his pocket to enjoy after dinner.

Mornings in the Mocha were always busy times and today was no exception. There were several familiar faces:

Demitri sat at a table, dressed to head to the studio, and sipped his coffee while he played himself in chess once again.

Erik sat drinking tea, or what passed for it in the Mocha, and browsing the newspaper.

Max and Micah - both dressed in smartly - occupied another table. Max was looking through the business section and Micah was simply watching the people come and go.

Gabe was seated at the couch, going through a list of things they needed to order for the spa in New York.

Zack was sprawled in an arm chair - literally. He leaned back against one arm and his legs dangled over the other as he sketched out what appeared to be the beginnings of an ad, feet kicking gently to the music coming from the earphones in his ears.

Eris stood in line for the counter, dressed in a short red sundress, and looking rather bored.

Yes the gossip was flowing this morning. Especially in the Mocha.

Eris had overheard Joy on the phone while she'd been at the counter getting her coffee. She'd stared at Joy for a moment then burst out laughing as she took her cup and headed for a couch.

***

Demitri did his best to ignore the gossip, because really he didn't care who was screwing who. So he tuned out Joy's babbling and just got his coffee and muffin and found a table.

***

Jack, of course, had to listen to the whole story when he came for his morning fix. Joy wanted reassurance that he'd never do a think like that - to which Jack obligingly told her of course not before getting his coffee and going to sit with Demitri.

She had felt the need to go on the prowl. Quite often she invited Del to come along on those nights but she hadn't been able to find him so assumed he'd been 'working'. It still made her chuckle.

But not having a date didn't stop her. She slipped into a red dress and strappy heels, hair left loose and flowing in thick waves down her back.

There were no shortages of drinks offered or partners to dance with and as the music played Eris danced in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by men (and women) who wanted to join her but at the moment didn't dare. There was something about her that said clearly you didn't approach until she deemed you worthy. The song fit well - So Hot.

Yes she was. The question was who could handle it.

She'd been hiding for the better part of a week. Ever since the last time she'd seen Adam. Yes they'd gone out like he'd wanted and she'd played the part of friend, she hoped, well enough. But now he was gone and the hurt that last conversation by the pool had uncovered still burned inside her. It probably wasn't a good idea to have come back to that same spot but it was the first place she'd found unoccupied and so here she was, in shorts and a tank top and sunglasses, sitting on a lounger and fuming.

She really should have known better. Admitting you loved someone would always ended with them leaving you. Always. Lilith had done it. Lilith who had been her constant companion no matter what for so long. Gone. There was someone else too - someone who was just a shadow of a memory but always seemed to enter her mind when she spotted the handyman, Nick, around the Manor. All she clearly remembered of that shadowy man was he'd left. And now Adam, the one person that really truly understood her completely. Understood the urges and the trials that came with the fire. Someone who knew, who she'd opened up to, had come the closest to ever trying to curb her other urges and be in a 'normal relationship' for. Someone she'd said she loved - but that hadn't been enough. But then was love ever enough? No. It just made you weak, set you up for heartache.

But Del loves you. Del went to your father to be the kind of man you needed, so you wouldn't have to hold back. Del doesn't try to change you.

Eris frowned at that little voice inside her head and held tight to her anger and uncertainty and self doubt - and yes the fear that something would happen to Adam while he was gone. None of these feelings she was used to and she never had handled them well and that fact was obvious by the violently boiling pool in front of her, the superheated shimmering air around her. The fact the Manor wasn't on fire itself was probably only due to the fact that she knew there'd be hell to pay, literally, if she let go that much.

It was a dangerous situation should anyone decide to pay the pool a visit.

Adam had taken this, his last week at home, off. He intended on filling every day with all the things he loved so the experiences would be fresh in his memory as he went overseas and signed his life away to the military for four months.

Today he was up in the poolhouse, snoozing in the sun, lulled to sleep by the gentle lapping of the water and humming of the filters.

Again the weather was such that Eris decided to spend an afternoon up at the pool. The red bikini looked bright against her golden tan and she had swam for a bit and now was stretched out on a lounger letting the sun slowly dry the droplets of water on her skin.

Coffee and a bagel. It may have looked like an afternoon snack but this was actually breakfast.

Del turned the page of his book and took another bite of bagel.

Adam had spent most of his working day today in briefing.

A long winded spiel about having all your ducks in a row and assuring the trustworthiness of those you were going to be leaving behind and in charge of the day-to-day affairs of your life. It had been boring, yes, but had reminded Adam that no, his ducks were in fact not all in a row. He still, in fact, had several important things to do.

Which was why as he crossed the Lobby this evening he was talking aloud to himself, mumbling a to-do list over and over in an effort to keep from forgetting before he could get upstairs and do something about it.

Number one on his list?

"Talk to the TA," he mumbled as he paused in front of the elevator and pushed the UP button.

It was her usual haunt during the summer and today was no exception. Dressed in her signature blood red and very small bikini Eris floated on an inflatable in the middle of the pool. It was good to be home.

A vacation had been just what they'd needed. They'd gone to the Caribbean and raised hell, moved on to Europe for a bit and raised hell there as well. And with Del pretty much fire-proof now (though Eris didn't like the way he'd managed that) it had been one hell of a time for sure.

But, as usual, Eris had eventually felt drawn home and it was about mid morning when a large black limo pulled up out front. Del emerged first, looking tanner than ever and delicious as always and Eris stepped out after him. They were both dressed comfortably for traveling but that didn't stop them from turning heads. The limo driver unloaded their bags and carried them into the lobby then took his leave and Eris strode towards the security desk.

"Hey, Frank," she said. "Call someone down to get our things will you?"

Frank nodded, inwardly dreading the fact that she was back but made the call.

Eris went back to Del while they waited.

"Home sweet home," she said with a smile.

Jason, wrapped up in the warm coats that were a part of the security uniform, walked the garden and used the time outside to have a cigarette. He'd been very busy and when he wasn't working he'd begun going back to his old ways - staying home or maybe going to the Slaughtered Lamb or O'Malley's for a beer. There was a comfort in that - in not being responsible to anyone but himself and his job - and it made Jason realise that much though he like Jazz and enjoyed their time together right now, he needed this more. Time to get used to just being himself again. He hadn't really done that after Adrian left.

Of course he had to figure out how to tell Jazz that but the fact he'd sort of stopped calling probably said something. Yeah he was a bastard, he knew it.

Blowing out a stream of smoke slowly he kept walking.

*******

Loki was in the Mocha, frowning into a cup of coffee. He and Arawn - Aaron, whatever - had discussed it over and over. And damnit if the man hadn't had a convincing reason every time. He and the hounds had already left even, only Loki stayed - trying to ignore the call home.

But he couldn't ignore it for long. Sooner or later he'd have to answer. He'd have to go.

*******

Eris was on the roof, relaxing in the hot tub and staring up at the glass roof of the pool house. It was to warm inside for snow to stick to the glass and so the sky above - looking like a lumpy cotton blanket - was easy to see. She was growing weary of the dreariness of the City in winter, tired of staying in one place. What was holding her here anyway? Certainly not Lilith, who she never saw. Not even her son, her father had done a good job of keeping him out of sight and out of mind.

Granted there were two she cared about. Two men who she didn't really want to leave. One - well she'd lost him already, really. But the other - maybe he might like a change of scenery too.

As he'd be leaving to spend the holiday with his folks that evening, Adam stopped before work and left his Christmas presents outside their respective doors.

( Icene )

( Emily )

( Eris )

Jazz had always been a wee bit claustrophobic. It wasn't something she broadcast, or overly noticeable. She had room to breathe and move around, come and go as she pleased and that was enough to keep her happy.

But now...even though the whole of the Manor-or at least most of it-was still open to her the knowledge that she couldn't leave, that she was stuck by the will of someone or something else ate away at her. The steady pressure left her feeling jittery and tense, and fast becoming neurotic.

She paced around the lobby in ever tightening circles, staring at the floor, mumbling to herself-respire, idiota, respire-and desperately fighting the urge to clamp her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out the voices she heard whispering in the back of her mind.

~.~

Alec hadn't been so sure about Amos at first, wasn't comfortable with the idea of him staying with Emma, but given their current circumstances he was glad now that the boy had been here. There was someone now to stay with the ladies while he went down to the Mocha for a refill on coffee-the Reyes resident was now officially cleaned out-and an update on the latest news.

~.~

Surprisingly, Adam wasn't fairing too bad under house arrest. Sure the demons were a right pain in the ass, but between him and Icene they managed to keep things under control. In fact, he had yet to even see any today. Maybe the little bastards were finally getting bored.

Emboldened by the lack of nefarious events today he felt safe in checking around the Manor for Eris. He hadn't seen her since the lockdown started and he was concerned. Hopefully, she'd gone away for the holiday and was happily sunning herself on a beach somewhere, blissfully unaware of the events taking place...but if she wasn't, he wanted to make sure she was alright.

After midnight on Saturday Emily finally came out from the small locker room in the backrooms of La Fee Verte, only to meet Thomas Avery on his way out, dangling his car keys from his fingers.

"Look at you," he scoffed. "You look like a cowgirl straight from a farm in Texas. Jesus."

"Yeehaw," Emily answered dryly and stroke her two pigtail braids. "Does it matter what I look like in the kitchen?"

"Darling, where ever you are, you should never look like a cowgirl," Thomas adviced but paused to think. "Unless of course you are 19, and actually a cowgirl. Wearing denim hotpants and boots, and a nice tan. Preferrably nothing else."

Emily stared at him. He shrugged.

"I'll just ignore that. Now, before I go home, I've got some planning to do with Scott, so see you tomorrow," Emily said, and Thomas could not have been happier to leave the cowgirl with no style.

He left the restaurant and as he drove off with his Bentley he pondered where to drop in for a drink. The Flamingo Lounge? The Empress restaurant? Or maybe the Lost and Found?

The upstairs of Lost and Found would do for tonight as he was feeling a little restless anyway. It was not even far away, so he soon parked the shimmering bronze vehicle and made his way to the bar, making a smooth entry in his trendy silver suit.

He looked around appraisingly at the other customers, wondering if the clientele was worthy of his precense for more than one drink. That one drink he would at least get, so he walked up to the counter. He got the bartender's attention immediately, and he ordered a gin tonic flashing a VIP card with his credit card.