Morningstar Manor

Joe had been trying to ignore it for awhile now, but it was getting worse every day. The heat inside him climbed as it did across the City outside. It hounded him as he spent more and more time alone.

He tried to read Adam's letter, telling himself it would help, but the words ran together, senseless. Dinner he ignored, he wasn't hungry. He tried to work on a model, but his hands shook.

He paced his living room for awhile, then decided he needed to get out, he didn't trust himself.

There was something of a breeze on the rooftop. It helped.

He paced around the garden, a nearby plant withering and curling in on itself as he passed.

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.

True to his word Adam found himself by the phones on Friday, dialing Joe's number. With any luck Joe had been true to his word and rounded up Icene as well.

He was looking forward to talking to both of them.

A distant ringing came through the line and Adam started tapping his phone card on the table, waiting a might impatiently for someone to pick up.

New stock day at Micheal's Bros. and Jazz was carefully overseeing the setup of a small collection of pieces from a little known designer into the main display case and trying to ignore the way one delicate, multi-stranded necklace seemed to call her name.

~.~

Today was scheduled to be a long, full day of court testimony, but for the moment things were in recess and Joe was sitting at the little coffee shop in Vine Square, enjoying a cup of dark coffee and an egg salad sandwich. A neatly folded newspaper, open to the crossword, was beside him, but he was looking out across the square. People watching.

~.~

Riley had gotten a surprise at work today. Today marked the second time he'd been included on the cover of Soap Opera Digest. Now he sat in the Mocha, flipping through the mini-magazine, trying to figure out he couldn't have known about this.

~.~

For Alec, today was pretty much like any other and per his usual, he was out in the gardens. Stretched out in the prickly grass he was keeping a watchful eye on Gavin and Faith as they played together. Gavin crawled around and over the golden canine, laughing like mad, while Faith twisted her head around, trying to lick his ears.


OOC: I've got a job interview to get ready for, and to go to, so I'll probably be slow to respond, but by all means, leave me something good. ;) I'll reply as soon as I'm able.

Just after eleven p.m. so, if his math was correct, it would be just after four p.m. back in the States. Seemed a good a time as any to Adam.

Turning his phone card over and over in his fingers he made his way from his tent to the phone bank and chose a setup a little ways away from the captain talking animatedly to what Adam assumed was a small child.

He punched in the obscenely long numbers and leaned back in the chair, waiting for someone to pick up.

( Read more... )

Nia was having a brilliant time in a sand pit with three other kids about the same age and once Charlie had finished chatting to their moms [and establishing that he was quite harmless and not some kind of pervert] he sat back on the bench and enjoyed the sun.

But he could never be still for long and took his old day book from his pocket and began to make party plans for Deacon's birthday.

Funnily enough Adam hadn't put his return address in his letter to Icene, she guessed it was his way of making sure she checked in on Joe. So here she was, Sunday afternoon, with a large box under one arm, and a smaller box under the other. She managed to get to the bell though, rather than kicking on the door. It seemed only polite really. Mind you, the boxes were a little unwieldy, "Joe? You in there? I'm a bit stuck!"

Dear god she hoped he was home.

Of course he was home, where else would he be? In fact, he was in his office, working on his reply letter to Adam. At the knock he lifted his head and removed his glasses, but it wasn't until he heard the muffled shout that he stood and moved through the apartment to open the front door.

"Icene," he looked a little surprised to see her, but he stepped back to give her room to enter. "Come in, come in."
( Read more... )

Icene didn't answer when Joe knocked, and he figured she was still at work. He considered holding onto her letter from Adam until he saw her in person, but then decided that if Icene found out Eris had gotten her letter first she'd probably be upset.

So he slipped it under her door instead.

( Read more... )

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.

It was late. Technically Joe had been free to go home awhile ago, but he'd stayed.

He'd remained holed up in his office, doing paperwork that could have easily waited until tomorrow, making a few phone calls over to the lab, and generally doing whatever he had to to keep from sitting still and idle.

But he was in the kitchen now, rummaging in the fridge, driven at last from his office by rumblings of hunger. Dinner for the few on the night shift had been hours ago, but there was always left overs.

Adam hadn't needed an alarm, he'd laid awake most of the night, unable to sleep. Finally, when he couldn't linger any longer he slipped quietly from the bed and silently got dressed. Putting on his travel uniform, in all its stiff khaki glory, didn't fill him with the same sense of pride that it usually did.

He felt...empty. And kind of tired.

From the corner of the room, where he'd banished it Saturday night, Adam picked up his bag, draping the heavy canvas strap over one shoulder.

He looked back at the bed, at the mop of pale hair just sticking out from the under the covers. He watched her as long as he dared, knowing it would have to last him the next four months, then he shifted the bag slightly and left quickly, not trusting himself to linger any longer.

In the Lobby, Joe was waiting, sipping a cup of coffee, and holding another for Adam. They stood together for little while in silence, drinking and avoiding conversation. Then Adam pulled an envelope out of his pocket and passed it to his brother. Knowing what it was for, Joe slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket. Then he nodded toward the garage.

"Ready?" Joe sounded tired too.

"No," Adam replied, but he started walking anyway.

The apartment a chaos and the fridge empty, Laura decided to comb her hair, pull black boots on the grey skinny jeans she had on and a black leather jacket on the white blouse. She had noticed some sort of a coffee shop down stairs by the lobby earlier, so she grabbed her wallet and left in the hopes of a big sandwhich.

She took the elevator down and strutted through the lobby to the Mocha with characteristic determination - even though she was in a new place and barely knew where she was going, she had a sharp look in her blue eyes and a confident posture.

Celebrations were called for, and nothing said "celebrate" to Jazz like putting on her favorite bikini, fetching a couple of cold beers from the fridge and heading up to the poolhouse for some good ol' quality time with the hot tub.

The heated water felt good on her outsides while the cold beer felt great on her insides.

Who could ask for more?

~.~

Adam had been in the middle of a last minute BBQ planning session with Joe in the Mocha when his cell phone had started ringing. Now, some twenty minutes later, he was sitting at a table by himself, head propped up in his palm, ear pressed to the phone as he nodded and listened.

"Yes, Mom, I promise. I've already taken the time off." Pause. "I don't know, sometime in the morning probably."

Meanwhile, Joe waited in the queue. He'd tried to wait out the call, but he'd finished his coffee. Now he wanted more, and maybe a muffin too...one of the ones with the crumbly bits on top. Yeah, that sounded good.

His stomach gurgled, apparently agreeing.

Maybe he'd get two.

The Reyes-Brooks clan settled in at the massive table at apartment 8160-after they'd pried Emma off her books-to a hearty meal containing all the favorites. Per usual, Ang had gone overboard with the cooking, but after Gavin mashed several fist fulls of mashed potatoes into his hair it was agreed that all the extra effort had probably been a good idea.

~.~

After spending the morning working a shift that served the dual purpose of keeping her abreast of the news regarding the Mr. Michaels situation and keeping her out of her apartment while Jane would be cleaning, Jazz came home to her empty apartment with a bag of takeout and curled up on her couch. With the TV on, filling the quiet spaces with noise, she could almost believe she wasn't feeling particularly lonely.

~.~

He called his mother like always, listening like the good son while she gushed over the flowers that had he had had sent to her. But in the back of his mind, while he packed for the trip he'd be leaving for the very next morning, Adam was thinking about the other women in his life and how boring things were without them around. And how very much he was going to miss them when he left.

~.~

Absorbed with a new pet project, building a model replica of the U.S.S Constitution (a Christmas gift from Adam) Joe didn't stop to think about even everyday trivial things such as eating, let alone to stop to consider what significance this one particular Sunday might have.



(OOC: Meanwhile Mun is enjoying good food with great family and hoping Easter-or just Sunday for those who don't celebrate :)-is finding you just as well!)

Taking a long lunch Joe was at Michaels Bros worrying, as was his nature, over pants. He needed a new pair, or two, all the ones he had at home (including the ones he had on) were growing rather loose around the middle. Not that he wasn't eating, he was. He just wasn't eating the three square meals Lil had always insisted on. Without her, without even the fear of her, he just didn't see the point.

He was searching the racks, looking a pair of jeans suitable to his needs, but he was having a hard time of it. There just didn't seem to be any plain "jeans." They were all bootcut, or wide leg, or...flare.

It was distressing.




AN's:Crikey! It's the rarest of beasts: the lone Joseph McClaren. Get him before this shy creature disappears back down his hole. XD

Just before seven the birthday girl herself opened her apartment door and put up a sign on it saying,

Welcome!
but watch out for the cat

and a silly childish drawing of a cat on the side.

That was the last thing on the to-do list - everything was ready now for the party. The apartment was mostly lit with lots of candles in colorful small lanterns, there was a music mix with a big variety playing on the backround, and a separate cook in the kitchen. Yes - today Emily was dressed up properly to celebrate the big 30, and young Lucas also from La Fee with his tattooed arms and black clothes and an angry brow was taking care of the catering. He had done a spledid job - though it was no brainer that Emily had obviously helped and bossed the poor boy around. Like promised in the invitation, there was food enough to make a full four-course menu dinner for the guests, but served in a buffet in the kitchen.

More than that, there was also drinks. Emily kept an eye on the 19-year-old cook since the wines were stored in the kitchen - especially when his uncle was working and not attending the party, she needed to keep the young man in check.

When the first knock on the door sounded, Emily in her skirt and stylish blouse went to open it and welcomed her friends in.

[[OOC: Party post! Everyone welcome who thinks they should be here - Emily sent out the invites rather generously, so pop in if you feel like it. Mingle!]]

Joe had already been waiting in the Mocha for a quarter of an hour when Adam finally turned up, grimacing and rubbing his shoulder ruefully as he plopped himself into the chair opposite his brother.

"How'd it go?" the elder asked without looking up from his crossword.

Adam wrenched off his over-shirt and pulled up the sleeve of his t-shirt so he could look down at his irksome shoulder. "I feel like a pincushion." He turned his arm toward Joe. "Does it look like it's bruising to you?"

Joe looked up, leveling a flat stare at Adam over the rim of his glasses.

"What?" Adam asked pointedly. "It hurts."

Erin was just getting back to Morningstar. She'd gone out to a couple places and decided to call it a night when she found herself alone at the Cellar. As she stood between the front doors, the security desk and the Mocha, debating on just where to go, she tugged her socks back up over her knee to shorten the gap of skin before her skirt started. No, it hadn't been the perfect night for short skirts and high heels, but she'd managed.

Deciding to grab a coffee before heading up, she started to make her way over to the Mocha.

In the evening, there was a ghost in the conservatory, in a corner behind tall ferns, playing with a deck of tarot cards.

"We totally don't need any more tall dark strangers here!" he murmured, turning around the next card.

He had got much better at manipulating physical matter since last year. If your mind ran that way, you might even not notice that he was a ghost.-


[[OOC: New Year Tarot Post, open to all and sundry -- see last year's post that I linked above! Open until it scrolls off your flist!]]

The maid was in the apartment again, so Joe stayed decided out.

He killed time in the Mocha, a cup of coffee cold and forgotten in favor of the newspaper crossword he was peering at through the glasses perched low on his nose. He tapped the pencil he was using against the table thoughtfully, started to write something in...then thought better of it and started erasing.

~.~

Ah...the holidays. Fast approaching and as of yet she had no plans.

Time to rectify that.

Sitting by the fireplace in the Mocha Jazz flipped through a dozen take-out menus, trying to decide what she wanted this Thanksgiving. Vietnamism sounded good, but Thai was also tempting.

Decisions, decisions.