Morningstar Manor

Emily turned the key in the lock and opened the door to their new 7th floor apartment for the very first time. Audrey was right next to her, and the girl ran inside the moment the door was open.

"Oh my god, it's so big!" Audrey's voice echoed in the empty flat.

Emily followed in and pulled the door shut after her. Her eyes widened as she now saw all the extra square meters. She wandered around the apartment slowly, stood in the kitchen for a longer time, visited both of the two bedrooms and their own bathrooms. It was fantastic. She hadn't lived in anything so big and wonderful since she moved out of her parents' house.

"Which room do you want?" she asked Audrey, who went to examine the bedrooms to make her choice.

Emily was already placing items in the living room - TV there, couch there, book shelf on that wall. As she thought about it, she took out her cell phone from her purse, and idly searched for Gregori's number. His name and number were on the screen, but Emily's thumb lingered on the green button without pressing it.

She couldn't believe he was suddenly back in her life, and she couldn't believe she had accepted a gift so big from him. But it was for Audrey, Emily reminded herself. Perhaps she was stubborn and proud, but she wasn't ungrateful, especially as the man was going to buy Audrey new furniture as well. She sighed, and finally pressed the green button to make the call to Gregori, and walked to examine the kitchen further.

Bea and Eli had parted ways in the lobby and she'd waited until he'd got back on the elevator to sneak back out of the Manor and drive across town to Professor Wentworth's studio down by the campus. She'd confided in Mrs. Wentworth a year or so ago about a few of the problems at home, not nearly all of them but some, and after convincing Anastasia she didn't want to tell anyone else, Anastasia had told her that she was welcome to stay in her studio when things got really bad, and showed her where they key was. Bea would never steal anything, but the couch had been a very safe and comfortable haven.

Now it was the middle of the afternoon and she was sneaking back into the apartment, hoping Ray was gone. It seemed as though he was, if the eerie silence in the apartment was anything to go by.

( Read more... )

Deacon firmly believed that everything happened for a reason. Like his insane idea to take Charlie Shaw out shopping yesterday. Okay yes he'd had fun - quite a bit actually - and yes Shaw was good company and... Oh who was he kidding. He was attracted to the little Brit and that was probably a very bad idea since Shaw was one, only here temporarily and two, a victim in a case that the force was working on. Okay so it wasn't as bad as if Deacon himself had been involved in that case but still.

Generally a bad idea.

But that shopping trip had lead Deacon to learn a bit about Shaw's taste in clothes and some of the outfits he'd lost when his bag was stolen and so when Deacon happened to catch sight of a young man in Vine Square looking a bit shifty and watching a couple of women who were window shopping close and wearing a rugby jersey identical to one Shaw had said he lost - well maybe it hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

( Read more... )

Emily and Audrey had eaten Gregori's chocolates together on Wednesday evening while they had been talking. In fact, they had been talking - and arguing and crying and laughing and hugging a lot - for hours, way past both of their bed time. Audrey had taken the news well, having guessed half of it herself. She was utterly excited to have a father who was a celebrity too, and couldn't wait to meet him properly.

Emily's mind was just a little more at ease now that she had had time to think about it all. She still didn't want anything from Gregori, and she was very afraid of the potential scandal gossip in tabloids, but since Audrey was so happy and excited, she felt a little better as well. After a morning shift at work, Emily felt strange at home not needing to cook dinner. Instead, she was increasingly nervous as the time neared seven, just like Audrey was increasingly excited and hyper.

"Mom?" the girl asked when Emily came from the bathroom, dressed in a white shirt and black shorts, looking quite sharp. "Did you do your hair? Awww, you want to impress him, don't you!"

( Oh no she doesn't!!! )

It had been no trouble for him to get a new cell phone, but even Thomas Avery couldn't get new cards or a driver's licence overnight. He relied on cabs to get around until he got his licence back or a new one instead, but short distances he could walk especially when the weather was nice. He lit a cigarette as he walked by the Vine Square to the kiosk on the other side to buy smokes and the paper before heading home.

He had made a police report about the theft, but something about it didn't sit right with him. There was something about that woman that kept haunting in his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Deep in thought he walked in a dark, sharp suit, this time with another designer watch in his wrist since the Armani one was taken.

Some of the things Sean helped himself to were easy enough to dispose of. Cash for instance - he needed to eat as well. Little bits and pieces could be given to friends as gifts or swapped for a toke or even a baggie. "Uncle" was usually happy to accept bags and coats as long as nobody was about to see Sean hand them over. But credit cards, passports and other high value items were a bit more chancy for Sean to deal with himself.

Luckily he had a 'friend' and knew where to find him. ( Read more... )

If you were fast on your feet and knew your way about, the airport could be a really good place to hang out at night. Most travellers were careful of their belongings but some weren't and some, and especially the long haul passengers, were tired enough to be careless.
( Read more... )

She'd been back for some time, but Papi would only see her when he was ready and not a moment before.

Now, finally, after leaving her to sweat it out, he took a seat across the table from where she stood and she laid out her acquirements before him, like an obedient pet, eager to please. She watched him reach for the pile, his eyes darkening and swore that for a moment she could actually see the dollar signs dancing in his gaze.

Oddly, she had the most unusual feeling...something she'd say was almost like - violation - when he picked up the leather wallet and starting going through the contents. She shook herself quickly and waited.
( Spanish Heavy Conversation, Ahoy! )

"Slick?" Sibyl said, poking her head into his apartment. "You there?"

It wasn't like him to leave the door open!

Nor was it like him to leave his apartment looking like it had been burgled. CDs and DVDs strew the floor, cushions were off chairs and the large TV was a shattered ruin. If Sibyl had been sensible she might have left but from the bedroom came the faint sound of breathing, harsh and shallow.

"Oh God, Slick, what happened!" she exclaimed, stalking through the wreckage on her high heels. Normally, she'd kick off her shoes on these deep carpets, but not with all the broken pieces of glass and plastic. She pushed open the bedroom door.

( Blood and gore! )

The TV was on but neither Emily or Audrey were watching it. The 12-year-old girl was filling the washing machine in the kitchen after dinner, while her mother was starting ironing in the living room. Their apartment was one of the smallest in the Manor since Emily with her job as a cook in the low-priced and thus popular steakhouse couldn't afford much. Still, she had wanted to live in the Manor to give her only daughter the best environment to grow up that she possible could.

( A distracting TV show )

It was hot. Unbearably hot, and the thin breaths he could manage to choke down weren't of clean air. It smelled like sweat and death and something he couldn't quite place. All around him his followers were laying down and not getting back up.  He felt... Hopeless. Abandoned. This was supposed to be the rapture, and instead all of his followers,the people that had trusted him, were dead and he knew he was right behind them. They had sealed themselves in this cave days ago because that was what the angels had said to do. They were only supposed to be down here for an hour, maybe two tops, and they would be safe from the worst parts of Armageddon until the angels could come take them to Paradise. Plenty of air, food, and water for everyone.

He had been shocked when he had heard the maids gossiping about what had happened. Ms Rossi and Mr Grey weren't people he knew to speak to but they were part of the Manor village and so deserving of care and concern. Even if Mr Grey had made a spirited attempt to punch Deacon's face in that could be forgotten in the face of such a tragedy.

Maid gossip progressed to TA discussion and Charlie volunteered to do what was necessary. So as soon as he heard that Ms Rossi was out of danger and safely home again he went up to the tenth floor with a large bouquet of spring flowers and a card signed by all the available staff.

He knocked on the door tilting his head to listen for signs of occupation. Surely she wouldn't be there all alone?

Ylva couldn't have been more shocked when she had got the frantic phone call from Daphne and had spent the day at De Rossi fielding enquiries from other anxious staff members though at that point she hadn't known much more than they had.

Then had come to terrible news and Ylva had passed it on to the ones she judged really cared and made a hasty substitution in the case of one pretty girl for whom Isabella's loss was too sharp a reminder of her own a year or two before.

This afternoon she had called to check on progress and had accepted the gentle rebuff philosophically. She wasn't family so had no right to information. However, she could visit.

The waiting area outside Isabella's private room was very palatial. Ylva watched the nurse go into the room and listened to the soft voices beyond the door.

Urquhart only ever called the contact to his client, never the other way around.  He kept changing cheap disposable cards for that purpose; afterwards, he'd sell them online for a few dollars, making sure they'd get traced to all sorts of different places, if ever.

Today, he had a few reports to make, and a question or two.

Bea had arranged to pick Sean up at the Gallery, and she arrived right on time wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, a white tank top with a black matte under the bust corset, and  a pair of super awesome monster heels. This signing was a casual affair, unlike some of the conventions she would be going to, and she was grateful for that.

"Hellooo," she called pleasantly as she walked in, all smiles. It should be a fun day.

"The paparazzi is here. Of course. I guess bottom feeders don't have time to celebrate holidays," Olivia sighed from where she sat next to Robbie in the back of the car her father had sent to collect them from the airport. She was wearing a casual but pretty dress and she hoped it'd be enough to satisfy her mother. Wasn't like Easter dinner was a black tie affair or anything.

The driver stopped to get buzzed through the security gate and they started up the long and winding drive toward the brick home that Olivia had grown up in. "This is home," she said to Robbie and lay her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for coming with me."

Olivia walked toward her brother's private room in St. Martin's Hospital a little slower than usual. She'd been going non stop since the accident on little to no sleep, and she was beat. It didn't stop her from checking on him, and bringing his boyfriend Landon some soup to give him a break from the horrible hospital food. Billy was sleeping mostly. They were keeping him doped up for the pain and to give him a chance to heal, so Landon seemed to appreciate the company too.

She was surprised when she walked in the door to find her father sitting beside Billy's bed with his head in his hands instead of Landon. She bit her lip and almost turned around and walked back out when her father lifted his hand and gestured her in.

It was lunch time at the hospital when Jazz arrived, the serving carts moving slowly up and down the hall as she passed by on her way to Tom's room. A thick, over-done scent washed over her and she imagined lumps of misshaped meat in puddles of greasy gravy.

Grimacing, she reached her destination just in time to see a nurse set similarly scented tray down in front of Tom.

Seeing Tom's face she wondered if there was a way to avoid the incoming firworks and save the nurse, or if she should just sit back and enjoy the show.