Morningstar Manor

Last night had been active and very satisfactory and luckily Del didn't have anywhere to be first thing. But after a leisurely waking, a shower, breakfast, he decided he didn't want to be in so went to knock some balls around.

He wasn't a very good player but liked the sound the ball, well hit, made when it went into a pocket. That alone made the activity worth doing.

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.

At the security desk in the foyer they had looked him over then directed him to the right floor. It hadn't been hard to find the De Rossi offices. As he had stepped out of the elevator two stunning girls had left an office some way along the hallway and headed towards him. All three exchanged smiles as they passed and sure enough there was the sign on the door. He paused outside, running a hand over his hair and straightening his open collar. Semi-formal had seemed best so he was wearing a soft dark red shirt under well-cut charcoal grey Italian suiting.

He didn't knock, assuming he'd be entering another reception area and sure enough there was a desk and a handsome older woman looking him over.

"Hi," he said with a smile. "I'm Del Avilar. Ms Rossi asked me to come today but we didn't set a time."

One very simple folded cardboard box tied with gold string and containing a round dozen of glace morello cherries stuffed with bourbon truffle and dipped in good quality milk chocolate.

With them a note:

I won't forget to call.

Isabella Rossi walked into the Mocha like she'd been doing it every day for her entire life, even though she'd just moved into the Manor that morning. She had a meeting to get to later concerning her new office building, and unlike most people, coffee settled her instead of winding her up.
She was wearing a black and white pinstriped corset with a short sleeved white cashmere half sweater over it, a knee-length tight black pencil skirt, and 4" black stillettos. Her make up was artful yet understated, and her long, glossy brown curls hung past the middle of her back. Appearances were important, that she knew, so she worked hard at looking sexy yet classy, and never appearing nervous or uncertain...
Even though that's exactly how she felt in this new place overflowing with strangers.

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.

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.

Near dusk, two ghosts were drifting around the basement, looking or unsuspecting folk that they might chat up, scare, or both; in the laundry room, garage, games room, or gym.

Or maybe even in the dank back passages?

Eris was out again - Del had stopped by on his way home and there had been no reply but that was okay because he had some work to do anyway.

Odd how he couldn't really concentrate.

In the end he gave up and turned on the tv and tuned out of the everlasting bloody Olympics and into the History Channel.

He couldn't concentrate on that either.

There had been a package waiting for him when he got home from work.

Old photographs of the City - taken for the Chronicle in the seventies by Daniel Bernouli. He had donated the whole archive of negatives to the Ashford Museum and at the time had said he had a bunch of copies somewhere. Bernouli had been as good as his word and the thick envelope had been in the mailroom - delivered by hand too.

Del should have hung onto them to look at home but couldn't resist slipping the glossy six by fours from the envelope.

"Wow," he said at the first one, a moody black and white shot of the sunset over Riverwalk Park, and he sat in one of the big chairs to spread the pictures out on the table, after checking that it was clean.

After a long night hunting pigeons, Palug tucked himself away on the cool leaf mould under a shrub and had a nice long sleep - though he kept an ear open for dogs to torture and, as always, was prepared to move for the faintest waft of tuna.

With the building so hot he had no plans to move any time soon.

~~~

Nick had worked in the sub-basement earlier, which was at least cool, then came up to join Phil in struggling with the aircon system. After trying everything they could think of they gave up for the time being and Nick went into the garden and rigged up a couple of sprinklers to throw a high fine arc of cool water across the lawns. Then he found a vantage point to sit and smile and watch the kids race in and out of it.

~~~

Vincenzo slept the day away, nude on top of the sheets with a newly aquired fan running. He would awake sweat-soaked and with a ferocious headache so had put a jug of water and a pack of Advil at his bedside. It paid to be prepared.

~~~

Andy was at work in one of her more summery frocks and taking full benefit from the air con in the gallery. In fact she was slightly chilly and contemplated going across to the Bazaar at lunchtime to buy one of the little crochetted tie-dyed shrugs they sold there.

~~~

Leo was also at work and after a stifling night spent in a good deal of discomfort, had decided to drive out of the City and spend the night at a hotel somewhere. He had no ties, no commitments and nobody to answer to - very liberating.

~~~

The conservation lab at the museum was blessedly cool and quiet and Del was grateful for that, although in other respects he was far from all right. There was something up with Eris and he wasn't sure what. He didn't think he'd done anything to annoy her - any playing around he had done had been strictly off Manor grounds and while he had tried her door when he had got home last night, he was fairly certain he hadn't disturbed her or whoever she was entertaining - but there was definitely something.

Problem was there didn't seem to be anyone to ask.

~~~

Apartment 9163 was as hot as anywhere else, especially since one of the tenants had taken to wearing as little as possible. Charlie was dealing with the heat in his own way - by keeping his mind off being hot and on keeping Deacon cool.

This was good fun and involved a considerable amount of stealth and a plant mister.

Deacon was being very good-natured about it.

###

Up on the 14th floor, with the temperature rising, Jon Vision smiled and basked in the heat.

It reminded him of home - all they needed was a little whiff of brimstone.

Home for lunch, Adam was holed up at table, a mostly ignored cup of coffee and sandwich in front of him while he struggled with a notion that refused to drift quietly into the back of his mind.

Up in the queue was some pretty thing, at which he had happened a quick glance. And now he was regretting it. She was wearing some sort of backless number, which meant she obviously wasn't wearing a bra and once a piece of information like that got into your head....He shook his head experimentally, and fixed his eyes on his plate like a good boy.

~.~

Aware of what she was doing, but pretending not to be, Jazz casually paid for her coffee, slipped a pair of sunglass onto her face, and drifted out into the gardens.

Then, and only then, did she smirk. It was always nice to be reminded that you attractive.

Humming some soft tune she headed down the path, figuring a walk in the warm sunshine was most definitely called for.

Hey, so many pretty girls!

Summer was the best season for them. Laughing and swinging their hips and their hair, talking into their little pink phones, running over the Square towards a friend, giggling, telling her what's so cool now.

Ricky sat on the base of the angel and just watched the scenery.-

Emily had woken up disgustingly early in the morning only to realize that she had already packed her coffee machine and right about everything else as well the night before. This was going to be a bad, bad day, she had thought, and had been somewhat right.

The studly men from the moving company had rang her door bell when she had been in her underwear brushing her teeth. Oh the joy of trying get pants on while running accross the apartment to open the door... Well, luckily the men had known exactly what they were doing and the whole place had been emptied into the trucks in two hours. Emily had arranged it so that everything was moved on the same day, at the same time, since driving back and forth between two different cities sounded like a big waste of time to her.

The last thing that they had loaded into one of the trucks was her red, Italian Vespa scooter. Emily had been grinding her teeth in fear for her (of course a Vespa is a she) new coat of red shiny paint getting scratched in the moving truck even though the scooter had been attached and set in place firmly.

In the late afternoon she was already standing in her new apartment in the Morningstar Mansion and keeping an eye on the men carrying her belongings in. Her double bed, her yellow sofa and armchairs, her flatscreen TV, her green plants and herbs, her dish sets, her round kitchen table... Everything was still in one piece, even though they all looked so insignificant there. The apartment was bigger than she had expected - it had two bedrooms, so one of them was now completely empty; the kitchen was quite new and very well equipped, leaving only a couple of things to wish for for a restaurant chef; the living room was indeed roomy and her small sofa set looked rather lonely in the middle of it. Maybe she was not used to the place yet, but she decided that she needed to go shopping for some new pieces of furniture.

The apartment was still in the state of utter chaos in the evening after the men from the moving company had left. Emily stood in the middle of the big kitchen and stared at the endless boxes waiting to be unpacked and dealt with - the apartmet mostly consisted of furniture in the wrong places and wrong rooms and wrong angles, and boxes filled with everything else she owned.

At that moment she realized as an excuse to avoid the unpacking hell that she had not really eaten anything all day, so the dark-haired young woman grabbed her brown leather jacket, stuffed her keys and cellphone into its pockets, and left.

She pressed the door of the room 7134 in the seventh floor shut, and stopped in the hallway thinking of where to go in the strange building in the strange city.

Spencer had come home from work earlier than usual, somewhat grumpy. It was all very well for his staff to want to book holidays, but he seemed to have two Deputy Managers who wanted the same two weeks off as each other. Not good. He'd asked both if they'd booked and finalised, and both had said yes, so it looked as though Spencer wouldn't be leaving the shop for a good fortnight towards the end of July. Equally not good. He did however have two very happy staff which was good, and both owed him a large sized favour.

For now though, he was working off some of the grumpiness with a set of laps in a fast crawl. It was helping, sort of. He paused at one end after ten straight laps, his second set in fact, and looked round. Was that someone on one of the loungers? He shifted slightly to get a better look...

Del came home from work and entered the mailroom. He opened his mailbox and took out his mail and grinned to see the professional journal he had been waiting for. He tucked his letters into a pocket but ripped off the cellophane wrapper of the journal, binned it and opened the journal, folding the pages back, and walked through to the Mocha, reading the editorial.

He got into the line, still reading, and moved along quietly, turning a page every so often.

"Hey babes, have you seen those posters for - um - Arcane. The girls in the Mocha tell me it's some of the Manor guys. Do you want to go and see them?" *laughs* "We could take your car. Let me know, huh?"

Icene was aware that this interview was about as far from the event as she could afford to leave it. Already impressions and memories would probably be fading, and at best she could hope to corroborate the physical evidence they had, and maybe improve the storyline of the event.

It was an office day for her, she'd been in court this morning and now leaned back in her chair, the green silk shirt tucked neatly into charcoal grey pants, her hair held out of her way by pulling part of it back into a clip, although the rest hung loose down her back. Under her desk, black heeled pumps sat neatly to one side, and stockinged feet kneaded the carpet gently.

She looked up as one of her team knocked a little timidly on her door, and announced the arrival of her two witnesses. Almost immediately her feet went back into her shoes, and she suppressed a sigh as she stood up, a slight smile on her face. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming in to see me today, I hope it wasn't too inconvenient for you?"

Once the taxi had dropped him off, Del went straight to his apartment and tried to settle down to some reading. He was hungry - neither he nor Larry had felt like eating once they got back to Ferry Street and he could see that Anna needed to have her husband to herself, so he called a cab. He had intended to cook for himself - there was pizza, or bacon - but he still felt uneasy in his stomach.

Coffee.

He couldn't bear to sip it.

So he went out for a walk and soon found himself on one particular floor outside one particular door and sighed, recognising that this - she - was what he needed.

He knocked on the door and prayed she would be in.