Morningstar Manor

Tristan and Anastasia hadn't been back to the Manor all weekend. The night at the cabin was something he'd needed and then they'd come here, to her studio. Now there were drop cloths over everything in the middle of the room. He was wearing a pair of almost new dark blue jeans and his skanks shirt that she'd given him. He was barefoot and had a paint roller in his hand. Paint splattered his clothes and toes and he couldn't be happier.

Tristan was driving. He didn't know the absolute destination, but he was following Anastasia's directions the best he could. It probably didn't help that he was distracted. His mind kept putting scene after scene in his head about what she had planned and nearly every single one made him grin like a fool. Then again, that could be because most of his imagination was trying to picture her entirely naked...

When she pointed to a turn he nodded but didn't slow down much. Instead he flipped up his emergency brake and slid around the corner. He laughed as control of the car resumed to a fairly normal driving behavior and they drove down a tree lined roadway. "Seriously Shug,what're you gonna do out here with me? I feel like we're walking on to a slasher flick setup."

Tristan was home early tonight. His father had called another "meeting" and it happened to be one he was dismissed from. After the tenth girl went into his VIP room, he stared feeling a little under the weather and Dave said that he could close up there. Tristan trusted his right hand man to run things, so went home.

He slid his key into the door and walked in, tugging his tie off and shrugging out of his jacket as he slipped his feet from his shoes.

There was something in the hallway. Anastasia could feel it. It whispered to her, but she didn't look. She turned the TV up louder and louder and refused to look away. She knew how this went. Ignore it and it had no power.
Her head throbbed with the ability it took to keep from listening to it's whispers and she never once flinched, even when she could smell it. Even when it dropped the temperature so low in the room that she could see her breath in front of her face. Her first instinct was to run to Trevor and let him take it away, but he wasn't an option anymore.
She was back where she started.
Her hands shook and she shivered against the cold, but she stared straight ahead at the TV. The clock said Tristan would be home soon.

He hadn't seen her much this week. Her studio was in need of work and he didn't fault her for wanting some alone time to think, so he'd stayed away. But when he woke up this morning he saw her shoes still by the door which meant she wasn't gone out yet. Or if she did she went barefoot.

When his stomach grumbled he went into the kitchen, opened the fridge and started cooking breakfast. He was in a good mood today and it couldn't hurt to make a good breakfast. Some eggs, french toast, bacon... His stomach grumbled as he got everything out and started the coffee maker too.

Well, this was certainly going to be interesting, wasn't it?
Goblins, ghosts, and one big freaked out brother that was trying to hide the fact that he was gay for the time being. How adorable.
The place was nice though, Sterrin decided as she climbed out of Declan's car and walked in, wearing a black cashmere and wool coat with a black sweaterdress beneath and serious heels. It was also decidedly full of pretty, which was going to mean lots and lots of fun later. 
A glance across the lobby revealed the coffee shop that Declan had been talking about. She could definately use a cup of coffee.

Anastasia had stood at the elevator doors for a long time, not knowing which direction to go.
Did she get a hotel? Stay in the car? Call a friend?
She didn't want to get a hotel and sleeping in the car held no appeal. She could go to Emily, but she was having enough trouble as it was and really, there was really only one person Anastasia wanted to see right now.
She stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the twelfth floor, and rode all the way up without once looking at herself in the mirrored walls of the elevator.
She walked down the hall, suitcase heavy in her hand, and knocked on Tristan's door.

Erin was bored and procrastinating. It didn't go well together, but she wanted to do something fun, not something she should be doing. Like laundry or tidying up around her apartment. She was wandering around instead.

~*~
Logan was out in the garden, pulling up all the plants that had died off because of the cold.

Chad sat on a bench in the sunlight, glasses over his eyes as he watched people pass by.

*~*
Travis was in the library, hunched over a table and doing some online shopping. Memphis's birthday was coming up and he needed to find something good after what he'd done.

~*~
In the garage, Memphis was cleaning out Lucy's interior. He hadn't noticed the scratch across the back bumper, but since it was getting cooler out he wasn't washing her as much.

*~*
Tristan was, as per usual on Thursday, dressed in his suit and winding his way through the lobby to head out to work. He hadn't buttoned his shirt fully, nor had he shaven since last Friday. It felt good to look a little less kept. Smiling to himself he decided a treat wouldn't be a bad idea and detoured into the Mocha.

*~*
Roxy had turned the treadmill on and set a distance for ten miles. Maybe by the time she was done with that some of her thoughts would be clearer.

~*~
Eli was sitting in the Mocha, pile of mail on the table in front of him. He sipped at his coffee as he read a rather long letter that contained a couple different style of handwriting on it. Family letters were always unpredictable and his brother had atrocious hand writing. He smiled still at the news of hometown football games and the fights that broke out as a result, then flipped the page over.

Roxy was sitting in the Mocha, playing with her new phone and loving the fact that it was a worldwide capable phone. That meant that the next time she and Spencer went on an extended trip... Well she wouldn't really be wanting to take her phone then either.

~_~
Travis was sporting a Save second base tee shirt he'd picked up from the mail room, and had another with him as he walked down the hall to apartment L-E. He hadn't seen Amarie in a few days, so he was taking a guess that she'd be home.

_~_
Eli was downstairs, in the gym. He had on a pair of Army sweat pants and a black tank top. Lifting weights helped him think about things that were going on and he was thinking about Bea a lot.

~*~
Memphis was in the lobby, juggling around the couple bags of groceries with Demon's leash. "Hold on dog, we'll get there and then I'll feed you." He grumbled lightly.

*~*
Chad was trying to take his Sunday easily, having been swamped at work with the recent activities at Rutherford. His phone buzzed and he opened it up, opening up the video message that'd been sent. Listening to it he wondered just what was going on with cops now.

^-^
Logan was outside in the garden, tossing a ball around with Lily and waiting for her to bring it back.

-^-
Erin was in the laundry room with a load of coloreds in one machine and a load of whites in another. Now the only thing to do was find something to occupy her time until they needed to be swapped to the dryer.

--
Tristan had moseyed his way upstairs, to the pool, and currently sat in the hot tub. It was a nice warm welcome to the contrasting temperatures soon to come, and he didn't really want to get out any time soon.

It was October and that meant Tristan was donating to the Susan G. Korman fund again. He always had, figuring it was a worthwhile cause to contribute to, especially in his line of work. He generally bought the girls at work shirts too, and this year he'd gone a step farther, buying up a lot more than usual.

Three boxes of shirts had been delivered, each with a variety of sizes. The first design was simple and he figured they could work for anybody. The second style obviously targeted at guys and the third towards the women. He had to admit, the sayings never got old. He wondered if he should leave them with a note for other tenants to help themselves and support second base or distribute them personally. The debate went on while he prepared for the note method, since everybody had different tastes and such. Pulling out a piece of paper and a marker from Jerry's supply stash he a sign to post on the bulletin board. There were arrows pointing down, directing people to the boxes and the sign read: Show your support and spread the word... Second base needs saving!

Niles was in the garage, wearing his usual jeans, green converse chucks, and a tight, black thermal shirt, wiping down Piglet with a soft towel. The slightly cooler weather of today had reminded him that winter was on the way and he needed to get her ready. Usually he would have just flown south and stayed down there but...Well...There were a lot of reasons he wasn't leaving anymore. He'd reserve that contemplation for another time.

Smith was out in the garden, pacing back and forth in dark pants and a dark blue long-sleeved t-shirt as he waited for a call from his boss. He'd followed Laura to work today and had gotten the license plate of the guy that was following her, although he hadn't seen the man clearly. it was a problem he wanted handled right away, as although he was 'retired' and had his days mostly to himself, he wouldn't be with her every second. 

Declan sat in the Mocha at a table by himself wearing a brown leather coat with a white v-neck t-shirt underneath, a red and white striped scarf, nice fitting jeans and brown boots. On the table in front of him was a large cup of coffee and the proofs for the latest shoot his new girl had done for Smashing. He was torn between two of the shots, attempting to decide what would be the cover.

Erin was curled up on a couch in the Mocha, sipping on hot chocolate and contemplating the past couple days with Niles. She hadn't seen ghosts around here at all, even when others next to her swore there as one standing in front of her. Maybe she was the crazy one but then again she wondered if they existed to only those people believing in their existence.

*~*
Logan was siting in the Mocha as well, looking out into the garden. He didn't have anything productive to do today and that just made it seem longer of a day overall. He needed to find something to do before boredom took away his brain.

~*~
Chad was downstairs, working in the gym. He had the treadmill set at steady six miles per hour and was jogging along steadily.

*~*
Memphis was in the library, checking on some books about cooking. He wanted to find a recipe that was new and not one Jane had given him to try out next weekend.

~*~
Roxy was downstairs in the laundry room, tossing clothes into two of the machines. There had been a laundry facility at one of the hotels on their adventure, but it had been the one in the middle. Just meant they'd brought home a large amount of laundry, which she was doing now.

*~*
Travis was sitting in the lobby, notebook in hand jotting down random fact about the people who walked by. He was grinning, because this was actually homework he didn't mind doing.

~*~
Tristan had gone down to the Gallery 290, where Emma worked, to see if he could find something new he liked. Having gone with Anastasia last night, he picked up a piece but it was staying in his office. It didn't fit with the black and white prints already on his walls that seemed to be missing something. Maybe he could find it here.

*~*
Eli was up at the pool. His jello stain marks had come off now so he was willing to be out where people could see him. Wandering over to the edge he looked out on the City. This place sure had a good view, that was certain.

Anastasia knocked on Tristan's door on Saturday night wearing a black dress and a pair of black heels. She'd gotten out of him earlier in the week via text that he was taking tonight off, so she showed up, ready to ask him to run away with her to the next town over to see the gallery premier of a former student.

It was almost Friday and Logan couldn't be happier. He was tucked into a back corner of the Mocha, chemistry book propped up on the table and scribbling in a notebook as his cup of cocoa got cold.

~~~
Chad was walking through the lobby in his uniform, trying to figure out why Logan hadn't answered his phone call.

***
Memphis was outside playing fetch with Demon, since Travis had holed himself up in his room claiming he had "homework" to do. The boy, however, was in the garage trying to find Lucy's hidden spare key.

~~~
Tristan was climbing out of the pool, not looking forward to tonight at work and wondering if there would be any more fist fights like the one last night.

***
Eli was collecting yet more forwarded mail. Where it all came from he had not a single clue, but somehow every advertisement distributor knew his mail had been piling up and sent everything under the sun to clog the mail box.

~~~
Erin was down in the laundry room, sorting dark from lights and leaving her "delicates" in the basket at her feet.

Tristan was feeling a bit off recently and he didn't know what was wrong with him. Bridget was being clingy and irritating and that meant he hadn't heard from his bestie in a while. So figuring he had some time to kill before work, he swung down to her apartment hoping that she was home. It was probably poorly planned, since he didn't even know if she was home, but he knocked anyway.

It had been a weird day, Anastasia decided. Trevor and Gavin had left early to go do something with their father and she'd been by herself all day. There was something about the apartment that just wasn't sitting right. She kept feeling things like brief touches and strange gusts of cold wind that just couldn't be real. The second time she saw a woman out of the corner of her eye that disappeared the moment she turned to look at her full on, she put in a call to Tristan for some quality BFF time at his place.  She had to get out of there.

Travis was lounging around poolside. The last time he'd been here, it had turned into something eventful. Good scenery and a good website that he'd poked about a couple times over the week. Maybe he'd see her again, maybe not.

~*~
Memphis was downstairs in the Mocha, flipping through an auto tuner magazine. Keeping up on the latest trends going was something of the mind boggling type. He just didn't understand why some kid would pay for an import car, then sink the money in to the performance aspect just to wind up with a car keeping up with the domestics. He chuckled reasoning that the kid could've saved money by buying a Mustang instead.

*~*
Chad was out in the gardens, tending to Logan's patch of peppers and tomatoes.

~*~
Logan wasn't far away though, having decided that he'd play with Lily today.

*~*
Also in the garden, Erin had taken up her sunbathing spot from last summer. With her blanket spread out on the grass and earbuds tucked into her ears, she laid on her back to even out the tan over her boobs with the lack of tan on her stomach.

~*~
In the mail room, Tristan was retrieving his mail out of his mailbox. He'd already set the magazines on he table, then stacked envelopes on top, putting the light purple one on the bottom. He already knew what that meant. His mother was requesting a visit or at the least, information.

*~*
Somewhere between the Spa in the basement and the eighth floor, Roxy and Lexi were going over the brochure and discussing the different options offered.

[[OOC: Probably slow-timed due to unexpected injury, Mum's recovery, and complaints of nothing accomplished due to online time... If only housework did itself!]]

Tristan came home early for a Saturday night. He hadn't been at work for more than an hour when his sister had called, frantically looking for somebody to make the fourth on her date night. He agreed, and met up with the already planned group for dinner. Tabs never said she'd done it on purpose, but when he'd seen Bridget there he'd known.

They went to the movies afterward, and he hadn't seen a single bit of it. Tabetha and Henry had parted from Tristan and Bridget, making some lame excuse as to why they couldn't go with to the club afterward. So Tristan had intended to take Bridget dancing, but she had other plans on that. Not that he was complaining...

He walked through the front doors of the Manor, shirt untucked and half unbuttoned, hair a bit disheveled and satisfied smile on his face.

Anastasia had always done the laundry, but when he started coming home with questionable stains on his trousers, Trevor had taken to doing his own dirty wash. He'd told her it was to give her a break so she had more time for painting.

Most of him actually meant it, that was the thing.

Now he tossed armfuls of clothes into a washer, his face set in concentration.

Anastasia had just returned from her new storage unit on the edge of the City where she'd put away seven new paintings she'd completed.
Seven. She remembered completing three. 
She spun the possibilities around in her head as to what was happening to her. The four she didn't remember completing had been disturbing. Maybe even more so than the last ones she did, which didn't sit right with her.
With a big, weary sigh, she took the first sip of her coffee and contemplated exactly what was happening in her life. 

Bea walked into the Mocha in a green dress and pair of strappy, sky high heels, feeling rather content. She'd been at a comic signing all day, and the turn out had amazed her. The little comic book shop had been filled to capacity, and everyone had said something nice  to her. It was not what she was used to. 
But Christ, did it make her happy. Even better, the person working the counter in the Mocha tonight was not Joy.
Man, it was a good day.