Morningstar Manor

Fall had finally come and the evenings were beginning to get cool. Which meant even more people than usual decided that a coffee in the evening was a nice idea.

Jack had just come from a long shift at the Lamb and was in desperate need of a coffee. So he got in line and sent a text to Declan.

Must have coffee. Want one?

***

JJ was already sitting at a table, sipping his coffee and looking through a car magazine. He'd had a long day at work, then a nice long practice with the band where he'd had that interesting encounter with the new bookstore owner. Now he had no more plans for the night and coffee and a magazine in the Mocha seemed as good as any.

***

Kara was headed to the Lamb but was also trying to fight off the cold that seemed to be going around. She'd taken a nap thanks to some cold meds and now needed a strong coffee to perk herself back up so was standing in the line for the counter.

***

Ruprecht stepped from the men's restroom and put a sign in front of the door that said Out of Order. He looked over the crowd of people and sneered a bit.

Rhiannon stood in line in the Mocha in a pale yellow sun dress, smiling down at Harvey who refused to answer any questions about the necklace constructed of blue and green yarn woven together, with a big, orange construction paper heart hanging against his chest. Arms crossed, he scowled when Rhiannon prodded him gently.
"Is she pretty?" She asked.
"I hate girls!" Harvey announced, cheeks pink.

***

Smith was on his way into the lobby, still shaking his head about the day at work he'd had. He was a security person - not a nanny. People were so goddamn ridiculous sometimes.

***

Niles sat out in the garden with his guitar laying beside him forgotten as he frowned at some paper work in his lap. It seemed as though his father was in some financial trouble. Why anyone expected him to care was beyond him, though he didn't throw the notice away immediately. Fuck.

***

Declan was up in the hot tub, blatantly hogging most of it as he yawned and attempted to relax. It had been a long, long day.

***

Sterrin was in the mail room, taking her time in sorting her mail from her brother's and Jack's. She really needed to get her own place soon.

Niles was sitting in the Mocha, sprawled across one of the couches staring with an entirely confused expression at the cook book that was open in his lap. He'd been kicking around the idea of surprising Elspeth with something nice and boyfriendy. Someone had suggested a romantic dinner. He didn't know how to cook much other than Cajun food, which he prepared for them all the time. So... Something different? And how the fuck did anyone find a keish appetizing?

Smith was on his way from the garage back into the Manor, tugging impatiently at his tie. Who the hell decided formal dress on a day as hot as this was a good idea? Suits made him feel suffocated on the best day, and that feeling was only quantified when it was hot enough to melt balls outside. Disguested, he tugged his jacket off too for good measure and caught sight of the awesome wet rings under his arm pits from sweat in the reflective doors of the elevater. "Brilliant," he muttered to himself.

Declan was out in the garden, though he was safe in the shade as smoke billowed from his mouth while he talked on his cell phone. The daughter of someone his mother had known had recently gone missing and apparently they suspected the same person that had left the governor's daughter spread all over the City in little bits. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he muttered a series of "uh huh" "yes, mother" and "I will," as he promised to keep a closer eye on Sterrin. As though that were possible.

Drew stood in line in the Mocha, still in his hospital scrubs as he rubbed warily at his forehead. He was glad these scrubs, the rather unbecoming shade of green that they were, were at least comfortable and lightweight. They made days like today, after he'd had an especially bad day, more tolerable. Yes, it only meant that he didn't have to fuck with a button and a zipper when he was ready to crawl in bed, but sometimes you just had to appreciate the little things in life.

Seamus was in the lobby, having just come from visiting Conn to discuss something about the Lamb. Bloody hell, this place was swanky. It was the sorta gig that made him feel like he had to take his shoes off at the fucking door or something equally ridiculous. Shaking his head, he paused at the door to the Mocha and contemplated running in and getting a muffin before he headed back to the Lamb. He'd have to eat quick, though. Otherwise Dermot would get his grubby little dick-skinners on it and he'd never see it again.

Callan was in the Gardens, checking his cell phone while Amelia pranced around and slowly went about doing her business. He'd never understand the mindset of dogs. He certainly didn't play hopscotch before going piss everytime he went into the bathroom, but maybe he was going about it wrong. He waved to Declan who waved back, but looked entirely flusterd on the phone. Wiping at the sweat on the back of his neck, he muttered to the dog to hurry up.

Jude was in the Mocha, sitting relaxed and casual and alone at one of the tables while looking at a test run of one of the new roller coasters they were designing for the park. It was based off of one of the last movies, something about a frog that could dance, but somehow they could never get the roller coaster's safety bars to stay down when it went through the first loop. The human sized dummy fell out every time. Smirking a bit to himself, he contemplated suggesting to put the ride on through as is. It'd be a nightmare in one aspect, but in another...

Olivia sat at a table in the Mocha with her laptop open in front of her staring in horror at the Yahoo! News clip she'd called up on the screen. A disembodied foot that was decisively female had shown up on the Governor's front lawn this morning.  A few tests had concluded that it belonged to his daughter, Adriana Lucas, who hadn't been seen for at least five days. The authorities were apparently launching a full blown investigation to find the rest of her and to figure out who had done such a thing.

Olivia had known Adriana, at least in passing, from her party days. She was sort of a bitch and had a serious drug problem, but Jesus... Even she didn't deserve that. She shook her head as she shut the computer down and picked up the Herald, only to find her own face staring back at her, along with Robbie's. She tossed it aside after reading the headline with a roll of her eyes. She wished her biggest problem was being dumped. If that was all she had to worry about, she'd be doing good.

****

Declan had gotten a call about the Herald article this morning, and now that he was off work he was reading over the article while he sat in the Mocha on the couch, sipping his coffee. He was always taken aback by how prejudiced articles like this were, and it was sad that the world was still in such a position that two consenting adults being together was still considered 'news.' 

"Ay, that pecker a yers makin' the news again, is it?" Callan remarked dryly as he plopped down on the couch next to Declan and read over his shoulder.

"I guess. I would've thought they'd have gotten their fill of this months ago when Jack and I first got together and there was the big scandal," Declan said with a shrug. "Sometimes people with penises like other people with penises. Old news."

Sterrin had woke up yesterday feeling positively sick to her stomach and worried... About Declan. Who hadn't been anywhere around since he'd left early that morning to go to a meeting somewhere in Portland.
What the hell?
So this morning, him walking through the door had brought her out of a dead sleep and she'd put on a robe and darted into the living room to look at him and make sure he was okay. It was the strangest feeling, the weirdest urge...
When she saw him, she was curiously relieved that he wasn't waif skinny, which was also bizarre.
"Hey," he said, sounding tired. He'd woken up yesterday feeling like he'd run a marathon.
Sterrin, overcome by the sight of her brother healthy and okay, moved to wrap her arms around his neck in a big, sisterly hug. "I want you to stop smoking," she said in a strangely watery voice.
He huffed a laugh and patted her back. "Riiiiiiggghhhtt."
Sterrin leaned back and her expression was unlike anything he'd ever seen on her face. Did she know somehow about the horrible dream he'd had Saturday night? "I'm serious, Dec. Stop."
He looked at her for a long moment. She wasn't joking. In fact, she looked like she'd just seen a ghost. "Okay. I'll try."
She nodded and arms crossed, walked back to her bedroom.
Fucking strange.

Tired. He was so fucking tired anymore, and he knew it wasn't a good sign.
A look in the mirror beside his bed showed a man with missing hair. Sunken cheeks. Sallow skin and shadowed eyes. His bones looked sharp enough to break out of his skin with an especially sharp breath. He looked like death, and that was fitting.

One thing Declan McNamara knew for sure was this: He was dying.

( Read more... )

Decan stood against the wall in the garden, chain smoking and shaking all over despite the fact that he was standing in the sunlight and it was relatively warm outside. He'd gotten on the elevator intending to come down to the Mocha, and his descent from the eleventh floor where his apartment was hadn't stopped on the ground floor where the Mocha was located and instead had continued on down to the basement. When the doors opened, there had been nothing in sight, no one wating to get on, and for a long moment, the elevator hadn't moved no had the door closed. He remembered coming down here with Jack when he was introduced to that Goblin thing, and he had no desire to explore it again, with Jack or without. 

After a few moments of hitting a few buttons to random floors, just to get away from there, the elevator had taken off with a shudder and started a slow ascent back up. He watched as the floors ticked by, bypassing the ground level right away. At twelve there was a shudder and the floor display above the doors flickered at thirteen for a moment, and he felt his heart stop, but then there was another jerk and the doors opened at fourteen. He'd gotten off and taken the stairs down, as he figured he would be doing from here on out. 

He remembered what Jack had said about the thirteenth floor too.

Fuck. That.

Sterrin had gone home to pick up some things before heading back to Max's for the weekend, and had almost ran into Callan, who was drunk and stumbling, as Declan lead him by the arm out the door.

"I told you, Jack is fucking asleep," Declan hissed and Callan swatted his hand away.

"Don't give a fuck," Callan murmured, then turned and shot a dark glare at Sterrin before Declan led him to the elevator and got on behind him, presumably to lead him out of the Manor.

Sterrin shook her head and went inside, then directly to her room where she started throwing the things she would need in a tote bag. She was almost done when there was a light rap on the door.

"Come in," she said, knowing it could only be Declan. Jack never knocked on her door.

Declan came in, head down and looking sheepish. "What was that all about?" Sterrin said as she glanced up at him.

"I fucked up," Declan said on a sigh. "I saw Erin in the Mocha with someone, and he - saw it. I didn't tell him, but he saw what I was thinking about."

Sterrin sighed and pinched the area between her eyes. "He's not going down there, is he?"

"No. He left."

Sterrin nodded, then shooed him out the door before picking up her cell phone and calling Erin. Friend rules required that she give her a heads up.

The Mocha was hoping as it usually was in the mornings.

Max sat at his usual table, dressed in black slacks and a crisp white shirt, and went through his appointments for the rest of the week. He'd been a busy man and it was nice to be able to sit for a bit and enjoy a coffee.

***

Jack had a horrible hangover. He'd celebrated Cinco de Mayo in a big way and was now paying the price for it. Huddled in a corner of the Mocha he sat with sunglasses over his eyes and drank from a large mug of the strongest coffee they had.

***

Jason was taking a small break for another cup of coffee and leaned against the wall in the Mocha where he could see everyone. The workers on the roof were keeping him busy. The had contractors they always used of course but this job required more than the normal men and outsiders always made Jason twitchy.

***

Loki was bored. Bored bored bored. Which was never good for anyone involved. He was draped over his usual armchair but instead of reading from his usual book he was simply staring into the fireplace, the flames reflecting in his eyes.

Declan sat in the. Mocha wearing a light gray button down that had at least four buttons open, a pair of expertly tailored jeans and a blue scarf draped around his neck. He'd gone to the doctor this morning about his allergies and had gotten a rather undignified allergy shot in the right ass cheek by a woman that looked like Large Marge that he wasn't sure was necessary. He'd also gotten a lecture on smoking. Not that he was going to quit.

***

Niles sat blatantly sprawled entirely across one of the couches in a black deep v-neck tee shirt, a pair of destroyed jeans and black Chucks that had seen better days. He was currently cracking himself up by doing a decidedly awesome cover of Slayer's "Raining Blood" on his iPhone's piano app. Sometimes you just had to be metal on a Monday.

Drew stood in line in the Mocha, fresh from work but not in his operating scrubs. Instead he wore jeans and a comfortable white t-shirt, and he was fairly certain he looked as tired as he felt. His day off started right now, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get to sleep right away.

Anastasia moved through the lobby of the Manor fresh from her studio, her hands and dress covered in paint, her stride slower and just entirely different than usual. Later, she wouldn't remember this. She wouldn't remember the people that she talked to or the things she did, because in that moment, Anastasia was someone else entirely. She turned to smile at someone, all teeth, her eyes cold, and the man she smiled at looked away. She laughed and it wasn't her laugh at all. How lovely.

Declan sat just outside of the Mocha on a bench in the garden, smoking and looking up at the sky.  One hand rested in his lap and was clenched in anger, but he was attempting to work through it. One of his partners had quit today to go work for Playboy because "it was a good, honest magazine that didn't pander to queers." Good riddance if he felt like that. Declan was just pissed that he hadn't had the chance to fire him first.

Bea had decided to take Pippa for a walk in the park since it was such a lovely day, and right in that moment she was sitting on a bench watching as Pippa tried to coerce a gaggle of geese into playing with her. Ther was a series of loud squawks and Pippa came running back to Bea with her head down and her ears flat. "No such luck, huh girl?" Bea said with a laugh as she leaned down to pet her dog. She felt almost weird, like she was being watched, but that was likely just leftover nerves from the creep at the signing. Right?

Kate was walking home from the labs, enjoying the sunshine despite the fact that it was a long walk. Her car was in the shop and it was such a nice day that she hadn't bothered with a cab. Across the street there were a group of boys on skateboards and one shouted at her, then made an obscene gesture involving his crotch. Her brow furrowed. That didn't seem like the way to attract a woman to her, but men, especially young ones, were such curious creatures.

Rhiannon stood in the window of NOIR as she outfitted a mannequin in leopard-print lingerie that she'd just gotten in this morning. She was taking a stab at a line of lingerie, and she needed to pimp it out big time if she wanted it to do good. 
"I'm telling you, girl," Lee said from the cash register at the front. "Let me model that shit. I can stand in the window and look good all day."

"Hard to find a pair of panties that would do an ass like yours proper justice, Lee," she replied absently, but with an amused smile. Best way to get Lee off of a silly idea was to stroke his already pulsating ego.

Lee, quite predictably, preened. "You know, you might be right."

At the appointed time Fin rapped on the door of Declan's apartment and shoved his hands in his pockets. "All set?" he said to Andras.

The photos were the important thing in this case, Fin's text merely acting as a show case for them. They would probably sell themselves.

Andras once more looked at his Macbook, to make sure that he had everything he might want to show Declan, at a moment's notice.

Then, he picked up the phone and dialled the man's number .

Declan sat in the Mocha still dressed in his suit from work except his collar was open and his tie was untied and draped around his neck. He was also contemplating hiring another assistant, if he could find someone qualified enough. That would mean less time at work, more time where he wanted to be, and less drama. Couldn't go wrong with that.

Bea sat outside the Manor in the gardens with Pippa on a leash reading through the mail she'd just picked up. She had on a rather awesome if not gaudy Super Mario Brothers corset that she'd ordered from this awesome little shop online, and to quantify awesomeness, she'd been invited to a HUGE convention. She decided right then and there to schedule herself heavily for the promotion of her second comic, due out at the first of May. It'd keep her busy.

Anastasia was in her studio behind the Gallery with the door propped open, letting the cheesey hip hop music she was listening to float out into the alley. She wasn't working really, but looking instead at the newest painting that she didn't remember doing. It was worse than the others, and just looking at it made her sick to her stomach with nervousness.

Sterrin walked through the Foundry market in a coral pink tank top dress that clung to her figure, completely and utterly bored as she had been all weekend. There had to be something interesting around here somewhere, but damned if she knew what.

Rhiannon was in her shop, laughing hysterically as Lee tried on a dress from her new summer line. Miri had given him the make-up treatment again, and the boy really was too pretty for his own good. He strutted through her store, making a few of the customers laugh too while Miri trotted along behind snapping pictures. 

Niles was out in the garage inspecting Piglet. He'd finally gotten her back after a complete body make over and more money than a sane person would spend on fixing a car. He could've bought another one just like her for cheaper, but it was the principal of the matter. This was Piglet, she was his, and he was going to keep her.

Declan had taken the day off. He'd been in business meetings all weekend attemtping to negotiate for the next issue of Smashing, and he was whipped. Plus, even though they lived together it seemed like their schedules were conflicting and he hadn't seen much of Jack all last week. He missed him. 

So today he ordered in an elaborate breakfast since he was shit at cooking himself, and carried it into the bedroom on a tray.

"Hey baby," he whispered in Jack's ear and then pressed a kiss just beneath it.

Sterrin was staying with Max for the next few days, but he was staying late at the club tonight and there were a few things she'd forgotten to pack. Figuring that since it was the dead of night Declan wouldn't be a problem, she creeped into the apartment, intending to just get her shit and split back to Max's place, and found her brother sitting on the couch with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and a powerpoint presentation open in front of him on the laptop. She froze at the sight of him, then continued on in.

"Hey," she said in passing.

Rhys had actually managed to get some sleep today. He was headed into the hospital later but had a bit of time to himself and so had gone down to the gym and was now in the Mocha for some coffee and general relaxation. Normally that was done at home, alone, but he was determined to try and actually meet some of his neighbors for a change.

Anastasia sat at a table shifting through her sketch book with a wrinkle between her brows. Her sketchbook was full of small, intricate paintings that once again, she didn't remember doing. What the hell was going on?

Niles sat sprawled out on a couch, fiddling with his new iPhone and writing a happy song on the iPhone's piano app. Things were good. So good, in fact, that he didn't even notice the pretty, but sad looking blonde woman that flickered in and out of sight beside him.

Isabella sat at a table staring at a slip of paper in front of her. It was a prescription for prenatal vitamins handed to her by her doctor this morning when she'd gone to confirm that the three pregnancy tests she'd taken on her lunch break Monday morning weren't lying.
She was pregnant. She didn't think she'd be a good mother. How could she bring a baby into her life where there would be so many people, like her father and Max, to protect it from?
But oh, a baby. Micah's baby. Smiling just a little, she put a hand on her stomach and tried to figure out how she was going to tell him.

Smith stood in line, staring at the back of someone's head that was in front of him. Man, he really didn't like that guy. It probably even showed on his face, not that he gave a shit.

Bea sat at a table with her laptop open in front of her, composing a blog for her website. She'd made her website more interactive and started blogging, which seemed to be going over well with her fans. There were some bizarre ones, but weren't there always?

Declan sat at a corner table on his phone, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Well, I can't crap out a deal for him, Mike. Tell him to call back after lunch and I'll give it a try." He hung up, but smiled to himself. He was still in too good of a mood from last night.

Olivia sat on one of the couches, idly flipping through a tabloid. Things were so different from the times when she'd been in these things constantly, she realized. That was a good thing, though.

Sterrin stood in line, ignoring everything around her as she shifted through some pictures on her phone. She hoped she never lost this anywhere, or at least hoped that with all of technology's advances they'd invent a self-destroy option for the phone soon for when people did.

Drew was in line as well, and he could feel eyes on the back of his head. When he turned around, he saw Laura's serial killer looking boyfriend giving him a stare down. He faced the front again and sighed internally. Awesome.

Kate sat at a table sipping cofffee and countng the chocolate chips in her cookie. This was supposed to be a double chocolate chip cookie, but it seemed average to her. "False advertising," she muttered to herself with a frown.

Rhiannon sat at a table with Harvey who'd decided he was going to wear an Optimus Prime helmet all day. He pushed it up just far enough to take a bite of his cookie and Rhiannon smiled as she flipped through a magazine, attempting to think of an idea as to what to fix for dinner tonight since her boyfriend was coming over. Boyfriend. It still made her feel a little giddy.

Sterrin smirked at Erin over her shoulder as she moved onto the dance floor at Babylon. The party at the Flamingo had been fun. It had been nice to talk to different people and meet some new ones that could prove to be interesting, but in places like this was where she felt most comfortable.