Mayfair Manor

[Azure Halfbreed]

Felix slowly stepped out of the car and watched as Antha greeted her family members. While the were Felix's too, for some reason still, he did feel apart of the family yet. The way Antha was acting was completly different than earlier. Felix started to wonder just how much he miss when he was in the guild. It didn't matter now. What has happened is in the past, and that in the past can not be changed.

As Felixed looked at the three people at the door, old habits started to kick in. He reached behind him and lifted the hood on his shirt and pulled it over his head. He was in the presence of more people who were. most likely with out a doubt, stronger than him. And from the teachings he was taught for many years, people like that were usually masters. And just like in the guild, his old habits came in to play. Do as your told. Speak only after spoken to. Never question back with out permission. Show respect.

His head tilted down and he started at the ground. Hands held behind his back. He was waiting for someone to either order him or acknowledge him. He really didn't see this coming. He left the guild only to find his family still bring out this side of him.  

[.David Talbot.]

Stefan followed her gaze to the boy beside her car. He had power to match his red hair and green eyes. He was betting he had a name to match his reasons for following Antha.
A few seconds in his mind proved him right. "Julien come make yourself useful for once and lend me a hand," he called into the living room. Malakai offered his hand but Stefan waved it away and waited for Julien to emerge from his hiding spot by the window.
Julien was tall and slender and the resemblance between himself, Antha, Nicolae, Malakai, and so many of his other 'nieces and nephews' was remarkable. And though his white blonde hair and blue eyes may not have hinted at his power he carried it with him like perfume. "Careful Stefan," he warned the old man as he took his arm and the old man's slow and careful steps across the lawn towards the boy began.
Malakai was first to dash across the grass and stand before the newcomer and drag his little sister behind him. The cold mase his cheeks rosy as he stood there beaming at his new little brother----not smiling but truly beaming. "I'm Malakai," he introduced himself with a more sheepish smile that was nothing like his twin. "Malakai Mayfair. I'm Antha's older brother."
Stefan shooed him out of the way when he came to the trio. "Oh for Heaven's sake don't crowd the boy." He stood staring at the boy for another minute. Sizing him up. But gradually a kind smile rose to his lips. "Well don't just stand there, boy! Can't you even give great-uncle Stefan a hug?" A handshake never cut it with him. He was French as Julien and more affectionate.
Meanwhile Julien had let go of his arm. He stood staring too but there was something on his face like someone had slapped him. It was mostly astonishment with a hint of confusion and even horror. Not horror at the idea of who this boy was but the fact that he had never known that he existed.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha only flashed Felix a smile that was made to be reassuring as she said, calmly, "Felix, this is uncle Stefan and Oncle Julien." She motioned to each of them in turn, cutting her eyes at Julien when she came to him. "Stefan, Julien, Malakai, this is Felix." She let go of Malakai entirely, going to stand beside Felix for a few moments just to touch the back of his hand, a very simple gesture of comfort. "Felix Mayfair, that is."
With that, having been as courteous as her dear uncle Stefan could ever expect of her, she turned and went to Vikteren, standing before him for one moment to look into his eyes like she was trying to determine whether or not he was real before she took a place at his side as if it were the only place that could possibly suit her. "Uncle Stefan is the head of the family," she explained to him, leaning over to whisper it in his ear. In reality, it didn't matter whether or not anyone heard her, and they probably couldn't even had she spoken in her normal tone. It was just some small excuse to lean close. "He deals with all of our family matters---marriages, scandals, you know---and only I can argue his verdict without going against the family." She turned to look back to her family, but then, before her curls had even had time to settle, she turned again and put a hand on his shoulder as if to keep her balance as she continued in the same whisper, "Last month, Julien was officially made his successor. When Stefan dies, which I fear may be quite soon, Julien will be head of the family." The distaste was thick in her voice as she mentioned this, remembering again how much she loathed the idea of Julien having true, substantial power within the family. His great influence had been bad enough.

 

[Goblin In A Suit]

Kain had stepped close enough to hear much of the conversation. As he looked upon each of them he felt the same feeling that he got around Antha from them. He relized that they were all the same as Antha and Felix. Witches. He could feel the power riseing off of them as he stood there. Suddenly in their presence even his black Porse seemed to mean nothing. He was among true power and wealth. Part of his mind was warning him agenst coming even as close as he was but he didn't know why. Kain simply stood closeby as if awaiting orders or invatation. He took mental notes in his mind to remind him of who each person was so not to get mixed up.  

[Azure Halfbreed]

Felix was about to introduced himself to Malakai, when the old man, apparently Uncle Stefan, spoke out first. That excused his out of the speak when spoken to rule. He felt Stefan's eyes look him over, as well as Julien's. Then Stefan spoke again. While the way he said it was a question, there was an undertone of a hint in what he said. So to Felix, it was more of an order. Looking up at the old man he complied. Felix stepped close and gave Stefan the hug he requested. Not strong enough to break him in half, put still firm enough to satisfy him.

After that Felix took a few steps back and resumed his original stance. Except his eyes were on Stefan. Again, the rule from the guild were controling him. He was waiting for another order, or to be spoken to.  

[.David Talbot.]

Stefan sighed. "A Mayfair boy in blood but no one would ever believe it." He cast his gaze at Antha. "Evie you'll need to work on this one. We can't have him going around tarnishing the wild and unruly reputation the Mayfair children have made for themselves." He gave her a wink before he turned and started for the door again. "If anyone can beat that good behavior out of him it would be you and Courtland."
Malakai barely noticed his uncle leaving. He was busy switching between beaming at Felix and stealing glances at Antha and Vikteren.
Julien didn't seem to notice either. When he came to his senses he gave a low bow and made his face a very neutral mask. "I am Julien Mayfair." His eyes flashed panic in his small pause. "Welcome to the family. I trust that Antha has taken you under her wing?" He didn't know what to say. How could he not know about this boy?
It was Malakai who spared him his coming panic attack and the awkwardness of his actions. "Some of our cousins are upstairs. Would you like to join Antha and me? To meet them I mean." He gave another little sheepish smile.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha only flashed Felix a smile that was made to be reassuring as she said, calmly, "Felix, this is uncle Stefan and Oncle Julien." She motioned to each of them in turn, cutting her eyes at Julien when she came to him. "Stefan, Julien, Malakai, this is Felix." She let go of Malakai entirely, going to stand beside Felix for a few moments just to touch the back of his hand, a very simple gesture of comfort. "Felix Mayfair, that is."
With that, having been as courteous as her dear uncle Stefan could ever expect of her, she turned and went to Vikteren, standing before him for one moment to look into his eyes like she was trying to determine whether or not he was real before she took a place at his side as if it were the only place that could possibly suit her. "Uncle Stefan is the head of the family," she explained to him, leaning over to whisper it in his ear. In reality, it didn't matter whether or not anyone heard her, and they probably couldn't even had she spoken in her normal tone. It was just some small excuse to lean close. "He deals with all of our family matters---marriages, scandals, you know---and only I can argue his verdict without going against the family." She turned to look back to her family, but then, before her curls had even had time to settle, she turned again and put a hand on his shoulder as if to keep her balance as she continued in the same whisper, "Last month, Julien was officially made his successor. When Stefan dies, which I fear may be quite soon, Julien will be head of the family." The distaste was thick in her voice as she mentioned this, remembering again how much she loathed the idea of Julien having true, substantial power within the family. His great influence had been bad enough.

Vikteren raised his eyes from her face to the fair-haired man on the porch when she said this. "If you dislike him, Antha, then I trust your judgement," he said, in a low tone, perhaps for the same reason as she had quieted her voice. "Yet he does not seem to intend harm." He brushed a loose coil of red hair from her cheek;the urge to return her touch was nearly overwhelming at close quarters. But the vampire was not in the habit of idle contact, nor was Vikteren nearly so adroit as Antha in inventing a reason to do so, and such small gestures helped to ease some of the--what was the emotion? Tension? He had met a few members of Antha's family before, but never so many as what their ancestral home promised to introduce.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"He does not intend the sort of harm that, say, Sleet does," she whispered in something akin to a hiss, cutting her eyes at that face that was so sickeningly similar to her own, "But trust me, he does mean harm." With that, she heard Malakai utter her name and something about their cousins and she knew that they needed to go see them. They had to let them stare at Felix and pick out every family trait, every feature that was similar to their own, to wrap their energy around him and find some spark within him that recognized that power as the same as his, derived from the same blood. He was a shiny object and they were but little children who wanted to gawk at it and explore it.
She shifted beside Vikteren before she decided to go to her brother, a hand still on his shoulder as she went to kiss the side of his neck in a faint brush of lips, something that was only a bit more intimate than a casual comforting gesture. "Come. I think Courtland will be quite pleased to see you again."
And then, in a whirl of black and red, she was walking to her brother. "Of course he will. They are family, after all." As she spoke, something in her mind was seeking out those chains that bound her cousins to her, reaching down them and finding the ones within Mayfair Manor. It made her pause for a minute when she found one she did not recognize, a very faint, weak connection that she had no name to attach to. It even brought a faint puzzled expression to her face before her gaze swept across the yard and found Felix and it simply clicked inside her mind. The chain bound Felix to her. She laughed at that, something brief and amused, before she took her place at Malakai's side, reaching down all of those many chains and sending thoughts that were wordless, voiceless, conveying only the idea that she was there and she had something important to show them, and then there was one single word before she withdrew into her own mind again, safe behind the thick barriers she had worked so hard to construct---library.
"Come, Felix," she ordered in a tone that was soft with a smile as sweet as sugar. "Pardonnez-nous, oncle Julien," she excused them when she turned to face him, giving a brief, careless curtsy and then vanishing into the house.

 

[.David Talbot.]

Courtland reacted first. Besides her brothers he was the closest to her after all. He had been rifling through papers in Julien's office when the summons came and he answered it with enthusiasm. Before Antha was even in the house he had sprinted through the library and stood leaning over the balcony railing outside. As he had decided would be custom he pulled a lighter from his pocket and chucked it at the vampire----what was his name? Vikteren---to see if he was still so alert. If not Courtland wouldn't waste his time on him.
Armand was second. He had been sitting on the patio talking to Cyrus when he received her summons. Cyrus had been third and only a second later than his brother. They didn't even mention it to each other. They just stood up silently and went to the library as they were told. Armand would have sat down but Cyrus followed Courtland onto the balcony and Armand followed him without thinking. He had always been his big brother's sidekick.
Jack and Dolly Jean were fourth and fifth. Jack had dozed off on the stairs but the summons jarred him awake. He was too sleepy to understand who had sent it or what the word had been but he followed the chain that linked him to Antha like it was the only thing in the world. It was the moment that he saw her that he was suddenly extremely awake and so excited that he tackled her on the spot. He wrapped his body around her so that she didn't really hit the ground when they hit the ground but was balled up in his arms on the porch while he rubbed his cheek against her cheek and hair like a cat would scent mark someone.
Dolly Jean crept in from the kitchen like she was frightened. She dared to look through the door and found Jack and Antha and the sight of Antha made her brave enough to peep around the doorframe and see the people in the front yard. She giggled when she saw Vikteren but she didn't know why.

 

[Azure Halfbreed]

Felix followed Antha's lead. He gave a nod of his head to Julien as a sigh of farewell and followed Antha to the house. He now started to wonder just what was in store for him. Just meeting a few of his family member seemed to put him in his place that quickly. How would meeting the rest of his family affect him. It would seem that the guild just planted the seed and let its teachings grow it's root through out him. He was going to find out soon enough what was going to happen.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Generally, Antha was not on guard within Mayfair Manor. This being the case, Jack's sudden attack surprised her and she had a moment to scream before they hit the ground. When that moment was over, she was already wriggling out of his hold, flipping him over and pinning him to the floor. "Fils de a chienne!" she cursed, stabbing his knee with her own, "I said to meet in the library. How is that an invitation to attack me?" She held him there another moment, grinding hos wrists very hard against the cold boards of the porch, before she rose and entered the house yet again. "Honestly, I don't think there's any sense left in you!" But she smiled as she said it, however wickedly, and then held her hand out as if reaching for Felix, beckoning him forward.
Eleanor and Vittorio passed her as they made their way up the stairs to the library, Vittorio having to usher Eleanor along before him. She wanted to linger, to gawk at the new witch boy her cousin had brought along. They didn't have to ask if he was a Mayfair---it may as well have been written on his face. "Keep going, Eleanor," Vittorio grumbled before he got truly annoyed and merely picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.
She tried to hold to the banister and then the walls, staring at Felix as if he were something truly amazing. "But I want to look at him, Vittorio," she whined, her voice trailing behind her as they vanished up the stairs. He set her on her feet beside the desk when they were safely in the library and tucked himself into the most remote corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and eyes alert.
It made Antha laugh as she took Dolly Jean's hand, dragging her along with her up the stairs after them. Dolly Jean stared at him over her shoulder as Eleanor had, but there was something shyer about it, less certain. Being weak-minded, Dolly Jean didn't catch onto things as quickly as her cousins. "He's pretty, Antha," she said softly, as if her cousin couldn't hear her.
Antha only laughed again, calling out to Felix as she reached the landing. "Come along, Felix." And with that she proceeded into the library and her laughter began again as she released Dolly Jean to the room, letting her hide beside the door and peek through it, watching for Felix.

((I call Dolly Jean. You have too many characters as it is.))

 

[.David Talbot.]

Jack just laughed like a maniac. That laugh the red hair and their psychotic personalities were the biggest family resemblances between Antha and himself. He followed her and Dolly Jean up to the library when she had let him up. He was rubbing his knee the whole time like it hurt.
Courtland was inside a second after Antha and Cyrus and Armand followed. "It's gonna be damn crowded," he remarked as he plopped into a chair. He was still smirking.
Cyrus and Armand sat down on opposite ends of the only couch. Jack sprawled out between them. "Where in the hell did you find another Mayfair boy?"Armand asked Antha, "I mean damn I thought this was all of us. Who's is he?"
Cyrus smiled vaguely at him. "He's strong and we didn't know about him. I'll wager my entire share of the fortune he's Julien's." He turned his eyes to Antha. "Is he?"
Jack cursed under his breath. "He gets a cut of the fortune too. Is that coming out of the bulk or our shares?"
"Stope being a p***k," Courtland said while he rolled his eyes. He picked up a book from the nearest table and aimed it at Jack's head. He gave him just enough time to duck before it went crashing by. "We have more money than we can spend anyway."

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

The moment he sat down, Antha went to Courtland as if pulled by a string, curling up in his lap with her back against the arm of the chair. "Who else's would he be?" she answered, rolling her eyes at Cyrus. To Jack she merely replied very shortly, "Bulk." Courtland had said had she felt, no need to repeat it.
A very long time ago, Antha had decided that if she absolutely had to be married then it would be to Courtland. She never expected it to happen, but she was very set in her decision, and he had agreed.
"He looks like he'd take a long time to break," Eleanor commented, a dreaminess overtaking her expression that was so cruel Antha struck out at her mind quickly and messily, making it sting. It made her give a little cry and collapse into a chair, holding her head, but she went silent and looked at Antha with eyes that were both apologetic and fearful.
Dolly Jean was still at the door, waiting for him. "Don't say such awful things!" she whined, turning and staring at Eleanor with eyes that were truly hurt, "He's family---true family---you can't hurt him!" Eleanor looked like she was about to reply, but the moment she opened her mouth she went still again and turned her fearful gaze to Antha. When she hadn't turned out to be what anyone---even the Mayfairs---would call a good or even decent person, Antha had been very careful to make Eleanor completely and absolutely terrified of her. That way, fewer bad things happened because of her.

 

[Azure Halfbreed]

Following Antha close behind, he entered the library as well. Quickly he glanced around at every one in the room. He tried to remember each face of everyone here and their obvoius characteristics. He knew he'd soon have names to go with the faces too. After he was done looking at everyone he tilted his head slightly down again. Staring at the floor a bit in front of him. Antha would take it from here. It wasn't Felix's place to do it.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha smiled at Felix when he was at the door, trying to comfort him as best she could in a room full of strangers that, to be quite honest, were all psychotic to the marrow of their bones. "Don't be rude," she scolded her cousins, making a vague gesture at the bulk of them to rise, "Introduce yourselves."
Dolly Jean went first, already standing beside him at the door. "I'm Dolly Jean," she said with a little glimmer in her wide brown eyes that said she was both nervous and excited. She opened her mouth to speak again, but instead found herself running to Vittorio, her prematurely silver hair making a veil around her face as she burrowed it into her chest, hiding.
Vittorio was not pleased that she had gone to him. But whether he liked it or not, he received her quietly, putting a hand to his head and running it through his tangle of black hair. "Vittorio Mayfair," the boy introduced himself very shortly, giving a nod of his head in Felix's direction as he stroked Dolly Jean's hair to calm her. His gaze never wavered, never left Felix. Once, when his skin had been so very pale like most of his cousins, the red-brown of his sharp eyes had been frightening. When his skin had tanned to a much darker shade, he had lost a good deal of that edge, so the gaze he gave Felix, though cold by nature, was not entirely unnerving.
Next was Eleanor, who didn't quite trust herself to get too close to him. She merely stood from her chair, holding to the armrest, and gave a more graceful nod of her head that made her blond waves of hair tangle in her face. "I'm Eleanor Mayfair," she said before she was very abruptly back in her seat, the gray of her eyes dark with something she was trying very hard to hide.