Mayfair Manor

[+.+Your.Dark.Eternal+.+]

Ezekiel's eyes followed Antha's run from the living room to the kitchen and back again. Her sudden entrance had stunned him for a moment, and he couldn't seem to find words until after she had exited the kitchen. "On Friday the 13th?" he repeated, and realized that he was smiling. The date held a strange fascination for him, in particular the fact that so many humans could blame their bad luck on a superstitious holiday. It was, of course, mere coincidence, but the taste of paranoia was one that was remarkably sweet, almost like caramel, and thick, too. Friday the 13th was like an emotional holiday.

((Funny thing, my friend's sixteenth birthday party is going to be a 'Superstitious Sixteen' on Friday the 13th.))  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

For a moment Antha's giggling turned into snickering, her smile into a smirk. "And everyone in this city is going to be invited. Everyone." She was slow and deliberate in her pronunciation of the last word, letting loose a wicked little witch's laugh for a moment before ripping at the milk carton and setting to the work of draining it. "That means," she continued as she wiped the excess milk from her lips with her sleeve, "Humans, witches, vampires, and Talamasca alike." She had to wonder if this would be vexing to Ezekiel, even disturb him. She knew good and well it would Julien, Michael, Stefan, and most other members of her family so why not him?

 

[+.+Your.Dark.Eternal+.+]

Ezekiel frowned for a moment at Antha's words--so many people of such different backgrounds could be conflicting--but somehow his mood had lightened and he was a bit eager for the party. So long as the emotions remained light, or at the very least interesting, he could enjoy himself. Hopefully people don't start problems with each other, he thought. He had been around during high tension moments before, and such events tended to make him rather ill. At least nothing could be worse that that time, said his mind, but Ezekiel banished the thoughts. They were exactly the kind of thing that could dampen his mood.

Turning to Antha, he said, "How big will this party be? If you're inviting everyone, it's going to be pretty massive, right? I know Mayfair Manor is generously sized, but don't you think that's a bit overboard?"  

[Average Doe]

"What's wrong with the Talamasca?" Volusia asked, trying to make the comment sound offhanded. Draining her cup, she placed it back down on the counter. "There are a few very nice people that I'm sure would love to come." This was said with a slightly ironic undertone, but it was partially sincere.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Ha ha," Antha replied sarcastically as she seated herself upon one of the little metal stools that sat against the bar in the middle of the room. "Even if most of them weren't uptight, whiny, self righteous little know-it-alls, there's still the fact that they want to pry our family apart to try and find every last little secret hidden there and record it for their own amusement." As the Designee of the Legacy, Antha had a rather forced idea that she had to do anything she could to protect them. To her, the Talamasca was a threat. But perhaps she was being too harsh; she knew there were a few intriguing people scattered among their ranks who didn't want to cause the Mayfair family any trouble. She knew first hand, actually, for as most people around Osiris City had at least heard a rumor about, Antha had very recently had something of an affair with the head of the organization, David Talbot. "At any rate," she declared as if to shatter her own accumulating thoughts, another wicked grin breaking out across her face, "It'll be an absolute scream!"

 

[Average Doe]

"Mmm," Was Volusia's only reply. She stood and walked to the sink, carefuly putting her mug in the botom. Someone would take care of it eventualy. She turned to Antha with an odd expression on her face. "Do you suppose the post will come today, what with the snow and all?"

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Eventually, I'm sure," she replied mechanically, giving a little gesture with her hand as if to say it really didn't matter to her. At the mention, Antha found her thoughts lingering on David Talbot, thoughts that put a wicked smirk on her face and would have had most other people blushing furiously.
"Sick child," said a preoccupied Armand Mayfair to his cousin as he stalked past, bursting into the pantry and diving straight into the prepackaged food. "Do you not have any ramen?"
Antha's eyes followed him boredly, her chin settling into the palm of her hand to rest. "Jealous?" she asked teasingly, her eyes sharpening strangely. "Bottom shelf in the corner." He burst out again with a triumphant yell that caused Antha's hands to fly up over her ears for a moment. "Honestly ducky, why the hell would you come all the way over here for food? There's a store one street over from your house!" Though this was true and Armand did live some 15 minutes from Mayfair Manor, rarely did he choose the former over the latter as a food source.
"You're just bitter over the whole affair," he said half-heartedly as he dug out a suitable bowl. Though this held little to no truth, it made sense in his own mind, he having recently talked her into a brief fling which he had ended thinking she was getting too attached. He couldn't have been more mistaken.

 

[Average Doe]

Volusia snorted [[and put her clothes back on]]. "Armand, have you gotten post today?" she asked casually, hoping Antha wouldn't notice her sudden obession. Opening her big blue eyes wide, she twirled her hair around her finger, hoping that possible cuteness would give her the answer she was looking for.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"The post I have not, to my apathy, seen today," he spouted as he fixed his eyes on his little plastic violet bowl, trying his best to divert his attention from Antha's cryptic stare, that expression she carried as if she knew something amusing she wished to keep from him. "Sorry, love."
"Ar~ma~nd~..." Antha began in her most teasing sing-song voice, "You need to boil those, I'm afraid." This she had noted as he had emptied the block of raw noodles into his bowl and prepared to tear apart the little silver packet that had been encased with it. Quickly he had told her to hush, inspecting the bowl as he did so as if this observation meant something must be wrong with the dishware. Apparently finding nothing, he scoured out a pan and went to go fill it.
Antha meanwhile, bored with her toy of a cousin, turned her attention on someone else. "Welcome back, Jacob dear." The boy, having just walked in, gave a little jolt. No matter how many times she or any other Mayfair did it, Jacob was always frightened by the powers of a witch. He jumped when people spoke to him before they even knew he had entered a room, went pale every time one spoke his thoughts before he had even organized them, and ran off frantically down the hall whenever Julien went ambling up the stairs one minute and then from the study below and into the library down the hall the next minute as if Jacob had imagined the first figure.

 

[Average Doe]

"Well dears, I think I'll head out to town for a while." Volusia said, pulling on her soggy boots. She made a face at how the cold water felt, seeping into her socks. Sighing, she stood and picked up her thick, wooly scarf. She tied it around her long thin neck and pulled on her coat, flipping the collar up to ward off the wind that was soon to attack. Pulling out the ribbon that was in her pocket, she tied it around her thick black hiar, keeping thw wild curls somewhat contained.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Do you now?" Antha asked with a mischievous little smile as the door slammed violently shut, seemingly of it's own accord, "Because I think I heard Julien say something about wanting to begin decorating today. And that, unfortunately, means everyone." She referred of course to Christmas, a thoroughly overdone holiday in the dominantly catholic family. Julien and Michael in particular were dramatic when it came to Christmas, spending hundreds of dollars a year to add to the several thousand dollars worth of decorations they already had stored away and dragging in a tree no more than a week prior to Thanksgiving that they had to hack and saw away at until it was short enough for the living room, even as high as the ceiling was. But regardless of the fervor in which the celebrating was accomplished, the point was that everyone had the best time of their lives (or at least since last Christmas). Even the non-Christians woke up with the rest of their family almost at the crack of dawn to make their way to St. Alphonsus church for the also over dramatic service held there every Christmas morning. "Do you know what he would do to you if you were late or, God forbid, didn't come?" In response Armand's finger make a slashing gesture across his neck and his eyes rolled momentarily back in his head.

 

[Average Doe]

Volusia looked up at Antha, stray curls bouncing. "Mmm?" The mischievious little smirk on her lips and the tilt of her eyebrows suggested that she had maybe heard, but Volusia wasn't letting on. She pulled on her long leather gloves and shoved a black tophat over her hair. "Well, toodeloo, darlings. See you in a few hours." Smling again at Antha, she tipped her hat and opened the door.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

The moment the door clacked against it's metal counterpart, it seemed, a great freezing gust was driven mercilessly into the kitchen, knocking tacky porcelain ornaments over onto the floor where they died a loud and clumsy death and ripping papers from the table and refrigerator. Jacob, dashing madly into the room as if by habit, quickly slammed the door on the monstrosity and then stood fearfully with his back pressed to the door and arms covering his head. But the savage wind, after taking a few minutes to mourn its denial, briefly scratched at the door and passed on without another sound. For a moment it was peaceful, Jacob terrified at the still and silent door and Armand shoved hastily into the cupboard under the sink by his own admission while Michael stood bracing himself between the handrails on the stairs. "What a pity," Antha said simply as she sat boredly staring at the smashed cup heaped at her feet, giving her head a few rhythmic shakes as if to silently convey the same message. "Jacob, ducky, lock the door." With one last little shiver to ward off the chills, the boy turned the key in its lock and shakily withdrew it to be dropped into Antha's waiting hand.

 

[Average Doe]

Once outside, she threw her arms out, embracing the sky and the wind, and the chill. Volusia buttoned the final button on her coat and pulled the scarf up a little further. Giggling queitly to herself, she was suddenly filled with happiness and warmth. She had a brief moment of "Aha!" when she remembered her bike. A dark blue hand-me-down from a past friend, the bike was in surprisingly good condition. The roads seemed to be in fairly good condition, and her tires still had treads. She was thrilled. Swinging one leg over the seat, Volusia took the crouching position of a racer. She aimed the handle bars down the driveway and peddled hard. The girl almost screamed, the bike went so fast down the hill. Absolutely intoxicated with her newfound joy, she hurried into town to the post office.  

[+.+Your.Dark.Eternal+.+]

((Sorry I've been gone so long.))

Ezekiel watched the exchange between Armand and Antha, then flinched as the irritation that filled Armand stabbed at his mind. Jacob's fear was more soothing, but it had a dulling effect, like tar seeping from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. He closed his eyes, trying to focus through the exhausting side-effects of terror, and at last he was able to push away some of the tarlike emotion and clear his head.
"Why is Volusia so excited for post?" he asked, and even he noticed the sudden grogginess of his voice. On the bright side, though, Jacob's fear overrode the stabbing pain of Armand's annoyance, a counterweight to the unpleasant headache. He watched Armand work at his ramen, then turned his eyes toward the window and the still gaping hole in the sliding glass door. Lifting his arm heavily, he pointed and said slowly, "Shouldn't we fix that?"
He was surprised it had taken so long to notice the cold seeping in, but for some reason he didn't feel it. Must have been the warmth of Volusia's barely concealed eagerness.