Mayfair Manor

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She gazed amusedly up at her cousin, a haunting smile to her lips. "As you wish, Dorian dear. To each his own." Again there came that fleeting look in her eyes, the suggestion that she knew something he didn't. "At any rate, you came back just in time. We're decorating tonight," she informed him with the airiest of tones as she returned gracefully to her feet. Immediately following she clasped his hand in her own as if afraid he would run suddenly. "You will stay that long, won't you?" she asked teasingly, her eyes fluttering with a contrived curiosity.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She gazed amusedly up at her cousin, a haunting smile to her lips. "As you wish, Dorian dear. To each his own." Again there came that fleeting look in her eyes, the suggestion that she knew something he didn't. "At any rate, you came back just in time. We're decorating tonight," she informed him with the airiest of tones as she returned gracefully to her feet. Immediately following she clasped his hand in her own as if afraid he would run suddenly. "You will stay that long, won't you?" she asked teasingly, her eyes fluttering with a contrived curiosity.

"I would not return
If I did not assume
my dearest cousins
would give me room,"
he replied archly, rising to his feet with a faint smile and facing Antha, tucking his hands into well-tailored black slacks. It wasn't that he'd actually been doing anything wrong, Dorian reminded himself. And it was such fun to tease Antha. She wouldn't expect him to actually be able to resist the temptation--she knew him too well. And read minds, that helped, Dorian remembered, belatedly barricading his thoughts. Oops.
Attempting to distract her, he moved behind her, drawing her hair to the side before wrapping his arms loosely around her waist and leaning his head upon her shoulder, planting a swift kiss on the smooth curve of her throat, parodying the hated vampires' kiss.
"But enough on my travels!
Let me ask, if I may
Who's become your new toy
while I was away?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She only grinned mischievously, a light laugh emmitting from her. "My new toy? Well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself." She turned abruptly, laying a single kiss upon his cheek, and then turned to the glass doors that lead to the balcony, throwing them carelessly open and stepping out into the cold. "Really now, my dear Marquess, did you really think I'd just tell you?" Her head shook automatically in answer to her own question. "What fun would that be?"

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She only grinned mischievously, a light laugh emmitting from her. "My new toy? Well, you'll just have to find that out for yourself." She turned abruptly, laying a single kiss upon his cheek, and then turned to the glass doors that lead to the balcony, throwing them carelessly open and stepping out into the cold. "Really now, my dear Marquess, did you really think I'd just tell you?" Her head shook automatically in answer to her own question. "What fun would that be?"

"I must protest!
I had no thought
to pry into
what I should not."
He murmured, holding his empty palm up in a gesture of penitence. Dorian moved to stand next to her, following her gaze across the open landscape. The breeze stirred his hair, the cool air caressing his cheek like a lover. "But you have chosen?" he spoke softly, almost reverently, although his eyes rested on the sky rather than her.
"The game's begun?
Our plans are made,
Our wait is done?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha said not a word in reply, only smiled in that cryptic way she often did, something that at times could drive people crazy. She thought for a moment that maybe she should tell him all about David---the man the Mayfair family had always hated for his occupation and one of Antha's loyal little playmates that she chose to hang onto---and how he had told her she should marry him. Again she said nothing, though the thought sat carelessly unguarded in her mind. But finally, after a very long pause, she seemed to become completely and rather bizarrely serious. "Dorian, have you ever been in love?" She didn't know why, but the subject of love had been lodged in her mind recently and she had become quite curious on the subject.

 

[Rynn Calais]

Dorian scowled slightly, knowing that Antha's smile only meant bad news for other people. Reaching out again for her thoughts, he was surprised to find them unguarded--but even more surprised at the information that they held. His jaw dropped.
"You must be joking!
You cannot have planned
to give yourself up;
to accept his hand!"
He dashed before her, clasping her hands in earnest, his dark eyes wide and panicked--his mind was completely empty, all barricades down, except for the constant stream of conscious--She can't, she can't, they'd drive each other mad, it'd never work, they'd hate each other within a month, it can't work, she can't imagine it would, why would she do it?--He wouldn't have minded Antha marrying, of course...well...assuming it was to the proper person...but David was entirely unsuitable. He had been the Supreme General of the Talamasca, after all!  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha couldn't help but give a small laugh, quickly withdrawing and going to stand at the wrought iron railing. "I didn't say yes," she replied softly, shaking her head only slightly. She just loved how her relatives went all insane every time she mentioned David in connection to herself. It was too bad they never saw how absolutely adorable he was. "Though if I were to marry someone---someone outside of the family, of course---I think it would be David. After all, Claire would drive me positively mad!" She laughed again, airily this time, and let her hand run quickly through her mess of red waves, tousling them beautifully. "But really now, you didn't answer my question!" she said firmly, turning and hopping up onto the railing. Were it not for the medium between the roof and the railing she most likely would have fallen.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha couldn't help but give a small laugh, quickly withdrawing and going to stand at the wrought iron railing. "I didn't say yes," she replied softly, shaking her head only slightly. She just loved how her relatives went all insane every time she mentioned David in connection to herself. It was too bad they never saw how absolutely adorable he was. "Though if I were to marry someone---someone outside of the family, of course---I think it would be David. After all, Claire would drive me positively mad!" She laughed again, airily this time, and let her hand run quickly through her mess of red waves, tousling them beautifully. "But really now, you didn't answer my question!" she said firmly, turning and hopping up onto the railing. Were it not for the medium between the roof and the railing she most likely would have fallen.

Dorian scowled slightly at her imperterbed reaction.
"I've loved before
I'll admit my sin
I've loved the chase,
the fight
for skin on skin."
But the response was airy, carelessly given, and told her nothing that she did not know already. Dorian had always been in love with the idea of love more than anything. And in truth, it seemed a role he was destined to play. He was not uncomely, he came from a family influential enough to get him out of any trouble he might land himself in, was well-off, and knew quite well how to flatter any ordinary girl.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha gave a little shake of her head, not even bothering to reply. Instead she turned to face the street, placing one foot firmly atop the railing with one dangling down uselessly. The mere fact that she hadn't fallen off was nothing short of a miracle. "It feels pointless," she said finally, eyes locked loosely and almost bored upon the horizon through the mass of snow and tree limbs. "Yes, it is pointless. Of course it's not like this is anything new. It just started bothering me the other day and I can't seem to shake the feeling." Even to herself she sounded absurd. After all, Antha had always been known to sleep in a different bed every week; her family generally hated it but never dared to stop her. Lately this was not the case.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said finally, a disturbed little laugh on her lips.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha gave a little shake of her head, not even bothering to reply. Instead she turned to face the street, placing one foot firmly atop the railing with one dangling down uselessly. The mere fact that she hadn't fallen off was nothing short of a miracle. "It feels pointless," she said finally, eyes locked loosely and almost bored upon the horizon through the mass of snow and tree limbs. "Yes, it is pointless. Of course it's not like this is anything new. It just started bothering me the other day and I can't seem to shake the feeling." Even to herself she sounded absurd. After all, Antha had always been known to sleep in a different bed every week; her family generally hated it but never dared to stop her. Lately this was not the case.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said finally, a disturbed little laugh on her lips.

He sat up straight, feigning shock at her pronouncement.
"Wrong, my lady?
To my great dismay
I know only one thing
to cause such decay
In logic, reason, common sense--
Pardon my manners,
but I shall make no pretense."
He cut off the sing-song chant and leant forward, against the balcony railing. "Well, I don't suppose you've been frolicking about with a particularly intriguing member of the opposite sex?" Anticipating her glare, he looked up with an irresistably cheeky grin to mollify her.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Not at all," she answered sullenly, hardly noticing she was speaking. Her eyes remained locked to the horizon in a mesmerized sort of way, thoughtful. "As a matter of fact, I'm bored with every last one of them. It's infuriating!" With a little sigh escaping her lips Antha cast her eyes upon Dorian, studying him carefully. For what seemed the hundredth time she wondered if he might be different from Lawrence, Pierce, Vittorio, or any of her other cousins. Surely there had to be one who wasn't just another Mayfair boy, something generic to her mind. "But what good with that do me?" she asked herself aloud, her thoughts having been fully unguarded. "What fun would we have then, Dorian my dear?" A thin smile touched her lips, playful as ever, as she hopped down and quickly pressed her lips to his. "No, I don't think that would do. For this my thoughts betray me." After all, Antha knew what happened when the game was finished.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"Not at all," she answered sullenly, hardly noticing she was speaking. Her eyes remained locked to the horizon in a mesmerized sort of way, thoughtful. "As a matter of fact, I'm bored with every last one of them. It's infuriating!" With a little sigh escaping her lips Antha cast her eyes upon Dorian, studying him carefully. For what seemed the hundredth time she wondered if he might be different from Lawrence, Pierce, Vittorio, or any of her other cousins. Surely there had to be one who wasn't just another Mayfair boy, something generic to her mind. "But what good with that do me?" she asked herself aloud, her thoughts having been fully unguarded. "What fun would we have then, Dorian my dear?" A thin smile touched her lips, playful as ever, as she hopped down and quickly pressed her lips to his. "No, I don't think that would do. For this my thoughts betray me." After all, Antha knew what happened when the game was finished.

He pressed a hand to his heart and raised his eyes to the heavens, his expression so mournful that it was comedic.
"I'm wounded, Antha
I truly am!
You would take my persona
to be merely a sham?"
He couldn't hold his face in such a position so contrary to his nature for long, though, and it soon dissolved into his customarily smug grin. Antha was charming even when she did patronize him, much as he despised the act.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha gave a quick, sly smile, her eyes gleaming thoughtfully. "I know you, Dorian." Quickly she took hold of his hand, tugging softly on it as she stepped towards the door. "Let's go play in the attic," she said softly, the same smile lingering on her lips as she dropped his hand and dashed off down the hall for the stairs. After all, the marquess must always obey his duchess, she said to him telepathically as she stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs, the red crayons clenched in her fingers. And I have a new gift of the month to post before the new gegor comes along.

 

[Rynn Calais]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha gave a quick, sly smile, her eyes gleaming thoughtfully. "I know you, Dorian." Quickly she took hold of his hand, tugging softly on it as she stepped towards the door. "Let's go play in the attic," she said softly, the same smile lingering on her lips as she dropped his hand and dashed off down the hall for the stairs. After all, the marquess must always obey his duchess, she said to him telepathically as she stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs, the red crayons clenched in her fingers. And I have a new gift of the month to post before the new gegor comes along.

So you do have someone in mind, he thought delightedly, hurrying after her. Who is it? Where are they from? When are they coming? his voice pestered her, as curious as a child. He couldn't help it--it seemed like it had been far too long since they had accepted another into their ranks.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha waited until Dorian had caught up with her, immediately reclaiming his hand as she pressed a single finger to his lips, silently urging him to be quiet. You'll see soon enough. Quickly she began up the stairs and on through the chilly attic, knowing full well Julien was sleeping in the study, and on to the door set into the middle of the wall opposite the stairs. Hastily she wrenched it open, stepping inside and out of the way to allow Dorian into the altar. "Hurry up!" She flashed a piece of yellowed paper, complete with red crayon illustrations. "I want to post it before anyone else gets here."