eclecticwitch

Blood's Jewels (Closed)

Ashkevron Residence in Askavi

Per the new member of the Court's nod, she looked around him to find an old woman standing next to a dirty, but a lovely young lady with the same shocking white hair. Were they siblings? She turned her gaze back up to the man before her and opened her lips to make some sort of reply when a pair of strong hands grasped her waist. She was lifted as easily as a bundle of twigs and set off to the side. "Excuse me," she said as she was moved, wiggling a bit to get out of the grasp. She heard the man call her lady and knew it was one of Faeril's boys.

She turned to find her suspicions confirmed as the Warlord Prince glared down at the white-haired man. She made a tsking sound with her tongue and was about to relay her suspicions about this man being a member of her court when Denar's appearance changed from challenging to elated. Fatima moved back to the opening in the door to find him as gleeful as a child, swinging the woman he called mother about. She winced, worried the old Eyrien would break in half.

It seemed she was safe in his arms though and so her worry subsided. "Well, I suppose this is a warm enough welcome as any. Would you like to come in for some coffee and breakfast? I believe I have made enough for everyone." She gestured them in, stepping back so that they could do so. She did not wait long to see if they would enter and bustled into the kitchen to begin preparing plates and mugs of deep, dark coffee for the group.

Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

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She watched as each of her employees entered the room with excitement. Each in turn she greeted with a large smile and a bright and cheery tone that was perhaps lower than one might expect from such a small woman. A voice like whiskey and cigarettes which lilted with a upper class British accent. She doused her smoke in the nearby ashtray and stood, moving toward her desk.

“Since everyone is here then, I will hand out the contracts. They are just simple things I expect from all of you and a packet that will work as an employee handbook with suggestions on what I would like you to wear, gear you might need, and the way you must behave in order to give this company a good name.” She collected a stack of papers and handed them out to each person in turn.

Bitsy waited patiently as her bright and shiny new employees signed their contracts. She was so enthused about the whole situation she had to light another cigarette and went to shuffle some papers uselessly on her desk. Finally all of the contracts were handed in and Hobbs immediately pulled out envelopes which contained the $100 and required a signed receipt showing payment had been given. The young woman had no concept of money and did not quite realize was the sign on bonus was the equivilent of $1,300 nor that their weekly pay came to nearly $700 in todays terms. All of this for a sake of a hobby.

“The sign on bonus is to ensure you will have a full clean wardrobe, are able to purchase notebooks and pens, as well as to make sure all of you can eat. A starving investigator is a bad investigator. All he’ll want to do his investigate what to put in his stomach.” She joked in a jovial and friendly way, as if she had known these people all her life.

Once everyone came down from the shock of the amount of money they had been given, Bitsy decided it was time to get right into it. “Since we have everything signed and ready we may as well start! I already have a case lined up for us. It is through my cousin, he has an archaeologist friend who has had some items moved around or gone missing. He suspects that a fellow colleague may be up to these shenanigans. Any questions before we get on with it?”

Blood's Jewels (Closed)

Ashkevron Residence in Askavi

Fatima smiled indulgently. While she had been repressing much of her psychic scent, she hadn't anticipated he would ask her such a question. Wasn't it obvious? She leaned forward, ready to reply to him but the sudden storm of displeasure rolled over her and she winced. Slowly she stood and turned to face the door, hands folded in front of her and raised her chin. She wore an expression of kind boredom and then the door opened. The chill rolled over her and tapped danced down her spine. It took every ounce of self-control to not visibly shiver but Fatima knew that Faeril could smell it on her.

"Of course, I would be happy to do so. There is some tea on the stove for you." She looked toward Mikhail, offered a small smile and a wink, before sweeping toward the kitchen door. On a distaff thread, she said, "He's one of mine. Please be kind. He needs help." With that, she swept from the room and approached the door. Outside of the room, she began to feel the apprehension of having to talk to Faeril later. More like get scolded by her with ice and evil stared and it would be so very, very boring.

Opening the door she came face to face with the emotion that had been sprouting up since the first visit last night.

Mine.

She stared blankly up at the pale-haired man before a warm smile crept over her lips. This was really getting out of hand. How thrilling! "How can I help you?"

Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

It had been an unusually warm and sunny day in mid-September. Many people had gone out in their long sleeves and jackets in the cool early morning only to find that the warmth of the day made such clothing unbearable. A blue sky with only a smattering of rolling white clouds encapsulated New York City. The night owls were still abed and the early risers had already, long ago started their day.

The instructions given over the phone had invited all accepted hires to meet at a penthouse flat in the Upper East Side at about 10 in the morning. Here it became apparent that wealth was casually flaunted. Cars were parked along streets with nary a nag in sight. The buildings were a mix of old, classic beauties and a new, modern style. The flat itself was located in a newly built complex that was in the Art Deco style which was still in its early stages. Bright shiny white contrasted starkly with a very business-like black.

At the front of a revolving door stood the Doorman. He was ready to judge with his eyes and watch all cool and collectedly as the commers and goers went about their daily business. It had been indicated at the end of the phone call that they should simply tell the Doorman that they were here to see Miss Hobbs at the top flat. Even if they were in rags he would let them through saying, “The elevator is located at the end of the hall at the left of the stairs. Last elevator. If you would prefer, to your immediate right are stairs leading up to the flat. That is, if you wish to climb the ten flights.”

Upon entering the building the ground floor held a lavish fountain and gorgeous plants of bright colors. There were stairs that started together at the bottom but split to allow a fine pear tree to show itself. They rejoined at the top, connecting to hall which lead to other apartments in the building. If directions were followed to the elevator, one would simply walk past the left side of the stairs and come to a line of four elevators with shiny golden, embossed doors. The last would take them on a short trip to the flat. If stairs were chosen, they would be going up a large and winding staircase with landings which held doors. At the tenth landing would be a door with a sign hanging on it that read, “Enter.”

The elevator would open to a perfectly white foyer with black curtains hanging on the walls, magnificent paintings, and statues of white or black marble. The statues depicted the naked human form of both sexes in many a pose. Here they would be greeted by the butler. “Welcome,” he would say in a bright yet soft tone. A gentle man of many years but without an ounce of cruelty in his visage. “I am Mister Foley.” Mister Foley was a tall gentleman, with salt and pepper hair, and a rather boyish sort of gangly to his body. His smile showed perfect teeth but was perhaps a bit too wide for his face. He dressed in a rather rich looking tuxedo and wore white gloves upon his hands.

“I will take you to meet our Miss Hobbs.” Then he would walk into the flat, the front circular room leading to a sparse hall which would then led to a living room with a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a low coffee table, and a small television on a stand. It was not this room they would stop at. Instead, he would lead down another small hallway which stopped at a black door. Foley rapped his knuckles against the door before opening it.

If the stairs were chosen, an individual would be greeted by a short and overweight woman. The bob of her hair wouldn’t quite fit the wideness of her face or the extra chin. Her hair was greying but it was obvious from her face and demeanor that she had a liveliness beyond her physical form.

“Hooah! I suspect yer lookin for Miss Hobbs. Come in and follow me. No dawdlin’ or gawkin’. We best be getting’ on with things.” She had a thick, sharp, but friendly Irish accent. She wore a cream-colored blouse and black trousers with a matching vest that was in part covered by her stark white apron. The woman would lead them into the kitchen which looked as if it had come straight out of a Sears catalog before it had hit a recession. All the new bobs and bits could be found in a room made of black, sparkling marble and white cabinetry.

“I be Norma, if you be needin’ anythin’ don’t yeh be hesitatin’ to ask me or Mister Foley. Or let Miss Hobbs know, she'll call fer us.” Through the dining room with a long table and excellent wall adornments and into the living room, down the hall and a black door which opened to the study.

This room was also rather large. Bookshelves lined one wall, a fireplace against another, and huge windows which looked out onto the street below. There were several couches and chairs as well as a large desk littered with papers. Upon a divan lay Miss Hobbs, Lady Detective. Her form was clad in a stylish and short beaded dress. A sheer, feathered robe lay open allowing anyone who dared to look a peek at her stockings and garter. One arm lay languidly over the curve of her hip and the hand held a cigarette. The other supported her and flipped through what appeared to be a fashion magazine.

As her employees arrived, Miss Hobbs looked up from the magazine, searched them over and offered a playful grin. She sat up, her heeled feet hitting the floor and crossing at the ankles. “Welcome! Please sit, as soon as everyone arrives, I will go over, well, everything!” She made a fluid motion to indicate the two modern couches and three stuffed chairs.

Blood's Jewels (Closed)

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Ashkevron Residence in Askavi

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^{@LadyRunic@13org}

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From the kitchen, she heard the knock and paused her cooking. Who would be here so early in the morning? Fatima waited a few moments to see if anyone else would get the door. Was she allowed to do such a thing? Hesitantly she wiped her hands on an apron she had found in the kitchen and approached the door. Another knock made her jump but she had to remind herself she was safe here. No harm would come to her.

The tiny Queen let out a slow breath from her mouth, gripped the doorknob and opened to find a pale hooded man standing before her. There was that feeling that rolled inside of her once again. It told her all she really needed to know about the man.

MINE

"Welcome home," she said with her most charming smile.

Mikhail couldn't help but be surprised after seeing the dark skinned woman opening the door. She was completely different from the rumors he heard about the 'infamous' black widow. Her warm and charming smile and even her words had a calming tone and even the woman herself had a beautiful appearance, something that inspired trust, something that would disarm most men or even make them fall for her... But not Mikhail.

"I am really grateful by the warm welcome, but I'm afraid I won't really stay for too long." Mikhail said taking off his hood to show a warm but exhausted smile.

"Besides, I don't really have a place I can call home. Never had." he said, looking to the woman as his eyes briefly became cold and piercing as he said the last two words, before going back to the usual kind, exhausted stare that matched his smile, almost as if that was a warning to keep her distance, emotionally speaking.

Due to the lack of sleep caused by the nightmares, both sides of his personality were starting to overlap one another and he could feel his sanity slowly fading away. He knew very well that he wasn't in his best shape. It was getting harder and harder to make rational decisions and it was taking him a good deal of effort to keep his tired mind and body to simply surrendering themselves to that woman and her warm words. Surrendering his mind and body to that woman meant he would be vulnerable and Mikhail knew more than anyone else that a single moment of carelessness could be a grave mistake.

"I'm sorry for coming so early, but I was told I could find the Black Widow here..." Mikhail said, still in doubt if that woman was really the same from the rumors he heard.

Her smile fell and sadness crept into her features. had she been wrong about this feeling? No, she wasn't. So why didn't he want to stay? Really, this was a thought for another time. "Well, at least make your short stay a pleasant one then." The sadness she felt at knowing that one of her men was going to leave her was tucked away and the welcoming air she had originally portrayed came back. "Why don't you follow me. We'll get you something to eat. I'm afraid most of the household is asleep and won't be able to be of any help."

Fatima wondered just how much trouble she was going to be in for letting this complete stranger into Faeril's house. She would just have to explain the situation as there was nothing for it. Once the man entered the house she led the way to the warm kitchen and got him a large plate of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. "How do you take your coffee?" she inquired, turning with the warm mug in hand. "Sit, sit. Make yourself comfortable." She busied herself with the food and the coffee, ensuring there were enough plates for everyone. Covering them with metal bowls she placed simple warming spells to keep them for when the others came down. Finally, she allowed herself to settle with her own large plate of food and sipped her third cup of coffee with great relish, making a soft mmmm-ing sound of her delight.

Seeing the woman's smile immediately give place to a sad expression made Mikhail feel a bit guilty. As much as he searched, he couldn't find an ounce of malice on that woman's expression. Was he being a bit too paranoid? By the looks of it, she was just a normal woman, he shouldn't' be so worried. After all, it was impossible for him to have drawn attention to himself, other than the fact that he was a Dea Al Mon, of course. He was always incredibly careful regarding the contracts he took and regarding his clients.

Just as he was about to open his mouth again, the sad expression on the woman's face was replaced by the same welcoming air she had previously as she invited him to get in. Once again, he could see no signs of anything being wrong. Hopefully, he was finally going to be freed from so many fragmented memories and nightmares from a life that wasn't his anymore, whether he wanted or not, he would have to trust the Black Widow. He had no choice but to let her see his memories if he wanted to be helped.

As he followed the woman inside, it became apparent that indeed most of the people inside were asleep. One more reason for him to stop being so paranoid. They wouldn't let him get in if they knew who he was and were after him. Maybe it was ok to be careless for now... Mikhail mentally cursed himself by making that decision as he sat down after the woman offered him a seat and some coffee. He could only hope that his intuition was right about that woman and the people inside that house.

"I'm... Terribly sorry for my rudeness just now." Mikhail said with a slight bow.

"Strong, please..." he said, referring to the coffee. It wasn't exactly the way he enjoyed, but he really needed something to keep his mind working.

"It's been a... long time since I had a decent night of sleep or even some time to rest my mind at all, so I'm just a bit on edge." Mikhail said, apologizing himself once more as he looked to the woman. The smile he had before was nowhere to be seen, his expression now showed only exhaustion.

"Or that is what I would like to say..." he said, with a chuckle. Something in his expression made it clear that the situation was much worse than what he was showing, despite him not telling her exactly what was wrong with him.

Crossing her legs, she watched him with a worried expression. He was obviously not feeling too well. Hopefully, the food might perk him up a bit. A good meal could fix quite a few things. Not this, the Darkness knew, but perhaps just a balm on an open sore. "No need to apologize." She swept the words away with a slender and fluid hand. "Everyone can be a bit of a bear without enough sleep." She wondered just how much of a bear Faeril would be and felt a pang of worry in her stomach. If she were in a bad mood that would not help matters with the stranger. She hoped Lucivar would come to breakfast soon.

"You are here now, safe amongst friends. Relax, eat something. I promise I didn't poison it," she said playfully. She sipped her coffee and again and her eyes sparkled with good-natured mischief. She took her own fork in hand then and daintily ate, good manners knocked into her from a young age. "I am called Fatima. You?"

The coffee was indeed helping Mikhail to clear his thoughts, even if it was only a little bit. By the silence on the house, it appeared he would have to wait a bit until the 'others', as the woman mentioned, wake up. He still didn't know who exactly were these 'others' and he would definitely have to be careful. He wasn't worried with the woman in front of him, but the others were a different story. By now, he was mostly convinced that she wasn't the black widow, solely judging by the rumors and how others said the black widow was. That woman couldn't be the one from the rumors.

"Safe amongst friends..." Mikhail mumbled, mostly to himself than for the woman as he drank a bit more from the cup of coffee in front of him. Those words... it's been a long time since he heard those words being said in such a honest manner. Old habits die hard and for Mikhail, those two words were nothing but sweet lies.

"Mikhail. Once again, I'm grateful for the hospitality." he said, with a slight bow towards the woman.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but you're not the Black Widow from the rumors, am I right?" he asked, looking to the woman, carefully analyzing her reactions.

Palm Beach Royals: Senior Year

And I'll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
'Cause everyone knows that's how you get famous

8D74AD

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Penny had spent hours on herself, as was usual when going out. She wasn't dressed to the nines, she was dressed all the way up to eleven. If she had to be forced to attend the party with some rando who had barely spoken three words to her, she was at least going to blow EVERYONE out of the water. She hadn't gotten any hint of what he would wear. Just that she had to meet him at the venue. No piacking her up. No ordered limo. No. She had to be driven there. Natrually Penny hired her own limo and planned to invite some people out for a small after party at the beach to drown away their sorrows of failed dates. And get the chance to enjoy the people they really wanted to.

She stood outside of the country club, her beautiful pink dress hugging her every curve and the skirt falling around her like a spring time waterfall. A real live fairy tale princess. In her little clutch she merely carried her cards and phone. She hoped whats his nuts would at least remember their goddamn tickets. Penny had decided to let her curls hold their natural state and had only added decorative ornaments of butteflies and flowers to it. She sparkled and shimmered for all the world to take notice.

The young woman was imaptient. She tapped her foot on the asphalt and checked her phone. It had been five minutes. He really should have been waiting her for her. She was half tempted to go in with someone else and pay her own way. Fuck all to graduating, she certainly didn't need to. Tucking the phone away she watched as people pulled in all happy and smiles and ready to enjoy their night. Penny feared this mood would leak into everything else and make her commit a murder.

At long last her date appeared and she tried her best to give him a smile. All she really wanted to do was chew him out. That bastard.

Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

Everyone is to arrive at the agency at the same time. 11 am.

"Oh sure, basically it will be an introduction to the building and penthouse. There is a doorman who will direct you to the elevator if you choose to use it. It will lead directly to the penthouse where the butler, one Mister Edward Foley will take you to the meeting parlor. Lots of white, crisp decor. Miss hobbs will be laid out on a divan, smoking a cigarette and reading a fashion magazine."

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Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

Everyone is to arrive at the agency at the same time. 11 am.

"Oh sure, basically it will be an introduction to the building and penthouse. There is a doorman who will direct you to the elevator if you choose to use it. It will lead directly to the penthouse where the butler, one Mister Edward Foley will take you to the meeting parlor. Lots of white, crisp decor. Miss hobbs will be laid out on a divan, smoking a cigarette and reading a fashion magazine."

If you don't have discord please join. If you do please join us.

Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

Read the first post doll. ;)

Miss Hobbs' Paranormal Detective Agency

@The Forgotten Pffft, sorry to be so specific! If you aren't a fan of Gary Cooper another couple to try might be Will Rogers, Ken Maynard, Tom Mix, and Charlton Heston. Anyway, he's accepted! Good work! Move him on over~