Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Nov 24, 2012 18:18:28 GMT -5
Sleep had overtaken the dear, little maid for far longer than she had thought. By the time she woke up, it was nearly half past three in the afternoon! She had to go and see if Lenoir was awake or not- or even if he was in the same room! Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Adina pushed away the sheets and staggered a bit as she struggled to stand up. Her legs felt a bit weak but she pushed herself to get out of the room and try to find Erik.
It was cold again; another chilly day in the manor and the air made Adina shiver and pull her shawl tightly around her shoulders. She went back to the room here she had last seen Lenoir and peeked in… He wasn't there. Did he go back to his lair already? The maid vaguely remembered going up a strange device that Erik had called a 'lift', but she did not remember where it was exactly. Oh, if only she knew where he was! Adina headed down the staircase and into the foyer… No sign of him. She inhaled and exhaled deeply before heading to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. Yes, that would make her feel much better.
She went and prepared the tea and sat in a small chair and sipped it slowly. The warm drink soothed her, heart and soul and made her smile. She wondered about some of the other people: Christine, Charles, Meg, and the old lady- she did not know her name. She was so glad to have met them- except for Charles- and was so glad to be alive again. What joy it was to be alive! She closed her eyes and moment and breathed in deeply, taking in the utter delight to be breathing again. She had taken such a simple thing for granted… Now she did not want to miss out on life anymore; she did not want to let this Claude take her soul from her and she would fight if she had to.
Suddenly, she heard some movement from a different room and paused a moment. Who was that?…. "Erik?" She called, setting down her cup and getting up. She looked around and thought she saw a figure move through the foyer. Was it Lenoir? It had to be. "Erik, is that you?" She called again, hoping the person would turn around so she could see his face.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Nov 29, 2012 20:08:21 GMT -5
After speaking with Emilie and having a bit of a tiff with her, Erik had gone back to the lair to find something for his headache. It was better than it had been, but still not gone. He knew he had some herbs that he could make into a tea which would take away the nausea and headache. Arriving at his lair, he checked his supply of herbs and found one ingredient missing.
"Damn!" he whispered fiercely. "Bloody hell! Now I have to go back up to the kitchen and find out if they have the missing ingredient." He sat down for a moment and held his still aching head. Why had he been such an idiot to listen to Edouard de Chagny? Next time he met de Chagny, the Vicomte would be sorry!
With a sigh, Erik arose and put the ingredients he had into a small container and put it in his pocket. Then he made the long crossing over the lake and over the bridges, up the lift and took the long walk to the dining room. At the entrance to the dining room, there were two large wooden doors which he pushed open. He was pleasantly surprised to see Adina sitting in a chair and sipping tea. She almost made him forget his pain and irritation.
Erik smiled. "I've come to make some special tea. It's delightful to see you here."
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Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Nov 29, 2012 22:21:29 GMT -5
Adina blinked and looked at the man a bit closer… It was Lenoir! She smiled and set down her cup, giving him a polite curtsey. "Good evening, Erik," She said before straightening up. Her visage seemed to brighten considerable when she saw the man again. But what was he doing here? Should he be up and about? And how long was she asleep?
"How are you feeling, monsieur? Any better?" She looked at Erik with concern, trying to keep her voice soft in case he still had a bit of a headache. Then he mentioned tea. Tea! What perfect timing! She had a fresh pot of hot water already made. She had planned to make a new brew of tea. But now that Erik was here, she could just make him the tea instead.
"May I prepare that for you, Erik?" She asked, smiling again as she held out a hand for the tea.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Nov 29, 2012 23:15:27 GMT -5
"I'm feeling just a bit better. But this herbal tea will do the trick, I know. I just need one more ingredient which is why I came back here." Erik took out the small container from his pocket and placed it on the table. It contained the dried leaves and other parts of the plants Erik needed. Then he found a mortar and pestal and placed that on the table too. In the pantry, with the collection of herbs, he found exactly what he needed. He took the correct amount and crushed the herbs into smaller pieces, then placed it in a tea ball and handed it to Adina.
"If you could pour the boiling water over this and make me a cup of tea, that would be lovely." Erik smiled but rubbed his forehead and temple which was still throbbing. "Adina, do you remember much of what went on last night, both at the pub and at the manor? I know you told me a bit before but I want to try to remember. I know I embarrassed myself greatly. And do you remember who came to t he bedroom last night? I remember Ana Goodwin-Hart, I was quite angry at her, not that it was really her fault. But who else besides you and de Chagny and his wife?"
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Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Nov 29, 2012 23:46:03 GMT -5
"I am glad to hear that, Erik," She smiled. She was glad that Erik was feeling better. And she was happier now that she had someone to talk to this afternoon instead of spending it alone. She looked at the mortar and pestle and then the tea ball. "What a strange little thing," She said, looking at the round ball now filled with the tea now in her hands. "How does it work?" She took the ball and gently placed it in the cup and then poured the hot water over it. Her head tilted to the side a bit before looking up at Lenoir quizzically. She had never used anything like that, only putting the tea leave straight into the cup; sometimes she would chew on the leave as she sipped her tea.
Adina lifted one hand to her mouth and began to chew one fingernail in thought. "I remember there were two men: monsieur de Chagny and an older gentleman… Billie was his name, I believe. I also remember de Chagny's wife and another man with a mask. I wanted to apologize because I-…" She paused and flushed a little out of shame. "I spoke out of turn towards him and it was wrong of me. I tend do that that… That was how I was murdered. By my temper."
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Nov 30, 2012 20:11:42 GMT -5
"The tea ball comes quite in handy. It alows the boiling water entrance to the inside of it so that the water becomes imbued with the essence and flavour of the herbs, but it doesn't let the pieces out into the tea cup. Just put it in the tea cup and pour the boiling water over it." He looked about the kitchen. "You must be overwhelmed by the modern oddities in this kitchen. It has taken me a bit to figure out how some of them work. Have you used the coffee maker yet? You can pour water through it to make coffee or if you just wish to have hot water for tea or something else, you don't have to put coffee in the top of it."
After Adina made the tea for Erik, he thanked her. He moved the tea ball about in the cup for a bit and then let it steep. Finally he tried it. "Yes, this will do the trick." He continued to sip on the hot tea.
Adina stated to list the people who had shown up at the bedroom scene the eveing last. "Yes, Billie Cristofersen would have been there; he was at the pub...and the man with the mask...what kind of mask was it? There are quite a few who wear a full mask... a few of us with a half mask... and Carrière, who, as far as I know, is the only one who wears a three quarter mask. Was there any thing else distinguishing about this man?"
"Your temper?" asked Erik gently. "I fear I have a bit of a temper too..." He did indeed. Erik had thrown fits of temper often for trivial things, and sometimes for things not so trivial. He had almost killed his rival Edouard de Chagny once when the Vicomte had caught him kissing Emilie...but of course Erik would never admit to that...not to Adina. He didn't want her to think badly of him...
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Post by Christine Lucinda Dallas on Nov 30, 2012 20:34:23 GMT -5
Lu had started to become used to Gunner not being there. She had found other ways to amuse herself. She liked to explore the mansion with a fair bit of larceny in her heart. She didn't like to steal from people she knew and those who trusted her. Perhaps someone despicable was rife to have Lu's deft fingers pull something from their pockets, as she had done with Edouard de Chagny last night. She had a feeling from him that he was not a completely nice person. There was something annoying about him which she couldn't quite figure out.
In any case, she had sized up many of the beautiful antique pieces which seemed only to belong to the mansion. And since she didn't know who owned the mansion, she felt justified in taking a few of them. Of course they would be better taken to the village where she could sell them. That was the point. Most of the valuable items were much too large and heavy to keep in her suite. She wished Gunner were here to help her spirit away a few of them. So far she hadn't really stolen much except a dagger and pocket watch from de Chagny.
Lu started walking down the corridors of the mansion, not really going anywhere. The halls were dark, the only light coming from the moon outside and filtering in through the trees and thence through the windows. She knew where the kitchen and dining room were and as she came up to the doors, she realized she had not had dinner. Good time to find something in the kitchen. She entered the large, long dining room and remembered she wanted to take a better look at some of the things kept in the china closet. There were some lovely miniature Chinese statues and some tiny Victorian people and animals. She tried the door, but it was locked. She pulled out her knife to jimmy the door when she heard talking from the kitchen. She quickly put away her knife in the pocket of her fringed leather vest and went over to the kitchen door.
Lu opened the door and peeked in. She saw a man and a woman at the table drinking tea. "Howdy, y'all," she said in greeting. "I just come to find something good fer supper."
She took a good look at the people seated at the table. The red haired woman was dressed as a maid, with somewhat rustic clothing. The man was dressed elegantly and had slicked back reddish hair and he wore a half-mask. She pointed at Erik and said, "Oh I remember you, you was the fella what was drunk on his ass last night, wasn't you? " She looked at Adina. "You was there too..." She paused in an uneasy silence, then held out her hand to shake hands with whoever would take her hand. "I'm Lu Dallas from the Arizona Territory..." She smiled, somehow this seemed a strained meeting...
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Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Nov 30, 2012 22:16:06 GMT -5
"It does?" Adina asked, putting the metallic ball in the cup as it 'clinked!' to the bottom. She poured the steaming water into the cup as watched as the little sphere bobbed to the surface of the water as the tea began to change the color of the water to a murky green. Erik explained a bit about some of the items in the kitchen such as a 'coffee maker'. Adina shook her head when he asked if she had used it. He made it sound like it would be easier to use than it looked; very strange item indeed! For now she decided she would leave it alone.
She smiled and went to pick up her tea cup again and went back to sipping on it. She enjoyed the mutual silence and savored the tea.
"Carrière? Oui! That was him! The three quarter mask. It was a different color than yours, I remember that." She didn't remember who the other people were because she was a bit too upset with them all coming around and disrupting Lenoir when all he wanted to do was rest. "Bu there was another woman… She had long dark hair and you seemed rather upset with her…. You were screaming for her to get away, that-… That she started something. Whatever it was, I am sorry it happened."
"Yes," She said, looking down at her feet as she ground the toe of her shoe into the floor. "I wish I was not so- how do you say- 'hotheaded', and that-." But she was cut off when she heard a very strange accent and someone coming into the kitchen. It was that other woman from the other night. She had caught a glimpse of her before ushering everyone out of the room.
"Bon nuit, madame," She smiled and curtsied to the woman, though she was a bit afraid of how… Enthusiastic she seemed. Her exuberance startled Adina a bit. She had not been accustomed to meeting someone who seemed rather jovial and happy. She simply held out a pale hand to the other woman's and shook it. It seemed strange this little gesture. She freed her hand and lightly touched the locket around her neck as if for comfort.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Dec 1, 2012 12:58:23 GMT -5
"The woman you are speaking of, that I indicated last night, was undoubtedly Ana Hart-Goodwin. She is a strange woman, from this modern era ...I should qualify that...she is from the twenty-first century more than a hundred and thirty years in the future for me. and much more for you. I was angry at her, but she really didn't start anytning. It was all a terrible misunderstanding. I was not at fault either."
Then a tall woman with long dark brown hair and eyes entered the kitchen. She spoke English, but in a strange accent Erik had not heard before. She looked as if she were from the American west, wearing a fringed leather vest, a shirt with voluminous sleeves boots, and of all things, men's trousers. She pointed a finger at Erik and made a rude comment about the fact that he had been intoxicated the eveniing last. She introduced herself as Lu Dallas from the Arizona Territory, whereever that was. Erik assumed it was in America.
Lu proffered her hand to whomsoever would take it. Adina politely shook the woman's hand. Erik glared at her, his visible eyebrow frowning. Her rude comment had greatly annoyed him. The western woman said she was there to find something to eat for supper. "There's food in the ice box, Mademouselle, and in the pantry. There are plenty of dishes a bout. Please...help yourself." Erik's words were polite but there was a tone of distaste behind them.
He glanced back at Adina and smiled at her. She was so lovely and polite. He hoped the other woman would find her food and leave quickly.
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Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Dec 1, 2012 20:10:45 GMT -5
"Ana…" Adina took in all the information and nibbled on one fingernail in thought. "So this woman is from this more modern era… This is still quite so strange to me, Erik…. The twenty-first century, all of these people, everything. Oh, I do hope I can get used to this time very soon. And that device." She pointed to the coffee maker and giggled a bit before looking up at Erik and smiling again.
Adina smiled at the Lu and looked back down at her locket. It gave her great comfort when she was nervous or uncomfortable. She opened the locket for a moment and looked at the image of her mother within it. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before closing the small oval again. She was a bit taken aback by how cold Erik seemed towards the woman. But perhaps she had misheard his tone and simply brushed it off.
To be honest, she did hope the woman would leave so she and Erik could continue to talk again. She liked Erik very much and felt great comfort around him. She looked back at her teacup and sipped the mixture again. It was so soothing and tasted delicious, but it was starting to grow cold. She got up for a moment and picked up the teapot but suddenly winced. The clasp on her necklace snagged in her hair; she set down the pot and reached behind her neck to undo the now painful clasp. It pulled out a single strand of her hair as she set down the locket upon the table and rubbed her neck. Her hands went back to the teapot and poured the water again before returning to her seat.
All she wanted to do was have some privacy to speak with Erik again. She greatly enjoyed talking with him; he was so kind to her and it made her feel happy.
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Post by Christine Lucinda Dallas on Dec 1, 2012 21:32:07 GMT -5
Lu smiled at the pair nicely. She had introduced herself but they had not reciprocated. She shrugged it off. She probably should take to wearing dresses around here. Some people were put off by her trousers. But they were much more comfortable than a dress. The masked fellow, he was rather cold to her. "Still got a headache from your binge last evening?" She laughed. "Yeah, Gunner's like that too when he ain't feelin' up to snuff. All grumpy and nasty." She turned to the refrigerator and opened the door. "Well, ain't this something! Is it free for the taking?"
Lu found a plate and piled it high with meat and vegetables and bread. "They any coffee in this place?" When no one answered she went into the pantry to look for something. She came out with a bottle of ale. "This looks good," she said.
Then Adina got her locket caught in her hair. Lu sat down at the third chair at the table. Adina had put the locket on the table and Lu was eyeing it. The conversation had dwindled to nothing, so Lu ate in silence, glancing at her unwilling companions. The woman was very pretty and her hair was red and wavy. Dressed as a maid from perhaps an earlier time, she had a shawl about her shoulders.
"You a maid?" asked Lu. "We didn't have no maids where I come from..."
Lu looked at the man who sat across from her. His white half mask intrigued her. Why would anyone wear an odd mask like that. What could be beneath it. Must be a beaut of a scar...she noticed the visible part of his lips were strange looking, dark and puffy. And when she looked closer, she noticed his eyes were two different colours. She stared at him when she noticed that.
"That Carry-aire fella wear a mask too. Which one o' you is uglier?"
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Dec 1, 2012 22:30:32 GMT -5
Unfortunately the rude western woman sat down at the table and started to eat. Her table manners were not the best, only outdone by her rudeness. She kept staring at Erik which made him uncomfortable. Adina's locket became caught in her hair and Erik helped her unloose it. He sat down again and sipped at his tea.
Still the strange American woman was watching him. She looked over Adina and asked her if she were a maid. Then she commented on the mask...not a way to get into Erik's good graces. She asked him who was the uglier...he or Carrière and she didn't even pronounce the man's name correctly. Erik was fuming now. "Ive had enough of this!" he said, stalking to the door, after picking up his tea cup. He held it open for Adina.
"Come Adina, let's leave for a place where the atmosphere is a bit more pleasant."
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Adina Gillespie
Some things belong on paper, others in life. It?s a blessed fool who can?t tell the difference.
Maid of the manor
Posts: 320
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Post by Adina Gillespie on Dec 2, 2012 0:58:31 GMT -5
Adina smiled and thanked Erik for helping her with the clasp of her locket. She had no idea how to properly respond to this strange woman. She did not dare to speak her mind- though she wanted to terribly- but kept her lips sealed. She only cleared her throat and sipped her tea. Again, the tea soothed her and she felt much better.
Her relaxed state was cut short when Erik made a very sudden and sharp outburst. It made her jump and almost drop her tea cup before quickly setting it down. "Monsieur Lenoir? P-Pardon me, madam. Lenoir- I mean, Erik!" She hurried after him and moved through the threshold. She stepped over by the adjacent wall and looked up at Erik with a confused and slightly nervous expression. "Was that necessary? I know she should not have said that to you- especially after the previous night- but does that make it alright to react in such a manner?"
Adina frowned sadly and lowered her head, trembling a little as she swallowed hard. "I am sorry, Erik. I should not have become so upset over such a small matter. Please, forgive me."
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Post by Christine Lucinda Dallas on Dec 2, 2012 1:38:23 GMT -5
Lu frowned when the ugly fellow and the pretty maid left abruptly. She must have said something wrong. Maybe the fellow was a bit too sensitive. If Gunner ever came around, it would be fun to watch the first meeting between those two. She giggled. The masked fellow certainly dressed well too. Her father, Tumbleweed, would have called him a dandy. She giggled. Then she thought about his diamond cuff links. Perhaps she could get her hands on them some time.
Her eyes fell on the locket. The maid had left it on the table. Lu quickly pocketed it and found the trash to throw away the food leavings. She took the last swig from her bottle of ale and tossed it too in the trash. She almost wiped her mouth on her sleeve, but remembered her mother saying that wasn't lady like, so she took out her handkerchief instead.She needed to leave with the locket before either of the two noticed it was gone or where it had been left. She pushed open the door and came out to the dining room where the two were sitting.
"What did y'all say yer names were?" Lu had heard them call each other by their first names." Adina....and Erik Len-wah. That's a funny name but you didn't hear it from me. I go by Lu Dallas, like I said before. Well, see y'all around. Bye now." With that Lu took her leave, smiling that she had the locket. She walked though the wooden doors and left the dining room, walking quickly through the corridors to her suite. She could sell the locket on her next trip to the village, which would be her first. She hoped they had a pawn shop.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on Dec 2, 2012 2:00:02 GMT -5
Erik had hustled Adina out to the dining room quickly. He couldn't take the insults any more. The woman was unbelievable. Had she no manners? He was so angry he was shaking. He just wanted to finish his tea and leave the dining room. "Sit down, Adina," he said quietly. "Didn't you hear her insult me? At least four times in ten minutes. She is incredibly rude. I am going to finish my tea and then perhaps we can go somewhere else to talk. Her voice grates on my nerves, even though the tea has made my headache feel much better."
He sipped more of the tea and tried to calm down. Then Lu Dallas came out again and managed to insult him again before she finally left the room. Erik breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry Adina, if I seemed a bit rough on her in there, but it disturbs me greatly to be insulted like that. I prefer the company of civil people, not barbarians like that." Erik had been on edge since waking up this afternoon and apparently he was still on edge. In fact he had been disturbed since the "Ana" incident the day before. Erik might not have let such trivial things upset him as much, but the Teressa/Ana/de Chagny incident had put him in a terrible state of depression. He was glad Adina was there. She was sweet and comforting.
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