Toy Soldiers (Emma Ravenhearst)

[destler]

Destler's mood has been rather a light mixture of morbid and depressive. Finding it so hard to bring himself out of his unlikable state of a dull broken heart. Once again, rejected by a darling of a young woman. He wondered if such things as Love was even worth it any more. Figuring it was all completely out of his reach when that bastard of a being turned him into a living horror!
Holding his head as he stopped by a window to look out. The day was overcast but there was plenty of light that lifted the fog from the landscape. Turning away from the window he walked through the hallways to the Library. Perhaps he'll find something there to help with his desire to finally have a normal face, something that HE took away oh so long ago.

Opening the door to the Library and stolling inside, he began to wander about casually, seeking out some books or some form of means to find what information he wanted.

[Emma Ravenhearst]

Emma, on the other hand, was happier than she had been in a very long time. She had her body back, Charles was being civil, she was becoming the mistress of the manor again- everything was going as it should have all those years ago. Of course, it took some getting used to. She was still skittish around people, but she was learning more and more to hold her ground, and the feisty personality that she had had 117 years ago was beginning to reappear.

One thing that had not changed in all that time was her complete and utter adoration of books. When she wasn't getting to know some of the residents of the manor more, she was in the library, perusing the books that it held. While she had been a ghost, she had been unable to read, as she couldn't touch the books on the shelf unless they had some intense emotional meaning to her, which of course none of them did. She hasn't been in the house long enough while she was alive to create any bond with them. So she planned on creating this bond now.

On this particular day, she was seated in an armchair in a long, dark blue dress, buried in a large volume. Her long brown hair was only half tied up, the remainder spilling onto her shoulders and chest. Her extreme paleness was especially noticeable now. Her skin almost seemed to glow, and there was most certainly an otherworldly quality to her entire form that anyone could sense.

[destler]

He did not notice the other person in the Library when he entered the room. He was so incredibly focused to find what he wanted and needed that he didn't really pay much attention to his surroundings.
Though in his search through the Library, he came upon books and manuscripts of what looked like to be in relation to himself and the others here like him. Even a few large manuscripts and works of "Don Juan Triumphant"! Sorting through them absolutely baffled yet incredibly shocked. A momentary halt as he came upon his own work of "Don Juan Triumphant". He thought he had this in his quarters. If that were so, then why is one here? How in the world was there two copies? Or did someone steal his masterpiece and put it here or perhaps they stole it and made a copy! Oh, now this infuriated him! How dare someone copy his work!

With the large ledge size bundle of his music tucked under his arm now, he continued on in search for any books that would help with his growing need for a normal face.
Stopping as he rounded the shelf to see a rather ethereal woman seated and reading a book. Standing there for a moment, then decided to shy away. He was not particularly in the mood to converse with someone. Well, not today. Especially with a member of the fairer sex. His troubles with the last lovely he fell for still had yet to dull the pain.
He didn't totally ignore the dark haired woman, but he did not acknowledge her either. But he had a nagging feeling about need to ask her.
Ask?
Ask her what?
This was incredibly frustrating!

[Emma Ravenhearst]

Emma was deeply involved in her book (a collection of stories by Dostoevsky), but gradually seemed to become aware that there was someone in the room besides her. She looked up, brow furrowed, and her eyes fell upon a man with a strange looking face. It seemed...not entirely put together. Of course, she was never the first to judge upon looks. She had watched her own body rot before her eyes, she had a rather high tolerance for disgusting sights. And his face wasn't too awful, in any case.

The question remained as to whether or not she should introduce herself. Frankly, she was quite enjoying her book and wasn't eager to leave the tale that had been woven for her between the pages of the worn book, but she had promised that she would be a better mistress of the manor. It was important that the residents know that the manor had a master and mistress, people who were in charge.

With a little sigh, and a soft smile, she rose from the chair, putting the book down on the arm and moved over to him, nodding her head a little, "I don't believe we've met...? Emily Ravenhearst...Mistress of this manor, though you may certainly call me Emma."

[destler]

Milling about through the books in hopes to find a section on the sciences, biology, and other works that could help him in his quest. He nearly forgot that he was not alone in the Library.

Half startled that he tensed upon the sound of very soft footsteps. His hand went for his knife that was no longer upon his body. Cursing silently for this lack of properly arming himself. Truly was unusual that he would be so vulnerable. Had his feelings torn him to a level of absolute disarming? This was highly alarming!

Twisting to look at the young woman, his eyes moving up and down her form with a calculated gaze in an attempt to figure out who she was. Indeed he'd not met her before at all. "No, we have not," he simply replied with a mild soothing growl.
Blinking once, returning his gaze to her after glancing away. Trying his best not to show his intrigued surprise. So this woman was the Mistress of the Manor. A slight nod-bow, "A pleasure," pausing as he nearly called her Miss or Mrs Ravenhearst, but since she gave him an alternative name he simple would use it, "Emma."

Looking away for a moment as his eyes looked like they were searching for books he was hoping to find and yet his attention was still upon her. Glancing sideways at her without turning his head, his finger dancing over the bindings of the books while scanning the titles. Finally he turned his head slightly to her as his eyes followed shortly there after. "I do not suppose," a slight pause, "that you know where books on the sciences are?" In particular, human anatomy, artificial creation, genetics, and experimentation to say the least but he would not mention such things to her. Fearing it may frighten her at the very least or worse.

[Emma Ravenhearst]

Emma was more than a little puzzled at the man's behavior. He made no attempt to give his name or to greet her in any proper way. Though, with the number of socially deficient people that had recently flooded the manor, that should hardly have surprised her. She tried to ignore it. She had to be a proper hostess, as she did not want to make any enemies out of the guests in the manor. Claude was enough of an enemy for her...

His gaze, however, made her more uncomfortable than she was accustomed to being (a certain level of discomfort was expected, as she always felt as though she were being watched). He seemed to be reading her, trying to figure her out, which she didn't like at all. Charles was the only other person she knew with such a gaze and she could hardly handle two such men in the manor. It was enough to have him obsessing over her. However, she stood her ground. She was not going to allow herself to be intimidated.

When he inquired about the books, she nodded. She knew every inch of the manor inside and out, including the library. Even if she had not been able to read the books during her long time in captivity, she had been able to look at them, and observe where each kind of book was kept. She would often sit in the library and imagine what she might read in the books that the library housed, if she could read them. "The science books are in the third row, sir..."

She used the word "sir" pointedly, hoping she might elicit his name out of him.

[destler]

Books of Science in the third row is what the dark hair woman said so his eyes shifted over to where she indicated for a moment before returned to look at her. "Thank you," his voice barely appreciative in tone but he was glad that she could help.

He pretty much did miss the prompt to give his name more on purpose than out of simple ignorance. Still rather shy and unwilling to disclose much about himself to strangers really. He gazed at her with a bewildered look as this dark hair woman almost reminded him of Christine Day. The features were almost the same. Almost.

Dismissing such similarities and moved past her to the third row she mentioned but not fully ignoring her. Yet he was not quite so eager to strike up a conversation with her. Perhaps once he obtained what he was looking for he might open up a little to her? It was hard to say.

[Madeleine Fontaine]

((CRAP I STARTED POSTING ON MADELEINE'S ACCOUNT. I'll delete it when I get home...))

[Emma Ravenhearst]

Emma stared after him with a little frown as he walked away, towards the bookshelves that housed the science books. She had imagined that it would be easier to befriend the inhabitants of the manor...Perhaps she had assumed too much too quickly. She had thought it would be as easy as announcing herself the mistress of the manor. It seemed a little more difficult than that. But this man seemed like he was harboring secrets...Why did he want the science books in the first place?

She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head. She did not want to pry and the last thing she wanted was to scare him away with questions. It was probably better to leave him alone and let him come to her, if he chose to. She brushed her hair back and looked back over to the book she had been reading. She didn't feel much like delving back into Dostoevsky again at the moment. Turning, she moved her way through the aisles to the section that contained sheet music, running her fingers absentmindedly over the pages. Perhaps she could learn a new violin piece....

As she thought about this, she noticed that she had stumbled into the section containing the Camille Saint-Saëns music. As she lifted her fingers off the music, she caught sight of "Danse Macabre". Erik must have returned it...She pulled it out, considering it silently.

[destler]

Slowly sifting through the books of science that the dark hair woman mentioned seeking the information that now filled his very existence. Love was so fleeting and he needed something to fill that void so desperately at the moment. The horror that was his face, even his body, was not going to remain his constant. There had to be ways to mask his accursed deformity for longer periods of time.

All the while as he searched and researched, a little nagging thought from the back of his mind kept making itself known. The woman was the Mistress of the Manor. So she claimed. This was her domain. She knew everything about this estate then. The other nagging question was why was she here? He came to understand that this place had been abandoned by the former owner and inhabited by Lucifer Himself! This confused him more.

With a couple books in hand he meandered from the section and began to walk passed where the woman now was. He stopped a moment, head almost hanging and reclusive. Then shifted his gaze to look at her. "You live here then?" His curiosity had been struck. He needed answers now. "You know every room. Every inch of this place?"

[Emma Ravenhearst]

Emma looked up, rather surprised, when she heard the man speak. She really hasn't expected him to come back so soon, if at all. She closed the sheet music as she heard his questions, looking over at him with large hazel eyes.

He asked if she lived there and she resisted the urge to wince. Being dead, it couldn't be said that she lived here at all. Trapped was a better word. Of course, he couldn't have known that. Some very dark dealings with the Devil had granted her a body. The Emma from 117 years ago would have objected highly to that, but nowadays...She was more focused on getting what she wanted. She deserved it, after all of this time and all the wrong that had been done to her. She nodded a little in response to this question, and murmured, "I know the place by heart. I could find my way through it blindfolded, if I took a mind to..."

[destler]

Standing there watching her and listening to what was said, he began to ponder. After a moment of a couple of blinks, nearly pursed lips, tilt of the head then untilting it, he looked at her and spoke in his usual soothing growl. "Are their plans of the Manor? Or would you be willing to draw up some plans?" he thought a little more, "I'm in need of a couple of rooms to do some experiments." Not saying what those experiments were... yet.

He began to think a little more as he began to turn partially and stopped then turned back to her, narrowing his eyes, "If you are the Mistress of the Manor, then you should know the reason for our being here." He contemplated this rarely but it had been a nagging question for some. The more they stayed here, the more he was beginning to question his purpose and life here. Why were they here? And what was going on? After all, a couple of residents were wanting questions answered.