{Le Château du Seul.}

Joshua

"I would prefer to stay in my rooms." He looked up towards his attic door longingly. "I need to be by myself."

"But what about the stairs?" She asked concerned. The stairs to the attic were a lot more steeper to get up and obviously it would be near impossible to get up with an injuried leg. His face just hardened behind the mask and nodded his head lightly, his dark cherry red hair settling itself precariously on his shoulders.

"I will be fine. Guide them to their rooms. I can get up these stairs myself." He was determinded at this point in time. He did not wish to be a burden any longer, he did not wish to be that person that was always holding people back like he seemed to be doing so much lately. Even if he wasn't human, he still had their emotions and pride was one of them. She looked at him, staring into his eyes almost as if verifying if this was truly what Joshua wanted. She just solemnly nodded her head.

Joshua leaned against the railing beside him and took his hand off her shoulder, fingers touching her cheek lightly. Her beauty seemed to be pristine this morning, even if she had a smaller nose and impish features, there was nothing he would ever change about her. His hand slid down to his side.

"I will see you later I pressume miss Isabelle." He said bowingly lightly leabing up against the wall.

"Aye, you better keep to that word." She lef then, the three others following behind her. His eyes followed her until they were finally out of sight. Turning around he looked up the stairs once more and nodded. And so he began his descent up the stairs.

Constance

She was unimpressed by the characters who lived in this castle, moreover she was impressed by the finery of the surroundings. The chandeliers all were beautiful creations, made with crystal and gold, extravagant finery that you would only see in the finest houses. The carpet was pleasant against her feet and she enjoyed the eerie sense she got from the castle. There guide Isbaelle seemed to have stiffened up as soon as Joshua was gone. Ah, Constance thought, it seemed this poor girl had feelings for her brother.

Isabelle reached a room and opened the door wide. "This here is your quarters, Miss Georgina." She said lightly. "Mercy shall be in the next quarters over, so if you need anything, just give her a shout."

It was at this point that Mercy's office door flung open and out came a gruff looking man. His eyes were widened in shock and frantically searched the faces around him and settled balefully on Constance.

"Constance, you are here! You do not know what these monsters did to me!" The man proclaimed loudly, the others standing right there. Constance flushed lightly, and hoped that nobody had noticed. This dim-wit was going to ruin it for her.

"I do not appreciate you calling my brother a monster or any of the clients in this manor." She said heavily, watching the man, who she automatically new as Gabriel. He was but merely a retired milk man and almost surely, he had about the same intelligent as the cows from which he got the milk from.

"But Constance," He started but he stopped as soon as he caught her glare. "I-I-I am sorry. I am just nervous because this is my first time around these... beings."

"They are as close to human as us too Gabriel. I would appreciate you not to call them those profound things." They truly were monsters. Damned creations.. With a swift look over towards Isabelle, who seemed to have been stunned into interest, she spoke some more. "I am sorry at my colleagues rudeness. Would it be a problem if he stayed for as long as I do? I am afraid I forgot he arrived a bit earlier in this night."

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LaReina, I brought Gabe back in.

~Incognito

Isabelle

Isabelle's jaw slackened. She stared from Constance to Gabriel, and back to Constance.

"You are aware that the man threatened us?" she said slowly. Constance glanced at him, then back to Isabelle.

"I truly am sorry. Threatening you was uncalled for."

Isabelle met Constance's eyes, trying to figure out how her mind works. How could a woman, a sister, not show much care at all for her wounded brother turn around a show compassion for residents of the Chateau? Were those not conflicting traits? Or was Constance now feeling guilty for her earlier heartlessness?

Isabelle had to go with the latter, because it was the only was she could logically explain Constance's actions.

"You know him?" Isabelle asked cautiously, gesturing towards Gabriel.

"Yes. Gabriel is, as I've said before, a colleague of mine."

"And you can assure us that he will not go on another rampage?"

"Yes."

Isabelle looked around herself nervously. "I suppose he could stay for the night, but you will have to go to either Hester or Hiram for any long-term decisions."


"Of course. Thank you."

Isabelle gave the woman a small smile.

I am bringing this storybook back to the front page, because this CANNOT die.

I'm not sure as to where everyone is, and I don't feel like posting as Gabe ... XD

Mercy

Mercy had stopped listening long again, her head swimming in the thoughts of her past. When did she lose her feelings for Gabe? A numbness touched all her limbs when she heard his voice, felt his presence, but something had replaced the once nervous feelings she felt. Almost as though something were blossoming in her heart, growing into something great and unknown.

Mercy stepped up the stairs, grasping on her dress, her hair hanging limply around her face. She was perspiring, and she knew it. The fear that had swept through her veins the very moment she heard the cries of outrage was unprecendented. She was ready to give up, bow her head down. She wasn't prepared to live the rest of her life as a monster, knowing that Gabe was still near to terrorize her life.

Mercy, for the first time in many years, expressed her sorrow, tears rolling down her cheeks. She'd never get back home, would she? It was absolutely hopless. She bit down on her lip, pushing open her door. She'd barely closed the door before she exposed herself to all the emotions that had welled up inside her. Anger, saddness -- guilt, even. But Mercy collapsed onto her knees, burrying her head in her hands. What was this? It was outrageous! She cried out, a garble of a cry, no words escaping her lips but the voice of her tears.

All was dark, but Mercy didn't care. She should just give up. Why didn't she give up? Was she afraid to let go of her dreams?

________________

XD "She cried out, a garble of a cry, no words escaping her lips bu the voice of her tears." Does that sound cheesy to me, or everyone as well?

And sorry its short. I'll get back into the "groove" soon, I'm sure!

Isabelle

Constance returned the smile graciously, ever the perfect woman.

"Well, choose any of the open rooms..." said Isabelle, gesturing around her. "We have a very open policy here..."

"Thank you," replied Constance. Isabelle flared her nostrils, stifling a yawn.

"If you will excuse me," said Isabelle finally.

"Of course," answered Constance lightly. Isabelle nodded her head and walked back towards her room. As she passed Mercy's room, Isabelle swore she heard someone crying within.

Cautiously, Isabelle opened the door. "Mercy?"

"Isabelle?" Mercy sounded surprised. Isabelle couldn't blame her. Isabelle was never unduly polite to Mercy before... Isabelle was tired, but she didn't think sleep would come too easily to her. Not after everything that had happened the previous night.

**I am so going to try to bring this back. >D

Joshua

He laid on the cold dusty wooden flooring, letting the darkness revel around him. He could not seem to muster the idea of his sister being alive, and back after all. It just didn't seem right. She was supposed to be dead, long gone with his past, and yet here she was, there all of a sudden, wanting to be curted for her every word.

She resembled his sister certainly, and was almost the exact replica of his mother. She could have possibly been family just by appearance. But she had been gone for all those long years, he thought she was dead. She had been gone for so many years, yet never forgotten, yet she was never there to be a sister, never there to be by his side when he needed her. The real people were Isabelle and Mercy who had become the closest thing to which he had of family.

He then heard noises, gentle hushed voices, but one sounded like they were crying, something that he so wished to do at this moment in time, but tears would not come.

"Isabelle?" It was Mercy who was crying, Mercy, whose past also had come back to haunt her on this troubled night.

"Yes, it is I."

"What are you doing here?" Her tone was almost defensive, almost as if she wanted to hide the fact that she was crying. She should not have to feel this way. This melancholy castle had eroded into misery, permantly letting the people in it slowly succumb to depression and falsehood.

"I heard you crying."

"I am not crying."

"You can't fool me, Mercy." Footsteps. Isabelle was probably standing beside her, hand on her shoulder like she tended to do. "What is wrong with you?"

"It is n-nothing that I can't handle on my own." There seemed to be someone sitting there, probably Isabelle sitting beside her, hoping that her presence would be enough to make Mercy become happy again.

"Okay then." Isabelle spoke, not pressuring Mercy at all. If Joshua didn't know her, he would have thought that Isabelle didn't want to hear what was wrong, but sometimes retelling the story would just open new wounds, and obviously Isabelle did not wish for Mercy to succumb to even more pain.

"W-where is Joshua?" Mercy's voice seemed to be becoming more strong, probably being able to comfort herself and destract herself with someone else there.

"He is in his room, sleeping."

"I am surprised he can do that after all the events." Mercy's voice was becoming more and more hushed, her silent self seemed to be returning once more.

"Indeed." Joshua felt himself mutter, he did not bother to move, his leg was not hurting him like this and was settling into a pleasant numbness, a commodity that he didn't want to give up just yet.

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~Incognito

Isabelle

"I am surprised he can do that after all the events."

Isabelle gave a half smile. "I think that is his way," she said slowly, looking out of the window. Mercy did not answer. Isabelle bit her cheek. She was beginning to feel as if she was intruding on Mercy's privacy.

Blinking, Isabelle stood up. She cast a glance around the room before slowly turning and walking out. Isabelle made her way back into her own room. She looked at herself in the mirror, marveling at how different a woman she looked. Her gown was wrinkled; Isabelle could spot some of Joshua's blood in spots. Isabelle's hair was wilder than she had ever seen it.

Breathing deeply, Isabelle picked her hairbrush lying on her vanity. She ran it through her hair, working through the tangles roughly and returning it to its usual neatness. Isabelle pulled out a simple day gown and changed as quickly as she could. Isabelle pinned up her hair to keep it out of her face.

The sun was beginning to rise up. Last night, the horrible night, was finished. Isabelle crossed to her window and opened it. She leaned out, surveying the grounds, still wet from the previous night's storm.

Isabelle thought of what horrors that masquerade had brought. She needed to straighten out her thoughts before she could begin again.

A breeze played across her face. Isabelle thought of the new guests. Constance was Joshua's sister, apparently, but Isabelle sensed there was something more. The other man, Gabriel, seemed to have some history with Mercy, but Mercy would not talk about it to Isabelle.

Isabelle shut her window. She had to know about Constance. Constance had not been through near as much as Isabelle had that night, so she was probably peacefully asleep by now.

Isabelle left her room just as quietly as she had entered. She walked down the hallway toward the old, rickety stairway to the attic bedroom. Isabelle paused in front of Joshua's door. She felt like she was invading again, but Isabelle did not know where else to continue to.

Breathing out slowly, Isabelle knocked quietly on Joshua's door before entering. Joshua was lying on the floor, looking toward the door. He propped himself up on his elbows, beginning to stand. Isabelle raised up a hand.

"Don't. This is very informal. But I need answers, Joshua, and I don't know where else to turn."

Isabelle sat down on a chair in the corner of the room. Joshua was staring at her, but Isabelle ignored it. "Joshua," she said hurriedly. "I need to know about who Constance is. I can't make heads or tails of her, and - well - Quite frankly, I'm not sure whether I should try to or not. But I feel like I have to ask in order to see straight again."

**I feel like Isabelle is clinging to Joshua too much, but I want to start this back up, and I am gravitating toward people who are posting.

*Someone pull me in me in? Please?*

*Its okay Phantom, I was doing the same thing. xD
I make her seem less clingy in a couple moments.

Joshua

"The problem is, I don't even know her." He voice came out stiff, and he adverted Isabelle's gaze as he had so often did before. He did not wish to see the broken Isbaelle, the one who was unbearably weary. "She claims to be my sister, the sister I thought I had lost back in New Orleans. I was alone then, with no one but William."

"I don't understand though. How could you lose your sister?"

"My real sister was supposed to have died in the plague. I saw her breathing stop, as she laid beside my dead mother. I watched her die, and I ran, I left and never came back, only to tell that the house was burnt down." This time he turned to face her, to see her expression to this story that just was not piecing together, but she was looking away from him, staring at the broken mirror that sat ontop of his desk. "And now she has returned, claiming that she had never died. I do not know how she survived all this time in the gutters of New Orleans, nor do I have any idea of how she made it to France. All I know is that she didn't have to go through the same thing I had to, and that she is unbearably human."

"Something doesn't seem right about her. In the hallway, she referred to the man Gabe as a friend. That Gabe fellow was the man who has tried to kill you guys."

"Something never seems right about her, from the first time I talked to her, I felt dread, and I do not see why I would feel that around a sister whom I had not seen in years."

"You know it is unsightly to speak about a woman when she is not there." Joshua turned and saw Constance standing there in the doorway, Mikael standing behind her. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me myself." Her voice came out in almost a hiss. She looked over at the mess of Isabelle with squinted eyes. "I do not believe it is appropriate for a young lady like yourself to be in a man's quarters alone. I believe I may have to tell your father about this." A smile glanced across her lips at Isbelles alarm.

And that explained why Constance had dragged Mikael along with her to this attic room. She knew Isabelle was bound to be there unescorted, and she did not want to fall into the same mistake. Constance seemed to watch Isabelle with hatred in her eyes, which contrasted with her formal tone of voice.

"How very unlady-like of you."

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Skull, feel free to pop into the conversation. I tried to get you in as much as I could without running from my plan.

~Incognito

Isabelle

Un-ladylike? It was not an unfamiliar insult to Isabelle. Isabelle stood up, facing Constance. Constance's eyes bored into Isabelle's own. Isabelle willed herself to remain calm. She spotted Mikael looking from Constance to Isabelle to Joshua and back again.

"You do now know who I am. You cannot know my father," replied Isabelle stiffly. A small smile grew on Constance's face.

"I can guess. You have a bit of an accent, dear. French?"

Isabelle's shoulders stiffened. "That doesn't tell you much, Mademoiselle."

"But it does."

Isabelle stared back at Constance, desperately trying to read the truth in her bright blue eyes. Isabelle knew she was loosing. Whether or not Constance was bluffing, Isabelle couldn't be sure. And if Isabelle's parents were to come onto the scene... She hadn't talked to them in about a year now. The last thing Isabelle wanted would be to be dragged back into the elite French society. It would be her worst nightmare come true.

Isabelle could see the distaste with which Constance was regarding her. Isabelle forced a smile on her face.

"I was simply asking after your brother's leg. I wanted to be sure he had made it up here in one piece."

"And I happened to be brought up?" Constance asked sweetly. Isabelle knew she was not buying Isabelle's tale.

"Why, yes, but only because we had begun to discuss last night's events. That is all."

**I tried to keep you in the storyline, Skull. Still feel free to jump in**

Is there still room? Phantom of the potter said it was a good storybook...

MJ

Mikael

I looked around at the faces of these 'people' i had known for barely ten hours. Some had witnessed the worst of my humanity and the best of improvement. I found Joshuas sister a most interesting addition to this little group.
"My men remain on stand around the Chataeu. May they return to their families or will you will be require any of there unique assistance?"
"Let them be gone" said Hester weakly. I pulled a small horn from my coat and blew one distinct blast. Instantly men begin to appear from rooms and corridors before filtering out the same way they had entered. I spotted Alex heading out with his head held low.
"Alex my friend, thank you. I will see you again once the dust settles." He said nothing but continued out the door. Next i turned to Joshua.
"I am sorry for that little incident with the pistol earlier. I promise i will have the best physician money can buy look it over as soon as possible. Now ladys and gentlemen, how do we proceed?"

*Right, well, I had an idea of where to take this... I am hoping it will take and posting will resume... Hopefully someone will reply to it quickly.

Isabelle

Isabelle stood up, staring at Mikael. "How do 'we' proceed? We? We were doing fine before you came into the picture!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Isabelle saw Constance eyeing her again. Isabelle checked herself, moving to sit once more. Mikael nodded to her.

"I assure you, nevertheless, miss, that my intentions now are nothing but honorable."

"Right," snorted Isabelle, ignoring Constance for the moment. She met Mikael's eyes distastefully. "So, in other words, you are honorable until there is something that you want but cannot have. Or should not have."

Realizing her mistake, Isabelle looked out of the dusty window. She was trying very hard to stay within the conforms of etiquette at the moment. Constance had made her nervous; there was no need for Isabelle to provoke Constance into doing anything...

The room was silent for a moment. Mikael chuckled softly. "Well, my question still stands. Where to from here?"

Isabelle heard Joshua sigh. "Our options are limited... Most of us have no past to return to, so there is no place we can hide... And someone from the Masquerade last night will have gone to the authorities."

"So what are you suggesting?" Mikael asked. Isabelle turned to look at Joshua. He spread his arms out.

"We run, I suppose. For how long, or to where, I haven't a clue. But we need to get away from here. The Chateau is no longer the safe haven it used to be."

"Joshua," said Isabelle quickly. "We can hardly camp in the woods, or stay on the streets of some town! Not with - " Isabelle trailed off, glancing at Joshua's leg. Isabelle closed her eyes. She slowly stood and crossed to the window. Isabelle's knuckles grew white as she clutched the windowsill. Isabelle knew where to go.

"I'm not saying that," said Joshua quickly. He sounded a bit irritated at the reference to his injury. "There is enough finery at the Chateau to barter a stay at some inn nearby. We can stay there until the authorities have closed their investigation. Nothing stops us from coming back in a few months."

"They'll expect that," replied Isabelle, her eyes still squeezed shut. How much easier it would be to do what Joshua said! Isabelle took in a breath before continuing. "The police will search nearby towns and villages. They won't stop easily. Too many people were at the masquerade last night. An investigation like that will spread all over the countryside. We need to escape to a big city, not a small town."

"We can't possibly bring enough with us to buy more than a week's stay for us if we go to a big city!"

"Which is why we need a city that one of us has background in," Isabelle finished. Isabelle opened her eyes and faced Joshua. "We need to go to Paris. People know me there. I can use my name to buy our way for months if I need to. But going to Paris has its drawbacks as well. Parisians love gossip. If we are careful, we can stay there maybe a week before my parents become aware of my presence. After that, it is only a matter of charming them into supporting us. That would be the most difficult part."

**I feel like I read somewhere that Incognito thought we should get out of the Chateau. Here's a way.

Is anyone still watching this storybook?

Mikael

"Paris?" I smiled happily. "Paris sounds perfect. I long to return to the big city. The hustle and the bustle."

"And your eagerness to go has nothing to do with the fact it is the centre of the criminal underworld." Asked Isabelle.

I chuckled wryly. "Perhaps it is, but that is not why i wish to go there. I, like you have no family to return to. So far as i know you are the only others of my new kind that i know of and i searched for a very long time to find you."

"But how can we be sure Pairs will be safe once my parents know of my presence."

"Your safety is one thing i can deffinitely ensure." I smiled happy to be of assistance.

"How? More of your armed gang? More armed theives and criminals?" Isabelle seemed genuinely angry.

"No. These men are no more criminals than you are. They are like us. As far as the world is concerned they are not supposed to exist. I believe you may know then as the Lumos Lupine."

"Werewolves?" Scoffed Isabelle offhandedly.

"They are not werewolves. They are a group of soldiers who no long work for the country. They wear wolf skins when they fight, that is all."