((Im sorry. Im having trouble thinking of anything. My mother had a motorcycle accident and im taking care of her which is why i havent posted in a bit. That and school is stressful right now... Sorry guys :sweat:)

(it is okay D we understand and i hope your mom gets better :) )

((*nods* I pray everything turns out well for you, my friend! :kiss:
@Ameika: I'm not quite sure what to do for Zane right now. :lol: Cali won't leave the estate, but she'll doubtlessly be watching the driveway day in and out looking for his return. :cry:))

The joy in Cymbiir's eyes made Cypher smile. Somehow it seemed subdued compared to how it used to be. She stepped forward to greet him, a soft laugh leaving her lips as she was pulled into a hug. She returned the embrace, meeting the man's gaze as he pulled back to look at her. She knew what he'd see. Cymbiir would be comparing her pale complexion and hair to the golden youth he'd known years prior. Cali searched Cymbiir's features as he took in hers. He really hadn't changed a bit.

"Yes," Cypher smiled slightly, her silver eyes flickering to the smile on Cymbiir's face. They held gazes for a few moments, regarding one another steadily. He was surprised. And . . . perhaps disappointed? Cali's brow tugged with a slight frown, but before anything could be said she found herself pulled against Cymbiir's warm body once again.

The soft hug that she was pulled into made Cali's eyes immediately moisten. "You haven't changed," she whispered, her arms wrapping about him once more. This embrace wasn't one of lovers, but of family. This man had been like a brother - and she'd loved him, just as she still did.

Cypher closed her pale eyes, just basking in the feel of someone comforting her. She hadn't been given any form of comfort for many years. "Where were you?" Cali asked quietly, blinking back tears as she tried to keep herself under control. The day was really hammering on her control - she rarely had such problems. Seeing Cymbiir again made everything come rushing back. He was from another life . . . almost another time entirely. "It's been eighteen years."
-

Watching the various emotions flood over Anette's features, Howl stayed silent. She'd said there were no more questions, but he could see the truth. It wasn't the most challenging thing, honestly. The redhead was rather obvious with her expressions. . . .

He heard her slip, but ignored it. Mr. Pendragon. Howl blinked slowly, not appreciating the name . . . but saying nothing about it. The blond looked no different with his expression as he looked back to the portrait. She'd guessed right in some regard: he hated seeing the thing. Howl would never get rid of the painting, but neither could he bear to see it every day. The rooms throughout the hall were so full of things that he didn't want to try and find the space for all the decoration in the halls.

At first, Howl didn't respond to Anette's question. Then, after a long pause, the smile slowly drifted from his lips for the first time since they'd met. "The rest of the estate can use your attention, but thank you for your offer." Why did he keep things in their current state? Because he wasn't about to touch them himself, and he didn't want them on display . . . yet he didn't have them all taken down. It was difficult to renovate an entire mansion full of memories. . . .

"Perhaps when the rest of the estate is cleaned I will speak with you further." AKA: no. "Until then, I would appreciate it if you kept yourself from entering my wing." Howl's smile finally returned, though it disappeared swiftly when he heard voices in the entry hall. Familiar. Cymbiir. The blond turned back to the portrait . . . and hesitantly reached up to wipe away more of the dust obscuring it. Two others were in the picture: Cymbiir, and Zane. They had all been so close, once.

((:lol: I was wondering that, too. Hmm. We can say that they're just off the main hall and around the first corner. ;) That way they aren't standing there where everyone can see them, and it can't be "just an accident" on Anette's part.

LOL, good luck trying to piece the story together! It's rather . . . unique. :lol: Some of it is, anyway. :sweat:))

Anette sighed deeply at Howl's words. "I get it," she said with disappointment in her voice. There she was acting like a kid who was told she couldn't have her ice cream before dinner. Finally, she seemed to have forgotten about it, or at least pushed it all aside. This was after all her job, so that she could pay for her grandmother's home, medical bills and care.

She smiled sweetly now. "You can trust me. I won't come into your wing, unless you need me too." What could he ever possibly need her to come down there for? Another mental eye roll. Well, a girl could dream that one might open up to her and let her in to the fascinating world of the Pendragons.

Anette had one foot hovering above the floor as she'd begun her retreat. But then Howl reached up to wipe away the dust from the rest of the painting. Without realizing she was even doing it, she was standing behind the man, thin hairs away from leaning against his back as she stared up at the painting with her head at his shoulder.

What? He'd wiped it away in front of a girl clearly so curious she was almost willing to risk her heart to learn something interesting. It wasn't her fault!

Hey! That other man was the one who she'd seen when she first arrived, too. She was blinking owlishly up at the portrait when she realized what she was doing. Her eyes averted to the face so close to hers. "Right! Sorry!"

Her cheeks turned a crimson color and she turned around, quickly making her way out of the hall and onto the stairs. She really hoped that the saying 'curiosity killed the cat' wasn't true, because she didn't know how much of this secretive mansion she could take.

At the bottom of the stairs Anette immediately saw Miss Cypher. Oh no! Had she seen Anette come from Howl's wing!? No, she didn't think so. Anette breathed a sigh of relief and continued down the stairs as she realized the man standing with Miss Cypher was the other man in the portrait.

Did he live here, too? She saw his bags and suitcases, no, maybe just visiting. Anette didn't know what it was about this place and the people in it that made her want to become some sort of Nancy Drew, but the questions were eating her up. Maybe Markhel could give her some answers.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Cymbiir smiled warmly, "I should have visited, I know. I've been traveling for so long, Cali. This world is so full of beauty and excitement!" He was clearly becoming excited as he spoke now. "I've lived in almost every exotic place you could imagine!"

He'd pushed Cali back again to hold her gently at arms length, and his smile faded once again. He was kicking himself for not coming back sooner. He released her and let his eyes roam over the mess once again. "What has become of Howl, and Zane?" he asked, "If the estate looks so..."

His eyes met Cali's once again, "...destroyed." Much like the way Cali seemed to be. He could only imagine what of his dear friends Howl and Zane. It would seem that Cymbiir and Anette both had a lot of questions about the condition of the estate, though, it was much more of Cymbiir's business than hers.

(lol no worries i am just reading right now and digesting what is going on before i bring him back with a slight change to him lol he will be having a little adventure of his own on the side lol)

Nikia first started off with the over grown vines. It was a lovely day and it helped with calming her down. Though she was not hired to be in the house as the gardener, she could not help it. Watering the plants, cutting those that needed to be trimmed till the entryway almost seemed to be like any other mansion garden you would see for miles.

The vines wanted to pull her in and force her into a position that made it almost impossible to move, but she coaxed them back into place and gave them some water and new food from a compost heap she found a little ways into the garden. It seemed to be turning into something beautiful as she worked very hard on it. The seemingly wild and untamed garden did not lose the untamed beauty as it was worked on, but looked much cleaner than before.

The native girl raked, hoed, planted, seeded and fed the over growing garden with the nutrients needed to make them happy. By the time she was tired, she looked at the garden. She had managed to make a very large dent in the cleaning of the garden, but it was so vast, it would take her a life time to get all of it done in the maze like fashion it had once been in. So that she would not get too tired, she walked inside and went to the balcony, grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil on the way so she would be able to draw out the winding maze that had been its original form.

Of course she noticed the new comer of the house, but what she did not notice was the small bits of mud she had tracked into the house a little ways with her bare feet. When she was finished with the quick sketch, she looked down and saw the bits of mud. Quickly, without fail, she grabbed a mop and a bucket of water and cleaned up the mess she had made, knowing she would get yelled at for it.

Hyoyeon got up stiffly, her back cracking. She'd bent over too much in fixing up the stairs and the nearby wall. Still, it was wholly worth it- it created such a patch of light and cleanliness among the chaos. The entire mansion was gaining more and more of these small patches from each individuals work, doubtless making intricate chiaroscuro out of the maze of rooms. Even so, the task remained daunting. She hadn't expected so many people to be working, but it seemed to be appropriate, considering the job. Hyoyeon looked around the room, trying to decide whether it would be worth it to scrub and polish the floors as she had the stairwell.

She ultimately decided against it, knowing just how much traffic that main area would go through in order to get other rooms workable. Instead, Hyoyeon decided to check the garden. She'd always loved anything that flowered, and she could use a breath of fresh air after the strong scents of polish and the oppressive dust of wood shavings. On her way, she noticed a light forgotten footprint. Mud from the gardens? Hyoyeon wiped it up quickly with an extra rag, seeing its creator only after she'd done so. "Hello," Hyoyeon said, not wanting to distract the stranger from her work.

((*dies* I forgot to reply. :cry: I'll have to do it soon!))

It was late in the day, the sun already having begun to set, Zane looked towards the sky, he was tired and worn out, he found no new home and didn't really have anything with him so he had no choice but to turn and head back to the place he has come to refer to as he own private hell. He sighed heavily as he ran his injured hand through his hair once more, hailing a cab to take him back to the mansion, there was no use in wasting more time then he already had, not like it mattered any ways, no one cared that he was gone, that fact he was sure of.

((:cry: Oh, gosh. Talk about procrastination! BAD ES!!! :feesh:))

(yea you need to show us some love here too lol)