EXT to INT - Windgrace Guest House
Drystan Windgrace stepped up to the guest house that was now Pandora's house, and straightened his tie, and ran a hand through his hair to slick it back out of his face before he knocked on the door. He was in trueform, but still dressed for business, he absently tugged on the bottom of the vest as he waited for her voice or the door to open. He had wanted to keep Pandora out of all of this ugly business with Maximilian Wolf, but she was blood, family. She too was to be protected at all costs. His eyes drifted upwards as he looked at the rafters of the small roof, and the many wards and sigils imprinted there, and as he looked down at the doorframe, they too were hidden in multitude. This small house would be ignored by most, few probably ever even noticed it, obscured by the same sort of magics that kept the old cabaret closed for guests on the evenings meant for the supernatural. He let out a long breath trying to allow himself to relax a bit, but he had the worst case of being overprotective of this woman. But being left in the dark on all the details would NOT be how he'd prefer to be, so he guessed, she might likely be the same, and maybe thankful for the opportunity he had for her to get actually involved.
Pandora Synepho's little household on the edge of the property was very much an extension of the greater Windgrace household in many ways. In addition to the warding considerations, she had visits from the maids and kitchen staff to assure her every need was met. Mostly, lately, she wanted the fire not to go out, since the cool damp seemed to permeate inside, especially in the darkness and the early hours of the morning. Mostly she spent some hours each day walking to the shore and taking in what weak sunlight she could widen into full beams with her passing by in her exotic raiment. Otherwise she lounged around the fog bound indolent town, reading to strengthen her English and writing letters that'd have to be sent home to Egypt in a bundle at this rate. Though she'd never intended to travel so long, she was resolved to see what the isle would be like without unnatural weather. And to continue getting to know her new family.
Having returned an hour after dawn, she'd been reading a book, eating oranges that had appeared after she made an offhand remark about missing them when she empathically felt the approach of, just as she heard the footfalls of a man whose visit already had a little smile curling upon her lips. She hopped up, eschewing her slippers to pad to the door and throw it open to him. "It is you!" she exclaimed, almost as excited to see him this time as every time. Part of her still felt too strange calling him Grandfather when he looked much the same age, so most often she called him, "you," in a way imbued with wonder. "Please do come in, if you like, as it is a joy to see your face and the light in your eyes."
Drystan Windgrace broke out into a warm wide smile when she opened the door and greeted him so. He opened his hands and spread them apart, "Pandora darling, I hope I am not interrupting you! How are you?" His eyebrows went up as he stepped towards her, looking to give her an embrace in greeting, taking a step in towards her. He felt himself feel a bit lighter in her presence, which he had not yet figured out the root cause of, other than that she was his blood. "I should have brought you something... I wasn't thinking!"
Pandora Synepho would reach out her comparatively little limbs draped in blue silk to match his waistcoat to accept his embrace with one of her own. She really wrapped herself around someone when giving a fond embrace, and this one was. She made a sound by clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth when he mentioned bringing anything, this was the only interruption to her bright smile, and stepping back again she'd reach for one of his big clawed hands to wrap her two hands around it, and staring up into his face assure him, "You brought everything! You have brought you! So you must have been thinking afterall, yes? I am so pleased." She could tell that beneath his gladness was something troubling him, but she would not ask past questions twinkling in warm brown eyes.
Drystan Windgrace hugged her back tightly, and with a rub of his hand on her back. When she took his hand he looked to the ground and shook his head. "You are far too kind. I'm thinking all the time, but not always about what I should, or must!" he pointed in the air with his other hand and then looked around quickly, looking outside before the door was shut. He pulled with his mind a flower from one of the pots in the front, something that was lavender light purple. He turned once he had it in his hand, and closed his eyes, moving his mouth wordlessly before the flower seemed to twist into itself and inverted, reshaping into a soft purple flower made of small crystals all bunched together, the stem, a wooden stick. "Here, a sweet for my sweet, I hope the flavor suits, Lavender lemon?" He cocked his one brow up and offered her the now flower shaped rock candy treat. He would let her hand go and step inwards, pulling the door shut behind him and then looking at the seating, he turned and eased his lanky self down into one, extending one long leg and tossing the other over to cross them. "I am always pleased to see you, joyed rather. In fact, I've come today to ask if you'll join me in a bit of an outing."
Pandora Synepho looked at the big clawed mitt she held and then placed a little kiss on the back of it before letting him go. When he did his magic trick on the flower she was delighted and took the proffered treat with a great big grin breaking out past the little beatific one she wore, and a giggle even. After admiring it, she'd thank him with a smile that crinkled lines around her eyes, then she'd place the crystalline flower upon the table to consume later, and look into his face once more while settling into the seat opposite him. Upon being invited out with him she was nodding before she could say anything, before he even finished speaking. So it would not come as any surprise for her to say, "I would be delighted to go with you, I am sure. Where might we be going?" She also crossed her legs, and settled into the chair like she'd always been there.
Drystan Windgrace folded his hands in his lap and leaned his head back, shaking the hair away from his face as he replied. "Well it is a bit of a social call, but truly, its a conversation I need to have with someone that I don't know terribly well, but have to keep a sharp eye on - Her and her daughter. THey are involved in this magical mist issue that my siblings and I have been dealing with. Much came to light the day we asked you to stay in the manor - dispelling ...someone..that was a part of this, and provided some answers." He spoke calmly and nodded his head along as he went about a brief explanation of things that she likely had known or may have gathered with talk with Di and Dorian or even Mr. Song. "There is a man, a very stupid man, who looks to use the summoning of a god to take us, the Windgraces and our blood, out of commission along with everyone and everything else. THis is not a power he can harness, or ever hope to, he's insane, and he's taken our boy Hunter." He sighed some and leaned his head to the side, the tension rolling off him as he got into it, but speaking out loud put things into perspective as well.
Pandora Synepho watched him as he explained, her brow drawing into a kink over her nose as she understood further why she'd been protected on a certain day, more of why the island was adrift on this sea of fog. Seeing him crank at the tension in his shoulder she'd gesture to it and ask, "Do you mind if I?" She didn't say what she intended to do past that, or what she meant, because she knew, which is why she asked him to expound on the family business more vehemently, "Tell me more, if you please? This... I saw this Hunter, he was what you called the strange black rabbit, yes? I wondered where he'd gone. I have only seen the other two without their playmate. Other than Uncle Dorian. You must let me be of assistance if I may, and tell me how?"
Drystan Windgrace didn't think twice about her offer to do whatever it was she wanted to him, he simply reached up and rubbed at the spot where his shoulder met his neck and then pulled loose the top button of the tailored shirt behind his tie. "Go right ahead.." He motioned and put his hands back in his lap. "Yes Hunter, he can take nearly any form honestly. He is a creature from the beyond, My sister heard him knocking so to speak, and so she opened a gate, in time, to pull him through. He drank of her blood upon entering, and it turns out, he is the ...lets say son, of a man that is very, very important to us. He holds within him a shard of Yog-Sothoth himself, the Elder God. The creator of gates.
Pandora Synepho sprang up limberly and fluttering behind him with the scent of sandalwood emanating softly from her. She'd take up a spot behind his chair and moving past the shirt to get to skin, press three fingers and a thumb right into his trap on the afflicted side he'd mentioned and start kneading, gently and strongly, alternating to get the knot of muscle loose. She could do this and listen with tireless fingers. "This is not a god I know," she explained, then went on, "but I am sorry that someone is after you. No wonder your mother was so guarded when I came looking for you in Cheriton. So this people you want me to meet, you would like for me to watch them, yes? It is an easy thing to hide for me in a place with so many trees."
Drystan Windgrace looked to his side when she came up behind him and started to work her hands into his muscles, pausing a moment, and then relaxed back, closing his mouth into a smile before he went on. "Well, my mother has no idea this is happening, its all been somewhat recent, just before your arrival, when the foggy mist came in. We finally discovered that this is a by-products of the god this man has summoned, it's all a bit involved. But the woman I need to speak to. Her husband was a sailor with our fleet, along with several others that lost their lives due to the actions of this man. Her protection, ..her daughter's protection, must be absolute. He seeks to use the girl, she has vast magical potential." He took a deep breath and relaxed even more, giving into her kneading. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back gently as he fell into her motions, still talking though. "I've met the woman and girl when I delivered news of her husband, and delivered the paperwork she would need to make sure she and the girl are taken care of since the husband’s passing.”
Pandora Synepho worked at the impromptu massage and once his neck and shoulder muscles seemed to be yielding to her fingers, she'd move to the other side which was still holding onto tension. She did this as if it was natural to touch him, and be so near, though some part of her thrilled at learning firsthand just how he was put together. She listened again, taking in what she could to synthesize a more complete picture of what was going on. Once in a while she'd make a small noise behind her nose to indicate she was listening along and understanding. It did not surprise her to hear that her kin was protecting someone important to the isle's survival. It made her feel close to him as she'd lived protecting her sacred oasis for long years until her journeys to find him. She ventured a guess, "And this is, as they say, where I come in, yes? I am rather more useful than I look."
Drystan Windgrace huffed a bit of a laugh, as she worked her way around to his other shoulder, "Yes, and pish posh, you look useful, silly thing." He waved a hand. "I think that having you with me as I explain this danger to her, she may be more ...pliant in allowing us to give them protection stones and perhaps even invite them to stay here in the house till this thing is taken care of. " He rolled his eyes open and looked up at her, leaning his head back into her small frame. "You have a soothing way about you, and you're kind, and thoughtful. THe daughter is young, just older than a toddler I suppose. She ran to me and threw her arms about my leg thinking i was hr father long returned from the sea." He frowned and made a tsk sound.
Pandora Synepho began to scritch his scalp from the base of his neck when he leaned his head back, showing as he supposed that she had a way of working for the ease of the people around her. Succor was part of being a goddess, which she'd been worshipped as for long years. Upon hearing what he needed she looked down at him, holding his head and nodded down to him with curtains of dark hair needing to be pushed back over her shoulders when she stopped so that they wouldn't fall into his eyes. Since she had finished working on his shoulders, she then kissed the top of his head with one hand resting on either shoulder, because the affection felt right and welcomed. "I am glad to do this, I am... what is the word... fond! of children! But are you sure this is all? Do you not need an afternoon in the sun, perhaps to remind you what the days will soon be like? It sounds like you have been doing so much as it is. You must let me give you a few minutes when we're done here, yes?"
Drystan Windgrace gazed up at here in half lidded wonder and ease, and nodded to her, "Thank you for your help...I was worried to involve you further, but I understand you are a grown woman with quite a bit of your own power and.. well, I personally would want to be informed. That you need to be extra careful, this man could come after you. Callisto would cease to exist if he dared try." He rolled his head around on his neck and felt how good it was to be pampered so. "you're good to me, and I know we aren't close, perhaps not yet, but the feelings are here." He placed his hand on his chest and smiled more broadly and sat up when she mentioned sunlight. "Could you really? Even in this magical mush we have out there? I crave the sun more than I think my siblings do, they are both so fair, like my mother. BUt I have my fathers skin, and it loves to be kissed by Sol."
Pandora Synepho bent to kiss the top of his brown head again when he admitted that he'd want to be informed, by way of answering yes, she was glad to know. Then she'd step around in front of him and stand there gazing at him, measuringly to see if he looked at ease. She was smiling at him with the little statue's smile until he asked if she could wrangle the weather at which point her smile broke into a tinkling chuckle. "We are not yet so close, but when I am with you, I feel as if I have always known you somehow." Perhaps it was just the voice she knew from the pendant, but what she said was true to her. Her voice, once it was shaken loose ran smoothly on, "I can do this, not as I should be able. But a few minutes, yes. It is not usual that I cannot do more. I should be able to touch the sky more easily. But it feels.... very far away. Still I crave the sun too, I think I should perish if I was long away from it. As it is, I am near as pale as you are. Tch." She did spend part of many days photosynthesizing.
Drystan Windgrace watched her as she wound up in front of him and he looked up at her as he leaned forward in the chair. "I'm pleased you feel this way, as I do as well. You have the uncanny resemblance to your Gran, respectfully speaking." He lowered his eyes and smiled to himself. "I will take what magical few minutes you can offer. He stood and loosened his tie all the way and tossed it in the seat she had been occupying previously. He started to work at the vest buttons and then his shirt. "I intend to try and sponge up as much as I can!" He laughed and turned, opening the door with his mind and started peeling out of his top so he could, maybe, get a small bit of a tan.
Pandora Synepho watched him start to strip and continued to watch him unshy about it. He was finely formed, and she could easily see what had attracted her grandmother to the tall handsome magus. She'd shrug out of her outer garments and stripped down to her slip, to get sun on her skin too. When she'd done she'd reach a hand for his to lead him outside. Once they were outside, she'd keep holding his hand if he didn't need it back and lift both of hers to the sky. She'd look up and close her eyes and begin to hum a structureless song that looped around on itself after some bars. It was a song of triumph of light over darkness, and just half of a greater tune that could also call clouds to obscure the sky. When she did this in just a small space, the stretch of a few feet centered on the pair of them, the sun broke through the fog. And though it was fall, she could summon the glorious dazzle of late summer's intended warmth before Wolf had fogged up the place. A golden blaze shone upon them and before she knew it, her toes were digging into grass, stretching to ground herself as she would when in tree form, though she caught herself just shy of sprouting branches. The dryad in her did come to the fore though for there'd seem to be deepest greenery in her hair ready to revel in the light.
Drystan Windgrace was unabashed at taking off his clothing, it was a perfectly normal thing in his household as well, so he actively took her hand once she'd gotten down to a slip and stepped out with her. He raised his arm with her and then mimicked her, and raised his other arm skywards and closed his eyes only after seeing the blaze of color arc across the patch of sky that was clear. "He was silent for a long moment, and then leaned towards her, and whispered softly, "I am glad you are here Pandora. A part of me I didn't know wasn't complete feels whole now." He leaned back into place and went back to trying to pull the light itself towards him closer, with her rooted right next to him.