*Jean Grey*
Night Triumphant
Alena Leonhart
Cainhurst Manor
Ally turned around at the sound of the doors being flung open. She was still dripping wet, but that was frankly the least of her concerns. Lucy entered, her face wearing an expression that was clearly troubled. Her fists were clenched, and her lips were in a tight line. Her eyes were oddly distant, however. Come to think of it, even Ronaldo had a similar look in his eyes, even as she talked to him just moments ago. They didn't match the worried looks on their faces, and while she couldn't fathom why, they only added to the mysterious vibe that surrounded them - one that Ally already noticed since she arrived.
Lucy's lips moved as her obsidian eyes met Ronaldo's, the latter nodding. Ally saw the pain in the beautiful maid's expression - one that was apparent despite her fathomless, dark gaze. It wasn't one that would just come up overnight. She was certain that this wasn't the first time Lucy felt this way, and for a moment, she just wanted to reassure the maid in some way. Squeeze her shoulders, hug her, perhaps even protect her. Yet, that moment did not come, as before Ally could even take a step forward and reach out, Lucy turned around and swiftly took her leave, as quickly as she had arrived.
"This job is everything to her. Sometimes, she forgets to take time to just be a person." Ronaldo explained. At this, Ally instinctively clenched her hand into a fist. The statement was disturbing in itself, and suddenly began to make her wonder if her grandfather was so harsh and demanding that he would push poor Lucy into acting that way. The maid was barely older than Ally herself - no more than twenty-seven by her estimates. Her father always taught her and Mira that the staff was also part of the family and should be treated with kindness and compassion, not as if they were less than human. Dragomira was, by far, the more demanding one in fact.
"Is father really so hard on the poor girl?" Her father asked. Ronaldo's answer sidestepped the question, which only reinforced Ally's beliefs. It was the logical thing. Any sane person would give a straight answer if it wasn't so shameful or reproachable. In that moment, she loved her father even more. He could've turned out very differently, yet even with his scholarly inclinations, he chose to be compassionate and warm-hearted rather than distant. Yet, who was the Kieran who chose to accept her as part of the family instead of simply deeming her unworthy and dissuading his son to leave her alone? He could've chosen differently too, and she would've been stuck behind the Iron Curtain, living a life much more miserable than the one she had now. All these only made her more determined to meet her grandfather, if only to find answers and truths. The inheritance? The gold? It meant nothing to her - she wasn't going to sweat it...she knew she could get by one way or another. There were more important matters than the glitter of gold, and she knew that they were only scratching the surface of something more complicated than it seemed.
"Ronaldo, why the hell does Gramps-..." Ally began to enquire, but doors to the hallway opened again cutting her off. This time, it was Gregory, Sybil, and Haze who entered the Foyer.
"Have you found Belle?" Gregory asked. Ronaldo shook his head, and informed them that he hadn't seen Saizo either, and that Lucy had just gone upstairs. Gregory glanced briefly towards the upper level, averting his eyes from the large portrait that hung on the wall, which made Ally take a good look at it once more as the butler asked why they were all wet. Nobody would avoid looking at a portrait just because.
In the end, it was decided that Gregory, Sybil and Haze would look for Saizo and Belle, while Mira, her father, Ronaldo and herself would keep looking for the family patriarch. First, however, they were led up the stairs to and Ally and Mira were led to one state room, while their father was led to another. Their luggages sat on the floor - Mira's plum velvet luggage set monogrammed with her initials, and Ally's own black leather suitcase adorned with studs and patches of her favourite bands. Ally swiftly opened her luggage and stripped off her wet top, shorts and stockings, shook her leather jacket, gloves and hat to dry them, and stepped out of her boots before taking out another set of clothes and putting them on - tight black leather trousers with sharp spikes on the knees and several rips, a gunmetal bullet belt, and a shredded, black shirt with long, fishnet sleeves and a distressed red pentagram print on its front. Luckily for her, she didn't exactly listen to Mira's insistence that all she needed to bring was a fancy dress. She then took one of the towels laid out for the both of them, hastily dried her wet, silver hair and pulled it back into a messy ponytail.
"Mira...tell me you brought something a bit more...yeah," she fretted, before shaking her head as though she knew the answer to that. Her little sister was just as stubborn as she was in certain aspects, and the matter of clothes was just one of those. She had watched Mira pack just yesterday - all dresses of silk and velvet, as well as a pair of brand-new high-heeled boots. Still, she unlocked Mira's suitcase and took out said new boots. They still had high heels, but they were slightly lower than the custom-made crystal-adorned velvet Louboutins that Mira was wearing. She then dug through the many dresses Mira had packed, all of them neatly folded, and pulled out the simplest, least constricting one she could find - a short purple velvet babydoll with black lace edging its puffed sleeves and rather low neckline. She handed it to her younger sister, before undoing the elaborate fascinator pinned atop her wavy, snow-white hair, plaiting a couple of sections and fastening them back into a simple braided crown with a black ribbon.
"The lower the chances we need to see that bastard Yuri, the better. Proper dodgy, that one," she murmured, as she helped Mira into her dress. "I promise, I won't let anything or anyone mess around with you. They're gonna have to go through me first, alright?" She assured as she tugged on her mostly-dry fingerless gloves and checked her leather jacket, which was still damp for the most part. She heard a knock on the door, and saw that it was their father, who had changed into a dry suit, his hair neatly combed. Ally nodded at him, telling him that they were ready.
"The sooner we get to where Gramps is, the better, Pops. We have to get to him before that ****ing murderous charlatan starts playing those damn games with us and gets to him first," she maintained, unwavering.
"Ally, just remember...we all have to be careful. This is dangerous. As you said, this seems to be no joke...one wrong move can be costly. We should stick together and watch each other's backs as we head for his chambers...understood?" Her father cautioned.
"Pops, what is your definition of 'dangerous', anyway? You know that I've got no coward, chicken, pawn or tool in my blood. Plus, don't you think a possible would-be murderer would want just that? For us to be afraid so that they could take advantage of us?" She challenged, standing her ground as she folded her arms. She then allowed her expression to soften a bit. "If this is about Mira, you and I both know that I'd rather die than see her get harmed, or you for that matter...but if we don't get to the bottom of this, find the murderer and the costumed woman before anything stupid happens, it's just like letting them win!" Turning back was the last thing Ally wanted, not only because her need for adventure was calling out to her, but also because nobody, not even herself, signed up for what was to come. She knew how it felt to be manipulated and intoxicated, knew that they were some of the worst things she experienced, and she wasn't going to let manipulation of any sort slide so easily. She wasn't anyone's pawn. None of them were. Magic...it had to be a bunch of tricks that were part of the game the charlatan was playing in order to gain control over everyone else and commit murder. Her father, who had taken in every word she said, placed a firm, yet reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Ally, this isn't just about Mira and me. You are my daughter too, don't you ever forget that...and don't you ever think that I love you less. It would kill me to see any one of you come to harm...and I would never forgive myself if anything happens to either of you," his voice was strong, resolute and steady as his eyes met hers, two pairs of purple eyes that mirrored each other. Purple eyes that may or may not have been one of the reasons why her grandfather chose to restore her in the line of succession. "We have to all look out for each other, Ally. Something is at play here, and any of us could be next. We don't know how they strike, or when they will, for that matter, and we can't afford to be reckless. Promise me that we turn back together if it gets too dangerous?" He explained, and Ally was silent for a few moments, before nodding, a lopsided grin on her face. Her father could be protective to a fault, but she knew that at least, it came out of love.
"Alright. We turn back together...and carry on elsewhere. No sitting around and waiting to get killed. Pops, I know you, and I doubt you'd consider turning away and hiding like a fucking coward the right course of action," she replied, sweeping some of her long, still-damp silver bangs away from her face. "I just want us to prove that what we saw were just distractions. We find Gramps, or at least hunt down that asshole and his costumed accomplice, find out what tricks they've been playing, then we don't have to agree to any of their damn terms!"
"Shall we take our leave?" Ronaldo's voice cut in as he entered the stateroom, and Ally nodded as she looked over at him. He led them out of the stateroom and down the corridor. An air of silence hung over them as Ally tried to remember anything that stood out to her while they were having dinner.
"Ronaldo...can you tell us more about Lucy? She did...refuse to let us go to Gramps' room earlier. I want to get to know her, as well as you and the others, better. Gramps too...I never knew him. What the hell is he like, for the most part?"
Cainhurst Manor
Ally turned around at the sound of the doors being flung open. She was still dripping wet, but that was frankly the least of her concerns. Lucy entered, her face wearing an expression that was clearly troubled. Her fists were clenched, and her lips were in a tight line. Her eyes were oddly distant, however. Come to think of it, even Ronaldo had a similar look in his eyes, even as she talked to him just moments ago. They didn't match the worried looks on their faces, and while she couldn't fathom why, they only added to the mysterious vibe that surrounded them - one that Ally already noticed since she arrived.
Lucy's lips moved as her obsidian eyes met Ronaldo's, the latter nodding. Ally saw the pain in the beautiful maid's expression - one that was apparent despite her fathomless, dark gaze. It wasn't one that would just come up overnight. She was certain that this wasn't the first time Lucy felt this way, and for a moment, she just wanted to reassure the maid in some way. Squeeze her shoulders, hug her, perhaps even protect her. Yet, that moment did not come, as before Ally could even take a step forward and reach out, Lucy turned around and swiftly took her leave, as quickly as she had arrived.
"This job is everything to her. Sometimes, she forgets to take time to just be a person." Ronaldo explained. At this, Ally instinctively clenched her hand into a fist. The statement was disturbing in itself, and suddenly began to make her wonder if her grandfather was so harsh and demanding that he would push poor Lucy into acting that way. The maid was barely older than Ally herself - no more than twenty-seven by her estimates. Her father always taught her and Mira that the staff was also part of the family and should be treated with kindness and compassion, not as if they were less than human. Dragomira was, by far, the more demanding one in fact.
"Is father really so hard on the poor girl?" Her father asked. Ronaldo's answer sidestepped the question, which only reinforced Ally's beliefs. It was the logical thing. Any sane person would give a straight answer if it wasn't so shameful or reproachable. In that moment, she loved her father even more. He could've turned out very differently, yet even with his scholarly inclinations, he chose to be compassionate and warm-hearted rather than distant. Yet, who was the Kieran who chose to accept her as part of the family instead of simply deeming her unworthy and dissuading his son to leave her alone? He could've chosen differently too, and she would've been stuck behind the Iron Curtain, living a life much more miserable than the one she had now. All these only made her more determined to meet her grandfather, if only to find answers and truths. The inheritance? The gold? It meant nothing to her - she wasn't going to sweat it...she knew she could get by one way or another. There were more important matters than the glitter of gold, and she knew that they were only scratching the surface of something more complicated than it seemed.
"Ronaldo, why the hell does Gramps-..." Ally began to enquire, but doors to the hallway opened again cutting her off. This time, it was Gregory, Sybil, and Haze who entered the Foyer.
"Have you found Belle?" Gregory asked. Ronaldo shook his head, and informed them that he hadn't seen Saizo either, and that Lucy had just gone upstairs. Gregory glanced briefly towards the upper level, averting his eyes from the large portrait that hung on the wall, which made Ally take a good look at it once more as the butler asked why they were all wet. Nobody would avoid looking at a portrait just because.
In the end, it was decided that Gregory, Sybil and Haze would look for Saizo and Belle, while Mira, her father, Ronaldo and herself would keep looking for the family patriarch. First, however, they were led up the stairs to and Ally and Mira were led to one state room, while their father was led to another. Their luggages sat on the floor - Mira's plum velvet luggage set monogrammed with her initials, and Ally's own black leather suitcase adorned with studs and patches of her favourite bands. Ally swiftly opened her luggage and stripped off her wet top, shorts and stockings, shook her leather jacket, gloves and hat to dry them, and stepped out of her boots before taking out another set of clothes and putting them on - tight black leather trousers with sharp spikes on the knees and several rips, a gunmetal bullet belt, and a shredded, black shirt with long, fishnet sleeves and a distressed red pentagram print on its front. Luckily for her, she didn't exactly listen to Mira's insistence that all she needed to bring was a fancy dress. She then took one of the towels laid out for the both of them, hastily dried her wet, silver hair and pulled it back into a messy ponytail.
"Mira...tell me you brought something a bit more...yeah," she fretted, before shaking her head as though she knew the answer to that. Her little sister was just as stubborn as she was in certain aspects, and the matter of clothes was just one of those. She had watched Mira pack just yesterday - all dresses of silk and velvet, as well as a pair of brand-new high-heeled boots. Still, she unlocked Mira's suitcase and took out said new boots. They still had high heels, but they were slightly lower than the custom-made crystal-adorned velvet Louboutins that Mira was wearing. She then dug through the many dresses Mira had packed, all of them neatly folded, and pulled out the simplest, least constricting one she could find - a short purple velvet babydoll with black lace edging its puffed sleeves and rather low neckline. She handed it to her younger sister, before undoing the elaborate fascinator pinned atop her wavy, snow-white hair, plaiting a couple of sections and fastening them back into a simple braided crown with a black ribbon.
"The lower the chances we need to see that bastard Yuri, the better. Proper dodgy, that one," she murmured, as she helped Mira into her dress. "I promise, I won't let anything or anyone mess around with you. They're gonna have to go through me first, alright?" She assured as she tugged on her mostly-dry fingerless gloves and checked her leather jacket, which was still damp for the most part. She heard a knock on the door, and saw that it was their father, who had changed into a dry suit, his hair neatly combed. Ally nodded at him, telling him that they were ready.
"The sooner we get to where Gramps is, the better, Pops. We have to get to him before that ****ing murderous charlatan starts playing those damn games with us and gets to him first," she maintained, unwavering.
"Ally, just remember...we all have to be careful. This is dangerous. As you said, this seems to be no joke...one wrong move can be costly. We should stick together and watch each other's backs as we head for his chambers...understood?" Her father cautioned.
"Pops, what is your definition of 'dangerous', anyway? You know that I've got no coward, chicken, pawn or tool in my blood. Plus, don't you think a possible would-be murderer would want just that? For us to be afraid so that they could take advantage of us?" She challenged, standing her ground as she folded her arms. She then allowed her expression to soften a bit. "If this is about Mira, you and I both know that I'd rather die than see her get harmed, or you for that matter...but if we don't get to the bottom of this, find the murderer and the costumed woman before anything stupid happens, it's just like letting them win!" Turning back was the last thing Ally wanted, not only because her need for adventure was calling out to her, but also because nobody, not even herself, signed up for what was to come. She knew how it felt to be manipulated and intoxicated, knew that they were some of the worst things she experienced, and she wasn't going to let manipulation of any sort slide so easily. She wasn't anyone's pawn. None of them were. Magic...it had to be a bunch of tricks that were part of the game the charlatan was playing in order to gain control over everyone else and commit murder. Her father, who had taken in every word she said, placed a firm, yet reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Ally, this isn't just about Mira and me. You are my daughter too, don't you ever forget that...and don't you ever think that I love you less. It would kill me to see any one of you come to harm...and I would never forgive myself if anything happens to either of you," his voice was strong, resolute and steady as his eyes met hers, two pairs of purple eyes that mirrored each other. Purple eyes that may or may not have been one of the reasons why her grandfather chose to restore her in the line of succession. "We have to all look out for each other, Ally. Something is at play here, and any of us could be next. We don't know how they strike, or when they will, for that matter, and we can't afford to be reckless. Promise me that we turn back together if it gets too dangerous?" He explained, and Ally was silent for a few moments, before nodding, a lopsided grin on her face. Her father could be protective to a fault, but she knew that at least, it came out of love.
"Alright. We turn back together...and carry on elsewhere. No sitting around and waiting to get killed. Pops, I know you, and I doubt you'd consider turning away and hiding like a fucking coward the right course of action," she replied, sweeping some of her long, still-damp silver bangs away from her face. "I just want us to prove that what we saw were just distractions. We find Gramps, or at least hunt down that asshole and his costumed accomplice, find out what tricks they've been playing, then we don't have to agree to any of their damn terms!"
"Shall we take our leave?" Ronaldo's voice cut in as he entered the stateroom, and Ally nodded as she looked over at him. He led them out of the stateroom and down the corridor. An air of silence hung over them as Ally tried to remember anything that stood out to her while they were having dinner.
"Ronaldo...can you tell us more about Lucy? She did...refuse to let us go to Gramps' room earlier. I want to get to know her, as well as you and the others, better. Gramps too...I never knew him. What the hell is he like, for the most part?"