Brittle House~ the other world

As Kouta felt Faith hold his arm and put her head on his shoulder he gave a small smile. He could feel fear coming from her. She then walked over to Brittle and poked him. Kouta was tempted to ask why but then she came back again and so he decided not to. Besides, it felt kinda nice. A sudden memory then came back to Kouta, he remembered when his Dad had shouted at him and he was crying. His mother was there and Kouta was crying in front of her.

I was so weak back then... he thought. His mother then petted him, soothing him to sleep with sweet songs. Kouta had been like a dog even back then, he always calmed down when petted and reacted to things a dog would. From this steamed his nickname 'Mutt' it was only a teasing word sure but to Kouta it was a grave insult even if he knew it was slightly true. He would beat up others if they called him that.

Snapping back into reality again he heard Brittle introduce himself.

"You may think this is perhaps what humans call 'a dream' but I can tell you now that none of what surrounds you is a figment of your imagination. I am as real as real can be... I'll take the time now to apologise for not introducing myself instantly but I was extremely distracted when you arrived. You're probably wondering why on earth you're here and the truth is I've always desired human children. I've had a longing within me for quite some time to become a guardian which was a longing shared with my partner until she tragically lost her life. By chance when I was observing the human world I saw all of you, you poor, miserable things without a home and you were all on your way to orphanages. It was practically love at first sight and should I say fate be the reason we're all seated here tonight..."

Brittle smiled but Kouta was aware. Kouta could sense something, though it was unclear what, like what had happened with Gwen ealier on. Maybe he was crazy but was he trying o sense these creature's emotions? Sure enough he had rarely been able to read the atmosphere when he had been at school or even when he had been a street-rat. Brittle continued, unhindered.

"I hope you can all accept me as your guardian despite my appearance. This entire place is your home now, you can go where ever you like within it and enjoy all its luxuries I assure you there are plenty. I will do my best to make your lives comfortable while you're here... Of course I'd offer round the hugs and handshakes but I think what would be most appreciated is a little food. You must be famished!"

With this food was served as Kouta begrudingly moved to sit down, somewhat unconciously keeping Faith close to him. He had a bad feeling about this but the situation could only get worse if he refused or tried to run. So for now the best way was to go with the flow and see what happened. The food did smell good and Kouta could barely stop his street urges of getting food when you saw it. He sat down and had some of the food that had been laid out, he smiled.
Maybe this Brittle ain't so bad after all he thought, the food having dulled his senses slightly.

Brandon held firmly onto his elbows to keep his entire body from shaking. The little girl who had brought him and the blond haired girl to the other orphans had released his hands, which caused him to become even more scared. The girl had then begun to lead the group of orphans back through the corridors quickly. As they followed the girl through the house Brandon kept out of sight toward the back of the group. “This is crazy! There’s no way this can be happening! What’s wrong with this place!“ His mind ran in circles as the tried to keep himself from whimpering.

Suddenly the group came to a stop. Brandon could barley past over the rest of the orphans but he could tell that they had stopped at a large pair of double doors. As the doors opened and the group entered he began to shake more visibly as he saw what was inside. “This room…..” His mind flashed back to a story Sarah had told him. It was a story of king Solomon’s tomb, which was filled with gold and jewels and where a evil demon lived. The story had given Brandon nightmares for weeks, but then again, most scary stories did. Then Brittle came into sight.

His eyes wide with fear, Brandon stared at the man. “He’s perfect, just like in the story! Oh no, he’s gunna eat all our souls! Gotta run!” Brandon looked down at his legs, they weren’t moving. “No no no no no no, I cant move! Gotta tell the others! Gotta!” Brandon opened his mouth to yell but nothing came out. “I cant! I cant! What can I do! He’s gunna get them and…..” His thoughts were cut off by Brittle’s introduction and invitation to sit.

Brandon found himself suddenly moving to sit down in a chair. “What! No! I gotta do something!” he screamed in his mind as he sat. As he listened to Brittle explain why they were here, he began to fidget and look around the room. “One exit…..at the opposite end of the room as him…… I’m sitting in the middle……if I can jump on the table……I can rush him……the others can run……get away before he’s finished with me……that might work…..right…..yea…..ok…” His mind was surprisingly calm as he picked up a butter-knife off the table and clenched it in his right hand, trying to keep it hidden under the table as it shook violently. Seeing Brittle stand up, Brandon’s mind raced. “He’s gunna do it! He’s gunna take our souls! I need to do it soon! Like now! I gotta! Gotta! Come on move! MOVE! WHY CANT I DO IT?” “Because I’m a scaredy cat.” He fought with his will internally as he stared down at his hands.

Suddenly his mind went blank and his face relaxed as his nostrils picked up the scent of the food that had just appeared. Letting his clutches on the butter-knife loosen, Brandon looked up at the table. It was filled many different types of exotic foods. “What is this? It smells great. No! I have to stop him! But it smells so good. They have to get away! Oh, but it smells better than anything.” He went back and forth as his stomach grumbled. “Ah, it smells so good…..where is it…where is…..” He thought drearily as he searched through the different dishes for the intoxicating smell that was filling his mind.

Clove

Oh, this was interesting! Not only was he supposed to be learning all he could of the hotel, he actually wanted too. The place was a curious thing tonhim, it brought feelings of such wonder and inquisitively, nostalgia.. He edged closer to the kitsune absorbing everything he could, not that everything mentioned was worth hearing (who cares about courtesy towards the employees?). He would however be at least somewhat polite, afterall, he learned not to bite the hand that feeds..at least not too hard.

He listened and watched as the kitsune flipped through pages of paperwork. His posture and smile slumped, "That's..heh..that's a lot of paperwork.." He spoke disheartened. Inwardly he was flipping off the Clerk and the kitsune. Why couldn't things be simple and not have friggin pile os pages to read and agree with! Gods, he hated paperwork.. He knew better
to read the fine lines though. In this world a mere signature and misunderstood or overlooked sentense could destroy someone. So, disdainfully he looked eveything over and left his name. The only name he could remember: Clove.

Satisfied, he slid the papers to the clerk. Now was when the fun would really happen. Eyeing the words 'indefinate stay' he smiles. He would savour his simple, two-roomed suite and the unlimited supply of fresh milk and blood servants would bring. He would galavant the halls undetered and would keep his room, the number he didn't care about, as long as the room was completely secured from everyone, including employees, unless invited. Already the house was starting to feel like paradise.

He couldn't stop the growing sense of pleasure as he waited for the clerk or the kitsune to talk. The things he did for his boss..

In a small basement room, lit only by a single candle, a frail finger was extended over a table. Suspended from the finger was a small, plastic jar on a keychain, containing a novelty embryonic UFO. A button on top had once illuminated a red LED inside the jar...but the battery had run out over sixty years ago, when "Pickled Al" had first been brought into the house by his owner. Who was also the owner of the frail finger.

Spencer was sat at a rough wooden desk in the stationary room, his head rested on one hand and the old novelty keychain dangling from the other. He knew full well that the merging of realms had just taken place, and that guests would be arriving in their droves. He knew that there was much to be taken care off, and that the house would have been a hive of activity for several hours by now. He also knew that if he hadn't been snuffed out of existence for being tardy and slovenly after this many years of service, he probably didn't have much to worry about now.

"Spencer!"

The childish voice was only made tinnier for the fact that it came from a three-quarter-inch pipe which ran down from the ceiling, constituting a very rudimentary form of intercom. Not many rooms in the house had them. Most of the rooms which did have them were rooms in which Spencer was likely to be. Even special spirits got tired of running around looking for a slacking concierge.

"Mmmm?" he grunted in reply.

"Why are you not at the front desk? Gwen just had to greet our newest guest!"

Spencer snorted in amusement. No doubt the silver-fox had loved being made to do that. He straightened up, stretched, then leaned back in his chair.

"Well I never," he said, his gruff, Welsh accent rolling over his lips with a slight elderly rasp, "I suppose I'd better come up then and make sure pretty-boy didn't break a nail in the line of duty."

"Brittle will hear about...

The voice became almost inaudible as Spencer took the plastic jar and inserted it into the end of the intercomm pipe. He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling of the dank room. All around him were stacks of leaflets, forms, compliments slips. He had not idea where it all came from - and he didn't much care - but it never seemed to run out, no matter how many creative uses he found for some of the items. He'd once thought to ask if Brittle would find himself up a creek if something needed to be updated and they already had so many of these forms in stock. But he'd quickly realised the foolishness of the question; in a timeless hotel, the literature was always accurate because nothing ever changed.

Grumbling, he got up from his chair, wincing at several twinges and aches around his aged body as he did so. Brittle....he could change your very nature, but it seemed he either couldn't or wouldn't fend off nature. He pulled his concierge's uniform jacket on and made his way up the steep wooden steps, coming out through a small door and emerging behind the reception desk just in time to see a slight commotion as Ink ushered some scrawny looking new people up another, grander staircase. He watched them go by as he sat down, spitting out a "Psch" noise and shaking his head. Were those new guests too? If so, and Ink had had to step in to greet them in Spencer's absence, then he was in for a telling off later.

Flopping back, he dropped his feet onto the surface of the desk and looked about the empty lobby. Seemed like he'd missed the action. Which suited him. He'd do a few token hours of duty, and then start making his own fun. Especially when some of the guests who were fond of the drink came out asking for their keys a valuables. The occassional switcheroo was always good for a laugh. Especially if the key he handed out happened to be a skeleton key with another guest's room number fobbed onto it. Sending one supernatural creature into a room where a different supernatural creature was trying to sleep (or worse) never failed to amuse.

A minute or two later, he saw Gwen striding up to the desk with another man who must have been the guest he'd had to take care of. Not wanting to push his luck just for now, Spencer took his feet down and sat unconspicuously behind the desk as Gwen ran through the check-in procedure with the new guest, obligingly handing over forms and keys when requested. Each time he met the kitsune's eye, he wordlessly let a smirk slip. He was hoping that Gwen would notice that the concierge was wearing four name badges....including his.

Faithy-Jane sat there not touching the food set upon her with her head down. ''Thank you Brittle, but I am not hungry. Thank you though, it is very kind of you.'' She stated to him. She then looked up at Brittle, she had no fear in her just a grateful smile on her face and a glint of sadness in her eyes. Yet she stood strong, not afraid, not alone. She was cheerful. But how? She lost everything, but still she smiled.

''I am grateful for everything Brittle, but I don't need riches or better treatment than your employees to be happy. I just want to let you know. You don't need to make hassle over me. I am fine with whatever you give. I guess I prefer to know you, care for me. Than anything else.'' She smiled warmly at Brittle then she stood up. ''May I leave the table Brittle? I would like to get some fresh air, if you don't mind that is.'' She then tucked her chair in and awaited his answer.

Gwen glanced at the packet of papers as the guest passed it to the clerk – his name was Clove, was it? Seeing as the ink didn’t fade, it seemed to be the guest’s true name… at least of now… an unusual one. There was a sort of emptiness in that name, as if something were missing… it was how Gwen felt about his own. But that wasn’t right – his had reason to be empty. This customer’s, did not.

There was a clatter as metal keys were dropped to the counter – a two-room suite for this guest called Clove. A fair bit simpler than some of the more lavish and obnoxious guests, for sure, but it was still far better than the few luxuries the employees received. As Gwen handed the customer the keys, he met eyes with the concierge. Was the old man smirking?...

It was only then that the kitsune managed put a name to the face, and he suppressed a grimace. Ah, Spencer – how had he not noticed him? Obviously because the guest had taken all his attention… but at the very least, Gwen should have recognized that thick accent of his… and what was that old man smirking about? Spencer always had been a strange employee of the Brittle House, and far too lazy for his own good. He was a little eccentric in the strangest ways – even now, there was no plausible reason for why he would ever need four name badges – … ah.

‘Ah, so that’s where it went,’ Gwen thought bitterly when one particular silver badge caught his eye. There, clearly engraved in the fluid writings of the otherworld, was his name in all its simplicity. How Spencer picked it up, he would never know, but what the kitsune did know was that the old man was mocking him… and there wasn’t much that Gwen could do with the bothersome customer lingering at the counter. Under any other circumstance, he would have resorted to… less amiable tactics towards Spencer, but with this ‘Clove’ right beside them, it simply wouldn’t work.

“Why Spencer, thank you for picking that up for me,” Gwen forced out, gesturing to his name badge. He was struggling to keep his smile from morphing into a scowl, but he just couldn’t keep the light of antagonism from his green eyes. Holding out his hand, he slowly asked, trying to keep the irritation from his voice, “Might I have it back now?”

Oblivious to everything around him, Brandon had fully lost himself in the smell that was wafting up into his nostrils. As he searched through the myriad of dishes, his mind was silent and driven. The only thought in his mind was to find and consume whatever was giving of the alluring odor. It smelled vaguely familiar to Brandon, warm and beckoning, but he couldn’t quite put together what the dish might be. He knew however, that once he laid eyes on the dish he would most defiantly know it. So he continued searching the table with his eyes, moving his sight quickly from one dish to the next.

After what seemed like an eternity of searching, Brandon finally spotted what he had been looking for near the center of the table. A large piece of chicken parmesan, resting softly on a cushion of red sauce that sat on a bed of spaghetti. Brandon eyed the cheese incrusted chicken greedily, the cheese breading was a deep golden brown and glistened in the light. Brandon licked his lips as he began to salivate, and quickly deciding to waste no time in claiming the meal as his own. He swiftly reached both of his hands out from under the table to grab the plate on which the perfect dish rested.

*Ping……..glug glug glug glug……*

In his haste, Brandon had forgotten that he was still holding the butter-knife in his hand. So when he reached out to snatch up the chicken, it had knocked over a full wine glass that was standing next to the dish. The lip of the glass had landed squarely on the chicken, the deep red liquid spilling over the edge and flowing out onto the dish. Completely engrossed in his pursuit of the chicken, Brandon shrugged the event off and removed the glass from the plate. As he pulled the plate back toward him, the wine began to seep into the dish, staining the once golden brown chicken a light red.

By the time he began to eat the dish, the wine had covered it in it’s entirety. As Brandon chewed, he was slightly disappointed as the dish did not taste quite as good as he had originally expected. Despite the slightly bitter aftertaste of each bite, he was quite hungry and continued to down the food.

Anger. Hot, bubbling, boiling, steaming; festering. This kind of anger was a novelty to Mazu. She was used to the roaring flames of fury and the lightning fast cruel remark of annoyance. Not this... this... stew of blame. Yes, blame was the perfect word. All the hurt and frustration bottled up in Mazu had been shaken too hard, one too many times. It was forcing its way out, through any crack available. Luckily for Brittle, the crack was small or else Mazu would be kicking chairs over and screaming like a maniac. In all her experiance, Mazu had never directed her anger without cause at someone. The girl frowned when she heard the first word that came out of Brittle's mouth. Children. Alrighty then, that sealed his fate of dislikement. Mazu disliked anybody who directed the word 'child' at her. The girl continued to listen with a closed mind, her anger bending Brittle's words negatively. Bullshit was her conclusion... well mostly. So his girlfriend died? The thought saddened Mazu considerably, deflating the balloon that was her anger and exposing it at the hot air it really was. Yes, she disliked the man all right, but he had done nothing to deserve her anger. Yet. Mazu could still feel it lurking in the nooks of her mind, waiting to erupt.

Mazu jumped when the food popped into existance, causing the chair to tip backwards and land with a thud onto the floor. "Ow..." She rubbed the back of her head. Karma... I shouldn't be thinking such angry thoughts..... Mazu turned tomato red, rollong off the chair and sitting it back up. "Haha...." Was all she could muster. Soon after Mazu sat back down, the boy sitting next to her spilled wine over his food. Mazu pitied him, as the food had looked quite good before. To her suprise, he began eating it anyways. This earned her undying respect. So even then he doesn't waste food.... The girl turned to look at the table. She gulped, saliva filling her mouth. Dear lord... I'm so hungry! As if drawn by some unknown force, the girl's hand heaped a generous helping of mushrooms onto her plate. It was hot, and spicy looking. Mazu tentatively picked up a fork and speared a single mushroom.

Clove

He took the keys with a smile, and jingled them about in his hand, loving the wieght, feel and sound they possesed. Though they were merely keys, they represented something more. They granted power and Clove loved power. He reveled in knowing he could now ask and recieve from all employees in Brittle House, however strange the desire. With a flick of his wrist he tossed the keys into the air and caught them within a tight grip. "Much thanks," he half-smiles, nodding to both the clerk and the Kitsune.

He pauses for a moment, noticing the old man standing beside the Kitsune. Where did he come from? He watched as he and the Kitsune swaped glares for smiles. Clove raised his brows, oh this is interesting. Obviously they had a history and from the looks of it, it was a stressed one. His eyes found the multiple name tags the geezer wore and was confused only for a moment. Did the old guy have that many names or was he just playing around?

“Why Spencer, thank you for picking that up for me. Might I have it back now?”

It was obvious the man was trying to goad the Kitsune into some sort of action, the creepy way he smiled upon their meeting. It was hard not to laugh watching the young, handsome fox spirit resist the old man's mischief. It brought an instant liking to the geezer. He obviously was the sort who just didnt care, reguardless if it was an employees' 'duty' to be proper on the job. He was amusing. With that thought came a warning. If he was this way towards fellow employees, Gods know what he did to customers. Better to just play safe.

He stood from his comfortable position on the desk and stretched. He nodded his head in welcome at the geezer then turned to the Kitsune, "Thanks for the help, Fox. Are you going to show me the way or do I take things from here? Personaly, I don't mind wandering around if it too much of a hassle."

Ashley:

Bewildered by everything that had occured so far when Brittle made his appearance Ashley nearly choked on her own spit. It was like being in a dream surrounded by so many riches even she was charmed by the jewel encrested walls and chairs despite the fact she was wealthy in her own right. What surrounded her now though was the wealth of a king and it was enough to numb any human being. The bliss was broken however as soon as the door opened to reveal another.

Horns. The first thing she saw was those twisted, protuding bones that sent multiple shivers down her spine and then the eyes, rich, golden eyes like those of a reptile. Standing by the door was a monster of sorts. A demon. Something of another kind.
Ashley had never seen anything like it in her entire life even past films involving hellish creatures couldn't compare to what she was physically seeing. The monotone feelings films created couldn't possibly compare to how she was 'feeling' right now. She was horrified yet awe-struck and smitten from the sight of him. There was something deeply satisfying about merely staring. With a very uncharacteristic thought Ashley decided he was very...beautiful. The creature that stood before them all made her feel weak at knees and quick in the heart. It made her flush inside to recognise how flimsy and paper-like she felt from such a brief encounter.
She was so taken by the sight of him though that even the fact he was supernaturally grotesque with the many unnatural body parts of other animals it barely bothered her. The entire house barely bothered her. For a moment- nothing bothered her.

He offered them a seat and the rest was plain velvet to her ears. Ashley took a seat dumbly and listened to his husky tone talk of delights and other things. He was welcoming them in to his home and Ashley found herself feeling oddly joyous about the idea of living with this creature that is until the feeling began to run cold as if wearing out. A strange, chilly sensation began crawling up the back of her neck as all of a sudden she felt uncomfortable. This room made her feel ill at ease and when only moments ago she was swooning after Brittle who paraded himself at the head of the table as their guardian quite suddenly his presense turned darker and less becoming. She felt disorientated and on glancing at all the others they were looking slightly off themselves.

She barely had the time to make a stand though as the entire table became laiden with a banquet of the most wonderful food she'd ever lain eyes on and that smell! It was delicious. Maddening infact. She found herself relaxing back into her seat and grabbing greedy handfuls of all that was closest. She couldn't help herself. Ashley lent her little frame right over the table to snag a crust of oddly shaped bread disregarding her mannerisms like she'd never done before.

----

Brittle:

Brittle cast his eyes over the small, shabby little human who had poked him before the meal as she disturbed his careful watching of all the others. His lips cranked into a smile despite the leer residing within. She wanted to excuse herself. Standing with his glass in hand Brittle swooped upon the girl finding himself to be more than several heads above her.

"Of course, of course" he sang down at her placing a large hand gently on her shoulder. "One must find this all quite overwhelming and it's only natural to want to take a breath of fresh air but how caring would I be if I did not at least insure you had just- one- drink" he reasoned with a suasive tone. Procuring a small glass from amongst the madness of the tables bounty he offered it down to her.
The ruby red liquid shone and sparkled in an appetizing way and Brittle smiled encouragingly not moving until he saw the substance consumed.

----
Ashley:


Ashley found herself eating but not enjoying what felt like sand in her mouth. There was something here on this table with her name on it and all she need to do was find-There. Near Brittle's seat on a platter of jewels there existed an inconspicuous pile of the largest cherries she'd ever seen. Five in total they looked more attractive than anything else on the table to her. Within seconds she zoned in on the fruit with her hand and plucked the very top one off the pile before leaning back. Sticking out her tongue she placed the cherry in the middle and began to eat it tossing the insides around inside her mouth searching for the seed. She found it and stuck her tongue out again to take it out, just as she was doing so Brittle from across the table and behind the snake girl glimpsed at her. It was as if someone smacked her in the gut as she slipped back against her chair the seed shooting down her throat and causing her to cough and splutter.
With a finally lurch she swallowed it by mistake a felt it go down like a stone.

...That was the last thing she remember before...

----
Ink:

Ink skidded to a halt infront of Gwen after her full steam ahead sprint around the house. He was still standing with the same customer from before which earned a tut for being so slow and then of course she spotted Spencer behind the desk who she still remembered fondly from when he very first entered the house though another spirit was charge with his generations well keep. Focusing back on the task at hand Ink rapped on her helmet and let the speaker do the talking informing Gwen that he and another of his choice were to make their way up to Brittle immediantly to complete a favour he wished to bestow upon them.
After the message was finished Ink let out a breath or two and relaxed on the spot feeling mighty relieved after delivering the message.

Ali sort of willed his feet to move as Brittle gestured for all of them to sit down, looking down at the once blank table as food seemed to appear infront of all of them. His mouth yet again dropped open at the sit of the both familiar and strange food as he took a seat that was actually really comfortable. Liking his lips he searched the table wanting to find something that at least looked safe to eat as well as something that would satisfy his sudden hunger.

Shifting his position in his chair to get a better look up and down the table to see what was to offer further down the table. Looking in front of him he spotted what looked like a tuna pasta bake with a heck of a lot of tuna in it. Ali actually liked tuna although not to the extent of someone back in the orphange who ate it out of a tin. Reaching over slowly giving a slightly uncomfortable glance to Brittle feeling a prickly heat rise up through his chest and around his neck as his slender fingers grasped around the large rim of the crockery container the dish was in he placed it next to his plate. Giving another glance around the table actually wondering wether anyone had noticed him take the food, spooning more than half onto his plate. Putting the dish back where he had retrived it from incase anyone wanted some.

Sniffing deeply alowing the smell of the tomatoes, tuna and cheese blending together made his mouth water. Lifting a forkfull of food into his mouth he chewed slowly it actually tasted amazing, not many people got pasta bake meals right even when adding a not common meat or fish in it, but it was perfect. Swallowing his mouthfull of food it felt heavy as it travelled down into his stomach like he had just ate the entire dish in 10 seconds flat. Swallowing again he felt his eyes starting to close and his hand that held the fork dangling idily to his side. Causing his body to sag to the left.

Whereas Ink looked relieved, Gwen stiffened at the announcement. He turned away from Spencer – his name tag was of no importance to him now. Brittle had specifically requested him? Wasn’t he meeting with those humans now? For what purpose had he been summoned?... And who exactly did Brittle mean for Gwen to bring up with him? He most certainly was not about to take Spencer along...

That aggravating sensation had returned, gnawing away at the pit of his stomach. The kitsune’s expression dulled significantly, unwillingly remembering the times of his own arrival to the Brittle House. They were dark, bitter, unpleasant recollections that he had been eager to forget… that he had successfully forgotten until these new humans came and muddled everything. For once, it wasn’t fear or paranoia that grasped Gwen at the thought of visiting Brittle, but a lingering, melancholic bitterness. The shadow of his memories showed in his green eyes, distant and unseeing of what was really there…

It wasn’t the time for that. Quickly dragging himself out of his thoughts, he turned to the customer who had asked a question before Ink arrived. “Honoured guest, it seems that I have been summoned. Please do as you wish, or simply ask another employee for assistance. I now take my leave.” He closed the interaction with a bow, gave Spencer a sharp glare as he turned away, and began his journey towards… Brittle. It was the last thing that Gwen wanted to do, but he had no choice in the matter. He didn’t know and did not wish to know the consequences of ignoring Brittle’s request.

As he began his ascent up the stairs, he noticed the form of a rather familiar figure. Quickly reaching out, he took the other waiter by the arm. “Ren, come here. Brittle needs us,” he said. If Gwen had a choice in the matter, he was at the very least going to choose an employee he was familiar with.

The vampire gave him a questioning look, pointing to the tray with a glass of crimson liquid. “I have an order…?” The statement came out as more of a question, as the one called Ren raised an eyebrow. The lantern-light cast an soft glow to his red-amber hair and paler skin.

“Someone else can take the blame,” Gwen muttered, irritated, before jerking the vampire’s arm once more.

Shrugging, Ren took the glass and downed the liquid – Crimson Soldier, a blend of maiden blood and vermouth – before handing the tray off to a different passing employee. “I’m assuming a bad day? I saw how long you took with that one customer,” he said as the two began their journey to Brittle’s floor.

“I don’t usually greet the customers,” Gwen snapped. In that manner, the two passed countless doors and numerous customers, casting quick dips of the head to each as they swiftly made it to the upper floors. Suddenly coming to an abrupt halt, Gwen looked up. They had arrived… the large double doors with the golden manticore knockers stood ominously before them. It bothered the kitsune significantly that his companion didn’t seem the least bit anxious. The vampire caught his eye and gestured to the door – Ren expected him to do the honour, it seemed. Heavy thoughts weighed on Gwen’s mind… what sight lied beyond these doors? Had the humans been turned? What task awaited him? He slowly reached up and took the first knocker into his hand, the metal cold and searing to his skin – two raps. Taking the other, he hesitated a moment… really, he oughtn’t open the door, oughtn’t enter without invitation… but the images conjured by distorted memories were all too depressing. Seeing the true happenings with his own eyes would be better by far. One rap.

As they should, the doors shifted, unbolting and unlocking easily…It was then that the fright returned, an anxiety passing through the kitsune. What awaited him beyond these doors? An anxious nudge to the side from Ren quickly brought him out of his thoughts. Pushing the doors open, Gwen stepped inside, expression stoic as he took in the sight. A banquet… at first glance. It was so much more than that. Already, some humans were slumped in their seats. Gwen bit back a grimace.

“What are you doing?” Ren’s quiet hiss alerted Gwen of his own actions. Clearly, he had misinterpreted the meaning of Ren's gesture, and he abruptly stepped back while the vampire quickly yanked the door shut, wincing when the slam was louder than intended. “Have you finally lost it?" he demanded. "Going in without permission, really?” Surprise was evident in his tone – Gwen usually knew better, was more aware… Something had to really be bothering the kitsune for him to make such a mistake.

“I’m having an off day, I’m sorry…” Gwen muttered, running his hand over his face. The night’s events were affecting him so much more than he thought they would… He kept losing his composure, kept losing sense of himself… He had to pull himself together. Really, they were only humans. He wasn’t anymore. They were humans and soon won’t be either. He had no reason to be concerned with them. He just had to keep that in mind… but obviously, it wasn't working. It seemed like what starts a terrible day, ends a terrible day... no lion or lamb about it...

Mazu's jaws shut on the mushroom laden fork the same moment she noticed some of the other orphans slumped in their seats. Her eyes widened, and Mazu was intensely aware of the feel of the metal in between her teeth. It was as if time had frozen. Options flew through her head like birds fleeing from a forest fire. Mazu had the oddest feeling on her tongue. Her mind was banging against her brain like a battering ram; telling her to quit thinking about the food and start worrying about what it might do to her. But the girl just couldn't stop thinking about the mushroom taste. It was tingling, like a spark peering around and checking out the world for the first time. Mazu would've compared it to putting your tongue on a battery, but it wasn't quite like that. Not electrical... firey.

Oh yes, firey was the word. The moment Mazu thought that, the little spark on her tongue decided to explode.

It was like someone had set a firecracker off in Mazu's mouth. She instantly forgot about the others getting knocked out. The fire, the fire! It was leaping and roaring through her mouth. Like a living thing that wherever it trod the most incredibly spicy spicyness was let loose. It was rich, and creamy, but oh so spicy! Hot and burning, the mushroom born creature pranced about. There was two thoughts in Mazu's mind. One was to put the damn fire out, and the other was eat more and more!

So her brain decided on a compromise. Obviously if Mazu ate more mushrooms, the fire would be put out. Like fighting flame with flame. Mazu's body obliged, mechanically shoveling more and more of the stuff down her throat. And as a result, the fire kept on spreading and spreading. It had almost consumed her by now, and the last shreds of... of... what Mazu used to be pleaded and cried out for her to stop. Do anything! Anything! Cut your hand off, just stop killing yourself!

And somewhere, deep inside, Mazu knew she was killing something that made Mazu, Mazu. But instead of feeling sad, a joyous elation was quickly silencing all cries for stopping. And Mazu stepped into that happiness, not seeing any other way to go. But as soon as she did so, Mazu plummeted down into the depths of darkness. And with it, unconsiousness.

At the same time, the one last kernel of what she used to be spoke it's last words. Somehow they made it through the hellish flames of her belly, crawled up Mazu's throat, and dodged the spicy beast on her tongue to pass through the girl's lips. And just in time too. For the words came out the same moment Mazu went tumbling from her chair.

"But if I've lost when makes me me, what am I?"

As Gwen excused himself, Spencer slowly rose to his feet and turned to 'Clove'. The customer seemed curt and disinterested. Which suited Spencer perfectly. And suited Clove as well; Spencer had little interest in trying to provoke a reaction out of a seemingly humourless customer.

"I apologise for my colleague's brusqueness." he said with a long drawl that would have seemed sincere if it were not for the dumb grin fixed to his face. "This is the problem you see, when you send a waiter to do anything except ferry drinks and dinner plates. Allow me to show you to the room you'll be staying in."

He ambled around the desk very slowly (much slower than he needed to...he wasn't as frail as he was making himself appear) and started past the dining hall towards the guest rooms. He picked up the pace slightly about halfway - mainly because he was getting bored of the pretence himself - and guided Clove to the door corresponding to the key he'd been given.

"'Ere you are." he chimed, presenting the door like it was a work of art. "I trust you will 'ave an enjoyable stay, and if you need anything at all just ask someone, and if I 'ear of it I'll make sure it's someone other than pretty-boy Gwen who comes to serve you."

He tipped his hat and backed away with false humility, until he rounded a corner and dipped out of sight. At that point he started walking at a usual speed. The right thing to do would be to go back down to reception and be ready to take care of any other new arrivals. But...he couldn't help but be curious about what Gwen had been called for. It hadn't piqued his interest much at first that Brittle had summoned the Kitsune, but when he linked it in with the odd looking arrivals he'd seen being herded upstairs by Ink earlier on, it started to play on his mind. It was worth a look.

As he strode along, he spied a small vent near the floor. He'd used it before, and he knew it took him up to Brittle's floor. Not directly into any of the rooms, but it was a start. He looked around, and satisfied there was nobody in sight, he liftedn the vent grille, and very quickly transformed into a rat, scurrying inside and clambering up the bricked surface on the back. Counting the floors as he saw other vents, he eventually pushed another grille open with his nose and scampered along the rich carpet. Trying to remain inconspicuous (which was difficult since there was nothing to take cover behind), he explored the corridors until he spotted the door Brittle was most likely hosting behind. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Gwen and Ren standing outside waiting to be called in.

He inched closer, just gradually, keeping out of anyone's line of sight. As soon as the door opens, he thought, I'll get in there, and then at least I'll have tables and chairs to hide under.

Faithy-Jane placed the drink on the side, as she did so she caught a glimpse of Gwen and she smiled. ''Hi again! Are you okay? You seem heavy in thought.'' She asked in her usual cheerfulness. She bowed quickly to Brittle and thanked him and she then skipped in front of Gwen smiling warmly at him. She then followed his eyes in what he saw then she noticed, everyone...was not loud...not eating or drinking anything now. ''G-Guy? A-are you okay?'' She asked getting worried. She then ran to Kouta's side almost in tears. ''Kouta, please say something! Anyone! Please! I don't know what to do!'' She the wrapped her arms around her eyes to drop everyone see her tears and after a few moments.

She thought. 'The food...the food! Time to put my smarts to some good use!' She then had a determent look on her face. She the grabbed food from Kouta's plate and a knife. She then cut it open, sniffed it. It has a funny smell to it, almost made you sleepy. She then went into her bag and dug out Pip and wrapped him around her neck then reached into the bag to reveal Alchemy set.

Then her vision started to go funny then Pip hissed. ''Dearest, you do realize that what sits before is 'poisoned' as you say, not lethal of course but has a kick of tiredness to it..You didn't have anything right?''

Suddenly she slowly nodded to Pip then lost the feeling in her legs, falling to the ground next to Kouta. She then wrapped her arms around Kouta's arm as fear set in. She the fell unconscious with a few words. ''Please don't harm them....''

Kouta looked around, the others seemed to have also sat down, some absolutlely stuffing themselves while others were more hesitant, Faith being one of the more hesitant people. She had walked over to Brittle, saying she did not want any food, though he did not know wherether it was genuinely because she was not hungry or because she was being extrely wary of Brittle. In truth Kouta was hesitant himself, but instint had become a major factor in his life long ago.

Kouta reached over to a plate of light brown meat, tasting it to see what flavors it held. It was tough, hard to bite through and slightly dull tasting, the spices only partly hiding the dullness of the meat's original flavoring. At first Kouta had thought the meat something along the lines of deer, what he did not know is that the food was actually wolf meat. He heard knocks on the large door, though only barely like the tapping of someone's finger on a table when a drum was playing. His head was hurting but he looked over and saw the kitsune walk in, briskly walking out again.
Why was he here?... is he expecting something? Kouts thought.

Kouta's sight was now beggining to blur, shadows seemingly gathering in the corners of them, his head was still pounding. He saw others fall down after eating, some slumping while others fell.
What's going on!? he thought urgently, he had to get out here... but his body was heavy, the same thing was happening to him. From the darkness that started to cloud Kouta's mind a single thought came through.
Get... Faith... Outta here he tried to get up again, though it felt he would throw up at any moment he looked towards Brittle and Faith. Faith was being offered a glass of red liquid, though for the life of him Kouta could not renember the name of the liquid.

"F-faith" Faith then ran towards Kouta, hugging him. He heard Pip say the food was poisioned. He turned to Faith and didn't react as she hugged his arm.
"Please don't harm anyone" she had said
"Faith... i won't let them" he stumbled through the words as he himself fell unconcious.

Narrowing her eyes Nani couldnt shake away the searing burn in her chest. Brittles words had made her muscles stiff, her mind a mess and her blood boil like no tommorow. How dare he!?! He is NOT my parent and I am NOT his child! She quivered in place, the rest of Brittles words muffled by her screaming thoughts. A very small whispering on the back of her mind told her to calm down. Her eyes widened and her heart stopped in that instant. That little voice sounded so much like her mothers... Nani's anger slowly seeped out and she seemed to deflate on spot. No, stupid. Mothers dead now...

She caught Brittle telling them to have a seat. Nani shuffled her way to one and was halfway there when some of the others gasped. The table which had been empty now held popping dishes of luxurious otherwordly food and glasses of wonderous drinks. In the back of Nani's mind a picture came up. A very small and childish picture that showed a five year old Nani happily watching 'Beauty and the Beast'. In a way the popping of the dishes reminded her of a part of the childish movie. Nanis brows knit together when she found herself continuing her way to a seat. Chairs scraped against the floor as others, like her, found their way to the table.

Different aroma's asaulted her nostrils and made her salivate. She hadnt noticed that up till then she had been hungry. Her eyes wandered over the feast and then a very alluring smell hit her. She sniffed slightly and cast her eyes quickly around trying to find that one delicious aroma. She grew frustrated after a while of no luck but then her eyes met with a rather handsome pile of meat just a ways from her. She reached for it almost greedily and bit of a chunk. The flavor of it exploded in her mouth and stars seemed to flash behind her eyelids as she closed them to make a sound of satisfaction. She bit once more and then again. By the fourth bite her mind seemed to feel cottony and hazy. Her movements slowed to that of someone who might have been very exhausted. She vaugely heard voices but they were soon muffled out. Her eyelids felt heavy so she complied with their demand to be closed. Soon, no voices entered her ears, no visions could be seen from her eyes and only a sliver of a thought escaped her already sleepy mind.

Clove

He stood patiently as the two employees switched places and found himself giddy at how soon he would be in his own room. He let his eyes wander as the employees talked, loving the idea of living in the hotel for a while. Though it wasn't exactly a break, it was sure feeling like one, who else gets to relax and enjoy all the bells and whistles of a classy hotel whilst on the job.

"I apologise for my colleague's brusqueness. This is the problem you see, when you send a waiter to do anything except ferry drinks and dinner plates. Allow me to show you to the room you'll be staying in."

He turned and offered a shrug, smirking at the geezer's slight insult of the Kitsune, "Bah, I don't care. Not everyone is capable with dealing people for long periods of time, I guess. Might strain something.." he stepped aside, allowing the old man to shuffle pass, content to have the time to survey the area and make mental notes on where other rooms and guestrooms resided. Though the place was beautiful and he was enjoying looking around, the journey was finally taking its toll. He was tired and was actually quite happy when the old man, presented his room. He nodded his head, letting the man know he was listening and offered a slight bow in thanks for bringing him this far, letting a small chuckle loose reguarding the 'pretty-boy' comment.

He jingled his keys once more, getting lost in their chime-like song and then opened the room. He made sure to close and lock the door behind him and stumbled his way towards the main room. Though the room was dark, he was too tired to bother with lights, not like he really needed them though, afterall he was a creature of the night, and found a large cushiony piece of furniture and plopped onto it. Snuggling into the soft plush, it wasn't long before he found himself dozing off into a dreamless sleep. Later, he thought to himself sleepily, as he breathed in the soft, floral scent of the cushion, he would wander and fuel up.

Rie

Rie turned to her customer with her customary grin. “Madam, is there anything that I can help you with?” Her eyes were averted as usual - looking a couple of centimeters above the customer’s brown eyes.

The dryad nodded her head quickly, before rattling off the order as Rie jotted it down. “A glass of Amaragi mixed with an order of tonight’s special fruit."

With another smile, Rie tilted her head slightly, her blond tresses falling in front of her face. “Esteemed Guest, would you prefer the special? Gluttony has created some new delicacy, and I must say, it seems to be divine. Cashew nuts roasted so they have the full taste of the magnificent Oak – would that be more to your liking than the fruit, Madam?”

The dryad gave an absent-minded nod, her mind already moving on to her conversation.

Rie took that to be a dismissal, and she clutched the pad of paper closer to her. As a waiter passed by her, carrying an ornate glass filled with some thick red liquid, she abruptly started to hold her breath. “Blood,” she murmured irritably, before shaking her head to get rid of its nauseating fumes.

Regaining her customary smile, she weaved her way through the crowded room, keeping her tail close to her body the entire way - once a clumsy waiter had dumped blood all over it, causing some unfortunate events...Ren gained a strange interest in her then... The shining wooden planks that made up the floor still shone from the labor of most of the day – but by the end of the night, they would be covered in who-knows-what.

Passing by the kitchen, she knocked firmly twice. “Gluttony, can I have some of those cashew nuts roasted in the oak cases – and if it won’t be so much of a bother, some more of the Amaragi?”

Receiving no answer, Rie turned to go. Bothering Gluttony could end up with horrible side effects – never mess with a Sin.

As she climbed the stairs to head towards Brittle’s floor, to find out why there was a lot of traffic in that direction recently, she saw the obvious figure of Gwen talking to Ren while tugging at his arm. “Someone else can take the blame,” he said before Ren downed the glass of blood.

As she headed closer to the pair to find out what they were talking about, perhaps it was a prank to pull on one of the customers in the corner, she had the empty glass from Ren plopped down on her tray.

”Hey!” she called out after him, but he had already left with Gwen. Shaking her head, annoyed, she sighed in boredom. It must have been something that needed their urgent attention or something.

Resigning herself to her task, she climbed back down the stairs all the way back to the kitchen. Placing the glass in the dirty dishes return, she picked up the dryad’s order before delivering it to the honored guest. Musing about the strange occurrence, she couldn’t concentrate on making a new prank for the dryad – giving her the order as is. Giving a smile at the dryad, she took her leave from the dining room. Maybe there would be some interesting entertainment in Buton's ball.

The only driving force in Brandons mind was hunger as he tore through the wine-soaked dish. Slightly annoyed at the fact that the taste of the dish in no way lived up to its smell was quite annoying and Brandon took out his subconscious frustration on the dish by eating it ravenously. No matter how much of the chicken that he ate, that overpowering bitterness would not disappear and he was not getting any fuller. When he had made it about halfway through the meal he gave up, the meal was simply unsatisfying. He laid down his utensils and let out a deep sigh of disappointment before looking up from the table for the first time since he had gotten his hands of the food.

Absentmindedly he looked up and scanned the rest of the table, the disappointment of the meal still clouding his mind. “Why is everyone sleeping?” He asked to no one in particular in a soft monotone. After the words had escaped his mouth, everything came rushing back and he began to once again panic. “No, NO! I FORGOT! How could I forget?! He got everyone! Its my fault! Now he’s gunna get me! What do I do?! He’s gunna get my soul!” He screamed in his head, as he began to sake visibly and his once calm breaths quickened.

Looking up at Brittle, the only one that seemed conscious to Brandon, with wide eyed and on the verge of tears he opened his mouth. Though he tried to say something, he was to afraid to form words and ended up letting out a scared and confused “Eeeh.” ‘NO, I have to do something.” I cant let this happen! But I can’t do anything. Just look at him. He’s a monster. What can I do. I’m gunna die! But, I can’t just take it. Right? I don’t want to die. Right? I need…………” His thoughts were interrupted as a wall of exhaustion slammed into him. His point of view began to rotate and blackness began to creep in from the sides of his vision. Loosing consciousness nearly instantly, the last thing Brandon saw was his hand reaching toward the butter-knife from before.

He was out before he hit the floor, falling sideways out of the chair and landing with a thud. He lay there with his arms and legs sprawled out, his face surprisingly calm.

Brittle: (listened to the otherworld while writing)

Watching as all the little bodies slumped over Brittle sent an irritated glance towards the door positioned behind him. An interruption he pretended not to acknowledge had occurred in the middle of his tea gathering. It was barely acceptable but in the current situation Brittle had larger things to squat. Why trouble himself over a fly when he had an entire hornet nest to exstinguish. Looking upon the interruption in such a way allowed Brittle to forget the Kistune's mishap. Not forgive. Never forgive. Only forget until it benefited him to remember.

Hearing the last of a human's soft grovelling he turned towards the door his piercing eyes alight with...evil deeds. With a flick of his wrist the door unlocked once again only this time those on the outside were welcome to enter. Spencer on the other hand was hardly welcome at all but with a wistful sigh Brittle seated himself in his large chair at the head of the table and let the shapeshifter be. Like he said to himself before, he had things of a larger scale to be concerned about but then it was easier said than done to ignore the little things that knarked him. After all he was all about the little details.

Candy -a special spirit- ballerina stepped her way up to his chair inviting herself into the tea gathering behind Gwen and Ren. Sucking on a large, cherry red lolly pop she pulled it out for a second and looked up at him with the mellow pink eyes he'd given her whilst brushing a wisp of candy floss coloured hair out her face. "Mind your blood pressure" she whispered her voice sticky like the candy in her hand.

At the reminder Brittle's temper peaked only visible by the twitch in his lips giving anyone looking a moments display of his frightful teeth. His eyes flashed with annoyance not only due to the indication but also towards the fact 'he' was the one who asked Candy to remind him to remain calm in the first place. Regret was not a word in Brittle's vocabulary but he was beginning to feel something very similar to it.
"Thank you for the reminder" he hissed out bitterly beneath his breath. Seemingly unaffected by this chilly and 'no thanks' response Candy smiled with her plump little lips, popped the lolly back in her mouth and twirled her way back out of the room with a few trailing, red ants following her.

Turning his attention to Gwen and Ren Brittle propped his jaw up with an elbow on the chair arm. "I have a task for you both. Watch the human's change- then appoint them to duties. Give them easy tasks then increase the work load until you have a clear idea of where they'll be most efficient" he stood from his chair catching sight of a few spurts of blood fountain up from one of the Orphans. Looking down at the waiters he spared a glance back at the sleeping occupants. "You keep an on them...while I keep an eye on you" he finalised. "Can you manage that."
It was a rhetorical question. A heavy expectation. He walked towards the doors as if to leave but glanced over his shoulder for one last time.

"Relax...enjoy the fireworks."

Gwen had less than a moment to compose himself when the large, heavy doors opened of their own will – no, that wasn’t right… of Brittle’s will. All too aware of this, Gwen felt the anxiety return, writhing in the cavity of his stomach… he hated the sensation. Why did Brittle invoke such… paranoia in him? The kitsune forced himself to relax and straightened, attempting to oust the anxiety from his expression. Stepping into the grand room, he bowed his head quickly, unwilling to look at anything. He didn’t want to see the slumped and scattered forms of the humans… and he most certainly didn’t want to meet Brittle’s eyes. The mysterious man was unpredictable – Gwen’s error from earlier could either be met with insouciance or rage. The kitsune knew not what to expect…

However, he looked up when something pink flashed by his line of vision. His gaze following the figure, he saw a child, with red lollipop in hand, waltz her way up to Brittle – Gwen recognized the girl. With the sweets, the parade of red ants, and her ever-sticky hands, Candy was certainly an unforgettable Special Spirit to encounter. “Mind your blood pressure,” she whispered, and Gwen noticed Brittle’s lips twitch up into a snarl… only for a brief moment. Brittle’s hiss of a response startled the kitsune, who visibly stiffened at the sound. Despite the turmoil of anxieties within him, Gwen managed to maintain a solemn countenance, waiting for whatever orders Brittle had for him.

Whatever it was, he could already tell it wouldn’t be pleasant.

“I have a task for you both,” Brittle stated in a rather relaxed manner, but there was something foreboding in the tone... something that grated at Gwen’s conscience. There was something terrifying about merely being in the presence of this… this omniscient being. As Brittle continued to speak, the ominous feelings only grew, thickening in the air, hanging heavily on Gwen’s shoulders. His only solace in the situation was that for once, Ren, too, was affected, seemingly sharing his sentiments.

“Watch the humans change – then appoint them to duties. Give them easy tasks, then increase the workload until you have a clear idea of where they’ll be most efficient.” These words were alarming to Gwen. He was to oversee the humans? He was to help them become servants of the Brittle House – to help them become employees? Before his mind could follow the line of thought further, one orphan to the right of the table spurted blood from his mouth, coughing as his body moved without his will. Gwen’s gaze lingered at the sight because he knew why… bones readjusting themselves were never pleasant…

The humans were changing.

However, Brittle wasn’t finished. As he walked towards the door, he added, “You keep an eye on them… while I keep an eye on you.” Oh, there was no doubt that Brittle would be watching them – Gwen was already all too aware of that. Brittle was always watching… always there… and now that Gwen and Ren had such heavy expectations lying on them, Brittle would be observing them more than ever before. Gwen knew this… he had to do things right, without mistakes... but from just his fleeting encounters with the mortals, he already knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. The most curt exchange with them surfaced memories that he thought had killed and buried long ago.

As if knowing of Gwen’s anxieties, Brittle called from behind them once more, “Relax… enjoy the fireworks.” The kitsune’s ears twitched as the door clicked shut, the quiet scrape of metal resonating as the locks adjusted themselves. He had to calm down. Lashing his tail once and taking a deep breath, he turned to Ren, who was already peering at one of the changing orphans.

“So, what do you think they’ll become?” The vampire's tone was far too mirthful for the Gwen's liking. He would have chided the other waiter for it if he hadn’t noticed the shadow to Ren’s eyes… the failing smile in his expression... Realizing the joviality for what it was, Gwen decided to hold his tongue…

With a sigh, the kitsune murmured back, “I don’t know.”

However, as it turned out, ‘fireworks’ was most definitely the right word for the things to come. A odd and rather loud crackling came from Gwen’s left, alerting him of a rather significant event. Startled and wary, he slowly rounded the corner, one hand tracing against the edge of the table, to see a girl. Slumped awkwardly to the ground, she seemed to have fallen from her chair. He vaguely recognized the fair hair and frail form… she had been the one to ask him a question from outside the Brittle House... A spark caught his eye, stopping that line of thought. He noted with alarm that flames were licking at the girl’s feet. Before he could react, the glow quickly engulfed the rest of her flesh, the fire dancing upon her skin.

“What the – ”

“Ooh, a will o’ the wisp. I think that’s a first.” Gwen glared at the vampire for his less than appropriate interjection, but Ren simply shrugged it off. Then, when he noticed the strange expression on the kitsune's face, the vampire added, "Is something wrong, Gwen? You look pale."

Did he? Gwen quickly turned away from the vampire, walking away from the will o' the wisp to a different unconscious figure. "It's nothing," he muttered, although it was most definitely something. Fire or even the mere illusion of fire was enough to send a chill through his limbs. Like with the humans, unwanted memories resurfaced, and they would constantly eat away at his mind... it was frightening... but of course, Gwen wasn't about to let anyone else know that. Quietly, he rubbed an arm to warm himself, but it was in vain.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, he was distracted by the sound of a sputtering cough. Glancing to the right, he noted one human boy spitting blood from his lips - the frightened coward of a mortal from earlier, Gwen realized. He recognized the symptoms of the irritated gums and the steady trail of blood from the mouth... a vampire. Outwardly, very little would change, but the organs... much had to change for the body to be sustained with a diet of blood. Gwen cast a look towards Ren, who seemed to have been fascinated by a different occurrence. In fact, the vampire's eyes wandered everywhere but to this one boy.

A different orphan had been altered more quickly than the others, his transformation almost complete. The quiet boy, the late arriver... never would Gwen have expected him to end up a bakeneko. He was the slumped in his chair, eyes just barely open, but unseeing. Unconscious. Two large, triangular ears were perched upon the boy's head - the right one marred, a piece cut out... A long, wiry tail wound down to hang limp against the floor.

"These two are shapeshifters," Ren's voice called from behind Gwen. The kitsune looked back to see the vampire raise a girl's hand, displaying the claws that replaced her fingernails. Just to the girl's right, he could see a different boy... ah, the irritating one... Elongated ears. A russet tail. Before he could get a closer look, another jarring noise alerted Gwen of a different, more immediate change. Slumped forward, hanging from the table, he saw yet another girl. Exactly how many were there?... He hadn't thought to count...

Approaching this new human, Gwen grimaced when an unpleasant crunching sound reached his ears. The bones... this girl with long blond hair - the one with a temper he recalled - was visibly changing. He knew from the sounds that it was far more than an outward change. He could just imagine the vertebrae cracking into pieces, rearranging themselves... growing... and soon, to verify this, the girl's spine had extended into a tail, lush with silky golden fur. Noting the thick brush, Gwen blinked, rather startled by this alteration. He watched, transfixed, as the human's ears changed, flattening, sharpening, and they began to slowly inch up along the sides. Past the temples... trailing through her hair... coming to settle at the top of her head, covered in fine blonde fur.

Another... kitsune? After so long, after so much time, why another one? This change, Gwen couldn't help but feel a little unnerved, just a little... uncomfortable with the knowledge of what was to come. He knew firsthand what sort of experiences awaited this girl. His first recollections of the Brittle House resurfaced from the depths of his memories... the fascination... the wonder... the amazement... and then the disgust...

The sound of shattering glass startled Gwen out of his thoughts as he quickly twisted around. There was Ren, crouching by a different figure, broken glass scattered around him on the polished floor. From the curve of the shards, it was most likely the remnants of a wineglass, and as proof, Gwen noticed a pool of the red-violet liquid. The substance seeped into the cracks, spreading along the grooves of the wooden boards. Gwen quickly traced it to its source.

“Sorry… accident,” Ren called back with a smile and a quick wave before hastily collecting shards of the broken glass. An accident? Gwen didn’t believe that for an instant… however, when he saw the form of one last collapsed figure, it made sense. There was the tell-tale lack of physical alteration, and the trickles of crimson liquid from the corners of her mouth only confirmed it. He vaguely recognized her as the annoying one, the one who wouldn't stop speaking to him... the overly-emotional and energetic one... Vampires were common at the Brittle House, but clearly Ren hadn’t seen a changing in a very long time.

“… I don’t like this,” Gwen mumbled, feeling more than just a little overwhelmed by that night’s events. “This… isn’t right…”

With a wry smile, Ren straightened and cast the kitsune a strange look. “Since when have we had a say in what’s right?” Irked by those words, Gwen glowered at the vampire, who pointedly stared back. A moment of silence passed between the two, green eyes boring into red... Gwen closed his eyes and sighed. The vampire was right, much to his irritation. Usually it was the opposite, with him restraining Ren from pointless actions or useless behavior all the time... it seemed that when new orphans were involved, the vampire was clearly more level-headed. Gwen grit his teeth as he glanced around the room, at the writhing, twitching unconscious figures... he needed to get a hold of himself. He had a new purpose now, a new job.

"So what now?" he managed to mutter out.

Ren casually moved aside a plate of broiled meat and took a seat on the table. His own gaze was trained away from the humans, at a lantern on the wall. "Now, we wait..."

Two vampires. Two shapeshifters. A bakeneko and a will o' the wisp. A kitsune.

What exactly the Brittle House had in store for these new beings... Gwen didn't know at all. All that he knew was that it couldn't be good, for him, for Ren, for the others… or for them.

(100th Post is MINE!!!! :D Writing this post while listening to "Equinox 3" by Jean Michelle Jarre...surprisingly appropriate.)


Spencer thought himself terrible clever, scuttling in under Gwens feet as he entered the first time. Even after so many decades in the house, Spencer still didn't know better than to think he could slip right under Brittle's feet unpercieved, and as he crouched under the middle of the table he laboured under the happy misapprehension that nobody knew he was there. Indeed, that was true of everyone except the master of the house.

Even Spencer's rather addled brain could not, however, fail to notice that all was not well around the table. All he could really see was legs of course, but that was enough for it to be plain that all the 'guests' were slouches over their places, at least one slumping to the floor and one by one each of them undergoing some unpleasant transformation, some more dramatic than others.

Suddenly the octagenarian shapeshifter wished he'd not followed his curiosity the room, as he realised that odd looking guests he'd seen being led away by Ink earlier that evening hadn't been guests at all...they were humans! Well, they had been then, but that was all coming to an end right now all around him. His head lowered sadly. It had been so long since Brittle had taken in a new batch of humans...were these ones orphans too? Had they been given any indication of what was going to happen to them?

He didn't feel sad for the humans. His own memories of his arrival were not unhappy ones. Sure it had been strange, fearful at times, but ultimately it had felt like the making of him. Finally had a place where he 'belonged', among people he came to care for...

Bah, but that was always the story with Brittle wasn't it. The man was like a Las Vegas casino. Such promises....but the house always takes you in the end.

He clawed irritably at the carpet. So I suppose we're all going to have to chip in to show the new humans the ropes eh? he thought to himself. God help anyone who gets assigned to help me on front desk...

Suddenly the middle of the room wasn't such a nice place to be, as the various crunchings and bubblings and rupturings sounded all around him. He couldn't remember what it was like to be transformed. Perhaps it was a small mercy that at least Brittle didn't force humans to undergo the metamorphosis whilst conscious. Of course, the realisation on awakening was probably not much less traumatic...that would be the really interesting part, to see how each of them reacted to their new nature. Interesting at first. Then Spencer would happily forget about the lot of them. Into his seventh decade of service under Brittle, making new friends really wasn't high on his agenda...