It's Different After Dark

[shutterfly]

Guen considered the name for a moment, hesitantly wrapping his tongue around it. The prospect of insulting another individual in the course of a night wasn't the best way to go about things in a forgien country, but he quite frankly hadn't the least idea how to pronounce most of the names and titles these people affected. Besides, he liked this fellow.
"Larus? A pleasure to meet you. Beg pardon for disturbing your walk through clearly unsafe streets."

[Mary Blithe]

Lárus responded to that with an openly casual, friendly smile. "As I said, it is unwise for me to be out here anyway, after dark. A pleasure to meet you as well, I'm sure." he paused a moment, as if hesitating, then replied, "There is another inn, but it's nowhere near here ... it's several leagues north. Now, if you're looking to get there before dawn, I have a cousin who lives nearby in the old family mansion who could take you in for the night."

[shutterfly]

In just a heartbeat of inaction, the smile, so comfortable on Guen's face, vanished without a trace; cold eyes stared out from a wax mask.
Just as quickly as the change happened, it was over, and Guen hastily smiled again, at his most reassuring.
"You are too kind, sir. I would be most delighted to take the oppertunity to sleep somewhere comfortable."

[Mary Blithe]

"I wouldn't call it comfortable," Lárus muttered under his breath. "But serviceable. Better than a gutter and most certainly better than that den of thieves around the corner. But," he performed another slight bow. "I'm sure our house would be honored."

[shutterfly]

"I nearly guarentee I've slept worse. Shall we?"

[Mary Blithe]

"By all means," Lárus made a sweeping gesture with his hand, and began to walk, being sure to keep his pace even with the stranger's - as even as he could. Not putting putting the stranger behind him.

[shutterfly]

Guen glanced back down the road-the empty road-then fell in step beside his newest companion. Occasionally, there were unfortunant times in appearing to be unarmed and harmless-and this was one of them. Nerves were tingling, but he walked beside the stranger, curiosity piqued.

[Mary Blithe]

At last, the last of the rundown-houses seemed to fade behind them, and they approached a grove of trees that seemed to mark the dead-end of the street. Plunged deeply into the thick of the trees was a brick mansion, weathered and run-down with vines creeping up the sides.

"Home," Lárus gestured. "Not much these days, not like it once was."

[shutterfly]

"It's quite lovely." Guen brushed the brickwork with his glove. The healthy ivy tangled in his fingers, rippling under the touch as a living veil. "You are quite kind to invite a stranger into your home." He tugged at the ivy absently; the supple plants pulled and rebounded back into their original form.

[Mary Blithe]

"I'm glad you think so, it was father's way. Mary is not so ... well." he shrugged, rang the doorbell. "You may like her."

[shutterfly]

Guen cocked an eyebrow.
"I would hate to intrude." he commented dryly, "except I have little other choice now."

[Mary Blithe]

The door opened before Lárus could say another word, and a young woman was standing in the doorway, arms folded.

[shutterfly]

Guen took the oppertunity to step discreetly back and to the side-just slightly behind Larus and therefore Larus' duty to introduce before he himself was expected to talk to the...distinctly dour young lady at the door.

[Mary Blithe]

"Well?"
Lárus jumped guiltily and gestured to the woman in the doorway. "My cousin, Lady Mary Blithe," he muttered, avoiding a dark glare she sent his way, for extra measure.
"A pleasure, I'm sure." she greeted, somewhat coldly.

[shutterfly]

Guen smiled at both the woman's chill greeting-was being cold and icy the fashion nowadays? he never could recall-and at Larus' obveious twitch.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Blithe."
She wasn't interested, clearly, in a name.