[Rated M] Wicked Nights (NekoInk and Jacogos)

[Jacogos]

Rated M for language, suggestive/sexual content, and possible excessive violence

The Tindus residence was a far-cry from the Yoricson Manor in size and sheer amount of gold invested into it, but then there were few estates in the whole kingdom that could match the Yoricson Manor. And no one was here for the sights, of course. Tonight was supposed to be a celebration, though honestly Jonah had had enough of that a few minutes after arriving.

Jonah was here to 'escort' his sister Linette, whose suitor was celebrating his thirtieth birthday. Marcus Tindus was the heir to a rather wealthy mine owner, Yuri Tindus, and was obviously a fair choice for Linette if he wasn't such a meathead. If only he had the muscles he was so fond of thinking with, Jonah thought with a chuckle. One of the ladies nearby looked at him oddly when he seemed to laugh at nothing, but a sour look from Jonah put her off enough to move on with her business within the moment.

Of course, Linette was too smitten to care about Marcus's personality. Jonah had always thoughts that Lin was in for the money when she went after boys as a child, but now he was obviously right. And hated it. But then, there were other things for him to hate that night. This thought came along just as one of a certain family strode into sight.

William Black had been persistent in his pursuit of Linette's hand in marriage for quite a long time until he had realized that she was a Yoricson. That had put him down quicker that a hatchet to the neck. There had been a blood feud between their families ever since Jonah could remember, and what irked him about it was that no one had every explained what exactly the feud was about. But he willingly followed the hate his parents had instilled on him, as it was only obvious by the way the Blacks treated him that they were worthy of the hate. William foremost of them, Jonah believed.

The eldest of his generation, Jonah was told, William was only three years older than Jonah, which meant that there wasn't much that he knew that Jonah didn't. Which allowed Jonah to get away with a lot...

"Hey, Black," Jonah sneered, a sinister look on his face as he spoke. "I heard that someone saw a monster hanging about your manor the other day. I went to check it out myself, but apparently they mistook your mother for a hairy brute with three eyes." Jonah paused to let the words sink in for a moment, then... "But hey, they weren't far off!"

[NekoInk]

William looks up at the insult, and glare, but recovers almost at once "Good one! Perhaps the "monster" returned to her home in your mansion..." He stops then says, clearly linking the two together, "I hear your sister will be married...Good luck to her husband on the wedding night! If he survives, I owe him a drink." He calls and smirks before gasping and looking to his left. Whoever he is talking to is hidden behind several people, but William looks very annoyed and waves his hands about as he talks. He storms off, leaving the person behind, his face livid.

Isabella Black smirks as her brother storms off. She had kicked him hard in the leg when he was yelling across the room. "Idiot! You know we are here to be civil! Not start a brawl. Now shut up and go and wish the happy couple well." An argument had followed, as it always did before he left. Isabella smooths her dress (http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Produc...3311421205.jpg) down and smiles before walking through the crowds, watching people talk and drink. Her silky dark hair bounces in light curls around her shoulders with each step she takes. From across the room she hears her mother talking with a woman. Isabella walks slowly over, making it seem natural, she pauses behind a statue and listens to her mother.

"Well of course I would like William to be married by now...But the truth is, I am so busy with offers from many prestigious families that I cannot bear to choose!"

"He is very handsome...And so clever. It's a wonder you can cope with the amount of attention." The woman replies. Isabella hears the slight tone of annoyance in the woman's voice...Her mother seems oblivious and carries on.

"I am...Of course, my Celeste is also unattached. But I've a little plan for her, very hush hush though, so forgive me for not talking of it. She's a darling daughter, the perfect child I've always wanted." Anne Black's voice is full of sickly, sweet honey whenever she talks of Celeste. Isabella listens, her heart thudding in her chest.

"What about your youngest?...What's her name again...Oh yes, Isabella, is it? Is she to be married soon?"

Anne Black coughs and there’s a clink of glass against teeth as she takes a drink before saying, her voice harsh and empty of interest. "I'm sure she will marry at some point. She has little beauty or charm...So it will not be a grand match...Anyone who wants her can have her....Well, I must go and find Celeste, there's a charming man I want her to meet."

Isabella stays behind the statue, even after her mother and guest have moved on. She sighs softly and thinks "I have more beauty than you ever had, Mother. And mine will last longer than yours...that insult was spot on...She is a monster." She looks around, to make sure Anne Black has definitely gone, before walking into another room of the mansion, there’s a lot of paintings. Most of family members with golden names printed below the frames. The room is empty and quiet, the noise of the party stifled by the thick walls of the house.

She walks along the wall, touching the names and reading them in her head. Isabella looks up at the faces of the people, it appears they are staring down at her, stern faces disapproving of her presence. She stops in front of a painting of a woman in a grand dress and looks up at her "What was your life like...." Isabella says aloud softly "Were you happy?...Or miserable?...." The intoxicating scent of her own perfume swirling around her as she moves to touch the name then looks at the black lace that is wrapped around her own wrists...her left hand holds her right wrist as she remembers...

The screams filled the mansion...followed by crashes and yells from the top floor nursery..."Make it stop! For God's sake! Make her stop!" A voice screams from the room... The 6 year old Isabella is dragged into the nursery by her nanny and mother. She kicks and screams, struggling in their arms "Let me go! Let me go!" She yells desperately as her mother ties strong rope around her wrists and ties her to the solid coat hook, which sits low on the wall. Isabella tugs violently at the hook, the rope biting into the soft skin of her wrists. Anne Black looks down at her daughter, breathing hard, her hair dishevelled. "Leave her there to calm down!" She snaps at the nanny and leaves the room, her curses ringing through the mansion. The nanny scurries from the room, slamming the door shut. The breeze blows out the candles by the door, plunging the room into almost darkness. The only light filtering in from the moon outside the window. Isabella stops screaming and tugs at her restraints, her eyes on the moon, which illuminates a fresh bruise on her cheek. "I hate you....I hate you...I hate you..." Isabella whispers....

Isabella gasps and is snapped out of her reminiscence when she hears foot steps behind her, she whirls around to face the person, immediately on guard.

[Jacogos]

"You're the attentive one, aren't ya?" Jonah chuckled to the girl as he walked up with a smirk on his face. "Been standing over there for the past few minutes wondering why you were staring at that portrait." He dropped the smirk as he finished, wondering what had possessed him to mention that he had been staring at her, but disregarded his slip immediately. She had been acting just as weird, so they were even. Right?

In any case, he found it interesting that she had been staring at Marcus's grandmother, Melinda Tindus. The woman had disappeared a few years back following the death of her husband. Jonah had almost wished that woman's fate upon his own grandmother once or twice. Almost.

"So I assume you're here to wish the birthday boy luck in his marriage, right?" Jonah asked, looking up at the portrait nonchalantly. Might as well get to the point, no? "Then again, why would you be here otherwise? I don't know your face, so I assume you're not in his family, right?"

[NekoInk]

Isabella watches him carefully as he moves to stand next to her, gazing up at the portrait.
"I didn't expect anyone else to come in here, most people enjoy these events. A chance to judge their rivals and flirt with one smothers husbands or wives..." she pauses then says "The birthday boy looked very smug next to his bride...like he'd won a prize."*

She looks back at the woman "And no, I'm not from this family. I was just looking...she looks sad. Very sad. Her eyes are not looking at the painter at all, but passed him" Isabella smiles a little then looks at him "I've forgotten my manners, nice to meet you, my name is Isabella." she bows her head a little in respect as he is older than her, and a man.*

[Jacogos]

Jonah shrugged off her comment about most people's enjoyment of these events. He wasn't like that. Most of the time he avoided these events altogether, but his parents had forced him to 'escort' his sister this time.

"As if she needs escorting," he muttered, then started, realizing he had spoken aloud. He bit back a swear - Not in front of a woman! - and chuckled lightly. "Yeah, he tends to look that way, it seems. Honestly, it could be debated which is the bigger catch in that relationship," he said with a snicker, wondering if this girl knew who they really were, since she said she wasn't of the Tindus House.

For a moment, she spoke of the painting, and Jonah began to actually look at it now that she had mentioned it. She was right, though, the woman wasn't really looking- What am I saying? How are we to know where the damned painter was sitting?" he thought with a glower. He didn't let the face stay for long though, as he put on a small smile for her introduction.

"Jonah," he said simply, noting her omitting her family name. True, most simple and informal introductions didn't include them, but he had an odd feeling that she had forgotten it on purpose. "Nice to meet you as well."

"Do you not like these kinds of parties?" He asked suddenly, then continued. "I don't. Too overbearing," he finished with a grimace, watching as one of the servants hurried past with an empty tray of what probably had been wine. Poor soul.

[NekoInk]

Isabella smiles softly, watching him his face change as he hides his true thoughts. “He's conflicted...And tense...To much under his parents control perhaps? I suppose being disliked by your parents had it's advantages...I'm free to act as I please...To an extent. He must please his parents and act as people expect him to.” She stops that thought quickly and listens as he talks then nods “I'm sure the match will be a happy one...Though I heard a nasty little rumour about the groom...” She smirks then changes the subject.

She turns to look at the painting again and says, as if she read his mind “It's clear she is not looking at the painter, you can tell from the shadow. See?” She points to a faint shadow that is easily missed, as it runs across the woman's splendid gown “That is the shadow cast by the painter. The woman is looking to the left slightly.” Isabella smirks “Possibly to her lover who stands in the door way. I've heard that many woman in the Tindus household had lovers...aside from their husbands.” Isabella turns away from the painting, as if bored and walks to the next as he asks her about the parties however she stops...And turns to face him.

“I hate these parties and gatherings.” She says simply, with a shrug. “They are not my thing. Though mother does insist now I'm old enough...She likes us all to listen into people's conversations and report back to her. She's like a giant spider in the centre of a web...The web being her social connections. And we are her little spiders who run around, gathering information.” She sighs and brushes her hair from her neck, allowing a burst of perfume to surround her.

“When did you start coming to these gatherings? I was not allowed to come until I turned 14. My mother didn't want people to see me...I used to stand watching my brother and sister leaving in their best clothes...For a party. And I used to feel left out. Then when I was allowed to come I realised I would have rather stayed at home with our beastly nanny.”

She laughs softly walks the few steps to an open door, it leads onto a marble balcony, over looking the darkened gardens. Isabella leans on the marble railing and looks up at the sky, listening to see if Jonah follows her, or goes back to the party. “I wonder if that rumour is true?...It wouldn't surprise me. Mother said he was always a strange little man.” She thinks when remembering the soon to be married couple inside.

[Jacogos]

Jonah listened to her talk, looking carefully at the painting where she had indicated there was a shadow. The girl must be insane, he figured. Artists painted shadows... Was there any reason that that shadow was anything more than that? Wouldn't a skilled artist remember to remove any trace of his own shadow from the picture? Or maybe he wasn't skilled enough for that?

Jonah stopped himself with a mental shake of his head. Now she had HIM doing it. The lover's comment was also uncalled for, if probably true. He had heard that the elder Tindus, Yuri had... Shaking himself free of another off course trail of thought, Jonah tuned himself back into what she was saying.

"So you're mom's the spider, eh? I was wondering who let the giant arachnid in..." He said sarcastically with a small smirk, not knowing who she was referring to at all. This Isabella was very free with her information. Apparently she didn't care what he thought of all she was saying. At her question, he shrugged lightly.

"My sister's been dragging me along since I was... seven, I think? She was the social butterfly of our family, and with my older brother always busy being perfect, I was the one she had to take along with her to appease Mother," he said with a laugh, remembering the first time Mother had let Linette go to a party. She had expressly stated that Linette was never to go to a party without her little brother Jonah to 'watch out for her'. Being three years older, Linette thought this was absolutely horrifying, but eventually she figured out that she could just leave Jonah somewhere in the house the party was at and he would get along just fine without her. It was a thrilling if sometimes scary endeavor for the young Jonah, who eventually outgrew the fear and settled into a solemn dislike of the ordeal overall.

"So you have a nanny, eh? Was it just for you, or did she watch over all of your siblings?" he asked quickly, latching on to the subject change. He realized then that they had stepped basically outside, the gardens below them. He vaguely remembered a time when he had gotten lost in those gardens playing hide-and-seek with a Tindus child roughly his age. Never the best idea to play that game in another child's garden; they always knew the best spots to hide.

[NekoInk]

Isabella smiles as she listens, her eyes on the stars glittering above them. “Since you were seven? I'm starting to thing I really was lucky to escape until I was the age I was.” She laughs “My mother hating me seems to have come in handy several times now-” She stops and looks away, not wanting to mention her mother.

Isabella turns and walks down the few steps and onto the soft grass of the garden, her dress making no noise. “My elder siblings shared a nanny and governess...And my brother had his own tutor; to teach him how to be an arrogant ass.” She smirks then carries on, turning around to look at him “I had my own nanny, governess and wet nurse. As well as my own nursery and playroom...Separate at all times from my siblings.” Isabella looks up at the sky, her right hand touching her left wrist and stroking the lace around it. Then she laughs softly and says calmly “I guess that's why I can be pleasant to people without expecting to gain something from it. Unlike my brother, sister and mother.”

“It's beautiful here...The garden's at home are dark and gloomy, with only huge trees and hedges. There's no colour or anything different...Similar to our family I suppose.” Isabella holds back a smirk before smiling at him, her eyes seeming to sparkle in the faint light spilling out onto the grass from the manor above.

For a moment she is silent, simply listening to the soft music that is playing indoors which they can hear now they are outside. She then smiles and looks at him “I suppose you think I'm strange? Talking about my family without caring who knows or hears it? I learned from a young age the value of information...And decided that my place had been made clear in the family...So why shouldn't I tell everyone what they want to know?. If someone asks, I tell them. Much to my mother's horror.” She laughs again “Though of course, I have my secrets that I cannot share, as does everyone I'm sure.”

Her hand once again goes to her wrist, though she seems not to notice it, as if it is an unconscious reaction, to seek comfort perhaps. “Why am I telling him?...” She thinks “I've never spoken to anyone like this...why him?...the rules are different with him...I know how to play this game...but...he's different. Like me. He doesn't completely accept all he's told...Or maybe he does and he is just a good actor...Either way...He's something new...” She sighs then has an idea and suddenly looks straight at him, a smile beginning to play across her soft lips “Dance with me?” She asks calmly, as if his answer will not affect her either way.

[Jacogos]

Her mother hated her? Must be a touchy subject, as she had shut up about it immediately after the slip. Jonah found himself continuing to follow the girl, which surprised him to no end. She was pretty, there was no doubt there, but Jonah had never been a woman-chaser. He figured that was something to be left to his pompous brother, and if there was ever a woman for him, they'd find each other someway.

"Always separated? Must have been a lonely life," Jonah said simply. Luckily he had had Daniel since he was three, at least, though it wasn't the same as having a real friend. No one liked playing with the 'pompous Yoricson kids'. They were 'too stuck up' and such. Jonah held no idealizations that he was like the other kids. He was spoiled by their money, and he knew it. Why was that bad?

“I suppose you think I'm strange," she said then, giving him a look which he was glad she couldn't see made him shiver. "Not nearly as much as you seem to think," Jonah replied, watching her hands touch the lace at the mention of secrets. That made him curious, but secrets were secrets for a reason. He wasn't about to press. All of a sudden, she went quiet, as if lost in her own thoughts. Jonah took the moment to look back at the light coming from the balcony, making sure no one was there. People had a nasty habit of snooping where they weren't wanted.

She asked him a question while he was turned around, and it startled him enough that he swung around with a wild look on his face. "Wha-?" he almost choked, but then caught himself and regained his composure. He must have looked like a fool, but he hoped he made up for it by recovering easily. He then had a thought; If there was ever a woman for him, they'd find each other someway... A small smile crept on to his own lips and, moving over to her, he held out a hand. Maybe those awful hour-long lessons his mom made him and Daniel do would pay off after all.

"If you insist, madame," he chuckled, listening to the music that drifted in the air around them. It was much softer than if they had been actually in the ballroom, but then, it made it more personal. He shivered slightly as he gently put an arm around her waist and began to dance with her, step one-two, step one-two...

"You didn't strike me as a girl who liked to dance," Jonah said briskly as they twirled about the garden, wondering what she was thinking.

[NekoInk]

Isabella smiles as they dance slowly, their feet moving in time with each other and the music. For a few moments the only sounds are the birds in the trees and the soft, distant music, however, after a moment Isabella smiles again and says “So...what kind of girl do I strike you as?” She smirks as they dance, wondering what answer he will give.

“Don't worry about insulting me. Be honest. If I strike you as a insane person who should be locked up tell me.” She laughs softly. “Teasing people is fun...” She thinks “Though...he's the first person I've ever met who does not simper and flatter me...or in fact any woman around, besides their wife...It's a refreshing change to be treated as a person, rather than an object to look at...who has no thoughts or opinions.”

She shakes her head, making it look as if a insect flew near her, but in fact she thinks “What am I saying?! He could simply be acting this way. He's been taught, like me, to treat people a certain way...He may not mean anything he does or says...Neither may I...But...he's handsome and charming...” Isabella Black for the first time in her life, blushes. The sudden rush of colour to her pale cheeks makes her look younger suddenly, like a laughing child. She stops dancing and covers her cheeks with her hands, shocked at the heat. “Oh sorry...Its...hot.” She says, though the night air is cool.

Isabella turns away from him, to hide the blush and bites her lip. “He made me blush...without trying.” She fans her face and laughs then turns back “Forgive me...These corsets are just a nightmare.” She fans her face again, giving a reason as to why she is suddenly flushed. She hopes it works, not wanting him to know he made her blush. “Shall we go for a walk instead? I'd love to see more of the gardens.” Isabella starts walking, hoping that the rush of cold air to her skin will get rid of the blush, as well as going away from the light of the house which if all else fails, will hide it.

Isabella walks calmly along a little stone path until she comes to a large pond, with marble benches at the edge. She stops and looks at the water, the moon shines down onto the surface of the water, bathing the area in soft silvery light. She smiles and sits down gracefully on one of the benches, before subtly touching her cheek with the back of her hand. Its cool again. “I always thought men were like my brother...or father...Jonah...He is completely different. That must be why I blushed. Something new. That's all.” Part of her believes that, and is relaxed a little, Isabella looks up to see if he followed her, wondering if she is what he expected from a young woman.