Realistic or Modern Family Matters

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

Somewhere, in some place, some distance away, there is a small town called Purgatory. This town is a secluded little place, an oasis of sorts, all to itself. The town itself is small, quaint, peaceful; everything a family could want if settling into suburbia was their desire. Of course as with most places not everything is as it seems. Apart from the slow day to day life of the town, at it's very outskirts lie two houses, belonging to Purgatory's most...shall we say interesting...citizens. These homes belong the mysterious Blackhart family and to one Mr. Esau Michel (and the people he may or may not be keeping in his basement).

Spoiler

The town of Purgatory is a place where many unusual things happen. Quite and relatively out of the way it is unknown when this town was founded or by who. Only that it is a town and it does exist. The town itself is full of nondescript people and nondescript places excluding of course the local theater, club, bakery, hardware store, and the two houses on the far edge of town.

Literally named The Theater this is where any plays, shows, or movies of any importance are shown. The plays are usually put on by the school or the small theater troup (also named The Theatre) who use the place as their workshop. The shows have ranged over the years from magic shows to orchestra preformances and are usually event attended by the majority of town (because there is really nothing better to do). Any movies shown here are usually incredibly old or arrive no where near the time of the movies actual release but no one seems to mind because the ticket prices aren't to high.

Possibly the most modern building in Purgatory the Redline is a massive club and concert venue. It's the favored location for the young and the young at heart to let off some steam.

Sweet Sacrifice is the only bakery in town and the most brought item is quite obviously it's cupcakes. The bakery is owned and operated by Xen Blackhart who staunchly refuses to speak a word about her recipes.

The local hardware store. It's a lot bigger on the inside than it looks and sells anything you could possibly want for your DIY home projects.

The residence of the Blackhart family lies near the outskirts of town and only has one house close by. Many townsfolk wonder about the reason the house is set so far apart from the others or the strange things that occurs there. But all that matters is that the house occupants like it, privacy is important.

The residence of one Mr. Esau Michel which lies directly across from the Blackhart house. No one really has much of an idea of what goes on there. But I'm pretty sure you might not want to find out.

Spoiler

Don't really think it's to necessary to go in depth on this part but basically:


Follow the site rules


No one liners


Be creative


Have fun


Blah Blah Blah

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

Cyrus Badwulf was perched in his favorite chair. Why perched, you ask? Because Cyrus Badwulf, at any given moment, carried himself in a manner of absolute awareness. You would not come through the door, see him sitting, and think you could take him unawares as he relaxed. Despite what the glass of Bullit bourbon in his hand at 11am may imply, he was not relaxed. No, he was no where close to relaxed. Salem, his black cat, sat behind Cryus on the back of the brown leather chair, purring softly as he slept. Cyrus felt particularly old this morning, thanks to the repeated reminder of his age courtesy of his bladder just under 10 times throughout the night while he tried to sleep.


You could drink less, that might help. He thought to himself.


"Bah! And then what would I do with my time?!" He said to himself, his welsh accent bouncing off the deep wood of his study.


Now you're talking AND thinking to yourself. You really must find a hobby.





Salem had awoken at his owners' voice, and stretched outward as he climbed down towards Cyrus' feet. The cat's deep eyes looked up at Cyrus, and the feline let out a single meow. The old man knew what the cat wanted.


"It's not a full moon yet, what do you want me to do, eh? I can't control the lunar cycle!"


Salem cocked his head.


"Don't look at me like that! I only tried that once, and how was I supposed to know that the ingredient of dragon's blood was a metaphor, and not literal dragon's blood?"


Salem meowed and licked his paws.


"Well you try to read ancient Sanskrit next time then. Now I don't know about you, but breakfast sounds great with this drink right now, how about some fancy feast, yea?"

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

The sound of soft humming could be heard from the kitchen as the sweet smell of cupcakes filled the air. The lilac haired female hummed softly as she pressed the bottom of the cup harder down against the counter. A few more twisting presses and she was done. Picking up the butchers knife she scraped the faint blue hued powder into the small pile off to her left. Picking up the large mixing bowl filled with a soft cream hued batter she scraped the powder into it. Placing the large knife back in its place she picked up the wooden spoon and began vigorously stirring the batter mixing in the powder. What was this strange powder you ask? No you didn't. You never asked, because that would ruin the secret and the secret is what made the cupcakes so special.


Everyone loves special cupcakes.





Giggling softly to herself she opened the drawer with her foot, which since it was still early in the morning, was bare. Balancing the bowl in one hand Xen grabbed a cupcake pan from the drawer. Sitting the bowl down she grabbed some pale blue cupcake liners and began popping them in to the slots on the pan. With that done she poured the batter, making sure each cupcake had just the right amount. Of course she wasn't to worried. The cupcakes would be perfect. They were always perfect. She picked up the tray, spinning through the kitchen, the skirt of her black lolita dress swirling around her. Opening the oven she grabbed the cupcake pan that was already in there, seemingly unaffected by the heat of the metal and popped the other one in. Placing the pan on the counter she decided she would wait for it to cool before setting to work on decorating them.

 

[Esoteric Truth]

It was 11 AM promptly and Esau Michel was walking smoothly down the wooden stairs of his house, one hand brushing over his dark, slicked back hair to make sure it was orderly. He had woken up at six o'clock, showered, gotten dressed, gone into the basement for roughly two hours, returned to his room, gotten dressed a second time, and for the next two hours or so had read. Esau would not call himself organized, but most others would. After all, his clothes were neat, his hair was tidy, he was rarely late and very rarely early, his lawn was kept nice, his house was always clean, and he was very rarely found to be in possession of pockets full of useless knickknacks. But why shouldn't things be clean when he had eleven spouses to help him do chores? Eleven people to do the laundry and mow the lawn and clean the house and eliminate the useless little bits here and there? The only thing that was completely him was the timing, but that wasn't the result of OCD; he had a routine, sure, but he definitely didn't mind chaos, either.


Esau raised his eyes to the built frame of Hank that stood at the base of the steps, a few cards in hand. He wasn't a terribly handsome man, but not ugly either. He just was rather ordinary. A well-groomed man with a light dusting of stubble on his cheeks and hair that was spiked up in the front. The cards in his hands were of thick paper with black fine print in curling letters. On their fronts could be read 'You Are Cordially Invited...'. Esau frowned deeply and sighed, pausing mid-stride to lean against the banister and cock his head thoughtfully. Not that this moment required much thought. He hated the cards, and that would be changed. Better yet, they would be eliminated. Hank had a thing for making cards. Esau didn't get it, but for whatever reason the man always had invitations made for every event, even for ones Esau didn't want them. After a moment a cold smile appeared on his lips and he walked the rest of the way down the stairs in the same manner he had before, stopping when he got to the side of his spouse.


"I'm inviting people to a barbecue, not a wedding," he muttered, putting a firm hand on the other man's shoulder. "The cards are great, Hank, just not for this. Maybe save them for another time?" Esau suggested, patting Hank on the back and walking quickly past him as if the dilemma had never happened. And in truth, there had been no real dilemma. There never was. Things in his house would be as he wanted them to be, and Esau made sure of that.


It was a pleasant day as Esau walked out of his house and onto its porch, admiring the bright color of the early-noonday sky. The bright sun hit his face and he smiled as he walked down onto the side walk and then, stepping off of the curb, onto the street. There were no cars for him to watch out for just yet; it was to early for lunch rush but far too late to catch the crowd heading to work. Not that there was much of a crowd here anyway, but he appreciated that about this place. Finally he reached the other side of the street and he worked his way up to the home of the Blackharts. It reminded him of autumn, of dying leaves just starting to change colors. Esau's knuckles rapped on the door twice, crisp and loud, not the hesitant knock of a pizza delivery salesman wondering if he got the right house. Esau knew he had the right house. This house was always the right house.


"It's Esau," he called out, his voice deep and smooth. "I've come to invite you to my barbecue."

 

[Fus ro dah]

There was a knock at the door, which could mean danger, which meant is was up to him to protect them. Also, to alert his people that there was someone at the door. Rushing from his napping place, Remy raced through the living room to the front door, barking all the way. The heckles on his back were standing up, trying to make his little body appear larger and scarier.


He stopped at the front door and kept barking at it, growling after every few barks.

 

[khuyen]

A sleek, red car drove up the Blackhart driveway, parking neatly. The door opened, revealing slender legs clad in blood-red high heels. Brenda Blackhart stood in all her fashionable glory, pushing her sunglasses ontop of her head. "Oh, Esau, darling!" She waved at their neighbour, before turning to grab her bag of groceries. Carrying it and slamming the cardoor with a booty-bump, she walked up to the handsome man. "What brings you here, sweetheart? Oh do come in, the door is always open!" Pushing past him and opening the door, they entered the house. "Come in for some tea, Esau!" Entering the kitchen, she dropped the groceries down, giving her daughter Xen a kiss on the cheek. "You're baking again, sweetheart? Don't give any to Remy, you know how cooky he became last time you fed him one of your cupcakes."


"Do come in, Esau, Xen can make you a cup of tea! I just have to go check up on dear Mr Badwulf, I'm sure he'll be up by now." She quickly finished putting all the groceries in place, before trotting up the stairs to her father's little man-cave, as she liked to call it. Knocking quickly, she opened the door anyway. "Dad! Are you drinking again? It's not even noon." She half-scolded, having gotten used to her father's antics long ago. Rolling her eyes, she looked at him again with a slight smile. "I'll cook you some breakfast, so come downstairs. Our neighbour, Esau Michel is here! Odd, he didn't bring any of his wifes today, hmm." Brenda half wondered to herself, before leaving once again.


There were so many people in this household to keep track of.

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

"Mother if you even dream of touching the kitchen while I'm in here making my cupcakes..."


Xen giggled slightly as her mother hurried off to go check on her Grandfather. She clucked softly smiling at Esau. She was busily icing a trays worth of red velvet cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing. Holding the icing bag in one hand she motioned for Esau to take a seat with the other. Personally she had no problem with their neighbor or his preference for multiple spouses she simply found him a bit strange. But he was neat which was something she always appreciated. Luckily for her she already had a pot of tea warming on the stove. Humming to herself as she made her way across the room she opened the cabinet and opened it to fetch a delicate teacup and saucer. She sighed pouring some tea into the cup and brought it over, setting it on the marble island. Rummaging around on the counter she placed the container of sugar on the island as well and went back to her cupcake icing.


"Nice to see you again Esau... Would you like a cupcake...?"

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

"Yes, yes- I'll be down." Cyrus stood up with more grace than you'd expect from his age and started his walk downstairs. Salem followed him, his lithe and sleek black fur shining in the morning light. The cat meowed and Cyrus stopped, "You're right, he is a bit odd- not unlike that Persian emir we visited back when Reagan was-"


The cat meowed again.


"Oh." Cyrus said, patting his pockets. "Yes, I suppose I should never ever leave that in my room." Cyrus Badwulf was downstairs a few minutes later, and after hugging his daughter he sat at the table with a cup of tea in his hand and a newspaper in Arabic opened in front of him.


"Esau, lad- how goes things?" Cyrus asked, sipping his tea and retrieving his pipe from his black and red morning robe, which was draped around his black armani suit and black silk shirt. It keeps breakfast off my clothes, he always said.

 

[Esoteric Truth]

"Good morning, Mrs. Blackhart. You look splendid," Esau responded warmly, turning around to see the bustling figure of a small woman with large round hair. He opened his mouth again to try and offer to carry in some of the groceries for her, but she moved too quickly and went past him, bags already in hand. He followed her into the house, looking down at the barking dog with a smile. Dogs never liked him. Or most animals, actually. There was a reason he didn't have any pets in his house, aside from the fact that animals had a tendency to ruin woodwork and nice things. He liked Remy, though; he thought the small pup had magnificent markings and was sure it'd be a great regal animal when it grew up. Liking something didn't always mean it liked you, though.


Esau walked beyond the dog into the kitchen, a light smile on his face as he saw the pretty periwinkle-haired girl that was Xen. She was too strange for him to take on, but he could appreciate her from afar. She wasn't really any stranger than he was, but she was stranger than all of his spouses. It wasn't good to have strange ones. Strange ones got curious. Better to be bored, he supposed, than to have Pandora's box be opened. If this metaphorical Pandora's box opened, he was pretty sure it would result in his incarceration, which was not something he looked forward to. At all. In fact, he wanted to avoid it as long as possible. Though he doubted it could be kept at bay forever.


"I would love one," Esau responded with a broad smile, sitting down in the seat she had gestured towards. "Nothing funny in it, right?" He winked and turned around as he heard the strong footfalls that could only belong to Cyrus Badwulf, a surprisingly sturdy older man with sharp penetrating eyes and an overall grizzled appearance. The man unnerved him slightly; he felt a little less secure when the harsh and calculating gaze of Cyrus was around.


"Everything's well, Mr. Badwulf. I just came over to invite you all to my barbecue later this evening. I was really only planning to invite your family, but if you wanted to invite someone else that would be fine by me," he replied, shrugging slightly and nodding to Cyrus. "What about you? How are you doing? Well dressed as always, I see."

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

"A man can never assume the day won't call for business, I'm afraid. You always look rather sharp as well, so I would assume you probably get that." He stood up and shook Esau's hand, appreciating the young man's overall demeanor. Esau was a man out of time, he acted little like the modern youth of the day, and Cyrus was fairly sure there was a reason for that. Esau shared more than a few minor sociopathic tendencies with Cyrus Badwulf, and that told the old man two things. The first was to never drop his guard around the boy, which was a respect Cyrus reserved for a select few so young. The second, and probably more important, was to never threaten whatever secret that young man kept hidden.


Men like Cyrus knew that some things should just be kept in the dark, where they belong.


"But I am doing well, thank you for asking, Esau. My child is happy, has not suffocated me during my sleep, and keeps me around despite my many character flaws...for that we say thank you." he toasted with his tea and took another sip.


"Barbecue, you say? Sounds rather quaint and beautifully American. I suppose a Welshman like me should probably experience the custom. Do you need us to bring anything, lad?"

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

Xen giggled placing two plates with a single gorgeously decorated cupcake in front of her grandfather and Esau respectively. Leaning in she placed a light kiss on her grandfathers cheek, giggle at his characteristic gruffness. Spotting Salem who was never far from his side she went to prepare a dish of cream for the feline, setting it on the counter beside Cyrus since she already new the cat wouldn't hesitate to jump up there anyway. The smell of cupcakes reminded her that she still had a tray in the oven and she hustled over to retrieve them. Opening the oven she grabbed the hot tray barehanded once more, humming to herself as she went to sit it on the cooling rack on the counter. Grabbing the icing bag again she segued smoothly back into her cupcake decorating.


"A barbecue...? Well then I suppose I'll have to make another batch of cupcakes then... As for the ones you're eating... Who knows..."


She giggled softly turning the current cupcake she held in her hand in order to complete the elegant swirl of icing she was trying to create. Switching the icing bag for one used for piping she began to add a decorative frilly design around the edges in a pale red icing. It always surprised people how swiftly she was able to complete even intricate designs as she had ran the frill fully around the cupcake in two tiers within seconds. As she sat the cupcake down she noticed a dark shape out of the corner of her eye. Clucking her tongue she grabbed a knife from the knife block on the counter and had tossed it across the room in seconds. The knife hit the wall on the far side of the kitchen, the tiny twitching black shape of a fly pinned beneath the blade.


"I don't like flies in my kitchen...I wonder who left a window open for it to get in..."

 

[Stickdom]

Stafforde woke with a start. He discovered that his alarm clock, as well as his notification system, was broken. Not just unworking or out of batteries, broken. His first clue was that is was not on his dresser where it usually sat. The second was the alarm clock pinioned to the opposite wall with what appeared to be at least a dozen knives, one of them pinning down a note that said "I rang too early this morning." Alarm clock shaming, what next?


Checking his wristwatch, he noted that it was well past noon, he had slept in incredibly late. "And no one missed me. I wonder how the house has held up in my absence." He slipped into his daily clothes, a crisp pair of slacks and a buttoned and collared shirt, this one in a striped blue pattern. He pointed into the bathroom and snapped his fingers once, a toothbrush with appropriate accompanying toothpaste came flying out of the cup and began to brush his teeth for him as he knelt to put on his socks and shoes. He was not often to perform such parlor tricks, but no one was around and he was in a slight hurry, and like many men, in his own ability, he had zero capability to multitask. He was of the type that had trouble keeping a conversation while walking, as his thoughts typically consisted of "Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Other left foot."


Stafforde finished his morning routine, short but tidy, and hurried down the stairs. He pet Remy's head as he passed, then clapped his hands and said, "You're a good boy, you want a treat? C'mon, let's go get a treat." He walked into the kitchen humming a snatch of tune to himself, but stopped short at the sight of Esau sitting at his kitchen table. Turning quickly to the left, not acknowledging his presence, he went into the pantry, narrowly dodging a knife from his darling daughter that flew past his nose and skewered an innocent fly. She certainly does take after her mother, that's for certain. I'm just glad that Just takes after her father, or we'd all definitely be in trouble. He reached the pantry and pulled out a Chu-Bone treat for Remy, tossing it across the room to him. He finally admitted to himself that Esau actually was sitting there and it wasn't just a hallucination. He didn't hate the man, he was a quiet and orderly neighbor, kept to himself, invited them to join him at parties or events. Still, there was something about the man that made Stafforde's skin crawl around in circles. "Ah, Esau, good morning, how are you?"

 

[khuyen]

After having called her father down, Brenda had gone to freshen up, redoing her makeup. She always loved looking sharp and her lipstick game was on point today. Giving the mirror a kissy face, she skipped happily down the stairs, humming a tune to herself. "Oh great, you're all her-...." She stopped abruptly as she saw the knife pierced into her beautiful lavender-painted wall. Her body started to shake, and her eyes turned menacingly dark as she looked around her family. "Who dares to maim my beautiful kitchen?" She almost hissed through gritted teeth. A cold air filled the atmosphere, until a ding from the dishwasher interrupted. As if cut from a spell, Brenda's usual smile was up again, and she scurried happily over to her husband. "Good morning, sleepy head! Or should I say afternoon? I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so cute in your sleep." She cooed a tiny bit, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek.


Turning to her daughter, who Brenda assumed was the knifethrower - she really did get that from her side of the family, she merely told the girl to clean up her mess. It'd be no good to give a proper scolding in front of guests, Brenda decided.

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

"Thank you Xen." Cyrus said, eyeing the cupcake with suspicion but knowing he would eat it regardless. He watched the knife zip across the room and listened to the twang of the blade vibrating as it stuck in the wall.


"Xen Blackhart!" Cyrus rang out in his deep authoritative voice. "Had that wall extended 10 more yards, your shot would have veered to the left, someone should practice with their mother more often before they poke holes in our walls!" He exclaimed, more upset with her form, which anyone would have declared perfect. But not Cyrus- he knew she could do better. "And you're caulking and painting that yourself, I built this house and I've had enough of fixing it."


Brenda's tantrum didn't even make Cyrus blink, it was the exact reaction he expected. He gave His son-in-law nothing more than a stiff nod as he saw him, and turned to Esau.


"Esau, maybe you should teach my son-in-law how to set an alarm clock properly."

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

"Your kitchen mother...? And I will fix the wall Grandpa... Now everyone please stop raising your voices won't you it's terribly impolite especially when we have company..."


Xen smiled though there was a coldness to her gaze as she made her way across the kitchen to retrieve the knife from the wall. She walked back across the kitchen, washed the knife in the sink and then proceeded to slam it back in to the knife block. There was a faint twitch at the corner of her eye but she retrieved a small container of spackle, a piece of sandpaper, and a little container of paint the exact hue of the wall and quickly repaired the tiny hole in the wall. Putting the supplies away she grabbed the tiny key from the cupcake shaped container on top of the fridge and unlocked the basement door. Disappearing inside to the sound of several more locks clicking as the door shut behind her. Once she went in the basement it was unlikely that she would be out for some time. No one knew what she did down there, but more often then not it involved a saw and classical music loud enough to drown out any other sound.

 

[Fus ro dah]

The pup was almost beside himself in excitement when his human said the T word. Treat! He leaped and bounded along behind his human, knowing exactly where the treats were kept. Too bad he wasn't able to reach them on his own.


His tail thrashed back and forth so fast it was basically just a furry blur as they reached the hiding place of the treats and he sat down, panting in anticipation. As the bone shaped treat was presented he grabbed it with glee and raced off to sit nearby, gnawing on it.

 

[Esoteric Truth]

Cyrus was a wise man, Esau decided. It wasn't a recent discovery of the man's character; he'd known the Welshman was wise since the first time he saw the man, and that had been when he was just a young boy. It was just that these brief conversations reminded him of that fact repeatedly. He couldn't help but see Cyrus as a threat because of this though, which was a shame given how much he liked the old man. Somehow he felt more at home in the company of Mr. Badwulf than he did people his age. Esau was about to reply to the man when a knife sliced through the air, coming to a dead stop in the lovely walls of the kitchen.


The knife had been thrown by the delicate hand of Xen. This was exactly why he'd never pursue her. Not only was she too strange, but she had the capability to endanger him. In a way, because she was too similar to him. Though she was outwardly bright where he was simply rather mundane, they both had inner dark to them. He knew for a fact he was dark, and judging by the cold, almost insane glint that sometimes shone in Xen's dark eyes, he guessed that she had that wicked part too. He would argue he was better, though. He wasn't driven by some deeply wild frenzy. He was strange for sure, probably even mad, but a different kind of mad altogether. Esau would call it a complete disregard for other people and the laws they set forth for him. It wasn't that he thought he was better than everyone else, he just didn't really care about them. Unless, of course, they were interesting. He was less emotional, better at keeping that dark hidden, though most caught glimpses of it now and then. But just a little dark wasn't enough to put him in real danger; it was just enough to unsettle people and keep them out of his hair.


Esau smiled at Stafforde, watching as the man finally acknowledged his presence. He did not like the man, and the term 'man' was used arguably. Stafforde was not the man of the house. The house belonged to Badwulf, then to Brenda, then to Xen, to Justine, to Remy, and then him. Stafforde was a fairly ordinary seeming man, though he did have an incredible ability to be unfazed by knives thrown his direction, and he was not fond of Esau. He seemed to be suspicious and generally unappreciative of the presence of Esau, which was quite a shame because Stafforde happened to marry into the house right across from Esau and into the family that intrigued him the most.


Before he could manage to respond to any of this, the woman of the house came down. Things moved so fast here unlike in his own home, which was strange since his home had far more people. Far more monotonous and prosaic people, mind you, he thought, watching with vague amusement as Brenda's eyes flashed with anger. Everyone in this house is a little deranged. Perhaps that's why they almost seem like family. Just as quickly as it had come, her anger was gone, replaced once more with her sweet housewife attitude.


A grin was present on the half-Greek man's face as he listened to Cyrus scold Xen. How lovely it was to be in a household full of people where rather than getting upset about knives being thrown around, it was the form of the knife-throwing that was being scolded. I love this family. Why was I not born into this household? Such are the lots of life. I'm fortunate enough to live right across from them, however. He chuckled at the suggestion that he help Stafforde with the alarm clock. It was not an unfounded point; the man was late whereas Esau was always on time.


Esau's jaws clenched tightly as Xen locked herself down into the basement, a scene all too familiar. Every morning and every evening, except he kept his key in a locked drawer inside the nightstand beside his bed. The nightstand opened with a combination. For some reason watching another person flow through the motions that were so similar to his own was sickening. Just how similar were they? Did she know just how similar they were? She couldn't know exactly; no one had seen him even enter his basement, as far as he knew, but surely she had heard the children talk. Funny how the old and the young were the quickest to believe.


"Ah-no, I'm sure we have enough, unless of course you're interested in bringing something. You're definitely welcome to bring something, Mr. Badwulf," he finally replied, smiling softly. That brief flash of concern and tension in his brow had vanished, almost as if it had never occurred, and he turned towards Stafforde with a rather expressionless face. "I'm very well. My day has become considerably more exciting in the few moments since I entered this household." He did not ask the man how he was, and it was done so pointedly. To Esau it was a very subtle outward gesture that he did not care how Stafforde was doing. But with subtlety came class.

 

[Stickdom]

Stafforde gave his eyes a slight roll at his father-in-law's comment about the alarm clock, and even worse that he suggested that Esau teach him anything. "It wasn't exactly my fault, Cyrus, seeing as the clock got a little hung up at the moment." He glanced across the room at his beloved wife, her near-bipolar attitude, one moment threatening the lives of the entire household, the next sweet and genteel once more, was one of the many reasons he loved her. She kept him on his toes, as if that was even necessary in this household. He made note of Esau's sharp and abrupt reply, he had expected as much, he was lucky to have gotten at least that much out of him. Stafforde had only been making polite small-talk, as was his habit, but Esau did not seem to be one to return courtesy in kind.


He made himself a a plate up of food, then noticed Xen locking herself in the basement, he knocked quickly on the door, and called through it, "Don't forget that it's your turn to take Remy on his afternoon W-a-l-k." He dared not say that word aloud, Remy would be prancing about his feet, sometimes grabbing his own leash from the closet and tangling his master's legs lovingly. That dog. I swear, sometimes he's almost smart enough to be a cat."


He sat at the table with his normal breakfast, a small plate with a wedge of European-style cheese accompanied by a slice of wheat bread and several pieces of cold-cut meat, all to be washed down with a glass of bubbling water. Even considering the time of day, he had a routine of his own, and the first meal of the day was breakfast, regardless of the hour. "A barbecue, you say?" He did not in fact address this to Esau, merely staring at the center of the table after swallowing a bit of bread topped with meat, then removing a small pocket knife from his jacket, began to cut the wax rind off of his cheese as if it were peeling an apple. "It could be amusing, I think any plans I have can be postponed. When is it?" Again, this was addressed to the table, though he pulled off a piece of his sliced ham and held in under the table, snapping a finger to get Remy's attention.

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

His son-in-law was no fool, he was just undisciplined. But Cyrus knew that was how Stafforde preferred it, even if it irked the older man. That being said, Cyrus also didn't approve of his daughter marrying a man who had such obviously dormant, possibly even repressed, energy within him.


In another time, maybe Cyrus would have had to pay him a visit from the-


Best not to think about those things, Cyrus, never know whose listening. He thought to himself, sipping his tea. He felt mildly guilty for being so harsh to Stafforde in front of a man he knew his son-in-law didn't like. The lad did treat his daughter rather well, and in the end...Cyrus supposed that was all that mattered.


"You could bring that dish you always make...uh..the one with the...uh...." He said to Stafforde, failing miserably at sounding sincere. Did Stafforde even make a dish regularly? Cyrus couldn't remember.

 

[Fus ro dah]

The snapping of fingers and the scent of... WAS THAT HAM?! OH THE HUMANS' GOD! HAM! HAM! HAM!


The treat was momentarily forgotten as Remy raced from his resting place over to Stafforde's hand holding the ham down for him. Tail wagging madly, his butt swaying with the effort, the pup grabbed the ham from his human's hand and gobbled it down. Once it was gone, he started sniffing around the floor of the table, hunting for fallen treats to consume.

 

[Stickdom]

Stafforde saw Cyrus' verbal stumbling, he respected the man, that was a given, but he couldn't help but follow the general opinion that the man was a bit off on his internal gears. He decided to save the moment and his father-in-law's dignity with a calm, "Well, Brenda makes a fantastic golden-braised ham, it's honestly to die for." He laughed, hoping that Cyrus would as well in order to cover the fact that Stafforde could burn a bowl of cold cereal if he cooked at all. He turned to Esau, only his second recognition of the man's presence, but this more than the first, "Would that be alright with you? It would be plenty enough to share, of course, and we can provide cold drinks and dessert if it would help." Stafforde saw this as an opportunity to do two things, firstly to build a bridge across the street, so to speak, to get to know Esau better and decide if he really was as bizarre and mechanical as he thought. Second, if the first failed, it would be a slim opportunity to see into Esau's own household and discover whatever it was that he kept so concealed under the facade of a perfect house. He knew that it was an underhanded tactic, but he though it only fair as Esau appeared to have no problem coming over to his house while keeping his own life very secretive.


He shook these thoughts from his head as he felt Remy's touch remove the ham from his grasp, he pet the dog's head, then waved his hand in a shooing motion to signal Remy that there was nothing more at the moment. He presently finished his own breakfast, stacking his silverware and cup onto his plate and putting them in the sink full of soapy water, wiped them off cleanly with a dishtowel and returned them to their respective cupboards. He may not be one for cooking, but having clean dishes was somewhat of an obsession for Stafforde, and he was paranoid of germs, if only in the case of his food.


(True fact: that's exactly how I personally feel about my dishes being clean xD )

 

[Esoteric Truth]

Esau looked steadily towards Stafforde with a smile, noting the other man's reluctance- no, it wasn't just mere reluctance, it was refusal- to meet his gaze. Still, at least he was being addressed, now. That was better than nothing, and besides, the wariness that Stafforde expressed towards him was altogether amusing. If only the man knew the half of it. Not that he would, given that his basement door was locked. It was a subtle lock though, the kind that would be found on most doors in old houses. The difference being, of course, that it actually was used. Still, it would be more forgivable to find a locked door to the basement that seemed to fit the house. If he had to explain why he kept it locked, the excuse was always that it was cluttered and dirty own there. He didn't want anyone wandering into the messy part of the house while looking for the bathroom, after all.


"The barbecue will be at six... sharp," Esau responded, a devilish and teasing glint in his eyes. "I'm only kidding, of course. Arrive when you can. I would appreciate your company and I would love to have some of Brenda's ham. Bring whatever you would like, but with eleven people in my house, not counting me, I'm sure we'll have plenty. Remy is also welcome, so long as you keep him out of the house and pick up after him. The wooden floors just can't be scratched, you know." Well, that and a dog might be attracted to the basement door. Dogs had far better noses than humans did, after all.


"Mr. Badwulf, do you remember how my mother always had that little dog? It was very loud, yapping all the time. Thankfully it croaked before I came into possession of the house because I don't know what I would have done with the thing.... Anyway, I'm getting myself distracted. I had to tear out all of the wooden flooring in the downstairs and replace it because of the little mongrel," Esau smiled and looked down at Remy. "But your dog is nothing like that thing. There's something about him... He's smart. And a beautiful animal, I do have to say. Still, he has claws, so I would prefer he stays on the lawn. I don't want to have to pay $10,000 to get someone to install new flooring all over again. Distressed hardwood has a hefty price for the area I needed fixed."

 

[BarkWolfBacon]

"That damn dog was a loud one, thats for sure. I'm pretty sure it could hear me flush the toilet, and would bark every time."

 

[X3 Infernal Infinity]

Xen reemerged from the basement, shaking her hands slightly. Locking the door with one hand she gently readjusted her hair a bit. Grabbing the black lace trimmed apron from the hook on the side of the fridge she tied it on around her waist. Dropping the basement key in her pocket she smiled. Patting her her leg with on hand to summon Remy she grabbed the leash from off the hook by the back door. She would need to go out on a walk of her own later, but that could most certainly wait until night had fallen. Besides right now her attention was all on the cute and hyperactive puppy.


"Remy you ready to go for a walk...?"

 

[Fus ro dah]

WALK!!!





Remy leapt to his feet and dashed over towards Xen, his tail wagging so intense his entire body was waving back and forth. He danced happily in place, whining with excitement and barking as he started to leap. He bounded around the human, playfully nipping at the lead as a hint for her to hurry the hell up so they go for a walk.