From: "Amber" <kitsunenoasobi@hotmail.com> Subject: [PW] Imansion That. Date: Thursday, August 05, 2004 10:09 PM Amber approached the grounds of the mansion. She knew that grass well, and she'd been here many times as a child, constantly upbraided for being sad. It was often that her Gran would tell her, "Your father was a good-for-nothing anyways. Be GLAD he got disemboweled by a wild Mightyena!" And then often she would add, when she thought Amber couldn't hear, "Too bad he reproduced before he died." Ah yes. The memories. As she strolled up the path, garment bags in arm, she saw the big yellow balloon. /Ah so he's here,/ she thought. And then she noted that it happened to be hanging from one of her Gran's prized professionally-trimmed trees. Wincing, she hurried forward so she could get there in time and put an excuse in, so he wouldn't be in trouble. Unfortunately for her, the lawn was very large. It was well-kept by the army of gardeners that lived nearby -- one for every kind of flower, bush, and tree. There was one long path of packed dirt, framed with stones. After a good five minutes of power-walking, she came to the main building. The mansion itself was big and very red. Four stories high and immaculately designed, the building reared above the countryside it occupied. With windows decorating the various floors, it was very large and looked impenetrable. She opened the huge windowed double-doors that marked the entrance and came in, more out of habit than familiarity. "Gran?" she called. "--over here, yes that's right. You're a good man." Her grandmother bustled out of the back room, short, bejeweled, and much like a rumpled piece of taupe paper. Jason followed behind her awkwardly, grinning when he caught sight of Amber. He waved and she waved back around the garment bag that hampered her movements. "Ah Amber, my child. I see you've come!" She came up and patted her side a few times, poking and prodding here and there. "Yaah! You're getting too fat, Amber; too fat! What, don't you ever exercize? Yeesh!" Amber put up with it silently and shrugged. "Hmph, you young idiots never pay attention to the values of your elders. This nice young man your mother recommended, however....he's nice and fit! You should be more like Jason here." She motioned to Jason, who was presently absently wandering the atrium and touching the various decorations with a wide-eyed look of awe. She turned back to Amber. "But you two wouldn't get along. Still, this is Jason Bard." Jason continued looking around absently, blissfully unaware that any one had said his name. "Actually, Gran--" Amber started. "No no, no time for chat. Wastes too much time!! We have a party in a few days and YOU are going to help the servants get it ready. Put your stuff up in your usual room; I'll be at my facial for the next few hours. So long!" She waddled past her and across the marble tile, out the door, and down the path. Amber sighed angrily to herself and crossed the dark red marble floor of the wide, forty-square-foot atrium and up the richly-carpeted spiral staircase to the same room she had always occupied. Luckily, however rude her Grandmother usually was, she was still caring, and didn't neglect to treat Amber with the same kinds of care that she used with her most trusted of servants. She got her own very comfortable room, with plush maroon carpeting, a four-poster bed, a big open window. She hung up her dress and Jason's tux in the huge walk-in closet and sat down on her bed, hugging her favorite fox stuffed animal. -- Meanwhile, Jason explored the room he would be performing in: deep red marble floor like most of the house, it was a huge room that could easily fit at least three-hundred-thousand. To the far left was a raised stage with more of that same red carpeting on top, for purchase for the instruments. Above were five gorgeously designed chandeliers, with draping crystal and glass. There were bathrooms on either end of the room, and a long buffet table being prepared by three or so servants. Rich red drapings went around the walls, looping and drooping from tack to tack. Somehow it looked familiar... TBC Sorry for the double-post of this right after the last one, but I needed to describe the mansion. *shrugs* ^_^ And excuse my bad writing, my brain is hopping around a lot right now O.o;; *is being demanded upon for many many things* ~AMMMBERRRRR the stressed out FOX