AngelofDeath
Devious
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2003
- Posts
- 10,753
Two week ago - New York
Anastasia Maza-Tsarev stepped out of the airport elevator and looked around. JFK was packed with people as always, but these days it was also filled with Gargoyles. Since Goliath and the others had long since come out of hiding in New York and made themselves known to the world, other hidden clans had done the same. Her uncle and the others had been very surprised to see that there were more clans than just the one's they had met on their travels had still survived. Now they came and went as they pleased, even though Quarrymen still persisted in their hatred the group as a whole were down in the ranks with the KKK and Neo-nazis. Fifteen years ago around the world and first in the US Gargoyles had been given rights and citizenship. That little fact had made her aunt Elisa quite happy and within a year of the law passing she and Goliath got married, though they had been mates for much longer than that.
Beth and her father Sasha were off in South America studying artifacts and so she had decided to hop a flight to NY, since she had some vacation time to see her much extended family. Just as she was heading to collect her bags, Ana was picked up in a hug bear hug as a pair of tan arms wrapped around her.
"ANA!" The male gargoyle set her down and then gave her a proper hug. "You made it."
"Of course Gregory. Would I disappoint my favorite cousin?" She smiled up at tan version of Goliath. Fox and her father Halcyon had helped the first what would be later man human/gargoyle couples conceive. Gregory was the first of the halfling to be born and was the couple's oldest son.
"Yes you would but you also know that if you didn't show you'd have the Manhattan clan AND Uncle Talon hunting your lil human butt down." He capped his wings as they headed for the luggage carousel. "Besides you have shown up just in time."
"Oh and why is that? Besides the party that I know is waiting for me that it," Ana watched the bags drop slowly.
"Oh you'll see." Gregory gave her a short smile. That could only mean he was up to something. Despite looking like his father, Gregory had none of the clan leader's stoicism. Instead he took after Elisa.
"Oh boy. This is going to be an interesting trip I see." She grabbed her duffel bag as it came around and the pair headed off.
------
And it had been an interesting time. Broadway and Angela had been glad to see her and to show off their youngest daughter. Elisa had been happy to see her niece as always and to get caught up on her sister and brother in law's trips. And of course Ana herself had found them time to play several tricks on her family, which had Elisa commenting on the fact that she was sure that Coyote had his more to do with their family that just getting her parents together
Ana was currently walking around with one of Boudica and Bronx's pups in her arms as she scanned Alexander's library. The new head of Xantos industries had managed to pull himself away from work to spend time with her. Most of that time was spent in his vast library, he had books from every and anywhere. Many of them very old indeed and thus having great appeal to the history buff that she was. As she passed the second bookshelf, a book caught her eyes. "Where did you come from?" Shifting the gargpup to one arm she pulled the light green book from the shelf. It was old, the cover and bindings worn from age and use. She hadn't seen it before and she was sure she had gone past the shelf several times since she had been there. Thumbing it open Ana realized it was a collection of children's stories.
"Find something interesting?" Alex asked as he walked into the library. The two of them had always been close friends, but nothing more. A fact she knew would always pain him, but she wasn't going to give up her life out in the desert and Alex would never leave New York.
"An old storybook. I could have sworn I hadn't seen it before." Ana held it out to him, only to watch Alex's eyes light up.
"Owen used to read this to me when I was younger," Everyone knew how close Owen and Alex were, which was why the older man's very sudden disappearance had been all the more harder on Alex than it had been on his father. "Here, you can have it. To keep."
"Alex are you sure? I mean I wouldn't want to take a cherished book like this from you. I've already got a massive collection to take home already and..." he cut her off.
"And they are all very old and going to end up on display. This I know you will keep because its a gift." He laid the book in her hand. "I'm much too old for stories of the Third Race anyways." Alex gave her another sad look before he dropped a kiss on her forehead and left.
"Oh Alex, I really hope you find someone. You're too good of a man to be alone forever." If David Xantos could find love, why couldn't he? Brodi licked her face and Ana made a face at him as they left the library and headed for her room. She did have feelings fro Alex, but just as a friend. No that wasn't right, Alex was like an older brother to her, just as Gregory was. She shook her head as she set Brodi down before setting the book down as well and then stretching out on the bed.
Alex wasn't the only one in need of a jumpstart to their love life. Ana had been in the middle of a drought for, she uncurled one finger after the other, three years. Three years since she had walked on Carlos after he had called her a childish brat. Ana was far from childish. She was 24 for christ's sake. The one thing age hadn't taken from her as it did most as they got older was her sense of fun and the enjoyment of a good joke. While Alex would need someone who could put up with his long hours, Ana needed someone who wouldn't mind the occasional prank pulled on them. Letting her eyes close slowly, tomorrow she was heading home to Arizona.
Three days later Arizona
Ana sighed and dropped her bag by the door. She had just finished up with the books from Alex and was in need of a break. Heading straight for the kitchen she opened the bottle of red sitting on the counter and poured a glass before heading to her living room. On the table the book from Alex sat open, waiting for her to pick up where she had left off the night before. They were some of the classic stories like Cinderella and Snow White but there were some older ones as well. Stories of the Third Race and in this case Oberon's Children. Taking a sip of wine, Ana began to flip the the pages casually until her thumb caught on a rather thick page. "What the?"
She took the page or rather, pages as they were stuck together in her fingers. No they weren't stuck, they had been sealed with wax. Setting the boo back down Ana went to her office and grabbed the letter opener and then returned to what would be a very slow task of removing the outer layer of wax, without tearing either page.
Once she got the pages separated Ana carefully chipped the layer of wax away from the illustration. "Well aren't you handsome?" she mused softly as she revealed first his face and then his entire form. The red and blue outfit stood out in contrast to his white hair and tan skin. And those ears...big but still cute. immediately the first thing that came to mind was how the bloodelf ears bounced in World of Warcraft. Ana laughed, but shook her head. "No a son of Oberon would never be so undignified as to have his ears bounce with every step he took."
See the hint of writing under the picture of the fey, Ana kept chipping. As she the words came into view she tilted her head looking at them. "A rhyme? Well I suppose in a storybook that makes sense, but this is silly. 'Own the book Own the Puck, Unchain the fool bound within. Hear these words o Puckster thee. Bound to book now bound to me.'
The book began to glow and Ana let out a short curse as she tossed the book onto the table. The pages began to flip and flap as if in the wind as the glow grew so bright that she had to cover her eyes. The sound of booted feet on the table however had Ana opening her eyes and taking in the sight before here. The illustration...no Puck was standing on her coffee table.
"What...the...fuck..."
Anastasia Maza-Tsarev stepped out of the airport elevator and looked around. JFK was packed with people as always, but these days it was also filled with Gargoyles. Since Goliath and the others had long since come out of hiding in New York and made themselves known to the world, other hidden clans had done the same. Her uncle and the others had been very surprised to see that there were more clans than just the one's they had met on their travels had still survived. Now they came and went as they pleased, even though Quarrymen still persisted in their hatred the group as a whole were down in the ranks with the KKK and Neo-nazis. Fifteen years ago around the world and first in the US Gargoyles had been given rights and citizenship. That little fact had made her aunt Elisa quite happy and within a year of the law passing she and Goliath got married, though they had been mates for much longer than that.
Beth and her father Sasha were off in South America studying artifacts and so she had decided to hop a flight to NY, since she had some vacation time to see her much extended family. Just as she was heading to collect her bags, Ana was picked up in a hug bear hug as a pair of tan arms wrapped around her.
"ANA!" The male gargoyle set her down and then gave her a proper hug. "You made it."
"Of course Gregory. Would I disappoint my favorite cousin?" She smiled up at tan version of Goliath. Fox and her father Halcyon had helped the first what would be later man human/gargoyle couples conceive. Gregory was the first of the halfling to be born and was the couple's oldest son.
"Yes you would but you also know that if you didn't show you'd have the Manhattan clan AND Uncle Talon hunting your lil human butt down." He capped his wings as they headed for the luggage carousel. "Besides you have shown up just in time."
"Oh and why is that? Besides the party that I know is waiting for me that it," Ana watched the bags drop slowly.
"Oh you'll see." Gregory gave her a short smile. That could only mean he was up to something. Despite looking like his father, Gregory had none of the clan leader's stoicism. Instead he took after Elisa.
"Oh boy. This is going to be an interesting trip I see." She grabbed her duffel bag as it came around and the pair headed off.
------
And it had been an interesting time. Broadway and Angela had been glad to see her and to show off their youngest daughter. Elisa had been happy to see her niece as always and to get caught up on her sister and brother in law's trips. And of course Ana herself had found them time to play several tricks on her family, which had Elisa commenting on the fact that she was sure that Coyote had his more to do with their family that just getting her parents together
Ana was currently walking around with one of Boudica and Bronx's pups in her arms as she scanned Alexander's library. The new head of Xantos industries had managed to pull himself away from work to spend time with her. Most of that time was spent in his vast library, he had books from every and anywhere. Many of them very old indeed and thus having great appeal to the history buff that she was. As she passed the second bookshelf, a book caught her eyes. "Where did you come from?" Shifting the gargpup to one arm she pulled the light green book from the shelf. It was old, the cover and bindings worn from age and use. She hadn't seen it before and she was sure she had gone past the shelf several times since she had been there. Thumbing it open Ana realized it was a collection of children's stories.
"Find something interesting?" Alex asked as he walked into the library. The two of them had always been close friends, but nothing more. A fact she knew would always pain him, but she wasn't going to give up her life out in the desert and Alex would never leave New York.
"An old storybook. I could have sworn I hadn't seen it before." Ana held it out to him, only to watch Alex's eyes light up.
"Owen used to read this to me when I was younger," Everyone knew how close Owen and Alex were, which was why the older man's very sudden disappearance had been all the more harder on Alex than it had been on his father. "Here, you can have it. To keep."
"Alex are you sure? I mean I wouldn't want to take a cherished book like this from you. I've already got a massive collection to take home already and..." he cut her off.
"And they are all very old and going to end up on display. This I know you will keep because its a gift." He laid the book in her hand. "I'm much too old for stories of the Third Race anyways." Alex gave her another sad look before he dropped a kiss on her forehead and left.
"Oh Alex, I really hope you find someone. You're too good of a man to be alone forever." If David Xantos could find love, why couldn't he? Brodi licked her face and Ana made a face at him as they left the library and headed for her room. She did have feelings fro Alex, but just as a friend. No that wasn't right, Alex was like an older brother to her, just as Gregory was. She shook her head as she set Brodi down before setting the book down as well and then stretching out on the bed.
Alex wasn't the only one in need of a jumpstart to their love life. Ana had been in the middle of a drought for, she uncurled one finger after the other, three years. Three years since she had walked on Carlos after he had called her a childish brat. Ana was far from childish. She was 24 for christ's sake. The one thing age hadn't taken from her as it did most as they got older was her sense of fun and the enjoyment of a good joke. While Alex would need someone who could put up with his long hours, Ana needed someone who wouldn't mind the occasional prank pulled on them. Letting her eyes close slowly, tomorrow she was heading home to Arizona.
Three days later Arizona
Ana sighed and dropped her bag by the door. She had just finished up with the books from Alex and was in need of a break. Heading straight for the kitchen she opened the bottle of red sitting on the counter and poured a glass before heading to her living room. On the table the book from Alex sat open, waiting for her to pick up where she had left off the night before. They were some of the classic stories like Cinderella and Snow White but there were some older ones as well. Stories of the Third Race and in this case Oberon's Children. Taking a sip of wine, Ana began to flip the the pages casually until her thumb caught on a rather thick page. "What the?"
She took the page or rather, pages as they were stuck together in her fingers. No they weren't stuck, they had been sealed with wax. Setting the boo back down Ana went to her office and grabbed the letter opener and then returned to what would be a very slow task of removing the outer layer of wax, without tearing either page.
Once she got the pages separated Ana carefully chipped the layer of wax away from the illustration. "Well aren't you handsome?" she mused softly as she revealed first his face and then his entire form. The red and blue outfit stood out in contrast to his white hair and tan skin. And those ears...big but still cute. immediately the first thing that came to mind was how the bloodelf ears bounced in World of Warcraft. Ana laughed, but shook her head. "No a son of Oberon would never be so undignified as to have his ears bounce with every step he took."
See the hint of writing under the picture of the fey, Ana kept chipping. As she the words came into view she tilted her head looking at them. "A rhyme? Well I suppose in a storybook that makes sense, but this is silly. 'Own the book Own the Puck, Unchain the fool bound within. Hear these words o Puckster thee. Bound to book now bound to me.'
The book began to glow and Ana let out a short curse as she tossed the book onto the table. The pages began to flip and flap as if in the wind as the glow grew so bright that she had to cover her eyes. The sound of booted feet on the table however had Ana opening her eyes and taking in the sight before here. The illustration...no Puck was standing on her coffee table.
"What...the...fuck..."