"I'm booorrrrreeedd," Ashe whined as she entered the Ballroom. She then made the mistake of breathing, which lead her to begin sneezing. Loudly and repetedly. Dust flew everywhere and just when she thought it was safe to breath again, it really wasn't and so the process started all over again.

After a few mintues of this, Ashe finally managed to regain enough control of herself to summon up a hankercheif to cover her nose. She gave a relived sigh. So much better. She serveyed the room and sighed a little sadly.

Dust was absolutly everywhere, covering everything in a fine layer that was at least an inch thick. The once fine dark furniture, still intact dispite the wear it had endured over the years, was nearly white from all the dust. The velvet seat covers looked moth eaten and more then a few of the certains showed signs of being infested with droxys. In a few places there was unidentifible goo that changed color every few mintues; likely leafovers from Sue hunts and magic fights that they'd had never gotten around to cleaning up. It also looked like a few of the dust bunnies had figured out how to make use of the Mansion's unique magic and had become senitent beings. That could fly.

The magnificanet chandelier that the DBCA had liberated from the Opera Garnier was tarnished and coated with cobwebs and old candle drippings that would take forever to get rid of. If any of the Eriks had happened to wander into the room, he would've had a heart-attack or flown into a rage at the sight. Luckily, most of the Eriks were currently in the middle of a composing contest, trying to prove, once and for all, who was the the superior Erik.

Ashe frowned thoughfully. Well, it would be something to do and seeing the Ballroom this dusty was depressing...

"Why not?" She muttered.

And with that, she clapped her hands, causing a notice to appear in the Foyer to let everyone know where she was if she was needed; along with cleaning supplies that Filch and her grandma had only dreamed existed.

It was time to get to work.

Tara, quite literally, tumbled in. She rose slowly, wincing at the ache in her joints.

Dust settled on her clothes, her hair, and her glasses. She coughed a bit. "Well, that's the last time I do that."

The action performed was, in fact, rather silly. Tara had a mechanism on her pocket watch to alert her of new posts and notices throughout the mansion. Along with this mechanism was a small button for her to push if she wanted to appear there immediately. Unfortunately, the minor kinks in the watch weren't yet worked out, and the apparation bit didn't have its coordinates set. Which meant she appeared in the ballroom, three and a half feet in the air.

"I'm going to have to get one of the Angsts to fix it for me. Hopefully they'll figure it out before any other mods get one." Tara said, turning around. The effect was ruined by the fact that her glasses were covered with a layer of dust.

She pulled her glasses off, and noticed Ashe getting to work with the magical mops and brooms and nuclear-strength Dawn. It was neon green, and glowed a bit in the bottle. Cleaning in the dark was so much more fun.

"Hey, Ashe. Decided to clean up a bit? Lovely. Too bad we didn't do this sooner, it's quite... erm..."

"Dusty? Dirty? UNCLEEEEAAAAAN?" Ashe drew the word out, slightly muffled by her handkerchief.

Tara smiled. "Yeah. That." She picked up one of the bottles of cleanser - day-glo orange, this time - and pulled a cloth from her back pocket. "I'll start with some of the portraits. Always best to clean those by hand. Especially with the moving ones." She nodded over at a portrait. The plaque underneath read "Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett", but you wouldn't know it to look at it.

Ashe grabbed a cloth and another orange cleanser. "Well, let's get to work. The others should be along sometime later, eh?"

The cleaning commenced. Noisily. And with coughing.

"Oh.My.Goodness...." Rashta held a paw to his long nose and stared about at the dusty horror. "What IS this place?" Jayora smiled wickedly.
"This, oh noblest of Wolf-taur muses, is an old, abandoned Ballroom." She grinned up at Asthenia. "Having fun?" She grabbed a magical broom and motioned to the reluctant muses standing behind her.
"KYOYA! Help me out!" The tall bishie pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and smiled lightly.
"If you wish for help, princess, perhaps you should look behind you."
ME: :dunce: sorry....
Dance!Erik: Where do you want the vacuum?
Eomer: You start FROM THE TOP DOWN, DErik, everyone knows that!
ME: No fighting. now, Get to work! We've got a LooooooooNG way to go. :D

SD opened the big door slowly, wincing as she heard the hinges creaking... LOUDLY.

Poking her head inside, she looked around the old, once-deserted room. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, they blinked owlishly at the sight of someone balancing precariously on a broom while attempting to clean cobwebs off the ceiling, and to see her friends Ashe and Tara muttering about Doxies, hiding Eriks, and extremely lazy house-elves. Stepping bravely into the room, she immediately regreted the action when a dust bunny the size of a house cat flew past, causing her to shriek in alarm and jump about three feet.

Ashe and Tara paused in their work, looked over at SD, looked at each other, smiled deviously, and looked back at SD....

"Oh good. You're finally here," Ashe said. "It's about time."

She walked over to SD and thrust the non-magical broom into her hands. "Here," she said, "You can go chase that dust bunny. There's a cage on the table over there. Use the broom to whack it over the head so you can grab it without getting bit, then stick it in the cage."

SD rolled her eyes and sighed, stuck her tongue out at Ashe, and got to work.

"Here, bunny, bunny, bunny....."

Jayora smiled as Delenn chased after the bunny.
"You know, Rashta, you COULD help her out..."
"I help no one but myself, Jayora. You know that." He continued dusting the drapes.
"What if I ordered you to?" He sighed and put down his duster.
"as you wish!" "I guess...." The last mutter was so low Jayora pretended not to hear.
"Miss Delenn!" He charged after her, four paws flying, and the other pair reaching out towards the bunneh. Delenn turned, surprised in the dark enterior of the Ballroom. Rashta flew past her with a grin, and caught the obnoxious bunny by an...appendage. (?) He dragged the vicious little creature to the cage, tossed it in, and bowed to Delenn.

"As my Authoress commands, miss." He reached down for his duster and got back to work, leaving Delenn to wonder about the social-skills-lacking muse as she in turn went about the work of restoring the old Ballroom to some of it's former glory.

Darius stuck his head around the door and peered through the flying dust. "I wouldnt be suprised if you find Shadow sleeping in here somewhere, she's been missing in action for a while." He sidled into the ballroom and started searching in the darkest corners of the ballroom, turning out several dust bunnies in the process.

After a good search of the deepest, dustiest corner, Darius walked back into the middle of the room. "Ashe, do you have an extra long broom stick? Shadow is asleep back there, and I dont want to get my fingers bitten off if I'm too close when I wake her..."

Darius' plan was ruined however by the sudden implosion of the doors as Adi skidded in wearing a Jack Skellington coat, "There is stuff happening?" she asked excitedly, "How delightful!"

"Mrarg! Hisssssc!" Shadow jumped out of her corner and shook off a layer of dust, "Who dares to disturb my slumber?!" She shouted, then ruined the effect by twitching her nose and sneezing.

"I do Kitten" Adi replied, Shadow paused her twitching.
"Oh, that's ok then Bug."

"Awww I thought you were gonna pounce on her," Julian drawled, slinking through the doors. Kitten looked throughtful, then crouched down and wriggled in preparation.

"Hey-yip!" Adi leapt back and grabbed a broom, "Bad Kitten!" then she spun around and smacked Julian on the nose with the broom, "And very bad Cat!"

Julian grinned, flashing his fangs, "You know you love it." he smirked.

Adi rolled her eyes, "Oh go chase the rats in the chandelier why dont you?"

Julian looked up, "Hmm...snack attack..." he leapt up into the balcony and started climbing the butresses towards the centre of the ceiling.

Adi and Kitten looked around the room, "I guess we should help," Kitten suggested, grabbing a cloth.

"Yeah, Adi agreed, "Pity we dont have an enchanted castle like in Beauty and the Beast." she attacked a passing dust buny with gusto.

"I know," Tara agreed as Adi started humming This is Halloween, Kitten joined in and Cricket started singing.

Cricket:
Angsts and muse from every stage
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Shadow leapt in with the next line
Come with us and you will see
This, our Ballroom Cleaning spree!

Jayoura brandished her broom with glee
This is Cleaning Spree, this is Cleaning Spree
Dust bunnies scream in the dead of night

The rest of the room joined in as Julian started a rain of old wax from the chandelier.
This is Cleaning spree, everybody dust and sweep
Spit and polish till the grime is gonna die of fright
It's our Ballroo, everybody clean
In this Ballroom Cleaning Spree

The dust bunnies started a mid air synchronised dance as SD started singing

I am the one with the broom of dread
Handle ground sharp and bristles of lead
She swung the broom and knocked a bunny to the ground

Adi found a dustpan and swept up her already enourmous pile of dirt
I am the one who is cleaning your stairs
Shining the marble and returning its flair

Everyone joined in again
This is Cleaning Spree, this is Cleaning Spree

Julian caught a rat just as it made a leap for safety from the Chandelier
Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree!
In this room, party's thrown
Everyone hail to the Cleaning song

Darius slapped a dust bunny that pirouetted too close
In this room, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise

Cricket took over again
Sweep that corner, and empty in the trash can
Bunnies waiting now to pounce, and how you'll...

SD Joyoura and Shadow executed a synchronised beating of a particuarly large and voracious lookng dust bunny.
Clean! This is Cleaning spree
No more dust and slimy green

Adi slid down the now rather cleaner banister on the starcase, a polishing cloth strapped around her waist
Aren't you grimy?

She landed beside Tara
Well, that's just fine
Sweep it once, mop it twice
Take a chance and shoo the dice
Ride on the vaccum to polish it bright

Rashta growled at the coweing dust bunnies in the cage
Everybody clean, everbody clean

Everyone brandished their glowing Dawn
In our Ballroom Cleaning Spree!

Jayora rubbed down the picture frames
I have the cloth with the grime-away face
Here over months now gone without a trace

Tara and Ashe whirled their cloths
We clean the "Ew" when you call, "Ew bleh?"
We clean the dust caking on your stairs

Adi snuck up on Kitten and smacked down a dust bunny about to bite her friend
I am the shadow on the dust at night
Sweeping your dust with the broom of fright

Everyone joined in again
This is Cleaning Spree! this is Cleaning Spree!
Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree!
Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree!

Julian swing upside down from the chandelier with a rat in each hand
Tender grimelings everywhere
Clean's no fun without a good flair

SD and Adi started on the dust filled corners holding urns and other ornate...things which always seemed neccessary on Ballrooms
That's our mess, and we must clean
In our Springtime Cleaning Spree!

Kitten
In this Hall
Ashe
Don't we love it now?

Julian leapt down from the chandelier
Mop and broom rack might catch you in the back
And sweeo like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Cleaning Spree!, everyone clean
Wont' ya please make way for a very special guy

Our broom rack is King of the cleaning patch
Everyone hail to the Cleaning King

Everone sang
This is Cleaning Spree! this is Cleaning Spree!
Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree! Cleaning Spree!

Tara swept away as the chandelier began to creak ominously
In this Hall where parties' thrown
Everyone hail to the cleaning song

Everyone ducked as the chandelier came crashing down
La la-la la, Cleaning spree! Cleaning Spree!

"Is it supposed to do that?" Kiten asked, Adi shrugged, "Well it's self assembling and on an automatic timer to rise again in ten minutes to carry on with the party, so it was probably just a stray dust bunny who set it off."

Kitten raised an eyebrow, "I didnt know we had a retractable chandelier."

"Either does Erik, in his various incarnations," Adi replied, "The budget just couldnt cope with the three a week we used to go through."

Jayora bounced over to where Rashta was scrubbing furiously at a marble statue.
"Rash-ta! I din know you could SING!" Rashta scrubbed harder.
"I don't."
"Yes you do..." she grinned. "Now, come on! Admit it was FUN!"
"mumblemumblemum." she raised an eyebrow.
"ALL RIGHT! I had....fun." she squeeled and hugged him around the waist.
"YAY!"
"Just....don't tell Hikaru?" Jayora smiled wickedly.
"Oh, of course not." Finished with her now slightly-smiling muse, she popped up beside Adi.

"Thanks for the song! I think everyone had fun with it...even old stick-in-the-mud here!" :lol:

Cricket, who had heard some of the more silly arguments on the chandalier subject, shook her head. "Maybe if Erik hadn't demanded diamonds for decorations and electrum for wiring, we could have fit it on the budget," she said dryly.

"Ever the perfectionist, our Erik," Tara grinned. "Didn't know you could sing, Cricket."

"I can't," she said, glaring at a dust bunny preparing to jump on SD. It stopped. "It's Queen's magic, I think. We're in the manor, the normal rules don;t apply."

Ashe nodded in agreement with Cricket's observation. "Definitely. I mean-," she paused, diving out of the way of an oncoming dust bunny, "where else is it normal for dust bunnies to mutate because of the surrounding magic?"

"Oh, ew." She muttered, tugging her boot from a particularly nasty goo puddle that glowed a worrying shade of bright purple. "Why did we have to wait this long to clean...? It's disgusting."

Rashta passed behind Ashe carrying a trash-bag full of...something to the doors of the Ballroom.
"I am unsure of your reasons for not cleaning, Miss Shadow, but as my authoress would say, 'without occasion, there is no motivation.' Perhaps you, and by 'you' I mean all DBCAians, simply had no reason for coming here, and thus allowed the bunnies," He winced as one scurried past his forepaw, "to mutate as they would." he smiled weakly. "Perhaps?"

Suddenly, a small pale hand appeared around the edge of the large door, pushing it open with a loud "OOMPH!" as a lanky girl with dark hair tripped inside the room.

"Sorry," she mumbled, straightening her clothes and rearranging her hair, "My bad, guys, my bad..." Sheri kicked a dust bunny who proceeded to shriek and scuttle out the door. "I'm supposed to be the mod here..."

She snapped her fingers and a bio hazard suit covered her shorts and tie-dye tank top. A mop and a swiffer duster appeared at her side.

"Well, I guess this is mostly my mess."

And she got to cleaning.


( :rolleyes:)

Jayora smiled as the Sheri got to work.
"I was waiting for one of you to show up! Nice meeting you. Oh, by the way, there's a rather large collection of....random objects under some of these furniture covers. What was the last party in here?" Rashta elbowed his way past, Kyoya immediately behind, holding a PDA. Kyoya pushed his glasses higher up on his nose and smiled condescendingly.

"My dear Karis, please remember that you can find such information by yourself by simply reasing the previous topics." He smiled again and moved on, giving directions to the other random muses that had appeared from Jayora's Muse Manor.
Jayora blushed as she looked up at Sheri.

"'spose he's right of course...Guess I'll go find out for myself! Be back in a tick!" She dumped her cleaning supplies into Hikaru's hands and bounced off to investigate. "TA!"

Ashe blinked a little, watching Jayora and her muses. They were oddly polite... It was rather creepy, really. She was rather more used to muses snarking their writer, and the writer in question snarking back. She shrugged, "Ah, well, each to their own."

She gave her cleaning rag a few firm shakes, curious to see whether or not any of the grime would come off or if it was a lost cause. None the various sludge, goop and dust so much as twiched. Ashe grimaced, lost cause it was then, and grabbed a new one after throwing her current one away. She cast a glance upwards and gave a little shudder. Ugh. Cobwebs everywhere. which meant that there were spiders everwhere too. Icky, creepy, crawly little bugs.

Everywhere.

Stuffing her new rag into her back pocket, Ashe marched determinedly off, muttering a list of nessary items under her breath. "I need a ladder, a can of bug spray, no, make that a huge can of bug spray, and Brooklyn." She nodded to herself and gave a little cackle. Brooklyn* would definitely take care of the little buggers. A little fire went a long way after all. And Brooklyn was very good with fire.

Ashe didn't care how much Howl liked spiders. They were going down.



* Brooklyn is a fairly recent OC muse of mine.

Sheri pulled a mason jar out of thin air and began chasing down the small eight-legged creatures into the container. She had a soft spot for Howl, not matter how much Demon couldn't stand him.

"Maybe he'll help me with my wardrobe," Sheri mumbled as she attempted to save as many as possible before they were swept up by Ashe.

Ashe snorted as she continued on the cleaning rampage.

"Anyway, it's true," Sheri yelled as she ran past Jayora with the jar of creepy crawlies, "I'm used to being emotionally abused by my muses." She put the jar of spiders on a shelf on the wall. "I haven't seen Jack in months," she walked back over to Ashe and whispered, "I think he's gone off with someone else, actually."

"Someone else? No!" Ashe frowned, tossing her rag from one hand to the other. "Maybe he's gone to a meeting for his little problem," she wriggled her eyebrows.

"Nahhh," Sheri swept screaming dust bunnies into a large pile before shoving them into a garbage bag that would need to be burned later so they wouldn't return, "I think he realized I wasn't going to enable him anymore."

"Strange..." Jayora said, looking to her muses and shrugging.

Darius grinned as the song ended. "These impromptu sing alongs are so much more mun when Gari isnt around... He sings the pants off everyone!"
Shadow rolled her eyes. "Yes, thats because Gari is a bard, along with being an insufferable grumpy bum and master swordsman. Anyway's, now that my nap has been disturbed I guess I should help with the cleaning..." she paused, gazing speculatively at Julian. "I am rather hungry though, gonna share the rats with me, Cat?"

Darius gagged slightly. "You have picked up way too many bad habits from him, why do we hang around with Julian again?"
Shadow poked her tounge out at her muse "because I like him, thats why! If you badger me about it again I'll toss you in the cage with the dust bunnies!"

SD rolled her eyes at the sing-along. Looking around for a moment, she spied what she was looking for propped against the wall by Sheri, who had just turned away to place the garbage bag full of dust bunnies with a rather large pile of creepy-looking garbage.

While Sheri's back was turned, SD swiped the broom and made her way back over to the corner she'd been working on. There was a rather disturbing pile of papers and debris that needing cleaning out.

As she swept, she revealed a rather battered copy of the 2nd edition of Playwizard....

"Well, what have we here?" SD mused. "This doesn't belong here. I'll just put this back in the Bathroom where it belongs."

SD cracked the magazine open and flipped through it. Her eyes grew rather round, and a devilish smile emerged on her face as she turned the centerfold so that both pages were in full view.

"Give me that!" Snape snarked as he snatched the magazine from SD's hands.

SD looked the tall, dark, scowling wizard up and down for a moment before meeting his eyes. A mischievious smile entered her eyes before she whistled at him, then turned and walked quickly away from him before he could hex her.

Sheri finally turned back around.

"HEY! Where's my broom?!"

Kyoya smirked at the outraged Snape.
"You know, Professor, I'll never figure out why women fawn over you." He then left a further-outraged Snape to stand open-mouthed as he left to find Jayora and Rashta.

CRASH!

"Owww..."

Everyone turned to stare at the hitherto undisturbed closet... well, a closet, there were SEVERAL closets in the ballroom, for *cough* closeting... things.

"Oh bugger," a voice issued from within the afore mentioned closet.

"Not yet, but we could always..."

"NO! Spike, don't-"

But it was too late, as a body was slammed up against the door, it broke open and a wave of bunnies spewed forth, closely followed by Demon who was crushed beneath Spike.

"Don't let them get away! I need those!" Demon scrambled out from under her shirtless muse, except for a long black leather duster.

"Aaaahhhh..." Spike sighed unhappily and got up, following Demon as she ran about collecting her precious mind-children.

"Hi Jay, hi Sara, hi Cricket, hi Adi," she greeted quickly, dashing for her fleet-footed fancies.

"Hi Ashe, hi Tara, hi Crimson," Spike added to the other three, rounding the other side of the ballroom.

"Got 'em?" Demon asked hurriedly as they met in the middle.

"Got 'em."

Demon nodded, "Okay, one two three...!" and on cue a portal opened up and Spike and Demon unloaded the mass of furry creatures into it.

"There, glad that's over with," Spike commented, turnign back to the room at large, who were all staring.

Demon was paying attention though, "You got it Doctor?"

"Yep, they- don't touch that!- are all here- no REALLY don't touch that!- Where do I- *crash* oh no!- take them?" his distracted voice came from somewhere... else.

"My room, count them make sure they're all there!"

The Doctor didn't respond, we can assume he was a little preoccupied saving his TARDIS from ravaging rabbits.

"Sorry about this... I'll detail the TARDIS for you!" she ended the conversation and turned towards everyone else as well.

"Hi-achoo!" she sneezed, snuffling a little.

"You're kidding!?" Ashe exclaimed, "we JUST got done cleaning!"

"No, it's the pine sol... makes my nose... achoo!" she snuffled loudly again, "Okay, think I'm better now. So... what's been going on?" she asked the still dumbfounded group.

"Hey! That's my Playwizard!!" Sheri yelled after Sara, but she had already disappeared off to the bathroom with Snape in tow. She turned slowly to see the scene Demon was causing and immediately went to hide the spiders before Edwina figured out she was keeping them for Howl.

"Spiiiiike, Demon, how nice of you to join our little cleaning party!" Sheri cooed, visibly glad the bunnies had been rounded up and the only thing left were piles of trash and the rogue dust!bunnies. "Sadly, you're a little late, we've got most of everything cleaned up." She removed her bio hazard suit and threw it in one of the 'black-hole' closets located on the Western wall.

"Just in the nick of time to not do any work," Spike purred smugly, whipping his head back and throwing a mocking smile towards the group of girls.

"Der!" Sheri harrumphed, turning away from the blonde-haired twit, picking up most of the garbage bags and walking to the recycling bin behind the mansion.

"Bless you." Jayora smiled. "ummm....Well, we started cleaning the ballroom awhile ago, fought off dozens of bunnies, vacuumed, swept and polished things...I think the chandelier is done?" She looked at the other DBCA girls. "Who was cleaning the chandelier? umm....Julian?" she huddled into her shoulders. "And I still see a TON of spiders crawling around and....SHRIEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!"

She climbed on top of Rashta so fast the startled Wolf-taur almost bolted. "S-s-s-Spider!!!!" Rashta rolled his eyes and calmly thrust the large arachnid into one of Sheri's mason jars.
"I'm afraid Jaya's a little bit arachnaphobic. Goes into shock or shrieks everytime she sees one...seen to many poisonous ones I guess. And a TON of wolf-spiders in the basement...a mean gigantic spiders! Never understood why they're called WOLF spiders though-"
"Rashta, you are rambling, and, as informative as it might be, it is distracting. Cease and desist, please." Kyoya shouldered his way past Jayora and Rashta to stand before the other DBCAians. "Forgive Rashta...He does this." Kyoya helped Jayora down from Rashta's back and smiled at her. "All better?"
"um...for now, maybe...." He took a glance at the still cobwebby ceiling. "Kaoru, go find Henrik? He can finish in here for us." Kaoru nodded, and rushed out.
"Henrik is a minor Wielder. His element is Air. He can have the ceiling done and the rest of the room finished in about...." The tall, grey-cloaked figure at the door interrupted them.

"KIREA DOL SUNIERA!" There was a brief flash of light, and the cobwebs vanished. All that was left of the squirmy, arachnidal mass was a small pile of dust and silk. the figure pushed back his hood to reveal piercing purple eyes and silver skin. His extremely pale blue hair reflected the slight lighting of the Ballroom.
"Hello. I am Henrik Gilderoy, of the Silver Citadel." Jayora smiled weakly.
'I don't know if I'm going to take heat for this guy....' she thought as Henrik made a bow.






EDIT: Sorry Sheri, I didn't see your post.....eep!

Demon grinned at Sheri for a moment, "I'd tell you to play nice, but... that would make me a hypocrite, and most of the time he deserves it anyway."

At that point, there was a scream and spiders poured forth in a seemingly endless raid, but just as everyone was starting to panic, they were all dissolved into a grey gooey substance that clung to the freshly cleaned walls and floor.

Ashe was about to pop several blood vessels, but Demon beat her to the shouting part, "AAAAHHHHHHH! What did you go and do that for?"

"Sp-sp-spiders!" Jay cringed, still shaking.

Henrik turned to a fuming Demon as he came out of his bow, "No need to thank... ow!" he said as Demon slapped him. Spike chortled behind her.

"NEVER kill spiders in my presence, got that? NEVER. I don't care about bloody phobias, run screaming into the next room asn let me deal with them, but you only kill them if no other option was available."

The various other DBCAs either nodded, shrugged and muttered angrily about more cleaning, or were arachniphobes themselves and just shook their heads.

"Well, wouldn't this qualify as extenuating circumstances?" Henrik tried to defend.

Spike shook his head, knowing the battle was lost.

"Absolutely not! So a few venomous spiders got loose big deal! I mean, if I panicked every time that happened..." Demon's righteousness was interrupted by Sheri cursing mildly. "Damn, that took me all day to collect those..."

"...what?" Demon blinked.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing at all..." Sheri covered quickly.

Henrik sighed and made a sweeping motion with his hand. All the Spiders came rushing back to life and swarmed back into the corners of the Ballroom.
His fangs showed as he snarled angrily. "I do as my authoress desires. I would give my very LIFE to save her. There they are, in all their glory. Have fun desposing of them all." He made another gesture and mutteres under his breath. all the gooeyness disolved into a small heap of dry dust that he moved into a trashbag. "Happy, Miss?" the fangs were still very much in evidence as he growled at her. "Or would you like your Ballroom spit-and-polished as well-" Kyoya grabbed the maddened Zendrith's shoulder and spoke in his ear. Henrik pulled away violently.

"I appologize for my...ungentlemanly behavior, Miss Demon, but Jayora's mental health is first and formost in my mind. Surely you've seen some of her more...mental posts? it is my firm belief that I must do everything in my power to help her. So, once again, my appologies."

Jayora POV.
Jay came out of her spider-induced shock to find Henrik desperately defending himself while kyoya tried to get his attention.
"HEY!! No fighting in the Ballroom! Henrik, thanks but no-thanks. Killing spiders and bringing them back only makes them angry, and I hate it when they're angry!" she pushed Henrik away from Demon. "Be nice to the girls, Henrik, or so help me I will remove your powers and send you to Kidonia!"

Spike snarled and went all vampy behind her, "Back off."

"Cool it Spike, you know I can handle myself, what with my... how shall we say, specialities..."

Demon turned her attention to Henrik, "But, now we understand each other. Obviously, I meant no ill to your authoress, but I have my own standards to worry about... speaking of which," Demon glanced at the fully invigorated spiders, muttered something quickly and the spiders were instantly attracted to her.

"Spike, we brought a bag right?"

He pulled one out and tossed it to her.

"Where was that?" Jay inquired.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Spike returned, fading back to normal.

"Spike... no flirting with the other muses authoresses, you know that half of them can't compete," she smiled slowly at him, collecting the spiders into the bag.

Spike smirked too, "Oh alright, I'll be... dull," he promptly sat down in the nearest chair, which happened to be next to Delenn and Snape, who were, as usual, fighting about something or other. "So, what's new with you two?" Spike asked politely, receiving a detah glare from both parties.

"There now," Demon tied up the bag, "No harm done, and easily taken care of," she demonstrated by throwing open the nearest closet and dumping the bag within, "And no worries Jay, just be grateful he wasn't named Howl."

So saying, Demon peered around for her favourite punching bag muse...

Jayora shivered at the sight of the spiders in the bag.
"um...gr." Rashta leaned over .
"Eh, what was that?"
"um...n. nothing! I just saw someone controlling spiders...it...was kinda freaky." Henrik arched an eyebrow at Spike.
"Believe me, you little fledgling, my authoress has been Pledged to greater newborns than you, let alone vampires in general." he snorted. "Not even to mention the Zendrith." jayora broke in on his mockery.
"Um, what about Howl? I know him...I think."

"OY! Fledgling!? FLEDGLING?! 130 years old and you DARE to call me a fledgling?! Oh mate, are you in for it..." Spike was in his face in less than a second.

Half-heartedly Demon latched onto his arm to hold him back, "Spike..." she ighed, "just hold on a minute before you break his face..."

"Love, this is my fight, not yours!" he growled angrily, going vamp, not moving a millimeter.

"Yes, you're right, and if I can't sort this out, I'll LET you break his face, but you are my responsiblity and your actions affect my rep and Jay's new, she can't control him very well yet..." this was directed snidely at Henrik.

"Are you implying that I'm unmanageable?!" Henrik accused, bristling himself.

Demon stepped between the two undead hotheads, "That I am, junior. Yeah, that was an insult too. Listen, you mess with my muses, you mess with me to, and you DON'T want to repeat Howl's mess..." The DBCAs and respective muses crowded in, worried that their clean ballroom was about to have blood spilled in it, recalling the last time Demon got angry with a muse.

"Believe me, it's no honor topping him on my black list..." she continued, temper flaring ever so slightly. Demon's eyes switched from their normal green to a flame bright red, her hands clenching into trembling fists, "You DON'T. Now, before I wipe the floor with your face, or let Spike do it for me, take a look at your authoress."

Henrik, who was close to boiling over, turned to Jay, who was looking upset and biting her lip.

"The decision is yours mate," Spike spoke softly, having calmed down when Demon took over.

Henrik's voice was dangerously quiet.
"I'm sorry love, but I'm being challenged." jayora nodded. "you will not touch him, Henrik. Say what you wish, but do no bodily harm. Or I will regret saving you from Kijent." Henrik's face was an immobile mask. "As you wish." He turned his metallic face towards Spike and Demon.
"When I say you are a fledgling, it is because I can see at a glance that you are less that 200. That counts as a fledgling in MY book, and, believe me, I WROTE it. Ever heard of Armand? Pandora? Amira? Marius? My Authoress has been Pledged to ALL of them at one time or another. Also, Demon, I am not a vampire. I am Zendrith. We are the Lords of the Silver Citadel beneath the Northern Sea. Our fangs are a callback to the older days when all a man had for safety were what he had on his body. A time when there were no weapons to be had in the destruction of our island. I wish no quarrel with you, Spike." His voice was still steelly and cold. "But I will fight when you rile me. I have no control over my impulses. I am a berserker of the worst kind. In a fight, I could as easily overpower you as a Drow over a week-old child. Do not tempt me...It has been too long since I have tasted the air of death...But not here. I swore to the master that I would spill no blood while I am bound to Jayora. Unless she releases me, I will do her bidding." His icy eyes mocked as he returned Spike's words. "The choice is yours.....mate."

Sheri stood mumbling, "My spiders... Wanted them for Howl... Beauty potions... Haircut, man I need one... Make me pretty..." when all of a sudden.

BOOM!

A loud tinkling of jewelry and trinkets accompanied by the thuds of boots on the marble floor of the ballroom made everyone turn as a very drunk Jack Sparrow entered the room.

"That's Captain to you, love," he purred as he walked by Sheri, knowing the contents of her mind all too well. "And to the rest of ye!" He stumbled towards the two muses who had resumed their staring match, their fists clenched and teeth exposed.

"Now, now, lads, let's all just settle down and have a bit of rum, eh?" Jack pulled out--

"CAPTAIN!" He announced, his slurred voice echoing. Sheri sighed, Captain Jack pulled out a large flask of rum. "Now, why don't we all just take part in a 'peace pipe' of sorts... Not really a peace pipe when it's rum, eh?"

He smiled lopsidedly, exposing his dirty smile.

Sheri palm-handed before taking the flask and having a drink herself.

"Bottoms up, love!"

henrik :blink: Rum? RUM?! Eomer butted back in from wherever the heck he went
"Rum.....meh. not as good as Ale, but it'll do....i spose." jayora shook her head.
"Men and their alcohol." Henrik glanced over at spike, who was gingerly holdign a bottle of his own.
"HEY! Fledge-er, Vamp! If you can't down the stuff, pass it to someone who CAN and it'll be my last word on the subject."

Spike's eyes burned with loathing, "THAT'S IT!" he chugged the bottle in two seconds and would have decapitated Henrik if Demon hadn't caught him by the shoulder before he got there and sent him back.

"Well aren't you mister high and mighty," Demon scoffed, "Jay, are you sure it was a bright idea bringing him here? He just admitted he has no control... honestly, that's something that drives me crazy, but since you're bound, it's a bit like Spike's chip..."

She turned to Spike, who was sulking angrily, lip curled, "Your fight's over, love. Sorry." Spike pulled out another bottle and flung himself on the obliging chair from earlier, speaking to no one and glaring a black hole into the carpet.

"But, mine isn't. You want to play the age game? I'm sixteen, know how old my soul is? It's unrecorded, that's how old. And I could always bring out my Doctor, he was there, all of it, and the future, and everything in between... of course, Jay alreayd knows this, so I need not go into detail, " Demon was thoroughly enjoying ticking him off, it was too late for peace on her end. He'd pricked one too many nerves, and she was not going to stop.

"As for a battle, you're dealing withy forces beyong your kin, my friend. So you're a big-shot animal from some long-lost war planet, whoop de freakin' doo. You got fangs, and muscles, and no indiscretion, and I note, a significant lack of dignity when it comes to hygiene. I have several alter-egos belonging to a series of different fandoms, I've never rolled them all into one, but would you like to be the first to find out? I have a dreadful feeling I might go supernova and blow us all to kingdom come... have you been? It's lovely this time of year."

The other DBCA's sensed it was really getting about time to step in, particularly Cricket.

"Demon, you know you can't do that..."

"Can't I? You could too, a lot easier than I can."

"Yes, but I won't."

"It's not your pride at stake."

"You have nothing to prove," she reminded Demon.

"He's underestimating me because I'm 'young'," Demon hissed, eyes narrowing into hell-fire slits.

"And that's his bad, but we all remember last time and there have been several preventative measures taken os that it COULDN'T happen again..."

"How bad is this place rigged if I loose it?"

"Vashta-Nerada bad."

Demon sighed, "Damn... and it was just getting good. God, you know I need to get out when I start enjoying these spells..."

Demon abandoned the furious Zendrith and flopped on Spike's lap wearily, grabbing the bottle, "Gimme that..." she took a swig, "Erg... blood." She handed it back, "You should've warned me."

Spike rolled his eyes and sucked on the bottle himself.

Henrik grinned madly.
"Well La de frickin da! Teh Demon has a TEMPER!" Jayora face-palmed
"RIGHT! I'VE HAD IT!" She tore the sleeve off her right arm baring a moon and Raven tatoo. "HENRIK! KNEEL OR SO HELP ME-" henrik was forced to his knees in front of the irate Authoress. "Henrik...." the zendrith sighed he knew what was coming. he graped her right wrist and brought it to his forehead.

"I ask for the return of my oath, as I am in violation of the ties that bind me." his voice was barely controlled as he tried to glare across at Spike.
"Henrik Zendrith, ki asul do kirath! Duir a ni Airi ka! sul a mir..." The brief incantation was brought to halt in a brief flash of blue light. the last thing Spike saw was the anger-filled eyes of Henrik staring, anguished, into those of Jayora.
"I'm sorry...." the whisper lasted only as long as the light.

Spike snorted, "Good riddens... bloody git was about to loose it... or you'd loose it for him," he smiled savagely down at Demon.

She hugged him a little tighter, "What am I if not an atom bomb waiting to happen?"

Jay shuffled forward, "I'm so sorry about that, really. He's just... too much to handle sometimes."

Demon nodded, "Understood, we just won't have them in the same room next time... of course, most of my muses are hot-blooded... the Doctor wouldn't mind, being a pacifist, I'll bring him next time. Just warn me before dear Henrik appaers, he's not number two on my black list... Do understand, it's not personal. Howl belongs to sis, Ashe, but that doesn't stop anything... Oh, and if anything ever goes wrong for me unexpectedly, I will throw him into another dimension and beat him into a temporary paralysis if I have to if I think he'd do it, so... make sure I don't think he'd do it."

"She's not kidding, you know," Spike added wisely.

Jayora smiled dimly.
"Henrik is....Zendrith. They are fire and ice, fierce, proud, and out of control. they are like drow, I suppose. However, Zendrith actually have morals. henrik was a prince of the third family before he Pledged himself to me." She glanced at Rashta.
"Perhaps I should explain Pledging. Usually, it only happens between humans and Vamps. The human pledges blood in exchange for protection, and there is no master. However, with Henrik, he pledged protection in exchange for knowledge. I told him everything I ever learned from the Ancients, and he has taken care of me ever since. What you just saw was a dissolution of that Pledge. Henrik asked me to return his freedom since he had violated the agreements we made that he would shed no blood...in truth he did not, but we all know he WOULD have. thus, I returned him to the Citadel." she looked at her watch. "HEAVENS! I must get back to my room....Long day tomorrow. Kyoya, Eomer, Rashta. WE must leave now." She smiled back over her shoulder at Demon and Spike, "No hard feelings?"

Adi stretched lazily as she tossed her broom into a corner and seated herself on a balcony rail.
"You're not going to go all speciest and join the fight are you love?" she asked Julian. The Vampire sniggered, "When I have an absolutely delicious little Bug and Kitten to play with?" he looped his arm around Adi as Crimson came and sat on his other side.

"A very good point." Adi mused.

"Besides," Julian continued, "Cant you just call our Grand High Fang in to do that for us?"

"I could," Adi shrugged, "But you know how he gets about being told to do anything so inherently stupid."

"You're just scared of him."

"He is the one who spawned all darkness Julian, he is fifty thousand years old, I am not his Marianne and I do not control him. Now do I look like I'm trying to take Jack's rum away?"

"Tha's Captain to ye" Jack slurred.

Julian scowled, "I wish I was fifty thousand, or twenty, or anything with a big number in it."

Adi rolled her eyes, "You'll be two hundred and sixty three in October, its a start. " Julian shifted slightly.

"And dont you dare call Lilya in here!" Adi said sharply. Julian laughed. "It would teach them..." he muttered.

"So would putting the rule about Erik and spiders in the Rule Book, the answer is still no."

Julian sighed, "Fine."

Kitten slid off the Balcony and started stalking a Daddy Long Legs creeping along the floor, "Careful Kitty-cat," Julian warned, "No killing Spiders in front of Erik."

Kitten gave him a look. As only cat's can it was a "Do you think I'm stupid?" look that if any human had tried it, it would have been akin to Alan Rickman talking like a chipmunk.

Cats know how to be disdainful.

The rest of the DBCA looked around worriedly, then relaxed slightly as they realised no one's Erik was currently present.

Adi rolled her eyes again and leaned against Julian, pulling out a magazine.
"Hey where did Delenn and the Professor go?" Julian whipped his head around seeking out the snarkiest couple of the mansion. Adi shrugged, opening up the tattered copy of Playwizard. "Dont look at me, SD just borrowed my camera and ran off muttering something about updating her photo album."
She opened the Centrefold and her eyes widened like saucers. "Well now," she purred, "Happy birthday to me indeed..."

Demon nodded, "'Course not," the glanced over at Adi and her equally sexy vampire, "What was that about spiders Adi?"

"The Erik-spiders rule," she replied lazily.

"See, that's why I saved them! I haven't killed a spider since..." Demon returned to her own conversation, "Figured him to be a princeling. His pride just had that annoyingly royal air to it... yuck, makes me sick, those bloody tyrannical nances..."

"Ouch," Spike commented, continuing to nurse his warm blood.

"Then again, I have Roshaun, so what am I talking about... still, his ridiculous pride is just a mask, it's not real... Parental rpessure and all that..." she and Spike nodded at each other, agreeing about the trials of growing up.

Sheri began rolling around on the floor like a maniac, making kitty noises and purring. She arched her back and began crawling around the floor looking for some spare yarn.

"Mew, mew," Sheri called, nuzzling against Jack's leg.

"What the bloody--" but he was cut off, as Sheri pounced on his chest, taking him down to the floor and smacking his head on the marble, his hat flying.

"I'm a panther! A black panther..." and Sheri continued to stalk, hiding behind a discarded couch and grooming herself.

Cricket, not yet noticing Sheri, walked over to Adi. "Can I please get those automatic muzzles one day? I'll be good..."

Sirius poked his head in. "Demon, your whatsit broke and Erik is composing a song about spiders now, Remus figured you all should know. And Cricket, being good isn't always a good thing..."

Cricket looked at him, green eyes turning creepy-shadow-dancer-y. He raised an eyebrow.

"You are probably the third scariest bird I know. Lily's still first, always will be. After the "shopping" incident, Adi's number two."

The Queen grinned wickedly at that, remembering that little... problem. Spike looked at the snickering Cricket.

"I want to hear this," he declared.

"There was a nasty bit of work bugging us a while back," Sirius started, sitting on Cricket's ever-present hammock.

"He managed to get Adi and Julian alone," Cricket added, "And this wizard- student of Kemmler's-" she grinned as Spike's eyes went wide.

"I thought they died! They got every bleedin' wizard in that universe's Council to do it!"

"They thought the same of Kemmler," Adi pointed out amusedly. "Hence why they made sure he turned out extra-dead the second time."

"Who's Kemmler?" Jay asked.

"Evil, evil dude, necromancer, responsible for World War One," Sheri said airily.

"What, the whole thing?" Jay asked, sitting on the still-damp floor. Sirius aimed a drying charm on the floor. Everyone glared at him, realizing he could have saved them a LOT of work. Except Cricket, who was just giggling and wishing for her camera.

"Wizards live a long time, when they don't die," she said nonsensically, poking a burnt-out sconce. "Four of his stundents survived- Corpsetaker, Darth Bathrobe, etc. Anyway, one of them- I'm not saying which, got them alone. Adi handed the wizard's head in a shopping bag to his employer and said she wanted to make a return." She looked at Adi. "No more Bujold for you."

Spike burst out laughing.

Demon looked at Sheri, "Did you drink scrumble?"

"Kitty wants candy." Sheri purred, rolling herself up in a lush blanket and mewing softly to herself.

"I thought you were a black panther?" Jack slurred, but he was sobering up quickly what with his authoress acting like a deranged lunatic.

"I... Am... A shadow in the night!" She shouted, darting up and pouncing on top of a wardrobe.

"Who knew she could do that?" Ashe muttered.

"She's a panther," Jack chortled, "Apparently panthers can do that."

"That must be her power then... kitty-panther...ness," Demon shrugged.

"My which whatsit broke? I have many whatsits Sirius... and keep in mind, depending on which one, I will storm out of here after demanding to know who broke it..." she waited expectantly for one of the dynamite duo (no, not dynamic, dynamite, literally) to explain.

Spike smiled a little in thought after Cricket's disclosure, still chuckling a little. Demon enjoyed the sensation of his laughs vibrating through her body... it tickled.

Rashta's eyes went wide as he stared at Sheri.
"Can humans do that?" Eomer's hand inched towards his sword...
"I don't believe she IS human..." Jayora gave him a Look.
"We have caused enough trouble in this Manor, you stupid idiot men! Now cut it out, before I peace-bond all your weapons and force Rashta to wear a muzzle!" Rashta wilted.
"You wouldn't?" Eomer's hand left his sword-hilt.
"Oh yes she would!" Kyoya's arm slipped around Jayora's shoulder and he whispered something in her ear. She grinned.

"Really? Well....Tell him I'll be right out."