[Celtic]

A strange man lounged in the single chair in the huge ballroom he was inhabiting. Dust covered almost all surfaces in here-- save the many tracks of footprints this man presumably left while going in and out of the room. He wore a dingy smoking jacket and his legs were crossed in front of him, his eyes were unblinking and his gaze unfocused, he was here but his mind was clearly somewhere else. His face was elongated, and his eyes were narrow. He was pale, with deep dark circles under his eyes and wrinkles prematurely aging his features.

The book in his lap slowly inched away, threatening to clatter to the ground but a small creature skittered across his lap retrieving it. Still on the man's lap, the creature waved in front of the man's eyes and it tutted. He was travelling again, glimpsing somewhere else. Satisfied with it's endeavors, the little thing left his lap and jumped lithely to the ground, taking the book with it.

[Celtic]

"C'mon I think I see a house up there! We're almost somewhere safe. Just a little bit further."

Two girls were approaching the large, decrepit mansion. They were battered, bruised and dirty. One was older-- perhaps 19? Early 20s? It was hard to tell with her features mottled with swelling and dirt. The younger one seemed ready to pass out from exhaustion. Her steps were wobbly, and here eyes only half open. Long since dried tears marked both of their cheeks, clearing paths through the dirt.

The older one clamped an iron grip on the younger, dragging her now. "Just... a bit... further..." Adrenaline pumped through her veins, keeping her pushing through the pain and exhaustion. A few hundred meters and they would be inside the iron gates.

[Celtic]

The crystalline hunter cleared it's throat as it entered the room. "Sir, pardon this interruption. We have guests."

The man in the chair jumped at the noise and blinked rapidly before pulling out a small dropper and dripping a liquid into both eyes. "We have what?" He responded finally, clearly surprised. The hunter coughed once more.

"Ah, guests, sir. Two young ladies." The man stood up, and just blinked at the hunter. "They appear to be in some trouble." He finally added.

"Send them away. We are not a home for troubled souls."

"I don't think that wise." The man's eyes narrowed at the defiance. He wasn't often challenged in his own home. The hunter shifted their weight between their left and right side. "They need help."

[Celtic]

Levie was surprised when they were admitted to the home without a fight. They'd been greeted by a sharp edged lion and taken directly to a room with a bath and a sink. The lion creature had sent for clean clothes and mentioned they were going to inform the homeowner of the girls' presence. Levie was nervous for that, she looked at her sister, who had simply passed out on top of the covers on the bed. They needed a place to rest desperately, they couldn't continue at this pace or without help any longer. She started the bath, if they were going to be accepted, she shouldn't present herself or her sister to the homeowner as dirty street rats.

[Celtic]

The man's face distorted, was his servant truly disobeying? For strangers that he plucked off the street? He rubbed his brow, sighed and got up. "Jackle, I'm not really in the mood right now. Please send the two away." His voice hardened to communicate that he wasn't to be argued with, but the hunter didn't sway.

"Sir, I will allow them to rest here. You needn't do anything," and Jackle left the room. Cosby shook his head as the now empty ballroom and scuffed his feet along the floor, stirring up the dust. What had gotten into him? He wondered, but sat back down all the same. Not like he could really do anything. Sure, he could yell at Jackle, but sacking him wasn't an option. The creature was bonded to the house.

[Celtic]

"You'd think after starving for a week you'd be lighter." Levie grunted, trying to pull the younger girl off the bed. She had washed herself and now it was time for the other to get a bath but she wasn't waking up. Even with the rough pulling and yanking, she hardly even stirred.

Levie was breathing hard now. She managed to pull her sister a few feet to the edge of the bed, but wasn't sure how to get her down gently. Humming and hawing, she thought a moment before grabbing the pillows and placing them where her sister would fall off the bed before climbing back up and shoving her unceremoniously off the bed.

[Celtic]

That woke the sister up, and unfortunately she screamed. It wasn't a bad reaction, no one could really blame her for it. She was dead asleep and then falling-- actually falling! Levie jumped off after her and covered up her mouth quickly with a very loud shush. "Cara you're safe. You're safe. You're safe. You wouldn't wake up!"

Cara slowly understood the scene she was in and slowly relaxed under Levie's grasp and then rubbed her eyes. She was still, very, very tired. "I just need to sleep sissy. Please..." The pleading tugged at Levie's heart and she smiled sadly, "I just need to get you cleaned up first. Then you can sleep."

[Celtic]

Cara nodded and Levie helped strip her down and hoist her into the tub. The water was fairly dirty already and Levie was nervous to draw a second bath. This would just have to do for now. Cara sleepily started scrubbing her body just with her hands-- they weren't given washcloths and Levie wasn't sure where to ask for them. But, it appeared the screaming had drawn some attention.

"Ahem." Came a noise at the door. Levie jumped, and ran to shield her sister with her body. Thankfully it was just the weird lion. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, uh yes. Sorry, my sister was just, uh, scared is all. Thank you."

[Celtic]

Jackle didn't question them at all, just curtly nodded his head. "You may wish to run another bath. Not sure that water will clean anyone anymore."

Levie stared, "Oh, um yes. Thank you. We will." Jackle gave them a look before nodding again and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Levie hadn't realized how tense she'd become, but noticeably relaxed when he left. She didn't know if they were safe yet, but she wasn't in any position to turn down these kindnesses. They needed rest if they were going to fight anymore.

"Alright Cara, you heard him. Let's draw a fresh bath."

[Celtic]

Cosby took it upon himself to tell the kitchen staff of the newcomers so that they would make a bit of extra food, Jackle always took good care of people so they would be fed whether or not Cosby allowed it. Of course the kitchen staff wasn't anything more than a few apparitions. As a child, he had loved to watch the ghostly people do their tasks. His parents told him that these were people who worked here once upon a time and had strong enough passions for their work to manage to still influence the living world. It was fascinating.

[Celtic]

Jackle had come back about 30 minutes later to collect the young women for dinner. He- or someone- had set three places at the formal dining table. Someone had recently done a flurry of cleaning, as the table and chairs were spotless, but if you dared to glance up you'd see the cobwebs now highlighted with a layer of dust. Cosby was already seated at the table and scowling when Jackle led Levie and Cara into the room.

"Ah yes, these are our two runaway guests." His voice was deep and disapproving, yet had a fatherly tone about it. Cara tensed immediately and Levie stepped in front of her as a shield.

[Celtic]

Jackle spoke very stiffly in response, "The older is Levie and the younger is Cara." He pulled out their chairs to help the two get seated. "I'm sure you all will enjoy dinner," he sent a glare towards Cosby before bowing slightly and padding out of the dining room.

The two girls were silent, Levie's hand squeezed Cara's thigh, attempting to be reassuring. Cosby sighed, "Well, now is your time to plead your case to me if you've got one."

Cara jumped at the sound of his voice and opened her mouth to start talking, but Levie spoke first, "Thank you sir for your hospitality, but we are in trouble and I'm not sure who to trust."

[Celtic]

Cosby's eyebrows arched in response and he stirred his drink. "Oh, in trouble you say? With whom?" Levie swallowed hard and brought her eyes to meet Cosby's. They were a well of sadness and desperation.

"W-we don't know sir." Cara's small voice answered. "We've been running a week now, but please don't send us back. We won't survive."  

Cosby sized up the two girls. Levie was older, but couldn't be more than a few years and they were clearly both underage. He thought a moment-- who would want these two? And why were they in such danger? Cosby hummed and took a drink.

[Celtic]

"And why won't you two survive?" He finally asked, but before the girls could answer the kitchen doors opened and apparitions flooded in. Cara shrieked and pulled her legs up to her chest, hugging them. Levie's eyes grew wide as she viewed the apparitions.

Cosby couldn't help himself, he broke out in laughter. The poor girls were so frightened but these ghosts were utterly harmless. They could only affect the real world as it applied to their jobs. He attempted to choke back his laughter to reassure the girls, "No, no it's okay. They're good. They're serving us dinner." Of course it came out garbled, but surely his point got across.

[Celtic]

The apparitions didn't seem bothered by the outburst and continued their job, setting their various dishes on the table. They'd taken the extra guests seriously and brought out a huge spread. The girls mouths were salivating and they were thoroughly distracted from the ghosts. Cara glanced at Cosby, "Can we?" He simply gestured to go ahead and the girls launched themselves at the food. They took helpings of every single plate and shoveled it into their faces. Cosby simply watched for a few minutes, waiting for them to slow down slightly before making himself a plate. Where ever they had come from, they hadn't been eating well.