Homecoming

Calixta released Bastian and stepped towards her door, pressing her palm against the wood until she heard a click. 

"Newly installed security measures...very handy too, it'll be easier to get in next time I'm sloshed," she joked, remembering the last time he'd helped her home. "It's a bit different than last time...I had Julia and Adrian over and they insisted I needed to redo the place. I suppose they thought maybe if my flat looked nicer I'd want to spend more time in it. Although it really didn't turn out to be necessary," she concluded, smiling at Bastian.

She had clearly fought to retain her minimalist sensibilities -- it was, after all, her flat, she she refused to allow herself to be bullied into someone else's aesthetic tastes. Adrian had talked her into painting the walls a soft grey with simple white borders, and the floors were a darker wood with a glossy finish rather than the dramatic black and white marble Julia had suggested. Although she had also vetoed a floor-to-ceiling aquarium on the grounds that she wouldn't be around enough to feed the fish -- truly wishful thinking on their part -- there was instead a massive black screen which took up one entire wall, movie-theatre style. To go along with the theme, all of the apartment's lights were hung on the ceiling, antique movie set lights salvaged rather industriously by Julia. 

A massive white couch that could probably sleep about seven adults was the only piece of furniture in the room other than the television and the rug in front of it, which was also white. There was a corridor directly across from the front door which led to Calixta's bedroom and bathroom, and the guest bedroom and bathroom, while the all-white country-style kitchen and dining area was opposite the massive television screen. The early morning light streamed in through a large picture window over the kitchen sink and threw rainbows on the floor where it pinged off of retro stainless-steel appliances.

"So, erm...whaddya think? I'm kind of sucker for that old-fashioned look, clearly." She looked around the place, taking it all in herself. It did look terribly appealing -- to her, anyway -- she had to give Adrian and Julia their due. 

"I'm going to go take a shower and then pass out, but you're welcome to stay and make yourself at home if you're not busy. You didn't say whether you took the day off or if you just took off," she joked, kicking off her shoes at the door and stepping inside.

Bastain looked over the place finding it very nice looking, it siuted her quite well realy.

"Very nice Darlin.. Thank ya" he sad following her inside, they had smiler tasts he found.. thought her were brighter and more beautiful. Which came to no surprise to her really.

He decided he would stay until she fell asleep at least, then head back to the ministry and find out what he could on the attack. See if there was anything left that he could find out that would be helpful.. perhaps even speack with one Wizenagmot offical. This was an attack by the radicals... and they were getting more violent now. Attacking already magic families rather then just muggle born children.. murdering even the parents now.. it was just to far.. and things would only get worse if those were there intentions.

He also wanted to see his brother that day as well. Thank him for letting him know about Calixta and see if he needed a night out after what happened with Kate... He had a feeling he might.

He chuckled at her tease.. "Told me client to rescadual for a later meeting.. he's likely ranting... but .." he let it off with a shrug.. he didn't really care about this particular client.. an over grown brat in his opinion. He'd his best in his case.. he'd likely already won from the witnesses he had.. wouldn't recue his client from marriage problems.. but ah well the mans own fault.

'Its good to be me own boss more or less" he said lightly.

Calixta winced at the thought of Bastian having to go back to an angry client, but had to admit the idea of being able to make her own hours was appealing. "Maybe I chose the wrong career path, then. I wanted to travel, but then again so do you -- and you get to choose where and when. I just go where I'm told. Guess it's not as much freedom as I really thought."

It was a bit late to be re-examining her career path when she'd be able to retire so soon, anyway. Just three more years -- how bad could it be? Calixta looked at Bastian for a moment, really taking the sight of him in. She'd joked about quitting to him awhile back, but it really wasn't -- or it didn't have to be, anyway. With her family's fortune she needn't have ever worked a day in her life if she didn't want to, but she was proud and wanted to make her own way, and they'd let her. She sighed, knowing full well that her own stubbornness would never let her quit without seeing it through, so close to the end.

"Erm, well -- there's the television, it runs on magic of course, so it gets just about every channel you could possibly imagine. And the kitchen -- the fridge is empty, but there's stuff in the cupboards, if you're feeling peckish. Or Floo your order in someplace -- I've got a tab running just about every place that delivers in Diagon Alley, so you've just got to call it in and they'll tell you how to use the Apparition service if you ask. Oh, and the fireplace is in my bedroom. Erm, ok! I'm off, then." Calixta headed down the hall into the bathroom connected to her room, very pleased at the prospect of getting out of her soiled robes. Which reminded her, that she ought to send Julian a note or something, thanking him for his efforts but letting him know they'd no longer be required -- which she did, and sent off to the post office before she showered.

Knowing Bastian was awkwardly making himself comfortable in her flat, she took a rather quicker shower than she'd have liked, and made her way back into the living room with wet hair and a simple housecoat within thirty minutes.

Bastain wasn't to concerned when it came to entertainment.. with this kinda thing anyway.. with the day as it had been.. so he settled himself to simply look around and wait... wait he was waiting for.. he supposed he merely wanted to make sure Calixta would be alright before he went off with his other plans..

He looked up when she came out in her housecoat and her hair all wet, "Feel a bit better now Lass?" he asked patting a hand on her arm.

"Loads," Calixta replied, making herself comfortable on the couch. "I'm going to sleep like the dead," she told him, and then winced.

"Ahhh...you know what I mean. Clearly the sleep-deprivation is getting to me. I could fall asleep right here." She stretched out comfortably on the couch and closed her eyes, yawning hugely.

"Are you really gonna watch me sleep, or has the big important lawyer got more important things to do?" she joked with a smile, keeping her eyes closed.

Bastain chuckled and shook his head, "Nothing so creepy Lass, I keep ya company till ya fall asleep and then head to the ministry.. see what I can learn about what happened... and then drop in and see me Brother later" he said as he conjured a blanket placed it over Calixta. It seemed she would be fast asleep within the moment anyway.

"Owl me if you get any news Lass" he said into her ear then kissed her forehead.

"'f course," Calixta mumbled, pulling the blanket closer and settling in. Now that her veins weren't brimming over with adrenaline, and she was all warm and comfortable, it seemed astounding that she'd gone without sleep for so long. She reached up and tugged Bastian towards her, peeking her eyes open so she could give him a goodbye kiss.

"I love you," she told him with a sleepy smile, closing her eyes again. "Have fun with Julian. Not too much trouble," she joked, her thoughts getting a bit jumbled in her sleepiness. She slipped away to sleep a few moments later, her hand still stretched out towards his.

Bastian smiled as Calixta fell asleep, he kissed her hand, "Love ya to Lass" he said getting up to stand he put her hand back at her side..

Now to head to the ministry and find out more on the attack if he could... perhaps anything that could help... Then see if he find Julian, he had to admit he was worried for his younger brother aswell with the note he had initaily sent..

With that thought in mind he let himself out.

Night had fallen when Calixta woke from her sleep, hearing something tapping at her window. It took her a long moment to remember where she was, and why, but when she did, she nearly tripped over the blanket in her haste to open the window and let the owl in. The familiar chestnut-coloured owl was her mother's -- probably wondering where she was with dinner, Calixta guessed, eyeing the clock hanging in the kitchen that said it was nearly 9pm.

She grabbed an owl nut from a jar on her counter and fed it to the bird absent-mindedly as took a seat at the counter to open the letter. What lay within, she hadn't seen coming, lulled into a false sense of security in thinking that the immediate danger had passed.

The letter slipped from her fingers, drifting softly onto the clean wooden floor. It was swiftly followed there by several large tears which escaped the confines of the hand which she brought to her face. The letter had been short -- a note, really.

Rian's gone. Room 312. x Mum

Somehow Calixta made her way back to the pristine white couch and threw herself on it, sobbing wretchedly. Rian, not three years old. She couldn't think how Percy was taking this. At least he'd had the family there with him...but with just him and Innis left, his own family had taken a huge hit. And Innis could go any second, too.

Wiping her tears, Calixta walked to her room and flung open her wardrobe, grabbing the first clean set of robes her fingers touched and throwing them on shakily. She ran a comb through her hair and brushed her teeth, and was stepping into the fireplace less than fifteen minutes after the letter had arrived.