Tale as Old As Time [Finished]

[yamikuronue]

"Of course. Do you take honey? Almond milk? Fresh Fruit? Rosanna has been up and eaten, but I gave her the day off today just in case, so I don't expect to see much of her." Siegfried begins getting out fixings to make oatmeal -- those blackberries he had been meaning to use up would go well with oatmeal, he reasons, with the almond milk to add a rich nutty flavor...

[accalia]

Echo smiles gently at the news delivered to him by Siegfried.

"Other than the previously mentioned self imposed dietary restriction this one is not picky. Prepare the meal as you see fit. this one is also glad to hear the lady is up and about..."

A brief coughing fit wracks Echo's body, expelling more black mucus onto a cloth hastily raised

"This one trusts that the lady is feeling better today? any untoward complications?"

[yamikuronue]

"She was in much better spirits, and the fever seems to have gone." Siegfried, hiding his merriment behind his typical stoic steward-face, nevertheless delights in not only preparing the oatmeal with berries, but adorning the top with a pair of berries and two basil leaves to make a cute little garnish before he serves it, sitting down with his own omelette.

"And yourself?"

[accalia]

On receiving the food Echo bows his head, interlocks his hands, and soundlessly speaks a prayer. His lips move so quickly that it is impossible to read them. On completion he looks up again and smiles.

"Thank you for the meal, this one is extremely grateful for it. As to how this one is feeling... tired, sore... the darkness was very deep, clutching at the very lifespring, trying to smother it. this one is far more experienced in dealing with the wounds of a battlefield, as you can see, and was greatly challenged in this.... endeavor. It will be several days before this one rids oneself of the darkness, and a month or more before full recovery."

Echo pauses and begins eating, showing a very healthy appetite. When he is about half way through the meal he pauses again.

"This one also appears to have stained the duvet in ones room with the leavings of yesterday's endeavor. This one apologizes and recommends that you do not attempt to wash it out, it should be cleansed in fire to prevent spread to anyone else. This one does not believe it to be a great danger anymore, but the cleansing of fire will guarantee it"

[yamikuronue]

"Of course. Appropriate replacements shall be provided before nightfall."

Siegfried watches the newcomer as he eats, trying to gauge his measure. A month.... if he was certain to be trustworthy, that would be no trouble. Indeed, it might be enjoyable having another person about the house, someone he hasn't spent ten years living with. Someone bringing news of the outside world, someone with different tastes -- and the gustatory challenge alone would bring some spice to his days. But he can't quite rid himself of the sinking feeling that this would all go wrong. He forcefully pushes out of his mind the old familiar curses against Lance; he didn't really mean any ill will toward the recluse, but he was so damned inconvenient, binding and shackling Siegfried as he did. If only he could go back and undo what had happened ten years prior....

Well, no sense dwelling on it. "Have you any concerns or questions about your stay? You are welcome to remain here until you have achieved a full recovery, provided that the rules of the household are acceptable."

[accalia]

Echo finishes his meal, and gets up carefully to put the dirty dishes in the sink

"This one would like to hear a bit about the history of the place, there is much superstition and rumor about this place. This one has learned never to take rumor at face value, but also that there it is often based on some tiny kernel of truth. This one also senses a darkness far greater than the one that the Lady Rosanna was afflicted with, please then tell this one what you can of this place and why it is so maligned by those who live nearby."

After rinsing out the dishes Echo returns to his seat at the table and looks penetratingly at Siegfried, for the first time looking the man directly in the eyes. Echo's own eyes are ice blue and seem to be miles deep, they also seem shimmer slightly, but that could just be tears as Echo suddenly breaks off the stare for another coughing fit, pulling a handkerchief of black died cotton out of a pocket to catch the black mucous that he is still coughing up.

After the coughing fit subsides echo returns to looking at Siegfried, but this time he does not make that same direct, and disquieting eye contact.

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried inwardly blanches, recoiling from the baldness of the question. The man was insightful: the worst kind of houseguest for the situation. There was little to no hope of the future being any brighter than the present, but there was the ever-present fear of the future being a far worse place.Curious, insightful, and well-meaning individuals were exactly the kind of people likely to lead him down that path, and it wasn't a path he wanted to be anywhere near. Therefore, regretfully, Siegfried begins to do his real job: prevaricating.

He keeps his face neutral, meeting Echo's eyes as though there was no trouble at all. "The house was originally constructed in the late seventeen hundreds, shortly after the Revolutionary War. During the Civil War, it was actually used as a stop on the underground railroad, and though it has since been renovated multiple times, there are many passages and hidden features that date back that far. During World War Two, it again served as a place to hide fugitives; this time, it was the Japanese that were being sheltered, kept out of internment camps as they made their way up to Canada toward freedom. If you like, I can give you the complete tour, there's many fascinating features to the building that render it unique. There are even said to be four or five ghosts, though I've never witnessed one firsthand."

[accalia]

Echo listens carefully and after Siegfried stop speaking sits quietly for a very long and uncomfortable minute. Finally Echo  places his hands on the table palm up so that the twin spirals of scars are fully visible, his left hand is completely covered in the spiral, which continues outward from the palm up all four fingers, the thumb does not bear any of the tiny dot scars. The spiral on the right hand is smaller, covering about 80% of the palm.

"This one sees, there is something you hide, for the rumors are all from a more recent time. This one sees that it is not for yourself that you hide this, that it is not your secret to tell. A very great secret it must be then, This one will not ask you to reveal what is not yours to reveal."

Echo then closes his hands gently, looking at the palms as they disappear from view. He removed his hands from the table and looks again at Siegfried.

"This one is a healer of pain. this one is pledged, sworn, and cursed to do so. There is much pain here, and darkness too. The darkness creates the pain upon which it feeds. Always it is this way. This one wishes to find the source and remove it so that it can no longer cause pain, nor feed upon it. In this way the darkness can be destroyed. But this one will not cause you pain to do so, nor will this one abrogate the terms and conditions of the accord this one has signed."

Echo stands slowly, the black handkerchief shining wetly in his hand.

"This is a subject that distresses you; this one would therefore desire a tour of the house, as much as you are able, as well as a fuller explanation of the rules of the house. This one regrets that with the events of yesterday this one has not had the opportunity to read them..."

[yamikuronue]

Siegfried doesn't shy away from Echo, instead standing to clear the pan from the stove. "You were contracted to heal Rosanna." he says, quietly. "Not to perform an exorcism."

That said, as he rinses the pan out, he speaks again, in a louder voice. "Aside from the rules I mentioned last night regarding the Young Master, the rest should be unobjectionable. You are not to invite guests here, though you are free to go out and meet with people should you have business that needs conducting. You are not to create loud disturbances between the hours of eight in the evening and six in the morning. You are to avoid causing damage to any furniture or art piece, though of course we won't be concerned about the comforter, that was not your intentional doing. You are not to record anything that occurs in the house without express written permission, and you are not to disclose anything you learn here about any of the individuals to the media without express written permission. The usual sorts of things."

[accalia]

Echo stands clear of Siegfried as the other man cleans up after the meal.

"What is an exorcism if not a healing, a release from pain. This one did not mean such a thing, but it can be seen how you thought such. "

Echo looks out the window to the garden outside.

"As to those rules there is no trouble. There is no one who is waiting for this one, nor is there anyone this one anticipates needing contact with in the near future. Damaging property would cause pain so this one refrains from such action unless doing so will prevent a greater pain."

[yamikuronue]

"Exorcism may be a healing, but there are many kinds of healing, and not all are welcome. For example..." He pauses, breaking off his sentence with a faint blush. "Never you mind that."

[accalia]

Echo smiles gently still looking outside at the garden and lawn beyond it.

"This one cannot ignore pain, no matter the cause or reason, but as you wish this one will refrain from mentioning it again. If you are done cleaning up this one would appreciate being shown around this home so that this one will know ones way around."

[yamikuronue]

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do to heal the pain in this household. It is an old pain, one that does not seem to fade with time. Eventually the house will be sold when it is devoid of occupants, and that will make an end to the matter."

Siegfried, much more sober now, puts away the pan and removes his apron, hanging it on a peg before leading the way into a hall. "This way. We will begin with the front parlor, which used to be the main location in which guests were entertained. I am afraid the house is not prepared for a proper tour, but you will be able to get a sense of it."

The front parlor is clearly unused; the furniture is covered with drop cloths, and the drop cloths are covered with a thin layer of dust. Still, the remaining uncovered items -- a few statues on the mantle over the fireplace, the elaborate lamps on the walls -- hint that this room was once lovingly decorated in warm golden tones. One of the covered pieces is a piano, and another is probably an entertainment center, indicating that there was probably once family gatherings and joy in this room. Now, however, it is unused, lifeless, abandoned.

[accalia]

Echo gravitates slowly to the piano. He lovingly lays a hand the dust cloth that covers it and closes his eyes.

"A Bösendorfer Grand piano... an old one... eighteen... fourty.... seven. much loved, played by many hands, young hands, old hands, and more. A thing of beauty and a joy to behold. does no one play it anymore? why does it sit here, untuned, alone?"

Echo pauses for a moment

"Or is that a question this one should not have asked? No offense was intended this one assures you."

[yamikuronue]

"No-one remains who plays," he says, simply, if a bit sadly. "The last person to play that piano died ten years ago."