Orion took the already set out food by the caretaker into the dining room silently, putting them in the middle of the table where most of them could reach it. He was having a very uncomfortable feeling about staying this week in here, but he just shook it off. He walked over to Elizabeth, then stood there, looking at her. "Mrs. Collins, you've been awfully silent. Are you okay?" He asked politely, trying to take his mind off the portraits.

Nicholas shrugged. "Personally, i don't like solving mysteries. I mean, it helps me sleep better at night, but sometimes i feel kind of bad about it. Like...i don't know. Somethings are better left untouched, you know?" He said, sitting down after he had finished setting the table. "That's why i like quidditch. There's no mystery about it. Just keep the ball from getting through the hoop."

ooc: what's going on?

Elizabeth did her best to contain her smile.
"It's Miss actually, and please, call me Elizabeth." she said, offering what she hoped to be a friendly smile.
"I wont deny this is all a bit, strange, but I'm fine, I'll be happier once we really start digging in to this mystery, sort the facts from the fables, although, now that I'm here, I can see that's not ging to be as easy as I thought..." she trailed off and studied Orion's face more closely.
"You know a lot of the stories very well, better than anyone I've met before, why is that?" she asked in a low voice.

Ooc: -smacks head- Mrs. Miss. Argh. I can't keep it straight! =P And I already said that everyone is in the mansion, and is getting ready to eat dinner. Although, last post I think I just said that everyone is in the mansion.

Orion listened to Nicholas, even though he knew that he wasn't talking to him, then looked at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth... lovely name," he said, then went silent as he thought about what she said about how he knew most of the stories. He gave a small shrug, and a small smile, then said simply, "I guess I listen to the stories carefully."

Elizabeth nodded, but didn't believe him. Ther was just something about him that didn't fit, not to mention his eerie resemblence to the Hoxac family. She knew he looked familiar, now she knew why, pictures of the Hoxac's while she was researching. She decided not to voice her suspicions however, he would tell them when he felt it was right, and she knew, he would tell them, it was only a matter of time.
"You know Nicholas," she said turning her attention now on to the Quidditch player, "as much as we all wish it was, life is not a quidditch game, it's a lot more complicated, and mysterious, unfortunately."

Orion turned away, then finished up getting the food ready, taking a seat at the table. He stood up again, then looked around. "Dinner is served," he said, gesturing to the steaming plates of food. He waited for everyone to sit down before sitting down himself, to show politness and respect.

Elizabeth took a seat and pulled a plate towards her. She took a slightly stale bread roll and began to butter it ignoring the platter of slightly wilted salad. She had thought she was hunrgr - she'd barely eaten a thing all day, but now she found she had lost her appetite somewhat.

Orion noticed Elizabeth just picking at the food, but didn't say anything. He cleared his throat, willing himself not to look at the changing portraits, then looked around. "..I was thinking that we should go around the mansion a bit before going to bed. To get to know the place a bit," he said, then added quickly, "Does anyone have an objections?"

"I know that. But have you ever been to a class where it's just like...i don't know. like you know you're not supposed to be there? Where you just want to be doing something else? That's how it feels when i'm not playing quidditch. Like i'm supposed to be playing." Nicholas said, putting his hand in his pocket to check that his knife was still there.

"Look, mysteries aren't really my thing. All i know is that they're dangerous, and if something goes wrong, who's gonna save everybody?" Nicholas shrugged and started playing with his spoon. "I may not be much help with the investigation, I know my strengths and my talents, and investigating isn't one of them. But bodyguard is something i can deal with." The more he looked around the more obvious it became to him that that was what he was here for. He was obviously the strongest person there, and the only one with non-magical weapons. And from the look of things already, it seemed like he was going to need them.

"No objections here" He answered Orion.

Roma started to put some on her plate. She wasn't really hungry anymore. The creepy setting made her lose her appetite. But even though she wasn't hungry, she knew that she would rather eat now with everyone else than in the middle of the night with no one around. She buttered her bread and took a bite of it, even though, to her, it tasted like she was eating a brick.

Jackie walked behind everyone and into the mansion, and looked at the mansion carefuly once she went inside.

Cami looked around and sighed. She was petrified of this house all ready, but she wasn't going to be the only one who didn't want to go looking around the mansion. She took a roll and put it on her plate, but didn't eat it. Glancing at Orion and then at Roma she sighed.

Ooc: Yay! Natalie, you posted.. finally. And Orion doesn't have any magical things here, too. He hates magic.

He nodded at Nicholas, then looked at Elizabeth, Roma, Cami and Jackie. "..Do you have any objections?" He asked, about going through the mansion at night. "I just have to tell all of you.. no matter what happens, try to keep calm and stay together. The only thing that whatever is here can't take is your sanity --- unless you fall to pieces and freak out. So please. Try to keep calm," he asked seriously, hoping that they listened to him. This mansion was like an insane asylum, too many insane people have died here.

"I think that's a good idea Orion, It's fine with me."
Elizabeth chewed on her stale roll thoughtfully, once she swallowed (with much difficulty) she addressed Nicholas.
"That's ok, you can leave the solving up to me. Mystereis aren't yourthing, but they are mine." An idea sparked in her head and she set down her fork.
"Let's make a deal, I'll solve the problems and mysteries and whatever else comes up, and you, seeing as how being a body guard is your thing, keep me safe."

Nicholas shrugged. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal." He said, satisfied. Then he proceeded to pile up his plate with food. Sure the house was creepy and all that jazz, but that sure as heck wasn't gonna stop him from eating. Nicholas loved food-whether it was in a freaked out haunted mansion or not, food was food. And that's all that mattered.

Orion pushed his plate back, then adressed them again. "I need you all to promise that wherever you want to go, go with someone else. In pairs. In case something happens, there will be two of you," he stopped, then got up, glancing up at the portraits and his mouth falling open.

The portraits have transformed again, more angry-like, as if they didn't want Orion to keep telling them to keep themselves safe. In Annabella's portrait, she was gone, only to show a bloody balcony. In Ophelia's portrait, Ophelia was gone, only to show a dark bathroom, water dripping everywhere. In Keon's portrait, Keon was gone, only to show a shed of some type, with cobwebs and dust all over the place. In Laila's portait, she was still there. Instead of holding a sweet, innocent doll, the doll's head was cut off, and Laila's hands were all bloody.

Ooc: If that's too gruesome, I'll change it. Just tell me if it is or not.

Elizabeth followed Oriron's gaze to the portraits on the wall and gasped, subconsciously grabbing Nicholas's arm, who was next to her.
"In pairs, right. Let's stick to that then." she said, her voice a little higher pitched than normal, and her round emerald eyes wide.

ooc:I'm really sorry, but I've got to go! I may not make it on tomorow- I've got to move, but I give my permission to everyone to describe my character's reactions and/or movements until I come back, just to keep the story going, ok? Night! An no, it's not too gruesome.

Ooc: Aw. I like RPing with you! .___. Night!

Orion turned around, his face pale, goose-bumps forming on his arms. He walked over to the door and disappearing outside of it, in a hurry, it seemed. It seemed like he didn't listen to the "pairs" thing. He disappeared into the Entrance Hall.

Nicholas smiled when Elizabeth grabbed his arm. Second time today, he thought, this could be fun. "I'm down with pairs." He said, looking quizzically at the portraits. He knew wizarding portraits were supposed to change, but man he had no clue they were supposed to change like that. "Freakin' house of mirrors or something." He mumbled.

ooc: aw, night night. i'll probably leave soon too. I'll be here tomorrow, though. I have a huge report to do and i need something to use to procrastiate

"You'll pair with me?" she asked Nicholas hopefully. After all, they had a deal. She glanced down and realized she was gripping his arm tightly. Blushing furiously she whipped it back. "Sorry about that," she said looking down, "it's just the portraits..." her eyes flicked back up to them, hoping they had returned to their original state. They hadn't.


ooc:I can stay a bit longer, but if I disappear - you know why!

Roma nearly fell off of her chair when Orion said that they were going to travel in pairs. In the dark? In this creepy old mansion? I'm going to go insane. But on the outside, she showed no fear and wasn't planning on it. With a determined look on her face, she nodded. "I'll go with you, Jakob," she said to him.

"No, it's ok. It's not like i blame you..." He trailed off, staring at the portraits. "We are partners, after all." He smiled, remembering their deal. He looked around for Orion. "Where's he gone off to?" He asked, hoping he wasn't alone.

Ooc: Yay!

A small cry came from the Entrance Hall, where Orion went to. He was staring at the portraits, just.. staring blankly, with no expression on his face. His face was pale and it was much colder in the Entrance Hall, strangely, even though both fireplaces were going on in there.

Cami ran after Orion until she caught up with him. "Hey, will you be my partner?" She asked him with wide eyes. She was very frightened and wanted to be with someone who knew what they were doing, and he did. She felt kind of safe when he was there, compared to the others were she felt no security at all.