I Think I'm Falling For You

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OOC: Tags to Rhi

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It was raining. But OF COURSE it was raining. This was bloody Ketra, capital of the barbaric nation of heathens. If he hand't have had several centuries (or maybe a millenia... he lost count somewhere) of tolerating these other 'nations', he'd have turned down their request. But as it turns out, even an esteemed and thorough bred true Essyrni had his limits. And Lord Amalin Tuthmosis III (for he was named after his great great grand father Amalin), was exactly that. A man at his limits- and a man who, consequentially, could not die, despite the fact he had been dying for countless centuries. It was an annoying curse, that was to be sure, and the dying process was always so pestilent in the way it just... itched.
ANd to think about the way his organs would prickle and shrivel up as they failed-

Well! It was best not to think about that. He wasn't a mummy now, he would be later, but for now, he was as much a man as any other (granted, if you pricked his finger- he'd bleed sand rather htan blood), but he looked the role as an ordinary man, and in fact, probably was once upon a time.

Now, being as he was cursed to live and die... FOREVER, it put him in quite the prickly pickle indeed. And he needed more.. research. This curse, he had to find a cure. But he also had to find a means to live, and with a man as brilliant and restless as Lord Amalin- being a Ghost investigator had him leaving a rather hectic and eclectic life.

And it was enough to sate him (for now..) and he found himself trying to stave off a grumble as he stalked across Lord Lekari's lawn. With every ounce of a gentleman about him, he was fully aiming to head towards the front door. But something caught his eye, and instead, with parasol in hand, he strolled on through the back gate and showed himself into the grave yard.

Ah, the family grave, with a freshly dug tomb. Yes, it made too much sense already. The grounds here were probably disturbed in just the wrong spot- and he could figure out this ghostly mystery in no time and be out of here well before his decomposing cycle were to begin.

But naturally, things played out much more differently. For he hadn't been paying attention to the living while he pulled out his note book and began to scribble things down with a nubby ended piece of kohl. Yes, there was a lot of signs of after life activity here, he could even feel it in his bones. ANd the sloshy ground hindered him only a little bit as he began to walk through the graves, nose first in his note book as he continued to make his assessment of the grounds.

SO it was without warning it all happened really- and she, well, she should have clearly seen him coming! He was a busy man after all and well she? She was hardly a ghost, fo ra ghost would leave him concerned, but a woman? Egads! Who would have thought he would have found himself bumping into another living soul- and a woman who, evidently, was a clumsy she. For the second he bumped into her it was too late. He whirled around as fast as lightning but the second he caught sight of a pair of skirts, his heart went cold and she- probably went screaming, right into the open faced casket of some recent dead guy.

And he made a face, blinking down at the woman as he chuffed.
"I say, does your family always leave the dead laying around so... so open like this?"
It was as if Lord Lekari was begging for these ghosts to harass him! No wonder he had a ghost problem!

And finding his manners, he offered the floundering woman a hand. But he hardly looked amused or happy for it. Really, this woman just got in his way of his research! And he hardly had the time to entertain a silly pair of skirts- never you mind the fact it was evident in her dark wardrobe she was here for mourning....

[Rhindeer]

Maya hadn't really known her great grandfather. She had seen him perhaps once in her life, so his death didn't affect her. She was sad for her parents, her father especially--that had been his grandfather--and had attended the funeral dressed in her best mourning clothes: a demure black dress with splashes of red and white done in intricate embroidery about the hems, done in an Adelan style to honor her father's side. She had even smudged ash from a cedar tree onto her brow, as was customary, and wore a lavender scent to help with the cleansing process.

Their home smelled heavily of lavender; it was supposed to help purify the home. And her family was especially paranoid about that now after recent events. And this death did not help!

Standing by the grave with her Essyrni parasol blocking the rain, and a sage smudge stick in her other hand, Maya had remained out there even when her family had gone back inside. Unlike them, it was simply because she liked the rain, so it hadn't been hard for her to volunteer to stay there until the servants arrived to close the casket and fill in the grave. It all felt a little morbid, being out there with a body, but she just made a point not to look in the grave and instead focused on the cool weather and the wonderful smell of rain and earth.

This was, perhaps, the only thing she would agree Adela had that was better than Essyrn!

Maya was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the man walking through the grave yard until it was too late.

Too late, as in suddenly she was falling--into the grave!

She had time only to scream bloody murder before, crash, she hit bottom, cracking the wood of the casket and coming face to face with her dear dead great grandfather.

With another high pitched scream, she recoiled away from the body and tried to scramble to her feet, shoes slipping on the wood and legs getting all tangled in her dress. Her only consolation was her parasol was still in one piece! And that, before she could panic too much about being down there with a body, the culprit, the one who had knocked her into the grave, was leaning over and offering her a hand.

She didn't have to be told twice. She grabbed on, glaring up at him, because she was now soaked and her dress soiled.

"Do you often go knocking women into graves?!" she shot back. "Now hurry up and pull me up, whoever you are! Pull me up at--oh..."

Oh my. He was...he was rather attractive. Dark skin, black curly hair...

She stared.

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With a rough yank, he did pull her up, and onto her feet as he held her with one hand to steady her, the other one still holding onto hers as he sighed. And the frown, (well, near scowl) he gave a tepid sigh.

"I'm here to study these graves, not knock people into them- Miss.. Lekari, I presume?" he said, his eyes taking in her from after he took a step back, adjusting his cravat and dusting himself off from any possible dust he may have collected in fetching her from the grave.
"And your father called on me." And he gave her a rigid bow, seeming ignorant of the rain as it pattered down upon his curly black locks and dark clothing. "I am Lord Amalin Tuthmosis the Third." And he bristled before adding more officially, his self proclaimed title. "A detective."

The rain, by now, was tickling his face, and he moved to fetch his own parasol, which, well- by now, it probably would do him no good, but seeing as their moment had turned rather awkward, and she- was clutching onto her umbrella which had been soiled, no doubt, by the likes of her dead loved one, he gave a sigh and let his umbrella bloom as he held it over the tops of them. But he did not miss a beat on the sort of parasol she carried- of Essyrni fashion- Very nice. Very lovely- and stiffly he offered out an arm.

"It would be prudent of me to escort you back to your home- seeing as that is my final destination- and there isn't much more to see out here- " Except one fresh dead guy, still rife and decomposing, and well- this... woman- there was really no reason to linger.
"And perhaps, if are you so well versed on the going ons in this manor, perhaps I can start off my job here with you- so I can fully understand the nature of my call."

For the matter had only been addressed as urgent. And well, that he would be dealing with ghosts.

[Rhindeer]

Maya soon went from mooning over him to being annoyed with him, even as Amalin pulled her from the grave. His manner was so brisk and prickly and stiff--like he was inconvenienced by her! Which was ridiculous, because any man should be honored to be in her presence, much less honored to be able to touch her!

Hmph. He was a pretty thing, and quite possibly Essyrni (his name! And he was gorgeous enough to fit the mold!) but she wasn't sure she liked him. He hadn't smiled once! Or looked her over! Couldn't he see how lovely she was, even cold and wet and soiled and...sigh. No, perhaps she didn't look so good right now.

She placed her hand on his arm, scowling. "Hmph. No apology for knocking me into a grave, I see?" she remarked. "For causing me trauma over coming face to face with a dear, dead relative? I get nothing? Lord you might be, but you are severely lacking in manners, sir! As for why you were summoned here, oh yes, I know why. My father believes we have a...haunting."

And she forced a laugh at that, because while she tried to pretend she didn't believe it, because the alternative was frightening, there...there were a few times, here and there, where she really had no explanation for what had happened and wound up blaming the wind when her windows were shut.

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"I come here for business, not leisure," he remained the woman, who, as far as he knew, held no real station over him. The only reason he was into this business anyways was to stave off his immortal boredom- and he could see this would easily be the case here. What sort of boredom could come from such a family if they were all like her? The odds seemed unlikely- though it was not the amicable sort of solution he desired, but he could not deny he liked a good challenge- be it person or ghost.

But he knew enough about her- and knew her blood was not pure, so even if a man such as he thought she might be pretty, naturally- he would never indulge in such an affair. Besides, he was here for ghosts, not skirts, and prickly as he might be- women seemed to be the farthest thing from his mind anyways- for that was one thing he had not touched in... dare he admit how many centuries?

"Though I suppose I was too frank, and I suppose to ease your ruffled feathers, I humbly offer my apologies." Though it was only because she had asked it, or he would have simply ignored it. After all, those who truly deserved his respect would get it- and he was not so freely to offer it. Essyri pride could be a deadly thing- and were he not immortal, that sort of attitude would have had him killed many times over before this little rendez-vous with the dead. He brushed off an invisible piece of dust on his arm a he kept her near and began walking back towards her manor home.
"I'm sure you must be mortified over such an ordeal, for your sex is of the fairer variety." You know.. her being a woman and all. And with a simple, posh motion- he drew out his kerchief and offered it to her-
and it was of the utmost quality- Essyrni- naturally, and being doused lightly in the sent of jasmine and river reeds- fr he was a man that did miss his home tremendously when not there- for the Niafi River valley was humbling- and perhaps, one of the few things that could ever humble a man such as Lord Amalin.

"You can take my kerchief for your loss." As he presumed she probably was not done crying over the dead... He, naturally, had no affliction for it- having died so many times it just became a natural cycle to he. Then again- these dead did not simple just come back.

"So tell me, Miss Lekari.." he went on, not one to dwell on things anyway as he had a job to do... "Are you able to elaborate more on your family's ghost problem?"

[Rhindeer]

Maya regarded him with a lifted eyebrow and, finally, gave a little sniff. "Apology accepted," she said, though she was rather perturbed that it had taken her practically demanding an apology to receive one! How very not gentlemanly! He had knocked her into a grave and no doubt caused her considerable trauma and he hadn't even thought to offer a simple 'sorry'!

She should be surprised that he'd thought to offer her shelter from the rain at all, with manners like those!

"But I must protest the...the ruffled feathers comment! You knocked me into a grave," Maya said, glowering. "Of a dear, dead relative! That is no mere ruffling of feathers." She snatched the kerchief from him and began to wipe some of the mud from her dress as she walked, grumbling. "This better not be ruined. You know how much this cost? I certainly know my family did not hire you to ruin my things! And surely you haven't dealt with the dead so long to forget how to treat the living? As though a kerchief should make up for my grief and embarrassment!"

She wiped her face and huffed. They were almost to her home, thank the spirits, but still had a little bit to go. "But since you just seem to care about ghosts so much, fine. My parents feel there is a malevolent spirit in our home. It...well, they claim it moves things. Throws things, even. Sometimes at people."

This time, she couldn't quite stop the shudder, though she thought it might just be from being all wet and chilled now. "According to my father, it'd been getting more...aggressive."

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"Yes, interesting," Amalin went on, though it was hard to tell if he was really considering what she had said or was just repeating her out of annoyance. "Most who hire me out do not hire me out because a spirit is being cooperative. So it has gotten violent, has it? And towards whom the most, I presume your father?" No doubt, most spirits tended to be more aggressive towards men and as they walked onward, his oil slicked boots squished through the mud. "And yourself? Or any one else, are there any notable attacks from this fiend?"

[Rhindeer]

Maya gave him a sidelong look. She was getting the impression he was mocking her, because his comment concerning the reason people hired him carried with it the feel of pointing out the obvious.

"It's mostly been my father, yes," she said, facing ahead again. "It has...scratched him. He thinks it's even bitten him! And it breaks things. Ah...it's knocked things off my dresser and misplaced things. Allegedly. I think it might just be, ah...the wind. Or myself. Maybe..." She worried at the front of her dress. It was all so strange to her.

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Amalin's face wrinkled at the thought.

"Just the winds or not, it is duly noted. Ghosts and the paranormal nuisances of our world are NOT to be taken lightly. They abuse the translucency of their spirit, and seek to terrorize others in their afterlife, when they themselves more or less had just as cruel intentions during their living hours. Now, on occasion, you run past those who have been truly wronged, but once a spirit becomes irrational and strikes out at living beings, it is time for us to correct them and put them in their place. You know, you would do the same thing for an unruly child or a man."
And pausing a moment to catch his breath, he asked, civilly, "Anything else, Miss Lekari, that is worth noting here?"

And that's when a window shattered over their heads, and instinctively, Amalin grabbed onto the woman's hips, muttering a, "Please pardon the reason for impropriety." And he hefted her up quite suddenly, her skirts would be fluttering about as he turne don heel and moved with her so that the pair of them were pressed up against the house and the shattered glass fell down behind them, rather than on them- and just as he kept himself wedged over top of her- the wailing of a cat whom landed (evidently the culprit of the broken window) landed and went scrambling away.

The noise garnered Amalin's attentions as he tore his face away from Miss Lekari to glace over his shoulder to where the cat was now running away.

"Interesting.."
Stepping away from Miss Lekari, he craned his neck skyward and examined the broken window.
"Miss Lekari, just who's room does that window belong?"

[Rhindeer]

Maya pursed her lips, thinking if there was anything else. Honestly, he was better off asking her father, for she tried to keep herself distracted and uninvolved in such matters. But it was while she was mulling it over that the sharp shattering of glass above made her gasp--

And before she could register more than that, Lord Amalin grabbed her about the waist and whirled her around to put her back to the wall, and before she could squawk about it, she was wedged between the wall and his body as he shielded her from the falling glass. Sharp glass shards that, had he been slower, could have surely cut them up good.

Moments later she caught sight of her cat, Hakan, landing behind them and scampering off, fur all fluffed up and obviously spooked by something. Looking up at Amalin, Maya felt goosebumps raise on her skin and shivered. What uncanny timing...

...And now she had a broken window to deal with. Ugh. Damned cat...

Working moisture back into her mouth as Amalin drew away, she smoothed down the front of her clothes and straightened her back. Irritation quickly replaced unease. "Interesting. Interesting? That was my window!" she snapped as though it were somehow his fault. "Where am I supposed to sleep now with the draft that's going to cause!"

Never mind that there was the entire rest of her home. But the entire rest of her home wasn't her room!

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"Interesting indeed, in the fact that such an attack does not go unwarranted. What have you eaten for breakfast? Or have you had any servants punished recently? Any men you have taken recently to your room at night? Any cousins you have wronged? Now answer me honesty, Miss Lekari, for your life could depend on it, as well as the life of those you love."
Assuming.. she loved her family, you could never be to certain these days...

[Rhindeer]

Maya's cheeks darkened at such invasive questions and she drew back in anger. "How dare you! What men I see is none of your business! Why would you need to know that? But no, my family life is quite good, thank you! And any servants that needed to be punished were punished fairly. What kind of person do you think I am?!"

Though she supposed smacking a servant with her feather fan when she'd pulled too tight on a braid had been...a bit of an overreaction. But it hurt! And maybe she'd yelled at one when talking would have sufficed...ah, details!

"I'm not sure why you would need to know what I've eaten, either. What a bizarre man you are. It was egg, fruit, and bread. Why?"

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Lord Amalin sighed heavily at her reaction.
"Miss Lekari, your reluctance to bring information to the table will only delay my presence here, and delay the possibility of removing this spectral pest from the premises. I ask for these details out of business, not pleasure, Miss Lekari. It is only offensive if you make it so, now," he said, drawing out a piece of paper and began to scribble on it with a small piece of kohl.

"You were saying, egg, fruit and bread." And he paused to raise a brow at her. "And that's all?"
Really, as a noblewoman, he was having trouble buying that. "Never mind then, I see your father at the door way, Mister Lekari!" he said, giving a wave of his hand to the man's direction. "Mister Lekari, it is I, Lord Amalin Tuthmosis III, super natural detective, at your service." And he bowed before the man as the doors were swiftly open for the pair of them, and he, still leading Miss Lekari on his arm.

"I've already had the pleasure of meeting your daughter, and it seems you've got a broken window in her room. The cat is somewhere outside, and I dare say you should serve more for breakfast." But before he went on, he paused a moment and turned sharply away from the man, towards the door frame and ran a finger over it, wrinkling his nose as he examined the dust he had gathered there with a frown.

"Interesting.." he mused, and drew out his pocket book again and began to write something else down within the pages. "How often is your home cleaned, Mister Lekari? And I'll need to speak with everyone in the house individually, servants included and I..." But then he paused, growing quiet, his eyes taking int he room with care before he walked backwards outside of the door, then back in it again. And then he frowned, returned his nose to his pocket book and wrote something else down within the pages.

[Rhindeer]

Maya didn't respond to his inquiry about her breakfast, though her cheeks heated. It was odd for a noble to eat so little, and she hadn't been thinking when she'd answered honestly--nor had she expected the man to be so perceptive. Which was foolish in retrospect, considering his profession!

But Maya kept her mouth shut and only shrugged in response. There was no way she was going to tell him the reason for her scant meal. It was a little embarrassing.

But Amalin wasn't the only one who thought it strange, for when Amalin remarked that Maya's father should serve more for breakfast, the man's brow furrowed in confusion. He looked at Maya, eyebrows raised in question, and she turned her head to avoid his gaze, pretending to watch Amalin do his...whatever it was he was doing. And then she suddenly wasn't just pretending, but was watching in earnest, her face scrunching. What was he even...?

"The servants clean the home daily," Lord Lekari told Amalin absently before he placed a hand on Maya's shoulder. "Maya, what was that about needing to serve more for breakfast? Are you not eating again?"

Maya huffed and shook off his hand. "Father!"

"I'm just concerned about you, Maya. You're beautiful as you are. Men already flock to you, you don't need to starve yourself to--"

"I'm not starving! Do I look starved?"

"It's about that dress, isn't it?"

"What?" Maya's cheeks flushed with guilt. "No."

"It is. Maya, you looked fine in it."

"No, I didn't. My stomach's fat," she grumbled.

Lord Lekari rolled his eyes skyward as though invoking the aid of the gods. "Maya..."

"Lord Amalin, what are you doing?" Maya cut her father off, eager to get off the embarrassing topic, and swept closer to Amalin to try to peek over his shoulder at the book he was writing in.

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When the woman peaked over his shoulder, he turned his head sharply to hers so they were only a breath apart. His eyes narrowed squarely upon hers.
"You do not it is rude to read a man's journal, but if you insist to know, I'm simply writing down my observations." And with a sharp turn of his head away, he repeated the same back and forth stepping motions in and out of the door again before sighing, writing something else down as he observed the frame once more than turned to the Lekari's.

"Well," he said through a sigh. "Is someone going to allow me into the estate?"

He had his eccentricities, surely, but he was still a man of refined blood. He would not enter unaccompanied into such an estate.

[Rhindeer]

Maya let out a tiny squeak when Amalin turned to face her, and her cheeks colored with embarrassment as he called her out. "I was only curious about your observations," she snapped, but she backed off just the same, turning and walking to stand near her father and not sulk.

Okay, so she was sulking just a little.

She watched him repeat his strange in-and-out ritual, thinking he looked rather mad--and thinking he must be mad when he asked to be let in.

"...You've already stepped inside, haven't you?" she asked, and her father gave her a look.

"Maya, please. Lord Amalin, please, by all means, come inside. Be at home. You're our guest, so I invite you to treat our home as your home," Lord Lekari said, and turned to Maya again with a sigh. "He's Essyrni, dear. You know your mother has some strange customs, too. Perhaps you should ask her about this later."

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"Yes, I'd love to talk to the Lady of the house if she is home." And the fact she was Essyrni... well, she already earned his proper respect. But that left this younger Lady Lekari he had still yet to judge. Pretty enough, but...
Well, she was not a full blood. He supposed she wasn't worth his time. Most females were not anyway, and she couldn't possibly hold a proper enough conversation, what with her lacking the true blood and elegance of the soul race of Le'raana. And well..
She didn't even live in Essyrn....

Either way, these were paying customers. He'd hold them in high esteem unless they proved other wise. But they were still just another job.

So with a nod of his head, he thanked Lord Lekari and stepped inside, and immediately lifted his head and began to study the ceiling above him in the great entry way of their home. After moments of craning his neck, he pulled out his journal again and began to write in it, but this time, he dind't even look down as he took his notes to the paper.

[Rhindeer]

The inside of the Lekari revealed an obvious blending of two different cultures, a rich melding of Adelan tastes with Essyrni aesthetics. The furniture and decor was from both countries--an Essyrni settee here, a prayer rug there, Adelan incense hanging in the air--and, somehow, they'd managed to make it go together nicely.

"She's home," Lord Lekari said as he watched Amalin's...odd behavior, and flagged a servant over so he could tell her to fetch his wife. The servant bustled off, and he smiled at Lord Amalin. "It doesn't surprise me you'd want to speak to her. She's probably more knowledgeable about all this than I am." Or rather, it didn't surprise him that the man would feel more comfortable speaking to one of his own people, someone who could--quite literally!--speak his language.

It was barely a minute before Lady Lekari arrived, for she had been poring over her business ledgers in the next room over. Tall, black-skinned, and beautiful, with short hair worn thick and curly, she was dressed in very little: a thin, traditional robe that didn't do much to hide her form, with many bangles around her wrists and ankles and large hoop earrings in her ears. While she dressed more conservatively outside the home, she saw no reason not to be comfortable inside her own house!

Though her parents were like night and day (for Lord Lekari was dressed far more conservatively!) when they stood next to each other, it was obvious where Maya had gotten all of her features.

"Lord Amalin, was it?" Lady Lekari said as she approached, and held out her hand. "I am Oni Lekari, but you may just call me Oni. No need for formalities here," she said with a grin. "In any case, you wished to talk to me?"

Bored, Maya stood nearby with her arms folded across her chest, frowning at Lord Amalin. He was ignoring her! How could he just ignore her? Or rather, dismiss her! That was probably worse.

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Lord Amalin was not a man to ignore the details. It was exquisitely done- the mixture of both countries' tastes, but he'd prefer the old way, which- when he met Lady Lekari, it was like a breath of fresh air. Such an exquisite beauty could only be found in Essyrn, and as she approached, he gave her only the most elegant of bows, but not before taking her offered hand.

"Oni is a beautiful name. Eastern Niafi in origin, I believe." And as she remained standing near her family, even near her daughter, it seemed his attention was only on the radiant, dark skinned woman who's hand he still delicately held.

"So I've heard you have a most unfortunate problem in your estate. Something about ghosts?"
And once the magnificent greeting had been concluded, he went right back to work, paper and kohl in hand.

[Rhindeer]

Maya still couldn't believe this. This was...it was...well, unbelievable! Her mother and father only had eyes for Lord Amalin, and here she was, still standing around in a soiled dress! Didn't anyone notice that she was all wet? And muddy! Ugh! No one had mentioned anything about that, which meant obviously no one cared. Never mind that it had been raining outside, so wet clothes weren't that surprising, but still. She'd fallen into a grave and been quite traumatized seeing a skeleton and everything and she really wanted to complain about that still.

But she wanted someone to notice so that she could complain.

With a loud sigh as her mother spoke to Amalin (two Essyrni, she knew how this routine went; soon enough they'd start chattering in Essyrni and while she knew a little of the language, she'd still be left out), Maya turned to leave.

"I'm going to go change," she said loudly. "I got all muddy falling in that grave."

"That's a good idea, love," Oni said absently before turning back to Amalin, though Lord Lekari did a double-take and mouthed, "A grave?"

"Yes, we do have a problem." And then she switched to Essyrni. "At least, according to my husband. He's deeply superstitious, you know. Adelans," she said with a laugh. "But more and more, I've had to concede that there might actually be something...unearthly going on. Things have been getting stranger, more difficult to explain away..."

With a shake of her head, Maya bustled on down the hall and back to her room. There, she grabbed fresh clothes, something more casual than what she'd had on previously--and also very Essyrni, because maybe that was how she'd get some bloody respect around here now!--and stripped down to her chemise.

And it was at that moment that her wardrobe doors, which she had just closed, burst open and all her dresses and robes went flying out, making Maya scream bloody murder.