Pretend you care about something, please? (Request Entry)

How it was that her cousin never seemed to be aware of her plans, she had yet to learn, but Rin had nonetheless began plans for a celebration the week prior, and Ace still did not appear to have noticed the endeavors. By now, the entire mansion was spotless, save the areas that were still under construction or renovation, fall decorations littered the public areas have strategically arranged as tastefully as she felt was possible for such; Rin really wasn't used to hosting such events herself, not with just family members, at the least, even though she was from the States, as well. With a sigh that broke into a light, pleasant hum, she made her way about the house, straightening things on her way to the kitchen. By now, even though it was well before noon, the aromas of the day's supper were already powerful, filling up the space with the rich scents of fall and Thanksgiving. Cooks wandered about the area, far from pressed for time with the number of them present and the sheer earliness of the hour, and Rin merely wove between them, checking on the things they worked on and lending an extra hand here and there.

It was about eleven by the time she seemed satisfied with the current progress; Ace had not yet awoken. Shaking her head in annoyed amusement, she began the trek to his room, aiming to wake him... preferably without bodily harm ensuing. Beneath her dress, her bandages began to harden.

Leaving the room that belonged to Ace, an unfamiliar figure with hair black as night opened the door. Draped in a black silk robe with red frills, the girl stepped out before gently closing the door behind her, obviously trying not to disturb the boy. The robe, despite having long sleeves, barely covered more than a mini-skirt, and did little to mask her cleavage. Around her neck was an odd ribbon-threaded lace choker, with a central red gem. It seemed out of place against the sleepwear, if one were to think about it. As the door shut quietly, the girl gave a sigh, a light smile stretching her face. She seemed... relieved? Content? It was a peaceful happiness.

The surrounding servants, all of which who seemed rather concerned for the events that had recently transpired, and Rin, would likely suspect either crippling silence, or a ferocious outrage to ensue, but they were met with neither. Instead, there was first shuffling, then the sound of silverware scraping a plate, followed by more shuffling as well as a wardrobe being opened and closed, and then more scraping of silverware. It was needless to say that the entire staff was shocked at the aversion of what was once an inevitable, daily calamity, so long as Ace was asleep within the manor's walls. It seemed as though some were still prepared to make a last minute display of reckless abandon in fear of the still-much-anticipated cataclysm they were so used to.

Rin's attention fell to Zealot soon enough, and she stretched a hand out to greet the girl, a soft, unreadable but friendly seeming expression painted across her face. "How long has he been awake?" She inquired, focus on the girl rather than the room that no one seemed to dare to enter. Such was a reasonable decision --- you do not tempt the beast, and in the Toromaki family, Ace was that beast.

Zel jumped for a moment before turning to Rin. "I just woke him up. He should be with us shortly, ....." Zel's sentence seemed to cut of,glancing the woman before her up and down. Suddenly, almost as though embarrassed, Zel seemed to fumble for words."B-But Master Ace said... Are you a....?" Zel suddenly looked away, pressing her fingers together like an innocent child and trying to compose herself. "Are you the Mistress of the house....?" She questioned, under the impression that Ace was the only Toromaki left in the city.

Rin's smile was soft, gentle, her expression following suit in an honest manner. There was a truth to the girl's words, of course, though Rin had no intentions of making such a permanent arrangement, "At present, yes." She stated, and her eyes seemed to further survey the girl, seeming to look past the girl on the surface and study the woman as a whole. After a pause, she spoke once again, "Mistress Rin Toromaki, Washington Branch, current standing Mistress of the Death City Branch. Paint brush meister of the DWMA."

Zel gave a respectful bow, introducing herself. "Zealot Toromaki, formerly a servant of the German branch. It is an honor, Mistress Rin." She responded, finally lifting her head. It was only a moment before she spoke again. "Forgive me for my ignorance, but I was under the impression that Master Ace was alone here. He made no mention of you..."

It was really quite unfortunate. If Rin was here, it meant she was actually in charge. It would be a shame if Rin happened to dismiss her. Then again, even if Rin did dismiss her... she couldn't exactly go home...

Eventually the door to Ace's room would creek open, revealing a lazy glimmer of silver, and the heir of the branch. His mood was visibly less agitated than most mornings. The staff was relieved, and almost hopeful that today would be a pleasant one before Ace proved them wrong. He took a glance around the hallway, then shut his eyes, brow twitching. "Don't you all have work to do? None of us are here for your entertainment, so quit gawking and go back to your duties."

Ace was dressed in his usual formal attire, glancing quietly at his cousin now. "Did you need something, Rin?" He'd ask, adjusting his collar.

Her attention diverted quickly to the heir, and she nodded, "Perhaps having the master of the estate awake by noon," she suggested, though her tone lacked any real sting as she looked him over. Aside from his, as always, wild hair, he looked exceedingly presentable, compared to most mornings. Perhaps he was actually maturing. A slight smirk appeared on her face as she mentally scoffed at the idea. "I see you've brought in another family member. You failed to make mention to me-" her eyes drifted back to Zealot, and the expression switched from an amused tease to a gentle smile, "I assume she will be staying with us? I can arrange for more permanent accommodations... if you stop scaring the staff off."

Zealot gave a gentle nod, returning the smile. "I've been assigned a room, but thank you." She replied politely, shifting the collar around her neck as she peered down the hall. "If it's alright, I'm going to excuse myself to get dressed." She stated, though it was almost more questioning if they would let her.

Ace, still lazy from waking, gave Zealot his dismissal before looking to his cousin. "You're free to do as you please until we meet for supper." His eyes scanned Rin carefully for the moment, then moved a bit closer once the bird had flown off. "She eliminated an entire section of the German Branch." The conversation continued as normal, all the while Ace caught the bucket from a servant tripping on her way up the stairs with a stray chain. As to be expected, he ignored the well being of the actual person at hand, which he knew would earn a scolding gaze from the Mistress. "And she did it with nothing but the Tonbagiri. I'm not saying that we should be afraid of her, but she could be dangerous. As it stands, I know she won't harm us, but could you hire someone to watch her while I'm not with her? I want to know if she's spying on us for someone."

"Is there anyone that you have in mind?" She asked, retaining the same casual tone as him, though the glare he'd expected was there, and she stretched out a set of her bandages to help steady the servant. She kept the worry and careful calculation from her face as she considered the implications of the woman's power; the Tonbagiri was powerful, in the right hands, but to have eliminated an entire household on one's own was a terribly separate, and difficult, feat on its own.

Zel took her leave when dismissed, going to her room to change into the typical black and red Gothic-Lolita style dress that she had taken the liberty of washing for herself that morning. Hanging her robe in the closet, Zel tied a bow on the top of her head as she usually did, though left her hair to hang. She sat on the side of her bed for a moment, glancing around the room. She was home, at last. Even if there wasn't much to return to, it was home. She was going to be certain that nothing sent her away this time. She would stay by their sides, and the Toromaki would flourish again, even if that meant she had to lie or throw her life on the line.

"No." He muttered. "No one in particular. However, pay close attention to the collar around her neck. It looks like the magic sealing collar used by the Salem Branch to conduct witch trials. Granted, more often than not, they weren't used on real Witches, there is some truth, supposedly, to its properties." Ace turned and began heading down the stairs, expecting Rin to follow. "If that's really what's going on here, then she's a Witch, and she could be using us to get the collar removed."

"That's a simple enough thing to avoid," she said, falling into perfect step with him as she continued by his side. "If that's true then only you and myself are capable of removing it. It's easy enough for us to agree to not remove it." Her eyes studied the mansion while they walked about it, making mental notes of any alterations to decorations that may be needed. "You will be here for supper, won't you?" Her mind had wandered back to the holiday at hand, and to be honest, she was hopeful of having a family dinner at the estate, no matter how little the family was.

There was a brief sigh, then a less brief pause. "Yes, I will. Although there's something that I have to discuss with you today during supper." The two soon found their way to the bottom of the stair case, and Ace turned to his cousin, offering a gentle kiss on the forehead, unusual for the boy under normal circumstances. "Try to bear with me."

There was the slightest hint of tension following the gesture, a recognition of the strangeness. It was gone nearly as quickly as it occurred, however, and she found herself merely nodding, hiding the sigh that wished to accompany the response. "As you wish," she said simply, "I'll see about finding a.... keeper of sorts for the girl."

"Excellent. Thank you." Ace would then turn, and promptly see himself to the kitchen area, presumably to give the staff a hard time about whatever they were doing wrong, although he really had the intention of visiting the estate's newest guest. He left his cousin with the simple instruction to meet him for dinner, along with Zealot and any guests that had been invited.

Zealot had been sitting in her room thinking for some time now, examining the Tonbagiri and reflecting on her actions. Her mind strayed back to the way they raised her and brought her up, treating her like a monster while slowly becoming monsters themselves. Keeping her powers locked away while flaunting their own. In the end, even with her magic locked away, she had more power than each and every one of them. She gave the small weapon a quick pathetic swipe at the air before sheathing it calmly as footsteps approached the doorway. She set it on the bed behind her, quickly sitting herself up with a hand gently resting on the handle of the weapon.

At this point, Rin's priority list was growing to accommodate the rest of the day: make sure Ace didn't fire or make any staff members quit, keep an eye on Zealot, get the ETA for guests, and finish the rest of preparations. The latter of her growing list was a list in and of itself, and so she made her way throughout the house, cleaning up the messes Ace left on the staff's psyche as she ensured that the decorations and cleaning had been done. Soon enough, she came to her cousin's door, knocking on it gently to signal her presence. Out of politeness, she did not enter unless Zealot responded.