2019.01.18 - Waking Up at Rowanwood: Ethan, Aiden, Oz, and Isaac

*Ethan and Aiden wake up in a strange room in a strange house, encountering Oz and Isaac. Oz seems confident that the place is safe, but what are they doing there, and why can't they remember how they arrived?*

January 1st, Year Unknown; Morning

Rowanwood

Waking up in a strange bed with Ethan wasn't the strangest thing that had ever happened to Aiden Steiner. They'd been through way too many weird and terrible things for that to be much of a big deal, and it wasn't unheard of for the two to huddle together for mutual protection, but... well, waking up in what looked like the a really posh bed and breakfast was a new one. Not that weird, but new. They'd found the food, which Aiden had tried and decided was really good, and even found suitable clothes. Before long, Aiden opens the bedroom door and peeks out, dressed in boots, black jeans, and a matching tank top and jacket. His hair's looking a lot less styled than usual, but he's at least feeling more or less assembled, otherwise.

"Okay," he says in a slightly sarcastic tone of voice, "no monsters out here... just a hallway that looks like it belongs on one of those really gay HGTV shows you like." The teasing is second nature. Joking with Ethan is a bit of a defense mechanism, a way to find normalcy in these strange circumstances.

Ethan Steiner has managed to find clothes as well, dressing similarly (though not identically) to his brother. He pokes his head out the door as well, frowning a bit. "Hey, I don't watch that many gay TV shows. Where the heck are we? I don't even remember drinking that much last night. Or at all." His frown deepens, brows drawing together. "Suppose anyone else is here? We should probably look."

Another door along the hall opens, and Oz walks out, dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt, though he looks like he got up recently, though he has had breakfast. He looks around, and all of him's shaking a bit, as if he's nervous or afraid. He spots Ethan and Aiden, and he charges at them, wrapping first Aiden, then Ethan in a tight hug that lasts perhaps longer than it should. "You're still alive," he says, quietly. "It was only a dream." He doesn't point out the fact they're in a strange place, that should already be obvious right? But he does seem happier now that he at least has packmates, friends, he's not completely alone. "Are the others here too?"

The room is nice, and....well decorated. It's even got a comfortable bed. Wow, somebody went all in on this place. That's the thought process for Isaac. He spots the windows and stares out, watching outside for a moment before pretty much diving on the food, scarves trailing through it...then dressing in demure colors, he too steps outside and stops dead in the doorway.....a good idea to take in the view. "Wat?" he says and stares around. "This ain't home. I....what was I....how did I get here?" he asks and just...looks around in awe. "This place is nice though" he says with a shiver of excitement, adjusting his scarves....scarves that are covered in food. If he ever gets hungry, ready food supply. Still, he's also on the lookout for people, though he's brought his foood with him in his hands....and settled into a routine of step, eat. Repeat....and look like a mucky pup with food over his hands...as the questions of how did he get here, and how did his scarves get here......are front and center in his mind. Along with hey, any more food?

Spying Oz, Ethan and Aiden he runs over and joins in the hug, though with hands and scarves coated in food....it's.....not quite as impressive as he's looking for.

Aiden is about to say something *hilarious* about Ethan's TV habits when Oz launches into his arms. "Whoa," he says, hugging him lightly back and patting his back before letting him move on to hugging Ethan. "Yeah, we're fine, dude. Somebody just kidnapped us to a fancy vacation and didn't bother telling us. I thought it was Derek's place at first, but it's too big and smells all wrong." He then spots Isaac and makes a face. "What the--? Isaac, what the hell? Did you just *sleep* in your breakfast!?" Drugs. It has to be drugs, maybe laced with wolfsbane. And Isaac is clearly still feeling the effects.

Ethan oofs when he's suddenly in an Oz bearhug, patting his back as well. "Hey man, chill. Of course, we're still alive. Why wouldn't we be? It's not like we were transported to another planet." He steps back, frowning deeply again as he looks around. "We're not on another planet, are we? I mean, that's just ridiculous. This isn't Star Trek." And then he spots Isaac, and his nose wrinkles. "Okay, somebody needs a bath. Just because we're on another planet is no excuse to just schmear food all over yourself."

Nodding, Oz sighs. "Bad dream. I...don't think we're on another planet. You did get a note, right? I got one, and if it's the same person I think it is, then we have a very capable mom looking after us." He makes a point of staying as far away from Isaac as possible. No way is he getting tangled up in that mess. "Isaac, you're in someone else's home. The least you could do is show some respect."

Isaac looks over to Ethan and Aiden. "Oh yeah I thought we all wore the red shirt" he snarks and looks down. "Oh, yeah, I sort of fell into breakfast" he adds. "You sure you want me getting out of these clothes?" he asks, ducking into his room and coming back sans food, though he's still got the tray of breakfast with him, though now he's at least not covered in food. He's merely eating it. Looking over to Oz then Ethan and Aiden, he looks amused. "Oh sure we're on another planet. That explains the great food, and the great cccomadation. It's...." he says. "Wait, a note? I think I remember one? It's all a blur. I woke up here and got distracted by the view and fell into food.

Aiden stares at Isaac a moment, then barks a laugh. "Okay," he smirks, "things can't be *too* bad, not with that kind of comic relief." He claps Oz on the shoulder, gives Ethan a nod, and says, "We should probably look around, figure out what's going on and where we are. Make sure it's safe for Scott and Derek and everybody." A beat, and he adds with mostly real confidence, "We're not on another planet. We're just, like, on a surprise vacation." Then he registers what Oz said. "Wait. This is your *mom's* place? Dude, how freaking rich are you?"

Ethan's eyes widen as he stares at Oz. "Seriously, your mom?" He starts slowly walking down the hall, looking around. "Is this the house you grew up in? Why'd you ever leave?" He nods approvingly when Isaac emerges in a more food-free manner. "Much better. Now let's start poking around and knocking on doors, see if we can find anyone else. Derek, Scott, Stiles." He turns back toward Aiden, naturally looking to his twin for guidance. "Where should we begin?"

Oz can't help but outright laugh. "My mom? Far from it. But the woman who runs this place is...more or less like a mom to all who come here in need. I've met her once, not that long ago, but it was...only briefly. I think we'll be happy here."

"Vacations." Isaac mutters, "Oh sure it's like we won some freaky prize of being in Oz's mom's house?" he asks with a curious tone then eyes Ethan and Aidn. "You guys wannna knock on doors? I....will stay by my room...I assume it's not a jail celllcell, is it?" he asks staring at the door, then back to the others with a laugh.

Aiden peers at Oz like he has a bunch of questions, but he keeps them to himself for now. Instead, he says to Isaac, "Jail cells have locks. We're not locked in." He turns to a nearby door, knocking on it loudly... and frowns a bit when nobody answers. He tries the knob, finding it locked. "Must have really damn good soundproofing," he mutters. Trying another door, he says, "I can't get into any of these. I guess we could go downstairs and see where the hell *here* is?"

Ethan nods as he looks toward the stairs. "Yeah, let's go downstairs. And let's all stick together. Yeah, okay, it's a horror movie trope, but still good advice." He pats his pockets, making sure he had his wallet and motorcycle keys, then nods again.

Oz simply nods. "Maybe we can find out more down there, yeah," he says, thoughtfully, before walking down the hall and descending the stairs.

"Oh come on, they open the doors in jails. That's what the prison movies always say right?" Isaac asks then looks to Oz and Ethan and Aiden "I dunno about you guys but we are in..." he says as he watches them go down the staisrs and follows. "I swear I'm gonna stick with you guys though" he adds with a nervous look around.

### Rowanwood House - Entry Hall

*The double front doors open up to a cavernous entryway. The architecture is elegant and ornate, with paneled walls, marble columns, and graceful archways. The floor is polished marble in a black and white diamond pattern, and the ceiling is at least thirty feet high. Much of the lighting here comes from an intricate silver chandelier, hanging above, and a large, round rose window over the main entrance lets in natural illumination. All traces of technology seem to date to the early twentieth century, at the most modern.*

*A large, ornate fireplace stands against the west wall with a pair of small, red-cushioned sofas draw up near to it, offering a cozy place for visitors to sit. A small nook in the southeast corner offers a pair of chairs and a small table with an old-fashioned telephone on it. Little touches and embellishments can be seen all around, with statues tucked into niches in the walls and paintings of bygone eras hanging between them.*

*A double grand staircase swoops down in two graceful curves from the upper floor, and beyond the feet of the two staircases, another pair of double mahogany doors opens into the great hall, beyond. Additional single doorways open to the east and west, as well as along the northern wall to the northeast and northwest.*

Aiden lets out a low whistle as they come down the stairs. "Damn, this place really is fancy. And huge. Where should we even start?" He stops at the foot of the stairs, tucking his thumbs into his jeans pockets, and looks around, brow furrowed. "If this is a prison, Isaac, it's the comfiest one I've ever heard of." He glances at Ethan, wondering if his twin has any ideas. "I guess we could open the front door. Seems obvious, but... eh?"

Ethan crosses his arms over his chest, looking suspiciously at the front door. "I dunno. Seems almost too easy. Oh, hey." An idea strikes him, and he reaches into his pocket for his cell phone. "We can use GPS to figure out where we are, right?" He scowls and starts patting his pockets again. "Anyone got their phone? I musta lost mine."

Oz frowns, padding his own pocketa. "No phone here. Uh...damn. Maybe we should just walk outside and see what's out there. Though...I don't know what day it is, if it's the day after yesterday it's the first, right? So it's probably cold."

"No phone" Isaac adds with a puzzled look s he loooks woried. "You want to go outside....be my guest. I'll stay whre it's warm" he says simply, looking like he's not heading out there any time soon...

Aiden goes to the nearest window and peeks out, frowning. "Well, I mean... it looks like just a nice yard out there. Or grounds, or whatever. Big, lots of trees." He frowns and checks, then reports, "No phone here, either. Okay. That's great." He sighs. "Yeah, I'm goin' out. You can hang back if you want." He crosses the floor to the entrance, takes hold of the handle... and hauls it open. Grinning in a "see, not locked" kind of way, he then slips outside.

sighs and moves over to Isaac, wrapping an arm around Isaac's shoulders. "What happened to sticking together? Do you really want to be in here all by yourself, so the axe-weilding maniac can get at you? C'mon, safety in numbers." He starts toward the door as well, trying to guide Isaac, but not forcing him. He glances toward Oz as well, raising a brow. "You coming?"
"Considering you're behind me, of course," Oz says, with a smirk as he follows Aiden outside. "Cold!" His voice can be heard calling back.

Isaac shakes his head. "Yeah, but.....we're all in here, if we're out there, easier to not stick together" Isaac points out, puzzzled by the missing pone, too.....as he smiles to Ethan, "ine, I'll come with ya" he says, his eyes giving away he likes the arm around his shoulders.

### Rowanwood House - Front Grounds

*The manor itself is quite formal in style, yet it has a certain off-beat character and overtones of an almost Corinthian flavor. The grounds are enclosed by a wooded perimeter and feature well-manicured lawns and a small, formal rose garden. High bronze gates are wrought in a rose pattern and with the letter "R" formed in the center. A circular gravel drive encloses a small flower garden here in the front, a simple fountain located at its center. A vegetable garden, enclosed by high stone walls, stands on the west side of the house. A formal flower garden occupies the east side.*

*The house itself is tawny gold in color, consisting of a large, three-story central wing with a flat-topped roof and full front porch, supported by six Grecian columns. It expands into smaller, two-story extensions, one to each side. These each have two columns built into their façades, framing large picture windows on the first floor and smaller windows on the second, topped by gabled rooftops. The top of the porch doubles as a balcony for the third floor of the central wing, and the entire rooftop is dotted with small chimneys.*

*An extension wing has been added to the east side of the house, two stories tall, save for a square-based clock tower at the southeast corner. Easily four stories high, the tower features a columned belvedere with a silver dome, topped by a weathervane.*

Outside, Aiden stands there, blinking, and says, "Well, there's snow. And a huge-ass house, which we knew." He looks around the front grounds, taking it all in, and says, "Okay, I've still got no idea where the hell this is, but it *definitely* looks more like a resort or something than a prison." When Isaac elects to slip back inside, Aiden calls after him, "Fine, but don't wander off! Go wait in your room or something!" He looks back to Ethan and shrugs. "I dunno, bro. It *feels* safe here, kinda. But something's bugging me."

Ethan rubs his chin, then shields his eyes against the sunlight. "Me too. Not just where are we. How'd we get here? Who brought us here? Why are we here? And just what day is it? Is it New Years Day? It's definitely winter." He toes some of the snow beside the path, then puts his arm around Oz's shoudlers. "Too many questions. I mean, at least it seems peaceful and safe."

Oz nods, leaning back into Ethan's touch with a bit of a smile. "One thing's for sure, if Nessa Du Valle is taking care of us, then we are most definitely safe. I think she'll answer all our questions at lunch, so I wouldn't be too worried."

"Well," Aiden says slowly, "if you know this Ms. Du Valle, and if you say we're safe here... well, that's good, at least." He grins a bit. "Wanna look around? I mean, if we're hanging out at a place this fancy, we might as well try to enjoy it, right?" He looks around again, wondering, "I wonder what all they have here?"

Ethan steps back to look up toward the mansion, shaking his head. Then he turns slowly toward the grounds. "Well, probably a swimming pool, tennis courts, maybe a hedge maze. I mean, that's what rich people have in their yards, right? Hey! Think there's a go-cart track? That'd be so cool!"

"That would be," Oz says. "I doubt it, though, I mean, there's nothing modern here. Like...at all. Anywhere. But this place seems to be full of surprises. I mean, I got exactly what I wanted for breakfast, to the letter. And when I wanted something else it just...appeared. Like magic. It was...just more food, but even so, I think it's magic."

"Okay," Aiden says slowly. "So we're at a magic house that's giving us what we want to eat. And has like the softest bed *ever*." He wrinkles his nose a bit, then says, "Okay. Do we check out the, like, veggie garden, or do we go for the flower garden off that way?" He points to the west, then the east. "I guess we can at least explore the place and figure out if it's as low-tech as Oz says, but he's got a point. Everything's looked really... old school."

Ethan follows the directions Aiden points, shrugging. "Up to you guys. Though any flowers or veggies are...Well, under snow, right? There do seem to be a lot of trees. Almost like a forest, but less...Chaotic?" He shrugs again. "Or we could explore the house. Ya know, inside. I'm curious what's in there. Is it like the house in Clue? Ooooh! Are there secret passages?"

"Doesn't matter to me," Oz says, shrugging. Though fi we're exploring out here we'd better make it quick, it's cold."

Aiden shrugs and says, "I'm good with exploring whatever you want, bro. Just lead the way, and I'll bring up the rear." He grins at Oz and says, "Okay, if that's two votes for exploring the house, then let's go. Maybe there's something cool inside."

Ethan grins then, heading back toward the door. "Okay, let's find the conservatory and the billiards room. But if we find a dead body, I am so outta here." He flashes that grin again, then steps inside.

Aiden carefully wipes his feet and brushes the snow from his shoulders before entering. It just feels right, somehow. "So, where are looking for those things?" he asks, quirking an eyebrow. "I mean, it *sounds* like they'd be here, but I've got no idea where to look." He looks to the others, shrugging, and says, "I'm not sure I've ever explored a cheerfully spooky mansion before, so."

Ethan can't help but chuckle again. "Cheerfully spooky, I like that." He looks around again, letting out a small sigh. "I have no idea where to start looking. We need our alpha to lead us. Let's face it, if any of us were leaders, we'd have our own packs." He looks over to Oz. "What do you think, bro? Where to first?"

"Um...we could always try the west wing. I'm sure if we're not allowed to go somewhere the door will be locked, right?" Oz looks at the doorway leading to the western wing and shrugs.

"Why not?" Aiden says. He claps each on the back, then nods that way, striding confidently, almost as if to prove that, despite what Ethan said, he can be a leader when the time calls for it. He opens the door, noting, "Heh, not locked!" Then he steps through into the hallway beyond, looking around with curious interest.

### Rowanwood House - West Wing

*The hallway runs east to west, broad enough for three people to walk comfortably abreast. The
ceilings are a bit over eight feet high, done in swirling frescos of springtime nature scenes.
The walls are paneled in dark, rich mahogany, and carved columns stand at intervals, looking
like oak trees that grew up through the floor, their bare branches twisting up into the ceiling.
The floors are jade and turquoise marble veined with gold and silver. Light comes from various
standing candelabra and sconces that resemble gas lamps.*

*A set of carved double doors with silver handles stand in the center of the south wall, while a
similar set is mirrored on the north side. Single doorways stand at the ends of the hall, opening to the east and west. You may lookout from here.*

Ethan stuffs his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he walks along. "Okay well, no axe-weilding maniacs. Not seeing a billiard room or a conservatory. Hey, what is a conservatory, anyway?" He stops at the door to the ballroom. "Oh hey, here's the nightclub. Suppose there's a shopping mall, too?"

"That's...a night club? What?" Oz can't help but laugh as he opens the doors to have a look inside, but doesn't actually go in.

"Uh," Aiden says, "I think it's just a room for dancing. Ballroom. That's what they called it in *Clue*, anyway." He pushes open the opposite door. "And this has gotta be the library. It's full of books." He gives Ethan a bit of a look. "I don't think there's a mall in here, bro. Oz was right. It's all pretty old school stuff. And a conservatory is like a music room, isn't it?"

Ethan colors just a bit. "Oh right, ballroom. And yep, that's a library. And what makes you think they didn't have malls in the olden days? People had to buy clothes and stuff, right?" He takes half a step into the library, then thinks better of it.

"Not the mall," Oz says, with a laugh. "Um, they made their own clothes."

Aiden folds his arms across his chest and says, "Well, no monsters here. Looks like that last door leads back outside, so... what sounds like a good idea?" He looks back toward the entry hall. Grinning, he says, "There's gotta be something cool we can do around this place. It's not like we've ever gotten a vacation this awesome before."

Ethan pulls the library doors closed, then turns to follow Aiden. "What do people do on vacation? I've never really understood the whole concept of just sitting around a pool or staring out at the ocean. I hafta be -doing- something, ya know? Like...I dunno, skiing? That's at least an activity."

"I dunno. I don't think there's much fun stuff we can do here. Well, not now at least." Oz says, turning to follow the other 2. "But I'm sure we can find something once we're out of here, though."

Aiden walks back into the front room, then finds a seat and flops on one of the sofas. "Well," he observes, "at least it's warm and stuff. Kinda wish we had TV or something, though." He smirks. "Wow. We're in a magic house, and I want TV. How lame am I?"

"Well, if it's a magic house," says Ethan with a grin, "shouldn't we be able to just wish for one?" He moves toward the large fireplace and sits on one of the cushions. "What did people in the olden days do for entertainment? Go to plays? Listen to the radio?"

Oz sits down on another cushion and shrugs. "I'm not sure," he says, with a laugh. "Well, I guess we can just sit and chill here, yeah?"

Snorting softly, Aiden says, "I don't think there's any plays, and I didn't see a radio, but... yeah, I guess." He laughs suddenly. "We could always go and build a snowman or something." He's half kidding, but then, again, they *could*.

Ethan wrinkles his nose again. "That's kid stuff though," he grumbles, scratching at his chin. "We could build a snow fort and an arsenal of snowballs, then have an epic battle. Well, assuming there are any other people here. Not sure you can call a battle between three guys all that epic."

Oz can't help but laugh. "We could though, that's the thing. Just because we're not kids anymore doesn't mean we can't have fun, right?"

Aiden gets up and grabs Ethan by the arm, trying to drag him to his feet, too. "Come on," he laughs. "Let's go fuck around in the snow, then. Who knows what the hell we'll find out at lunch, and it might really suck, so we might as well enjoy ourselves while we can, right?" He gestures to Oz, too. "C'mon!"

Ethan laughs, letting his brother pull him to his feet. "Okay, okay. Ya big kid." Gently slugging Aiden't shoulder, he reaches down to tug Oz up next. "C'mon, let's go help Anna build her Olaf."

"Alright," Oz says, rising to follow.