[u][i]Cornelius[/i][/u]

Cornelius, the animated rubber ducky and indispensable man-servant, was having quite the night. Since the unheralded arrival of Reginald Hoyle and his injured sister, as well as the group that accompanied them, plus the further appearance of Ms. Blasko, her resurrected beau, and the rag-tag band that had been in her company, [i]and[/i] the red-haired demonhost whom he had just escorted in, the Anima had enjoyed little respite. As he floated along, tending to this or that, he felt fortunate that his rubbery state did not allow him to perspire: one of the few advantages of being a waterfowl-shaped bath toy.

He was just about to offer directions to the bed chambers for Master Atticus and his voracious vampire companion, when Cornelius’ small black eyes caught sight of a pair entering through the main archway. Being the superb servant that he was, he knew that a new agent for the company was to arrive this evening, a fallen angel by the name of Gabriel. What Cornelius did not expect however, was the woman that accompanied him. 

[i]Lady Wilde![/i]

Cornelius’ first instinct was to fly off to retrieve Lord Bain at once. Lord Bain had only spoken of loving one person in the whole of the world and in the entirety of his long life, and here she now stood. Cornelius had still been human the last time he had seen Lady Wilde, and after the events of that night, in this very castle, he had never expected to see her again. 

Torn with indecision, Cornelius faltered in place, floating this way and that. His duty to Lord Bain wrestling mightily with the knowledge that such a reunion might be the worse for all those that filled the great room. Mercifully, in the end Lady Wilde made the decision for him, as she bade farewell to the angel, and slipped away as if she had been merely an apparition supplanted in Cornelius’ mind. 

Feeling both a sense of relief and disappointment, Cornelius drifted towards the entrance to greet and welcome the new arrival. 

“Good evening, Mr. Lykis,” Cornelius dipped his yellow rubber head to the angel, “I am Cornelius, butler and servant to Lord Bain and Lord Hoyle. You are expected, and I must say that you have arrived at a most interesting of times.”

Cornelius spun in the air, and beckoned Gabe forward with a wave of a tiny wing. “Please, make yourself at home. There are refreshments by the window if you should so desire. Bedchambers and washrooms are through that archway…” He indicated with his wing again, “…and the private quarters of Lord Bain and Lord Hoyle are on the opposite side of the hall. Please do not venture into that wing unless you are directly invited.”

“I would introduce you to our other guests, but I must be off to see to Lord Bain and Lord Hoyle. They should be along shortly.”

With a final bow, Cornelius left Gabe, hoping that the eccentric group would not scare the angel into leaving before he had even begun.