[the cabin] come as you are [nessa, oogie,+ friends]

“Are you sure I cannot decorate the table with gold?” Tiny hands were filled with gold coins as Maia dug into the pretty purple tinted chest right behind her couch. She shook them gently, brown eyes watching them as they slid out of her fingers, and back into the chest again, before she grabbed some more, and did it again. She watched Nessa bustle around her cabin, and almost sighed in exasperation at the woman’s focus on the event. It wasn’t even Nessa’s dinner part, but Nessa was still organizing everything.

This would be the first dinner party that Maia had thrown in her cabin. She’d been seeing her friends often, and hadn’t seen the need. Then with her new…job? Relationship. She didn’t know what to call it, but it’d had her away from home more often than not, leaving her to kidnap her kitty and let him roam around unfamiliar places. It wasn’t her fault that she’d looked into the abyss and the monster had dragged her in. She was having fun, and felt safe where she was, so why would she deny herself that pleasure. Deny herself him. It wasn’t in her nature.

She’d wanted to see her friends, and altogether sounded better. She wasn’t quite sure of who all knew each other, but she wanted them all to meet. She’d only mentioned it in passing to Oogie, not sure if he’d wanted to come, but she’d left that door open for him if he’d wanted to walk through it. They had something between them, something that she didn’t want to touch because it was perfect as it was. If he wanted to meet her friends, that was fine. But if he didn’t that was fine too.

Candles sat on every flat surface, in every or size imaginable. Some of them even sat in opulent candle holders that she’d retrieved from her adventures. Maia had been the one to set the table, hissing at Nessa lightly when the other woman even tried to move some of the decorations off. Bright flowers, gold trimmed plates and gold silverware adorned the rustic table, gold pieces scattered on the long light blue table cloth. Dinner was finishing, all the dishes fresh, light and tasty. But Maia’s prize was the giant chocolate care that she’d ordered from the bakery.

Maia was about to grab the pink champagne out of the ice box, when Nessa tried to grab her attention again. “Noooo. We’re not having lamb. The poor baby…”


Any of Maia's friends are more than welcome to come and visit!
  @Nessa Regan  @Medusa 

August 2000 

When Maia invited her to a dinner party Nessa wasn't entirely surprised, she knew the siren was quite a social fishy, and she had of course excepted. She might not of been the best at social gatherings but she enjoyed some people's company, and Maia was one of those people. However, Nessa wasn't satisfied just being a guest and she had of course insinuated herself into the event. Showing up earlier than she was supposed to, a side dish of potatoes in hand, Nessa insisted on helping set up for the event. She was a detail freak and always had to be in control, so it wasn't exactly out of character for her as she started whipping around her friends cabin, cleaning things and staging items. She made sure there were enough surfaces for people to sit on even though Maia wouldn't give her an exact guest list. The vagueness of the answer she got when asking how many people were coming irritated the dark witch but she kept whizzing around the room anyway.

As she puttered along cleaning counters, using her wand to help light the insane amount of candles, and sweeping the rug with magic she silently wondered what kind of people Maia had invited. Were they wizards or were they more interesting like she was. Nessa wasn't sure what she would prefer. While she'd like to meet more special people like Maia she would be quite jealous if she was the only normal witch at the party. "Yes I am quite sure, while the coins are lovely and all most people don't take their main course with a side of heavy metal." Nessa replied sarcastically before sending a smirk Maia's way. She watched as the other woman dropped coins back into the chest one by one before starting again as her hands slowly came to rest on her hips. Standing still for a moment before she grew restless again Nessa took a deep breath. She had been so caught up in prepping the cabin she hadn't realized she'd worked up a bit of a sweat. Rushing off to one of the many shiny surfaces around the cabin she checked her hair, flattening it a bit before turning back around to see Maia working on setting the table. There was so much on it but the Irish woman was quickly shooed away when she tried to correct that.

"Then may I ask what we are having?" She asked in reply as she leaned against a counter. "I brought some potatoes as a side dish. Maybe we enchant some of the candles to float above the table? Or some of your gold coins, they would reflect the light around the room." She hoped if she asked enough questions and distracted her with shiny ideas Maia might get swept up and give her more details about what she really wanted to know. "Do you know when the others are showing up? Tell me again who is coming tonight? Will we have enough food?"

“If they do not want to taste the metal, they will not put the coins in their mouths. You know people who eat metal? Strange…” Maia tsked to herself, shaking her head from side to side. And people called her strange. If there were people who ate money, then she was far from it. She arranged the flowers on the table, almost fixated on getting the idea of them perfectly imperfect. Maia wasn’t quite sure what that meant exactly, only that she knew the flowers weren’t doing that. She didn’t know why she was so anxious, but…she was. And that was that.

“Potatoes? I like potatoes.” Maia darted off to the kitchen, and began to use her wand to direct magically heated plates over to the large butcher block table in the middle of the kitchen. “There is fish, many types of fish, and one beef thing.” At that she wrinkled her nose. She could understand leather, because when treated right, it protected from the elements. She could understand having a pet cow, because they were cute. But eating anything from a cow? It upset her stomach, and made her want to go cry the first time she’d tried it, and she’d avoided it since. Except cheese. Maia loved cheese. “But also vegetables, and cake!”

Then the barrage of questions began again, and Maia blushed pink. She was ill prepared to answer the guest question, as in the back of her mind, the person she wanted very much to come, she wasn’t sure that he was coming. “I…invited my friends, but I am not sure who all is coming. I suppose that if there is too much food, you can take it to that troublesome brother of yours.” She wrinkled her nose thinking about Torr, and then the feeling drifted away. “I said 8…but many have jobs. We shall see.”

Biting her lip, she just managed to say it, without a quaver in her voice, but she could feel the nervousness in her person. It wasn’t often that she’d asked someone to meet her friends, especially someone that she was seeing. Especially after it being such a short time. “There is someone I am hoping will come. We are…seeing each other. Not an exclusive thing, but I care for his company, and I believe he cares for mine…” She shrugged, arranging things out of the neat little piles Nessa put them in.

“I am hoping he will come, but he is very busy…”

Rajani had been pacing back and forth in her room for the last hour, the cats following her like little ducklings. She had never been a social butterfly, nor had she ever enjoyed being surrounded by hordes of humans in enclosed spaces. It didn't matter that this enclosed space was her home, her safe haven, if anything that made the knot in her stomach tighten further. Maia had always been the light to the Keres darkness and Rajani understood that attracting people was in her nature. She even had gotten used to Maia's barrage of lovers streaming in and out of the cabin at odd times, mostly because she was never forced to socialize with them. However, this wasn't some orgy her best friend had cooked up...this was a social event. There would be multiple people in her home for hours on end. Multiple humans, fluttering about the house, stinking it up with their delicious scents. Did Maia even realize how hard it was to remove the scent of humans from the couch? Her stomach gurgled in hunger at the thought of scrumptious temptation and then the oddest image of her gnawing on the couch came about. She knew that she didn't have to join in the dinner, Maia would never force her, but she also knew how much it would mean for her to come out of her den and make 'friends'. It was hard to resist something that would make Maia happy.

To increase her comfort and hopefully hide her true form as bet she could, Rajani covered as much of herself as she could. She had tightened her corseted outfit as tight as she could comforted her feathered pores had gone numb. For the last few hours a human friend of Maia's had been busy running around and helping the Siren 'set up', which shamed Raj who had been to uncomfortable to come out and help. Gloved fingers played with the boning of her corset as she prayed to Nyx for the courage to make her way out of her room.

In her nervousness her eyes had bled permanently to red and as she slithered into the hallway Rajani tried her best to breath through her nerves. "Maia...i'm...out. Can I help?" she bellowed with an awkward clearing of her throat. No one would get hurt tonight...hopefully.

Sometimes Nessa wasn't sure if she should bother arguing with Maia. She had come to know that the Siren did things her way and that way often amused the dark witch. She snorted at the idea of the guests putting the coins in her mouth because that was not at all how she had meant it. Instead of rebutting she shook her head with a soft smile and moved along. Maia always had a way of bringing out some tiny piece of cheerfulness in Nessa. Sometimes she wondered if it had anything to do with her special charms. She watched as Maia started working in the kitchen and listened closely after she asked the stream of questions. There was quite a bit of food but eight was a large group of people. Nessa looked from Maia back to the table that was a beautiful mess and wondered if there would be enough room at it for that many people. She mentally counted how many forks she had put back on the correct side of the plate, realizing there was one more placing setting than they would need.

The mention of a certain person Maia wanted to come made the Irish witch turn back toward her with another smirk. "Oh really?" She said, always wanting more detail. She doubted Maia would give her any of the nitty gritty but that wouldn't stop her from trying. "What's this mystery man like?" She said playfully but she had the full intention to interview him herself if he arrived. It was rare that Nessa made close friends but she did consider Maia to be one of them and so she felt a bit protective over her. She wanted to ask more, she wanted to get all of the details but before she could she heard a voice she didn't recognize. Turning away from Maia she saw the owner of the voice and realized that this must of been Maia's room mate. She knew that the other witch lived with someone but that was as far as her insight went. She looked the other woman over once, like she would any new person, and it wasn't difficult to notice that she too was a little bit different. Her eyes were red and not like she'd been crying but more like they were bleeding. It was a strange thing to see and a confused reaction was written across Nessa's face.

There probably wasn't a person in the world who would describe Nessa Jade Regan as courteous, polite, or compassionate. She looked from Maia back to the addition and tilted her head to the side. Had she been any where else besides inside this cabin her barrage of questions would of already begun but knowing that Maia was different made the conclusion simple for Nessa. The other girl was probably part something else as well, not entirely human, and that was absolutely fascinating. A bright smile fell upon her dark features and she motioned for the girl to come out into the kitchen. She was staring, but at least she wasn't being entirely rude, it was a step up from her normal behavior. "You can help me pry some information about a new man out of our friend." She said brightly, hoping if she was friendly maybe Rajani would answer her questions later. And she had lots of questions. "I love your corset by the way." Her intentions weren't entirely pure but that part at least wasn't a lie.

Maia tilted her head to the side, and her eyes glowed blue for a moment to fading into the bright brown colour.  Was that what friends did? Dilvulge about their conquests? She really didn’t consider Hezurdura to be a conquest however. There was an almost even exchange on their ends, with him having the larger power base, but she was fine with that. “He is…tall. And a gentleman. Very beautiful.” Maia blushed a little, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers. “He makes me feel normal. And very much like a woman.”  She darted away to the kitchen, as if she was going to fidget with stuff when she heard her name being yelled.

Tilting her head to the side, she examined Rajani for a moment, before a beautiful smile covered her face. “You look beautiful, mi amor.” She cooed, fluttering to the other woman. Nessa began to joke with her, and Maia rolled her eyes dramatically. “You should like yapping gossiping old woman, Nessa.” She beamed, to cut the sting of her words because she was very amused. “Raj, this is Nessa. You will be friends, I think. And if not you will not eat each other.”

Maia strolled over to the table, and began to nervously fidget around with things. The meeting between her two girlfriends also made her nervous, and her eyes had faded to a dark dull blue in compressed worry. She had not put very much stock into her friends liking each other, but she really wished that these two would get along, but she would not force it. The only thing she could of to do was to talk and fill the silence with nervous conversation. “I made a pasta. Well, I bought a pasta, and made something with it. It has butter in it, and the garlic. I…admit I needed more help than I usually would.”

She pattered her bare feet around, beaming at them. “Wine?” She grabbed a chilled bottle and three glasses, and set them on the table.

Raj should have known that any human friend of Maia's would come with a big if not overbearing personality and she was used to the curiosity that seemed to pour from this young woman. It was sometimes difficult for her not to feel like some rare disfigured artifact slapped in the window at a store in Knockturn ready to be gawked at. Her initial reaction had always been to slink away and hide herself, but for Maia she would work hard to be a little less rude. Her fingers played with the boning once again and she did her best to smile, her cheeks rouging at what she had assumed was a compliment. Seeing Maia’s reaction only furthered Raj’s comfort that she had done right for the night. “Thank you, it’s the tightest I own. Keeps the breathing to a minimum. It’s a pleasure to meet you Nessa,” Raj extended a gloved hand carefully to Nessa hoping the enchanted material would keep her claws at bay. Raj snorted at Maia’s introduction “I couldn’t eat her even if I wanted and you know that silly.”

It was odd to see Maia acting coy as she discussed a meal. Raj couldn’t remember the last time Maia cared enough about her food to invite them for more than kanoodling let alone speak of them this fondly. This made Raj feel weird and almost uncomfortable as she feared what a male companion might mean, especially if he were human. The Keres zoned momentarily and then snapped back as talk of food came. “I will take wine. There are apple tarts in fridge if more food is needed. I can also make my γιαγιά’s pasta salad if you would like.” Raj shuffled her way into the kitchen beginning to make the salad without waiting for an answer. “I am curious to meet this other friend of yours who puts rouge on your cheeks. Nessa does she not look smitten?”

More red.

Bare skeletal feet tapped gently on the cloth-covered floor as his inky skull tilted gently to the side to consider the work in front of him. He blinked again, suppressing the urge to cover his eyes from the few beams of warm sunlight illuminating his usually-dark apartment. He felt like a vampire or maybe a mole. Oogie was a nocturnal creature, up with the moon and in bed with the sun. Truthfully, he barely ever saw the sun anymore, taking the moon and the stars to be his new guiding lights. But he was working on something a little more…difficult. After discarding three half-done drafts, he had finally decided that the only way to do this right would be to work in the natural sunlight.

Dipping his brush back into his paint pallet, the bone man leaned forward and smeared a long streak of bright scarlet, his wrist flicking expertly in a gentle curve as the stroke tapered off. There, that would do it. Again he tilted his head to the side, trying to compare the half-sketched, half-painted image on the canvas to the very vivid image in his mind. It had been a while since Oogie had painted. Running a criminal empire had taken over almost every aspect of his life. It was a very consuming occupation. But recently the kingpin had felt inspired. Even in the midst of a bloody gang war, he found a small shimmering light that seemed to make everything seem a little less bad.

Maia seemed to light up everything she touched. She was…different. She oozed magic and life just seemed to radiate outwards from her like she was s glowing ember in a very, very dark cave. He wasn’t used to these feelings of attachment and happiness. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it certainly made him feel a little anxious. As if it could be snatched up at any second. That was why Oogie didn’t play games with her. He knew what he wanted and he knew that their time together may very well come to a violent end someday. So he cared for her with everything he had, or at least everything he was capable of having. It was honest. It was simple. It was real.

He switched out his paintbrush, his eyes flickering to the pocket watch hanging from his baggy pants. I was almost time. Slender fingers picked up the fan brush and he gently rolled the edges in the shimmering gold, then begun to carefully make very fine back and forth swishing strokes. The familiar sensation of utmost concentration on his artwork was soothing. So much so that the slight anxiety he was feeling a few hours ago had somehow managed to melt away. He had to admit, the prospect of meeting Maia’s friends was… unpleasant. He really didn’t think it was a good idea, but he could tell that she really wanted to bring them together. For whatever reason.  And there were few things Maia could ask for that Oogie could say no to. Tricky little siren.

Deciding that this was a good stopping point, the skeleton put his brush down. He stood up from the stool he was hunched on top of, wiping his colorful hands on his grimy white shirt. Despite what he had expected, he didn’t feel naked or odd without his suit. He never forgot his humble beginnings. Never forgot the things that had brought him to where he was today. The life of an artist was not always glamorous and the life of a gangster was not always as high class as it was now. Even as he rinsed off in his giant marble shower and slipped into a very fine evening suit, he considered if this life was truly the one he wanted. Running a criminal empire was complicated and dangerous. Being a painter was simple.

Once he was appropriately dressed and cleaned, Oogie picked up the two items he was bringing to the dinner. In the box was a set of small clinking glass jars filled with Armand’s tiramisu recipe. Baking was another thing Oogie hadn’t done in a while, but it was his understanding that he should contribute something to the party. This wasn’t a catered meeting between shadowy crime bosses. This was a dinner. With friends. It would be rude to show up empty handed. And just to make sure, in his other hand he held a bouquet for the hostess.

Settling both items comfortable in his arms, the bone man closed his eyes. There was a loud crack! and when he opened them again, he was standing in the middle of a forest. Not far away he could see the glow of firelight in a small cabin. He made his way towards it, carefully stepping over roots and rocks until he was at the front door. The building was very small and homey.  Mostly what he had expected from Maia. Shifting the flowers into his other hand, he raised an inky fist to knock firmly on the wooden door. A beat passed. Footsteps. Then the door opened.

“Hello.”

Nessa cracked a sarcastic smirk when Maia said he made her feel like a woman, she wanted those kinds of details too, but she'd wait till the after dinner drinks to open that door. Watching the way Maia flocked to Rajani and the words that came next Nessa's inner questions tripled. Would she really eat her? Could she? And how did that work? The idea was interesting, if not just the tiniest bit frightening. The Irish witch had never seen Maia go all out siren before, she'd seen her do the vibrating excited thing, and maybe even felt the pull of her allure (or maybe that was just natural because she was quite beautiful even without the extras) but she'd never seen the other side of it. Part of her strangely wanted to, knowing just how powerful Sirens could be from the books she'd read about them. As soon as she discovered what her friend was she wanted to know more. She wondered who would win if they two of them got into a fight as her dark brown eyes flitted from one beautifully dangerous woman to the next. It would be a sight, that was sure, but she didn't wish for it of course.

Both hands planted firmly on her lips as she gawked at Maia for calling her an old gossiping woman but her face quickly melted into something warmer as she stuck her tongue out. "I wouldn't have to yap and pry if you would just give up the goods." She made a note to ask Raj about the breathing comment later, why did she not wish to breath? Did that help in some way... it sounded painful. She moved toward the table when the idea of wine came up, never one to pass up the opportunity for a little alcohol. Nessa didn't need the liquid courage but it never hurt either. "She does look quite smitten." She commented, smiling back at Raj as the wine began to pour. "This man must be some special wizard to deserve such a get together." Ness replied, not knowing for sure if he was the sole reason of the gathering, but assuming anyways.

"Wait.." She said, turning her face toward Maia and speaking softly because the accusation was never meant as an insult. "Is he human?" Normally one probably didn't need to ask that kind of question but as the only full human in a room of three it wasn't out side of bounds. Just then a knock came on the door and Nessa grinned wildly before pushing her way toward the door. She rushed, tripping over a potted plant as her big boots clunked on the wooden floor. She wanted to beat Maia to the door so she could lay eyes on the new man in her life first and also because she wasn't exactly courteous, she didn't even consider the fact that opening the door to greet guests when it wasn't your home could be considered rude.

"Well hello there." She said as her eyes were assaulted with tattoos. She took up the whole of the door way for a moment, hip cocked to the side with a hand laying on it as she studied him. She knew this man, she'd seen him plenty of times at the den. Grisha never spoke in great detail about his boss but Nessa was smart enough to of put two and two together long ago. This man was the leader of whatever organization Grish was in and that meant he was powerful and dangerous, human or not. She stepped to the side allowing for Oogie to enter when he was ready but she shot Maia looks from behind the cover of the wooden door. Looks that screamed both 'damn he's fine' and concern about the fact that she had gotten romantically involved with the leader of a dark criminal organization.

“I…don’t look smitten.” Maia murmured softly, cheek flushed red. Gah, why must they pick with her? She was just trying to have a little get together, and not have this be a thing. She clicked two coins together, using her hair as a shield. Before she could even get herself together, there Nessa went again. “Yes? He is. Human that is.” What did it matter, other than Nessa little fascination with things that were different?

There was a knock at the door, and Maia refused to look. She was so sure that Oogie was too busy to come, that she didn’t want to get her hopes up. But she’d worn black lace just in case. She didn’t know what was going on between the two of them, but it was something different than she’d ever experienced. No matter that she’d never been with someone who was scary and charming at the same time, and a criminal Kingpin. He’d been so busy as of late, and no matter how she’d tried to draw his attention away from his work, she knew that it was important, because he said so. So she’d been pleased to curl against his side, or lay in a comfortable chair whilst he worked. And some how, it’d made her more content being able to lurk while he was busy, than any other person she’d been around.

“The door isn’t going anywhere!” Maia laughed as Nessa stumbled over to the door, shaking her head. When the other woman opened the door, Maia couldn’t see over her head for a few moments, then she shifted to the side, and it was like all of the air left her lungs. Her eyes shone a bright almost luminescent blue, and she swayed slightly. “Hezurdura…” She murmured huskily, her voice thick with accent. She grabbed hold of the chair and moved forward slowly. “I…didn’t…” Maia didn’t finish the thought, but swallowed thickly again.

When she made it to the door, she leaned against it, looking up at him. A sweet smile covered her cheeks and she let her eyes trail his body, eyes lighting up happily as she saw the bouquet, wanting to touch it, and bury her face in the petals. She wanted to do a great many things to this man, but unfortunately they were in public. “Come.” She bit her bottom lip at him, and turned to walk back into the house, an extra sway to her hips.

“Nessa, wine please…?” She reached her hand out for a glass, a flush on her cheeks, and a bright smile on her lips.

Although Raj had spent over half her life now surrounded by humans, she still had trouble with certain social nuances. Particularly as hard as she tried the gibber jabber of 'girlfriendy' small talk still made her feel uncomfortable. Although part of her felt a warmed curiosity towards Nessa, the thought of having to continue simple pleasantries rolled her stomach. Granted, Rajani was quite sure that if given the chance a conversation with Nessa would not be anything close to 'normal' girl talk, she still felt an immense relief wash over her at the sound of the front door.

Her nostrils flared as her olfactory senses took in the scent of the newcomer waiting for the door to be opened. Before she could truly pick through the delicate aroma, she watched Nessa nearly break something rushing over to let the new guest in. Rajani snorted even more so thoroughly amused by the boisterous girl. Obviously Nessa must have assumed this newcomer was Maia's new man meat and given the odd scents filtering through, Raj could at least be sure there was a man on the other side of that door.

When Raj first laid eyes on the creature her heart stopped. For several long moments the Keres was convinced she was in the presence of death. It took every ounce of self control within her to keep from yelling excitedly to a man who outwardly looked like the incarnation of Thanatos. Without thought of etiquette or manner Rajani swooped at Maia and the man, grasping his free arm. Her face had not fully bled into it's predatory blue, but the tips of her teeth had begun to elongate as she attempted to shake the confusion off.


The Keres in her drew its face close to the arm she held. With an exaggerated intake she inhaled his scent and let it wash over her pallet. In that moment she didn't care or think clearly about what his reaction would be. If he was truly human he couldn't hurt her physically, if he was death he would recognize her as family and greet her appropriately. Unfortunately, to her dismay she was quickly realizing he was human. Briefly she considered licking him to triple check, but she did not wish to tarnish Maia's companion. "Pepper, lemon and the rust of blood, but you are not Thanatos and I am sad for this." Rajani released his arm and stepped away, breathing deeply to retract her teeth. "My sincerest apologizes for greeting you like this, I had a lapse of self control. It won't happen again."

Oogie was mildly surprised when he recognized the woman who opened the door to him. He hadn’t expected to actually know anyone else here. It was one Nessa Regan, who was currently in a relationship with Grisha, one of his team leaders. There were few things that went on in his organization that he didn’t know about and he had already read Nessa’s file some time ago. She was a healer of some skill, though she wasn’t affiliated with any hospital or office in particular. In fact, she seemed like just the type of person who wouldn’t mind coloring outside the lines. He had recently been considering recruiting her to Nightmare, but other things had gotten in the way and hiring new people had dropped rather low on the list.

At her greeting, the bone man inclined his head. She stepped aside to let him through the door, and Oogie had to duck slightly to bring his tall frame into the house. His eyes flickered around the homey, decorative little cabin. While it was bigger than it seemed on the outside, he felt very much like a giant standing among the smaller women in a house obviously not meant accommodate someone quite as tall as him. He placed his box of tiramisu on a nearby table, then turned to Nessa. “Miss Regan,” he said politely, his accent rolling off his tongue in a smooth and unaggressive sort of way. “How fortunate that we are finally able to meet. I have heard a great deal about you. It is a pleasure—”

He was interrupted mid-sentence as he turned just in time to see a much smaller blur of black seem to cross the room in an instant and take hold of his arm. He had to crush the urge to push the invader off of him immediately. Instead, he stood perfectly still, his even expression barely moving aside from a pale white brow raising slightly as the woman seemed to sniff him very thoroughly. What her countenance hinted at, her words confirmed. She was not human, which Oogie really should have expected from Maia. She let go of him and backed up, apologizing for her behavior. Oogie had met a lot of strange people in his time, and he realized how little it affected him anymore.

Oogie smiled slightly, the inky teeth on his cheeks slithering up his face as scanned the stranger in front of him. “Some say the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he did not exist. I would not lose hope just yet,” he said with a dark smile. “You must be Rajani. Maia had spoken a great deal about you. It is an honor.”

With that, he turned his attention to the hostess, who was for some reason standing rather far away. He crossed the room in two long strides before he was right beside her. Brown eyes took in the dress she was wearing and his smiled widened into a smirk. He pulled her close and kissed her softly on the top of her head. “You look lovely,” he said, just loud enough that only she could hear. He pulled away and offered the bouquet to her. One inky hand rested softly on her hip, pulling her to his side, and the other was in his pocket as he looked around the room at the two others.

“Shall we sit, then? Or is there more to prepare? I am here to offer my assistance in any way.” Wine. They were going to need wine.

Maia was dating the Bone Man? It still hadn't entirely sunk in even as the tattoed man crossed the threshold into Maia and Raj's home. She wondered what Grisha would think about the fact that she was close friends with his bosses paramore. She knew he didn't want her any where near that world but this wasn't of her doing... he wouldn't hold it against her right? Mentally she scolded herself for even bothering to worry, he didn't control her, as Oogie seemed to address her. She was surprised to hear that he knew who she was bit it did nothing but inflate her already too large ego. She was a confident witch, it was second nature. She nodded to him with a smile, showing him the respect he was due before she watched Rajani nearly tackle the newest party guest. She smiled at the way the young witch crashed into him without a second thought. She made a mental note to ask her why she described his scent that way, was she some kind of synesthesiac? Nessa watched the way he handled Rajani and never missed a beat and she started to see what all the fuss was about. However she wasn't really interested in how he treated her or Rajani what she was interested in was how he treated Maia.

She watched as he approached her, whispered something she couldn't hear, and gave her some flowers and she wasn't disappointed but she wasn't entirely impressed either. Nessa had very few real friends so it was natural for her to be fiercely protective over the ones she did have. Oogie might not of known it yet but Nessa was going to be judging every move he made tonight to see if she thought he was worthy of Maia. It didn't matter that she had absolutely no say in the matter, Nessa rarely practiced with in the guidelines of polite society. "Wine, I can do that." She nodded to Maia and flicked out her twisted wand. A few moments later a wine bottle floated around the table and slowly filled four glasses in equal measure. "How about a toast?" She said picking up her own glass. She wasn't going to make the toast, she wanted to put Oogie on the spot but she assumed that Maia would see right through her if she did something like that so early in the evening, so instead she waited for someone to volunteer.