[Mason] illusions often slowly break

[Marcus Doom]

He'd received Mason's owl earlier, just as he had expected he would eventually. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Mason, but on the bright side... he was neither Lloyd nor Jacoby, so that counted for something. As luck would have it, he had no business meetings to attend that day, nor any other reason to be at work. Therefore, pushing his job aside for a few hours was no problem. He had taken the time to connect his home to the floo network - should Mason decide to travel that way. And should he not, the door was no longer charmed, as well. The house elf and the rest of the help had left the house as clean as possible. Just as was usual, they had been meticulous in their chores.

The only thing left to do was wait. Mason would be arriving soon to start his search for that box that was - for reasons Marcus could not even fathom, what's yet understand - so important to him. The truth was, Marcus hadn't lied about it potentially being there, either. He knew his father kept things that belonged to his... conquests. The man had trophies of his own, they were merely different than the ones Marcus kept. He was in the living room, paper work spread out on the coffee table before him. Taking a day off didn't mean he had to ignore work all day, he'd simply ignore it once Mason arrived.

OOC: I'll be so happy if you catch the subtle... hint >_>

[Mason Doom]

Mason had decided today was the day. Sheldon had helped him prepare for the worst. If the box wasn't there he would never have anything of his mothers. He would never have any baby pictures of himself. He would be the orphanage no one wanted or cared about, forever. Mason had put on a brave face for Sheldon as the days passed but deep down he knew if he couldn't find a piece of his mother that he was better off dead. He wanted to know she was real, that he hasn't just fallen out of the sky one day.

Mason had planned on coming from school to the Doom home. Marcus had said that he would have the floo network hooked up on that day. So mason went to the only fireplace in the school and announced the Doom address clearly, in less then seconds he was there. Mason stepped out and looked around at the mansion in bewilderment. Mason never had stepped into a house THAT big before. He felt anger suddenly. His brothers were living happily while he went days without heat or lightning. Mason quickly got over the feeling before Marcus could see him.

[Marcus Doom]

It hadn't even crossed his mind how Mason might feel about seeing where his three brothers were raised. Such things never truly crossed Marcus' mind, unless he was thinking arrogantly about it. Which he wasn't at that moment. Rather, he was planning what he'd say. Thinking about what Mason might say and responding in his mind accordingly. Such was the case for Marcus quite often. It was easier to appease a person if he imagined how the entire conversation might pan out. He still hadn't quite figured Mason out, but he was determined to.

He heard the sound of someone arriving through the floo network and instantly looked up from the paperwork he was currently staring at (though, by that point, he wasn't actually reading any of it). His didn't see Mason right away, but as soon as the other was visible, his eyes fell on him. He gave the best smile he could before standing up. "Mason," he said, "It's nice to see you again. Do you want me to show you straight to his office?" Perhaps he should have offered a tour of the house, but under the circumstances his decision seemed right to him.

OOC: So, it's a bit forced. I had the muse, but I'm also tired and can't sleep so a bit out of it. Hope it works, anyway. :3

[Mason Doom]

Mason snapped out of his bewilderment when he heard his name called. He turned to see Marcus at the table with paper work spread out. Mason wondered what he was doing but it wasnt his place to ask. "Hey." He replied back with a big smile. He sat his backpack down by the table figuring it would be rude to carry it around. He didnt want Marcus to think he was there to take anything more than the box.

Marcus offered to take him to the office. Mason nodded slowly. This was it. He either had some family history in a box or didnt. And if he didnt the next step would be convincing Marcus to give him something small of his fathers. Mason was prepared for the worse. He was already playing out the meeting to ask Marcus for maybe a ring or letter that belonged to his father. "Ok." He finally said as he felt himself go pale.

[Marcus Doom]

Mason wore a big smile when he greeted Marcus. He was half convinced that it was just as fake as his own. Of course, that was most likely his lack of truly understanding social interaction that had convinced him of that. He watched as Mason placed his backpack by the table, cringing slightly but doing his best to hide it. (A place for everything and everything in its place...) No need pointing it out, though. Not because Mason was new to the family in many ways, but because Marcus was still putting on that act. "Have you found any more of us?" he asked instead.

Marcus idly wondered what would happen if Mason didn't find what he was looking for. He supposed he'd find out if he went there and came out empty handed. He watched Mason go pale, doing his best to hide the expression that wanted to creep onto his face. He managed to, though, as he said, "Follow me, then," allowing another smile to briefly spread his face. The warmest one he could muster. "It's just right up stairs, next to mine," he said as he led the other through the house.

OOC: You can god mode a bit if need be.

[Mason Doom]

Marcus had hide the cringe well for mason had not seen it. He shock his head of Marcus's question. "It still stands with Jon, and you. Then jacoby and Lloyd who I still haven't meet. I started looking on my mothers side though. So far no luck at all." He said with a sad sigh. "It's ok though. I'm happy with who I have found." He said with a small smile to Marcus.

Mason followed Marcus silently. Then he asked the question that had seemed to be on both of their minds. "What if its not there?" He asked sounding broken harded already. He wanted to know that even if it wasnt he could still count on Marcus. "Are you going to stay with me?" He asked again, the sorrow already on his face as Marcus went to the office. Once the door was open mason looked around. He could already tell that finding the box wasnt going to be as easy as he had hoped.

[Marcus Doom]

"Hopefully you have some luck soon," he said convincingly, offering Mason another quick smile. Truth be told, he didn't particularly care about who Mason had and hadn't met, nor could he bring himself to. But isn't that what most brothers did? At least act like they cared about such things? It seemed like the right thing to do, and while Marcus didn't necessarily care about doing the right thing, at that moment it seemed the best route to take. "I'm glad to hear you are," Marcus said. But was he really? Well, maybe. But for much different reasons than Mason, he was sure.

Marcus lead Mason upstairs and to the office that had once been his father's. As he opened the door, he heard Mason speak again, asking the question that they had both been thinking. He turned to face him, unsure of how to answer. "I'm sure it will be," he said in a quick attempt to reassure the other. He wasn't certain if it had sounded sincere enough. For a moment, he wondered if it hadn't. The sorrow in Mason's voice was clear. Marcus had to turn away. Already feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Yes," he said simply, "It would be in that corner," he added, changing the subject as he pointed to the corner where their father's desk sat, "Start there."

[Mason Doom]

Mason nodded. "You and Jon have been very welcoming to me. I can't explain how much it means to me to have brothers now, and not just any brother. But someone i can look up too." He said making sure to keep eye contact with Marcus so Marcus would know he meant him. Mason couldn't have asked for any more from Jon or Marcus.

Mason gave Marcus a weak smile. But he wasn sure he believe the other. He already had a bad feeling in his stomach. Mason nodded to Marcus second reply. He figured Marcus would stay. He wanted to do this alone but he understood why Marcus wouldn't want to leave him alone in the office. He followed were Marcus had pointed and went over to the corner. He felt weird going threw someone else's things. Even if they were his fathers.

[Marcus Doom]

Marcus heard Mason's words, processing them as quickly as he could. Mason, in many ways, reminded him of Lloyd. While they had a lot of differences, that desire to have a family was definitely a shared trait between the both of them. Almost a desperation to have one, Marcus might say. It made him feel sick, but he masked that well. For now, anyway. Still, the someone I can look up to certainly stroked Marcus' ego. Which made it just a bit easier to mask his disgust. "I'm trying my best," he said. Which wasn't technically a lie. "We may not have been brought up together - we're not even from the same world - but we are still brothers," he said, convincingly enough even though he himself didn't believe the words but to a certain extent.

Marcus caught the weak smile and tried to study it for a brief moment. He wondered how he was holding up, if the illusion was still there. He certainly hoped so, but for that brief minute, he was sure that it wasn't. He lingered in the doorway, afraid to leave Mason behind (after all, he'd always been afraid to leave anyone unattended in his house - sometimes even Lloyd).

OOC: Kind of cut off at the end there. But I couldn't think of what else to write beyond that point. xD

[Mason Doom]

Mason was quiet after Marcus spoke. He didnt like what Marcus had said. They came from the same "world," at least mason had thought they had. It could be argued that it was a culture difference. Mason just nodded slowly, without responding. He could only half agree with Marcus there. But even with that Marcus had been right. They were brothers. And Marcus was the oldest, almost like a father figure that he had always craved for.

Mason examined the stack of boxes. There sure were a lot to go threw. Thankfully though they seemed to have been labeled. Mason touched the top box, noting that there was not a single drop of dust on it. "Do you have house elfs?" He asked figuring that a light conversation never hurt anyone. And besides he barley knew his brother so this would be a good time for them to bond.

[Marcus Doom]

Marcus noticed how Mason didn't respond to his words. He wondered if he'd said something wrong, but asking if he had was out of the question wasn't it? That might tip Mason off. Might make him suspect that nothing Marcus had said so far had been sincere. Of course, none of it had, but he definitely didn't want Mason to think so. He supposed Mason had most likely taken something the wrong way, which wasn't that shocking to Marcus as it wouldn't be the first time someone had taken something he'd said out of context.

Marcus watched the other as he moved toward the boxes. They were neatly stacked, clean as they'd been the day his father died. Yet, Marcus himself was rarely ever in that room. Perhaps more than he'd admit to Mason (but not for the sentimental reasons other's may suspect), but still not nearly enough to maintain it. At Mason's question, he nodded. "We have one," he said, "It's around here somewhere. Among some other paid help. The house elf does most of the cleaning, though."

[Mason Doom]

Mason found a stack of paper as commenced to see if there was anything in them that portaned to him. He knew to make things less awkward with Marcus standing there, some light conversation would be needed. "Wanna know a secret?" He asked and didn't wait for Marcus to say yes or no. "I've never seen a house elf before." He said with a shrug.

Unsatisfied with the papers he went to the boxes. He found a box with the initials J.M on it. So thats how they were ordered it look like, but children's Initials. He crouched down looking at all the boxes, finding another J.M. "Your...I mean our father liked J names." He said with a chuckle as his fingers brushed on the next box. Mason froze. The label was M.D. He pulled the box carefully out and placed it on the table.

[Marcus Doom]

Marcus turned his attention back to Mason as soon as Mason spoke again. Mason didn't give Marcus a chance to answer the question before he continued to speak. Though, he probably would have said yes regardless. "Really?" he asked. Though, there wasn't much to see where it concerned house elves. Marcus had never been particularly fond of theirs. In fact, the exact opposite was true. He was harsher to their house elf than their father had been - an accomplishment in itself. "You might see ours today," Marcus said, "If he shows himself. It would appear he's already cleaned, though..."

He watched Mason move to the boxes, going through them the way he'd gone through the papers. "I have never really noticed," Marcus admitted, "I saw a few J.M.'s down there. I guess I always assumed they were all Jacoby. I may have been wrong," he admitted, chuckling himself. He watched as Mason picked up a box, placing it on the table. Unsure of what was in it himself. Maybe even a bit curious himself.

[Mason Doom]

Mason heard what Marcus had said about the house elf but didnt reply. "This is either you or me." He said as his fingers traced the label that looked to have been hand written, his fathers hand writing. "Marcus Doom or Mason Doom." He said as he let his fingers trace the boxes lid. He was nervous. More nervous than he thought he could ever be.

Mason was doubtful that the box was his. He had grown up thinking his father was heartless. So why would his father keep a box fu of who knows what for him. Mason counted to three in his head before carefully slipping the lid off the box. The first thing he saw he gasped at, sucking in air. He lifted the small piece of paper. It looked like a real birth certificate with his name on it. But instead of "Doom," his last name was "Star." It proved that this was his box. Mason felt the tears fall down his cheeks.

[Marcus Doom]

Mason commented on the box, saying it was either him or Marcus. Marcus gave a quick shrug. "Can't be me," he said, perhaps a bit thoughtlessly. When he realized that the words had slipped out without him meaning to let them, he added in a more careful, friendly voice, "He never felt a need to hide anything that belonged to Lloyd, Jonathan, and myself. So, it's most likely you," he concluded. He found it strange how important fragments of the past seemed to Mason. To Marcus, they were nothing more than disposable heirlooms. Trash that was passed down from generation to generation that had little meaning.

While his father had been a cruel man, it wasn't entirely true that he was heartless. He was definitely capable of love, and remorse, and even regret. And Marcus supposed that his... collection had more sentimental meaning to the man that Marcus Sr would have ever admitted. He saw Mason grab a slip of paper, lifting it up and staring at it. There were tears on the other's cheeks. Marcus shifted, slightly uncomfortable already. "What is it?" he asked.