Last night, while sitting in his fairly modest mansion house, at the center of a thriving metropolis, Lord Jack had a rather strange visitor.  He was in his study, reading some sythian volume or another, when a small white barn owl flew down his chimney and onto his lap.  He thought this rather odd at the time, because there was a fire burning brightly, and yet the bird was unharmed.<br/><br/>The bird dance about proudly on the lap of Jack's red dressing down, as if it had just caught a particularly elusive mouse.  Scroll around its leg was a note, tied in place by a bit of black silk.  Once the owl had calmed down, after Jack had patted its head and called it a "good little fellow", he managed to retrieve the note.  As it turned out it was an invitation to a month long celebration of life, and from the scrawled writing in human blood, possibly death.  The party would continue until the dawn broke fresh on All Saints' Day, banishing the last spectors of darkness and night.<br/><br/>Siobhan, his beloved lady, was visiting her sister's husband's country estate, in anticipation of the coming birth of an heir to their fortune.  Without her energy and wild ideas to stoke his imagination and libedo, Jack found himself quite at a loss for a reason to bother getting dressed.  His thick shag of dark brown hair hadn't been combed in three days and his stuble had grown like a garden left unattended for more than a season, running rampent over his handsome face.<br/><br/>The bird had flow off, after an offering from Jack's untouched plate of extra rare beef strips, which cook had insisted on bringing him, when he only wanted a glass of port.  Jack collected himself and went to the bathing room, to allow his house maids to prepare him.  Though he knew little his hostess, nor her guests, beyong the name Michi No Sora sign in blood at the bottom, it seemed it behooved him to dress properly for the occasion.<br/><br/>His boy was bathed and perfumed by his willing servants.  His short hair was washed and properly combed in the style of a Roman senator, and his facial hair as absent as a boy's.  When his person was properly prepared, he walked through a door to the dressing room.  Mathilda his old nurse held various costimes up to his naked form, with her fleshy fingers, clucking her tongue at each.  Finally she nodded in approval at a proper Roman toga and sandals.  The toga itself was white, with silver trim along its edges.  On Jack's head she place a golden half moon circle, decorated with delicate silver leaves.  Finally she bound his waist with a woven silver and gold cord and placed a small silver mask, with a golden edge, over his eyes and nose bridge.  The sandals she but on his feet were of soft calf leather and bound with silve and gold cords which extended half way up hist muscular calves.  When Jack spotted himself in the mirror,  he was quite transfomed.  He kisses Mathilda's soft old cheeks, causing her to blush and call him a "silly goose".<br/><br/>The night has past by the time Jack arrives.  His black coach pulls up and he steps out.  A servant leads him to the banquet hall, where he is announced.  Hiding his nerves behind this mask he approuches the group of party goers, gives a short bow to each and then bows deeper over the hand of his hostess, before presenting her with a bottle of wine of a superior vintage, draw from his own wine cellar.  "Thank you for your gratious invitation Lady Michi.  I trust that you are well this morning and will receive this small token of my esteem?<br/><br/>Ooc:  Forgive any mistakes, if you would.  This post was written on my mobile phone, while waiting to start a long work shift.