She stood out, yet was not noticed. She was in plain sight, yet was not seen. As eye-catching as she was, standing where she was, if she willed no mortal to see her, none would. Closing her eyes she let the breeze flow through her hair, smelling the wind. There was a tiny scent of Shiki on it.
Standing atop one of the posts that held up the chain link fence surrounding the roof of Shiki's school Arcueid Brunestud was quite sure that somewhere out there she could sense him. She smiled, running her hand under her hair as her purple skirt blew in the wind. It was actually quite a nice day, all except for one nagging thing.
"So you're here are you?" an unfriendly female voice growled at her. She just smiled, wheeling with nary a great movement of her feet, and looked down on her old annoyance, or maybe unlikely friend.
"Isn't it such a pretty day?" Arcueid asked, watching Ciel, who was standing at the threshold to the stairs, push her glasses back up a bit by force of annoyed habit. The shinso hid any sign of a grin. Her usual happy self was as grating on Ciel's nerves as it ever had been. Bright red eyes stared into bright blue.
"It's a maddening day!" Ciel almost shouted, grinding her teeth, "And you out and about is just the damnable cherry on top shinso!"
Arcueid's wide smile, less innocent then usual, but more knowing, caught Ciel off guard. The Princess of True Ancestors reached up and brushed her hair back by her ear, smiling that odd way.
"That's just what I was hoping to hear." the blonde said with a grin, hopping off the fence away from the angered burier and disappearing from sight, "See you around!"
Confused, Ciel took a step back, still fuming a bit. She couldn't understand what was with her perennial target. What was possibly making her so happy? Ciel turned back and started down the stairs. There was no point going to look and see where Arcueid landed, she wouldn't be in sight anyway.
"Curry..." the blue haired burier droned, "Curry, must calm nerves... need curry..."
"I want it removed, NOW!"
Kohaku flinched under Akiha's enraged gaze. The way the end of her lady's hair was almost lighting on fire, she knew someone would be needing her blood refreshed all too soon. Akiha's voice was almost horse from the first yell she'd made, now it was even sounding a little painful. Loud noises definitely did not agree with her.
"I DON'T CARE HOW IT GOT HERE! I DON'T CARE WHERE IT GOES! GET RID OF IT!" the enraged Tohno roared, her fist slamming onto the top of the granite headstone. Kohaku flexed her fingers around her broom, taking a step back.
"Yes yes lady Akiha." the maid said with a nod, "I can have someone up for it by morning! Please calm down lady Akiha, this cannot be good for you."
The raven haired lady of the Tohno clan fumed about for a few more seconds then with a small haughty noise forcibly reclaimed her composure. Kohaku let out a audible sigh of relief, letting her tightly held shoulders slump a bit. The maid glanced back up at the house, spotting Hisui looking down at them through one of the windows, but she disappeared as Akiha stepped around to her.
"But seriously Kohaku." she mused, rubbing her chin as she looked down at the offending item, "How could this have gotten here? And what could it possibly mean."
Kohaku looked at the subject of debate, a large granite headstone that had as best as she could tell materialized behind her garden since yesterday. The disturbing nature of it's appearance only matched the disturbing nature of it's script. It was dedicated apparently to the still living Shiki Tohno.
"Could it be a dedication to Master Shiki, not Shiki?" she asked, pointing out the two different Shiki in the family, "The death date is the right one, even if it doesn't match the official records."
"The birth date is wrong." Akiha corrected, her face a scowl, "And who would know of either anyway? This was done as a masterwork, very expensive, that it could be here makes no sense. Where is the billing? The shipping? I should have seen something in the family finances. Are you sure this is the first you've seen of it?"
"Yes lady Akiha." Kohaku reassured her, lowering her gaze, "It was not here yesterday when I came out to tend the garden, yet today, it is here. I informed you of it as you know at the very moment you arrived home."
"Very well, at least have it covered." Akiha grumbled, checking the time, "It would have to be right outside my brother's window, if we're lucky he won't have to see it and..."
"See what Akiha?" Shiki asked, making his sister jump as he came up behind her from the forest, he was still carrying his school bag, making it likely he'd just gotten home, "I saw you guys out here on my way around, what's going on? Is that a grave marker?"
"Uh..." Akiha gasped.
"It's nothing Shi... err... Master Shiki!" Kohaku tried to divert him, noting a little put off that even when Akiha was startled she still gave the maid quite a look when she didn't formally address Shiki in her presence.
"That bad huh?" Shiki walked around, looking as Akiha waved her hands uselessly trying to dissuade him, "Err? Me? MY Headstone?"
The girls could only nod. Shiki crouched down and looked at the offending object closer. He felt his finger around the letters, noticing something that stood out to his sight.
"It's a little premature." he joked lightly, not bothering to take it as badly as the girls had feared, softly to himself he added as he checked the cut of the design, "The letters, it's careful, but they were carved, I think by claws..."
"Boarding, Boarding, last call for flight 328 from Hong Kong boarding at gate 12. Boarding, Boarding..."
Fighting evil hoards of undead and monsters of all sizes, Fine.
Fighting the loathsome machinations of ancient shito and beasts, Fine.
Fighting off a nearly eleven hour jetlag... now that sucked.
Her blue hair a little more ragged then usual, her stance a bit leaned to one side Ciel slowly waited for the escalator to bring her down to the main Terminal floor. Her arrival in Japan as innocuous and inconspicuous as possible. Most of her luggage either in her hands, or supposedly already picked up by her current minder wherever he happened to be.
Barely stifling a yawn and holding back a much needed stretch Ciel stepped off the escalator. Customs as usual had been such a bore but her Vatican credentials had gotten her past the worst of it, and none of her weapons would ever show up in a check. All that was left was to meet up with her contact and get going. Rubbing her temples she absentmindedly headed off towards the swarm of signs being held up announcing rides and calling to never seen relatives or businessmen.
Ciel made her way over to the lines of people and searched the signs. It occurred to her that her contact would probably be more covert than to announce for a burier in such an obvious way but it never hurt to... She stopped herself, a large sweatdrop on one side of her head, along with a little sign of horrid rage that scared some people into hurriedly backing away from the blue haired woman.
Within the throng of sign holders, back and out of sight, someone was holding up a big bright sign...
For a Curry Hag.
Almost hurling full grown men aside Ciel burst through the crowd of sign holders, growling grabbing and shoving. Letting the sudden tirade of retorts and curses from thrown people go she dug through to the holder of that sign.
Dark blue hair, similar eyes, currently closed in a big smile. Face like an angel, one she wanted to strangle.
"Oh there you are miss Ciel!" Merm Solomon said in a happy chirp, his enormous smile all the more infuriating, "And here I thought someone had let loose the bulls from Pamplona."
"You little..." the blue haired burrier growled, her blue eyes boring into his red. Merm's smile changed to a look of genuine upset and he pouted at her.
"Oh my miss Ciel, it's almost as if you aren't happy to see me!" he gasped in shock.
Ciel's finger shot out towards his, still held up, sign, "AND WHAT IS THAT?!" she cried.
"Uhm... highly effective I think." Merm said, pulling the sign down so quickly out of sight it may as well have been a slight of hand trick, "Wait... sign? What sign?"
Ciel slumped at the shoulders, letting out an exasperated, if resigned, sigh. The annoying little senior burrier was in true form today. It could have been said that there wasn't any stronger an agent Narbarek could have sent for her, but what a little asshole.
"Can we get going?" Ciel groaned, putting on her false glasses as she lowered her head. Merm held up her other suitcase and a ring of keys.
"Oh, you can go." he said, "Just take these."
"Uh?" Ciel grumbled, pocketing the keys and taking the second suitcase.
"I've called a cab for you, he'll be waiting, you can be sure of it." Merm added with a glowing smile that said the cab driver would be waiting till the end of time if he had to.
"You're not coming?" Ciel asked.
"Oh, I don't think I should be intruding, and I have other things to do." Merm said, making a bit of a sweeping gesture and resting his arms behind his head, almost as if he was the little schoolboy he looked like, "You have such reunions to make don't you? Wouldn't want me getting in the way of you and Mr Shiki eh?"
Ciel's eyes opened wide and she blushed.
"Thanks." she gasped out, turning and zipping away, leaving the words "I'm glad you understand!"
Grinning the little Dead Apostle Ancestor watched her go with great satisfaction. He kept an indirect eye on her up to the point she loaded the cab, got in and it sped off.
The pace of the world around him slowed, the shadows deepened. In naught but an extended moment he seemed to be all alone in the shadows. The sort of smile he was wearing changed to something a bit more conspiratorial. Something in the darkness beyond, of the darkness beyond looked in on him.
"Well she's here, as you asked." Merm said, grinning, "All alone too! I tell you that wasn't easy. It was hard to convince Narbarek not to send half the entire burial section down here after you."
"Should I be honored?" the darkness laughed back.
"Heh honored? They're still pissed about that little mess you orchestrated in Florence in the fifteen hundreds!" Merm remarked in chastising tone, "They really don't take to those burnings of Rome either."
"Augh, they still remember that?" the darkness grumbled in mirthful tone, "And here I'd think they'd have better things to do."
Merm crossed his arms, tapping his foot, "So?" he prodded.
"Oh that." the shape of the darkness shifted ever so slightly, as if in annoyance.
"You owe me!" Merm called out with a grin.
There was another shift in the dark. The shadows retreated slightly and the terminal was almost visible around him. Merm growled, flexing an arm but then there was something. A tiny voice started to whisper in his ear. Merm cocked his lead, listening, his face changing again and again, happier and happier each second.
The ancient Shito grabbed something out of his pocket, a small pad and a pen. He listened, listened some more. The whispering stopped. Merm's eyes glistened. He suddenly let out a little joyous shriek like a tiny schoolchild seeing the gifts under the Christmas tree.
"WOOOO! MINE! MINE! IT SHALL BE MINE!" he cried joyously then skipped off. The darkness around him slid away. Within the swirl of featureless darkness there was the idea of a smile.
Author Notes: A slightly short update but there'll be more this week. Something for the Hisui fans I think.