There wasn't much more left after her initial run in, after all. Payton was being aloof and distant. She hung around with her new interest more and more, making things a little harder for the Kuroshitsuji crew.
Though, this wasn't a bad thing at all. Sebastian and Claude would wait for chance to send them together or to have reason to meet each other. This demon had to be dealt with, and they knew they could do it. However, they run into a big block. How much did this demon differ from them? Would a simple battle be good enough or was a greater strategy required? Finding out information about him was near to impossible. M told more lies to the girl every time she would ask, and she knew it too. The more he was brought up, though, the less wanting Payton was to talking. She was tired of thinking about him, talking about him, contacting him. For heaven's sake, he came into her life almost 8 years ago, back in her Wiccan days. She didn't really remember life without him, nor did she care to. Recently, she was having to resort to her old witch ways just to even get rid of any entity, anime or otherwise. She was drained, tired, and just wanted to go to Akon and have fun. That's it.
She blew hair up out of her face as the carriage moved. The brunette had shown up here yet again shortly after a huge 'in your face' fight with Sebastian. The man was in the cart with her, keeping silent, though the air around them was tense and Sebastian could just smell the animosity. He cleared his throat, capturing her attention. Her lovely little brown eyes met his red ones and he smirked as hers narrowed. This girl never ceased to amuse him sometimes.
"You can't stay mad at me forever," He started, "After all, you have been here for almost a month and I don't think you are going back until we solve things."
"You insulted Abel, Mari, my mom, and even me. You can go fuck Ciel," she responded sourly.
Sebastian was taken aback by such a suggestion and he growled at her. He leaned forward and grasped her face in his hand in a hold that was neither gentle nor painful. He stared deep into the now scared, yet still defiant eyes of the ignorant girl.
"I'm not here to please you," he said, "I'm not here to take care of you or to pamper your sensitivity. I'm only here because of three reasons."
"One: My master ordered me to."
Sebastian's free hand circled around her waist, bringing her closer. He could hear her heart racing and feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She squirmed to move away but he held on with ease.
"Two: whether I am bound to him or not, I have marked you the best I can. I will not let another demon interfere."
He barred his teeth as he moved his face closer. A soft scared whimper was heard from the girl under him. A black aura had seemed to settle around the demon as his eyes started to glow a brighter red. The defiance was gone and she was plain fearful now. Good.
"And three: to make sure the boundary between your world and mine is disconnected."
He got closer to her and he grunted when she rammed the heel of her shoe into the top of his foot. He growled at her and pushed her back against the seat more. She wasn't helping her case at all with this behavior.
"Understand?"
After a moment or two, she just nodded. He backed away and gave a sickeningly sweet smile. She stared at him. He had been so civil and sweet(ish) recently. She hadn't asked him for help with her demon. Hell, she was a pro at ignoring him.
The carriage stopped and Sebastian was going to say something when she stood and just got out, bolting away from the cart. He sighed deeply. He couldn't get out here, as was the only stipulation of bringing her here in the first place. She was to stay with Grell for the time being. He didn't feel remorse for his actions, however, he did feel like he should have held his tongue and anger more. But as he said, he wasn't here to appease to her.
It had never happened before now. Claude stood in Payton's room alone. Last he had gotten word of, the girl was still in their world. He looked over and Sebastian was here as well. They had another visitor too. This was the luck they had been looking for.
"I want you gone," M started first.
This was surprising. He was speaking to them, something he hadn't done in a while. Even before, it was only short curses and such. Never really a full statement.
"Interesting, considering we want the same for you. Why are you still here with her? She won't give you her soul, so why stay with her for years on end," Sebastian questioned.
"Seems like you can't handle losing," Claude put in.
Marciello chuckled deeply. It was deep and almost harmonious, even to them. Looking at him, he looked as refined as any other demon they would know to show themselves in the human realm. It was almost unnerving how alike they were yet so different.
"This isn't your territory. She is mine," he stated as if they should have known.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes.
"If that's so, then why does she have no mark," he said, "She doesn't smell like you, doesn't even acknowledge you most of the time. Why not move onto another human?"
They didn't get a response. He didn't feel like they deserved to even know a little. Claude glared at the other demon, getting annoyed, even for him. Glancing between them, M ventured towards them before stopping right in front of the other two. The silence they shared would look like to any other non-demon person as them having a staring contest of sorts. It didn't look too odd, besides them being three grown men. Or to further add to it, the only two that could really be seen were those that weren't from this world.
On the other hand, however, the mental battle going on is what was really straining the air. Both were attempting to power him down, but for some reason Marciello was easily avoiding it. It wasn't until he disappeared, that Sebastian realized what it was. Grell stood in place of M, grinning wildly. Sebastian barely heard him as he started to swoon over him as usual. He looked at Claude, knowing the spider had figured it out.
He holds power where Payton is close. Her room, her things, her car; her.
He pushed Grell away and stared down at him so intently that even the red head stopped swooning long enough to be uncomfortable.
"He's using you...to get to her," he ground out through his teeth.
Grell made a disgusted face. "A demon using a reaper, no, a lady?"
He looked appalled. And he had a right to be. None of them thought it would be possible for that sort of power to be in a demon's hand. It sort of freaked Grell out and proved the more danger for Sebastian and Claude alike.
"Tell me, Grell," Sebastian said, grabbing his attention immediately. If there was one thing he at least enjoyed about the annoying reaper, it was that he would always have his undivided attention.
"Have you had lapses in memory while here? Found yourself alone with Payton doing something you wouldn't do," he questioned.
"Oh jealous," he smirked but continued, "It's hard to say. She is a type of girl that even a lady of my standards could live with forever. But to answer your question with what you really want to hear, then yes I have."
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I didn't bring it up because it felt like I had just done it myself."
Grell shuddered and held himself. It disgusted him to know another demon other than his 'Sebby' had taken control of him. This all left a sour taste in everyone's mouth.
This had to be dealt with.
"If you really wanted that dress I would have gladly just found a way for you to have it," Ciel said with a grumble, a soft blush on his face as Payton put the same pink dress he had worn one time on a hanger. She was going to Akon as Lady Ciel. It amused Sebastian to no end when she had put the wig on before. Ciel didn't find it so funny though.
"And what makes you think that it would make it back here with me," she questioned as she looked back at him. In truth, she would love to have the original.
He was seated in her desk chair, his arms crossed over his chest. He huffed and remained quiet. She had no idea what had transpired that day in her room. Ciel had gotten it out of Sebastian as Alois got it from Claude. It fell into irony that she didn't know.
Marciello hadn't made much appearance recently. Payton had explained that he does this when times of conventions or large gatherings come. She called it recharging.
Payton sat down on her bed with a sigh. Her room was strewn full of folded clothes and cosplay as well as her camera equipment and other food products. This was a big trip for her and she was really excited. Naturally, though, she expected extra people to be there. They had secretly bought a room. She didn't question it at all how they managed that one, but she worried that if at least Sebastian wasn't there, then they were shit out of luck.
"Do you take some kind of sick amusement from trying to dress like the characters that you constantly complain about," the earl asked.
Payton looked over to her costumes. She had three costumes. A lolita dress her mom had ordered but it had ended up being too small. The Lady Ciel dress that she was looking forward to and finally she had a Karin cosplay. It was true that she had had some qualms about picking costumes out when she thought about it. It almost didn't feel right choosing ones of people she had met, but only she knew about that. Payton didn't want too much weirdness added to her. She was still trying to date Abel after all and as far as he knew, the people he had met were just really good cosplayers.
"You are just jealous that I look better in it," she teased.
Ciel puffed up and looked away. Of course he agreed because she was actually a girl. He hated even thinking about that night.
Akon ran through the first day in a blur. There had been so many pictures taken with the Black Butler group that by the end of it, everyone was tired. There was talk of a rave as they sat in the room together but they decided not to go to it. Everyone slept. During the night, Sebastian snuck in to check on the demon problem. He ventured closer to the sleeping form of Payton when he heard a soft growl. He blinked a few times and caught eyes with Abel who was asleep in a chair not but a few feet from Payton who was on the floor.
"Get away from her."
Abel's voice was deeper and more rough, spoken through a grunt as he put his feet on the ground. Sebastian raised an eyebrow, remembering now about how this one was. He put his hands up.
"I was simply checking in on her…I will leave," he said and was gone before the other could speak again.
Cain sat back and stared in confusion at the closed door. He had been awake still, seeing that he was an insomniac. Even then, he barely noticed the man was there until he moved. What was up with him 'checking in' on her? He glanced down at the brunette and sighed deeply, opting to forget about it and try to sleep.
The day had been crap. The meet up that Abel was supposed to be in ended up being a disaster. Most everyone at the meet up had been crap to them, even despite Payton jumping in as the photographer since theirs didn't show up. Abel was down and out and Payton was in desperate need of a drink. The two go back up to the room and sat in there talking before her mom texts her. Payton chuckled a little.
"They are all down there at the pool with the booze. That sounds like fun," she said.
Abel nodded and they got ready and went down with some beer and drinks in hand. Once there, it was discovered that Payton's mom had already drunk enough to get drunk and even had a drinking buddy. Allen and Mari were already there, but Mari joined them once they walked out. After sharing shots, they ventured out and swam for a little bit, Abel tackling Payton in the pool.
They sat down and Payton noted that Sebastian had joined them. He was in swim trunks, sitting with her mom. Her mom gets the two to sit down and she hands them more drinks.
"We are going to get in the hot tub…and I'm going to kiss that one. I'm good you know," Payton's mother pointed at Abel who paled a bit and grabbed another thing of crown, downing it.
Laughter was shared but they soon went up, Abel shuddering about what had just happened. Sebastian followed them. In the end Akon passed by and they were soon home. The next question was this:
When are they to take care of the demon?