It was an exciting time for the Phantomhive and surrounding dynasties, as it seemed as though they were getting news of something exciting happening every day. In the weeks following Travis and Patricia's wedding, his friends received the first picture of the couple honeymooning in Spain. November was coming to a close, but the Sullivans were enjoying the sun, looking like a very picturesque couple from the cover of some magazine.

Seeing their friend standing there with his thick beard and his wife on his arm made his entire friend group feel older. Sometimes, it seemed like they had just left Warwick the week before, but no, Travis had a degree and was married. The Phantomhives were married. Kristopherson had his own shop. Daniel had sent his little sister off to university. It was a lot to take in, really, and it sometimes felt like they were all competing to not get left behind, but time went on, regardless. Many of the developments were good and wonderful, but not all of them.

Brittany, the girl retrieved from Johnathan's servitude had long since returned to her parents' home in the small village near Phantomhive lands, but her transition back into normalcy was not swift. The demons understood well. Trauma had a nasty tendency of resurfacing tenfold once one had finally stopped and had the chance to actually process it. Occasionally, the Phantomhives would speak to her parents and check in on her, given their proximity, but the reports were seldom uplifting. They didn't expect them to be, but it was still terrible to see.

She was terribly depressed and had difficulty leaving the house. She was a werewolf in a community of humans and worse—she was a werewolf who had been starved to the point of having to kill and eat the flesh of another person. This was a rarity, even among her kind, but she was forced into "unique" circumstances while being punished by Johnathan. While it wasn't a reflection of her as a person, she couldn't help but feel as though everyone around her knew. While the initial hating of one's body following being infected with lycanthropy was not unusual, she had an additional aversion to it because of this. Lately, however, Brittany has been reported to have been going to her therapy appointments more frequently, which was a good sign, but no one could really know how things could turn out.

On a much more positive note, Sasha Pomeroy and Evangeline Abhartach had gained employment in the months following their own fall from grace and things were looking up, albeit in small ways. Evangeline had started giving music lessons at a local community center and was working toward a degree to teach it at a school in the future. She had also gotten part-time work mending clothes at a dry cleaners, making small alterations, sewing on buttons, and changing out zippers. Being the polite, gentile, young woman she was, she was of course versed in these things, and did her best to use her skills to bring in a little bit of money whenever she could.

Meanwhile, Sasha had become the receptionist at a local lawyers' office and found herself to be rather good at it. She had thought about going to beauty school, but was pressed to find work right away as she had a baby on the way at the time. Luckily, it wasn't somehow a deterrent during the hiring process, although she thought it was most likely because she wasn't showing that much at the time. During the past week, however, the Phantomhives had received intel from HELLSING that her son had just been born. It was a topic of great interest for the organisation, given who his father was, but little Owen Pomeroy was found to be a perfectly normal and healthy human child, much to their relief.

That said, the news wasn't exactly received joyfully by the Phantomhive family. Jim, in particular, had thought about this extensively in the past and those same musings resurfaced, despite how briefly they did. He knew that that child would grow up to learn about his lineage. He would know about his birthright—the one stolen time and time again by Sir Jim Phantomhive and denied to those who were meant to inherit it. The Pomeroy's wealth, their status, and their power was all gone. There was no claim to the Trancy legacy, as it had been tarnished and stripped barren long ago. They were no longer nobles, no matter what their genes said.

That child, who was no more than a week or two old, now, could one day grow up and learn the ugly, ugly truth. His grandparents, aunts, and uncles had all been murdered by one man. Their power and wealth were gone due to the very same man. Sir Jim Phantomhive was personally responsible for that boy having to grow up the way he inevitably will, with only his mother and sister to take care of him as they struggled to support the family. Jim just hoped that he could somehow stay out of trouble and wouldn't come looking for revenge—not because the baronet was afraid for his own safety, but rather, he knew that it wouldn't be a fair fight. He was once weak, himself and so he knew what it was like to be swatted down by a beast a hundred times his size. It wasn't fair and despite the child being born from two of his greatest enemies, he hoped that things wouldn't come to that someday.

In the meantime, however, life went on as usual for the Phantomhive household. They continued with their everyday work and comfortable family life, with a few additional tasks to handle. Ciel had finally gotten around to hire someone to assess that old house he was going to rent to Revy and see what all it needed to be safe to live in. He had contractors working to redo the plumbing and electricity, so it would still take a while longer before Revy could move in. Truthfully, Revy was still looking for other options, in case he could move out sooner, but this didn't exactly hurt Ciel's feelings. If anything, he could still rent the property to someone else, only without the family discount.

Jim was still keeping track of his subordinates' progress in France with ORSAP, but he occasionally stepped in when his beau required assistance with the seemingly random task list that he had. The menace found himself signing official Funtom documents, approving of this and that on his husband's behalf, having become incredibly proficient at forging his signature. Ciel had done the same for him many of times, so he was only returning the favour, really. September was coming to a close and Funtom was still in the midst of their Christmas season preparations. It was always the busiest part of the year for Ciel and he always inevitably needed a little help from his spouse and his butler. On top of this, he had agreed to yet another task—one which he still wasn't entirely sure how to go about performing.

"This can't be it." he said aloud, looking at the very short list of names in his hand. His brow was furrowed in concentration and irritation as he sneered at the piece of scrap paper. "Surely, there's more than that."

"We just don't know that many people with those qualifications." Jim replied, leaning back in his chair as he thought. "If she'd ease up on one or two, then we might be getting there, but…" Trailing off, he offered a shrug.

"What a nuisance. Just marry an ordinary commoner and be done with it. It isn't that difficult. Respectable commoners who aren't landed gentry are abundant."

"Not everyone can let go of what they know so easily, though."

"I'm offended on your behalf." Ciel stated. "The mortality issue is a problem as well… Are you certain you can't think of anyone else?"

"Nobody who hits all the points. Let's see… We're mostly limited to vampires and werewolves… She said 'no' to elves, right?"

"Yes, unfortunately. If she hadn't, we might get somewhere."

Clicking his tongue, Jim looked up, trying to think. The preference was understandable—perhaps the most understandable of all of Mademoiselle Lapointe's self-imposed restrictions. He, personally, would not wish to outlive Ciel, so not having a similar lifespan would be sort of a dealbreaker to him. That said, he knew plenty of couples out in Gehenna who were not matched in that department and were perfectly happy. He just didn't think that he could do it, so he could forgive the woman of that, at least.

"I've got nothing…" the blonde answered. "There's lawyers and stuff in Gehenna and Pyestock and I'm sure there's some with vampirism, but I have no idea who they are and what their names are. The only other person I can think of is Fangless Shaun."

"Oh, heavens, no. She'd never go for him. His manners are utterly abhorrent… Well… I suppose we should start with the crop we have. I can't say I necessarily approve of any of my former underlings casting off their humanity for Renee, but I suppose that all I can do is warn them of the reality of it and let them make their own decisions."

"That sounds a bit cruel, doesn't it?"

"It is, but try controlling young, adult, men who are on a quest to find a mate, I dare you."

"I don't know. It would be easier if we could just… round them all up and have her go through them herself. There were parties for that back in the day, right?"

"Yes, but they were only attended by those within the same social circle. One can't simply invite people who one does not know. That said, it could get Dafydd out of our hair…"

"Shame he was disqualified. He actually liked her."

"More impomrtantly, while his attention is on her, it cannot be on you. I can't help but find the thought appealing."

"True, true… Audrey might have found someone, too, so that would have been nice. I think he was planning on going to singles' night at The Wolf's Glen, though. I don't really get why she can't do that, though…"

"Because the with the way things were, we couldn't even speak to another person without knowing their pedigree, first. It's a disgusting system, really."

With a smile, Jim let out a small laugh. "You're really passionate about denouncing the old ways, aren't you?"

"When it comes to relationships, my love, yes. I cannot imagine ever marrying a noblewoman. They're just so… docile… It was never any fault of their own, of course, but still. With Renee, however, it seems completely intentional. Commoners are perfectly wonderful and it would make things easier on all of us if she could just join us in the 21st century."

"Do you think this is going to work out?"

"I'm doubtful, but it isn't impossible, I suppose… I'm generally not looking forward to her scrutiny. I make these men into gentlemen, but I cannot make her like any of them. For that matter, I can't make any of them like her, either… Quite frankly, I don't think I'd approve if she and any of the humans decided to partner up. She wants a vampire and she'll probably get one if she chooses one of them. I just don't think that most humans understand what it is to become a supernatural—especially one that requires the person to take a certain amount of care for the sake of their well being."

"Yeah, I don't think they've really thought about, like, having to drink blood and only blood for the rest of their lives." Jim nodded, turning his body in his chair so that he could face his beau. "Or about not being able to go out in the sun without shade gel… And the immortality. I'm not at the age where I really think about that, much, but there's like, support groups for really old supernaturals and stuff for a reason."

"It is a bit hard, living this long, sometimes. For some, it's more so than others." the Watchdog agreed, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms as his gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "Finding meaning is the hardest part for most that I've talked to, myself included, but right now, I feel really good about things. It sort of feels as though my life is just beginning. It would be nice if the lads could have something similar, but it won't happen if their partner is a poor fit."

"I love you too, Pooch." laughed the menace, grinning at how his beloved seemingly could not resist bragging about him when discussing life changes and romance. "So what all are you gonna be teaching them? Anything I need to know about?"

"Just some basics. Dancing, table etiquette, courting etiquette, how to look the part, general practises and morals… That sort of thing. You're free to join in if you want to, but regardless, you know that I find you delightful." Pausing, Ciel chuckled. "God, we're so insufferable…"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'adorable.'" jokingly corrected the menace. "Think they'll get all of that down, though? That's a lot of work, isn't it? And you've already got Funtom to worry about…"

"Hopefully, I can find time. I've been thinking about it when I have a moment or two to spare. Halloween is on track, so I shouldn't have to worry about our operations on that front. Christmas is the real bane of my existence, as you well know, but I'm sure that between Sebastian and I, we can figure something out."

"I don't have many doubts, but let me know if you need anything. I may be ill-bred, but I can fake it, if you need me to."

"Hm… Tempting. I do like seeing you like that sometimes, but red bloodedness suits you better. I'll be sure to let you know, though. Lord knows how I'm going to be up to my neck in nonsense in the very near future."

It was indeed a very tall order for the Earl to try and fulfill. The months leading up to Christmas were always busy for him, between all of the events and seasonal goods that Funtom put out every year and the fact that there is always some lunatic who decides to start a ruckus in the fall, he could get pretty swamped, in comparison to other parts of the year. Even Valentine's day wasn't as bad, despite it also being a major holiday for Funtom. As the owner, he didn't really have to do much, but he preferred to stay on top of things.

Combined with all of the things he needed to teach the young men who were receptive to his invitation to try their hand at wooing Mademoiselle Lapointe, he was not particularly enthused. At least he could enjoy Christmas, and even Jim's birthday in November, with people he loved and was fond of, but this mission? It was somewhat entirely to coax the mademoiselle into leaving him alone for a while.

Ciel was confident that the men he had trained previously were of high calibur. After all, they had met his standards as soldiers and if they continued on maintaining that standard, this should, in theory, be relatively simple. The sheer volume of things they would have to go over, however, was daunting. Some of them were things that not even the Phantomhive household adhered to. For example, formal table manners were typically ignored during regular meals at the estate and instead, the Earl and his family would adhere to a more conventional standard. Renee, however, expected more, so the men would eventually learn the difference between various forms of cutlery.

Dancing may prove to be a challenge, as many modern men seemed to feel that dancing was something embarrassing. To Ciel, however, it was par for the course. A man simply had to know how to dance, back in his day, otherwise he would be unable to properly maintain a decent reputation. Then again, the Earl was known to be rather reclusive in those days, nor did he really enjoy dancing until he found someone he wanted to dance with. He did wonder if that would be the case with the others as well. If so, it could prove problematic. Furthermore, who would he have them practise with? Each other? That may not go over well—or it could be hilarious. He wasn't sure.

What he did know was that it was an essential extension of the mores of men from his time—whether they only adhered to them superficially or not, which they often did. Ciel, however, had kept many of them that he felt were still relevant and had already instilled some of them in his trainees when he was teaching them how to be soldiers. Knowing how to treat others respectfully and courteously was essential to navigate in the world, and in matters of love, knowing how to treat the person one wished to pursue or even one's current partner was absolutely necessary. He didn't always get it right, himself, but so long as he kept them in mind, he could impress. In addition, he simply enjoyed it.

The first lecture fell during daylight hours, forcing many of those attending from their sleep far earlier than they were accustomed to. They worked nights, after all. Perfect for the beau of a vampiress. A few that were asked were not interested, like Ryan Braumfeld and "Not Nice" Bryce Withers, while others like Jason Choi and Clancey Peterson simply were not options due to marital status and sexual orientation. Even Joseph Kidman had found himself a girlfriend since then. The rest, however, happily turned up. The determined and hardworking Wallace Young-who had noticeably lost a bit of weight since the Watchdog last saw him at Timothy Maddigan's funeral earlier in the year, prompting a bit of interrogation to make sure that he was healthy and eating properly—excitedly turned up, eager to learn more from the Phantomhive Earl. Ciel wasn't at all surprised when Gordon Cooksey agreed to the whole ordeal, as he always expressed his eagerness to find himself a woman of his very own, albeit in ruder terms. However, Carl Henderson was a bit of a shock. He notoriously did not like Ciel during training. In fact, he didn't seem to like much of anyone, typically for being too gay or too black, but he had seemed to get over part of it by the time his training with the devildogs came to a close, and Ciel just hoped that he did the rest of the way since then. The poor man's nose never did heal back right after having it broken by the Earl. It was noticeably crooked, but it didn't seem to be bothering him any.

All were men that were enthusiastic about what was about to transpire, but Ciel was everso grateful that the man that he had the highest hopes for agreed. Solomon Danlaw had everything Renee asked for. He's from a long line of military family, most of which eventually achieved substantial rank during their time in her majesty's service, he's a military man, himself, he's polite, dedicated, and had a good head on his shoulders. Most notably, however, he was a werewolf, so he met the elusive third requirement to a T.

Ciel hoped to God or whatever power that governed this universe that Mademoiselle Lapointe would like one of them—but mostly the one he wanted her to. He still wasn't keen on the rest of them becoming vampires. That was something that they really needed to think about if they were going to go through with it, and he didn't think that any of them really had.

But, in the event that none of them suited the woman's fancy, the Earl had a few backup options. The first was Mister Caroline Lexington of the Lexington family. He was an incubus with purple skin and blue blood as his father was a baron, before the family relinquished their title following their surrender to HELLSING. Ciel had mixed feelings about him as an option. He was an incubus and thus had needs that he wasn't entirely sure such a "pure" woman like Renee could fulfill and he had killed his father, Stephane Lexington in order to seize the authority to make the surrender before they were all wiped out by HELLSING. Ciel didn't really think she would care much for that at all. Moreover, he wasn't sure she would appreciate the fact that he used to be a woman.

The second backup wasn't much better, although he was a respected member of the community who bettered the lives of others professionally. Falchion A. Grey was an incubus whom Daniel had sought therapy from in the past and gave glowing reviews about. He was a sexual therapist who helped people sort through their problems and engage in sexuality safely and healthily. It was work that he took very seriously and he had extremely strong morals. He fit all of the base requirements as well, but once again, Ciel wondered if Renee's prudishness might disqualify him out of the gate.

Dafydd was somehow there. Ciel wasn't really sure how, as he didn't recall inviting him. He supposed one of the supernaturals at HELLSING accidentally let it slide or something. The Watchdog already knew that he was out of the running, given his pseudo-immunity to vampirism. It was unfortunate, really, as if he were the one chosen, it would get both of them out of the bluenette's hair. For now, at least, Ciel chose to ignore him, as he was sitting quietly and appeared respectful. The warlock even went so far as to dress up for the event and get a damn haircut. His appearance somewhat shocked the Earl, as he looked actually presentable for a change. Somehow, it was slightly unnerving.

Lastly, there was Luka's teacher, Mister Richmond Blackwell. He wasn't really a member of the landed gentry, being a teacher, but Ciel hoped that his goodstanding and reputation in the community might sway Renee. He was a pleasant fellow who always greeted the children with a smile and a wave. He taught sign language and English arts. At the time, he wasn't really aware of it, but Mister Blackwell was quite the sought after bachelor in Gehenna. He was educated, well-mannered, and a vampire. He even looked the part, having long, black hair, a goatee, and a penchant for wearing all black, eyeliner, and many rings on his hands. He was always smartly dressed, however, wearing slacks, a vest, and a dress shirt on most days. Today, he was feeling a little flamboyant and wore a grey shirt, but either way, he stood along with the others, quietly making conversation in the ballroom while they waited for Ciel to start.

The long table in the dining room seldom had this many people sitting in its chairs, as it was typically just Ciel's small family of four—excluding Sebastian, of course. The chair at the head, however, remained vacant as the group waited on the lord of the estate to arrive and behind it was a white board on wheels. There was an odd sort of nervous tension in the air, the longer he took. It gave everyone more time to scrutinise their appearance and their perceived capacity to pull this off, whether it was real or imagined.

"Good afternoon, everyone." his voice called out, startling a few of his pupils, having entered the room silently. Those he had taught before felt as though his attire should not come as surprising, given the situation and the fact that his uniform was always impeccable when he was training them for HELLSING, but he had a slightly different air about him. Ciel wore a dark blue, custom-ordered suit that fit him perfectly. He wore both his wedding and signet rings, alongside a watch that was distinctly an Atelier Pierrot, causing Mister Cookey's eyes to practically bug out of his skull once he noticed it. Suddenly, he felt a bit self-concious, wearing his suit from back when he his brother's wedding that was a size too big for him. Even the man's eyepatch was expensive, but none of it was intended to prove how much "better" he was than all of them. No, it was simply the sort of thing he wore in posh company.

A titter of responses came from the group, acknowledging the bluenette's greeting and prompting the demon to continue. "Good to see you all bright and early this afternoon. I appreciate your interest in this matter, as the young lady who is the cause of this event is an old acquaintance of mine from all the way back in the Edwardian era. Needless to say, she had high expectations."

"This course doesn't have an official name, nor is it required that you even pursue the mademoiselle at the end. Perhaps you are just here to better yourselves and that's fine. That said, I will start by telling you all a bit about her before we get things going." Turning around, he flipped the whiteboard over, revealing a picture of the woman held to it with magnets. Quite a few of the men leaned forward for a better look while Mister Cooksey actually let out a whistle. She was a very pretty, young-looking woman, with bright blue eyes and blonde hair neatly fastened in braids that were pinned around her head like a crown. She smiled gently at the camera and held herself with perfect posture. She was dignified and refined, appearing out of most of their league, despite actually being quite desperate. Still, she was somewhat intimidating for some of the men.

"This is Mademoiselle Renee Lapointe." Ciel began, gesturing at the picture. "She was born in 1910, is knowledgeable in all of the teachings that a good young woman must know from the period—Sewing, embroidery, calligraphy, singing, dancing, playing piano, poetry, literature—that sort of thing… She can speak four languages, including her native French. She arrived in England after having fled the Iscariot Organisation overseas, so please use some tact when discussing the matter with her. As a blue-blood, she is particular in her taste in partners. First, they must have status. You all have been carefully selected due to meeting this requirement. As members of the gentry, she also expects you to be gentile—hence the course. Finally—and this has nothing to do with her pedigree—but not having a similar lifespan to her is non-negotiable. To those of you who are human, if you have any doubts about becoming a vampire, you are free to leave at any time, unless you simply wish to stay to learn. That's perfectly alright."

In a lull in his speech, Mister Wallace Young raised his hand. "What is her personality like?" he asked, getting a teasing elbow to the arm from Gordon. The question, however, gave the bluenette pause as he tried to think of an answer. It wasn't fair to tell them only the negatives he saw in her, so he did his best to list a few positives.

"She's an incredibly gentle person." the demon smoothly replied. "She's a romanticist, idealist, and a bit of a daydreamer. She has strong opinions, doesn't give up easily on the things she likes, and sincerely believes that there is good in the world above all else. Overall, she's the sort who would take very good care of her husband." He wondered if that sounded convincing. He tried his best to spin things and in most cases, those are indeed positive traits, but in excess, perhaps not.

It was a bit amusing, however, to see some of the more boyish of the lads blush a bit, imagining her. Wallace, in particular, was quite the sight. That said, it did somewhat bother the Phantomhive that whatever image they conjured up was only their imagination, and not at all representative of the actual Renee Lapointe. That was sort of how relationships worked, he supposed, and she did indeed ask him for this whole endeavour, but it nagged at him. It would be better if she simply got to know all of them individually from the start instead of having them all go through all of this training for the purpose of having a chance with her. Maybe she would pick one and maybe she wouldn't.

"Now that that is out of the way, let's get started, shall we?" suggested the Phantomhive, capturing the attention of everyone in the group once more. Perking up, Dafydd raised his hand.

"So what are we starting with first? Dancing? Dueling?" he asked, heightening the enthusiasm of the table with the suggestion.

"Table etiquette." Ciel stated. "Elbows off the table. I hope none of you have rearranged the cutlery laid out in front of you, because if so, you may be in a bit of trouble..."


A/N: Hello hello... How is everyone? Sorry I'm late... I've recently acquired employment, so it's harder to find time to write this, but I'm still going for it!

Ah, I miss the days when I was uploading twice a week...

I'm not happy with this chapter as a result, though. I cut it short because I'm falling asleep while typing. I'll pick it back up in the next one. This chapter was more of an information dump, I think lmao. I'm sorry! I'll try to get another one mostly finished while I still have time off for Thanksgiving!

But first, rest... I am... In pain...

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!