The Phantomhive ballroom, once dead and lifeless, was now buzzing with activity. They had switched on the power to this part of the house and have put it to use, hosting the who's who of the London area's supernatural community. It was an odd mix of cultures and ideas, of specialties and peculiarities, and of relationships of all sorts. Family attended together, friends did, too, and some attended for the sole sake of finding someone who would make the trip worth while. Wink, however, was in none of these situations at the moment. Instead, she loitered at the snack table with her back turned to the crowd.

"Oh, sod all!" she hissed, keeping her face hidden. Wink was the head of magical research at HELLSING HQ—a powerful witch who helped forge the sword and scabbard that defeated the legendary Abhartach alongside Logan Kendrick, and currently the person in charge of teaching Damien Chaput what she knew in hopes of sending him back to France with the knowledge and ability to aid ORSAP in their efforts across the channel. Currently, however, she was on the run from the police.

"What is it?" Damien whispered, trying hard not to look behind them both in order to not attract attention. "Who are we hiding from?"

"My ex." the woman explained. "Of course she would be here, given how important she is. She's the bloody chief of police…"

"'She?'" echoed the warlock, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. 'She.' And I don't want to see 'her' or her new girl. It's awkward."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't—I'm not—I didn't mean it like that. Just… Acknowledging it. Anyway… Uhm… Bad breakup?"

"I lost my eye over it, so yeah." Wink replied, dropping her hardened demeanor for a moment as that surprised Damien even more. "She didn't do anything, for the record. I was a bit of a rebel before Gehenna became Gehenna and wanted HELLSING's forces out of town. I'm lucky I only lost my eye, quite frankly."

"But you work for them now?"

"Yeah, well… Our interests line up, now. I just want to make things better for supernaturals, is all. Tegwen agrees with that too, but some things, you just can't really get over and I don't blame her. Besides, with our differences in lifespans, it probably wasn't going to work out, anyway."

"Oh… Well, okay?" Damien replied, wanting to be supportive, but also finding that to be a lot to take in. "You can use me as an excuse not to talk to her if you need to, I guess."

"Thanks. I'll consider making the next test I give you easier, if you do."

"What? Never." the man smiled in jest, leaning casually against the table before standing upright and folding his arms. Upon seeing the awkward display, Wink rolled her eye.

"You're trying not to be weird about it." she observed. "I appreciate that."

"Sorry, I'm not usually like this in this situation. I have gay friends—er, well, I did when I was in uni, that is…"

"Riiiight, got it…" Wink nodded. For a moment, she paused. "I'm not a lesbian, by the way. I'm bi."

"Oh, are you?" Damien let out a breath he was holding. Why was he holding his breath. He tried to keep it cool and lean against the table again, only to miss and have to catch himself before trying again with all of the smoothness of a Brillo pad. "Alright then. That's—uh… Well, good for you."

"You're bombing this."

"I know, I know. Sorry. The more I try the worse it gets."

"Stop trying."

"Okay." That was all he could say, really. He had been given an instruction, so he had to do his best to follow it. His eyes moved around the room, trying to find something—anything to change the subject towards. He finally caught his big break when they were approached by two other women, allowing him to relax as he was no longer alone with his magic tutor.

One woman was an older woman with old-fashioned glasses that looked as though they were from the nineteen-sixties and blue hair that was not at all a natural trait. The old woman was accompanied by a woman in her early twenties with long, red, hair and a dark blue dress, showing off the freckles dotting her shoulders. The younger woman seemed a bit apprehensive about meeting the other sorcerers, but the woman she was following behind walked with purpose.

"Excuse me, but are you Wink?" the old woman questioned. At first, the question confused Wink, but soon, as she in turn studied the older witch's face, she perked up almost immediately.

"Why, yes I am," she said, holding out a hand to shake. "And you're Felicity LeFay, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am. You've heard of me?"

"Of course! You're one of the most accomplished witches in Gehenna!" Gesturing to her protege, Wink captured his attention, prompting him to shake the older woman's hand as well. "This is Damien Chaput. He works under me at the lab while I teach him magic."

"Nice to meet you." Damien somewhat sheepishly greeted, gaining some somewhat unwanted attention as a result.

"Oh, a Frenchman! Bonjour!" Felicity answered back. "It's sort of along way to travel for that, isn't it?"

"I'm here on a program, actually. My agency is actually different from HELLSING, but it's sort of like it. I work for ORSAP—a newer group founded by the government in order to replace Iscariot. They're hoping I can become good enough to be their magical researcher." he explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not really good, though, so I need all the help I can get."

"Well, Wink is also pretty famous in our circles for her abilities, so you can hardly do much better!" Felicity stated before turning her attention to the man's boss. "Your work on the sword that defeated Abhartach was absolutely exquisite. I had the privilege to see it a little while ago at Mister Kendrick's shop."

"Thank you! It was rushed, given the circumstances, but I hope to improve on the spell someday." Having enough flattery, Wink turned her attention to the woman accompanying Felicity. "And this is…?"

"My granddaughter, Adrian." the older woman answered. "I'm teaching her how to use magic as well. London sorcerers just don't teach it as thoroughly as they should. Something about blending in…"

Ignoring her, the redhead extended her hand to Wink and shook it, finally having the opportunity to speak. "Hi, I'm Adrian. Nice to meet you." she said, talking quickly in case she was cut off. "I know the basics, I just didn't really have a need for magic in London."

"'No need for magic?' Bah!" the old woman chimed in. "Pure poppycock! Using magic for a sorcerer is like breathing! Your parents did you a major disservice by not drilling it into you."

"Grandma!"

"Well, there's no time like the present to get started," Wink stated, trying to diffuse the situation. Her eye trailed over to her own protege, hoping that he would take the hint and do the same. "Right, Damien?"

"Of course! I wasn't able to study it early in life since we needed to stay hidden from Iscariot, so I only started doing it in secret in secondary school. Honestly, I'm still not very good despite being twenty-five by now."

"You're twenty-five?" mumbled Wink confusedly before getting back on track. "Indeed, we can't always control these things, but it's go to try once the ability is in our hands. Let's focus on the party for now, though, why don't we? There's more time to worry about all of that later."

"If you say so," Felicity conceded, "But talking shop is precisely what this sort of event is for, isn't it?"

Adrian's face shifted from behind her grandmother's shoulder. It was irritated, but also somewhat disappointed. Only the other two sorcerers could see it from where the four of them were standing. She really didn't seem to want to talk but then again, Wink and Damien had done nothing to her, so she really didn't want to be rude to them. At the same time, though, she didn't want to stand there for a long time while her grandmother talked.

It seemed as though she needed to get comfortable standing there, though—at least, as comfortable as one could in the shoes she was wearing. The straps dug into her skin and the angle hurt her ankles over time as the terrible things pinched and compressed her feet. But she could not allow that to register on her face. She couldn't embarrass herself in front of everyone. Yet she could hardly stand it anymore. She knew that her grandmother meant well and wanted her to have all of these connections as well, but she unfortunately, she wanted to talk as well. There were so many interesting people here, yet she was standing here, listening to other people talk. Finally, it felt like something snapped.

"Grandma," she began, creating a hole in the conversation. "I'm going to go get something to drink really quick. I'll be right back." Without another word, she began to move away, slinking behind the older woman before she could be stopped.

"Huh? Oh, well, hurry back." Felicity answered back, quickly turning her head to look behind her to no avail. Adrian was gone.

She had slipped into the crowd seamlessly, only slowing down when she felt as though she were out of sight. A wide smile graced the redhead's face as she noticed this. She wasn't proud of herself for lying, but she was pleased with being able to move around a bit. It would be a shame if she couldn't. After all, how many people got to attend a party like this? Full of supernaturals—important ones at that, like in practically every book she had read in secondary school.

Of course, she knew they weren't real, but it was nice to see the real thing. Maybe it wasn't exactly like she thought it would be, but it was still glamourous and exciting. It was always a completely different atmosphere, being surrounded by people like her instead of humans, but this was still even more exciting than that. She knew most of these people—or at least knew of them, but the new setting cast everything in a different light. It was an adventure. It was something new. As she walked along, she couldn't help but take in all the sights around her. Unconsciously, a smile spread across her face as the lights from the chandelier sparkled in her eyes. Looking upwards and taking in the sights and sounds around her, she became temporarily oblivious to the world directly in front of her. Her leisurely stroll as a free woman abruptly came to a halt as she collided with another body.

"So-sorry!" she reflexively called out, directing her attention forward, meeting eye to eye with a man who, despite his surroundings, seemed almost out of place.

He wore a black suit to a party, which wouldn't have been entirely usual, save for the black tie with skulls spotting it around his neck. The man looked like he was going to a funeral, with the only colour on him being the purple hearing aid in his right ear and perhaps the most beautiful eyes Adrian had ever seen. They were like a bullseye, with his iris in the center and a ring of green and yellow around them. Surely, he was some kind of supernatural, but he wasn't like any she had ever met. Carefully, he removed his hand from the rim of his glass, having caught the champagne that spilled over when he was bumped. With a flick of his wrist, a lot of it spattered the floor, only for him to look down and realise that this was perhaps not the best way to handle this, as he was making a mess. Looking from side to side and then looking down at his suit, he strongly debated on whether or not he should wipe it on himself and risk a trip to the cleaners, only to realise he had a handkerchief in his breast pocket for such an occasion. The only problem was that it would take two hands for him to clean himself off.

"Uh, here, let me hold that." his assailant offered, holding out her hands to take his glass. Taking her up on her offer, Audrey allowed her to grab hold of it by the stem so he could go about his business freely. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going…" She had already apologised, but felt like she needed to do it again for good measure.

"It's alright. Hang on a second..." With his unsullied hand, he reached up and flicked a switch behind his ear before turning his attention back to his breast pocket and removing the handkerchief. "I was kind of spacing out, too, if I'm honest. It's kind of been a weird night."

"Tell me about it. I showed up with my grandma and haven't been able to see much of it yet." the woman said. "I'm Adrian, by the way. I feel like if I bump into you and spill your stuff, I might as well introduce myself or something."

"Audrey." the man laughed. "I'm Audrey, though sometimes people get confused about it."

"Did your teachers ever get surprised when you answered to your name during roll call for the first time?"

"Oh, only every time."

"Same."

"'Adrian's not that bad." Audrey stated, shoving his handkerchief back into his pocket. "It's at least unisex. My mum confused 'Aubrey' for 'Audrey', so that's how that happened."

"Must be rough, for a guy." Adrian answered, handing the man back his drink.

"Lot of 'gay' comments. Then again, a lot of my friends are gay, so that probably didn't help any. At least they were intimidating, so it didn't last long."

"Ah, did you go to a human school?"

"Yeah, how'd you know? Did you?"

"One of the public schools in London. Some of the boys were just awful!"

"They're not much better in private schools, honestly. It's just that the parents are more likely to sue."

"Really? Where did you go to school?"

"Warwick."

"Warwick?!" Adrian gawked. "That's really posh! How did—I mean, ugh, there's no polite way to ask that…"

"'How did a supernatural get in,' you mean?" laughed the man, taking a sip of his drink. "It's okay. I get it. It's kinda unusual, isn't it? Basically, I'm only half and my mum—who's human—went and married my stepdad who owns a company. He knows about the whole 'supernatural' thing and is cool with it. We're good."

"Oh, that makes sense… Oh. Sorry! I didn't mean for that to sound rude…"

"You're good. How'd you end up out there?"

"Well, back before Gehenna was a thing, the supernatural containment zone didn't exactly have a lot of opportunity." Adrian said. "My grandma lived out in London, so we just stayed nearby and hid. We look human, so we just… y'know, kept the magic at home."

"Ugh, that sucks…" Audrey groaned, furrowing his brows into his glass a bit. "Did anybody around you know?"

"No, not even my friends at school. They just thought my parents were Wiccans or something when they came over. Fortunately, there was kind of an understandable excuse built in, but it did make me really nervous when kids at school would call me a witch. They didn't know how right they were!"

"It's all fun and games until somebody gets turned into a newt."

"Lemme tell ya, I can't tell you how many times I was tempted…" Adrian laughed. "I did cast a few spells, I'm not gonna lie. Just a little bad luck for a while—nothing serious."

"Oof, remind me never to get on the bad side of you, anyways!" Setting his now empty glass down on the table, Audrey continued. "I had friends who knew. In fact, they knew I'm a supernatural before I did. I only found out when I was in secondary school and, well, having them around really helped a lot with coming to terms with that, I think."

"God, that must've been horrible…"

"Well, yes and no… I've always had sort of an affinity for the paranormal. I could see things that other people can't. Then along came Ciel and Jim and they were like: 'uh, yeah, actually, you're a grim reaper' and I gotta say, learning that and the fact that my friends are demons was a bit of a shock, y'know?"

"A grim reaper? You mean the people who take the dead's souls away?"

"Yeah, but I could never do that. It's more complicated than that and I don't even have a deathscythe."

"That's still amazing! You're part divine being! I'm just an ordinary witch who's not even very good at magic, but—wow, that's really amazing, actually, and—wait did you just say you were friends with the Phantomhives? That Ciel and Jim?"

"Yeah. We were friends in secondary school. Still are. Kristopherson Miles, the tailor, went to school with us, too, when he was human, too."

Taking in a deep breath, the woman paused, bringing up a hand to rub her forehead. Of course she would have to have bumped into someone that important. Everyone at the part was someone of great significance in the supernatural community, but still. This guy was Warwick educated, friends with the Phantomhives, and friends with the local tailor just as a little bonus, apparently. And who was she? Just some random witch who got lucky because of who her grandmother was.

"Wait… I… I'm sorry, that's just a lot. Wow." she let out, unsure as to what to say.

"It's really not. When you know them, they're just normal blokes, y'know? Got everyday problems, just like everyone else."

"It's not just that, I… I'm sorry if this is a bit TMI and I'm sort of dumping this on you, but I'm just really not interesting." Adrian stated, finally looking at the man. "Like I said, I'm not even that good at magic. I'm only here because my Grandma is Felicity LeFay…"

"I've heard of her. They say that she survived a failed attempt to tame a demon." Audrey noted, prompting the woman to nod.

"Yep, that's her. She wants me to follow in her footsteps, and I'm just… not. She only brought me here to see if she can get me some connections and hopefully pair me off with a high-standing warlock or something. She didn't explicitly say that last bit, but I'm pretty sure it was implied."

"Yeah, it's that sort of party. A lot of people are looking for somebody else of high standing to date."

"And you?"

"Free booze, mate. But nah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. It's just kind of like, 'if it happens, it happens.' I'm not going to worry about it too terribly much. You?"

"Same. I'm just worried that she's going to come looking for me soon. I think she's trying to set me up with that warlock over there…"

"If she tries to set you up with a guy called 'Dafydd,' run. He's not worth it."

"Met him. Wasn't impressed."

"Good. Love a woman with standards—I mean, wait, that came out creepier than I meant it to…" the man fumbled, covering his mouth slightly with his hand. While it wasn't what he intended, it still made Adrian laugh a bit.

"Yeah, I've got 'em. I've also got opinions, too. I'm every guy's dream." she jested, prompting the reaper to break through his embarrassment with a bit of an ugly snicker. The sound he made hissed through his fingers as he tried his best not to laugh.

"I shouldn't laugh…" Audrey said. "There's somebody out there who would and not in a nice way."

"So you're laughing at me in a nice way?"

"Wait—shit… That's not—fuck, why'd you have to be clever, too?"

"I'm a regular wonder girl, that's why."

"Be still, may beating heart…" the man retorted, hoping to off put his actual feelings. It was hard to keep it smooth, but luckily, this woman was surprisingly easy to talk to. Normally, he felt like he would be all tongue-tied, but he got the faintest feeling that he was actually managing to be a bit charming. Maybe it was the fact that she was a witch and maybe it was the fact that he already related to her, being a supernatural from London and having names that caused gender confusion among other people, or maybe they simply had chemistry, but he knew he felt comfortable and found himself wanting to take a bit of a risk.

"So… You wouldn't happen to want to dance, would you, Wonder-girl?" he asked, trying to stay calm and keep his voice steady. Clearing his throat, he added: "I-it would give you a few more minutes away from your grandma, at least." Smooth. Definitely not creepy at all. Nice.

"Pft!" Adrian scoffed before letting out a laugh. "I walked into being called that, didn't I? Lead the way, Wonder-boy."

It was a silly nickname, but somehow, Audrey kinda liked that he was being called it. Offering the woman his arm, he led them toward the dance floor and with all of the confidence of a man who had just been called "Wonder-boy" by a woman he found attractive, began to dance to the music being performed by the current band. As to whether or not he actually knew how to or not, he wasn't so sure, but he thought he ought to at least try. If anything, he'd get to spend a few more minutes with her, at least.

It was fun. He was having fun, keeping his attention on his dance partner instead of his own ability. He had no idea just how wide he was smiling, but he knew that she was. Taking her hand, he twirled her around before allowing her to do the same to him. It made him laugh. It was unexpected, which is why it hit him like that, but it was fun.

"You're good at this!" she said, raising her voice so that she could be heard over the music.

"Sorry?" Audrey replied, arching his eyebrow. Before he could say or do anything else, she leaned closer, addressing his good ear.

"You're a good dancer!" reiterated Adrian, her closeness causing the man to blush a bit. This was no good. At this rate, she would find out that he was a bit awkward and not the cool, interesting, sophisticate that he was sure she had taken him for.

"Uh, thanks!" he answered. "They made us take lessons at my school." The hue in his cheeks grew increasingly apparent as Adrian took his hands in hers while they danced, laughing and smiling the whole way.

It wasn't as if she didn't notice. She did. Several times, in fact. She just didn't want to say anything in case it made him scurry off. It was a miracle they were even dancing together, really. Adrian had been hoping to talk to him throughout the evening, but didn't think she would be able to get away from Felicity long enough to make the attempt. Needless to say, she was delighted to find that he was just as good-looking up close as he was from across the ballroom, and that he was fun to talk to—and that he seemed interested in her as well. He wasn't a warlock like her grandmother wanted, but what was important was that he was interesting. That had to count for something.

The next song, however, was slower than the first, leading the pair to an important decision. Keep dancing, or leave the dance floor. The prior was undesirable, as that meant that there was less time for them to get to know each other. The latter, however, meant that they would have to get a bit closer than they were previously.

"Do you want to continue?" Audrey asked, his cheeks a bit pink as he spoke to her in as confident of a voice as he could muster. "It's alright if you wanna call it a night."

"Hmm, nah… I think I'd like to keep going." Adrian replied, tilting her head with a bit of a cocky smile, wondering how he would respond.

"Okay, cool…" It was like his mind hadn't fully registered that, as he just stood there momentarily. Suddenly, however, his face lit up. "Oh! Right! Uh…"

Taking the woman's waist in one hand and taking her hand in the other, he tried not to overstep any boundaries by leaving a considerable gap between them, but the woman had other plans. With a giggle, she took a step closer. "It's alright. This isn't a secondary school dance, you know."

"I-I know that. I was just giving you space in case you wanted it…"

"How sweet…" she said. "You can dance, you respect boundaries… You really just might be a regular Boy Wonder."

"You haven't seen anything, yet. I can also make some mean reheated leftovers."

He was more confident in this style of dancing, since this is what his classes were actually about, but it was still a lot to manage, when out in the field. He certainly hoped he impressed. He wasn't really sure. Part of him still wondered if she was just being nice or if this was some sort of elaborate joke or something. Still, as of this point, his confidence was soaring. Then, all of a sudden, it all came to a halt. Literally.

Adrian stopped following Audrey's lead, forcing him to stop moving or step on her foot. It startled him, sending a barrage of thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant while trying to decipher the reason. Most prominently, he considered the possibility that he had somehow done something wrong. Following her gaze, he realised that she wasn't looking at him, however, but rather past him.

"What's that?" Adrian asked, spurring the man to whip his head around to investigate with her, only to flinch a bit as he heard the sound of someone being slapped.

"What was that for?!" bellowed Caroline Lexington, clutching his face. His brows were furrowed and his nose was scrunched up in a snarl as he looked up at his own dance partner from his hunched over position.

"You-! You liar! You horrible, wicked man!" Mademoiselle Lapointe shouted back, reflexively clutching at the broach pinned to the collar of her dress. "How dare you try to deceive me like this?!"

"There was no deception! There was nothing to deceive you with!" Lexington replied, standing upright. A crowd was starting to form around them and he could feel the eyes on him. Looked bad. Very bad. His incubi and succubi already didn't have the best of reputations among the supernaturals of Gehenna, so the additional scene they were causing was something that he really, really, did not need. Immediately, he knew that he needed to clarify the situation.

"All I did was mention that I was a servant for my family for a while. That's all! How is stating a fact lying to you?" he asked.

"You pretended to be a gentleman, that's why!" Renee huffed, furrowing her brows at the incredulous look on the man's face.

"What?!"

"You did! You've been acting like a well-learned, well-bred aristocrat this entire evening!"

"That's because I am! I am indeed an aristocrat. Due to some quite frankly personal and cruel reasons, however, I was enlisted to be a servant for them for a time. My blood is just as blue of yours!"

"Please, you could only be half from the beginning, but I was willing to overlook that, since you seemed like a nice man." the woman stated, crossing her arms. "Marrying a commoner worked for Earl Phantomhive, after all, but a servant is where I draw the line! I won't let you poison me socially because you refuse to live with your shame."

Caroline didn't say anything at first. He opened his mouth to say something, justify himself, defend himself—anything, really, but he closed it, knowing that she would not hear him. Darting his eyes around the room, he tried to get a reading on how the crowd was feeling in hopes of finding some sort of direction, only to find that now, the stares were all on Renee. They were not kind, either. With that, he stiffened his shoulders and spoke to her, confident that the room was now on his side.

"You don't need me to do that." He said. "You've already poisoned yourself."

Narrowing her eyes, she allowed the words to sink in. It hit her suddenly. She was sheltered, but not stupid, after all. She could now see that the crowd was upset with her. The only trouble was: why?

"I…" What was it? What had she done wrong? Did they really not agree with her? Why? What changed? She thought back on the things Ciel said to her, trying to recall if he said something about times changing that she had missed. Maybe, like with marrying commoners, something had changed? She was skeptical of Ciel's happiness at first, but upon seeing it in the way he interacted with Jim, it was impossible to not believe him when he spoke well of marrying commoners. It was just that she didn't feel confident in making such a choice. Surely, people would look down on her, just like if she married a former servant. After all, castes were strict. There was no upward ability possible that could scrub the dirt of someone who was in service off of them. They were forever tainted, having been in such a station—unappreciated, unimportant, out of sight and out of mind. Surely, none of them ever could be successful, so obviously Caroline must have been lying about who he was if he had been one. The only problem was that no one seemed to agree with that. Instead, they were angry at her.

"Are you alright?" asked Richmond, placing a hand on the incubus' shoulder. "Being hit by a vampire can be dangerous."

"I'm fine… Really, I'm fine…" Caroline insisted, yet that didn't stop the attention on him. In fact, it only got worse.

Suddenly, the crowd began to part and whispering could be heard. Heads turned to see the Phantomhive family as they approached, although many averted their gaze soon after. At the beginning of the party, they were bright, jovial, and extremely warm hosts, but that seemed to have soured. The Earl and his husband had an intimidating presence that loomed over the crowd as they approached Caroline, parting themselves from one another and putting their hands dutifully behind their backs. The incubus cowered, feeling as though being roughly ejected from the party was imminent.

"Lord Lexington," Ciel began, his face rife with displeasure. But upon noticing the incubus' own visage, he made the conscious effort to try and soften it. "I'm terribly sorry for my acquaintance's actions. She is not accustomed to more modern attitudes, but that is no excuse for this kind of behaviour. Mister Blackwell is indeed right, however. It may be best to have a bit of a lie down. If you would like, you may use one of our guest rooms to do so. Sebastian will escort you there and see that you are looked after."

"Uh, thank you…" the incubus somewhat bashfully replied. It was sort of embarrassing, given what he knew of the Earl's character, that his mind had immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion. "If it's alright with you, I might take you up on that. I think some time to myself might be in order."

"We are more than happy to oblige. And don't worry, we'll handle the rest, here." Turning his head, Ciel addressed the butler. "Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord." There was no need for instruction. The butler had been listening. He approached the incubus with a friendly smile. "This way, if you please."

Uttering a small "right," accompanied by a nod, Caroline followed behind the man clad in black, temporarily leaving the party and leaving the Phantomhives to handle the situation on their own. The pair turned to one another and locked eyes. In this moment of silence, they formulated their plan. Jim nodded to Ciel and Ciel nodded back, deciding it once and for all. They both knew and understood the roles they had when it came to working together, so there was really nothing to discuss. It was only a matter of agreeing that something should be done, really, and "something" is what they did.

"Sorry about that, everyone~!" Jim announced in a sing-song voice while addressing the crowd. With a big, bright smile, he took control of the room with ease. "We'll have it all worked out soon enough so there's no hard feelings. In the meantime, though, let's get this party back on track! How about it?"

He got the band playing again and slowly, the crowd resumed their previous positions on the dance floor and sidelines, although no matter what they did, there would be no stopping the discussions and gossip that were sure to follow. At the very least, they didn't get too rowdy. Instead, their displeasure for Renee was quiet, but nonetheless clear. While Jim was getting them settled and taking on the role of the cheerful and hospitable host, going round to everyone in order to do some damage control, Ciel was fulfilling his own role. Quietly, he approached the Mademoiselle and like Caroline, she expected him to be hostile to him, but instead, his tone was completely different.

"Let's talk outside." he said. The Earl hadn't raised his voice or taken on an aggressive stance, but he was firm. It was hard to deny an instruction like that, especially when Renee was hoping that he would get her out of there. So, she took the opportunity and followed him as they slunk out of a very inconspicuous door in the back of the ballroom. He held the door open for her and the two walked through, making their way down a remarkably unglamorous hallway.

"What is this place?" she questioned, breaking the silence between them. "A secret passage?"

The man didn't turn his head to look back at her as she followed. She was speaking to his back. Still, he answered her, but she couldn't help but feel that it was pointed. "It's a servants' corridor." he said. "Old houses like these have passages so the family members don't need to ever see the help."

"Are you mocking me?" she questioned. "Is this supposed to be teaching me some sort of lesson?"

"No, it's just the fastest way to get you out of there. They're not really considered 'servants'' corridors anymore in my house, since everyone uses them, but I would like you to keep them a secret, if you can. I don't want people knowing the complete layout of this place."

"Oh…" That was embarrassing. Ciel wasn't attacking her, but for what reason, she didn't know. He obviously wasn't thrilled about this situation, but he wasn't openly hostile. His ambiguity was somehow more unsettling and she didn't know how to react to it. She was lead down the hall and past the barren servants' dining room, which was mostly used for storage, these days, as the servants in Ciel's house ate at the main table, since Finnian was basically the only one that ate. Then, she was led into the kitchen and to another door. When Ciel opened it and stepped through, she could feel the cold, autumn air seeping into the room.

"This way." he said, leading her outside. "Let's clear our heads."

Renee was understandably hesitant. Here she was, a single woman, all alone with a man. Even though he was married and she was certain that he was gay, it was still somewhat indecent. Then again, what was "indecent" anymore? No one seemed to agree with her and she had already made a fool of herself, so what was the point? Crossing the threshold of the doorway, she stepped out onto the stone stoop, following Ciel as they made their way to the garden.

"It's hard to walk on grass in these shoes…" She lamented.

"Need a hand?"

"No. I'm fine." It was quiet. It was cold. It was awkward. It was unbearable. They walked along in silence with Ciel slowing down to match her pace as she walked along the uneven ground. To her relief, there were stepping stones leading up to the gazebo and a gaurdrail up the steps as they climbed them. Despite it being dark and most of the flowers not being in bloom, it was still somehow pretty out there.

The pale lights illuminating the path cast shadows and lit up foliage in a soothing way. The gazebo was lit, albeit dimly, allowing them to be able to sit there and talk. They could both see in the dark, of course, but it felt less scary, that way. With a grunt, Ciel sat down at the metal outdoor table, crossing one leg over the other as he got comfortable. Following his lead, Renee did the same. They sat there in silence, both waiting for Ciel to say what he was going to say, but instead, he just sat there and rubbed his head for a moment.

"I'm sorry for all of the dramatic fanfare." He finally said, his voice soft against the rustling of leaves. "It's purely for selfish reasons, really. I'm not feeling very well and wanted to get away from things, myself. This was just a good excuse."

"Can demons even get ill?" She questioned, trying to keep things going.

"They can in some ways." Ciel replied, and then, more quiet. This was getting excruciating.

Finally, however, Ciel found his voice again. "I'm not going to pretend that what you did in there was a good thing. What you said was hurtful, at best, and speaks to some underlying ignorance on your part."

"I…" Naturally, her initial compulsion was to deny these accusations and point out how needlessly harsh the man was being. At the same time, however, his directness left no room for her to argue. "I… Didn't know things had changed this much…" she settled on. "I don't understand how it's suddenly wrong to not except someone who was a servant or why it's suddenly acceptable to marry one."

"It isn't wrong to deny someone who was one, but on the basis of that alone? That was why everyone was upset with you. You're welcome to refuse him, but to slap him? Accuse him of deceiving you? That was extreme…"

"I felt lied to! He was—he was just so… charming. He did everything right, and yet… he's one of those people…"

"Was. And it was a hard situation for him. You're acting as though servants are inherently bad people, Renee. They're not dirty because they help us and even if they were, it's our dirt." Leaning back in his chair, the Watchdog let out a sigh. "I never cared for that sort of thing, really… People are people. It's my sorry self that can't manage this mansion all on my own, so why hold them in contempt for it? I don't mind if my gardener eats at my table. I don't mind walking the servant corridors. It's just… easier that way. Though, admittedly, I was always considered 'strange' for a plethora of reasons, that included."

"How are you such good friends with them? Isn't it hard, not being of the same station?"

"Indeed, it can be difficult to blur the lines between being a friend and employer, but my staff is small enough that it works. I just treat them like ordinary people. I like Finny's company, so that's that. It's not like it's complicated. You, yourself liked Caroline until you found that out, yes? Isn't that enough?"

"No, it isn't." Renee insisted. "It's just… Not how things are supposed to be…"

"Like becoming a vampire was?"

"I-!" the woman started before lowering her head. "I… I suppose not… I suppose life doesn't always pan out like one hopes it will… I had hoped to be married years ago, but… here I am, a spinster and a vampire. I have gotten used to the latter, but… it feels like I'm still not fulfilling my role in it's entirety."

"And what's that?" Ciel asked. "The leader of a coven? You don't have one anymore, do you?"

"As a woman." Renee explained, letting out a sigh as she placed her hands on the table in front of her. "Even then, if I were to be married, I suppose I still wouldn't be able to. I'm a vampire, after all. We can't have children in a traditional sense, so… Adaptation would still be necessary, I realise. Still… I just… Don't know what to do… I have nothing anymore. My coven is gone, my servants are gone… I have no duties left. What more am I supposed to do? If I'm not 'Mademoiselle Renee Lapointe,' then who am I?"

That made the Watchdog raise his eyebrows. Truthfully, he hadn't expected her to be so forthcoming. She was always so insistent and stubborn when they first met, that it took him off guard when she was somewhat agreeable. Then again, he thought, look at himself.

"That is a conundrum." he said in a matter of fact tone. Leaning forward, he set his hands on the table as well, clasping them together and staring at them as he thought. "Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you. That's something that you're going to have to work out for yourself. 'Who am I?' and 'What am I going to be?' As we get older… I think we get challenged with those ideas more. Even at our age, it seems." An attempted jest, but still, he furrowed his brow.

"People change." he stated surely, but then, he hesitated somewhat. "Our concept of who we are changes over time. We get to the point where who we thought we were is no longer us and… We have to deal with that. Honestly? It's… terrifying."

Renee's eyes stayed focused on the man's face as he spoke, before following his gaze down at his clasped hands. She had to admit, there was truth in that and obviously, he was speaking from personal experience.

"You've changed." she observed, finally. "You're not entirely different from the person I knew, but… Also, you are. You're still kind and you're still very serious, but… You're… More comfortable with that."

"Honestly, I'm really not."

"You are more than before." the Mademoiselle insisted. "You just don't realise it. Then there's the obvious, like you being gay, but the core is still there, I think. I… I'm not even sure what my core looks like. I don't know how to change it, so I want to hold on to the way things were. I still don't understand the whole 'servant' thing and I feel bad about it. I don't know if I ever will or even if I can."

"Well… For starters, you can understand that I'm not gay."

The woman nodded in response, hearing what her acquaintance was saying. It was only when she actually stopped and listened, however, that something in her mind stalled, forcing her to look up at him. "Quoi?"

"Oh, that got you out of it." the man replied. One of the corners of his mouth turned upwards ever so slightly as he found her reaction a bit funny. "It's not that important, really—at least, to me, it isn't. I can understand why you might think that, since I have a husband, but I'm actually not gay. I'm bisexual."

"What?! Since when?!"

"Since always."

"Is that when… You like men… and women?"

"Yes! You've got it! See, you can understand these things." Ciel stated, but Renee didn't seem convinced. She sat there for a moment, staring down at her hands before uttering a deep, deep, sigh.

"So I'm so unappealing that I lost to a man…" she lamented. There were no tears, there was no whining, just defeat in her voice. "He is pretty, but still..."

"It's less about you and more about me, really. I didn't know I had any interest in romance at all when we first met and even then, my type if very specific, just like yours."

"I suppose you're right… I am happy for you, really. I just wish I could have that for myself. Especially since it's so lonely, here. Now I don't think I'll ever make friends, with that display…"

"You should apologise to Caroline as soon as you get the chance." Ciel informed. "Even if it's just to save face, you should try and be as sincere as possible."

"That's fair… I still don't understand how it's acceptable, now, but… I realise that I have caused harm and am willing to accept responsibility for it."

"Good. Well, with that settled…" the man trailed off, standing and putting his hands in his pockets. "I'll be taking my leave, then."

"Really? So soon?"

"Yes… Regretfully, I believe I must. I'm still not feeling so well, so I think I'm going to have a lie down, myself, before rejoining the party. You should do the same when you feel ready to. It would be a shame for you not to join everyone again."

"I don't think anyone will be so accepting of me, if I did."

"Maybe, but you won't know until you try. Until then, you're free to spend as much time as you need to out here, if you'd like. See you in a bit, I hope."

"Take care of yourself." the woman replied, offering the man a half-hearted wave as he began returning to the house. She had to admit, she was a bit worried, seeing as demons don't normally get ill, but he didn't seem to distressed by it. That left her to just stew on her own predicament.

It may sound unreasonable, but it was hard for her to reconcile with the fact that she was in the wrong. Had it been a hundred, or even a few decades ago, maybe, then it wouldn't have been a problem. How was she supposed to know that attitudes had changed so much? It wasn't as though there was a memo released on what was correct or not anymore.

Still, when she thought about it, really, it had to have been offensive. They're people after all—individuals with their own minds and the like. Honestly, she felt stupid for not figuring that out sooner and that was part of her reluctance in the matter. She was ashamed for having been so foolish and ashamed for having hurt so many people. It had never occurred to her to try and see things from their perspective. Why would it? She was an aristocrat, after all. But when she tried, she didn't think she would want to serve someone else so selflessly. So how could they? Maybe they disliked being her servants. She knew that she would have, so maybe that's why they had all run away. They had better opportunities, now. They could become so much more than the people who scrubbed her floors and did her laundry. For her to hold that against them and consider them forever tainted by it; well, it was her fault, wasn't it? Ciel was right. It was her dirt, after all. Her dirt that they had the professionalism to undertake so that she didn't have to. And then she turned around and behaved so cruelly. It was unfair.

That's why Serge was so angry. That's why he left. Maybe he actually did like her. Maybe he actually was loyal to her, but loyalty wasn't an unconditional thing. He wanted to work for her, not some stranger. As an employee, it was his right to decide who he worked for, wasn't it? That was only fair. It was foolish for her to believe that he would just go along with her every whim. She took advantage of him and then she punished him for it. Pausing, she looked down at her hands on the table.

"How despicable…"

She deserved this. She deserved every bit of it and there was no going back, now. She had lost the life she had before—truly lost it—and she could never get it back again. It was scary. It was so scary, being alone and not even knowing herself well enough to count on it—helpless, with no one to teach her how to take care of herself but herself. She couldn't bring herself to go back to the party. It was cold out there and she didn't have her coat, but she couldn't. She deserved it. This was the best she could ever expect.

A heavy sigh escaped her. Renee realised that she simply could not bear the weight of returning to the party right now. It was cold out, but the night air was far preferable to the icy glares that were surely in store for her if she set foot in that building. Becoming a social pariah was what she had hoped to avoid, but now look at her; all alone out in the cold.

The leaves rustled as they continued to die and hit the floor and the wind whipped at her ears, but she could not bear it. She simply wasn't strong enough. Blinking, she noticed another sound: the shuffling of feet as the approached. That was fast. She hadn't expected Ciel to return. Renee lifted her head and turned around, facing the steps leading up to the gazebo, only to find herself surprised.

"Hello, Mademoiselle." Serge greeted. "You look cold."

A/N: We're almost there... Jesus Christ... Please just like, imagine me crawling through the desert on my hands and knees, just crawling toward the end of this arc, because that's how it feels. Although, I worry that once I finish, I'll feel at a loss for what to do next. I have options, but which is the best one? Who knows? It'll work out. It always does...

That said, I am sorry for the cliffhanger... I was worried that I'd NEVER reach a stopping point with this chapter if I didn't cut it somewhere, and this was the transition between scenes, so it seemed like a good enough place as any.

Also, a rarity happened in this chapter: I introduced a character without knowing what they look like? All I know about Adrian's appearance is that she has red hair, it's long, and that's that. Normally, I draw them BEFORE I come up with their character, but here, we're working in reverse. If you have ideas, let me know. I have no idea what I'm doing lol.

Good for Audrey, though.

Anyways, Until the next chapter, my duckies~!