"Are you alright?" Ciel asked or rather "Cornelius" did, addressing the girl on his arm. Charlotte looked up at him confusedly.
"Yeah, why?" she answered with a question of her own.
"You're clawing at my arm a bit." The Phantomhive pointed out, immediately prompting the vampiress to loosen her grip.
"I'm so sorry!"
"Don't be. I don't blame you in the slightest." The faux-bloodsucker said. "You're in a very unpleasant position after all."
"I guess…" Charlotte replied. "Still, it could be worse. I'm at least in good hands."
"Are you sure you're a lesbian?" asked Baldassare, placing his hands on his hips as he watched the scene. "You seem pretty alright with Fido."
"That's because I know he wouldn't dare try anything." The girl stated. "Did you know that girls can be friendly with boys without being interested in them?"
"Of course I know that!" the other vampire nearly barked. He opened his mouth again to continue speaking, but was cut off by the bluenette.
"Mister Baldassare," Ciel intervened, "forgive my rudeness, but it would be in your best interest not to cause a scene."
To that, the coven leader looked around to see a few fellow partygoers staring, only to look away once the man shot a glare in their general direction. The group was still in the middle of the repurposed lobby of the theatre, in the middle of a large crowd. It was best to speak with discretion, as not to give away their true objective and identities. If word got out that the Watchdog himself was at this party, the place would be evacuated in a matter of minutes, and Gentlemen would still be at large.
It became obvious that the group needed a more subtle way of communicating, however. They had to come up with a plan on how to get the information they had already acquired on the coven's activities back to the other two groups. In fact, they may need further reinforcements in order to sweep the place clean.
"Text your stupid pet!" Baldassare said in a hushed tone. "Get him the information he needs so we can wrap this up!"
Ciel thought for a moment. He knew that his beau was somewhat "touchy" when it came to the sort of thing that was going to conspire later that evening. It was understandable, after all. That's the way trauma works. Knowing the blonde menace, however, he would be more upset if the Phantomhive withheld the information for such a reason. Ciel didn't have to go into detail. All he had to do was convey the information in a way that was understandable.
"Alright." The Phantomhive said. "I'll do i-"
"Not right now." Baldassare quickly said, cutting the other man off. He looked at the watchdog before flickering his eyes somewhere off to the side and back. "We're being watched too closely."
To that his current accomplice followed his eyes, and when he did, Baldassare continued with: "See that squirrely lookin' bloke? The one who looks like he's snuck out on a school night, with the scar on his mouth?"
Sure enough, Ciel saw the person he was talking about, and he was indeed looking their way. He looked like a boy who should be in secondary school, just like Baldassare said. He was scrawny and looked like the kind who was easily picked on. The boy had a nasty look in his eyes, however, that made it look as though he was waiting for them to do something hasty so he can cut them up. To Ciel's surprise, he wasn't dressed too extravagantly. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt and yellow tie. The Phantomhive's eye looked back to Bladassare.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"That's Gary." The coven leader said.
"The general?" Ciel asked arching an eyebrow.
"Yeah. He's the worst one." His accomplice replied. "He's paranoid as fuck and gets off on cutting people up. Wait 'til you're out of his sight, first. If you can't get a chance, I'll distract him, somehow."
"What about the other two generals?"
"They won't be as likely to notice. They're almost as arrogant as their boss, and probably don't think anybody will fuck with 'em."
"So what do we do in the meantime?" inquired the watchdog.
"Why are you asking me? You're the one behind the operation!" the coven leader answered.
"For now, I think our whispering is starting to get suspicious." Stated Ciel. "Split up and regroup in about fifteen minutes. If we haven't gotten the information out by then, make an opportunity."
"Fine. I'll do some snooping while I'm at it." Baldassare stated. "I can probably get something out of these desperate pigs."
"Swear by it?"
"Listen, I know you don't trust me, and ordinarily, I might agree with you, but know this: I hate this bunch and want them snuffed out as soon as possible." Spoke the vampire, pointing a finger in Ciel's face. "They're disgusting, and their filth puts the lives of everyone in the Glen in danger. I'm not gonna let that shit slide, you got that?"
"Yes, 'sir'." The Phantomhive stated, somewhat pleased with the coven leader's reasoning. The fire behind Baldassare's eyes gave his words credibility. He seemed quite passionate about this cause. Then again, he always did have a soft spot for the residents of the special zone.
"Tsk." The other man clicked his tongue in annoyance at the watchdog's response. With that he began to walk away. "I'm gonna go mingle." He said. "See you in a few."
Thus Ciel and Charlotte were alone in this unfamiliar territory. Neither of them really knew much of coven etiquette, so they weren't entirely sure how to proceed. All they really could do was converse amongst themselves.
"It's comforting to know that he's not complete scum." Charlotte said, still awkwardly clinging to Ciel's arm. "Think we can trust him?"
"Yes. Despite his tongue, Baby-Face really does care about what happens to the Glen." The Phantomhive answered. "It's his home, after all."
"Yeah, I can see that." The vampiress said, somewhat distractedly. Her eyes seemed to wander the room as the pair made their way across the room.
She had been a bit on edge from the moment she walked into the door. Charlotte was very nervous, given that this was her first undercover operation and all. Moreover, she had the morals of the club itself to worry about. She knew that most of the people kidnapped were women, and given the behaviour of the coven's leader toward her, she had every right to be afraid. There was all of this to worry about as well as some other factor that Ciel couldn't quite figure out. When the man started to follow her eyes, however, it dawned on him.
Blood. There was a wait staff carrying trays with champagne glasses full of blood on them. Sometimes, Charlotte's eyes would land on the bar, only for her to catch herself and tear her gaze away. Her eyes seemed more red than usual and her pupils were slit. When she spoke, the watchdog could see her fangs. Charlotte was a vampire who worked at H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and with all of this blood around it was only natural for her to be a bit tempted.
"If you want some blood, why don't you have some?" Ciel finally asked arching an eyebrow. In response, Charlotte looked up to him with an almost startled expression, before uttering a long sigh.
"I can't." she stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "If it gets out that I drank contraband blood, I'll get in serious trouble. More importantly, knowing where it came from… it just wouldn't feel right."
"That's very dignified." Answered the bluenette. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this."
"Nah, it's my job." Charlotte said. "I'd have to do it anyway." Her temporary partner was about to reply, but stopped as he noticed the boy that Baldassare pointed out to earlier making his way through the crowd while heading straight toward them.
"Gary's coming." He said. "Think you can keep your composure?"
"I'll do my best." His date whispered back straightening herself as the boy approached them.
"Hi! We haven't met yet!" Gary said as greeting, his scarred lips forming a bright smile. "I hear you're the newest Girasol general! I'm Gary. No last-name; just 'Gary'. I'm one of the generals of Gentlemen. He held out his hand expectantly, waiting for a handshake. When the Phantomhive obliged, he seemed to grip a bit too firmly.
"Cornelius Wainwright." Ciel answered, sticking to his fib. He flashed a friendly smile before gesturing to Charlotte with his free hand. "And this is my girlfriend, Cheryl Garou."
"Nice to meet you!" replied as Charlotte gave him a small nod. Somehow, she managed to revert herself back to her usual appearance, but it might not last long. Gary turned his attention back to the other man. "Your friend doesn't seem too comfortable around here."
"She's not used to these sort of functions."
"Ah, well, she'll learn." Gary said, flashing the girl a smirk. He rubbed his nose with his finger before continuing. "I don't see a drink in your hand, Mister Wainwright. Could you not get your hands on one?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Ciel answered. Baldassare was right. This boy was suspicious. "Admittedly, I haven't been to too many parties like this, myself, so I always have a little bit of trouble."
"Ah, no worries! I'll get one for you!" the younger male said.
"Oh, no, I couldn't." This was bad. It was bad enough that Ciel had to bathe in blood that evening; he certainly didn't want to drink it. Gary was obviously trying to flush him out. Moreover, Charlotte was having a bit of trouble around this much human blood. Who knows what would happen if it got within a certain proximity to her?
Unfortunately, by the time Ciel uttered those words, his enemy had already gotten hold of a glass and offered it to him. He said: "I insist", leaving the Phantomhive with no time to think and with no options. Thus Ciel begrudgingly took the glass.
"You're too kind." He replied, smoothing over the annoyance in his voice and offering a faux-smile. Without a moment's hesitation, he placed the glass up to his lips and took a few sips.
It was revolting and tasted like iron. He simply could not understand how a species could base their entire diet off of the substance. Charlotte was genuinely shocked by the act, but it was masked over by her desire to take the glass from the demon and drink it herself. Somehow Ciel managed to conceal his true feelings about the drink and smile.
"I think I might have needed that more than I thought I did." He lied, his irritation growing as the other male continued talking.
"Glad I could help." Spoke Gary. "So what sort of events will you and your lady be going to?"
"Definitely the auction, but I'm having trouble deciding with the others." Ciel answered. "What would you recommend?"
"The feast, definitely." His enemy replied. "We've got some really choice meats, this time. Also, the torture chamber. That one's my favourite. Whenever they cut off pieces, they'll sometimes toss it at the audience! I once caught a whole arm!"
Disgusting. This person was disgusting. Ciel was already to the point of nearly gagging on the blood that he was forced to continue drinking while the boy was talking and actually listening to what he was saying made the demon want to bash his head in. Still, the Phantomhive had a part to play, and he was certainly not going to let up just yet. He would make this wretch suffer before the night was over anyway. With patience, everything would go according to plan.
That said, continuously downing blood was starting to get to the Phantomhive. The last time he had this much blood on his mouth, he was coughing it up onto the rooftops of a castle while engaged in a battle to the death. It wasn't pleasant then, and it most certainly is not pleasant now. If he just sipped it and left it, it would be suspicious. If he drank it all in one go, that would be suspicious too. Ciel had to drink it at a reserved, steady pace, but alas, the poor man was almost on the verge of gagging.
So this was Gary's game? He was going to wait the Phantomhive out until his cover was blown. Despite the boy's smile, he had a nasty glint in his eyes that seemed to only confirm this. His eyes, however, soon flickered back to Charlotte.
"Miss, you're bleeding!" he pointed out, snapping Charlotte back to her senses. She had become very fixated on the blood that Ciel was drinking, and had been biting her lip in an effort to maintain her composure. Unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten about her fangs, causing blood to drip down her chin.
Gary's eyes flickered to the Phantomhive, obviously daring him to do something about it. To vampires, it was almost a sin to waste blood, and the pair were supposedly a "couple", weren't they? Gary didn't believe them. They didn't act like it. Their posturing was too awkward to be anything but friends. So, Ciel leaned in and begrudgingly lapped at it, trailing his tongue up his coworker's chin before placing a very chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth.
"Désolé." He whispered, hoping that Charlotte had picked up enough French from Amelie to understand his apology. He had crossed a line and he knew it, but he had to stick with their story. In response, the girl only nodded, startling the demon when she took one of her hands and placed it on his cheek. There was a dazed look in her eyes as the flashed red. Her pupils slit as she could smell the blood on the man's breath.
"Ah, I'll let you two have your moment." Gary said awkwardly. His eyelid twitched in annoyance, having failed to assert his assumption. "I'll talk to you later." He added as he walked away. Once he was out of range, the Phantomhive quickly pulled back.
"He's gone." Ciel said, once again bringing the girl back to her senses. "Are you alright?"
"Sorry." Replied Charlotte, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Don't ever do that again."
"I'm really sorry. He was suspicious of our credentials." Her accomplice replied. "I'm going to have to come clean to Jim later or else I won't be able to look him in the eye…"
"You almost made me do something stupid." The girl said, her voice laced with irritation. "I almost bit you."
"I know. I realised it after I got close." The watchdog said handing the girl the half-full glass in his hand. "I really want to brush my teeth after that… Had I been human, I would've become chronically ill from that."
"I can't take this." Charlotte insisted, pressing the glass back into the man's hand. "I'm not drinking contraband blood."
"I can't drink it. If I do, I will most likely throw up. It'll be suspicious if I put it back as it is, and you're starting to lose yourself." The Phantomhive stated. "It may be contraband, but you can't complete the mission as shaky as your nerves are, right now." Charlotte took the glass again, eyeing it with an uncertain look.
"Sometimes, choices must be made, even if they contrast with our own beliefs in order to achieve a certain goal." Ciel continued. "Whatever you choose could affect the outcome." The girl's brow furrowed at those words.
They were in some ways, true, but Charlotte didn't want them to be. She wanted to save the abducted, but she didn't want to sacrifice this part of her that felt like taking the blood that was forced from them as her own was wrong. It was too important to her. Yet Ciel and Alois both knew of necessary sacrifice and she trusted their input and wisdom. Ciel was right. She would have to choose. She could either drink the blood and sedate her hunger and clear her head, or she could cope without it and fight with a muddled mind. It was obvious which choice was most logical. Charlotte knew what she had to do.
She set the glass down on a table as the passed it, surprising the demon as she looked at him straight in the eye.
"No." she said surely. "That's something that I'm not able to do. If I drank it, I feel like I'd be no better than them." With raised eyebrows the watchdog simply looked at her for a moment before nodding.
"I understand." He said. "I don't think that's a practical decision, but I understand the sentiment."
"What do you know about practical decisions? You're the one who almost refused to message Alois with information Bravo and Echo need to complete the mission." Charlotte pointed. "Are you going to send it to him, by the way? Gary isn't watching." To this, Ciel immediately took his phone out.
"I forgot." He admitted as he began to type. He was able to type quickly, being one who preferred texting to talking on the phone. The Phantomhive decided that it would be best to provide the blonde with tidbits of information at a time so that he wasn't occupied for long. Half of the information made it to team Bravo along with the knowledge that more was on the way. After the message was sent, Ciel immediately deleted it from his history before placing his mobile back in his pocket.
"They have half of it, now." Ciel stated. "Is the coast still clear?"
"For now." The vampire answered. "Hopefully there will be another chance. If not we still have Baldassare to count on."
Meanwhile, a certain boy was making his way through the crowd, rubbing the underside of his nose with his finger. His brow was furrowed, and he was currently seeking out one of his associates to talk to. Gary simply couldn't shake the feeling that there was something "off" about mister "Cornelius Wainwright"; he just wasn't sure what. He did know, however, that he didn't smell quite right. As he continued to smell the fingers of the hand that he used to shake the supposed "general's", he smelled blood, but something else. It wasn't the smell of a vampire, but he couldn't recognise it.
"He stinks…"
A/N: 3,091 words...
Poor Charlotte. Even Ciel has to creep on her. Alois and Amelie are gonna have to kick his ass, later...
Charlotte needs to kick some ass, too...
Everyone's ass is gonna get kicked.
Question?
"Are there such a Thing as supernatural surrogates?" by RapunzelInTheSnow
Probably not. First of all, lots of kids in the Glen are orphans, so that's an option, and secondly, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. keeps a strict eye on their population, and who lives where, so surrogates might be a bad idea... Any misunderstanding can prove to be disastrous when dealing with fearful people with guns.
Well that's grim...
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
CHARACTER SHET
Question: "question for Sebastian: Do you think Ciel and Alois would make good parents?" by RemyCole
Sebastian's Answer: "I think they would be better parents than they think they would be. I don't think they're emotionally ready for that commitment yet, however."
