Orders were quickly issued to the demonic duo by the higher ups following the incident with Kristopherson and Audrey. They were to eliminate the ringleaders of the "Kessler Boys" pack, while disbanding the rest unless they resist or prove to be a threat on their own. Unsurprisingly, the demons made quick work of gathering information, interviewing residents who had submitted complaints about the group as to hints of their whereabouts. Unsurprisingly, the building that the werewolves had exited from during the attack had been abandoned. Obviously, they knew that they had done wrong.
Citizens were cooperative, both with the police and with the Phantomhives. They had had enough of this group, and wanted them gone. "That doesn't happen, here." Said one older woman they interviewed. She was a troll. Her tail twitched with irritation as she spoke, taking a break from smoking her pipe. "That might be okay to the humans, out there, but not here. They're predators. They don't belong here."
That was the general consensus in the area. The supernaturals didn't see them as one of them. They were monsters, and monsters don't belong in society. Even other werewolves didn't like this pack. Ciel and Alois had run into their former acquaintance at the general store while they were interviewing people. Grace Ethans, a victim in one of their cases was there, living her new life in Gehenna and adjusting quite well. Her children were with her; the first non-H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.-affiliated humans to be permitted to life here. She had quite a bit to say about the Kessler Boys.
"Yes, I see 'em on occasion. They're a scary bunch. I have to keep a close eye on the kids—they're always leering at them like they're…" Ethans trailed off, glancing around to make sure her children weren't listening and instead looking at something else before whispering "…something to eat."
After that, she continued in a normal tone of voice. "You can tell they're not sorcerers. They don't walk the same. They walk like men from London. Not to mention, they always have their logo on them, so they're pretty easy to pick out."
"Logo?" asked the bluenette. "What does it look like?"
"It's just a simple paw print." The woman said. "A circle, with three smaller circles, and then some triangles for claws. They paint it on their clothes, and a few of them have tattoos and the like."
Taking out his memopad, the Watchdog flipped to a blank page and doodled the image. "Like this?" he asked, showing Grace.
"Yep. Just like that." Said Miss Ethans, losing focus for a moment before looking down at one of her kids as he hugged her leg. Smiling at him, she turned away to address the agents again. "I'm sorry, it looks like it's almost time for me to go."
"That's alright." Ciel replied, handing the pad to his partner for him to look at. "You helped us out a lot. Thank you. Have a good day."
"You too." Smiled the woman, and with that, they parted ways again.
The duo turned in their findings to H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. and awaited instructions on how to proceed after giving their own respective opinions. Sir Integra would have to think about it all, but they trusted her to arrive at the best solution. If it sounded off, they would give their thoughts and try again. Alois' patience, however, was running thin.
Kristopherson had woken up and they saw him. He wasn't able to speak yet, but his expression told everything. He was afraid. He was upset. He was in despair. The duo did their best to try and comfort him. They told him that they would help him the best that they could, and how H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. intended to handle this. They would allow him to return to life as usual, on the condition that he checks in regularly. If he intends to leave town for a weekend, he must first tell them. In addition, he would be registered as a supernatural in the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. database, and he must report to headquarters by a certain time for all of his moons until the research team deemed him well enough to undergo them at home. While this was all good for him to know, it didn't cut down on Kristopherson's stress.
His face grew hot as he held it in his hands and cried. It contorted in pain as the idea that his life was over sank in. In reality, it wasn't, but he didn't know that—not with complete certainty, at least, despite the fact that he had been told that he would be alright. It didn't matter. Things were changing, and that change was frightening. What would he do? What about his friends? What about his family? Knowing what he does about lycanthropy, he would outlive them all, remaining unchanging except for the colour of his hair.
Ciel knew what this was like. The demons knew this fear. They would help him whenever they could, offering help, support, and advice whenever he needed. It was comforting to have people looking out for him, so it eased his worries just a smidge.
As time went on, he started to become concerned, wondering why he didn't physically feel any different, even though he knew the tests they had run on him found him lycanthrophy positive. In fact, after he healed up completely, his body felt fantastic. It was his mind that was a muddled mess. After calling up his "consultant", Missus Amelie Garou, she alerted him that this is perfectly normal. He asked her if it was the same for her, and she wouldn't say. Kristopherson never understood how quiet that woman was, finding her odd. Immediately after he asked, he was met with silence and a dial tone. She just dropped the conversation and hung up. That was then Kristopherson remembered the unspoken rule of former humans: never ask about the "before". He'd have to remember to apologize later.
While he felt fine the majority of the time, there were other times when he felt "off". His senses messed with him, especially his sense of smell. He had to hold his breath while walking past his flatmate's room, and while mister Westley was out, he attacked it with air-freshener, only to start coughing at the overwhelming citrus scent, forcing him to retreat to the hallway of the building. There was another instance when he was at the store and a child blew on a dog whistle behind him in the checkout line, forcing him to jump and cover his ears. He looked like a madman to everyone but the child, who looked baffled as to how he was able to hear it.
It took time for him to get used to, but it was pretty easy for him to keep up. The only thing that really worried him, physically, was keeping track of the calendar. He was dreading the moon. What Amelie had told him about the first transformation was enough for him to be very afraid. While he wouldn't turn into some ravenous beast, it would be excruciatingly painful.
He still hadn't gotten that book. Supposedly, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. had mailed it to him, but it hadn't arrived, and Kristopherson was starting to get nervous. It was completely understandable for him to want to have full knowledge over what was happening to his body, but he couldn't get his hands on that book. He asked Travis, but Travis didn't have any copies. He had asked Ciel, and Ciel did have a copy, but wasn't able to drop it off right away. The Watchdog was in the middle of an investigation, after all. Kristopherson, however, couldn't wait until it was over and Ciel had the time.
His anxiety over the matter grew worse and worse as days went by. He paced, he fidgeted, and refused to do much of anything until he got that book. Kristopherson's flatmate saw all of this and thought he was going mad. Daniel kept his distance, not sure how exactly to deal with this.
The pair hadn't spoken to each other much after the attack, which didn't help Kristopherson at all. Daniel would hardly look at him. He even averted his gaze when he did. Daniel wasn't acting normally, either. Pondering the reason why made Kristopherson's worry grow and grow, until finally, he had to do something.
"Dan, I need your help with something." He said, walking into the living room while putting on a jacket.
"What's that?" asked the Westley gentleman, his eyes not leaving his game as he sat on the couch. The sound of button mashing didn't stop for Kristopherson to continue, so the faux-blonde continued to speak anyway.
"I need you to drive me to Gehenna." He said. Suddenly, the avatar on the screen died as Daniel lost his focus. Slowly, hesitantly, the Westley turned his head in order to look over his shoulder.
"You want me to what?"
"I need to go get that book, and I need you to drive me." Kristopherson answered.
"Yeah a heard that bit." Daniel replied. "Why do you need me to go?"
"I'm not asking you to go in. I just need you to sit in the car and keep the engine running."
In truth, Kristopherson didn't want to go. He desperately, desperately didn't want to go. There were werewolves there. Big ones. Bad ones. They would recognise him without a doubt, so he needed to be fast. If anything, Daniel being nearby was for moral support. All he could think about was teeth and claws.
"Dan, I'm not asking you to hold my hand or nothin'," he continued. "I just need you nearby."
"I'm not going." The other man replied, turning his gaze back to the television. "Ask Audrey."
"I can't ask Audrey." Said Miles, his throat tightening as he tried to focus on the task and not on the fear. "He's working, and he'll tell me not to go."
"Then don't go?"
"I have to, Dan. I already told you!"
"What about Alois?" Daniel asked. "He could take you."
"He's busy trying to hunt down the werewolves who made be need the bloody thing in the first place!"
"Ciel?"
"Who do you think is with him?!" Now Kristopherson was getting irritated, making his upset state worse. His lips were pressed into a thin line, and his voice began to crack. "I'm not asking you to go in. You can't go in! I'm just asking you to wait outside!"
"Why?! Why do you need that?" Asked Daniel, looking to the other man again. He could clearly see that Kristopherson was upset, but he was not going anywhere near that place. He didn't want something to happen to him as well, and being alone in a car with Kristopherson made him uneasy. "You're one of them! You'll be fine!"
His eyes went wide and he jumped before freezing altogether when a hand slammed down on the back of the couch. Kristopherson held up a finger in front of Daniel's face and stared him directly in the eyes. Daniel could do nothing but look back at those hazel eyes of the faux-blonde as they began to water.
"Daniel, I am asking for one thing." Kristopherson hissed, unable to speak loudly as his throat began to close up entirely. "One thing! It's not even a big thing. I'm asking you to wait in the car. I need you to wait in the car. Do you think I want to go? No! Do you think I would be safer with anyone else? Yes! But you're the only one I can ask for this, so you're the only one who can help me. I need you to help me, Dan. I'm scared out of my fucking mind, here, and I need that book! Will you help me, or not?"
As much as he didn't want to say it, Daniel was afraid. He was afraid of Gehenna, and he was afraid of Kristophreson. That fear reached its peak when Kristopherson suddenly got into his space, petrifying him as he couldn't fathom being able to run away. The Miles, upon seeing this, stepped back in shock. It wasn't at his own actions, but rather Daniel's reaction to them. He was behaving normally—or as normally as he would in a situation like this.
"You're scared of me." Kristopherson said, mostly to himself. "I'm—I'm not a monster, Dan!"
"I know! I know." The Westley interrupted, standing up as well. "It's just—I dunno… You're different…"
"'Different' how?" questioned his flatmate. "I'm the same as before. I'm still me."
"Yeah, but you weren't—" Daniel paused, looking to the floor. "You weren't…"
"I wasn't what, Dan?" Kristopherson pried. He knew what the other man was going to say. The elephant in the room could no longer be ignored. The faux-blonde pressed his lips into a thin line as he waited patiently for his friend's answer. It wouldn't come, however. Daniel was too busy avoiding eye contact, looking around the room while trying to think of how to phrase it. "You can say it, you know."
"You weren't… You weren't a supernatural." The other finally said with great reluctance, finally looking to the other man. "I don't… I don't know if I can handle that."
"So I'm an inconvenience to you." Nodded Kristopherson, cutting the other man off as he opened his mouth to deny it. "You only like things when they're easy. You always have."
"That's not true…"
"It is." The Miles said, pausing to shake his head. "It's been this way for a long time. As long as I've known you. You like it when people help you, and pay attention to you, but you don't like giving back. You don't give anyone your time unless it suits you. We're always doing what you want to do."
"That's a lie. I do so care." Daniel objected, puffing himself up a bit, however unconvincing it was.
"Then why can't you be there for me?" asked Kristopherson, his voice wavering. "Do you think everything will just magically be okay on its own? All you need to do is sit back and watch? That's how you always handle problems until someone makes you. You just—you just don't do anything."
The Westley watched as Kristopherson spoke of him with a hopeless expression, nervously laughing and shaking his head at Daniel. There was nothing Daniel could say, either. He couldn't think of a profound and convincing argument. All he could do was deny it.
"No." said Daniel, shaking his head. "That's not true. I came to you first after the deal with the castle."
"After Alois made you." Answered the faux-blonde. "After that, you said you'd change, but you didn't. To you, that was the end of the mission. Even though I told you, that after that, I would only be with you after you closed things up with Anastasia. Do you remember what you did?"
"Not Anastasia…" shook the Westley, crossing his arms. A deep frown formed on his face at the mention of the woman as guilt gnawed at his stomach.
"You waited." Kristopherson continued. "You waited for it to fix itself. You waited so long that Ana didn't want to mess with it anymore. She thought you had abandoned her."
"What was I supposed to say? 'Sorry, I'm breaking up with you because I've found someone else? Oh, and by the way, it's your brother.'"
"Yes! That's what you're supposed to do, Dan!" Kristopherson replied with exasperation. "Then you don't get mad when she takes the hint and finds someone else! Someone who actually pays her notice and gives half a shit about her! I remember that, Dan. At the time, I thought it was funny. I thought it was just good 'ol Dan, being silly again!" The man paused, looking up at Daniel. "But it wasn't. I get that now. You were mad because you couldn't have her. It was like you felt cheated out of something. Like she owed you her care. You were mad because she moved on without you and gave you the same courtesy that you gave her."
"I… I didn't-!" the Westley said. "I didn't think that! I was just mad because she didn't tell me!"
"How do you think she felt, you fucking idiot?!" demanded the Miles, raising his voice. "How do you think I feel right now?! You don't! You don't think! What matters is only what you and you want! Everyone always has to indulge in your stupid ideas! Fuck what everyone else wants! Fuck what I want! That's how it's always been, Daniel…"
His flatmate stared at him in shock as he trailed off, looking at his feet again. Now it was Kristopherson's turn to suddenly take interest in his shoes while the other watched him, stunned into silence. What could he say? There was no argument he could make. When the faux-blonde finally looked up at him again, he continued.
"…And that's how it always will be if I keep letting you." He said, thrusting the truth further into Daniel's chest and wounding him further. He was right. How could he continue to devote his time and energy into someone who refuses to do the same for him?
Daniel didn't know. He didn't know that this was what he was doing. He didn't know how Kristopherson felt, but then again, he never bothered to ask. That was part of the problem, and it was a problem that Daniel would have to work hard to fix. Now, however, he might no longer have the chance.
Glancing downward, the Westley's posture stiffened uncomfortably as he rocked on his feet. Nervously, he touched his face and looked around while the other man waited for a response. Eventually, Daniel spoke again, his voice cracking slightly.
"So… So is that it, then?" he asked. "Are we… A-are we… y'know… over?"
"No…" Kristopherson answered, trying his best to stay firm and composed, his eyes still watering and his face burning. "We never got to start."
Turning, the faux-blonde walked away, aggressively grabbing his keys off of the table and heading toward the door. His stride was wide as he tried to get away as quickly as possible, no longer wanting to be there right then. Kristopherson did not dare look back. If he did, he might change his mind, but he knew that would be a mistake. He couldn't bear to pursue Daniel any longer; to spend emotional labour on someone who won't do the same, to wait for him to grow up.
"Kris!" Daniel called out while walking after him. Panic and worry buzzed in his brain, fogging up his thoughts. "Kris, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I can change, Kris! Kris! I can! I really ca—"
"Don't." said Kristopherson once he reached the door, interrupting the other. "Don't make promises you can't keep. You tried before, remember? And still… Still things turned out like this…" In an outrageous act of bravery, the man turned around to face his flatmate with a sad smile.
"You're great as my best mate, Dan. I don't want to give that up." He continued, his voice cracking. "I just can't keep doing this. We can still be friends. I want to be friends, still… but… I just can't be with you like this."
Without anything to say, Daniel watched in silence as the faux-blonde turned back around and grabbed the doorhandle. "I'm going out." The Miles stated. "I'll be back… later."
The door opened and then closed again before the man quietly made his way down the hallway. The elevator was empty. Once inside, it was safe. Kristopherson could finally cry.
Slouching down and sitting in the floor with his knees pulled close, tears ran down his cheeks as he sobbed. Quietly at first, and then all at once. He rode the elevator up and down a few times while he got it out of his system. Several people got on and off in the meantime, some asking if he was alright, some pretending not to notice. It took a while, but once he was reasonably calm, he got out and started making his way to his car, pulling out his cellphone on the way there. His eyes were puffy, red, and irritated, making it harder to make out the small characters in his contacts, but he was able to pick out the one he wanted, as it was toward the top.
"Alois?" he asked, trying to sound semi-ordinary and alright as he held the phone up to his ear. "Are you still in Gehenna? I'm on my way there… Could you guys spare a few minutes to help me with something?"
