True to his word, every day after that the blonde forced the bluenette to walk with him outside and touch the front gate. Every day, it grew a little bit easier and Ciel grew more comfortable. It was especially easy as he regained more feeling in his arm and was able to close his hand at will. There was only one day in which Alois forgot to make him go and that was the day that HELLSING's investigation into the Dennis Darcy incident had concluded and Darcy was found guilty.

Now, Alois found not sense in locking Darcy away for his crime. It certainly wouldn't make life easy for the editor when he returned home to Gehenna. Thus, he persuaded Integra to work something out. Instead of being locked away in the dungeon for a few days, Darcy was to be simply stripped of his position at the press and was not allowed to present another piece for the paper again. Instead, his sister Dolores was deemed competent enough to run the establishment. Sure enough, she was able to sell papers with ease when she reported on things that weren't sensational, but instead actually mattered. The first article was a formal, public apology to the Phantomhives on the paper's behalf as per instruction of HELLSING, but after that, the paper talked about Pyestock and the situation there along with other supernatural oriented news like the werewolf of Hull who had reappeared recently.

Interest was renewed in the Pyestock project and the public wanted more answers. Thus, HELLSING decided that a Q&A session was in order with the public, and Alois was asked to provide a presentation. For that, however, he needed pictures and perhaps video from the site. That would involve him either sending someone down there in his stead or to go there himself. The latter, however, would involve him having to leave his husband before he is fully healed. Naturally, he was going to do everything in his power to prevent that to happen.

It took a lot of convincing, but somehow, they managed to get the one man who could do it paid time for going to Pyestock and doing it for them. Fortunately, Sir Integra was understanding and actively encouraged the duo to bond. Additionally, the person they got instead actually did photography as a hobby and knew a thing or two about taking pictures while Alois quite frankly hadn't a clue at all.

Thus, in full uniform, their good friend Audrey Baines packed up his camera and started the drive. Some time off to take pictures did not hurt his feelings in the slightest. In fact, he was excited and wished that he could do this for work more often.

Over the course of three days, he would actually be staying there in one of the freshly built and vacant rooms. While he was there, he would take pictures that made the place look good. He needed buildings, rooms, workers and to romanticise it all. That said, he was pleasantly surprised with his lodgings, although there really wasn't a lot in the good-sized apartment. In fact, it was practically bare. Now he understood why he was instructed to bring a pillow and a sleeping bag.

The very first thing he did before unpacking anything, however, was take out his camera and start snapping photographs of the room from different angles and in different areas. When that was done, he decided to look out the window. He was on the second floor of the building, so he had a decent view. It could be better. He noticed that there were much taller structures elsewhere in Pyestock that gave him ideas, but he wasn't sure if he would have access to them. Regardless, he snapped photos where he was, capturing images of a few people hauling supplies around below. They were taking them into another building, making him curious. Naturally, he had to go see what that was about.

People were working inside, repurposing offices and such into apartments. Audrey was impressed. He was surprised at how clever this was. The rooms that were completed like his resembled what they originally were only a little bit and were fully functional as housing. Everyone was hard at work with sweat building on their brows, but Audrey needed to get what he came for.

"Excuse me!" Audrey interrupted an ogre and a faun who were putting up a wall. The two of them looked back at him with uncertainty as the HELLSING agent in an unfamiliar uniform addressed them. "I'm Audrey Baines. I work in the intelligence department, but my friend Alois wanted to know if I would come down and take pictures so he can show everyone in Gehenna how things are coming along. Do you mind if I snap a photo?"

Obviously hesitant, the pair looked at each other and then back again. "You mean the Lion? Why isn't he here instead?" questioned the ogre.

"Yeah. That's him." Audrey replied. "He wanted to come, but his husband was hurt pretty badly on a mission and he didn't want to leave him on his own."

"Really? What happened?"

"He was hit by a train and lost an arm. He's a demon, though, so they were able to reattach it. He's making good progress, but it's taking him a while, since he's never lost a limb before."

Looking back to the cynocephalus, the ogre watched his coworker sign to him before nodding. "Alright. You can take our picture."

"That's great! Just work like normal and then I'll be out of your way."

After reading the cynocephalus' signing, the ogre chuckled. "She says to 'just be sure to get my good side.'"

"Will do!" Audrey answered before the pair got into position. He then positioned himself in an odd position between the gap in the wall being put up so that he could get them both in the shot before focusing and capturing a few images.

After that was done, he showed the pictures to his subjects to see if they were portrayed in a way that they approved of. The two of them seemed thrilled and even wanted to know if they could have each have a copy. Thus, he took down their information so he could get it to them. Honestly, he wasn't planning on printing them, but they both seemed happy.

Things sort of went in this pattern for a while as Audrey took photographs of those building as well as the buildings themselves. There was another location being cleaned out so they could start converting it while others were restoring furniture found inside. The reaper even got a picture of some kids playing football with trees in the background. Talking to them, there were some who had never seen trees in person before. It struck him with great sadness, yet joy that they were here.

He was genuinely having a good time while taking these photos, even if they were of things he normally wouldn't. There was just so much to see and he had a camera right there with him! There were even supernatural being that he had never seen before. There were tall and especially fuzzy faun who spoke in American accents and small, strange creatures with large eyes and spikes coming out of their backs. While foxes weren't all unusual to seen in England, Audrey could see them walking upright on their hind legs. He even saw one smoking a cigarette.

Bringing his camera up to his face, however, he was planning on taking a picture of the building he was currently in. It was massive. From the sounds of those who he could understand talking, this was going to be some sort of marketplace once it was all cleaned out and finished. Audrey set his sights on an areoplane that a group of operatives were debating on what to do with. He had already asked for permission and was backing up so he could get a better shot, only to hear a yelp from behind him as he stepped on something. Very quickly, he turned around to see what it was, only to see a raccoon walking on two legs while clutching its tail.

"Suimasen..." apologised the reaper, assuming that what he had stepped on was a tanuki. He had seen enough anime to at least learn how to apologise, but was not at all prepared for the stream of what he could only assume to be insults after the tanuki mistakenly thought he could speak Japanese.

Panicked, the man looked around before pulling up his camera and taking the picture he intended to take. Then, he ran away without a single word, leaving the rather confused tanuki to shout after him before giving up and wondering about the absurdity of it all. The ordeal actually startled Audrey quite a bit. He did not like that at all, having forgotten that he was sometimes nervous around new people. Thus, he went back to his lodgings and started to unpack.

He needed to prepare as meal time meant what was essentially a gathering. While he really did not want to go down there, only so many pictures could be taken from his window. Most of his preparation would be mental, however, as work was just beginning for him.


A/N: Oh, Audrey... Poor weeb...

In case anyone has forgotten, Audrey actually does have hobbies other than anime and videogames. He likes to take pictures. The good kind.

Originally, this was gonna start with Ciel and Alois debating on how they were gonna get pictures without Alois having to leave, but I had to delete it because there really wasn't any way to transition from there to here. Without the part with Audrey, however, there wouldn't have been enough for a chapter. It's a balance of things.

I feel like I'm forgetting something important, but I have no idea what it is...

Also I'm sorry to my tumblr followers. Fortunately, many of you are also in ice hell, but I cannot escape.

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!


CHARACTER SHET

Question: "hey revy i was gonna say something about you sleeping during work but then i remembered my classmates a few years ago gave me an award for sleeping the most during class so nvm have a good day" by forestkiid

Revy: "I really need to quit... my coworkers keep calling me 'Sleeping Beauty' and the boss poked my face with a pencil..."

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Question: "To the demons, you guys eat souls but at the same time aren't. Isn't that kinda like starving yourselves? How long can a demon go without eating a soul? And why aren't you eating?" by Tazmania

Ciel: "Demons can go up to a hundred years without eating. One soul will last that long before we start getting hungry and weak. Jim and I are actually pretty well fed. If we eat souls every day, it'll draw attention to us and quite frankly, I don't want to deal with an angry Integra."