"Is this really necessary?" It was the next day, and Aiko is with Ciel and their butlers at Ciel's mansion. She frowns as she looks down at her dress. She looked several years younger merely because her outfit was childish.
"Yes, unfortunately." Ciel sighs. He also looked several years younger. He was in a bright blue outfit with some pink and orange flowers. A horrible combination, but they helped their cause. "Sebastian, I want you to be on your toes."
"Alex, you as well." The two look at their butlers, who bow. "Alright my adorable little brother..." Aiko smirks. "ready to go get kidnapped?"
"Of course." Ciel smirks back. The two are taken back to the city, and from there are left to wander where they've narrowed down the kidnapper to be. There was a short list, about five people, who could be the kidnapper, and all of them lived near each other. However, the majority of the kidnappings took place in one particular area. Now, they were going to use Ciel as bait to draw the killer out.
"Little brother, are you going to be alright?" Aiko asks, her voice slightly higher to match her younger looks.
"No." Ciel whines. "I'm tired! And I'm thirsy! I'm tired of walking!"
"I know, but..."
"Why can't you just get us a carriage? why do I have to walk like a commoner!?"
"I-I'm sorry little brother. I..."
"No! I'm tired! I want to sleep!"
"But, little brother, we're on a road and..."
"Then you can keep me clean while we sleep back here." He grabs the thin coat off of Aiko.
"Wait! Little brother!" He runs into an alley and sets her jacket down, then sits on it and leans back. "Little brother..." Aiko shivers a little. Then she sighs and sits next to him. Ciel grabs her arm and leans on her, allowing himself to fall asleep. "I'm sorry I can't do enough for you little brother. But I'm only 13, and you're only 10." She sighs, then falls asleep herself. A few minutes later a shadowed figure comes into the alley. He grabs Ciel carefully, then sticks a needle in him. Then he pats Aiko on the head, and runs away with Ciel. As soon as he's gone Aiko opens her eyes. She looks down and sees a brightly colored rose left with her. She sighs.
"Young mistress, Sebastian is following. Shall we get going?" Alex walks up to Aiko.
"Alright." Aiko is about to stand when Alex picks her up. "Alex!"
"This is far quicker." he smiles, then runs after Sebastian. Aiko mumbles something about Alex being annoying, but otherwise doesn't protest. When they catch up to Sebastian he's on a roof, staring at a house across the street.
"It appears your guess was correct Aiko. George Hamlin, a fairly wealthy man with a deceased wife and a 10-year-old son."
"Of course I was right." Aiko practically falls out of Alex's arms, then sighs. "Well, because he attempts to show Ciel's mouth shut we should go in there."
"Of course." Sebastian smirks. The three hop off the roof and walk to the house. Sebastian heads around back one way, Alex another. Aiko knocks on the door. An older man who is clearly tired opens the door, and is surprised to see Aiko.
"uh, c-can I help you?" He smiles nervously. She smiles at him.
"Yes. You see, I've come to take you to the police and retrieve my friend."
"I..." He slams the door, and Aiko sighs.
"How rude." He runs to a back door, but when he opens it and runs out he's caught in a net held by Sebastian and Alex.
"Sorry, but we can't allow you to escape." Aiko walks around back and smiles.
"Hello again. You know, slamming a door in peoples faces, not a great way to treat guests." She heads inside and checks each room until she finds Ciel. He's asleep on a bed, a needle and thread on the nightstand. "Just in time I guess." She walks over and shakes his shoulders. "Ciel! Hey, time to get up." He doesn't wake up. She sighs. "Lazy little kid." She takes the flowers off his outfit, feeling they're too hideous to stay there, then picks him up and heads out front where Sebastian and Alex have taken George, who is now tied up. "Sebastian, I believe this is yours." Sebastian smirks and takes Ciel from Aiko. She sighs.
"Mistress..." Alex starts. Aiko walks past him and up to George.
"Tell me, how was your child so horrible that you had to punish others?"
"I... I..." He doesn't know what to say. She sighs.
"Whatever your reason, it wont be good enough. To steal their lives away like that, there is no reason." She starts walking away. "I'm entrusting you'll take care of the situation Sebastian."
"Of course." Sebastian sighs. Alex follows Aiko.
"You don't want to wait for Ciel to wake up?"
"No. I want to go home and get out of these clothes." Aiko mumbles.
"Here, let..." Alex is about to reach for Aiko. She glares at him.
"Don't touch me you disgusting demon." She walks a little faster, wishing she could run away and never be found. Alex sighs, then smiles.
"Yes, my lady..."
"Ahh!" Aiko yells into her pillow. It was the night before her party, and she was completely flustered. "I hate parties! I hate hosting them!"
"My lady..." Alex sighs. He had been going over what was to happen at the party, and what was expected of Aiko. Of course, she wanted nothing to be expected of her. "You're acting like a child."
"I don't care!" She sits up on her bed, then sighs. "I despised parties when I was younger. The food was yummy, but all the people..." Aiko thinks back to being little, and being alone at a party. It always worried her. She thought she might be swepted away, never seen again. Then she thought of her captivity, over the large groups of people that would show at major experiments. It made her shiver. "I don't enjoy being surrounded by people."
"I understand. However you have a duty to do." Aiko sighs.
"Fine... I'll do what I must, just make sure everything is in place, and that nothing is in short supply. Especially if mr. Grey comes as he said he would."
"Why do you worry about that?"
"He can eat. I mean it. That man could swallow a cow whole I swear!"
"How do you know this?"
"It wasn't long before I was kidnapped. He came to a party and ate almost all the food himself, and within an hour of the party starting! It was horrifying for my parents. I got a good laugh out of it myself." She smiles. "I couldn't understand what in the world happened to all that food. I even asked him how he could eat so much."
"What did he say?"
"He was hungry." She shakes her head. "Just, make sure there is at least double the amount we need or there won't be enough."
"Yes, my lady." Alex bows. "I'll go check on the preparations now." He walks out. Aiko sighs, then grabs the newspaper Alex had brought in for her. Normally she skimmed the first paragraphs of the articles, but today one title caught her eye.
"Jack the ripper huh?" She read the article, but found it very dull. "If there is a killer they could at least make him sound exciting. I mean, how plain can an article be?" She sighs. "I never understood why father spent so much time on such a boring thing as this." She is about to set the paper down when an idea comes to her. She walks over to her window, opens it, then tosses the paper out it. She smiles, watching the wind tear the pages away from each other, then fly them off to who knows where. "Even paper has the freedom to fly away." She looks down at her gloved hand. "No chain to hold it in place, it can take off with the wind, never to be seen again..." She watches one piece in particular flutter back to the ground. "Paper has the freedom to leave, that is, until the wind disappears." She shuts her window as the other pages begin fluttering to the ground...
"Mistress!" Aiko sighs as she looks at herself in a mirror.
"What is it?" She looks at her door to see her maid Rina looking in.
"There is a guest. He's early."
"I'll be down in a minute. Tell Alex to make sure..."
"He asked to speak with you now, before the others arrive. He's uh..." She looks out of the room, into the hall. Aiko frowns, then sighs.
"He can come in." She nods and stands back. Ciel walks in, and Aiko sighs. "Of course. What do you want Ciel?"
"I can't come to say hi to an old friend?" Ciel smirks. Aiko shakes her head, then looks back at the mirror. She was the same dress she wore the first time she went to see the queen once she returned from being kidnapped, her slimmer red one with the single strap covered in flowers. It still fit, to her surprise. "Are you going to head into the city?"
"Yes. I'll be with the rest of the noble bunch." Aiko grabs a brush and goes over her hair. "Why?"
"Just wondering." He looks around, inspecting Aiko's room.
"Ciel, if you wanted a tour you could have asked Alex." Aiko puts her brush down and grabs her rose spray. "And if Sebastian is looking through the house I have no secrets for him to find." Ciel smiles. Aiko looks at him, then sighs. "You're annoying, you know that?"
"And you aren't?" She smirks.
"Of course not." She uses the spray then heads for the door. "Come on, lets head back downstairs. The party will be starting soon."
"Yes." Ciel sighs. He had wanted to look around Aiko's mansion a bit more before making his first move in their game. But he had seen enough to know what he was going to do.
"There you are." Alex sighs as Aiko and Ciel walk downstairs. "Come now, hiding upstairs?"
"Shut up. I wasn't hiding." Aiko sighs. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes my lady."
"Then there is nothing to worry about." Aiko spots Sebastian by the front doors. She sighs. "Expect more irritants." She mumbles. "If Sebastian is here he could help Alex with whatever problems may occur."
"He'd be happy to." Ciel says. Sebastian frowns slightly, not wanting to be volunteered to help here. But he makes no sign of protest. Instead he walks up to Alex and the two begin talking. Aiko and Ciel grab some drinks and sit down while they wait or other guests to arrive. the next guests to arrive are the Middfords. As soon as Lizzy sees Ciel she runs over and hugs him.
"Ciel!"
"L-lizzy!" Aiko giggles. But then she hears a voice she didn't enjoy.
"Aiko..." She looks at Edward and smiles nervously.
"H-hello Edward." He smiles at her.
"You look so beautiful." He sighs.
"Th-thank you." Aiko takes a slight step back, wanting to keep distance between herself and Edward. "Y-you look nice y-yourself."
"You think so?" He grabs her hands. "Aiko, will you dance with me tonight?"
"I-i..." Just then Viscount Aleister Chambers walks in, followed by several others.
"What a glorious sign of affection by the dear rose of england!" He sighs happily.
"I-I have to go greet my guests!" Aiko practically runs away from Edward. She sighs, relieved to be free of him. Then she walks over to the crowd, quickly traveling from person to person, welcoming them and holding short conversations before she moves on. Many people she had not met before, but they were on a list of people she was told to invite to her party, and so she did."
"Mistress..." Rina walks up to Aiko, who had been chatting with an earl from a more southern part of england, excuses herself, then looks at Rina.
"What is it Rina?"
"All the guests have arrived, including Mr..."
"Aiko!" Aiko frowns, then turns around and smiles.
"Mr. Grey! Good to see you!"
"You as well!" He places a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad your party is such a success."
"Of course. To have anything below this wouldn't be right."
"How are you doing?" he gives her a sad smile.
"What do you mean?"
"With the loss of Jaz, I don't quite understand how you can appear so happy."
"O-oh..." she looks away. "It's simple, you put on a smile, walk around, and you're set. Unless someone... someone..." she sniffles. "I-I'm sorry, excuse me." She walks away, leaving the room. When she gets out she sighs, grabbing some tissue and drying the faked tears. "How irritating. If people ask me about Jaz I'll have to start crying. I really don't want to have to do that." she shakes her head.
"I'm sorry my lady. Hear." Aiko looks at Alex, who smiles and hands her a tissue. She shoves his hand away, allowing the cloth to float to the ground.
"I don't want that. I'm not actually going to cry."
"No, but you are upset."
"Shut up." Aiko snaps. Alex smiles.
"Aiko, why don't you accept the offer from the young lord Middford? He seems to be infatuated with you."
"Shut up!" Aiko sighs angrily. "He's an annoyance, nothing more. I want nothing to do with him." She shakes her head. "In reality, i want nothing to do with most of them, but what choice do I have? for the sake of my families name, I will pretend." She looks at the doorway leading back to the people, then sighs.
"The best way to pretend would be to satisfy the guests."
"Yes, but the grieving woman does not dance so freely." She shakes her head, then glares at Alex. "You're an irritant. I despise you." He smirks.
"I know." Aiko growls, then heads back out to the guests...