The day was only just beginning and the Titanic was already gliding stealthily through the ocean, cutting through it at a steady pace of twenty-one knots. On the bridge, Captain Tanaka turned from the binnacle and smiled at his first officer who smiled back in return.
Sebastian was having lunch with his mother and fiancée, as well as Angelina – though more commonly referred to as Madam Red. The tension between Sebastian and Grell could easily be seen by Madam Red, though ignored by Sebastian's mother. Sebastian lit a cigarette, inhaling the toxins and exhaling them in a cloud of smoke.
'You know I don't like that,' his mother narrowed her eyes.
Sebastian merely took a longer drag and blew the smoke in his mother's face. Grell then took the cigarette from Sebastian's lips and stubbed it out. Her fiancé shifted, exasperated. When a waiter came round to their table, Sebastian was about to order when he was cut off by his fiancée ordering for him. He was too shocked to say anything against it at the time, but as soon as Angelina's comment – 'You gonna cut his meat for him too, Grell?' – broke the silence, he stood and excused himself.
Ciel, Alois and Soma were outside on the poop deck. Ciel was sitting while the others stood leaning over the railing and looking out to sea, joking about. Ciel was completely focused on this little girl and her Nanny. The little girl was adorable with bright emerald eyes and long blonde pigtails. Her nanny was quite young, in her early twenties Ciel had estimated. She had quite a scatterbrained and oblivious look to her while she tried to impress and entertain the little girl.
'Look, Elizabeth!' The woman pointed out to sea 'Can you see the dolphins?'
'Yes! They're so pretty, Paula!'
They held that position for a while, Elizabeth standing on one of the lower railings with the brunette nanny standing behind her, holding her lightly to keep her balanced. Ciel didn't hesitate, he grabbed his sketchpad and began drawing them. His lines were sharp and yet sure. Their expressions full of humanity of the moment.
Alois was looked down to see why Ciel had become so quiet. Once he noticed his friend was drawing, he no longer needed further explaining. He looked between the two females and Ciel's drawing and then nudged Soma to check out the masterpiece in the making. Soma was really impressed and made a point to say so, causing Ciel to blush a little and become modest. He continued drawing though.
Though Soma was interested in the picture, his eyes managed to find a better view. One that consisted of long red hair, a skin tight dress and an intriguing scene. Alois looked up too and noticed the annoyed expression on the woman's face and the blank look the man was showing as he tried to ignore the bickering.
Ciel looked up to see what his friend's commotion was all about when his eyes met the couple. He looked them both up and down. The red-haired woman was shaking her head now and attempting to drag the man off. He did not move which angered the woman more. Eventually she pushed past him and left.
The younger male continued to watch the man's face. His friends were commenting on how he wasn't 'getting any' tonight and other innuendo. But Ciel could see something more as he looked up at the black-haired man standing on the B-deck promenade. An empty look that had him enraptured.
For a moment, the man looked back at him, his gaze boring through him right to his soul. An older woman came up behind him and attempted to get him to follow her. He did as he was asked this time and turned, though stopping long enough to look back at Ciel and smirk a little before walking away along the A-deck promenade.
Soma noticed the look on Ciel's face as he was staring in the same direction as they were before. He smiled at Alois and then spoke up, laughing a little as he ruffled his hair.
'Forget that red-beauty, boy.'
'Huh?' Soma now had Ciel's full attention.
'You'd have more luck meeting an angel than getting close to her.'
Alois noted what Soma said and Ciel's expression, raising an eyebrow at his inner thought. No, he couldn't have been, could he? Alois thought.
Later that night, Ciel was lying on a bench whilst looking up at the night sky and forming his own constellations with the stars. His breath was visible in the chilled air – the smoke from his cigarette was even easier to see from the cold.
The young male sat up when he heard a flurry of shoes and breathy sobbing getting closer to him. He spied the red-haired woman from before and was about to lay back down and go back to looking up at the millions of twinkling stars when he noticed she was stepping over the railing.
A little shocked and overwhelmed, Ciel got to his feet. Slowly and cautiously he made his way closer to the woman. She was looking down into the dark ocean, watching as the water was being sliced through by the propellers. The wind blew through her hair, casting a red blur over the black of the sky.
'Hey,' Ciel spoke calmly.
'Get back!' Grell turned at the sound of his voice, automatically alarmed. When Ciel didn't listen at first, she continued, 'Don't come any closer. I'll jump!'
'No you won't,' Ciel edged closer a little more.
He had no idea what he was doing at this moment, but he couldn't just let someone like her kill themselves when he could have tried to save them – he'd surely get blamed for their death and hang if he didn't do anything.
The perks to being penniless around suicidal snobs.
'What do you mean, I won't? You don't know me. How can you say that I won't?' Grell snapped.
'Because you'd have jumped by now,' Ciel shrugged. He inhaled one last time on his cigarette before he tossed it overboard. 'There's hesitation in your eyes.'
'Huh?'
'If you hesitate for even a moment, it can be fatal.' Ciel took the final step towards her and held his hand out. 'That's why I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you.' It was a cheap shot, but
bluffing was something he was good at.
'Are you crazy? The fall alone would kill you.' Grell narrowed her eyes, taken aback by the certainty in this young male's voice.
Ciel shrugged again, not knowing what to add which hadn't been said already. Though as the woman had remained on the opposite side of the railing, the boy had no option other than to make his point. He took off his coat and then proceeded to take off his shoes.
'What are you doing?'
'Staying afloat and swimming with all these layers on is rather difficult.'
Once both shoes were off, he put his hand out to her one last time. The red-haired woman eyes him for a bit, until she finally took a deep breath and took his hand. They introduced themselves to each other as she turned slowly back around and proceeded to climb to safety. Ciel continued to encourage her by saying things like 'that's it', 'just a little further' and 'I got you.'
The woman was nearly over when she slipped and fell. Ciel – still holding her hand – kept her from going overboard completely. He held on to her arm with both hands now, a bead of sweat already dripping down is forehead. Compared to him and his height – even at sixteen – Grell was clearly taller and heavier. Good God, this woman is good at hiding her real weight! Corsets are truly evil things! Ciel thought, gritting his teeth.
Grell was screaming for help at the top of her lungs, Ciel was still trying his hardest to help her back up, but it was nearing impossible as she dramatically kicked her legs about. The younger male attempted to tell her to calm down and that he still had her, but through her cries she couldn't hear him. Luckily some of the crew and other passengers heard and came to help.
Somehow Ciel managed to find the strength in him to lift her up to the railing again and almost over it entirely until she pulled on his shirt a little too hard and he lost his balance. They both almost fell over until someone had grabbed onto Ciel's waist, pulling them both to safety.
Ciel and Grell were both panting loudly on the floor, trying to catch their breath. Once they managed to get enough air in their lungs to think, Grell very nearly tackled Ciel back to the floor. Hugging him and thanking him for saving her. The crew members and passengers had now surrounded them, gathering at the scene. Grell was then helped up and wrapped in a blanket.
'What happened here?' demanded the Master of Arms, Fred Abberline.
'Oh, nothing, just this little cutie saving my life!' Grell blushed and winked at Ciel, though then continuing to stare at the boy in hope he wouldn't tell them she was actually trying to relinquish her sins by commit suicide after having broken a few of Sebastian's paintings by accident.
'How did this 'cutie' as you put it, manage to even get involved in such a situation?' Abberline raised his eyebrow at the two and crossed his arms.
'Oh, well, I was looking over the edge,' Grell bit her lip, 'I was a little upset after I maybe... uh, never mind that. Anyway, I was looking far over the edge and tripped. If this dashing young man hadn't been here, I'd have surely fallen. It was really quite something. Too bad it wasn't captured on a cinematic record.'
'Women and machinery do not mix.' Colonel Bardroy shook his head.
'Was that the way of it?' Abberline asked Ciel, scrutinizing him.
'Yes, sir. Pretty much.' Ciel answers after a moment of looking at Grell.
Colonel Bard then praised the boy, calling him a 'hero' before the crowd started to disperse. Leaving Ciel alone on the poop deck, he finally sighed and walked over to the railing, leaning on it as he replayed what had just happened.
Man, what a night! Ciel thought. 'I wish I had a smoke.'
It wasn't even a moment after he spoke that someone came and stood by him, leaning his back against the railing and crossing one of his legs the other. Ciel tried to ignore the man be avoiding his gaze, but the sound of a lighter being struck caught his attention.
He peered to the side and noticed that the man from before was standing beside him. The man inhaled a large breath of smoke and after a moment exhaled. Offering Ciel a cigarette, he introduced himself as Sebastian Michaelis.
Ciel took the smoke and put it in his mouth, holding it between his lips as he pat his jacket down for his own lighter. Sebastian then re-lit his lighter and held it out for the boy who leant forward, allowing the the end to burn enough until it was lit.
'Thanks,' Ciel then turned back to the sea, but this time he was thinking about the man next to him.
'You should have let her fall,' Sebastian exhaled, staring off into the opposite direction.
'What?' the shocked voice came.
'If you'd have let her fall, she wouldn't have nearly pulled you overboard with her. Meaning I wouldn't have not had to save you,' Sebastian looked down to Ciel condescendingly.
It took Ciel a while to understand that it was Sebastian who was the one to have pulled him back onboard when Grell had slipped and nearly dragged him over too. In the midst of his little realisation, Sebastian handed him his pack of cigarettes and his lighter and stood up straight.
'You'll join us for dinner tomorrow, won't you? To regale us with your heroic tale?'
Ciel thought for a moment, until he finally agreed. Sebastian smiled halfheartedly, before flicking his cigarette out to sea and walking back to his room. Once again, Ciel was left alone to think, but this time, he had something to look forward to.