There Is A Dinner Party Right Across The Hall

[littlest_lord]

Who: Phancyhive and invited/close CR!
When: Wednesday Evening for supper
Where: Phancyhive
Summary: With so many new additions to the household, it's only proper to welcome them with a dinner party.
Warnings: A bunch of crazy people around a dinner table. What could possibly go wrong?

<sub>[Ciel hated parties. Really, he did. They were an unbearable drudgery of having to socialize but he could manage to endure for one night. It was expected of him to host such an event, what with the new additions to the household, so despite his desire to lock himself away in his office, he'd been dressed in lovely clothes and had the whole thing arranged.

The dining room itself was decorated exquisitely and the food that had been set out was unbearably tempting to anyone who'd glance upon it. Hopefully, the whole night wouldn't be an ordeal. The last thing needed was more stress.]</sub>

Comments

[littlest_lord]

_{[Oh, there's certainly a hidden side of Ciel Phantomhive he doesn't show often, but that doesn't mean it's a good side. A piece of cake is shoved past his lips.]}

He's useful. He can do anything. Besides, he's mine. I won't give away what's mine so easily, even if I despise him. Even then I wouldn't be able to get rid of him if I wanted to.

[his_own_will]

[ sounds like Ciel can't make up his mind ]

Oh? But what did he do to make you hate him. If he's good at his job, can't he just do it? [ careful, careful, Ciel. Shove that in a bit harder and someone might end up choking. ]

[littlest_lord]

_{[Ciel doesn't speak for a moment as he closes his eye to chew. The room had begun to spin slightly and he needed to sit back to ground himself. Once the sensation passed he moved to wash down the bit of cake with the rest of the wine in his glass. He'd be sick later again surely, but after consuming what was already too much for a little body, what harm would a little more bring?]}

He'll be the death of me.

[his_own_will]

[ oh, plenty. But that's a story for another day. ]

He keeps you that busy? [ Oz commiserates, topping off Ciel's glass with yet more wine. ]

[littlest_lord]

_{[Oh thanks Oz. The wine is a small comfort as he brings the rim of the glass to his lips.]} No. He's going to kill me. I meant it literally.

[his_own_will]

[ Like Gil and Vincent you mean? ] Then just kill him first. [ see, simple solution! But, no. really, Ciel. What are you doing keeping a man like that around you? ]

[littlest_lord]

I can't. I can't kill what he is.

_{[It's almost hilarious how damned the situation is, so much so Ciel finds himself chuckling faintly over his glass, ignoring what's left of his cake for now.]}

We're both damned souls, you and I.

[his_own_will]

[ a damned soul? Weren't they all? ]

It's still my soul; is it so bad?

[ so long as he has it, he can do what he wants with his life. Because it's his life. Elliot showed him that. ]

[littlest_lord]

No. I wouldn't call it bad.

<sub>[He doesn't sound convincing though, if anything, he sounds somewhat forlorn. If there was one thing Ciel Phantomhive had come to terms with before he'd arrived at Siren's Pull was that Sebastian would be the end of him and his soul would be devoured when he'd gained his revenge. That reason for existing had been stripped away from him when he'd arrived here and he'd had to find another reason for existing and if there was one thing Ciel realized after building a life here for two years was this:

He didn't want to die.

At least Oz could call it his soul still. Ciel's was simply on loan.]</sub>

[his_own_will]

[ Ah, but is it still Oz's soul to call his own? Time will tell... of course. ]

Then is he keeping you from doing anything you'd like to do? [ Oz doesn't have any qualms about stealing a sip of Ciel's wine. After all. Listening is such parch worthy work. ] It looks to me like you're still here after all.

[ And if there was one thing Oz has learned through all this time, it's what you do today that matters, not tomorrow or yesterday or even a hundred years ago in the past. He was still Oz, through and through. Until he learns he's just a rabbit ]

[littlest_lord]

The question isn't whether I am still here, or not, it's for how long.

_{[Ciel doesn't mind that Oz stole a sip, at least not right now, not where his mind is for the moment. He barely even notices.]}

I apologize. I'm terribly pessimistic.

[his_own_will]

[ Oz takes another, enjoying the swirl of alcohol on his tongue ] If I minded pessimism, I'd hardly still be friends with Gil.

[ and then he gave ciel a long, hard look as he scooted that glass back towards his "friend" ] Everybody dies and disappears. If you worry about the when, isn't that your fault?

[ take a leaf from Oz's book. Stop sweating the small stuff. Life is so much better when you live in the now. ]

[littlest_lord]

<sub>[Well, that was true. Gil could be rather depressing, but what was probably sadder was that...Ciel could understand where he was coming from, most of the time.

He takes the glass back, pressing the cool surface against his forehead as he slouches in the chair - truly a wonderful show of class and etiquette.]</sub>

It's always my fault.

_{[Catching a break is hard, okay?]}

[his_own_will]

[ he raises an eybrow ] Because you can't save them all? [ no worries, Ciel. Oz will understand someday, after Elliot goes the way of the dinosaurs. ]

[ he shakes his head and then stretches his arm above his head ] If you keep thinking that way, of course you can't save them. You're always second guessing yourself.

[littlest_lord]

Everyone I would even care to save back home is dead.

_{[Isn't he chipper? That's an exaggeration, of course. Lizzie is still safe and sound, but Ciel's rationality has been slipping away from him the more alcohol he's consumes.]}

And those I do care for, here I've no power here to save them when something goes wrong. I'm not even the master of my own home here.

_{[Because honestly, while he and Alois may be the masters of the manor, most decisions end up out of his hands. It's a feigned sort of control, really, and it's upsetting.]}

[his_own_will]

[ ah... the sins of the forever constipated. Never again to know the joys of going when and where as they want but rather be subjected to a power well out of their hands... ]

You're not? [ he certainly had been under the impression Ciel was, although all good Masters know the house is run by the servants. Always have, always be. ] If you don't like it, why don't you move out?

[ it seems like a simple enough solution, but Ciel was (Oz was discovering) singularly pessimistic and stubborn: both in equal measure. So interesting dull ]

[littlest_lord]

I am but that doesn't mean I'm treated as such.

_{[Just. Staring.]}

Because it's my house. Why would I move out of my house?

_[Huff.]

[his_own_will]

[ he smiles brightly then ]

Then kick us out instead! Break did just ruin your party. [ poor Ciel. And he tried so hard too... ]

[littlest_lord]

I wouldn't do that.

[his_own_will]

Then don't complain. [ broken record much? ]

[littlest_lord]

I'll complain all I wish.

[his_own_will]

Then you're just a brat.

[ he fills up Ciel's glass again. All the better so Ciel never remembers a thing in the morning. ]

[littlest_lord]

I never claimed I wasn't!

_{[Oh...ty Oz.]}

[his_own_will]

Then I guess nothing's ever going to change. Don't you get tired of standing in one place? [ honestly, where's Elliot when you need him? ]

[littlest_lord]

Sometimes.