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]

Perhaps...

_{[Retiring for the night probably would be a good idea. He's certainly done playing host for the night, at the very least.]}

[spiderlilies]

[ Aha, good! He's agreeing with her! Best to pull him along before he goes on to change his mind, then - so she's scooting away to stand, taking his hands as she does. ]

Come, we'll put you to bed.

[littlest_lord]

<sub>[An incoherent mumble and he's pulled to his feet, tiny hand in hers, focusing extra hard on making sure he stands straight and still, not wobbling to and fro. If he were anything near sober, he'd be utterly embarrassed. Right now however the only thing he wants to do is go to bed.

Bed sounds wonderful, right now.]</sub>

There are going to be so many stairs...

[spiderlilies]

[ Patiently, Ann waits for him to find his footing - and she has to bite back a giggle at his concerns. He's rather adorable like this. ]

We'll take them one at a time, if we must - and then, you'll be able to get some well-deserved rest!

[ Once he's up and stable, she'll lead him out of the sitting room with careful steps, holding that hand to offer him stability all the way. ]

[littlest_lord]

_{[He'd nod but he's scared that if he lowers his head it's going to stay there and roll off his shoulders. Instead he focuses on his feet, putting one in front of the other as he's led toward the stairs and away from the commotion by Madam Red.]}

...You should rest too.

[spiderlilies]

[ Taking the first step onto the stairs, she waits for him to follow suit, to see how he fares. ]

I'll consider it, after you've properly settled down, darling.

[ Smiling, she gives his hand a squeeze. So considerate! ]

[littlest_lord]

_{[He moved to take a step up the first one, thankfully managing. Then the next step. So far so good! Aren't you proud auntie?]}

[spiderlilies]

[ Oh, very! And now that she's confident that he can manage the stairs well enough, she leads him along at a more moderate pace. ]

Ah, look at that. You hadn't any reason to worry!

[littlest_lord]

I'll have all the reason in the world to worry if I fall down them.

_{[Grump grump!]}

[spiderlilies]

[ Madam Red chuckles, shaking her head. ]

Oh, Ciel. If I didn't know better, I'd think that you'll be going on fifty this year. [ So she says with a teasing wink in his direction. ]

[littlest_lord]

Fifteen will be the death of me, let alone fifty.

_{[Totally an old man in a child's body.]}

[spiderlilies]

[ Her smile falters a bit there, though she turns away to look up ahead as soon as she realizes it. What if there is some truth to those-- no. Sebastian wasn't even here, so she needn't worry. ]

Don't be silly, you've barely scraped the surface. You have so much to look forward to.

[littlest_lord]

Like what? A headache?

_{[Snippy and bratty, but his words hold no sting, especially when he's dragging himself up the stairs so pathetically.]}

[spiderlilies]

[ No offense taken, she's rather used to this mood of his. Glancing back at him, she snickers a bit instead. ]

Well. After all that wine...

[littlest_lord]

The only thing that could make this worse is if Sebastian were here...

[spiderlilies]

Well, fortunately for us, he isn't.

[ She blurts that out, without much thought. It might have been passable, if not for the lack of that humorous tinge to her voice she commonly used while teasing. Whoops.

Just in case nephew isn't intoxicated enough to not notice, better cover it up! ]

I've all the privilege of poking fun at you tonight!

[littlest_lord]

Haven't you poked enough?

_{[Finally, after the long journey up the stairs, Ciel pauses for a minute to find his balance, holding onto the banister. He had noticed the lack of teasing in her tone earlier and in all honesty, it hadn't bothered him.]}

I don't want to ever see him again. I hope he never comes back.

[spiderlilies]

[ Having stopped to wait behind him, Madam Red frowns just so, raising her hands to place on his shoulders. She doesn't think that he truly means it, and she really can't find any proper words of comfort... So, she settles on leaning in to place a kiss atop his head. ]

Come, darling. Let's take you to your room.

[littlest_lord]

_{[Pathetic. He's truly pathetic right now and he's enough awareness to realize at least that much. She's wrong though about one point - he does mean it.]}

It's so far.

_{[But it's just complaining for the sake of complaining. It's not really that far.]}

[spiderlilies]

[ Ann doesn't see that way - she couldn't. She thinks him to be considerably strong, given the things he's had to endure. Even now, with being in such a strange place and among so many peculiar people. ]

Well, would you prefer to rest in mine?

[littlest_lord]

_{[It takes him a moment to process the question before he finds himself giving her a little nod. Sure, it would be inappropriate come the morning when he had his wits returned to him from the clutches of alcohol's hazy curtain but right now there's a deep, gut wrenching need to stay beside the only family he has left here - the closest person to his mother that he could have. And it's that fact that forces him to resist declining the offer.]}

...I would.

[spiderlilies]

[ Ah-- now, that isn't the response she'd expected... and she finds herself faintly smiling. ]

Then my room it is.

[ Stepping out beside him, she offers her hands to him, lips parting into a wider, fonder smile. It somehow seemed comforting to her, to know that he would allow himself this sort of vulnerability every now and then. ]

I can take you there and go to fetch one of your gowns, if you'd like. Won't make much of a fuss that way.

[littlest_lord]

_{[The hand was taken then, if only to help stabilize himself as she spoke, offering to fetch one of his nightgowns. How thoughtful of her.]}

Yes please.

[spiderlilies]

Off we go, then♥.

[ A small warning, as she begins to lead him off in the direction of her quarters. If he'll allow it, she'll remain holding onto his hand - it's just too adorable to resist, and she's eating it up. ]

[littlest_lord]

_{[He allows her to hold his hand and really, he's far too dizzy and unbalanced to want to let go in the first place. Thankfully it isn't too far of a walk and as soon as Ciel enters her room he breaks free of the hand and stumbles toward the bed, falling face first into the mattress.]}