sirenspull_logs | take a breath -

Entry tags:

take a breath -

Who: Oswald Birdville (

iudex) & Ciel Piehive (

littlest_lord).
When: Toniiight - sometime during the evening when people are mostly sleeping.
Where: Phancyhive.
Summary: Oswald stumbles upon the music room. Meanwhile, Ciel is sneaking treats again.
Warnings: N... one...?

[It's easy this time, at least, to sneak away from the room he landed himself in and can't seem to get himself permanently out of. (It's like Jack has a device that goes off when Oswald tries to leave the property for any period of time, yeesh.) This time, he can explore - people are sleeping so his avoidance is fulfilled - and slip past where he knows (on some level) that there are slumbering strangers.

Oswald isn't as tired anymore, but that doesn't mean that he wants to see anyone. They give him terrible, terrible headaches.

His sneaking is aimless and it's only coincidence that he wanders into the room with the piano. This would be a good time as any to leave - get out and run away and make sure he can't be tracked - but what he's found dashes that away. Would it be wrong to lift the cover and play? For a little while, he thinks. Oswald would go crazy without the ability to play something, whether it be the piano, the violin, or something other than those.

There's this, at least; he's slid over before he realized it, fingers pressing down on the keys that start Lacie.

A question appears high in his mind: can he play without waking anyone up?

...

Challenge accepted.

Oswald doesn't bother to sit - he just begins to play softly, wringing the notes out from his clear memory of the song he composed for his younger sister.]

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Thank you.

_{[It feels good to be praised...]}

If you would like me to, I would not be averse to it.

[yes, he can understand that... praise should be dealt where it is earned.]

I would like that very much. [and he means it, as he sits on the edge of the bench then and. sighs.

don't make him go back to that room...]

_{[What a forlorn looking man...Is this what he's going to look like in 15 years???]}

I will pick a piece from Bach then, to play for you.

_{[And then, remembering-]}

There are many great composers from this world. I'm sure you'd be rather fond of them. To this day their music is still being performed and enjoyed the world over.

[better believe it.

he goes to question what the shit a bach is - edible? object? - but ciel takes care of that quickly. oh. ahahaha, good.]

Is that so? [hmmm.] I'll look forward to it, then. If you've done well with this piece, I've no doubt that you will do well with the next one.

[zero doubt. look at all this shining doubtlessness.]

_{[Aaaaahhhhhh expectation. When was the last time he actually had expectation placed upon him from others and not just inwardly from himself? It feels like some time. Sure, certain things were expected of an Earl, but it has been some time since his title has meant anything. Two years, now.]}

I will do my best.

_{[Setting his hands in his lap, he looks up at Oswald.]}

Feel free to spend your time in the music room whenever it suits your fancy. There is a harpsichord over in the far corner in addition to the piano, and if you wish to try your hand at strings there is a cello and viola about. Oh, and of course a violin.

I've a selection of sheet music that may strike your fancy as well, if you find yourself wishing to learn something new.

[he expects ciel to wear pants next time, too. or shorts. oswald can deal with shorts. he doesn't know why he can deal with shorts now, but ah - children.

(~~"lighten up, glen!"~~)

oswald believes him when he says that he'll do his best. he expects nothing less (and nothing more), but oswald has been low on expectations since he arrived. hopefully this one won't fail him (betray him, hate him-). nodding, either way.

it suits his fancy now when jack has decided that it's high time to share a bed with him - he's not shared a bed with anyone but lacie, so it's weirdweirdweird and he refuses to stay like that.]

I imagine I'll be spending a lot of time here, then. I cannot return to that room tonight. [SUFFERING... so much suffering.] Perhaps tomorrow I could look through the sheet music.

[he's going to end up wearing himself out on the piano tonight. DON'T TELL JACK...]

_{[Ciel won't hate him, nor will he betray him. He has no reason to. A mental note is made to get the sheet music out for Oswald later on.]}

You cannot return?

_{[Now that garners a curious look from Ciel.]}

Is there something unsatisfactory about it?

[.....

.................

...] Jack will not leave my bed.

[sobbing on the inside. so much sobbing.]

_[...]

...Oh. Sometimes, it's hard to get rid of him.

_{[AND THAT'S...ALL CIEL WILL SAY ON THE SUBJECT.]}

You can always take another room if you'd like.

["sometimes"

yeah ciel no...]

I've no need for another room. [sharp and quick. translation: i just won't sleep tonight.] Jack will be gone from it by morning.

[may.. be....]

If you're certain...

The offer still stands, however.

[just. shaking his head.]

He would eventually follow no matter where I lay for the night. [it's just a feeling, but it's sure enough that he can say it and he can only remember a nervous jack making hand gestures and trying to discern what he should and shouldn't say around him.

jack was never this affectionate in his memory, never overly concerned for anyone who was not lacie.]

He's changed. [...] I never thought that I would see him as desperate as he was - and certainly never to find me.

[it's clear that oswald doesn't understand, can't compute, won't accept something. he knows he loves jack; he understood that much in somarium, but he could never figure out what kind of love it was. it bothers him to no end that jack would throw himself into his arms and cry and laugh and cling the way he had.

it hurts, still, when he thinks back on it.]

Was it wrong to come here?

_{[So maybe he hadn't been expecting the question, but he does listen and listens with attentiveness. Ciel isn't surprised that Jack would follow Oswald wherever he went. In a way, Jack is no different than Alois in that aspect.

Ciel doesn't know much about Oswald, that much he'll admit - nothing more than mentions on paper and the short time he'd spent interacting with the man, Glen Baskerville. Jack had been equally attentive then, so that was no surprise he was equally as clingy now as he was then.

As for the change Jack had gone through? That much Ciel could attest to, especially after having read private things he probably shouldn't have. The man had put on an openly friendly front, but he had, over time, come to actually care for Alois and Ciel. Even if he hadn't written his feelings down his actions had made it apparent enough.]}

I do not know what your relationship was like with Jack Vessalius, but whenever he has mentioned you it has always been with fondness. _{[Ciel was no idiot - it was painfully obvious Oswald was an important individual in Jack's life.]} Although he may be a fool...he has cared for Alois and I more than others cared to in the past. If it wasn't for his help I fear where we would have ended up in this city.

_{[There was a little shake of his head then, finally addressing the question head on.]}

I do not think it was the wrong choice. As you said, Jack is a desperate man. Desperate people do drastic things and if he was desperate when he found you then he would be even more so if you were to leave.

_{[And the last thing Ciel wants to deal with, on top of everything else, is a desperate Jack.]}

[he listens well, listens good, entertains the thought of jack speaking about him fondly. certainly he can believe that much. jack shows no signs being anything but fond of him, even if oswald might catch hints of something here and there.] Yes... I'm sure his 'keeping me in check' plays a part in it.

[does that sound bitter.

because it definitely was. jack is the one who needs to be kept in check. he's like slowly melting ice - oswald doesn't want to see him when he finally melts down.] Whether I leave or not...

[he trails off, shaking his head again. he and jack have no relationship; they are shaky friends at best. (at best, oswald would pull jack into his arms while he sleeps and kiss his forehead and hope he wakes up in somarium.)

it doesn't matter.

still, hearing that jack genuinely cared for someone other than lacie makes oswald - he doesn't know. he doesn't care.]

Even so, I would only hope that he cared for you and Alois.

You are his 'son', after all.

His son?

_{[Give Ciel a moment, Oswald. Yes, he's slackjawed, mouth open wide at the word. What had he just been called?]}

I'm not his son.

That is what he called you: son.

[just sayin'.] - he said that he signed papers.

[just so you know he's judging you hardcore rn, ciel.]

He's not my father. He shouldn't have called me that.

_{[Is Ciel a little touchy on the subject? Well...yes. He is. Yes, Jack had signed papers, but there had been a reasoning behind Ciel's agreement to it. There was also the sting that Jack had left him for so long as well that he was currently still getting over.]}

He signed papers to be my guardian, for I had no family here until my auntie arrived. All of my immediate family is dead and have been for a few years now. Jack approached me with the question of adoption and I agreed to it for the legal stability it would bring, lest someone decide that I was too young to own property or make decisions for myself. The law here works differently and to be sure that nothing would be taken away or affect this household, I agreed.

I care for Jack, yes, perhaps more than what is wise to, and he is like a father, but he is not my father. No one can or will replace my parents.

[...hm.]

How nice it is to have had parents that you love.

[not loved - love, present, because oswald is no fool. oh god can he get away with not having his bitterness pointed out tonight that would be swell. (oswald remembers loving his parents at one point, but then lacie was born and-)

no, he's not thinking about that. it was so long ago, but still so clear in his mind.]

Don't fault him for the word that he chose to use at the time; people make mistakes. I doubt that Jack thinks that he could replace your parents.

[defending jack is almost like second nature now, and while a part of him wonders why - another is fully aware that this is just how it has to be.]

_{[Ciel finds himself deflating then, if only a little, at Oswald's words. Yes, he loved his parents still, even if they were long gone, and yes, he understood that people made mistakes...but it wasn't fair of Jack to claim Ciel as something he wasn't. Not when the man had an irresponsible streak.]}

Mm...

[there's a - semi-long moment here before oswald feels some sort of sympathy and reaches out to brush a hand over the top of ciel's head.]

Would you like for me to speak with him about it?

_{[Now there's something unexpected - a brush to his head, the soft feel of fingers and a palm against his crown...what was Oswald doing? Sure, Ciel knew the man but he didn't know him well, nor did Oswald really know him at all.

He forced himself to relax his now stiff shoulders. Well, it was innocent enough, and it wasn't as if others hadn't patted his head or done the same. Unfortunately it was something that came with being short and simply being a child in general - people liked to touch your head.]}

No, that will be unnecessary. If anything it will only serve to upset him.

[... hm.] If you're afraid of upsetting him, you'll never get your point across.

[and if jack reacts badly, he'll - take care of it. he doubts that ciel understands why, but oswald isn't so emotionally stunted anymore that he can't identify and intercept jack if he's to do something foolish.]

- regardless of what happens, that is your business with Jack. [jack's business and none of oswald's concern unless it's made to be oswald's business as well.]

Edited 2012-10-17 14:03 (UTC)

I would rather not cause him emotional duress.

_{[A little sigh then, as Ciel shifted on the piano bench, rubbing his visible eye with the back of his hand. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Jack and have him leave. He didn't want that at all.]}

[he goes to say something back to that, but - seeing ciel rub his eye gives him pause, and he reevaluates the situation and he's just soft again.]

...you should go back. [he'll play a chord of lacie, though.] I've no wish to keep you while you're out of sweets.

[on hand, that is.]

I am not Jack - talking is not... [... ddd for d-d-despair and trailing off with a shake of his head. he's lost his thought and he can't. handle. children very well. (~~unless they're lily and holding his hand and chattering away nonstop.)]~~

Is not...?

_{[But he'll leave it up to Oswald to continue that train of thought or not.]}

I shouldn't impose on you any longer, considering the hour.

(no subject)

iudex - 2012-11-19 15:32 (UTC) - Expand

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