001; intro.

[pactum]

Characters: Ciel and ALL OF YOU.
Setting: room 3-16 and ANYWHERE.
Format: whatever you'd like.
Summary: after waking up, Ciel has a look around.
Warnings: brief references to past abuse.

[ he thinks it's shackles, at first. that's what happens when you wake up from a nightmare--a memory--of being chained down only to find that upon waking, you can't move. it's understandable, really, how his eyes go wide and he feels his chest tighten in panic, when for a long and terrifying moment he thinks he's back there, bound and powerless. he might have screamed--or attempted to--if the paralysis had lasted any longer.

but it seems there's much more to worry about than that.

Ciel reads the letters, of course--finds the information difficult to swallow (completely ridiculous, really), can't take it as fact without confirming things for himself. he's used to being kidnapped. it's almost commonplace by now. what he isn't used to is being given free reign by his kidnappers. but the first order of business is, of course, to change out of the uncomfortable skintight clothing he'd woken up in. thankfully, just as promised, there are belongings in his trunk, including a change of clothing. he dresses himself quick as he can, though several buttons are in the wrong place, the bow is lopsided, and his eye patch is secured with what looks to be a rather hopeless dead knot. still far better than what he had been wearing, as far as he's concerned.

he lingers around the room for a bit before setting out to explore the building, curious to see if he can confirm anything else written in either letter. he's not so apt to believe anything he's been told just yet. as he walks, his fingers follow the edges of the yellow collar absently. he's tried tugging on it; no use, predictably. 

it's only after he's satisfied at least some of his own curiosity by looking around for a bit that he decides it is high time that he gets a second opinion on this matter. he calls only once, quiet but firm:  ]

Sebastian, come.

[ he's known since he'd gotten a proper bearing on himself earlier that the demon is present somewhere nearby. the bond of their contract is as stable as ever, after all--and besides, when doesn't Sebastian come when he calls? the knowledge that his butler is, as usual, only a word away is what's kept him this calm so far. ]

Comments

and then this tl;dr got away from me i am so sorry

[pactum]

"Of course I would," he agrees simply. "I haven't achieved my goals yet." Because, ridiculous though it may seem to others, Ciel takes his work seriously because it is serious; the Queen relies on him just as she did his father, and he understands the importance of the Queen's Watchdog in England's underworld. But the work he does for Her Majesty is merely secondary; his true goal is, of course, his revenge. He's faced death. The primary reason he didn't die during that long month is that when he realized that there is no God, and his hope died, hatred for his captors took its place and kept him alive. It was what caught a demon's eye, and enabled him to escape. The deal he made with the demon essentially grants him a last request in exchange for his soul. He knows that he shouldn't be alive now, that he is living on borrowed time given to him by his contract. He would have died then and there had he not made it. When it is fulfilled and there is no one left for him to hate, there will be no point. It's selfish of him to think that way--that other people cannot give his life meaning--but he is selfish. He is also practical enough to know that there is no way for him to escape his fate; the seal on his eye is enough to remind him of that. Ten-year-old Ciel Phantomhive wanted nothing more than to be able to grow up and be like his father. Ciel Phantomhive as he is now realizes that growing up is no longer an option. Ideally, of course, he would rather be older simply because if he were, others would take him more seriously. But that isn't possible, and as much as it may irritate him, he is by now used to having his opinions and experiences dismissed due to his age.

That doesn't mean he isn't still crossing his arms and scowling, though. "Then we are of the same mind." As much as it pains him to agree. "I met with a comrade of yours earlier today. He took me to where you can supposedly see your home in its current state. But if they can bring us here, I imagine replicating something like that would be child's play." The irony of him using such a phrase is lost on him at the moment.

hahaha no problem - and sorry it took me longer than normal to reply

[dielikeyouwantme]

On the contrary, it doesn't pain Grell, at all. It pleases her, in fact, because it's her idea, and Ciel agrees with it, and she knows he isn't enjoying being on the same page with her. It's so clear in his voice, and her grin just gets wider and wider, until it looks like she might pull a Cheshire Cat, and become nothing but smile.

"And what did you see? Did it scare you?" Of course, she knows he won't admit if it bothered him. Probably won't even admit it to himself, but once again, she thinks she knows little boys better than they know themselves. She hasn't bothered to take her own look at whatever visual lie the Tower wants to feed them, regarding London and the like. She doesn't think she needs to. It's not as if seeing it would make her any more likely to believe it's true. "You've had a look at the rest of this place, I take it. They have an indoor forest; they can conjure up anything they like, but it's all lies."