scene xxv

[encored]

ACTION;
A) [In the morning, Charles can be found living up to his actual age, being an old man and setting up a chessboard in the park! Someone save him before he starts feeding pigeons and wearing sweater vests. He doesn't seem to have a partner to play with. Not until you walk by, that is, at which point he smiles and gestures to the other side of the table.]

Why don't you take a seat? Let's have a match. [SUSPICIOUS... No, he's just that bored and in a rare social mood.]

B) [Or maybe you catch him a little later on, after he's packed away his chess set and is out walking his, uh... Horace. The giant beast actually seems pretty tame, all things considered, only stopping to sniff moving things (like you, whoops!) and occasionally making gross growling noises and drooling on the ground. So majestic.

For the unfortunate citizens, these two losers can also be found in much less docile situations - Charles trying to shoo his droolbeast away from a drone it's attempting to gnaw on, or perhaps Horace lolloping down the road with a few geese in its mouth.]

PHONE;
[And carrying on with the trend of being utterly unruffled by everything that happened over the weekend, Charles will pick up his phone in the early evening with a question for the masses.]

I'd like to know your opinion on concerts. Proper orchestral performances, I mean. Who here enjoys them? If something with that sort of music happened to be available in the city, would you attend? [His little fancy cultured self is starting to feel more deprived than usual okay... Having at least one other star performer now, all that's left is to gauge the interest of a potential audience.]

Comments

[encored]

[he doesn't view it as such gosh

the inside of his head right now is kind of a symphony of WHY ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME but miraculously he manages to restrain himself enough to keep that all internal!!]

I'll spend the entire week here if I must, you will not take what's mine and treat it as your own.

[ex_seventh238]

[tilting her head up, still at the edge of the roof and still not looking back...]

...Hm. So what is it, really?

[sounding as cool and calm as always but hmm that's kinda cryptic isn't it...]

[encored]

What is what? [even if she is cryptic he has an inkling that he knows what she's asking for once but... like he would ever make conversation that easy]

[ex_seventh238]

The real reason you hang onto Horace even if he's more trouble than he's worth. Taking such pains for an inconvenience is unlike you, Charles.

[She seems to be crossing her arms as her shoulders fall a bit. Even when her back is turned to him he's transparent to her...]

[encored]

[ciel why ciel why he tries so hard to be less transparent than he is....

to his credit, he isn't surprised she's managed to see through him at this point. but that doesn't mean he's going to make it an easy answer of course, and he sets his hands against his hips and tilts his head a little in a posture of defiance even if she isn't watching.]

I've already explained to you my reasons for wishing to keep it in my possession. It isn't my fault that they're apparently too repetitive and not good enough.

[ex_seventh238]

[because he's a tsundere and those types will never be not transparent...

oh her babby bat is learning--!!]

Not a single one today, actually. If you weren't paying attention, all you've given are excuses to justify its mindless behavior, saying things like "no one complained to you yet so it's okay". Excuses and reasons are not the same thing, you know?

[a beat.] Mm, so it must be personal.

[encored]

[babby flaps for babby bats... one day he will work on being such a tsundere so transparent, too]

I've also said at least twice that it's my possession. [that is totally a reason and not an excuse or some bizarre thing that falls in between the two categories right...]

So yes, it's personal in that the mouse belongs to me, and I don't take it lightly when people threaten what's mine.

[ex_seventh238]

That's also an excuse. And whether you take it personally or not, you're sometimes still helpless to stop what's going to happen in front of you.

...

So you'll insist on being stubborn and won't answer why he really matters to you, hm?

[that means the conversation is drawing to an end can you feel it...]

[encored]

It doesn't matter much to me. [which is a half-truth! what horace represents to him is more important than his actual big drooly self.....

but he can tell she's probably going to fly off into the distance if he doesn't do something about it which just makes him more angry because he hates being put into positions where he doesn't have any choices.]

I hope you'll be willing to take responsibility for your actions if things go foul at the post office. I've already received most everything that is remotely useful or beneficial to me, after all.

[ex_seventh238]

So it can't be helped. ...Mm, I'm actually used to doing cleanup work, so it should be fine either way.

[that is what she figured, all the more reason she's curious!! but... yes. convo over for now, then. with a small non-committal wave, she hops off the roof and disappears from his sight.

now for some time of quiet reflection, Charles...]

[encored]

[SHE SERIOUSLY LEFT HIM ON THE ROOF

HE'S SCREAMING IN HIS HEAD RIGHT NOW as he watches her vanish why why this is not how he wanted to spend his day!!

but being put in a time-out aside, even if she does do cleanup work for a living he's not really willing to risk accidentally getting one of his less savory regains back just because she thinks he can't take care of a droolbeast. so naturally he's going to be calling the big lug back to him after a few minutes have passed....]

[ex_seventh238]

[flawless parenting right there tbh

yes charles is now on time-out on top of some random store's roof

enjoy your afternoon.

...

...

...

Nope, no answers/reactions... whatsoever...

(okay no she muzzled the thing so it wouldn't be able to open its ugly mouth and make any noise, which should include whatever frequency it usually communicates to charles with?? so he's free to assume the worst, yes...)]

[encored]

[wow this is rapidly becoming his least favorite afternoon of the season...

but yes he will indeed assume the worst. isn't this a little counterproductive ciel, any possibility that he would use this time to reflect on his actions is utterly decimated by the anxiety he's now dealing with!! he'll take up waiting with a hand over his right arm, staring with HYPERFOCUSED CONCENTRATION in the direction of the post office

like a statue

not blinking

is he even breathing it's hard to tell]

[ex_seventh238]

[the truth is actually

even more terrible

because at some point ciel figured that taking horace away can be compared to someone he cares about getting droned

shit just happens and he can't do anything to stop it

except yeah she sorta taunted him, told him exactly what she planned to do, nailed him down to a spot to render him helpless, and then vanished liked the wind to (supposedly) act upon her words

SUCKS DOESN'T IT. in simulating that but being able to control the outcome to a certain point (though granted more like she has full control over this, for all he knows she just nailed horace down in his backyard and muzzled him so charles would be left in the dark of its whereabouts. SHE CAN BE CRUEL...) however is a different story. so...

it may help. MAY.

so

the minutes

tick by, one

after

the

other..................................]

[encored]

[IT DOES SUCK and it would be nice if he could take something constructive out of this but that doesn't seem like it's the case...

especially since now would be the perfect time to reminisce over the last time he had been thrown helplessly at the feet of someone who held all of his choices in their hand

that would be

a good use of this time right right the point of this exercise is to build up bitterness and bad feels™ isn't it?? because whoops that sure is what he's using it for. it's probably part of the reason why he's so bothered by things like permadroning and being tossed back into a position where control is completely out of his grasp. at this point, that bothers him more than the idea of losing his reminder. he can always barter for another mouse if he really wanted to, after all.

BUT AS LONG AS HIS ARM DOESN'T FALL OFF OR SOMETHING he'll be able to deal with this situation (sort of).....]

[ex_seventh238]

[no not at all but he IS halfway there with 50% of the idea down... the other half however can still use heavy work...

No he's gonna be left there for at least an hour, if not two. Any good at tracking the passing of time without a watch/by looking at the sun and the shade it casts, Charles? Because for that long, he won't be seeing much of anything up there other than maybe birds flying by the area.]

[encored]

[he is trying so hard (sort of)

but at least he will be relatively subdued by the time his time-out is over! he doesn't bother keeping track of the hours passing since being lost in thought can do that to a person, and he stopped with the external focus after about a half-hour since one of his primary fears was majorly assuaged by then.

just gonna hang out with the birds then, they are the truest of true bros...

SURE IS BRIGHT AND SUNNY UP HERE.....]

[ex_seventh238]

[unlike him who is all dark and gloomy

why can't you be more like the sun charles :( why...

No but really, at least he's calmed down now... in appearance, if nothing else.

Ciel herself is not going to show up, however.

He will suddenly hear the sound of something like broken glass behind him, and if he was looking at the Key when it happens, the blade would've taken on a soft blue glow before shattering and disappearing completely into thin air. The handle falls onto the roof with a soft 'thud' and stays there, immobile. It IS an inanimate object.

And with that, he's free.

What now?]

[encored]

[if he actually suddenly developed a sunny disposition it would be great reason to worry...

GOSH FINALLY time-outs are grueling. after a few testing steps away from the spot he was pinned, he'll move over first to the handle and prod at it with his toe where it lays on the ground. not taking any chances with picking it up just in case.

but once he's sure that it isn't about to leap back up or anything bizarre like that, he'll quietly descend from the roof and start heading back home at a pace that isn't rushed, but isn't exactly at ease either. no reason to stay outside now that his mood has been utterly ruined gosh!! he is kind of hoping that maybe he got lucky and horace had been traded in for something nice, like more crates of his vintage wine, or maybe a big pile of the candy Van used to keep on hand...]

[ex_seventh238]

[idk pretty sure some people can get used to it charles...

The moment he touches it, the handle...

Loses its shape, and reverts back into a page of some book. Gonna peer over for a closer look, or just leave it be/watch it as a sudden gust of wind comes over and blows it off the roof anyhow?

BUT YES coming back to the point

He'll come home to not being alone. ...Whether he might tell or not, there's something going on in the backyard. Even without being familiar with magic, he may be able to pick out that there's something unusual in the air. Quiet though, but the fence gate door thing leading there is slightly open - he didn't leave it like that when he first set out, did he?

The house feels normal otherwise, looking quiet from the outside as he remembers.

and no charles candy van isn't good for kids...]

[encored]

[it's true.... it would be a massive improvement on his horrible personality.....

but yes he will in fact look at it a little more closely! from a safe distance of course never trusting anything ever again.

and that does immediately cause some suspicion since he's pretty good about closing the fence door behind himself whenever he walks into or leaves the backyard... his first thought is WOW I GOT SOME HORRIBLE REGAIN MAYBE I GOT LIKE TEN HORACES. his second thought is dammit someone I pissed off is finally here to try and kill me. his third thought is that it might just be some lost civilian/pet or - gasp! - maybe one of the people in his own house.

but he'll stop just inside of the gate to strain his hearing, seeing if he can pick up any noises that indicates he'll be getting a face full of punch if he decides to amble back, just in case.

someone should have told him that years ago-!!]

[ex_seventh238]

[charles WHY WOULD YOUR FIRST THOUGHT BE 10 HORACES THAT'S HIDEOUS

...

so is your second one really WHO WOULD COME TO YOUR HOUSE, LEAVE YOUR BACKYARD GATE DOOR OPEN, JUST TO KILL YOU. THAT SOUNDS HORRIBLY INEFFICIENT.

why is #3 the only one remotely normal...

...

There's some faint rustling of grass/plants, but that's all he'll be able to hear. Nothing jumped him in the face so far, though. Proceed?

accounts for why he's grown up to be such a stable child, huh...]

[encored]

[serious concerns for serious people, okay!! he's had worse would-be murderers come after him and the terrible luck required to regain one Horace, it isn't too much of a leap in logic for him...!

but yes after a few seconds of listening to the ambiance of his backyard he will be walking around the side of the house to enter the area.]

[ex_seventh238]

[charles don't even use the word logic here...

Depends on if he steps into the area first, or catches sight of the whole backyard from an angle first. If it's the former, the air will instantly feel different. Not... threatening per se, but it's a very oppressive sort of pressure. Like being in a locked room, or maybe submerged underwater. Not exactly invoking a sense of claustrophobia, more akin to being held down inside a small and limited area. ...And yes, the feel would instantly vanish if he steps back out, it seems to only be enveloping the area of his backyard.

If it's the latter, he'll see...

Ciel's back to him, standing a few steps away from Horace. ...Who's just laying there on its stomach, not exactly cowering, but looking pretty - or rather, remarkably meek and subdued. The atmosphere is... sobering, overall. Again, nothing dangerous, but it's definitely not a comfortable one anyone would want to stay in for too long.]

[encored]

[but this is the height of his logic, or very near it...... how sad...

oh, well, that is a feeling he's somewhat familiar with... he's going to do the awkward shuffle for a moment stepping into and out of the backyard to see what the deal is. after deciding that yes, yes his backyard is indeed the source of the oppressive atmosphere, he'll RISK LIFE AND LIMB to see what's causing it

or just mosey on back there... he's actually kind of disappointed when he sees horace still there being horace-y because he'd spent two hours getting over a loss that hadn't even happened yet and working himself up for a new regain. gosh, disappointing!! but then he's busy being distracted by the fact that there is a D-67 chiropteran - known for their mindless nature, lack of flight response and perpetual, single-minded aggression - lying subdued. it's definitely enough to bring him to a halt.]