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]

[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.]

[ex_seventh238]

[p...syche...?

no the sad truth is she went to ask the postman and was denied the request. NOT WITHOUT CONSENT, HE SAID. There was nothing she could do, so after that, she came back and spent the rest of the time conditioning a dumb mouse.

...in ways charles will probably be best off without ever finding out about...

And the end result is Horace staring into space with its jet black eyes looking even more mindless than usual! Except this brand of mindless isn't stupid-drooling-big-oaf mindless, but more like empty-no-one-is-really-home mindless...

She glances back as he steps in, blankly watching over his expression of surprise with a neutral glance.]

Welcome back, Charles. You look surprised.

[as if she wasn't the one who waltzed into the general grounds of his house and did god knows what to his pet... totally innocent here, yep!]

[encored]

[he is kind of curious (or really curious) but he has a feeling that it's one of those things where it's just better to be kept in the dark....

that doesn't mean he won't ask at some point, of course. IT'S PRETTY WEIRD seeing that kind of look on a creature that's so horrendously dumb. he wasn't even aware it was capable of being spooked into that kind of state...

but he will quietly pick his way past Ciel without so much as acknowledging he'd been spoken to since he is in pissy brat mode, albeit a little toned down since being stuck on a roof did manage to give him time to cool his temper to a simmer... gonna gingerly prod at Horace a few times with his boot toe and only after that will he face her again.]

I don't want this anymore. Return it to the post office as you said you would. [said with all the great disdain of a child who had grown tired of a toy...

in reality he's a tiny bit relieved Horace is still here, but he just feels like being difficult now!!]

[ex_seventh238]

[She'll just watch him without batting an eyelash! And yes terrifying isn't it, but on a more serious front, shouldn't you take that as another sign to be wary of Ciel as a whole... ]

It's a bit too late for that. It won't be able to leave this backyard for the... [Let her chinhand and think about this...] Next two weeks, or so? Unless you think it can somehow be manually picked up and taken there, like be carried on a truck.

[Haha yeah that's what she's wondering. What she's just said is half a truth and half a lie though... She definitely did something to restrain Horace, but there's really no date limitation set to it. Two weeks... She made that up, but he doesn't know that, shhh...]

[encored]

[like he wasn't already superiorly wary of her...! doesn't mean he has to show it gosh, pretending is one of the things he does best.

but two weeks two weeks. he quickly buries the surprise and marginal concern over what kind of horrific thing Ciel did in favor of adopting an irritated expression.]

You've made things more difficult for me, after all. I told you not to do that and you had to be pig-headed as per usual, getting absolutely nothing of value accomplished and wasting my time in the process. Now you're telling me I'll have to carry this beast myself if I don't want its bloated corpse ruining the ambiance of my yard for the next two weeks? [because he sure as hell isn't going to bring it food...]

[ex_seventh238]

[just reasserting. you do have to fear the parental figures to a certain degree, that's only healthy!!]

You forgot the whole point of why this started in the first place, Charles. [tilting her head and looking nonchalant as always... it's like her default expression when dealing with him nowadays...] You can't control it and you absolutely refuse to go to the Post Office on your own, out of suspicion, fear, cowardice, or what have we. So naturally, I had to come up with another way to restrain it. ...Ah, it comes back to life if it dies too, right? So it won't be going anywhere even if you let it starve. What's the problem, in that case?

[ciel don't ask that sort of question with such a straight face.......]

[encored]

[can he trade his parental figures in at the post office that would be nice right about now!! also bristling at cowardice. no one understaaands his ridiculous convoluted reasons for doing what he does and being so stubborn about the weirdest things. #charles sitting alone in his house with his creepy possessiveness]

The problem is that I don't want it any longer, so you've cluttered up my yard with something useless when you said you would rid me of it. Now I'll have to go out of my way to make a trip to deal with it and it's a terrible waste of a day that might have otherwise been perfectly pleasant.