Death. It wasn't an unfamiliar concept to anyone, let alone him. Plenty of times he had locked eyes with the reaper of death only to watch him dance away with the promise they would meet again. As strange as it was, death was a comforting thought to the small earl. It was consistent and something that could be counted on. Life, well, that seemed to be the harder of the two. Living in this world was a cruel fate, one that the young man thought he had squelched earlier on in his life. That fateful day when he met the demon with those eyes of red, when he sold his very soul to him for vengeance, he imagined he had given himself a few simple years left to live. He didn't imagine he would continue to breathe three years after. Whenever the two had talked about his future, Ciel simply scoffed at the demon butler and reminded him of their contract. That it wouldn't take long for the two of them to complete the terms and the boy's body would lie in a rosewood box, sunk into the ground next to where his parents had been years before. There would be no marriage, no one to carry on the Phantomhive name...all that would be left was a legacy. That was alright with the young master. The late afternoon found the master of the house in his study, the large windows open behind him to allow the fresh summer air inside. The small breezes were certainly welcome as they took some of the heat with them for a moment, causing the folders and papers on his desk to rustle briefly before settling again. A small hand reached over once the breeze had stopped blowing, pulling a folder closer to his small form while another similar hand picked up a nearby cup of tea. It seemed another case had been assigned to him from Her Majesty, the idiots of the Yard proving themselves again unworthy of solving a case. As the exposed eye of sapphire flickered over the notes and photographs, Ciel sipped at his tea until the cup was empty. Judging by the notes that had been taken, this case would be much more difficult than the others. "Splendid," Ciel groaned quietly to himself, setting the cup down with a quiet clink. "Another rough case is exactly what I don't need right now. Sebastian, I require another pot of tea."] It didn't matter where his esteemed butler was nor what he was doing, he knew he would be heard due to their contract.

Sebastian, slowly walking down the hallway to make a pot of tea. Would then enter the room he was called from, and ask, "Would you like it the usual way?" he asked. Even though he knew that's what he wanted he wanted to make sure so that he wouldn't disappoint him. He had already had tea boiling before he walked in the room. When it went off he already had walked away before his question could be answered. As he walked down the hallway he wondered what was troubling him this time. He had seen his master like this before only when he was troubled. Sebastian walked into the kitchen and grabbed the teapot and poured it into the teapot. He wondered if another person had died, or if the "contract" that he talked a lot about was bothering him again. He made the tea and started to walk down the long hallway once more. "I wonder if it's another case" he thought as he walked down the hallway. "Probably something the Yards couldn't handle and they needed Ciel to solve." He walks into the room and next to the desk. "Heres your tea, sir." He said, While poring the tea into his cup.

[h3 +] A soft sigh left his chest after Sebastian had left the room to fetch what his master had requested, Ciel lifting a hand and pulling the eyepatch down to hang around his neck. Both eyes had closed, giving them time to adjust equally, before easing them open again to greet the brightly lit room. It wasn't often the small Earl did such an act during the day as he had heard lectures from Sebastian about it before, the male stating that any one of the other staff members could barge in and see the oddly colored eye. He didn't feel that it was a risk at the moment as the others were scattered around the house working on their chores, very rarely did they bother him while he was in his study. Heterochromic eyes lifted as the svelte male returned with the tea, pouring his master a cup before stepping back as he usually did. The small form leaned back into the comfortable chair after he picked up the newly filled cup, taking a sip and and sighing quietly. [+blue "After dark, you and I are venturing into London, clear anything on my schedule after sundown,"] he ordered. His tone was a bit softer, as it sometimes was when they were alone, but still held an authoritative bite to it. [+blue "After dinner I'll change into street clothes and we can go. No carriage, it takes far too long and makes too much noise."]

"Of course young master. I will have dinner prepared early then." He looks at the young master for a few seconds before disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. He had Bard cook up a good dinner while Sebastian laid some civilian clothes on his bed. He leaves the room expecting dinner to be done but its not even close. He walks into the kitchen grabbing everything needed for soup. "Cook with this." He walks away to fetch his young master. "Dinner is served and your clothes are ready young master. And your walking stick is right here." (he hand the walking stick to Ciel.)

[h3 +] [+blue "Set it next to the door, I won't be needing it tonight,"] he ordered, slowly rising from his seat. The day was nearly over, he didn't see much use in using it for the remainder of the afternoon. Young bones cracked as he stood, Ciel sighing quietly as he allowed his form to adjust while pulling the eyepatch back on. His body normally became tired when he spent so much time in the study, because of this Sebastian tried to get him moving a bit more. There was, unfortunately, no extra time for it today. The young master followed his butler to the dining room, sitting at the table and looking down at his dinner. He could tell that Bard had cooked it, a fact that made his nose wrinkle a bit, but picked up the silver spoon and set it into the bowl anyway. [+blue "I'm surprised you let him cook tonight, normally I hear that you throw him out. Getting lazy in your old age?"] He ate most of it, heading upstairs with Sebastian afterwards so the demon could help him change into street clothes. He didn't wear these often as they weren't proper for a noble but they saved his typical wear from becoming stained and tattered while doing dirty work. Once he was dressed, he grabbed the folder from his study and headed outside with the demon once more and gave him instructions on where to go. They arrived in London quite quickly due to the demon's speed, Ciel walking silently with Sebastian to the crime scene location. It was still partially roped off from the Yard's investigation though the body of the deceased had been removed. Sprays of red covered some cobblestones as well as the side of a nearby building, Ciel looking around carefully as he moved away from Sebastian. [+blue "Our victim was bakery for the shop on east end,"] he told Sebastian, giving him a little bit of the information from his folder. [+blue "The Yard was sent to look for him when he failed to appear for work. He was found here with a hole in his chest, too large to be from a bullet. Take a look around and tell me what you find."]

Sebastian looks around, "It looks like there's some foot marks from running. size 8." He looks at it for more evidence. He walks up to his young master who is looking at the blood on the walls. He puts his hand on his masters shoulder. "I will make a list of the suspects right away young master. After all that is what you always wish am i correct?" After Ciel nods Sebastian leaves to go make the list as quickly as possible. Before he leaves he doesn't forget to make sure he leaves the walking stick next to Ciel. "Just case" he winks before leaving. Then, he disappears. Off to make the list of suspect.

[h3 +] Ciel narrowed his eyes at Sebastian as he left, allowing the cane to lean against the building. He had specifically instructed his butler to leave it at home, yet here it was in the master's possession. He would certainly pay for that later, how he hadn't quite worked out yet. Disobeying Sebastian's instructions for his safety or forcing him to do work he hated usually got him heated pretty quickly, perhaps he'd venture down that route. For now, however, he still had a crime scene to investigate. The boy continued his way through it, observing every angle of it and making mental notes to add to the case file when he returned home. The sprays of blood were a bit off, seeming to come from two different directions and the second seemed to be.....darker. How could blood be darker? This thought caused a soft frown to touch his face, his hand running over the dried sprays before falling back down to his side. Something didn't add up. The blood on the cobblestones was the same, some having a darker tint to it than the bright, cherry red that it normally was. Deciding to venture past the crime scene, Ciel ducked under the rope that blocked it off and moved down to the next street over. A few late night workers were standing around, beers in their hands and chatting softly with each other. To Ciel's surprise, he could see some of the darker blood on the cobblestones here as well, but these were only drops. Had whoever this was been attacked elsewhere and simply finished off where the one body was found? Only one way to find out. He continued to follow the trail until he found himself in a pretty dark area of the city. People of all kinds seemed to be out at this hour, up to no good, and would have no qualms about beating up a child if they felt he was in their way. The blood stopped in front of the door of an ironworks factory, Ciel looking up at the large entrance. The padlock on the outside simply meant he had to find another way in. He was about to do so when he felt a hard shove to his back, forcing him into the wall of the building where he quickly turned around. It certainly wasn't Sebastian, he wouldn't dare touch his master in such a manner. A large, burly man stood over him, a lit cigarette in his mouth, and glared down at the boy. [+red "Surely you were out working hard today, boy. Give me all the money you've collected and I won't beat the hell out of you."]

The men across the street watch this and laugh. "you trying to pick on a kid for lunch money?" The other man punched the man laughing. The man processed's to bully Ciel for money. "Come on kid i know you've been out working and judging by your job your a rich fellow, I saw you walk out of a crime scene." He grabs Ciels hair and pushes him to the ground. ''Maybe you'll give up some money now!" He processed to yell at Ciel for money, maybe this man is drunk. He has nice clothes so there's no way hes poor. He continues to yell at Ciel but there's no one trying to help Ciel, the men across the street are just watching and laughing at the scene.

[h3 +] A soft wince fell across his features as he fell to his knees, his hair caught firmly in the male's grip. The men across the street certainly didn't help matters any, the whole lot most likely drunk, which made the situation a bit harder to get out of. He had the ability to stop this entire event in two ways: to call Sebastian or to shoot them with his hidden revolver. He decided against both options for the time being, maybe he could get a bit of information out of them himself. His hand raised to wrap around the male's wrist, trying to pull his hand away and free his head but it was no use. His attacker was far stronger than he was. Ciel stayed down but glared at the male that towered over him, biding time until Sebastian returned. [+blue "So you're stalking a minor? How gentlemanly of you. Maybe if you got a real job you wouldn't have to force it out of me,"] he huffed, trying unsuccessfully to shove the male back. [+blue "Now piss off, all of you."] A sharp pain erupted from his blind side, Ciel quickly turning his head as much as he was able and saw another man standing over him. Great. Now there were two trying to cave his face in. The male took another swing at him, this one connecting hard with his stomach. [+purple "You're the one who strolled into our area, who's to say you're not the one murdering people? I say we just end you now to be sure."] Before Ciel could react or respond, another hard punch connected with his cheek which dropped him back a little bit. He knew Sebastian enjoyed taking his time and allowing Ciel to acquire a few cuts and bruises but he figured this was as good a time as any for his butler to return. Slowly he sat up, a dark bruise already forming on his face, and pulled the eyepatch down around his neck. [+blue "Sebastian, save me and be quick about it,"] he stated softly, much to the confusion of his attackers. [+blue "That is an order."]

Sebastian appeared behind the men. "Honestly you could have called sooner young master, I can see you toke a beating before i showed." as Ciel glared at Sebastian, He began to fight. "Why can't you stay out of a fight." One of the men pull out a gun and shoot Sebastian. "Pity." "H-How are you still alive?! Your a monster!" The man yelled. "No, i'm just one hell of a butler. If i couldn't protect my master, then what butler would i be." He looks at his master. "Do you wish for me to finish them my young master, or are we being merciful?"

[h3 +] Ciel kept his eyes narrowed at his butler as he finally appeared, slowly standing and folding his arms over his chest. It took him long enough, was he waiting for it to become an actual life or death situation before he finally showed up? [+blue "How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence, were you waiting for me to get shot before you finally arrived?"] he retorted. The small master watched as his butler effectively neutralized the situation, keeping his arms folded over his chest. He was in a decent amount of discomfort, his face hurt quite a bit and his side throbbed uncomfortably. [+blue "Let them go, they're not worth my time. If you've finished your chores, we have another task to attend to. There's a new scene in west London, apparently it happened this morning. Let's go."] ((last post for the night, it's getting pretty late where I am.))

"As you wish sir." As he drops the man and he picks up his young master and carried him home. "You know young master you have a hesitation problem, perhaps you need more training." He puts his master down as they walk in through door. "I know you want to continue your adventures but you need rest." He walks up to the calendar.'' your birthday is tomorrow sir." He looks at Ciel who is frowning at him. "I can't wait to see what kind of trouble you get in tomorrow." He can tell that no one was amused by that joke but him. He was never ordered to me to never use my humor, he thought to him self. "Maybe we could stay home tomorrow, and stay out of trouble?"

[h3 +] It was obvious by the boy's narrowed eyes that he wasn't happy with Sebastian's decision. Normally orders were ignored only if his health was at risk or he could lose his life from it. The injuries he had received weren't even close to lethal though they did hurt quite a bit. He could already feel mild swelling from the strike to his cheek and his stomach ached unbearably. Ciel wouldn't forget this pain anytime soon and that he had revenge to give to his butler for taking his sweet time. [+blue "It's the middle of summer, Sebastian, and my birthday isn't until winter,"] he huffed, moving slowly up to his bedroom. He could hear the male's footsteps behind him as they traveled up the staircase, Ciel taking it a little bit slower than normal due to his discomfort. [+blue "Perhaps you've had too many strikes to the head....or your old age is making you forgetful."] After what felt like forever, he finally reached his quarters and allowed himself to drop onto the large bed heavily, his eyes closing for a moment. [+blue "Draw me a bath, I'd like to get the stench of that place off of my skin,"] he ordered softly. [+blue "Make it hot."]

"Yes sir.." He walks over to the bath and stars preparing a nice warm bath. He could tell young master was mad at him for a few things, but he just smiled. He grabbed clothes setting them up for when his masters bath was done. He waited in tell the water was just right for his mater before if beginning to speak. After it was nice and warm he softly said, " I waited to see if you would finally use that gun of yours, It will come in handy." he looks at his master who is looking the other way. He sighs, "I ran into Elizabeth she wants to see you tomorrow. I could cancel if you like.." He realized that he was being selfish for saying that, "for give me my lord for speaking out of tone. Your bath is ready." He walks over to help the young master get to the bath.

[h3 +] The eyepatch was pulled down as Ciel finally looked at his butler again, setting the item on his bedside table. While the boy had a revolver that he always carried with him on such outings, he was very selective in when it would be used. Some of those bullets were reserved for certain beings on his revenge list and refused to waste them (even though he could attain more rather easily). Still, why waste his time when he could simply have Sebastian do it for him? A heavy groan fell from his chest as he began to follow Sebastian to the bathroom, not at all happy with his news about Lizzie. He loved her (in his own strange way) but sometimes she could be far too much for him to deal with. Seeing how this case was going already, he'd rather not add more stress to his life. [+blue "Yes, cancel it. I can't deal with her at the moment, not with such pressing matters such as the case."] Once he had stepped into the secluded and private bathroom and the door was shut, he began to disrobe slowly with Sebastian's help. Dark bruising littered the porcelain skin along his chest and stomach, indicating just how hard he had been hit. He carefully eased himself into the water after, letting his eyes close and trying to get the small frame to relax. [+blue "Inform LIzzie that I'll make it up to her once this case is closed but, until then, I'm indisposed."].

Sebastian grabs a towel folding it neatly and setting it down next to the private bathroom. "My apologizes sir, I would have come sooner but i wished to finish the list." He grab the list and starts to read it out loud. when he was down he helped wash up his young master and get him prepared to retire for the night. "what a pity, you left your walking stick in the ally." He looks amused. "Oh well, we'll get you a new one." He smiles. As he shuts the light of he looks at the window. "It's incredibly dirty." He complains. He shuts the light off and walks out of the room and into the office. He began to write a letter to Elizabeth informing her not to come tomorrow.

[h3 +] Ciel let out an irritated sigh at the fact he would have to replace the walking stick. It was the reason he told the damn demon not to bring it in the first place. Now he would have to wait weeks for another custom order to be finished. [+blue "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you,"] he mumbled quietly as he sank deeper into the water. Sebastian could certainly be a pain in the neck. When his bath was finished he slowly rose out of the water, allowing the tall male to dry and dress him in his nightshirt before slowly making his way back to his bedroom. Instead of going immediately to sleep he opted to do a little reading first. It usually made him tired enough to go to sleep. The small frame settled on his window seat, Ciel setting a lit candle on the sill, and curled up with the book in his lap. It was easy for him to get lost in it, an hour easily going by before he began to feel drowsy. He shut the book, letting it lay there, then carried the candle to his bed table and set it down carefully. Once he laid down in the soft bed, he fell asleep immediately and let the candle burn down completely.

The next morning Sebastian woke up the young master while cleaning the stain the candle had left. "good morning sir." He was holding clothes for his young master. While he dressed his master he would explain what was for breakfast. "Young master do forgive me but I went out alone last night to get the flowers for this evening." He said after tying his masters shoes. As they went down the hall Sebastian realized his master was not wearing the repaired ring. "Master you seem to have forgotten your ring, would you like me to fetch it for you?" he asked while stopping his young master and holding his hand on his shoulder. In his head he was thinking of every possible thing he could do today to take a few things of his masters plate. After all what good could he do with an over worked master? As he asked about the ring he remembered two things. Elizabeth smashing the ring to about 5 pieces, And him asking his master about the ring 2 years ago. He started to think the master left the ring on purpose.

[h3 +] Ciel stood as still as possible as he was dressed, closing his eyes as the fabric brushed across the sensitive bruising on his torso. He was still a bit miffed at Sebastian for letting it get that far but it wasn't something he couldn't work out later. He was still determined to punish Sebastian for such actions but how he was going to do it was still undetermined. When the demon had finally finished, the exposed cerulean eye flickered up to him before heading down the hallway. [+blue "Very well,"] he responded to the question about the ring, making his way down to his study. [+blue "You know you can do as you please during the night, you don't need me to baby sit you."] He then stepped inside and allowed the door to close while Sebastian left to work on his other duties.

Sebastian nods, as he walks down to the kitchen. "Again your failing to cook breakfast, get out and let me cook." After Bard left he made the breakfast he told his master he would make and let it cool before serving. He set up breakfast and set up the tea with his masters favorite, Earl Grey. He fetched his master and made sure he was well feed before speaking. "There was another murder like the one we had seen before." he said poring more tea in the young masters cup. After breakfast he went back to his duty's. At this time we was rearranging books in the study. He had seen the other servants working outside.

[h3 +] Breakfast didn't take long for him to finish, the young master returning to his study afterwards. It seemed to be the same daily routine and it was growing quite boring: eat, work, study, sleep. He liked his job but sometimes it seemed just a bit mundane. Hopefully this case would help to ease some of that. Work reports and order forms were gotten out of the way first, Ciel making quick work of them. Business work didn't take him very long, he could usually fly right through it to get to the more important tasks. Once those were finished, RSVP's were gotten out of the way (he hardly agreed to go to any of them), then it was time for some real work. He pulled the folder closer to him, opening it to the notes and photographs, all while keeping in mind what Sebastian had told him. Another murder meant he would be receiving a letter with photographs and field notes, hopefully quite soon. The exposed eye scoured through the notes he currently had, trying to piece together this complicated case.

Sebastian walked in with a new file. "It's here my lord." Holding the silver plate with the file on it. After his master had grabbed the file he walked away. After he had finished his chores he went to the study only to grab a book and sit in next to the door. "you might get a headache focusing that hard." he said. Still reading, he laughed. "What good could a butler do without his master telling him what to do." he said while putting the book down. after 3 minutes he walked out of the room to go yell at the others to do their job right. After about an hour he went back to the study to finish the book he had started. It was almost lunch time.

Ciel took the folder once it was brought to him, laying it above the first one so he could see both simultaneously. Things still didn't add up, not the way they should. This was another crime scene he would have to investigate. The events of the previous night, however, had him rethinking when they could go and imagined it would probably be safer in daylight. The small frame leaned back a little bit, calling Sebastian into his study. When the taller male entered, he kept his relaxed position and folded his arms loosely over his chest. [+blue "Tell me what you know about this new murder."]

Sebastian looked down at his young master, This couldn't have been done by a reaper." He said. "there were no gun or knife traces." So there are no leads." the butler stared at the puzzled young master. After his young master is done talking he walks away to prepare lunch. The day is the same as yesterday, a new death he thought. He walks into the kitchen only to kick Bard out and make lunch himself. He would make lunch setting it on the table, and getting his young master. while his master ate Sebastian talked. ''would you like me to have a trip into London prepared, sir?"

[h3 +] None of this made sense. He was partially hoping it was Grell on a rampage again simply so he could easily close the case. No such luck. There was the chance it was another human, similar to Madame Red, but whoever it was cleaned up after themselves quite well. He may not be able to discover more until he viewed the scene himself. As lunch was announced he rose from his seat, following the butler downstairs and taking his place at the table. It looked rather good, indicating that Bard had not been cooking, which meant it was safe for consumption. [+blue "We'll be making two stops in London today,"] he informed Sebastian when he was halfway finished with his lunch. [+blue "The first is to the crime scene. The second will be to the Undertaker."]

"Yes sir." He waited for his master to finish lunch before setting getting a carriage ready. He got clothes ready for in town, and tea for the ride. He had Mey-Rin clean the study up and Sebastian will order a new walking stick. He walks down the stairs only to find Lau standing by the door. "Honestly no one writes theses days." He says. He walks downstairs and tells Lau that he''ll get his master. He walks upstairs and to his master. "Young master, we have a unexpected guest, It's Lau." He says while standing in the doorway. "I have not a clue what he wants." He says while walking to his master. "but everything is ready to go into London."

[h3 +] Ciel stared Sebastian down for a few minutes, his frame remaining rigid. Lau was here? Why?! Why was the world so against him investigating this bloody case?! Finally a heavy sigh fell from his chest, the boy finally rising to his feet to meet his unwelcomed guest. [+blue "Very well. Hopefully I can get him out quickly, there's far too much to be done to allow idle chatter."] The small master began his descent down the staircase, stopping at the bottom of it as he glanced over at Lau who seemed to be making himself at home...as he usually did. [+blue "I'm sure whatever you have to tell me could have been telephoned,"] he huffed at the tall Asian male. [+blue "Unless you're giving me information about the recent string of murders, I don't have time for this."]

Lau turned around to look at Ciel. "Of course it's information on the case. It's messing with the trade system so I need you to solve it fast." He gave a picture to Ciel with a black blur fleeing a scene. "I know i'm great i have cameras in the ally." Sebastian looks at it wondering how this helps at all. Lau says goodbye and walks away to go back to the cavern he came from. They both look at it for a good minute or two. "Well the carriage is ready to go into London, The first stop is the crime scene. Then to the Undertakers." He said while standing at the doorway.

[h3 +] Ciel took the photograph, looking it over as he ordered Sebastian to bring down the files. Once they were in his possession, he set the photo inside so he could study it more during the ride to London. It was surprising that Lau even had a photograph of whatever this was, cameras were still in pretty early development and were quite difficult to set up and use. He decided not to dwell too much on how the photograph was taken but what was in it. He climbed into the carriage and leaned back into the cushioned seat, studying the picture once again. The black blur could be anything, a darkly clad human, a reaper, a demon. Hopefully he could find evidence at the scene. The ride took far too long for the young master's taste (the reason he enjoyed working at night: he could use Sebastian to get around) and climbed out once the vessel had stopped. Quietly he headed to the first location with Sebastian, looking around at the roped off area before stepping inside of it. This was relatively new, only a day or so old, and hadn't been gone through too much by the Yard. Once they realized it fit in with Ciel's case, they left it alone. The blood stains were still highly visible, though dry, which gave the boy a better understanding of what exactly happened. The victim struggled, that was for certain, the earl able to tell by the large smears of blood on the cobblestones and nearby objects. He didn't get too far, however, and expired a short distance away. Something glimmering in the sunlight caught his attention, pulling Ciel away from the area he was in and heading over to the north part of the scene. He knelt down carefully as his chest and stomach still hurt a bit, pulling on a thick, leather glove to prevent his fingerprints from transferring to the object as well as getting cut by it. He picked up part of a black metal blade, examining it carefully as he retreated back to Sebastian. Never before had Ciel seen such an object, nor did he recognize some of the characters that were etched into the surface. [+blue "Take a look around before we head over to the Undertaker and tell me what you sense."]

Sebastian nods and looks around the area. "What way is the person running in the photo?" He asked The young master as looking around. After asking this the young master started to look in the specific direction. Sebastian smiles. ''This was certainly very clean so we can cross Grell of the list." He said crouching next to the body. They might be able to see if this one was one the "To die list". That might give them a clue to if this was a reaper. As they got back in the carriage it wasn't a to far ride to the Undertakes. It was just boring to them both.

It was reassuring to know that Sebastian didn't think it was Grell, either. There were things during his and Madame Red's murders and these that didn't match so Ciel was quick to cross him off the list a while ago. It was unfortunate, though, because now they had zero leads to go on. After arriving at the Undertaker's shop, he stepped out of the carriage and inside the building, looking around briefly. The strange male seemed to be busy lining a casket and seemed rather excited to see Ciel and his butler...which was a usual but unsettling fact. [+grey "What a pleasure it is to see the young Earl in my shop,"] he crooned happily. [+grey "What can I do for you? Measure you for a custom casket?"] [+blue "No, I need to see the bodies from the recent murders,"] Ciel stated. Normally the taller male would tease and poke at the boy but he could tell from his tone that he wasn't in the mood for it. He simply gave his usual, creepy smile and led them into the back. [+grey "Take you time m'lord."] The earl waited until the Undertaker left before moving to the first coffin and having Sebastian remove the lid so he could examine the contents. This person was in his mid twenty's, far to early to die of natural causes, not to mention he had a large hole in his chest. Upon further investigation he discovered that it wasn't a weapon that made such a cavity, but a [i hand]...he could see the nail marks. Slowly he looked over at Sebastian, studying him for a moment and choosing his words carefully. He had seen the demon perform an act such as this before, only something of supernatural strength had the ability. [+blue "You aren't....stealing souls in the middle of the night....are you?"] he asked quietly. Sebastian knew better than to lie to him.

"of course not young master, my goal is to focus on yours, not these pity souls." Sebastian knew this was the work of a soul taking performance. The demon thought this was a poor job of doing so. It's obvious. "It's to sloppy to be me, I'm offended." He smiles. Who ever was doing this, Sebastian would punish them for giving a bad name to the demons. he walks from body to body. They're all big messes in Sebastian's opinion. ''I won't lie but these are poorly done." The way the random demon executed the soul he could tell was done in a quick manner.

[h3 +] He imagined the answer he would receive and was glad Sebastian confirmed it. There wasn't much he could do if it really was his demon but he would have tried anyway. Ciel watched as Sebastian examined each available body, looking for microscopic details that the young master couldn't see. From where he was standing, Ciel noticed they were mostly done in a similar fashion. [+blue "Whatever it was more than likely was in a hurry, it didn't want to be caught,"] he observed softly, his arms folding over his chest. [+blue "Can you confirm whether its a demon or not? Or is it some other kind of supernatural being?"]

"It was a sloppy demon." He said with a frown. He looked at the first body. He put his glasses on just to see a little closer. Not wanting to get much closer then he had to. "We could look at the files of these people and there history. See if they had any childhood trauma." Sebastian looked at the work in disgust. "I hope we can get this over with so I can punish them for this work." That all the demon could think about. Not his chore, or even how it should be done. Just how he would punish them.

[h3 +] Another demon....why would a demon harvest souls in such a manner? It didn't appear to be simply for food, these wounds were execution wounds. Whatever did this wanted these victims to suffer and feel each moment of torment. It was a touch unsettling but nothing that Ciel couldn't handle. [+blue "I'll make my way back to the carriage; the Scotland Yard should have those files in their office,"] he informed Sebastian. [+blue "Take what you can but don't let them see you, I don't need them showing up at my door."] With that he quietly exited the shop and took to the busy streets of London. He hated how busy it was, seeing the crowds as nothing but a nuisance, but it was a necessary evil. His torso and face still ached from the previous night, he wasn't willing to sport any more damage to go with it. He waited quietly in the carriage for his demon to return and to start off again, Ciel choosing to relax a bit on the ride home. Slowly his eyes shut as he curled up a bit on the soft seat, taking a small nap as they made their way towards the Phantomhive estate.

The demon had the carriage leave without him as he was off to get the files. It almost seemed to easy to get them. He just toke them and moved on. walking back to the estate was easier and fast but his young master made it there first. Sebastian made his way through the door and into the study. His master was not there. He went back to the carriage only to find the young master sleeping. The demon didn't wake the master. He carried him upstairs into the bedroom and put his master on the bed. He went back to the study to examine the files.

[h3 +] Ciel curled up a bit in the demon's arms as he was lifted from the carriage, keeping sound asleep. It was clear that the ride and the events of the day had taken quite a bit out of him as it wasn't often that he napped. The boy remained asleep for nearly an hour before he awoke, greeted not by the inside of the carriage but his darkened bedroom. Slowly he sat up as he regained his senses, stretching a bit before making his way out of the room and down the hallway. What time was it even? How long had he been out? [+blue "Sebastian, I require a cup of tea,"] he stated, making his way down to the parlor.

Sebastian at this time was cleaning the meeting room, but when he had heard his master he walked into the kitchen. He boiled water pulling out the tea and waiting. When the tea was done he brought it to his young master. "Here you are young master." He says holding the cup and giving it to his master. He waits for a second, listening to his master before leaving to fulfill his duty's in the big estate. He returns to cleaning the meeting area. He had already cleaned the study. He was just waiting for his master to have a brand new command or duty that he could do.

[h3 +] Once the tea was delivered, Ciel curled up into an overstuffed chair with one of his new books. He loved reading, it was one of his favorite ways to kill time. Recently Sebastian had just picked up his newest order of books which gave the young lord plenty to read; there was nothing better than curling up with a good book and a cup of tea. He quickly became lost in the pages, planning on reading until he was fetched for dinner. A large crash from outside pulled him out of his book after nearly an hour, the exposed eye quickly lifting and focusing on the window. What in the hell was that? He was about to pass it off when he heard it again. He shut the book and moved outside to investigate; a heavy and tired sigh fell from his chest as he took noticed of a couple of collapsed trees near the property line and an upset Finny nearby. [+blue "Sebastian, Finnian's destroying the trees again."]

Sebastian walks outside, to look at the young blonde. ''Finnian stop destroying wild life and plants." He grabs Finnian's arm and whispers something. As the boy walks away Sebastian walks up to the young master. "Terribly sorry for the disturbance master." He says while standing in front of the young earl. "Return to your reading, dinner will be served shortly." He said smiling. He walks into the mansion with his young master before separating to go to the kitchen. He kicked Bard out the instant he got there. He made the food and grabbed his mater from the book and served dinner.

[h3 +] [+blue "I expect the trees will be fixed before nightfall, if they're not then I don't want to see you until they are,"] Ciel ordered, turning and heading into the house. He knew it was a useless order, Sebastian would have it done in no time. Still, he liked to irritate the male as much as he possible could if he had the opportunity to do so. He returned to his book, not putting it down until he was called for dinner. It looked good, just as everything Sebastian prepared had, and he dug in quickly. He felt quite hungry, almost as if he hadn't eaten all day. Dessert was just as good as dinner and was his favorite part of any meal, the boy having developed quite the sweet tooth. When he was finished, he slowly rose from the table and let his gaze fall on the demon who stood nearby. He simply watched him for a moment before retreating up in his study to examine the folder and the new evidence they had acquired during the day.

"You seem very hungry." He said looking at the young master eat the food quicker then he had seen him eat in a while. After his master left he went outside to fix up the trees like his master ordered him to earlier. Afterwards he looked at his pocket watch before going upstairs to fetch his master so he could get his ready to retire for the night. He found the young master looking at the case. "It is time to get ready to retire." He said softly. He led his master to his room and dressed him in his night shirt. He set a book down next to the bed.

[h3 +] Ciel rested an elbow on the desk, his chin in his hand, as he read over the file again. Sebastian had confirmed the killer to be another demon but what he had yet to answer was why. What would a demon gain by killing so many people? He looked over each and every photograph again, hoping some sort of hidden detail would pop out at him...but it didn't. Not in the way he wanted it to. In each photograph he noticed something that he couldn't explain, something he hadn't experienced before with tin type photography. There seemed to be a grey smoke like wisp in each one, near where the body had been discovered. Could it have been a reaper come to collect their record? He didn't think so, the camera itself took quite a long time to set up, not to mention the development for the photograph. The record would have been taken long before then. So what could it be? Sebastian stepped in, informing him it was time to retire, which Ciel tried to fight him on. He still had work to do, he couldn't go to bed right now. The demon seemed to be having none of it, insisting his master wrap up his work for the night, and the look in his eyes left no room for argument. He sighed, grabbing the folder from the desk and leaving Sebastian to close up the study. He was quickly dressed for bed and the bed turned down which allowed him to crawl up onto the warm surface, choosing to look over the file again instead of read. He knew Sebastian wouldn't be pleased with it but he'd have to get over it. Once he had everything he needed, he dismissed Sebastian for the night. Ciel had a difficult time sleeping, both falling asleep and staying that way. He sighed, laying in the dark and staring at the wall. He couldn't stop thinking about the smoky wisp in the photographs, it was bugging him far too much. It reminded him of the photographs he tried to take of Sebastian before, the male refusing to play along and disappearing leaving......a smoky wisp of grey..... He suddenly sat up, lighting a candle immediately to give him some light. [+blue "Sebastian! Come here immediately!"]

After putting his master to his "sleep". He knew it would be about an hour before his master fell asleep. He was sitting outside in the dark with Bard. They were both taking a break from gardening. Sebastian only ever pulled weeds in the dark, He liked the dark. It was calming. When they got up to continue gardening Sebastian heard his master call. No, not a call, A demand for him to come as quick as possible. He jumped up and onto the masters window. He opened the window from the outside. "You called in a demanding manner. Is something wrong?" He said walking up to the young master. He stood next to the bed looking his young master right in the eye.

[h3 +] Ciel had left his bed when Sebastian arrived, knelt down in front of his open closet and pulling out a box. It contained mostly useless things that he didn't have a place for and he was digging around it carefully. When he found what he was looking for he moved back to his bed and crawled up into it. [+blue "Think back to last year when I had acquired that new model of camera and was trying to operate it,"] he ordered, quickly opening the file. He took out the post mortem photographs, setting them in his lap then setting out the failed photographs he had attempted to take for Sebastian to see. [+blue "You were being quite the pain in the ass and refusing to stand still. You leaving the frame so quickly resulted in a grey smoke-like pattern showing up in the photograph."] He pointed it out to Sebastian then directed his attention towards a failed photograph of the servants. It was apparent that Mey Rin had moved in the photo but most of her image was still there which resulted in a different type of error. [+blue "It doesn't simply occur when anyone leaves the frame as shown here, it simply looks blurry from where she left. I noticed the same error in many of the post mortem photographs."] He then set them out near Sebastian, pointing it out in each one. [+blue "There's the grey "smoke" like in your failed photos...but in yours the pattern is the same. If you look carefully, you can see the wispy patterns are different. There were demons in these photographs when they were taken....or at least what remained of a demon.....right?"]

Sebastian looked at them. "Your correct young master. but that would mean the demon had left a few seconds after it was taken." He said looking down. Sebastian knew it was late. Too late for this. "Young master you should retire for tonight and we can get up early. Okay?" He was hoping the young master wouldn't argue with him, but the young earl argued quiet a bit. He wouldn't go to bed easy. "Young master you must sleep it's late and I have work to do." Sebastian said back. ''If you are to not sleep, then read." He said sternly. He walks back to the garden even when Ciel started to talk, whatever it was could wait.

[h3 +] How in the hell did Sebastian expect him to go to sleep after this? His mind was moving a million miles an hour, he couldn't simply shut it off and go to sleep. The promise that he would be up early was both a blessing and a curse, it would give him more time to explore this new lead but he hadn't exactly been sleeping during the night. He would most certainly crash midway through his day and the demon wouldn't exactly be pleased with that....especially if he had a full schedule. Ciel huffed and tried to protest but Sebastian made it clear that it was time for bed and left without hearing another protest. [+blue "Fine....but bring me a glass of warm milk then. I can't sleep,"] he huffed again, leaning back in his bed. Sebastian obliged the request left quickly after to make it clear that he wasn't entertaining his master's arguments tonight. He drank it slowly as he closed up the file, setting it on his bedside table, and looked out the window that Sebastian had left partially open. It was dark, not much able to be seen, but the breeze was nice. Another couple of hours had passed, Ciel not asleep but simply lying in the dark. He thought briefly about heading down the hall and grabbing a deck of cards to keep himself occupied but he could only imagine the lecture he would hear from Sebastian if he was caught. [i "You have a busy day that will be starting early, you need to sleep so you don't crash during the day....blah blah blah."] He decided that he was willing to risk the lecture and moved from his room into the quiet hallway with the single candle. It was quite dark, Sebastian or anyone could easily sneak up behind him without him even noticing. He moved down the hall as quietly as he could to the game room, setting the candle down on the billiard's table as he looked over a shelf for what he needed. Once he got it he slowly made his way back to his room and shut the door. It closed quite loudly and echoed a bit, causing Ciel to sigh some. There was no way the demon missed that.

The demon in the study reading for about 2 hours before putting the book down to go clean the garden more. He was about to put the book back when he heard a door shut or perhaps some one hitting a wall, whatever it was. He knew it was the young master. He walked down the hall and to where the noise came from. Sebastian was not surprised that the young master was awake. "You have a busy day tomorrow." He walked down the hallway with Ciel. He saw his masters expression, bored, mad, and awake. He pulled out a chess board from under Ciels bed. "One game?" He said with a smile.

[h3 +] Ciel sighed as he saw Sebastian in his doorway, waiting for the stern looks and the lecture that would follow...but it never came. Instead the tall male moved through the room and knelt under his bed, pulling out the chessboard and setting it on top of the comforter and offering his master a game. He must have known that it would be useless to simply put Ciel back to bed, it was required to tire his mind out first. Chess was a good way to do that. He agreed to the game, pulling himself up onto the bed and beginning to set it up with black on his side. [+blue "I must admit, I'm surprised you're not lecturing me right now,"] he said quietly, waiting for Sebastian to make his first move before Ciel followed suit. He was a master a chess, Ciel had a very hard time finding an opponent worthy of a good game. Sebastian always put up a good fight, though. The game lasted a little over an hour, Ciel winning with only a few pieces left on the board, and leaned back a bit into the pillows as he watched Sebastian put the game away. Unfortunately now he'd have to try to fall asleep....but he still didn't feel as tired as he should. [+blue "What if I can't fall asleep tonight?"] he asked, pulling the blankets up a bit more as he curled up in bed. He half expected the demon to stay in the room and wait him out, leaving when he fell asleep. Sebastian was known to do that when his charge was being particularly challenging.

After Sebastian lost he put the game away and watched the young master curl up. When the young master asked this question Sebastian sighed. "I'll just have to cut the scheduled then." He said smiling. Part of him did want to lecture the young master, but he didn't. Why? he wondered. He pulled out a chair and sat down. "I'll pull the weeds tomorrow then." After a while he just sat there in silence. He did hope his master would go to sleep soon. He had a few more things to do. He didn't want to leave the room though. He did feel as if it wasn't just them in the room, but he ignored this feeling and just sat there. Sebastian felt something watching them. Knowing his master was awake, he began to talk, "Do you feel something watching you,besides me?" he asked.