All The Reasons
It's not like he'll ever notice.
The hushed whisper of the wind through the willows brushed against the soft ebony hair, golden eyes flinting from a shadow in the darkness.
He's so stupid! He'd never know it was really you who helped break the whole thing off.
A smirk crossed his narrowed face, as his eyes scanned the area just hoping... no, just ( Read more... )
Oh, that was rich.
"And he will call for me... He may not be with me but he will always be mine, no matter what you do to him."
Claude's hand caught in Sebastian's firm grip hardly registered to him. He was more concerned with the swelling darkness around the two of them--the true witching hour coming with the stroke of Midnight. It was the normal sort of hour that demons and death-gods alike would go and seek out their ripened souls for a grand feast. Night only brought on his own nocturnal instincts, being the eight-legged night creature that he was.
"Is that so...?"
He inquired with his gentle voice (though not at all meant in a gentle manner to the crow), noting that Sebastian had closed the small distance between them as he had paced forwards towards his nemesis. The wind began to blow again, speaking it's whispers once more, all muffled and uncertain; most certainly spreading word of the ongoing confrontation between two very different--and yet similar demons.
"I'm unaware of the type of activity you and the Trancy boy took part in, but that is quite presumptuous of you. Not that I can expect anything more from the house of Trancy... The former master of the house was quite notorious for the way he treated the staff, so I can only suppose his heir was very much the same way."
Finally, the scoffing gesture and small grunt of dissatisfaction erupted from Claude's throat. Though it was not merely from Sebastian's words. No, it was also from the fact that the sudden memory of Alois uncovered the mist hazing over the young boy's face in his mind.
That boy...
His hot breath rolled out near Sebastian's face,
"That boy was unfit for my taste buds. I made a mistake... I let him get too close."
The gloved hand that was not captured in the crow's talons suddenly rose up, pressing against Sebastian's ribcage, where one might feel a heartbeat he felt nothing--just empty space underneath pale skin.
"I daresay though..."
A dirty smirk crossed his face as Claude's hand came back to his head, pushing his glasses up and out of his face to let sit on top of his black locks.
"Perhaps his soul can leak over into Ciel's. I might even be willing to let him come back to you. Then you can let out all those harbored feelings since he might be a bit more affectionate afterwards."
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If his master had denounced him - and indeed, Ciel had, even if it was Sebastian’s choice to stay around until the boy came back to his senses and called for him again - then he really had no need to stay in this form. Yet something held him back from giving in to his true nature - a part of him that wanted to stay Sebastian, perfect butler of the Phantomhive estate. It was that same part of him that reacted so strongly to Ciel’s ordering him to leave.
A human might call it a heart shattering - but Sebastian didn’t have a heart to shatter in the first place. Demons did not work like humans; they were not subject to weaknesses like love. But there was no denying that his attachment to Ciel was... abnormal, to say the least, and it hindered him even now. Now, when he would have liked nothing more than to cast aside Sebastian and take on his true form - vile as it was, that form which he’d always asked Ciel to close his eyes to - so he could deal his opponent the swift punishment he deserved... he was hesitating.
Hot breath washed over his face. Sebastian squared his jaw, meeting Claude’s eyes.
Let out harbored feelings, he said?
Sebastian acted suddenly, his hand darting from Claude’s wrist to his throat, eyes turning to cat-like slits. He’d succumbed to Claude’s will, but Ciel was a strong boy - far stronger than any of the humans Sebastian contracted in the past; he would never allow the soul of a lesser being like Alois Trancy to leak into his own. “I think I can let out all I need to right here.”
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"I think I can let out all I need to right here."
Was that so? Well, no use holding back for Sebastian's sake any longer. It looked like he was the one to snap first and a small cheering dancing thing went off in Claude's mind.
The fingers tightening viciously around his throat were but annoying to the butler. On a human any grip like that could easily snap their neck. Sadly if Claude were human, this small faceoff would be easily dealt and over with.
But that was not the case; he was just the same as Sebastian(he was one damn hell of a butler).
The reaction was instant; as soon as the fingers dug into his flesh, Claude swung his newly-freed hand around, gripping the crow by his black hair, in an attempt to pull his head back.
The other hand grabbed onto the black tie (after all, ribbons were just so much more fashionable & less life-threatening in these types of situations).
He knew what Sebastian wanted.
And he was not going to get it; not this evening while Claude was out on watch for his bocchan.
"You will not pass."
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:( I’m sorry if things aren’t going well.))
He hated himself for his moment of weakness, that succumbing to an even more humiliating emotion he didn’t dare name. But at the same time he was glad to cast off all pretense. He’d never really cared for idle pleasantries, so to do anything but get straight to the point would be a waste of time for both of them.
But while that emotion compelled him to act first, he didn’t think it would actually get in the way of the confrontation they both knew was coming. So Sebastian was caught off guard when Claude turned the situation around, using the freeing of his arm to quickly trap him in a chokehold of sorts. A barely-audible sound escaped him as his tie was pulled taught, blocking off the oxygen in a manner that would have been far more life-threatening if he’d needed air to breathe.
“You will not pass.”
Sebastian growled, eyes swiveling back to glare up at the other demon, straining against the hold Claude had on his hair. This was bad. Sebastian was usually confidant in his own abilities, but in this situation he knew he was the weaker of the two of them. A starved demon couldn’t dream of exerting the same amount of power as one who kept himself well fed.
He released his hold on the other’s neck, trying to think of another tactic.
A wind whipped through the air, rustling the branches.
"Houhe o Taraluna, Ron de Rotarel..."
Whispers in the night, or a trick of the imagination?
"Houhe o Taraluna, Ron de Rotarel..."
Whatever he thought of it, Sebastian hoped Claude took the bait.
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A familiar whisper began to whip through the wind in the trees, the chant almost... brushing over Claude's bangs, tickling his face.
"Houhe o Taraluna, Ron de Rotarel..."
No...
"Houhe o Taraluna, Ron de Rotarel..."
Fuck; that chant. A small involuntary shudder ran the course of his body, and his golden eyes narrowed with undisputed hatred at Sebastian. There was simply no other way to put it. He had taken away Sebastian's most precious objective in life and that was all there fucking was to it.
Now it was time for the arachnid's posture and pride to break and wear down.
"You..."
He hissed, yanking Sebastian's head forwards tightening his grip around the butler's tie. So well tied... to the point where this grip could be considered deadly on a human being. Suffocation...
"Stay out of my way, Sebaschan. Ciel won't be pleased if somehow you find yourself at a bloody and... unpleasant end."
Claude didn't even recognize Sebastian's hot breath rolling off in waves near his face, just the vice versa earlier.
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Sebastian met those hate-filled golden eyes, his lips upturned in the slightest of smiles that showed he considered this a small victory even if Claude still held him in a vice grip.
"Stay out of my way, Sebaschan. Ciel won't be pleased if somehow you find yourself at a bloody and... unpleasant end."
A low laugh escaped him, but he was tired of playing around. In the blink of an eye he'd torn himself from Claude's grip, backflipping out of reach and propelling himself into the branches of the nearest tree. His aura, to those who could actually see it, was blazing.
"You misunderstand the young master and I's relationship if you think either of us is afraid of hurting the other."
Indeed, most of their time was spent purposely trying to get a rise out of each other. Sebastian very frequently let Ciel get himself into hazardous situations just to remind him of his true place in the grand scheme of things, and Ciel in return asserted his own authority over his contracted demon whenever possible, just to ruffle his feathers.
"Not that I believe you're capable of it. As much as you claim you're going to teach me a lesson... here I stand, waiting."
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He was done letting Sebastian get away with making a fool of him. That little acrobatic performance he just performed was quite enough; the spider would have no more flies squeezing through the crevices of his web.
"...you--"
"Not that I believe you're capable of it. As much as you claim you're going to teach me a lesson... here I stand, waiting."
So that was Sebastian's game, was it? Sitting up like a cat stuck in the tree branches, yowling and begging for rescue (though it was perfectly able to come down on its own; it overstepped its boundaries and got stuck in a nasty place).
This was more of a breaking point than even Sebastian could begin to fathom.
With a barely suppressed snarl, the Trancy butler forced his will and smarts back into his brain where they belonged. With a quick motion, and a flick of the wrists, a warning was fired, smashing into the bark mere centimeters away from his cheek. It was worth possibly never being able to jam that particular piece of cutlery from that tree again.
A glare was shot from narrowed golden eyes before his next action could be taken. He had tasted Ciel's blood, and he liked it. That was something Claude wasn't giving up anytime soon.
Ciel was his now.
Sebastian was no longer needed.
No need to hold back.
...
"I'll make your last moments enjoyable as possible."
He hissed, suddenly perched in the cradle of two branches below Sebastian, unmasked flames burning in his eyes. The grab he made for the flighted demon was unmistakably precise, white gloved fingers aiming to tighten around his ankle and only pull him down, letting his pale face be marred and scraped by the leaves and branches - whistling and blowing in the ever-coming storm.
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"I'll make your last moments enjoyable as possible."
The voice was closer now. Just beneath him, in fact. A glance downwards proved that Claude had indeed materialized within the branches of the same tree, his gold eyes burning angrily. Before Sebastian had the chance to climb any higher a firm hand closed around his ankle and yanked it forcefully downwards. The branches of the tree scraped against the side of his face, cutting against his cheek where the knife before failed to, as his body yielded to the tugging and fell.
Sebastian growled, not bothering to wipe away the dots of blood, and aimed his free leg at the other demon's stomach.
"A spider's presence generally isn't enjoyable..."
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The torrent of leaves and twigs that rained down upon Claude let a self-satisfied smirk creep across his face.
The bird was yanked from his perch in a rather humiliating manner.
However, the sharp pain from Sebastian's foot connecting with his gut let his attention slip for a moment. The bark underneath the hand that was not already grasped around the other demon's appendage was shredded beneath his tightening fingertips.
It was a rather immature move on his part, but it needed to be done.
With one hand still clasped around the butler's ankle, Claude removed the shredded white glove with a quick 'snapping' movement and his hand connected with Sebastian's thigh, nails digging into the soft muscle.
"You're in the way."
The soft breathy whisper as his fingernails was almost drawn out by the wind; tightening fingertips, set to rip and tear into flesh.
Sebastian was close... too close and the butler needed his space...
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Even thrown off guard Claude kept a firm hold on Sebastian's ankle, which Sebastian couldn't shake despite his efforts. As a result, when Claude stumbled back Sebastian followed, very nearly losing balance and collapsing very awkwardly on the branch below. He was able to grasp on to the branch above him for support to keep himself up, but Claude's next move almost had him letting go of that.
His back stiffened - arching slightly, like a cat - as Claude took hold of his thigh, shredding the fabric of his pants as easily as the bark from the tree trunk as sharp nails penetrated the skin. It hurt, damn it it hurt! And it wouldn't be quick to heal, either. Sebastian released a slow, pained breath through clenched teeth.
In typical Sebastian fashion, he kept with his verbal provocation. "I just mended those the other day," he murmured, despondent as he stared at his ruined uniform, bringing his free hand to his mouth. It was the hand that bore his symbol - his contract with Ciel. Perhaps just another taunt to rub in Claude's face. That was the only real thing he had over the other demon - the fact that his and Ciel's contract still remained, whereas Claude had yet to form a contract with the boy. Ciel was still bound to him.
Pulling at the glove with his teeth, Sebastian met Claude's gaze. The glove fell to the ground. And then Sebastian struck. It wasn't his best attack. Certainly not the most well-aimed, managing only to slash at the demon's waistcoat.
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Something inside of him was a weight being unleashed. He choked at the rush of emotion that suddenly overtook him at the sight of... that. Claude was normally very composed and sure of himself. That part of him was slowly beginning to slip away, and it would not be a pretty sight when it finally did. Gritting teeth, clenched hands and fingers on the other's flesh.
heat rising, swelling in his chest
No, Ciel was his now!
Claude was caught off guard, but Sebastian's attack was clumsy and misaimed, only managing to tear into his clothing, barely scraping the flesh underneath.
The grip tightened around his ankle, nails now set to tear and rip into that flesh as well. The hand that was placed on the butler's thigh, moved raking the skin right along with the movement.
He would suffer this night.
anger burning somewhere deep inside
Claude was no longer going to hold back because of whatever previous affliction they may have held for one another due to the "questionable" relationship their young master's had held.
...
That was it.
He figured it out, at last.
The one thing that could make Sebastian snap.
Claude smirked, as he leaned up to whisper into Sebastian's ear,
"And oh my. Here you may just die where you lay without knowing what... activities bocchan and I are going to be involved in."
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"And oh my. Here you may just die where you lay without knowing what... activities bocchan and I are going to be involved in."
Sebastian's eyes widened. The mere insinuation that Claude would touch his young master... it made Sebastian's blood boil. It was bad enough Ciel's soul had been so tampered with already... but to think of Claude actually laying hands on the boy.
Ciel would never stand for it. Sebastian knew that. But Ciel was just a boy and Claude was not contracted to him, so an order to stop would not be heeded. Claude could do whatever he wanted and Sebastian couldn't interfere - couldn't make his presence known to Ciel unless Ciel ordered him to return.
There was no use pretending the words didn't affect him. Sebastian's aura was blazing, engulfing him in a darkness Claude had to feel, if not see with his own eyes. It wasn't like him to lose composure like this, he was a bit ashamed of himself. But again he lashed out, catching skin this time and relishing in the blood he managed to draw from Claude's arm.
"I'm not quite so easy to kill," he insisted, twisting in Claude's grip, shredding his leg further and wincing at the pain of it. But it didn't matter so long as he got away.
He released a shuddering breath, disappearing and appearing again on the ground.
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That whisper which made eyes twitch, and blood boil sounded out once more as the wind slowly died down. The newly pained wound from Sebastian's lunge at him hardly even registered, though he did feel a bit of effort put behind it that time.
Perfect.
The aura that was rising off of Sebastian in waves was quite pleasing. Though a small note of how powerful this demon was when his dander was flared came up, it was quickly shoved aside.
Claude let the smile fade from his face, reaching his fingers up to adjust his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.
"Who ever said that?"
A gleam,
"But now that you're flared up, I believe there's a score to settle."
that's right... I'll rip the bloody fucking skin of that seal right off the back of your hand you filthy bird.
[ sorry for shortness; spazzing with Enma right now and we're thinking more raepage things happening in this post instead of staying supersrs! xD ]
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Averting his gaze to the floor, Sebastian quickly scanned the area, smiling when he located what he'd been searching for - the glove he'd discarded only moments ago. It would not be wise for him to flaunt his contract seal so carelessly. If Claude managed to sever the limb, there was a chance of severing the contract. And the contract was the only remaining thing precious to him.
It wouldn't go without notice the way he was favoring his right leg, applying as little weight as possible. Limping, almost, as he walked over to the glove and picked it up. Sebastian hated to show any amount of weakness in a situation like this. He wouldn't want Claude getting the wrong idea.
"Yes..." Sebastian agreed, looking upwards once his glove was in hand. As one last taunt, he flashed his seal at the other demon. And then the glove was back on, and his hand was curling into a fist.
Come try to beat me.
[[ haha well their tension needs to be released SOMEHOW. I wouldn't mind if it ended up a little sexy ;D Sebastian might die tho. lol ]]
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That was all he needed.
At least the glove was back on... then Claude wouldn't have to stare at that disgusting excuse for a seal any longer. That one last taunt was for naught however because the Trancy servant knew it would be covered from view... forever to him.
Leaping down from the branches in a much more graceful manner than Sebastian as blood slowly dripped onto the ground below him, mixing with the earth and turning into a crimson mud that smooshed underneath his footsteps.
Claude brushed the twigs and leaves off of him in a rather delicate manner and adjusted his lenses once more.
But that was just a distraction...
In less than a heartbeat or blink of an eye, he was back in front of Sebastian. The butler before him was weak from his wounds and lack of feeding as of late. His fingers dug into the other's jaw, pulling his face up level with his.
This... would work well.
[WELL YOU ASKED FOR IT <3]
Tipping his jaw up, he licked the bird's cheek, the muscle snaking around the pale flesh, savouring the salty sweat off of his brow.
He knew Sebastian had been far too close to Ciel, and look what had happened when Alois got too close to himself. Sebastian needed those feelings wiped clean from his mind.
... permanently.
[ hand snaking into Sebastian's jacket, strumming gently against the gray vest below ]
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Sebastian froze as the other demon appeared before him, unblinking as he waited for the first move to be made. He wasn't accustomed to having to fight for his property like this. 'Evil' as they were claimed to be, there were certain rules his kind stuck to. Like you don't interfere with a contract that has already been made. But Claude already showed he had no intention of clearing off. Instead he was trying to stake a claim in something Sebastian clearly owned - was willing to do anything to sever the bond that connected Ciel Phantomhive to the demon he was currently bound with in order to claim him as his own.
And now that he appeared to have the upper hand in every imaginable way, Sebastian did not know what to do. How to fight a demon when all the odds were stacked against him? The best idea would be to not fight at all. But Sebastian wasn't the type to sit back and watch what belonged to him get taken away. He wouldn't go down without a fight... And yet he couldn't see a way to victory.
As his jaw was taken firmly into Claude's grasp, Sebastian stared at the other demon defiantly. But even his resolve faltered when he felt the unexpected moisture of a warm tongue against his cheek. It made his skin crawl, having any of the spider's appendages touching him.
Bastard... Just what was Claude trying to accomplish? If it was only to catch him off guard then that was a small victory won, but... There was something different in the way Claude looked at him now. A slightly altered predatory gleam in his eyes.
Frowning, Sebastian reached up to wipe his cheek clean.
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