Chris felt a small amount of comfort when walked through the wall into the library, knowing that at least in here he'd be safe from running into Catty. The past week had been difficult for him to say the least, and it had taken a lot of self-convincing to get him to leave the owlrey.
He looked around, moving towards a secluded nook to maybe sit and read. Ghosts could still read, couldn't they? He supposed it would have to be over someone's shoulder...
So engrossed was Chris with the best method to read that he didn't notice the nook he was hovering above was occupied.
"Oh man, I am so sorry-!" He started, realizing that he was standing halfway through a younger student.
Really was it so difficult to find a little peace and quiet? Any other student probably would have jumped or shown some kind of surprise but not Ciel, definately not after the earlier interuption. He just closed the book he'd been reading, "The Dark Arts and You", pushed it aside, and took things in stride.
Honestly, the title of the book was the most interesting part about it. The contents talked about the evils of the dark arts and vaguely how to avoid them, but that was it. What a disapointment. A child's book.
"I know, again sorry, I just forget..." Chris's eyes widened as he took in the book that Ciel had set aside, and he felt his ghostly form flicker in disgust, "What are you doing with that?" He asked, his somewhat awkward voice replaced by a serious tone.
Ciel averted his gaze back toward the discarded text,"What, this?". He looked back toward Chris before elaborating, "Must have picked it up by mistake". There was no emotion present in his voice.
He decided it might be better to lead the conversation elsewhere and added,"I haven't seen you around, do you come to the library often?".
Chris stared at the younger boy, a frown growing on his features. He didn't believe him, but it was also a fruitless effort to point a finger, "Just...be careful around that stuff. It'll kill you," he muttered slowly.
He blinked at the question, "Uh, I did when I was alive. I used to go to school here..." he paused, noticing the boy was a Slytherin, "Oh, I think I remember you. You were sorted last year right?"
"Only if I'm lucky.." Ciel muttered under his breath possibly rendering the statement inaudible. He knew there was a long road ahead of him, and he was already aware of where it would lead. There was no point in lying to himself. You could say his soul was already spoken for.
Ciel nodded his head in reply to Chris's question. "Hard to believe it wasn't that long ago...". The boy sat there in silence for a period of time. Saying conversations were not his strong suit was an understatement.
Chris stared at Ciel in something bordering amazement. He may have been dead, but his hearing was all the sharper for it, and the somewhat nihilistic statement completely threw him off kilter for a moment, "You can't mean that."
Chris blinked at the question, "Oh, I'm a Slytherin. Like you. Um, was a Slytherin."
Using the past tense was really beginning to grate at him.
So Chris heard that, oh well. Ciel noted that the ghost's sense of hearing seemed acute, a potentially helpful asset given the right scenario. Plus as a ghost, it should be easy for him to come and go as he pleased, however his aversion to the earlier subject probably would prevent any possibility of recieving his assistance. Where was a good, naive, and willing minion when you needed one?
"I suppose I should have been more observant..." Realizing he'd neglected to ask the most basic thing Ciel added, "What was your name again?".
Chris gave the rare scowl at his dismissal of the subject. Dark magic was a serious matter, and not something to be discussed and then dropped so easily. Chris wasn't stupid, he did dumb things sometimes because he thought them to be the greater good, but that didn't make him an idiot. Dark magic wasn't worth the costs, a mistake that he had to learn from in the worst way possible.
"It's alright," he said, his usual friendly tone had a bit of harder edge to it, "Oh, I'm Chris." He never gave more than that, his family was an old pureblooded line that had notable ties in dark magic, "What's your name?"
The room, or at least the immediate vicinity was beginning to feel icey. This sensation was more than likely triggered by Chris's unease. Ciel suppressed a smirk, but he had found the ghost's reaction a little amusing.
"Ciel," The young Slytherin offered,"Ciel Phantomhive". His family also had connections pertaining to the pureblood aristocracy only he didn't have any qualms who knew it. The name Phantomhive meant something in certain circles, but he doubted that Chris had heard of the family before or that he would have known about his parents tragic murder.
Chris's eyes narrowed in thought at that, "I think I've heard the name..." he offered slowly, "Weren't they in the news for something not too long ago? Or am I thinking of someone else?"
Ciel straightened his posture, slightly intrigued by that last response. If the boy had heard of the Phantomhive name, than he may also know something that could lead him to the murderers. And if not him, perhaps someone in his family might know something about it.
"They may have been.." He paused searching for a line to follow that up with. Internally, he regretted avoiding the news when the incident first occured. "My parents were murdered...".
Chris winced at that, "Oh man, I'm sorry." He hadn't meant to pry into a subject that no doubt held a lot of pain for Ciel. He knew that when his older brother Dexileos had been killed in a duel, he had wanted to avoid the reality of his death.
"...Was it recently?"
The second the question was out of his mouth he felt like an insensitive jackass.
"Depends on your definition of recent.." If Ciel was sensitive about the subject he wasn't showing it. His expression was unchanging, verging on stoic, leaving his audience to question whether it was a cleverly concealing mask, or the kid really didn't care one way or the other. "It happened two years ago when I was ten years old..".
Trangressions against the house of Phantomhive could not be forgiven..
Being that Chris had already asked a personal question, Ciel decided to ask one of his own, "So.. what happened to you? If you can remember that is... or if it's not too much to ask". He'd spoken to other supernatural creatures before, but ghosts weren't among them, he wasn't sure if you could remember what killed you or not.
He looked around, moving towards a secluded nook to maybe sit and read. Ghosts could still read, couldn't they? He supposed it would have to be over someone's shoulder...
So engrossed was Chris with the best method to read that he didn't notice the nook he was hovering above was occupied.
"Oh man, I am so sorry-!" He started, realizing that he was standing halfway through a younger student.
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Honestly, the title of the book was the most interesting part about it. The contents talked about the evils of the dark arts and vaguely how to avoid them, but that was it. What a disapointment. A child's book.
"You should watch where you're going..."
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He decided it might be better to lead the conversation elsewhere and added,"I haven't seen you around, do you come to the library often?".
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He blinked at the question, "Uh, I did when I was alive. I used to go to school here..." he paused, noticing the boy was a Slytherin, "Oh, I think I remember you. You were sorted last year right?"
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Ciel nodded his head in reply to Chris's question. "Hard to believe it wasn't that long ago...". The boy sat there in silence for a period of time. Saying conversations were not his strong suit was an understatement.
"What... house .. were you in?"
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Chris blinked at the question, "Oh, I'm a Slytherin. Like you. Um, was a Slytherin."
Using the past tense was really beginning to grate at him.
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"I suppose I should have been more observant..." Realizing he'd neglected to ask the most basic thing Ciel added, "What was your name again?".
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"It's alright," he said, his usual friendly tone had a bit of harder edge to it, "Oh, I'm Chris." He never gave more than that, his family was an old pureblooded line that had notable ties in dark magic, "What's your name?"
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"Ciel," The young Slytherin offered,"Ciel Phantomhive". His family also had connections pertaining to the pureblood aristocracy only he didn't have any qualms who knew it. The name Phantomhive meant something in certain circles, but he doubted that Chris had heard of the family before or that he would have known about his parents tragic murder.
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"They may have been.." He paused searching for a line to follow that up with. Internally, he regretted avoiding the news when the incident first occured. "My parents were murdered...".
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"...Was it recently?"
The second the question was out of his mouth he felt like an insensitive jackass.
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Trangressions against the house of Phantomhive could not be forgiven..
Being that Chris had already asked a personal question, Ciel decided to ask one of his own, "So.. what happened to you? If you can remember that is... or if it's not too much to ask". He'd spoken to other supernatural creatures before, but ghosts weren't among them, he wasn't sure if you could remember what killed you or not.
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