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@claudefaustxs-blog
professor-wordsmith
Claude looked at the man without a change of expression. Claude was usually a stoical sort and didn't reveal anything. "Good evening sir, welcome to Trancy Manor, how may I help you?" The demon asked without showing anything. He did however have a lot of curiosity about the man.
guardian-of-war:
❝You can help me by moving aside butler, I have business in there with this earl of yours.❞ Rei said towards the butler, It wasn’t to kill him she had sensed something was inside the rather huge manor, looking for new energy to feed on and what she could tell, this young earl had alot of it.
Claude heard what the young girl said. His brow rose slightly at the comment. It was slightly suspicious and enough for the demon to worry about the girl. His golden eyes were narrowed slightly as he looked at her. "Your rather forward aren't you?" He said with a small amount of distaste. He knew Alois would not like someone who was so brazen. "I will go and fetch my master. Do wait in the drawing room." He said softly. He guided her towards the drawing room.
He then left her on her own as he went up to Alois and Hannah. He spoke to them very briefly and then brought Alois down to the drawing room. The blonde haired boy looked at the girl. "Claude told me you wanted to see me?" Alois asked with a curious tone. He glanced at Claude who looked as stoical as ever. He glanced at Hannah who was stood next to Claude. "What is it about?" He asked with a small sigh excepting his lips.
little-red-reaper:
Grell listened silently, a sadden expression upon her face as she stared down at the ground. Unlike most reapers, she didn’t see the new, immortal life as a burden. She wanted to live, but felt that, at the time, there was no reason to continue when it would be filled with pain. Even if Claude had managed to kill her fiancé, she would still know that she was worthless to him. Just a pretty face that, to him, could be easily replaced. Upon learning that she became a Grim Reaper, the redhead was joyful for it. It made her stronger, and powerful. She thought that after she disposed of the men herself, her human life would stay deep in the past for the rest of eternity— but she was wrong.
Her eyes glanced at the two demons when they entered the manor, Grell letting out a small but aggravated sigh. A manor full of demons, and I’m the only reaper, she thought. Wonderful. At his question, the woman nodded, sitting down in a seat, setting the death scythe at her side. When alone, Grell uncovered her shoulder, her hand painted red. “Tch…” The beloved color was almost mocking now, not partial to it being her own blood.
She thought her nerves would ease some the more time she spent around the demon, but she was still on edge. Her muscles were tense when he bandaged her hand and shoulder, keeping her attention on him just in case. “N-No…” she answered. “I’m still trying to… process it all. I… I don’t have new orders yet…” Grell paused, sighing quietly. “And about the boy… Yes. I agree…” She only hoped the blond wasn’t like another certain earl she knew, seeing as she would be forced to be around him.
His question made her wince a bit before letting out a groan. “I don’t plan on him finding out… It would make things much more difficult than they already appear to be…” Grell would be lying if she said she wasn’t a bit surprised to hear him apologize again. But it soon faded when she put thought into it, believing he regretted it because he had lost the chance at getting her soul.
When Alois came down and demanded attention from the demon, Grell’s expression changed to a slightly annoyed one. Not for his presence, but because she realized of what would come from him being alive beyond from when he should have died. Grell shifted a bit, pulling out a small, black book from the pocket of her pants uniform. She flipped to the exact page she was looking for, eyes scanning it before they flickered up to the blond. “Ten minutes passed death…” she mumbled, more to herself than anything. “If he’s keeping track at this very moment, William will be here soon to find out why he’s still alive… If not now, certainly tomorrow morning.” The redhead bit her lip, throwing her head back against the chair as she closed her eyes.
Claude watched the reaper carefully. The dispatch manager would be a problem. He had to consider what could be done about him. "Do you think he will risk coming into this house?" He asked. The house had five demons. One reaper would be powerless against them particularly against Claude and Hannah who were powerful demons. "There must be some way to resolve this. I can't allow him to be taken from me." Claude said. He felt a damp feeling on his shirt and realised that Alois was crying. This was not a conversation they should have before him. "I..I don't want to die. You have to protect me Claude. That's an order!" Alois said wildly. He stuck out his tongue to show his contract mark. Claude sighed. "Yes your highness, why don't you find Hannah and get her to put you to bed." Claude said.
Since Hannah had done her best to protect Alois he was more welcoming to her. He nodded and then toddled off to find Hannah. Claude watched the boy with some curiosity. He was starting to appeal to Claude more as a meal. The fire in his soul was wild and unpredictable. Delicious. He tuned back to Grell his gold eyes flashing dangerously. "I will not William harm you or Alois. If he comes He'll face me." He said with an almost feral growl. Though he doubted a reaper would try and come into this house He sighed and adjusted his glasses. This was going to be headache inducing he could tell. "Why don't you go and rest. I can take care of things. I know reapers need their sleep." He said to her. The idea of actually sleeping wasn't something demons considered. They were primal forces. They needed souls and that was it.
He also knew that Grell had been hurt by his web so she would need sleep to be able to recover from what had happened. He was about to say more when the door to the manor crashed open. There in all his stoical grandeur was William T Spears. "Reaper Sutcliff you have not collected the boys soul." The man asked with irritation in his voice. Claude's eyes glowed the demonic colour. He would slaughter the other reaper. "Of course she hasn't. That soul is my property reaper. I will make one hell of a feast out of him." The demon said raising to his full height. He took of his glasses and tucked them into his breast pocket. He would fight if he had to do so.
As quick as lightening Will used his scythe to pin Claude to the wall. The demon hadn't seen it coming. His senses were confused thanks to everything that had gone on. His breathing was harsh but he gave a laugh. "Go on, tell him why he can't reap the boys soul." Claude choked out. A thin spiders web began to snake up the scythe. It couldn't crush it but he could at least yank it out of the reaper's hand. If he had to fight then he would do so and violently.
He watched as Hannah and the triplets came down the stairs. They looked ready for a fight. "Don't...go look after our young lord." Claude told them. He was tempted to bring them into it. However he wouldn't do that. He pulled the webs and the death scythe was send skittering away. "Unless you want to be my next meal I suggest you sit down." Claude said. He wasn't opposed to eating reaper. It would make him violently ill but the manager didn't need to know that. He would inform Grell when the time was right.
guardian-of-war
"Welcome to Trancy Manor, how is it that I may help you miss?" The demon asked. He could sense something strange about this one. He would have to get Hannah and the boys to keep an eye on her. "The young master is currently studying with Miss Hannah but I can inform him should you like me to." Claude told her with a slight inclination of his head. He was a butler after all. He had to play the role until he made a meal out of the boys soul.
“What do you care if I get hurt?”
claudefaustxs | X
The redhead was silent for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. “You’re my servant, aren’t you? Our contract is still in effect. What good is an injured servant? Just… Be careful…”
Claude looked at Grell for a moment. His lips pulled back into a smile for a moment before it settled to his natural expression. "Careful mistress, you could cause people to think you actually do care about me." Claude said with a slight laugh. He knew there was no good will between them just yet.
princepsinferni:
A sad looks goes across Sebastian’s face, and he says softly, “Deceased, unfortunately. The wounds were so great, even my Father could not repair them. Ciel didn’t want to live as a demon. He didn’t order me to save him.” Sebastian remembers not too long ago, when Claude was trying to get his hands on Ciel’s soul. “I…I just thought I’d tell you, so you won’t be spending any more time trying to steal the Young Master from me.” Sebastian shifts, trying to find a nice spot to settle. He knows that he hasn’t found a mate yet, something that his Father is a bit…vexed with. But Sebastian is still young, and his father has no right to be so angry with him. Sebastian crosses his legs elegantly, trying to give off the dignified look he was beaten into having, “I came to you because not too long ago you were obsessed with my Young Master. I thought it fit to notify you of his passing.” Sebastian sniffs the air quietly, smelling the tension in the room. His own body is definitely starting to feel the affects of an ending contract. His heat will be coming on soon, which means he’ll have to barricade himself in his Palace and pray to God that no one can get through his barriers. He isn’t ready for children, for pregnancy pains and he certainly doesn’t want to chose a mate in the middle of his heat.
“I didn’t want to bother Hannah and her triplets. They seemed quite at ease whenever I saw them. But you stay here all alone and talk to those eight legged monstrosities you call friends,” Sebastian murmurs, feeling a headache coming on. It smells strange in here, or maybe that’s his hormones mixing with Claude’s. Sebastian could smell Claude’s dominance from a mile away, and perhaps that’s what has led the Prince into such a web.
Claude heard the comment about the spiders being his only friends. He wasn't far wrong. He did have Hannah and her triplets coming every now and then but that was rare. He took off his glasses and then cleaned them carefully considering what he should say. "I'm sorry that you lost your master, I was wrong to obsess over him. He wasn't hot enough for my tastes." He said. His prey had to burn strong and with many emotions. A prey that didn't wasn't any good to him. He sighed and then made himself comfortable. "As for my monstrous friends...they are far more interesting than most around here." He said with a slight humourless laugh. He just tried to avoid other demons. They tended to throw themselves towards him. He didn't want to be mated yet. He had too much to consider yet. "What will you do now you don't have Ciel? I don't suppose you'll want to stay here? It's dull." He said softly.
Demons tended to live long and idle lives. They took contracts to break the monotony of the years. He ran a hand through his raven hair. He paused and listened for a moment. He swore someone was trying to summon a demon. He frowned for a moment and then shook his head gently. "Can you cope without a master. I can tell your changing already. Be careful Prince." He said with a firm voice and a slight raise of his brow. Every demon would be after the young prince. Only Hannah and Claude hadn't tired as of yet. Mostly Hannah and Claude kept themselves amused. "Perhaps I can be more hospitable to you." Claude said with a thin smile. He sorted out some tea. He had nothing to eat. At least something the prince would like. He had a spiders taste.
He handed some tea over to the prince and then settled into a seat. His eyes were focused on his hand were a rather bright looking spider was crawling. Claude's golden eyes flashed with amusement at it. He set it down and then looked over at the demon. "We both lost our meals didn't we? You lost Ciel, and I lost Alois. Unlike you I never realised how much I cared for my master." He said with a slight sigh. It was true. It was at the moment he lost Alois to Hannah that he realised he had wanted to tear the boys soul to pieces. To enjoy and savour the meal but that had been Hannah's joy not his.
When I first saw this scene, I was very confused as to why on Earth there was suddenly an implied romance between Claude and Hannah. Especially when she had every reason to hate him. After thinking over it, I think this final scene begins to make a little more sense. And I think it has some interesting implications for demons and what happens when they consume souls - so! Bear with me? C: Hannah mentions that a soul is “utterly obliterated” by the demon sword, there is “no hope” for it - so therefore Claude should have been wiped out of existence entirely. There was nothing left for him to go to ‘nirvana’ or ‘heaven’ or wherever it is Hannah and Luka and Alois are supposedly going. Furthermore, prior to this scene, Hannah never mentions Claude coming with them to Alois - she only mentions that he and Luka can be reunited. So, I theorize that a demon’s behavior is directly influenced by the souls they have consumed. This would explain Hannah's obsession with Alois, Luka within her compelling her towards him. It would also explain this scene - as she had just consumed Alois moments ago, who clearly expresses distress when Claude had been stabbed (implying that he still loved him.) It makes sense that Alois would want a place in heaven for Claude to be alongside him, and it makes sense that he would compel Hannah to love him in an overtly romantic way. Alois both imagines them all as a family, and transposes himself onto Hannah - loving Claude in the same way he did. Demons seem to find independent, strong-willed souls particularly alluring. Aren’t these the exact traits they would want for themselves? Resolve enough to complete vengeance, passionate but controlled - capable beyond even needing a demons help - all good traits, if you’re a predator. It becomes easier to see why Claude would want to reject Alois’ soul, particularly after Alois had become so shatteringly dependent on him due to his love for him. Demons are not meant to love - look what it does to Hannah. Demons are not meant to cling to each others legs and beg each other not to go. Demons are not meant to live aware of their traumas, constantly being eaten alive by them. They must purge such things - possibly by consuming ‘strong’ souls. That’s my theory, anyway. C:
princepsinferni:
“You dare call your Prince desperate,” Sebastian murmurs, only half serious. He doesn’t throw his title around like his Father. True, is it supposed to run Hell one day but…for now he can enjoy his youth and go wandering into spider webs. He looks around, taking in Claude’s…home, of sorts. Seeing spiders in the human world was an interesting experience. The humans around him screamed and ran, but Sebastian gently scooped up the eight legged baby and let it go outside. He is considerably less fond of spiders now.
Sebastian watches Claude for a moment, then settles down in an empty chair and crosses his legs. Sebastian knows that he reeks if reaper, fighting off those disgusting pigs from his injured Young Master. Sebastian exhales slowly, and says, “I didn’t come here just to bother you, Faustus, rather…The Young Master- Ciel- he is…not well. He is as defenseless as a newborn and…he did not make it very long before a reaper shot through his chest.” Sebastian looks a bit grim, recalling the memory is not a pleasant experience but…
“I came to tell you, for whatever reason.”
Claude looked at the other. His brow rose slightly and he looked very curious about it indeed. "Reapers attacking your young master, how very dare they." Claude said his voice rather droll. He didn't mean to react the way he did. He just couldn't help himself. When he was around the prince his blood simply boiled. It was a delightful feeling that was for sure. Not one he would pass up at any point soon. He sighed and proceeded to clean his glasses. A bad habit of his when he was getting somewhat ticked off. Not that anyone read his body language or knew his ways very much. "Where is Ciel now?" Claude asked. The other demon had clearly come to him for a reason. It wasn't just a pleasant chit chat. Claude placed his glasses back on and then frowned.
He wondered how Ciel had fallen prey to the reapers. They were disgusting. However he did find a few of them quite affable. He began to pace up and down a little. His body needing movement. He liked to keep stimulated via movement. "Why don't you tell me what happened and why you came to me of all demons." Claude said mildly. There was still Hannah and the triplets. Other demons better suited to the prince. He supposed that there must be some reason behind it. Why he would care about Ciel now was beyond him. He crossed his arms over his chest. "The reapers...did you destroy them?" He asked lightly.
He was curious. He knew that demons could be brutal and he knew that the prince was one of the worst. Claude too was one of the demons who were quite sadistic. It was a far wider streak than most demons.
princepsinferni
Claude looked at the demon before him. He carefully adjusted the glasses he had grown used to and even liked. His golden eyes were focused and he looked less then pleased to see the other. He did hold his tongue out of respect for the position the young demon held. "What brings the prince to the spiders web?" He asked his voice holding no emotion. It was monotonous. No one ever knew what the spider was thinking which is why he was avoided by most demons who didn't have a wish to greet a permanent death. "You must be desperate or fool hardy to enter my web." He said with a smirk.
He moved closer so that he could see the demon closer. He had to admit the human form was somewhat attractive. A little lanky but perfectly delectable. He did not let that show at all. His lips barely twitched into a smirk as he looked at the demon again. "I'd offer you hospitality but I'm rather ill prepared for the task. Do forgive me." He said with a slight bow. He wasn't going to be overly friendly or cruel. he was bland and neutral. It put people ill at ease and made sure he had the advantage at times. "You are welcome to sit down and take what I do have." He said to the other demon blandly.
“Well you assumed wrong…” Her voice was soft in volume, but still filled with negative emotions as she watched him carefully. The title he used on her made her flinch. My mistress. The title he used back when she was still human, when she had some hope of returning to a normal life, at least for a while. Grell did not speak, though. Even she had no idea what would pass her lips after feeling so defeated by mere memories. The mention of new boundaries made her think: what could she possibly set it as? She was certainly powerful enough to fend for herself— not counting the incident from just a few moments ago.
Grell slowly removed her wrist from her chest, but used her left hand to cover her shoulder. Both cuts continued to bleed, but her shoulder felt like the worst of the two. She remained still as he approached her, and bowed before her. The redhead looked down at him with a stern look, eyes following and meeting his once he stood up again.
Giving a single nod, Grell took hold of her scythe and quietly followed behind. She didn’t want to dismiss the weapon just yet, still not completely trusting the spider demon. How could she, after all? Even after selling her soul to him, he still managed to let her slip through his grasp. Who’s to say that he wouldn’t turn on her, now that she discovered she still held power over him?
The silence between them became increasingly uncomfortable, and dozens of questions were buzzing through the reaper’s mind. Taking in a slow breath, Grell finally spoke again. “Why did you not stop me?” Her voice was barely a whisper, cracking slightly near the end, but in the silence of the night and with his superhuman hearing, she knew perfectly well he had heard her. “You were so inclined to have my soul… In fact you practically had it in the palm of your hands, but then you were no where near when I drowned myself.”
Grell did not realize how much it bothered her until she actually asked him. It was like a . “What name do you even go by now?” she added, not remembering the name she had given him so long ago.
Claude heard what she said. He couldn't help but hear. Why hadn't he stopped her from drowning. Why hadn't he been there to help. He didn't know if he could answer that question confidently. "My name now is Claude Faustus." He told her carefully considering his answer to her earlier question. Could he really give an honest answer to her? He decided that he must do so. "As to why I couldn't save you the answer is simple. I didn't know what your intentions were. I was stalking your kidnapers. It was only when I returned I found out about your fate." He said to her. He didn't mention the contract mark had to be exposed for him to find her quickly before damage was done. She had a hard enough life without him piling it onto her. He felt oddly sentimental. It made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach. He didn't want to feel that way.
He continued to walk until they had reached the manor. Alois was taken to his room by Hannah who was swiftly follow by Thompson. The other two remained watching Grell and Claude whispering furiously to one another. He looked around and found an adequate area to sit. "Do sit down, I'll fetch you some tea. I presume your still partial to it yes?" He asked her with a slight raise of his brow. He dismissed the two reaming demons and then set about making some tea. Out of habit he brought something sweet to eat out as well. He recalled the things Grell had liked. He set the tea tray in front of her and held a cup himself. He didn't need to drink. It was habit really. "Now, we can talk in relative peace." He said to her. His emotionless mask in place.
He noticed her bleeding shoulder and hand. He quietly gathered some things that were nearby and became to treat the wounds. "Do you have your new orders? Do you also agree to leave Alois to me?" He asked with a slightly cool tone to his voice. It was mostly due to the fact that he was concentrating. He finished off. "There you go mistress." He said with a polite tone of voice. He sat down and sipped at his tea.
He was quiet for a moment. "What on earth will your superior think of you having a demon butler?" He said with a slightly amused smirk flickering onto his face. He had no doubt the leader of the grim reaper dispatch would be more than furious about a reaper being in contract with a demon. He sighed heavily and then glanced around the splendid manor. "I'm sorry that I was unable to save you. I regret that I failed you." He said with a gentle voice. Now that she knew there was no point in being too cold. He heard the sound of footsteps and watched as Alois came down the stairs. His eyes were wide.
It was obvious that the small boy was scared stiff. He went over to Claude and then hugged him close. "I can't sleep and I don't want Hannah or the idiot demon footmen." He said. Claude sighed through his nose. The child was so annoying. He felt the boy snuggle close to him. Claude looked at Grell and fell silent. He wanted to know what she wanted. He held Alois close. He did pretend irritation but he did care for the boy. He also wanted to know what Grell wanted. He felt a smidgen uncomfortable.
little-red-reaper
A deal? He actually wished to make a deal with her? Grell stared at him in shock, unsure what the man was getting at. Why would a demon possibly make a deal with a reaper? Nevertheless, Grell remained silent, simply glaring at him as he spoke. So he wished for her to forget about his soul in exchange for her life, safety and freedom. Damn it all.
Once the threads were gone, the weapon pulled Grell’s arms down, the bloodied end stabbing into the ground. Her arms ached, the woman letting a slow breath of air out before hearing his voice again. She looked up at the man, hissing in pain when his his fingers brushed against her cut shoulder. “Don’t touch me!” she growled, wanting to step away from him, but the scythe stuck in the ground. Her uninjured hand covered her shoulder, tensing as he spoke into her ear. His words were unsettling, alarming her when he mentioned the dreaded threads again. “F-Fine…” The words were bitter in her mouth, but she had no other choice. He already proved he was capable of stopping her without so much as a bat of an eyelash.
Her eyes followed his form, retreating to go get the boy, finally noticing the contract seal on his hand. Her expression went from anger, to complete shock. “Th-That mark…” Grell finally let go of her death scythe, groaning in pain as she removed the cut glove from her right hand, letting it drop carelessly to the ground. Her eyes focused on the cut for a fraction of a second before turning her hand over, an identical, but smaller mark on her wrist.
That’s when it hit her.
Grell gasped, stumbling back as she stared wide-eyed at Claude. “You’re the demon I made a contract with!” she cried out. Her whole persona changed with the realization, feeling almost numb. “You offered me an escape! You said you would return me to my family, and kill my kidnappers and my fiancé in exchange for my soul!” The the final days of human life came back all in a rush, hitting her like a horse-drawn carriage. Grell’s eyes teared up automatically, clutching her wrist to her chest tightly, despite the pain from the cut. “You didn’t accomplish either task! I had to kill them once I became a reaper! You gave me false hope! You weren’t even capable of stopping me from killing myself! You weren’t there to stop me!”
The redhead trembled slightly from the harsh memories. Nearly all of it managed to evade her for the last century. She remembered what the mark was, and why she had to keep it hidden, especially as a reaper. But, she didn’t remember why she had it, or who it belonged to until seeing it on his hand. “You-You lost my soul, but not my contract…”
Claude winced when she finally picked up on the contract. He had indeed agreed to slaughter the kidnappers and the fiancé who had so wronged her. Twisted her heart so much. He remained stoical through this all. He was glad the blonde boy had passed out. This would be hard to explain. "You're right. I didn't accomplish either task. I had to bide my time. Strike when the moment was most opportune. However you had died. I assumed our contract finished." He stated smoothly. He wasn't lying. He decided on a policy of honest for now. As for the reapers death he had no answer for that. He had no excuses. "I cannot explain why you still have a contact with me. It appears I'm still yours to command. When you died and became a reaper the contract fell into a grey area I suppose." He said with some irritation in his voice now.
Like Sebastian he seemed that he would be stuck with a master for eternity. The reapers were long lived and most of them spent eternity doing what they did. Though the specifications of the contract would need to change. She had gotten what she had originally asked for. "It appears I am yours to command my mistress. All you need to do is set new boundaries for the contract." He said dryly. The only way the contract could be superseded was by removing the mark from Calude. As he was in contract with Alois too it would be no good. He wouldn't remove it. "Let me be perfectly clear, what you assign for me must not interrupt my contact with Alois." He said. He felt like someone was having great fun at his expense.
He was not happy. He had a child and a melodramatic reaper to deal with as masters. Hannah and the triplets would no doubt find it amusing. Unless he transferred one contact to Hannah or one of the boys. He would hate to lose Alois and there would be no shaking Grell. He'd spun himself into a web even he couldn't get out of. "Damnation!" He cursed under his breath. He hoped what Grell set him to do wasn't horrible. It couldn't be if she intended to hide the contractual mark from the others. He had no doubt she would be shunned from the reapers if they found out about him. "Perhaps we should discuss this inside. The boy must be taken care of." He said a little harshly.
He noticed that Hannah had recovered sufficiently to be able to walk about. He quickly handed Alois to her. He whispered a few words into her ear. She looked shocked for a moment before smirking. She didn't openly mock Claude. He may be twice chained but the spider still had plenty of bite.
He moved towards Grell and then bowed to her. "I must beg you forgiveness. I failed in my duties to you. I shall not fail you again." He said. He did not seem happy about admitting it. He took a deep breath and then got up and then looked at her. His golden eyes fixed on the acidic coloured eyes. He then pursed his lips. "Come along, we should talk inside and I'll make us some tea." He said softly. His attitude had changed because he didn't want the reaper being too angry with him. He had to cope with serving after all.
He could still taste the blood on his tongue. He did like the taste. He would have tasted more had she not realised. He just sighed and wanted the taste of the blood out of his mouth. It was a soul he would never get to eat. He was better of forgetting the taste. He just made his way towards the manor. Hannah and the boys would have to take care of Alois while he dealt with Grell. He hoped Sebastian never found out about this. It would be so embarrassing.
“What have you used this time?”
claudefaustxs
{; ♔— Vincent’s brows furrowed a bit, swaying on his feet, nearly toppling over He’d been out with friends and had a few too many drinks and one thing led to another and then suddenly he found himself seated on the floor of his kitchen, stomach and arms bloody. “I don’t.. I don’t…” Everything was swaying, as he’d just stood up, and he was so very confused. “What’s…”
desinxnt:
{; ♔— Now, normally, he would’ve slapped Claude for making such smart assed comments, but now, piss drunk and reduced to a vocabulary that of a child, he didn’t think twice about it. “I don’t..” Vincent repeated, tone dazed. “What’s happening?” He didn’t feel right standing, so he sat down beside Claude, looking up at him. “I didn’t hurt anyone,” he mumbled, feeling the warm cloth drag over his skin. “I don’t know..”
Claude let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't know what you did do you?" He asked. He didn't have the time to play the pleasant servant. All that he could smell was alcohol. It practically burned his nose. He didn't really like the substance. He much preferred tea. "Your covered in blood my lord. You honestly have no recollection of harming anyone? There isn't a single scratch on you." He said with a slightly amused tone to his voice. He stopped cleaning the man and then looked around him. He stopped cleaning and then set the kettle on the stove to boil for tea. That should help sober up the man. "Aren't you lucky our wife and son are in bed. I'd hate for them to see you in this state. Three sheets to the wind and covered in blood." Claude tsked lightly and then dropped silent. He had better hold his tongue. He didn't want the lord to have any recollection of his words. If he got him too angry the alcohol would wear off as the anger took over. "Do stay sat down. I'll make you some tea." He said his voice more pleasant than before.
little-red-reaper:
The threads caught her off guard, forcing her to freeze completely, her breath hitching slightly. Grell’s hand brushed up against one by mistake, trying to keep her hold on the scythe and not drop it. The thread easily cut through the black leather glove like nothing, and into her hand, drawing blood instantly. Grell winced, the stinging pain going up her arm.
“What the bloody hell is this?!” she growled, glaring at the demon. Her eyes went to the the blood that dripped to the ground for a second, muscles tensing in aggravation.
Her mind raced, trying to think of a way out. The threads passed by her arms and legs, making it impossible to escape, much less manage to cut herself free. Dammit! Never had she ever heard of a demon being capable of doing such a thing. He had Grell completely trapped.
Chartreuse eyes flickered back to Claude, curiosity nipping at her. “What about me?” she snapped, seeing his lips move, but too far to be able to hear him. Her eyes remained on him as he moved the blond farther away, her glare only hardening at his words. “Leave? That’s rather difficult with these bloody things all around the damn place!” Grell moved by mistake as her anger built up, her shoulder being slashed by the spider threads. The redhead clenched her jaw, a pained sound still managing to escape before she shut her eyes. Grell could already feel the crimson liquid go down her arm, staining the white dress shirt she wore. This was bad, very bad.
“You bastard!” Her voice was a bit strained, the cuts feeling like knives slashing through. Her hands and arms trembled with the weight of the scythe, doing her best to refrain from dropping it. It wasn’t guaranteed that her scythe could cut the threads, but it would bounce back and forth between them and possibly end up striking her. “Release me now!”
Claude heard the curses and his lips curved into a sneer. The first real display of emotion. Alois watched the proceedings with no worry what so ever. He had no doubt that his butler would chase off the red haired woman. "Such vulgar language coming from a woman." Claude teased. He looked at her for a moment. He had the odd urge to obey her command. He fought this instinct however and let the threads remain. Sebastian had looked delightful caught in his web. The woman before him was simply irresistible. "You want your freedom reaper then lets..." He paused thinking carefully over his next words. Could he trust the word of a reaper. He supposed he'd have to. "Then let's make a deal. How does that sound?" He asked. He could make things a lot worse for her by simply plucking at one thread. It would cause the others to dance and more than likely cause the reaper more harm.
His nose caught the delicate scent of her blood. It was tainted with the reaper physiology she now had. Underneath that though a familiar scent came to him. That longing. The lost love. He clenched his hands into firsts. Why was he so weakened by a damn reaper? A reaper who wanted his current master at that. "What are you waiting for Claude? Get me out of here alive." Alois whimpered from where he had been placed. Claude adjusted his glasses and then sighed through his nose. "The deal is, I let you go free, I don't kill you or cause you anymore harm. In return you renounce the boys soul." He said with a slight amused tone inflecting his voice.
Surely the reaper would see the good in this arrangement. He did remove the threads. Them being in place wouldn't help. "Do I have your agreement?" He asked with a harsher tone of voice. He moved closer and more freely without the web in the way. He was inches away from the reaper. He took the glove from his hands revealing the contract mark. He dipped his fingers into the blood on the reapers shoulder.
He licked the blood clean from his fingers and his eyes glowed a fierce demonic colour. His suspicion was confirmed. He doubted the reaper would remember. He hoped she wouldn't. He couldn't cope with it otherwise. "Your taste is a little bitter but otherwise perfectly delicious." He whispered in her ear. He then looked back at Alois. "Now, I presume we have a deal? Or would you like to be caught up in my web again?" He asked her.
He moved back once more and then picked up Alois. The young boy's blood staining his hands and clothing. He sighed through his nose. "I'll have to let Thompson have a look at you." He told the boy. The triplets would have to help him while Hannah recovered from the deep wound that the reaper had given her. He then turned to face the reaper. He still needed her word. He would protect Alois either way. It made little difference if it meant the reaper was the butterfly in his web or they walked away freely. It was one in the same for Claude.
“What have you used this time?”
claudefaustxs
{; ♔— Vincent’s brows furrowed a bit, swaying on his feet, nearly toppling over He’d been out with friends and had a few too many drinks and one thing led to another and then suddenly he found himself seated on the floor of his kitchen, stomach and arms bloody. “I don’t.. I don’t…” Everything was swaying, as he’d just stood up, and he was so very confused. “What’s…”
Claude pushed his glasses up his nose and then looked down at Vincent. His lip curled into a sneer as he gazed at the blood on the mans body. He could smell the blood and it turned his stomach. Such a poor quality soul. "Honestly sir, how on earth do you expect to continue if you abuse substances like this. Now tell me what exactly happened." The demon said in his usual clipped tone. He was knelt next to Vincent. A bowl of warm water and rags near by. He began to clean up the mess. He sighed gently. "Is this your blood? Or did you finally take leave of your senses and butcher someone?" He asked. Normally he wouldn't display such impudence but as the lord was out of it he may as well use the time to be somewhat cheeky.
demon-butler-from-hell
Claude walked into Phantomhive Manor with a certain sense of apprehension. Not that it showed on his face. He never let any emotion show on his face or infect his voice. It was something that annoyed his master no end. The reason he felt so ill at ease was due to the fact he could smell another demon. One with feathers to boot. The blonde boy hovering by his side seemed more at ease. His blue eyes darted around the manor with some small wonder. It was then that Claude noticed a maid. "Excuse me, I'm Claude Faustus, the butler for Earl Alois Trancy. I believe your master is expecting us." Claude said. The maid looked at Claude with a dreamy look that was making Alois pout. She then seemed to gather herself and then nodded her head. "I'll go and let the young master know and Sebastian! He'll be so pleased yes he will!" The maid said with a happy tone. Claude let his irritation show very briefly once the maid turned her back on him. Alois was silent his eyes on Claude.
Claude wondered if he should have fetched Hannah or one of the triplets with him. They seemed to be more competent than the staff he'd seen so more. Alois seemed to get angrier by the moment. "Like that maid do you? Am I not good enough to keep your attention Claude?" The childish boy asked. Claude fixed his golden eyes on the boy and then inwardly sighed. This young child had a rare soul but he did wonder at times why he put up with this. He got down to Alois' level and looked him evenly in the eyes. "Of course not my young lord. Do calm yourself down." Claude said his tone becoming more mild by the moment. Alois scowled and then slapped Claude. "You sicken me." Alois said with an angry tone. All demons made the boy angry. Ironically each member of his staff was demonic.
The pair paused when they heard the sounds of footsteps. Claude quickly rose to his full height. A pink mark on his cheek from where Alois had struck him. In good time he would devour the boys soul. For now he had to endure the childish boy who swung from violence to kindness. His eyes met the person coming down the stairs and they narrowed just a fraction. He sensed something about this person. Something that made his stomach burn with anger.
little-red-reaper
“But of course I can, that’s my job~” Grell replied with a smirk to her lips. “It is you who should not be interfering. You demons make our lives so difficult, snatching up souls and causing disorder in our records.” Her smirk grew, adding, “I don’t think I can, I know I can.” Her hold on the red scythe tightened, tilting her head slightly to the side. The blades and bar were splattered in red, Grell having already fought off the silver-haired demoness.
“Sorry, handsome, but he’s on the To Die list. If I let him be, then my boss will slash me with a scythe. Frankly, I would rather collect his soul and continue on with my life than have to deal with any punishment I may receive for letting him continue.” Her eyebrows furrowed a bit, the woman tilting her head to the side in thought. “I must say, though… you seem rather familiar to me… Oh well~” Grell shrugged it off before swinging her arms, the weapon roaring to life as she aimed for the demon.
Claude openly glared at the reaper. Did she really think she would stand a chance. Collect Alois Trancy's soul. A soul he had been working so hard to mould. It was a burning flame and he adored the heat he brought. "Honestly. you really are an arrogant fool to think you can do anything to me." Claude said with a scowl on his face. He did feel a little concerned about the death scythe. One of those could easily harm him. It wouldn't kill him of course but it was be an inconvenience to clean and mend the clothes. "You're little toy is no use against me." Claude said. He used spiders webs to aid slowing Grell down. However the more he looked at her the more she seemed familiar. He could feel Alois gripping his leg. His fear was palpable and on the whole distracting.
Such fear he would normally find quite delicious but not it was a mere inconvenience. "Don't let her take me Claude. I want to stay with you." The child whined. Claude resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He did however keep an eye on the reaper. All of a sudden a memory hit him like a wave. Red hair, a desperate soul. Abandoned by who she thought loved her. "You!" He hissed. He felt a twinge go through his body. The recognition had caused more harm that good. He grabbed the boy holding him close. "I knew that red hair was familiar." He said quietly. He moved back a little and put Alois a safe distance away from the fight.
He wished he had taken the sword from Hannah. He could use that now. A scythe against a demon sword would be interesting. "I suggest you leave before I lose my temper." He said. His eyes glowed the demonic colour. He would turn into his true form if need be. His voice did not convey in anyway that he was close to losing his cool. "Alois belongs to me and me alone. You will never have his soul." He said to Grell. He just made sure steely webs surrounded the area making it harder to get to him and the boy.
