{ Text; UN: potentia.regere }

[earlofphantoms]

{ It's late and he should be sleeping, but rest evades him more often than he likes. Thus why he sticks to text. The other residents of the house needn't be woken. }

Do you believe in curses or fairytales? Can malicious magic be undone?

I have nothing to lose. Spare me no details.

{ Part of him wants to be disgusted. If someone can manage that then he will be suitably distracted from his own circling thoughts. }

Or we can share embarrassing stories.

Comments

video | un: undertaker

[somakemelaugh]

[Oh, for the love of... The text fad has caught the elder Phantomhive, has it? He’ll not return the courtesy.]

Spending the evening in the archives, are we?

video

[earlofphantoms]

{ Come onnnn... }

It's so much simpler than writing a letter. { He keeps his voice down for Ciel's sake. }

video

[somakemelaugh]

[That’s better. He doesn’t like having to give up his fingernails.]

It is. Anything I can help you with at this time of night? [He knows. And he does feel a little bad about not being there right now to go over the writings.]

video

[earlofphantoms]

{ No, those are too spectacular. }

I'm fine. { Only...not. Most assuredly not. } Rachel was the one with the Asthma. He has it too.

Then why does it feel like, right when I am about to sleep, I cannot breathe?

[somakemelaugh]

[Indeed. More importantly, there’s a definite air of “not fine” in all of that and he wonders why Vincent even tries anymore with him.]

I’ve a few thoughts on it, none I’d like to express in my present company. [Asleep though Ciel is.] Might I trouble you for a moment of privacy?

[earlofphantoms]

You're welcome. { As always. Vincent is perched on a chair, as far from the bed as he can get. } Is he sleeping?

[somakemelaugh]

[As expected.] Like a rock, as he will. [He would say like the dead, but it’s not the time or place. And he’s already carefully worming away from the boy to get out of bed rather than wait for Vincent’s response.] A moment, milord.

[earlofphantoms]

{ Rocks are more comforting than corpses. Vincent gives a nod - and then recalls Undertaker's eyesight: }

Do not trip in the dark.

[somakemelaugh]

[He’ll do the man one better and as soon as he’s out of bed, he steps directly into the center of Vincent’s room. From the phone’s screen, he’d been able to see enough to know where Vincent was, so no collisions necessary. When there, he looks around, not that he can see much now.]

Now then. Where were we?

[earlofphantoms]

{ He has a chair ready for him and he rises to lead him to it. Let it never be said that Vincent cannot be thoughtful. It's just that much of the time he forgoes those instincts in favor of some that are more amusing. }

A certain lack of air at night?

[somakemelaugh]

[He'll grant the man that much, but he won't rely on it. He knows better. Still, he'll trust Vincent to get him to that other chair without incident.]

Ah, yes. That. So what shall we do about that?

[earlofphantoms]

{ That's probably best, though Vincent would not let harm befall Undertaker or Ciel knowingly. }

I'm thinking I forgo sleep altogether.

[somakemelaugh]

[What's one more scar among dozens on this body? He might protest the boy, but not his own.]

It's torture, you know. Keeping yourself awake to exhaustion. [Not that he used to do that or anything.] Makes a mess of everything eventually. Are the dreams that bad, milord?

[earlofphantoms]

Torture until you pass out into a quiet rest.

{ Yes, that's the healthy option! }

...yes. { The answer is tight and he turns slightly away. } Yes, they are that bad.

[somakemelaugh]

[He sighs and shakes his head.] If you want to end yourself, there are easier ways to do it. I won't help you with that, but you're more fun when you're alive. So then, we have a problem, it seems. [He lifts a hand to rest his cheek against, watching Vincent.] What to do about it?