Shipping Safe Space

The demon was upon him in an instant, tendrils of thick black fog springing forward to bind Ciel’s limbs, immobilising him as the humanoid figure of the demon loomed overhead, half obscured by shadow. Black claws pinched at his cheeks as Sebastian leaned down to bring their faces level, red eyes half-closed, and a wicked grin across his lips, framing the pointed teeth. “What a foolish little thing you are sometimes,” he snickered, the words deep and growling with the creature’s inhuman power – and inhuman appetite.

The fog turned to something more viscous; a dense, oily sludge that spread to coat Ciel’s body, seeping its way beneath his clothing, clinging to the skin beneath. The entire room darkened, swallowed by shadows of the blackest black, and all that Ciel could see of Sebastian were those glowing red eyes and gleaming white teeth. The hand was still there, black claws indecipherable against the rest of the surroundings, but Ciel felt as it released its grasp on his face in favour of the neck below and the boy reached out instinctively through the strings of sludge, clasping with both hands at the darkness where a wrist should be, nails digging in to the slick texture of the near invisible form as his breathing was constricted, eyes watering as he choked, gasping for air.

It's December, in the space bewteen Ciel's birthday and Christmas. Lizzy has been bugging Ciel about joining her at some big Christmas event that's happening in London. Apparently they've been bragging in the newspapers about how amazing the decorations are going to be, with garlands and baubles all around the place and a gigantic Christmas tree.

Ciel is disinterested, partially because of the hassle of making a public appearance and partly because he's working on a case and in the middle of researching an organisation - until his findings land on their ties to the companies that will be handling shipment of the event ornaments and decorating the venue, making it the most likely target.

Diedrich also happens to be in England and accompanies Ciel and Sebastian to the event. They find that the entire place is rigged to explode - there are detonation wires concealed in the strings of fir garlands, and the baubles have been filled with gunpowder. Ciel goes with Diedrich for damage control while Sebastian separately handles the main Christmas tree, which along with the armed baubles is also 'decorated' with a number of wooden 'present boxes' set up in the branches, all of which are filled with explosives.

Sebastian is found by members of the organisation while dismantling the tree and allows himself to be 'captured' by them. He is restrained and taken to what they call their 'viewing gallery', essentially a room in a nearby building where they can watch the spectacle. There they share their plan - monologuing, as the villains so often like to do. They are on a supposed mission from God to put an end to what they deem as sacrilegious celebration of Christmas, the pomp of glamour and decoration having outshined the intended meaning of the holiday.

Uhh... yeah?