Guard Detail

[Demeter]

Carma groaned at the thought of the Twit. Brainless, annoying and she had one of the screechy, high pitched voices that grated against his nerves. When Ziel told him to stay, Carma smiled and shifted, ever so slightly, so that he was leaning into Ziel. "Yeah, the twit doesn't become my responsiblity until 6am. Long way off."

When Ziel removed the strip of cloth that covered his eyes, Carma mumbled in discomfort because he'd moved his arm. When that arm came back though, he grinned before his lips stretched into a yawn. Really, guarding Custoss was so much more entertaining. They usually got up to no good and led him on wild adventures while trying to shake him from their trail. The Twit obeyed her parents and allowed him to follow her everywhere and remained within the building.

Carma sighed. "Watching the twit has made me tired. We'll figure out when the second installment of my reading payment should be given."

[Shinigami]

His internal sense of time was what woke him, more than anything else, but he hummed in satisfaction as his mind supplied him with the knowledge that he'd had a nice rest. When Jahaziel shifted to stretch he found his limbs were not only tangled in the sheets, but with other limbs. A smirk slid across his face as the memories of the previous night came to him and his eyelids fluttered open, an unconscious action even having been born blind.

Ziel carefully extracted an arm from the tangle only to place it back onto the bare skin before him. His senses telling him it was Carmine's chest he was touching. He slid his hand up to his shoulder and gave a light push, urging the man to wake. While he didn't -want- to have to get up, or lose the warmth of the one he was tangled with, he knew they both had jobs to do.

He mumbled, "We need to get up. I don't have a clock in here... what time is it?"

[Demeter]

Carma jerked away and then groaned. "I don't wanna wake up," he mumbled before Ziel's words managed to penetrate his skull. He jerked upright and slithered out of bed, "I've got a watch in my pocket. Carma picked up his pants and pulled out his watch. He sighed in reflief. "It's only five thirty."

He replaced the pocketwatch and reached for his clothing. "I supposed that I should go." As he pulled on his pants he looked over his shoulder at Ziel. "Will I be seeing you again?"
Feeling slightly affectionate, if a bit sleepy, Carma, clad only in his pants, crawled across the bed and kissed Ziel once. "Thank you for waking me up."

Once he was dressed and had Talos buckled on, Carma left Ziel's room after another kiss and quicky made his way to his own set of guests rooms. He quickly changed clothes, sure that the twit would notice if he showed up in the same clothing. He practically skidded to a stop in front of her door and nodded to the guard stationed at it. He went it, nodded the man lounging on the sofa and leaned against the wall. The twit would probably sleep for a while yet, so he had time to ponder Ziel...

Well, it was that or reading about decorum and proper things.

[Shinigami]

Jahaziel chuckled a bit as Carma was fighting consciousness, giving him another little shove at his shoulder. He hadn't expected the man to move so fast, however, and didn't have time to move in preparation for Carmine bolting upright. Ziel let out a short, surprised yelp as he was jerked with him before he managed to untangle himself and slither more towards the side of the bed he had claimed for the night. He was scowling slightly, but the look smoothed out to a neutral one as Carma read the time aloud.

He sprawled himself across the one side of the bed on his back, face turned towards his current lover as he listened to the rustle of clothes and smelled the scent of their most recent activities. He gave a playful half pout when Carmine mentioned leaving, but he knew the man had a job to do. The pout was quick to slide into a smirk when he was asked if they'd be seeing each other again. "If you still plan to pay off that reading you will be. Besides, we're both being forced to go to that infernal ball."

When the bed dipped under Carmine's weight Ziel couldn't help but purr a little, accepting the rather nice kiss and faced his thank you with a cheshire grin. "You're welcome. I wouldn't want you to be fired from your job before you've paid off your debt." He listened to Carma finish dressing and rolled over to the other side of the bed, closer to him, and tangling his legs in the sheets. He lifted his head for a quick parting kiss and he didn't drop it back to the bed until the door had clicked shut once more.

Oh, he had enjoyed the previous night, and was glad for the opportunity to have at least a few more. This was only the second Custos he had slept with out of the sher fact that he was given very little opportunity to meet Custos's, but they certainly could become an addiction of his if he wasn't careful. At least Carmine could. He hadn't realized he'd been drifting back off to sleep while on his stomach until he felt a flick to the back of this shoulder.

Jahaziel hissed at Ezekiel, but he persisted. "Get up, you. Breakfast will be served soon, and if you want to sit in the training rooms this morning as usual you need to drag your lazy body from bed." Kiel waited, with a smug-looking smile on his face until Ziel sat up, indicating he was wake. Ziel grumbled as Kiel taunted him. "Sleep well last night?"

He snickered as he was shooed from the room.

[Demeter]

Carma groaned as every single bone and muscle in his back popped or creaked. Yet another long day of guarding the Twit. Atleast there'd been some excitement had happened. A threat had been sent in, disgused as a garment box. Said box had contained a dead animal. The box had been disposed off, the grounds swept, and the twit sedated.

Personally, Carma thought this situation was driven by jealous rage. The gossip around the place was the the twit had attracted the suitor of another twit. Still, young women could be viscious. Besides, he still had a debt to pay off.

Carma grinned as he walked down to the training room. Some discreet questioning had told him that Ziel could normally be found in the training room. He walked in, grinned and crossed to the table where Ziel sat. He spun a chair around and sat on in, arms folded against the back of the chair. "Hello again."

[Shinigami]

Jahaziel had been sitting in the training room for most of the day. He had been dragged away by the Lord and Lady of the house about the earlier incident, asking his advice. He was annoyed with the questions. The girl was just a stupid twit, and if he had seen a vision concerning her safety they would have been told immediately. If there was no vision, it was obviously not important enough to warrent his time. The Lord had seen his annoyance and had tried to placate him by calling on his wisdom for advice. Ziel bristled a bit, knowing the compliment was just a way to get him to comply, but he couldn't ignore it.

And to top it off, in his haste to get ready in the morning he had forgotten the cloth that normally covered his eyes. He could tell this made the Lady nervous at the very least and he could tell by the direction of her voice that she had been refusing to look directly at him. At least the Lord had the curtesy to ignore such things and speak to him directly.

In the end he had told them to wait it out. The little spat threats would be over before long and then forgotten. He was happy to be able to settle back in the training room, listening to the soldiers shuffling around and swinging swords, and listening to his brother. Ezekiel was sparring with a few different soldiers, pointing out where their forms needed improvement and where more power was needed. He looked up when the new form entered the doorway and his eyes followed Carmine as he sought out his brother once again. He only turned his full attention back to his soldiers when Ziel responded.

Ziel knew the aura, scent, and the sound of boots and shifting chair before he heard the voice. He smiled, flicking his eyes in Carmine's direction before leaning back against the chair. "Hello to you as well. I hope you haven't come for another reading, because I doubt you could aford it in time. You're still paying off your first."

[Demeter]

Carma grinned at Ziel's words and rested his chin on the back of the chair. "I'm not here for a second reading. I'm here to escape the twit and her twittering entourage. Claims that she would never go near the training room. It smells of sweat, you see, and she just can't abide the scent of sweat. Even though that sweat allows her to spend her life doing next to nothing useful." Carma muttered that last part with just enough volume for Ziel to hear, sure that some of the men in the training room were fans of the twit.

"I take it you heard about today's excitement?" When Ziel nodded, Carma sighed. "She shrieked. One of the glass-splitting ones that causes people to grind their teeth at night. I'm for an escape." Carma leaned across the table, elbows supporting most of his wait and ran a finger down the side of Ziel's face. "Care to offer me an even better escape?"

He didn't mind Ziel's unbound eyes. He found them intriguing. Carma sat back in his chair and propped his head up in his hands. Having the chance to just sit, warmed by the heat of the training room, caused his eyelids to droop. Damn, but he would kill for a bed right now.

[Shinigami]

Jahaziel snorted, understanding the need to escape that little prim and proper harpy. And as for her aversion to the training room, well, he hadn't particularly known about that, but now that he did he was going to remember that. He was smirking by the time Carma ended his comments in a mutter. There were a few soldiers that would have challenged the Custos for that statement, but he also knew that both he and his own twin agreed with the bodyguard for hire, so the challenge wouldn't get far.

He nodded when Carmine asked if he'd heard the earlier commotion. Of course, it had been his morning headache, and he was hoping that was the only one he'd get that day. Ziel shuddered at the thought of her screaming. He had heard the blood curtailing noise once before, and he never wanted to hear it again.

Ziel paused when he heard the creak of the chair as Carma leaned forward feeling the heat of his nearing hand before he shivered at the finger that trailed down his face. He smirked, even as the heat backed off and he heard the chair creak again as Carmine's weight settled back in his chair. "I'm certainly willing to offer you a much better escape, but.." Jahaziel leaned forward, palms on the table taking his weight. "Are you sure you're up to it? I would have expected you to be a bit more.. persuasive."

[Demeter]

Carma propped up one elbow on the table and used it to hold up his head. "I'd love to be more persuasive, Ziel, but you wore me out last night. What I would like, if it is no way imposing on you, is a place to sleep where no one can find me. For several hours."

Carma stretched, groaning with the stressed muscles in his back and shoulders protested the action. Standing around all day while the twit twirled around in new dresses was tiring him out and he'd hardly gotten enough sleep last night. Carma peered at Ziel. "What do you say, are you willing to offer me the use of a bed, couch, chair, or the floor in return for an extra installment on the payments I already owe you?"

[Shinigami]

Ziel smirked, taking a bit of pride in the fact that he had managed to ware the sword for hire out. He would have expected to be the one with the most fatigue, seeing has he didn't get much of a chance to build his stamina trapped in the house as he was. Though, he was sure some of Carmine's exhaustion was most likely from dealing with his charge all day.

His head cocked to the side at the groan, obviously born from aching muscles and sleepiness, but he like the sound none the less. At least from Carmine. Jahaziel was smiling when Carma propositioned him for a place to sleep once more, exaggerating a look of intrigue at being offered more 'payment'. "Hmmm, an extra installment in your payment? I think that sounds fair. Come, I'll lend you my bed."

Jahaziel beckoned Carma to stand. He was sure Ziel would feel better if they left anyway, as the children were coming in for their lessons soon. It wouldn't do to be flirting around them, or let them swarm the already exhausted Carmine in their curiosity.

[Demeter]

Carma followed Jahaziel out of the training room and back through the hallways to his rooms. Last last night he'd much to interested to pay attention and today he was much to tired to even mark when and where he turned. He didn't even glare, eye, or even look at the angels they passed in the hallways. He wanted a bed and some sleep. Hopefully, he'd sleep till his next shift. Though he enjoyed the attentions of the blind angel, Carma hoped for the end of his contracted time of service to come soon.

When Jahaziel let him into the room, Carma unbuckled his sword belt, toed off his shoes and removed his shirt. He turned, giving Jahaziel a not so quick kiss, before crossing over to the bed, snuggling under the covers, and drifting off to sleep.

He stayed there, in a prone position for hours. When he woke up, it was late. Carma cracked his jaw yawning and sat up. He looked around the room, eyes blurry. Noting that nothing seemed unusual, Carma flopped back onto the mattress, rolled onto his side and slid a pillow between his shoulder and neck. He quickly fell back asleep.

[Shinigami]

Jahaziel kept a keen sense on Carmine, making sure the man was still following him through the halls and not wandering off in his exhaustion. The few people roaming the halls still edged around them, but that was almost a natural reaction after Carma had spent the previous days glaring at everyone. Ziel had no qualms about allowing the Custos to use his bed, even if he wasn't getting any pleasure out of it. The man looked too dead tired for that kind of activity that night, anyway.

He watched as he heard the sound of Carma pulling off clothing items almost as soon as he was led into the room. The kiss pulled a hum from Ziel before the sounds of is temporary lover getting comfortable in bed reached him. Jahaziel smirked, shaking his head lightly as left to go to his meditation room, closing the door behind him so Ezekiel wouldn't bother the sleeping Custos.

The door creaked faintly when Jahaziel went back to make sure Carmine was awake for his next shift. The lack of movement and the sounds of even, slow breathing told him the man was still asleep. He sighed, walking around and running his hand up Carma's arm, making sure he wasn't behind him when she shook him lightly to wake him. "Carmine, its morning. You need to get up if you want to make your shift on time."

[Demeter]

Carma groaned but sat up. He looked around the room for a few minutes before remembering just where he was. Ziel's room. He climbed out the bed and gathered up his clothing. He thanked Ziel for letting him use his room with a noisy kiss and a promise of extra-curricular activies later in the day. He returned to his room, dressed for the day and returned to the Twit with the prayer that she actucally did something interesting today. Even riding a horse would interesting at this point.

Carma appeared at his post, nodding to the pair of guards outside her door and let himself in. He flopped over in one of the danity chairs the Twit liked, nodded to the other bored guard, and sighed. Another long day.

At the end of the shift, Carma wandered down to the training room, expecting to find Ziel there. He wasn't disappointed; Ziel at the table surrounding by kids. Carma sat in a spare chair and watched him with the kids.

[Shinigami]

Jahaziel was having a rather good day. He hadn't minded the loss of his bed in the least. Of course, he had entertained the idea of slipping into bed with Carmine while he slept, but had a feeling it would be a bad idea if he startled the Custos while doing so. Then he got his favorite group of children in the training room. He never liked the older ones, closer to their teen years, nor the very young ones that had such little discipline. This group ranged from 6 to 10 years of age.

He was currently surrounded by them as he once again had his tarot cards out, only this time he wasn't doing readings. Ziel was doing card tricks for the children, having been challenged by yet another one to do tricks while they could see his eyes. Ezekiel was working with the children one at a time, so every time one would finish their lesson they would switch out with one seated around the small wooden table.

The sounds of boots hitting the floor and the particular aura that drew near alerted Jahaziel that Carmine was coming to the training rooms again. He smiled a bit wider as he continued to display his card tricks to the gaggle surrounding him. He didn't need his senses to tell him when Carma actually got to the room, because the hush that fell over the children was enough to give it away.

He chuckled lightly. "Come now, just because we have a visitor doesn't mean you should all be shy. If it was any of the other soldiers you'd be dragging them over to see my tricks." He heard a few whispers among the kids. Some speaking nervous mutterings about the visitor and others wondering how he had known someone else was in the room. This would really get them. "Well? Aren't you going to invite Carmine over?"

[Demeter]

Carma grinned as he watched the children bicker about who'd be the one to invite him over. He smiled, waiting while the biggest boy took several brave steps towards him. The boy lightly tapped on his shoulder. Carma looked down at him. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we were just wonderinf if you wanted to come watch the seer do some of his card tricks. They're pretty neat, his tricks. He's just over there. He knows your name."

Carma followed the boy's pointing finger. He could see that Ziel wasn't wearing the cloth that normally covered his eyes. "I imagine that his tricks are quite neat." Carma stood and grinned when the boy's eyes widened when he saw the plain, unadnored sheath by his side. He imagine that the angel children saw very few Custoss. Carma, having first hand experience with some of Ziel's 'tricks', wandered on over. The other children quickly cleared a space for himand Carma sat across from Ziel. "Proceed with the tricks then." Just to find out if it would caused the blind angel to fidget, Carma stretched his legs out and, even though they were booted, rested his feet against the curve of Ziel's calf. He'd had his rest and was ready to start repayment.

Later, when the children had left, Carma leaned back in his chair. "So, Ziel, I just have to know. Where, exactly did you sleep last night?"

[Shinigami]

Ziel smirked as the children decided amongst themselves to send the biggest boy over. He wasn't the oldest, but he was the strongest out of this age group. Not that such a thing would have helped the poor boy against Carmine if the Custos meant any harm. He was forced to stifle a snort as Carma acted as though he hadn't been paying attention to Jahaziel or the goings-on at the table.

As Carma walked over, he heard the shuffle as the children moved to make room for the soldier. He was sure all of the children could tell that's what he was, but it was likely that only the older ones really understood that he was a Custos soldier (unless they had been told).

He raised an eyebrow at Carmine's command to proceed, but smirked as he replied. "As you wish." Jahaziel's smirk grew a bit wider as he felt a booted foot rest against his leg. A few of the tricks he was doing were slight-of-hand, but for the most part he was relying on his ability to predict or 'see' the cards to awe the children. Ziel even went able making up a short faerie tale on the fly with the cards he pulled as reference.

By the time he had finished, even Ezekiel had been watching with interest (even though he had probably seen most, if not all, of the tricks before). The children were ushered out to go about their own business, whether that was more lessons elsewhere or to simply go home. At Carmine's question, Jahaziel looked up towards him with a light smile. "With my brother, of course."

That got a snort from Ezekiel, who was busying himself with putting the training room back to order. Ziel had meant the answer to sound falsely innocent and like a joke, but it was actually true, though -entirely- innocent.

[Demeter]

Carma grinned. He glanced at the brother, tilted his head to the left as he regarded them man. He turned back to Ziel. "Must have been an interesting night," he said, leaning back in his chair. Carma set his chair back down and grinned at Ziel. "As interesting as a night with your brother might have been, what do you saw to spending the night with me? I'm sure that I can entertain you in ways that you're brother can't."

Carma let that booted foot run up Ziel's leg. He was enjoying this fling and it had been a while since he'd truely enjoyed a fling. He set that leg on the vee of chair between Ziel's legs. "I do believe that I'm rested enough to start that repayment program we were talking about. After dinner, should we...discuss the method of payment further? I need to eat. The twit was running around all day preparing for some god-awful party that I don't have to attend. I waved goodbye to them right before I got here."

He glanced around the training room. "Anything good to eat here? Besides you, that is." Carma grinned.

[Shinigami]

Ezekiel glanced over at the table when he felt eyes on him, looking right back at Carmine with a brow raised. Once the Custos looked away he went back to setting the room back to way it was before. Jahaziel was smirking as Carma commented, and chuckled at his proposition. "Oh, I'm -definitely- sure you can entertain me in ways my brother can not. But are you sure you can handle another night with me? You were quite exhausted yesterday..."

Ziel was enjoying his chance to tease the Custos a little, but he stilled as he felt Carmine's boot running up his leg and stopping as he set it on the chair between his leg. He shivered a bit as he shifted, causing the booted foot to brush his thighs. It seemed he was being teased back, and he finding it rather enjoyable. He smiled as Carma stated he was rested enough to continue his payment, but he wished to eat first. Jahaziel could wait until after dinner.

He laughed at the rather corny pun and stood. "Well, this time of night the best food is often found in the kitchens while the cooks are finishing up what will be served in the dining halls. The old woman to runs the kitchen has taken a shining to my brother and I over the years, so she lets us sneak into the kitchen to eat."

[Demeter]

Carma laughed. Somehow he could just see the blind angel and his twin sneaking into the kitchen for a bit of coddeling and free food. He stood. "Lead on, then, and feed me so I can pay you back for that reading and the use of your bed last night. The Lord has seen how exhausted I've become by watching his lay-about daughter. He made the choice to let me have the next two days off because an exhausted Custos bodyguard is just no good to him."

Carma followed, just a step behind the angel, Ziel as they walked towards the kitchens. He wanted food before he wanted Ziel. He needed substance before he set to the task of worshipping Ziel. The head cook fussed over the two of them, installing them at some chipped and old round table that had been tucked into a corner of the kitchen. She placed big plates of food on the table and then bustled away to yell at one of the young angels standing over a pot of pasta.

Carma watched the commotion in the kitchens, amused. He didn't spend much time in the kitchen. "So, Ziel, what do you have in mind for tonight?"