our destination is uncertain

Chapter 5

This chapter was written by quaintrelle!

"You're a damned idiot, Jack. The blood isn't stopping.."

Drip, drip, drip.

Blood falls to the floor without any stop. Some even fall onto a blue coat, much to the ire of a certain Photographer. At the same time, Jack continues to hum without any care, maybe even finding amusement in the situation.

However, Joseph's reaction is to tie an even tightly wrapped bandage to Jack's wound, accompanied with Joseph's own sigh of disappointment.

"Be careful with that, won't you?" Jack peers with angry scrutiny at the other hunter, before immediately turning his gaze more softer. "But thank you for the effort, darling."

Joseph remains silent, never looking up to see Jack's eyes. He sits still as Jack looks over him, his internal anger bubbling but never showing. It always backfired, in a way, to show such a weak emotion to the serial killer.

The silence continues uncomfortably, so much so that Jack fixes his own sitting posture in the chair far too many times.

"..Are you mad, Mr. Desaulniers?"

Jack's question cuts through the awkward silence momentarily, and it only makes Joseph maintain his silence even longer.

Giving up, Jack sighs and moves his wounded hand away from the other hunter, observing his bandages with a strange curiosity.

"You're mad because they were siblings, right, Desaulniers? You always get so annoyed when family comes up.." Hidden behind Jack's mask was a little eye roll, as he spoke, tired of the topic at his own mention.

The silence continues for a beat before Joseph slowly nods his head. An unimpressed stare lies in Joseph's unnaturally blue eyes, and it's enough to make Jack smile again.

"Would you like it if I apologized?

No reaction.

"Would you like it if I eliminated the both of them?"

Another round of silence seems to begin again before Joseph clears his throat to finally speak. The action is enough to receive Jack's complete undivided attention.

"It would certainly be much kinder. Although, I think everyone would hate you more. And even under all this pretense, Jack, I'm seething at the thought of you doing the same to my family. I'd kill you the first chance I get."

What follows is immediate silence, but neither of the hunters felt uncomfortable anymore. In their gaze lies a sick bloodlust and apathy, an understanding of themselves better left in the shadows.

Jack only shrugs his shoulders, and the connection ends for everything to return to normal. Almost.

A sudden large retching rips through the silence, even more blood splattering on the floor. Jack shudders without any control, but despite it all, he still continues to smile.

He smiles looking at his own blood, and Joseph's fingernails digging deep into his wrist. If Joseph was an ordinary person, perhaps such a wound wouldn't even matter. But as hunters, people who have discarded their humanity, all they have left is nothing but the inhumane strength to hunt.

"Look at yourself, Ripper. Sick in both body and soul. You would be a very dynamic photo right now." The sight of Jack's circumstances gives Joseph a tiny smile at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh? Then let me tell you.. of all the times I wanted to paint your guts on a canvas.." Jack's voice drips of strange joy and malice. His tone hides the possibility of anger, hiding beneath a veil.

Even cursed, Jack's nature is to simply enjoy suffering and beauty. The mere aspect of it sets apart the two hunters. But it is never enough to truly separate them.

The whole scene even takes Joseph back to older, and darker times. Even if Jack's hand is left convulsing sickly, blood dripping all over the floor, it is slightly reminiscent of Claude, dear sweet Claude, and his terrible illness.

Simply what a shame that it had to be Jack that Joseph cares for, nowadays. Truly a large contrast to whatever the lord had before.

"How sweet of you." Sarcasm comes in naturally to Joseph's defense, taking him away from any deep reminders. Now would not be the best time to ponder, with a metallic stench building up around the room.

Joseph's hands loosen from Jack's wrist into as if returning from reality.
In the end, it is Jack who understands the sin of taking a life away better than anyone else at the manor. It is in that fact that Joseph knew that they were both the same. It would be madness to deprive oneself of such companionship.

"But regarding this mess, I.. will accompany you to the hospital. I apologize for the sudden actions, but this time you ruined the mood so much I couldn't stop myself." Jack snorts at the words, causing Joseph to momentarily flare up. "I-I..! Would even ask if Violetta or Ann know anything to patch your wound up. Mark my words. This whole affair will be fixed, so I won't have any backtalk from you."

It's the sentiment that makes Jack's eyes behind the mask quirk in amusement.

"Oh? Thank you, dar-"

"Tch. How insufferable of you, even now at a time like this. I'll make you regret it if you call me darling right now. I just won't have it."

Despite Joseph's harsh words, Jack couldn't stop himself from laughing at his companion's words. The feeling is infectious, even if Joseph is left to blush in shame. Not even Jack's new bandages can stop the blood trickle downwards.

"Hm.. I'll have your back. I know you enjoy it when we hunt with our vampire costumes on. You start smiling like a kid, I swear."

"You say that only because of my height, Whistler. You're just freakishly tall. I can still take you on in a blade fight."

In this strange moment, the atmosphere feels calm, even playful between the two. Blood is a strange comfort to killers, no matter how the deed was done.

Edited and revised by quaintrelle!