Title: Carnival
Author: Neko-chan
Disclaimer: …not mine. Sad to say. OTL
Pairings: None. Though, if you squint a little, you can seen a tiiiiiny, itsy-bitsy little bit of Claude and Alois.
Summary: Once upon a time, Claude took Alois to a carnival.
Author's Note: Choice A: Write my paper on The Taming of the Shrew, due tomorrow. Choice B: Write fanfiction.
…this was such a hard decision to make. ;D
Carnival
carnival; n. - any merrymaking, revelry, or festival, as a program of sports or entertainment
Once upon a time, but Alois didn't remember any specific time anymore—because, after all, what was the point when the entire world had gone dim and quiet in heavy darkness?—and so he couldn't remember when it was that it happened. He just remembered that it had. But, once upon a time when the Trancy mantle was still new and ill-fitting about Alois' shoulders, Claude had taken him to a carnival.
That "once upon a time ago" had been his first venture away from the manor since shedding his old skin to re-emerge into the world as "Alois," and that new skin was snugly clinging and tight at his joints: naked, he felt, with so many layers peeled away and the new ones still in the process of growing.
But Claude had taken him to a carnival, had been indolent in an indulgent sort of way—talked about the countryside as they drove through it, barely even taking the time to glance outside of the carriage's windows to watch the thickly green hills passing by. There had been more forests then, once upon a time ago, Claude had said. But humans, following the pattern of humanity, had burned and cut the land and its trees down. There had been a primeval sort of magic then, once upon a time ago. But all that was now left was Alois' "faerie," and everything else had settled to dust.
But during that once upon a time ago, Alois had been helped out of the carriage by his butler's gracious touch, Claude's hand settling atop his shoulder as Alois had paused for the moment to take the time to look around. It was his first carnival, the first time he was allowed onto the grounds instead of peeking through the wooden boards of the wall with Luka, the first time he was allowed to step past the entrance where a man called out jovially and took people's money before handing out tickets that smeared runny ink over sweaty children's hands.
Alois had let Claude lead the way, arms wrapped constrictingly around his butler's arm. He had watched that once upon a time from beneath dark lashes, the blue of his gaze changing, deepening, flickering with the thoughts that he thought but never voiced aloud—because the contract's seal oftentimes swallowed his words whole and it was still the once upon a time ago where impressing Claude and keeping him nearby had meant everything to him.
It was when they moved deeper onto the carnival grounds, however—
It didn't take long, that once upon a time, before he and Claude came upon the freak show. The laughter led the way, had paved the way for demon and contractor, and it was wide, braying mouths that greeted Alois and his butler when they finally came upon the tent. There were dark eyes, there were eyes alight with malicious intent, there were eyes that swam with viciousness that was echoed within the boy's soul, and there were teeth that flashed in the amber light of the lanterns: lips bared back to reveal the ugly core of humanity, an abyss of refuse. The monsters jeered and laughed and tossed popcorn and sweet treats, fingers covered and gooey with candied apples, at the reflection of himself that had been put up on exhibit.
Once upon a time…
Once upon a time, Claude had taken him to a carnival.
Once upon a time ago, but Alois doesn't remember when ago it was, he had laughed along with the monsters, laughed along with the reflections of himself that were still hated by the masses about him, laughed along with the echoing halls of the audience's souls because he knew them so well, so incredibly well; when the echoes of his laughter had faded to be consumed by the starry night, Alois had eased up onto the very tips of his toes to whisper reverently against the shell of Claude's ear.
"Burn it all."
End.