This fic was first published for the Black Butler forums Thursday Crack Ficlets: "Kuroshitsuji characters at a carnival" It was the first fanfiction I had written in 6 years. XD – CaladriaHaru

Sebastian: *smiling* "It was so kind of young master to arrange for this carnival to be held in honor of the sick children at Charring Cross hospital."

Ciel: *annoyed* "Philanthropy sells Funtom toys. The only 'kindness' here is thanks to Tanaka who suggested we boost sales with a public display. Did you make sure this carnival group can provide every service on my list?"

Sebastian: *with hand on his heart*. "I cross-referenced and personally visited 43 carnival groups to insure that all of Young Master's needs would be met."

Ciel: "And the special Peter Rabbits available as prizes only for this occasion?"

Sebastian: "Amply distributed, my lord." *a pause* "If I recall, Lady Elizabeth was quite fond of the design."

Ciel: *looks away* "Hmph. She would be fond of any small, adorable, helpless creature."

Sebastian: *hides a grin with one hand* "Which clearly explains her attachment to Young Master."

Ciel: *glares menacingly at Sebastian* "I suppose you think I waltzed right into that one."

Sebastian: *thoroughly delighted* "My thanks to Young Master for making 'waltzing' a simple task this time."

Ciel: *fuming and looking for revenge, he sees an opportunity in front of the Strong Man Bell Ringing game where a group of bandaged children are begging an aging orderly to play the game for them. Ciel stops and gestures towards the pitiable group with his cane. He touches his eye patch and smiles.* "Sebastian, this is an order. Win that game for every child who wants a Peter Rabbit and don't follow after me until they are all satisfied."

Sebastian: *frowns and looks at the growing group of children* "Yes, my lord...and where will the Young Master be?"

Ciel: "You will find out when you are finished, won't you?" *he approaches the group and puts on a dazzling smile.* "Young ladies and gentlemen, the Phantomhive butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is here to listen to your requests." *he points imperiously at the carnival hand holding the hammer and smiles chillingly at Sebastian*

Sebastian: *returns the smile with a frightening one of his own. The awed crowd of children become silent as he delicately takes the hammer, raises it above his head with one arm, and then slams the hammer lever with a crack that makes all of the children gasp. The crisp tone of the bell at the top causes the children to break into thunderous cheers. The stupefied carnival hand gives Sebastian a Peter Rabbit who in turn presents it to a four-year-old girl in a wheel chair. "As the Phantomhive butler, it is only natural that I can do this," he smiles as she tearfully takes the toy from him.

*The cheers of the children invariably begin to draw an ever-widening crowd. Ciel tucks his cane close to his body and disappears with a smile with the image of dozens of children pawing at Sebastian's coattails.*

Ciel: "That should buy me enough time..." *Ciel sets off with determination*

"Ciel and Alois at the Carnival!"

(continued from above)

The carnival appeared to be a huge success. A colorful assortment of children, parents, and guardians chatted, laughed, and called to each other as food vendors hawked their wares and carnival workers incited passersby to test their skill and strength. The smell of meat and popcorn mingled with the musky scent of the pony ride not far away. All in all, it was a lively place.

Ciel hated it passionately. He had one goal for the precious time he had bought for himself, one single-minded determination, and all of this humanity was just a loud, obnoxious distraction: he had to obtain a limited edition Peter Rabbit on his own power to present to Lady Elizabeth. It wasn't sentimental, no, not at all. It was his duty as her fiancé to uphold the time-honored tradition of winning a fair toy for her. He had to do it this way, if only once, and he certainly didn't want Sebastian's mocking gaze appraising his frail mortal strength as he made the attempt; these weren't the kinds of games at which Ciel excelled after all.

The young earl began to feel time slipping through his fingers. He didn't have the luxury of choosing the perfect test, so he decided to settle on the next game that caught his eye.

"Good day, guvna," the man smelled of cheap whiskey and his eyes were bloodshot. "Show off your skill with a slingshot, guv?" He picked up a half-rusty instrument with a frayed elastic band and thrust it down to Ciel who looked at the implement dubiously. Dirty. But dirt, he mused, was all part of the experience of a carnival; an afternoon of pleasure for the masses found by simply ignoring the filth. But it wasn't as if Ciel's soul was unclean enough to turn up his nose at the reminder.

Gingerly he took the slingshot, hefted it, and then looked at the targets. Three worn, wooden pins with chipped paint in the guise of disturbing clown faces grinned maliciously at him from their perch atop a small table. The carnival hand offered, "Three shots, three clowns down, and you will be the proud owner of a limited edition rabbit." Ciel didn't care for the way the drunken oaf waggled Peter Rabbit at him as if he were five. One day that toy would be quite valuable for its rarity.

However, for better or for worse, this was the game he had chosen. Ciel picked up a metal shot and placed it in the leather thong. He pulled his arm back, feeling the thong become tight, making his thin arm shake. Ciel unconsciously felt himself blush in sheer frustration at the clumsiness of his form. This was going to be a futile effort.

Suddenly, something whizzed past his left ear. There was a slight crack and one clown toppled over. Ciel's arm went slack on the slingshot as two more bullets raced into two more clown faces, neatly clearing the table.

At first, Ciel's heart sunk. His borrowed time was up and Sebastian had arrived to make him feel like a right fool, but when he turned to give his butler a sour look, his expression faltered into one of surprise. The young earl took an unconscious step backward.

Alois Trancy lowered the slingshot and openly grinned at the reaction. That was right next to my head, Ciel thought. Three shots like that to the head and Ciel had no doubt he would have been dead. The smile the blonde gave him as he took the opportunity to drape over Ciel's slightly smaller form bordered on psychotic.

"Ciel! Cieeelll~," he drew out the last syllable in almost an exact facsimile of Lady Elizabeth, "I thought that was you!" He tried to snuggle, snuggle! into Ciel's shoulder before the earl could get both arms up to roughly push him away.

"Don't touch me so freely!" he snarled and then added, "What are you doing here?" because he couldn't quite think of anything better as he commanded his heart to stop racing.

Alois laughed, put his hands behind his back innocently and rocked on the heels of his high-heeled boots. "Cruel, Ciel. Your carnival has been the talk of London for a month. Why would I not be here to eat the candy floss, play cards, and especially, ride the ponies?" He laughed and twirled around, taking in the entire filthy show with an expression of utter delight. "And of course, there was the possibility of seeing you..."

Cards. They had cards here? Damn. It would have been a better fit for Ciel's abilities then the slingshot.

"You would be delighted by such peasant diversions," Ciel caustically retorted to hide this new frustration at Alois' superior skill with the slingshot. It stood to reason that Alois was better with a slingshot; it was a tool and toy for the lower class. Still, being showed up in such a manner by an impostor nobleman was unpleasant to say the least. Ciel turned back to the table to put his own slingshot back. His plans were ruined and now he was in an extremely foul mood. "The slingshot is a barbarian's tool anyway."

Alois' sky blue eyes darkened for a split second at the obvious insult and his own temper changed. He leaned across Ciel's path of escape, one hand on the table on either side of Ciel's thin body, and cocked his head as his proximity forced the younger earl into the table. "Then you shouldn't be playing these barbarian games that take strength, strategy, and skill; you'll only feel like a fool." He leaned in and whispered, "I'm better than you, but I'll teach you if you ask very very nicely. Better to be a barbarian than a loser."

Alois' breath smelled like candy apple. The front of his plum-colored coat brushed the blue tweed of Ciel's own coat and suddenly he felt very warm. The young earl gazed slightly upward at Alois and felt the chill blue of Alois' eyes almost smoldering into his own. In them was the reflection of something, a memory perhaps, of two old men being harried by slingshot bullets, dropping their lunch of bread and cheese to escape as the hands of two hungry boys leaped upon the food, thin stomachs growling. "Better to be a barbarian than a loser." Alois repeated lower, his smile full of cold promise.

That was the last straw. Ciel pushed Alois away roughly and then had the satisfaction seeing his own earlier expression of surprise and dismay on the other boy's face as Alois' nose came in contact with the barrel of Ciel's small caliber pistol. Before the other earl could react Ciel turned towards the table where the clowns had been replaced. Three loud reports from the pistol and three clowns exploded off of the back of the table.

Ciel continued to stand, arm straight forward, the tip of his gun smoking, as the startled carnival visitors gasped and turned. His gaze was defiant, cold, calculated and precise as he lowered the weapon. The whiskey-drenched man grabbed a handful of Peter Rabbits and thrust them towards Ciel as he managed a shaky word of congratulations. Ciel austerely returned the pistol to the inner pocket of his coat and collected the rabbits.

He turned to Alois who looked either on the verge of throwing himself at Ciel's feet in adoration or running. "THAT was the strength, strategy, and skill of Earl Ciel Phantomhive." It was easy to push past Alois after that.

He turned to look over his shoulder as he walked off.

"You are ten years too early to be playing games with me, Alois Trancy..."

Ciel strode away with a prize under each arm.

FIN