The carriage rolled down the bustling streets. Inside was Mey Rin and Aeslin, the maid having been tasked with accompanying Aeslin to Nina's shop to see about getting some reasonable clothing. Her cloaking was partially in effect, hiding her horns. Occasionally, Aeslin flicked her gaze from the window and to Mey Rin. Aeslin would sense as well as see how nervous she made the maid, to her bemusement. Bleeding from the maid and into the demigod's awareness was some mixture of confusion, mild fear and attraction.
The two soon proceeded out of the carriage soon and into the seamstress's shop.
"Mey Rin! How good to see you!" The bubbly brunette greeted, nearly skipping over to the pair with an array of colorful spools in her arms and strings cascading erratically all over her form. She'd nearly tripped as she made way for the pair. "Oh! I see you brought a guest. It's lovely to meet you," she inclined her head a little and smiled brightly. "What can I help you with?"
"Lord Phantomhive's got out newest recruit. He'll be his physician, yes he will," Mey Rin nodded her head excitedly. "Name's Aeslin! He'll be needing some new clothes, we thought it'd be best to pay you a visit."
"Wise choice!" Nina beamed. Aeslin merely watched the two woman buzz about. They were quite lively, though this didn't seem to phase the demigod much. "Well, why don't you take a look around and get an idea of what you fancy, before I pull you into the back to take some measurements, hmm? It's of the utmost importance that I make you an outfit that fits you perfectly. Go on, don't be shy!~" Aeslin glanced around the shop. Her attention was caught mostly by the men's section, namely the black coats. Mey Rin took to waiting in the front of the store with a book in hand while Aeslin was led into the back room by Nina.
"All right, mister Aeslin, if you would, I'll need you to strip down to just your under garments. Some people don't like that, but any friend of Ciel's deserves my best work!" She motioned to a section of the room with a dark folding screen. Aeslin walked to it, took her place behind it and removed her clothing until she was only in a simple white mid-drift type shirt and some fitted white mini shorts. She walked out then, expression even as she stepped upon the stand in the midst of the space. Nina turned, gasping a little when she looked to Aeslin, and then laughed.
"Mey Rin made it sound like you were a man!" The seamstress's laugh chimed in Aeslin's ears. "I didn't expect otherwise," Aeslin was not in the slightest the most vulumptous young woman; she was sinewy with the slightest curve to her hips and almost unseen breasts. Nina proceeded to measure Aeslin, gushing as she did. "My! Your proportions are just as astoundingly perfect as Lord Phantomhive's! You're quite the looker, miss Aeslin, I have to say; like a porcelain doll~" Aeslin merely went along with the measurements sporting a deadpan, moving her limbs as she was indicated to do so. Really, she wasn't sure how to handle the attention at all.
"Now then, what types of articles did you like?" Nina then moved towards the chair Aeslin set some of her selections upon. Lots of darker shades, blacks, greys, deep purples and blues and browns. All of them were quite androgynous in appearance. "I see, and I must say I appreciate a woman who is not afraid to break those pesky gender norms." Soon she got to work on Aeslin's customized outfit and then allowed the young woman to try it on.
Mey Rin looked over as she heard the curtain to the back room shift open, proceeding over to take a look. "Oh, my!" She uttered, a nose bleed running down her lip the moment she witnessed Aeslin. A hand clasped over her mouth to hide the blood. "Mister Aeslin-! You- you look utterly dashing...!" The maid swooned, 'Nearly as dashing as Sebastian, yes he does...!' Aeslin sported a calf-length, tapered black coat with a grayish purple embellished vest, white dress shirt and black tie. Slender black slacks were worn on her legs and on her feet, heeled Oxfords in black and gray Her hair was tied loosely back with a thin white cloth. Aeslin looked in the mirror, and truly this outfit did make her look deceivingly male, albeit an extraordinary pretty male. Admittedly, she loved Nina's work. The brunette then proceeded to the check out stand with a heap of clothing in her arms.
"Now you'll have a suitable wardrobe!" Nina beamed.
Aeslin looked to the huge pile of clothing a little hesitantly. "Won't it all be a bit expensive...?"
"Oh, no need to be so modest! Seems Master Ciel was feeling rather generous today," Mey Rin assured.
-A few moments later-
Aeslin and Mey Rin headed into Ciel's study, sparkles shimmering against Aeslin as Mey Rin motioned to her in presentation. "So, what d'you think?" Mey Rin asked. 'Truly, I don't think I can handle having such beautiful men around the manor...!' She couldn't help but lament inwardly.
Ciel glanced from the forms upon his desk and to Aeslin nonchalantly. "I see you favor men's clothing," he mused faintly. "It is much more suitable than the robes you usually wear. Nina is... a bit much though her work does not disappoint." Aeslin nearly cracked a smirk at the young man's candid ways. Blue eyes moved to Mey Rin then. "I need to have a few words with Aeslin," to that Mey Rin bowed hastily and scurried out of the room. "Being appointed as my physician, I trust that since you have a duty as a healer that you have an extensive knowledge on anatomy?"
"Of course," Aeslin affirmed.
"Right. Well, though you have a duty here, I thought I would remind you of my position working for Queen Elizabeth. I try not to involved Mey Rin, Bard or Finnian on such tasks for... obvious reasons though at times they will be present. Because I am aware of your abilities, there is a good chance you'll be joining in with any cases that are particularly paranormal in nature. Thus, you may end up needing to put these tasks above your own individual tasks at times. Is that a problem?"
"It shouldn't be," Aeslin sent on. "If anything, I will merely need to find a balance between everything. Though like your butler, I am quick on my feet. Multitasking should be easy, most of the time, if anything."
"Good. You can take you leave," Ciel motioned to the door, looking distracted by the forms he was working on. Aeslin quietly made her way out. Ciel looked to the door as she exited, wondering for a moment. It probably was a good thing Aeslin looked a bit male. Lizzy likely would not exactly likely the idea of him having a female physician. Speaking of which, it was only 3 years now until their marriage... he wondered about that. Lately, they were each quite busy with their own dealings. Though she paid him visits occasionally. Ciel cared for Lizzy, though he rarely did show it... being transparent about any type of vulnerabilities was never his strong suit. Not since that day years ago... it had left scars that would never go away. Sometimes, he wondered if Lizzy's recent distance was due to his own emotional frigidity. Sometimes he wondered if she'd grown tired of it.
As Aeslin proceeded slowly down the manor hallways, she paused. Something was coming through, something from Ciel to be exact. Though it was faint, she felt this momentary pang of pain in her chest. Anger and sadness, over a past traumatic experience... humiliation, uncertainly... Pale lips parted as a faint gasp left her at the sensation, a hand clutching at the fabric of her vest, over her chest. Thin eyebrows furrowed then as the feelings drifted away, consumed again by focus. Ciel's feelings were bleeding through to her, and it had stopped her dead in her tracks to feel that pain. With a sigh, she composed herself, and continued down the hall to see to any duties.
-That night-
Soon everyone, other than Sebastian of course, would be winding down for the night. Aeslin took to heading to the garden in the back of the mansion while the moon was bright and the clouds were clear to meditate a while. She needed to keep on her toes, and not allow any of Ciel's—or anyone else's emotions—effect her. It was an instinct at this point for her, and truthfully that was part of the reason she chose to avoid humans and contact with their feelings. They could indeed experience such joy, but the pain just didn't seem worth it to her. Emotional pain especially, she felt she could not handle very well. And she was not okay with that.
Eyes remained closed as she felt the soft breeze around her. Pale skin was nearly alight in the moon's glow. Her mother's, as well as her own aura calmed her immensely, making her feel level and at ease. Vaguely she felt her link draw near, then heard footsteps against the grass behind her from where she sat on a large stone.
"Aeslin, it's getting late," Ciel said. "Demigod still sleep, I presume?" He was trying to act casual, though Aeslin got the sense he felt more comfortable having her inside at night. Despite the fact she was stronger than most. Ciel blinked a moment, curiously. "You're meditating?"
Metallic eyes slipped open, her arms shifting though she remained facing the moon. "I do it as a way to keep myself as level-headed as possible." Ciel recalled for a moment how he'd accidently allowed himself to flash back to his past earlier, and wondered if Aeslin had felt that too. If she had, she was not mentioning it, to his relief. Aeslin however was curious about that, she'd only gotten a glimpse of what Ciel had been through, what made him who he was.
A moment of silence drew on, the wind shifting their hair softly as they each acknowledged the buzz between them; their link. Ciel looked from Aeslin's soft hair to the moon then. "Your mother. You can sense her clearer when outside, I presume."
"Yes," Aeslin affirmed. "It helps with meditating. Though I can meditate just about anywhere," she shrugged faintly, turning to glance at Ciel. He glanced to her as well, a little taken aback at how her eyes looked in the moonlight. Inhuman, peculiar. Strangely beautiful, even.
"You know," Ciel sent on, looking to the moon again, "I saw you, before our initial meeting at that shoddy factory. Floating in the sky. I don't think you mentioned you could fly."
"My staff allows me to. On my own, I can glide, so to speak. I was scouting the area for activity then, flying is a much more convenient way to do so," a soft smirk crossed her features. That took Ciel back a little, it was the only expression—be it slight as it was—he'd seen her have. For a while there he'd been convinced she could not form expressions. "You've got a good eye though, normally I use my cloaking when I'm scouting. Perhaps it is coincidental; considering the fact I now work for you." Eyes met again as Ciel silently considered that.
"Perhaps it is," he agreed after a moment. Aeslin was to be his weapon, to never betray him. And their link, so far, was proving that she likely could be trusted.
