Chapter Four: Red Eyed Guests

The Hybrid Doll closed the door behind them, shutting out the freezing London air beyond. The Phantomhive Earl and Butler peered at the shelves, appearing to hold a light of curiosity in their red eyes.

"You hope for business with my modest self, the Blue Lotus Toymaker?"

The shorter Demon turned and gave Smee a long look. The Hybrid only met his blood-red gaze. "I reason such… no malice lingers in your dark gazes."

Now the taller demon faced Smee, a small smile on his lips. "Perhaps we do… But a tour of your shop, a bit of getting to know one another would be necessary for recruitment, yes?"

Smee blinked.

/Recruitment… Oh, yes./

The anthro collie seagull gave another slow blink, trying to pick out the meanings they offered.

"A tour should suit just fine for the current moment, I am thinking… Now, what are your names? A Toymaker and servant must know in order to receive you properly as guests."

The shorter of the two gave an irritated twitch, and glared at Smee. Beside him, the black clad gentleman chuckled softly. "Mr. Keinz, I believe we had told you outside, did we not?"

Smee flinched and attempted to recall, and failed. /Had they told their names?/ he thought in confusion. It was very possible they had…

"I… I cannot recall, though you may have. Please, it slipped my mind."

"I am Sebastian Michaelis, servingman of the young Earl, Ciel Phantomhive. Might I add he is the head of the Funtom Toy Corporation," the tallest announced, a flair of drama in his way of telling.

A small dip of his head showed he now understood, and he moved to the desk of his shop. Taking out a notepad and dipping his pen in his inkwell, he scrawled down the name of the company and the two he had within his shop. Moving the notes aside, and turning to Ciel and Sebastian, Smee gave a deep bow. In turn his cape and the tails of his coat rustled, and the large yellow feather in his hair bobbed. He rose and gestured with a black gloved hand to the shelves set on every wall but the one behind his desk.

"Welcome to the Blue Lotus… There are no prices listed for any of my toys, for I alone choose their toll."

He spun on his heels and strode toward a display table, on which stood a small collection of wind up soldiers in red and blue uniforms. He picked one up an wound its key, before setting it on the floor. The toy soldier marched towards the Phantomhive Butler, and the ravenette took up the plaything.

"You make these all by hand?"

Smee nodded and allowed his chest to puff out some in pride. "Indeed… every single detail to the very gears that turn my moving toys – I make them all."

The Earl looked at the toy for a bit, then touched the Blue Lotus hallmark that was painted and carved onto the toy's right cheek. "This your trademark?"

"Hmm?"

Smee turned around again to face his guests, having started to inspect a toy that had a small smudge on it. He found his wrists held by the Black clad butler, and felt the soft white glove against his cheek, where the Blue Lotus hallmark also resided. A small shiver found the doll, and he looked into Michaelis' bloody red eyes, his own holding only the cold glint of glass.

Sebastian's hand traced the symbol on Smee's cheek, before he leaned in, eyes narrowed. "You're wearing your own mark…" the grip on Smee's wrists tightened, feeling. "Just as well, you seem to be… more odd than the /last/ doll we've seen."

"Wha-?"

The demon butler smirked and loosened his grip on Smee's wrists. The Doll stared at the two Demons, Earl and Butler, thin orange brows raised in shock and his jaws held slightly ajar.

He clamped his jaws shut and winced at the pain. He shook his head and rolled his wrists uncomfortably, thinking.

/Master Veuliam had given me a last name in honor of his mentor's Doll. I have not heard of any other beside myself and poor Drossel…/

"I am thinking that you have met Drossel Keinz, Doll of Ash Landers?"

This time Ciel answered:"Yes… We where the ones to dispose of that perverse Doll… as well as the Angel whom mastered it."

The collie seagull hybrid gave a low whistle. "I would have ne'er thought you'd have interest in Holy affairs, being the Devils you are."

"And yet we do,"Lord Phantomhive retorted.

Smee moved his black gloved hands as if to push something gently to the floor. "I reason we may leave that in the past, being that said things are done with…"

Sebastian gave a side glance to his Lord, and Ciel shook his head. At seeing that, Smee mentally gave a sigh of great relief.

"Back to the tour," Keinz announced, leaving behind the shelves and tables with the many priceless toys, and moved for his desk. His black and white heeled boots clicked against the wooden floorboards, and he noticed his guests' shoes also emitted similar results. As he moved behind his desk, he sat in his well-favored chair.

The desk and frame of the chair where both of well carved oak, and the cushioning to the seat was covered with black velvet. Smee seemed to have a strong liking to these objects, for having them crafted for him was no cheap dealing.

He leaned back in his chair, and pulled out a match for the candle that sat on his desk's left wing. Striking the match and lighting the candle with ease, the objects on his workspace where illuminated. Carving knives and screwdrivers where neatly arranged by size and use, and several paintbrushes of various types where also present alongside a few pens and inkwells.

Laying unfinished on a mat of leather, where sets of bones from both the left and right hands. Also a few sturdy leather straps were set aside with eight small rods of steel no more than an inch in length.

"Here I am working on something for myself, for the joints of my wrists neglect to roll and pivot correctly."

Smee removed the black gloves from his hands and he displayed his jointed hands and wrists, crafted of wood. He moved each joint with difficulty, and then looked up at Ciel and Sebastian, a brow raised in an unamused look of annoyance. "Being in the professions I am, joints like these in the hands are a need-to-go. Sebastian, I'm sure you see how?" he offered, extending a hand to the demon butler with carelessness. "Oiling them is tiring, and I have found better substitutions…"he murmured, tipping his muzzle to the unfinished works on his crafting space.

Sebastian took the offered hand, testing each joint and taking careful note of the materials that made them up: steel and wood.

"I agree that it would be quite difficult to work under such pitiful circumstances… But I fail to understand why /I/ would be the best candidate to know why, for I am merely one /hell/ of a Butler."

Smee nodded and looked up at the black clad male, whose outfit was so dull in comparison to the attire he wore himself. "Why, Mr. Michaelis, I too assume the position of Butler… just more of a divine sort."

The Phantomhive Earl gave a yawn. "Seems likely, for the intoxicating incense that lingers about you is of Holy origin… I smelled it as we walked into your shop."

The Hybrid Doll stared at the Demons in silence for a while, then stood, waving a hand over the candle to kill the flame. The scent of burning wood filled the air, Smee knew, but in fact could not actually smell anything as the flame was illuminated between his now-scorched fingers.

"Another reason to change these hands…"

Sebastian and his master seemed to have not cared much for the comment; however it brought forth a curious question from Ciel. "Mr. Keinz… where exactly did you find the bones for those hands?"

Smee looked over at the young Earl, expression blank of emotion. Faking a yawn, the Doll responded: "A curious Undertaker I had gone to in order for help in the aspect of my hands, and he gave me them. Free of most charges!"

"'Most charges', Mr. Keinz?" The butler asked.

"He desired a good laugh… Sure enough I gave him one… Oh, he was absolutely /howling/ with laughter after what I'd shown," he chuckled dryly.

The Doll stood and flicked his feathered ears, pulling on the black gloves he had taken off. "Now, you wish to recruit me, yes?"

Ciel gave a stiff nod. "Your works are well crafted, and I was wondering if you could make a few products, seeing that my current toymakers have /too much/ on their hands already. Now, Sebastian, shall we leave for the Manor?"

Sebastian nodded and led his master out. Smee watched quietly from the window of his shop as the Earl climbed into the cabin after telling his butler something. Sebastian hurried to the shop and opened the door, poking his head in.

"If you accept the offer of recruitment, come to the Phantomhive Manor at 6 tomorrow evening."

With that, the Demon butler hurried into the cabin and the carriage left, just as the door to his shop eased shut again, and Smee locked it from the inside.

/Thank God Veuliam returns tonight/, the Hybrid Marionette thought, running a nervous hand through his fiery orange hair.