Thanks again to my beta, Sen!
2. Soft
Up the rickety steps that led off from number nine Winchester Avenue, and at the second door on the landing is Mademoiselle Hopkins studio. Here there are wardrobes over flowing with stiff material, generous amounts of lace draping like shimmering cobwebs, ribbons streamed haphazardly and hundreds of chic accessories; tumbling out from low drawers and scattered over the floor are shoes of every kind imaginable, leather casts of boots, stockings with high frills, silk that's as soft as rabbit ears and slips through your fingers just as finely and great mats of cut felt.
And this is just the front room. Out the back are docile mannequins dressed up in outrageous outfits, hats and neck ties, more hang from the ceiling as the army of wardrobes out here cannot possibly consume them all. The Madame's work beach can't be seen under the files of patterns, scattering of pins, rolls of thread, string and measuring tapes- ordered chaos.
As butler and Master wearily make their way up the health hazard stairs as their once a month ritual requires, Sebastian can't help a fond sigh upon sighting the familiar room, thinking that, frankly, humans definitely knew what they were doing when it came to fashion.
Ciel on the other hand, grits his teeth and braces himself for the next two hours.
3. Pain
Ciel feels a deep, stabbing sensation close to his sternum whenever Sebastian moves out of his sight, even if it's for a moment. He's come to accept his irrational feelings of not wanting to lose anybody else close to him, and doesn't try to fix it.
4. Potatoes
The demon is used to snuffing out life, not giving it. He feels something odd stir within him when the first shoots of planted flowers, baby bumps of potatoes and strawberries poke up from the ground after having planted and cared for them a few months ago.
5. Rain
As per normal, Sebastian opens his carriage door for him, black umbrella raised as the heavens weep herself dry.
6. Chocolate
"Young Master, your manners are atrocious."
Ciel rudely ignores the chide, legs crossed primly on his high back chair, and makes his statement by loudly sucking on his chocolate covered fingers, remains of the cake mere crumbs on his plate, the rest having worked their way across his cheeks and down his front.
Sebastian's annoyed because he can't reprimand him further, because according to the unspoken laws of the universe, you can do whatever you want on your eleventh birthday.
7. Happiness
Ciel remembers happiness being the act of rolling over and over on the recently mown lawn out back, hot sun overhead and smell of everything that said home. It would make him sneeze from his allergies; but put up with it because the sound of blue jays, Lizzie's laughter and his mother's and father's quiet murmurings were worth the red eyes and running nose.
Now he finds happiness in the terror of rolling eyes and sweating faces, hastily scrambling fingers in the act of escaping as he rams his pistol into his victim's heads. The quiet explosion, smell of gunpowder and acrid splash of blood nothing but sweet.
8. Telephone
Ciel has Sebastian cut the phone wire after the fifth call from Soma this week.
9. Ears
He wails loudly as the scotched wire pierces through his earlobes, teeth clamping down hard on the offered piece of cloth. His butler's soothing words of it's a mark symbolizing your leadership of the family bring a watery smile to his face.
10. Name
Neither speak as Sebastian escorts him to his room, one that mirrors his old, burnt to cinders one, that only wisps of caged off memory sometime allow him to see. The distraught young boy hasn't uttered a sound from his command of kill them months ago. Respectfully, neither has he.
One, two, three buttons are done up in his night gown, and Sebastian tucks him in with a murmured; "Goodnight, little one," his first words in a long time. Before he can leave, a demanding hand tugs hard at his swallow tails.
"Call me that again, and you can sleep outside where the dogs are."
"Understood, my Lord."
11. Sensual
Coming home battered and bruised from a night of supernatural shenanigans, even Ciel is tempted to use his butler's name in good virtue when he runs a hot bath for him, scenting it with oils and candles, just what his sensitive body craves for.
12. Death
At five years old, Ciel cries earnest tears when he discovers his pet budgie lying at the bottom of its cage, eyes closed peacefully and wings spread as if in broken flight. "'Tis only mortal death, beloved," his father assures him sweetly, kissing the nape of his neck, and Ciel closes his eyes as the first shovel of dirt hits the corpse, staining it's yellow feathers an ugly brown.
13. Sex
Lectures for Physical Education are a lot more interesting when Sebastian uses himself as a live model.
14. Touch
A frost from last night covers the ground, and Ciel's dainty high heels skid as he taps his right boot to the icy ground from the carriage step. In an up draft, the umbrella leaps from Sebastian's slackened grip as he lurches forwards, priorities in order.
He catches Ciel round the middle, one hand spread over his thin back in support, Ciel himself gripping Sebastian's arm as if life depends on it, cheek bumping comically into Sebastian's chest. Both appear equally surprised, at Ciel's clumsiness, the prolonged closeness almost crossing the line of being awkward as neither of them do anything about it.
"M-moron," Ciel snorts as he angrily brushes his butler away, feinting annoyance at the loss of the umbrella, face only turning scarlet when his back is turned.
16. Tears
Elizabeth sobs when she first sees her fiancée after months of not hearing a word, throwing herself almost prostrate at his feet, thick lashes catching her fat tears before they roll down her porcelain cheeks and disappear from sight.
Sebastian looks down from his towering height, silently thinking how pitiful she looks.
17. Speed
Set for one hundred and fifty degrees Celsius. Separate egg yolks from the whites, add in half a cup of milk- slowly add in the dry ingredients and stir to a doughy consistency.
Deal with fire in the pantry, broken chandelier in the east wing and the weed killer that's been poured over top the newly budded roses.
Start the base of the frosting, hot water, sugar, churned butter and cream. Next is the food colouring. Take the cupcakes out before they become over cooked and leave to cool.
Double check tonight's dinner that looks like it's been attacked by a dragon, re-set the table that has wine stains all through it and smashed cutlery, make sure that young sapling doesn't topple over and shattered the second story library window.
Decorate the cupcake tops with well rehearsed designs and flourishes, begin the sprinkles and other ornaments to finish the job.
Throw all incompetent employers into the wine cellar- gagged and bound- and remember to release them once night has fallen. Chase out the remains of livestock that have snuck into the mansion while the doors have been left open due to certain unmentionable people.
Pick up the silver platter.
Still make it in time to serve up today's snack before his Master has time to ring the bell. Phew!
18. Wind
Ciel's hair flies back off his face, daring enough to raise both hands to the sky as his father puts his foot down on the accelerator and drives.
21. Taste
The first time Sebastian dutifully hands over the demanded cigar, the taste of it burns Ciel's throat red raw, filling him with the feel of ash smoke and all things burning, and he coughs and splutters for water, trying to deny Sebastian's superior looks of I bloody told you so.
22. Melody
Bach. Mozart. Beethoven.
All men he feels he knows first hand, he has studied them so profusely.
A whistling crack as the bow slaps across his knuckles when his finger's stumble from an A to F sharp. Ciel glares heatedly at Sebastian, who smiles almost playfully at him. "From the top, young Master. No mistakes this time."
He remembers first handling the body of the instrument, it's deep curves like the mirror of a well developed woman's body, twisting his small fingers pass the taunt horse hair strings to tickle the hollow insides. Now just the smell of riding through pine forests and greasy oil evokes memories of violins.
He glances once, twice, at the sheet music, memorizing the next lines and adjusting his fingers accordingly, slowly rocking his body to access maximum timbre of the sound. From time to time, Ciel manages a few upward glances at Sebastian, whose maroon eyes are hinting towards being redder, pupils still wide, carefully watching his form.
23. Star
His horoscope comes in the mail. He already knows he's going to die, there's nothing left in life to worry him now. He burns it in the grill.
Once when driving home from London in the middle of a storm, a bolt of thunder had split a tree in half, the Phantomhive family watching the display from out the window of the carriage. Ciel wondered how something so intangible could harness so much destructive power within it's self.
26. Lure
"You're the monster my father warned me about," Ciel says, when Sebastian is in the middle of pouring his tea. Brief disconcert crosses his lovely features, the only indication he's heard his Master. Set up on his mahogany desk are an army of stuffed toys, rabbits, foxes, chickens and snakes to name a few, pen in hand as Ciel dutifully assesses each one as 'child proof'.
"At bed time he would read the Brothers Grimm, tales that warned impressionable children like myself that in every forest there is a big bad wolf waiting in the gloom to tempt you nearer to his claws. And he would gobble you up, given the chance," Ciel's clear eye flits up to peer at Sebastian's reaction- composed as ever.
Sebastian assembles the cutlery back onto the gurney, knife, fork, spoon in their allocated places beside the serving plate, allowing a crafty smile to form when Ciel bows his head back down, lecture for today finished.
"Young Master, a wolf's etiquette leaves something to be desired. Rest assured, I have much more fineness than that," Sebastian leans across the desk, chin just brushing by the silken fur of a rabbit's ear, and very slowly, runs his tongue across his red stained lips.
Ciel presses his back further into his chair, face flustered and orders Sebastian out of his sight.