Author's Note: Shhhhh. Be vewy vewy quiet… I'm hunting wabbits. Well actually I'm typing out this chapter at ungodly hours of the night and don't want anybody to wake up to the sound of my incessant typing clicks. Oh well. So yeah I'm typing out the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it immensely. Ah, yes Charles Grey, he's cheeky and persistent enough to piss Sebby the hell off. Um…it could be the late hour but… am I the only one that thinks the giant millipede from Charlie the unicorn 4 is very reminiscent of the Viscount Druitt? Also I'm just not feeling this school arc -_-. Seriously. Anyway moving on. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I am a dancing marionette of the system and so I have no choice but to tell you that I don't own kuroshitsuji every time I update a new chapter. Not that I'm stupid enough to think that anybody would believe me, or want to commit acts of fraud and forgery. I don't need Shinigami troubles again…Undertaker really freaked me out when I stayed with him that time…
Chapter Thirty-Six: That Maid, Unraveling
"For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind." – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
It is a simple thing for a demon to keep track of everything in a room at once. Sebastian Michaelis had spent his entire life taking in each detail of his surroundings, calculating possibilities, and monitoring his immediate proximity. A ballroom was a grand scene for the human world, but it also made a very plainly set out ground to survey. It was simple; very few things there could obstruct his view.It hadn't taken long at all for Miss Ivy to make her way straight toward the pastries and the rest of the food. The butler could have timed it. She was so funny.
It seemed as though it was only a moment that he had carefully listened to the conversation between the young master and the queen. And though he did not lose track of the conversation, he was a bit distracted when he looked back and caught sight of the conniving, smallest butler of the queen. He'd been intrigued when Ivy's arm knocked into his and made him drop a tart. At first he had looked ready to shoulder her aside as he would anybody else, and the demon nearly laughed at the idea of him trying it on Miss Ivy. She would very likely find some clever way to avenge herself, which always caught Sebastian by surprise.
To his surprise however, she turned to look at him appraisingly and Grey seemed to forget about it. He obviously recognized her as the subject of the queen's curiosity. It was no secret that Charles Grey often left the work to his partner Phipps if he thought the object of their mission was not worth the effort, offering only the necessary assistance. Now however, it seemed he suddenly found this particular 'object' to be potentially…quite diverting. Of course she was. Miss Ivy never quite met nor surpassed expectation. She was an oddity that way; how she responded to situations was never quite what you initially thought she would. At the moment for some reason she had surprised the queen's blond attendant when she gazed at him appraisingly and uttered something.
Taking a glance toward Phipps, Grey's taller and more serious partner, he noted that he was mildly taken aback by the scene. They continued to talk with little incident. Miss Ivy seemed to be completely unruffled so she likely had the situation under hand. They strayed onto commenting toward each other's plates, and Sebastian frowned when Ivy smiled at him, knowing his position on the playing board, and his apparent loyalty to the queen that she seemed to dislike so much. It was not as though he had not expected her to keep up her persona and be a sweet and polite lady. The smile, however, had seemed genuine. He could see the young master's gaze wandering toward the pair now and then.
Miss Ivy was a magnet for trouble, of all people to find agreeable, Earl Charles Grey was probably among the worst. He was rude, gluttonous, and unrefined. He made a mess wherever he went it seemed; his destructive behavior often angered Sebastian whenever he decided to make an entrance at the manor. All in all if Sebastian were to quickly describe him, he would say that he was clever, but he was also an insect. Ivy was not an imbecile; she probably should already know that he would be trying to draw information out of her through simple conversational means.
What Ivy always, always failed to realize however, was when a man obviously wanted something more from her. Granted there would probably be many at this party who would chance a waltz with the doll-like little ravenette to be close to her. It seemed the longer she remained, the more noticeable she had become everywhere she went. She had begun to attract more flies than usual. But Grey was different, his position was not only below the little maid's in every possible way, but his behavior toward her would most likely be displayed in a way that was clearly meant to disturb Sebastian and his young master. That much had been confirmed when he shot the observant butler a smug look, accompanied by a detestable grin.
Deep reddish eyes narrowed. There was no point in focusing on Grey's ulterior motives. His most important goal here was to find some inconsistencies in Miss Ivy's character. She was intelligent enough not to give anything away. His gaze followed them here and there and it bothered him but for the most part he was more concerned with the current exchange happening between his young master and the monarch he chose to answer to. It was then that he heard her burst of laughter. It was laughter that sounded so, sweet and real, and full. She was not acting, she was not pretending, she had broken character. For him.
Ivy was easy going and it was not rare to hear her laughing, Sebastian heard it countless times, therefore it was easy for him to decipher whether or not it was fake, and which laugh it was. Sometimes it was to be polite, other times it was sarcastic, and sometimes she giggled at simple amusements –like small coincidences, or a little accident- then there was the peal of a bubbly, forthcoming sort of laughter that she let out when she found something especially hilarious. This was just that. The butler's attention was suddenly diverted. What precisely was he saying to her?
The butler hadn't been aware of how tense his body was until the blond royal attendant grinned, giving the neko a once over before moving around her and holding out a hand as he spoke. Ivy smiled and made what appeared to be a smart remark to which he made a reply and, after a brief exchange, winked. She took his hand and the demon's jaw ticked; there were many men in this room… and the one who least deserved the privilege of touching her was doing just that now. And as the two made their way to the floor Grey took a peek over his shoulder and had the audacity to wink at him.
The tray he held in his hands suddenly gave in to the force of his fingers and he looked down at the damage. Not an issue, he could easily repair that. He caught sight of Ciel's gaze frowning at the bent metal and giving him a look. Lovely.
….
Earl Grey didn't tower over Ivy, and he was not as broad as Sebastian. It felt odd when she touched his slender shoulder, and felt the foreign sensation of easy access. Sebastian was rather tall, so resting her arm on his shoulder required slightly more effort. Where the butler had been cool and in control, Charles Grey was energetic and fun. Ivy was not sure if either could be called better. Rather than feeling guided, she felt challenged by his pull. Perhaps another lady would have been intimidated, was that why he was still unmarried? Did he frighten off the ladies of court? The idea was amusing to Ivy considering aggression in a partner was supposed to frighten men, not the other way around. In any case it was just not physically possible for a human to frighten Ivy. Even if there were a possibility, it would have been squashed after standing firm through one of Sebastian's rare moments of temper tantrum.
"Shouldn't we be making small talk?"
"Nope. I much prefer people watching." As they moved Ivy noted that there was not one move or turn that he did not try. It was like he was testing her.
"While you dance?" She raised an eyebrow.
"What can I say? I like a challenge and people are way more likely to do something interesting when they think you're too busy to look." He whirled her about expertly to get a better look at a specific gathering of gentlemen. "For instance: You see that tub of lard they have the nerve to address as 'Baron Orwell'? He only got the position through a marriage of convenience with this pretty young thing. Not the point however, if you watch him long enough you'll see him sneaking all sorts of things into his trousers to take home for purposes unknown." As he said this, Ivy witnessed the blighter slipping a handful of cream puffs into the front of his pants. She blanched and shut her eyes tightly.
"That… must be one of the single most disturbing things I've had to see in my life. Why would you show me something so horrible? Why?" She uttered in a monotone voice as she focused her eyes on his face -anything to forget that image. The Earl laughed at her response. "His wife's parents must have hated her." The neko was moved to pity for whoever was saddled with that…sad, sad…organism. Grey shrugged.
"Madame Orwell is a Grade A bitch so I can't feel too sorry for the brat." From his statement Ivy noted that he was rather cold. She had been acquainted with colder in her life however.
"I'm not sure I'd wish that on my worst enemy…" The neko pondered aloud. She could hear people around them murmuring amongst themselves. The combined humming of their chattering reminded Ivy of a wasp's nest. Who knew how many other bits of disturbing information and misinformation was being passed around.
"You must be really easy on your enemies then. I wish many things on mine." Mulling over their conversation Ivy gave a detached sort of smile. Was she really? Who did she really count as her enemy aside from the obvious? She laughed at the concept of going 'easy' on her enemies if given a choice as to their fate. Cats and demons alike have a tendency of being extremely vindictive and sadistic, and Ivy could be a prime example. Though she was not fond of mindless indiscriminate killing, she was a firm believer in doing what was necessary and even if someone was just enough of a prick, she could easily have a seat, and take time to ponder on how to appropriately finish them. With an imagination like hers, it was bound to be nasty. With a girlish shrug, she just smiled a bit wider.
"I guess we'll never know." Something felt odd in the way their dance progressed; it was like Grey was purposely testing out even her dancing skills. Trying to poke holes in her front. Ha, Ivy found this kind of funny after all the time she had spent having this dance drilled into her brain like all the others. A dreadful experience if there ever was one, and there was no way he could poke holes in Sebastian's meticulous wall. He had left no stone unturned and Ivy had worked so hard that nothing could shake her now. Anyway Grey was obviously doing his job so Ivy didn't particularly hold anything he might be doing against him. If he behaved like a prick to her then it would be another story.
He shrugged back in equal measure. "I'm not pretending to know anything about you… it seems nobody does after all." She knew what he was implying but didn't offer a reaction.
"Good. I'd rather they know nothing, makes for a good selling point." She murmured sweetly. People seemed to be watching her with great interest. Ivy caught Phipps pacing about once in a while in observation before going about his business. "Your partner seems to keep a close eye on you." She noted with a light touch of humor. His shoulder rolled slightly under her hand in irritation.
"Yeah, yeah I know." Grey didn't sound overly concerned. Ivy bit back a grin at his expression however. He looked rather like a petulant child enduring a mother's lecturing.
"Still not admitting to the babysitter deal?"
"Nope."
"That is funny, cause it really looks like babysitting." She teased lightly.
"You know you really shouldn't be talking considering." He responded. At this she shrugged carelessly.
"I never denied my own babysitting, black clad, nanny woes." Her eyes enjoyed watching the blurring cascade of colors wrought by the many spinning gowns. "We're in the same boat. You would think we were trouble magnets." Green eyes gleamed slightly.
"Nah. I am the trouble. So you must be the magnet. A pleasure to meet you."
"And here I thought introductions were over with." A roll of her pleasant green eyes led her to watch a few miserable looking children. 'They look on the outside how I'm feeling on the inside.' She commented internally.
"Peh. Anyway, maybe you're right; does that make this a play date?"
"I hope this is not you flirting."
"No. I'm way too direct for that kind of thing; this is me being sardonic."
"Its not cute."
"You're breaking my heart." He retorted flatly.
"Oh my god! They're bringing out a giant cake!" Ivy cheered. "Now it's a party."
Grey took a look himself and grinned slightly. "I was wondering when they would haul out the big guns." The two of them were suddenly not particularly interested in dancing. "I've been told its red velvet." At his statement Ivy blinked. She hadn't ever been able to try red velvet cake before living in an orphanage, it had never crossed her mind and now she finally realized.
"What?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. Ivy's eyes snapped back to him.
"Sorry. Staring at the cake."
He just scoffed. "I'm with you there. Lets move in."
….
'What the hell am I doing?' he grumbled anxiously in his mind. He opted to climb back up and glide from branch to branch to better conceal his approach. 'I am a leaf…on the wind.' He thought reassuringly to himself. Once he reached the closest tree line to the house undeterred, he felt a bit more confidence. Perhaps he really wasn't here. Still when he moved he made sure he did so quickly until he reached a place with more cover. Finally, without disturbing a single leaf or twig, he barrel rolled into the bushes. A sigh he couldn't keep at bay escaped him in his relief. Neither of them was home obviously or he'd have been assaulted by now.
His gut sank that he couldn't get her alone and save time, but he was mostly relieved. A slender hand touched the sidewall of the house. Two options: climb to the roof, or climb through a window?
"What are you doing?" A stern familiar voice beside him suddenly admonished, making him jump practically out of his skin. Cavin sat Indian style beside him within the green shrubbery. Arms folded and a present scowl on his face. Shin glared and eyed him silently.
"How long have you been back?" He arched an eyebrow. Cavin just stared blankly back at him for several moments before responding.
"Long enough to watch you behave like a dumbass. What was all that about?" He motioned out to the garden. At his silence, Cavin's mind quickly calculated what he had been watching, and looking at the manor wall beside him and back at the crafty fox narrowed his eyes. "Were you trying to break into a contractor's home?" His tone was both incredulous and exasperated. This creature just didn't give a flying rats ass whether he lived or died! The kitsune gave no answer, just looked up expressionlessly at the height of the structure.
"Unbelievable…what could you possibly hope to gain from such a feat? She's not even here, Shinsho!" He scolded harshly. At this name the fox winced and regarded him coldly.
"We agreed not to use my real name in order to keep my cover."
"Oh please it's just you and me here, and I'm sick of all these pretenses. I'm ready to kill something…preferably Jet Bercarius." Cavin sunk in posture where he sat and the kitsune gave a long annoyed sigh. "You're just pissed off that your name is basically gibberish… like someone took two names and stuck them together with gum."
"This 'name' that you are talking about was put before my original name as one new name. It was given to me as a sign to always remember my sworn faithfulness."
"Ah…yes…Shin… 'faithful and true'." Cavin mocked sighed dreamily. "It should have been idiot sho. Look there is no reason whatsoever to break into the little brat's house. Waste of time."
"…If I could just perform a thorough exploration of the manor right now…while no one is around…I could be better prepared when the time to actually do so comes…" His slender fingers lightly brushed against the wall he faced. Cavin looked unimpressed with his statement.
"Yeah and if you had happened to be mistaken in the beast not being home?"
"Am I?"
"No genius. Did you figure that out when you found me sitting this close to the house? That isn't the point; you could have been. What then?"
Once again 'Shin' just shrugged and gave no response. Cavin face palmed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible you realize this. Wh-Hey! What are you doing?" He demanded hoarsely as the young kitsune began to brave the manor walls, climbing dexterously with little to impede him from sill to sill. "Get down! Shi- if any one of those humans sees you-"
"Afraid of humans, mighty Ashcroft?" Dilated fox eyes glowed down at him in amusement. Cavin narrowed his eyes at the jab.
"Ha ha ha…no. I'd rather not be seen and then have them tell that pointy nosed monstrosity that we were here. Then he- Shin! Seriously! Urrrrrrgh." The Ashcroft tracker pulled at his hair. "I feel that up until this point in our collaboration I have been very considerate to your desires, and I'd rather I not have to change my tune at this point. In case you don't catch the implication, I'd rather not climb up there and drag your ass down." He placed his hands on the wall, glaring threateningly. He heard a familiar sound that he hadn't heard in years; the sound of Shin snickering in his attempts to hold back full on laughter. The tracker was amazed at the sudden change in him.
"You could certainly try…but you'd have to catch me to accomplish that wouldn't you?" A sadistic glee was lighting the fox's sharp features. Cavin pursed his lips…was bringing him along really worth all this trouble. Without any words it was clear that the challenge had been accepted. Shin drew two nicely sized fans from his sleeves smugly and with a downward swing was airborne barely visible to the eye due to his speed. Cavin grit his teeth.
"Oh for crying out loud." He followed.
As Shin landed on a specific windowsill in a crouch, he looked at the angry neko below with a challenging smirk. His eyes then surveyed the interior of a plain little room on the other side of the glass. A dim light was on so he cautiously leaned away but he caught sight of a figure by the mirror in the room. It was plain by the silhouette that a woman was changing in there. 'Woops.' He thought mischievously, before barely avoiding Cavin's sudden advance. Unfortunately the neko's graceful landing was perfectly soundless, so Shin deflated. Cavin accidentally took a peek and stared flatly.
"Is that why you let me get so close? You got distracted?" In retaliation Shin tossed a marble from his pocket against the glass. Cavin's eyes popped and he jumped up in time to avoid a bullet that unexpectedly shot through the glass. Shin outright laughed hysterically, but both males made a break for it.
"Upupup!" Cavin whispered harshly as they ran up to the roof before they could be seen. It paid to be unearthly fast. Shin was still clutching his side as they darted across the slate shingles as soundless as a breeze. "You. Fucking. Bastard. You are sooooo sosososo lucky that I need you alive to accomplish my agenda."
"Now who is the bastard who lost his sense of humor?" The kitsune practically breezed over the roofing as if floating on the air itself. The neko let out a snarl.
"Do you suppose you should work on your timing maybe?"
"You're the nasty bastard peeping on naked humans and getting shot at while we're supposed to be working. Dirty pervert." He laughed and dodged when Jet took a swing at him with his katana. "OOP! They should change the phrase to peeping Cavin!...To be fair I hadn't expected her to shoot at you… I thought she would have screamed."
The young Ashcroft massaged his temples. Why had he even bothered asking such a stupid question…Shin's sense of humor had always been inappropriate, in both timing and otherwise. "If this costs us the element of surprise when our target comes back, or puts our own wretched lives in jeopardy, I'm tripping you to get a head start." He darted ahead of Shin, acting like he'd never even met him before. In no time the two of them vanished into the trees.
"What did you tell Jet?"
"I told him I would meet up with him at Covent Garden and explain what exactly we found. He doesn't trust in this 'trail' we've told him about."
"Maybe he isn't such an idiot."
"In this scenario he may as well be."
….
"You really aren't how I imagined you'd be from the descriptions I heard through others." Grey suddenly commented. Ivy perked and realized yeah, maybe not. The two were on their fourth pieces of cake by now.
"It's a bit feminine of you to be into gossip." She commented lightly, taking another bite from her plate. He frowned slightly before shrugging.
"I can't help it if I hear stories in passing. Women squawk like parrots once you get them in a room together like their almost trying to be heard over one another." His grey eyes travelled about the room. "You must be a pretty popular subject among the men as well, I can already count quite a few that appear to be waiting for an opening." He smirked and Ivy was not sure why.
"Well, I don't even know what you've heard." She dismissed. "And yeah, still sounds pretty feminine to me." At this he rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say." He stuffed his face with more cake. Green eyes surveyed him one more time. Come to think of it…Charles Grey was kind of slender and his eyelashes were really long. The neko girl held back a laugh. …And his hair was prettier than most ladies attending the party.
"Don't fret. You'd make a very pretty girl, even if you'd be a little flat chested."
"I'm not sure I like where this joke is leading." He placed his plate down and stretched his arms behind his head. His coat shifted upwards revealing a glimmer of color and sparkle. Ivy's keen eye was quick to pick up on it and in the spirit of the moment mock exclaimed.
"And look! Jewels as well! From an admirer, Lady Charlotte?" She teased as she moved to get a closer look, grasping the item by the chain that was clasping it to his person. Grey didn't seem overly concerned about her interest as she pulled the bauble loose. He arched an eyebrow. In her hand Ivy smiled down at an ornate little Faberge egg that was held on a dainty gold chain. It was roughly the size of an ordinary hen's egg with a surface that was smooth and white and gold trimming in the design of four vines curving around it. The rest was coated with a colorful array of gems, the loveliest of which was the glittering glow of the opal.
"Will it bring out my eyes do you think?" He drawled sarcastically. Ivy glowed like any girl should in the face of such a pretty keep sake.
"Where did you get it?" Her voice sounded less teasing now. The queen's attendant gave an annoyed scoff.
"Its not at all my taste. I've been trying to decide the best way to get rid of it all night." Nimble fingers unclasped it, allowing her to examine it further in the light. The smooth texture of the surface accompanied by the opals made it seem almost luminous.
"Oh." She responded to him, still turning it over in her hand. "May I ask why?"
"Like I said, I don't care for it very much, and if I kept it I'd be giving the Countess Volkov the wrong idea." He muttered in disdain. "She wanted to give it to me as a keepsake and my first instinct was to chuck it over my shoulder right in her face but Phipps was standing right there and-" When Ivy interrupted him with a peal of giggles he rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Sorry, continue." She motioned graciously.
"…As I was saying, she would just consider it a part of my 'charming persona' and take it as a sign that another gift would better suffice…then she'd want to come again." He sounded so much like a petulant child at that moment that Ivy's lips curved stubbornly, trying not to laugh again. Still holding it, she shrugged.
"It is a shame, that such a pretty little token should bring you such turmoil, Earl Grey."
"I can taste the sarcasm in the air right now, you must realize this." Gray eyes stared flatly at the smiling prima donna. She offered the trinket back to its owner but he didn't reach for it. Instead he pursed his lips as if in thought, looking at the egg and back at the lady. "Hmmmm… come to think of it. I find that it suits you much better." He remarked. At this the neko girl blinked in surprise.
Furrowing her brows, she spoke. "Are you saying…?" She trailed, uncertain and not wanting to be presumptuous. He held up both hands in front of himself.
"By all means take it."
"Earl Grey, I don't think it appropriate to accept something so expensive. Why do you not just sell it?" Her large eyes continued to blink at him, curiously. With all those jewels it had to be worth a pretty penny, and it was rather pretty.
"Just selling it wouldn't put my point across to that persistent, sordid cow and I don't exactly have the time to stage an auction for a fair price, besides it would look ridiculous with just one item." He dismissed her idea with a careless shrug. "I'm not going to walk around hustling it to the guests like some clueless ass either." Ivy gave him a flat sort of look as if assessing his intent.
"She's watching isn't she?" It was worded as a question, but was an obvious declaration.
"Like a vulture." He responded never once looking away from Ivy's face as he sported a flat look of his own. "Its not like I'm asking you to wave it around or wear it alright? Just take it." Obviously this whole exchange was making him feel uncomfortable.
"Alright. I'll put you out of your misery, but I don't guarantee this is going to help your situation."
"You have my thanks for ridding me of this tacky little thing."
"Its not tacky at all." Ivy disagreed. "Its lovely, you simply speak out of a biased opinion because you harbor unnecessary disdain for the benefactress who provided you with the thoughtful gift." The neko teased him, but she couldn't help but gaze happily at the sparkling bauble, glowing pleasantly with a rosy blush.
"Yeah, well whatever." He uttered, plainly not caring. "When you're as pretty as I am, being nice only gives interested parties the wrong idea." His words touched a nerve in Ivy's thoughts, the images of two young men she cared for entering her mind. She gave a soft sort of sigh internally.
"Keeping a distance. Is not the same as cruelty, I should know." Her tone was somewhat distracted.
"It is if the broad is out of her mind." He responded bluntly.
"True. Aren't we all out of our minds to some degree though?"
"Oh goody. Let's get philosophical." Grey smirked. "You should write a book."
"We'd be arguing all night if we did that. And no… no books. I'd have to use a pen name to hide my gender just so people could read it. I'm not so desperate for recognition to achieve it through being a fake."
Grey gave her an ironic sort of stare. "Lady Durless, I'll just say one thing in that regard. Male or female, author or authoress, diva or gutter rat, I get the feeling you are more than what you pretend to be."
Ivy gave him no response to work with. She just smiled. "Honestly, I'm not remotely so extraordinary, Earl Grey." She watched the Russian Countess fuming and storming off. "I'm not sure you should've endeavored to upset her so much." She added. "That's bad politics."
"I'll deal with it when I have to."
"Also bad politics."
"Good thing I don't really give a shit, considering I'm an attendant and work in the queen's secretarial office."
"Come now. You're also an Earl from a prestigious family lineage. There is even a tea named after you if I'm not mistaken. If that doesn't equate as an honor in British society- haha- I-I… don't know w—what -does hahahahahaha!" She giggled at the thought. "If you marry a lady surnamed 'Crumpets' or 'Biscuits' I will be found dead from laughing so hard that my eyes exploded and my lungs committed suicide due to lack of oxygen."
"I hope this is not you trying to be cute." He drawled referencing to their earlier conversation. Ivy just rolled her eyes.
"No. This is me being dazzlingly clever." The neko interrupted without missing a beat.
"You fail."
"Your face fails."
"My Lady." A sharp presence moved along until it stood directly beside the two. Both Grey and Ivy flinched at the sudden appearance. "I apologize for the interruption. The young master would like a word." Oh boy what did she do now? Feeling the awkward need to hide the glittering object in her gloved hands, she moved her arm behind her back. Surveying the now alone boy who sat with his fingers folded under his nose, frowning at her, she sighed. She met Charles gaze and gave him a nod.
"Thank you for the dance, Earl Grey."
"My pleasure." He grinned with a smug sort of look in his silvery eyes. She allowed herself to be led off by the dashing butler whose presence felt rather heavy. Ivy became a bit sour with herself for hiding the little trinket; there hadn't even been any meaning behind it. Still, she slipped it into the clutch she was given, to look at later.
Grey took another champagne flute and watched them leave with a calculating stare. The slightest of smirks tugged at the corner of his mouth. The house of Phantomhive was definitely never a bore if not all likeable. Not a moment too soon his partner, Charles Phipps appeared beside him. The two did not exchange a single word for several long moments as they both observed the pair until they approached the seated boy.
"Well, Grey?" Phipps inquired flatly. "Now that your chaotic whims for this assignment are quite finished, I will have to ask you what you make of it?"
The young Earl tapped his chin thoughtfully. "She is ever the lady and gives me no indication to assume that she is anything other than a cousin of Phantomhive, and a 'Lady of the stage' as they say." His much taller companion gave an unimpressed look.
"And do you believe it?"
"Not for an instant." The younger of the two butlers laughed to himself at the question. "The accounts one hears of her differ quite a bit from my own personal experience actually, just like with the boy. I guess that shouldn't come as a surprise though. Nobody in the house of Phantomhive is ever what they seem to be." At his words, Phipps seemed to agree with him and he nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"What should we tell Her Majesty?" He asked and Grey frowned slightly.
"Whatever the Phantomhive pup may or may not have under his sleeve, its obviously no concern for us, he seems to be juggling the situation quite well… and whatever it might be. It hasn't affected us yet."
"That wouldn't normally make any difference, however, it is an unspoken fact that the boy's priority lies with the orders and sake of Her Majesty the Queen."
"Unless it has anything to do with burning down workhouses filled with children." Grey remarked.
"We shall wait to hear what The Queen has heard from the boy himself in regards to this… 'Lady Durless'. Then give our report."
"Take a load off, Phipps. Have a drink for once."
"I suppose it wont do much harm this time."
….
The rest of the evening had been a bit of a haze for Ivy. She did not think to use a dance card, but the unanimous flurry of curiosity directed her way caused her a great deal of time as so many people approached to mingle with her. This made it difficult to remember the four gentlemen who had asked her that evening since she would not have been able to oblige them immediately. So she had needed to write it down. There were ladies who had even taken her aside to 'chat' about nonsense Ivy didn't particularly care for.
Upon their departure it had only been wise for Ivy to ride in the carriage with Ciel once again. The trio was having an ongoing disagreement in regards to her interaction with Charles Grey. Honestly Ivy could care less considering they only mostly spoke about pointless things. Ciel told her that she had underestimated him and had honestly thought better of her judgment. Still she insisted that he was being ridiculous. Its not like she knew the Earl's deepest darkest sec- oh wait yeah the contract thing- but still their conversation could not have been construed in anyway to reveal anything she knew of that or Ciel's business.
The boy was still cross with her, but he had dozed off already on the seat across from her. Ivy was mildly surprised to note that she had grown accustomed to sitting within the coach's lovely interior. Granted she still felt rather out of place but… it didn't feel like stepping into another world. His small frame leaned against the side of the coach door with his arms folded and his top hat tipping ever so slightly to the right. For once he looked every bit the child he should have been. Ivy's maternal side was uncomfortable with the awkward way at which he was positioned and it made her fingers twitch to lay him more comfortably across the seat before he strained his neck.
Instead she kept to herself, sitting rigidly with her fingers in her lap, primly smoothing out her skirt. He didn't need that sort of concern from her. Still it didn't stop her from removing his hat before it fell. As luck would have it, just as she stooped over and reached out to do so, the carriage jerked over a slight bump in the road, causing the boy to jerk forward and his hat in the opposite direction. It was a comical sight but Ivy couldn't particularly appreciate it, quickly catching him upright by the shoulder. She needed to be keeping her distance, or she could exacerbate his allergies.
Stirring slightly, he nearly woke up but fell back into his slumber. Ivy supposed there was no point in sitting him back up the way he was. Hopefully that slight jump hadn't given the limp boy whiplash. Gingerly she removed the top hat from its discarded position on the seat and eased him down on the velvet plush with her other hand. Then setting it down beside him she moved back to her seat and folded her arms, looking out the window as if nothing had transpired.
She opened her clutch to take a look at the little souvenir she had acquired and took a moment to reflect on the Earl who pushed it onto her. She came to note that though he had at first reminded her of someone, the two were in hindsight actually rather different. A brief image of a sharp-featured little boy holding out his hand with a perpetual sort of grin still on his face fluttered by in her memory. The neko could even imagine that she could still hear him speak.
'Ha. No worries, you can play with me.'
With a sharp intake of air she shook away those memories. The last thing she wanted was to cry here. Among the worst two people to cry in front of. Not too many moments later the carriage pulled to a graceful stop and Sebastian opened the door faster than she'd thought he would. His expression was dull and unreadable until he frowned slightly at the sight of his young master sound asleep and laid out neatly on the seat. Before he looked at her Ivy brushed past him with a hand on his shoulder to balance herself.
"You should probably get him to bed."
….
"A white tiger is a sacred creature in India." Agni remarked, in serious thought. Soma nodded in agreement, his eyes were still misty from the stretched tale Ivy had to weave about her and Betty. Technically the tiger did speak to her and if the pair considered it a vision of destiny then by all means, as long as it got her where she wanted. Honestly she just really couldn't believe that she was doing this. "His Majesty The Raja of Bengal has his own vast reserve for tigers."
"Is that so?" Ivy seemed intrigued.
"Yes." Soma straightened up, ready to regale her with details. "My father takes great pride in his tiger reserves. The white ones have trouble keeping hidden and are very rare so we have only two males. They a favorite target for poachers who seek to kill them for their exotic pelts or sell them off to zoos and circuses." Ivy Ashcroft was new to many things when it came to the opposite sex but one thing she had always been aware of was that nothing lets a boy's guard down like talking to a cute, harmless girl. And though the neko couldn't say she was beautiful, she knew she was as cute and non-threatening as they come.
"How novel! And so thoughtful and mindful of your father." She was sure to praise. "Would he be willing to receive Betty on his land seeing as females are scarce?" The tigress was a free spirit, and ensuring that she would be safe from being captured all over again was a necessity. The prince was interested by the idea and Agni seemed to share his enthusiasm.
"We could think of it as a gift to your father." He wished for his master to gain the favor of his family as well as his independence and self-worth. "To ensure him of your growing manhood and independence here in England." Ivy smiled warmly, listening to the utter trust that Agni had for her. The boy's honey gold eyes brightened further.
"It is almost predestined! That settles it! Agni, we will rescue this tigress and send her to Bengal!" He stood proudly with one finger pointing triumphantly toward the sky and the other hand resting on his waist smartly. Ivy crossed her legs on the velvety duvet she was perched upon and sipped her chai tea to hide her grin before responding enthusiastically.
"Capital!"
….
Ivy smoothed out the heavy gown, deciding to head up to her room so she could take the dreadful thing off. She had literally been running around all day and all evening. Now she was finally peeling off her gloves and making her way down the hall. Heaving a sigh, she looked at the egg in her hand once again and wondered in retrospect if she shouldn't have taken it. People could talk and just because he reminded her of someone didn't give her an excuse to be less cautious. Then again people always talked and it wasn't as if she had done anything scandalous. With a huff, the neko girl moved to tuck it away again.
That is until a swift grip caught the wrist that held the little trinket. "My, my… what a pretty little knick knack." Something in Ivy's posture went entirely rigid and her ears flattened. A gloved hand drew the little Faberge egg from her now bare fingers. She blinked in surprise as he examined it up in the light. "I wonder who could be so generous as to bestow it on a complete stranger… a lady in fact." His tone stated that he obviously knew whom it was Ivy received it from.
"Please Sebastian. Not now…" She sighed wearily, reaching for it. He drew it back from her reach with a deep-seated frown. The half-ling blinked in astonishment. "What is your problem?"
"I have no problem, but you apparently do if you agreed to take such an obviously expensive token from a strange gentlemen in plain view." He tucked it away into his jacket and Ivy got the distinct impression that she would probably never see it again among all of his inter-dimensional pocket loot. Rosy lips parted in outrage for his lack of concern over her choices and property.
"If you even had the slightest hint of a brain, you'd see that he was desperate to get rid of it, and I thought it was too pretty to just throw away. Give it back!" She tried to grab it again and he moved it away once more.
"Is it important to you then?"
"I fail to see how what I did could affect the Earl's already shady reputation anyway! I didn't even do anything!" Her heels echoed against the floor. "There is no point in confiscating it at this point in time either!" Sebastian looked unimpressed and folded his arms rather staunchly. Ivy hated feeling attacked like this. Taking a few deep breaths she forced herself to calm down before she started screaming her head off.
"Okay…what exactly did I do that was so horrible? I must understand."
"Did you know that Charles Grey does not like to dance?"
Now she huffed. "Should that bother me? Obviously he was doing his job, he and Phipps kept an eye on me all night, and he was trying to manipulate the interlude so that I would give something away. He doesn't scare me, Sebastian."
The butler's posture seemed to almost grow. "If you paid attention to anything I told you about him before, you would've been aware that he leaves the parts of their assignments that he finds unpleasant or dull to his partner Phipps." Ivy's memory flashed back to the surprised disapproval on the taller attendant's face when Grey had begun to converse with her. Had they originally agreed that Phipps would talk to her? Then she recalled his words: I wasn't interested in talking to you but I guess your okay… for a fat ass. Now she just frowned at exactly what Sebastian was trying to imply. That had nothing at all to do with her behavior.
"So he wanted to dance with me. I fail to see where I went wrong either way."
"Just tell me this one thing, Miss Ivy. Was it before or after he had his hands all over you that you decided you would completely break character?" And now Ivy found herself completely dumbstruck with indignation, mouth slightly parted. The only reason she did not outright shatter the nearest bust against his face was because he had been right. She had made the mistake of acting more like herself because Grey had been so very honest with her.
"It was stupid of me, yes but we can't all be perfect like you. And I would appreciate it if you didn't make such outrageous exaggerations. His hands were not 'all over me' we were dancing- in fact what the fuck business is it of yours whether they had been or not!" She suddenly realized halfway through her own statement. Her ire quickly began to rise at the hypocrisy of his reaction. "Even if he had touched me inappropriately –which he didn't!- you wouldn't have had a right to dictate whether I allowed it or NOT! In which case we both know that I would have made him eat his own sword and asked him if he was still hungry afterwards! HOW DARE YOU IMPLY THAT I WAS BEHAVING TOO INTIMATELY WITH A MAN I JUST MET!"
"Lower your voice this instant."
"This is your fault so if I shout, you DEAL WITH IT!" She poked him in the chest. The demon butler rolled his eyes as she continued her tangent. "And how dare you think my interaction with him was within your grounds to fume at me-"
"I merely made an observation. It was you who assumed that I was implying anything; I simply fail to understand how, after I worked so hard with you, that you simply threw away the persona you were to hold to."
"It wasn't a big-!"
"And whether you with to acknowledge it or not, Earl Grey was obviously over-stepping his bounds. You being sensible in many things still fail to realize this."
"Why on earth would he do a thing like that?" Ivy rolled her eyes and tried to brush past him but he caught her upper arm in his grasp. The abruptness in his action startled her.
"Other than to show that he could get away with it? –By the way that he was looking at the young master and I that much is confirmed as far as we are concerned- He loves power plays. That and contrary to what you apparently perceive, you are a beautiful girl." At his words Ivy stopped tugging at her arm and looked him in the eye, stunned into muteness.
"I'm…" She couldn't manage to get the rest out, or even think about what exactly she wanted to say to him.
What? The neko went over memories and other assorted happenings in her life and recalled that nobody had ever called her beautiful before. Everybody thought she was cute or pretty but never once had she been beautiful before. Her first instinct was not to believe it. She stared up at him and he didn't particularly seem to realize what he'd done to muddle her so suddenly. Then came a more alarming realization; Sebastian never said anything he didn't mean when he was angry. She had seen him flatter and manipulate his way in many situations, even against her, but never when he was cross with her. So he thought she was beautiful? Why?
All of this confusion was upsetting her. "Please… this isn't fair. I didn't think something so stupid would snowball into such a cluster fuck Sebastian!"
"Perhaps not but your behavior has caused us a potential string of inconveniences." His tone dripped with disapproval. Ivy clasped her hands awkwardly and glared down at the floor. "What will you do, now that you've deemed yourself of interest to him, if he decides to visit you regularly? That would be a major inconvenience all variables considered." She just pursed her lips into a tight line. Damn him.
"How dare you criticize the way I socialize? How dare you imply that my conduct with the Earl was inappropriate beyond the fact that I broke my character once or twice!"
"Oh? Then I suppose I can dispose of this." He held up the little egg by its dainty gold chain. "This is not a typical Faberge egg design…it looks as though somebody put a lot of thought into it and even customized it…and every gem is genuine." Observant dark eyes examined the bauble with some disdain. "Why did he give this to you?"
"Um maybe because he didn't want it?" She huffed at his unimpressed frown. "Okay. I am not really comfortable with giving out information on someone's personal life just like that, especially since I don't owe you any explanation. Give it back please." When she grabbed for it he drew it away again.
"Ah. Then your suitor's little token is of some importance to you then." His grin seemed rather nasty but Ivy was more focused on his words. The acute pressure in the center of her gut began to intensify. Was it such a crime to secretly want to own something so pretty? What truly felt like a crime to her was the hypocrisy of this whole thing.
"Sui-! I TOLD YOU-!"
"I don't particularly care about Earl Grey's personal life, but you are being surprisingly evasive for his sake about this little keepsake here." His interruption felt like such a grave injustice in this particular situation that her jaw trembled and she shut her eyes tightly trying not to explode.
"OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE! WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CAKE PRACTICALLY THE WHOLE TIME; I WASN'T LURING HIM INTO A SPARE ROOM AND STICKING MY HAND DOWN HIS PANTS! YOU THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU START POINTING FINGERS AT ME!" Her eyes stung and she almost choked. This was much worse then feeling ashamed. This was feeling hurt and misjudged…because of someone who shouldn't even matter enough to cause it. She felt stupid and helpless; he had a knack for making her feel that way.
The demon was suddenly silent with eyes that seemed to stare right through her as if the wheels in his mind came to a stop suddenly and then buzzed back to life with a new speed in another direction. Like his mind was suddenly making other connections. Ivy realized what she had just admitted to. "…Keep the stupid egg." She stormed off, now furious at herself.
"Does that mean-?"
"NO! I'M GOING TO BED, MISTER MICHAELIS!" She was unable to miss the suddenly very pleased grin on the demon's face. Good thing he knew better than to follow after her at this point. The neko vanished down the halls as quickly as was physically possible for her, trapped within her own mortification.
The butler on the other hand was surprised and rather pleased. "Serendipitous indeed." He swung the egg on its golden chain curiously, watching it glitter in the dim light. "Hm." He hummed dismissively at it before a gloved hand then stuffed it into his pocket. No need to bother with that.
….
Ivy slammed the door to her room and flung herself miserably onto her mattress. She ignored the way the horrid whalebone corset pinched at her sides from her angle. Her eyes burned furiously but she hated crying so she didn't. Instead her lips trembled and her eyes became glassy. Her face felt warm both from the effort and from humiliation that she had let those words slip so carelessly. The neko could have torn her own tongue out. It was a miracle that he hadn't instantly taken advantage of the situation. The cats still in her room were mildly startled by her sudden entrance and all wandered about her warily now, sniffing at her form.
With a sigh, Ivy rolled over gently and pulled a concerned little Tinsel to her chest. "It's all right, love. I'm sorry." They then began to each trickle in to snuggle her and she smiled slightly. Ugh it was so restrictive in this horrible place, Ivy was starting to feel claustrophobic. 'I want to go.' She thought wistfully, knowing it was foolishness. Looking out the window into the inviting cool color of night and even though she knew it was probably freezing outside, the fresh would be better than this constricting room. With a tired breath she sat up and looked out into the garden for a bit before walking to stand at the sill.
It was late, so late…and it was so dark but Ivy couldn't bring herself to care as she pushed open to glass to stick her head out the window and take a relieving breath. Her warm face began to cool considerably from the indignant flush that still permeated through her cheeks and behind her eyes. Her face softened and she let her hair loose so it could be moved in the chilly breeze. There may be no way that she would or could just leave but… just walking around was not impermissible. There was a knock at her bedroom door that startled her out of her thought process. A thought or two had her fearing that it was Sebastian, surely only he could be up this late…but it had been far too gentle…almost timid.
Sensing the presence it was obviously Maylene, but she would ask anyway, just so she didn't scare her. "Who is it?" She asked gently, trying not to let her voice shake emotively.
"U-um…M-m… its Maylene." The neko shut the window and turned to the cats, grateful that they could understand her. Round eyes watching her attentively.
"All right, everybody hide." She murmured softly and they scattered about and rejoined their mother under the bed. Silent as a ghost she practically wafted to the door and allowed it to creek open, taking a look at the bespectacled maid. "Maylene, whatever are you doing awake?" She asked genuinely taken aback. Her fellow maid's cheeks darkened and she wrung her pale hands. Her red hair was also left loose and she was wearing her nightgown. Ivy patiently waited for her to speak and as May shifted her feet awkwardly she finally spoke.
"I-I…I heard shouting down the hall, I did." Her voiced sounded surprisingly subdued and her gaze lowered. With realization Ivy felt her chest drop and she instantly opened the door completely. Maylene blinked in mild surprise that Ivy still hadn't changed.
"My big mouth woke you up. I'm so sorry." Now Ivy's voice was somewhat subdued. "Did I wake anybody else?" Maylene just shook her head. There was a moment of silence between them and Ivy's eyes narrowed with concern. The other maid let out a breath. Now the neko was shifting awkwardly before speaking up. "…You didn't hear anything we said did you?" The red haired maid quickly looked up and shook her head no as if worried that Ivy might think she had been eavesdropping.
"I-it was far to muffled to really make anything out, it was!" At this, the ravenette's shoulders slumped in relief. More silence.
"…Did…did you want to talk about something now that you're awake?" Ivy asked, hugging herself a little bit.
"It is rather chilly out in the hall." Maylene reasoned aloud, touching her hair self-consciously. The Halfling move aside gracefully with a small smile of assurance. The other maid fiddled with her glasses and entered past her, the door closing behind them.
"I'm very sorry I disturbed you." Ivy huffed in self-admonishment. The maid shook her head as if to say it was fine and she fiddled with her glasses again. "Come on, let's sit." The two of them sat on the edge of her bed. After a moment, Maylene seemed to have gained enough courage to voice what was on her mind.
"What happened to make him so angry at you-I mean well…the other way around too…but… I heard you almost cry and I got worried-"
"It's really nothing new. I'm just tired of him so we - well I blew up at him for treating me like an idiot." Ivy didn't want to think about this.
"But I've never heard him use that kind of tone with you before."
Ivy blinked but just shook her head. "He thinks I'm stupid, and I suppose I was not as careful as I should have been at the ball but I had no other way of directing the conversation without somewhat being myself, its j-" She cut herself off, not sure how much Watchdog work could be mentioned to the servants. "Sebastian Michaelis hurt my feelings, because I hurt his vanity with my actions. He somehow thinks he has a say in who I talk to and how I choose to do so. It's just that I was reminded of someone who meant quite a bit to me as a child. When I contradicted him he mildly implies that I'm easy." Maylene seemed to wilt further at her words.
"I'm sure he has no idea."
"You may be right, he doesn't have feelings so what would he know?" Ivy grumbled hotly, running her fingers through dark hair.
"I-I'm serious." Maylene traced patterns on the wool blanket beside her. "…I'm surprised he could even find fault with you."
Green eyes gazed at nothing in particular as the neko smiled wryly to herself. Sebastian not finding fault in something? Preposterous. "You'd be surprised." She just shrugged shoulders. "Sometimes I'm certain he looks at me like I'm a troublesome child under his watch. And then sometimes it was almost like he genuinely thought me admirable and even a little pretty from time to time-" Suddenly Maylene piped in.
"He thinks you're beautiful." She corrected.
Ivy was startled into silence. Had she…? "How did you-?"
"Of course he does…" She breathed and folded her arms lightly in her lap, toying with her long white sleeves. Ivy's attention was suddenly drawn all at once to her human friend. Maylene's dark eyes stared down at her lap. "Any girl would feel like she was the most beautiful creature alive if he-…if he glanced at them for a second the way he always, always looks at you." The neko became troubled, Maylene didn't understand who he was and had developed deep feelings that Ivy had not realized were there. Moved to pity, Ivy scooched so that she now sat on her folded legs and faced her. "I thought-" Maylene choked with trembling lips. "-I thought-"
"Maylene. I had no idea you felt so strongly. I thought your interest was external." The neko gently took her glasses and placed them neatly on her nightstand to reveal her shining eyes, red rimmed. "I suppose there isn't anything I can say in regards to how you feel, but I promise he is not worth such feelings and he can't hope to understand them, or anybody's." She made it a point not to think about what she had said. She had never really seen the way he watched her and if Maylene had perceived it in such a manner, Ivy was terrified to see it. It would mean he had a personal interest in Ivy that she most likely did not want. She couldn't think of any option that didn't make her want to run away that very night.
"I-it doesn't matter." Maylene tried to say dismissively through a shaking voice, her shoulders could be seen trembling. "One-sided feelings are obsolete anyway, they are."
Ivy never wanted to be in her position, to love someone whose nature couldn't comprehend or return something so human. It made her heart ache and so she reached for the maid and held her close as she very suddenly started to cry. It wasn't the loud way she wailed when she made a mistake, it was silent as if she wanted to hide it. Ivy could relate; she always wanted to disappear when she cried. Her eyes watered. "Please stop." She whispered soothingly. "Your feelings are always important, do you understand? He is obsolete."
"He's perfect." She shook her head.
"Perfect is an illusion, and illusions are dangerous. If perfect even existed, you couldn't find it in the form of Sebastian Michaelis."
"Do you hate him?" Maylene calmed herself slightly to look at her.
"No." She said almost as if in realization. "Not really. I just have a pretty good idea what he really is. If you did, you probably wouldn't like him all that much." She scrunched her face. No, he wasn't someone Maylene would like as a general rule, he was too serious and exacting. Maylene required patience and comfort. And if Sebastian ever had someone it would have to be someone who adamantly insists on what she wants for the sake of her own happiness.
Maylene realized that Ivy was right in the idea that she probably didn't know the butler closely enough to have an image of him in her mind. He kept to himself far too much for that these past two years. "Can I stay here?"
"Of course." The Halfling nodded, thinking to herself. No. Ivy didn't hate him…even though she should've.
The two of them were silent for a moment or two.
"What happened to them?" Maylene asked quietly. The neko blinked in confusion. "You said you were reminded of someone who meant a lot to you…who were they?" Ivy had to answer carefully as to not reveal or leave room for dangerous questions. "A boy I knew…"
"What happened to him?" Thinking about it Ivy decided there wasn't a problem in telling her. As long as it was vague.
"He died. Protecting me."
"From what?"
"A monster." Having a rather dark backstory of her own. Maylene understood the need for silence on the topic.
"Oh…I'm sorry."
"Goodnight May." Ivy smiled simply in response. The other maid had dozed off quicker than expected. So Ivy was once again left to her own devices and moved to sit on the windowsill. Then she felt something and her posture stiffened, mind working to identify the new presence. It quickly clicked. Scurrying to the window she frowned into the view outside discerningly. "A sprite?" She whispered. "What sprite would be stupid enough to come here?" There was nobody else out there. Odd. Or perhaps anybody else there were concealing themselves, but nekos didn't work with other species, only her mother ever did that.
A sprite was not dangerous to a half-breed. She could handle one fairly easily. Opening the window she pursed her lips and looked back and forth. There was nothing…except for the sudden dark figure seated atop a thin branch in the lotus position. "A kitsune?" She spoke aloud, knowing that he obviously knew she was there. Sharp fox eyes glowed to life under their loose flowing hood. "What is one of your kind doing alone on such perilous turf?" Those eyes smiled at her.
"Being hopeful for a stroke of luck." He murmured.
"No luck in a place like this." She shook her head.
"I disagree." Ivy weighed her options. It would be stupid to attack him now with Maylene right there sound asleep, but she was not sure if Sebastian might or might not be able to catch him. Sprites were lighter on their feet than even nekos and could vanish easily; then again it was Sebastian. She had a hard time believing that there was anything he couldn't do at this rate. But if she called him, this creature would be gone before he arrived.
"Who are you?" She spoke tersely.
"A squirrel."
She grabbed hold of a revolver and pointed but he was gone when she turned to look back at him. Blinking in astonishment, Ivy grumbled and shut her window cautiously. Putting the weapon away. Placing her hands on her hips, she debated going to Sebastian but it wouldn't do much good, besides she would probably feel better talking to him in the morning. Great now it was cold in here.
Author's Note: Okay so I took real long with this one cause I really wasn't sure I was satisfied with it. Looking back on my other chapters that I wasn't sure about, I don't know what exactly my problem was with them. Anyway I hope I wrote Grey okay, and Maylene too. But mostly the argument between Sebastian and Ivy…that is my major problem. If anybody has anything to say about that please let me know cause I was stumped for a long time with it. Anyway hope you guys enjoyed it. Ciao!
Special Mention to my wonderful bestie and muse, Momo. 3 Love that lady! And if it weren't for her I would have taken even longer to get this out of here so be sure to marinate in the gratitude for a while xD lol. Ciao again!