"'The Phantomhive Company is celebrating its third year. In honour of this, they are putting on a play for orphan children, a presentation of Hamlet'. Well well, it seems we're getting a fair bit of press for this..."
It's a new day in the Phantomhive Estate, and we zoom in on the young earl's study, as he and Coraline sat behind his desk reading the daily paper together while Sebastian was pouring them each a cup of freshly-brewed Earl Grey from a porcelain teapot decorated in a grey, black and white intricate scheme.
Coraline, she dressed in her own personal fashion, contrasting Ciel's green suit, peers her eyes over the article in question.
"Hm, yet a new form of entertainment to keep the minds of gossipers busy from things like conspiracies and scandalous rumours. I'm not sure if the play in particular's a good one for kids, though, mostly with how flowery and metaphoric the Shakespearic language is..."
Sebastian finishes pouring the second cup and voices his thoughts:
"What surprises me is the charity. I have to admit, I rather admire your Philanthropic spirit, master."
Ciel glances up at the butler with a minor glare, catching the hint of a mocking tone:
"Philanthropy?"
He holds a hand up in a matter-of-fact manner while the other is fisted to rest his cheek upon it and replies,
"No: Love breeds money. You do know what they'll say, don't you? 'The Funtom Company gives love to children in need', a comment easily used to our advantage...Hm?"
Ciel pauses when he hears someone crying, and looks to see Bard, Finny and Tanaka kneeling/sitting on the floor closest to the doorway as they got emotional in their own ways over the charity and good will.
"(Sob) Love fo' the poor orphans! How noble! It brings tears to my eyes!"
"Of course, master understands how they feel: He los' 'is own parents jus' like the orphans."
"(Holds up a handkerchief) Ho, ho, ho..."
Annoyed, the young earl stands up and slams his hands on his desk while shouting,
"Stop this crying! Didn't you lot hear anything I just said?!"
Coraline puts a hand to her mouth to try and contain an oncoming assault of giggles, which don't go unnoticed by the irritated Ciel.
"(Turn) And just what is so funny?"
She holds her hands up on the defense and replies with a smile,
"Sorry, sorry. It's just sometimes hilarious watching the emotional reaction differences between you and other people on subjects like charity: You see it as an opportunity to generate buzz for your company, but others just look at the good faith...But come on now..."
Coraline then smirks a little and quirks,
"Underneath that business tycoon mask, you secretly like doing something nice for others now and again, don't you?"
Ciel tches and avoids her gaze, causing her to roll her eyes lightly before moving from her seat to crouch down in front of the teary-eyed men.
"Sheesh. Remind me to never watch a romantic film with you guys without several boxes of tissues handy, especially you, Bard. (Cheeky smile) Who would've thought the ex-soldier was such a big sap?"
"O-Oi! Excuse you, young lady!"
Coraline and Finny laugh at the glowering chef, while the house steward 'hohs' with an amused headshake.
Ciel would take a turn at rolling his eye at the redhead's joking, before turning to Sebastian as he comments,
"An appropriate choice, sir: Hamlet. Exactly what I'd expect from a child."
The bluenette grits his teeth at the raven-haired butler, the teasing much more obvious in the older's tone this time, but the latter continues nonetheless.
"Shakespeare's great work, one with much significance: After Prince Hamlet's father, the King, is murdered, Hamlet vows to avenge him, even at the cost of his own life. The play might as well have been written for you, master."
Sitting back down in his seat, Ciel picks up his teacup and dryly replies with a touch of edge,
"Don't get too carried away. Hamlet was simply in the repertoire of the troupe. I don't care about the plot."
Coraline doesn't miss a word, and smiles sadly while remarking softly,
"Maybe the plot doesn't fit completely for him...but, it fits alot closer for me."
"No way."
"Hm?"
Finny places a hand on her shoulder, with Bard following after, giving her matching serious expressions:
"If you o' the young master were anythin' like Hamlet, you'd be long gone by now."
"Bard's righ'. You survived your revenge, an'...I have this feelin', that master will too."
"Guys..."
Coraline's smile becomes a bit brighter, and nods at their comforting words...Suddenly:
(Slam)
"Aauuuh! Master!"
Mey-Rin bursts through the doors into the study with a troubled expression, causing Ciel to ask,
"What's wrong? What on earth happened?"
The men move to stand behind the maid near the front of the desk, while Coraline goes to sit beside Ciel again and chides,
"Take it easy, Mey-Rin. Deep breath and start from the beginning."
Mey-Rin does as the younger redhead advises before explaining the problem:
"Sir, miss, the ship tha' was carrying the actors ran into some trouble at sea! They won't be able to arrive in London until next week, no they won't!"
Coraline winces, and slowly turns to look at Ciel a bit nervously, he placing a finger or two to the side of his head before replying through his teeth edgily,
"But the performance is three days away. Do you have any idea how much it's being advertised?! Bloody press will be all over us! We can't possibly reschedule now..."
The redhead places her hand on the bluenette's to calm him down, while the servant quartet sighs worriedly...Sebastian then asks,
"What shall we do?"
Coraline suggests with a small, exasperated smile,
"The only sensible thing to do in a crisis like this: Improvise."
Ciel lets out a breath of irritation...but nods all the same:
"Right...What we have to. Now, (turn) Sebastian, your orders: Make this show a success. It must be worthy of the Phantomhive name."
"(Bow) Indeed, my young lord."
Time Skip
Several phone calls would be made to various friends and acquaintances of the Phantomhive Manor, and by the evening, we would have a new cast and crew for the Hamlet production gathered in the Sitting Room. On the sofa, was Lau and his sister:
"My dear Ran-Mao, tell me: What part do you want to play?"
"Seaweed."
Coraline, who was standing near them with a stack of papers and a pencil tucked over her left ear, her hair tied back in a ponytail, hms and notes,
"Interesting...That could work for background..."
She turns to her left where Snake was standing and asks,
"Say, Snake: What would you and your friends think of playing living nature with Ran-Mao? Not all of you have to be, heh, seaweed..."
"(Hiss) I suppose that role works for us. (Reg. Voice) Goethe likes that it's not complicated...unlike some other roles..."
The redhead nods in agreement, before jotting his, Lau's and Ran-Mao's names on a blank sheet of paper.
Okay. Ran-Mao and Snake will be Living Background...
Not completely sure what Lau's role should be yet, but, he could play Claudius...
Coraline looks over near the loveseat adjacent to the sofa, where Claude, Hannah, Madam Red and Paula stood, and hms before writing down,
Those four can be two teams, one Costumes and the other Makeup.
Then the Triplets, Stage Hands...
"What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
She looks up and sees Alois in front of her with a funny expression, and smiles while replying,
"Trying to figure out what everyone should do and save Sebastian a headache. He'll be real busy once we get started, so I thought I'd volunteer to coordinate roles."
"Huh, so, you're like his personal assistant or something?"
"Heheh, I guess so."
"(Eager smile) Have you thought of something for me yet?"
"(Laugh) Not yet, Alois...but what would you say to playing, Horatio?"
"(Slight frown) The sappy friend of Hamlet? In another lifetime, maybe!"
He glances to the right over where the windows are and adds,
"Maybe if Soma dials down his pompousness, he could take that role."
"Huh? Pompous?"
Alois points to said prince, and Coraline turns to her left to watch as Soma drapes a cloak over his one shoulder while boasting,
"I know my part already: Obviously, I will be playing Ramakrishna!"
Agni basks in the 'glow' of the young royal:
"Ooh, my prince! Oh, you'll be fabulous; you'll be the star of the show!"
Coraline sucks some breath between her teeth with nervous blue irises:
"Tsk, yeaaah, I see what you mean..."
"Got a plan for that?"
"Well...unless Soma is willing to actually read the play's story, he's better off as a Stage Hand. Though Agni...He has the right air to play Polonius."
Alois hms, watching the redhead write her thoughts down, before deciding to test her skills again.
"Alright...(Smirk) How 'bout her?"
Coraline looks up with a raised brow, and bulges her eyes a little at the adoring proclamation from Lizzie:
"Ooh, and I want to be a gorgeous princess! And I'll wear a dress, with at least three petticoats!"
"(Sweatdrop) Um...she might be one of the trickier cases..."
Undertaker chuckles and walks up to the pig-tailed blond in the orange-cream dress before saying,
"Only three, princess? Oh no, I wouldn't be caught dead with less than five!"
"What?! Are you serious; you're going to be a princess too?! That wouldn't be cute at all!"
As Coraline and Alois fight to contain their snickers, Ciel mutters with a tick-mark abundant,
"We have seaweed, a mystic and two princesses..."
He then yells,
"Didn't I explain that we were doing Hamlet?!"
Turning his aggravation towards his butler, the young earl asks shortly,
"Sebastian, why all these amateurs? Were you intending to put on a school play?"
"If he is, it'd be appropriate for the appending audience, (laugh)!"
Ciel turns to glare at the approaching giggling forms of his fiance/girlfriend and Alois:
"Tch, glad you two find this amusing..."
Not fazed by the angered sarcasm, the blond earl chides with a light smirk,
"Oh calm down, Ciel. It's not like we're performing for Her Majesty. Besides, Coraline's already figured out roles for everyone that fit them perfectly."
Coraline smiles sheepishly and says while scratching the back of her head,
"Ah-heh, well, not everyone, but I'm working on it..."
Ciel hms while staring at her with interest, and then Sebastian says,
"This is as it should be, master. A charity play really ought to be staged by its host. Heh, (smirk) one oughtn't pay a theatrical troupe to do it..."
He fake-smiles while adding with a crack from his knuckles,
"And besides, I have some faith in this particular group. (Smirk) I believe they'll take well to a little harsh direction. They know better than to argue with certain people..."
Said distracted six sweatdrop with worry at the rather, sadistically-worded mentioning, while others shivered, and the more demonic shoot a glare at the red-eyed butler with their own fushia irises...
"And naturally, you'll have a part to play as well, my lord."
Ciel gapes, and whirls around to yell at Sebastian, but was instantly cut off when the latter adds,
"I'm sure it's not a problem. Of course you know that you too must rise to the occasion in times of crisis...or are you indeed a child, young master?"
The young earl grinds his teeth, before feeling a hand on his shoulder, and turns to see Coraline giving him a sneaky smile.
"Just an FYI, I already marked you for the lead, so it's official."
"You did what?!"
She laughs a bit nervously, while Alois jeers,
"Ha! Now you really can't weasel out!"
Ciel sweatdrops with a groan while looking downward in defeat, and Sebastian smiles in amusement at the young lady with long red hair.
Heh, and young master knows better than to argue with his beloved, making her the perfect assistant.
Sound Test
(Chord...)
While everyone else lined up at the ready, Sebastian, dressed in his tutor attire, was sitting at the piano prepping himself to direct the first round of scales.
"It's time for us to begin. So, (turn) we will start with vocal exercises...Ah-ah-ah-ah-aaahhh~."
An echo is made by the group, most teetering off the key, but some (mostly the demons) repeated the warm-up rather well. Although, just as Sebastian repeated the vocal, he cuts himself off when his ears pick up on a 'note' that came out more as a 'moan'...
That of course, would be Lau, he lounging blissfully on the sofa while Ran-Mao sat on his back and massaged his feet...Sebastian tells them sternly,
"There will be none of that."
Coraline sighs under her breath before adding after him,
"Really, you two need to focus. (Smile) The rest of you are doin' okay, other than some being a bit pitchy. Remember to stay on key."
Sebastian nods in agreement, then walks back to the piano to start the vocal training again:
(Chord...)
"Go."
The group repeats the scale, doing a little better than the first try...until:
"Oh-ho-ho-hoooh! Yes, so perfect, so wonderful!"
Soma would cut in as the second interruption, praising the curry that his khansama, Agni, had apparently just made...Sebastian would tell them off too:
"None of that either."
"(Mouthful) Why no'?"
"(Kind smile) But, there is plenty to go around. Please, fell free to help yourself."
The raven-haired butler politely declines (though with an annoyed undertone):
"No, thank you." Coraline suggests,
"Maybe we should circle back on vocals and move on to the storyline?"
"(Sigh) Very well..."
Sebastian moves to stand in front of the grand ivory and hardwood with a conducting stick in hand:
"Now, we work on Acting."
Script Test, Coraline's POV
It wasn't an easy task, but I managed to get everyone fitted with a role with some help from Sebastian (he too getting a part). Most were satisfied or indifferent with their objective, though a few (Soma and Lizzie) chose to argue until I snapped back with just as much spitfire, forcing them to stand down...
Now it was Ciel's turn to practice his lines as our star, Prince Hamlet:
"To be or not to be, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind's eye..."
Unfortunately, his tone was less dramatically correct, dare I say, monotonic, causing me to facepalm and mutter,
"Oh geez..."
I hear Sebastian slap the conducting stick on his palm before sternly directing,
"Master...put a bit more heart into it."
Ciel twitches to attention and tries again, this time just coming out rather pathetically:
"T-To be, or not, to, be..."
Alois quietly snickers from his stand beside me and whispers,
"God, he sounds even worse...!"
...And it seemed he wasn't the only one who thought so, when we all suddenly hear a muffled cry from behind the closed doors.
"No, don't do that, of course that's a dead sentence!"
(Swoop, tok, tok)
Next thing I knew, a pair of red shears come flying to land in the carpet near Ciel's feet!
Wait...no way! Don't tell those are-
(Slam)
My question's answer came bursting in just seconds after, in the form of that drama-queen red reaper, Grell Sutcliff! He leans causally on the door frame and sighs while flipping his hair,
"Ooh, what pathetically horrible acting! (Gestures across the air) Do us all a favour and drop dead this instant, my dear little Prince Hamlet..."
Ciel snaps out of his stupor and glares at the new arrival:
"No, Grell? What are you doing here?"
On my other side, Lizzie wonders to herself,
"Who is that? I have the strangest feeling I've seen that man before..."
I smile a bit nervously at her semi-obliviousness, remembering that she wasn't fully in tune with the events at the Mandelay Manor, when I hear Madam Red mumble from behind me,
"Yes...so do I..."
(Gasp) Oh no...Could, her memories of Grell and what they've been through together get triggered?
Oh crap, oh crap...!
My rising panic was interrupted when Alois hisses,
"What's that ruby mess doing waltzing in here?" I reply honestly,
"No idea...Guess a dramatic, man like him couldn't resist the chance to act?"
Focusing up front, I watch Grell step in front of Ciel with a disappointed frown to say,
"You know, you have absolutely no heart, none at all. (Pokes Ciel's chest) Don't you want to convey all the anguish Hamlet's feeling? (Stomps childishly) It has to echo throughout the theatre! (Holds a hand up matter-of-factually) Come on now; try it like this!"
He then does his own take on the famous scene from Shakespeare's play:
"To be or not to be: That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler...No! (Sing-song) That's no question, no, not at all~! No question at aaaalllll~!"
As I held my sides trying not to laugh at the display, the servant quartet, Lizzie and Undertaker join in as a background chorus.
"No, none at all~!"
Grell then skips over to Sebastian's proximity:
"(Sing-song) When I met you, there was no question~, no question at all! (Grabs the other's hand) To be, to be with you, I would do any~thing I had to, yeah~!"
(JAB)
"Oawh!"
I wince as Sebastian uses the conductor stick to hold Grell away from his person by the other's nostril, before stating in a clear threat,
"You know, if you aren't careful, you won't be for much longer."
Curious of other reactions, I look around to see the servant quartet cringing with fear (though Tanaka seemed calm as ever), Snake's eyes widening in surprise, Lizzie and Paula wincing similarly, Lau and Ran-Mao not paying attention, Madam Red muttering,
"Oh dear,"
Ciel putting his fingers to his forehead in irritation, Alois smirking at the minor violence, Undertaker quietly cackling, Soma and Agni watching in awe, Claude and Hannah remaining impassive, and the Triplets whispering among themselves. Grell of course, was not fazed by Sebastian's cold address:
"Oh, my Bassy! Love and Death coincide! Can you not see it? Do you not understand the beauty-Oah!"
(Thud)
He was then dropped to the ground by the demon, who whips out a handkerchief to wipe the conductor stick clean while muttering,
"I must admit, as melodramatic as his style may be...perhaps it could be useful for our current purposes."
That seemed to please Grell, he smiling adoringly at the butler, while I hum,
"We do need all the help possible..."
(...Step, step)
"Hm?"
It was then Madam Red's heels click forward from behind me, and she walks over to the red-clad reaper with a curious frown on her lips:
"...Forgive me for asking such an odd question, but, have you and I met before? You look, familiar..."
I hear Ciel's breath hitch sharply, likely becoming as concerned as I was regarding, the clouded truth, and Grell moves to stand on his feet again while staring at the woman before him in bewilderment.
"...Hm?"
He must've felt my eyes on him, for he turned his lime green irises to meet my two-toned blue, as I silently pleaded,
Please...don't tell her about your duo guise as her butler and half of Jack the Ripper.
She won't be able to handle it anymore after her coma. Don't shatter her mind, Grell!
Much to my surprise...Grell flashes me a smile of reassurance, before focusing back on Madam Red and replying softly,
"I'm afraid not, Madam. But, perhaps we crossed paths at a few parties in the past without realizing it? I would've certainly loved to have exchanged words with a fellow lover of red."
...Grell...
She seemed satisfied by his answer, maybe even flattered:
"Oh, heh, my thanks for the compliment."
The atmosphere decompresses back to normal, and after they traded names, I walked up to Grell as Madam Red returned to her original spot by Paula, to mouth to the reaper with a grateful smile,
"Thank you."
He smiles back and whispers,
"No problem, dearie."
Sebastian would then clear his throat and bring us all back to attention on the current task:
"Moving forward, I trust you already have a role in mind for Grell, Miss Coraline?"
I hm while eyeing said red-clad reaper up and down, before nodding with a smile:
"Actually, I do."
He shall be our Ophelia...
As I wrote down Grell's name and part on the list (he squealed quietly and gave me a quick hug when he peered at the paper over my shoulder), Sebastian moves to address everyone else.
"As for the rest of you, no one's putting forth sufficient effort (My thought: Except the demons...). Try harder, people."
He adds to Soma a bit shortly, who was once again chowing away,
"And I said no curry."
"(Mouthful) Id is realby good."
Unfortunately, some of the crew wasn't listening to Sebastian, busy with their own distractions such as Ran-Mao practicing her impression of seaweed on Lau's lap with a few of Snake's serpent buddies hanging off her neck and arms (the charmer himself just stood and watched the display with an awkward expression);
Lizzie placing that pink bonnet on Undertaker's head ("There, see? Pink hats! They're definitely the cutest, aren't they?" "Heeheheehehee...");
Alois teasing Ciel about the eventual performance ("I bet you fifty pounds that you'll mess up big time on stage!" "Tch, will not!");
Madam Red and Grell chatting it up about something random, but possibly about Sebastian judging from their rosy glances every few seconds; and the servants, human and demon, were just either standing bored or staring off in thought, minus Finny, who seemed to be the only one besides myself who was actually paying attention.
"Excuse me, Sebastian...?"
I turn my eyes back on the butler, then flinch at the eyebrow twitch and anger rising in his Aura he was obviously trying his hardest not to let blow up.
Uh oh~, I sense a Sebastian-style scare coming on...
And right I was:
(Fwoom)
The candles on the chandeliers above us 'mysteriously' go out (note the sarcasm), darkening the room and stirring everyone back to reality...Holding a singular lit wicker in his hand, the demon butler's voice comes out dark-toned and slightly deeper than earlier.
"Hamlet...Nothing but pain in its plot...Othello, King Leer and Macbeth...Combined with Hamlet, they're his [Shakespeare's] greatest tragedies..."
Everyone begins cloistering behind Ciel as their fear rose (excluding Claude, Hannah and the Triplets, but come on, that's a given, they're demons; they won't be scared of Sebastian), while I stepped over to stand bravely by my boyfriend, as his butler places the candle on the piano before adding with such an evil smirk and a crack of his knuckles,
"You have to understand Hamlet...You have to understand the Phantomhives. They are two blood tragedies inexplicably intertwined."
His Demonic Aura begins emitting from his body, and I sensed some of the more meek people in our group duck behind Ciel and I like we were their last line of defense, before his fushia iris gaze caused them all to yelp, while Grell gushed,
"My my, Bassy~! You're terrifying!"
Good grief...
(...Click)
"Hm?"
That's when my sensitive hearing picks up on an odd sound coming from outside the windows, followed by a brief flash of light.
I narrow my eyes in suspicion, before using my Aura Sight to zero in on the source:
Hm...Human Aura...and a click and fla-
Oh hell, you've got to be kidding me!
I curse under my breath, which did not go unheard by Ciel:
"...What is it, Coraline?"
A cynical smile graces my lips before I reply evenly,
"Oh, not much: Just a very minor rat problem has come to greet the manor..."
That caught everyone's attention, but I held a calm hand up before adding,
"And I mean so minor, it's no use becoming antsy. In fact...I got this one."
"(Collective) Huh?"
Knowing which window the perpetrator was positioned at (and likely standing atop a ladder), I began creeping over to the one on the left, ducking out of sight of the glass while calling back in a whisper,
"Just keep acting normal; trust me."
Hesitant, they all do as I ask, and I reach my hand over to the latch to quietly unlock the window:
Alright, here we go.
Three...
Two...
One!
I leap up and whirl around to push the window open on the intruder (who is as I suspected, a photographer) while shouting with a scary smile,
"What are ya doin'?!"
The man lets out a yell of surprise, tipping backwards ladder and all while flailing his arms in a panic, until he crashes to the grass below...
I peer behind me at everyone with a mischievous smile and quirk,
"It's always the unarmed intruders that make it too easy."
A few snickers of amusement ring from the crowd, before I turn my eyes back to the outside and on the man below as he emits a groan of pain.
Yeah, no way he'd die from a fall like that, 'specially with that bush breaking most of his fall...
Now: My turn to do the scare.
Feigning an innocent expression, I call down,
"Lovely evening, isn't it, sir? A fine time to go snappin' away with your camera. Too bad you chose one of the most dangerous locations to come sneakin' around for some candid pictures..."
The man, about average height and wearing a simple grey suit with a black tie, peachy-pale skin, and medium length, wavy black hair tied back into a small ponytail, springs to his feet and sputters,
"Wh-What?! How the heck did a little bird like you know I was there?!"
I smirk and do jazz-hands while answering mysteriously,
"Trade~ secret. (Frown) I'd consider yourself lucky that I'm the one talking to you and not the butler of this estate: He doesn't play nice with strangers."
My ears pick up on Sebastian holding back a chuckle while muttering to himself,
"That's putting it mildly," while I moved to lean casually against the window frame and fold my arms in an inquisitive gesture.
"I'm gonna take a wild guess that you're one of those news photographers who likes to scope around for stories that'll embarrass the higher class or somethin' along those lines. Maybe for the pay, maybe to satisfy a grudge against society, who knows, but lemme ask you this: Just how much information were you given by your boss about this, the Phantomhive Manor, before they sent you on your merry way?"
"Uuh, not much. Just the address, names of people livin' here, and a specific angle to go for..."
I wince and turn to everyone with a 'grimace':
"You hear that, you guys? He only got the bare minimal before comin' down here."
There's a mixed chorus of 'ooo' and air sucked between teeth, while I shake my head in disappointment at the idiocy.
"Coming to the Phantomhive Manor with little information of what to expect: Mistake Number One."
I use my fingers to count off this man's blunders with a mean smirk forming as I did so:
"Coming here at night: Mistake Number Two."
"H-Hey!"
"Coming here to deliberately disturb the peace: Mistake Number Three."
"Now wait just a sec-"
"And finally, realizing too late of the errors created and finding himself with no way of defending his actions other than prideful gain and stupidity: Mistake Number Four."
I began clapping sarcastically:
"Wow. Congratulations, my friend: You've committed more mistakes in one sitting than half the assassins to come creepin' around the property combined!"
"W-Why you...!"
I steal a glance back into the sitting room and see that everyone was fighting the urge to burst into laughter...My irises lock with Ciel's:
"Well, Ciel, you're the head of the house. What do you think: Should we give the poor sap a five-minute head start?"
Composing himself, he smirks back and chides,
"I suppose I'm already enough in a generous mood, so why not?"
Nodding, I turn back to the outdoors and say to the man in a mock cheer,
"Well, sir, looks like this is your lucky night: We're gonna give you five minutes to hightail it outta here and never come back. Otherwise, you'll have to deal with the guard dog of The Guard Dog."
He asks nervously,
"Uh, wh-what do ya mean, 'guard dog of The Guard Dog'?"
"Glad you asked!"
I place my fingers to my mouth and let out a shrill whistle:
(Fwoee-fwoeeee)
"Yo, Pluto: Front and center!"
...There's a pause, before my demon hound buddy comes bounding over from around the back corner in full form, stopping in front of our dear shutterbug intruder with a growl, causing the man to nearly jump out of his skin.
"Gya-aaah!"
By now, everyone has met Pluto and has seen what he can do, so there's no spike of alarm in the collection of Auras, just surprise.
Though I did hear Bard mutter in dumbfoundment with Mey-Rin and Finny,
"How does she do that?!"
Their comment makes me giggle under my breath, before I focus my attention on the man who looked ready to faint on the spot.
"Before I begin the countdown, I just have one last question: Did ever occur to you why there hasn't been any scandalous pictures of the Earl of Phantomhive, his home or anyone else who works for said household?"
"N-N-No, why?"
Looking at my nails, I answer,
"We~ll, let's just say the film doesn't exactly make it to development, (turns with a grin) if you catch my drift."
A squeak of fear escapes the man's lips before I call out,
"And with that, we begin the timer! (Checking the time gesture) One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds-You're wasting valuable time, my friend."
I hear everyone fighting even harder not to laugh (a few quiet cackles and chuckles escape from Undertaker, Sebastian, Ciel, Alois, Grell and even Lizzie) while I continued.
"Seven seconds, eight seconds, nine seconds, ten seconds-Pluto, mind finalizing the point?"
Said demon hound bares his teeth at the photographer with a menacing snarl, as I drone,
"Thirteen seconds, fourteen seconds, fifteen seconds, sixteen sec-"
The fool finally cracks:
"Alright already, I get it! I'm gone!"
He then proceeds to sprint out of the area as fast as his legs could carry him, and I hold a hand out to signal Pluto not to chase him while calling with an amused smile,
"If you need ideas for an alternate career, I highly recommend Fashion Photography! Worst danger you'll encounter is a shoe thrown at you! Goodnight, good travels, see you never!"
...Once the man's Aura was outside the manor's perimeter, I spin around to everyone with a grin and muse,
"To paraphrase Macbeth, 'Out, out with this room's candles! Life's so much better without nosy photographers'."
That was the final trigger, and everyone's laughter bounced off the walls while clapping at my efforts, I bowing deeply a few times with a dramatic air.
"Thank you, thank you! (Holds up her hands) But I can't possibly take all of the credit: Half must go to Pluto and his role as the best demon hound guard ever."
I turn to give said giant canine a few deserved scratches on the head, causing him to nuzzle me back with a happy whine.
"(Giggle) Yes, you did real good, Pluto. Ease up now..."
He backs up, and I shake my head in amusement before gesturing,
"Alright, on with ya, you crazy dog."
He turns left and pads on his paws away to wherever he was lounging at in the back of the manor...
"Seriously, kid, how the heck do ya do tha'?"
Knowing Bard was talking about my ease in commanding Pluto, I turn back to inside after closing and locking the window up again and reply simply,
"We just see eachother as kindred spirits. He does with Finny too (Said gardener blushes modestly): The three of us share this, wild freedom in our hearts that cannot be tamed by that of society's guidelines..."
My smile becomes more thoughtful as I add,
"I for one, can act the part, but refuse to conform to the rules of this world's views on societal behaviour. I am a rough and tough tomboy through and through, and not some weak little princess who is forced to rely on a man to get things done. Maybe that works for some girls, but not me...That said..."
(Slam)
I slap my palm on the hard surface of the piano, snapping everyone to attention with my best stern expression:
"Our audience, despite their age category, is expecting people who can act like they know what they're doing, and so far, I'm not seeing that. If you think the critics in the entertainment columns of the newspapers are harsh, you don't know the critiquing patterns of a kid: They no nothing about restraint, and will speak their mind when they see something terrible and/or pathetic in ways that can even make a crude bartender cringe. So unless you wanna meet that particularly ugly side of youth, I strongly urge that you all pull yourselves together and get this story in your heads like it's the Alphabet...Sound good?"
I get a mix of regular, nervous and vigorous nods from the group, and I move to grab my own papers when I felt a gloved hand on my shoulder, belonging to an amused, red-eyed butler.
"My my. It's moments like this that make me wonder if I may have picked up a protégé, come the day you first arrived here..."
I feel a chuckle come out as I muse,
"A human child as an apprentice to a demon butler. That'll be the day..."
Three Days Later, No POV...
It's now dusk, and we turn our eyes to the streets of Westminster nestled within the city of London, specifically, the Lyceum Theatre House, a tall, white-washed building with six pillars making up the grand entrance, just as another carriage pulls up to reveal one of the many guests attending the production that was to take place this evening: The Viscount of Druitt, one Alister Chambers. As he walked inside the building, sending a smile and wave to the other pending audience members as he went, he passes the poster that was made in accordance to the play, reading,
Hamlet
Corporated by the Phantomhive Co.
1889, April 15th
Lyceum Theatre
Moving inside, we see many men and women of various stands (mostly the more well-off upper and middle class) in the higher balconies, while the children from the orphanages got the middle seats...One woman suddenly swoons,
"Ooh, it's the Viscount!"
We see said man taking his seat in the far right balcony closest to the red curtain stage...while Finny, he now wearing his civilian outfit of a simple brown suit and vest, white shirt and red kerchief tie, peeks from backstage to get a gander at the crowd.
"Look at tha': There's so many people!"
Bard, he also dressed out of his work clothes, opting for a pair of black slacks, a white shirt, tan-brown jacket, a long black scarf and black cap while wearing his goggles around his neck, shivers with excitement.
"I am so ready!"
Coraline, she in her blue jeans, white t-shirt, red/blue checkered flannel shirt buttoned up and combat boots, smiles at the other two's eagerness.
"Glad that you're both fired up. I trust you have your lines handy, Finny?"
"Yep! Go' 'em in my coat incase I need 'em!"
"Good...Now then..."
She looks around the backstage area, and sees Tanaka was in costume for his role as 'The Deceased King' (a black cloak and gold-coloured crown), Lau dressed for his as the dastardly Claudius (a shirt of light blue with puffed sleeves and a belt over a pair of white slacks, a dark blue robe with white trimming, and a red cape matching the velvet of his crown held up with a piece of jewellery) with Ran-Mao sitting in his lap until she would be called to wardrobe, and sitting in front of them at the table was Grell, whom with Madam Red's assistance, was finishing the final touches on his guise as Ophelia (already wearing a simple but very pretty red dress with the colour of gold yellow lining the neckline and a string belt, his long ruby hair tied into a just as lengthy braid).
"(Happy sigh) Finally, I can show off my prowess as an actress."
"You'll be great, dear, I know it! (Worried smile) If only my niece was as enthusiastic as you are..."
Looking back more, standing in the corner was Lizzie and Undertaker, she dressed in the neutral coloured robes of a soldier (complete with helmet and spear) while he donned a pink/red/white gown and cap for his role as Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother. One can only imagine how 'pleased' our sunny blond was with her current attire:
"Auh! This costume isn't cute at aaaaalllll!"
Smiling in exasperation, Coraline walks over to help cool Lizzie down with the following words:
"Keep in mind that way back when, men had to play everything in theatre, regardless of gender. It should be an honour for you, a girl, to play a male part. Plus, let's be serious, Liz: Do you really want one of the two roles that risks possible groping from Lau or trying to out-do Grell in 'drowning to death'?"
That quickly shuts the other girl up, and Lizzie peers past the redhead to glance at the two people of conversation, before shaking her head vigorously.
"(Chuckle) I didn't think so. If it helps, I think you look cute as a soldier."
"(Soft gasp) Really?"
"Yeah...(Smirk) Like a baby panther ready to pounce."
Both girls laugh at the description, as does Undertaker before he adds,
"Another thing to consider is that the Little Poppet actually gave you a part to play onstage, (Glance) unlike a little fuming prince stuck back here..."
By that, the mortician/retired reaper was referring to Soma, who was sitting on a crate with a sulking expression, while Agni, dressed in his costume as Polonius (a set of robes fit for a royal advisor, stone grey with dark green overtop and a simple white collar), stood by him while eyeing the Indian prince nervously in preparation of a possible temper blow-up...
Coraline rolls her eyes and says,
"His fault for not cooperating with the script...Hang on..."
I don't see Ciel...
Excusing herself, Coraline walks over to where Hannah and Alois are, they standing by a rack of costumes with the Triplets who were dressed for their roles as the gravediggers (brown cloaks with the hoods pulled up and slacks).
"Hey, have any of you seen Ciel recently?"
The servants shake their heads while Alois shrugs:
"Nope, but if I were him, I'd probably be trying to find a way out of here without being seen..."
"...Thanks, real helpful."
It was then Sebastian, he dressed for his role as Laertes (though currently was wearing a dark cape that covered his entire attire), walks in from the back halls with Claude, the latter continuing his way to his master with the younger's attire for his role as Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, while the former pauses upon not seeing the Earl of Phantomhive. He asks Mey-Rin, she wearing her civilian red dress with the white collar and tall brown boots instead of her maid outfit, as she and Paula walk past with a box in each of their hands,
"Where is he?"
"Oh, um, I think he went to the restroom."
His frown deepens a touch, before glancing over to meet Coraline's eyes as they dim back from her signature ice blue glow, she mouthing,
"Back outer balcony."
...
(...Ka-chank)
"So this is where you've been, master."
We find Sebastian walking into the cool night air, addressing Ciel, who was wearing his costume as the leading Prince of Denmark (a white shirt and leggings, the sleeves puffy and frilled at the wrist, with a blue and gold tunic overtop, a brown belt, sword, and a silver tag-styled necklace worn underneath the lace collar that had the letter H scrawled on in cursive writing) and standing by the balcony railing in thought...
"A bit too late to decline the part. Terribly sorry."
"...I am a young prince. (Turn) I lost my father and burn for revenge. I know you: You didn't give me this part on accident, did you?"
Sebastian smirks lightly and chides,
"Technically, it was Miss Coraline who assigned the role, but yes...You lack acting experience, sir, and I am afraid you scarcely possess the dexterity to button your own shirts. I didn't want to cast you in a role too different from who you are. I though it might be too difficult for you."
Ciel glowers:
"Really?"
"Why shouldn't we proceed this way, master? There is bloody revenge coming. Should this not be a more appropriate prelude?"
...The two stare at one another in silence for a moment, the young earl's mind flashing with memories of what happened in Preston...
"Master. Are you ready? The curtain is rising on this tale at last..."
"Hmph...Hasn't it already risen?"
Small Time Skip
We move back inside the theatre, as Act One began for this adaptation of Shakespeare's tale, with Finny as our narrator.
"The King of Denmark has me' with an untimely death, and 'e is succeeded by 'is young brother. Claudius has been crowned king, and the late king's wife whom until now 'ad seemed to love him unconditionally, 'as scandalously become the bride of Denmark's newest ruler."
The spotlight shifts to highlight 'Claudius' and 'Gertrude', whom were sitting together on their twin thrones discussing the lows and highs of the recently deceased.
"Oh, what happened to my brother is such a terrible tragedy, but we're both still alive, so shouldn't we enjoy ourselves, huh?"
"Hehehe, absolutely, my dear!"
'Claudius' then discreetly fondles 'Gertrude's' chest:
"Pardon my reach~. Ooh, your bosom, like a pair of new ripe apples. Simply heavenly; heavenly, heavenly~, my darling."
The gesture brings about a ticklish sensation for our dearly disguised mortician/retired reaper's ribs, and 'she' bursts into laughs while trying to get 'his majesty' to back up.
"Your majesty, you're getting a bit handsy for me! I am a lady after all!"
The curtain drops after a few more chortles, and as the Triplets quickly set up the next background, Coraline nudges Lizzie with a wry smile.
"You see now why I didn't cast you for Gertrude?"
"(Sweatdrop) Yeah, I get it now. I'd rather be a not-so cute soldier than that poor man..."
The red velvet rises, and Finny narrates,
"An' then in a startling development, the late king's son, 'amlet, encounters 'im as a ghost!"
The backdrop is that of the castle towers, with 'Hamlet' addressing 'The Deceased King' as he's lowered down on invisible wires and rope by Alois and Soma in the rafters.
"(Whispering) Good thing Tanaka's really light in this form..."
"(Whispering) You said it..."
'Hamlet' cries out,
"Oh no, my father! What can this mean, that thou appearest so before me?"
"Ho, ho, ho..."
"(Frown) Is that so? It was my vile uncle, that man, the devil Claudius did this to you! He poured poison in your ear, father?"
"(Nods) Ho, ho, ho..."
'Hamlet' nods back firmly:
"I understand what you ask: Yes, you bid me to take revenge in thine place. (Pulls out his sword) I will do as you ask, father..."
Offstage, Bard comments,
"Tha's funny, I didn' hear 'im say tha'..." Mey-Rin chimes,
"Tanaka can convey all that just by being there...?"
Coraline smiles and says,
"They say a picture's worth a thousand words, and sometimes you need only a handful to get your point across..."
"(Mouthful) What I'd like to kno' is why I'm sitting here playing a stage hand, huh?!"
She turns to Soma with a mild glare:
"Do you really want to go another round with me? Now put down that curry and get back up to the rafters with Alois!"
Soma glares back, but swallows the food in his mouth with a sigh before doing as he's told...Coraline shakes her head and mutters,
"I know he's a good person and friend, but geez, he can be such an attention-seeker sometimes..."
Sebastian smiles at her in amusement and whispers back,
"True, but at least he is slowly learning not to, 'butt heads' as it were with those who know how to put him in his place..."
We get back to the play, as 'Hamlet' proclaims,
"I promise you, that my Hatred shall live along with yours. I will avenge you, though it may mean the fires of Hell. I swear it here and now: In your name, vengeance shall be mine!"
Back behind the curtain, Undertaker comments with a grin as his makeup is touched up by Paula,
"Aaaah~. An enthusiastic performance, don't you think?"
"U-Um, yes, very much so..."
Bard then calls in a low voice to the rafters,
"Come on now, can't you do better with the ligh' than tha'?"
Alois calls back a bit irritably,
"Hey, it's not like I have the best help here! (Turn) Soma, put that damn plate down and get it together already!"
"Easy for you to say: You actually get to go on later, I don't!"
Coraline facepalms and quietly groans before turning to address the Triplets:
"Could two of you please switch places with Alois and Soma until they either cool it or your parts come?"
They nod, and Thompson and Timber move to climb up the rafters to where the bickering boys are...Sebastian sighs before turning his irises to the crowd:
"Anyway, how is our audience?"
Checking in with the orphanage children, we see that their attention span was already beginning to drop, most resisting the urge to fall asleep...Claude walks over to get a look for himself:
"Hm, we seem to be losing their focus, though I suppose it's expected with young souls like they..."
Bard nods and Sebastian hms,
"Indeed. I don't know that children can quite understand Hamlet..."
"That's why I'm countin' on Ran-Mao and Snake in the next scene."
The three men look back to Coraline with confused expressions, but she just smiles and points to the stage:
"Just keep watching. You'll get it once it comes..."
Finny leads us in:
"Hamlet mus' somehow deceive 'is uncle, thus he makes a plan: He will seem to be 'urt by Ophelia, and 'e will appear to go mad..."
The curtain draws up and opens on a deep forest background complete with a long, flowing river, as 'Ophelia' comes strolling down the path in adoring thought.
"Oh, I'm simply terrible, terrible, (sigh)...Uh?"
'She' would then encounter 'her' father, 'Polonius', who is accompanied by his young 'soldier' guard:
"Ophelia, there you are!"
"Oh! Hello, father. Oh, goodness: Now that I have a better look at thee, yes I have...how handsome~ you are, my darling father!"
In a strange turn of events, 'Ophelia' is overcome with romantic affection for 'Polonius'! The 'soldier' ducks behind the taller in surprise as the 'lady' begins 'her' run to the man, while offstage, Coraline winces and mumbles,
"Shoot, looks like we're goin' off-script, boys..."
Dammit, Grell!
"I know it's forbidden, but what a beautiful love we could have!"
(PUNCH)
'Polonius' would stop 'Ophelia's' charge with a single hit to the gut while shouting in enraged disappointment,
"I cannot even begin to fathom such a blasphemy! Who could forgive such heinous acts between father and daughter?!"
"U-Uuh, but...please...?"
Finny glances over at Coraline in shocked nerves, and she whispers frantically,
"Just go with it! Improvise like Agni!"
"(Whisper) U-Uh, righ'! (Clears throat) An' one thing led to another: Ophelia also me' with an untimely end."
'Ophelia' dramatically protests,
"Auh, no! It's not time! Ophelia wasn't suppose to die this early...!"
'She' nonetheless collapses, and our narrator adds,
"An' she did no' receive a proper burial."
The 'soldier' caught onto the revision real quick, and twirled 'his' spear while exclaiming,
"This'll be easy: Let's toss her in the river!"
The 'soldier' then rushes to kick 'Ophelia' into 'her' watery grave, the latter adding in a final soft cry,
"Ooooh, my father..."
It was then the, seaweed, aka Ran-Mao and the tail ends of Snake's serpents rose from the waves of the river:
"Sea~weed, sea~weed. Oh how lovely it is~..."
Applause and giggles ensue from the audience of young bodies, and Sebastian comments,
"My my. I dare say she's quite the hit with the audience..."
Coraline smirks a little:
"Now you see?" Mey-Rin chimes,
"She and the snakes seem to be quite popular with the kids." Bard sighs,
"One more reason I ain't gonna understan' kids..."
Snake comes to Coraline's side replacing Claude as he moved with Canterbury to get ready to switch the background around, and the serpent charmer jokes to Bard through a friend,
"Are you saying you were never young at all? (Reg. Voice) Now Keats, that's a little rude, don't you think?"
The chef quietly yelps and sputters,
"Wh-When did you ge' here, an' did you just call me old?!"
Coraline puts her hands over her mouth to contain a small giggle fit, to which Bard would glare at her mildly for.
"An' you quit laughin'! It's not that funny!"
"Oh relax, he was just teasing, or rather Keats was. Either way, teenagers are suppose to make fun of adults once in a while: It helps keep the balance when adults tease kids."
"Tch, riiiigh'..."
Rolling her eyes, the young redhead turns to Snake with a kind smile:
"Anyway, thank you and the others for helping Ran-Mao in waking up our audience, Snake. This was a big help."
She then hugs him, and he hugs her back while replying,
"No, problem. Glad, to help..."
As the two held one another, a certain young earl with blue-black hair eyed them with a glare of undeniable jealousy, to which Sebastian would catch.
...Heh, oh dear, master. Is this really the time and place to become possessive?
Of course, Coraline and Snake were well-aware of the glare, mostly thanks to Keats:
"(Hiss) Smile is glowering at you two. (Reg. Voice) Is he, Keats? Well, I suppose the reason is rather obvious..."
Coraline sighs with an exasperated smile:
"Yeah, I felt the spike in his Aura. Don't worry; I got this."
They part, and the redhead turns to walk over to Ciel with a straight face...before she jumped his lips with hers!
"Mmph!"
Our people backstage gasp, while Coraline holds Ciel close to her by his shoulders and sneaks her tongue into the other's mouth, adding to the depth and forcing an almost inaudible moan of pleasure from the earl, causing her to smirk a bit.
Heh, he's not the only one who knows how to work it...
They part a few seconds later, Ciel in a daze while Coraline smiles in amusement at him:
"Good luck in the next part, love."
He just nods absentmindedly, making her giggle before adding a quick peck on the cheek, then turns to join Lizzie, Grell and Madam Red by the makeup table. Ciel would finally snap out of it when he hears Alois and Soma tease behind him,
"And just one kiss from the lady, soothes the savage Earl of Phantomhive~."
"I hope for his sake, he didn't just forget his lines!"
He whirls around and growls with an angry blush,
"O-Oi, shut up!"
They just laugh in return...Meanwhile, Lizzie giggles to Coraline,
"I can't believe you just did that, Cora! That was awesome!"
Madam Red comments with a fan of her hand,
"Goodness me, that was rather bold of you, dear."
"Well it was either that, or have his jealousy attack Snake later, and I'm not lettin' that happen..."
Coraline then adds while looking at Ciel with a nervous smile,
"Still, I have a feeling that move's gonna cost me later..."
Grell laughs and chides with a grin,
"I wouldn't get too worried, dearie. Besides, we ladies can't let our men's egos get too high; it just wouldn't do."
"(Laugh) I suppose that's true..."
The scenery changes over for the next part, as Sebastian comments to the approaching Ciel with a smirk,
"Heh, my my, master. Your fiance is quite the temptress when she wants to be, isn't she?"
"Shut it."
As he walked onto the stage, the young earl vows while cooling the last of his blush,
I am so going to get you back for that later, Coraline...
The butler chuckles to himself at his master's short reply, before returning his attention back on current objectives.
"Finally, we have broken through to our audience. The master's scene is here at last..."
The spotlight comes on over 'Hamlet', as he laments in the desolate area in the play's most famous scene.
"To be, or not to be...that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer, the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. To die, to slumber, and by slumber to end..."
'Hamlet' turns his gaze upwards:
"...I don't want to die."
A few gasps escape from backstage, and 'Hamlet' grasps the side of his head, trying to reaffirm himself through his madness.
"Grh, Hamlet, must you be such a pathetic coward?! You are a most unworthy hero. Your Soul is far too weak! This is my sworn vow: There's no taking it back. No matter what, I can never turn away!"
Our audience falls silent, save the quiet awes of the wide-eyed children...
"But, I must be off now, before my blood begins to rise any further."
With that, 'Hamlet' walks away...Our actors/actresses and stage hands behind the curtains were also dazzled by the performance, Bard muttering,
"Bloody hell," and Mey-Rin complimenting,
"Amazing! He's jus' amazing!" Sebastian smiles proudly:
"Indeed he is. Very true to life, don't you think?"
Coraline nods beside him, a grim and understanding smile on her lips:
"The line between reality and fantasy is fragile and blurry, so much so that they may as well be hand in hand. In this case, the Prince of Denmark and the Earl of Phantomhive...they share commonalities...and so do I."
The demon butler almost missed the last four mumbled words, and turns to stare at the girl for a moment...before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder...Meanwhile, the Viscount of Druitt was enraptured by this latest piece:
"Ah~...Aah~, oh, how he trembles with such honest fury! His slender limbs are just like fragile branches-"
The orphan children hush him, wanting to keep watching the play with no distractions.
"Ooh, sorry. Pardon me~."
Sebastian comments about the action:
"Look at that: Even the children were able to feel the anguish in his performance...And now..."
He removes his hand from Coraline's shoulder, and shucks off his cloak, revealing his costume in full: A white shirt in similar style to Ciel's but with a collar that sat circular with light ruffling, a black tunic that went past his knees with gray lining and brass buttons, a gray sash belt with a sheathed sword over it, and black boots with flat heels.
"Looks like it's time for my turn."
Coraline politely takes the cloak and says to him,
"Good luck out there, (Small smirk) Laertes."
He smirks back before moving to the stage for the final act...The curtain rose as Finny narrates,
"Now followin' this unfortunate turn o' events, Hamlet and Ophelia's brother, Laertes, mus' meet blade-to-blade in a fencin' match arranged by the king..."
Besides 'Claudius' and 'Gertrude', 'Polonius' and his 'solider' was also in attendance, they standing right of the thrones, as all four watch 'Hamlet' and 'Laertes' make the appropriate gestures as they unsheathed their swords...But Finny warns the audience as the one blade gleams in the spotlight,
"However, the tip of Laertes's sword 'as been coated with poison, one tha' would kill a man with a single drop."
'Laertes's' smirk grows, causing the children to hitch their breath and shiver with worry, one muttering,
"Okay, I'm gettin' scared now...!"
'Hamlet' says to 'Laertes',
"Thou art Ophelia's esteemed brother. (Points his sword forward) I've heard much of your skill with the sword."
"I've heard the same of thee. (Points his sword forward) Perhaps you'll see to take pity on me."
'Claudius' claps twice and chides,
"Yes yes. That's about enough chat for now, I think. We'll have a ten-point match...Ready? (Raises his arm) Let the match begin-"
"No, Hamlet, don't do it!"
Suddenly, one child interrupts the scene, calling from the audience,
"Tha' old guy's cheating! His sword is poisoned!"
'Hamlet' quietly gasps, while 'Laertes' mutters with slight irritation,
"Old guy?"
Coraline holds a hand to her mouth to cover an amused smile:
Oh boy. I had a feelin' something like this was gonna happen...
A couple more children join in:
"It's the king: He lied abou' the match bein' fair!"
"Don' you see, Hamlet? They're tryin' to kill you!"
"You should stop! Stupid revenge isn't worth this!"
"Yeah, you don' need it!"
'Hamlet' stares at them all in shock, mumbling,
"...They don't want me to die."
The servant quartet waves frantically from offstage to get his head back to the play:
"Master! Just remember your line!"
"Uh...What's my line?"
'Hamlet' froze up, unsure of what to do...Coraline cringes and mutters her boyfriend's name while Finny quietly wails,
"It's hopeless! What'll we do?!"
Soma speeds over from the back and suggests,
"Hurry up: Draw the curtains!" Mey-Rin replies,
"Oh! Yes, of course! U-Uh..."
But Bard suddenly stops her before she could scramble off to find the pulley:
"Mey-Rin! Hold on..."
Turning back to the stage, 'Laertes' then calls to 'Hamlet',
"How dare you stop our fight!"
(Lunge, SWIPE)
...A cut is made in the fabric of 'Hamlet's' shirt, and he scrambles around to face the now offensive 'Laertes'!
"This farce is over! You know the truth, Hamlet: My dear sister's life was cut short. You are the one to be blamed for it. She's dead because of you!"
The blades clash, as 'Hamlet' struggles to keep up:
"Stop it! This isn't in the script!"
Coraline scoffs quietly as she held Finny's hand to calm the nerves that rose as soon as the swordplay started, quirking in her head,
Has anything been on script to begin with? Sebastian, please don't overdo it...!
"I shall have my revenge! I shall see that you die as well...for my Ophelia!"
"Nooo, pleeeease, stop your fiiiiighting!"
If things hadn't taken enough of a crazy turn, 'Ophelia' suddenly appears on a lowering gondola of flowers alive and well (Madam Red and Paula worked the wires)!
"Please don't shed your blood over me!"
Bard's eyes bulge out:
"Wha' in the bloody hell?!" Mey-Rin was just as taken aback:
"Yeah, and why is there a gondola?!"
Coraline shakes off her surprise, and spots the two ladies up in the rafters with a sneaky smile:
Ha! Nice one, you guys!
Soma, on the other hand, was not as amused:
"That diva wants to hog the spotlight! Well, I'll show him-!"
Thankfully, Bard grabs the prince before he could rush on stage and add to the chaos:
"Come back here...!"
"No fair, no fair!"
Alois, who was dressed in similar garments to Ciel's costume (his tunic was green with purple bordering) for his role as Fortinbras, crosses his arms with an irritated pout.
"Drat! Guess this means the Prince of Norway won't be making his entrance. What a mess this turned into, right, Claude?"
The golden-iris butler nods in agreement:
"Indeed, your highness."
Coraline smiles apologetically at the blond earl:
"Sorry, man. I'm glad that you're taking this in more maturely than Soma is..."
"Tch, like I'm gonna give Ciel an excuse to call me out on acting like a brat? No, thank you~..."
Speaking of, we turned back to 'Hamlet' as he shook out of his stupor and addressed the new arrival:
"O-phelia, isn't this a pleasant surprise. I thought that we had lost you..."
"I was lost, until my brother came back for me. His love is strong~, strong enough to revive the dead, (pose)! (Air kiss) Ooh, my darling brother~! You must know that you truly are the one for me~!"
(...Shoom, CLIP)
"Aaaoh!"
One of the lines on the gondola is cut, causing 'Ophelia' to topple out and fall on her front upside-down flipping 'her' skirt up, while Paula stumbles backwards onto the floor in the rafters.
"Oh my!" Madam Red asks worriedly,
"Are you alright?!"
"Y-Y-Yes, my Lady Red, I'm okay...What on earth did that?"
The source, would in fact be our no-nonsense Grim Reaper, William, who coolly if irritably retracts his death scythe back to his proximity in the back row of the audience while commenting,
"So this is where you've been spending all of your time, Reaper Sutcliff..."
'Ophelia' immediately sat up and smiles with a blush at the familiar face:
"Auh, Will!"
The reaper walks down the filing aisle from his seat towards the stage while saying dully but seriously,
"This is an outrage: You are deserting your place, and you are putting on a play, with that Demon..."
I'd hoped we would have a longer break from that presence after Preston...
'Ophelia' gushes as 'she' wormed closer to 'Laertes',
"My~, all these handsome men fighting over me! Whatever is a girl to do?"
Soma's voice suddenly cuts in:
"Stop this now!"
"Uh?"
The prince forces his way towards the stage while shouting,
"End your useless fighting! Leave the rest to me, Ramakrishna, Avatara of Vishnu! I shall save the day!"
He escapes Bard's hold, and the chef is caught by Finny and Mey-Rin, while Coraline facepalms and Alois comments,
"I'm sorry, which one's the diva?"
'Polonius' was inspired by the determination of the 'mystic':
"Yes, Prince Soma!"
The child audience was certainly animated by the, uh, twist in the plot:
"Look! Ophelia came back to life!"
"Go get 'em, Rama-whoever!"
By this time, William was on the stage and holding 'Ophelia' by the ear, while 'Polonius' bowed in respect to the beaming 'Ramakrishna', and the rest just remained where they were trying to make sense of the turn...'Hamlet' puts a hand to his head and groans,
"What a perfect mess this is. Utter foolishness..."
'Laertes' replies with a smile,
"Yes, it is foolish. Revenge is foolish, master. A very brief release, then nothing but confusion, chaos and pain. When the curtain falls on such a sad performance, what does anyone really have left?"
'Hamlet' was taken aback by such a characterization:
"What?"
"Would you not agree, my Prince of Denmark?"
"But, you. I never thought you would say that..."
And yet...a certain girl has predicted similarly, through her conquest to achieve vengeance...until it ended, almost as dramatically as now.
He wouldn't be able to think more on the notion, when 'Hamlet' was tackled under the arm of 'Ramakrishna'.
"Yes, I agree! In the end, revenge has no meaning! And you know I speak the truth, for I am Ramakrishna, Avatara of Vishnu!"
"Wh-What?"
'Laertes' walks over to whisper in 'Hamlet's' ear,
"If you cannot add lip, what sort of demon's master would you be?"
...'Hamlet' turns to face out to the crowd of children who were waiting in bated breath for the words they were sure they'd hear.
"(Whisper) You can do it, Hamlet..."
He would steal a glance at a certain blue-eyed girl standing offstage, who nodded with a small smile:
This is but a fantasy. We know your reality, but these innocent ones don't need to...Ciel.
"...Yes, you're right."
'Hamlet' drops his blade, and takes a few steps forward, before proclaiming into the spotlight,
"From now on, I vow: I'll forget revenge! I'll forget it, and live instead!"
The children cheer and clap their hands vigorously with happy smiles, while Viscount Druitt swoons,
"Oooh~, this is Hamlet as it ought to have been seen! Brilliantly transcending a revenge play! Hamlet, you should be wrapped in arms of tender love! Hammy, Hammy, my Hamlet~!"
Coraline glares up distastefully at the white-suited blond:
Ugh, why did he have to be here?
...Although...
She turns to stare at Ciel with a loving smile:
Sickening adoration aside, the man does raise a point...Ciel deserves all the love in the world...so he can take it with him, when that day comes...
"Coraline, come on!"
"Hm?"
Alois grabs her arm with a cheeky smile:
"We're all heading out to take our bow, and that includes you!"
"M-Me?!"
"Yes you, silly! Let's go!"
She allows him to pull her out, and finds herself standing between Ciel and Lizzie, grabbing their hands and holding them up with everyone else in a line across the stage...
The order from left to right:
Grell, William, Undertaker, Lau, Agni, Soma, Sebastian, Ciel, Coraline, Lizzie, Alois, Tanaka, Finny, Mey-Rin, Bard, Ran-Mao, Snake, Claude, Hannah, The Triplets (Thompson, Timber and Canterbury), Madam Red and Paula.
The first two are separated from the main mass as are the demon servants of the Trancy Household.
The Viscount of Druitt would then come on stage to present the leading male with a bouquet of flowers, before holding his and 'Laertes's' hands in his own the highest. Coraline meanwhile, smiled and laughed with Lizzie, when her eyes caught sight of someone familiar in the audience:
"Hm?"
It was a young woman with long brown hair, now tied into two braids, framing her face and highlighting her green eyes, wearing a dress that was of a much older style (perhaps, 1660s), the colour a muted moss green with a low, broad neckline, dropped shoulder and tight-fitted bodice, sleeves ending just below the elbow and trimmed with the beautifully-rare parchment lace, a matching-coloured shawl made from a thicker material in accordance for the colder evening, and white gloves ending just passed the wrist.
The young redhead squinted at the lady's profile...before quietly gasping when she remembers the name to the face.
"Mathilda...?"
Mathilda Simmons? Wow...I almost didn't recognize her...
Wonder what could've brought her to London?
The curtain lowers, and Coraline felt her gape turn into a smile as her vision of the former cult member is clouded by red velvet, mumbling to herself,
"She looks so much better now..."
"Hm? Did you say something, Cora?"
She snaps out of her daze and turns to Lizzie, who was looking at her with interest.
"Um, (Shakes her head) nothing important. Just my thoughts escaping on me again."
"Oh, (Giggle) okay. Well, I'm going to go get out of this costume. I need my cute dress again!"
"Heh, alright, Liz. Do what you must."
Small Time Skip
A little while later, the Lyceum Theatre had been cleared of its audience for the evening, with one group of orphan children still hanging around out front for their ride back to home while chiming about the performance.
"That was so much fun!"
"Hamlet was adorable!"
One little girl with bobbed nut brown hair and hazel eyes, wearing a simple blue dress with a red ribbon tied under the collar walks over hand-in-hand with the newly-dressed Mathilda and asks her with an innocent smile,
"What did you think of the play, Miss Simmons?"
She smiles and replies softly,
"I found it to be quite enjoyable and lively. A unique twist on the original story..."
Though I never expected to see, such familiar faces...
Perhaps it was fate?
As the woman ponders over the spontaneous tenacity of life, we turn back to the inside, with some of our cast and crew hanging about onstage and in the now empty seats. Lau, still in his Claudius guise, sighs and muses to Ran-Mao (she also still in costume),
"We put on an excellent show for those orphans, didn't we, eh?"
"Seaweed..."
Snake, who was sitting on the edge of the stage in front of where Lizzie and Undertaker were standing (the latter was still dressed as Gertrude) with all of his serpents back with him, comments,
"I'm not sure if 'excellent' is the word I'd use to describe what we all just did. (Reg. Voice) As Wordsworth says, it's a miracle it did not get too chaotic in the end."
Bard, who was lounging in a free seat with Finny, Mey-Rin and Tanaka, hms and asks,
"Speakin' of chaotic, does anyone know wha' happened to 'Ophelia'?"
Soma amusingly answers from his seat on the edge of the stage in front of the Phantomhive servants,
"That odd man with the scissors took her. He beat her black and blue too, (Laugh)!"
Alois, who was sitting near him and back in his regular clothes, holds his hands up in a shrug with a smirk curled onto his lips as he replies,
"Tch, serves the fool right for being such a drama queen...Hey, thinking about redheads, where'd Coraline get to?"
Snake speaks up through a friend:
"I believe she went to find Ciel, (Reg. Voice) says Emily."
Undertaker cackles and quirks,
"Hopefully for her sake, the Little Poppet isn't tackled to the ground by the Earl in retaliation for that earlier kiss."
Lizzie gasps:
"Ciel wouldn't do something like that!...Would he?"
Everyone shrugs with uncertainty, Lau calmly commenting,
"The little lord's actions are never that predictable..."
Moving along, we head backstage in front of a simple vanity as the boy of conversation was having the last of his stage makeup cleaned off his face by Sebastian...Sensing something amiss in the young earl, the demon butler bends by the younger's head to look him in the eye via the reflection of the mirror.
"The performance was quite a success, master...Why do you seem out of sorts?"
"(Glance) The bit about forgetting revenge. I hope you know that I won't do it."
"Of course I know, my lord. (Straightens up) We see the beauty on the stage, but in the end, it's just a dream. Besides, what would I have to gain if you forgot your revenge, master?"
A small laugh ensues from a third voice that chides,
"Oh come now, you can't honestly believe yourself as just a, 'man' of business, do you, Sebastian?"
The two men turn to see Coraline walking towards them, who smiles knowingly at the butler:
"Say what you will, but despite your nature, a part of you has grown to care about Ciel as more than just your quarry. It's written all over your Aura."
Sebastian found himself taken aback, but quickly covered it up with a smirk:
"Ha. Is that so?"
"Mhm...But anyway..."
She moves to take a seat beside the young earl and gently grabs one of his hands with a grimmer smile while stating,
"I too know that the last thing you'll do is forget your ultimate goal, and I don't want you to either."
"Uh..."
"All I ask, is that you'll allow me to stand beside you for as long as we have together, and that you take everything you experience, every emotion, every, memory, and keep it with you even after death. Let that, be the final shaper for your peace."
...The bluenette nods, and the redhead leans in to peck his cheek while whispering,
"Good. I'm glad..."
But just as she backs up, Ciel suddenly grabs her shoulders firmly, staring at her with an unreadable expression, confusing her greatly.
"C-Ciel?"
"Now..."
He then yanks her forward and smashes his lips onto hers, catching her off-guard, and providing him the opening to snake his tongue into her mouth similarly to another kiss from before! Two heated minutes later, the teens part a bit breathlessly, and Ciel says to Coraline while cupping her cheek and eyeing her with a triumphant glint in his cerulean iris,
"That, was for the sneak-attack earlier during the play."
...Coraline stared at him in bewilderment, before smirking slightly and replying,
"Aah, so I sensed correctly: Someone was a bit jealous~..."
"Tch, as if."
"Nice try, but this emotion is one you suck at masking. By the way, it was just a friendly hug; you're the only man for me."
"(Growl) Hush up."
Sebastian covered his mouth as he silently laughed at the bickering young couple...It was then a second young lady came to crash the conversation:
"Cieeeel, Coooraaa!"
Lizzie tackles both teens from behind in a hug, before quickly backing a bit with a cheery smile:
"(Giggle) Finally got you both at the same time again! Anyway, Ciel, there's going to be a big party at your manor now, right?"
"What? A party?"
Coraline sweatdrops with a chagrin:
"Uuh, don't remember planning for such..."
"I've seen to everything."
The three teens turn to Sebastian, who smoothly explains,
"I went back during intermission to prepare. You see, sir, miss, I am simply one hell of a butler."
The young earl just hmphs with a slight eye roll, while Coraline shakes her head in amusement:
"Wouldn't expect anything less..."
Don't think this is the end of this sequence. The next chapter to come will be filled with some more fun for my OC and the BB crew as they party the rest of the night away after the play!
Exercise patience and stay tuned!
