I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Treated 2
≤speech in Indian language≥
'thoughts'
"speech"
{setting/stage directions?}
SOUND EFFECTS
An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.
=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift
—^—^—^— change of perspective/area of action within one specific time frame/location
Previously:
"The exit is over there." Snakeman continued, pointing them in the right direction "––Says Goethe."
"Thank you for your kindness." Sebastian told him politely, smiling his trademark shit-eating grin.
"Sorry for being startled…" Chêne apologized bashfully, smiling wryly as she rubbed the back of her neck. It looked like he was just trying to be helpful, after all…
"…" The young man said as he watched the couple leave together in the direction he had so kindly pointed them in. "Goodbye." He told them while one of the snakes waved its tail after them, as if to say farewell. "––Says Goethe…"
{Upon returning to Ciel's townhouse…}
"Huuh? Why did things turn out that way?" Ciel asked, furrowing his brow slightly, as he sweat dropped.
"Why, you ask?" Sebastian asked as he helped Ciel out of his winter cloak. Hadn't he and Chêne just finished explaining everything during the ride back? "So, like I said––" He started to explain again, when someone else burst into the room.
"Ciiiel~!!" Soma shouted excitedly as he ran over to greet his friend. "You were laaate! Are you done for the day!?" He asked, grinning like an idiot, as he threw his hands up in the air, cheering Ciel's return. Did this kid just eat a bowl of sugar or something? He was way too hyper for so late at night…
"Welcome home." Agni greeted them all much more calmly, smiling brightly. He too was happy to see that their friends had returned safely.
"Hey, ya'll." Chêne returned their greeting, smiling. It was kind of nice to be greeted so enthusiastically after having such a long day.
"Teach me chess today~" Soma asked Ciel, only to be swiftly passed by as Ciel and Sebastian continued their conversation/argument. Chêne sweat dropped.
Rejected…
"When did I order you to do such a thing?" Ciel asked crossly.
"Is there any harm in it?" Sebastian asked. After all, this would grant them a legitimate reason to return, and Chêne could enjoy playing as part of a circus for a bit.
"As far as this…" Ciel started to say, when Soma chased after him again.
"Hey Ciel! What a sour face you've got there! I came out to greet you. So you could at least smile~!" Soma whined as her hovered around Ciel. A vein mark throbbed on Ciel's forehead as he started to emit a dark aura, clearly annoyed by Soma's hyperactive persistence when he was trying to work. He grit his teeth as his patience reached its limit.
"Shut up! I'm busy right now. Keep you mouth shut!!" He roared impatiently, causing the prince to flinch in shock. What was his problem?
"… Luck will run away if you're not smiling, you know…" Soma said, pouting slightly, as he fiddled with his fingers and watched Ciel stomp off in a huff with several vein marks throbbing on his head, and Sebastian at his heels.
"… Don't worry, Prince Soma. I'm sure Ciel's just a little cranky after such a long day." She told him reassuringly as she patted him on the shoulder. "How about I make some hot cocoa for everyone?" She suggested, smiling, when Soma immediately perked up and smiled with the radiance of a thousand suns. He loved Chêne's cocoa.
"… Did you do something different with your hair, Miss Chêne?" Agni asked curiously when he noticed something was a little different about her from before. Chêne smiled wryly and sweat dropped. How should she explain this? Ciel had specifically told her not to let Soma and Agni know any of the details about this case, just in case they tried to 'help' and ended up getting in the way…
"Um, it's a long story, but… I was wondering if you could you do me a small favor…? Chêne asked, smiling wryly, as she rubbed the back of her neck.
=†=†=†=†=
"Like I was saying… how did it turn into me having to join the circus as well!?" Ciel demanded once Sebastian had shut his bedroom door behind them. He removed his jacket and tossed it on the bed. Chêne was dealing with the other two, so he should be able to have at least a moment's peace for now.
"No one is having you do anything." Sebastian told him. "You will try out for the troupe and be asked to join." He explained
"You're the only one that needs to infiltrate the place. Living in a tent is no laughing matter!" Ciel countered moodily as he plopped down onto his bed and pulled off his tie. How could an earl live in such a poor manner? Chêne had convinced him to try camping out one time, and it was not an experience he wished to repeat. Besides, it was still winter. Wouldn't living in a structure that only had canvas for walls be freezing?
"Is that what you wish?" Sebastian asked, smirking slightly. "To have me act of my own free will, not by your command? I may be tempted to simply run off with Chêne." He teased.
"… Point taken." Ciel said, clicking his tongue in irritation as he glared at the demon butler. He had a feeling Sebastian was only half joking about running away with Chêne. He doubted Chêne would abandon him, but still… "But the ability to do tricks is essential to being a circus performer, right? I can't do anything like that." He said as Sebastian knelt down to remove his shoes for him.
"Heh. Indeed." Sebastian said, suppressing a smirk. "Well, please do your best with the tryout tomorrow. As your butler, I shall be cheering you on from the bottom of my heart." He said, flashing Ciel a brilliant shit-eating grin.
"…" Ciel said as he stared at his butler, narrowing his eyes. He sighed. "There's nothing for it. I'll have to join the circus too."
"As you wish." Sebastian said, smirking slightly, as he bowed.
"By the way… What happened to Chêne's hair?" Ciel asked. "Was it just my imagination, or was one of her pigtails missing?"
"Ah, that…" Sebastian said, smiling his frighteningly calm 'someone is going to die soon, but you will never find the body' smile. "You see…"
KACHAK.
Ciel and Sebastian glanced over to see Chêne peeking through the open doorway at them. Someone had helped her trim her hair so that it was symmetrical on both sides now… She looked rather fetching, actually.
"So, how is it…?" Chêne asked, smiling hopefully at them. "How does it look?"
"… It suits you." Ciel said, surprised. Oddly enough, chopping off most of her hair had made Chêne look more mature… She actually looked her age now… except for her short height… but that was just something she'd have to live with.
"Indeed. You look very lovely, Chêne." Sebastian said smoothly as he walked over to her and stroked her short, silky locks. Chêne smiled happily as she blushed, relieved that it didn't look too weird. It wasn't that she doubted Agni, just that it had been years since she wore her hair so short… It felt a little strange for her head to be so light. It was kind of refreshing actually. Her hair was more 'swishy' now that it was lighter. She laughed a little, causing Sebastian to smile slightly. It looked like there would be a stay in Dagger's execution for now, since Chêne seemed to be enjoying her new haircut…
=†=†=†=†=
{The next morning, at the circus…}
"Goodness me, ye sure brought along an incredibly adorable child, eh?" Joker exclaimed when he saw Ciel, slightly surprised. Was everyone from the house they worked at hired for their looks or something? "Are you a boy?" He asked Ciel.
"Yes." Ciel replied patiently, sweat dropping. Shouldn't that much be obvious just from looking? He was dressed in casual clothing that a boy his age from the working class might wear. "I was a pageboy at the manor. Umm…" He said a little nervously when he realized the rehearsing troupe members had all stopped to stare at him as they whispered amongst themselves. "I'm Finnian." He finished, saying the first name that came to him. He knew he probably shouldn't use his real first name, since 'Earl Ciel Phantomhive' was fairly famous, after all.
"What a grand-sounding name ye have." Joker said as he moved closer to take a better look at Ciel. "Are ye really a boy?" He asked again.
"Yes…" Ciel said, sweat dropping again. Why was he finding that so hard to believe…?
"Well! We'll give ye a stage name if you make it into our troupe. But being cute isn't enough to work in a circus. Ye gotta know how to do tricks." Joker said, smiling. "So little fellow, what are you good at?"
"… Darts?" Ciel suggested a little nervously, sweating as he glanced over at where Sebastian and Chêne were waiting off to the side while Joker interviewed him. It seemed they were already being well received by the others, because the men and women were practically fawning over the attractive couple… Sebastian had to place his arm around Chêne possessively to discourage any would-be-suitors. They didn't seem to be paying any attention to his own situation at the moment.
"Knife throwing it is!" Joker announced good-naturedly as he turned to Dagger. "Dagger, lend him your knives." He said.
"Here ye go~" Dagger said, smiling, as he dropped the knives into Ciel's hands rather carelessly. Ciel sweat dropped. These people didn't seem to have any compunction against placing weapons in the hands of children…
"Hit that target over there from over here." Joker instructed Ciel, pointing to one of the practice targets that had the outline of a human body painted on it.
"!!" Ciel said, startled. That was several yards away, and Dagger's knives were much heavier than darts! How did they expect him to even throw them that far, much less hit a specific target?
"Excuse me, but is there somewhere I could change?" Chêne asked them, holding up the bag her change of clothes was in. She had decided to bring her swimsuit with her to demonstrate her skills in, since a frilly dress would just get in her way.
"Sure, the costume tent is over there." Joker said, pointing. "But didn't ye want to watch Finnian here?" He asked.
"Oh, he'll be fine. There's more to him than meets the eye." Chêne said, winking at Ciel as she passed him by.
"…" Ciel said as he exchanged a glance with Sebastian, before they both focused their attention on the target.
"Aww, man. What a bully y'are, ol'-timer!" Dagger said, sweat dropping, as he walked over to stand next to Joker, leaning on him. "With them scrawny arms, 'e'll never 'it the target."
"I'm not being mean. Ye couldn't call it an act if t'were any closer." Joker replied matter-of-factly. This was showbiz, after all.
"…" Ciel said as he raised the first dagger. He took aim… and hurled the knife at the target with all of his might.
WHIIIIZ!
It flew threw the air beautifully, but it started to lose altitude a few feet away from the target, right about where Joker and Dagger were standing to watch.
"Awww, I knew it…" Dagger said sympathetically as he, Joker, and the other onlookers smiled wryly. It was shame, Finnian was a real cute kid, too…
BEND. THNK!
"!?" They all shouted in shock, eyes nearly popping out of their heads, when the falling knife suddenly altered it's projected course and slammed into the head of the target. What the hell––!?
"No way!?" Dagger shouted incredulously in disbelief. Should that even be physically possible!? Ciel smirked. He glanced at Sebastian again. As expected… He raised the next knife and, once again, threw it as hard as he could. Once the knife left Ciel's hand, Sebastian very inconspicuously squeezed a small pebble in one hand.
SNAP.
The pebble shot forward from his hand, like a speeding bullet, as the knife started to fall.
TOK.
With speed too fast to be seen by the human eye, the pebble collided with the butt of the knife's handle at just the right angle and velocity to alter its course, and sent the new knife slamming into the head of the target, right beside the first.
THNK!
The two of them continued on in this manner until all of the knives that Dagger had given to Ciel were firmly embedded into the head of the target.
"Will that do?" Ciel asked confidently, smirking slightly, as the peanut gallery oohed and ahhed over the results of their little charade.
"Ye seem to have good control." Joker told Ciel approvingly while Dagger examined the target board, trying to figure out how he had seemingly defied the laws of physics. "Then next up is this!" Joker declared excitedly, pointing at Chêne as she returned from changing. "Are you ready to give us a demonstration your skills, Miss?" He asked her, smiling. Chêne nodded and smiled.
"Sure. Do you have a crate or something I could use?" She asked.
"We have a few empty crates about this big. Will that do?" Joker asked, holding his hands up to demonstrate their approximate size. Chêne nodded.
"That should be good enough. Could you set it down over there?" She asked as she started stretching a little to warm up.
" 'kay! Yer good to go, Miss!" Dagger announced once he did as he asked.
"Okay, thanks!" Chêne said, waving at him. She took a deep breath and exhaled, before getting a running start. Everyone's jaws dropped as she launched herself into the air, flipping, as she transitioned into a roundoff and five consecutive handsprings, before landing on top of the crate in a handstand. She then bent her back at a ninety degree angle and opened her legs in an upside down straddle split, just like she used to do in gymnastics… only this was on a wooden crate, instead of a balance beam. She then slowly straightened herself back into a regular handstand, before doing a forward bend and arranging herself in the 'human knot' position. After holding that position for a few seconds, she straightened herself back out again and did a handspring off of the crate. She stuck the landing.
"… I think I might have gotten a little rust––" She started to apologize, when Dagger and the other members of the troupe suddenly swarmed around her, like bees on honey.
"That was amazin'!!" Dagger exclaimed. "Are ye sure yer not made of rubber or somethin'!?"
"I've never seen anyone move like that before!" Joker told her, clapping. "Haha. Yer a lucky man to be blessed with a wife like that." He teased Sebastian lightly, clapping him on the back.
"Indeed. However, it seems she's still been holding out on me…" Sebastian said thoughtfully with gleam in his eye. Ciel blushed furiously when he heard that, staring at Sebastian incredulously. Did he realize what he was saying!? Lucky for Chêne, Joker didn't seem to have caught Sebastian's perverse musings, so only poor Ciel had heard that embarrassing revelation…
"Are you all right, Ciel? Your face is red…" Chêne asked, concerned, as she walked over to them.
"I'll be fine…" Ciel mumbled, chagrined. He was too embarrassed to look her directly in the eyes at the moment. "… But you might not be…"
"?" Chêne said, furrowing her brow slightly in confusion.
"Okay, everyone~!" Joker said, getting their attention again. "Now it's time for the next test…"
=†=†=†=†=
"… Tightrope walking!!" Joker finished announcing once Ciel and Chêne had climbed up the platform.
FWOOSH.
A bead of sweat rolled down Ciel's face as his hair fluttered in the breeze, and he stared down from the top of the platform of the tightrope while the girl dressed in white, who had performed this very act the other night, tied ropes around his and Chêne's waists. Sebastian and the others looked like ants… It was lot higher than he had realized…
"Dollll! Tie their life-lines nice 'n' tight nooow!" Joker shouted up at her, not looking too terribly concerned. "They're yet novices, so they'll hurt themselves if they fall."
"W–Won't you test me with something else?" Ciel asked, furrowing his brow slightly in concern.
"Ohhh? Retiring already, hmmm, little fellow!?" Joker teased, smiling. Chêne sweat dropped. That way of teasing while smiling… He was Sebastian…
They had found Sebastian #2…!
"N-No, but something other than this––" Ciel tried to reason nervously.
"Then get a move on, would ye!?" Joker shouted up at him, smiling. Ciel grit his teeth as he furrowed his brow in frustration. It looked like there was no other way than to just do it.
"… Don't worry, Finny, I'll go first. Watch how I balance myself as I walk." Chêne told him, smiling confidently, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She took a deep breath as she walked up to the edge of the platform.
"I'll be going first, then~!" She shouted down at them, smiling, as she gave a little wave, before taking her first step onto the rope.
"Ohhh. She's a right natural, she is!" Joker said, impressed, as they all watched her walk across gracefully, completely poised and undaunted by the extreme height. It was just like watching a cat traipse effortlessly across the narrow top of a fence. She had to have an amazing sense of balance to be able to walk the tightrope so easily… and so quickly, too. Was this really her first time? Sebastian smirked as he watched his little kitten step safely onto the other platform, and she visibly relaxed.
"See, Finny! It's not so bad, just grab the rope and hang from it, like a sloth, 'til we can get you if you slip!" Chêne shouted across the way to Ciel, smiling brightly. Ciel sweat dropped. As if he was going to do something so ludicrous… He clenched his fists, determined not to make a fool of himself. He took his first step onto the rope… so far, so good…He took another step forward.
"!!" Ciel gasped as he faltered, tipping over to the side. He was falling. Chêne covered her mouth as she gasped softly, concerned. That life-line had better work!
WHAP!
"!!" Ciel yelped when something smacked him in the ass, forcing him back into an upright position.
"Ohhh… That was close. But he recovered." Joker observed. That was a pretty strange and interesting move just now… It looked like he had just snapped back into place.
"?" Chêne said, blinking in confusion. She was glad Ciel didn't fall, but what the heck was that…? She could've sworn she saw something fly up and hit him from below… She glanced down at Sebastian. He flashed her a brilliant shit-eating grin as he prepared another pebble to flick at Ciel, in case he faltered again. Chêne sweat dropped. This did not bode well for Ciel…
"Damn! I should have known…!!" Ciel muttered as he grit his teeth, swaying on the tightrope as he walked. He should have 'slothed' like Chêne said, while he still had a chance!
WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!
"Arrrgh! Owwww! Ouch!" Ciel muttered darkly, wincing in pain as Sebastian continued to correct his posture by shooting pebbles at him. A vein mark throbbed on his head. Sebastian was so going to pay for this later…!!
=†=†=†=†=
"Amazing! I never thought ye would actually walk the tightrope~!" Joker praised them once they had climbed down to rejoin them on the ground again, clapping. He had suspected Chêne would pass, but he hadn't expected her to do so well. She and Finnian were both much stronger than they looked! Sebastian snickered behind his hand at Ciel as his young master held his aching backside.
"Thank you…" Ciel told Joker, just barely managing to contain his anger at Sebastian, as a vein mark throbbed on his head. Chêne sweat dropped as she smiled wryly. It looked like she would be playing Switzerland for the two of them again later…
"Then this cutie-pie passes, right, ol' chap!?" Dagger asked, grinning, as he patted Ciel on the head, while the boy continued to glare at his butler, his sapphire eyes filled with the promise of revenge.
"Not yet." Joker said. "The little fellow's missing something important." He said, pointing at Ciel's face.
"!?" Ciel said, furrowing his brow slightly. This man, what did he…?
"A first-class… smile~!!" Joker explained, smiling so radiantly that sparkles formed in the air around him. "Okay, let's see a great big smiiiile~!!" He told Ciel brightly.
"Wha––!?" Ciel asked incredulously, paling slightly.
"Pfft… kuh kuh kuh…" Sebastian snickered, shaking slightly as he failed to contain his laughter. Chêne sweat dropped. Getting Ciel to smile was like trying to treat an alligator for a root canal… A vein mark throbbed on Ciel's head as he trembled with anger. How dare Sebastian laugh at him… He might not be able to do anything here, since they were undercover, but Ciel was definitely going get the demon butler back for this later! He clenched his fist and took a deep, calming breath, before flashing them all a big smile. It was so captivatingly adorable that Chêne had to shield her eyes to avoid melting from his cuteness. She wanted to glomp him right then and there, but she knew that treating him like a little kid or an adorable small animal would just annoy Ciel even more… and she had a feeling Sebastian might get jealous again… Which would serve him right, but he would probably just take it out on Ciel, so that was a no-go…
=†=†=†=†=
{Later that evening, once their costumes had been completed, and Joker had decided on their names…}
"Friends! Lend me your ears! We've a few newcomers joining us today!"
Joker announced as everyone in the troupe gathered under the big-top. Dagger grinned as everyone gossiped excitedly amongst themselves… everyone except Beast, that is. She refused to look at them, obviously still holding Sebastian's behavior from the other day against him… not that Chêne could really blame her...
"This rookie is 'Black'. And the pretty Miss is his wife, 'Cat'…" Joker told everyone, motioning for Chêne and Sebastian to introduce themselves.
"I am Black. Nice to meet you." Sebastian greeted everyone politely, smiling a brilliant shit-eating grin as he removed his new top hat, while holding Chêne's hand.
"And I'm… Cat." Chêne said, smiling wryly as she sweat dropped, feeling kind of silly for calling herself that. Well, at least Sebastian seemed to like her new stage name... "Nice to meet you." Chêne noticed she wasn't the only one feeling a little ridiculous, though…
Ciel was trembling slightly out of embarrassment as he patiently for his own introduction, suppressing the urge to deck whoever was in charge of the costumes. Just what were they playing at!? Sebastian had been assigned a fairly decent black tailcoat that was very similar to his usual butler uniform, only it included a top hat. Chêne's light teal 'harem girl' costume was rather risqué with it's translucent midriff (that you could just barely make out her belly button through), but other than that, it suited her well… But his own costume was excessively frilly––with puffy shorts, and lots of ruffles and lace accents all over the place––They even slapped a feathered pirate hat on him, for the love of god! Just because he was wearing an eye-patch, didn't mean he wanted to be one! He was so glad Lizzie couldn't see this… She'd probably love it.
"… And this little one…" Joker said, finally getting to poor Ciel. "… is 'Smile'!!!" He declared grandly.
"S––!" Ciel shouted incredulously, looking positively scandalized. Seriously!?
"Heh." Sebastian laughed, smirking behind his hand, while Chêne smiled wryly and patted him sympathetically on the back. Joker's naming sense was really… different…
"Treat them well now, all right?" Joker instructed the other troupe members, smiling, oblivious to Ciel's suffering.
"Come, Smile. Say hello to your seniors." Sebastian prodded the boy, flashing him a brilliant shit-eating grin. "With a smile."
"Eh?" Ciel said, sweating nervously, as his eye twitched. Did he really have to? "I… I look forward to working with you…" Ciel mumbled awkwardly, chagrined.
"C'mon, Smile. Smile!" Joker said energetically.
Author's note:
Some of you might've seen this already, but I added a link for the final (seriously, this is the last time I'll change it, promise) version of her circus costume and her swimsuit. I hope you like Her stage name... for some reason, it was really hard to pick one... I was stuck between 'Beauty', 'Kitten', and 'Cat' in the end, but if you like one of the other's I just mentioned, let me know and maybe I'll change it... I picked Cat because 'Kitten' is already Sebastian's pet name for her (though he rarely uses it in public), and I thought having Joker name her 'Beauty' would upset Beast too much...
