I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Performs
≤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:
"My apologies. I did not realize you were a 'code 42', but I know better now." Will said, giving a slight bow. "You see 'code 42s' are extremely rare and very valuable to us reapers, because 'code 42s' almost invariably have the side-effect of reducing our workload, and therefore, make it less likely that we shall be forced into overtime without pay." 'Although, I have no idea how this girl would be capable of such a thing, seeing as she is consorting with one of noxious beasts that are our main reason for headaches…' Will thought to himself. "However, killing one without authorization, especially one from an AU (and therefore belonging to another jurisdiction), will result in punishments so severe, that they cannot even be spoken of out loud." He added, with a glint in his eye. Chêne had a feeling it was probably something like being sentenced to overtime without pay for life.
'He must really hate overtime… Well, at least he won't be trying to kill me again…' Chêne thought, sweat dropping.
{Meanwhile, in Tent Eight…}
"Say… Can I sleep on the top bunk?" Ciel's freckle-faced roommate asked, pausing in his climb up the bunks ladder, waiting for Ciel's answer.
"By all means. I was just thinking I would prefer the lower bunk." Ciel responded politely as he held onto the rucksack containing his belongings. 'I don't want to climb up there…' He thought, slightly chagrined. After all that training, Ciel would rather use his sore muscles as little as possible…
"I've been thinkin'." Freckle-face said as he plopped down into his bunk, peeking down, over the edge at Ciel, watching him unpack. "You sure speak real pretty 'n' upper crust, like." He observed casually.
"Eh!?" Ciel said nervously, caught off-guard. "D-Do I? It must be because I've been working at a manor since I was little…" Ciel lied lamely, smiling wryly. He hadn't even realized his proper English was slipping through… maintaining false accents was harder than he had realized…
"Ohhh! Well, if you need help, ask me anythin'!" Freckle-face said, smiling cheerfully. It looked like he didn't doubt Ciel's awkward excuse at all. "I know! Want some candy?" Freckle-face suddenly asked excitedly as he started digging through his own bag. "It's that popular Funtom kind! I got caramel, milk, and strawberry! Which one you want?"
"I–I'll take caramel then…" Ciel said, smiling wryly as he sweet dropped. He couldn't believe he actually was being offered his own product by another kid like this… He wasn't really that excited about it, but he didn't want to offend his new roommate by refusing what they seemed to think was a rather generous offer… 'Damn! I won't be able to visit Sebastian's tent like this.' He thought, chagrined.
=†=†=†=†=
{Tent Nine…}
"You'll sleep on the upper bed." Suit told Sebastian sternly. Chêne sweat dropped as Sebastian glared so coldly at the reaper that she could've sworn the temperature in the tent just dropped a few degrees… Sure, it was true they had promised the reaper he could divide up the room, but… they had meant sides…not beds. For some reason, he had started insisting that Chêne and Sebastian should sleep in separate beds… on opposite sides of the rooms… He was worse than Sister Mary-Joseph with her 'leave enough room for the Holy Spirit' rule at school dances!
"Um… Mister Suit… you do get that we're married, right?" Chêne asked, smiling wryly as she sweat dropped. "It's not like it'll be a scandal if we share the same––"
"Absolutely not." Will said, bluntly rejecting any opposition. "While I cannot control what you do behind closed doors elsewhere, as long as the two of you are here, I must ask that you refrain from producing any devil's spawn on my watch." He said seriously, adjusting his glasses. Chêne gaped at him.
"D-Devil's spawn…?" Chêne asked, sweat dropping again. Somehow… it had never occurred to her that's literally what any children she had with Sebastian would be… consider Chêne's mind imploded.
"Hmph." Sebastian said contemptuously as he glared sharply at the reaper, dead serious as he spoke. "As if I would ever let another catch a glimpse of Chêne's loveliness when she's at her most vulnerable, let alone hear her cries of ecstasy as we––"
"––Wooooow!!" Chêne shouted, blushing furiously as she jumped in between them, waving her arms frantically, as if trying to erase what Sebastian had just said. "T.M.I., Sebastian! No one else needs to know about our sex-life, okaaay!?" She scolded him, clearly scandalized.
"Heh." Sebastian laughed, smirking devilishly at her. Chêne sweat dropped.
'He's definitely messing with me, this…!' Chêne thought, chagrined. He had probably never planned on elaborating any farther than that in the first place… He just wanted to hear the word 'sex' from her pretty lips… sadistic perv.
"Hmph. With a lecherous face like that, I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow became impregnated simply from being in the same room as him." Will stated bluntly as he started drawing a line in the tent's dirt floor. Sebastian and Chêne both sweat dropped. Not that again… had Will been talking to Ciel's Aunt Francis recently…?
"Even for me… I assure you, such a thing is quite impossible. What are you doing now?" Sebastian asked the reaper, chagrined.
"This line marks the edge of my own private territory, so please do not set foot beyond it." Will said seriously as he outlined his personal space… which consisted of most of the area around the bunk… Sebastian barely even had enough room to stand, unless he lay in his top bunk… maybe air-space didn't count…?
"Then what's that other area you sectioned off? Isn't that my supposed to be my bed?" Chêne asked sweat, dropping, as she patted Sebastian's back in a soothing manner. Karma was finally biting him in the ass for all the teasing he had inflicted on others, but Chêne was just too tired to deal with another fight tonight…
"That's your territory." Will explained patiently.
"…" Chêne said as she stared at the lines. Seriously, what were they, five-year-olds…?
SNATCH! SCRAAAPE.
"!" Will said, surprised when she suddenly snatched his Scythe clean out of his hands, erased some of the lines, and redrew them to allow Will his own section, but left a larger neutral zone for Sebastian that consisted of he previous allotment, plus a path to her bed. She was not climbing up there in a skirt every time she wanted to talk to him! Chêne had gotten so used to cuddling with Sebastian, that she knew she'd probably sleepwalk/climb into his bunk later anyway on this cold, winter night… But hopefully Will would be too asleep to notice by then...
"Here." Chêne said as she shoved the Scythe back into Will's hands. "The box is exclusively your space, and neither of us will step foot in it. My bed is mine, and you have no right to stop Sebastian, my husband, from coming into my territory, but we'll try separating, just at night… Don't interfere with us once we leave the tent. Understood?" She asked WIll firmly, crossing her arms. She meant business.
"…Yes, Ma'am." Will replied obediently, still surprised she had managed to take his Scythe just like that... only to give it right back. What a strange girl… was every 'code 42' like this? Sebastian smirked.
'That's my Chêne…' The demon thought, satisfied now that the reaper had been set straight, proud of his little wife's spunk. "Very well." Sebastian agreed. He didn't really like having to sleep in separate beds, but he had a feeling Chêne would probably end up sleep climbing into his anyway…
"'Night, Honey~" She said, smiling sleepily, as she gave Sebastian a peck on the cheek and slipped behind the privacy screen they had added for her to use when changing. She was a grown woman rooming with two men, after all… even if one of them was her husband, she still needed privacy from the third wheel.
"I say! Why must I live with a devil…?" Will muttered to himself moodily, just loud enough for Sebastian to hear. "Let me make one thing clear from the outset. Unlike devils, Grim Reapers need to sleep. Don't make noises late at night and disturb my rest."
"You needn't have bothered to tell me that." Sebastian said, sighing boredly. The only thing he had planned on doing that might 'make noises late at night' had been made nearly impossible the moment he and Chêne obtained a roommate. Besides, Chêne was looking rather tired after all the acrobatics she had done earlier, as evidenced by how she had gotten a little short-tempered when she snatched the Death Scythe away. "As Chêne still requires at least six hours of sleep to function at her best, I have become accustomed to indulging her habit and remaining silent while she sleeps. My kind does enjoy sleep as a luxury, however…" He trailed off as Chêne stepped out from behind the screen, wearing a cozy flannel nightgown. He really was really glad it was winter, or it would have meant she'd have packed her warm-weather nightgown, which showed a little more skin… that wasn't really a view he wanted to share.
"Play nice, you two." She chided them, sounding rather like an elementary school teacher scolding two naughty children. "If you wake me up with another fight… I'll kick both your asses…" She gave Sebastian another peck on the check and a goodnight hug before shuffling sleepily back over to her bed. She was out the moment her head hit the pillow.
=†=†=†=†=
{Later that night, when the moon was high in the sky…}
Sebastian Michaelis stoically stared up at the ceiling of the tent, wide-awake and silent as the grave. He had been patiently waiting to ensure the reaper had really fallen asleep. He still had his orders from Ciel to search the circus's premises at night, after all… Well, truth be told, even without that, Sebastian found it hard to sleep peacefully with an enemy right below him and his lovely wife across room… where he couldn't even touch her… The demon butler was far too irritated to sleep when he didn't even need it in the first place. He sat up in his bed, moving as quietly as possible, as he crawled over to the ladder.
JAKIIIN!
"!" Sebastian said, slightly startled, when Will's Scythe suddenly shot up from below, cutting off his escape. He had managed to stop in time to avoid being hit, but it did manage to slice the tips of his bangs… He would have to fix that.
"Where are you going? Lights-out was ages ago. For heaven's sake…" Will muttered grumpily, peeved that Sebastian had disturbed his rest. The anal-retentive reaper's slightly disheveled bedhead almost made him look normal… almost. "I won't stand for you snatching souls while I sleep. Please do not go wandering without your mas––"
––FWOMP~!
Chêne's pillow had just slammed into Will's face.
"In the name of the moon… I will… kick your ass…" Chêne mumbled in her sleep. She had turned onto her side… her arms still flopped straight in front of her from when she had unconsciously flung her pillow at the reaper.
"…" Will said, chagrined, as the pillow slowly slid down his face. Sebastian smirked. That was his little Kitten, for you... so amusing.
"Perhaps I should have mentioned this before…" Sebastian whispered lowly, so that his voice would not be carried over to Chêne's side of the tent. "Chêne is a very deep sleeper and, with a few exceptions, is usually very difficult to wake. However, if something disturbs her slumber and brings her out of 'REM', then she will occasionally roll around and 'act out' her dreams… the results of which you have seen for yourself." He kindly(?) explained to the reaper, flashing him a brilliant shit-eating grin. "… It seems you are not so free to move either."
"…" Will said, furrowing his brow slightly as he glanced at the peacefully sleeping girl. To think she could have such precise aim, even in her sleep… 'This 'code 42'… how formidable…' He thought, slightly impressed. Maybe there was something more to this girl after all… Will decided it would probably be best to make a tactical retreat for tonight, so he retracted his Scythe and promptly went back to sleep.
'… I shall be rather bored till morning.' Sebastian thought, sighing, as he too lay back down. Now that Chêne had stopped sleep-talking, he didn't even have that entertain him…
RUSTLE.
Sebastian perked up when he heard Chêne stir again. He could hear the pitter-patter of her little feet as she stumbled across the room bare-footed… and then she nearly walked right passed the bunk bed, and into the tent's canvas wall, before Sebastian leaned down and pulled her up and into his lap. Sebastian smiled wryly as he sighed and shook his head at her. As the floor was nothing but dirt, some of it had stuck to her feet. What ever was he going to do with her?
'Well, no matter…' Sebastian thought, smiling softly as she cuddled up to him, despite being completely unconscious. '… I'll retract that previous thought.' This time, Sebastian lay back down holding Chêne close to him. The demon's lips curved into a content smile as he drifted off to sleep, his little sleeping beauty at his side.
=†=†=†=†=
{The next morning…}
"…y." Ciel thought he heard someone call out to him as they started trying to shake him awake. Sebastian knew better then to wake him so rudely, so it could only be one person… "Hey!" They yelled louder, shaking him even more.
"U…Nn." Ciel murmured groggily as he finally stirred, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "… Chêne?" he asked, still half-asleep, as he turned to look at his human alarm clock.
"What're you sayin', Smile!?" Freckle-face asked loudly, furrowing his brow slightly in confusion, as he loomed over the younger boy. "Wake up!"
"!!!" Ciel shouted incredulously, turning blue with shock, as he shot up like a Jack-in-the-box and instantly slapped a hand over his right eye in a desperate attempt to hide his contract mark, scared witless. He didn't see it, did he!? He had been so tired the previous evening that he had forgotten to put a spare eye-patch on to sleep in, just in case... He really regretted that bit of carelessness now...
"Oh! Yer finally awake." Freckle-faced said, smiling brightly at him, before switching over to a more serious mode. "Rookies gotta get up early and make the mornin' grub! No takin' it easy and stayin' in bed!" He announced firmly, placing his hands on his hips.
"Yes!" Ciel replied hastily as he quickly slapped the eye-patch on, relieved that his roommate was so oblivious. Freckle-face waited patiently outside the tent while Ciel fumbled around, struggling to dress himself. He really wished Sebastian was here… perhaps he should have listened to Chêne when she told him that, aristocrat or not, he should at least practice dressing himself …
"Too slow!!" Freckles shouted as he suddenly threw the tent flaps open so he could make Ciel get his ass in gear. "Smile, I'm gonna leave you behind!!" He threatened.
"Coming!" Ciel called back, flustered, as he flinched in surprise at the sudden intrusion. Didn't these people have any manners!?
=†=†=†=†=
Once he had finally managed to get his clothes on, Ciel's bossy roommate had practically dragged him to the bustling and crowded area behind the dining tent, where they had already set up all the cooking equipment and started up the fires. He had somehow managed to be reunited with Chêne during the chaos when he went to get ingredients.
"Hey, Ciel…" Chêne said, furrowing her brow slightly in concern, as She took in Ciel's disheveled appearance. He was sweating and panting heavily. His thin arms were shaking as he carried the heavy tub of potatoes. "Are you being bullied alre––"
"Of course not!" Ciel snapped defensively, vein mark throbbing on his forehead. As if he'd let himself be bullied…!
"Are you suuure…?" Chêne asked, narrowing her eyes slightly as she studied Ciel, making sure he wasn't just being stubborn. "Well, tell me if they do, okay? If you can't handle them… I'll take care of it for you." Ciel sweat dropped. Chêne definitely planned on crushing anyone he reported to her… He almost felt sorry for anyone who might dare to mess with him. Almost.
"Well, look who's here… Can you really call that personal grooming?" Sebastian said rather patronizingly as he joined them, carrying a pot of water, not even bothering to hide his smirk. "It seems you can not even dress yourself properly." Ciel really should have listened to Chêne… at least she had managed to engrain the proper shoelace-tying technique in him. That was about the only part of his clothing that looked neat.
"I was in a hurry." Ciel replied, promptly turning his back on the demon butler, trying to play it cool now that the king of S's had arrived. He didn't need to give Sebastian any more ammunition. He sat down and started peeling his tub of potatoes, as did Chêne.
"Dear, oh, dear." Sebastian said when he noticed that Ciel had tied the straps for his eye-patch in a clumsy knot. Ciel could practically hear the demon shaking his head at him, wearing that irritatingly superior smirk on his face. "You will have trouble undoing a half-knot alone." He added, suppressing a smirk as he leaned down to un-do the knot and retie it for him.
"And I can't take looking at your screwed-up shirt any longer. You'll catch a cold like this, with the chilly air getting in through the gaps. At least button up your coat properly till you can fix your shirt buttons." Chêne chided him, putting aside her work for a brief moment to button him up better.
STAAAAAARE…
"Ha!" Ciel gasped, flinching in shock when he realized that everyone had stopped whatever they had been doing to stare at the three of them.
"Ahahahaha! Smiiiile~! So, like, Black and Cat ain't your mums, okay!?" Freckles said, laughing at how cute their little 'family' scene had been.
"No––! This is…" Ciel shouted defensively, immediately shooting away from them, appalled. He wasn't some helpless little child!"… A habit… I mean, I just happened to…" He tried to explain, too flustered to think up a legitimate excuse for them to be 'mothering' him without giving himself away.
"Aww, you don't have to be so embarrassed, Smile~!" Chêne teased Ciel playfully, ruffling his hair affectionately. Sorry, it's a habit of mine. He's like a cute little brother to me, so I just can't leave him alone… I guess I end up over doing it sometimes~!" She said, smiling wryly as she rubbed the back of her neck. There, she'd provided an excellent cover. If Chêne viewed him as family, then it only made sense that she and Sebastian, her husband, would be watching out for him, as well as, why they would've brought him with them in the first place when they left their previous employer to join the circus. You didn't leave family behind… However… it was still embarrassing!
'Sebastian!' Ciel whisper-yelled at the demon butler while Freckles was busy talking to Chêne about how 'nice' it was that the adopted siblings were able to stay together. 'Do not treat me as your master while we're here! Leave me alone!' He knew he wouldn't have to bother telling Chêne, since she always just did as she liked anyway… Only when they were receiving guests at his manor, would she then make a special effort to 'behave herself' and act like a real maid in front of polite company… unless it was Lau. He had managed to crack her polite façade pretty quickly upon their first meeting, when he touched her butt, and she had reflexively shouted 'Pervert!' while simultaneously whacking him on the head with the serving tray she'd been holding. For some reason, that had only made him like her even more…
"Understood." Sebastian replied dutifully. "… Then without delay––Smile, what do you plan to make with the potatoes when the skins have more potato on them than the potatoes themselves?" He asked pointedly, no longer pulling any punches.
"Eh…!" Ciel asked, flinching in shock, when he realized he had seriously screwed up. Damn demon… Why didn't he say something sooner!? Sebastian snickered. Chêne and Freckles, catching the tail end of Sebastian's comment and Ciel's startled reaction, immediately whipped their heads around to see the culinary catastrophe.
"ARRGH! Smiiile!! What're yooou doiiin'!?" Freckles demanded, turning blue with shock. "And you peeled so many of 'em!!!"
"I... I'm sorry!" Ciel apologized frantically, starting to break out in a nervous sweat, as he turned blue with shock. It seemed Freckles was just as serious about food as Chêne was… speaking of which… Ciel cautiously glanced at the older girl.
"…" Chêne said, eerily silent. Her eyes were cast in shadow as she stared down at the poor, butchered potatoes.
'Is she so angry that she's passed the point of even being able to yell at me…!?' Ciel shouted internally, flinching. He was so dead…!
"Smile… You know how I feel about wasting food!!" She scolded him, vein mark throbbing on her head, as she pulled him into a headlock and proceeded to give him a noogie. "You could feed a small village for a week with the meat you left on these peels!!"
"––!!!" Ciel cried in surprise, wincing as she rubbed her knuckles against his head. He was honestly shocked. Unlike Sebastian, Chêne pretty much never used corporeal punishment… unless you counted the occasional forehead flick. If Ciel hadn't been so busy trying to escape, he might have noticed that, after the initial grind, she had been going much easier on him than she would've if some else had committed such a grave offense.
"If you can't do it, ask for help or something next time!!" She chided Ciel as she loosened her grip and released him back into the wild.
"Arrrrgh. There ain't much left to eat…" Freckles groaned disappointedly, sweat dropping, as he examined one of Ciel's crappy potatoes while the younger boy massaged his sore head. It had been so long since Chêne scolded him like that, that he had almost forgotten how scary she could be…
"There is nothing else to be done…" Sebastian said, drawing their attention, as he picked up the barrel containing Ciel's failure. "Let us fry these up nice and crispy as–is and make fish and chips." He suggested, smiling slightly. "I believe there was some fish in the larder. Will you fetch it for me, Cat?"
"Leave it to me!" Chêne said enthusiastically, grinning as she ran off to fulfill his request. It'd been a while since she'd been able to have fish and chips!
"Ah. I like that~!" Freckles chimed in excitedly. Now that was something to look forward to!
"I am glad." Sebastian replied, smiling politely at Ciel's roommate. He didn't fail to notice that Ciel had started to emit a rather dark aura. His young master was glowering at him, obviously sulking over failing so spectacularly, on top of being publicly scolded by Chêne, and then having to be saved by his butler in the end. "Heh." Sebastian smirked.
My, my, this experience may yet serve as a good lesson in humility for the young earl…
