Author's Note: Hi! I'm sorry for taking such a long break! I never meant for it to go on this long, but I had some… issues… They're being taken care of now, so I'm back in black. I probably won't be able to update as often this time, but I'll try to get something up at least once a week. Thank you so much for your support and for continuing to read this story!
I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Performs 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:
"Leave it to me!" Chêne said enthusiastically, grinning as she ran off to fulfill Sebastian's request. It'd been a while since she'd been able to have fish and chips, and her family's fish-fry batter recipe was amazing! Technically, it was meant to be used for catfish… but it worked just as well on other types of fish, too.
"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. "Heh." Sebastian smirked. My, my, this experience may yet serve as a good lesson in humility for the young master…
"Let's go, Smile!!" Freckles yelled determinedly as he grabbed Ciel by the wrist and pulled him towards the fray of people fighting for their breakfast.
"Eh? Go…?" Ciel asked, puzzled. Why did his roommate sound like someone preparing to go into war…?
"If'n you don't hurry, you won't get no meat!" Freckles said, dead serious.
The first-string had already been given first pick, so it was the second-strings' and newcomers' turns. It was a mad scene––survival of the fittest.
"RAAAH!! OUTTA MY WAAAAY!!!" Freckles roared mightily as he charged recklessly towards the front of the mob, to where Sebastian and Chêne were busy serving everyone as quickly as possible, still dragging poor Ciel.
=†=†=†=†=
{Inside the Dining Tent…}
"Huh. So you only managed to get bread in the end." Freckles observed smartly, once he and Ciel had managed to escape from the throng of ravenous people, and they were safely seated at one of the dining tables.
"Yes…" Ciel managed to reply tiredly as his eye twitched, chagrined. He was positively exhausted from the ordeal. After all of that struggling, his clothes were in tatters again… and he only had one measly roll of bread to show for it. If this was survival of the fittest, then Ciel was definitely the runt of the litter.
"Aww, fine~! I'll give you some o' my sides~! You're a short little bag of bones, so fill your belly and grow big! Awright?" Freckles said generously, grinning cheerfully, as he began to transfer some of the sides from his own giant mound of food to Ciel's barren plate.
"Th-Thank you…" mumbled politely as he sweat dropped, embarrassed that he had needed help just to get enough food to feed himself. This was place was crazy…
'Hello~!" Chêne greeted them cheerfully as she plopped down on the bench next to her 'cute little brother'. "Ya'll don't mind if I join you, do you?" She asked, smiling brightly at them. Her plate was also piled with food somehow…
"Heya, Cat! Where's Black? He joinin' us too?" Freckles asked, grinning at Chêne as though they were already best buddies.
"He's still helping out at the moment, but he told me to go ahead and get a head start, since I usually have a bigger appetite than he does." Chêne replied casually as she slipped some more protein and veggies onto Ciel's plate for him.
"Haha, must be nice to have such a considerate man!" Freckles teased Chêne playfully. "But gosh, I gotta say… your and Black's cookin' is really ace!!"
"It is." Ciel mumbled absent-mindedly as he slowly munched on a piece of fish.
"Thanks~! The batter's from a family recipe." Chêne said, smiling happily as she ate. It was always nice to know people were enjoying your food.
"You and He used to be a maid and a butler, I hear. Guess maid's and butler's are even good at makin' grub!" Freckles said, scarfing down the amazingly gourmet food. "They sure turned the tater skins you messed up into somethin' delicious." He exclaimed as he turned to Ciel. Chêne decided it might be better no to comment on that last line.
"Yes." Ciel deadpanned, slightly irked that it had even been mentioned again.
"Good, I'm done! Thanks for the chow!" Freckles announced suddenly as he stood up abruptly, his plate already totally empty of food. "Time to practice! C'mon!" Freckles told Ciel bluntly, burping rather unceremoniously as he started walking away.
"Eh? Already?" Ciel asked, flinching in shock. He hadn't even finished off half of his normal-sized meal yet! What did Freckle-face do, inhale his food? He glanced at Chêne for help.
"I should get going too, Black's probably already waiting for me in the training tent." Chêne said as she stood up. Her plate had barely even any crumbs left on it at all. "Have fun, Smile~!" She told Ciel, smiling brightly. Ciel sweat dropped as a vein mark throbbed on his head, chagrined. This little traitor…! Did she already forget that they weren't here to play...!?
=†=†=†=†=
{The Training Tent…}
"Uwah!" Ciel shouted when he fell from the large ball he had been trying to balance on. "Ow…" He muttered, as he rubbed his aching head, chagrined.
"Hey! Heyyy! What happened to your sense of balance from the tryout!?" Freckles asked, concerned. "These are the basics, the real basics!" He chided Ciel as he helped him to his feet.
"OOOHHH~!" They heard some of the other trainees exclaim suddenly.
The two of them glanced over to see what was so impressive.
BAAAM!
"Black is amazing!!" Someone shouted.
"No! Suit's doin' just as well!" Another exclaimed.
The two of them were currently locked in a competition with each other to see who could outdo who. Sebastian was poised on top of a tall stack of the same kind of ball that Ciel had just failed to balance on, and the reaper was right next to him, balancing on top of some strange contraption. Neither of them was giving an inch.
"They're really somethin'!!" Freckles exclaimed as he stared up at them in awe, feeling a little overwhelmed by their awesomeness. "You gotta get back on track quick. Don't let 'em leave you behind!" He encouraged Ciel.
"They can't be human!" Another onlooker exclaimed excitedly as the reaper and demon butler continued to astound.
"… Yes." Ciel muttered a little shakily, smiling tensely, as he sweat dropped and paled slightly. There was a dark aura around him. As if something like that would be possible for someone normal like him! And what the bloody hell did those two think the were doing, showing off to that extent!? Where they trying to blow their cover as humans!?
"Whoa! Cat ain't bad either!!" Another shouted when they noticed her practicing in the shadow of the other two. Chêne was currently training herself on the trampoline, practicing continuous flips that almost made it seem as though she was just continually rotating on an invisible axis… and she was laughing and giggling the whole time.
"Whoa! Cat's amazin'! I don't think I could ever keep flippin' that long without keelin' over!!" Freckles exclaimed. Ciel sweat dropped. While everyone else was so amazed by the high-level trick, she was obviously just playing around… It kind of pissed him off. Where did she even learn how to do that in the first place!? He had a feeling Lacey was somehow to blame for this...
It would be just like her to continue to make his life difficult even when they were apart.
=†=†=†=†=
"Wheeew!! I'm all sweaty! Let's go take a shower, Smile!" Freckles exclaimed, finally satisfied now that they had practiced to the point where Ciel was practically wheezing and about to collapse from exhaustion. He was tired, dirty, and practically drenched in his own sweat… This place was the worst.
"Eh?" Ciel said, perking up. "There's a shower here?" He asked, practically sparkling, now that he was finally able to see a glimmer of hope in the form of the almighty shower. The shower at the LeBeau residence in the future had been amazingly refreshing, and the water had been so nice and warm… it was like a bathing in a gentle rain...
This was just what Ciel needed after the hard day he had!
=†=†=†=†=
"It's cold at night, so you oughta shower during the day!" Freckles explained to Ciel cheerfully as he led the way to the men's showers. "See? Here." He said, once they had arrived, pointing towards what was most definitely not a shower.
It was an 'open air' bath!
"!!!?" Ciel shouted in alarm, flinching, as he turned blue with shock. Not only was it terribly cold out here, but there was absolutely no privacy! Everyone was casually walking around almost completely naked (except for a towel around their waste), as if it were nothing!
"You call this a shower…!?" Ciel demanded shakily, hoping he had somehow misunderstood or was seeing things.
"C'mon, take it off! I'll wash your back~!" Freckles said, beaming a radiant and friendly smile at him as he held up a bucket of water.
"I-It's the dead of winter, but we shower outside!?" Ciel shouted incredulously, turning blue with shock again when he realized this nightmare was real. "And isn't that cold water…?"
" 'Tis." Freckles replied very matter-of-factly, wondering why Ciel was freaking out over such minor details. "You'll be awright if you pour water on you and dry off quick! They say 'em noble types go swimin' in winter for good health. Now off with 'em clothes!" He said cheerfully as he tugged on Ciel's scarf. That was definitely news to Ciel.
"Uwah!" The young earl exclaimed nervously, flinching in shock. What the hell was wrong with this kid!? "I-I think I'll pass after all!" Ciel shouted nervously as he struggled to get away.
"C'mon, don't be shy!" Freckles teased good-naturedly.
"I'm not being shy––!?" Ciel shouted, gasping in surprise, when he backed up into a tub of water, and he started to fall backwards, taking Freckles with him. "Ah!"
"Whoa!!" Freckles said in alarm as they went down together. "Bwah!!"
KASPLASH!!
"–––!" They both groaned, completely soaked to the bone with the freezing water.
"Uwaaah, collld! Awww geez!! You made a fuss and got me wet too!" Freckles exclaimed.
"… Would you mind getting off of me?" Ciel asked, chagrined. Freckles had landed on top of him as they fell… awkward…
"You're soaked now anyway, so take off 'em clothes. Here, up with your arms." Freckles said, completely ignoring Ciel, as he started to pull the younger boy's shirt up.
"!!!" Ciel exclaimed as he flinched in shock, disturbed. What the hell was Freckle-face playing at!?
"Wait… please stop!" Ciel shouted nervously as he struggled to push Freckles' hand back.
"But you'll catch a cold like this!" Freckles argued, refusing to give up. "Here!" He shouted triumphantly when he finally managed to yank Ciel's shirt up.
"Sto…" Ciel started to shout, but it was too late. Freckles had already seen it. Freckles' eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the vicious scar from when Ciel had been branded by the cult.
SLAP!
"Let go of me!" Ciel shouted furiously as he slapped Freckles' hand away and ran.
