That Butler, Knifehand
I own nothing but my OC.
≤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:
"Thi… This ugly side of me…" Lizzie said, gritting her teeth. Her cheeks were flushed with frustration. Her tears fell onto his face as he stared up at her with wide eyes. "I wanted to do everything in my power to keep you from having to see it..." She gripped the swords tighter. "But… this time… I will protect you!" She withdrew the swords and the zombies hit the floor, dead for good. She whipped the blood from the blades as she turned to face the larger threat behind her. "I am the daughter of Alexis Leon Midford, Marquess of Midford and head of the Order of the British Empire! I am Elizabeth!" she announced with determination, facing the horde in the corridor alone. "Wife of the Queen's Watchdog!"
««« Flashback «««
What are
little girls made of?
'Sugar and spice,
and all that's nice;
and that's what little
girls are made of'.
Elizabeth was seated at a table with Madam Red and two other little girls. They were having a small tea party outside.
"A lady..." Madam Red said, holding up a finger and closing one eye. "… Should always be delicate and lovely before a gentleman… an innocent girl first and foremost. Her job is to be surrounded by all things nice like Mother Goose's nursery rhyme says and keep smiling." She looked over and saw her sister and her husband with Ciel in another part of the garden. Her expression held a touch of melancholy as she watched them. "So… stay like that for as long as you possibly can," she told Lizzie gently.
"I will!" Lizzie said brightly.
Poetry over philosophy.
Embroidery over cooking.
Dancing over chess.
Be an angel who knows nothing.
That's how girls born into a nation of roses are raised.
I was just like that too.
"Elizabeth," Francis called, coming to collect her. "It is time."
But—I stood apart from other girls in one respect.
A younger 'Double Charles' were watching an impressive fencing match.
"So that is the son of the Marquess of Midford, who is rumored to be a genius with swords," Phipps said.
"Hunh? What are you saying, Phipps?" Grey said, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Touché!!" the referee announced, ending the match.
"The genius is the daughter," Grey said as Elizabeth removed her fencing mask. Phipps regarded her thoughtfully while the rest of the audience that had gathered cheered. But it didn't make Lizzie happy.
What I danced at various halls was not the waltz.
"Waah!!" Ciel cried as he fell backwards and hit the floor.
"Your advance is weak, Ciel!!" Francis scolded him. She sighed. "But very well. That's enough for today."
"Ugggh… She was scary..." Ciel said as she left the room.
"Mother's very strict!" Lizzie said, offering him a towel to wipe his sweat.
"Aunt Francis is a beautiful lady, but… if my wife was that strong… I think I would be frightened of her," Ciel said, making Lizzie pale. "I'm so glad it's you who'll be my bride, Lizzie!" he told her with a relieved smile.
My dear, adorable fiance, younger than me by a year. That's when I made a vow. I would become a bride Ciel could protect.
"No!! No! I said, no!" Lizzie cried.
SLAP!
"You are a girl who is to marry into the house of Phantomhive," Francis said strictly. "You will not be allowed to neglect your training!"
"I won't practice fencing anymore!" Lizzie cried, holding her sore cheek. "Swords aren't cute at all!!" Francis kneeled down and hugged her.
"Even if you do find it trying, it's for your sake, and his…" Francis said gently. "You understand, don't you?" Lizzie's teary eyes widened slightly, then she closed them, accepting her mother's words.
But that day…
Lizzie held a lovely handkerchief embroidered with a C in a circle of small flowers, getting ready to wrap it in a box with a ribbon.
"Aww, Ciel. I wonder if he'll like his birthday present!" Lizzie said, smiling and blushing with happiness.
WHAM!
Suddenly, her maid Paula barged into the room.
"Lady Lizzie!" she exclaimed anxiously, looking pale. "The Phantomhive family has been..."
The handkerchief fell to the floor.
It was my dream to become a lovely wife who would be protected by Ciel.
Lizzie cried, kneeling on the floor in her mourning dress.
But that dream was never meant to come true.
Lizzie was walking when she overheard the conversation of some young ladies.
"Ladies, have you heard?" one of them said. "The horrific slaughter of the Phantomhive family! In all likelihood, they must have raised someone's ire, no?"
"Gracious, how frightful!" another said.
"By the way, it seems lady Ashley has herself yet another lover," said a third.
"My… She is quite energetic," said the fourth.
In jet-black weeds… and in the jet-blackest of moods… a bleak, jet-black winter month passed. And then… Ciel suddenly returned… with a smiling maid and a butler clothed black as jet.
"I can't believe my eyes!!" Lizzie cried, throwing her arms around him, shedding tears of joy. "It really is you, isn't it, Ciel!?"
"…" Ciel hesitated for a moment. "I'm back..." he said, returning her embrace. "… Elizabeth." Lizzie's eyes widened as she realized how thin and small he was.
The Ciel who came back to me was thinner and smaller than I. But soon I realized something. Ciel hadn't become smaller. It was I who had grown bigger. And so I made a new vow. I would become a bride who could protect Ciel.
"But I really would rather be cute," Elizabeth said, and so she continued to dress and act cutely in front of him. "Look, Paula! Aren't these just the cutest!?" She said one day with a big smile, holding a pair of lovely heels. "Father bought them for me as a reward for winning my fencing bout! I think I'll wear them today since I'm going out with Ciel!"
"My, my! How very wonderful!" Paula said brightly. She helped Lizzie get dressed. She had just finished pulling Lizzie's corset tight for her when she noticed something. "Lady Lizzie, have you gotten a bit taller again?"
"Eh…?" Lizzie said with wide eyes, looking distressed.
"Ah…!" Paula gasped in alarm, immediately regretting her words. "I—! I do beg your pardon! Ah! Um! You are still lovely and adorable even if you have grown, my lady!" she said frantically, trying to reassure her.
"..." Lizzie couldn't unhear those words. She had gotten taller again. "I won't be wearing my new shoes today."
"But..." Paula said.
"Leave it," Lizzie ordered. "Just get me a pair with low heels, Paula."
Girls my age all wear cute high heels, but…
Lizzie watched a group of girls pass her wearing stylish heels. Ciel turned to say something to her, drawing her attention back to him. She smiled brightly and hugged him.
… For the sake of Ciel, who is pushing himself to grow up fast… I wear my childish, low-heeled shoes and smile beside him.
»»» End Flashback »»»
Lizzie's cute low-heeled shoes slid across the floor as she danced with her blades.
'Low-heeled shoes. Mother's lessons. Swords with which to protect you,' Lizzie thought, gripping her swords firmly in her hands as she fought. She landed on the floor and the four zombies behind her bloomed red with blood as their heads separated from their shoulders. She looked up with determination burning in her emerald eyes. 'That… is what I am made of.' With the zombies felled, Lizzie turned her attention to the next threat. She glared at Grell. 'I'm fine with not being cute… if it means I can protect you!!' She lunged at Grell and aimed a deadly thrust at him. Her blade was stopped by two fingers. Sebastian held her sword.
"My lady," Sebastian said calmly. "You have done enough..."
"Sebas… tian?" Lizzie said, looking up at him. She panted, catching her breath. Lacey killed the last zombie that was after Chêne. Sebastian released Lizzie's sword and kneeled before her.
"To have forced a lady to go to such lengths as these… I am a failure as a butler," Sebastian apologized. "Please forgive me." He stood up and adjusted his gloves, placing himself between her and Grell. "I shall handle the rest..." Grell smirked while Ronald straightened up and fixed his hair.
"Mmmm, I do feel a bit like the wind was taken out of my sails, but..." Grell said, raising his death scythe. "… No matter! Let's pick up where we left off, hmm…?" Ciel gasped.
"Wait! Sebastian!!" Ciel said, making the demon freeze. "We can't afford to deal with them right now! Rian is the one who holds all the keys to this case! We're going after him!"
"He is the one who made these things..." Chêne said, grimacing a little at the beheaded bodies floating in the water around them. There were so many of them that you could hardly move without bumping into one of them. Their rotten blood stained the water. A new wave of seasickness hit her, but she managed to swallow it down. No way was she adding vomit to the disgusting soup they were standing in.
"Hunh~?" Grell said. "Hey, You. Are you saying we can get to the bottom of the reanimated corpses if we put the screws on this Rian chap?"
"Rian… Rian..." Ronald said, flipping through his death list. He found it. "Mister Sutcliff, look." he moved closer to the red-haired Reaper and showed him what he was looking at.
"Nnnnn? I see," Grell said. "It seems we can't afford to play with you either." The Grim Reapers leaped back up to the level they had just come from. "It does soooo pain me, but I fear we'll have to part here for now, Sebas-chan. Next time I'll be sure to wrap you all up in a rosy red! Count! On! It! " He blew a kiss. "Toodles~! " His coat flapped as they hurried away. Sebastian, Lizzie, Chêne, and Lacey all stared up at the hole they had disappeared through.
"That seems a bit abrupt," Chêne remarked.
"They must have seen Rian's name on the list," Lacey said.
"We should hurry, too—Ugh!" Ciel said, wincing when he tried to stand up and felt a throbbing pain in his leg for his trouble.
"Ciel!" Chêne said, concerned.
"Young Master!" Sebastian said as they all hurried over to him. Sebastian kneeled down and examined his leg. "Your leg is quite swollen."
"Oh no!" Lizzie said. She immediately squatted down in front of Ciel and turned so that her back was facing him, holding her arms at the ready. "I'll carry you on my back!"
"Wha—!?" Ciel said, shocked. Sebastian sweat-dropped.
"I really like this girl," Lacey told Chêne.
"Lady Elizabeth, I can take care of that..." Sebastian said, smiling a little wryly. "I truly cannot allow you to do such a thing..."
"Ah!" she gasped, blushing and holding her face. "Oh, yes! Of course. You're right! Oh, dear, what has come over me!? I..." Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
"!?" Ciel gasped as he and Sebastian flinched in shock. Chêne sighed with a wry, knowing expression.
"Uwaaaah! I'm the sort of scary girl Ciel despises—!" Lizzie cried.
"Hunh!?" Ciel exclaimed, flinching in shock again. Lacey tried not to grin too obviously while Lizzie was crying.
"There, there," Chêne told Lizzie, gently patting her back.
"What are you talking about!?" Ciel said, suddenly feeling like the villain, even though he had no clue what was happening.
"Well, you said before that you didn't want a strong, scary wiiiife!" Lizzie wailed.
"!?" Chêne and Lacey gasped.
"Ciel!" Chêne said sternly, voice full of disappointment. "Is that why you didn't want him to know?" she asked Lizzie sympathetically. Lizzie had been her sparing partner during her fencing lessons with Francis, so she knew how skilled she was. But Lizzie had begged her not to tell Ciel. Lizzie nodded, tears still streaming down her face.
"I never—" Ciel began, but quickly stopped himself. "Th-That was a long time ago. Besides, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."
"Yeah, you were totally awesome!" Lacey said with respect.
"Amazing!" Chêne agreed with a smile.
"Then will you still marry me?" Lizzie asked Ciel. "You haven't come to hate me?"
"How could I possibly hate y..." Ciel began earnestly, only to blush bright red as he realized what he was saying and that Sebastian and Lacey were staring at him. "N-Now isn't the time for this! We're heading upstairs, c'mon!!" he sputtered as Sebastian had to clap a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing, shaking from the effort of keeping it contained, while Lacey laughed openly and loudly.
"Ahahaha!!" Lacey cackled. "That was priceless!"
"Don't laugh at him," Chêne scolded her though she was smiling at Ciel as if he were the cutest thing ever, which he found equally annoying.
"Kuh! Kuh! Kuh…! Even the young master cannot hold his own against his lady, I see," Sebastian said, trembling with laughter.
"Shut your mouth, you!!" Ciel snapped angrily, mortified. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!!"
"?" Lizzie said.
"Well, then," Sebastian said, picking Ciel up to carry him, still shaking. "Let us be off."
"You bastard," Ciel said, still red in the face, trembling with anger. "Are you quite done giggling ye—"
"Smile!" Snake called, getting their attention as he ran up to meet them.
"Snake," Ciel said.
"That's Snake?" Lacey asked, looking like Christmas had come early.
"Hey, what about your boyfriend?" Chêne reminded her.
"We're taking a break from each other," Lacey replied with a shrug.
"I truly am so glad everyone is safe. —says Emily," Snake said.
"Says Emily?" Lacey asked.
"He talks for his snakes," Chêne replied.
"Where's Rian?" Ciel asked.
"Sorry, he ran away on us. —says Oscar," Snake said.
"Is that so…?" Ciel said. "Well, let us regroup with the Marquess and his family for the moment."
"Yeah," Lizzie agreed.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{First-Class Deck…}
A huge clamor met their ears when they emerged onto the deck, which was packed with desperate people.
"Back off!! Women and children first!" Edward said fiercely. "Just look at the sight of you! How can you call yourselves British gentlemen!?"
"Edward!!" Lizzie called out to him as they made their way towards him.
"Lizzie!!" he exclaimed, relieved to see her. "I'm so happy to see you well!!" He saw the sword in her hand. "… It must have been hard for you..."
"Forgive me. It was entirely due to my helplessness," Ciel said as Sebastian set him down. He stood carefully, keeping the weight off his swollen leg.
"You said it!" Edward said with his brow furrowed. "But fine, my lecture can wait. Now you two get on a boat, quick as you can..."
"Edward, I have a favor to ask of you," Ciel said. He pointed his thumb at Snake. "Put him on the boat in my stead." Snake's eyes widened in surprise.
"!?" he and Lizzie gasped.
"I can't get on the boat yet," Ciel stated calmly.
"… All right. We'll take care of him," Edward said.
"If Ciel is to stay behind, I shall stay t—!" Lizzie started to argue when a swift chop was delivered to the back of her head. "!?" she gasped in shock as she lost consciousness.
"I beg your pardon, Sir," Sebastian said, catching her before she fell.
"Butler!!" Edward exclaimed.
"It appeared that convincing Lady Elizabeth would take some time, so I resorted to a rough measure," Sebastian explained. "Please mete out whatever punishment you see fit at a later time." He bowed.
"No… You have my thanks," Edward said. "It's impossible for me to attack my sister from behind."
"You should go, too," Sebastian told Chêne, cupping her face in his hand.
"I thought you two would want to stay behind," Chêne said with a sigh. Her expression hardened. "But if you think I'm leaving without you—"
"I'll keep an eye on them," Lacey said. "You get off this ship."
"Now I'm really not going," Chêne said with determination.
"Not even for your children?" Lacey asked. "We'll be all right if we have to be in the cold water for a little while, but what do you think that kind of shock will do to your babies? They're very vulnerable right now." Chêne's expression softened a little and she placed a hand over her womb, looking conflicted.
"I would hate to have to force you, Chêne," Sebastian said, determined to get her off the sinking ship, even if it meant incurring her wrath later.
"Yeah, don't make us knock out a pregnant woman," Lacey agreed.
"Get on the boat, Chêne," Ciel ordered. Chêne looked at all their faces and sighed heavily.
"I'm getting in the way again… aren't I?" she said reluctantly. "All right. But take care of yourselves. I won't forgive you if you drown."
"Thank you," Sebastian said, brushing her hair out of her face. "The ship is listing considerably… It's foundering is but a matter of time. Please leave the ship with the utmost urgency and get as far away as you possibly can."
"Take care of Lizzie, Chêne, and Snake!" Ciel told Edward as Sebastian picked him up again. "Let's go Sebastian."
"Very good, Sir," Sebastian said.
"You don't need to come back, you know!!" Edward shouted after Ciel, making Snake flinch in shock and Chêne sweat-drop. Sebastian and Ciel stopped. Lacey stopped, too. "I'm perfectly fine with not having to give away my adorable little sister's hand!" Sebastian smirked slightly.
"I shall return, I assure you," Ciel promised confidently.
=†=†=†=†=†=
{First-Class Hall…}
It was empty now, completely devoid of people. Even the zombies were gone. All that remained were the bloodstains on the stairs and the disheveled tables. Those tables began to slide. Dishes that were still on them fell off as they tilted and crashed on the floor.
"Damn! The ship's listing like crazy," Rian Stoker said as he walked against the lean of the ship. "Where is he…!?" Suddenly, the ship swayed, and Rian was knocked off his feet. "!? Uwah…!" he cried as he fell over the railing on the second level, about to plummet to his doom, when someone's hand closed around his ankle.
"Oooh, I say! You're quite the catch, dear boy!" Grell said, leering down at him. "I've got you hook, line, and sinker~! "
