"Hello, good to see you." Aiko smiles as she speaks with a few people around her. She and Lizzy had suddenly been separated during the party they were at, but that was fine with her.
"My Aiko, you've grown quite a bit." One man says.
"Thank you."
"I'm sure your parents would be proud of what you've done."
"You're like the phantomhive boy, but a lot prettier."
"th-thank you." Aiko laughs with the men. "Well, i should go sit down. the heat in this room is making me feel a bit ill. Please excuse me." Aiko walks over to a chair and sighs. "Uhg, these parties..."
"Aiko!" The voice makes Aiko cringe. She looks up, smiling nervously at the Viscount. "I'm so glad to see you! You must dance with me!"
"O-of course." Aiko decided from the start she wouldn't refuses dances tonight. Of course, that made her a bit miserable, but it kept people from questioning her actions. She's dragged onto the dance floor and can't help but cringe at the touch of Aleister.
"You are such a beautiful dancer." he sighs. "It's so amazing! You are a wonder my dear!"
"Th-thank you."
"You must come to more of my parties!"
"I'm sorry i haven't come." she smiles shyly. "It's just been so hard, finding time for everything."
"I know, i know." He sighs. "But now! You must come more! You are the essence of beauty my dear! Much like myself." He starts to talk about himself and beauty and art and dancing, and Aiko tunes him out. Instead she shuts her eyes and listens to the music, something that always had a wonderful affect on her. Aiko had a horrible temper, especially lately, and was more prone to act rashly, except when calm music was playing. It helped her act normal and act shy, and it soothed her for a short while. When the song ends Aiko quickly escapes the Viscount. She sighs and tries to walk through the crowd, but bumps into someone.
"Oh! I'm sorry I..." Aiko stops when she looks at the young 'girl' in front of her. "Ciel?"
"SHH!" He slaps his hand over Aiko's mouth. "Don't say my name! what are you thinking!?"
"What are you thinking!?" Aiko frowns as she shoves his hand off. "Why are you dressed like that."
"I'm undercover. Just, shut up." Aiko shakes her head, then smirks.
"Well, i'll tell you one thing. You are just so ADORABLE in that dress!" Aiko pinches Ciel's cheeks. She can see he's plotting how he wants to kill her for revenge, and she laughs. "Have fun Ciel-a." She walks away, suddenly in a better mood.
"Aiko!" Aiko is yanked into a hug by Madam Red.
"O-oh, M-Madam Red, i-it's been a while." Aiko coughs and squirms out of her arms.
"You're a darling Aiko! Look at you! So grown up!"
"Th-thank you." Aiko smiles shyly.
"I remember when I met you at a party all those years ago." She sighs happily. "You were so little! so adorable! And now! Oh you make me feel so old!"
"I-I'm sorry." She hugs Aiko again.
"You are just the cutest little thing!"
"Th-thank... you... cant... breathe!"
"Oh!" She lets go, laughing. "Sorry dear." Aiko takes in a deep breath, trying to refill her lungs. Then she sighs.
"What are you doing here?"
"It's a party! Why do you seem surprised to see me?"
"I guess it's just been so long." Aiko sighs, then smiles. "It is good to see you Madam Red."
"And you too deary! You have grown up with the fragile elegance of your mother, but the brains and strength of your father. You've become a wonderful young lady."
"Thank you."
"Come! Come! You must come meet some lovely young gentlemen who would absolutely adore you!" Aiko is dragged away.
"M-Madam! N-no!" Aiko tries to fight, but finds herself being introduced to every young man at the party, and some not so young. She can't help but be irritated by this, however she behaves, and doesn't say anything. Finally Alex finds her and walks over.
"My lady..." Alex says as Aiko steps away from Madam Red as she tells a group of women some gossip.
"Yes Alex? Please say we have to leave."
"yes, we do." Aiko sighs with relief.
"Thank goodness. Whatever it is, I don't care. I'm glad to be going..." She turns back to Madam Red and smiles. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to excuse myself. Something has come up that requires my attention."
"Really? Oh well. I'll see you later deary!" Madam Red waves as Aiko follows Alex out.
"Lizzy is returning home without us, correct?"
"Yes, her mother will send a carriage to pick her up later." The two get in a carriage that is waiting.
"What happened anyways?"
"We just received a message from your estate. It seems one of the greenhouses caught fire."
"WHAT!?" Aiko looks horrified. "Did they put it out!? did they save the plants!? which green house!?"
"They did put it out, but a few of the tropical plants were destroyed."
"Oh." Aiko sighs. "I'll have to order new ones and start over." She runs her fingers through her hair. "At least that was all... Lets just hope no one wants anything tropical."
"You seem calm all of a sudden." Aiko sighs.
"I thought you were going to say a whole greenhouse was burned down, and all the plants lost. But, just a handful of tropicals... thats alright."
"I see." Aiko looks out her window, watching the scenery go past.
"What required my attention though?"
"It was a young investigator who came to the townhouse not long after I got the call. He wanted to speak with you."
"Alright." Aiko shuts her eyes, tired.
"You look wonderful in your dress." Aiko blushes and looks at Alex, slightly surprised. He smiles at her. "Something wrong?"
"N-nothing." Aiko mumbles as she glares out her window. "I'm hungry. When we return home I want dinner."
"Yes, my lady." Aiko shuts her eyes again, and this time silence remains in the carriage. When they stop the two head inside, where Aiko is led upstairs to the study. She sees a young man with neat brown hair and green eyes looking at her books with facination.
"Hello." The man stops and looks at her.
"Aiko Setrous?"
"Yes. And you are?"
"Oh, uh, my name is Nolan Polltin. I'm..."
"Yes, I know." Aiko walks over to a chair and smiles. "Have a seat. Alex will bring some tea." Alex bows and walks out. Nolan and Aiko sit down across from each other. "How can I help you Mr. Polltin?"
"Well ma'am, regarding the fire in your greenhouse, do you have any idea what might have caused it?"
"Not a clue, I'm afraid. You see, I've been here for the past couple of days, and so I don't know what may have occured."
"Alright. And do you have any enamies?"
"Plenty." Alex returns and pours tea. Aiko takes a sip. "However I don't know of any who would dare to touch my greenhouses. Especially since they are likely to buy those flowers that I grow."
"I see." He sighs. "Alright. I'm sorry to trouble you."
"It's alright." Aiko smiles. "Why not have some tea? Your job can be so unnerving."
"Thank you." He takes a cup and sips it. "This job can be a bit stressful. But it's a good job, respectable. And it makes my wife feel safe."
"Well then, its worth it all, isn't it?" Aiko stands. "I'm sorry, but i must retire to my room. Please enjoy the tea." Nolan stands.
"Alright ma'am. Thank you for your time."
"It was my pleasure Mr. Polltin." Aiko walks out and heads to her room. As soon as she shuts the door she sighs, then looks down at her dress. "I wonder if dinner in bed would seem a bit odd." She smirks, then gets changed. When she finally leaves her room the investigator is gone, and Alex is waiting.
"My lady, dinner is ready."
"Good." Aiko walks to the dining room and sits down. She looks at the dinner.
"It's a lasagna dish, with extra cheese, the way you like it." Aiko is served a piece, and she pokes it. "Is something wrong?"
"I could enjoy whatever I want, indulge in every human sin possible, and then some. Or, I could become a saint, and refuse any evil. But either way..." She stabs the lasagna. "I have the same fate at the end..." She sighs, then takes a bite of the lasagna. She makes a disgusted face. "Tomato chuncks?"
"I'm sorry my lady. I thought you enjoyed tomato."
"No, i hate it like this. It tastes horrid." She sighs. "I'm just going to head to bed."
"My lady..." Aiko stands, then walks away, not bothing to let Alex finish. He sighs. "My lady is very stubborn..." He smirks. "But I greatly enjoy that about her..."
"Jack the ripper was who?" Aiko frowns. It had been a couple of weeks since Aiko returned home. She had just come to deliver some new trees to Ciel's mansion and ended up inside listening to Ciel's story. "You can't be serious."
"I am." Ciel sighs. "Madam Red and a shinigami..."
"How horrifying." Aiko sighs. "I did like Madam Red. She was always so wonderful. And now, to know what she was doing..."
"Does this make her any less wonderful?" Aiko smiles.
"All in all, I suppose not. She is still the overly excitable woman that would always be at the parties and tell me how adorable I am." Aiko looks at her cup of tea, then Ciel again.
"A shinigami though?"
"Yes." Ciel sighs. "And an annoying one at that."
"Well, hopefully he won't return anytime soon." Aiko sips her tea. "Ciel, how do we always end up like this?"
"Like what?"
"You know what." Aiko smirks. "It's as if we can't escape each other. And I'm growing tired of it. If I were to never see you again I would have no complaints."
"the same to you." Ciel sips his tea.
"And yet, here we are. Enjoying tea, and talking about a secret of yours. Next I suppose I'll be revealing a secret. And we'll go back and forth until someone runs out."
"Or dies." Ciel smirks. Aiko shakes her head, still smirking herself.
"Whatever it may be... I guess misery loves company, and the darkness enjoys having guests..." Alex walks in.
"My lady, the trees have been taken care of."
"alright, thank you." Aiko and Ciel stand. "Well, perhaps we'll continue another time."
"Perhaps." Ciel smirks, and Aiko smirks back. Then she leaves. When she walks up to the carriage Alex opens the door.
"Alex, I know you have some work to do today. While you're doing that I want to visit Undertaker."
"As you wish. I'll drop you off and return once I'm done to come and bring you back home."
"Alright." Aiko gets in, and on the way over she stares out the window, wondering what she would possibly do with only 10 years of life...
"Comfy my dear?" Aiko is in a coffin, feeling like a kid.
"Of course."
"Now, what is it you were curious about?"
"A shinigami."
"oh." He smiles. "what about?"
"One was Jack the ripper, or part of it."
"So I've heard."
"Do you know the shinigami?"
"Nope!"
"Oh, too bad." She shuts her eyes. "then, could I heard a story?"
"I'm afraid I don't have a story to tell today."
"You don't?" Aiko sits up and looks at him, curious. He had never refused to tell her a story before. "Undertaker, is there something else you want to talk about?"
"You asked me about what I was working on before, and I thought you'd be interested in learning about it."
"I would love to know what you're working on." Aiko smiles.
"I know your disdain for touching the dead. This may not be what you want to see." Aiko frowns, slightly worried.
"I'd like to know Undertaker. But if you don't want me to know merely say so instead of trying to scare me away." He laughs.
"Such a spirited young girl! Alright, come with me. I'll show you something very interesting!" He happily walks away. Aiko sighs, gets out of her coffin, then follows him. She was worried whatever it was would require for her to touch a dead body or hold a part for him. He had asked her to do that when she visited before when she was younger, and she run out of the building. He had a weird sense of humor, but she hoped that it wasn't bad enough that he would torment her...
"Aiko?" Alex walks in to pick up Aiko, but he doesn't find her inside. "My lady?"
"Oh! Alex!" Undertaker peaks out from a door. "You shouldn't be so loud. The young lady is sleeping." He disappears back behind the door, then a moment later walks out with a large stack of papers. He sets them on his desk, then looks at Alex.
"Sleeping?" He sighs.
"Yes, sleeping. The young lady seems quite exhausted by something. So after she saw a project of mine she became tired and I'm letting her rest in the back."
"I suppose a few more minutes wouldn't hurt." Alex checks a pocket watch, then sighs. He looks at Undertaker. "Why do you care so much for my young mistress?"
"Many reasons." Undertaker pokes at the stack of papers, not wanting to work on them. "For one, she's interesting. And is always good for a laugh. The young lady has quite a sense of humor you know. when she was younger she would make jokes out of everything! What a fun time we had!"
"There's something else though, isn't there?" Undertaker smiles.
"Perhaps there is. What is your interest butler? Well, I shouldn't ask that. I know very well what your interest in her is." Alex growls.
"What do you want of my mistress?"
"At the moment nothing I can ask of her." He shrugs. "But soon enough she'll be able to help me with a little project of mine."
"Undertaker?" Aiko walks out from the back, yawning.
"My lady." Aiko looks at Alex, then sighs.
"Alex, I'm ready to go home."
"Yes, my lady." Aiko walks to the door.
"Goodbye Aiko. I'll see you next time deary."
"Goodbye Undertaker. I hope your project is a sucess." She follows Alex outside.
"My lady..." Alex starts as he opens the carriage door. "What exactly did Undertaker show you?"
"It was... something strange." Aiko gets in, then looks out a window. Clearly whatever she saw bothered her a great deal. Alex sighs, shuts the door, and the two are soon driving away...
"Curry contest?" Aiko smiles. "Sounds delightful!"
"You're in a good mood." Alex looks at how far Aiko has gotten in her paperwork. She had finished most of it before she had picked up the newspaper. "Do you like curry my lady?"
"No, i hate spicy food actually." Aiko sets the paper down, bored with it. "But contests involving food can be so entertaining."
"I take it you'd like to visit the contest."
"Of course." Aiko smiles.
"My lady, if I may, why are you in such a positive mood today?"
"Oh, well..." Aiko smiles. "Its my birthday soon. Not that I should be so excited over such a small thing. But..." Aiko shuts her eyes. "Every year we'd always have a big party, and it was so much fun."
"I see..." Alex checks his pocket watch, then bows to Aiko. "My lady, I have some work to tend to. I'll return when lunch is ready."
"Alright." Aiko grabs another paper, sighs, then starts to read it over, the excitement suddenly gone from her eyes. Alex walks out..