Happy Halloween guys! I love to dress up and cosplay, and so does Ciel
btw I'm looking for a beta. Anyone?
15. Weakness
Jack-o-lanterns and fake skeletons hang outside.
Ciel elegantly makes his way down the grand stair case, high heels tap tapping on the cemented steps. His boots are hand crafted, jet black that hug his calves, and are laced up elaborately like a corset. A pig or cow or- some barn yard critter- has died to make these possible. The curve leading up the sole extenuates the arc in a bare human foot, steeping further up into an almost four inch heel- they are uncomfortable as hell to wear.
Going upwards, his stockings are striped orange and black, garters holding them in place, which complements his solid orange waist jacket and black lacy blouse, clip on back piece repeating the symbolic colours of todays holiday in folds of beautiful silk and lace, trailing nearly to the ground. Intricately embodied on the waist jacket are tiny pumpkin heads and images of sweets. Crooked on his head is matching hat with cross pollinated orange and black pansies together with a toy pumpkin, lace and ribbons.
Clasped in black nailed hand is a pumpkin headed cane. And just for tonight, his normal eye patch has been replaced with wad of bleached leather in the shape of a grinning white skull.
But this is not the pièce de résistance in Ciel's chic Halloween outfit. Mounted on his head and pushed through a sewn hole in his shorts are black cat ears and tail.
For once, Ciel isn't annoyed with his fiancé and Mademoiselle Hopkins- it had been she that had dressed him tonight- input for outfit choice.
Sebastian tries hard not to gawp. Or laugh. It's really to hard to tell.
He sweeps his throw over around his shoulders, thick material jostling his precariously perched hat. Sebastian rights it at once, hands none to subtly straying to one of the pricked ears, stroking the fake fur between a forefinger and thumb- simply a phantom feel through his gloves.
Ciel fakes an innocent glance up, and the hands magically disappear at once.
Customary, his place in the household doesn't call for dressing up like his master, this can't be said for his other. . less refined servants who wave them off by the door as they trundle away in their carriage, Mademoiselle Hopkins nodding in approval.
Ciel thinks this is exactly the kind of punishment Sebastian needs for hoarding all those strays in his closet. A punishment of resolve. Stubbornly, his butler looks out at the night scenery as they bounce along.
This won't do at all, Ciel realises and immaturely tugs on the silk ribbon around his neck, movements subtle, and it comes apart with ease.
"Sebastian," he calls, resting his cheek on a propped up palm, and those piercing maroon eyes snap to his at once. "Redo it."
He is quite literally tempting the devil.
"Ah, of course," Sebastian agrees, and if feeling any disconcert, he certainly doesn't let it show. Leaning across the small gap that separates them, the butler skilfully rights the upset fabric, eyes carefully trained on his busy hands- composed as ever. He gives the bow an experimental tug to test its durability, and finally his eyes glances up at Ciel's face. For a moment, his unsettling eyes lean towards glowing redder, wide pupils dilating slightly, body moving in closer.
"What is it?"
He knows perfectly well what it is. But is surprised there's enough air between the two of them for his words to have come out so casually.
The carriage jolts as the wheels hit a rock in the road. This is what snaps the demon out of his trance. Stiffly, he leans back with a small apology, resuming his contemplation of the world outside.
Ciel hides a smile in the palm of his hand.
At the Viscounts party, the mansion has been decorated with as much flare as an over the top wedding cake. The national holiday colours are everywhere, dining hall holds a great table laidened with as many sweets and pastries as if an entire shop has been brought out. The dance hall holds a live orchestra and the main party.
The nobles are all in costume, ranging from subtle black dresses and masks, to people wrapping themselves up in fabric like mummies, and over the top gowns with fabric as long as a twelve foot wall hanging.
As Sebastian steps from the carriage first, he dons a simple white eye mask with red jewels and material felt customising it. He helps his master down the steps with an offered hand.
"Let's get this over with," Ciel grumbles, genuinely unhappy with spending more social time with the Viscount- no amount of teasing his butler is worth it.
They step into the glowing entrance hall, a servant whisks his throw over to be stored with the other jackets and add on items- and they are main streamed through to the dancing hall. Picking up a glass of diluted wine to drink and to keep his mouth occupied from small talk, Ciel is nevertheless pounce upon by numerous lords and ladies.
He hardly noticed the hours have slipped away in the gossip.
He does notice Sebastian increasingly fidgeting state however. Ciel's unique costume has gathered a lot of attention, especially those of the female species, taking it to their leisure of even leaning down to give his fake ears and pat or playful tug, which Ciel takes with an out of character acceptance and gracious smile. His fly on the wall butler is clearly at his wits end with it.
As night wares on, the hall grows gloomier, interior only lit by massive amounts of candelabras full of beeswax candles and clumps of them around the room.
Then at last, the rope Sebastian has been clinging onto all night, snaps.
The room is plunged into perpetual darkness as all the flickering candles extinguish at the same time by an unknown source. Muffled cries and high pitched screams punctuate the suddenly threatening atmosphere.
Then a second later, the lights glow once more.
After a nervous stillness, tittering laughter and claps escapes the crowd- they believe it was a Halloween prank courtesy of the Viscount.
Nobody seems to notice the mysterious vanishing of the Phantomhive head.
In those moments of confusion, Ciel had felt himself being lifted, then a gust of wind as they moved through the Viscounts corridors at superhuman speed. Then the slam of a door and the smell of what Ciel presumed a broom closet smelled like when one is locked inside one- as he's never been in one before, he wasn't to judge.
Still in Sebastian's unrelenting grip, Ciel is lifted higher, sight hindered in the darkness. Neither snark or sarcastic comment greet him as Sebastian uses one arm and hand to press the boy closer, other groping much to down south which makes Ciel tense in surprise and throat close up traitorously on a command to stop.
Though he feels it a bit rich to order Sebastian to keep his hands to himself when he was aware and brought it on himself in the first place.
The fingers were only seeking out the attached tail, the sleek fur gliding through his digits. He's lost his gloves at some stage, it seems.
"S-sebastian," Ciel is not happy at all to find that it comes out small and choky.
"Mmm?" is the disinterested answer he gets, Sebastian to focused on bumping the hat off with his nose to better nuzzle at his hair and ears. "You haven't been nice at all tonight, have you, young Master?"
Ciel gives a stuttering noise of agreement, closing his eyes as Sebastian inhales as if sniffing fine wine. And Ciel wonders if he's taking in his natural scent, or the unnatural one of his soul. It's the latter. "As it's Halloween, and causing mischief is seen as a good thing today, I'll let you off," definitely the latter, if the sound of fangs clicking together is anything to go by.
"You don't have to," it slips out before he can store the words away for fantasy purposes only. His clumsily covers his mouth with both hands, as if to shove the traitorous words back down.
Sebastian's entire body appears to pause in thought, arm wrapped around the crook of his legs, other hand supporting his spine, fingering ticking the back of his neck, cheek still resting near his cat ears. His dark chuckle rumbles through from the top of his skull to his pinching toes.
"Who on earth taught you to talk like that, you naughty imp?"
Words completely fail Ciel, from post embarrassment or surprise is anyone's guess.
"Perhaps when where not in a broom closet nor in someone else's place."
For a ridiculous moment, Ciel wishes he did have a tail. He feels it would be quite appropriate to start wagging it.