Hello people! I hope everyone is doing great! I am probably one day late, but I would really love to wish our Young Master Happy Birthday! He might be barely 14 for some years now, but I still wish him all the best and to keep enjoying the choco-hell (it sounds much funnier in Greek, sorry 😅) sweets Sebastian will be making him... and then, he can invite me over to share them! I'm easily a chocolate addict! 😂
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters. I entirely own only my OCs, arcs and ideas/themes not mentioned in any form of the franchise (manga, anime, games, movies or musicals).
Chapter 53: The Tutor, Determined
"So, what's the plan now?" Bard asked as they were standing in an alley.
It was afternoon and the policemen, already stationed at the Funtom Corporation shops, changed Sebastian's plan of seeking a temporary haven in the company, entirely created by young master himself. It seemed, however, that the real Earl worked as quickly and effectively as his younger brother and, needless to say, Lord Randall jumped at the opportunity of getting rid off the Queen's Watchdog, the annoying boy ridiculing him quite often by solving his cases.
Sebastian was thinking about fleeing England and setting up a base in another country, but he needed time to prepare and that meant a safe place... Such a place crossed his mind right at the moment a policeman discovered them and whistled for reinforcements.
"Everyone, this way!" The butler ordered and the whole group followed in a heartbeat; young master in the strong arms of his gardener.
Sebastian pointed at a shop, a photographic studio, and they all hurried inside just in time; they stood away from the windows as the policemen passed the shop in a rush, thankfully, without throwing a glance through the door's glass. The fugitives let a breath out quite relieved, but then a sudden flash blinded them momentarily taking them fully by surprise.
"Lovely! Caught some nice expressions there, I did! Exclusive photographs of wanted men will sell for a very pretty penny!" The man who took the photograph, Mr. Pete, spoke with a smile, as always.
"I am afraid your joke will find no laughs here." Sebastian said sighing, somehow thankfull it was the specific man who sneaked up on them.
"Oh, do not worry, my good sir! The Phantomhives are frequent patrons of mine. I would never sell off scandal photos of them all willy-nilly... So, what kind of photograph were you interested in today?" He asked smiling.
"A tableau vivant..." Sebastian said coolly, referring to a popular way of being photographed as a model in front of a static scene, and the photographer asked for the theme in a totally meaningful way. "The legend of King Arthur." The answer came in the same manner.
"Understood. Request received. Come right in, to the interior." Mr. Pete said pulling away the requested background and revealing a door.
The group followed him through the dark room of the studio, where he worked on the photos he took, to a dark, winding staircase and then to a heavy door leading to London's underground waterway, where all kinds of wastes were dumped ever since the 1858's Great Stink; in other words, the London's drainage system expanding under the bustling metropolis was indeed the best way to move around unseen. All the while, Pete was mindful enough to inform Sebastian that even though this 'photograph' was on him - "a freebie" as he said - he would not hesitate to sell it if he ran out of money... starvation was not a sport he liked to play.
The sewers' stink was quite unbearable as soon as the heavy door opened. Bard and Finny were left quite speechless by the vast, maze-like construction, but Snake and his snakes' had a really hard time; the pale man had turned to yellow and Wordsworth around his shoulders... was actually retching like he was about to vomit. It was the first time Selina saw a snake reacting like that and felt really sorry for the reptile, but could do nothing more than help Snake quickly wear around his face one of the 'masks' – a simple piece of cloth – Pete provided them along with a map and light. Mey-Rin was also quick to cover young master's nose to protect the fragile health of the child.
"Would you mind if we added two telegrams to our order? One to Lord Claus and one to Lord Deidrich." Sebastian asked.
"Not sure I will be able to get a hold of Mr. Claus, but I will try." Pete promised and then bid them farewell in his usual cheerful way.
The Phantomhive group went on their way for a while, heading towards Regent's canal where they could rent a boat, but did not manage to go much further as sounds of pursue were soon heard behind them. Either Mr. Pete had never any intention of keeping his promise, or Lord Randal left him no choice other than betraying them as soon as he helped them. Sebastian yelled everyone to hurry and start running, while he was pushing his master and his mate forward, but a sudden sound like explosion or something similar was heard above them and even he was not fast enough to do anything other than just stare at the tunnel's ceiling caving in on them... and 'coincidentally' blocking the policemen on the other side.
"Hello there, Earl." A familiar dragging voice was heard, as a figure started coming out of the dust the collapse caused; the fugitives could only keep coughing, trying to breathe, despite the stink and the dust chocking them. "I never expected us to be facing off in such a way... I suppose this is fate... Or no, perhaps... it was inevitable from the start? Time to collect that bounty." The voice said, obviously enjoying the situation.
Sebastian, Selina and young master were rather surprised and extremely cautious as they saw Lau and his doll, Ran-Mao, standing in front of them. The man with his eyes closed and a sneaky smirk on his lips, while the emotionless girl was putting down her twin chui, the traditional Chinese round hammers and obviously the cause for the ceiling collapsing on the escaping group.
The dust started settling down, clearing the view of the four servants, Mey-Rin had already pulled up her skirt, revealing the weapon strapped on her thigh ready for everything. Selina stretched one arm protectively in front of the boy master while Sebastian's was still resting on his back; young master was well protected.
"And why, may I ask, is the Shanghai mafia cooperating with the Scotland Yard?" Sebastian asked, his eyes trying to pierce through the Chinese man, wanting to read his true intentions.
"Why, as long as there is money involved, we are happy to roll over and serve anyone, regardless of who the client is! Nyan, nyan!" Lau said with his usual closed-eyes smile, just like a whimsical, playful cat. "Still, this is quite the surprise, Earl. Despite being such a defined young gentleman, you must have done something crazy for all this to happen... Now then, Ran Mao. Begin the hunt." He ordered after not receiving an answer from the boy.
"Yes, brother." The girl said monotonously, seeing her 'brother' cracking open his eyes, a signal of action for her.
"Young master! Please, stay back!" Sebastian said and hurriedly trusted Ciel to Finny.
He, Selina - with daggers in her hands - and Bard stood in front of the others, ready to receive the hit of the running girl, already heading to them with her chui ready. However, Ran Mao moved like a lightning and before they knew it, the round weapon landed between the two men with so much force, leaving them no other choice but simply jump to the side to avoid it; Sebastian was fast enough to pull Selina with him.
"Christ! Ya've got a crazy monster with a pretty face too, ya know?!" Bard said not believing his eyes. Yes, he knew the girl was quite strong and flexible ever since the destruction she spread among the men in the football game, but what she did now was entirely unexpected! He could not believe how her delicate hands and arms could swing such heavy weapons with so much ease!
Ran Mao's hit might have missed but that did not stop her a bit. She turned and ran towards Bard so fast that the chef felt literally dizzy for a moment. He was bracing himself for the weapon's new hit, but... he was hit in an entirely different way.
"Mr. Manager, I will give you a discount." Ran Mao's cat-like voice came out of her small and delicate mouth, as she was staring at Bard with her big, round eyes and pushing her full breasts on the man; her doll face really close to his.
A collective "Huh?" was heard as everyone kept watching this... weird scene. Even Snake's snakes were left with the mouth hanging open. Selina goggled her eyes and Sebastian arched an eyebrow quite confused. Ran Mao continued squeezing her breasts on Bard, as she let one chui down and pulled Bard's face cover down. The poor man felt so at loss, yet his eyes could not move away from the cute face in front of him... or the soft breasts on him!
"Oh goodness, Ran Mao! You must not do that! That is not what I meant by 'hunt'!" Lau was heard suddenly, as he kept chuckling in a slightly, probably fake, apologetic way. "Oh well... Ran Mao seems to have decided and I could not possibly go against my beloved sister's will. She likes the puppy Earl and his guard-dogs quite a lot. You can relax, you big doggies." He went on, cheerfully as ever, throwing an amused glance at Sebastian and the woman - still in the demon's arms - with her daggers ready. "Now, now! An Earl and his troupe cannot possibly go on in such an unkempt and dusty manner, even if they are fugitives. I invite you to my humble haven for rest and regrouping, if you like."
"Oi, Lau... how can I be certain you will not simply lure us back to Scotland Yard?" Young master said, staring at the man quite hostile and with obvious distrust.
Lau laughed some more. "Oh, you are not, my dear Earl, but... as I see it; you are quite between a rock and a hard place, so..." He left the rest hanging in the air, but the meaning was very well communicated to the boy, who furrowed his eyebrows for a moment and then nodded in agreement.
Young master ordered everyone to stand down and follow Lau. Upon hearing this, Ran Mao removed herself from an almost fainting Bard and hugged the serious boy from behind, by crossing her arms on his chest and pushing his head between her breasts. That was enough for the boy to lose his cool and, despite all the shocks he had experienced a few hours ago, blushed furiously, instantly losing his authoritative air entirely. His servants did not fare any better in front of such a provocative display. The only ones clearly unaffected were butler and tutor... they were quite occupied in their discussion through locked gazes.
"Do you think he is honest? I can't trust him..." Selina's crease between her eyebrows was deep, caution and distrust obvious in her eyes.
"Lau is quite an unreadable human for me... I do not think he is honest, but he is right. We are in a tight spot and our best shot is to follow him. But never put down your guard, be always on alert." His cool mahogany eyes communicated his thoughts to his mate; as an answer she nodded and pushed her daggers in her sleeves, where she could get them at any time.
{~}
"And so... Welcome! To my Shangri-La!" Lau said after quite some time, when they reached his most prominent opium den, after quite some twists and turns through the underground tunnels that led them to the closest entrance. "I caught wind of the information you all were being chased by the Yard, you see. And so I thought, 'Well, this seems like the perfect chance to place the Earl in debt to me!' So, I rushed over to visit." Again he smiled like a devious cat.
"Ugh... This strange smell is making me dizzy... says Oscar." Snake said and truly neither he nor his snakes looked very well.
"Strange? Come now, It is a lovely scent! It lets everyone see sweet dreams and drift into happiness." Lau explained with an inviting look in his half open eyes.
"Dreams, is it..." Sebastian murmured, as his eyes scanned the place.
A huge room, filled with beds where the guests, men of high social rank and prestige, were lying smiling, lost in the illusions the drug and the soft and warm skin of Lau's girls serving them created. They were all staring at the empty space, their eyes unable to see the wafting smoke around them.
"It gifts them a temporary, fake happiness, that melts away as soon as the effect runs out and leaves them more miserable than ever, with a blur mind, unwilling and incapable to face real life." Selina said with a very serious look on her face, her eyes gleamed a little with accusation towards the Chinese man, who simply smirked.
While talking, she had produced a clean handkerchief, wetted it with a diaphanous liquid she got from her kit and gave it to her master to hold in front of his nose. The boy, unaccustomed to such scents, was already feeling dizzy by breathing in the drug's vapours and his tutor's intervention was more than welcome.
For a moment, the demon contemplated what his mate said about opium and drugs in general. He had tasted all kinds of drugs throughout his life... but was never affected; therefore, he did not know how drug users and addicts could possibly feel. However, if the effect was similar to how he felt every time he got intimate and... steamy with his mate, then he could understand why humans kept seeking the intoxicating sensation a drug probably gifted them. Then again... Selina said their happiness was fake and left them more miserable once it was over, but... making love to her always left him happier, even after the end of their passionate moments...
A sudden wave of doll-faced women, similar to Ran Mao, swarmed around him as Lau had ordered his girls to take his guests for a bath and dress them in clean clothes. Bard's face was on fire as soon as they told him to follow them and Ran Mao started pulling his clothes, her monotonous voice softly ordering him to take them off; Mey-Rin's eyes were throwing daggers at the chef, as she yelled at him to "stop thinking impure thoughts".
Finny was quite embarrassed with the soft touch of the women and Snake's scaly cheeks had been painted with pink colour, as his snakes seemed to have suddenly swallowed their tongues. Selina thanked them with a smile, but insisted she could take care of herself quite easily, Sebastian tried to explain he was absolutely fine as he was, but then looked at his master, who ordered everyone to stop squirming and let the girls do their job... of course, his red cheeks showed how uncomfortable he also felt. However, they had no other choice but to obey and everyone followed them deeper in the opium den.
Selina could only try to not burst out laughing at imagining what was going on next door, in the men's bathroom. The occasional giggles, sounds of admiration or embarrassment and a couple of comments about "lean muscles" were enough hints. But the situation in the women's bathroom was not better.
Mey-Rin was so shy and embarrassed at showing her naked body to anyone, that made the girls' job extremely difficult. Thankfully, they seemed to be quite trained on handling difficult customers, therefore, in the end they managed to wash Mey-Rin and dress her in a deep scarlet with pink patterns cheongsam; a traditional Chinese tight female garment with some... slight changes. It was closed up to her throat and the sleeves reached her mid-forearm, but it was far shorter than it should, with a side slit on the skirt exposing her legs for everyone to see. The poor maid looked ready to faint!
Selina's dress was of the same kind, pale blue with gold seam lines, black and red patterns, and just like in the girls' dresses, a diamond shaped cut at the level of her chest, revealing her cleavage quite generously; a short black jacket covering her tattooed forearms and a pair of black mid-thigh stockings completed the set.
Both women's hair were styled quite elaborately with beautiful hair ornaments to keep them in place in their tight or messy buns with locks purposely escaping and hugging their faces. Once ready, they exited the bathroom and Mey-Rin never stopped pulling her skirt trying to cover more of her legs.
"Mey, it won't get longer by pulling, you know..." The blond witch could not resist but tease her friend. "Actually, I can't understand why you want it longer, it's quite nice and... sexy!" She winked at her and Mey-Rin's face exploded in red.
"Selina! It is not appropriate to show your skin in public, it is not! Do you not feel embarrassed and exposed?" Her shaky voice sounded at the verge of tears.
Selina shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "No, I have worn more revealing dresses; at least this seems quite comfortable even though it's tight." Mey-Rin almost fainted at her friend's admission of having exposed her body like that again.
"Hoh! That would be quite an interesting sight, I must say; one that I would not mind to see in a... private demonstration." A familiar velvety voice said right behind Selina, causing Mey-Rin a new wave of blushing and pulling of her skirt.
Selina turned to respond to Sebastian and... her breath was caught in her throat as her eyes opened wide! He was wearing a traditional hanfu garment, closing at the side of his chest and a side slit below the waist, revealing a puffy silk trouser underneath. It was in a deep maroon colour matching his eyes, with light copper coloured seams, buttons, trousers and an intricate pattern on the hanfu's chest that reminded Selina of a Chinese dragon. Black, leather cloves covered his hands and his raven hair were slicked back but maintaining a tousled and dishevelled style by allowing stray locks fall on his face as if the wind had messed with them.
Selina felt the need to swallow seeing how different but still very handsome he looked in these strange clothes; the hanfu was long and tight on the body, emphasising the fact that the demon was quite tall with lean body and broad chest. His usual smirk showed how much he enjoyed his mate's astonishment and his delicate eyebrows arched with similar amazement, as his eyes scanned her body in the new outfit that accentuated her curves properly.
"Hmm... not bad at all, I must admit! Although, I would not mind being the only one to have seen this luscious skin and body." He finished leaning closer to Selina's ear, making the woman blush at the meaning and the obvious tease of his words and voice.
She attempted to answer, but the bathroom's door opened again and the rest of the group came out. Just like with Mey-Rin's, Selina's and Sebastian's outfits sharing one or more colours of their natural complexions, the same went for the different types of hanfus Snake, Bard, Finny and young master wore, mostly matching their hair. Snake's was in various shades of grey just like his almost white hair, Bard's was brown with yellow buttons and under-shirt and Finny's a wheat-gold colour similar to his so blond hair. Young master's was a grey-blue one, similar to how his eye colour was sometimes mirrored on his dark hair; a wide decorative band completed the outfit as one side of the garment overlapped the other and fastened at the side of the neck.
Once they gathered all together, Lau's girls guided them in front of their patron who seemed extremely pleased at how everyone looked in their new outfits. At that moment, the door cracked open and Ran Mao announced the food was ready and everyone was directed to the dining room, where a table loaded with plates of Chinese delicacies of the highest quality awaited them. Finny and Snake could not hold back their excitement at how delicious everything looked and Selina was happy to taste again some of her favourite exotic recipes.
"Master Lau, I sincerely thank you for your hospitality in our time of need." Sebastian said in his usual humble way and slightly bowed his head.
"Oh goodness, no need for such emotion, Mr. Butler. After all, this is not for free. I am simply giving you a loan. I have just saved the Earl from the greatest predicament he has ever been in. And I plan on collecting the value of this loan with plenty of interest, in due time. So please, do not hold back. Take as much as you need." Lau said encouraging them to dig in the food freely. "By the way, what exactly did you do to get into this mess anyway?" He finished in his usual carefree manner, that managed to almost throw even Sebastian out of balance and Selina lose hold of the shrimp she had picked up with her chopsticks... Seriously, that man!
For the next hour, they ate and talked about everything that happened and then try and think of how they would act in the future; was it wise to stay in England, or escape to another country for the time, and if they did, which destination was the best option?
Young master had not eaten a bite; he was just sitting there on his chair, his head lowered, face expressionless and his eye staring at the vacant space. He kept ignoring Ran Mao's efforts to literally spoon-feed him; Sebastian and Selina did not miss their master's apathetic stance, so unusual for him, and could not help but be a little worried. However, the demon did not expect the strange outburst that followed; the witch from the future, on the other hand, was more saddened than surprised. Lau's suggestion of "throwing it all away and running" as an option, was the trigger.
A sudden clatter was heard as the boy suddenly stood up upturning his chair, glass and plate. For a moment, he stood there, frozen with head lowered and face hidden behind dark locks. And then, started grabbing any food he could get his hands on, stuffing his mouth, chomping and swallowing like he was ravenous, not stopping and not caring how savage he looked at the moment or how much he scared his servants around him. Sebastian arched an eyebrow quite confused, while Selina simply closed her eyes to the sight and sighed; the others did not know if they should do something to help the young Earl, who at the moment looked nothing like an Earl.
"Argh! Enough!" Ciel said suddenly, banging an emptied soup bowl on the table. "Damn it, who does he think he is? He just waltzes in after all this bloody time and says, "Oh! I am Ciel Phantomhive!" To hell with that! I am the one who was given the title and decorations by the Queen! I am the one who reclaimed the land and property! I am the one who had to do this bothersome job as an Earl! And I am the one who is been working as the Watchdog! No one even suspected me as fake! For three whole years! But once the real one turned up, they all just turn on me like the flip of a coin?!" He kept screaming and banging his fists on the table with such strength and passion, almost no one had witnessed before, and perhaps never thought the so serious and collected boy could exhibit. He stopped and huffed and puffed for a while. "It is true, I am not Ciel. However... The name, "Earl Ciel Phantomhive," belongs to me!" He finished with his fist hitting his narrow chest to emphasise his words and a wild, almost animalistic, look in his eyes and face, smeared by food.
Sebastian kept staring at the boy with eyes wide open; Selina turned to look at him and was astounded at the expression on his face... that of utter surprise, like something new was revealed to him, and perhaps of a little admiration towards the so fragile boy. Selina could not be certain if he was for real or this was part of his act, but she suspected that the boy... had just ruined the demon's plans... and no matter how much she loved him, she could not help but feel a small satisfaction; as well as her admiration and respect for the boy growing, along with her worry at the prospect of a new deep crack on the wall of his sanity.
"Wonderful, bravo!" Lau was heard, clapping. "Now this is the Earl we know and love! And the one I want to partner up with, of course. Looks like there is no need for me to prepare a ship for escape."
"Do not take me for a coward! I will stand and fight, and face this ghost of a brother head-on!" The young Earl announced wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he slowly collected himself. "The land, manor and title... I will take back everything that belongs to Earl Ciel Phantomhive!"
"Yes, my lord!" Sebastian was heard, back in his usual self, as he got up from his chair and approached his master. "Well, now that we have established our main objectives, may I have a word with you, young master? Those were very poor manners, young master." He said as he leaned, almost sticking his face to that of the boy's, grabbing his cheeks and wiping away any lingering food or sauce. His usually fake closed-eyed smile, obviously held quite some irritation now.
The trio shuddered a little, since they knew this look quite well and Selina only sighed and shook her head, while her eyes were clearly telling him to "cut the boy some slack". They would surely need to discuss later.
{~}
Selina was lying on the bed in one of the private rooms Lau had given the group for the moment, but sleep could not come to her; the continuous shocks and surprises of the last two days had overwrought her quite a lot.
The door opened silently and the demon entered stepping lightly, like a cat, as he approached the bed and slowly lied while leaning over her. His lips gently kissed the skin of her arm peeking out of the cheongsam's short sleeve and the sheet covering her body. The woman turned and looked at him; she almost gasped at how soft his demonic eyes looked at the moment, caring only for her.
"You need to sleep and rest, you know. The following days, weeks, maybe even months will be the most tiring." His voice caressed her.
"I know, but I couldn't sleep... How is master?"
Sebastian smirked. "Pretending to sleep, just to get rid of me..."
"Well, it's only reasonable, if you continued giving him an earful about his manners during dinner!"
"That goes without saying! He cannot claim being an Earl while continuing acting like a spoilt brat-"
"Yes, but don't forget he is a spoilt brat and above all, a really hurt child." Selina interrupted him, wanting to explain and make him understand, but the look in his face showed he either could not or did not care to try; but his mate was determined to make him do so... In any case, that was her role, helping him understand humans.
"And so?" He asked quite apathetically.
Selina turned on her back to face him better, as he also made himself comfortable and leaned his head on his upturned palm. "Look... Our master has been through a lot these past two days. A wound he thought relatively closed, opened once again and it's bleeding... a lot. It is hard to accept you won't be seeing your sibling again, the constant companion in your life, the person you know from the moment you remember yourself and that sometimes you may trust more than your own mother, the most precious person in a human's life. Young master managed to accept that prospect and acted as if he never had a sibling... Perhaps that helped him somehow, I am not the one to judge him on that. But now, his brother appears again, in an obviously not alive-and-well condition, and as if that was not enough, he exhibits quite a strong hostility towards his "precious" twin brother! He strips our master of everything he has created and gained through hard work, accuses him of so many crimes and... and-"
She clenched a fist, as her face had turned red and her eyes sparkled with anger. She could not even imagine how it would feel if she would ever be betrayed by Deanna or Miranda, but it was certain she would be extremely angry, furious! The demon's smiling lips on hers cut her off and forced her to relax, as she soon started melting under his kiss.
"I may not be able to feel all these you describe, but I can understand how our master feels... His confusion, pain and desperation the moment he saw the real Ciel were of the highest quality, as well as his wrath, but still... that is not an excuse for his behaviour." He insisted.
"Hmm..." The woman got into thinking for a while; perhaps an example would help her communicate what she meant. "Okay... think of your most precious thing and how you would feel if someone took it away. Think how you would feel and act if another demon appeared out of nowhere and stole away young master, after all the hardships and pains you have gone through to "cultivate" him, as you say."
"He would be dead on spot, before taking a step further." His face was quite dark and threatening; just the thought of someone else enjoying the soul he has been preparing for three years made him mad with anger.
"Yes, yes, of course, but what if for some reason or another you could not get your hands on him immediately, wouldn't you feel the need to... ventilate your wrath so that you would be able to think clearer afterwards? That's what our master did tonight and, trust me, when we humans are in such a state, we don't really give a shit about how the others see us or what they think. I have no idea what the psychologists of my time would say about such a behavior, but to be honest, I feel relieved he reacted like that... He got it out of his system and that will help him calm down and maintain his sanity, perhaps." She finished and her eyes mirrored how concerned she was about the last part; she knew the most precious thing her master had was his beautiful, great mind, and losing that would be the finishing blow for him.
"So... you are telling me I should not reprimand but congratulate him, like Lau did?" Sebastian asked with arched brow.
"Not exactly, just do it privately and not too harshly, give him a break. He is a child, very mature but still a child, and currently quite sensitive... so, let's not pressure him more." She said and gifted him with a bright smile she had come to know the demon could not really resist.
The demon groaned, proving her right, and leaned down to meet her smile, as his arms scooped her up in a tight embrace; they kept making out for some time until Selina was seriously running out of oxygen. "I will keep in mind what you said for the next time he acts so insanely childishly. Although, I hope he will not make a habit of it, it would be too bothersome and not fun at all... But, I need you to promise me something." The witch looked at him curiously. "Stop underestimating yourself and your worth to me."
"Excuse me?" Her eyes opened wide.
"Well... you immediately assumed young master is the most precious 'thing' I have. Yes, he is too precious to lose and all that, but lately, someone else has been competing with him for that place, for an entirely different reason." He smirked, seeing surprise and even disbelief in her blue eyes. "Do you know what I did the night I saw you crying over... that human? I ran away from the town-house, to the nearest forest and... destroyed most of it. I was so furious at you and mostly him for hurting you like that, for even existing... I wanted to tear him apart into pieces, taste his blood..." He chuckled. "I guess the animals sensed my wrath and left the vicinity, otherwise, we would read in the newspaper about a wild animal butchering everything in its path and all the melodramatic stuff they like to write."
"Oh!... Then, you can get an idea why our master reacted like that, right?" Selina's question was followed by the popping sound of a button coming undone. Her fingers had been playing for some time now with one of Sebastian's hanfu's buttons and now they managed to unbutton it.
"Hmm... maybe. Although, I thought humans are more valuable than titles, lands and everything material... Is that not what makes them better than demons? Reacting like that for losing material things is petty, is it not?" His expression was full of irony; Selina found he was actually right, but she did not have a good answer, therefore, she just lifted her head and started kissing him as Sebastian tore the sheet off her body.
Not long after, their bodies were intertwined in a fiery embrace, the rustle of clothes and heavy breathing breaking the night silence of the room. The diamond shaped cut on Selina's dress seemed to excite the demon very much as his lips visited the exposed skin often, his hands were busy pushing up the short clothe and down the black stockings. After pushing them enough to reveal the woman's thighs to a satisfactorily level, he bit the finger of his right leather glove and pulled it off. The absolutely devilish look of his eyes and smirk, proved how much he enjoyed seeing Selina's cheeks and eyes getting hotter following the movement, not missing a second, as always. Needless to say, Selina was not idle either. She had gotten so aroused by unbuttoning the hanfu entirely and seeing bare skin underneath; her hands never stopped travelling and caressing his smooth torso, making him moan, hum full of pleasure and then groan when she started feasting on the skin of his shoulder and wrapped her legs around his.
Right when the couple's temperature was rising along their desire, a child's cry for Sebastian violently broke the spell. The demon froze over the woman's body for a moment, before growling from deep within his throat quite dangerously.
"Damn this child! I swear, it will be such a relief when I will finally take his soul!" He said through clenched, sharp teeth, his eyes burning a hole to the wall the room shared with the next one, where the child master lied.
"Yes, yes, but it's not his time yet, don't forget that." Selina said, lightly patting his chest with her palm to calm him down. "Now, pull yourself together and let's go... he sounds in great need!" She finished with evident concern in her voice as the boy called again, both of his servants this time.
In a flash, he had gotten up, helping Selina with one hand and grabbing his glove with the other. "In case the others come too." He said throwing Selina's jacket over her shoulders and running to the door with no further delay. Selina followed, wearing her jacket properly, covering her tattooed forearms, and momentarily felt impressed by the demon's protective attitude. It would take some time to get used to it.
And he was right to be so careful, because the other servants and Lau – obviously spending the night in the den, hopefully a habit of his and not a special occurrence aiming to always watch over them – had been roused by young master's cries and were heading to his room with worry in their eyes. Thankfully, Sebastian and Selina entered first and saw their master kneeling on the mattress, his body leaning over the edge as his hands clutched his stomach and struggling to stop a thick yellowy liquid coming out of his mouth; his eyes opened wide with no eye patch, the Faustian seal visible to everyone.
"Young master, asthma attack?" Sebastian asked a little confused. He had expected for something like that to happen when his master's brother was revealed, right when he was more stressed, not now.
"No, no. Get a bucket or bowl... anything!" Selina said as she ran to the boy's side. She sat at his left but placed her right hand in a way that her palm covered the sealed eye. What the others saw was Selina holding their master's hair out of the way as he was vomiting in a washing basin Sebastian brought.
Ciel could not hold it in anymore and as soon as the basin entered his range, simply let everything go. The disgustingly sour smell of vomit filled the room, making Wilde almost faint on Snake's shoulders. Big, pieces of food that had been simply swallowed, without being chewed, came out and the boy instantly felt lighter, as he started gasping for air.
Finny turned pale at the sight. "What is the matter with young master? Is he seriously ill?" He asked with a shaky voice.
"Just indigestion from the food he did not eat properly. He will be fine." Mey-Rin said and her voice showed she had a deep, first-hand experience with indigestion. Who knows what kind of food the mafia group she grew up in gave her...
Finny nodded relieved. "I will get master some water!" He announced happy to be able to do something for him.
"No! Water will upset his stomach again... Right now, he needs black tea with no flavor or anything, just a few drops of lemon." Selina instructed and Mey-Rin and Finny immediately left to make it so, not giving Lau the chance to pass the order to a couple of girls that were passing by at the moment.
"No lemon!" Young master tried to say, as he was still struggling to collect himself.
One hand clutching for support Selina's knee and the other Sebastian's sleeve, as the demon had kneeled in front of the boy; one hand holding a clean basin Bard brought from his room, and the other soothingly patting the boy on the back.
"Hush, young master! You will follow Selina's directions to get well as soon as possible. This is your punishment for acting so... unlordly-like at dinner." The demon said and satisfaction was visible in the malevolent look he gave the boy.
"Shut up, bastard!" The boy said, glaring at the smugly smirking demon, while Selina was trying to wipe the vomit from his mouth.
"Ha ha ha! Our little lord is perfectly alright, since he is in the mood to shower Mr. Butler with such loving compliments!" Lau said smiling, looking sneakier than usual. "Well then, my lord, you will permit me to go and continue my sleep as I currently cannot assist you in any way, correct?" Ciel nodded and the Chinese man excused himself.
Ran Mao followed him, after approaching the exhausted, pale boy, and lightly petting his head. "Get well." She said simply and left.
"You too, go to sleep. Selina and I will stay by master's side if he needs anything else." Sebastian ordered the others, once the tea arrived.
"Okay, call us immediately if need arises." Bard said and ushered the others out of the room, as soon as everyone wished the boy to get some rest and get well soon. They looked so worried.
The door closed leaving the three of them alone. Ciel was trying to put a brave face on in order to drink the so sour drink that was far from his liking... but Selina's strict eyes left no room for complains.
He sipped a little tea for a while in complete silence; indeed, he already felt better. Sebastian had cleaned a little vomit from the floor and went to one of the establishment's bathrooms to wash everything and bring them back in case they were needed again. The boy was alone with the woman when he turned his eyes to her; he looked a little doubtful... maybe even confused.
"Sebastian is bound to me and... in a way, you are too, so... it is expected of you two to stay by my side despite everything. Either way, you both knew the truth from the start. But... what about the others? I mean... my brother could also hire them and perhaps pay them more; he too could use a superhuman, an assassin and a warrior, but they chose to stay with me only because I was the one that hired them?" He tried to look indifferent, but in reality was quite curious.
Selina stared at him surprised and with some disbelief. "Wait... do you seriously ask me that? I... I thought you knew but just tried to remain unaffected and focused, as you usually do." The boy's eyes opened wide, obviously waiting a straight answer. "Okay. Well... Finny, Mey-Rin and Bard feel greatly grateful towards you and Sebastian and I dare say, as strange as it sounds... they love you both as friends and as family. They might be ready to follow every order of yours and Sebastian's because you are their master and superior respectively, but... they would do it either way, because they think of you two as family!"
The boy had been left speechless, his sickly pale cheeks turned to rosy red; then, a scowl appeared on his face as he assumed an irritated expression. "Because I am a child?" He asked and pursed his lips.
"Well, to be honest, that surely plays some part too, but primarily, they feel endlessly grateful to you, as I said before. Young master, you and Sebastian pulled them out of the dark stalemate their existence was and gifted them freedom and real life. Also, you improved them! You taught them how to read and write! You have no idea how much they appreciate that." Her eyes sparkled with admiration for the boy... and his demon for showing such patience and insistence in teaching them everything no one else bothered.
The young aristocrat's cheeks were burning red from embarrassment, because... truth is, he never considered that important taking Finny, Mey-Rin and Bard under his wing. Yes, he shared Sebastian's opinion on needing to hire more people in the manor, even just for appearances' sake, but the demon was the one who chose them and then simply persuaded, or manipulated, his master to hire them. As for the reading and writing thing... Ciel would never accept to come in everyday contact with illiterate animals. His pride for his position and status were mirrored in his eyes under furrowed brows and tight lips.
"And what about Snake? I have killed his family and lied to him..." His expression had not changed and he kept staring at the empty space, but Selina was suspecting the forms of the circus troupe appeared before him again, reminding him of the... 'justice' he exercised on them.
She smiled stroking his soft hair and red cheek; strangely enough he did not try to avoid the touch. "Snake is difficult to read sometimes, but I think, deep inside he knows the truth, and chooses to remain by your side because he realizes that... perhaps you were left with no other choice than act how you did. Plus, you gave him a new family too, even if that was not your intention." She winked at him.
The boy swallowed, thinking that he just wanted to closely watch the peculiar man, rather than always be on the lookout for his snakes and revenge. And he has proven quite useful as member of this strange fam- team, he meant. "Anyway, I do not need anyone to love me... ridiculous sentimentalisms. I just need them to obey me and remain faithful until the end." He said back in his usual cold and totally collected self.
Selina also got more serious, suddenly noticing the demon back in the room, staring at them with an unreadable expression; she knew how much he did not like her having emotional and heartfelt discussions with his master, discussions that perhaps could waver the boy's will and decisions.
"As you wish, my lord. You can rest easy on that aspect; you will have them by your side no matter what. They trust you and Sebastian blindly, never doubt them!" The woman took the empty tea cup from his hands and then helped him get back in bed.
Young master ordered both butler and tutor to stay in the room until he got back to sleep. The butler reassured him they would do so either way, and let one basin on a small table close to bed. The exhausted boy was soon sleeping deeply, even though his sleep did not seem really peaceful.
Selina yawned, leaning on the wall; she really could not understand why a simple chair was a rare occurrence in this establishment, since there were all kinds of other seats, armchairs, couches... even chaise lounges, but not simple chairs, comfortable enough to sit instead of standing all night and uncomfortable enough to prevent sleep come over her. Sebastian saw her scowling face and with one of his charming smiles approached, wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her to the chaise longue at the opposite side of the room. He lied on it and pulled Selina to lie on top of him, wrapping his legs around hers to keep her warm. He kissed her to shut her mouth that continued complaining she should not fall sleep, in case young master felt sick again.
"I will wake you up if he needs anything, but you also need to sleep and rest, that is why... simply shut it, my dearest!" He smiled at her and she just could not deny him.
"Oh, young master was the one asking me why the others followed him, and I could not lie to him... I had no intention of affecting your contract in any way. Just to be clear about it." She said looking straight in the demon's eyes with her big, honest ones.
He smiled as his fingers caressed her cheek under her eye. "I know that, do not be alarmed, my beauty. Our master has, either way, decided to shield himself from such emotions, so I do not think that the knowledge of having the love of others will affect him greatly." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, I find it quite a ridiculous notion for servants to love their master... or me." He obviously did not believe or care about having these stupid humans truly appreciate and maybe even love him.
"Hmm... as I believe I have already told you, humans' love is unpredictable, regarding the type, direction and intensity, and quite unstoppable once it begins growing... Now, if you still find all these ridiculous, then... you find my love for you equally ridiculous, right?" The woman said with a quite ironic tone in voice and teasing look in her eyes.
The man's expression instantly sobered up as he pulled her closer; their faces only inches away. "Your feelings and emotions, your love, are the only ones I value as you are the most precious human I have ever met... as I believe I have already told you, my so beautiful and cute mate!" He said absolutely seriously and closed the distance to kiss her honeyed lips he so adored to taste.
The woman smiled under his lips and soon melted in his arms. They kept kissing for some time but, thankfully, she found the strength and determination to stop him when Sebastian's hands got naughtier and his eyes sparkled with desire and evident intention of continuing what their master's short sickness stopped. But Selina had none of that!
She was far from comfortable to make love in the presence of a child, even if young master was sleeping, but most importantly, she would not allow for them to wake up their master and endanger his purity and innocence by submitting him to view such an intimate display. Considering the nature of the tortures he experienced in the cultists' hands and the fact that his own adult nature was still in slumber, it would be so cruel of them, perhaps even endangering his already fragile sanity. That last argument was what Sebastian needed to rein in his so strong lust for his wife and finally settling with simply having Selina's body pressed on his, as his rapid from desire, slowly turning to steady, heartbeat seemed to lull her to a deep, restful sleep until the morning.
Ran Mao on Bard: Now that was quite a surprise... but then again, maybe not. When this scene popped up in the manga, I thought "Wait, is there a chance she is really interested in Bard?" but then thought again... Ran Mao is not an idiot, she knows how to use her feminine weapons perfectly; she must have realised that Sebastian would never care for her charms, so the next clearly adult male target is Bard and he is obviously more easily affected by the female body... So, well played, Ran Mao, well played! 😉
Everyone's Chinese clothes: Aside from Selina's, that are entirely my idea in terms of colors, everyone else's are based on the gorgeous manga coloration Namisiaa has done! Look it up in Google, it's so so beautiful! Sebastian's style is... 💘
Ciel's stomach sickness: My mind is so shallow sometimes, that when I was first reading his big (and quite disgusting) scene in the manga, all I could think was "There is no way his stomach won't act up after all this food he simply swallowed!" And thus, my original scene with Ciel vomiting and all that was born and added. However, I am proud that I managed to turn it into something more than Ciel just vomiting.
I believe that after his brother's return, OCiel needs some confirmation that there are people who would choose him, regardless of his name, without always having to gain something, like in Sebastian's case. He might be pretending to be tough, not in need of being loved etc, but... Who would actually believe that? So, I thought that this moment, where he is both mentally and physically vulnereable, is perfect for him to seek this confirmation and for Selina to give it. What do you guys think? How did you find this scene?
Also, you may have noticed that since RCiel appeared, I try to avoid calling OCiel just "Ciel", more when the twins are in the same scene, but also when it's only OCiel. I try to do with words what Toboso does with pictures, she keeps OCiel's real name hidden and images can help her tons, while I have to devise various ways to describe OCiel in words and in a way that makes sense. I do apologise if it gets a little confusing. However, in the food scene, I clearly call him Ciel because I feel that this moment is where he fully decides to become "Ciel Phantomhive" no matter what. In a way, he erases himself, his true self, and I wanted that to be communicated. Hope it worked! 😊
Thank you all! Till next time! Bye!