xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tent House, 7:14 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The following morning from when Bernard collapsed from exhaustion onto Camilla and came home with suspiciously more company than normal, the S-class head of security for Psycho Circus was seated at her kitchen table with her arms folded, dressed in a light blue shirt underneath a white button-up with a light blue denim miniskirt and a black jacket. In front of her on the table was a small feline-like creature of the same Exceed race as one of Bernard's other pets with purple fur, dressed in the same fashion as the cat-like maid she met from the previous night.
"So, your name is Eieulus." Camilla said towards the Exceed.
"Correct." Eieulus said, confirming her name.
"And you were "hired" by Bernard's father, Master Barnum." Camilla continued.
"Also correct." Eieulus said with a nod.
"...And this is what you actually look like?" Camilla said with a raised eyebrow.
"Once again, correct." Eieulus said with a plain voice as Camilla looked over at the bed in the room.
Laying on his chest was Bernard with his face in the pillow, still sporting the same clothing from yesterday that was torn all over with his arms and legs appearing limp as Vulp laid across his back to comfort him. Perched on the bedframe was Corvus, looking at his magical benefactor before glancing at Camilla and Eieulus.
"Well... I guess I should take solace in the fact that human form of hers isn't her actual body..." Camilla thought with minor frustration.
Following some of the questions, Eieulus proceeded to hop off the table and land on her feet before a magic circle appeared below her. In a puff of smoke, Eieulus' body changed from her Exceed form into her humanoid cat woman form as Camilla's eye twitched at the sight of her alluring appearance.
"Doesn't mean I feel okay with a grown woman this pretty being a maid for my boyfriend!" Camilla thought in annoyance and envy.
"May I begin prepping yours and the young master's meal?" Eieulus asked as Camilla's eyebrow raised in confusion.
'"Our meal?"' Camilla replied. "Also... "Young master?"' She said while looking over towards Bernard with half-closed eyes as Bernard shifted his head to the side, revealing his face.
"Don't bother asking her to change it..." Bernard commented. "I already tried to tell her not to call me that and it didn't go so well..." He said with a tired sounding voice.
"Pfffft." Corvus muttered with a chuckle.
"What does that mean?" Camilla questioned as Eieulus looked at Bernard with half-closed eyes as well.
"Contractually speaking and on professional principles, I refuse to refer to you by your name. It's unbecoming." Eieulus remarked in Bernard's direction with a harsh tone.
"In what way is referring to him by name "unbecoming?"' Camilla thought, growing confused by Eieulus' personality.
"Says the "kitty lady" who is supposed to be working for me from now on?!" Bernard shouted from the bed in annoyance.
"Correct, now hush and continue to rest. A young man whose nickname includes the word "prince" in it with a bevy of servants shouldn't be screaming like a madman first thing in the morning as he suffers from exhaustion." Eieulus said with a critical tone towards Bernard.
"...Whoa..." Camilla thought, taken aback by her tough-as-nails tone of voice towards the person she previously referred to as her master.
"Guh!" Bernard grunted in a pitiful voice as he awkwardly placed his face back into the pillow. "Damn maid..." He thought in frustration.
"In a similar matter..." Eieulus said as she shifted her head towards Camilla. "While inside this home, I have also been instructed to follow your commands while under this very roof. But only in this house." She said towards Camilla as she grabbed the sides of her long dress skirt and proceeded to briefly curtsy in front of Camilla.
"...Huh?" Camilla muttered.
"As such, I will also only be referring to you as "milady" or "madam" out of similar respect." Eieulus commented as she let go of the sides of her dress.
"...She is taking this way too seriously..." Camilla thought as she was struggling to process what was going on. "If I may ask... How'd you two meet?" She questioned as Eieulus looked at her.
"She attacked me..." Bernard said with his face in the pillow as Camilla made a bewildered expression.
"Under orders from Master Barnum, I was to "test" the young master's reflexes for a job I am to accompany him on." Eieulus said as Camilla looked at her. "I was told to make sure all of my strikes were a few inches off to prevent any sort of injury to his body." She continued as Bernard shifted his head off the pillow again.
"You also stole my hat at one point!" Bernard complained.
"Out of a desire to sew a tear that you had in it before you foolishly requested that I return it to you. I'm not serving a vagrant who walks around in tatters. Show some self-respect." Eieulus said with a harsh tone once again at Bernard.
"Grrrrr!" Bernard grumbled in anger.
"As I said before, Master Barnum of Psycho Circus hired me for the role of maid for the O'Halloran Family. I gave him terms and he more than met them before I agreed to the job." Eieulus said towards Camilla.
"Did the job include the outfit and the Transformation Magic into an attractive woman?" Camilla asked out of curiosity.
"I've taken this human form before actually." Eieulus replied. "I come from the Exceed Village, also known as "Extalia" within its borders, the current residence of the majority of the Exceed race. Monetarily speaking, in an effort to aid our towns growth, a lot of us have taken to adopting these human-like forms for work purposes." She continued.
"A village of nothing but Exceeds..." Camilla commented. "Wonder if that sweaty tiger of his came from there." She thought while glancing at her resting boyfriend on the nearby bed.
"Originally, I worked as a knights captain in the Imperial Guard of Extalia, under Queen Shagotte before the rest of my kind wound up in Fiore. I'm versed in a variety of different beneficial fields." Eieulus explained. "This human form serves it purpose in assisting me with carrying out my various tasks." She said while raising her left arm and examining the length of it.
"I see..." Camilla said in response. "So, what does this "maid job" entail for you? What are you getting out of it?" She asked.
"Master Barnum has offered a considerable lump sum of money to be sent back home to the Exceed Village to help with its development for my fellow Exceeds. In exchange, I am to serve the O'Halloran Family for, as of right now, approximately twenty-three years, ninety-five days, twelve hours and seventeen minutes." Eieulus said as Camilla's eyes widened.
"That's a long time!" Camilla exclaimed. "I'll be in my forties by the time her contract comes up for renewal!" She thought.
"My most recent order under Master Barnum was to prioritize servitude to the young master." Eieulus continued.
"Why are you referring to the bowling pin by name and not the kid?" Corvus asked, finally speaking up.
"I refer to the ones I am currently in service of by appropriate title. Until Master Barnum wishes for me to serve him, I will use his name. Hence, I will only be referring to the young master as "young master" until ordered otherwise." Eieulus said with a plain voice as Bernard shifted his head.
"...Eieulus, go see my father and serve him for an unknown period." Bernard said with a bothered look in his eyes.
"No." Eieulus bluntly replied.
'"So quick to answer..."' Camilla and Corvus thought in unison.
"Why not?!" Bernard shouted as he got on his hands and knees on the bed, prompting Vulp to get off of him.
"Because I have yet to actually do any work for you as promised by your father, who of which, has ordained that I serve you specifically for the majority of my contracted time." Eieulus explained. "As such, I would also like to begin prepping your morning meal, would you prefer eggs or oatmeal?" She asked towards Bernard.
"I'm not hungry..." Bernard said with a disgruntled tone. "It's also awkward as hell that I have a maid now!" He thought, unsure of how to feel about Eieulus' role as his maid.
"Any master worth their salt when they wake up in the morning would enjoy a meal. Do not express negative emotions just for the sake of it, it's unbecoming of someone of your status." Eieulus said as she started walking towards the kitchen, giving another verbal jab in Bernard's direction.
"Crazy god damn feline..." Bernard thought while shaking in frustration.
"...I'll take two eggs up." Camilla commented as Eieulus nodded in response to the request.
"...Someone's adapted to the idea..." Corvus said towards Camilla as she shrugged.
"Well, I can't say I wouldn't mind a bit of actual help in the home..." Camilla said with a wry smile.
"Hey, I help with the laundry!" Corvus replied as Bernard and Vulp glanced at him with skepticism.
"...Oh, you mean the number of times you have tried to steal my underwear?" Camilla said as she got up and walked over to the crow Celestial Spirit with a bothered look on her face.
"...Uh, well... "Steal" isn't the right term. More like, "refolded" it, hehehe." Corvus muttered nervously as Camilla glared at him.
"Oh, that reminds me, Bernard." Camilla said as she looked at her boyfriend.
"Yes?" Bernard said.
"Can I get a little explanation to the pins in your beanie? Did the master get you more animals alongside her?" Camilla asked while pointing at Eieulus as she was frying eggs in the kitchen. "And what's with that lamp?" She asked as she pointed at the vertical oil lamp that was situated on top of a nearby chair.
"He'll give you his answer after he eats, madam." Eieulus said, catching everyone's attention. "For now, he has to get out of bed, freshen up and eat. And remove those clothes he is wearing; the young master looks like a street urchin in them." She continued, verbally jabbing Bernard yet again.
"Do you have any respect for me at all?!" Bernard exclaimed in response as Vulp stared at him.
'"So sassy..."' Camilla and Corvus thought in unison.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Hemlock, 8:57 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Outside of the tent house in the open space in front of the guild was Bernard, Camilla, Eieulus and the Celestial Spirits as the beanie sporting wizard, dressed in a grey long sleeve shirt with red sleeves and a red hood with green baggy pants, brown sneakers and his Psycho Circus beanie, walked ahead of everyone whilst holding the green lamp.
"So, basically what my father did was use his Carnival Tricks Magic to remove all the pets with me and he basically put me through a weirdo "funhouse" he made." Bernard said as he looked at everyone while Camilla looked at Eieulus. "She was first on the docket of annoyances." He said as he pointed at the human form Exceed maid.
"Dumbass dad..." Corvus muttered as Vulp nodded in agreement.
"He had no help at all?" Camilla asked.
"Indeed." Eieulus stated. "For two minutes, the young master had to dodge my strikes with my weapon. However, as I mentioned, I wasn't attempting to hit him seriously." She explained.
"...You fight with weapons?" Camilla asked with a curious expression on her face.
"Correct." Eieulus said as she turned her head and locked eyes with the S-class head of security.
"...I don't want to say this out loud, but she can cook, clean and fight with melee... I'm actually kinda enjoying her presence." Camilla thought as Bernard looked at the two girls.
"As I was saying..." Bernard said, catching their attention. "After I dodged Eieulus for two minutes, she instructed me into the next room for my next "dodge fest."' He said as he rubbed the lamp.
"Check this out." Corvus commented towards Camilla.
"Hmmm?" Camilla muttered as Bernard continued to rub the lamp.
Suddenly, from the tip of the lamp, a dark green smoke was beginning to emerge from the object as it floated out of Bernards hands. The smoke began to morph and take shape as it started to solidify into what appeared to be a green adult lion with a mint-colored mane and a pair of goggles over its eyes and the lamp hanging from its tail.
"Skraaaaahhh!" The lion roared as Camilla made a face like she was readying herself for something to happen, but Eieulus put her hand in front of her to signify there was nothing to worry about. "I have emerged from the lamp!" It exclaimed in a male voice.
"Uh-huh..." Bernard thought as he approached the green goggled lion that emerged from the smoke.
"I have- where is everybody?" The lion said as it started to move its head left and right while taking a few steps. "Hello? Anyone there?" He said in his confusion.
"Is it blind?" Camilla questioned.
"No, even stupider." Corvus said as Vulp nodded.
"Hey, I just heard a woman speak! There a-" The lion said until Bernard grabbed the middle bridge of the goggles on his head and pulled on them. "Oh, hey there, boy- gah!" He said until Bernard let go, causing to the goggles snap back and strike the lion in the face.
"Huh?" Camilla muttered.
"The smoke fogged up his lens." Eieulus said with a plain tone.
"Uchwaiboshi, you're not going to be much help to me if you can't see." Bernard said with a judgmental tone whilst revealing the lion from the lamps name.
"Ho-hold on!" Uchwaiboshi said as he lifted his front paws and cleaned the goggles on his face. "There! Much better." He said as he finally looked at Bernard and the others with him. "You need me for something?" Uchwaiboshi asked.
"No, I was just showcasing you." Bernard said as he scratched his head.
"Hahaha! Glorious!" Uchwaiboshi said in a boastful tone. "Hello there, beautiful one!" He said with a loud voice towards Camilla.
"Uh, hi?" Camilla said with an exasperated tone and a wave of her head.
"He's a bit of a loudmouth." Corvus whispered.
"I can see that..." Camilla thought.
"I had to hide from this guy in a thick misty room my dad made." Bernard said towards his girlfriend. "Uchwaiboshi has the ability to turn his body into smoke like the lamp he came from." He explained.
"Hahaha! Yes, I had had to pounce on the boy to win but he proved his merit by holding his breath within the time limit!" Uchwaiboshi said loudly.
"The room was filled with perfume..." Bernard said with a twitch in his eyes.
"It was rather hard to breathe." Eieulus commented as she placed one of her hands over her mouth.
"Dad said he found some magic perfumes some guy from the Blue Pegasus guild was promoting in a shop in town. Bought a bunch and multiplied it to make a heavy shroud... And it smelled awful..." Bernard said while rubbing his forehead.
"...Ew..." Camilla said with a wince.
"Hahahaha!" Uchwaiboshi laughed. "Will that be all, boy?" He asked as Bernard reached into his pocket, pulling out a blank Capture Pin.
"Here, this will make it easier for me to call you out." Bernard said plainly as he placed the pin on the head of the green lion before he disappeared into particles with the Capture Pin turning green.
"Surprised he seemed so obedient." Camilla commented as she approached Bernard.
"Whatever my dad found for me were pretty much like that." Bernard replied. "...Mostly..." He thought as he looked at Eieulus.
"Permission to speak freely?" Eieulus asked as she caught the attention of everyone.
"...Yeah?" Bernard said. "Did she spot the look I gave her?" He mentally pondered.
"I have the suspicious feeling that glance you just gave me was some kind of criticism of my loyalty." Eieulus said as Bernard's eyes widened.
"I know she knows Transformation Magic and Requip but does she know Telepathy too?!" Bernard thought nervously as Camilla and the Celestial Spirits looked at him.
"I'd like to remind you that I am contractually obligated to serve you in every way, shape and form. In simplified words, I will do anything for you. So, let it be known that there should be no questioning of such." Eieulus stated while grabbing her dress and doing a curtsy as Bernard blushed, taken aback by her statement.
"..."Anything," huh?" Camilla said with her arms folded and making half-closed eyes at her boyfriend.
"...He-her real form is knee high!" Bernard exclaimed at his girlfriend defensively.
"Though I would prefer it if you acted more appropriately." Eieulus said, catching everyone's attention. "I've been told of your general habits and personality from the master and if I may continue to speak freely... You don't act "respectful" enough to my personal standards." She said bluntly.
'"...Pffft."' Camilla and Corvus muttered as they both put a hand and wing respectfully over their mouths to stifle their laughter as Vulp just looked at Eieulus as she stopped curtsying.
"Hey!" Bernard said as he looked at the people mocking him. "I'm respectable!... Well, I was probably more so when I was still in charge of things..." He thought with a twitch in his eye.
"So-sorry... Hehehe." Camilla said as she wiped a tear from her eye.
"Calm down, kid... Hehe." Corvus said with a chuckle.
"So- hehehe... What else did the master give you?" Camilla said while still holding back her chuckling.
"Oh, screw you! I'm not in the mood to show them!" Bernard said with a childish tone as he turned his head away from everyone.
"Rather unbecoming display." Eieulus commented about Bernard's behavior.
'"Wahahahaha!"' Camilla and Corvus laughed as they clutched at their stomachs.
"Grrrr!" Bernard grumbled at the human form Exceed maid. "Forget Tavio's sweating or Zaphkiel's rampant murdering or even the plushie guys ass-kissing, you're my new least favorite!" He thought with a twitch in his eye.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Psycho Circus Guildhall, 11:01 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A few hours after congregating outside the tent house as Camilla and Harriet worked behind the counter to make drinks, Daphne and Eieulus worked as waitresses delivering beverages to the various members of the guild. Sitting at a table was Bernard with Corvus and Vulp as the Celestial Spirits were atop the table with Bernard as he looked at his beanie with the new pins.
"I see Hoyabembe, Flurry and Tavio's pins." Bernard said as he at tapped the individual pins belonging to the more familiar pets in his collection. "And thankfully I have Zaphkiel's coins, Baurs in her bracelet, the cat plushie men on their keychain and Formosa in my pacemaker back too." He thought while glancing at his other accessories briefly.
"Wouldn't have minded us losing one of those..." Corvus commented as Vulp looked at the crow with a judgmental expression.
"Choose your words better. You might have insulted Flurry and that's not cool." Bernard said with a stern tone of voice.
"You know I was talking about the fake tiger!" Corvus exclaimed.
"Don't shout in my ear and like I said, pick your words better." Bernard said with a headshake as Eieulus passed by behind Bernard.
"Could be more authoritative." Eieulus said within earshot of Bernard as he turned around.
"Oh, shut up, you faker!" Bernard thought with a bothered look in his eyes.
"Wish your old man found more things like her, hehehe." Corvus said with a lecherous tone as he looked directly at Eieulus' chest as she walked away.
"Shut up man..." Bernard said as he put a hand on his face before looking at some of the new pins. "There's Uchwaiboshi." He said as he removed the green pin containing his newly acquired green lion from a lamp.
"That's the foggy goggles, yeah?" Corvus said as Vulp looked at Bernard.
"Had to practically breathe in four bottles worth of perfume to hide from this guy in that room..." Bernard said as Vulp moved his head forward and pointed at a yellow pin with black spots with his nose, prompting Bernard to grab it off his beanie.
"Ah yes, this weirdo giraffe with the square head." Bernard said as he looked at the pin.
"Thing nearly crushed you." Corvus said with a bothered tone.
"Two straight minutes of crawling through loops and popping out of holes while this tall thing tried to "whack-a-mole" me was definitely not my definition of "fun at a funhouse," dad." Bernard thought with a twitch in his eye as the mental image of a yellow giraffe with a cube-like head was trying to slam it into him.
"What's that one?" Corvus asked as he pointed at another pin, this time one that had an image of a lit match on it.
"Taking "controlled burning" to an extreme." Bernard thought as the mental image of a small creature that looked like an anthropomorphic living match with a burning head, tiny black arms and small round white nubs for hands and feet was chasing him around a room, fusing with random objects and setting them on fire. "Thankfully, this little guy is a bit similar to Flurry so it should be manageable." He said towards his Celestial Spirit companions.
"How many things did your pops actually give you here?" Corvus questioned.
"...I was too busy trying to survive to keep track..." Bernard muttered as he hung his head.
"I thought they weren't going to kill you though?" Corvus said.
"I didn't know that at the time..." Bernard said with a look of annoyance in his eyes. "You guys were lucky, probably swimming as particles in a fishbowl or something and not having to be trapped in an overly massive room with a giant flying narwhal above you... Or surrounded by a pile of tin heads repeating your own words at you... Or a big mantis with a prosthetic pickaxe arm that looked like it was ready to eat me..." He continued. "And not trying to vomit from the giant narwhal being a part of the most disgusting food I've ever eaten..." Bernard thought.
"Hopefully this will be enough "backup" for our little six-hour trip at the castle." Corvus said as Vulp reached his head down and licked the back of Bernards hand in a showing of affection.
"Yeah, maybe..." Bernard said as he scratched under Vulp's chin.
"Well, lucky for you, you have more "backup" incoming." Camilla said as she approached behind Bernard, catching his and the Celestial Spirit's attention.
"Huh?" Bernard said in response. '"More?"' He replied.
"I haven't had a chance to join in but some familiar friends of ours went out looking for some pets for you. And your mom is definitely funding a similar expedition of sorts." Camilla said with her hands on her hips. "Hopefully, you'll live long enough to actually become the guild master with this army you'll be getting." She thought with a confident look on her face.
"Oh?" Corvus muttered as Vulp raised an eyebrow.
"Give it a few days." Camilla said with a warm smile.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Psycho Circus Guildhall, 11:02 a.m. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Exactly two days later and only a few days before Bernard and his pets were to go back in time on his assigned mission from the government, the pacemaker needing wizard and the S-class head of security looked at a strange sight before them with bewildered expressions on their faces. In front of them was Pietro, Anatoli, Marlene and Alfana, all sitting face down on one of the guildhalls many tables.
"What the heck is going on?" Bernard thought with confusion.
"Why do they look down and out? And why is Alfana here too?" Camilla thought as she tapped Alfana on the shoulder and Bernard did the same to Anatoli.
"Hey... You guys okay?" Bernard asked out of concern.
'"Do we look "okay?"' Anatoli, Alfana, Marlene and Pietro all said dejectedly in unison.
"Uhh..." Bernard said as he stepped back slightly, surprised by their response.
"Pietro?" Camilla asked as everyone sitting down proceeded to stand up.
"It was a huge bust..." Pietro said with a frustrated tone.
"We... Couldn't get find anything..." Marlene said with a frustrated tone.
"I've not felt this crap since that fight with Bacchus that got me locked up for a night..." Anatoli said while scratching his head.
"No one is reliable anymore!" Alfana screamed out.
""Huh?"' Bernard, Camilla, Anatoli, Marlene and Pietro all thought in unison, confused by what the fortune telling showrunner meant by her statement.
Maids, maids, they're good for your heart. The more you see them, the more you... Uhhhh... I am sorry, I don't know how to finish this song... Okay! We have been introduced to Bernard's newest pet acquisition, the Exceed maid known as Eieulus and her personality that's a bit... Rough around the edges... Shut up, it's an endearing character trait. We also have learned a sad and unfortunate truth that not only has Alfana failed to get Bernard even more pets, but it turns out his friends also fumbled the ball with getting him anything too! Alfana is right, is anyone reliable anymore?! Apparently not if you are from Fiore! In spite of this, Barnum had given Bernard some new pets including a smoke transforming lion with goggles and a giraffe with a cubic cranium who apparently likes to hammer. Will they be enough? Will there be enough time to get Bernard any more help before he heads back in time? Who knows?! Find out next time on Menagerie II!
Author's Note: (How to pronounce Eieulus' name: "A-U-Luss." Also, for pacing reasons, I opted to go for a "tell, don't show" approach to speed things up with some of the other acquisitions Bernard got through Barnum. Reminder too... Pietro, Anatoli, Marlene and Alfana may have failed... But Warwick and the royals are still active.)