#Sebastian in Chinese dress

[nicolesainz]

kiss kiss bang bang (SV5) - part 2 from “Tricks and champions”

Sebastian Vettel x f!reader

Author’s note: Thanks to the lovely comments I received from @maverick-mwah the seb one shot will have a second part. I dearly appreciate the love you showed for this fic!

Warnings: smut, minors dni, 18+, age gap, hints of fluff, major daddy issues, aftercare, taking her virginity, its pure porn!

Summary: After the wild ride you had with Seb, the visits at your house don't stop. Especially when your parents aren't home either. This leads Seb to control you since vulnerability has taken over.

My parents decided to fly away to Spain for the week in order to celebrate their anniversary. It's very sweet that my father still deeply cares about mum after all these years of marriage. That's how all couples should be.

People my age, having an empty house like mine, would definitely use it in order to invite friends and party until very early the next morning. Or get fully wasted with a mix of drinks. Which was my original plan. And yet, I don't really regret how things turned out.

The first night being alone sled by lonely and boring. I ordered some food and had a marathon of The Office, followed by a small concert with all of Taylor Swift's songs. In an empty house, almost in the middle of nowhere in Germany, activities are limited. Or so I thought.

"You need to come to the party. Don't be a buzzkill now." My best friend said over the phone as I was cleaning the mess of a room I have. I usually am up for any available party but I just wasn't in the mood. I would rather drink my feelings away than dress up in uncomfortable heels.

"Sorry bae, not in the mood. Plus, I am feeling a bit unwell. Probably was the Chinese food I had last night." This was a lie, obviously. I was perfectly fine, plainly bored.

"Do you want me to come over? Do you need any help girl?" There's an apparent worry in her voice, which I am trying to dodge very quickly.

"Thank you lovely but I will be alright. Go have fun and text me if anything occurs." I reassure her genuinely touched with her worry.

"I will but if you need me for anything I will rush to you. Take care y/n." We exchange our goodbyes and hang up.

It's a very gloomy day and the house is very quiet. Going to this party was probably my only chance to hook up with someone just to remove Sebastian from my thoughts. Which has become impossible after the ride we had two weeks ago.

After the tricks in the circuit, wherever I look, he is there. Either in real life or in my imagination. I imagine him inside the shower with me, in between my thighs, on my bed.

Literally fucking everywhere.

Last week, at the annual Sunday dinner my family hosts with Sebastian, he was caressing my thigh under the table, as he was casually chatting with my father. It was probably a bad idea to wear that short skirt.

I decide to take matters into my own hands and fully clear out my bed, lay a towel, light up some vanilla scented candles and finish the job by myself so I can take off the thought of Sebastian from my mind.

I put on a complication of his 'dirtiest' team radios where he curses every time either in English or German, dropping sexual hints while he is frustrated.

I plug in my AirPods and put the video on replay until I manage to finish. I put some lube on my fingers and start rubbing it against my pussy. The moment Seb's voice echoes inside my ears, I feel a wave of pleasure taking over me, as slight groans come out of my mouth.

Along with Sebastian's voice, I moan some 'fuck'' and 'shit' as I slide and pump my fingers inside my wet self in a faster pace. My womanhood clenches around my fingers although the desperation in my voice shows how needy I am of Sebastian.

"Jesus Seb." I let out during the thought that my fingers are Sebastian's, pushing me to my limits.

I open my eyes slightly only to be met with a blurry figure of a blonde haired man. I was so obsessed with Sebastian that I was hallucinating.

And yet I wasn't.

He was indeed in the room.

Watching me masturbate with the help of his voice.

I panicked instantly and pulled the covers on top of my body, trying to hide from the feeling of embarrassment and Sebastian's gawking eyes that were scanning me from head to toe.

"So when the cats are away, the mice come out and play. Or in your case, simply come." He jokes around with a massive smirk plastered on his face.

"I-it's not what it looks like, I was, uh" I didn't know how to excuse my actions.

"And yet it so is what it looks like." He rolls his eyes but immediately looks back at me, licking his lips.

"Okay fine, you caught me in a vulnerable moment. I have needs but no boyfriend to satisfy me. I would've gone to a party just to release my frustration but better safe than sorry." I don't know why I said all those things to Sebastian but for some reason I open up to him more easily.

Literally and figuratively.

"So it was very difficult for you to think of me, right?" He exclaims but quickly silences himself as the audio from my phone hasn't paused and the cursing is loud and clear.

He looks around the room to see from where this sound is coming from and when he notices I am trying to mute my phone, he grabs it from my hands and takes a lot at the content amused.

"So you were thinking of me. Just not calling me but simply replacing me."

Sebastian kneeled down to my height and removed the covers from my legs. My panties were still wrapped around my thighs and small hints of wetness were apparent. No shame took over me. Which was oddly weird.

"You know I am here for you if you ever need me, baby. For anything." He positions my body right in front of his face, looking me deeply into my eyes with such innocence, yet I knew that none of his following actions were gonna be the same.

"It's not right Sebastian. You're twice my age and a friend of my father's. You are a person I admire, not someone I should be thinking of in that way." That was the moment where I felt truly ashamed of myself but with a few words, Sebastian made me feel like what was going to happen between us is the most right thing in the world.

"Admiring someone doesn't necessarily mean you can't love them or want them in any other way. I know the kind of girl you are, Y/n. You've literally confessed to me your entire love life, pleading for a man that will treat you right and be there for you."

I didn't know if I wanted to cry or smile at his words. I was right there in front of him, spread legs and needy of a mans touch. He barely looked down at my womanhood or removed his eyes from mine. I needed a man who could bring the best of both worlds.

He was right in front of me.

"I need you Seb. Madly. I can't get you out of my head. Help me." I cooed softly, my desperation is clearly showing more than it should.

"All I will ask is, are you willing to let me take care of your need 100% dear? Because there is no going back after that." The fact that he asked me for reassurance and didn't throw himself at me the moment I begged him, proved to me that no man can be like Sebastian.

"I trust you blindly." I put my forehead softly against his and he instantly captures my lips into a soft kiss, full of reassurance, trust and emotion. His hands are on the sides of my thighs, holding against them firmly and climbing on top of my body feeling more of his warmth.

Sebastian's piercing blue eyes focus on the rhythm of my breathing that is being patterned on the mannerism the way by breasts bounce up and down. I can feel myself blushing given that no matter how many men have looked this tensely at me, only he can cause butterflies to my stomach.

With one arm, he removes his t-shirt, revealing a very well fitted 36 year old on whose body I want to lay my hands on and worship like he is a greek god. I softly trace the V-line on top of his belt and the kiss becomes even more tense with a simple touch.

"You don't know what you're doing to me." He mumbles against my lips as he is trying to unbuckle his belt and get rid of the trousers that are hiding from my sight the hardened erection I caused.

"Then show me." I so easily say, yet I don't know the mix of pain and pleasure I am about to experience because of my actions. Sebastian grunts and with my help, his trousers are on the floor and I can feel against my wet unclothed pussy his erected cock.

Sebastian breaks the kiss and stands up, in the process of which he is picking me up as well. My breathing becomes harder as he takes my top off and now we are semi naked in front of each other. Only a few barriers which in a few seconds are gone. I strap off my bra slowly, revealing my breast to his sight.

"You are beautiful. Absolutely mesmerising. My god" he sighs and kneels in front of me. I am absolutely shocked by what he is doing. I feel his hands holding firmly my thighs and in matters of seconds his lips on my pussy, eating me up like a starved man. His tongue flicking against my clit, sending euphoric vibration at my entire body.

"Fuck, Seb" I moan uncontrollably as he keeps feasting on the juices that are covering my womanhood and his jaw. My fingers tangle on his blonde curls, pulling them slightly as I am trying with all my willpower not to crush his face with my trembling thighs.

My head falls back and my moans become louder and louder as Sebastian slowly removes his his mouth from my pussy and slams it against mine, while inserting his index and middle finger inside my wetness.

"So innocent and yet you're clenching around my fingers like a needy whore." His fingers are pumping inside me in quite a fast pace but just the perfect one to send me into fucking oblivion. My fingers are scratching his back like a wild animal.

"I need to cum, Seb, please." I have never begged anyone for anything in my life and yet, another first time of mine had just been ticked off the box with the help of Sebastian. He applies a bit more pressure to my very swollen pussy, by using his thumb to play along with my clit.

"Then do so baby. All over my fingers." The moment he says it, I release immediately along with a tense groan from both of us. God that felt amazing. Sebastian grabs me back, laying me on the bed, knees weaker than wooden sticks but surely needy for more.

"I need you to be fully sure of what is about to happen darling. Allow me?" My heart drops to my stomach with his words. A few minutes ago he was fucking me with his fingers with such ease and now he is asking for permission.

Best of both worlds.

"There is no man on this earth I trust more than you, Seb. Yes, I am fully aware." I reply with a kind smile on my face, reassuring him that he is the only man I need and want.

His lips connect with mine once more, although this time the kiss was more meaningful than anything. It was me showing Sebastian that I trust him with something so sacred and fragile but something I would only want him to have.

His fingers are toying with my nipples while his mouth is occupied with my neck, trying to leave as many hickies humanly possible. I do not mind at all, though I will need many formulas of makeup to hide his mess.

"Can I touch you?" I quietly ask him as he still was wearing his underwear that were trying to hold on his frustrated cock. I was so afraid of asking him such a thing even though it wouldn't be my first time touching a man.

"Your touch is what I am craving." He grabs my hand and places it on top of his edged bulge that wants to be taken care of. Having his confirmation, I remove the barrier, the boxers, in swift movements, with his cock springing out.

I wrap my hands around his erection, feeling the hints of pre cum on the tip, I spread the minimum liquid all over, pumping him slowly and teasingly sliding him through my wet folds, causing him to moan on the crook of my neck.

"Jesus baby. I need you." He blurts out and my excitement reaches extremely high levels. When I feel Seb's body lowering on me, I remove my hands from his cock and hold on against his butt. In very slow movements, Sebastian slides himself inside me, as softly as he can, whilst I am trying to adjust to his size.

Sebastian has filled me up entirely and my pussy has been stretched to its limits. He tried to play safe at first with slow trusts that would help him find my sweet spot. Tears of exhaustion and pleasure were covering my eyes.

Suddenly, he picks up the pace, thrusting harder into me, pushing my limits to the maximum and earning multiple moans of his name along the way. The room smells sex. The air smells sex. He and I smell like sex.

"Oh my Seb." I moan as if there is no tomorrow, shamelessly, giving him the satisfaction of achieving to make the first time of a woman better than half of the female's population. Not even better. Heavenly good.

"This is for you. All for you my good girl."

[leclerc-s]

let him be a trophy husband!

series masterlist

isabella perez they've put it together.

logan sargeant no. they think it's reputation (daphne's version) not a new album.

isabella perez whatever logan. anyways. how are the grammys?

max jones-verstappen I'M BORED!

zoya torres i suspect he'll end up drunk by the end of the night. mae jones-verstappen to be fair, he was life this at the fia prize giving ceremony. daniel jones-ricciardo he always gets drunk at things like this.

pierre gasly why are you people on your phones? you are at the grammys put them away!

mae jones-verstappen commercial breaks exist you french fuck!

rowan todd forgive him, he's never been to one.

pierre gasly because you've never taken me with you. I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO GO TO THE EMMYS! BUT CHARLES DID?

charles leclerc that's because i know how to behave in public.

carlos sainz why are people on twitter acting like i got fired midseason?

isabella perez they're dramatic like that. you guys thought i was bad, the twitter girlies are worse.

oscar piastri to be fair, you cried over dropping a churro one time.

lando norris i don't like it here anymore.

bailey winters SOMEONE JUST ASKED HIM HOW MANY RACES HE WON!! HE WALKED AWAY EMBARRASSED! LOGAN'S LAUGHING AT HIM!

isabella perez watching lando get made fun of on live tv by trevor noah is hilarious.

lando norris this shit isn't funny isa!

arthur leclerc "here we have 3x world champion max jones-verstappen, 8x grand prix winner daniel jones-ricciardo, and teammate to rookie of the year, lando norris."

oscar piastri can i laugh?

lando norris I'M ENTERING MY REPUTATION ERA!

charles leclerc maybe win a race first

daphne jones-ricciardo can you people behave?

lewis hamilton don't bother daphne, there is no controlling them.

freya vettel lando no wins can't even escape being made fun of at the grammys

lando norris oh fuck off vettel

mick schumacher don't forget no rizz. it's a miracle bailey took him back

bailey winters it took a lot of convincing.

penelope trevino ZOYA! YOU LOOKED BEAUTIFUL ON THAT STAGE!

logan sargeant I AGREE! THAT'S MY GIRLFRIEND! zoya torres aww thank you. nat helped pick out the dress. natalia ruiz THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!

lance stroll hey, does this mean charle is officially a grammy winner?

charles leclerc in my mind i have been since folklore lando norris first driver to win a grammy before a drivers championship charles leclerc at least i've won a race esteban ocon gagged him!

fernando alonso none of you know what the word decorum means.

daniel jones-ricciardo and you do? mr. i'm going to sniff flowers mid-interview

fernando alonso at least i can say that i've never commited crimes like seb. multi-21 anyone?

lance stroll THEY LITERALLY CALL YOU WAR CRIMINAL! sebastian vettel SPYGATE ANYONE? rhys jones HE'S A WAR CRIMINAL LIKE ME!!

rhys jones so, what'd i miss?

ollie bearman the hamilton x hamilton edits on tiktok isabella perez I LOVE THOSE!! logan sargeant HOW DO YOU NON=AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT HAMILTON? isabella perez i love musicals!

fernando alonso hamilton x hamilton? are they putting lewis on a boat with himself

lance stroll he means are they shipping lewis with himself? rhys jones NO! THE MUSICAL BY LIN MANUEL MIRANDA! fernando alonso who? lance stroll now he's just trolling.

rhys jones anyways, new album?

mae jones-verstappen yes, the dead poets society daphne jones-ricciardo THE TORTURED POETS SOCIETY! mae jones-verstappen YOU SHOULD'VE NAMED IT SOMETHING ELSE! rhys jones I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS BUT WHAT THE HECK DAPHNE! THE PEOPLE WILL BE CONFUSED!

liked by maejonesverstappen, arthur_leclerc, lilymhe and others

daphnejonesricciardo all's fair in love and poetry...new album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. OUT APRIL 19 🤍

📷: danieljonesricciardo

comments have been limited

isabellaperez mother ate with this one y'all!

landonorris i am ready to cry to this one.

baileywinters THE PEOPLE AREN'T READY!

redbullracing just in time for the chinese grand prix!!

danieljonesricciardo hey! i'm responsible for the cover art! i did that!

↳ daphnejonesricciardo yeah you did!

rhysjones geez daph, put some clothes on! as your little brother i don't need to see that!

rhysjones I'M KIDDING PLEASE DON'T CANCEL ME! I LOVE MY SISTER! I'M JUST A BABY!

↳ georgerussell so now you're a baby but when it comes to teasing lando you aren't a baby?

↳ rhysjones I CAN PICK MY BATTLES RUSSELL! THE DAPHNE GIRLS ARE WILD!

maejonesverstappen oh the people aren't ready for this.

charles_leclerc i definitely need a good cry album. this will help

↳ carlossainz55 i'll join you buddy!

maxjonesverstappen1 WOO! GO DAPHNE!

nataliaruiz WE WILL BE STREAMING!

lewishamilton it's going to be amazing daphne!

visacashapprb we will be streaming mrs. jones-ricciardo!

yukitsunoda0511 LET'S GO!! WOO!! GO DAPHNE!!

↳ daphnejonesricciardo thank you yuki! hope you like the new album!

↳ yukitsunoda0511 are you kidding me? i will adore it!

fernandoalo_oficial how many songs are about our whirlwind romance daphne? 🤣

↳ daphnejonesricciardo i plead the fifth! 😅

↳ danieljonesricciardo BACK OFF FROM MY WIFE FERNANDO!

↳ fernadoalo_oficial it's not my fault! blame the internet!

lilymhe YAY! I GET TO ANNOY ALEX WITH MORE SCREAM SINGING!

↳ alex_albon you could never annoy me

↳ lilymhe and we will be having a conversation about keeping this a secret from me mr.albon!

↳ alex_albon I WAS SWORN TO SECRECY!

taglist: @burningcupcakefire @arkhammaid @sunflower-golden-vol6 @applopie @lorarri @mypage-myfandoms @bb-swift @thewannabewriter @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @stopeatread @hobiismyhopeu @lilsiz @alessioayla @niniluvsainz @au-ghosttype @cowboylikemets1989 @justtprachisblog @rmeddar123 @nichmeddar @landonorizzz @unluckyyoshi @Mimolovescookies @brekkers-whore @natcha888 @camdensreg @mycenterfold @dear-fifi @prongsvault @kaa212 @anxxiousaries @julesbabey1 @julesbabey @georgeparisole @Smnthnclj @dan3avocado @melissayalene @nothanqks @nikfigueiredo @bella-1 @namgification @jensonsonlybutton @chezmardybum @d3kstar@weekendlusting@anytimeanywherebitchblog @ragioniera @burberryfilms @trouble-sistar @lesliiieeeee @leclercsluv

strikethrough means i couldn't tag you

¡leclerc-s speaks! new taylor swift album people! how we feelin?

¡disclaimer! this is in no way making assumptions about the people involved in this story, this is all fake. it is a fanfiction please don't take any of what is said seriously. this is all for entertainment purposes and as a creative outlet for me. enjoy!

[adalinda-selwyn]

𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒘𝒚𝒏

⚘ The Heroine of Hogwarts ⚘

𓆩⟡𓆪 Basic Info 𓆩⟡𓆪

Name: Adalinda Marie Selwyn, although she pronounces her name more like Adalin (Ah-duh-lin). Her most popular nickname is Ada (Ah-duh)

Title(s): The Heroine of Hogwarts

Birthday: March 12th, 1875

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Ethnicity: British and Chinese

𓆩⟡𓆪 Appearance 𓆩⟡𓆪

Hair Style: Slightly wavy hair, usually worn down but sometimes put in a makeshift ponytail, especially in tense situations

Hair Color: Dark brown, almost black

Eye Color: Dark brown

Skin Tone: Warm beige

Body Type: Slightly toned from running around protecting the Scottish Highlands

Height: 5’4” or around 163 cm

Clothing Style: Dresses practically in the sense that skirts are off limits when planning on taking down any enemies. Enjoys wearing skirts and cute outfits. Otherwise, will wear anything she finds in order to make a bizarre outfit for her own amusement.

Accessories:

Always wears her necklace with its emerald pendant

When she wears gloves, they are black and preferably fingerless so she can still firmly grip her wand

𓆩⟡𓆪 Magic 𓆩⟡𓆪

Blood Status: Unknown

House: Slytherin

Wand: Hornbeam, Dragon Heartstring, Surprisingly Swishy, Twelve and a half inches

Special Ability: Ancient magic - mostly known by others because of the thunderstorms she can summon

Patronus: Nightjar

Polyjuice: Clearspring green, tastes like a mix of lemongrass and mint

Amortentia: Chamomile, Freshly cut lilacs, Nectarine, Old books

Boggart: Jeers, or even worse, silence of loved ones directed at her from cloaked figure(s)

𓆩⟡𓆪 Academics 𓆩⟡𓆪

Best subject: DADA

Favorite subject: DADA and COMC

Favorite teacher: Hecat, Sharp, and Garlick

Worst subject: Divination

Least favorite subject: Transfiguration and History of Magic

Least favorite teacher: Binns

As a student:

Almost always arrives just in the nick of time

Somehow balanced saving the Wizarding World and schoolwork during fifth-year

Teacher’s pet despite not trying to be one (it's because she always wants to show the professor her appreciation for them, so she thanks them after every lesson)

𓆩⟡𓆪 Personality 𓆩⟡𓆪

Traits: Compassionate, loyal, protective, strategic, resilient, self-sacrificing, energetic (due to either too much or not enough sleep), sarcastic (rudely sarcastic when upset), rash (when already angry), “motherly”, overbearing, overthinker

Likes: Winter (as long as she’s bundled up, otherwise it’s Fall/Autumn), sleeping (despite lacking it basically 24/7), sweets or food in general (put anything in front of her and she will practically inhale it), cooking, reading, watching the sky, playing the piano, lighting things on fire, dueling Sebastian, hyping up her friends

Dislikes: Seeing her loved ones upset or in pain, smelling/feeling dirty, roaches, flies (she will go out of her way to kill it, same thing applies for mosquitos)

Fears: Being abandoned, becoming bad, roaches (will kill it but freak out while doing so)

MBTI: ISFJ-T (The Defender)

Zodiac: Pisces sun, taurus moon, sagittarius ascending

𓆩⟡𓆪 Relationships 𓆩⟡𓆪

Parents: Mr. Selwyn and Mrs. Selwyn (Presumed dead) (No, her dad is not Silvanus Selwyn)

Relatives: None were ever mentioned

Paternal Figure: Professor Fig (Deceased)

Love Interest: She needs time to sort out her own life before getting around to her love life.

Friends (in chronological order from first to most recent): Ominis Gaunt, Sebastian Sallow, Natsai (Natty) Onai, Lucan Brattleby, Garreth Weasley, Poppy Sweeting, Amit Thakkar, Adelaide Oakes, Imelda Reyes (took a second to warm up to her), Leander Prewett (didn't like him for a hot minute)

Acquaintances (in closeness from first to last): Anne Sallow, Lenora Everleigh, Nellie Oggspire, Samantha Dale, Nerida Roberts, Arthur Plummly, Richard Jackdaw

Pet(s): Tayla (and any magical creature rescued that really doesn't want to go back into nature)

Tayla is a tawny owl that was formerly the school's

Around turning 13 weeks old, she watched Adalinda barge into the Owlery to find field guide pages

Tayla followed Adalinda out and around the school. When Adalinda realized Tayla wouldn't leave, she got permission from (passionately begged) Professor Fig to keep and name her

[xxstraymoonchildxx]

This Couple is Unusual

Prev. / Next

Chapter 4 This couple, danse macabre 

cw: human trafficking, violence, swearing

“What is she doing here?” Ciel slightly panicked as Sebastian forced him to face away from his fiance. “She cannot, under no circumstances see me in this…this…” 

“Oh, look at that pretty girl over there, her dress is so cute, too! Please excuse me, Miss.”

“Oh, stay-” 

The blonde girl swiftly followed the girl in her pink dress who vanished within the crowd with the man dressed in black.  

“...safe.” 

You let out a sigh, shaking your head with a smile on your tinted lips.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Satan popped up next to you, handing you a drink. “Are you alright? You look confused.”

You leaned in, voice low “I think I just saw Ciel Phantomhive crossdressing.”

“You’re pulling my leg.” Satan raised an eyebrow, mirth reflecting in his eyes.

“No, the cute girl a second ago pointed at them and I recognized his butler, otherwise I would have missed it.”

Satan hummed “An effective masquerade I must say. Do you have any idea who the girl you were walking to was?”

You side-eyed him “No, but I have the feeling you do. The Earl panicked when he spotted her, tho.”

“Precisely. Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford is his fiancé. She is also Madam Red’s niece. If she blew his cover, he’d be humiliated.”

Your nose wrinkled “Didn’t you tell me she is the Earl’s aunt, too?”

He nodded.

“Sweet home Alabama,” you mumbled.

Satan chuckled “Madam Red is part of this gathering as well, by the way. I’ve seen her in the lounging area enjoying herself with the other guests. The Chinese man, too. They are sticking out like a sore thumb.”

“Huh, is her butler not with her?”

Satan shook his head “I’ve seen him earlier at the entrance but we should concentrate on the Viscount.”

The two of you got on the dance floor, keeping a lookout for Viscount Druitt. Satan gently moved you to the flow of the classical music. You were glad you’d gotten enough dance experience from all the balls Lord Diavolo hosted (and all the other parties you were invited to) for not embarrassing Satan and you. 

Your blond husband had the perfect posture, guiding you with perfectly even steps. He was great with ballroom dances, rivaling Lucifer’s, Barbatos's, and Diavolo’s skills. That he looked like a fairytale prince - no, king - with the outfit Asmodeus picked for him was only a bonus for his royal demeanor. Satan gave you a soft smile only reserved for you when he noticed you staring at him with furrowed brows, and for a moment you forgot why you were even here. It was just him and you. His eyes were a unique shade of blue and green with a yellow gradient that sparkled whenever he was excited over cats and literature and when talking about you. Your heart swelled with pride.

The moment was over, however, when you locked eyes with Sebastian Michaelis dancing with his protégé among the crowd of humans. He gave you an ominous smirk.

After the meeting with Undertaker, you were informed by Satan that the butler in black was a demon, a lesser one compared to your found family of course,  but the kind that wants your soul in exchange for making a pact to eat it after its fulfillment. The child Sebastian was with must have been very desperate to make a Faustian Contract. You only knew the child was an orphan and inherited a factory for toys after his parents tragically died in a fire. 

You smiled back, discreetly flipping him off right before Satan twirled you around again to create a distance.

You watched the couple reach the dancing area's side, noticing one of your targets approaching the Earl. You look at Satan who nods, following suit. 

You decided to stand nearby, maintaining a low profile but close enough to eavesdrop, another beverage in hand to look unsuspicious.

With disgust, you observe Viscount Druitt making a move on the now-alone preteen. Kissing his hand, laying a hand on his waist, holding his chin like a lover would, and calling him “my little robin” - it took willpower to not storm over. 

“What the fuck is this demon thinking leaving the child all alone with this creep?”

Suddenly the music stopped. Everyone's eyes were on Sebastian Michaelis who set up a cupboard in the middle of the crowd, announcing a magic performance. 

“That gentleman over there, would you mind to assist me?” 

Sebastian grinned, pointing at Satan of all people. You nearly snorted out your drink. A dark aura surrounded your husband, his lips twitching in annoyance. 

The demon butler now was asking for trouble.

╔═══════ ∘◦⛧ﾐ◦∘ ══════╗

        with Satan & Sebastian…

╚═══════ ∘◦ミ⛧ ◦∘ ═════╝

This third-rate demon couldn’t be serious. 

Satan kept a socially acceptable expression as he walked toward the make-shift mise-en-scène. He ignored the curious glances, trying to suppress his murderous intent. 

The Ravenette, now wearing a lacy butterfly mask to conceal his identity to a certain degree, smirked and opened the wooden wardrobe. “As you can see, this is an ordinary cupboard,” Sebastian explained “I’ll go inside and I need you to tie it up with these chains.” He handed over the metal chain to Satan who accepted it, slightly curious what exactly he had planned. 

“And then you can use these swords-” he pulled out several iron swords from out of nowhere “...to pierce this cupboard. After you do this, I shall come out alive for all to see.” Satan’s face darkened with wrathful mirth “I won’t hold back, are you sure?”

Sebastian held his gaze with a smug one of his own “I’m sure you will.” 

Then he addressed the audience “There is no trap or trick to this. Please enjoy this rare performance!”

The party guests gasped, murmuring and whispering. 

“I’m going to enjoy this” Satan murmured, quickly tying the chain and fastening it tightly. 

Within the blink of an eye Satan pierced a sharp sword into the top of the cupboard, then into the left, the right, back, and front, pushing in more and more like a madman until nearly no space was left untouched. 

The viewers gasped. 

(And Sebastian felt something akin to anxiety for the first time in his life when the first sword aimed for his head. And that other demon was fast, too)

Satan flipped a strand of hair back “Let’s see if he is alright, shall we?”

When the door opened and Sebastian stepped out with a strained smile, the crowd cheered.

“Impressive!”

“A miracle!” 

“You owe me one for not exterminating you,” Satan hissed.

╔════ ∘◦⛧ﾐ◦∘ ════╗

         Meanwhile…

╚════ ∘◦ミ⛧ ◦∘ ═══╝

“Ladies and Gentlemen, may I get your attention please?”

The crowds' murmuring died down, focusing on the stage; more precisely on the covered something next to the emcee. 

“Next we have the item everyone has anticipated. Please look at it carefully~”

With one movement the cover was swiped off, revealing a metal birdcage. 

Masqueraded nobles ranked their eyes over his bound form, happy murmurs filled the room yet he couldn’t see through the blindfold around his head.

“You may keep her in the cage. If you prefer you can play with her as much as you wish. Use her for a ceremony! If it is only parts of her you desire, it can sure be arranged.”

Ciel felt a wave of dizziness when he snapped his head towards the voice closest to him. 

/That’s Aleister Chamber’s voice/

“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a hard-to-get item. Her eyes are bright and beautiful like the sea! And now I’ll proceed to show you!”

When the light of the candles hit his face, his temples throbbed. Ciel opened his eyes, realization setting in like he’d swallowed a heavy stone. 

“The starting bid is one thousand pounds!”

Hands shot in the air, high numbers outdoing the other. 

“Wow, you people are disgusting fucks.”

The candles flickered violently before they were violently blown off by a sudden gust of wind. 

/Who the hell is this?/

“Spirit of earth, cover the mouth of those nobles who sit before me, and silence their cries forever.”

One bidder after another sagged in their chairs, heads dropping row after row in the blink of an eye.

The only noble left standing was Viscount Druitt, unable to process what happened, and unable to move a single muscle. 

Of course, this wouldn’t do.

A fist met his cheek with a satisfying crack.

“Sweet dreams you pig!”

You turned to the birdcage, meeting Ciel Phantomhive's flabbergasted stare with an accusatory one of your own. His eyepatch was off, showing his pact mark.

“What…what are you?”

_____________________________________________________________

“What in the sweet hell’s where you thinking?! Do you understand what could have gotten wrong if you didn’t wake up before being sold off to some pervert!?”

Ciel whipped off the dust from his dress after he was freed from his restraints. “I would have been doing fine even without you interfering. I was just about to call for my butler before you barged in,” he scoffed, crossing his arms “You also didn’t answer my question. Are you some sort of witch?”

“Are you trying to insult me? I’m a sorcerer!”

“Same thing!”

You pinched his cheek, hard. “It’s not! Sorcerers are far superior.”

Ciel slapped your hand away with a huff, rubbing the arching side of his face. 

“How did you even get in here?” he eyed your attire critically “You’re still just some journalist from overseas.”

“Company secret,” you answered slyly, making him roll his eyes after you winked at him, pointer finger moving to seal your mouth.

“Whatever…Sebastian!”

Within a fraction of a second, the butler spawned next to his master.

“My, my. Looks like my service wasn’t needed after all.” Crimson flashed in his auburn eyes as he bowed slightly. “Although it wasn’t expected nor in fact needed, the Phantomhive household offers their gratitude for your act of kindness.”

His honeyed words went from one ear through the other.

“Maybe take better care of your charge then who obviously can’t even defend himself properly from pedophilic creeps.”

Sebastian shot you a stink-eye despite his smile “Rest assured, he is in the best of hands.”

Before you could answer, a gloved hand found its way to your mouth. Satan’s distinct perfume hit your nose as he pushed you against his broad chest, his other arm lazily draped across your belly. 

“Since the party is over and the Yard is arriving any minute, I’d say we also take our leave. I’m not too thrilled explaining this to the commonality.”

“Anyhow, the case of Jack the Ripper is closed now,” Ciel said “You may write about the murders but there are things that obviously shouldn’t reach the ears of the public. As assigned by Her Majesty, I shall oversee any reports regarding this topic.”

You wondered if you could contest the Avatar of Wrath if you would spend any minute with this audacious child. 

Speaking of the personification of sin, Satan let out a chuckle “We might do that real soon, well, if this is the end of the murders, that is…”

Sebastian and Ciel couldn’t hide their surprise.

Seizing this moment you took the hand from your mouth, pulling out your D.D.D from under your corset.

Snap,

A flash of light went off and you two vanished into thin air. “See ya~”

“Tell me that strange device wasn’t a camera,”

“I’m afraid it was, my Lady.”

“Sebastian!”

It was frustrating that you weren’t allowed to temper with the past. 

The very same night your contact from Scotland Yard called you to the new crime scene. Annie Shepherman was murdered while you were busy with Lord Chamber’s underground auction. 

Her body was severely battered, much worse than the last victims of Jack The Ripper. She was transported and brought to Undertaker for the autopsy which was a technical formality at that point. Satan took pictures of the crime scene for undercover reasons before you called it a day and went back to your hotel.

In the morning you decided to finally go shopping for the brothers and your friends. It was successful this mid-morning. You got:

A fancy pocket watch for Diavolo.

A crested tea storage box for Barbatos additionally to the tealeaves he wanted.

A couple of rare magical ingredients for Solomon.

A classical music gramophone record for Lucifer.

An antique hairbrush and mirror set for Asmodeus.

An original copy of the Hokusai manga for Leviathan.*

A vintage money box for Mammon (aside from several trinkets he’ll resell).

A mechanical music box that played a soothing lullaby for Belphegor.

A large amount of confectionary for Beelzebub (you were glad to have unlimited storage space inside your bag after nearly buying up the Funtom Corporation’s and Harrod’s whole stock of candy).

A hand-crafted royal blue dairy with a fun trick lock for Simeon.

And a receipt book about authentic Victorian desserts for Luke.

Mephistopheles’s hand-carved riding crop was still a work in process, so you had to come back tomorrow. You also haven’t found something for Thirteen and Raphael but you were thinking of buying an embroidered sewing box kit for the angel and one of those fancy umbrellas for the shinigami.   

You also didn’t know what to buy for Satan. Knowing him he has already picked up something super thoughtful for you and you want to show him your appreciation, too, so it can’t be just some book or vinyl. 

As you went your merry way, you found yourself at the doorsteps of The Undertaker shop. Was the silver-haired mortician done with poor Annie? 

Before you knew it, your feet carried you inside.

The jingle of a small bell above the door announced your arrival, but there was no one in the stuffy, dark front room.

“Mister Undertaker?” No reaction. Was he in the pathology downstairs?

You carefully trod forward, half expecting him to emerge from one of these coffins to give you a heart attack. Mammon would take to his heel by now if he was here but you weren’t a scaredy cat. “Undertaker!” you tried again. Nothing.

You opened the coffin he hid inside the last time but it was empty. 

He sure wouldn’t mind if you looked around for a bit, wouldn’t he? 

There was a large cupboard on the far left where a man like Undertaker would fit in. You turned the knob. It didn’t budge at first but after rattling on the door a few times it swung open.

Whoosh.

“Argh!”

Bonus: Somewhere the brothers felt a chill running down their spines as their "MC-is-doing-sth.-reckless"-tingle was activated

*credits go to PerpetuallyAwake / @anunholyabomination, tysm!

Guess who is crawling back...It's me! This was supposed to be even longer but, I kinda wanna be an ass and end with a cliffhanger instead of dragging it into 4000k+ words, so I'll move the following scene to the next chapter (that I will hopefully post in April) [Btw, who can find the gaming references I couldn't help but put in?]

Feel free to give me constructive feedback :)

[emomeishibot]

I found out that in the official drama cd, Sebastian actually performed something in Chinese opera! I’m so glad😭I always loved watching that. Though there’s no indication which act he performed, but he used a sword later in the fight with the villains🤯he does a Chinese sword act…I can only imagine how spectacular he’d be😭

Anyways I actually picked a role in Chinese opera for him: Wu Song, who is a hero famous for lots of deeds, but most prominently because of him single handedly killing a tiger who’s been eating travelers in the mountains, when Wu Song himself is very drunk. The act is to show how brave and wonderful a hero Wu Song is. Seb could so hate the story but do the act so well🙂‍↕️Especially the black and white costume fits him so well!!! It’s very handsome🥺though Wu Song’s weapon is a long staff instead of a sword, which Seb used in the drama cd. Just look at how cool this character is, I love it and I just want Seb to dress like this😭

Anyways I just love blending some authentic traditional culture with kuro, because I think Yana’s not doing very properly in canon with the Japanese’s highly sexualize stereotypes of Chinese women, compared to her devotion to the English culture(though not accurate too, but surely more emphasized and done much more reaserch about). Hope this post brings people a little more info about the drama cd and Sebastian’s theatrical talents!👐

I mean he can kick so high he’d be perfect for martial arts on stage🙀bravo

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Chapter 9 - Poisonous Grip

Some kind of commotion was the reason Katrina woke up from her slumber as she, still in her night gown, leisurely made her way towards the open chamber that held many panicked individuals. Stepping inside, she noticed the reason for the mass-hysteria.

Sebastian Michaelis, the much esteemed butler of the Phantomhive manor, was lying on the ground, eyes wide open in terror and agony, as his snow-white shirt held huge blotches of crimson from his double stab wounds he had to suffer the previous night. As people were crying and discussing what was going on, Katrina had to raise her hand to her mouth to stifle a chuckle, knowing very well the situation given, and how ridiculous it was. Unfortunately, she usually had a hard time remaining somber during tragic situations.

Life was, after all, a huge farce.

Soon, Ciel, followed by Arthur were guided by Tanaka inside the room, and this boy was a much better actor than she was, Kat reckoned, as he put quite the show on display, reprimanding the dead butler, kicking him, shrieking in despair, even shaking him and slapping him awake. Oh, how tragic, woe is me. But he never laughed, and even incurred sympathy from all those present... Little puppy knows how to play, even caressing the face of the creature that was fated to take away the very essence of his soul. Katrina could never, especially knowing that it was her, who did half of this magnificent job. In fact, she was quite proud of the commotion she caused; Alas, no rights for the author were given.

Ciel pretended unable to depart from his butler, as Charles mentioned the body had to be moved, so it wouldn't rot, while Lau pointed out how the Earl couldn't have committed the crime, as he was locked up in his room. How very interesting, isn't it, you, troublemakers~? This turn of events was rather fascinating.

Everyone let Arthur be the one to appreciate the murder, concluding Sebastian was struck twice, as the culprit couldn't kill him in the first try... Or maybe there's more than one killer~? Still, they took the corpse down to the basement, thus, everyone left Ciel with his servants alone, to discuss properly what has to be done further on.

"Little fox, little fox, though your fire is great, are you not cold in such a thin gown~?" Lau chimed, walking by the red haired girl's side, as he put his arm around her, pulling her in to his side.

"Not as cold now that you're here, Wukong." she smirked up at him, seeing as he was surprised she'd know of the Trickster God-Hero, Sun Wukong.

"Tian na, Hu Xian, you never stop surprising me. Now then, breakfast shall be served soon. Ran Mao, won't you be a dear and help Miss Fox Fairy dress? Perhaps, in one of our own dresses? She seems to quite favour the thin-layered outfits." Lau gently pushed his sister out his arms, so she'd drag the red head to change.

"...Sorry? Did I hear that well? You just so happened to have a random, traditional outfit in your possession, purely out of coincidence?" Kat raised her eyebrow quizzically, smirking at the Chinese man who merely shrugged innocently.

"You never know when a Fox Lady stumbles around your vicinity and requires the prettiest outfit!" he clapped his hands together, smirking back and slightly opening his eyes to look straight into her green eyes.

"Well, well, what a lucky Fox Lady I am, then." she mused, allowing herself to be dragged to their shared chamber, where the brunette girl started fiddling around with one gorgeous and very imposing pink and green dress made out of the purest cloud brocade silk, embroidered with what seemed to be the finest gold thread in the pattern of pink peonies and magnolias. Katrina let out an astonished gasp. "I see Lau wasn't joking, this is absolutely beautiful..." staring in awe at the dress Ran Mao was holding up, she couldn't help but feel enchanted, almost as if drawn by the outfit.

"You will look great." the Chinese girl said, as she dressed the Brit, who couldn't help but enjoy the process, and also feel very excited, as she watched herself in the mirror during each step of the dressing-up. Not only that, she also had her hair done, and even her make up - Soft, but with light red around her eyes. How incredibly beautiful, and so very different, not only from everything there is in England, but even from Ran Mao - Although, she could see how the decorative embroideries were very similarly done. The differences in dynasties were evident, even to someone unknowledgeable like herself.

"This... Ran Mao, this is beautiful...! I... I can't believe this is me...!" she couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror, blushing lightly as she analysed every inch of her new self.

"Yes, very beautiful." Ran Mao nodded vigorously, as she straightened the red head's back, to stand properly, and guided her arms in the proper position, so she'd look the part. "Better. Let's go eat."

"Oh, I'm a bit embarrassed... I feel like I'm overdressed, somehow, even though the Western dresses are far more pompous and... Very ridiculous too, might I add." Kat mumbled, looking away with a bashful expression, only to feel her face being cupped by the girl who got dangerously close to her face.

"You're beautiful. Lau will love this. Be confident. Let's go." and thus, Ran Mao, with her monotone voice, yet powerful words, quite literally dragged her out of the room, and down to serve breakfast.

Although she felt incredibly out of place, dressed this way, and with bright and feminine colours that would put Lizzie to shame, she genuinely loved it, the smooth feeling of the silk on her skin, and how flowy the outfit was, hugging her silhouette so gently; and she smiled like a gleeful child, all the way down to the dining area, where Ran Mao dragged her by the wrist, so the two girls could sit on either side of the Chinese Man who, upon seeing his two girls returning, stood up with the biggest smile on his face.

"Duōme měilì de húlí xiǎojiě!" he couldn't help but bow at her, the same smirk on his face, as he gracefully picked her hand and kissed it, making her smile and look away, just the tiniest bit.

"This time, I'm sure you called me beautiful." she said, completely uncaring of all those eyes staring judgingly at her, as she was too busy with her Fox Man.

"And rightfully so! Ran Mao truly had the greatest idea, bringing this outfit with us. She knew you'd come here as well, and really wanted to play dress up with you. What a success!" he exclaimed happily, as his sister nodded in agreement. "As gracious as the Goddess of the Luo River, and as lovely as a peony."

"Well, what can I say... I think I could very easily get used to this." at once, Charles, who was sat next to her, threw her an amused look.

"Yes, of course you'd say that, you precious little thing. After all, who wouldn't like the pampering that Miss Fox receives? If I'd known a pretty dress was all it took to get your attention, I'd have done so long ago." he chuckled like the viper he was.

"You are most kind, Charles, though you think me so shallow -  However, I must remind you that I am, in fact, engaged, as you are very well aware of. I am simply being as courteously gracious as ever, as one of the hosts of this rather... Turmoiled event." Katrina easily countered him, not without throwing him a shady look from the corner of her eyes. He must have been rather annoyed seeing her so happy, that he had to go out of his way to jab at her like that. 

"Then, should your fiance have been invited, would you have batted those pretty lashes for him?" as irksome as ever, that little ferret, and always, in public.

"Lucky for me, Edgar is quite possibly not only the most beautiful young chevalier that I've had the pleasure of seeing, but also, a darling gentleman, very gallant and thoughtful. I have to say, Charles, the more I think of ways to describe him, the more I realise how you are the exact opposite." with a venomous smile, the white haired man was left only with an amused smirk, enticed at the provoking. 

"Now, now, let's settle down, everyone, there is no need for arguments on such a fine morning! Breakfast has already been served - And look, the young earl has arrived also! It would be bad manners for the guests to behave unruly, am I wrong?" Lau, too, seemed to be just as wicked in his speech. "After all, Mr. Butler, the saying goes as follows - Among men, the warrior, and among flowers, Huxian." the Chinese man said, tugging on the lady's sleeve as he sat down, watching the confused expression from the corner of his eye.

True enough, Sebastian thankfully made the day's preparations in advance - The other servants would be lost without him, bless their souls. Still, whilst Grey wanted to start digging in, the other guests noticed the absence of Mr. Phelps, and all together, they rushed to his chambers to find out his whereabouts. Unfortunately for the timid, soft-spoken man, he was found dead in Ciel's own bedroom - Allegedly, he was much too afraid to sleep in his own assigned dormitory, as it was placed next to the deceased Lord Siemens, so Ciel agreed to offer his own room for comfort. Just as before, the door was firmly locked, and it took an angry, famished Charles to slice the wooden doors and allow safe entrance for the others, only to discover the poor man, laying down on the ground, mouth agape and eyes wide open in sheer suffering.

Quite the interesting turn of events, Katrina thought, analysing everyone's surprised visages. He wasn't supposed to die, so who in the world did it, and why? Were they trying to get to Ciel? They saw the young boy wasn't there, so they had to get rid of the witness? How suspicious.  The man had two prick-like marks on his neck, that looked similar to needles, or... Fangs? Arthur declared that the man might have been poisoned. Still, if someone were to poison the man with a needle, why prick him twice? Also, though needles were big, she wasn't sure they'd leave such a large mark... So what could there be? 

Once the doctor mentioned it looking like a bite-mark, Irene noted the story sounded eerily similar to that of the vampire lady, Carmilla. That theory wasn't exactly welcomed, but it made Katrina wonder - Bite marks, vampire fangs - What animals could be sneaky enough to get inside a room and bite someone, poison them to death, and flee so perfectly? A flash of the hybrid snake-like man from the circus came before her eyes, and she was convinced, somehow, a poisonous snake made its way into Ciel's room and tried to assassinate him. Surely, there weren't that many venomous snakes around London, most of them being rather harmless, so it had to be a direct attack on his life, correct?

With the look of the broken clock having fallen from the nightstand, they concluded it fell from the commotion the victim made as he was trashing around until his death - The time depicted was the time of death, 2:38 AM. Having three deaths already in a single night, the group were shown to the drawing room so they could discuss theories of what happened. 

Lord Siemens' death was the first one, that wasn't much of a doubt, and it occurred at around 1:10 AM. Second was Mr. Phelps, at 2:38 AM. That leaves Sebastian the last to die, as the servants all say him that night, at almost 3 in the morning. Still, Mey-Rin mentioned the butler asking her to release an Owl carrying some kind of letter, though she knew nothing of its contents, nor to whom it was addressed. How very peculiar. Arthur concluded it might have been sent to the police - What an innocent thought, Kat smiled.

Thus, the doctor created an alibi list where everyone was listed - Ciel was the only one without an alibi for Siemens' murder, yet everything else was clean; On the other spectrum, whilst everyone was safe for that murder, Sebastian's was fair game for all. There was a single person with a pristine alibi, and that was the one who made the list to begin with. The demon, however dead, was not exempt from scrutiny, as he was the only one capable of killing Mr. Phelps, considering he was the only one with the key to Ciel's room. Oh, what a hilarious turn of events. The fact that no single person could kill all victims - The notion that there was more than one killer - It was so funny, Kat wanted to keel over and die of laughter.

Woodley became so afflicted with anger, he wanted to leave - Leave where, exactly? What a fool. "I'm acting irresponsibly?! This all started with you two!" the man pointed an accusatory finger between Ciel, who was calmly drinking his tea, and Katrina, who was leaning on the window, looking out. "I know about you!"

"Us?" the boy asked. Katrina turned her head to look at the agitated man, stepping in front of him with defiance.

"Go on. What, pray tell, is it that you know about us, Mr. Woodley?" she crossed her arms to her chest, challenging him.

"You planned everything to kill us off, didn't you? The Queen's Dog! The Queen's Fox! The murderer and the spy!" hearing such hilarious accusations, Katrina couldn't help but laugh in his face.

"Oh, forgive me! I shouldn't be laughing, it's most impolite of me - I simply cannot bare - You face is so hilarious!" the girl clutched her heart. "To think that a man as insignificant as you would think himself important and worthy enough to be in the radar of the Queen herself!" the lady took a breath to calm her amusement down. "You are worth less than scum, Mr. Woodley. You should be thankful that Earl Ciel Phantomhive and Duchess Katrina Raymond invited you to such an esteemed party. Instead, you go around, complaining about a little setback, like the ridiculous little thing that you are. How very pitiful of you."

The more she taunted him, the more wrathful Mr. Woodley became. He rose one of those large fists with had all fingers adorned with diamond rings, ready to strike the girl. "DON'T YOU DARE HUMILIATE ME!" though the girl remained unmoving, the idiot was sent flying in the opposite direction rather comically. Lau was by her side, raising up to his feet, as he fixed the hem of her beautiful long dress, and tied up the laces of her boots. 

"Pretty Fox Fairy, don't you know it's dangerous to walk around with unlaced shoes? What if you trip and fall? We can't have anything happening to our precious Magnolia beauty, can we?" the Chinese man smiled like the snake that he is, picking her hand in his own and guiding her to the couch next to Ran Mao.

"I suppose I'll be expecting a dragon to come rescue me." the man hummed in amusement at her metaphor - To think that Lau could move so fast and perform such a flawless martial arts technique to redirect the atrocious man away from her - Very intriguing indeed.

"Mr. Woodley. I trust you'll follow my instructions from now on." Ciel looked down harshly at the man on the ground.

Ciel redirected the conversation once again to the murder spree, and suggested having the doctor as the one to lead the investigation, as he was the only one with a pristine alibi. The boy was smiling like a devilish imp - He, like all the others belonging to the underground, was dearly enjoying this game of death.

Arthur suggested looking for the key only Sebastian had, and thus, Katrina followed him and Charles to the cellars, guided by Bard and Finny. "With how eerie this place is, I wouldn't be surprised to see a ghost." the doctor joked, only for the lady to feel something strongly coiling around her arm. Charles Grey started whining as he wrapped himself around her.

"D-Don't say that! There's no such thing as ghosts - I only believe in stuff you can kill with a sword." the young man scoffed pitifully.

"Is that so? If that is the case, why are you trembling like a leaf in the wind, you little white weasel?" Kat smirked at him tauntingly. At once, Charles let go of her with a short wail after being made fun of so shamelessly. "I simply thought you might be scared, so I went out of my way to--!" but Bard's voice, from the bottom of the stairs, indicated they were close. Although Charles still continued to cling desperately on the lady, they went by the corpses nonetheless.

Though not without a little interference from the poor, emotional Finny, they started investigating the butler's body as much as they could. The doctor unfortunately mentioned being difficult to remove his clothes because of the rigor mortis, which only made the girl internally pout - Still, they unbuttoned his shirt to search for the key, but they found nothing - Except for a very attractive, cold and naked body, and Katrina was rather happy at least with this outcome, though she hoped 'investigating' the wound was enough of a reason not to look like a freak for touching a dead body so sensually.

Allowing the doctor to button up the dead butler's shirt, they went up to his bedroom to check, only to... Find that, although he barely owned any personal object, the wardrobe was... Overfilling with cats. Katrina couldn't help herself, and she laughed so hard, especially watching poor Ciel sneeze copiously, as he was highly allergic to felines. Without the key though, there was little they could do. Even though Arthur suggested having everyone's belongings checked, they found nothing. Lau noted the culprit might have tossed the key outside, making the servants rush out into the pouring rain. It was really rather hilarious, but also very adorable, how devoted and emotional those three were - All of them, so precious and wholesome. Ciel was truly lucky to have such loyal servants to care for him.

With everyone back in the drawing room, the atmosphere felt tense, a graveyard silence taking over them, only to be broken by Grimsby who wanted to return to his room, as he had a deadline for his script. Some exposed their concerns for one member of the group walking all alone in the midst of danger, while others exposed the possibility of a third party somehow hiding in the manor.

"What if there's a fourteenth person, who should make the impossible possible?" Lau the snake slithered.

"Ridiculous! Someone like that could never exist!" Woodley scoffed at the idea.

"Never? To this world, it's the idea of 'never' that can never be." the Chinese man so philosophically spoke. "If someone who could overturn the impossible is hiding in this estate, waiting patiently to pick us off, they may already be at out door."

"I'm telling you, there's no way such an outlandish person could--" as if on cue, the door was kicked open, revealing Bard and Finny claiming to have captured a most suspicious individual. The trio pushed forth a man, tied up with rope. Whilst everyone's attention was captured by the man, Katrina stole a glance at the young Earl, not even hiding her knowing smirk. "Wha-?! He really does exist?! Where the hell was he--" Charles gasped out in revolt, watching the man soaked from rain water.

Lau smirked, taking a long drag from his pipe before getting to his feet. "To think our fourteenth man would appear of his own accord... I'm a little shocked myself." he walked shamelessly to the captured man, placing his hand on his shoulder. "So, who are you?" as anti-climatic as always.

"My name?" of course, not even 'Sebastian' was his real name, but one forged and given to him by his master. There was no way even in this form, he would be coming up with an identity for himself.

"It's been a long time, Jeremy." Ciel quickly came up with a name.

"Earl, do you know this old guy?" the slithery man asked.

"Old guy?" the new man threw a shady look to the Chinese man - It only made Kat try so hard to stifle her chuckle.

"This man is the reverend Jeremy Rathborne." once again, hearing Ciel give a demon the identity of a priest, made the lady take in a sharp inhale to control herself. "He's a popular adviser for the local church, and something of a celebrity." she doubted things could get any funnier.

"Well then, everyone, please call me Jeremy." yes, they could get funnier.

Being the most suspicious of the bunch, Woodley started accusing the priest of being the killer, only for him to prove his titanium-solid alibi, revealing the poor, captured owl and making the Earl read the contents of the letter. Kat quickly went by his side only to see the slip of paper was completely blank. Irked, yet still playing a brilliant part in this game, Ciel scrunched the paper up in his fist. "Sebastian foresaw his murder, so he sent this letter to Jeremy." he was quick to come up with ideas. From the pocket of his coat, Finny retriever a theater ticket for Lyceum Theater for the Lady of the Lake, and Irene could verify that alibi. When it came to explaining how he arrived by carriage, as Bard mentioned there was no way one would be able to resist the drive to the manor, the priest became elusive, gaslighting and beginning to read to filth some of the members of the group, including the author.

With Jeremy now leading the investigation, he suggested to divide the bodies into three different room to be investigated again; Though funny enough, with how soaked his outfit is, Ciel suggested to have the dead butler's clothes for a fit of change. Absolutely hilarious. "I'd like you to show me the bodies in the order that they were killed." the reverend declared confidently. Of course, Charles Grey wanted to join also, what a menace - So, Kat also, had to be there! Two can play the annoying game, Queen's Butler.

Jeremy examined Siemens' body, noting the only eternal trauma is the wound on his chest, a single stab with a sharp-edged blade. He also pointed out he was a violent drinker, based on the scratches around the winding keyhole of his very expensive pocket watch, and the strong scent of alcohol. Out of nowhere, he mentioned feeling the faint smell of the sea, and he stuffed his handkerchief inside the deceased's mouth, only to move on to the next body without any explanation. "Mr. Revered, you are more a hunting dog than a man of faith." the red head chuckled playfully, coyly hiding her smirk behind a fan.

"My Lady, your compliment is much appreciated." he nodded his head at her, which only amused her further.

For Phelps, the doctor explained his theory of an injected poison based on the way the double punctured wound looked, to which the priest said he wanted to see the room he died in. Whilst the young ones were walking up the stairs, they noticed Jeremy wasn't following - He was having a hard time climbing the stairs, and sweating. It took a lot out of the lady not to laugh at Sebastian's ridiculous and ironic facade. Upon seeing the room of the deceased, Jeremy came up with a rather conspicuous and secretive plan, to which he needed the Earl's cooperation. The plan of catching Phelps' multiple killer was going to unfold that night.

For Sebastian's body however, Ciel had to do quite the hilarious scene, pretending to be so deeply affected by his butlers gruesome death whilst Jeremy finished examining the body. Of course, just a little after they left, Troublesome Charles had to go out of his way and rush and check Sebastian's body again, clearing up his suspicions. That stupid little white ferret will never find out the truth with his simple-minded approach.

As Jeremy was helping out the kitchens with finding what to cook, Kat kept on the couch next to Lau, with Ran Mao on his other side. "Tell me something, Lau." Kat said, leaning back on his arm. "Anything you want."

"How vague, little flower!" he mused, taking a drag of his pipe. "But I think I know a story that might interest you." he let out a puff up towards the sky. "Are the British acquainted with the story of Mulan?"

"I don't quite think anyone is knowledgeable in Eastern stories in general." she looked at him with interest, jade-like eyes glimmering.

"There was a woman, long ago, and her name was Mu Lan Hua." Lau began, one of his hands reaching for Katrina's shoulder, his fingertips softly tracing the flowers embroidered into her silk.

"Magnolia Flower, was her name, and she dressed in the prettiest pink of those times. A young lady, pure and noble, as her name suggests." he hummed, before his hand gently lifted her chin up. "And just as beautiful." his smile grew faintly, before taking his hand away from her skin. "When the huns attacked, her father was called to war - But he was old, sickly and crippled, and had no sons old enough to take his place. Seeing her father struggling to move, even with a cane, and with hair more grey than black as ink, she disguised herself as a man for twelve whole years, and took his place."

"Really? Is there truly such a story? Is it real?" Kat's interest was piqued, just as anticipated.

Lau grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Shéi zhīdào ne?" indeed, who could know the validity behind folk stories. "It's not unheard of anyway. We had a woman Emperor, and a woman Legendary Xiaolin Martial Artist, an astronomical genius, pirates, and even a young lady of barely 13 years old who was a tactician like no other and managed to destroy a siege led on her castle. Who's to say the story of Mulan isn't also true?"

"So, what happened to Mulan after the war?" Kat asked, watching the pensive look on Lau's face.

"Depends on who you ask, you see. That is the beauty of folk stories and songs, I suppose. This story was originally a ballad, after all, and it ended with Mulan going home to her parents and siblings and returning to her normal life as a woman. Her old brothers in arms went to visit her and were shocked that not even once, in twelve years, did they even think that Mulan could be a woman." he chuckled lowly. "Most people tell the gender of a rabbit by its movement,/ The male runs quickly, while the female often keeps her eyes shut./ But when the two rabbits run side by side,/ Can you really discern whether I am a he or a she?"

"That's so wise of her to say!" the girl was mesmerised by the story. "I really like Mulan! I wish I could be as great as she was!"

"Hao!" Lau chuckled light-heartedly. "Most stories have a tragic and depressing ending, you see. I was never a fan of that, so I picked up only the more merrier stories." he looked at Katrina from the corners of his dark eyes. "After all, others claim Mulan had to end her own life, to avoid being forced to join the Emperor's harem... Or... That once returned home, her father was already long dead."

Kat's smile fell, and she remained silent for a while, before scoffing. "There is beauty in tragedy, but no tragedy in beauty - Likewise, there is joy in sorrow, though no sorrow in joy." she spoke dryly. "I hate sad stories. Isn't real life tragic enough as it is? Why must we suffer over things that are supposed to make us happy? I know that art of all kinds is supposed to stir emotions into us - But that's a fine line that leads to the downward spiral of masochism." such a bitter comment only made the Chinese man laugh copiously - Surely, such a comment would have made the roof of

Undertaker's parlor jump from his laughter.

"That is because you are beautiful, little fox." this comment made Kat look at him with deep confusion.

"Being born beautiful guarantees a sorrowful life, you mean? Is that your theory? If so, you would be wallowing and wailing with no rest." she countered him with a coquettish side smile.

"A beauty that made the fish forget how to swim. A beauty that made the birds fall from the sky, too mesmerised by her beauty to remember how to fly. A beauty more beautiful than the radiant moon. A beauty that put all flowers to shame." the man hummed, playing idly with the pipe. "The Four Beauties of China. All of them, perishing tragically at a young age, to the hands of selfish men who yearned for their affections." he continued. "One drown, another strangled, one forced upon and executed, and one taken as a child, neglected, forgotten, and sent off to the nomads, far away from home."

"Are you trying to imply that I, too, am going to die soon and rather tragically?" she spoke in a soft voice - If only he knew the death described to her in that damned book of Reapers.

"Wǒ zhīdào shénme?" he chuckled obliviously, patting her head as if they hadn't just had a creepy and deep conversation just a few seconds prior. "We aren't in times of war anymore!" he exclaimed once again, taking another drag of opium. "Mou mantai, Huxian. After all, you've got enough people treasuring your safety."

"You included, then?" Kat forced the note with a sultry smile, settling closer to his side. She didn't receive a verbal answer, though the way that enigmatic smile tugged at the corners of his smile spoke enough.

With the hours passing, it was already time for dinner, and surprisingly, they ate plenty... Especially Charles and his over thirty finished plates. What a gluttony monster. "Well then, now that we're all full, why don't you finally let us in on the truth of these incident?" Lau asked the revered, playing idly with his napkin.

"Let's not be hasty now. There are still some things I want to prepare before that." Jeremy politely wiped his mouth. "Will you lend me your assistance, Earl?" Ciel agreed. "Take off your clothes." Ciel's food fell from his fork from the shock, and his loud scream of disdain must have been even heard by the Queen herself.

Though the plan remained vague, Ran Mao dressed in Ciel's coat and pretended to sleep in his bed to attracted the killer while the others pertaining in this game were hiding in the darkness. At Jeremy's command, the lady kicked off the blanket and Charles rushed to kill the culprit - Only for the reverend to parry his sword with an ash shovel. With the killer snake caught and knotted well, Jeremy showed the animal to all the others to see, explaining the situation - The Black Mamba's venom could kill someone in the course of an hour or less. No doubt, this snake was smuggled from Africa - And the only person capable of doing that was clearly Mr. Woodley, who did business in Africa.

"N-No, it wasn't me! Trading is Kunlun's thing, isn't it?!" Woodley tried to incriminate the Chinese man.

"Aww, too bad! We don't do business with any African companies." Lau smiled simply. 

"Well, it really is a bit much to be deciding the killed based on the snake being from Africa alone." Charles pointed out.

"Th-That's right! And what about when Siemens was killed? I have an alibi!" Woodley cried out in despair.

"What if that alibi might not be worth all that much?" Jeremy smirked knowingly. "What if the corpse the butler and the others found wasn't a corpse?"

"Are you saying he wasn't dead when we found him, but was killed definitely later on?" Kat asked, pondering. "Did he take some kind of medicine to reduce his vital signs so much that we couldn't pick up even on his pulse?"

"Correct! A potion similar to that which Juliet drank in Romeo and Juliet - To induce one in a state of apparent death, but come back to life later on." Jeremy exclaimed. 

"Wait - Are you talking about Tetrodotoxin?" Kat gasped, remembering the latest discovery taught in the seminary at Weston.

"Isn't that the poison from puffer fish and octopi?" the doctor looked between the woman and the revered.

"Exactly so!" Jeremy brought his hands together. "Do you recall me mentioning feeling the scent of the sea? Perhaps that was the scent of a poison made using puffer fish - Though I wonder, why would the scent of poison come from someone supposedly stabbed?"

"So it was a set up?" Ciel, garbed only in Sebastian's large coat which engulfed him wholly, concluded.

"Yes, indeed, he himself drank the poison, got rid of the bottle and pretended to be dead - Thus, it wouldn't matter what room he was put in. He must have figured no person with specific medical knowledge would examine the wound too closely, so he could get away with it. Temporarily, at least." Jeremy continued. "But when I examined him, he was stabbed."

"So what was meant to be a fake, turned out to be a real murder? Doesn't it seem like a trap for the Earl?" Lau spoke out.

Jeremy and Sebastian continued speculating about Lord Siemens possibly having an acquaintance that he wanted to scare with this fake death, and that anyone could have killed him - Siemens was, after all, quite an awful man. And the bottle could have easily been tossed in the fire - There was a ridiculous amount of wood in the fire, after all - But Sebastian was there, and before Siemens or his accomplice could retrieve the bottle from the ashes, the butler found out the truth, thus, he had to be eliminated. 

They went to look for glass shards in the hearth, and true enough, with Grimsby looking into the ashes, he found multiple small shards of glass, which Jeremy masterfully put back like a puzzle without a picture, showing off the ampule as it originally was. "To want to trap a child... Why on Earth would you do that...?" the doctor's voice was filled with disappointment. "Humans are greedy creatures, dear doctor. You are speaking to the man showing off his wealth. He wanted diamonds and riches, of course." Katrina huffed arrogantly as Ciel explained the top secret plan related to the Jewellery industry and how Woodley could benefit only from Mr. Rose's and Ciel's death and their own project failing.

"That's why you thought you'd kill me now, right? It was a careless thought anyway." Ciel glared at the businessman.

"I didn't do it! Please, believe me! I'm being set up here by these kid and that wench! The Queen's...--"

"Shut up." like an angel of death, Charles was right behind Woodley, his sword at his throat. "I don't need your explanations. I'll listen to your stories in jail. If you don't want to be killed, I suggest you be quiet, I'm in a really bad mood right now." Grey threatened the man with a hiss. 

"Earl Grey, I have quite a fitting item here. How about we use it?" with a smirk, Ciel threw him the chains to bind the criminal, leading them away.

With the crimes concluded, Jeremy suggested using the potion Mey-Rin found in Irene's room, a potion of beauty and youth, which can also restore fatigue, which he toasted to everyone. "To celebrate solving the crime - A toast!" they all rose their glasses.

And thus, with morning taking over, the skies cleared as though the events of the previous night hadn't happened at all, and everyone could return back home. With Ciel and Jeremy bidding everyone farewell, Katrina looked back, a little conflicted. She looked back at the one taking the identity of a hellish reverend. She looked into his eyes, seeing how his own bore deep into her soul. He wasn't pleased with her getting so close to the Chinese man.  Should she stay for another night? Should she return to the Undertaker? Or, perhaps, should she spend some time learning some more about Lau's culture?  It was a though choice to make, but that choice became evident immediately, as Ran Mao tugged gently on her sleeve, urging her to come with them back home, and Lau's encouraging, leisurely smile inciting her. Katrina's confusion and worry was washed away, and she let the woman cling onto her arm and drag her to the carriage, away from the Mansion of Earl Phantomhive, and his Hellish butler.

Through the ride, Katrina grinned like a happy little fox being spoiled by the Fox Man, telling him what truly happened during this mess of a banquet, who the real killer was, and how it wasn't Woodley, but Grey who killed Sebastian - And Kat also, who would pierce him a second time, oh so ruthlessly. How Siemens was alive, and Grey killed him in the basement. All the preparations that Sebastian made to give place to the perfect entrance to Jeremy who, mind you, was just the butler in disguise, just as Lau also suspected. He got such a good laugh out of all this story! Truly, the Young Earl and his butler were fantastic entertainers!

Even I feel quite some pain when being stabbed, Sebastian admitted with such a pitiful face when Katrina ruthlessly stabbed him - That was such a lovely sight that night, it almost turned her on big time. Not only that, but Ciel also mercilessly hit him with no remorse. But now, with his freedom given, Sebastian could do everything he needed to resolve this mess - And shamelessly pet some cute kitties, of course. Still, he almost felt humiliated by having to show some humans, and especially that nasty vixen, a most unsightly appearance. And that play was rather lovely also, though he couldn't watch more than two whole minutes of it, due to his packed schedule. And there also was nothing written in the letter attached to the owl's leg! How devilish! 

So was the Queen's wish, after all. To get rid of Siemens and Woodley, and for good reason. Of course, Katrina was there to help Undertaker gather the information on Woodley and the murders he committed. To think that Sebastian would be in such a mood that he'd show off his true form to a human that wasn't his little vixen, but the doctor, and playing around with him like a cat would with his prey, only to let him go - My, my, he needed some catching up to do. Having that little lady so close, yet so far, and being so evidently teased like that - What a naughty little vixen. 

He must prepare for a most grandiose and fitting welcome for when Lady Katrina returns into his vicious grasp of sin.

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[edenityy]

( chapter ten ! )

"So it's time for the big showdown, eh?"

Inside a large, greenhouse-like building holds the curry fair, and many visitors fill the place to watch the competition. Ciel, Leah, Anna, Sebastian, and the rest of the Phantomhive servants all show up in attendance to see the results of the winner, some more excited than others. Just as the betrothed pair shuffle inside, they are greeted by Lau sitting on a platform, an arm wrapped around Ran Mao who sits between his legs.

"You brought one of your girls even though you would be in front of clients?" Ciel cocks a brow, observing the display.

Pulling her eyes away from an elephant a few feet away from them, Leah's eyes sparkle when she finally notices Ran Mao. "Ran Mao! I didn't think you would be here!" she detaches herself from Ciel's side to wander over to the Chinese woman.

"This is the Ran Mao you speak about?!" Staring in shock, Ciel watches his fiancé who seems ecstatic to see the woman.

"Of course it is.. I met her through Lau, what else could you expect?" Leah tilts her head, standing tall in her pistachio green dress decorated in cute ruffles and bows. A cute headband sits atop her head as well, accentuating her brunette hair which is done half up as usual.

Lau pokes a finger into Ran Mao's cheek, making a small indent. "Ran Mao is my little sister, even though we are not related by blood. Ain't she cute!" he drops his fingers and moves his head back, "I heard that during the contest they would serve curry to the audience, so I figured I could treat this girl."

Rolling his eyes in disinterest, Ciel takes Leah's wrist and moves her along with him as he begins to walk away. Sebastian and Anna stay a short distance behind them but only manage to get so far before Lau catches back up to bother the young Phantomhive.

"So the Prince's butler is really serious?" he asks, bending his body to the side.

Shifting his eye away from the Chinese man, Ciel focuses on the bottom of Leah's dress skirt. "He betrayed the master he regards as a God. Of course, he is serious." Ciel's tone drags.

"It's safe to assume that this is all for the Prince. He was probably told that once the plan is complete, the girl will be returned to them.." Lau recalls what they had seen a couple of nights before, "If so, it sounds like a lie to me."

"Well.. Should we succeed, letting Agni go after obtaining the royal warrant would possibly mean the leaking of his deeds," Ciel closes his eyes, tilting his head down as he walks. "If I was West—"

Lau interrupts the earl's sentence, "You would have him killed?"

"You really think it would be worth killing someone over?!" Ciel sighs in disdain.

"I'd do it if it was me," Shrugs Lau, flashing an ironic smile.

Previously occupied by the decorations around the building, Leah stops looking around in wonder to pay attention to the conversation. "I would appreciate it if you didn't speak about murder on such a wonderful day.." she appears disinterested, almost scolding the boys.

A chuckle leaves Lau, "Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I forgot we have a Lady in attendance."

"That is.. oh my.. if it isn't Earl Phantomhive!"

The group turns around at the sudden voice, only to see Harold West approaching them, removing his hat to place it under his arm.

"Ah.. Lord West." Ciel acknowledges.

Harold smiles brightly at the sight of the younger earl, "Long time no see! It hasn't been since last year's social events if I recall correctly?" his eyes trail off to Leah who stands next to Ciel. "And who is this beautiful young lady?"

"It is an honor to meet you again," Ciel turns his head in disinterest. "This is my fiancé."

Forcing a small smile, Leah gives little effort to bow her head towards the man. "Leah Barrett, daughter of Marquess Barrett."

"Ah, I knew you looked familiar!" Harold's eyes widen in surprise before shifting back to Ciel. "You never change, always wearing a well-tailored coat. So what brand does someone of the Earl's status wear?"

"My butler picks out all my clothing. I don't care at all about brands," Ciel releases a breath, slightly bringing his arm away from his side.

Harold chuckles, "Ha! You never change!" There's a small silence, "Come to think of it, isn't your group competing in this contest?"

Looking past Harold at nothing in particular, Ciel nods. "Yes, I'm considering expanding my business into the food industry."

"I was rather surprised to learn that you would enter. Did you go on a hunt for a talented chef?" Harold asks, not noticing Soma who is spying from behind a tree. "My company can not lose! We have hired a curry specialist."

Ciel barely makes an effort to appear interested, "That so.."

"Between you and I, some spies broke into my home," Harold whispers, recalling Sebastian wearing the deer head. "It was terrible. One of my Galle lamps was broken along with a chess set I got at general trading."

The blonde man shivers, "It scares me to even think of it. Luckily the secrets of the curry were kept safe. I get the shivers knowing that the criminal may even be here." Somehow Harold doesn't realize Ciel and Sebastian's bad attempts at hiding a guilty smile. "Enough about that, I heard that the Queen might be attending the curry show?"

Ciel stares at Lord West rubbing his gloved hands together, "And?"

"Well since King Albert passed away, Her Majesty doesn't appear in public so often. I'd like her to taste the curry we are so proud of in front of the audience before I receive the royal warrant," Harold releases a breath of air, only being met with silence from Ciel and Leah. "Oh. This chat has gone on a bit long. I will see you later."

"Before you receive the royal warrant, eh?" Ciel raises a brow.

Placing a hand on her fiancé's shoulder, Leah giggles quietly. "He sure is confident!"

Ciel looks over at Leah and smirks, "I can't wait to see his face when he realizes he has lost."

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian says. "Then I will head to the competitor's room and wait."

Shortly after, the competition is set to begin as a man stands on a stage. "We have now come to the highlight of 'The Empire Governed Indian Culture and Prosperity Exhibition'. With participants from famous curry houses throughout London, let the curry show begin!"

"We have prepared a special curry for the guests who are present. Please wait in anticipation!"

With those words, the crowd erupts in applause.

"Now, today's judges are.."

An older man with a light, shaggy beard and mustache stands on the stage. "A palace chef who will not allow any compromises in taste, Chef Higharm."

Next to him is a man with darker hair and a rounder face, small glasses sitting upon his nose bridge. "A tax collector currently serving in India, Mr. Carter."

"And.." Aleister steps out onto the stage, running a hand through his hair. "Viscount Druitt, who has a great love of the arts and food!"

Women in the crowd make remarks about his looks while Ciel fights back a scream in surprise.

Tilting her head, Leah recognizes the blonde man after a moment of observing. "Oh. I went to his ball at the end of the social season!"

"Eh? Wasn't he arrested by the yard?" Lau questions, hand over his forehead to block the light in hopes of getting a better view.

Ciel stares in contempt, nearly beginning to glare. "He probably bribed his way out. How corrupt.."

The competition goes on as planned, a strong showdown between Agni and Sebastian to create the best curry. It's a head-to-head battle, the crowd reacting to the way they curate their food before the curries are opened up to the audience while the judges discuss who shall win.

Ciel and Leah don't stray far from their spots in the crowd, the boy standing quietly while the brunette chats animatedly with Ran Mao. This spans over ten minutes before the judges return to the stage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," The man announces, holding a trophy in his hand. "After much discussion, the winner of this curry show is.."

Everyone stares in anticipation, wondering if their efforts paid off.

"Harold West Company and Funtom Company! A tie!" As the man raises the trophy above his head, a whip takes it away and into the hand of a man wearing shades.

"Please wait."

A prolonged silence sits over the building, wondering what could be worth the interruption. It's not until Queen Victoria parades in on a horse do people understand who the intruder is.

Bardroy, Soma, and Leah all stare in confusion. "Who's the funky old gran?!" Bardroy questions, pushing his hat up.

Recognizing the face, Ciel pulls himself away from Leah to dash over to Queen Victoria. "Your Majesty! Why have you come here?!"

"Hello everyone," Queen Victoria smiles, placing her shades on her forehead.

"Her Majesty the Queen?!" Shouts sound from all corners of Crystal Palace.

Leah gives a nod in understanding, "That makes sense, I suppose. My mother is always talking about her, which bores my father immensely." her words earn a small chuckle from Bardroy.

"It seems the Queen has something to say," Speaks Queen Victoria's assistant, John, on the ground with a hoove on his head.

"This curry show was indeed exciting. The fragrance permeating throughout the entire room reminds me of a time I had a curry with Albert on White Island," Queen Victoria is helped down from her horse and takes a look at a watch, Albert's portrait sitting at the top. "Oh, Albert.." she cries, falling to her knees as the attendants give her strange looks.

John retrieves a doll made to look like Albert, using it to speak and being entirely serious. "I want to eat this curry with you also!"

"Her Majesty seems like quite the complex character," Lau comments.

Leah raises a brow, "She acts deranged."

The Phantomhive stares in disapproval and annoyance at their words, "Don't talk like that."

"As I received an invitation to be a judge in this contest, I have one vote don't I?" The Queen uses a handkerchief to dry the tears pricking her eyes.

On the sidelines, John still uses the puppet. "Your Majesty, Albert has always been by your side." He whispers.

Leah stares incredulously, "Is he serious?"

Placing a hand over his fiancé's mouth, Ciel shushes her as Queen Victoria announces her pick.

"I have chosen.." The Queen pauses before approaching Sebastian with the trophy. "Funtom Company's butler, Sebastian. This is for you."

Harold West and Agni both stare in shock, "Wh—Why? How can the curry we made lose to a doughnut stuffed with curry?" Harold questions.

"Please look over there," Victoria points to numerous children happily enjoying the curry buns, Finnian as well. "Do you see? Funtom's curry requires no utensils and can be consumed by anyone. Yes, that is right, this is a method that takes even children into account. Everyone is happy, the rich, the poor, the adults, the children. Everyone is equal. This kind of idea is essential for Great Britain as it heads into a new century. I highly approve of the Funtom Company's accounting for our future, the children."

Leah deadpans. "It really isn't that serious."

"Thus, the victor is the Funtom Company!" Queen Victoria announces.

Harold falls to his knees, deeply upset by this information. On the other hand, Ciel and Leah celebrate silent victory, going off to taste the curry buns with Finnian who seems all too happy to be around the young Barrett.

Crumbs around his mouth, Finnian's face flushes when Leah gladly takes a bun from the gardener's hand. "It's good isn't it?" he asks, smiling brightly.

Leah takes a bite, chewing softly before shrugging. "Better than I thought it would be."

All goes smoothly, despite Agni and Harold's disappointment in their loss, until a certain woman makes her entrance to comfort the blonde man.

"Mina?!"

Everyone previously involved with the prince turns at his voice, noticing an Indian woman who is undoubtedly the Mina he has been searching for.

Standing beside Ran Mao quietly chewing on a curry bun, Leah tilts her head to get a better look at the woman. "Hmm.. Soma's drawing didn't do her much justice, she's a lot prettier in person." Lau nods in agreement.

"Prince.. Soma?" Mina asks.

Soma's cheeks flush in wonder and dives in to hold the woman in his arms, "I finally found you! Mina! I've been looking for you! For a very long time! You must have been so worried when you were kidnapped to England! I finally.. finally found you." Soma pulls away from the hug. "You don't have to worry anymore. Let's go home together!"

"Prince.." Mina's face contorts into one of disgust, "Are you some kind of idiot?"

Soma's face pales, "Eh?"

"Who the hell do you think you are, coming this far, just to get in people's way?!" Mina yells. "Come home with you? Don't make me laugh! Who'd want to come home to a place like that?"

"Drama.." Leah comments as she watches Mina complain about her life back in India, getting a nudge from Ciel in return before turning to her faithful maid. "Do you feel that way, Anna?"

A warm flush coats Anna's cheeks in embarrassment, "Of course not, Mistress! It's an honor to serve you.."

"Well, you don't have to lie.." Murmurs the Barrett.

The issue is thankfully resolved, reuniting Agni and Soma, and leaving Mina to live a peaceful life in England.

"It seems like somehow everything's ended up for the best, wouldn't you say? Isn't that good, boy?" Queen Victoria asks, directly a smile at the infamous Phantomhive.

The Phantomhive servants, Lau, Ran Mao, and Leah all stare in surprise at the nickname. "Boy..?"

"Your Majesty, I've humbly asked you to stop referring to me that way.." Ciel's face flushes, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Queen Victoria giggles, "Is that so? But you'll always be that cute little boy to me."

"Boy? Perhaps I should start using that one," Wonders Leah, looking for new ways to tease her fiancé.

This earns a small glare from Ciel as he clears his throat, "Your Majesty, why did you come all the way out here today?"

"I was at St. Sophia University's choir concert, but when I heard that your company was coming to the curry fair, I had to coke and see you. You only ever send letters and never come to visit, after all." The Queen smiles up at the boy.

Ciel fiddles with his hat and casts his gaze to the side, "Someone like me shouldn't be around Your Majesty very often."

"Dramatics.." Leah comments to which Lau promptly covers her head to keep her from talking.

"Please don't say such things. You're so young, but you already perform your duty so seriously, just like your father, Vincent." Queen Victoria places a hand on Ciel's cheek. "Besides that, it's been such a long time since I came to the Crystal Palace. It seems like just yesterday that Albert and I would come here for the opening ceremonies.."

Beneath a cloth, Leah speaks up once again. "Ciel isn't that young, he's getting quite old." she says, making Anna push her aside.

"Albert!" Queen Victoria falls to her knees once again.

John, ever so serious, pulls out the puppet of Albert, "I wish you were here today too~"

The night comes to a close with plenty of congratulations — and tears from Soma.

"How long are you going to keep crying?! You said you were twenty-one? Act like it.." Ciel complains as he goes to pull a handkerchief from his coat pocket, only to see a sealed envelope. "This is.. When did?!"

"Ah, the Queen's servants put it there earlier." Sebastian glances over.

Ciel whips his head around in annoyance, "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"You didn't ask," Smiles the butler in black.

Happily skipping over to her fiancé, she peers over his shoulder to notice him open the envelope and reveal three tickets.

"Couldn't it be a Christmas present?" Sebastian smirks. "For a little boy."

Ciel turns his head and sharply glares at Sebastian who stands a few feet behind Leah, "I'll kill you." Handing the envelope over to his butler, he starts to walk with his fiancé following in step. "..I'm tired. I want to go home and have some tea."

"Oh.. Is it time for me to go home now?" Pouts Leah, having relatively enjoyed her day at the curry competition.

"Yes. You've spent so much time at my townhouse, I'm worried your father will try to kill me. Surely he wants you home?" Ciel allows Leah to place her hand in his, though makes no move to tighten his grip. "By the way, what kind of tickets are those?" he asks Sebastian.

Opening the envelope once again, Sebastian looks down as he completely pulls out the three tickets to get a better look. "Let's see.." he says. "They're.. for the circus."

The tickets read Noah's Ark Circus in bold and decorative letters.

Leaving the Crystal Palace with Ciel by her side and Anna in her shadow, Leah raises a brow at the mention.

"Circus? Those are dreadfully boring.."

[sebstanaddict]

Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

Bad luck has fallen at her again and she lost her chance to be Sebastian Stan's personal assistant. But Sebastian being the nice man that he is offered reader a chance to become his girlfriend's personal assistant instead. Will she accept the job? More importantly, will his girlfriend hire her?

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 5/20 (Might add more)

Chapter List >

Warning : a slight animal abuse

Word count : 7.9k words

This story is inspired loosely by Sebastian's love life so it will have characters from his real life but I will not name their real names. I will only use Sebastian's real name in the story.

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Chapter 5 - Aurora

13320 Mulholland Drive, LA, California

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Aurora Watson was everything that Y/n wasn't. Everything about her was 180 degrees so different from Y/n, from her physical features, her family background, her occupation, down to her dating history.

Aurora was an actress, model and influencer. She had been acting since she was a teenager and had a somewhat successful acting career. She once had a part in a critically acclaimed criminal drama and made her name known mostly from that show. Over the years however she had expanded her career into more of modeling and being brand ambassadors rather than being an actress. Using her Instagram presence, which had more than 5 million followers, she had built a career out of becoming influencers and promoting fashion and beauty products on her account.

The list of actors and celebrities she had dated over the years was enough to make a woman's heart filled with envy. A rock star, Hollywood A listers, a sports star, rich CEOs, she had dated all types of successful and handsome men. 

As if that wasn't enough, she was also born into a rich family. She was the only child of one of the richest hedge fund managers, entrepreneurs and investors in the US, Richard Watson. Y/n couldn't help but feel intimidated by her.

Y/n continued to stare at Aurora as she went down the stairs. Her long smooth blonde hair flowed behind her back. The silver dress shimmered as she moved, accentuating her slim figure. Her pointed nose turned upward. Her red painted full lips could even be seen from down below. And she was sure she could see her sparkling blue eyes that seemed to enchant anyone who sees them.

Aurora went down the staircase slowly, taking one step at a time. It felt like watching a movie in slow motion. It seemed she was wearing ten inch high heels and that was why she moved so slowly. It was clear that she tried to be elegant coming down the stairs, but instead she looked like an old lady going slowly down the stairs, afraid of falling down as her hand held onto the railing tightly.

Behind her three people followed her. A woman with glasses and long wavy brunette hair, a short Chinese man with jet black hair pulled up into a ponytail, and a man with glasses and short blonde hair styled in a high fade buzz cut. They all followed Aurora down the stairs and moved as slow as she was.

The sight was somewhat comical and Y/n tried hard not to laugh. She covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile her mouth involuntarily formed.

She glanced at Sebastian and found him glancing at her and giving her a side smile, as if telling her he knew how funny the sight was.

"Hey Aurora. Sorry if we're a bit late. I literally ran into Y/n with my car earlier." Sebastian said as he turned to look at Aurora.

"What?! You hit her with your car?!" Aurora's eyes widened as she finally arrived downstairs and gave Sebastian a brief hug and kisses on both his cheeks, to which Sebastian seemed uncomfortable with, which confused Y/n.

"Yeah, I did. She was crossing the road on a sharp bend so I didn't see her." Sebastian explained, stepping back from her.

"Oh wow. I hope you're okay?" Aurora turned to look at her and stared at her, her eyes judging her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for asking Aurora. I'm Y/n, by the way." She smiled and extended her hand.

Aurora took her hand and shook it as she looked at her with a condescending look, making her smile vanish into thin air. Aurora released her hand quickly and wiped it on her dress as if she just made contact with a filthy homeless person. She immediately felt dislike towards her.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Aurora said and smiled at her though she could clearly see the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Aurora darling, I'm sorry but we don't have much time. Can we do the shoot now?" The man with the short blonde hair suddenly chimed in.

"Oh yes, of course Leo. Come. Let's do the shoot by the pool." Aurora said, turning to look at the blonde man and smiled wide at him. She beckoned for all three of them to walk first and they headed towards the living room where there was a door leading to the back patio.

"Aurora.. I thought we were supposed to have a meeting." Sebastian pulled Aurora back by her arm and said to her in a low voice but Y/n could still hear it.

"Yeah, I know. But I have to do this shoot for Amore first and then we'll have the meeting. It won't take long. I promise." She said as she flashed him a bright smile.

"Well.. okay. I wish you would have told me though about the shoot. If you told me, Y/n probably wouldn't get hit by me." He protested.

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked in confusion.

"Her car broke down and she ran from where it broke down to about a mile from here so she wouldn't be late. If you told me about the shoot I would've asked her to come later and she could've taken a taxi or an Uber or something instead of running all the way here." He explained.

"Well, I'm sorry but I thought you could just wait for a bit. The shoot won't take long anyway." She defended herself.

"Yeah yeah, I just wish you would've been more empathetic." He grumbled.

"Seb.. I don't need this right now. I have a photoshoot to do. We'll talk about this later." She said sternly and she turned around, whipping her hair behind her and stormed off towards the back patio where the photographer and the three people she was with were already waiting. 

"I'm sorry you have to witness that, and I'm sorry that you have to wait." Sebastian said as he turned to look at her.

"It's okay, Sebastian. I can wait. It's no big deal. I don't have anything else to do today anyway." She smiled and he smiled back.

"Okay. While we wait, maybe I can give you a little tour of the house. As Aurora's PA you will spend a lot of time here so it's a good idea to get you more familiar with the place." He said and she nodded.

Sebastian took her to the living rooms first. Yes, the house had three living rooms and five fireplaces! All of them were completed with expensive white and gray sofas as well as huge coffee tables and large flat screen TVs. There was a formal dining area next to the living room in the middle of the house and another separate informal dining room at the back of the kitchen with curved French windows facing the backyard. The kitchen was spacious with white cabinets and light gray marble countertops. It was of course fitted with top-of-the-line and most expensive appliances. She could imagine how comfortable it was to cook there.

There was someone in the kitchen when they entered it. A middle aged Latin woman was standing over the stone island, her hands busy chopping vegetables.

“Hello, Rosa.” Sebastian called out and walked towards the woman, a big smile on his face.

“Oh hello Mr.Stan." Rosa looked up and smiled upon seeing him.

"How are you today?" Sebastian asked as he gave Rosa a brief hug and kissed both her cheeks.

"Good thank you Mr.Stan. My daughter just called me this morning and she said she is going to come and visit me this weekend." Rosa replied.

"Oh that's good. Did she tell you about her college experience yet?" He asked.

"Oh yes, just a little. She just mentioned that she met some new friends. She sounded happy about it." Rosa replied.

"Oh good. Glad to hear that." He smiled as he took a seat on a stool in front of her. "By the way, Rosa this is Y/n, Y/n this is Rosa."

"Hi, nice to meet you." Y/n said as she extended her hand to Rosa.

"Oh hello, nice to meet you too." Rosa smiled and shook her hand.

"Y/n is going to be Aurora's PA." Sebastian explained.

"Oh, that's interesting. PA means Personal Assistant, right?" She asked.

"Yes. That's right." Sebastian nodded.

"Oh, good luck then." Rosa said, giving her a meaningful look. 

"Thank you." She said, wondering why it seemed like Rosa was mocking her instead of actually wishing her luck.

"Rosa here is the boss of this house." Sebastian explained, chuckling.

"Oh Mr.Stan. I'm not the boss. You know who the boss is." She chuckled.

"Yeah, there's the boss." He said as he gestured outside towards the backyard where she could see Aurora posing by the pool, her white teeth flashing bright for the camera. "Then there's the real boss." He gestured towards Rosa, making Rosa blush.

"You don't want to mess with her, Y/n. If you see a speck of dust on a countertop, she's going to make sure someone cleans it." Sebastian said, chuckling.

"And that someone is me." A female voice suddenly chimed in.

A Latin girl with long braided hair entered the kitchen looking tired as she carried a mop in her hand.

"Gabriella, my dear. Cleaning is your job." Rosa commented, chuckling.

"Yeah it is, but it would be much easier if no one is hounding me to make sure a tiny spot on the floor isn't missed." She protested as she opened a nearby cupboard and put the mop inside. Rosa and Sebastian laughed upon hearing her answer. She just smiled as she guessed Gabriella was most likely a maid in the house and Rosa was the head maid.

"Hello Gabriella. How are you today?" Sebastian greeted her.

"Hi Sebastian. Oh same old same old. I'm just lucky I still have a job and a roof over my head." She commented sarcastically as she walked closer to them.

"So, we have a new girl in the house?" Gabriella asked, looking at her and extending her hand.

"Hi, I'm Y/n. Nice to meet you." She smiled and Gabriella smiled back.

"Finally! I have someone to help me clean the windows." Gabriella commented gleefully and shook her hand.

Clean the windows? Oh no. She was going to be a maid after all.

"No, Gabriella, as much as you want it, Y/n won't become another maid. She's going to be Aurora's PA." Sebastian corrected her and she felt relieved at that.

"Huh? Well, good luck with that." Gabriella said sarcastically, giving her another meaningful look.

"Uh.. thank you. I guess." She responded, looking at Sebastian, trying to see if he could explain Gabriella's statement but he didn't say anything.

"Oh, do you want something to drink Y/n?" Sebastian hopped off the stool and headed towards a huge refrigerator and opened it. He picked up a plain bottle with orange liquid in it and brought it back towards the stone island.

"Rosa here makes fresh juice everyday, a mix of apples, carrots, oranges, celery and some secret ingredient she wouldn't tell me. I promise you it will be the best juice you'll ever taste." He said as he went to a cupboard and picked up two tall glasses.

"Oh, that does look delicious." She said, looking at the juice as Sebastian started to pour some of it into the two glasses.

"Hey Rosa, Gabriella, do you guys want some?" He asked.

"No thank you, Sebastian. I had a glass of it this morning." Gabriella replied.

"How about you Rosa?" He asked, turning to Rosa.

"No thank you, Mr.Stan. I'm good." Rosa smiled as she finished chopping the vegetables and started to clean up.

"Okay." Sebastian nodded. He offered a glass to Y/n and she accepted it.

"Thank you." She said.

"Cheers." Sebastian said and he clinked his glass to hers.

"Cheers." She smiled.

She took a sip and immediately liked it. The juice was sweet, sour and fresh and had a certain tang to it that made it different. She gulped more of it, realizing how thirsty she was.

"It's good isn't it?" Sebastian winked as he placed his empty glass down.

"It is. You're right, Sebastian. It's the best juice I've ever tasted." She smiled and took more gulps until she finished the whole glass.

"You have to let me know the recipe one day, Rosa. Who knows, with the correct people behind you, you could launch a juice business!" Sebastian said excitedly, making Rosa blush.

"Oh Mr.Stan. It's just juice. It's no big deal." She shrugged.

"Are you kidding? People are making a fortune opening juice bars or juice factories. Especially here in LA where people are more health conscious." He commented.

"Oh I don't know Mr.Stan. Launching a business is not easy. I don't feel like I have the gut, the patience and determination for it." Rosa responded.

"Well, in case one day you change your mind, let me know and I'll be the first one to invest." He winked.

"Sure thing Mr.Stan." Rosa smiled.

Sebastian looked out the window towards the backyard and saw that Aurora was still out there doing some poses.

"Well, since she's not done yet, why don't I give you a tour upstairs." He said, turning to look at her.

"Okay." She nodded then she followed him out of the kitchen after saying goodbye to Rosa and Gabriella.

They took the beautiful winding staircase leading up to the second floor. Once they arrived on the second floor she couldn't help but admire the beautiful and luxurious interior of the second floor. The floor was shiny cream marble and the walls were bright white and decorated with many beautiful nature paintings each surrounded with gilded frames.

There were 5 rooms on the second floor. A living room, 3 bedrooms and a game room. Sebastian took her touring the comfortable living room first, which was equipped with comfortable white sofas, a flat screen TV and a fireplace. He then took her to the game room where there was a pool table.

"Can you play?" He asked as he picked up a cue stick from the table and started to set up fifteen balls inside a triangular rack right in the middle of the table.

"Not really." She shook her head shyly.

"Well, I can teach you." He winked and she couldn't help but blush at that.

He started explaining the rules of the game but she couldn't focus much as he approached her and stood next to her. 

"So, yeah, the winner is the one who can pocket eight balls first." He concluded his explanation and picked up the triangular rack from the table then set it aside.

"Okay." She nodded and looked up at him. Her heart beat faster as she realized how close he was standing in front of her.

"Here." He gave her the cue stick and she accepted it in surprise.

"You want me to start first?" She asked.

"No, we'll do it together." He smiled and her heart skipped a beat.

He placed his left hand gently on her right hand and directed it to hold the handle of the cue stick. Then he turned her around by the waist so she stood facing the table while he stood behind her. 

"Put your right hand by your waist." He said as he gently pulled her right elbow so her right hand held the cue by her waist.

"Good. And now lean over the table and place the tip of the cue stick on the table. You want to make sure your hand makes a 90 degree angle with the cue stick." He said.

She nodded as she leaned over the table. She felt a light touch on her back and realized he had touched her back gently and guided her to lean over. Her heart beat even faster at that.

"See the white cue ball?" He asked, pointing to the white ball placed outside of the fifteen balls. She nodded at his question.

"Make sure your body is aligned with it." He said as leaned over the table next to her, his face inches from hers, making butterflies fly around in her stomach.

"Now place your thumb and index finger between the tip of the cue stick like this, make a loop around it." He said as he gently directed her left fingers with his so she held the cue tip properly. Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest as she felt his touch on her fingers. She couldn't believe how close he was to her. 

"Okay. Now take a deep breath and let me guide you on how to strike it." He said.

She took a deep breath and froze as she felt his right hand holding her right hand and he started to move it back and forth.

"Steady." He said gently as her left fingers had started to tremble and she was sure her face had reddened yet again.

His left hand helped steady her left fingers, making her heart leapt out of her chest. Then his right hand directed hers to the front hard and the cue tip struck on the white ball sending all fifteen balls in the middle of the table scattering all over the table. Her eyes widened as she watched four balls dropped into the pockets on the side of the tables.

"We got four in already!" She shouted gleefully as they straightened their bodies up and continued to watch the remaining balls rolling on the table.

"We did!" He chuckled and he gave her a high five.

"That wasn't so hard." She commented.

"Well.. you got a good teacher." He winked, making her laugh.

"I sure did!" She smiled and he smiled warmly at her, making her heart skip a beat.

Once again she couldn't believe what just happened. It felt very intimate being guided to play pool by him. Now that she thought about it, he was the first man that had ever touched her so much even if the way he touched her were non-sexual. She never thought Sebastian Stan would be the first man that ever touched her! The thought made her so excited yet nervous at the same time. Then she realized she was being pathetic and she tried hard not to make a big deal of it again.

"Let me show you how to hold the tip of the cue stick another way so we can hit that ball." He said, pointing to a ball with the number 8 on it.

"Okay." She nodded, happy that he had another excuse to touch her no matter how pathetic it might be.

They ended up spending several minutes playing together, although they didn't really play against each other. They just wanted to pocket eight balls to finish the game. He guided her less and less as time went on and she got better at the game. They were just trying to finish the game by pocketing the eight ball when the sound of a dog barking and yapping reached their ears.

She turned to look towards the door and saw a cream and white long haired Chihuahua, barking loudly at them.

"Paris! Calm down! It's just me." Sebastian said as he walked towards the door and leaned down at the Chihuahua, stretching his hand at the dog. Paris stopped barking and sniffed at Sebastian's outstretched hand. 

"It's okay, Paris. I just brought a friend." Sebastian said, glancing back at her.

"Yes, I'm a friend, Paris, it's okay." She cooed as she walked slowly towards them, but Paris continued to bark again as she stopped next to Sebastian.

"Sorry, she's always like this with new people." Sebastian straightened his body up and looked at her apologetically.

"It's okay.. maybe we should just go." She suggested. Stepping back as Paris barked and continued to look at her angrily.

"Yeah. But you two need to get along if you're going to be Aurora's PA. She's most likely going to ask you to deal with her one way or another." He said.

"Oh.. okay." She said as her heart plummeted down her stomach. She wasn't much of a dog person. Neither was she a cat person. She never even had pets at all. So having to deal with a dog was quite nerve wrecking for her.

"Come on. Let me show you her room." Sebastian said, beckoning his head towards the outside of the game room.

"She has her own room?" She asked in awe.

"Yeah, she does. Aurora spoils her a lot." He shrugged.

They walked out of the game room with Paris following them and still barking and yapping at their feet. At times she was afraid that the dog was going to bite her leg but thankfully she didn't.

Sebastian guided her to walk to a room facing the front of the house. The room's door was closed and she could see there was a small door at the bottom of it which dogs or cats could use to get in and out of the room.

Sebastian opened the door of the room and her eyes widened as she looked at the inside of the room. At first glance it looked like a room of a little girl. There were murals of a huge fairy tale castle decorating the walls and a huge literal golden castle in the middle of the room which, after a more detailed look, was actually a huge dog house in the form of a castle. The room was bright with huge windows facing the front of the house. The ceiling was painted with white and light blue clouds and the remaining walls were decorated with frames and frames of pictures of Paris.

Paris barked again as they entered the room and stood in front of the door of the castle.

"Paris.. it's okay. We're not going to bother you. I know it's your castle." Sebastian shrugged and he walked towards a golden painted cupboard at the right side of the room and opened it.

"Hmm.. I wonder where it is." Sebastian said as his eyes raked the inside of the cupboard.

"What are you looking for?" She asked as she walked to approach him.

"Her treats. We need to make her more friendly to you and treats are one way to do that." He explained.

"Oh, I see." She nodded.

"Ah.. there it is." Sebastian exclaimed and picked up a small package of dog treats.

Paris barked again and stood at his feet but this time her barks seemed different. She started wagging her tail and looked up at Sebastian, giving him literal puppy dog eyes.

Sebastian opened the package of treats and gave a piece to her. 

"Here. See if she softened at you if you give her this." He suggested.

"Okay." She picked up the piece of treat from him and slowly leaned down and stretched her hand at Paris.

"Here you go, Paris. Have some treat." She cooed.

However, instead of taking the treat from her, Paris looked up at her and barked again. Her expression and posture clearly showed dislike.

"Paris, it's okay, she's a friend." Sebastian said gently and he picked up another piece of treat and offered it to her. This time Paris took the treat happily from him and even allowed him to pet her head.

"Sorry, it takes time for her to warm up to a new person." He said.

"It's okay. I get it." She said as she placed the treat in her hand on the floor near Paris and the Chihuahua immediately ate it.

"I'm sure you two will get along soon enough." Sebastian encouraged her.

"Yeah. I hope so." She said as she looked down and Paris started to bark at her again.

"I think she wants more treats." She commented.

Paris wagged her tail at that and Sebastian chuckled.

"I guess so." He responded as he gave the package of treats to her.

"I think it's best if you give it to her. See how she reacts." He suggested.

"Right." She nodded and she picked up another piece of treat and offered it to Paris.

Paris barked at her and looked at her cautiously.

"It's okay Paris, I'm a friend." She cooed as she squatted down in front of Paris and stretched her hand out even closer to the Chihuahua.

Paris barked again and stepped back a little from her.

"I guess it really will take some time for her to warm up to me." She said as she placed the treat on the floor and stood back up. As soon as she stood up Paris immediately ate the treat on the floor.

"Yeah. It's normal behavior from her. Don't worry about it." Sebastian said. 

"Okay." She said, hoping in her heart that Paris really will get along with her eventually.

"Here, let me return the treats back." He said as he picked up the package of treats in her hand and put it back into the cupboard.

"Let's go check out other rooms and then go back downstairs. Hopefully Aurora is already done with the shoot." He suggested.

"Okay." She nodded and Sebastian turned around and walked out of the room.

Just as she was about to follow Sebastian out of the room, she felt something dragging her foot, preventing her from walking.

She looked down and saw Paris biting her shoes.

"No.. no.. Paris. Let me go." She said as she wiggled her foot but Paris kept on biting it.

"Paris.. No! Let.. me.. go!" She said more sternly this time and she moved her foot even harder as she felt Paris' teeth started to puncture her sneaker.

Worried that Paris would end up really hurting her foot, she moved her foot around even harder, effectively kicking Paris off her foot, sending her across the room and the Chihuahua hit the castle and dropped onto the floor. Her heart plummeted as she watched Paris whimpered and ran away from her. The Chihuahua ran into the castle and hid inside it.

Hoping that Paris was alright, she walked closer to the castle to check Paris' condition but stopped as she heard Sebastian's voice.

"Y/n? Is everything okay?" Sebastian came back into the room and his eyes scanned the room.

"Uh.. yeah.. yeah.. Everything is fine. I was just admiring this beautiful castle shaped dog house." She lied. She didn't want Sebastian to know she had kicked Paris.

"Oh yeah. It's beautiful but a little over the top isn't it?" He commented.

"Well.. yeah.. a little." She said slowly, unsure how to respond.

"Sebastian?! Seb?! Where are you?" Suddenly Aurora's voice could be heard from outside of the room.

"In here, Aurora!" Sebastian called out and moments later Aurora entered the room. She had changed out of her silver strapless dress and was wearing tight light wash jeans and a black off shoulder crop top which showed her smooth shoulders and lean and bare midriff. Her make up had also changed. Her red painted lips were gone and she had applied a light pink shimmering lip gloss on her lips instead.

She watched as Sebastian stared at Aurora's body and visibly swallowed hard. He looked like he was slightly in a trance as Aurora walked closer to them.

"Oh there you are." Aurora smiled as soon as she saw him but her face turned impassive as she glanced at Y/n.

Hearing Aurora's voice, Paris ran out of her castle and immediately ran towards her, barking repeatedly. Sebastian blinked several times and shook his head as he heard Paris' barks and he snapped out of the trance.

Men. They're all the same. Y/n grumbled internally. Well, she couldn't blame him. He was ogling over his own girlfriend. There was nothing wrong with that. Aurora did have an enviable slim body. Something she didn't have, she thought sadly.

"Paris, my baby. What's wrong?" Aurora scooped the Chihuahua into her arms and Paris immediately barked continuously at her.

If Paris could talk it seemed like she was telling on how Y/n had kicked her. She was glad dogs couldn't talk. Kicking a potential employer's dog really wouldn't make a good impression.

"She probably just wants more treats. I'm sorry but I took some from the cupboard and we gave some to her." Sebastian explained.

"Oh, maybe you're hungry huh? Let's go downstairs and give you your lunch." Aurora said as she stroked Paris' fur.

"As it happens, Rosa was just done preparing lunch. We can have the meeting while having lunch." Aurora continued, looking up at Sebastian while her hand continued to stroke Paris' fur gently.

"Oh that's a good idea. I am kind of hungry. Come on Y/n, let's go and have some lunch. I'm sure you're hungry after all that has happened." Sebastian said and smiled at her.

"Uh.. yeah. Okay." Her stomach made a rumbling sound at the exact moment, making Sebastian laugh out loud.

"Guess I was right." He chuckled and she couldn't help but blush. She was so embarrassed but at the same time she was happy that she could make Sebastian laugh like that. 

Sebastian walked out of the room and she was just about to follow him when she noticed Aurora glancing at her in dislike. Aurora's eyes furrowed in annoyance but as soon as she noticed that Y/n was looking at her, she immediately smiled at her even though her smile didn't reach her eyes. She smiled back and made a mental note at her reaction. It was clear Aurora was kind of jealous and she was kind of happy about that. She never made anyone jealous of her through all these years and the fact made her confidence level raised. Who would've thought she could make Sebastian Stan's girlfriend jealous of her. Her of all people. She thought in disbelief.

When they entered the kitchen she could smell a delicious smell of grilled beef, making her stomach rumble again.

"Rosa, is lunch ready yet?" Aurora called out.

"Oh yes, Miss Watson. I've prepared them at the table by the window, as usual." Rosa said, turning around from where she was standing by the stove.

"Paris is also hungry, Rosa. Have you finished preparing her lunch?" Aurora asked.

"I'm almost done Miss Watson. Just a few seconds more." Rosa replied as she turned her attention back to the stove in front of her.

She watched as Rosa picked up a frying pan from the stove and carefully picked up a piece of what seemed to be a rib eye steak. Rosa placed the steak onto a golden dog bowl and carried it towards Aurora. Paris barked in excitement in Aurora's arms as she saw Rosa coming at her with the mouthwatering steak. 

"Come Paris. Let's eat at your usual place." Rosa said as she picked up Paris from Aurora's arms and carried the dog to a corner of the kitchen.

The steak Rosa had prepared smelled so good that Y/n secretly hoped it was also going to be served for their lunch. But when she saw the circular dining table by the French window where Rosa had prepared their lunch, her heart plummeted at the sight. There was only a big bowl of what seemed to be green salad, a plate of sliced baguette, a plate of shredded chicken and a bowl of creamy white salad dressing. Rosa had also prepared three empty plates with forks and knives as well as empty glasses and a pitcher filled with iced water.

"Oh great! Rosa had prepared her signature chicken salad sandwich." Sebastian said excitedly as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Come Y/n, sit. Don't be fooled by how it looks. It tastes better than it looks." Sebastian smiled and she smiled back.

"Okay." She nodded and pulled up a chair in front of him while Aurora took a seat next to Sebastian.

"Let me show you how to arrange this so it tastes best." Sebastian said as he picked up a baguette, took a spoonful of the white salad dressing and spread it onto the baguette. He then picked several spoonfuls of the chicken, topped it off with some green salad and then took another spoonful of the salad dressing and poured it on top of the green salad. He then picked up another baguette and put it at the very top. He pressed the baguette down, causing some dressing to drop onto the plate and he laughed.

"That always happens." He chuckled.

He then took a bite and closed his eyes as he savored the sandwich.

"Mm.. mm.. this is so good." He said in between munching the sandwich.

"It looks delicious now that I've seen you eat it." She chuckled but she quickly stopped as she looked at how Aurora stared at her with daggers.

"Let me show you how I do it. Personally, I like my way better. It's much healthier." Aurora said as she picked an empty plate, picked some lettuce from the salad bowl and filled the lettuce with some shredded chicken and a little bit of the salad dressing then rolled the lettuce neatly so all the fillings were trapped inside it. She didn't touch the baguette at all. 

She made four rolls of the chicken salad filled lettuce and finally took a bite. 

"Mm.. mm.." she munched in delight.

"Go on.. try it." Aurora offered her lettuce rolls to both, Sebastian and her.

Sebastian picked up one roll and she followed suit. She took a bite and tried hard not to grimace. Aurora's option really wasn't delicious to her. She was a sucker for carbs, so not using the baguette was wrong in her mind. But then again, that was probably why she didn't have the slim body like Aurora. She wasn't sure she could keep being disciplined in eating healthy and exercising to keep her body looking like Barbie all the time.

"So, what do you think?" Aurora asked, turning to Sebastian.

"It's.. mm.. interesting." He said as he finished the whole roll and swallowed it.

"It is, isn't it? What do you think, Y/n?" Aurora asked as she turned to her.

She was still chewing the last bite of the roll when Aurora asked her and she swallowed it too fast in an effort to answer Aurora that she choked on it and coughed loudly.

"Y/n.. are you okay?" Sebastian asked, looking at her in concern as she continued to cough and tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Wow. She loves it so much that she's crying over it." Aurora said in delight.

"She's choking, Aurora." Sebastian immediately stood up and went over to her but she raised her hand up to hold him back as she finally succeeded in swallowing the whole thing and the urge to cough had lessened.

"Here, have some water." Sebastian said as he sat back down and poured a glass of water to an empty glass for her and placed it in front of her.

She nodded and immediately took a sip. 

"Ahem… I'm sorry about that." She finally croaked.

"It's okay. I guess it wasn't exactly your taste?" Sebastian laughed, making her smile but her smile was quickly gone as she looked at Aurora giving her a death stare.

"It was good actually. I just.. ahem.. swallowed it too fast. Sorry." She explained.

"Yeah. It is good. And much healthier too." Aurora said as she picked up the last roll and ate it, giving her a haughty look.

"So, Y/n. Which one do you like more? My way or her way?" Sebastian asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Mm.. my way." She said after thinking for a moment and Sebastian laughed out loud.

"Don't get me wrong. I can understand why you both did what you did. But I have a different way." She said, smiling mischievously.

"Okay. Let's see it then." Aurora challenged her.

She picked up an empty plate, mixed in some green salad and shredded chicken on it then added a dollop of the salad dressing. She mixed the whole thing and once the dressing had evenly mixed with the chicken and salad, she spread the whole thing onto a baguette. She made three of the chicken salad spread baguette and when done offered them to both Sebastian and Aurora.

Aurora was hesitant to pick it up but Sebastian immediately picked one up and bit it. She followed along and picked one up then took a bite and immediately felt satisfaction.

"Mm.. hmm.. this is by far the best one." Sebastian said in between munching and she smiled, earning her another look of daggers from Aurora.

"It's more like a bruschetta." Aurora commented. "Not a sandwich."

"Whatever it is, I like it." Sebastian commented as he proceeded to make one just like the one she had made.

"You should try one, Aurora." Sebastian suggested.

"Feed me." Aurora said and Sebastian coughed. She also almost choked again upon hearing Aurora's request.

"What?" He asked, flabbergasted.

"You want me to try it? Then feed it to me." She commanded.

"Not in front of someone else, Aurora." Sebastian warned her.

"What? It's just an innocent act of feeding." Aurora said, batting her long eyelashes and smiling seductively at him.

Sebastian shook his head as she saw his cheeks start to redden. Despite his misgivings, he picked up the 'bruschetta' - as Aurora called it - that he just made, picked it up and directed it slowly towards Aurora's mouth.

Aurora took her time to bite the 'bruschetta', her eyes gazed at him seductively and Y/n could see how uncomfortable Sebastian was with the way Aurora was looking at him. She made some satisfied moaning sounds as she chewed the 'bruschetta' and Y/n swore she could see Sebastian's face reddened even more. Once she had swallowed it she licked her lips slowly. Y/n watched how Sebastian reacted to that. Again, he visibly swallowed hard and she couldn't help but feel like she had witnessed something so personal that she felt like she should just drown into the floor and vanish.

"You guys were right. That was the best one." Aurora remarked after finishing her first bite. 

Sebastian fed her the rest of the 'bruschetta' and in doing so, he made some of the dressing fall onto his fingers. Aurora swallowed the last bite then slowly licked his fingers clean. This time Sebastian's face really turned as red as a tomato and Y/n leaned back, really wishing the floor would open wide and swallow her whole.

"I need to use the restroom." She blurted out and quickly stood up, startling both Aurora and Sebastian who were staring at each other with.. well.. lust. That was all she could make out from them.

"Oh. Yeah. You know where the bathroom is, right?" Sebastian asked, looking up at her, the lust on his face gone.

"Yeah. I know. You showed me before." She nodded.

"Okay." He smiled and she turned around, not even bothering to smile back at him.

She left the kitchen feeling weird. There was a heaviness in her heart she didn't recognize. What was she feeling? She pondered as she finally arrived at the bathroom and opened the bathroom door.

Jealousy. She suddenly realized as she stared at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. She was jealous of Aurora. She hated watching their intimate interaction. But.. she shouldn't feel this way. Sebastian belonged to Aurora, not her, and the way they looked at each other really was normal behavior between a couple. It was her who was being weird. 

Although, at times she could feel how Sebastian cared for her. More than he should care towards a stranger like her. The image of him being close to her during the pool game flooded her mind and she couldn't help but blush again at that.

She shook her head vigorously. He was just being nice. She tried to convince herself. Surely he wouldn't dare being flirty with someone else in his own girlfriend's house. She was certain he was not that kind of person. Besides, who was she but an ugly thirty year old girl who never had a boyfriend. The possibility of someone like Sebastian Stan falling in love with someone like her was slim to none. She should try harder to have a level head and come back to the table being a professional employee-to-be to the both of them. 

Yes. No matter how nice or caring he behaved to her she should just treat him professionally. She wouldn't let her personal feelings for him win over her. It wasn't healthy and would serve her no good.

Satisfied with her decision, she took off her glasses, set it aside and decided to wash her face to freshen up. After witnessing the interaction between Sebastian and Aurora she felt rather hot and bothered. Water should help cool her down.

A couple of minutes later she returned to the kitchen and found both Aurora and Sebastian still sitting on the circular dining table, finishing their chicken salad sandwich. The air between them had completely changed. It was like watching two strangers eating side by side. The sight baffled her but she decided to brush it off. She wondered if they had a fight while she was gone. Although she couldn't imagine for what reason they would fight.

"Hey, you're back." Sebastian looked up as she took a seat in front of him and his face brightened as he looked at her. 

Her heart melted at how he smiled at her but she kicked herself mentally and succeeded in stopping herself from smiling back at him.

"Yeah. So, about the job." She said, deciding that she should start the conversation. She didn't want the meeting to turn into something weird again.

"Oh yeah. The PA job. What do you think, Aurora?" He asked, turning to look at Aurora who had just finished sipping a glass of water.

"Well, like I told you before, Seb. I actually don't need a PA at this moment." Aurora said and her heart plummeted at that. Despite her initial misgivings at working for Aurora, she couldn't deny that she really needed a job and rejection from Aurora was not something she could apparently take at that moment.

"But you most likely will in the near future. You can't take Gabriella or Rosa with you on set." Sebastian reminded her.

"Are you telling me I got the part?" Aurora asked gleefully.

"No, not yet. But I'm trying my best to persuade Maya to cast you. You fit what the producers are looking for but Maya is still hesitant." Sebastian responded.

"Oh, okay. Well, if I get cast, then I'll hire her as my PA. Otherwise, like I said, I don't need a PA." Aurora said as she glanced at Y/n with a condescending look.

"Aurora.. hire her now and I'll make sure you'll get cast." Sebastian insisted.

"Promise? If I don't get cast, I'll fire her." She said, challenging him.

Sebastian looked at her apologetically and turned to look back at Aurora. 

"Fine. I promise." He finally said.

"Alright, you're hired." Aurora said, turning to look at her and gave her the fakest smile she had ever seen.

"How much are you going to pay me?" She asked as she was suddenly reminded of Sebastian's advice to her a few days before. She glanced at Sebastian and saw him smiling a little at her, as if silently congratulating her.

"How much do you want?" Aurora asked, staring at her in surprise.

"Well, Sebastian promised me 4 thousand a month." She said and Aurora's eyebrows raised.

"That much? You pay your PAs that much?" Aurora turned to look at Sebastian in disbelief.

"Yeah. They deserve way more and I would give more if I could. To be honest, with her degree and work experience, she deserves more. Have I told you she used to work at an IT company as a software developer?" Sebastian said and she could feel her cheeks reddened at that.

"Hmm.. okay. Your degree and work experience unfortunately doesn't apply here. You'll need a completely different set of skills to be my PA. So unfortunately, I can't pay you more." She said as she continued to stare at her haughtily.

"Okay.. that's fine." She said, realizing she didn't have much bargaining power. She needed the job while Aurora didn't need her.

"So, what would be my job description?" She continued to ask.

"Well.. your main job is to assist me. In anything and everything that I ask you to do." Aurora said with an evil glint in her eyes.

Her heart plummeted at her answer and she felt dread filling her stomach. She couldn't help having the image in her mind of Cinderella working hard at cleaning a big house, sweeping the floor, cleaning the windows, then preparing breakfast for the stepmother and stepsisters and being told off for not working fast enough. 

She had a feeling that it was exactly what was going to happen to her. As much as she didn't like it, she felt like she didn't have any other option. She could of course say no and refuse to work for Aurora. But she didn't want to disappoint Sebastian who had defended her and even made a bargain for her. The least she could do to repay all his kindness was to accept the job. 

"Okay." She finally nodded. "When do you need me to start?"

"Tomorrow will be great. Oh, I have a spare room by the garage. It would be great if you could move in and stay here so you can assist me 24/7." Aurora said.

"What?!" She said, flabbergasted.

"Aurora, if you're going to hire her around the clock you need to pay her more. I promised to give her 4 thousand to work from 9 to 5, not for 24 hours." Sebastian protested.

"Okay, fine. I'll pay you 5 thousand a month." Aurora said.

"Seven." Sebastian bargained and her jaw dropped at that.

"Six and that's final. Take it or leave it." Aurora said, leaning back on the chair and folding her arms in front of her.

"Y/n?" Sebastian looked up at her expectantly.

"Okay. I'll take it." She finally said.

Six thousand dollars a month!? She could just work for Aurora for a month and bail and find another job. That would be enough to cover at least another three months without work. Surely by then she could find another job or get cast in something. She would still try to audition during her spare time. Yes, that would work. She thought in satisfaction.

"Good." Aurora smiled and this time her smile reached her eyes. Although it was looking somewhat like an evil smile.

Dread seeped into her stomach once again as she realized that having Aurora as her boss would most likely be challenging. Little did she know that challenging was an understatement.

Chapter 6 >

Taglist

@dhoruwolfie

[sometimesrosy]

Do you want to share some titles of your historical romance?

Some of the books I love? Sure. I'll try. I'm not great with names and titles (they start blending together imo), but these historical romances often go in series anyway.

So lets say you saw Bridgerton and loved it and wanted more. Definitely read Julia Quinn. I thought the first season was a good adaptation of The Duke and I, but there was no reason to add that awful sister-love triangle. The book was funnier, more romantic and less soapy. Although the casting is amazing. I like all eight of the books but the third (which they are skipping out of order for some reason) is actually my least favorite. Cinderella story but just a bit boring imo.

My first reintroduction to Historical (I read A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E Woodiwiss as comfort reading when I was a teen. It's old fashioned by our standards) was Lisa Kleypas, particularly the Wallflower series (Devil in Winter is famous [maybe infamous]) The Hathaways, and the Ravenels, which is still going. They all share characters and a universe but the Ravenels is the next generation.

Tessa Dare is more of a romcom vibe and her books tend to be a little lighter. Spindle Cove is about a little resort village full of spinsters, bluestockings and scandalized ladies. (A Week to be Wicked is on everyone's favorite list.) Also Girl Meets Duke and Castles Ever After series. Tessa hasn't put out a book since the quarantine so we're still waiting for the next Girl Meets Duke.

Courtney Milan is also a favorite. She's half Chinese and an ex lawyer and famously shut down the Romance Writers Association for racism the month before the quarantine. She's very active on twitter. I loved the Brother's Sinister (especially Countess Conspiracy and Suffragette Scandal) and... oh look I haven't read the other series but I did read two other books.The Devil Comes Courting, set in China with a Chinese engineer heroine and The Duke Who Didn't, with a half Chinese duke and a Chinese woman living in a little village full of immigrants.

Oh. Right now my historical romance book club is doing a season of Cat Sebastian, who mostly writes queer romances. Not mostly. She writes queer romances. Even her m/f pairings are queer. Bisexual, non binary, asexual, etc. A good portion of them are MLM and some are WLW. One of my favorites so far was Unmasked by the Marquess, where a house maid dresses as her charge's dead brother so she can get her a good marriage and ooops. Falls in love with the pan marquess.

You know. I could literally go on and on with this. So let me just end with some authors. I'll mark if they're on kindle unlimited so you can try them out without $$$)

Lorraine Heath

Elisa Braden (kindle unlimited)

SM LaViolette aka Minerva Spencer (kindle unlimited)

Eloisa James

Beverly Jenkins (Ms. Bev, she writes Black american stories)

Joanna Shupe (she mostly write Gilded Age american stories set in NYC)

Mary Balogh (not quite as spicy, lots of trauma healing, welsh)

Stacy Reid (kindle unlimited and hit or miss for me but I loved her latest The Wolf and the Wildflower [tarzan H+h who dresses as a man to be a psychiatrist it's bonkers]) Stacy is black but her characters are mainly white.

Sarah MacLean

Kerrigan Byrne (kindle unlimited)

I hope that helps. :)

[samuell2]

June 18th — Manga Museum

A lot of people on our trip, including our tour guide, are pretty heavily into manga, so they were really excited to see the manga museum in Kyoto. I’ve never really read manga, but a lot of my favorite anime are based on manga or have manga adaptations, so it was still pretty cool to go and see the massive collection at this museum.

Once we got there, I wandered the shelves for a while, finding the mangas for my two favorite shows, Evangelion and Hyouka. The sheer volume of manga was pretty overwhelming, and Sebastian was definitely geeked the whole time. We met up at around 11:30 for the Kamishibai performance, a street performance art that was influential in Manga’s development. It was basically a comedy show presented by a jovial guy in period dress. He had pretty good English, and translated the important parts for us, also asking questions to the audience. I thought it was pretty funny, though it was clearly aimed at smaller kids, and had a lot of Vishnu tier corny jokes. After the performance, we hit the gift shop, where I was shocked to fine some really nice Hyouka line art books. It’s a pretty obscure anime from the early 2010’s, and I haven’t

found any good merch from it so far. New prized possession.

After the Manga museum we had a free afternoon, so we rested for a little, then returned to the Kiyomizudera area to rent Yukata. I picked out a black Yukata decorated with Gray Oni masks, and a matching Obi. I was surprised by how comfortable it was, though not wearing any pants did take a little getting used to. I kinda felt like I was gonna get up-skirted. We joined up with the girls and took a ton of pictures, and I even got the chance to bust out my chinese with some tourists. The highlight of the day was definitely watching Vishnu raw dog the streets of Kyoto after he got tired of his wooden sandals.

Academic Reflection

Reading about the history of manga was really fascinating. Before, I was aware of the Kamishibai, and thought that to be the exclusive precursor of manga. But apparently manga has pretty diverse origins in rental books and American comics, which was a surprise to me. American comics seem so stylistically different from manga, so it was interesting to think about the relationship between them.

Even more shocking was the relationship between Kamishibai and manga. Seeing an actual performance in person, I was not reminded of manga at all. The fact that they had a relation was pretty shocking to me.

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

Candles and Broomsticks

"Tell me Elizabeth, how come it's taking so long for any of the children to be baptized?"

Lizzie causally sipped her tea as she speaks with a visit of one of the "mother friends" she "made" over the one year Bella attend a special school. "Well me and my husband never really thought to baptized Bella. And Albert, Anthony, and Rachel just aren't cause Ciel and his wife chose not to. It's not the end of the world." The red head huffs and fans her fan near her face, her long lashes fluttering as her blue gems roll. She is a opposite of Lizzie you see, from her hair to her sharp facial features compared to Lizzie's soft, to her outfit that isn't so cute and mature as Lizzie's but more tight formal that shows she's a prize of the doctor she wedded. Her name is Lady Lenora Bell, wife of a Lord Doctor Arthur Bell, and has a daughter Bella's age named Marge who's just like her mother and not in the pleasant way Lizzie would've hoped.

It still boggles her mind how she wound up accepting her into her home.

"On a off topic, is your husband arriving for the party? I heard some gossip on it while I was in London." Asked Lenora with a smile of her dark red lipstick. Lizzie's heart fluttered in her chest as she smiles and speaks, "Yes, of course my darling husband will attend. This is a very special day for him after all."

Indeed, just down the road is a carriage being driven by the Phantomhive's chef and most special butler in the spring air. "Ahh, can't wait to pick up my lil Amelia." Said Bard after taking a large breath in the spring air. Sebastian chuckles beside him, "You saw her last week. Though I do agree with your words Bardroy."

Inside the carriage are a total of five adults and five children who sit excited, a little girl's legs kick in her seat as she giggles. "I take it you're excited Rachel?" Asked a boy with dark wisps of black hair that cover his ears, skin a pale smooth beige, and big lovely brown eyes behind brown ribbed thin glasses dressed nicely in a white button up and brown slacks with suspenders to match and a black coat over it. Rachel giggles and nods happily, causing her parents to smile.

The scent of yummy food and sweet cakes fills the senses of everyone, the sounds of music and happy voices fells the ears of everyone. The party was in full bliss and there wasn't a singe frown upon a face. Beside the desert table stands Bella, her long black hair in waves down her back with a lovely blue gem necklace draped around her neck tightly dressed in a lovely gown that brings a gentle glow of her pale skin and a pop of her emerald eyes. With her are many teens her age dressed all lovely as well with happy smiles and sparkling eyes. "Wow Bella, the dress is so pretty!" "Thank you. My father and our tailor helped make it."

Across the way in the ballroom stands Ciel and a man whom he hasn't seen in a long while, a Chinese man dressed in emerald greens and sparkling golds. Lau brought his glass to his lips and took a sip of his shiny golden drink before speaking, "My my, doesn't that dress look familiar. At least the fabrics. Perhaps a certain party connected to a case?" The Earl chuckles softly yet meekly, "Thank goodness that dress is being used for better use." The two were interrupted by a beauty, a man with fair blond hair long and tied in a small pony tail and skin a pale peach color with beautiful crimson eyes, dressed in a formal dark green suit with a beautiful sapphire blue cummerbund. "Oh Joanne!"

Joanne smiles in return and spoke, "How are you, we haven't seen each other since Christmas." "I've been doing well, and you?" "Very well." Suddenly, Ciel paused, "If you're here than certainly so is-" He turns his body and quickly grabs hold of two children, one girl who's 7 and a boy who's 9, one girl with shoulder long black hair and big green eyes of emerald blue and a button nose booped with flushed blush and freckles and a boy with the same shade of black short hair and big brown eyes. "Hi uncle Ciel!" Ciel chuckles and hugs them tightly, his voice dipped in a childish way, "You were sneaking up on your dear uncle weren't you??"

Odin and Violet Sullivan-Harcourt, sweetest little angels you'll ever meet everyone will claim. Over the years it came a shock to the Phantomhive household to hear Joanne Harcourt was interested in courting the very lovely mad genius she is of Sieglinde Sullivan, the German girl Ciel and Sebastian took in and funded for everything she needed.

"My what adorable children you have Sir Harcourt."

The three adults and two children stop and look at Mrs Lenora walking over with a wine glass in one hand now wearing a lovely robin blue dress that tightly hugs the cleavage. With a hum she leans down to look at the children more after Ciel stood up straight, "Such adorable children indeed. Though, I must say Miss Violet's eyes are a surprise twist." The man looks at his school friend as he looks to his children and smile softly, "Yes, well, it's a family trait." He pauses. "Well, that is to say from my family. My grandmother was rumored to have such lovely blue eyes." Though he smiles, Ciel can sense Joanne's shift of things. A shift he's familiar well. A shift to never be truly honest.

A big thing of change over time was Ciel, and not just him marrying and having children, he is no longer a boy seeking revenge but instead a man though wounded accepts life's odd path of surprises. With him in that change was a familiar face, a mirror face if you will, of his brother from the dead away from the decaying fire and memories. It was a begging plea of Undertaker after his madness parade of cheating death and justice finally ended for Ciel and Sebastian to please keep him living until his final breath when Sebastian devours his soul with his wife's. It wasn't easy at first, framing your brother for murder can do that to you, but over time the two found peace. Hell, with help from Sieglinde they found a way to help him age normally with his healthy way of blood transfusion. And along that time the girl and boy simply grew close. Maybe it was the sense of unable to move about freely or books, who knows, what they do know is the two are very close, two souls as one. Around this time was when Joanne began to express courting her. You can ask anyone and you'll get a different story how the three came to be with a public wedding of Joanne and Sieglinde and then a secret wedding of Sieglinde and the forgotten twin, but the answer is the same.

No one knows the truth of Violet's true father.

Ciel glanced to his left and smiled at Xiu talking with two girls, one 8 year old with long straight brown hair and brown eyes and one smaller sized 7 year old with long thick curly dark brown hair and big brown eyes with small speckles of green if you look closely, and smiles. Amelia, the daughter of Midford's maid Paula and the Phantomhive's chef Bardroy. Mariposa, the daughter of Phantomhive's lovely gardener Finnian and his lovely wife Valentina.

"Why invite servants children to such a party? They'll bring the mood down."

That sentence snaps Ciel out his thoughts as he turned to Lenora, but before he could snap at her she has walked away giggling. "You know, I don't quite like her my Lord." Said Lau with venom dripping from his words.

The room fell silent with the sound of a gentle tap of a glass, making everyone turn their heads to the direction of the noise to the handsome man with dark hair combed back wearing a white suit with a dark purple pink cummerbund and matching tie with a pearl broach clipped to the center, holding a glass of wine in one hand and holding Lizzie dressed in a lovely red dress of black lace beside him. "Thank you all for coming to the birthday celebration of Lizzie's and I's lovely daughter Bella. Thirteen years ago today my life was simple darkness until she came into the world and lit it up as the stars in the sky. A light I never realized I needed until the day came." Said he as he looks to Bella who smiles bashfully. Hannah leans to Angela, both dressed in dark purples and whites, and whispers, "How much do you want to bet someone will start crying?" This earned a giggle in which she smiles. After a moment, a large cake of four lairs coated in candles gets carted in by the Phantomhive servants and the kitchen staff of the Midford manor, stopping right by the girl in pink. With her smiling softly everyone began to sing, some singing in different languages, but not one person can copy the look of warmth that Sebastian holds as he watches her. Within a blink he sees the image of him holding a small infant girl crying before coming back to view to see Bella blow her candles out firmly.

It's strange, demons shouldn't cry, but he can feel his eyes grow misty since her birth.

Offical part three of my current fics of my Black Butler Next Gen AU for @nullb1rdbones, @annoyinglyshinycherryblossom, @sebalizzie, @docmartensanddietcoke, and @onehellofashadynerd

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

[clintbartonsbow]

hey so i’m pretty new to tumblr but i just wanted to share my ninjago fancast because the news of the live action getting the green light has really hyped me up and because i have actually been sitting on these choices for a while and im excited to share so please be kind and have and open mind because i tried to pick actors who were a bit diverse that still actually look the part but without further ado here is my live action ninjago fancast

Up first is Gordon Maeda as Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon.

The reason i chose Gordon is because he has done plenty of action work, like in the live action adaptation of Tokyo Revengers, and has done work with a blade and has done some comedy plus he is a japanese actor who actually does bleach his hair quite often so im sure he wouldn’t mind going blonde for the role!

Up next we have Sebastian Amoruso as Kai Smith.

I chose Sebastian because he is a chinese actor that has done action (specifically with elementals) as jet in Avatar and he has a specific suaveness that i think really works for kai and if you spiked his hair i’m sure he would look super good as kai

Next up is Josh Andrés Rivera as Cole Brookstone.

Josh is a Puerto Rican actor who is known for his role in the hunger games and west side story and i think he has a very similar build to cole but he also has some serious gravitas that i think would be very interesting to see brought to cole’s character plus he actually has been seen to use a hammer a few times in different photo shoots so im sure he could use cole’s weapon no problem

After that we have Daijon Cotty Davis(DC The Don) as Zane Julien.

NOW HEAR ME OUT! I know dc is technically not an actor but he is literally 6’7 and has done many of artistic music videos and i believe if he was given the chance he could really play a fun version of zane, Dc also has done a music video based on Napoleon Dynamite where he dressed up “nerdy” and ever since i’ve been sold on him as zane tbh!

And finally we have Miles McKenna as Jay Walker.

Miles McKenna is an actor known for his role in goosebumps where he absolutely kills it as james and shows he has some serious comedic skills not to mention he has a very extensive youtube channel with plenty of funny videos and i think he would bring an incredible energy to jay and he also looks basically identical to him in my eyes tbh

Well that’s all for now but let me know what you guys think about it and who you guys would cast instead and what other characters you guys might like to see :p

[bleachanimefan1]

The Midnight Masquerade Part 2

His Butler, Strongest,

"So, this Madame Red, are you and her...?" Cassandra asked Grell, giving him a gesture asking him if they were together, as they headed to the Phantomhive estate. It was a large mansion with two rows of stairs extending out in the front yard. They started to walk up them.

"No. We are not together. I do admire her, and we do have the same interest, but I only just serve her." Grell told her.

"Interest?" Cassandra looked at him, wondering. "What kind of interest?"

Grell stiffened and he paused.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I tend to ask a lot of questions when I'm excited. I mean, we only just met. You don't have to answer if you don't want to-In fact, just forget that I asked." Cassandra quickly spoke as continued to ramble on, nervously.

"We like the color red."

Cassandra blinked at him. "What?"

"We both like the color red." He told her.

"Wow. Red used to be my favorite color when I was little." Cassandra told him.

"What else to you like?" Grell asked her.

"Well, Blue, purple, sometimes orange, grey-" The front door opened, revealing a handsome well-dressed man in a dark butler uniform with short black hair and brownish red eyes. 

"Hello, Sebastian."

"My lady, what a surprise to see you here." Sebastian told Cassandra. "I'm sure the young master will be delighted to see you." Then Sebastian looked over at Grell who was staring at him admiringly.

"You're late." He told Grell. Grell jumped a little startled and quickly handed some of the boxes over to Sebastian and Sebastian opened one of them.

Sebastian's eye twitched in annoyance. "Why are all of these china broken?"

"It was actually my fault. I bumped into him." Cassandra told him.

Sebastian sighed. "I'll have to arrange another order and pick them up myself tomorrow."

"So, where's the little one?" Cassandra asked him, which made Sebastian smirk, chuckling a little.

"The young master is in the lounge area with the other guests having tea. Would you like to join them?"

"Sure, why not?" Cassandra smiled. Sebastian led Cassandra to the room and Grell quietly followed behind them. As Sebastian opened the doors, Cassandra saw a young boy with short blueish-black hair wearing an eye patch on his right eye, a dark red coat over a white shirt, black bow tie, dark shorts, and black socks reaching up to his knees, dark shoes. A woman with short chopped red hair, red eyes, wearing a red coat, sitting in a chair near Ciel. A Chinese man and woman who was sitting on his lap, sitting across from them.

"Hey, shorty." Cassandra called out to Ciel, causing Ciel to spit out his tea. Ciel twitched in annoyance and slowly turned to her.

"What are you doing here?" 

"I invited her to join your little group." Sebastian told him, smiling.

As Sebastian was pouring tea for Ciel, Cassandra noticed Grell was staring at the butler with a dazed look in his eyes. Does he like him or something? Cassandra continued to stare at him, wondering.

"Grell." Madame Red spoke, snapping Grell out of his trance.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Learn something from Sebastian."

Grell looked down a little disheartened. "Yes, my lady."

"Just look at him." Madame Red began to stroke Sebastian on his butt. Sebastian jolted in shock, standing completely stiff. "His physique! Why not quit this country job and come work for me in the city!" She smiled.

Ciel coughed. "Madame Red."

She blushed and quickly pulled back her hand rubbing her head, laughing sheepishly. "I'm sorry. He looked like he needed a physical. Just a doctor's habit!"

"So do you believe the drug traffic that your after is one of your guests?" Lau asked Ciel.

"Perhaps."

"Why not leave the extermination to Lau? A rat knows best where a rat's nest is doesn't it?" Madame Red asked Ciel.

"I'm but a trained guinea pig dedicated to my lord. If the earl instructs me not to act, then I'm vowed to do nothing." Lau said, placing his hand on Ciel's head. Madame Red ripped Ciel, pulling him closer to her, glaring at him.

"Watch it! You best keep your filthy paws off my darling nephew!" She spatted at him, venomously.

"You wound me. I would never harm him here in his own manor." 

"Master?" Sebastian noticed Ciel leaving the room, while the two continued to bicker with each other. He turned to Cassandra bowing to her, slightly. "Excuse me."

"Oh, hey Sebastian. Would it be okay if I stay the night here?" Cassandra asked him.

"I'll let the young master know and I'll have a room ready for you." Sebastain told her.

"Do you mind if I make a phone call?" 

"Go right ahead. I assume you know where it is?" Sebastian asked. Cassandra nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I do. Thank you." and Sebastian left the room to check on Ciel.

"Let me know if anything interesting happens." Cassandra told Grell and she left. She called Undertaker to let him know that she was staying the night at the Phantomhive manor. Once she hanged up, Cassandra looked up to see Sebastian heading towards her at a fast pace, carrying a plate that had a pie on it.

"Hey, Sebastian, is there something wrong-" Suddenly, there was a loud crash as the window shattered beside her, making her jump. "What the hell-!?" and Sebastian jumped towards her, tossing the pie into the air and knocking them both to the floor. The vase that was sitting on the table shattered to bits from where she stood. Sebastian held the plate up and the pie fell back down, gracefully, back in place. Cassandra blinked blushing a little seeing how close Sebastian was to her, leaning over her.

"Do you mind?" Cassandra told Sebastian to get off of her.

"I'm sorry, my lady." Sebastian smiled and stood up. "Are you alright?" He helped Cassandra up. Cassandra turned towards the broken window and looked at the vase that was shattered to piece on the floor. Did someone shoot through the window?

"Yes, I'm fine. What just happened?" She asked Sebastian. Suddenly a young woman in a maid's uniform in laced boots, wearing round rimmed glasses, with red hair tied back in high pigtails came running over with a letter in her hand.

"Sebastian! A letter for you!" She shouted, handing Sebastian the letter. He took it from her, reading it. Cassandra saw his expression turned serious.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked him. Sebastian smiled.

"No. Nothing at all. Just an errand I need to do. Go back to the others and enjoy yourself." He told her. Then Madame Red, Grell, Lau and Ran Mao came running over to them. Then two other Phantomhive servants came running over as well. One was a young boy with short blond hair wearing a garners outfit and the other was a man wearing a chef's apron. Baldroy and Finny.

"What was that noise?" Madame Red asked.

"Everthing's fine. Just go back to the party. I have some business that I need to attend to." He handed Baldroy the pie and walked away leaving everyone completely confused.

"I wonder what the bloody hell that was about?" The chef murmured.

"Dear, you are bleeding." Madame Red told Cassandra. Cassandra blinked and looked down at her arm to see a few pieces of glass embedding into her skin. Blood was dripping a little out of the wound, trickling down her arm.

"Oh, I didn't even know." She said, surprised. 

"Come with me. I can have a look at it and fix it right up." Madame Red told Cassandra.

"It doesn't really hurt. I can probably get it out on my own-"

"Absolutely not! You'll bleed to death with that type of injury. Now, come with me. I am a doctor. You are not." She told Cassandra and took her hand pulling her away.

Madame Red took Cassandra into a room and began to pick out the glass shards out of her arm. Grell silently watched a little concerned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked Cassandra.

"Yes, I'm fine. Like I said, it barely even hurts." Cassandra smiled at him, but she hissed in pain when Madame Red dabbed some alcohol onto the wound, cleaning and bandaging it up.

"There we go!" She smiled.

"Thanks." Cassandra thanked her.

"You're welcome, dear! No trouble at all. If you don't mind me asking, you seem pretty close to Sebastian. Are you guys together?" Madame Red asked her, smiling.

"No, we're just close friends. He knows that I like to pick on Ciel, especially about his height. It amuses him. And I love to see Ciel's reaction every time." She told her.

"So a lovely lady like yourself don't have anyone?" Madame Red questioned. "I find that very hard to believe. Usually someone your age would settle down and have children."

"What about Undertaker? You speak very highly of him." Grell asked her.

"No, he's just a crazy old man. Yes, I do admire him, but I don't see him in that way." She spoke. "As for marriage, I haven't really thought about it. Maybe someday, but I'm just not ready for it right now. And children, I really don't know."

"What do you mean?" Madame Red asked.

"Don't get me wrong. Children are okay, but I don't particularly like them either. They can be whiny and complete brats." She told them and Madame Red suddenly laughed.

"Like my nephew." She smiled. "Speaking of which, I wonder where he went?" She questioned.

As the day ended, Grell took Madame Red back to her home, along with Lau and Ran Mao. Unknowingly to everyone, it turned it out that Ciel had been kidnapped for ransom by a drug dealer and Sebastian came to retrieve him back.

[roysristi]

Damn!

[xxstraymoonchildxx]

This Couple is Unusual

Prev. / Next

Chapter 3 This couple, competing

cw: one suggestive implication

The young earl suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, impatiently waiting for the undertaker to stop his hysterical laughter. Undertaker's chest heaved, choking on his gasps of air. He had to support himself on one of his many coffins, wiping off drool from his chin. Amused, you observed the earl whose visible eye twitched slightly and only now do you notice the eyepatch peeking out from under his sidebangs. He hadn’t noticed you yet or was ignoring you on purpose.

The raven-haired butler stood right behind him but his calculating eyes were fixed on Satan. Three more people were with them - a man of Chinese heritage, a lady dressed in red from head to toe, and next to her another butler, timidly looking around and plain as the day compared to the rest.

“Ah, Earl. I was wondering when you’ll step through my doors again. And you couldn’t have arrived at a better time~” Undertaker had finally composed himself, stepping closer to the boy. “Is today the day you have come to see how it feels to sleep in my custom-made coffins?”

A scoff left the kid's lips “I didn’t come here to play arou-” A finger touching his mouth silenced him. “I know exactly why you are here, no need to tell me. Although you are not the only one looking for answers today~” Undertaker grinned, a subtle nod ordering all attention on the two of you.

The air tensed as Ciel Phantomhive narrowed his eye(s), glancing towards his butler, you, and the blond next to you, who had his gloved hand protectively on the small of your back. You raised your hand, waving.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, we’ve met briefly,” Sebastian threw into the room, leaning forward to whisper into his ear. You did the same with Satan, asking him if you should take your leave. He nodded and displayed a practiced smile “We remember, feel free to take no account of us, we were on our way out anyway.” He turned to Undertaker “Again, it was our pleasure. Until next time, should we not solve the case first.”

A bolt of lightning could be imagined between the two of you and them, an unspoken challenge.

You were watched when you walked out, Satan holding the door open for you and you couldn’t help the cheeky upturn of your lips when you passed the boy who looked like Belphegor, the ‘Queen’s watchdog’ Cavendish most likely had warned you about.

The funeral director hummed “The international press is surely committed these days~”

Ciel scoffed. As if some no-name reporters could solve his case.

True to your estimation, Satan was hooked. You spent the next couple of days researching suspects - experts from the medical field, from bourgeoisie to proletariat.

The thesis of the culprit being involved with black magic was also in the room (which was scarily popular during this time) plus there was the possibility of Jack the Ripper being more than one person - a statement by yours truly, so you had the honor of persuading this path on your own so he could make more background checks. With the help of the Sorcerer’s Society and the documentation of the Yard, you were able to narrow down the circle of suspects, even if Satan was way quicker thanks to him being a demon. Were you dragging him down? The avatar of wrath had answered your suspicion with a kiss on your temple and a reassuring smile.

After an exhausting day, you have thrown your jacket on the ground and let yourself fall onto the covers of your bed. Feet aching, your magical energy drained from teleporting and your belly full from the three-course dinner Satan invited you to. Tomorrow, you told yourself, will be a shopping spree day. After all, a promise was a promise, and you were still missing some souvenirs.

Satan joined you shortly after, his fingers grazing your back, playing with the hooks of your bodice holding it together.

“Tired, huh?”

You hummed in agreement, more so when he started to work on the knots of your trapezius. He chuckled at your soft sighs, slowly pulling off the fabric to touch the top of your spine with his lips. “Mhm, not that I don’t like this but I should shower first, don’t you think?” Satan gently turned you around, hovering over you, his blond strands framing his face nicely and green eyes longingly boring into yours.

“Right after, my dear wife.”

A fit of giggles fell from your lips in response to his kisses, suddenly not minding your exhaustion at all.

“We have a promising clue,” Sebastian stated, elegantly serving a new pot of tea to the guests sitting under the chandelier in the drawing room of the Phantomhive manor. “A doctor, knowledgeable in human anatomy, connected to a secret society or black magic: matching with the criteria for the Whitechapel case would be the Viscount Druitt - Lord Aleister Chamber Although he is a medical school graduate, he hasn’t worked in a hospital or been involved in this profession. He has hosted several seasonal parties in the near past, but rumors say various parties were only attendable by those close to him.”

Angeliana Durless alias Madam Red, Ciel’s maternal aunt, leaned back into the comfy parlor chair, finger on her chin “Viscount Druitt…come to think of it, I do recall he has been into black magic lately.”

“He is also suspected of running some sort of secret ceremony during his parties. There is a possibility of him having prostitutes sent in as altar sacrifices for dark rituals and, or selling their organs and body parts to his guests.”

Lau, the second guest argumented, sipping from the delicate cup in his hands.

“Appropriately, he is hosting a party at the 19th hour of this day as the seasonal period will end with it. The ideal time for an investigation, don’t you agree, young master?”

Sebastian smiled eerily, already knowing the answer. Ciel gripped his fork.

“Madam Red, you sure can arrange something, can you?”

She answered with a laugh “What do you take me for, my dear nephew? Aren’t I quite popular? A word here, a word there - I have an invitation in no time~”

/This might be our only chance!/

A few hours later, the carriage arrived at Viscount Druitt’s lavish manor. People in their prettiest gowns and best suits were guided inside.

Ciel Phantomhive crossed his glove-covered arms, waist arching from that torturously tight-laced corset he was forced to wear. For their undercover-mission, he had to pose as his aunt's niece from the countryside and Sebastian being ‘her’ home tutor. Lau, who was uncharacteristically dressed in a smoking suit, was Madam Red's lover for the night. Only Grell was left out from acquiring a new role.

“It seems tonight will be rather enjoyable.” Lau hummed, eyes closed.

/Maybe for you, you don't have to dress up like a girl!/

“Don't make such a face. You look so cute!” his aunt teased, bringing Ciel in a bone-crushing hug “I always wanted to have a daughter to dress up so prettily!”

The Earl blushed, annoyance over his face. /This is humiliating/

He had to wear a blush pink dress with white ruffles and black accents, decorated with bows on the dress itself and over his chest. The equally pink headpiece with a white bow had also pink roses attached and sat nicely on his long twintail wig, hiding his eyepatch perfectly from view. If he had to describe it, it was pompous and utterly girly. Something he'd associate with his fiancé.

“Don't tell me you don’t like it? A lot of cloth had to be used for this to happen, you know. In France, nonetheless. It's all in vogue!”

“Let go of me now, why would I like it?!” Ciel snapped.

“Oh my, shouting so loud isn't becoming of a Lady,” Sebastian immediately reprimanded him with a smile, a gloved hand pushing up his glasses. He too was dressed up handsomely, black suit over a pristine white shirt and an ascot wrapped around the high collar. “Did you not say, you would ‘use any means necessary’?”

Ciels skin took an unhealthy red color but he did remember. Viscount Druitt was a man with catholic taste after all, so him posing as a girl was the perfect coverage, wherever he liked it or not. This was for the case.

“Shall we go then, my Lady?”

As expected, security was tight but they went in without facing any problems. To say the ballroom was packed was an understatement. It would take a while for them to find Lord Chamber.

Ciel started to complain about his get-up, stating he wouldn't want to see his fiancé dressed like this.

“Wow, your headpiece is exquisite!”

“Oh, why thank you!”

The Earl groaned “I'm starting to hear things like she is-”

“Oh, there are so many pretty dresses, but yours looks the best so far! Like a princess from a fairytale!”

“Aren't you energetic? You look very cute yourself. Just make sure to not bump into someone while running around.”

“Will do!”

“...here.”

Sebastian and Ciel turned around at the same time with horror.

He had to jinx it, hadn't he?

Geeze, I wonder who Lizzy was talking to 🤔

I planned to put more plot inside but decided to cut the chapter I had planned (this already has 1,5K words, and I don't want to rush through it

Until next time!

[phoenixyfriend]

Here, have some fashion suggestions (brands and designers) if you need ideas or references for an art piece. These skew heavily to my own tastes, but hey. Gotta start somewhere!

Paolo Sebastian's "Once Upon a Dream" collection is a megafave, but all of his stuff is good for the whimsical pastels vibe. Also does bridal.

Egyptian revival: I would definitely look into Cucculelli Shaheen, specifically the Alucinato collection. This seems really specific but ngl I just really want to rec them. Also does bridal.

There are a lot of bridal designers out there, but there are two (well, one bridal, and one bridal-adjacent) that I love for large ballgowns: - Mak Tumang does a lot of structured hemlines and stiff skirts, brightly saturated colors with a very costume ballgown vibe, the sort of thing you'd see in a masquerade scene in a fantasy movie. Good for a red carpet, IMO. (Not primarily bridal) - Kiyoko Hata tends to have more pastels and slightly desaturated jewel tones, with much less of a structure in favor of petticoats to build the shape, more layering of sheer fabrics. Very swishy. (Primarily a bridal designer) - For more 'normal' bridal in a standard palette, I'd look into Kim Kassas, Berta, Galia Lahav, Madeline Gardner, Krikor Jabotian, Rita Vinieris, Sophie Couture, Jimmy Choo, Julie Vino Glam, Vera Wang, Hian Tjen, Essense of Australia, Hayley Paige, Randy Fenoli.

For tea dresses (like a past-the-knee petticoat dress you wear to a garden party where you pretend to be rich) and general semi-formal: - The Matoshi sisters tend to work a lot with mesh and embroidery. Their floral elements tend to be very Secret Garden. They have some vintage inspiration in their bodices sometimes, but overall their boned bodice dresses are just really cool overall. - Chotronette have a similar style, but where the Matoshi tend to have a single heavier layer at the top with designs, Chotronette's are much more light-and-layered, and while they do have some floral, they use more celestial themes. They have a few designs that dip a bit into armor-inspired looks without going full fantasy costume. - IMO the best way to talk about the two in contrast is that the Matoshi sisters feel more solid and vintage-inspired, while Chotronette are more ethereal and fantasy-inspired.

Mark Bumgarner: For big structured skirts that straddle the line between tea dress and gown, but IMO he's a bit hit or miss. Good floral embroidery, though.

Red carpet and evening wear: There are a handful of designers that are just. Insanely good imo, and those are Zuhair Murad, Ziad Nakad, and Elie Saab. All three are really big names, and I wasn't sure until I checked but all are Lebanese, so I guess Lebanon just has a really good fashion industry. I believe most of them (definitely at least Saab and Murad) do bridal as well.

Girl's casual fashion: "All Pretty Girls" boutique

Professional wear: Poem Bangkok do some Ridiculously cool office wear ombre stuff, and the lines on their stuff are SO clean.

Chinese fusion: Heaven Gaia is also one of those brands that does a lot of work with ombre, but they lean into their roots a bit more than Poem. They have some massively cool work with embroidery, mandarin collars, capes, and so on.

Witchy looks: - Linda Friesen has some major vibes with 3D printed elements around the shoulders; good for fantasy costume territory. - Wulgaria Evil: If you want something a bit more high school/college goth.

Royal Black Corsetry for, well, corsets; the head of the company specializes in custom tailoring.

If you're looking to get into fashion for references, I would also follow blogs like @wedding-affair, @fashion-runways, @lacetulle, and @evermore-fashion.

For a more vintage reference set, @sartorialadventure is a good starting point, as is @lookingbackatfashionhistory.

If you're into lolita fashion, I'd rec @lolita-wardrobe