#but there's many fics where mayerling is just the starting point. what if there was a fic where suicide is in fact dull permanent final etc

[fitzrove]

Ok so I'm not 100% sure of this because the claim seems to come from known bad book (twilight of the empire) and this information is not stated in sources from before that (at least that i could find on a cursory search) but. Idk there's the whole thing about Rudolf shooting Mary (according to her wishes) and then apparently just sitting there for five or six hours. Like what was going through his mind. sexy fanfic idea

(Tw: discussion of suicide in the tags)

[the-letter-horror-lover]

Presenting (Black Butler x demon!Reader)

eroticincubi

Summary:

That is the servant aesthetic...

Notes:

A/N: I finally got to watch Book of Circus and I have to admit that I actually liked it. I was thinking about writing a series of fics with this story arc because I thought it would be interesting to see Reader's perspective/humor on things, but that's just me. Hope you enjoy.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

In the Morning…

'A servant's mornings begins early. They must start working before everyone else, they will even iron their Master's newspaper and preparing the morning tea. They do their utmost to ensure that their Master enjoys a consistent and comfortable daily life. That is the servant aesthetic!'

It was like any regular morning at Phantomhive Manor, both __________ and Sebastian had risen early and dressed to get started with the duties of the household. While Sebastian prepared the young Master's breakfast tea and paper, __________ had been busy preparing a warm breakfast of sweet porridge, eggs Atlantic[1] with fresh hot crumpets and a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

While Sebastian hurried along with the breakfast trolley, __________ had stayed behind already cleaning the kitchen while wondering what to prepare for lunch as well as dessert for afternoon tea.

In no time at all Mrs. Mayerl, the young earl of Phantomhive's dance teacher, arrives for their lesson allowing Sebastian to return to the kitchen to find __________, Tanaka, Finny, Mey-Rin and Baldo all waiting on him for the chore assignments.

"Mey-Rin you will gather and launder all the sheets."

"Yes sir!"

"Finny, tend to the plants in the greenhouse,"

"Right!"

Baldo, prepare some bread dough,"

"Leave it to me!"

"Tanaka, please act as usual."

"Ho, ho, ho!"

"Also we are expecting guests today," Sebastian cleared his throat and had been about to speak further on the subject then Baldo interrupted him.

"Then I, the chef, will make my special dinner--"

"THEREFORE," Sebastian spoke loudly and pointed a rolling pin at Baldo who stopped speaking and winces slightly, "you three please stay quietly out of sight and don't do anything uncalled-for. And I do mean quietly." he finishes with a smile then claps his hands twice, "All right! To your stations!"

The trio agreed and scattered to their assignments, __________ who has said nothing on the subject turns to smile at her cohort, "They seem in a cheerful mood,"

"It's keeping an eye on them where the problem truly lies," Sebastian sighed sounding a bit exhausted.

"Though they mean well,"

"Indeed they do."

~*~

In the Afternoon…

Later that afternoon, Sebastian and Ciel were in the study when __________ was just about to knock having brought the serving trolley with a slice of treacle tart she made for his afternoon tea, "I want something sweet now!" the young man whined and just as Sebastian had murmured his reply did she walk in pushing the trolley.

"Did the young Lord request something sweet?" she asked with a smile.

"Honestly __________, you spoil the young Master rotten with your attentions," Sebastian chastises the Maid who now served a slice of the treacle tart, "how will be a proper gentleman if you lavish him constantly like a child?"

"My dear Sebastian, the young Master is indeed a child, who is growing constantly and will have sufficient room for dinner tonight," she then looked into the cup of hot chocolate, "Oh dear no whipped cream? It's a good thing I thought ahead and made some while making the treacle, allow me, Master," she spoke in a warm tone while adding a dollop of the cool thick white cream and drizzled some of the caramel Sebastian had earlier brought with the hot chocolate.

Once finished and dismissed, both Sebastian and __________ stepped out into the hallway in order to begin the preparations for tonight's dinner meeting with Mr. Lau and Mr. Cedric Brandel. Mr. Brandel was the man who had acquired one of the many local tea companies and had requested a meeting with Ciel in order to mass produce his special line of flavored teas to children.

"Brewing something, my dear?"

"Not at all, whatever could you mean?"

"You know what I mean..."

"Well isn't that the Servant's aesthetic? To keep the young Master contented and comfortable?"

"I see,"

"I am simply making sure that the cooking pot isn't boiling over. You wouldn't want a burnt feast do you?"

"Of course, though might I make a suggestion?"

"You may,"

"Keep your hands out of my kitchen."

"Duly noted."

"Now that's settled, shall we begin preparations for tonight's entertainment?"

"Quite so. After all, who better to entertain a guest or two than those who serve the House of Phantomhive?"

Soon both Maid and Butler were in the dining hall with several patterned dishes laid out on the table, they were studying each intricate detail and deciding which plate design would they use for tonight's theme.

"We'll use playful, colorful Herend dinnerware, which suits a meeting about children's goods. Next we will polish the silverware until it gleams."

She was about to reply when both __________ and Sebastian heard a woman's muffled scream from a few doors down... it came from the laundry room.

"That voice..."

"Oh dear..."

They both headed for the room in question the hallway quiet like a tomb when Sebastian opens the door, "Mey-Rin what's going--" both servants stared blankly at the same room overflowed with soap suds while a soap covered young woman pops out of one of the large fluffy clouds.

"Sebastian! __________!" Mey-Rin cries and shakes the bubbles off her.

"What's all this?"

"It's quite obvious isn't it?"

"I used thirty cups of detergent, just like the instructions said, and now the bubbles are out of control yes!" she then held up the soap box close to Sebastian's face, "I don't understand!"

__________ chortled behind a gloved hand, Mey-Rin could be so cute at times. With a slow and pained sigh Sebastian replied, "Look again closely, it's three cups, not thirty."

Mey-Rin did indeed look closely at the box and then she lets out another indignant cry at her obvious mistake, "Honestly, far-sightedness isn't sufficient to excuse what a fool-- rather, what a scatterbrain you are," Both he and __________ rolled up their sleeves, "Now stand back,"

Between the two of them, both Maid and Butler mopped the floor, sorted, washed and pressed the sheets then brought them out to the back to dry on a line.

"That should do it," Sebastian spoke and wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"Things ran a lot smoother this time around, not bad at all." __________ smiled until she caught a glimpse of Sebastian staring at her, "Sebastian?"

"Do forgive me __________," he said and had reached out to grab for her chest, she could hear Mey-Rin squeal until his hand made contact with a strand of (y/c) hair, his thumb wiped away a lone fluff of white soap, "but you had soap in your hair."

"Why thank you for catching it, Sebastian," she smiled kindly, Sebastian returned it as well.

"Mey-Rin, go inside and clean up the laundry room, please,"

"Oh! Right! Yes!" she saluted and heads back inside with a rush.

Both Sebastian and __________ remained outside until it was Sebastian who spoke gently, "For goodness's sake, it's always when I'm busy..."

"Fifteen on the left and ten to the right, shall we give them a proper Phantomhive welcome?" __________ replied with a sniff.

"I believe it would be rather rude if we did not!" Sebastian turned to smile at her, she then feels for the charm around her neck and pulls off the chain.

Immediately they both ambushed the group of men who had been silently watching the Manor. Their guns were useless as one by one they fell to the ground dead. Whether by cutlery, the sharp edge of a Tailor's scissors or by strangulation of sewing threads.

"Oh what a lovely bouquet," __________ said as she spied some white blossoms while she wiped the blood off her scissors with one of the dead men's coats, "I believe they would make a lovely arraignment as tonight's centerpiece and they would complement the dinner plates you've selected."

"Goodness you certainly have an eye for detail my dear!"

"I will take that as a complement."

Taking the flowers into the house the two continued with preparing the dining table, "Next we will set the table, along with the flower arraignment. It will be a refine mix of snowdrops and Christmas roses, to evoke winter and the napkins shall be folded in a rose-like shape,"

"WHAAAA!"

They both looked up simultaneously at each other; (y/c) eyes meeting with a set of mahogany ones. Though the mahogany held an annoyed tone to them; the (y/c) ones had a suspicious curiosity. Heading out toward the greenhouse, both Maid and Butler were greeted to an intense heat along with Finny running back and forth wailing inconsolably.

"Finny! Why on earth is it so hot?"

__________ said nothing for the strong scent of flowers from the heat invaded her nose terribly and had caused her to begin coughing and sneezing, "My apologies Sebastian, I will not be of much assistance this time, the scent of the flowers makes my nose sensitive. I may faint." She then covers her nose with the back of her gloved hand and stepped back a few paces to avoid the overpowering smell.

Finny walked up to them crying and apologizing while explaining the reason behind the heat, "I'm so sorry! It looked like the roses were about to bloom so I tried to speed them up by lighting the stove!" he bawled and clings to Sebastian for dear life.

"To carry a stove out here, you'd have to be brainless-- or rather brawny. It can't be helped."

Finny stood close to __________ who continued to cough and sneeze a few more times until her senses cleared and she no longer had a fit, "Oh dear, that was rather undignified..."

Both watched on as Sebastian at last removed all the contents of the greenhouse outside of the glass building, "What a shame, if not for this we'd have the pleasant scent of roses... Finny, do the rest of the cleanup," he said and walks past him while __________ followed alongside the dark haired butler, "For goodness sake, what a pain."

"There are ten this time, perhaps they think that by sending a small group they would go undetected." __________ suggested by the ten pairs of eyes carefully watching them, "I would have detected them much sooner had it not been for the saturation of roses attacking my sense of smell."

"Perhaps, though it will not stop up from greeting them." Sebastian agreed with a tiny huff, though he was in his right to be annoyed it wasn't proper manners to be lingering in doorways or in this case by trees.

"No, of course not."

Once again both servants attacked at the group of men, only this time Sebastian used his trusty forks to stab and attack while __________ uses her sewing thread to take the guns from each of the men's hands so that Sebastian had a clear shot of killing the small group. As soon as the offending men dropped dead, something else fell from the sky; both Maid and Butler could see that it was a wild pheasant, and a plump looking one at that.

"He will make a fine fillet, may I watch?"

"Of course, there might be times when I need your talented hands for the dinner other than the sweet confections you make for the young Master."

The moment they returned to the kitchen, __________ watched with great interest while Sebastian plucked, cleaned and sliced the pheasant in order to create three fillets of almost equal ration and began to garnish them with salt and pepper to taste before placing them in the skillet.

"Most important of all is the main dish, I will sauté the freshly caught pheasant in a rosemary and sage paste," he then places the first fillet on the prepared skillet, the meat sizzles as the delicious smell of the dinner filled the medium sized kitchen, watching Sebastian cook such extravagant meals was always a pleasure of hers, just as he enjoyed watching her measure and tailor a suit for the young Master, "And I will pair it with a Gran Cru Champagne."

The mood was then interrupted by Bardo who yelled and blasted the far side of the kitchen wall with one of his many explosives. Smoke, ash and wall debris filled the far corner of the kitchen.

"Bardo!" Sebastian called out just as the smoke cleared and Bardo stood at attention covered in ash and soot, "Right... might as well explain yourself..." the poor man sounded so tired as he approached the blond carefully.

"I thought since guests were comin' I'd treat them to a new menu!"

Both __________ and Sebastian face palmed at his response, "How many times must I tell you that cooking doesn't require actual firepower? You're a colossal fool-- or rather just simply a fool."

"You really didn't rephrase that," Baldo spoke nervously, he has had some run in with Sebastian's annoyance before and since then he's tried his best at avoiding a conflict whenever he could.

Sebastian stares at the large gaping hole until __________ caught a whiff of something.

"Again?" Sebastian asked to which __________ replied coolly, "Fifteen."

"Huh? Fifteen what?"

"Bardo, come with me, you will need some supplies," Sebastian smiled as the three of them headed outside, __________ stood by the broken wall while both servant men returned with bricks and cement, "Here you start on with these while I will confiscate this," he spoke and took Bardo's flamethrower away from him.

"Maybe they didn't see us..." whispered one of the men, when Sebastian shoots him with the flamethrower, with a yell the man fell out of the tree and into a heap on the ground.

Taking her scissors, __________ tossed them like a terrifying boomerang which made equal slices across each man's body; some who though had the hopes of escaping the horrible duo were met with Sebastian and his commandeered flamethrower. Finally the last group of invaders were dead and just as they were about to head back into the house did __________ smell something enticing. A large cracking pop is what caught her attention; she smiled at the chestnuts by her feet.

"Mmm it indeed does feel like Christmas tonight, roasted chestnuts... they will taste quite delicious sautéed in butter and cinnamon." she smiled and gathered them along with Sebastian who looked quite put out.

"For goodness's sake, we are getting nothing done."

"It only feels that way but we have and all it needs is for it to simply come together. We still have ample time."

"The guests will be here any moment."

"You worry far too much."

"Come, we must hurry."

"Oh very well..." she said with a gentle sigh and follows him.

They finished their preparations in no time at all just as their guests had arrived both servants stood at the foot of the main stair case quietly, "Thank you for coming today," Ciel spoke as he appeared at the top of the stairs, "I am Ciel Phantomhive, the current earl."

"And I am Cedric Brandel, pleased to make your acquaintance. My I've never imagined you would be so young, my lord." Spoke the man called Cedric Brandel as he reached out to take Ciel's hand in his then gives it a friendly shake.

"I told you that there was no need for you to get worked up, he's so small and cute!" Lau smiled easily which his companion Ran-Mao clings to his arm silently watching the exchange.

"I've had a dinner prepared for us, this way please," Ciel spoke politely and walked his guests into the decorated dining room.

Sebastian pops the champagne bottle and began to pour it over the tower of glasses both he and __________ had set up just in time for the arrival of their guests, __________ had brought in an extra bottle just in case while Mey-Rin was to bring in the hors d'oeurves ... what could possibly go wrong?

"Oh how lovely," murmured Mr. Brandel as he watched glass after glass being filled by the bubbling golden drink, Ciel slightly turns his body to face him, "I thought simply setting out aperitifs lack flair,"

"G-Good evening, yes! Here are some hors d'oeurves..." Mey-Rin stuttered as she walked in trembling with the tray in both hands, "Oh... I'm so nervous..." she whispered then trips on the laces of her boots then falls forward crashing into the glass tower.

Both Sebastian and __________ sprang into action the moment they saw the glasses falling and spilling. Sebastian on his part tosses the half poured bottle of champagne high into the air where it had begun to spin. Between both the smooth flutter of the Maid's skirt together with the Butler's coat tails, it appeared as if both servants were dancing in harmonious sync until all the glasses were caught and were set back neatly onto the table; not a single drop of champagne was wasted. The bottle fell gracefully and was once again in Sebastian's hand while __________ held up the tray with the hors d'oeurves while she offered it toward their guests. Both servants were bowing graciously save for Mey-Rin who skidded across the floor to a stop next to them.

"What just happened?" asked Mr. Brandel who was astonished by such quick reflexes.

"Pardon me, this brand is a bit on the bubbly side, so we've given it a nice decanting. Please have a seat and we shall bring it to you."

"Good show!" smirked Lau who passed by them with his lady in arm, "You'd leap to stardom in any acrobatics troupe[2]."

"Us? Stars? You jest!" __________ smiled kindly as Sebastian continued to speak, "We are both simply two hellish servants,"

"My lord, your home provides no end of surprises. The manor is so beautiful; I can hardly imagine it was in ashes three years ago."

"This makes for dull dinner conversation, how about we simply get down to business?"

"Oh, well I would like my new company to market to children for sustained profitability, and since all the children of Europe love Funtom, I would like to work with you."

"Ah yes, after all children are the better judges of art and food than adults realize."

"Seeing you makes me more convinced of it, my lord. It must be the secret to your company's success in that market."

"Oh? Are you implying that because I am a child, that is why my company succeeds?"

"N-No, not at all!"

"I'm merely joking." he said with a calm smile that seemed to lightened the mood.

At this, Mr. Brandel chuckled, "You're a wicked one, my lord!" Their banter continued this way until the dinner was over and next would be the tea as well as dessert.

Both Brandel and Lau had excused themselves from the table to use the wash room while both Sebastian and __________ prepared the dessert and the tea trolly this gave both servants time to converse with one another.

"He reeks of that same brand of cigarettes from earlier."

"A pity the game has to come to an end like this,"

"I'm rather fond of that story with the Italian[3], when can we play a game like that?"

"Soon I hope, oh he's coming back," Sebastian walks to the door just as Mr. Brandel was about to open it, he then ushers the man inside.

"Oh, what happened to Mr. Lau?"

"He excused himself; something about business he had to attend to."

"As usual, he has no consideration." sighs the young Earl with annoyance.

"What a pity he will not be joining the table for dessert. I dare say it was both a delight and appropriate to prepare it for this evening."

"Indeed it goes absolutely well with your flavored tea."

"Ah! Now I'm curious!" Brandel sounded excited for the dessert.

"Here we are," Sebastian carried a serving tray and placed it before their guest. Lifting the lid, the Phantomhive Butler revealed a delicious golden brown custard cake, the edge was rimmed with a golden crown, "A galette des rois. It's conventional, but we've done it up with a thick creme de marron to complement the flavored tea. According to tradition, one slice contains a doll called 'la feve' and whoever finds it receives this crown along with God's blessing." Sebastian then placed the now filled tea cup with its matching saucer close to their guest and had gone to serve another cup to the young Lord.

"Just a thing for children," Ciel spoke with a quiet smile as he leaned back against his seat, "who like games of chance like dice or drawing straws."

"I thought you would enjoy it my young Lord," __________ spoke, the corners of her lips lifting to a gentle smile, "I daresay you would look absolutely precious with that crown on your head," she hid the grin behind a gloved hand while she watched the color blooming upon the young master's cheeks.

"I see," spoke the guest who seemed to be waiting for Ciel to be served the cake, "a sweet with a game to it. Brats sure think up things no adult would," the older gentleman looks directly at the young boy and gave him a not so nice smile.

"What?"

Sebastian and __________ both made eye contact at that.

"'Queen's guard dog' or not, you're just a brat trying to show off! The two things I hate the most are cocky brats and bets that don't make money!" Suddenly the clock in the dining room over the fireplace began to struck eight o'clock, "Drop dead, guard dog!" with that Mr. Brandel ducks under the dining table just as Ciel rose to his feet.

The sound of broken glass reverberated around the room as the impacting sound of metal meeting flesh could be heard. Both Maid and Butler called out to the young Master who was now lying face down onto the table while the pooling crimson stained the once pristine table cloth.

Soon the double doors to the dining hall burst open while an armada of men began firing their guns upon both servants as well as the body of the young boy lying dead on the table.

Brandel who was hiding from the gunfire chortled victorious that he at last was rid of the infamous guard dog; that is of course until he once again heard the clock chiming on the mantle-place. Curiosity getting to him he climbed out from under the table to find everything in order. It was as though the events of the warfare had not taken place! What was the meaning of this?

"Did you drop something, Mr. Brandel?" Sebastian asked with the tea pot in his hands.

Looking around the room, the older man could see that the dining hall was perfect. Not a bullet hole or broken glass or dead bodies, nothing!

Ciel snickers softly, "I do believe you're drunk. Please, try some of this and no more alcohol,"

"Does this mean you enjoyed it my Lord? I am most pleased, I was afraid it was too bland for your liking."

"It goes well with the tea."

Brandel sits silently as Sebastian pushes his seat in for him while the man started to tuck in to his dessert, albeit he was trembling or so __________ noticed how his hand shook while he lifted the fork to his lips and takes a bite.

Instantly, Brandel bites into something not part of the sweet dessert when Sebastian grins, "Ah, congratulations! It seems you have la feve."

Brandel spits out the bullet upon the dish and stares at it nervously, his words failing him, "Your friends left this behind, so I will return it to you."

Frightened, Brandel stood up and started to move away from the approaching Butler who further explained the demise of his "friends", "They arrived quite sooner than you did, so __________ and I decided to give them a proper Phantomhive welcome." Sebastian spoke with a smile as images from their earlier activities began to play into both minds of the demon servants.

"But that's impossible! There were at least fifty of them! How could you two defeat them?!"

Both Sebastian and __________ smiled at the frightened Brandel when Ciel spoke, a tea cup in one hand and its saucer in the other, "Lau told me you were dealing guns on the black market,"

"He sold me out?!"

"No. He was never on your side to begin with. Her Majesty is quite distressed by the spread of gun related crime among the underclasses." raising the tea cup to his lips, Ciel then makes a disgusted sound and lowers the cup back onto its saucer, "Sebastian, make a new pot of tea! These low-grade leaves smell foul."

"Certainly," he replied and walks to the tea cart to prepare the high grade tea his Master preferred.

"Master, then you were teasing me earlier when you said the cake was to your liking..." __________ pouted though her cheeks flushed pink.

"I had to say something to get the idiot to eat a piece and find the bullet."

"How cruel," the Maid swooned and turned an impressive shade of red at the young boy's cruelty.

"What nonsense are you spouting off now?"

Rising to his feet, Brandel pointed the gun he held under his jacket and pointed it to the young earl, "Die!" he shouted and fired three times at the young boy.

"This won't do..." murmurs Sebastian who held the tray of tea in one hand while the other held the three bullets Brandel had just fired, "I only just gave you back your belongings and you've already lost more." he then drops the bullets gently onto the carpet.

"W-what is this? How?!" Brandel was now pointing the gun at the Butler, hands shaking.

"I simply can't be killed by such toys, I'm afraid." Sebastian spoke with a smile when Brandel continued to fire his gun as though to prove the Butler wrong. Sebastian pokes the rim of the gun causing it to explode and fire backward onto the older man's hand.

Brandel falls to the floor with a shout and cradles his now injured hand,

"You've forgotten one more thing," Sebastian bowed slightly, his hand over his chest and walked over to Brandel to place the golden crown upon his head.

"M-Monster!" Brandel accused with a whimper.

"Goodness! How very discerning for a human," he watched as the man fell over onto his arse while Sebastian transformed into his demonic self, "Yes... I am one hell of a Butler."

"St-stay away!"

"Brandel," Ciel addressed the man from his place at the table, the black ominous haze slowly begins to fill the room while a red glow seemed to also come from the Maid next to the young boy as well, "Why do you suppose no one knows what punishment the Queen's guard dog inflicts? It's because," he said while removing his eye patch to reveal his demon seal, "Dead men, tell no tales."

Brandel was then consumed by the dark haze as his wails of torment echoed throughout the room.

~*~

Lau returned at last with Ran-Mao in tow, "All finished my Lord?"

"And where were you?"

"Well you see, someone gave me this," Lau held up a white envelope with a red wax seal on it, it had the royal crest on it.

"It's... who gave this to you?"

"Some lads in white, they seem to have mistaken me for a servant of the household," "My, my... those are tickets to the traveling circus coming to town. The "Noah's Ark Circus," as I recall."

Meanwhile in town, crowds of men, women and children gather to see the large marching troupe with their colored lights, bright cheerful costumes and various forms of entertainment including a fire breather.

"Ladies and Gentleman, step right up! The Noah's Ark Circus has arrived! Forget the cold weather and bleak news, for the show of the century is about to begin!"

~*~

At Midnight...

Back at the Phantomhive Manor, Sebastian was carefully preparing the young Master to bed, "You've worked hard today, my Lord."

"Today's game was dull."

"You never lose while I remain your loyal chessman."

"Loyal? You just want my soul."

"Indeed, my Lord. While this contract remains, I shall go wherever you go. All the way to the end, even should your wish be a foolish revenge."

"'Foolish'? Yes, I suppose it is."

"You have a full schedule tomorrow. Sleep now young master," with a silent bow, Sebastian takes the candelabra in hand and just as he was about to depart the room did he hear Ciel call him back by name.

"Sebastian... stay there... until I fall asleep."

"Yes, my Lord."

'A Demon's nights are long. He or she must keep a sharp watch to prevent anyone from breaking their weak and delicate prey. They do their utmost to ensure that they will receive a soul brimming with despair upon completion of their Master's foolish wish.'

That is the demon aesthetic.

Sebastian gently blows out the candles as he whispered into the darkness, "Good night, young Master."

...

Notes: