#corvus--coraxx

Due to Her Majesty's love of all things Scottish, it had become fashionable to celebrate the New Year with the Caledonian tradition of Hogmanay. The primary custom that the young master was keen to observe was the first-foot, in which the first person to cross the home's threshold needed to be a tall, dark-haired man laden with specific gifts, to ensure good fortune for the household in the coming year. (Red or blonde hair was unlucky, as was a woman first-footer or one with no gifts.) As such, the Earl Phantomhive chose Sebastian for the special role.

For the gifts, he was to bring a silver coin for prosperity, a black bun or shortbread for food (in keeping with his sweet tooth, the young master requested both), salt for flavour, coal for warmth, and whiskey to toast the New Year. That meant some shopping was in order. Finny went with Bard to purchase the ingredients needed to bake the black bun, along with the salt and coal. Meanwhile, Mey-Rin accompanied Sebastian to a shop specialising in Scottish gifts. They were to buy the whiskey and a tin of shortbread, and make sure to receive change in silver coinage.

"You must feel honoured that the master is having you do this tradition on New Year's Eve, right, Sebastian?" Mey-Rin asked on the way to the shop. She beamed, unable to believe her luck in getting to go on an outing with him and no one else.

"You're probably right." There was a tingle of disappointment in her voice. Mey-Rin stood up and began straightening her clothes. "Do you think we would be in terrible trouble if anyone found out about us?" she asked, keeping her voice at a whisper. From the corner of her eye, her gaze traversed his form. "Not that I's wanting to tell anyone what's not their business, only I feel somewhat guilty hiding things from the young master."

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦ 𝐎𝐇, 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐒! He plays his part well — the stoic butler, perfect and beautiful and emotionally unavailable in every way. Ever so polite despite his obvious distaste for her — she’s no fool, she knows, and if anything that’s part of the fun. Push him as far as she can just to see if she can put a crack in the beautiful facade… Is she trying to win him over? Is she looking for a fight? It’s possible not even she knows the answer to that.

“ Oh, darling, I came to see you, ” another forward gesture, she places a palm on his chest. She looks her absolute best for him today, will he even notice? “ It’s so rare that we have time to ourselves, wouldn’t you agree? Just you and I, no pressing matter to attend to, no reason to fight — just us… ”

Her smile betrays her, though. Perhaps her presence here isn’t so purposeless after all.

Stood in the doorway to the library was the butler. Clad in all black, shadowy and imposing where he stood tall and still, he was a contrast to small amount of warm light from the lit candles in the hallway behind him.

❛❛ The hour is late ; surely whatever whimsical tales you've absorbed yourself in can wait until tomorrow ? ❜❜

What a mouthy and irritable thing the little earl could become when his sleep schedule veered too far off course. For the sake of the staff — and for his own patience — Sebastian knew it best to usher him off to sleep.

As if to entice him, the butler added, ❛❛ I've taken the liberty of changing your bedding and preparing your night clothes already. ❜❜

𝔗he day had stretched on, filled with a daunting list of tasks and lessons that occupied the Earl's schedule. This was a daily routine, save for the occasions when he received a summons from a particular noble. That day crept slowly, the sounds of clocks around the manor ticking away each second. By evening, following the completion of dinner, all obligations had been fulfilled. Although it was still early, the young man didn’t feel tired enough to retire for the night. Therefore, motivated by a desire to immerse himself in a captivating mystery novel he had been eager to read, Ciel decided to spend the rest of his free time in the manor's library.

‘ Young master. ’

The gentle rapping at the door escaped the boy's notice, as he was deeply immersed in his book. It wasn't until a familiar, smooth voice filled the air that he finally shifted his attention from the pages. He cast a brief look with one striking blue eye towards the butler, whose silhouette merged seamlessly with the shadows cast by the flickering candlelight of the evening.

Redirecting his focus to the book resting on his lap, he turned the page with one hand while the other supported his chin. His movements were minimal, creating the impression that he was disregarding the man who had arrived to escort him to bed. In truth, he was indeed ignoring him. Nevertheless, he was aware that his servant would persist in speaking if he remained silent.

‘ I'm not tired yet. ’

Although it was merely a trivial untruth, he had somehow convinced himself that he was not ready to retire for the evening, despite the slow and gentle descent of his head and the fleeting instances when his eyes would close. Additionally, his voice had grown softer to the extent that it sounded nearly like a mumble when he made an effort to articulate his thoughts.

𝔚ithout glancing towards his butler, the young man would lean back in his leather chair, watching as pristine gloved hands delicately set down a floral-rimmed porcelain cup that held a pleasant aroma of black tea, which would keep the boy alert through the day, followed by something light and sweet to accompany. Normally, the scent would be a welcoming one to his senses, but that afternoon, he had an absence of appetite. Rather than reaching for his beverage, he would leave it sitting before him, his singular optic watching the steam rise and evaporate in the air.

To even a trained eye, the Earl of the manor visually appeared in perfect health. However, he knew himself that something was off with him. Perhaps there was an onset of symptoms that could not yet be detected, or perhaps it was the ungodly English summer heat toying with him, but Ciel knew there was something not quite right with him.

A pause filled the space between the two figures in the study. The boy could barely keep his gaze focused even as his butler went about tidying the array of papers that had been scattered across the desk. Ciel would tilt his head up, his eyes closing as he breathed a soft sigh, as if to release whatever weight he felt upon his chest before responding.

‘ To be frank, I'm not quite sure what's wrong, but I know I am not feeling well. Perhaps it's the summer heat or some oncoming fever of some sort. Perhaps the stress from the amount of work is physically making me weary. I feel much warmer than normal even with the windows open and I don't seem to have an appetite. ’

What a shame it was that he could not bear to even look at the delectable treat placed in front of him. If there was anything he truly enjoyed, it was always Sebastian's desserts and his perfectly chosen teas to pair them with.

‘ I'm aware that there is much for me to see to this afternoon. I have no intention of finding excuses out of them, but I currently feel dreadfully faint. ’

Ciel's voice trailed off to a softened volume as he finished speaking, his petite frame slumped in his seat.

Snrk.