He knew his human form was appealing. People were so agreeable to the good-looking. His demon form would send them screaming, even though he thought it had it's own dark appeal. To those willing to not run screaming. We're in for one HELL of a surp...
Breakfast the next day was stilted with Serena silently glaring at the demon serving them. Ciel and Elizabeth didn't seem to feel the tension as the Earl read the morning paper and Lizzy chattered about plans for the day. The red head ignored them both and focused on the plate in front of her. The word London pulled her out of her funk.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Lizzy wants to go into the city today." Ciel folded the flap of his paper down to glare at the girl as if say 'pay attention.'
"I want Ciel and I to have matching outfits for the ball."
"Ball?" Serena looked back and forth between them.
"Really?" Ciel finally put his paper down and decided to humor Serena. "The Midfords hold a ball every year on the eve of the New Year. This time it's a masked ball and everyone is expected to come in costume."
"That sounds like fun. You get to be someone else for a little while." Serena smiled as she took a sip of her tea. She looked at the eyepatch on the Earl's face. "I think you should go as pirates."
"That's a great idea!" Lizzy started to chatter about potential costumes.
"Ow!" Serena gasped at the boot that connected with her leg. " So, what is your problem anyway?" Serena strode into Ciel's office and the teen dropped the papers in his hand as the door closed. "You kicked me."
"I don't want to go into town with Lizzy. Even with a costume idea, I'll be stuck all day at the dressmaker's." He glared at her. "Now, she thinks that you're on board with this too and there is no way for me to get out of going."
"I'm sorry. Really, the pirate thing was a joke."
"I don't very much care what we go as. I tried to tell Lizzy that whatever she picks is fine."
"You may not want to do that. Knowing her, she'd have you going as the Easter Bunny. A pink Easter Bunny."
"This is a disaster." He raised a hand to rub his forehead as Serena came around his desk. He jumped as the red head laid her hands of his shoulders. Ciel's head slumped forward as her fingers started to kneed his shoulders.
"You need to relax. You're a heart attack in the making. Especially with all that rich food you eat. It can't be that bad. Just go with her into the shop, pick something out and leave."
"It's not that simple." He gasped as she hit a spot next to his neck.
"What do you mean? What's so hard about picking a costume when you don't really give a damn about what you go as?"
"You spent a whole day with Lizzy in London and you still ask me what could take so long?"
"Dressmaker's shop. She's going to want a new dress." The girl shook her head as the problem came to her.
"Or three. And she'll want to look at every piece of fabric and every single design and this will turn into an all-day event." Ciel shook his head. "I don't have time for this."
"Alright." Serena let go his shoulders. "I'm going to break about fifty girl laws and teach you how to get out of this."
"And how would that be?" He asked as she went to the chair in front of the desk.
Her explanation was interrupted as Sebastian came into the room with the daily post on a tray.
"Talk about having the world delivered to you on a silver platter." The red head laughed.
Ciel ignored her and took the letters. "Serena is going to teach me how to get out of spending all day at Miss Nina's shop."
"Really? I did not think that was possible." The butler watched her in disbelief. He came to stand at her side as she started telling them her plan.
"First off, go with her. Don't fight it anymore, just go. When you get to the shop, pick out your costumes first. We all know after that, Lizzy will start looking through the fabric and you are going to let her. You walk around the shop too. Find the ugliest swatch that is in that store. And I mean ugly. That fabric that almost makes you want to puke looking at it. Put that to the side but remember where you found it."
"Once you have found that piece, look around the shop and find another piece of ugly fabric that's not as bad. Show her that one. Now, they're going to look at you like you're crazy. Lizzy will probably try to be nice and say something like that's just not what she's looking for. Put it back and go find another one. Same thing all over again. Now, go for your coup de gras. Bring her that ugliest piece of fabric in the store. She's going to be irritated by now and she'll let you have it.
"Oh, Ciel. How could you pick out something so awful? You want me to be the laughingstock of parties. How can you pick all those ugly pieces when you dress so well...whatever. Just let her go. At the end of her tirade, she will expect you to say something. This is how that something should go."
Serena put a hand behind her head and looked up at them from under her lashes, a little sheepish and ashamed. "Actually, Sebastian picks all my clothing. I've always had bad taste I guess. That's why I didn't want to come with. It's embarrassing, Lizzy."
The girl went back to normal. "She'll feel bad about putting you in such a situation and tell you to go to the house and just send the carriage back for her. An all-day outing has been reduced to two hours. Max."
Ciel stared at her. "There is no way that is going to work."
"Trust me."
"I could just tell her that I was injured yesterday."
"No, because then she'll insist that Miss Nina come to the house and it will still tie up your whole day." Serena's smile faded as she saw something crawling along the edge of the desktop. She reached to the side slowly and took the silver platter from Sebastian's hand. With a quick move, the girl slammed it down on the small creature. Both men jumped at the crash and watched her slide the platter off the desk.
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When she handed it back, Sebastian looked at what she had killed.
"A spider?"
"All that for a spider?" Ciel looked at her confused.
"Spiders are evil." She pointed to the Earl. "You should remember that."
