#Ceylon Answers

[cafe-au-lait-21]

Ooh, he'll answer some?

Let's start with something tame....

What's your favorite tea that you and your coworkers have not taken as names?

~💖

Ceylon chuckles into his teacup at the question, a mischivous glint in his eye. Smiling brightly, he replies, "I've got my own personal blend~ Doesn't have a name though. Care to try it?"

He seems excited at the prospect of you trying this "personal blend" he drinks. That mischief remains laced through his expression, though.

Suddenly remembering he has some tea in his cup right now, he offers it up. "Oh right, I've got some of it right here!"

It’s a colorful looking mix in a little glass jar, it’s very aesthetically pleasing, but just as he began to brew you a cup, Peppermint’s non-existent nose caught a whiff of the concoction. He knows that smell all to well.

“CEYLON!” He cried from the back, just to burst through the doors as soon as the Ink Sans placed the colorful looking tea in front of you. “How many times do I have to tell you NOT to sell paint-chip tea to non-Ink variants!!”

“Oop - I think I should go.” Ceylon snickered before rushing past an infuriated Pepper. “Enjoy your tea!”

[quinloki]

Hello! If anyone has not requested it, yandere corazon? I feel like he would fall for the weak damsel in distress ones. (Very funny if they are actually very independent just, really small lol)

Oh man, Rosinante - afflicted with the possessiveness that his brother also has, wanting nothing more than to keep you safe and close. Despite his own tendency to injury and accident, he still feels like he has to defend you, protect you, care for you. He's very insistent.

He's very sweet too, but if you push back on his desires/intentions, he can get very scary. No you can't leave him, no you're not going to be fine on your own, HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN PROTECT YOU.

He'd never forgive himself if something happened to you and he could've prevented it. He loves you, you small, fragile, beautiful little doll, he loves you more than himself. He'll hold you and protect you, and you know what?

You're too small to do anything about it anyway.

[kawaiijohn]

Trick or treat! 👻

[risingsoleil]

*cough cough*….Tenzin yearning for Lin….*cough cough*

"Who are you?"

His heart cracked into a million pieces.

They said Lin was in an accident. She survived, remarkably unscathed.

They did not say that all of her memories were completely gone.

He knelt at her bedside, grasping her hand, tears in his eyes. "It's me," he whispered. "Tenzin."

Her eyes were empty. "I know you?"

This has to be a dream that Zaheer is creating. He needs to wake up now. Tenzin's eyes grow glossier. "Better than anyone in this world."

Lin glanced at their hands. "Are we married?"

Tenzin bit his lip and swallowed the lump in his throat. "No..."

"Uh...are we siblings?"

"Spirits, no. We are..."

Two halves to one whole. Soulmates. Forever flames. Yin and yang. Best friends. Lovers.

He does not answer her question.

The hospital discharges Lin and Tenzin follows. He tells his family that he just wants to ensure Lin recovers her memories. Slowly, but surely, he's pulling away.

Pema is kind enough to let Lin stay on the island because she doesn't hate Lin anymore. But she doesn't realize what this would do to Lin and Tenzin.

Tea dates with Lin on the island to remind her of their childhood.

Strolls through RCPD to remind her of the legacy she continued for Toph and herself.

Tenzin takes Lin to the attic (privately) to look through boxes and memories. Some of them were hidden away from Pema.

He stares at the shell of the woman who has always held his heart. She looks through each photograph with curiosity and every so often, it seems like it triggers an ember of her memory.

Tenzin gazes down. Lin's hand is inches away from his own. His fingers slowly inch and crawl closer until his fingertips touch her knuckles. Lin doesn't shake him off with resentment or anger from the past.

She leans closer to him and their arms are touching. An electric current ripples through his arm and Tenzin is fighting every fibre of his body to keep his hands away from Lin.

Lin raises a photo of Tenzin as a teenager, almost suffocating because Kya and Bumi are laying on top of him. They're smiling while Tenzin suffers.

That Beifong smirk and smugness returns. "You still can't beat their asses, can you Airhead?"

Has she gotten all her memories back? Tenzin imagines kissing her hard against the attic floors, their bodies kicking away the boxes. His hands and lips would caress her silky body as they once did years ago.

But he does not.

Tenzin just scoffs, rolls his eyes, and hides the disappointment in his eyes when Lin turns away.

WIth Lin on the island, she's spending time with Pema and the kids. With no memories of the past, it's a fresh start.

Lin still doesn't like kids and when they touch her with dirty hands.

Pema does not remind Lin that she confessed her feelings to Tenzin when they were together. But she does reinforce the idea that she and Tenzin are "soulmates"

Lin doesn't understand why it has to be repeated and brought up at random times. She finds it strange.

Pema can tell that something has changed within Tenzin since Lin lost her memories and came to the island. Tenzin reassures her that he's just trying to help Lin get her memories back.

Lin's memories are not fully back. She has bits and pieces. But the emotions are what drive her. The island is familiar, yet not home. Earthbending seems to be something her body remembers. And also,

"Wait and listen," is a mantra that she's got ingrained in her head.

But the small moments with Tenzin stir something within her that leaves her trembling inside.

When he brings her ceylon tea with a drizzle of honey.

She watches him when he's busy with something (reading, writing a telegram, trying to look over the kids' homework, etc.) When he looks up, she looks away.

His laugh is dorky, but he never laughs freely with anyone else. Only her.

If she gets so much as a paper cut or a small bruise from bumping into the table, Tenzin throws a whole fit and searches or a first-aid kit. Just in case.

Or when he sits with her in silence at the meditation pavilion at night. They don't speak. They just sit together and listen to the trees rustle.

"Like old times..." he says tenderly, gazing at her.

Memories aren't returning as quickly as she would like. But she knows what Tenzin feels like when she's with him.

Home.

The moonlight is illuminating his face, revealing wrinkles and sun spots--a true life that he's living. Lin studies the beard. Why is it so long? Why hasn't he trimmed it?

Lin shivers.

Tenzin inches closer. "Are you cold?"

Lin wraps her arms around her waist and bends her knees. "I'm fine."

He does not accept such words. Instead, he sits besides her and wraps his cloak around her shoulders.

Lin holds her breath at the touch of his arm protectively around her shoulders. His hand lightly pats her arm, thumb stroking her.

"Better?"

"Hmm. Yeah." Lin keeps her eyes averted while her heartbeat is racing out of her chest. Part of her feels like they might have been together, but no one has confirmed that. No one talks about it. She leans her head against Tenzin's shoulder, and his head rests against hers.

She feels more warmth circulating around their bodies. "Are you doing that?"

A chuckle. "Yes. Airbenders can warm their breaths, you know."

Lin already knew the answer before he confirmed it.

She also knew what she was feeling in her heart, but refused to speak it aloud.

After that night, Lin pulls away from Tenzin. There's a picture perfect family in front of her. She's a misshapened puzzle piece in their world.

But the more that she distances herself, the more Tenzin follows her. Has he always made things difficult?

One day again, when Lin and Tenzin are in the attic. Lin stumbles upon a small box. Inside is a betrothal necklace.

The Air Nation symbols carved into jade.

Flickers of memories and emotions crash into Lin.

The love-making, intense arguments, the fierce and peaceful waves of love between her and Tenzin.

"Lin? Are you alright?"

"This was for me...wasn't it?"

Tenzin opens his mouth, but silence is her only answer.

Tears well up in Lin's eyes. "Answer me, Tenzin."

"Yes. Yes. I made it for you."

Lin slams the box shut, wipes her eyes, and begins to return everything into its place. "I need to go."

"Go where? What are you talking about, Lin?"

"I can't be here," Lin answers firmly. "I-I don't fucking belong here. I need to go."

"Tell me why."

"You know exactly why," lin hisses.

"Enlighten me, Lin." He grabs her wrist to stop and Lin yanks it away, but in doing so, pulls him closer to her. "Tell me why you need to leave."

"Because airhead," Her eyes grow red and the tear falls, "I don't want to break up your family."

Tenzin cups her face. "you could never break up my family."

Lin shakes her head and pulls away from him. "It doesn't matter," her voice cracks. "You're a married man."

[chthonic-cassandra]

because you requested asks: would you like to make a post of your favorite teas? i know, that's too broad, but i'm leaving it open on purpose so you can do whatever you like with it--organized however you like, flavored and non-flavored; black, green, oolong, white, etc; whatever sparks joy. also this one's a selfish question: do you have any absolute favorite tea brands you like to order from, brands that you know whatever you're gonna get will be good? selfish bc i hate paying multiple shipping fees so i'm always lowkey looking for The One (or maybe the Two or the Three). if that part feels too weirdly blatantly advertise-y for a post but you'd like to answer, you can totes DM me the answer

Let me trying doing this while I really want tea...

I'm afraid I don't have a singular tea brand that I love for every type of tea, and I feel you on the conundrum of shipping from multiple companies. I get around this partially through an impressive local spice and tea store which sells many brands as well as a wide range of house blends.

I'm not going to share that store publicly here, and am also not going to share a couple of other absolute favorite teas which are house blends of specific tea houses which would reveal my location.

As far as brands - in general, if I am buying tea from a grocery store, I am probably going to go with Bigelow or Ahmad. If it's a fancier grocery store, I might go for Harney & Sons.

More specifically, and mostly about flavored teas:

Earl Grey is my typical morning tea, so I go through a lot of it. I typically buy Bigelow's earl grey, which in my opinion has the strongest bergamot flavor of the popular commercial blends, or I buy one of the house blends from the tea store I mentioned above. I also like a good lavender earl grey, and have recently gotten into Harney & Sons' Victorian London Fog. Harney & Sons' Paris is in the same family as earl grey and very lovely.

I almost always love floral black teas. Right now I have two rose teas I go back and forth between: Tay Tea's Persian Rose and Fortnum and Mason's Rose Pouchong. I have generally thought that Fortnum & Mason is overrated, but I was given this one as a gift and it's gorgeous. I am presently eking out the last bit of a tin of Bellocq's The Queen's Guard, also beautiful.

For chai, Vadham has a wide variety of chai varieties, all of which are excellent, and I also love Ahmad's cardamom black tea.

Other spiced black teas I love include Bigelow's classic Constant Comment, August Uncommon's Painted Desert, and Witchwood Tea House's Witch's Brew.

Oolong is pretty magic to me, and I love most varieties, including osmanthus oolong, orchid oolong (I have one from Art of Tea), and milk oolong. August Uncommon's Dark Iris, which is oolong with peach, pistachio, and rose, is a delight.

I like the main varieties of unflavored green tea, will never say no to a good jasmine green, though I'm not wedded to a particular brand. I absolutely adore kahwa, which is a green tea with saffron and almond, though the place where I got the one I love is no longer making it.

For iced tea, my absolute favorite is this raspberry rose oolong from a company that's no longer extant; once I'm running low I'll be looking for a replacement. Ahmad has a number of fruity teas which I love to make iced.

ETA unflavored black teas, quickly, because I feel bad about leaving them out: I don't have specific brand recommendations because I get a house blend typically, but I am mostly into darjeeling and ceylon, some assam! Smoking teas like lapsang souchong typically aren't for me.

[nanomooselet]

Vol. One (More)

A moment that's not only terribly cute, it seeds a little of Vash's philosophy.

Shooting those bounty hunters dead may have solved the immediate crisis, but covering them in sticky cups was 1) funnier 2) just as (if not more) impressive as a demonstration of skill and 3) got them to pay for the building's repair without anyone getting killed. This kid will treasure that silly little toy, and maybe think twice before demanding lethal weapons in future. Violence can be a solution, but there are others.

Of course he also ruins it by setting a terrible example of firearm safety, but maybe it was worth it for the look on this poor man's face. I love the slowly dawning realisation throughout.

And of course, one problem solved is another introduced. Such is life as Vash the Stampede. There is literally a torch and a pitchfork in the crowd back there, as well as... what even is that? A clothes hoist? A saw blade?

And the girls' introduction! I'd wager this is the moment they're gesturing towards in Stampede, and that it'll get a callback in Stargaze. Meryl's determination is certainly admirable, but when you're heading into danger or the unknown, it's wiser to do it with backup.

Also, Vash's steak, the aforementioned chicken coop, pastry, Ceylon tea and banana sundaes all raise questions about resources available on this desert planet that are absolutely not going to be answered here or ever. Are there banana Plants? Vanilla? Tea? Pastry? What are they feeding the chickens?

I think about it every time I walk through the plant-based food aisle at the supermarket.

Pointedly a moment they did not adapt; Stampede Vash is a character yet to develop this kind of resolve - knowing there can be no going back but seeing no way to move forward. He wants to save his brother, but has no means to stand up to him. He's suspended, waiting for an answer, stuck in a stalemate between fear and lingering love.

Also pointedly, this particular standoff isn't resolved in the manga, either! They're interrupted before Vash can make good on his threat or the women can decide to shoot. How committed is Vash, really, to confronting the one he speaks of? We don't get to find out... yet.

[peachdues]

Oh my favorite perfume connoisseur-

Any fragrance recommendations for that dark academia aesthetic?

Love you hope you're drinking water and resting welllllll 😤🫶🤍

MY BELOVED MUTUAL ASKING ME ABOUT MY NICHE INTEREST AND MY FAVORITE AESTHETIC?? SAY NO MORE!

Okay I *started* answering this and then tumblr cancelled on me bc it’s a hating ass bitch.

A lot of these are fall-coded but that’s because fall 🤝🏻 dark academia. I tried to throw in suggestions that can be worn in all seasons, though! I also tried to vary the price points too

Without further ado!

Novel by ALT fragrances — inspired by whispers in the library from Replica which is one of my all time favorites and I’m STILL salty they discontinued it. I haven’t personally smelled this one but I know so many people who swear it’s almost an exact match!

Notes: top (vanilla) • middle (pepper, cedar wood) • base (tonka bean • woodsy notes)

Indigo by Nest New York — this is one of the best tea scents on the market. I discovered this one last year and honestly it’s a personal favorite. I’ve been through two bottles. Dark and a little sultry but not overpowering and it still has some freshness!

Notes: Italian lemon • orange bergamot • Moroccan tea • Kashmir wood • wild figs

Invite only Amber by Kayali — I associate this fragrance with a snowy night at the library with old Christmas jazz playing in the distance. It’s on my rotation for this winter!

Notes: Amber resin • benzoin • Ceylon cinnamon

Monday by Arielle Shoshanna — ever wanted to smell like a London fog latte? Here’s your perfume!

Notes: bergamot • lavender • lemon zest • black tea • steamed milk • ISO-E super • sandalwood • vanilla • amber

City on Fire by Imaginary Authors — this is THEEEE dark academia perfume. One of its notes is literally labdanum. It doesn’t get more dark academia than that!

Notes: Cade oil • spikenard • cardamom • clearwood • dark berries • labdanum • burnt match

By the Fireplace by Replica — I mean it smells like a bit ol’ crackling fireplace and marshmallow. This smells fucking divine in the cold air in winter (bonus if you have a leather jacket!!). And it’s unisex!

Notes: clove oil • chestnut accord • vanilla accord

Gris Charnel by BDK — another wonderful tea scent. Something about tea scents just screams dark academia!

Notes: fig • black tea • cardamom essence • absolute of iris • bourbon vetiver • sandalwood • tonka bean absolute

L’eau papier by Diptyque — I meannnn it’s a paper-based scent but it smells HEAVENLY. I got stopped like five times wearing this once.

Notes: white musks • mimosa • blonde woods accord • rice steam accord

Coffee break by replica — this is my tried and true. The number one perfume in my collection and my most repurchased. It’s just perfect.

Notes: coffee accord • lavender • milk mousse accord

Honestly look through the entirety of Vilhelm’s perfumery. So many good dark academia scents. My favorites are Dear Polly, Poets of Berlin, and Opus Kore!

I hope the move went well!! Have you gotten settled in??

[multiverse-imagines]

Hello! I wonder if you could write a sequel to Bad Omen but with Vash or Milly and Meryl meeting reader after Fifth Moon event.

Please and thank you

A/N: Absolutely! I'm so sorry it took literally all year to write this! I've been in a weird place, so writing hasn't happened much in general; and quite frankly I hate not writing. There's nothing worse than not writing. Anyways, Enjoy!

Bad Moon

Chapter 2: The Bigger Picture

A year and a half went by, and yet each night I stared up at the fifth moon, the giant crater in it. I could feel the phantom pains of my arm aching whenever I looked at it, grounding me to reality. Even as I ran the memories through my mind like a movie, I couldn't help it. The man… that calm before the storm… the brother of The Stampede… The Stampede that hadn't been heard from since that, now second, infamous day.

In a town to the far south, I was working in yet another restaurant. Despite my prosthetic arm and bum knee, I had really begun to enjoy talking with the locals, and being so sweet to them that they showered me with tips. Sometimes. It was during one of my shifts that I saw a familiar face. The two ladies who had been with The Stampede as they had entered Augusta. I was relieved to see what they had survived, but the short one looked absolutely livid at the sight of me. I gasped as she charged at me, and I hardly had time to scramble away before she was interrogating me as if I had messed up her order and she wanted to speak to my manager.

“It's you! You were leaving Augusta that day! How did you know he would be there? Who do you work for?!” She yelled in the restaurant, causing a scene. I put my hands up in surrender as she held my shirt collar.

“I don't work for anyone! I… I just…” I tried to speak up as she continued to beg and berrate me for answers, and I didn't notice her tears until her grip on my shirt faltered. I paused, looking at her with sadness. She… she loved The Stampede… the man who was now missing. I looked to the woman’s friend, the tall girl who had ordered the pudding and Ceylon tea.

“Meryl… it's not their fault…” the big girl said softly, as if this wasn't the first time the short one had lashed out since the Typhoon’s disappearance.

“Yeah, Milly, but…” Meryl sighed, looking into my eyes. It was clear she still wanted answers. I gave a sigh, and steadied myself as I asked them to wait. I told my boss I was taking break, as there was a lull in my customers, and I sat down with them, a dessert snack in my hands.

I told them everything I knew. July, my injuries, the strange man who was The Stampede’s brother, the cities he had destroyed, and the conversation I had with him the day that Augusta was destroyed. They listened in horror for most of it, the bigger girl’s eyes pitying me, and my lonely life. She looked as if she came from a big family. The other girl, Meryl, she still looked heartbroken to know the beloved Stampede was presumed dead.

“I… I saw him… Vash the Stampede… he's a friend of ours… he and his brother… they're not human. I was… terrified to see him that way…” she seemed to be regaling mostly to herself. I had known by the brother’s words that he and Vash weren't human. I began to wonder what she saw that day while I had scurried into the sands, but I didn't pry.

“I'm sorry.” I said gently. I had nothing else to offer her except my condolences and my inability to stop this war between these inhuman storms. I offered my name, and an exchange of addresses we could be reached by. If we saw Vash, or Mr. Wolfwood, the priest in black, we could give each other updates.

—

It was another two months since I had seen the Insurance Girls when I saw the man in black. I approached him gently, and introduced myself. He was a kind man, and had such tired eyes. He seemed unfazed by the fact I had met the brother of the Stampede. He seemed to know more about the brother than I did.

“His name is Knives Millions. And if you value your life you’ll keep doing what you have been and run the second you see him.” He said with an edge to his voice that showed an unmistaken kindness. I nodded, heeding his words. When I asked if Vash was alive, Wolfwood shrugged, and said he didn't know, but the look in his eyes was practically begging to say yes. He was alive out there somewhere, and Wolfwood was still looking. He left town later that evening and I believed that to be the end of it. I was wrong of course.

A week later I found myself with a customer of absolute beauty. Her hair was long and blonde, she appeared to be able to kill a man just by glancing his way. She asked for my name, and next I knew I felt a prick in my neck and I was out.

I awoke in a chamber atop a rather comfortable chaise lounge. Sitting across from me, a delicate wine glass in his hand, was Knives Millions. The gaze of a wrathful God was upon his face as he analyzed my visage with general disdain once more.

“We meet again, Human.”

[quinloki]

Sorry if I’m piling too much on you, but I saw yan4yan and now I’m quite interested in what you think a darling that’s just as yan for corazon as corazon is for them is like? Feel like that darling would be the reason Cora gets to live another day after betraying his brother.

Yan4Yan Cora/Darling makes me think of like Bioshock, I think - those big diving helmet wearing "Daddies" ?? (were they really called that, I never played the games I just remember the design) and their little creepy doll looking needle-wielding daughters.

Or whatever either were called, honestly ^^;

But that's not to say I think it would have a daddy/little girl vibe to it, I just mean the size difference is going to be there for one, and Rosi is definitely the PROTECTOR vs the darling being the Doll, or Gremlin, honestly. But knowing that the deep desire to keep the other nearby will make both of them easier to deal with.

At least between the two of them.

Rosinante gives you a little more freedom because you're not going to wander off too far, and you're not overly huffy about his protective streak because you do love him just as deeply and desperately as he does you. So it's easy to forgive him.

Just sit pretty on his shoulder and mostly ignore the rest of the world. What else matters besides him? What else is going to matter to him besides you?

I think Cora ends up not betraying his brother at all, in this instance, because he doesn't extend the care and consideration toward Law that he would've otherwise. His defiance toward Doflamingo to that extent could very easily mean your death - and even Cora told Law that Doffy wouldn't kill him, his brother, but he'd have to believe that doffy would kill his darling.

Because of that, I don't know that Rosi would've risked it. (Or maybe the fear would've been enough for him to pull the trigger on Doffy. >.> )

[card-queen]

Get to Know Me Tag

Tagged by @cool-mint over here

rules: answer + tag six people u want to know

fav color: Red (specifically crimson)

last song: Powerwolf - Sanctified With Dynamite

currently reading: Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers

currently watching: The File of Young Kindaichi

currently craving: An extra two hours in the day to get more work done ٩(θ‿θ)۶

coffee or tea: Coffee but I like ceylon & earl grey tea as well

Here come the tags!! @merwetketet @vellatra @reneethegreatandpowerful @teresashiho @maskedemerald @dithorba

[lauren-ce]

Working at a tea shop is great, I get to ask things like: "Is Ceylon a good sub?"

The answer is yes, yes she is.

[xxnashiraxx]

Rosehip, ice, yellow, Ceylon, flowering, Turkish, blueberry-muffin, butter & cloud tea please~~

Hi friend!! Sorry that it took so long to reply!!! 💕💕 Answering from this post!!

Rosehip Tea: Which Book Did You Love When You Were Younger? I love the Percy Jackson series- like I was crazy when I was younger lmao. I had all the books, created art for them, tried making a spear once, took a pottery class in elementary and made so many little pots and things with Greek gods on them lol (nerd alert)

Ice Tea: Do You Miss Somebody? Why? I miss my dad! He passed away three years ago, unfortunately, and he was super funny and bestowed upon me Star Trek, Star Wars, D&D- literally all the pillars of my personality lol. I wish he were here to see a lot of stuff- I think he'd love BG3, he played the older ones for my sister and me when we were younger- I just wish he were still around to see it all 💗

Yellow Tea: What Shampoo Do You Use? I use Native Coconut and Vanilla! I've heard mixed reviews about the brand, but tbh this is just a step up from the terrible dollar store products I used to use so really, let's celebrate that lol.

Ceylon Tea: Do You Have a Song You Like, But Have Bad Memories With? I actually don't know if I've got an answer for this one- any song I dedicated to an old love I just kinda scrubbed them from the meaning of and still enjoy them to this day. Nothing will ruin my music!

Flowering Tea: What is a Movie You Can Always Watch? Any of the first six Star Wars movies- I love those so much. I think I can quote them all tbh

Turkish Tea: What is Your Favorite Cake? I love marble cake- I don't like a ton of sugar, so either that or just the plainest vanilla out there are my go-to!

Blueberry-Muffin Tea: Tell Me a Memory, Which Makes You Smile. Ahh! I really should get back into music, but one that I'll always cherish is doing the school concert finale with my old friends in HS- we covered Zombie by the Cranberries and I played lead guitar and did vocals and we actually had a drummer that year! It was honestly one of the coolest experiences I've ever had music-wise and we got a standing ovation- I really have to talk up the bassist and the drummer, they killed!

Butter Tea: Show/Tell Me About One Thing in Your Room You Find Awesome. This awesome Cinderella castle my sister got me for Christmas last year! We used to have an identical one when we were kids and we lost it in our many moves, but she got me a new one and I love it so much!

Cloud Tea: Which Movie Do You Want to Watch Next? I'm so looking forward to when the first movie in the Infinity Castle arc for Demon Slayer comes out next year! I just watched the series this year and it's so beautiful and sad and really fucking cool. 💕💕

Thank you for asking!!! I really enjoyed answering these 😊💗💗

[integrity-and-corruption]

A Beast and an Ancient…

Hello! I caved into making an ask/rp blog.

~ Info ~

This blog is run by two cookies: Ceylon Cinnamon Cookie and Cinnamon Storm Cookie.

Ceylon Cinnamon Cookie: an Ancient Hero… who has no idea the other Ancients exists. Overworked head of the Justice Department of the Crystalized Cinnamon Isles… please help him he’s been stuck in that position for thousands of years-

In character for Ceylon Cinnamon has this text.

Cinnamon Storm Cookie: a Beast Cookie, and he’s not very happy right now. Currently sealed in a painting, but is oh so close to getting back out… despite being the Beast of Corruption, he’s actually a lot more… calm. A little to calm.

In character for Cinnamon Storm has this text.

Sometimes, other ocs may be available for asks, and they will only answer in white text.

OOC answers will have this text.

Other info under line:

~ Other Blogs ~

@moonfirecookies - main blog

@pineapples-island - Ananas Dragon Blog

~ Rules ~

Please no extreme suggestive/nsfw asks. While I am ok with certain aspects, please do not go to far.

No Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, all of that stuff, I don’t want any of that here. (Basic DNI criteria)

Do not ask for any personal information!

I do ship Oc x Canon (Cinnamon Storm x Shadow Milk), while you do not have to follow my headcanons and ships, please do not be hateful towards them.

~ Tags ~

#Ceylonanswers - Ceylon Cinnamon Cookie answers

#Stormanswers - Cinnamon Storm Cookie answers

#Combinedcinnamon - both answer

#bloodstone cookie - Bloodstone Cookie makes an appearance

More tags could be added with time

[ivyprism]

I know it's ask the swap papyruses but also like:

What is your different takes on each swap papyrus you've made so far? Are there stark differences or slight changes? How do you portray them?

I'm not 100% sure how to properly answer this. There are so many, so I'm gonna pick a handful.

Syrup: Grew up in the Underground, similar to Undertale but with reversed roles. Prankster, goofball, loving as hell, constantly worried about his stressed-out brother, enjoys puzzles and sweets, dislikes fatty food and drink.

Slick: Genuine mafia man, beloved by Kioko, very hot, very strong, very orphan. The guy has a huge body count, he's a flirt, plays around with people, likes pissing off his kidnappers, prankster, values his family, he's a good hacker, he can take a punch, and he's incredibly snarky.

Ceylon: Grew up in the Underground, following an Underswap neutral route, and survived a famine. Is still a joker, but he has a more morbid sense of humor now. He is a mother hen (ish), likes sweet foods, tolerates greasy stuff, and is a little nasty when we first meet, but he lightens up because he is really touch starved.

Farmswap: Lark grew up on the surface with a farm. Dude is a farmer who works hard but is prone to laziness. He is a joker, very powerful, has a nasty mouth, may be easily irritated depending on the situation, enjoys honey, is really helpful, intelligent, and motivating.

Obsidian: Grew up in the Underground, but is slightly more hostile than average Underswap. A prankster, a smoker, dislikes greasy food, is a major flirt, smug, enjoys poor puns, prefers honey-flavored foods to plain honey, enjoys booze, and balances his brother out.

Honeycomb: He grew up in the Underground, which was devastated by Toxin, and has since become a multiverse wanderer. A prankster, but more closed off and colder than his other varieties, vindictive, the #original, vigilante, smokes and enjoys sweets, a flirt, more worried than the other variants, and overprotective.

Sandstone: Did not grow up in the Underground, grew up on the surface world. He is an authentic hero. A prankster AND a troublemaker, a social butterfly who is secretly an introvert, highly protective of loved ones, loving, caring, and takes his profession very seriously (in comparison to his other versions), and everyone kind of likes him.

Cyfrin: He is a god of Mischief and Daydreams. He is a guide, a lovely person, and a trickster (yes), but he is unnecessarily courteous and formal; he frequently leads people to considerably happier lifestyles and dream choices; he is highly flirty, frequently anxious, and does not take his job of helping others seriously.

Beckett: A dragon who guards his home. A little cooler than his variants, very serious about his work, a trickster who enjoys horrible jokes, a gentleman to a fault, a tease, calm, stressed, and careful, very strong, and not afraid to battle and tear his way to survival.

Bryn: Dreamwalker who improves dreams, reality bender, grew raised in the Anti-void. He's nice, lethargic, and a prankster, but he can be extremely frightening and intimidating as a guide. He enjoys reality-bending and puns and isn't tied to any single AU.

Liu: He's a void traveling doctor. He's super smart, also he's weirdly cryptic, he smokes, avoids causing problems for friends, a prankster, deals with stress well, seems overconfident, and like sweet food over savory.

-H

[arkiwii]

ok i'm desperate ill ask tumblr does anyone has a single idea of what bird Orchid is???

like. I know what bird inspired the design of ALL liberi operators EXCEPT ORCHID

WHAT ARE YOU. WHO ARE YOU. WHY DO YOU EXIST

i know what inspired plume even, so theres really just orchid out here being the mystery

Please i need to know, I've thought about a bird of paradise, or even a blue tit (but ceylon is already one), but i really cant see

(I doubt anyone has a real answer but if there's any bird that would fit her well, as in personality or design, I'd love to see! Cause I may be planning something...)

[lemony-ship-it]

Saturn's Flame

Posted on AO3 here.

Summary: When the Earl of Phantomhive comes down with a mysterious ailment, only one hell of a butler can help, much to Ciel's chagrin. Please mind the tags.

Pairing: SebaCiel Word Count: 9,504 Rating: Explicit babeeyyyyyyyy Additional Tags: Trans Male Ciel Phantomhive, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, as in this is literally only happening to Ciel, baby's first heat, Asphyxiation, Bloodplay, Marking, Blood and Gore, look demon mating is really messy and kind of lethal, fatherly Tanaka, Blood Drinking, Dubious Consent, Vomiting, Ciel is Not Having A Good Time, But Sebastian definitely is, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Sexual Overstimulation, Marathon Sex, cannibalism mention, Pregnancy, Tentacle Sex, Sebastian's got them weird flamy lookin' tentacles and he is GOING to USE THEM, cunt4cunt, they're perfect for each other, they're terrible for each other, never change. never subject anyone to what you have going on, this is supposed to be set in between the Book of the Atlantic and the Public School Arc, Canon Compliant, i hope, sharp teeth, Biting, Scratching, Non-consensual drugging (sorta), Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Porn with some plot, the author is cackling madly

Author's Notes: I don't think I've ever written a story of this length so quickly; it's been done in such a feverish daze over the past few weeks that it honestly seems like it just appeared, fully formed. If only, right? I guess that's what the hyperfixation brain gremlins are for. Anyway! On with your regularly scheduled porn! (Also I plan on coming back to this later.)

______________________________________________________________

"Young Master, it's time for you to rise," came Sebastian's mellifluous voice with a rustle of the curtains.

Every morning at 8 AM sharp, those words cut through Ciel's sleep and banished his dreams back to the darkness where they belonged. He grunted and stretched before opening his eyes to another bright morning. Oh, how that bright light vexed him. The scent of tea and scones hung delicately on the air.

"Mm, a blend this morning?" Ciel asked, rubbing his eyes.

Sebastian chuckled. "Keen as ever, I see. Yes, this morning's selection is a Whittard blend of Assam and Ceylon, served with a strawberry jam tart and Chantilly cream." He handed the teacup to Ciel by its saucer.

Ciel, in turn, sipped it. A spicy saveur unlike anything he'd tasted before danced over his tongue. "I've never heard of them before," he said. "You're certain this hasn't been tampered with?"

"I inspected it personally. There are no poisonous compounds within it," Sebastian answered.

Ciel hummed and took another sip. Such a curious, yet compelling flavor. Taking a bite of the tart, he asked, "What's my schedule for today?"

"After breakfast, Mr. Hughes will arrive to tutor you on kingcraft. At noon, you'll have Latin, followed by violin practice. I believe we have a guest coming this afternoon, a Mr. Pemberton from the main Funtom factory to discuss new safety measures for your factories."

Ciel huffed softly. "No letters?"

"None today, my lord," Sebastian replied, handing Ciel the newspaper.

At that moment, a strange, alluring scent wafted into his nose, like sunshine, rain, and woodsmoke, with a hint of something sweet that even his keen nose couldn't quite place. A second later, the scent was gone.

How strange.

"Very well. Make preparations for our guest and ensure he gets the full Phantomhive welcome," Ciel said, finishing his tea and tart and flipping to the most interesting story in the newspaper. "And have all the hedges trimmed and the flowers in the garden replaced with something more presentable, they look positively ghastly."

"Of course, young master. A Phantomhive butler who couldn't handle such a small task wouldn't be worth his salt," Sebastian replied, genteel as ever. Of course he wouldn't flinch at such an outlandish request, but he did wonder what it would take to see the demon squirm.

How infuriating.

Once his morning tea was finished, Sebastian led Ciel to the changing room adjacent to his bedroom. "It bothers me that we've gone so long without correspondence from Her Majesty," Ciel mused. "Things are so frightfully dull in between."

"Careful, young master, that makes it sound like you don't want the title you so viciously fought for," Sebastian replied, slipping Ciel's shirt over the boy's slight frame.

"We both know why we're here, do we not?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Forgive me, it's simply unlike you to grouse about your position."

"Spare me the lecture," Ciel chided. As Sebastian deftly tied the bow around his throat, he thought he heard the demon sniff. "What are you doing?"

Sebastian met his steely gaze, keeping that smirking look he always wore on his face. "Nothing at all, my lord."

Ciel scrutinized the beast-turned-butler in front of him. He himself noticed that scent from before lingering softly in the air. Had one of the windows been left open?

All throughout his Latin lesson, Ciel felt... different.

Kingcraft was easy enough to grasp, and Mr. Hughes was a fine instructor. But shortly after Mr. Westley began his lesson, it became increasingly harder to concentrate on the instructor's droning for long periods of time. Translations that would've normally been child’s play required an effort that he wasn't used to. Sweat beaded on his brow the longer this went on. He rested his head on his hand to try and parse through the passage on the page in front of him.

His hand came away damp.

So. Sebastian had cut corners and overfed the fires. Ciel clenched his fist. He would make him regret that.

Once Mr. Westley left for the day, Ciel summoned his butler, who appeared moments later by his side. "Sebastian, I do not recall ordering you to burn the fires this high," Ciel said. "Dampen them down immediately."

"Of course," Sebastian said, bowing obediently. That strange scent wafted past as the demon passed him. Ciel's eyes never left Sebastian as he carried on snuffing the fire in the library.

"I want something sweet. Make me some pudding. I want it here in no less than 20 minutes," Ciel commanded.

He smiled as Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, no doubt trying to maintain a measured countenance. "Right away, my lord."

Once Sebastian left the library, Ciel threw himself back into his chair. Surely some idle time would help to cool him down.

Idle time, however, didn't seem to want anything to do with him. Ciel sighed and stood, browsing through the books listlessly. He pulled down several of his favorites and brought them back to the desk. 

They'd surely be more engaging than dusty old Latin tomes that were one stiff breeze away from crumbling to dust.

The words on the page just muddled together. He stood and retrieved more books, simpler ones this time, as well as several issues of Punch.

Each endeavor quashed his sanity just a little more. "This damnable temperature..." Ciel grumbled, scratching at his wrists and the juncture of his neck and shoulder. If this was how it was going to be, maybe he stood a better chance on the floor. He detoured briefly to the nearest guest room for a pillow, returning to throw it under the desk. No sense in making his ass hurt. He moved his books carefully, arranging them into a wall under the desk, cocooning himself inside.

Despite the minor increase in temperature, he found himself oddly... calm. Like this was somehow the correct move. Ciel hummed softly. Perhaps now he'd be able to focus a little better? He picked up one of the issues of Punch, thumbing idly to a story he remembered enjoying.

"What the devil..." Ciel mumbled. Though it was still more difficult to read than normal, words weren't flying in one ear and out the other anymore.

Ciel didn't know how long it had been when Sebastian knocked at the library door. "Enter," Ciel shouted, not bothering to move or even look at the demon in his door.

The sharp staccato of leather soles on hardwood clicked steadily closer to him. "Young master?" came Sebastian's puzzled voice.

"Down here," Ciel coolly replied.

Sebastian peeked his head under the desk, one eyebrow raised. "This is certainly an interesting choice of seating arrangements. Do we need to have your chair reupholstered?" he asked.

Before Ciel could reply, that damnably sweet and earthy odor hit his nose. He narrowed his eyes at Sebastian. "Sebastian, I don't recall giving you permission to wear cologne."

"My lord?"

"Cologne. Surely you've been in this world long enough to know what that is."

"Of course, but I've—"

"Is my pudding ready?" Ciel interrupted impatiently.

Sebastian helped the young earl out of the mess of books and said, "As you requested, I have prepared a treacle sponge pudding with caramelized sugar and candied orange peel."

Ciel walked right past the delicious looking dessert and toward the door. "Bring my tea outside to the greenhouse. The heat is still much too oppressive in here. And Sebastian?" Ciel said pausing in the doorway. He turned back and glared at Sebastian. "Take that cologne off at once."

He didn't linger to see Sebastian's reaction.

A pity.

He might've noticed Sebastian's sheer delight at the "nest" he'd made and heard him remark about just how much fun this was going to be.

Something wasn't right.

Being outside in the early April frost felt far more heavenly than it ought to in Ciel's estimation. Though he was dressed in shorts and silk stockings, he didn't feel even the slightest chill run through him all throughout morning tea. And if he ordered Sebastian to move some of the taller potted plants closer to him, the butler made no remark about it.

The real issue came with violin lessons.

Ciel knew that, by all appearances, having his lessons outside would send alarms up to not only the instructor, but his servants, too. He simply couldn’t afford such scrutiny. Reluctantly, so very reluctantly, he re-entered the boiling manor.

By the time he'd struggled through one of Bach's violin concertos, the fire beneath his skin neared the point where, should an egg be cracked on his arm, it would sizzle. He threw the window open, panting and sweating buckets, leaning out into the glorious cold. At least the garden looked in top form. Finny waved and shouted happily from down below, and Ciel halfheartedly waved back.

Something was definitely wrong with him.

Even after Sebastian extinguished the fire in the study, the blasted heat was still stifling enough to make breathing more difficult. The window wasn't cutting it. Damn it all, would he have to spend the whole day outside?

Before he could make it past the study door, however, Sebastian stepped in front of him. "Young master—"

"I'm going outside," Ciel said, trying to keep his countenance stable. "And cancel my afternoon meeting. I'm in no mood to play host today."

"That won't be possible, my lord, Mr. Pemberton's carriage just arrived," Sebastian reported.

Ciel put his head in his hand, carding the hair off the left side of his face with a grimace. "You can't be serious. He's early?"

"I'm afraid so, my lord," said Sebastian.

Ciel narrowed his eyes. “Is this somehow your doing?”

Sebastian crossed his arm over his chest, a devilish grin on his face. “Why, I merely assured that your day is as eventful as you wished it, my lord.” If Ciel didn't know better, he would almost mistake Sebastian's sudden change in expression for concern. The butler leaned in closer to him. "You appear feverish," he said, reaching for Ciel's forehead.

Sebastian can't find out about this! "No!" Ciel slapped his hand away, wincing as that alluring smell stoked the flames scorching him from the inside out. "No, I— I'm fine, Sebast—"

The demon squished his cheeks, forcibly holding him in his condescending garnet gaze. "Young master, you're soaked through to the bone. I fear I must insist you at least allow me to change your clothes." Ciel just glared, knowing his face was telling far too much with his reddened cheeks and hazy eyes. Sebastian's forceful hand, though it didn't hurt him, was still uncomfortably tight on his face. His clothes were indeed soaked through with sweat and he desperately wanted out of them, but the smell, Sebastian, that absolute hellfire...

With a small, impudent snort, Ciel finally said, "Fine. We must be quick, have Tanaka show our guest to the drawing room. Now unhand me."

With a smile, Sebastian released him and said, "Come, then, my lord."

Ciel trudged down the hall toward his dressing room, half in a daze. It took everything in him not to flinch as his drenched suit was removed, or at the brush of a fine cotton towel over his skin, or that maddening cologne Sebastian had yet to take off. Worse yet, this new outfit Sebastian dressed him in, a green pinstripe suit coat, matching short pants and bow, felt even warmer than the previous one. If he didn't know Sebastian, he might've thought it a mistake made in ignorance.

Ignorance did not become a beast-turned-butler.

Ciel had to think. What had happened to him today that was different?

"Sebastian, what exactly was in the tea you prepared this morning?" Ciel asked accusingly.

Sebastian quirked a brow. "Assam and Ceylon teas, if you recall," he answered.

"No, there was something else. Something spiced."

Sebastian thought for a moment, making a spectacle of it by putting his thumb and forefinger to his chin in several different arrangements before tapping the pinky edge of his right fist into the open palm of his left hand. "Ah, yes, I believe the proprietor mentioned a spice blend sourced from India," he said, "that contained cinnamon bark and star anise."

"That blend is most disagreeable," Ciel grumbled.

"Is that so?" Sebastian mused, not sounding concerned in the slightest.

If only his thoughts weren't so scrambled, Ciel might've interrogated him further about this delicate matter that he seemed all too pleased by. Perhaps this was another "practical joke," like when Sebastian thought it pertinent to stuff a bunch of cats into his armoire?

The drawing room door quickly approached. Ciel put more effort into striding along normally, expertly schooling his expression into something more cool and confident than he felt. "Sebastian, bring up the same tea for our guest as you served me this morning and prepare lunch as quickly as possible, something to be eaten cold."

"My lord." Sebastian bowed and opened the door for him, and Ciel strode through into what immediately felt like an oven. Thankfully, he barely flinched at the onslaught. "Mr. Pemberton," he announced, "thank you for coming. I bid you welcome to my home. I trust your ride here was pleasant and my servants have treated you well?"

Mr. Pemberton, a squat, middle-aged man whose sandy hair was greying at the temples, stood and smiled at Ciel, striding towards him quickly. "Ah, Earl Phantomhive! Wonderful to see you, lad!" he exclaimed, reaching out a hand that Ciel graciously shook. "You'll have to forgive my being late, we ran into a spat of trouble in town."

Late?? The bloke was four hours early! "Think nothing of it," Ciel coolly replied, hoping that eye twitch was in his head. "What kept you?"

Mr. Pemberton huffed. "Well you see, one of the factory workers had a bit of an accident. In fact, that's very nearly why I came to speak with you today, my boy."

"Is that so?" Ciel strode over to the small table he used for games. "Care to discuss it over a game of chess?"

"I would expect nothing less," Mr. Pemberton replied, joining him at the table and practically flopping into his seat.

Though he was barely in a mood for games himself, Ciel followed suit and moved to sit down. As soon as his rear touched the chair, however, electric fire shot up through him from his nether regions, and before he could stop it, he let out the most pathetic mewling sound. Mr. Pemberton gawked at him, wide-eyed. He had to think fast.

"My apologies, I was merely surprised by an errant spring on this chair," Ciel explained, only the tiniest quaver in his voice at the end.

Mr. Pemberton didn't look entirely convinced, but he settled back down. "Of... course."

"White moves first," said Ciel, gesturing to the board. "If you please, Mr. Pemberton."

"Oh yes," Mr. Pemberton said, moving one of his pawns. "Now, about that young man—"

Ciel moved one of his pawns in turn, doing his best to feign engagement in this conversation. Were the walls spinning...?

"—serious oversights in—"

He gripped the arms of the chair as nonchalantly as possible, moving his rook.

"—our profit margins will—"

Nausea began to settle between his ribs. Why was the damned room moving??

"—Phantomhive?"

Ciel snapped abruptly back, still reeling, but steeling himself once more. I am in control. "Yes, Mr. Pemberton, I agree that worker safety is indeed paramount. I trust you have a proposal to amend the issues?"

Mr. Pemberton nodded, leaning forward in his chair. "Precisely. Now I know Funtom prides itself on having the most cutting-edge technology and manufacturing, so—"

The door opened suddenly and Sebastian stepped through. "Pardon me, my lord, but tea is ready." He wheeled the tea-laden cart up to the table, pouring hot water over the tea strainer.

That flaming scent was nearly strong enough to nearly bowl Ciel over as soon as Sebastian came within a meter of him.

"Luncheon will be ready soon," Sebastian said, bowing deferentially. Those bestial eyes sparkled when they met Ciel's. He held his breath as covertly as he could until Sebastian disappeared back through the door.

Ciel couldn't take this much longer.

Belatedly, he watched as Mr. Pemberton sipped the tea. "Mmm, this flavor is so exotic," he mused, taking another few sips.

Ciel tried to get his breathing under control. "Yes, it's from a popular new merchant in Chelsea. I've heard the proprietor blends his own tea leaves based on the customer's tastes." He definitely wasn't about to spill that he was testing this tea out on the man.

"Never let it be said that the Earl Phantomhive has poor taste," Mr. Pemberton praised. "Now as I was saying, the solution I have come up with will not cut into your profit margin—"

The steam curling up from the ornate teacup wrapped around Ciel tightly, choking him from the inside out. Still, like a puppet on a string, he pantomimed being able to follow along with this conversation. Mr. Pemberton was one of the few he generally trusted to run Funtom's factory.

Seconds dilated to hours. Mr. Pemberton's droning slowed to an unintelligible mass of sounds.

Ciel was barely a hair’s breadth from puking or passing out or both, not necessarily in that order.

He felt it coming for him.

He felt those deplorable, enrapturing garnet eyes searing into his very soul.

He felt that aggravating, mesmerizing scent stinging around every square inch of skin like a jellyfish' tentacles.

Through the blasted haze, he realized that Sebastian was standing right next to him, looking at him with one brow quirked.

"My lord?"

"Sebastian, please take our guest to the dining hall at once," Ciel said, slurring more than he would've cared to admit. "I will follow momentarily."

Sebastian bowed. "Of course. Mr. Pemberton, if you would please follow me."

Ciel didn't miss the concerned, confused glance Mr. Pemberton gave as he left the room with Sebastian. He knew this was a breach of hospitality, but he could barely keep himself in check. As soon as the door clicked shut, Ciel scrambled to the window, but his own feet refused to do exactly as they were told, making him as awkward as a newborn fawn. His hands shook too much and were far too sweaty to work the latch properly. "Damn it all!" he cried.

He stumbled out of the study and through the halls holding onto the walls for dear life. The halls stretched and shifted uncomfortably around him, and it felt like the floor had turned into the shifting sea. Bile rose in the back of his throat. He slapped a hand over his mouth and stood there, looking at the floor until he could bite back the urge to vomit.

Sebastian found him there, swaying, white-knuckling the wall with his other hand over his mouth. So much for keeping this from the beast...

"Young master, you are in no condition to be entertaining presently. Please allow me to—"

"I'm fi... fine," Ciel interrupted, staggering closer to the dining hall. "I need my," he bit down the urge to vomit again, "I, I need my walking stick."

Sebastian quickly closed the gap between them with only a few measured strides. He leaned in to block Ciel where he was, trying to peer through him no doubt. "Perseverance is indeed a virtue, but outright ignorance does not become you, young master," Sebastian said, a somewhat condescending edge to his voice. His own gloved hand covered Ciel's, still covering his mouth. The demon brushed the boy's trembling fingers aside, outlining his bottom lip reverently. Ciel stutteringly panted.

That sweet, earthy ichor seeped through Sebastian's glove, coating wherever it touched in musky heaven and igniting this haze into a raging inferno. All thought left his head as Sebastian's hand trailed down, over his chin, his throat, briefly caressing the junction of his neck and shoulder beneath his shirt, before guiding Ciel's own hand down to something cool, hard, and metallic.

Slowly, Ciel blinked and looked at what had made its way into his grasp.

His cane.

Mr. Pemberton.

He was in the middle of... something.

What... what was happening to him...?

"Come now, my lord, surely you've not forgotten where the dining hall in your own manor is?" Sebastian chided.

Sebas...

Sebastian. He knew what this was.

The words felt foreign in his mouth. "What's happening to me..."

"You're in the middle of a meeting with Mr. Pemberton," Sebastian replied.

He must've gotten tired of waiting for Ciel to do something; before Ciel even had time to register what was happening, he had already been carried down the stairs. "Would you prefer I carry you to your chair, young master?"

Ciel could barely piece the words, "No, I can walk," together.

Sebastian smirked. "Very well, my lord." He moved to set Ciel down. The beast's gloved hand slid up the length of his thigh as he deposited his shaky legs on the ground. Ciel brokenly shrieked as that gloved hand passed against his sensitive backside, every nerve firing at once from that one radial point.

Ciel heard footsteps running toward him.

"Is everything alright? We heard a scream, we did!" Mey Rin said.

"It sounded like the young master!" cried Finny. "What's going on?"

Ciel had to get it together. But everything sounded tinny, echoing oddly in his ears. "I assure you," he started, but couldn't find the rest of the words.

Sebastian took over. "It was merely a false alarm. I'm afraid my handling of the young master was not as careful as he required."

If only he could've growled without spewing everywhere or jammed his heel into Sebastian's foot without toppling... Heavy footsteps came closer, and Ciel finally turned toward his servants.

"He looks like he ran a marathon," came Bardroy's gruff voice.

"He looks feverish, he does," Mey Rin agreed.

"Hoh, hoh, hoh," Tanaka added.

"Young master," Finny said, stepping closer to Ciel, "you're all covered in sweat."

He weakly held up his hand. "I'm fine," he said, forcing his mouth to make the right sounds. He leaned most of his weight on his cane, hobbling his way to the door of the dining hall.

"You need rest, young master!" Mey Rin said, stepping in front of the door with her arms outspread.

Ciel just shook his head. "Ca... can't."

"Mey Rin, if you would please open the door for the young master," said Sebastian.

Mey Rin gasped. "But Mr. Sebastian—"

"The young master has decided to see his prior engagement through, no matter the cost. We cannot stand in the way."

Mey Rin's brows knit together, twitching so furiously that Ciel was surprised a scarf didn't start growing from them. Reluctantly, she opened the door and Ciel wobbled his way to his place at the table.

The steam from the hot soup bowled him into his chair, causing him to cry out as his most sensitive areas made contact with something solid once more.

"Earl Phantomhive!" Mr. Pemberton cried. "My boy, what's happened? Are you hurt?"

That last impact knocked out what words remained inside his head. The room was spinning so hard now that Ciel had to clutch onto the chair to keep from falling out of it.

"You'll have to forgive the young lord," Sebastian said, carefully pouring water into Mr. Pemberton's cup. "Even when taken ill, he is still so brazenly determined to ensure his guests are taken care of personally."

"I should say so, but no amount of business is worth the poor boy's health!" Mr. Pemberton said.

"That is very kind of you, Mr. Pemberton. The young master would expect nothing less of his foremost foreman and Funtom's chief safety officer," Sebastian said.

"Ensuring the health and safety of all Funtom workers, even our very founder, is of the utmost importance," Mr. Pemberton explained, then turned to Ciel. "I'll return at a later date to discuss the matter with you, Earl Phantomhive. Please get some rest, and godspeed to your recovery, lad."

As Mr. Pemberton turned to leave, Ciel weakly grabbed at his sleeve. "St... stay," he managed.

"But Earl, you've barely the strength to speak!"

"'M fine," Ciel rasped. He'd demonstrate just how fine he was. He grabbed his soup spoon inelegantly in his fist and managed to dip it into the bowl. What soup he'd gotten into the spoon started spilling over the sides with how unsteady his hand was. What little he got down his throat scalded him all the way down.

That was the last straw.

Ciel tried to get up. He tried to run. Tried to save his dignity. His legs wouldn't listen and neither would his stomach. He fell hard to his elbows and knees on the floor, vomiting what felt like pure liquid fire onto the marble floor. In the midst of it all, he heard muffled shouts and the suggestion of running footsteps all around him. A high pitched buzzing deafened him. Black tinged the edges of his vision.

Once more, Ciel was surrounded by that nauseating, life-giving scent. Without thinking, he burrowed his face into the source of it, taking heaping lungfulls of the only thing anchoring him to this plane of existence. He clung to it, wanting to melt into it and never come back.

All too soon, he was ripped away from it and immersed in cold. Sizzling, glorious, dastardly cold, the kind of cold that conflicted his desires. After a moment, he started to surface out of confusion, realizing that he was also literally surfacing in his bathtub.

Tiny, solid lumps bumped against his skin, chilling it just a tiny bit more. Ice?

Ciel blinked, staring at the ceiling for a moment before trying to sit up. The scent was still there, still strong, but not desperately clawing its way into Ciel's chest as it had before.

Sebastian...

"Ah, you've awakened, my lord." Sebastian's voice drifted over the edge of the tub, honey-sweet in Ciel's ears.

Ciel gripped the side of the tub and pulled himself up to a proper sitting position. There, right beside him, was Sebastian, peering at him with that devious glint. Ciel rubbed his face with one hand, relishing in the coolness of the water.

"You bastard," Ciel finally says, almost too softly to be heard. "You know exactly what humiliation has befallen me, don't you? You know why my body has been on fire."

Sebastian just smirked.

"Answer me, demon!"

"It could possibly be a few different ailments, but I can rule out one of them rather easily," Sebastian said.

"Then do so, now," Ciel commanded.

"The procedure is rather improper, my lord."

Ciel glared at the beast-turned-butler. "I don't care, I just want whatever this is to cease."

Sebastian's grin widened. "Very well then. You'll need to be dry first." The butler made quick work of standing Ciel up, toweling him dry, and setting him in the washroom chair.

"Please bear with me."

Sebastian took the cotton glove off his right hand finger by finger, setting it gently to the side. Ciel raised an eyebrow. Then Sebastian's hands were on Ciel's thighs, shoving his legs apart.

"What the devil are youaaAAA!" Ciel keened when Sebastian inserted a finger into his overstimulated vagina, wiggling it against his cervix.

Just as quickly as he'd entered, Sebastian withdrew the finger and examined it. A thin string of fluid still connected them. Sebastian hummed, rubbing the fluid between his fingers, sniffing, and finally touching his tongue to it.

"You lecherous beast, why have you defiled me so?!" Ciel choked out, crossing his legs tightly and glaring at this obscene demon.

Sebastian, not keen on backing down, stuck his entire finger in his mouth, cleaning the digit of Ciel's juices before wiping it on the towel. "I did warn you that it was improper, but my, I didn't realize you could make a sound like that, my lord."

Ciel hated that this vile touch made him squirm. He hated it more that he heated so quickly after. He hated it the most that he craved that touch again. "Enough with the games, Sebastian, now tell me what's wrong with me you vile beast! That is an order!"

"But of course, young master," Sebastian said with a smirk. "I was hoping to preserve the mystery awhile longer, but I suppose this is an equally gratifying happenstance."

Ciel, though he so desperately wanted to punish this lecher for his impudence, climbed back into the tub, angling his rear away from the demon. "Did I not just order you to tell me?" he growled.

Sebastian smiled that cheshire cat's smile, putting the same finger that was covered in Ciel's slick up to his lip. "It is a bit strange, but put simply, my lord, your cervix being soft and mildly dilated indicates your body is preparing to conceive in a most interesting way."

Ciel blinked at him owlishly.

"Are you seriously," he started quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose, "trying to tell me this is PUBERTY?!"

Sebastian's eyes widened. Then, without warning, he burst into a fit of laughter that nearly knocked him over.

Ciel didn't even know demons could laugh, much less be so raucously floored by something considered so mundane, but here he was, barely able to contain himself enough to stay upright. "And just what is so amusing, beast?" Ciel bit, nearing his wits end for an entirely different reason. His jaw was starting to hurt from how hard he clenched it.

It took another moment for Sebastian to finally break away from his fit. He sat back up, wiping his eyes with the back of his still-gloved hand. "You must forgive my impertinence, my lord, but what you're experiencing is far from what you humans associate with physical maturation."

"Excuse me?" Ciel said. "If it's not that, then what. Is. It. Sebastian?"

"Put simply, what you're experiencing is more akin to what you might call a heat," Sebastian explained.

What. "What." That had to be impossible.

"I suppose you were a bit young for your parents to explain to you how animals procreate," Sebastian mused, thumb and forefinger to his chin.

"That's not the problem!" Ciel childishly shouted. Sebastian turned his fiery gaze back to Ciel, seeing straight through him. "The problem is that this should be impossible."

Sebastian chuckled. "Yes, for normal humans, it is impossible. But you're not quite a 'normal human' anymore, my lord." He neatly removed the glove from his left hand, exposing the contract and holding it up to Ciel's dumbfounded gaze. "Our contract binds us together until its terms come to fruition. If the contract is in place long enough, however, the human contractee takes on more, shall we say, demonic qualities? Not quite either being, but something in the middle."

Ciel just sat there blankly. He thought he'd be ready for every eventuality. Every challenge would be met head on. But this... what was he supposed to do with himself?

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ciel brokenly said.

"I assumed your revenge would've been complete far before this was even a possibility. It is most unusual for it to happen this soon, but especially in a child."

Ciel held his face in his hands. "How do we stop it?"

"There is only one way to get rid of a heat, my lord."

Ciel blushed furiously, eyes widened, and shrunk away from Sebastian. "You cannot mean—"

Sebastian smirked that infuriating smirk and Ciel wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face. "You know I cannot lie to you, young master," he purred.

That scent was beginning to get overwhelming again. Ciel covered his nose with his hand, careful not to pinch it. "You're depraved! I refuse to debase myself like this. And I thought I told you to take that cologne off!" he growled.

Sebastian put his hands up in mock-deferrence. "My lord, I have nothing on my person which you haven't permitted. You've simply taken notice of my pheromonal excretions."

"Then get away from me!" Ciel cried, splashing water at Sebastian, who wouldn't give up that look of his. "You're the one causing this, so leave!"

Despite Ciel's ministrations, Sebastian kept smirking, getting up to leave. "Very well, young master." As soon as he made it to the door, he added, "But it won't help you for me to leave."

The door softly closed and once again, Ciel was alone.

Alone in a bathtub with water that was now steaming.

Alone with what remained of his thoughts.

Heat would imply pregnancy.

He hugged his knees to his chest. He couldn't do that. Wouldn't do that no matter how much this heat hurt!

A soft knock on the door startled him. Tanaka stepped through with a bucket of ice chips. "My lord, Mr. Sebastian tells me this is the remedy for your ailment?"

Ciel nodded. "It's merely a fever," he lied.

"A high one if this is needed," Tanaka agreed. "You've given us all quite a fright." He gingerly offloaded the ice into the tub, being careful to avoid placing it directly on Ciel's skin. Ever the proper butler...

"Please forget it," Ciel said. He knew he looked pathetic, small and shrunken in the water like a child who had been scolded for sneaking sweets.

Ciel felt a gentle hand on top of his head. "My lord, you have entrusted the care of this manor and yourself to us. We cannot afford to be remiss if your health is at stake," Takana said solemnly. "Any servant of the Phantomhive household that is wouldn't be fit for their position." The hand was replaced by a cool cloth.

Ciel hummed. "You're right," he said, peering into the man's wizened eyes without turning his head. "I suppose that's why I need you."

Tanaka just smiled. "It does this old man's heart good to know you would entrust yourself to us." He left the washroom.

Ciel gathered some of the ice in his hands, putting them under the cloth Tanaka placed on his head. He let out the breath he'd been holding. If he could just stay in this bathtub for... well, he didn't know exactly how long these things lasted for. At least the next few days, then he could make it through this heat.

The water was already warm again.

"Damn it all," Ciel said, pushing the few remaining ice chunks around in the water.

Thankfully, Tanaka reappeared with another bucketful, striding over gracefully. He paused when he spied the water. "Where did..."

"It melted."

Tanaka's eyes widened. "Young master, a fever this pronounced requires the help of a physician. I will send for one immediately," he said, emptying the bucket into the tub.

"Don't!" Ciel pleaded, grabbing the butler's sleeve. "Please, I cannot have anyone else outside the manor see me in such a state."

"Young master," Tanaka chided.

"I've already suffered such an embarrassment today in front of a guest, please... I don't want anyone else to, to, to," Ciel sniveled, angling his head down so that the steam made his eyes water a little. He dramatically revealed his very teary eyes to Tanaka. "I don't want anyone else!"

Takana's worried expression melted slightly, but didn't leave. He sighed. "You truly are your father's son," he reluctantly conceded. "I will keep delivering your ice, my lord."

"Th-thank you, Takana," he blubbered.

Tanaka left once more, and Ciel's expression returned to normal. No human doctor would know what to do with him. Even worse, who would stop them from divulging the secret of his gender to the first person who asked?

No, the only person Ciel could count on to get him through this was himself.

And also Tanaka.

And ice. Lots of ice.

Ciel could make it through this on his own! He wouldn't be weighed down with responsibilities he wasn't ready to accept. And he sure as HELL wouldn't dare to ask Sebastian for his help with this.

Ciel desperately needed to ask Sebastian for his help with this.

Somewhere after the 20th ice bucket, he dismissed Tanaka from running all this ice. It was far too strenuous on the old man, and the ice started exploding into steam as soon as it hit the water or him. Spending days on end in here were no longer an option.

His next plan should've worked! Though he'd promised himself he would never break his seal again, it was the only option short of having Sebastian deal with this problem. But even his deft fingers couldn't assuage the fire within him, nor could any hysteria tool. They only stoked this maddening heat further. His last line of defense was all for nothing.

Which left nothing but the failsafe plan he dreaded. He had to bite back his revulsion.

There on his bed, naked ass up in the air, covered in tears and his own fluids, he tore off his eyepatch. The contract in his right iris lit up a fiery amethyst as he called out, "Sebastian!"

That exquisite perfume graced his nostrils instantly as Sebastian appeared behind him, the light of a candlestick softly glowing in the twilight darkness of his room.

"Get it over with," Ciel commanded wetly, glad that the demon couldn't see his frustration tears.

Sebastian closed the small gap between them, resting an uncharacteristically gentle hand on his right buttock. "'It,' young master? I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific."

Ciel growled, clenching the quilt of his bed. Again with that damnable attitude. Blast him... "You were practically chomping at the bit to do something about this earlier, you know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Perhaps, but if you don't order me more specifically, my lord, how can I be expected to fulfill your request to your liking?" Sebastian teased.

Roaring in frustration, Ciel got up on his hands and knees, pivoting to look Sebastian in the eye, and sobbed, "This is an order, Sebastian, make it stop! I don't care what you have to do, just end this heat!! I can't take it anymore!"

Sebastian's eyes burned fiercely red as the demon smirked, showing off his delicately sharpened teeth. He reverently moved his tongue over every syllable of, "Yes, my lord." Shadows erupted from behind and beneath him, covering the room in inky darkness, save for the light of Sebastian's eyes and a single candlestick.

Sebastian flipped Ciel from his hands and knees onto his back, spreading his legs wide. With one hand, he unhooked his suspenders, modestly freeing himself from his trousers. With that done, Sebastian's hand neared Ciel's aching vulva.

"No," Ciel commanded, "take it all off. I shouldn't be the only one debased and humiliated like this."

Ever the obedient dog, Sebastian obliged him. With a snap of his fingers, his livery disappeared completely. "Shall I prepare you or would you rather I begin right away?"

"I don't care, just do something!"

"Very well, young master," Sebastian purred. "Do bear with me."

Ever so gently, Sebastian's fingers traced the outline of Ciel's genitals, massaging his thumbs upwards over the folds of his labia. As they crested, Sebastian teased at his clit, barely brushing the overly-sensitive bundle of nerves. Ciel cried at the touch, still burning white-hot with even the barest glance. No doubt the demon relished any excuse to cause him pain.

"Oh my," Sebastian cooed. "A touch overstimulated are we, my lord?" Before Ciel could answer, Sebastian's hot breath was over his most sensitive areas, his tongue searing around his clit and around his entrance, back and forth in a maddening spiral. 

"I thought this wa-AH!" He yelped as two fingers pushed inside him. They may as well have been knives. "I thought this was supposed to help!" Ciel said, white-knuckling the bedspread.

Sebastian didn't stop, but did spare him a quizzical look. Oh how this demon vexed him...

"Mmm, I suppose I could offer some repose. I've been told it's rather uncomfortable when a mating couple starts this far into a heat," Sebastian mused. He offered Ciel his wrist. That delicious aroma intensified. "If you please, young master, bite down here."

Ciel smirked. "Happily," he said, chomping down hard.

Sebastian didn't even flinch, just raised an eyebrow in amusement. All at once, Ciel's senses collided into a vivid tapestry of experiences. Cherries and cinnamon and sunshine and rain and woodsmoke flooded his mouth and nose, while a kaleidoscope of sumptuous reds and purples danced behind his eyelids. The fire beneath his skin cooled into a pleasant warmth that tingled and radiated out from his aching pussy. He latched onto Sebastian's wrist more gingerly now, more like a suckling infant than a vengeful Earl. He wanted more. Needed more.

Sebastian's probing fingers and expert tongue worked quickly to get him to the thin edge of rapture. All too soon, that tongue was replaced with a finger. Ciel felt sharp teeth pierce between his neck and shoulder, and with a guttural cry, he was cumming hard from the concerto of sensations.

His whole body spasmed through his orgasm, calming back down after a few seconds, mouth dripping with Sebastian's blood.

But...

That heat.

It sat untouched in his core.

"Wh... why isn't it stopping?" Ciel moaned. "Shouldn't completion have stopped it??"

Sebastian licked his lips slowly, as if savoring Ciel's blood. "My lord, how much do you understand about a heat cycle?"

Ciel didn't answer.

"I thought as much. No, heats aren't over with only a single orgasm. The goal is to ensure that you propagate, not that you are pleased," Sebastian explained. "Now that you have been adequately prepared, we may begin the 'main event.'"

Ciel's stomach sank. He wasn't prepared to have children! Or demons or whatever came from an unholy union between demon and man. "What if I ignore it?"

Sebastian feigned hurt at that. "It seems a waste to quit now that we've come so far, young master. If you're set on it, however, you'll simply go back to how you were before in two weeks' time, but that goes directly against what you ordered of me. Regretfully, I am unable to oblige your ignorance of this matter." He towered over Ciel, gently caressing his cheek. "But I know you won't renege, my vengeful little lord. Otherwise, what would all your fighting have been for? What would her Majesty think of her guard dog whenever he is unable to perform his duties?"

Ciel hated when Sebastian was right.

He knew he couldn't take a whole two weeks of this torture. He knew that he wasn't the kind of person to ever back down, even when he had to put himself on the line. He also knew that no matter what happened, Sebastian would be there.

He was always there.

His vengeance was always there.

Duty took precedence.

Vengeance took precedence.

Ciel's gaze met Sebastian's. "Fine," he said.

Sebastian smiled hungrily. Black flames obscured parts of his outline. "Excellent." He unsheathed his cock, and Ciel gasped at the sight, his stomach sinking as he took it in. It was long, tapered unnaturally at the tip and a dark red that faded to his skin tone, with barbs that ran down the length of it.

Before Ciel could change his mind, Sebastian ran the tip over his slicked cunt once, twice, before it found the edge of his vagina. Ciel felt full as the head of his cock slid inside him. It stretched him wider and wider, back arching higher as one row of spines after the next entered, until he felt so unbelievably full that he might burst. Sebastian's tip pressed hard against his pliant cervix.

That fire beneath his skin evaporated.

"You'll have to forgive me, my lord, but your heat seems to have triggered a rut. I won't be able to hold back for long." Those black tongues of flame grew more insistent.

"I don't remember ordering you to," Ciel responded, smiling cheekily.

Sebastian looked genuinely shocked, unmoving for a moment. "It will be intense, my lord."

"I don't care."

"It will be excruciating."

"I don't. Care."

"You will never be the same—"

Ciel grasped him by the shoulders and shouted, "Bloody hell, Sebastian, just move!"

Sebastian gripped Ciel's thighs tightly, growling out his pleasure as he said, "Yes, my lord," and started thrusting harder and faster than any human into Ciel.

Those eviscerating spines painfully spurred Ciel's pleasure on to a degree he didn't know he could feel. Unconsciously, he moved his hips against Sebastian's, forcing him deeper with every move. He wanted Sebastian to kiss the very back of his womb with his cock, wanted him so deep that neither of them could be taken apart again.

Ciel bit down on his own hand as came once more, convulsing against the punishing pace Sebastian was intent on keeping. Pleasure quickly turned to overstimulation. "Se--Sebastian!" Ciel cried, digging his nails into the demon's shoulder.

Sebastians hands, now clawed and black as night, slid over Ciel's thighs and up around his hips, leaving pinstripe cuts over his tender flesh. The demon rammed Ciel's hips against his own, pushing far through his cervix with every stroke. "My— lord! Please prepare yourself!" Those barbs raked the unmarred flesh around his cervix relentlessly until Sebastian's thrusts stuttered suddenly.

The spines on Sebastian's cock engorged, puncturing Ciel's walls, and unloaded pure liquid fire straight into his womb. The sensation was enough to make Ciel cum again with a wail, clinging onto Sebastian for dear life.

Once Ciel had ridden his orgasm out, he asked, "Is... is it done?"

Sebastian, who had yet to quit spilling, chuckled and smoothed the sweat-slicked hair out of Ciel's face. Even still, Ciel had a hard time parsing where Sebastian ended and the dark cocoon containing their unholy union began. "Oh young master," he said, clawed finger gently raking a thin scratch down Ciel's cheek, "we've barely begun."

Though he was still pumping cum into Ciel, Sebastian picked him up off the bed without disconnecting them, settling Ciel into a sitting position in his arms.

"Do you ever falter?" Ciel rasped.

Blackfire crept toward him in long, filamentous tendrils. "A Phantomhive butler wouldn't be worth his salt if he faltered."

Ciel chuckled. "Cheeky bastard."

Sebastian shut him up by shoving that appendage of inky flame down his throat, choking Ciel from the inside. He felt another bully its way into his completely unprepared asshole. He screamed around the oddly solid tendril. It felt like he was being torn in two, what with the only lubrication being what blood and vaginal fluid dripped over it.

Ciel flailed wildly with the lack of oxygen, but Sebastian held firm. The spines retracted out of Ciel's pussy, and Sebastian made like he was going to pull out of him completely until slamming Ciel back down ruthlessly.

Ciel felt like a ragdoll as Sebastian beat their hips together with that same fervor as he'd shown in the first round. The edges of Ciel's vision tinged with black and he could feel himself weakening. Pleasurable heat coiled deep in his stomach. Seeming to sense this, the tendril obstructing his airway mercilessly ripped itself from his throat, leaving his face covered in his own saliva and Sebastian's drying blood. Ciel gasped and coughed and came again from the barrage.

Sebastian, however, delighted in tormenting him. Ciel's pleasure quickly turned painful as Sebastian fucked him right back into overstimulation. That blasted tendril forced its way back down his throat. Ciel didn't stop fighting the intrusion, not even when the lack of air threatened to steal his consciousness. Instead of retracting at a critical point, however, it only shifted its position enough to allow a bit of air in. Ciel took what he could before the damned thing wormed its way deeper inside him.

Belatedly, he realized those barbs were engorging again, his stomach bloating a little further from the sheer amount of spend Sebastian was pumping into him. The lack of air and the scent of blood and pheromones and musk clouded Ciel's mind into pleasurable numbness.

After that, Ciel wasn't sure how many times they'd changed position, how many times they came, or when Sebastian's fiery tentacle was removed from his mouth. His mind could only focus on what sensations passed through it, that pleasure followed by pain followed by pleasure.

He was on his shoulders and knees, ass in the air as Sebastian pounded into him.

He was on his back. His stomach was growing with all the cum sloshing around inside him.

On his side, leg hoisted up high. Sebastian didn't slow.

Ass in the air again. Two of those tendrils fought their way inside his ass.

He looked pregnant already as Sebastian unloaded inside him again.

And then, hours after agony and ecstasy, Sebastian was cradling Ciel gently, guiding his mouth to Sebastian's shoulder. "Bite."

Ciel bit. That same sweetness from before flooded his tongue again. Cherries and cinnamon. Sunshine and rain. Woodsmoke and damp earth. A harmonious cacophony that he wanted to get lost in. It was then that Sebastian pushed something huge into his wrecked pussy, stretching him impossibly. Ciel groaned as it burned it's way inside him, noticing that Sebastian's cock was seated much deeper inside Ciel than he'd ever been. Those spines hooked into him more fervently now, holding Sebastian in place against the very back of his womb. Sharp teeth pierced the raw flesh at the base of his neck again, and Ciel came once more, tiredly rocking in a pleasure that threatened to break him.

Was this what euphoria was?

For the first time in what must've been hours, Ciel took notice of Sebastian.

The demon was wrapped in black fire, shifting wildly as if he were struggling to maintain his corporeal form. The only things untouched were his softly glowing eyes and the cock latched comfortably inside Ciel.

After a moment, the darkness fell away from his manservant like a raven's feathers. Human-looking arms cradled him against Sebastian's chest. The cocoon around them retreated back to the shadows from where they came. Sebastian didn't let go of Ciel. Not even as he carried him into the bed or maneuvered Ciel so his head was on his pillow. Dawn's light streamed in through the windows.

Lucidity trickled in. Ciel blinked slowly. "What... is in me...?" Ciel rasped. His throat hurt.

Sebastian smiled at him. "It is my knot, my lord. It signals the end of both of our 'predicaments,'" he explained.

Ciel hummed softly, closing his eyes. "Good."

After another few minutes of silence, Ciel asked, "When exactly does it go away...?"

"Soon, young master."

"That's not a proper answer," Ciel said, taking a stray pillow and half-heartedly plopping it on Sebastian's head.

Sebastian, moved the pillow with that devious smile on his face. "Combative this morning, are we?"

"Only to demon butlers who refuse to answer their master's questions," Ciel softly grumbled, his blue and purple eyes fluttering.

Sebastian tutted. "I distinctly remember giving you the most truthful answer, my lord. The time it takes for a knot to shrink to flaccidity is mutable. It is completely dependent on external factors, specifically on the amount of bloodshed, the quantity of pheromones ingested, and perhaps most damningly, how bonded the mating couple is. Given my estimations, it should likely recede in no more than a half hour."

Ciel grumbled softly. "Fine," he mumbled and nuzzled into Sebastian's arms.

Sebastian was the only one he could trust. Ciel hated Sebastian. Ciel loved Sebastian. Ciel loved to pride Sebastian and to abuse him and above all else, Ciel needed Sebastian. More than food, more than air, more than vengeance. He would not and could not exist in a world devoid of his demon.

These thoughts clanked around in his skull as they lay there, still connected by their roots.

But one tiny, niggling concern lingered.

What did their actions make them now?

---

Sebastian wouldn't exactly call this a fetish of his.

Much unlike others of his kind, this was the first time he’d ever tampered with a heat cycle. He never understood how other demons could be so hapless with who and what they tried to breed with; it just made for a gory trail of corpses that likely would’ve made that slutty reaper gush. Sebastian supposed not everyone could possess his graces or his tastes for the finer things. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d sired before. But rarely did he get to breed his contractees. Even more rarely did he want to. But here he was, still hooked and knotted inside the only one he'd ever yearned for.

He gently ran his hand over the child's rounded stomach, then tousled his silken gray hair. The young master made a little chuffing sound, but did not protest. Sebastian softly hummed. When it came to this boy, well, he was certainly a range of firsts for Sebastian. This was not the original plan he'd had for the young master's soul.

Up to the day the young master formally assumed the title of Earl Phantomhive, Sebastian planned to savor the boy's soul as slowly as he could. Perhaps his body as well if his young master cared to oblige. Simple, sweet, to the point, and oh so delectable.

But then, the little lord did something that no one had ever done to Sebastian: he surprised him.

The day the boy stood in front of Sebastian in garb that was far too mature for him, proclaiming Sebastian as his sword and shield, Sebastian's priority changed from biding his time for a quick meal to cultivating the perfect food source. And if he had to speed things along just a little? Well, ten years turned two and a half was neither here nor there. The little earl was his little earl now, whether he realized it or not. Sebastian felt sure the boy suspected nothing until yesterday, when he could finally taste the true flavor of the substance in his tea. After all, Sebastian left little to be noticed.

No one noticed his absence for a few minutes in the wee hours of the morning. No one saw him brew the carefully measured mixture of blood, semen, pheromones, cinnamon, and aniseed over his candle nightly. No one saw him slip into the boy's chambers each evening to slip an eyedropper of his nightly brew into the boy's mouth as he slept. No one saw him carefully clean up the evidence long before his master woke. And no one saw him put a drop into the young master's teacup each morning. Even if they did, the other servants never questioned his authority.

Because the real treat, the culmination of Sebastian’s two-and-a-half years of work, came after. And yes, perhaps it had an extended “baking” time of another ten months, but what was that to him with the prospect of the choicest delicacies? The offspring of man and devil made a treat the likes of which made even the most depraved souls pale in comparison, in Sebastian's perfectly attuned opinion. Like veal or the tender meat of a suckling piglet would be to a human, he supposed. It was more a cannibalistic craving than a fetish, really.

Sebastian gently prodded at the bite marks on the base of his neck. Though pain was fairly meaningless to him, it was still a somewhat novel sensation. Different to anything else he'd ever experienced before. His little lord would never understand how intimate that gesture was or what power he now held over Sebastian. As his fingers roved over his own skin, he could feel his knot and barbs retracting. He ran his right hand over his young master’s gravid-looking belly, and sure enough, he sensed that his more than ample seed had found purchase twenty-two—no, twenty-three times. He smiled as his penis retracted fully from the boy.

As expected, the mattress quickly soaked through with blood and cum. The bedspread looked like a murder victim. The carpet would need to be cleaned extensively, too. He sighed softly. It couldn't be helped. Back to their game of charades with just one more thing to his extensive to-do list. But what was an extensive to-do list in the face of one such as he? After all, he was one hell of a butler.

The clock chimed 8.

“Oh dear, time for morning tea already… Pardon me young master, I am dreadfully behind,” Sebastian said, moving to get up on his elbow.

Ever the selfish one even in sleep, the little lord clung onto him possessively, digging his blunt little nails into Sebastian's back.

Sebastian chuckled. With a snap of his fingers, the room was spotless and his livery, minus his shoes, replaced just as crisp and clean as if he’d ironed them a minute ago. The little lord slept on, unknowingly dressed in his nightclothes as if nothing had happened. Perhaps, just this once, Sebastian could afford to let him indulge just a bit longer.