That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Plotting

THOOM. THOOM.

"You look to be doing better than I'd thought!" Soma said to Ciel over the elephant's heavy footsteps. Ciel was now sitting inside the howdah with Soma, swaying along with the elephant's gait. "It was quite a scene, you know! Agni wanted terribly to come with me. But it seems bringing along servants is prohibited in your public schools," Soma explained with a smile. Poor Agni had been in tears.

"Well, that's just common sense..." Ciel said. He paused for a moment. A bead of sweat slid down his face. "There is a reason I asked you to come."

"Right. What is it? Let's have it, then," Soma said, all ears.

"You see, I've quarreled with Maurice Cole of Red House... your house," Ciel said.

"Hmm?" Soma said.

"As you already know, I haven't too many friends... so I'm afraid I don't quite know how to smooth things over with him," Ciel said with a self-depreciating expression on his face. "And so I thought perhaps I could use your help..." Soma stared a Ciel with big teary eyes and a hand held over his chest, deeply moved that Ciel would ask for his help with something so important.

"All right! I understand!" Soma said, placing his hands on Ciel's shoulders. "So you've come to recognize your flaws!! I'll gladly give you a hand, my gloomy and self-depreciating fellow!"

"Hey," Ciel said with two veins throbbing on his head. "I said nothing of the sort."

"First, how about the three of us have a curry dinner together?" Some suggested brightly, holding up a finger.

"No, that won't be possible," Ciel said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Soma asked.

"I seem to have made him so angry he doesn't even want to see me... so I'd like to talk to him again after I've gotten to know him better," Ciel said. "I'd appreciate it if you would observe Maurice closely for me and tell me what he's like... especially what he's like at Red House, since I can't see that side of him for myself. I want to know it all, even the most trivial facts. And don't tell anybody else about this!" Ciel told him with a furrowed brow, pointing his finger at Soma.

"Got it! It'll be our secret!" Soma said, touching his fingertip to Ciel's. "All will be well! Leave it to your best friend!"

"All right. I'm counting on you... urrp..." Ciel said, covering his mouth as a wave of elephant sickness came over him.

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{Scarlet Fox House...}

Night had fallen and the stars were out. Inside the dorm, Soma was confronting Maurice.

"Hey, you there! Make nice with Ciel!!" Soma said earnestly, if a little high-handedly.

"... Hunh?" Maurice said, dumbfounded, looking up from the work he was doing at the desk in the room. The boy sitting at the seat next to his was doing his best to focus on his own work. Maurice turned his head away from Soma with his eyes closed and his brow furrowed. "You do realize he brought disgrace upon the prefects? As the fag of one of those prefects, there is no way I can forgive him!" Soma stared at him with his brow furrowed and his lips pressed together with his cheeks puffed out slightly, irked.

"C'mon. You really won't be friends with him?" Soma tried again, sticking close to Maurice.

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"C'mon. He has his good points too," Soma said, following Maurice on the way to class.

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