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Chapter Text

Riddle flew off the handle… again.
This short-tempered little teapot tyrant was at it again, overexerting himself and subsequently overblotting… again.
Luckily, it wasn’t long until he was promptly taken care of, the phantom was (once again) killed and he was unfortunately plunged into comatose once more.

Similarly, in another world, a certain young earl of the Phantomhive name was tucked snugly into a bed after the evening’s toilette.

Both fast asleep, both entirely unaware of the chaos that may unfold the following day.

The next day, both awoke to the sound of a stranger.

That morning, Riddle awoke to the soft sunlight filtering in through the room’s windows, partially blocked by the parted blue curtains.
The royal blue of the canopy curtains were the first sight to grace his eyes.
The plush feeling of a soft bed and thick duvet were the first things he felt.
The enticing aroma of freshly brewed tea was the first to grace his nose.
The soft tapping of shoes upon carpet accompanying a low voice were the first to grace his ears

“Young Master, it is time to wake up.” 

The rolling of a trolley accompanied the unfamiliar voice, followed by the melodic pouring of tea into a teacup.
Addled from sleep, Riddle took notice of the unfamiliarity of this morning’s routine, but was unable to question it. He sat up silently in bed, blinking groggily once or twice before his mind finally cleared.

His hair was not the vivid red it once was, instead it was a duller blue. His Pyjamas were of a noticeably better quality, much unlike what he typically wears. He felt significantly (or not so much, considering his already short stature) shorter than before as well.
Looking up with widened eyes, he noticed the strange man pouring his tea, dressed immaculately in a dashing black coat and addressing him as “young master”. 

Clearly, something had happened.
Could he have been kidnapped?
Illegally force-fed a transformation potion of some sort?
Maybe he had returned to S.T.Y.X. after another overblot, and this was one of their tests?
Surely that was it, right? Logically, it was the most plausible explanation, right?

He looked around frantically for his magical pen, or really, anything with a magestone. Seeing a radiant blue gem adorning a beautiful ring, he wore it, assuming it was a magestone from ignihyde. After all, it was such a deep, beautiful blue, and he is in S.T.Y.X. after all, where Ignihyde’s Idia Shroud is the next to inherit. He stood, pointing the ring at the strange man, “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” He yelled in a booming voice, yet nothing happened. 

The man was visibly confused at his sudden outburst while Riddle himself was aghast as he noticed he could no longer use magic. Well, previously in S.T.Y.X he was collared and unable to use magic, maybe that had happened?

The man sighed, “would you like milk in your tea?”
Riddle looked at him incredulously, suspicious of his every movement.
“Young master? Is everything alright?”
Riddle tried gathering up magic once more, only to realise he had none. He looked at the ring, and the gem was merely a normal sapphire, it did not carry the radiant shine of a magestone. “Young master.”
The man grabbed him by the wrist, those golden eyes of his seemed red as he  stared into his soul. Lips parted, revealing a row of pure white ivories as he spoke a simple question.  
“Who are you?”

Riddle felt deeply unsettled by the whole situation. Clearly, he is not himself. He had awoken in a time of distant past for him, in a world without magic, in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar man who spoke a language different from his own, yet he could still perfectly comprehend every word he spoke. Luckily, such an incident had happened before, yet even now it hasn’t been resolved. That peculiar prefect of Ramshackle Dorm hailed from a world called “earth” in a land called “Japan”. The prefect had also managed to understand the language of Twisted Wonderland despite not having seen it before. However, unlike the prefect, Riddle had retained his memories of his previous world, his previous life. Supposing his situation matched that prefect, he concluded the best course of action was to do as they did, explain himself.

“I am Riddle Rosehearts, Housewarden of the Heartslabyul Dorm and a student mage at Night Raven College.”

The man stared at him intensely, grip tightening on his wrist as he did. The longer Riddle stared, the more he seemed to distort. Black tendrils appeared from his back, darkening the room as he seemed to shift.
He looked like a monster, an indistinct mass of shadow bearing sharp canines and 3 distinct horns. Those multiple eyes had irises which seemed to glow a vivid fuschia and thin pupil which bore into the soul. Sharp claws reached for Riddle’s face, grabbing him roughly by the chin as those eyes stared and that mouth spoke. “What did you do to my master?”

Riddle was horrified. The “man” made no move to kill, not out of mercy, but because of something Riddle was not sure of.

“Nothing! I hold a strict adherence to the rules and would never do something to compromise my legal record! I simply awoke in this body after an unfortunate event!” He instinctively tried casting another spell, only to fail once more.

The “man” hadn’t been swayed, the urge to kill still deep in those many eyes.

Riddle spoke again, trying to explain his situation. “I am from another world, a world with magic and mages.” He tried to think back to the day of orientation, what had the ramshackle prefect said? Earth? Japan? Could it be this was the world they hailed from. “Could this be Earth? Japan?”

The “man” didn’t speak, but had seemed to calm somewhat, returning to a form more human, yet not quite fully.

“The world I am from had magic, direbeasts, beastmen, merfolk and such. I have heard that ‘Earth’ has none of that. Could this be that ‘Earth’ I’ve heard of from my peers?”

The “man” was silent once more, thinking about the situation, or Riddle had assumed.

“Answer my questions.” He instinctively pointed his ringed finger at the “man”, “I might be able to know what happened to your true Young Master if you do. Your name would also be appreciated.”

At long last, the “man” responded. “This is Earth, this is not Japan, but Great Britain. I am Sebastian Michaelis, and you seem to have taken the form of my young master, Ciel Phantomhive of the Phantomhive Earldom. Riddle Rosehearts, was it? What are you doing here?”

“I don’t know. I passed out after an overblot and woke up as your Young Master.”

“Mn.” Sebastian nodded, thinking quietly. “You hail from a world of magic, right? Your magic could have caused this, correct?”

Riddle shook his head, “A similar situation happened in my own world, yet no one knows how or why it happened. No magic in the world I’m from could do such a thing, the closest thing to it is transformation magic for merfolk.” He sighed. Upon noticing the white flowers in the vase atop a dresser, he mumbled “Tch, Rule #469 explicitly states that flowers must be both red and white when you invite over a new acquaintance, those are clearly all white. A rule has already been broken, how troublesome.”

That same morning, Ciel awoke not to the sound of Sebastian’s beckoning call, but to knocking on the door.  
The first to grace his eyes were the maroon of the canopy curtains.
The first thing he felt was the plush feeling of a soft bed and thick duvet.
The first to grace his nose was the pleasant scent of pastries hanging subtly in the air.
The first to grace his ears was the light tapping on the door accompanied by a stranger’s voice.

“Riddle, are you recovering well after the overblot? Can I come in?”

Ciel, despite just waking up, was extremely sharp as usual.
This voice was not Sebastian’s.
This room was not his.
This body was not his.

Instead of a duller blue, his hair was a vivid red. His pyjamas weren’t of the quality there were before. What’s more, he felt ever so slightly taller than before.

Ciel wasn’t the type to believe in magic or such nonsensical superstition, yet there was no logical explanation to his situation. 

As shaken as he was by this new development, he tried to remain calm. He instinctively reached for the gun under his pillow, forgetting this was not his chambers.
He opened his mouth, but shut it once more, remembering there was someone outside the door. He wanted to call for Sebastian, yet who he supposed was the perpetrator stood outside the door, waiting patiently for a reply from this “Riddle” character.

He sighed and got himself out of bed, searching the room he had woken up in. It was well decorated, filled with red, blacks, and whites with a touch of golden embellishment. White roses painted red sat atop the desk surrounded by books, and a white vase of red roses sat quietly on a golden tea table. He observed the items scattered around the room. A pen with a brilliant rose-red jewel lay upon the bedside table next to an odd rectangle, plugged into a cable which was plugged into the wall. A small golden crown lay on the table and a golden staff with hints of red and black adorned with a rose-red jewel similar to the one on the pen leaned against the wall.

He took hold of the deep red curtain on the wall and pushed it aside, revealing a vast expanse of bright green grass which hid under walls of a grande rose maze. This sight, while beautiful in its own way, was not where Ciel’s focus lay. Instead, his sights were set on the reflection in the window’s glass.
Two large, grey eyes atop fair, alabaster skin stared back at him. While still youthful, the face in front of him was noticeably more mature than his own.

His eyes widened, lifting one hand to his right eye. The Faustian seal was not there. He did not have Sebastian.
He was on his own.

The knock on the door returned, and the voice spoke once more. “Riddle? I’m coming in.”

The person at the door entered quietly, shutting the door behind them and seemingly content with just standing by it.

“So, how are you feeling?”
Ciel was silent.
“Are you feeling well?”
Ciel was silent.
“Still lightheaded?”
Ciel was silent.
“Still mad? I made you a chestnut tart earlier, in case you were feeling down today.”

Ciel turned to finally face the voice. The stranger was noticeably taller than him, even in this new body of his. The stranger had short dark-green hair and black-framed eyeglasses. Hidden behind those lenses were calm yellow-gold eyes, and just under his left one was a club suit painted in black atop his cheek.

Ciel’s eyes narrowed. He has nothing to defend himself with, he doesn’t have his gun and he cannot call Sebastian, so he was left at the hands of the perpetrator. Despite such problems, he still needed to know where he was and why he was taken here. Swallowing the eerie feeling which caught in his throat, he spoke to the stranger.

“Who are you? Where am I?”
He grabbed the pair of scissors left on the nearby desk and pointed it to the man.

The stranger, in response, got even more worried.
“Housewarden, did you truly forget me? Come on, we need to see a medical mage, this overblot must have affected you much more than the first.”
He approached Ciel.
Ciel held up the scissors.
He stopped and held his hands up.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I’m just gonna bring you to the medical mage. Trust me.”
Ciel didn’t back down. “Answer my question.”

He sighed. “I am Trey Clover, you are in the Heartslabyul Dorm in the Arcane Academy Night Raven College.”
“Why am I here?”
“Because you are the housewarden.” Trey replied with a confused lilt in his voice. “Riddle, you’re acting weird, let me take you to the infirmary.”
“NO!”
“Riddle, it’s for your own safety, what if the symptoms get worse?”
“Who is Riddle?! Where am I!” Ciel demanded, opening and closing the scissors a bit.
“Just let me take you to the infirmary!”
“NO!”

Trey Sighed. Then, with magic, he forcefully took him to the infirmary. Ciel, in his shock, dropped the scissors and yelled at Trey to put him down. Trey, in response, only mumbled “sorry” as Ciel complained.

…

The nurse saw nothing wrong with “Riddle”, he was perfectly fine! Trey was confused, so he turned to Ciel, who laid strapped against the bed because he wouldn’t stop trying to run away. He had wide eyes and seemed to be hyperventilating. The nurse recognised it as a response to PTSD-induced flashbacks, but for what? Neither Trey nor the nurse knew.
Trey stayed there until Ciel calmed down, then, calmly, he asked the simple question.

“If you really are fine after the overblot, why have you forgotten everything? If you’re not Riddle, who are you?”
“Ciel Phantomhive of the Phantomhive Earldom.”

Trey seemed confused to say the least.

“Ciel, what an odd name. Phantomhive Earldom? I haven’t heard of them either.”
Ciel stared at him.
“Have you not heard of Funtom Company?”
Trey shook his head.
“Leading confection and toy manufacturer of not only Great Britain, but the world?”
Trey shook his head once more. “Great Britain? Where is that?”
Ciel seemed to be on the verge of lashing out. Trey seemed much older than he, how did he not know such simple information??
“EUROPE?! EARTH?!!”

With that, things seemed to click for Trey.
“Ah, it’s like the Ramshackle Prefect. You are from another world, aren’t you?”
Ciel looked at him incredulously.
“This is Twisted Wonderland, a world of magic. The prefect told us about their world, their Earth and Japan. It’s magicless, right?”
Ciel nodded, but still looked at him oddly.

“But what are you doing in our housewarden’s body? This will be troublesome…”

Chapter Text

Riddle had to get himself ready for the day without the use of magic. Of course, he had Sebastian, but even if Ciel was used to being washed and dressed by him, Riddle was not. For his outfit, he chose a combination of whites, reds, and blacks styled to be as similar to his dorm uniform as possible. Now, he truly thought if he had to wear an eyepatch, it must be a white rose partially painted red. After all, he will be exploring this new world and will be meeting new people in the manor of the young master whose body he’d inhabited. He mustn’t risk breaking Queen of Hearts rule #469, flowers must be both red and white when you invite over a new acquaintance, after all.

Even though he wasn’t  exactly Ciel, he still bore the Faustian Seal, and his stubborn whining didn’t seem to cease soon. Sebastian, to shut him up it seems, decided to take one of Ciel’s spare eyepatches and embroidered a white rose partially painted red. Riddle felt like it would do well enough, after all, it’s not like he could paint this “young master’s” flowers without his permission.

Then it finally came time to break the night’s fast, prepared by Sebastian with the help of the rest of the manor’s servants. It was a rather quick affair: everything Sebastian made was delectable and Riddle was quite hungry after the chaos of the morning. However, a short argument arose between Sebastian and Riddle regarding the end of the meal.
“Sebastian! The Queen of Hearts’ rule #339 clearly states ‘ Your after-meal tea MUST be lemon tea with 2 sugar cubes’ , I will not accept anything else or any less sugar cubes!”
“Riddle Rosehearts, as I’ve said before we do not have lemon tea and therefore I cannot serve you lemon tea.”
“Well then get some, and make it quick! Get enough for lunch and supper, I cannot risk violating one of her rules!”
“Riddle Rosehearts, this is nonsense, it's nothing but a silly rule. You can afford to break it.”“Nonsense! I demand lemon tea!”
“Riddle Rosehearts, there is no need.”
“That is an order! You dare disobey me, the housewarden of Heartslabyul?!” He pointed his ringed finger at Sebastian. “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!”

And yet nothing happened.

Sebastian sighed and relented, “Yes, my lord,” he responded, quite unenthusiastically and a tad annoyed.

Afterwards, at long last, Riddle was to meet the rest of the manor servants. Sebastian had everyone line up in the main foyer in no particular order as Riddle stood at the center of the stairs. While aligning them proper, the maid voiced some concerns of her own in a hushed whisper to her superior.

“Sebastian, is our young master okay? I heard him screaming ‘Off With Your Head’, I did!”
Sebastian nodded in response, “yes, I was just about to talk about that.”

He stepped back and addressed the entire staff.
“Finny, Mey Rin, Baldroy, Snake, and Tanaka. This,” he gestured towards Riddle, “is Riddle Rosehearts. He is a young gentleman from another world whose soul has managed to find its way into our Young Master’s body.”
A moment of silence fell upon the staff, then their reactions
“Woah! So even though he looks like our Young Master, he’s not?” Exclaimed the young blonde boy.
“Why, that’s quite nonsensical!” Spoke the maid.
“Sebastian, you’re kiddin’!” Laughed the chef.
“‘That’s a funny joke, no way that’s true!’ Says Goethe, shocked Black would say such a thing.” Relayed the scaled man.  
The old man, well he simply took another sip of his tea.

Riddle’s face quickly grew flustered, “Nonsense? Joke? This is a serious matter! My dorm will be thrown into chaos without me upholding the rules! For what reason would I be joking!?” Sebastian joined in, “Yes, think of a time our young master and I have truly chosen to jest with you.”

And at that, all of the servants fell silent.

The maid was the first to speak up, “But, young ma-“
And was promptly interrupted by Riddle.
“If you are to speak to me, you must do it properly! Look up!”
She lifted her head to face him.
“Speak nicely”
“Righ-“
AND DON’T TWIDDLE YOUR FINGERS!”
She immediately straightened up.
“Turn out your toes”
She did.
“Curtsy.”
She did.
“Open your mouth wider.”
She did, “ri-“
“And always say ‘Yes, house-! Er, young master!”
She did just that, “Yes, young master!” With a little bow at the end.

“Good, now speak.”

“‘This Rosehearts fellow is quite the strict soul,’ mumbled Wordsworth,” the scaled man relayed. 
Riddle’s attention turned to the scaled man, “What was that? Speak properly, do not mumble!”
“‘Yes, young master!’ Exclaimed Wordsworth,” relayed the scaled man once more, who had also straightened up and fixed his posture.

At last, the maid was able to voice her concerns. “Pardon, Young Master, but it still makes no sense! S’pose souls were real, it’s not like they can switch places!”
The chef chipped in as well, “yea, and it isn’t too strange that you’re acting different, somethin’ like this happened back when we visited Germany, right?”
The blonde boy gasped, covering his mouth in fake shock before poking at the chef. “Master told us to forget about that!” To which he responded with a simple shrug.

Riddle observed their interactions for a moment before slamming his hand on the stair’s railings to get their attention. “Well, if you suppose such a magical, mystifying thing is unrealistic, how do you explain Sebastian!” He gestured wildly at the man standing before them.
“Sebastian is abnormally efficient in his work.” Responded the maid.
“‘Well he is certainly good at his job, but it is incomparable to such magic.’ Says Wordsworth,” The scaled man relayed.
“Oh, but that is that one time in Germany while the Master was ill and I was taking care of him,” the blonde boy added.
Riddle seemed irritated at their responses, “NOT THAT! HIS-“ then Sebastian shut him up. Ah, it was a secret between Master and Servant it seemed.

Riddle swatted his hand, “Nevermind that, who are all of you?”
Sebastian spoke up after all his silence, “ah, yes, introductions. This,” he gestured to the blonde boy, “is Finnian, our gardener.”
Finnian waved happily at Riddle, “Hi Hi!”
Sebastian then turned to the maid, “This is Mey Rin, our maid.”
Mey Rin bowed, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, young master!”
He then gestured to the chef, “Our chef, Baldroy.”
Baldroy waved once, “Mornin’”

Then to the scaled man, “Snake”
Snake didn’t say anything, but his snake cheerily said “Hello,” and he made sure to let that be known. (“Is it really necess’ry for you to say all your snakes’ hellos?” Baldroy asked, to which Snake responded with a silent nod.)  
Finally, to the old man, “Tanaka.”
Tanaka simply smiled.
Sebastian then clapped his hands, recalling the attention back to him. “Now, it is imperative that we not only remember one another, but familiarise ourselves with each other. No one, not even Riddle himself, knows how long he’ll stay here. Treat him as you would with our proper master, do you understand?”
“Yes sir!” The servants say in unison.
“…says Oscar," snake adds. 
Riddle nodded, “That’s great, now if you’ll excuse me, I shall do some reading on this world in your master’s chambers.”  
And with that, he dismissed himself.

As he busied himself with the books, the servants (save for Sebastian of course) discussed the situation as they prepared lunch with Sebastian. Between menial tasks like washing silverware or fetching herbs, they exchanged quiet whispers.

“What do you think the new master’s old world was like?” Finnian said whilst fetching herbs.
“‘He’s quite the peculiar character’ remarked Wordsworth.” Snake relayed while peeling potatoes.
“I still think he’s jokin’” Baldroy murmured whilst tenderising the meat.
“Could something have happened to our young master?” Mey Rin whispered as she fetched tableware.
Now, of course, each bit of murmured conversation managed to make its way in small increments to Sebastian who understood their speculation. It’s not like they could have sensed the once bitter soul, rich in agony and flavour, absent from their young master’s body this morning, replaced with one much more dull and much less emotionally tormented. He was reasonably upset at the situation, for this meal he had worked so hard for had suddenly vanished with no guarantee for its return

Of course, he could always consume Riddle’s soul instead, but that may leave the young master’s soul stuck wherever it is now with no chance at return. Of course, if he didn’t like Riddle, he could always refuse to do as Riddle pleases, but even if he isn’t Ciel, his body still bore the faustian seal.

He sighed, truly there was no escape, is there?

•••

Eventually, midday had come and Riddle sat down to eat. In those two hours he had learned much about this world, for instance:

It is called Earth, and he is in Britain.
This was not modern day, he was in the past, with much less technological advancements.
Species such as Fae or Merfold are nothing but fantasy here, all there is are human and animal.
He has confirmed that magic was nothing but fantasy here.

The lunch cooked by Sebastian and the servants looked delectable. A helping of fresh seasonal vegetables perfectly steamed perfectly accompanied beautifully seasoned meat.
What type of meat?
Hamburg steak.
“Pardon me, Sebastian,” Riddle asked ever so nicely, “what day is it today?”
Sebastian looked at Riddle, wondering why on earth he may want to know. “Tuesday, may I ask why, Rosehearts?”
Riddle sat straighter, putting down his fork. “This hamburg steak is utterly unacceptable! It is a violation of Queen of Hearts’ rule 186! Now, I understand preparing something will take a rather long time and it is already half past noon, but I must not violate one of the rules, especially as housewarden of heartslabyul! I do not care for the quality, but I demand you prepare something new!”
Sebastian looked ready to rip his jaw off and force the hamburg steak down Riddle’s throat, but he obliged anyway. “Of course, Rosehearts.” He took the plate with a tense smile and brought it back to the kitchen.
Eventually, another meal was brought out and Riddle was finally able to eat. He promptly had Sebastian bring over Lemon Tea with precisely two sugar cubes and had then finished it within the 15 minute time slot rule 271, You must get up from the table within 15 minutes after eating lunch , allowed for. There was not much trouble afterwards and Riddle returned to the true master’s chambers to continue his reading.

Riddle was enjoying himself simply reading in silence, no one had come to bother him except from Sebastian who occasionally checked up on him and offered tea and pastries. One book stood out to him, quietly sitting on the nightstand of the bed. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by someone named Lewis Carroll. Now, quite obviously, this book would provide no useful information about the world he now resides in, but Riddle was inexplicably drawn towards it. And so, he read it.
It was quite the entertaining read, and as he read, he noticed glaring similarities to the history of his own world. In fact, he recognised many peculiar characters, especially the Queen of Hearts! Why, its world was practically identical to his own! However, he felt no need to dwell on the matter too much, especially because he was afraid to dwell on the reality of his nature and delve into feelings of existential dread.
He heaved a heavy sigh, wishing to return home and indulge himself in one of Trey’s masterfully baked tarts.

In the meanwhile, the servants had congregated somewhere without Sebastian’s knowledge. They were in the midst of discussing Riddle’s absurd adherence to such nonsensical rules when Sebastian had found them and promptly quieted them. However, he had heard part of their conversation and had a small bit to add.
“Our young master has been reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as of late. This ‘Queen of Hearts’ Rosehearts speaks of seems to be a character in the book as well. He may have come from the book, but it does not seem to be entirely the same either.”

Then came suppertime. Luckily, the servants hadn’t made the same mistake as before, opting for a meal with steak rather than hamburg steak. It was quite the enjoyable meal, yet there was still something to gripe about.
Riddle had been gazing out of the window when he had noticed the moon was full this night. He turned to Sebastian, who sighed, now knowing exactly what he was about to say. We have broken another one of his absurd rules, haven’t we , he thought. “What is wrong, Rosehearts?” He asked.
Riddle pointed to the full moon. “The moon is full and I have been served steak. In accordance with rule 529, a cat must play violin afterwards. Sebastian, may I trouble you to fetch a cat and violin?”
Sebastian’s expression softened for a moment at the mention of a cat. Ciel would never allow a cat in his presence, maybe that was one good thing about Riddle. “Of course, my Lord.”
Riddle was perplexed at this new form of address, but he didn’t question it. He watched as Sebastian left, seemingly gleefully, though he couldn’t tell why.

It took a while but eventually Sebastian returned with a plethora of cats. Of course, they were all regular cats and therefore they cannot play violin, but Riddle still tried to teach them.
“Hold the bow! Don’t paw at the strings! You can’t nibble on the violin! Stand on your hind legs! None of them can do it! I cannot simply violate one of the Queen of Hearts’s rules!”
He approached one, trying to correct them himself, but instead he was met with a sneezing fit! “Ah, the young master is allergic to cats. It seems you are too now that you inhabit his body,” Sebastian responded. Riddle turned to the black-clad butler, “Very well then, you are to teach them to play the violin then!” Sebastian smiled, able to have time with the cats. “Of course, I wouldn’t be able to call myself a butler for the Phantomhive household if I couldn’t tame a few stray cats, would I?” And so, he got to work. Despite his pride and being as a demon, he was unable to properly instruct cats to play the violin. Sebastian, nevertheless, was overjoyed as he got to play with the cats. Riddle was rather irritated at this, especially at the prospect of coming close to breaking another rule that very same day. “Sebastian, quick! It should not take more than 15 minutes, else I break another rule!”
With nothing else left to do concerning the violin problem, Sebastian left to fetch Finnian. Even after that minor mice conundrum the previous year, he had kept the cat suit and Sebastian had resolved that his cat suit was an adequate solution to the violin problem. As quickly as he could, he taught Finnian to play a basic scale on violin as he wore the suit. Riddle had accepted the cat suit, after all, it was the best they could do.

As Riddle once again returned to the true master’s chambers, Sebastian and the rest of the servants were tasked with cleaning up after supper. Since Riddle had stated he felt most comfortable if he bathed and clothed himself, Sebastian used that time in his schedule to play with the cats still in the dining hall. Around an hour later, Riddle had returned to the dining hall with a stack of 12 papers. He handed two to Sebastian. “I have written out a tenth of the rules of the Queen of Hearts. I will write the remaining 729 tomorrow, I expect you to memorise each and every one of them” And with that, he left to distribute the rest of the paper to the rest of the household. Sebastian only stood there, perplexed at his extreme upholding of the rules to the point he’d spend hours writing 7 different copies for the household to follow. The rest of the household held similar sentiments, and yet none of them voiced their thoughts.

That night, Riddle had fallen asleep snug under the covers while the servants spent it reading and memorising.

Chapter Text

Ciel looked at Trey incredulously. “Magic? Twisted Wonderland? The hell are you on about?!”
“Hm, seems we have to educate you on this world like we did with the ramshackle prefect. Wait here, okay?” And Trey promptly left the infirmary.

Ciel stayed in the bed, looking around the room. The infirmary was a quaint little room. It was quite simple in design, and it felt rather warm and cozy compared to the cold, sterile rooms of a hospital. With this moment of peace and safe enough atmosphere, he thought upon his situation. He had just finished dealing with a so-called ‘witch’, that is to say, Miss Sieglinde Sullivan. Of course, she was not a real witch, merely a child prodigy manipulated for war without knowing. Yes, Sebastian was a demon and Ciel has met reapers such as Grelle, but magic is mere fantasy in his eyes, nothing but fiction. Despite having engraved such a mindset and holding steady in it for years, the events of the day clearly suggested otherwise.

For instance, Trey had been able to apprehend him with a supernatural force of some sort, one which can only be described as magic. Their mode of transportation was peculiar as well, they had stepped through a mirror of some sort to end up in an entirely different location! That is not even mentioning the floating the mirrors had done, not held by line but levitating off the floor! Ah, and obviously the most telling sign of all, he was not in his own body! Truly the work of magic or such forces, it is simply impossible to change one’s entire form in a mere nine and a half hours!

Before he could dwell on the matter further, he could hear Trey returning with two other students, or so he thought by the footsteps.. “So Riddle’s been actin’ weirdly since this morning? Myah! Is he mad, I don’t wanna be collared!” In stepped Trey, alongside a cat with fire in its ears and a trident tail riding atop the shoulder of another regular student. “Ciel,” Ciel gave an internal grimace at the form of address, he had never been referred to so casually and he held himself from correcting Trey since he currently holds no status of his own in this new body, “this is Grim and the Prefect of Ramshackle dorm. Like you, the prefect was from another world, but he was in one of the orientation coffins, not like your… peculiar situation.” The student smiled and the cat’s tail curled around their neck, though the cat’s eyes betrayed inquisition. The cat leaped onto Trey’s shoulder and seemed to whisper in his ear, to which Trey responded with a nod before the cat returned to its original perch, now standing confidently on its hind legs. “Myehe! Not Riddle, you’re new to this world? I am the Great Grim, the greatest mage in Twisted Wonderland, and this is my hench-human!” The cat put its front paw on the prefect’s head.  
Ciel was stupefied. “You’re… a talking cat!”
“Cat? I’m no cat!”
“Then what are you?”
The Great Grim had no answer.

Trey, after their little discussion, spoke up. “Prefect, I already explained the situation to the Headmage, he said you’re excused from class today for however long is needed to inform Ciel about this world. You, Grim, and Ciel can go to Ramshackle to teach him about this world, answer any questions he may have. Ciel, I’ll pick you up after school. There is a housewarden meeting and even if you aren’t our housewarden, it’s still an opportunity to meet the other housewardens.”

Ciel nodded and stood to walk alongside the prefect. Although, he stayed a considerable distance away from them, after all he was allergic to cats. Sometime while walking, Grim had turned to face Ciel and addressed this.  
“Not Riddle, why are ya so far behind?”  
“I am allergic to cats, so I won’t get close.”  
“I’m not a cat!”  
“Well then what are you?”
At some point, Grim left his perch from the prefect’s shoulder and approached Ciel. However, he didn’t notice this until Grim was clutching his leg, holding tightly. When he finally felt the sudden weight, he looked down and promptly shook his leg wildly.  
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”
“PROVING I’M NOT A CAT!”
Surprisingly, Ciel hadn’t reacted to Grim’s presence. Even if he noticed it, he still violently shook his leg until Grim’s grip on him loosened and eventually was gone completely. After the small trifle, the trio continued to Ramshackle dorm.

…

Faint knocking from the front door made itself known through the echoes of the foyer. As promised, Trey had returned after school had let out, or Ciel had assumed since he was not familiar with the schedule of this arcane academy. He was dressed differently than before, this time in an elaborate suit with plenty of accessories, mostly card-themed. He noticed the insignia on the jacket, a heart with a crown and a banner which displayed the word “Heartslabyul.”
Now, Ciel and the prefect took a tour of the campus during their little lesson, and naturally he caught sight of the seven grand stone statues at the entrance of the school. “The Great Seven,” or so they were called, were seven legendary mages whose great deeds made them revered around Twisted Wonderland. Though many seemed unrecognisable to him, one stood out. The Queen of Hearts, “a queen who ruled over a maze of roses and brought the rule of law to a chaotic kingdom. Under her strict leadership, no rose was off-color, nor was any playing-card soldier out of step.” Prior to this odd set of circumstances, Ciel had been reading a new book, at least to him. A literary piece called Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by the author Lewis Carroll. Now, the descriptions in the story did not match this world’s Queen of Hearts as accurately, but with the added context on the statue’s inscription it was at the very least extremely similar and at most the exact same. However, he assumed, this queen’s reign had been centuries before this world’s present, it may be that they had misinterpreted her appearance. Disregarding the odd connection, Ciel returned to the insignia. Heartslabyul, the dorm based around the Queen of Hearts, or so he was told. This seemed to be the dorm’s uniform, and judging how he seemed to take the form of their housewarden and how Trey had changed into this outfit, it seemed he would have to wear something similar.

It was just as he thought. From his bag, he produced a stack of neatly folded clothes. “This is our housewarden’s dorm uniform. You’re supposed to wear it to the housewarden meeting.” He had said. Ciel nodded, taking the clothes and retreating to the decrepit dorm’s bathroom. He had been there for a long while before the trio in the foyer heard screams and the sound of someone falling down the stairs. They rushed inside and in there was a sight. Ciel’s clothing was worn completely wrong and absolutely disheveled. Disregarding his poor dressing skills, he seemed to have fallen down the stairs trying (and failing) to walk in the housewarden’s high heels. Seeing the mess, Trey only sighed. He walked over, helped Ciel up, adjusted his clothes, and held his arm as he walked to make sure he didn't fall again. Eventually, the two made it to the housewarden meeting.

Trey opened the doors to the headmage’s office and everyone there turned to face the pair, shocked about something, though Ciel couldn’t tell why. In the room stood 6 people; A masked man with golden eyes, a tattooed man with animal ears and a tail, A silver-haired student with a hat, a white-haired student with a headscarf, a blonde beauty with a crown, a phone (the prefect had told him about this device, though this one was much larger than the smaller ones everyone else had held), and a tall student with black horns which curled curved back then forward.  
“Ah, Clover, you’ve belatedly arrived with your housewarden! Now, given his circumstances, I can forgive your tardiness, aren’t I so kind?”
The other attendees had mixed reactions, many seemed curious, some seemed worried, some seemed not to think about it. The ones with inhuman characteristics, the horned and tattooed man, didn’t look like they cared. Although, their intimidating atmosphere may have overshadowed their worries visually, Ciel wasn’t sure. The blonde student, whose eyes sharpened once Ciel had entered the room, strutted his way to Ciel. Leaning down, he adjusts his uniform. “Circumstance or not, it is important to make sure you look your best when appearing before others.” The white-haired student, wrought with worry (or which Ciel had hoped was worry), spoke up, “Riddle! Are you hurt, why are you limping? Did something happen?!” He seemed wholly innocent, Ciel doubted any malice could come from him. The silver-haired student, however, seemed like he was scheming. “Oh, something happened? Riddle, being your benevolent friend, I’d be happy to assist you with your troubles, for a price of course.” His words, Ciel felt, had been slimy and calculating. Trey spoke up. “He’s not hurt, though something odd had happened that no one could have anticipated. This is not Riddle, this is someone from another world.”
Ciel nodded.

“I am Ciel Phantomhive of the Phantomhive Earldom.”
Suddenly, seemingly from the floating device, the sound of crashing was heard. Everyone’s head turned as the device made noises of chaos and such. Ciel was amazed, he had a telephone at home, but this one had much clearer audio, as if the commotion was from the nearby room. From the device, the chaos continued. “Brother!” Shouted a voice from the device, “What happened? Where are you going so quickly! AH! Wait, are you hurt? Wait!” and then all of the noise had stopped and the device’s blue screen went black. Brief moments passed in silence as they all observed the device, until suddenly, a student with hair akin to blue flames burst through the door clutching a stack of books. From behind, that same worried voice grew louder until the speaker had appeared floating behind (who Ciel had assumed to be) his brother, a person who was clearly inhuman. The student and inhuman being entered the room, the student clearly exhausted from his supposed run. He looked up and immediately froze, hiding behind the inhuman. Shyly, he spoke “So, uhh, C-Ciel Phantomhive?”
Ciel nodded. This man bears some similarities with that Gregory Violet fellow from Weston, though I cannot figure out why… Ciel thought, “Like, actual Ciel Phantomhive? Of the Phantomhive Earldom? Owner of Funtom Corporation, Fiancé of Elizabeth Midford, and young earl whose butler is Sebastian Michaelis?”
Ciel nodded, “Yes, I thought I wasn’t known in this world.” He turned to Trey, feeling as though he had been lied to, but Trey and the others in the room truly had no idea what the flame-haired student had been talking about.
The inhuman spoke, or so Ciel had assumed since his mouth had been covered, “Ciel? Brother, isn’t that the deuteragonist to that manga you’re reading?”
The flamed student nodded. He looked at everyone in the room, faces as confused as Trey’s, and smiled with those pointed teeth of his. “Uehehe,” he laughed, “Normies, amirite? See, manga and anime has its perks.” He then set down the bundle of books he had been carrying in his arms, arranging all twenty-two in the order the roman numerals had indicated. To Ciel’s surprise, all the covers bore characters with people he recognised! Sebastian, Joker, William T. Spears, Lau, Tanaka, Charles Grey, Ronald Knox, Elizabeth, Undertaker, Soma, Edward, Sullivan, Finny, Baldo, Mey-Rin, even himself! “What the h-” Ciel had exclaimed, only to be cut off by the flamed man. “He’s one of the main characters in this manga I’ve been reading! No way he’s been isekai’d into our Tiny Titan, Taskmaster Riddle, LMAO!”
The blonde student spoke up, “Idia, would you please speak normally? We have a guest, at least act professional to people you haven’t met before.”
The flamed student, Idia, muttered something under his breath. Although Ciel couldn’t catch all of it, he had heard small bits of nonsensical phrases, such as “smh” and “ts pmo.”
The silver haired student picked up the first book from the ground and looked at the back. He read the back then skimmed the book. “This Ciel is kind of reminiscent of Riddle.” He looked up at Ciel, then back to a page in the book. Idia smirked from behind the inhuman, “Hehe, and a lot of these characters are like people here.” He pointed to volume XII, “He sorta looks like Azul,” he pointed to volume II, “That’s Jade,” then to XVI, “Kalim,” and then he abruptly stopped. He hid even further behind the inhuman, blue flames turning a gentle pink. “Uh, yeah, a-and there’s more but, uh…” He slowly walked back towards the open door, but he was quickly stopped. “EEH! I was joking of course…” He frantically explained from behind the inhuman’s back. Faintly Ciel had heard him say something along the lines of “Chat, am I cooked?” but he had no idea how to decipher his odd speaking quirks.

After his small tangent, the entire room was left in awkward silence. Finally, someone spoke. “Idia, you’re bleeding.” The silver haired student said. Sure enough, Idia’s head was bleeding. “Oh, that? Haha, fell outta my seat hearing the Ciel Phantomhive was here and hit my head on the floor.” Upon hearing this, the inhuman turned to check, and immediately darted out of the room with its brother. Now, once again, it was just the 8 of them. Faced with the silence and the realisation that Ciel had been the only person to introduce themself, the oh so very nice headmage spoke up. “Ah, how careless of me! Phantomhive is unfamiliar with everyone! Now go on, introduce yourselves!”
“Headmage,” the blonde one said, “you’re the most important person he’d need to know.”
“Hm? What about his fellow Housewardens? As the horribly busy headmage I am, he should come to you for help in the case I am unwilli- ahem unavailable to help. Now, Kingscholar… where is he”
He twisted and turned in place until his gaze landed upon the desk. The gaze of everyone followed him as he stepped behind the desk to inspect. “Oh!” He exclaimed, and the blonde student strutted to his side. He scoffed, a hand to his head, before squatting down and lifting the animal-eared man by the back of his collar. The man swatted his tail. “The little red-head can ask himself if he’s so interested, I don’t care enough to bother with his thing.” He had said, yawning. The blonde sighed and held out a hand to gesture to the animal man, “Leona Kingscholar, Housewarden of Savanaclaw, inert imperious prince of the Sunset Savanna.” He said before he was swatted on the hand by Leona, who promptly returned to the space under the dest. The Silver-haired student spoke next, putting a hand to his chest and a smile on his face, “Azul Ashengrotto.” He held out a hand, “Cephalo-punk, octo-puss-“ came a voice from the desk before promptly being shut up by the boy in question. “Benevolent Housewarden of Octavinelle. If there’s anything you may need, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He said with a sly smile. Ciel took his hand but didn’t disregard the malice in his eyes. He was someone to be wary of, for sure. Next, the White-Haired student rather enthusiastically gave an introduction of his own. “Kalim Al-Asim,” he said with an innocent and cheery smile, “Housewarden of Scarabia!” He ran up and grabbed Ciel’s wrists, “let’s go there now!” He pulled out his phone, “I’ll tell Jamil to prepare a welcome feast for you!” This one, much unlike the one previous, was once again confirmed to be wholly innocent and pure. With such enthusiasm and sociability, he reminded Ciel of Soma, except considerably more oblivious than Soma already was. The blonde beauty was the one to stop him, “Kalim, we’re not finished,” he reminded him. “Oh, yeah!” Kalim exclaimed cheerfully before letting go of Ciel’s arm. Vil once again spoke up, “Vil Schoenheit, Pomefiore.” He spoke. “Beauty obsessed prick,” spoke the voice under the desk. “Fairest one of all,” corrected Vil. “Second to Neige,” Leona argued. Vil scoffed in response. Finally, the horned man spoke up. “Malleus Draconia,” is all he simply said. “Of Diasomnia, correct?” Ciel confirmed, to which Malleus responded with a simple nod.
Ciel stood to face everyone. “So, that is everyone? What about that Idia man, he left his books here. And that… doll. What is it?” The housewardens were confused by his wording, though it was Vil to understand his question. “Ah, Ortho? That’s a technomantic humanoid, that is to say, an android recreation of Idia’s younger brother.”
“A… Techno- what? Android recreation of his younger brother… and I assume he has passed?”
And there was silence.
In that silence, Ciel’s expression seemed to dim. Kalim, aware of his saddening expression, came up to him and took him by the hands.
“Ciel! Don’t worry too much, let’s go have a feast at Scarabia with everyone!” in a tone as cheery as before, clouded slightly in worry. Without waiting for his response, Kalim brought him all the way to the hall of mirrors, Ciel stumbling on his heels the whole way there. He invited the other housewardens, though Malleus seemed to be the only one who wanted to join in.
“No.” Responded Leona.
“How nice of you, unfortunately I have much work for Mostro Lounge and I’m terribly busy. Thank you, but I respectfully refuse.” Responded Azul, who then muttered under his breath, “After all, it wouldn’t be good to be in another’s debt.”
“I must watch my diet, eating the wrong foods too often will affect my skin.” Responded Vil. 
“Uhm, I… can’t. I’m, uhh, healing.” Responded Idia, hiding under the covers of the infirmary cot.

So, off the trio went to the feast.
Now that he was able to go through the mirror without anything preoccupying his mind, he was rather amazed. Within a second they went from the comfortably cool hall of mirrors to the scalding heat of the Scarabian desert.
“Welcome to Scarabia!” Kalim gleefully exclaimed with a grand gesture. He took Ciel’s hand once more and ran with him to the entrance. He didn’t slow for his stumbles, and inevitably, Ciel fell.
“Ah, are you struggling in your heels? Lean on me for support!” he said with a smile.
And with that, they slowly made their way to the entrance with Malleus following close behind.

“Ah, Kalim, you’re back. Seriously, you need to give me more time if you want such a grand feast, and all just for the housewarden of Heartsalbyul? You can’t just declare a large feast moments before it happens, that’s not enough time for preparation!"
Complained, or more so scolded, a student with long black hair. Jamil, Ciel had assumed since Kalim had said earlier that the person preparing the feast is a person by that name. He wasn’t certain though, so he waited for Kalim to advance the conversation.
“This isn’t Riddle! Besides, he’s not the only one I brought!”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment, Malleus had leisurely made his way up the steps and into the main lounge.
“Viper, Asim invited me to this feast alongside Phantomhive. I must express my gratitude for your preparations.”
The sound of his voice, alongside his sudden appearance, halted all commotion in the dorm. All was quiet.
“Ah, the Diasomnia Housewarden…” Despite his seemingly best attempts to remain calm, Ciel couldn’t help but feel his tone held the slightest bit of caution. Viper still held the slightest bit of confusion, however, and Malleus seemed to have noticed it. “What troubles you, Viper?”
“Pardon my ignorance, but you mentioned the name Phantomhive?” His face held confusion underneath it all.
“Yes, Phantomhive.” Malleus gestured to Ciel. “Are you, perhaps, unaware?”  
“Unaware of what exactly?”
“Rosehearts is not with us in spirit, for his soul currently resides in another realm akin to that of the Ramshackle Prefect’s. The soul currently with us is not him, but of a child of man by the name Ciel Phantomhive.”
“I have not been told.”
“Hm, Asim, isn’t that the purpose of this feast?”
“Yes!”

During the entire interaction, Ciel had nothing much to do but watch. He sat on the side until, finally, he was brought into the conversation.
“Ciel! This is Jamil, my friend!” He said, grabbing Ciel’s shoulders and pushing him in Jamil’s direction.
“Good afternoon,” is all Ciel could say.
Jamil observed him for a moment before returning to his duties. “I still need to finish everything you told me to, Kalim! Don’t do anything dumb.”
“Okay! We’ll just go ride the magic carpet!” Kalim responded.
“Magic carpet?” Ciel spoke with skepticism yet intrigue. Despite seeing himself the magical artifacts of this world, he still seemed rather dubious surrounding their functions. Just what exactly does a magic carpet entail? Yes, it is standard that “magic carpet" refers to a flying one, but with how these magic mirrors seemed to transport people, it’s only natural to be curious over the other possible uses for such a magical artifact. However, much to Ciel’s delight, it seemed the magic carpet was purely that, a rather luxurious carpet which flies and holds its own consciousness.
Tentatively, he boarded the carpet with Kalim and Malleus, who sat straight-backed on the carpet. Ciel tried to remain composed as the carpet lifted, yet as it took off, he grabbed onto Malleus’s arm as they accelerated quick enough that the hot air of scarabia turned brisk within a second. Eyes closed and hair rushing in front of his face, Ciel endured the ride which reached speeds he never thought was possible. He gripped tighter onto the draconic fae, who seemed to speak before the carpet drastically slowed to the speed of a horse-drawn carriage. Ciel opened his eyes to the two other riders looking back at him, one with an innocent apologetic look and the other whose face remained stoic as always. “Was that too fast? Haha, I’ll slow for you then! Keep your eyes open, the sights are really pretty!” With this much slower pace, Ciel was able to relax, his grip loosening and eventually leaving Malleus’s arm. The sights were indeed amazing, a wide open desert littered with oases which surrounded the dorm building. Kalim flew them all throughout the dorm realm before returning to the main dorm building, where Jamil waited for their arrival.
The trio entered the lively dorm which quickly quieted with Malleus’s presence. Kalim was undeterred by the sudden halting of festivities, instead he took Ciel’s hand and ran with him to the banquet table. “Here, eat to your heart’s content!” He said. Enthusiastically, Kalim sat the duo down and offered them every dish at the table, labelling them all as “must tries”. Eventually, night fell deep enough that Jamil insisted they return to their dorms to be ready for the next day of class. Ciel left the dorm together with Malleus and they separated at the hall of mirrors after saying their farewells. Now all there was left to do was to return to ‘his’ dorm. He felt urged to explore the campus now that night had fallen, yet with no way to fend for himself in this magic-filled world, he relented the thought and instead settled for exploring the hall of mirrors. Each little room of the hall of mirrors held one grand mirror fancifully decorated seemingly to fit with the dorm’s aesthetics. For instance, Heartslabyul’s frame was decorated with stone-carved playing cards; Savannaclaw’s room had scratched and bones because their one of the great seven was a lion, or so Ciel had thought; Octavinelle’s frame entangled the mirror with stone-carved tentacles and kept coral and shells by its foot, fitting for a dorm based on an octopus merperson Ciel observed; Scarabia’s frame was in the shape of an ogee arch with a cobra which lurked behind it, seemingly for the Sorcerer of the Sands’s cobra-shaped staff; Pomefiore’s mirror was more of an oval than the others, decorated extravagantly in an elegant frame as a peacock rested atop it, seemingly for the beauty the fairest queen possessed. Before he could get a closer look at Ignihyde and Diasomnia’s mirrors, a yawn left his own mouth and he decided it was time to return to the dorm for rest.
He returned to Heartslabyul dorm on his own, determined to make it back to ‘his’ own room before a thought suddenly crossed his mind, Where am I supposed to go? Of course, he could always wander around the dorm, yet not only does he have his reason from before, but the dorm’s interior was much more nonsensical and confusing than he thought! Twists and turns, long narrow stairs and halls, not to mention the floating objects! It was a complete labyrinth! Stuck with no other apparent option, Ciel wandered around the main building. Suddenly, he remembered that device the prefect had told him about, the phone (which bore no resemblance to the telephones of his world, Ciel might add).  
Searching his pockets, he eventually found that odd rectangular device. Now he had no idea how it may be used. He noticed buttons on the side, and when he pushed the larger one which remained on its lonesome opposite to the two smaller ones on the parallel side, the device went from a dark black to a bright white. Near the top of the device proclaimed the time in bold, white numbers, 00:04. Once again, he was stuck. He tapped at the screen, yet it did nothing. He thought back to when the prefect had been teaching him to use the device, but the fascination of this world’s technology clouded Ciel's mind when the prefect prattled on about the phone’s various usages. Ciel seemed to recall one thing from the prefect’s lecture, however. He raised the device to his face and spoke. “Mira, Mira. Can you call Trey Clover?” The device did nothing for a moment, then a voice suddenly spoke. “Calling Trey Clover,” it said before ringing was heard. Abruptly, the ringing stopped in the middle of the third ring and the tired voice of Trey came from the phone. “Riddle? Ah, Ciel, I mean. What’s wrong?” “Trey, I need help navigating the dorm.” “Oh, of course, just wait where you are, I’ll find you.” and then the call ended.
Sure enough, after a few moments of waiting, Trey, wearing slippers, sleepwear, and a jacket found him by the entrance of the dorm. Trey showed him to the dorm bathrooms, where Ciel quickly prepared himself for bed, before taking him to Riddle’s chambers. Ciel bid Trey a good night, then cozied himself in bed and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

His dreams were foggy.
There he stood, floating in an endless sky of mist and fog. In the distance, one could see the twinkling of countless stars, cyan dodecicosacrons which hung by silver chain attached to the neverending sky. In the distance, the other could see the myriad of playing cards which littered the sky; ones of all suits and colours, yet devoid of queens, jacks, kings, or jokers and abundant in red hearts.
He seemed to lower, and soon enough, his shoes touched the checkered floor. He wandered the mist, finding towering chess pieces, teapots and cups which spilled yet never touched the marble floor, books which littered the sky around him, and roses of white and red. Eventually, he reached the juncture where white turned black, and there he saw himself. That crimson haired boy dressed snug in black pyjamas and wrapped in red tartan robes and that of blue-grey hair dressed in simple white nightwear. He stared at himself, the white-clad boy standing among the countless stars and the red-clad child among the fluttering cards and roses. He opened his mouth, then closed it, waiting for the other who did as he had done. Then, he of red began to speak.
“Who are you, why are you me?”
He of blue simply parroted him,

“And who are you, why are you me?”
They stood in silence, eyeing one another.
“You are the housewarden those people speak of, that Riddle Rosehearts?”
“And you are this young master the servants speak of, Earl Phantomhive?”
He nodded, and so did the other.

He observed the other, who stood observing him. He of blue spoke, “How are you finding Heartslabyul? I trust you’ve been upholding all 810 of the Queen of Hearts’ rules?”
He of red was stunned, he of blue only sighed an expectant breath. “Just as I thought, you are as ignorant as your servants. Ah, that is not meant to be condescending, I’m simply voicing my expectations.” He brought his hand to his heart, “In order to uphold the Queen of Hearts’s spirit of strictness, you must study and memorise all of the rules as well as prosecute those who have violated them. Use your, or more accurately my, magic to do so, and should the conviction be muddled, you must decide it in court.”
Once again, he of red was stunned, though this time the shock originated from two different origins. “Wait, 810 rules?!”
“Yes.”
He of red remained bewildered, and rightfully so, yet he of blue did naught to quell such shock, instead opting to inquire once more about the white-clad boy’s experiences.
”Well, how are you finding Heartslabyul dorm, as well as Night Raven college as a whole?”
He of red had little to say about his experiences. He had witnessed little of the actual school life after all, he couldn’t exactly form an opinion on the matter.
“How are you finding the manor, I trust my servants treat you well?” He of red responded in turn.
“Yes, quite. They seem to not comprehend our situation, though. Well, other than that Sebastian. He truly is a competent, albeit stubborn, butler.” He of blue answered.

He stared at the other and the other stared at him. He of blue seemed to have realised something, for he approached the juncture yet advanced no further. Seemingly blocked, he held out a hand, yet it seemed not to cross the split of colours.
“Well that’s troublesome. You need to be taught to use magic, yet it seems I can’t be there to help you.” he said.
He of red approached the juncture in turn, yet he couldn’t walk past the split between white and black. He held out a hand, yet it seemed not to cross to the other side.

“How queer.” Spoke he of red, which immediately garnered the disapproving glare of the other.
“How inappropriate!” Exclaimed he of blue, “Even if one does not agree with such gender topics, it is imperative to avoid deriding and improper language. This is social etiquette, such outdated language harbors disrespect to those who identify with the label genderqueer, for using the word in such a way implies they are odd. Mind your manners!”
“Ah,” pouted the red-clad victorian, “excuse my language then.” Though below his breath, one could hear mumblings of how “such labels are socially unacceptable”. Thus was the social mindset of Victorian England, conservative in thought in a way which modernity shames.

“How unusual,” corrected he of red, “We cannot meet, it seems. How frustrating.” he said with a click of the tongue.
He of blue crossed his arms in thought, accepting the other’s simple correction for the time being. Even still, he commanded the other. “No matter the barrier, I shall just instruct you orally. Your pen, pick it up.”
The red-clad lad felt around his sleepwear, yet all he found was an odd stick adorned with a large, gleaming red jewel.
“Yes, that. Now, magic relies on the user’s imagination, especially when it comes to your capabilities for imagination.”  
He of blue took hold of one of the flying books, holding it out. “I want you to try colour changing magic. Aim your pen at the book and imagine it as the colour red.”

He of red stared between the pen and the book, holding the pen stiffly as he stood in an awkward position. His eyes slimmed with focus and…
The stone produced a light.
Then it sparkled with fervour.
The sparks flew towards the book…!

And yet it held its original cover.

He stood shocked, equally as much as the other, yet for differing reasons.
The blue turned red and the red paled to white.
“What was that! How dreadfully unacceptable! With the magic talent I’ve so painstakingly built up over the years, you cannot even perform colour changing magic?! The freshmen perform better than you, try again! Truly envision your goal, turn it red!” Spoke he of blue, almost as red as he would have liked the book.
Yet he of red retained a pallor of shock, never before had he seen such magic! Sure, Trey had used magic to apprehend him the previous morning, yet he never expected he would be able to produce something out of it! He of red steeled himself and tried again, determined to successfully perform the spell.

He took a breath, eyes slimming with focus.
The stone produced a light, yet his focus did not falter.
The stone sparkled with fervour, he remained poised.
The sparks flew towards the book, he visualised it as red.
And the book changed to a burgundy, one much purpler than red.

He of blue calmed a bit, the burgundy had contented him temporarily, at least he managed to change the colour this time. However, this mediocrity did not seem to fully sate him, he demanded perfection. “Try again,” he demanded, “a vibrant rose red. If you need aid, there are roses all around you. Now, red!”

He of red tried once more.
He pointed the stone at the book.
He imagined the book as a vibrant rose red.
He slimmed his eyes with focus.
The stone shimmered.
Then it sparkled.
The sparks flew towards the book, encapsulating it before dissipating, revealing a cover as red as a rose.

The other nodded, “There, perfect,” he praised.
“Now,” he continued, “there is a very important spell you must learn. My signature spell, Off With Your Head.”
He of red was equally as frightened as he was confused. This signature spell the other spoke of, what does that entail, he wondered. Additionally, he had only once performed what he perceived to be a simple colour changing spell, now he was expected to behead someone?! Who would he behead, certainly not his own body! Even if it was a dream, there’s no telling how it would affect his real body with all this befuddling magic logic! Sebastian would certainly appear by his body’s side if he tried, after all, their contract stated he must protect him until he had his revenge!

He of Blue noticed his fear and spoke up. “The spell does not actually kill, all it does is lock away a person’s magic. Try it, point your magic pen at me and say the incantation: ‘Are you ready for your sentence? The verdict comes afterwards. Any last words? Off With Your Head!’”
He stood, legs together and arms out with an extravagant flair. “Now, try it on me!”

Yet he of red hesitated. Yes, the other had explained its harmlessness, but he felt an odd sense of doubt at his words. This spell seems much more complex than the colour changing one, especially since it apparently required an entire incantation, so Ciel doubted his capabilities. Nevertheless, he proceeded.

He fixed his posture, standing confidently with the magical pen in hand despite his inner worry.
Pointing the stone to his own body, he proceeded with the incantation.
“Are you ready for your sentence? The verdict comes afterwards. Any last words?”
Yet he hesitated.
The white-clad lad’s posture faltered for a moment, his eye opening to bear witness to the other’s worry.
“What’s wrong? Like I said before, the spell causes no bodily harm, you needn’t worry for your safety. Finish the incantation!”

The other tried again.
“Are you ready for your sentence? The verdict comes afterwards. Any last words? Off with your head!”  
He spoke with worry-wrought confidence.
The sparks flew, yet nothing happened.

“Try again,” He of blue demanded, “This spell comes naturally, it’s my own signature spell after all.
He tried once more, the frustration evident in his voice.
“Are you ready for your sentence? The verdict comes afterwards. Any last words? Off with your head!”
Yet nothing happened once again.
“OFF WITH YOUR HEAD, OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!” The red-haired boy screamed, yet his efforts seemed fruitless.
A frustrated mix between groan and growl emanated from the red’s throat. The blue relented with a sigh, “Perhaps the spell is too complex for you. No matter, I expect you to improve your practical magic capabilities through classes. Now, is there anything you must inform me about?”

The red tried to calm himself, tucking the pen back into his pocket with an agitated sigh. He threw out his arm, “As the Earl Phantomhive, I have many duties which you must now do in my place. Sebastian is a great help, but he is nothing but a mere butler.” He held out a finger, “First, you must run the Funtom company. We sell a variety of products; rainwear, toys, confections, perfume. You must take over all my duties as head of the Funtom company. Sebastian can help you.”
The blue was shocked. Surely he jests, he thought, He’s nothing but a child of 13!

The red held out another finger, “secondly, I work directly under Queen Victoria as her watchdog. You are to do my duties as an aristocrat of evil, overlooking Britain’s criminal underground, ensuring illegal acts which may affect society are stopped and eliminating any sources of distress for the Queen.”
The blue’s shock had only intensified. This child manages the criminal underworld?!

“Additionally, you must overlook some stragglers I’ve been taking care of. First is Soma Asman Kadar and his butler Agni. Soma is the Prince of Bengal and is a clingy childish thorn to my side, he resides in the townhouse. There are also some German stragglers, Sieglinde Sullivan and Wolfram, be nice to them, they are still learning English. In addition to allies, I’ve also accrued a mass of enemies” He continued, which only surprised the other further. This was a thirteen year-old boy, what has he done to aggravate so many people?!

“Our most troublesome of opponents must be the reapers, beings who log the souls of the dead. Yes, Sebastian may be part of the reason, but he is not the entire reason. Remember these names and descriptors, these are reapers who constantly seem to be in our way:”
“Grelle Sutcliff, a reaper with red hair and attire alongside a flamboyant personality. Grelle oftentimes interferes, particularly enamoured with Sebastian.”
The blue made a mental note, red and flamboyant and enamoured with Sebastian.
“William T. Spears, a tall, well kept reaper with glasses. Although, all he has done little to directly impede us, it is important to be wary.” The blue made a mental note, Well-kept and glasses, be wary.
“Ronald Knox, he in particular was quite troublesome while we were on the Campania. I believe that Idia said he resembled Azul Ashengrotto, and he’d be right if not for the hair. Ronald Knox has blonde hair, green eyes, and black glasses, though none of them hold a candle to the Undertaker.”
The blue’s expression dropped for a moment before it had returned to normal, making a mental note about an Azul-Ashengrotto reaper.
“He has been attempting to reanimate the dead, be wary, he has been after me for a while.”
The blue’s shock, which had dissipated as the other went on, returned with fervour. Grim reapers?! Reanimating the dead?! He thought to himself, shocked, How positively unnerving, yet nothing of this sort has been documented! Was it censorship, or could my research be lacking?!

“And Sebastian,” the red began, “Is a demon I’ve made a contract with.”
At this point, the blue had heard so much that reacting outwardly would be redundant. He was numb to the shock at this point, a 13 year old running a company, being adversaries with grim reapers, and overlooking the criminal underworld, there’s little to be shocked about now. But why would he make a deal with a devil? For what reason, he could not discern.
“He is contractually obliged to protect me. He will never lie to me and will obey my every command, should I directly say ‘I command you’, and he should for you as well.” The red explained.

“If I may inquire,” spoke he of blue, “why would you sign a contract with a devil.”
The other went silent, the blue made no move to pressure him.

Ignoring the question, the red continued, “Aside from the stragglers and adversaries, I also have a betrothed. Do not do anything to aggravate her. She positively adores me, and it wouldn’t do me well if you did something to damage our relationship. Ensure she is happy and safe while I’m not there. She can fend for herself, she’s quite adept in the art of the blade, but should she visit the responsibility falls onto me.”
The blue had no outward reaction, This child is practically an adult! He thought.

“I’m sure there may be some things I may have to teach you,” the red said, “but Sebastian can answer any question you may have. Ah, that said, you may have to learn proper etiquette. Now-”

A cacophony of noise suddenly shook the space. A man’s voice soothing to the ear, the loud ringing of an alarm clock, and the crumbling of the space around him.

The other seemed to speak, but he couldn’t tell what he was saying. His vision went blurred as the space around him seemed to crumble to dust, and suddenly his vision went black before he awoke in his room.

Chapter Text

Morning light filtered through fluttering lashes as a calm voice and the scent of tea pulled him from the gripes of slumber. “Good morning, Rosehearts” that voice said.

He sat up, groggily blinking away sleep as he looked at the demon. “Good morning, Sebastian,” the blue yawned. “I’ve had the most peculiar vision,” he said, “A boy in my own body who called himself Phantomhive, that’s your master, correct?” To which Sebastian halted, “Why of course, Rosehearts,” he replied. “This Phantomhive,” Riddle continued, “told me some interesting information about you and this world. He runs Britain’s criminal underground?”

“Yes,” Sebastian replied.

“He runs a company,” Riddle inquired.

“Yes, Funtom Corporation,” Sebastian answered.

“He has a variety of supernatural enemies, the reapers in particular.” Riddle said.
“Yes,” Sebastian replied.

“These reapers are attempting to reanimate the dead,” Riddle inquired.

“Yes,” Sebastian confirmed.

“And you are contractually bound towards him, and by extension, me.” Riddle finished with.

“I believe so,” Sebastian answered.

“You believe,” Riddle inquired, sitting up straighter, “And you are not sure? Why might that be?”
Sebastian only smiled, eyes closed in rising crescents, “I’ve no reason to tell you, Rosehearts.”
Riddle could only pout at his response, “Very well then. Leave so I may prepare myself for the day, your presence is, frankly, unnerving.” and Sebastian obeyed. “I’ve heated the bath for you, Rosehearts. I shall wait by the stairwell when you are ready for the day.”

With that, Riddle began his preparations for the day. Bathing and dressing, thinking upon his situation all the while. Suddenly, Riddle was struck with the realisation, I can make him do anything I desire. With haste, he finished before approaching Sebastian in the hallway. “Sebastian,” He commanded with a shout, “I command you, answer my question!” Sebastian’s face became pallid for a moment before he released a heaving sigh. “Very well, Rosehearts. We are bound by soul, you may inhabit his body but that doesn’t mean I’m bound to you.”

“But Sebastian,” Riddle spoke, “You just answered my question because I commanded.”
“Yes,” responded the demon, “You asked after all.”
“But Sebastian,” Riddle began to counter, “You seemed quite adamant about refusing to elaborate.”
“Yes,” replied the demon, “But that does not mean I couldn’t change my mind.”

“Even so,” continued the housewarden, “There is a magical rune imbued upon this body. I can feel its presence, and in quite the unusual place.” He pointed to his eye, glowing a faint purple from its sigil. 

“Very well,” the demon sighed, “after all the same still adorns my hand. I suppose it would be unreasonable if it had just disappeared.” Accompanying a sudden change in attitude, the demon leaned closer, black tendrils forming behind him as shadows began to enshroud the stairwell. “However, you are not the compensation I was promised,” he spat with condemnation, “And I will not stand for the meal I have so painstakingly cultivated to be taken away by a trifle as ridiculous as this. So listen here and listen well, Rosehearts. I am not your servant, nor am I your adversary, but I may very well be one if this problem isn’t fixed posthaste! Should this problem seem insolvable, I am not above devouring y-”

SSSSSSSS came the hiss of a snake from above. Both parties turned to the noise, only to catch a glimpse of a slithering green tail.

Sebastian immediately returned to his ‘normal’ appearance, his alabaster face gaining a pallour before quickly composing itself again.

“Now then,” He began with a tone barely hiding his irritation and worry, “shall we be off to breakfast, Rosehearts?”

He held out a hand and the smaller man reciprocated. They walked down the stairs, each plagued with their own worries.

What a terrifyingly threatening figure, thought Riddle.

What a slimy little pest, thought Sebastian, though it was unclear whether he was talking about the boy he’s accompanying or the snake who so rudely interrupted them.

When they arrived at the dining hall they were treated with a peculiar sight.

Cats ran amok among a sea of shed fur, many chasing the snakes which slithered across the ground. Many of the snakes retreated to their dear companion, Snake, while many stuck to surfaces in an attempt to distance themselves from their feline attackers. Finnian, Mey Rin, and Baldroy all stood at attention as best as they could, all visibly exhausted as they made an attempt to review the pages of rules Riddle had handed out the previous night. It seemed the only semblance of hope was Tanaka, peacefully sipping tea alongside the other servants.

The chaos only heightened as Sebastian joined into the mix, gleefully playing with one of the cats.

“SEBASTIAN!” Came the clarion call of the young boy in between sneezing fits, “Clean up this disorder, that’s an order!” came his command, quieted from the force of the sneezes.

With a sigh and much deliberation, Sebastian dealt with the cats, gathering them in his arms and carrying them someplace else. With the cats gone, Sebastian’s pace shifted dramatically, and before long the dining hall was back to its usual prestige.

Breakfast continued quietly, each resident enjoying the quiet peace of the morning. The chirping of birds, the crystalline ding of silverware, the soft rustling of fabric, all gently emphasizing the sleepy morning. A sliver of a slither presented itself between the distant clopping of hooves, to which Snake reacted with a simple raise of the eyebrow. Before anyone could inquire, a rapid pitter-pattering of footsteps resounded with brevity before quickly being overshadowed with the creak of the opening door.

“CIELLLL!” squealed a voice high and bright. The countenance of the manor residents, save for Riddle, immediately fell at that beckoning call. Riddle, none the wiser, looked across the room before his gaze fell upon the rapidly approaching figure with striking blue eyes and golden-blonde drills. Within moments, that figure enveloped him completely, and with moments Riddle realised what had happened. 

This lively girl, he thought, could this be his betrothed? After all, there were only 2 girls Ciel mentioned when they met in that dream, and she seemed to be speaking English.

After a moment, the girl backed away, revealing her cheery smile to the confused boy. “Ah, pardon?” He said, with which the girl pouted in turn. “Ciel, that’s a mean joke! You don’t mean to say you forgot me?!” She responded with a play-angry tone to her voice. “Yes, yes, of course,” Riddle replied, his vision shifting from the girl to Sebastian, a silent plea for help. The girl followed his eyes, landing upon the phantomhive servants standing by the wall. “Oh, Ciel, how utterly dreary! Nothing here is cute at all!” She exclaimed, making her way to the servants.

Riddle watched as she marched over to the servants before redirecting his attention to Sebastian, speaking to him in hushed tones. “Sebastian!” He asked, “who is this girl? Is this your master’s betrothed?!”

“Why yes, Rosehearts,” the demon replied, “Lady Elizabeth Midford, an energetic young lady of 14. Daughter of Marquess Midford”

Riddle kept his eyes on Sebastian as he prattled on, yet he only held his attention for so long until he noticed the chaos which happened behind him. Elizabeth was darting between the servants of the manor, producing clothing and decorations seemingly out of nowhere in an attempt to make everything “cutesy”. Eventually, Riddle’s gaze completely abandoned Sebastian as he watched in semi-horror as the ornate manor before him was littered in frills, bows, and ribbons. At some point, the servants disappeared only to return in similar frilly and pink attire. All of the servants, save for Snake, held an expression of exhaustion, as if this had happened many a time before.

With the servants and room taken care of, Elizabeth turned to Riddle and Sebastian. “You two as well!” She pointed, producing a frilled bonnet and bow, “You’d look much cuter with this on!” She exclaimed, gesturing for Sebastian to kneel so she could fit the bonnet and bow —which he did against his will, might I add—. She then turned to Riddle, “You’re already plenty cute <3,” she beamed, “But I know you have something much cuter!” Without giving Riddle the chance to protest, she grabbed his hand and ran to Ciel’s chambers, digging through his closet and picking out an outfit for him. Eventually, she settled on a familiar favourite (at least to her) and had him change. She waited for him to change, and soon he emerged in that outfit of her choosing. As soon as he emerged, she grabbed his hand and ran down to the drawing room.

Riddle, already as exhausted as the servants, spoke to the energetic girl before her. “Miss Elizabeth,” He spoke with formality (he couldn’t help his courtesy, she may be Ciel’s betrothed but she was a stranger to him), “this is quite-” he continued, only to be interrupted by the girl in question. “Why are you being so formal?” She asked, “I’m always telling you, call me Lizzie!” “Lizzie,” Riddle replied, “Of course, Lizzie.”

“Lizzie, are you here alone?’ Riddle continued, abandoning his previous thought.

The girl in question put her hands together, closing her eyes and speaking with a radiating smile, “Nope!” she said with joy, “I just really wanted to see you!”

Riddle seemed distraught at her response. A young girl of 14, leaving her home without the permission of her parents! He thought to himself, shocked at her brazen rulebreaking. It took everything in him to not lash out at her. Then again, the current head of Phantomhive, Ciel, tends to a bountiful amount of responsibilities rivalling that of an adult much more accountable than Headmage Crowley. Maybe this young lady, as a fellow aristocrat, is just as mature as this Ciel Phantomhive. Nevertheless, his concern remained (albeit quelled after that bout of thought) and he ordered Sebastian “We shall escort her home, Sebastian. Prepare the car, we will leave after I finish my breakfast.”

“Of course, milord,” he replied.

So there the two rode in a horse-drawn carriage guided by Sebastian in silence. “Sebastian,” Riddle called, “I’d like to stop and walk around town with Lady Elizabeth.”

“Of course, milord,” Sebastian replied.

Elizabeth seemed ecstatic, overlooking the brief moment of formality Riddle had done out of habit. “An outing, Ciel?!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands in joy, “Oh that’d be wondrous!” Though Riddle couldn’t help but notice the hint of concern in her voice. Within moments, they arrived at a street with shops lining the sides. Riddle stepped off, offering his hand to Elizabeth, who took it and departed soon after.

“So, Lizzie, where do you want to go?” Riddle asked. As a visitor from another world, he had nary a clue of the area, so for an outing such as this, he had to follow Elizabeth’s input.

Unfortunately for him, Elizabeth had other plans.

“We can go where you want to first, Ciel!” she said, a hint of doubt hidden behind her enthusiasm. Riddle was almost certain of it, she was suspicious of him. 

So he sought the assistance of Sebastian, staring at him with pleading eyes. Sebastian smiled “Pardon my insolence, but may I offer a suggestion if you truly are indecisive?” Riddle nodded, relieved at Sebastian’s cooperation. “Go on,” he encouraged. “Of course, you can always check up on business matters, visiting the stores selling Funtom products.” Sebastian suggested. Riddle nodded, considering the proposal, but Elizabeth denied it. “We’re to be enjoying ourselves,” she reasoned, “why should we get caught up with business?” Riddle grew incredulous, though he could understand her. “Of course,” Sebastian responded, “an activity recreational in nature… well how about a simple stroll?” He suggested in response. Riddle agreed, “That seems nice. Lizzie, do you agree?” To which she nodded.

And so they walked along the streets of England, occasionally stopping by stores to browse their wares.

First, Riddle caught sight of a bookstore, where the trio stopped to browse. He was hesitant to spend any money, after all, it wasn’t his, but Sebastian convinced him it was okay. So he decided to buy a cheap book of crossword puzzles.

Next, Elizabeth was drawn into a clothing store, where she cooed over frilly pink accessories. Of course, she and Riddle tried many of them on, but neither bought a thing. As an aristocrat, such mass-produced items were too low for either of their standards.

During their stroll, a voice seemed to call out to them. “CIEL!” it said with an accent distinct from theirs. The trio stopped to face the voice. A man of golden-brown skin ran up to them, waving his arms to call their attention. “I did not expect to see you here, Ciel,” the man said. Riddle nodded awkwardly. It seems this man is acquainted with Ciel, so he tried to reason who it may be. 

He is speaking English rather fluently, so surely he cannot be that Wolfram he mentioned. He couldn’t guess much of his personality or status based on this sole interaction, so he could or could not be that Soma Asman Kadar or Agni. As for the adversaries Ciel mentioned, this man lacked the red hair of that Grelle Sutcliff, and based on the way he ducked away from Sebastian, he seemed more afraid than enamored. He didn’t wear glasses, so he couldn’t possibly be that William T. Spears. His silhouette certainly didn’t match that octopus, and his hair was plum rather than blonde. And Undertaker, Ciel didn’t exactly describe his appearance, so he couldn’t make an assessment of the mysterious man.

Riddle turned to Sebastian, who simply smiled at the man. “Ah, Soma,” he said, a silent answer to Riddle’s silent plea, “what a surprise. Are you unaccompanied? Where is Agni?” He inquired, and before Soma could answer, a man ran up to the quartet, presumably Agni. 

“Prince Soma,” the man said, “You cannot run off without me!”

Soma smiled, patting the man on the back, “You don’t need to worry, Agni, I’m already 17 and I have Sebastian and Ciel with me!” He said, gesturing to the trio. “Where are you going? I will accompany you!” He decided without letting Riddle consider it. Riddle disregarded this discourtesy and allowed them to join the trio much to Soma’s delight.

They continued walking with the new duo in tow.

As they continued their stroll, they passed by a man with a flier who stood on the side of the street promoting an establishment of some sort. Riddle wanted to ignore the man, after all, he couldn’t spend too much of Ciel’s money, but then he took a look at the flier. Riddle had Sebastian call the carriage, and they all made their way to the new venue of recreation.

What was it? Why, it was a zoo! Each member of the quartet was distracted with their own interests. Elizabeth favoured the cuter animals, the bunnies and such. Sebastian was particularly keen on the collection of big cats, oftentimes entering the cage when no one was looking to admire their beauty up close. Soma and Agni ventured through every part of the zoo, leaving no enclosure unexplored. Riddle remained near the familiar, fawning over the adorable little hedgehogs and examining the beauty of the flamingos (and becoming quite ticked at the sight of zookeepers adorned in blue tending to the flamingos). 

The visit had Riddle thinking of the welfare of his dorm, becoming increasingly concerned over the strict order he has maintained. Ciel was struggling with his signature spell after all, without a way to punish wrongdoers, he can’t help but imagine the anarchy he’d return to. 

Eventually, it was time for the group to leave and Riddle went to gather everyone. He found Sebastian by the lion enclosure, admiring their beauty. In turn, Riddle thought of Leona. What a lazy housewarden he is, it would be a tragedy if Ciel was influenced by him and led my dorm with similar apathy, he thought. He had Sebastian call for the rest of the quintet and they returned to the carriage. Not a single aquatic creature, Riddle reflected. No scheming octopus, no infuriating morays, and no goldfish. The Octavinelle trio came to mind, and Riddle had a renewed sense of worry, this time for his reputation. That Azul is a smooth talker, he may try to indebt me by having Ciel sign a contract! He thought with a sense of dread. And Floyd, he thought, exacerbated at the mere thought of the eel’s name, if Ciel were to go along with his antics and have Floyd think it would be fine to annoy me when I return. A shiver fell down his spine.

He turned to watch the moving scenery in an attempt to distract himself from the worrying thoughts.

Eventually it came time to return Elizabeth home. They dropped her off, apologising to Marchioness Francis Midford and made their way to the townhouse to return Soma and Agni. Then the original duo returned to the Phantomhive Manor for lunch. 

Thankfully, the manor was still standing by the time they returned and Sebastian immediately retreated to the kitchen to prepare lunch. In the meantime, Riddle remained in his study, working on the crossword puzzles. For once, he managed to spend quite some time on the puzzles, struggling slightly since many of the answers refer to events in this world which did not exist in Twisted Wonderland. It was enough to keep him occupied until Sebastian finished lunch preparations.

Lunch proceeded without issue, a well cooked meal followed by lemon tea with two sugar cubes which was finished within 15 minutes of eating.

The afternoon was calm. Riddle endeavoured to complete the book of crosswords, so his afternoon was spent reading material on this world once more before switching to the crosswords. Riddle allowed Sebastian to care for the cats which they gathered from the previous day’s cat fiasco, so much of Sebastian’s free time was spent with the cats, of course stopping promptly at 2 to prepare for afternoon tea. Riddle had his afternoon tea at 3:30 precisely, a cup of black tea and a strawberry tart (as requested by Riddle). With that small rest, Riddle decided it would be a good idea to continue writing the rules of Heartslabyul dorm. Considering how exhausted the servants seemed this morning, he decided it would be for the best if he handed them out earlier, perhaps during supper. So, he immediately started writing as many rules as he can within the 4 and a half hours he had before supper. 

Then came time for supper. No egregious mistakes were made this time, so Riddle was able to enjoy his supper in peace. Nearing the end of his meal, he called the servants forward. In order to save paper and cover more ground, Riddle wrote as many as he could at once, not bothering to make copies for each and every servant. Thanks to this decision, he was able to write up to half of the 810 rules of the dorm. Riddle set down the stack of papers on the ornate oak table. “This,” he announced, “ is an additional 324 rules upheld by Heartslabyul dorm. Alongside the 81 I’ve provided to you prior, this makes up half of the 810 rules. Once again, I expect all of you to read and memorise every rule I’ve written here, take the night if you must!” He said.

Of course, there was a breadth of expressions which accompanied Riddle’s announcements, and unfortunately, none were positive. However, much to everyone’s dismay, Riddle was the master of the house currently, so they must do what he commands.
“Yes, young master,” they said begrudgingly

… “Emily says (with dread)” Snake adds.

And so, with supper done, it was time for Riddle to settle into bed. Of course, he’d bathe and change on his own, but before he could settle in bed, Sebastian returned.

“Rosehearts,” he said, closing the door behind him. “I apologise for my misbehaviour this morning,” he said, though he didn’t seem to mean it. “However, this contract between Ciel and I is a secret, and my being as a demon as well. Please refrain from discussing such topics in open places like the stairwell, after all, anyone can appear at any moment. Like that snake which so rudely interrupted our conversation. I suggest we speak of this infrequently and in the privacy of my young master’s chambers.” Sebastian continued with a rather serious tone. Riddle understood this need for privacy. After all, the servants seem quite fond of him, he doubted they’d feel the same if they knew Sebastian’s true nature. And so, Sebastian left Riddle on his own and Riddle settled in for sleep.

In the servants quarters, Snake slept alongside his snake companions. He awoke to the hissing of Oscar, breaking his silence now that they had a sliver of privacy. “That Sebastian is not normal,” Oscar told him, “I overheard a conversation between him and that Riddle fellow. That Sebastian is ‘one devil of a butler’ indeed.”