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-This is animal language/speech. 'Kay?-
"This is dialogue. Got it?"
'This is a thought, the thought you are thinking.'
CHAPTER 2:

Black. Everything was black. Your skin was cold like ice; it felt as if the blood beneath your skin was actually liquid nitrogen. Another thing you felt was pain. The pain of a thousand pin needles pushing into your body. You realized it was because your body went numb, it fell asleep. You figured you were sitting in an awkward position, you mustn't have moved in a while for all the feelings you were overwhelmed with.

Your eyes were closed and your skull throbbed with a humming pain. Calmly you opened your eyes to observe the situation. What you found horrified you to such an extent you snapped your eyes back close.

But still the sight was bored into your memory forever. Of the blood stained walls that you could also smell. The iron bitter scent was so potent it almost burned. The blood. So much of it! So you finally opened your eyes again and avoided the sight of the mangled body on the floor.

Just as the man walked in from the door adjacent from you, you smelt something like no other. It was bitter and it made you cough. The man appeared to be smoking it. You felt like you were choking, dying, dying near the pile of unknown body. Just as the silhouetted man began to speak you jolted awake in your bed.

"AHHH!" You screamed sitting upright. Immediately someone was in your room, it was Sebastian and behind him was another man you've never met.

"___? Are you okay?" Asked Sebastian stepping into your bedroom. He looked at you trying to read your expression, which you made blank moments ago.

You forced a smile, "I'm fine."

The unknown man walked in with his candle, "But we heard you screaming, miss!"

"I-It was just a nightmare. A nightmare." You replied half telling and half assuring yourself. You pulled the covers off your body and swung your legs over the side of your bed. The cool night wind hit your skin, but at least you knew it wasn't numb or full of icy blood.

"Oh, well, the young master gets those often…I used to as well until I came here to the mansion. I'm Bard by the way." Said the man. You could now see his light brown hair and white skin, he looked American.

"I'm ___, and don't worry about it. I've had these nightmares since a…an event a few years ago. It's nothing to concern yourselves with."

Bard tilted his head and said, "Well if you ever need someone you can come to my room it's the third room down the hall. I won't be mad,"

Sebastian sighed. "Alright, well I must be attending to more of my duties. Please both of you be awake and ready for orders by sunrise."

"Will do, 'Bastian," Bard responded. He smiled once at you again and left. You got up and grabbed the candle that was on your desk. You grabbed a sheet of paper (Sebastian gave you some earlier today) and grabbed your pen.

Sebastian said a good night and descended out to continue whatever duties he could be completing at this ungodly hour. You sat and began to write poetry. It was one of your favorite things to do but sometimes it never made sense. The poem you wrote now was beautiful, but you didn't even know the meaning. Maybe the meaning didn't matter, as long as the poem was special to you.

Underlying softer speaks,
Never even trying
With every thrumming beat
Slowly even dying…

You put your pen down and made your bed. You decided it would be no use trying to go back to sleep. The sky was lightening in its shade of blue-black meaning dawn was merely an hour or two away. You put on the dress that you were given (Sebastian said you would be allowed to buy your own a few weeks from now when you were deemed worthy). You then walked out into the hallway thinking about where to go.

You finally chose to go and find Sebastian or at least explore the mansion. You wouldn't go snooping, you were only a servant, but you needed to know more of the nooks and crannies of the enormous building. You discovered two more empty rooms on your floor and a sort of washroom. You rinsed off your face and hands upon finding it. You didn't check the last room.

You walked up the set of stairs to find yourself amongst large double doors that you imagined people coming to and fro from. So discovering there was nothing left except the dining room and some unknown room on the two separate ends you stared at the double staircase that met at the middle above you.

You walked up them and remembered seeing Ciel up in the halls. You suddenly blushed remembering the feeling of Ciel's' arms around your waist and the embarrassment of slamming into him. You saw that the floor consisted of many locked doors. One of which was probably the Earl's office and the others his washroom, bedroom, and personal library.

Oh how you wished to go inside the personal library and read the hundreds of books encased by their leather bounds and wooden shelves. Now that the sun had officially come up you found yourself walking back to the kitchen.

The kitchen was quite large, it had a stove, counters, cabinets containing hundreds of spices, and much food was here too. You couldn't possibly imagine why someone would need this much food, did all Earls and upper-societal figures have this much to spare?

Figuring it was none of your business you eventually found Sebastian. He was cooking what smelled and appeared to be breakfast.

"Ahh, good morning, ___."

"Good morning. D-Do you need help with anything?" You asked timidly, you were unaware what your official job was. Sebastian merely said to 'help out', that entitled nothing specific.

Sebastian wiped his hand on the cloth he had hung over his shoulder, "Yes, indeed I do. Please make a cup of Earl Gray Tea, I assume you can manage. One scoop per person and one scoop for the tea-kettle itself. Understand?"

"Yep!" You responded and began heating the water on the fire. Soon it was piping hot and you added the necessary amount of tea leaves. One…Two…You set the tea-kettle on a silver platter you found. Along with it Sebastian handed you a tea cup, silver spoon, and mini plate.

"Take these up to the young master, he is already awake and in his study." Sebastian ordered and sent you up.

Nervously, you walked letting your feet take you to the floor that contained Ciel. All too soon you found yourself outside Ciel's study door. You timidly wondered what you should do. Just as you were about to knock on the double doors, you found your feet slipping from beneath you. You almost tumbled ungracefully, but caught yourself when you let out a little yelp.

The other person, who had pulled the rug from beneath your feet, was indeed a red-headed girl with large, round spectacles. She rushed forward and helped steady yourself for you were still wobbly. You sighed out of relief.

"I AM SO SORRY!" She practically screamed.

"D-Don't worry about it," You stuttered in reply. You took note of her clothing, she looked to be a maid. She wore the standard white and blue outfit and up-style hairdo.

The maid smiled worriedly, "Are you sure, I am truly, truly sorry, ___."

You looked at her quizzically and took back the silver platter after smoothing down your dress. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh! Bard told me. Finnian, I, and Snake have been waiting to meet you, but we didn't exactly know where you were…Anyways, I'm Mey-Rin."

Your head was spinning. There were so many people employed in this house for only one small boy, only a year older than you. Why was he in need of such people? It also seemed none of them (excluding Sebastian) were exceptionally good at what they did. This Mey-Rin girl almost clumsily pulled the carpet from beneath your feet, which would have been a terrible mess of tea to clean.

After parting ways with Mey-Rin and promising to eat lunch with the others, you knocked on Ciel's door. You heard a reply to come in. You opened the doors and walked in as graceful as you could manage.

You stood by his desk and began to poor his tea.

Ciel looked up from his papers briskly, "What kind of tea is it Seb-" The young master blinked his eyes, "Where is Sebastian?"

The said man waltzed into the office just as soon as his name was said. Ciel stood up from his desk, putting his papers down, and narrowed his one visible eye.

"Sorry milord, but due to a minor issue this early morning-" The butler looked at you, "-I was unable to prepare breakfast on time, so I sent our newest recruit member to bring you your morning tea."

Ciel's gaze softened a touch and he looked at you, "___, you are to bring me my tea every morning. When you do, tell me the flavor and pour it into the selected tea cup. I only drink half a cup at a time, no more no less."

"Yes, milord." After hearing the different terms the workers here called Ciel, you picked that one. 'Master' sounded too odd to you and using his actual name would be disgraceful.

"Sebastian bring me up my breakfast. I wish to eat it here in peace with my work."

"Yes, young master."

You began to follow Sebastian out the door when Ciel ordered you to stop.

"Have you been dismissed yet?" He asked with a cool voice.

You stuttered a response, "N-no I suppose not."

Ciel took his seat again and picked back up the document he was scanning. "Poor me my cup of tea, you are not done."

You walked back over with the silver platter still and poured what you estimated a half-a-cup to be. You handed it to your lord. He didn't touch it. You waited patiently for a minute…two minutes…three…until finally you broke.

"Is something wrong-milord?" You added hastily. You ran your hand through your hair as a nervous habit, keeping the tea cup on the palm of the other.

Ciel didn't even glance at you, "You forgot something."

His response was not cold in the sense of being malicious, but cold as if he were made of ice on the inside. You had never met someone (let alone your age) that had such control on the tones of his voice, facial expression, and words. Everything Ciel said sounded planned and perfect.

You thought back to what you might have missed. The tea was there, it was still hot, the cup was only half full…"Oh! Yeah, the tea I have prepared for you today is Earl Gray Tea." You smiled at Ciel and he glanced at you and your smile for longer than what you thought was necessary.

Ciel looked away, you thought you saw some sort of actual emotion in his blue eye, or on his pale features, but it obviously must have been your imagination especially from what Ciel said afterward, "I don't want Earl Gray. Fetch me something else."

You stood there like an idiot and bit back your sharp tongue. "Okay, milord." You said in a clipped tone and left to fetch a different brand.

You met Sebastian who was about to take his tray of breakfast up to the earl. "Did you prepare it incorrectly?"

"No," You responded haughtily, "He doesn't crave Earl Gray this morning. I am to fetch him something else."

Sebastian chuckled lightly, "It seems you have met the true earl of this household." Sebastian added something else underneath his breath, "Hopefully you will be the one to break that."

"What was that?" You asked pouring the unused tea back into the pot. You would save it and share it with the other members of the household, why waste it?

"I said use the Chinese tea, Tcha, it's specially ordered by the master from China, a good dealer brings it to us every once in a while. We just got a new box worth."

"'Kay." You responded making the new batch.

"When you're done, you can find the rest of the staff in here, probably, they'll be eating breakfast as well."

You heard your stomach growled and hurried the process of making the expensive, imported Chinese tea. It smelt delicious and you wanted a cup, but decided against it. The Earl Gray would be just as good.

After delivering the tea (which Ciel now found satisfactory) you hurried back down for breakfast. Just as Sebastian had said, the members of the mansion were gathered at the wooden table in the large kitchen, feasting away.

The woman known as Mey Rin, Bard, and a blonde kid, all sat at the wooden table. It was long and had delicious smelling food set upon it. What immediately caught your attention were the sliced watermelon pieces and eggs. You smiled timidly at the group of servants and took your seat. It was an empty chair next to Mey Rin.

You took note of another empty chair and suddenly nearly knocked over your glass of water when Mey Rin let out a pitched scream.

"S-S-SNAKE!!!" She yelped and pointed to the floor. Sure enough there were two snakes of which had green, shiny scales. They sparkled in the daylight as they bore their non-poisonous fangs.

'They'll bite her if she continues screaming!' You thought and stood up. You stepped over to the pair of reptiles and crouched down.

-Hi! My name is ___, don't mind the redhead. I think she's afraid of you guys.- You spoke carefully and quietly as not to make them fear you; or worse, bite you.

The longer of the two hissed back a reply, -I'm Tiffany and this is Tim. We're Snake's.-

-Yes, yes I know you're snakes- -

Tom cut you off, 'You misunderstand, and we belong to Snake. He also works here, speaking of which he is behind you. But he can't speak to animals, only snakes.-

"Get your bloody Snake's outta the kitchen!" Bard yelled, "This is my area and you're making it dirty!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," The reptilian teenager said and helped Mey Rin off of her chair. She sat down and smiled apologetically for her rash actions.

-You speak snake as well? But you're completely human.-

-No, I speak animal in general.-

-Who're you?-

"My names ___," You responded so everyone could hear and you wouldn't be made to repeat.

"Well then ___, have a seat and eat with us, we have a busy day ahead, the young master is throwing a party tomorrow!" Finnian exclaimed clapping his hands.