That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Foreign 3

"Well, now that I'm here, why don't I take over Ciel's art lesson?" Chêne suggested, smiling.

{1:00PM—Funtom Corp. Business}

"Samples of the Christmas products have arrived from the Yorkshire factory," Sebastian informed Ciel. Chêne had taken the liberty of setting up a Christmas tree, and arranging the products on and around the tree. Chêne had suggested adding Christmas ornaments to their products as a special for the Christmas season, since she thought children would like the idea of being able to hang their favorite Funtom characters on their trees, and the colorful candies would make nice ornaments too. Chêne had designed a special set of twenty-five small chocolates that were wrapped in colorful tinfoil, and each had a different picture of something Christmas themed with a number to count down the twenty-five days of Christmas. This way, the children could eat one sweet a day, and they would know exactly how long until Christmas came, without having to bother their parents every few seconds about it. There were also samples of a few of the stuffed animals made with the bodies and accessories from their new 'Create–A–Critter' line, as well as other miscellaneous toys, like dollhouses, and the like.

"How is it, Ciel? Did they get it right this time?" Chêne asked as she stepped back to let Ciel get a better view.

"Nn. I had them revise this, and it feels good," Ciel said as he hugged a large rabbit plushie and squeezed it. The toy was much fluffier now. "Here, you can keep this one," Ciel told Chêne as he handed it to her. "The name for this doll's base is 'Dickens'," Ciel said, smirking. Chêne smiled wryly.

"I thought this little fella looked familiar... So, you really did base him off of my Dickens, then. Thank you, Ciel~! I'll make sure to take good care of him~!" Chêne said, grinning as she snuggled her new fluffy bunny. Ciel felt someone staring at him. It was Sebastian.

"What is it? Do you have something to say?" Ciel asked Sebastian, raising an eyebrow, and smirking at the demon. Ciel had noticed that Sebastian had been becoming a little possessive of Chêne lately, and if it gave him ammunition against the demon, then he welcomed it.

"It is nothing, I was simply recalling how Miss Lacey had commented that Young Master had no originality, since he copied everything from 'pre-existing' ideas," Sebastian said, flashing him a dazzling shit-eating grin. A vein mark throbbed on Ciel's head. Curses, foiled again! Sebastian was hardly ever fazed by anything, and Ciel wasn't about to admit that he had had the Dickens model made after Chêne's old doll specifically so he could 'casually hand one off to her.' He didn't want Chêne to 'glomp' him. "Also, headquarters has sent over the plans for next year's goods," Sebastian added calmly as he flipped through his clipboard, reading the latest results of their sales and research to Ciel. "The new Christmas crackers are selling well at Harrods."

"Yes, I witnessed that for myself when I passed by," Chêne said, smiling, as she watched Ciel open one of the packages, and pull on the Christmas cracker's cord, popping it. A miniature origami sleigh riding Santa flew out of it, along with a cloud of glitter and streamers. Funtom really did make some interesting products.

"However, children are difficult to please. We must keep providing new novelties," Ciel said.

"And so, I have invented one such new product just for you!!" Soma declared dramatically as he suddenly burst out from underneath the pile of toys, and Agni walked up holding a sign that had proposal written on it.

"Oh?" Lau said curiously as he held another version of 'Dickens.'

"Feast your eyes!!" Soma proclaimed grandly as Agni held up a drawing (that was obviously Soma's handiwork) of an elephant. "It's a soft toy in the likeness of the Indian god Ganesha... and... the trunk..." Agni pulled the first picture away, revealing a second badly drawn elephant that had its trunk raised. Next to it was an arrow labeled 'up'. "It moves!" Soma yelled excitedly, grinning at the genius of his idea. Ciel trembled as a vein mark throbbed on his head.

"GET OUT!!" Ciel yelled. Multiple vein marks throbbed on his forehead as Soma and Agni were once again tossed out into the hallway.

"Actually..." Chêne said thoughtfully as she picked up the two drawings off of the floor. "I'd like to see that. In pink. It'll be funny that way," Chêne said seriously with a gleam in her eye. Ciel sweat-dropped.

'Why would it being pink make it 'funny'...? Was it because 'seeing pink elephants' was a euphemism for being drunk?' Sebastian wondered. Chêne had a rather strange sense of humor sometimes...

"Ah. That's right... I forgot you had weird taste," Ciel said, chagrined. "I am not making that. It's a horrible idea," he said bluntly. Chêne pouted slightly at that.

"But I think Lizzie would like it too, so you can give her one, and make it different from the rest, so that it'll be special. She'll be thrilled if you give her something that's been made just for her," Chêne said practically.

"..." Ciel said as he stared at her for a moment, considering it. It was true that he hadn't picked a present out for Lizzie yet... and if he went with this option, then Chêne wouldn't make him go shopping for it himself, since she always insisted that Ciel should buy the presents he gave to close friends and family himself, claiming that even if it turned out that it was something they didn't want, it would 'mean more' since he picked it out himself. This had proven to be especially true when it came to Lizzie. Ciel sighed.

"Fine. You have until dinner to figure out how to make it work. If you can draw up a successful design by then, I'll make it," Ciel conceded, hoping he wouldn't regret this.