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[stabilimentum]

[A smooth, sedulous voice answers:]

You have reached Claude Faustus, butler to the Earl Alois Trancy. How may I be of service?

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[voice] → [action]

[stabilimentum.livejournal.com]

[There's the distinctive click of a laptop closing.]

Certainly. If you'll please give me a moment...

[Within five minutes, Claude appears at the doorway of the music room. He is impeccably dressed in his butler uniform, like always, and carrying a silver serving tray. The flowery smell of Earl Grey tea is almost immediate--maybe it's too heavy, but Claude always makes tea that is very flavorful for Alois' sake. After entering the room, he shrugs a folding table off of his other arm, sets it down and opens it up, and sets down the tray atop it. The tea set is porcelain with gilt scrollwork, glinting in the sunlight, and he's already pouring a cup.]

This is decaffeinated Earl Grey, [he says, his serving skills plain and simple,] with a light base tea from the Nilgiri mountains of South India. I couldn't help but notice how thirsty you sounded, sir.

[Thirsty for meddling with Claude's family, that is.]

[action]

[goldilocked.livejournal.com]

[Jack isn't perturbed in the least at how fast Claude arrives, or how efficiently he sets up. What unsettles him is his choice of tea. It's Jack's favourite, and he can't fathom anyone in the mansion knowing what it is, save for Gilbert and Vincent.

It's short of impossible for Claude to have known. His smile slips faintly when he looks up at Claude, from the piano keys.

The teardrop earrings containing his soul feels cold when they graze against his skin.]

Do you believe yourself perceptive, Claude?

[action]

[stabilimentum.livejournal.com]

[It is a very lucky guess, to be honest, although one Claude has made with embittered intentions. Ciel Phantomhive prefers Earl Grey over most other teas, after all, and isn't there some saying that goes "like father, like son"? Claude watches Jack's reaction and can't be sure he struck the chord he wanted, but he does get something quite pleasing regardless.

Interestingly, Jack has the same supernatural feel that Elliot Nightray does. As he sets the cup on a saucer, Claude wonders if Jack bled as much as Elliot did when his own transformation occurred. That could've been a good opportunity to sample Jack's blood. Too bad. He'll have to wait longer.]

Perceptive in what way? [he asks blandly, stepping forward to offer the tea. There's zero likelihood of it being poisoned when Claude is surrounded by people eager to hurt him.]

[action]

[goldilocked.livejournal.com]

Having been around humans for so long, I presume-

[He takes the tea, hot in his hand, blowing the steam away slightly. It smells like home, somehow. He looks up at Claude, smiling at him.]

You have a good idea of how the human mind works?

[action]

[stabilimentum.livejournal.com]

[Claude stares at Jack and his smile, and tries to anticipate where this line of questioning is going. After some consideration, he decides it wouldn't be too detrimental to admit that--]

Yes.

[--he does have a working knowledge of human psychology. Getting caught up with the last century's theories has been a priority for him: psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism, Gestalt, existentialism, cognitivism, biopsychosocial modeling, and so on.]