His heart skipped a beat as he neared where the strange contraption had been. Is it gone?! It can’t be! Relief – it was still there and the strange human who had so captured his fancy was standing at the rail in plain sight. Chance! But how to get his attention? Perhaps with his cane, he could reach the handsome stranger.

“Minions!” He declared in a loud voice, “Bring me my cane!”
He waited. Nothing happened. After a moment he sighed and glanced around. No minions in sight, but luckily his glaring eye fell on a small group of undersea creatures quietly rehearsing a revival of “Cats”. Grabbing the closest crab handy right in the middle of his touching solo rendition of “Memories”, Ciel hurled the crustacean with all his might at the darkened form just above the water. A direct hit! This was going quite well.

The stranger whirled about rubbing his head and glaring, trying to spy the culprit that just accosted him with shellfish when he spied the young merman.
“Oh ho! And who is this?” he cried pulling the young man out of the water and setting him on his lap.
“Unhand me!” Cried Ciel, his face alternating between crimson and a bloodless white. This was not what he had planned. After a momentary panic, though, he remembered who he was. “I am Ciel Fins-to-dive!” he though. “This mere human has no choice but to serve me.” And with that though his steely glare returned once more.
“You! Human. You will serve me. You will be my butler.”
“Mmmm?” The dark stranger said. Now that they were face to face, Ciel felt there was something not quite right about him. His eyes…
“And who might you be my tasty morsel?” A sly grin on his face. He was laughing at Ciel! Ciel squirmed to get away, but the strange black nailed hands held him firmly in place. He realized the stranger was looking at him, studying him in his festival garb. Ciel looked down suddenly shy as he realized what he was wearing. The pink shells of his bikini top gleamed softly in the sun revealing his delicate shoulders and the tiny crystals of his crown sparkled brightly against the dark curtain of his hair. He thought of the bathing ceremony as the servants dressed him and flushed a deeper crimson. Oh no! His coming-of-age ceremony! If this didn’t end soon, here would be hell to pay at home for his absence on such an important day. And yet... he would not leave without this human in his service. He must not.

“Oh no, no, no,” continued the stranger as Ciel thrashed helplessly in his arms, “I would like to know why you threw that crab at me. Explain yourself Young Master.”

“I want you.” Ciel blurted out. “I mean, I want you to be my butler.”

The strange man laughed a wicked and dangerous chortle. “I don’t enter service to just anyone.” He said. “Why should I come to you?”

“Because I want revenge.” There he said it! Would this man think he was mad?

The stranger smiled darkly. So the tiny fish-boy wanted a contract. This was something he understood. And such a tasty looking… boy. “Why not?” he thought to himself, grinning as he imaged the final moments when the contract would be completed- savoring the moment to come.

“Fine. I will be your butler.”
“Then your name is Sebastian.”
“I have my own name you know. It is –”
“No! From today on, you are Sebastian! I will accept no less.”
“You are a feisty one,” the stranger said. “And so demanding. How will I ever fulfill your desires? Still, I will do my best, my Lord. Of course, I’ll need to place a symbol of our relationship on you. He leaned in even closer brushing Ciel’s hair aside and looking into his eyes. Ciel slapped his hand aside. “Don’t touch me there!” he cried. The nerve! Staring at his bad eye that way! The man just laughed softly and pulled something glittering from his pocket. “Here, take this eye patch.”

Ciel looked at the eye patch. It was beaded with gold and silver thread and the tiniest of pearls in the shape of a star in a circle. It was beautiful. Ciel felt his face go red again, but it was done. The contract sealed. Ciel still sat on Sebastian’s lap. Now what? An uncomfortable silence grew. At last Sebastian sighed and said, “So how does this work? Are we to live underwater or on land?”

“Oh, I uh, just remembered,” Ciel stammered, growing slightly red “I’m cursed. If I recall correctly, an evil sea witch laid a curse on me. If you * mumble mumble* then I will become a * mumble mumble.*”

“What was that Young Master? I feel certain I didn’t hear you.” Sebastian was relishing his discomfort. How dare he be so insolent right off the bat?

“If you k-k-k-kiss me… I become… a–” Sigh. He should just tell Sebastian now and get it over with. His steely demeanor returned as he finished the sentence. “A beautiful human princess. If you kiss me again, I turn back into this form but there’s a catch. Anyone touching me also becomes a mermaid.” Ciel blushed looking down as Sebastian leaned in closed staring intently at his face.

His eyes narrowed slightly and suddenly, he didn’t seem as human as before. His eyes were a bottomless flaming red sea. Ciel felt a tinge of fear.
“Wait, do you already have a contract with this Sea Witch person? Because I’m more of a one-contract sort of butler, you know.” Oh no, would he leave Ciel already?
“N-n-n-no! It’s a curse, I said.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, we may continue on.”
Ciel gave a sigh of relief and then caught himself. Why should he care what this human does? Humans are meant to serve him!
Sebastian smiled. “Now where should I kiss you?” he said laughingly “I’m sure we are late to the party.”
“H-how did you know!” Ciel glared at him suspiciously. Perhaps this butler is more than he seems?
“Surely, it’s no less than any butler of the Fins-to-dive family should know? And you didn’t answer my question.”
“K-k-kiss my hand!” Argh! This butler is too embarrassing!
Sebastian took Ciel’s soft hand in his. “Yes, my Lord.”