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Chapter 17 - Ciel of Approval

To say I was tired would be an understatement. I had been out all night doing things I know I shouldn't be, all because a friend asked for my help. As I walked into the Arc at those early hours I wondered why the hell did I risk my neck like that.

I can't say that my life has been what you would describe as 'safe' except for perhaps my few years in New York City where I was barely living to begin with. Death had always been a possibility almost every day of my existence but this unsettled me more than going down a long chimney or scurrying up the rigging during a storm. This was different.

I ruffled up my fur with my hands and yawned, taking my hat off and hanging it up on a peg near the door. I know I wasn't supposed to hang it there but I didn't want to trapse it inside as dirty as it was. I was going to wash it after a nap. I stepped up the stairs to the second level where a lot of the people who worked in the Arc lived. I almost bumped into someone as I dragged myself upstairs.

"Hey!" came a voice with a hint of a growl underlining it.

Lord help me, I did not have the patience for him right now. "Good morning, Ciel."

The handsome--no, beautiful--cat looked me up and down with a scowl. I'd seen that look before, many times, when I had been a filthy kid and wandered into a shop, bringing with me a small cloud of soot and ash.

"You look like you've been living in a chimney," he said without the usual bite to his voice. I quirked a brow at him.

The cat was wearing a robe of soft petal pink silk. The sash around his waist was a darker magenta, and flowery patterns ran up along the billowing sleeve on his left hand side. It was expensive by the looks of things.

I guess Ciel saw what I was looking at and grinned. "Was a gift from a suitor. He had traveled back from Japan and brought me a present." He sounded so prideful, so happy. He even did a little spin to show it off.

"It's pretty," I said, not sure what else to say. My eyes were droopy and my ears weren't even upright all the way.

Ciel glared at me but then softened, sighing. "If you can't even compliment beauty, you must be really out of it. It's hard to miss when it comes to me."

"Sorry." Another yawn escaped my muzzle. "You just always look nice." It was not meant to be anything but a statement of fact, but apparently it took Ciel by surprise from seeing the expression on his face.

It took the cat a moment to recover and he coughed, clearing his throat, and adjusted his robe. "Well... that's true. But this is special."

I felt the world start to spin and darken. I was passing out. It was nice and warm inside the Arc and all I wanted was some sleep.

"Hey," I heard Ciel's distant voice speak up. "You alright? Simon...hey!"

The next thing I remember was the ground coming at me rapidly, followed by nothing but the sweet embrace of blackness and sleep.

---

Thankfully I was not passed out for long. I felt the moist air first before I realized where I was. My eyes opened up to warm orange light and the scent of water and soaps. I saw a low-set bathtub near a frosted window. I was placed on a bench on the side of the bathtub, and behind me were some towel pegs. I yawned loudly and blinked as I processed where I was.

"Isn't this the bathroom you told me never to go in?" Ciel had his quirks, and bathing was one of them.

Ciel's voice came from behind me: "That's right, but I took you in here so you're not going to be flayed alive. You need a bath and put to bed."

The cat reached down and helped me to my feet. Even as I complained, the white cat did not even skip a beat. He pushed my suspenders off my chest and then went to work opening my pants. It was surprising how quick he was at that. My pants were down around my ankles before I could barely process it. A hand, reflexively, went to my groin. Naturally I complained louder this time.

The white cat rolled his eyes and pushed me down onto the bench. He crouched and grabbed my trousers and checked the pockets before tossing them into a wicker basket near the door. I stared up at him as he also stripped naked, hanging his robe onto a peg rather than put it aside.

"You may not believe this, but I can shower on my own," I said, standing up with my hand leaving my groin. I wasn't embarrassed about my nakedness but it was weird to be so quickly and without my own doing.

Ciel took my arm and led me to the bathtub. The bathtub was the rare type that was built into the wall. The wall was adorned with tiles of blues and silvers as well as a swirling pattern on the bottom in three primary colors. I had never seen anything like this before. It reminded me of the Roman baths I read about with Bensley so long ago.

"You need a proper bath," Ciel said, tugging me forward and into the steaming hot water. It made me wince as I stepped further in and sat down on the submerged bench. The water around me darkened slightly. "And I'm tired of watching you traipse about like some kind of ragamuffin."

"Hey! I bathe every day, and I use soap, and--"

"You use that painful stuff you can get at a bulk for a dime. The kind that could peel grease off anything I imagine and smells like chemicals." Ciel looked like he had been offended merely by mentioning the idea of basic soap. He wasn't wrong, I used the cheap stuff because it was...well, cheap.

"As much as it pains me to say this, but you're the most popular man here at the Arc"--Ciel glared at me for that revelation--"and you need to start looking the part if you're going to hold such a title, Simon."

"Woah there," I said as my hands came up. "I'm not even working here. I don't do that sort of stuff anymore, remember?"

"Which is even more infuriating!"

Ciel moved closer to me and grabbed me by the back of my neck, hauling me close so we were nose to nose, eye to eye.

"You don't even do anything here and yet men--the men who have seen you anyway--are always asking about the black fox with the white eye mark. Just the other day we had someone offer a hundred dollars for a night with you. A hundred dollars, Simon!"

Wow, that was a lot of money. I had never been paid so much in one setting before and I can't deny that the idea tempted me. But I shook my head a little and pushed the thought aside. I didn't need to do that. I didn't need to fill something in me that I feared had been lost. I enjoyed having an honest job and doing hard work.

Of course, my mouth got me in trouble. Again.

I grinned and pointed up to my face. "What white mark? You see any white mark on me?" I was still wearing that makeup powder to hide it. Ciel shoved my head under the water, pushing down until I was well submerged. He held me there and was rubbing over my face where my white mark was and let me up after what felt like an eternity. I coughed and glared at him.

Ciel, for his part, looked like the cat who had got the cream. He was grinning from ear to ear and shrugged a little bit. "Your mark is back. I swear, you're like that wolf cub who runs around here now."

"Lucas is far more dangerous than I am. Last I heard, he bites." I rubbed my neck and wiped water off my face. I can't deny that the steaming hot water felt great.

"It's all about image, Simon! Think about it. The most requested male here is usually dirty and sweaty from work and doesn't use nice soaps and oils. Someone like me, who spends a lot of time to make himself perfect, is only number two."

"So you're jealous of me?"

"No, you idiot. I'm upset with you because we have to keep our quality up!"

"It sounded like you were jealous of me."

Ciel growled, and then looked down at the water. "Fine. Yes, it does bother me. I work hard and it's almost insulting that I have to do so much only to come runner-up."

"But I'm not trying for anything. I just want to be with my friends. I didn't realize it was bothering you so much."

Ciel said and softened his expression. "You're so clueless. Everyone here likes you a lot and you don't do anything but...exist. It's so strange. Most people have to have something about them, something that draws people to them...but honestly--and this is not to insult--you are remarkably unremarkable. Yet when you're in the room, you turn heads. But you never see it."

Hasn't someone told me something similar in New York? I struggled to remember. Ciel continued.

"It used to infuriate me. I thought you were being purposefully flippant! I thought you couldn't care about the rest of us here, and you weren't ever here very long to begin with anyway, always running off to do this or that. Your tiger friend, Quintin, he's here all the time, though."

"I've been busy..."

"I know that my feeling was irrational. But I'm still angry you do something so easy that I have to work at, even if it's not your fault...entirely, I suppose."

"That sounded like an apology."

Ciel crossed his arms over his chest. "Closest you'll get anyway." I could see the stress leave his shoulders then as he closed his eyes and then slowly opened them. "But I'm not above making it up to you."

"You don't have to make anything up for me, Ciel." I said, looking around for the soap to clean myself with. I guess the cat saw what I was doing and reached over to a small chest he had set to the side and opened it. Inside were phials of various colors and scents. Working for Mr. Palmer had taught me a thing or two about what could possibly be inside, but I kept my mouth shut.

Ciel scooted over to me and then looked me dead in the eyes. "This is my private stock of oils and soaps. Ethan and Bas know that, should they ever touch this box, they may end up at the bottom of the bay. These are expensive and precious, so do not go rolling around in mud when I'm done with you,okay?"

"Ciel, you--"

"Okay?" he said, eye twitching. He took this very seriously, it seemed!

I held up my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I promise to avoid any and all dirt for as long as I can."

"Good."

Ciel then motioned for me to sit on the edge of the bath, and I obliged.

"Now, just relax, and I'm going to show you how good you can look with some proper care and maintenance."

Ciel began to bathe me much like Siro had done all those months ago, but where Siro had used generic items, Ciel's were clearly exotic. Everything about the process--from the fabric for wiping any excess off to the metal brushes for getting under my long coat--was special. I can't exactly explain what he did since I think I fell asleep during some of it, but he rubbed oil all over my body and massaged it into my skin. Then he applied something like the shampoo I used, but smelling of fresh fruits. And he lathered everything from my tail to my head. It was sensual, if not mildly erotic.

He had me stand up to do around my legs and his touches were delicate and soft. Of course I got an erection, but he ignored it and so did I. We weren't here for that, and both of us knew it. I made sure that I didn't make him feel awkward about it near his face and even held it to the side when I felt like he could bump into me like that.

Once I had been "properly cleaned," as Ciel explained it, he grabbed a pair of grooming scissors and began to work over my whole body from head to toe. He trimmed my headfur to my denser chest fur, even the thicker fur around my groin was cut away to match the regular grain of my pelt. He trimmed and brushed and followed the contours of my muscles and joints. He worked with such precision and grace and hummed softly to himself while he worked.

I stood there quietly, sitting when told to, rising off when instructed to, and just enjoying the soft melody Ciel was humming. The scents of the room with all these fragrances were alluring and relaxing. I saw now why Ciel was so upset that he was second fiddle to me--he clearly put a lot of time and effort into grooming himself, and he probably didn't get the praise he was probably due. He worked hard and was surprisingly gentle with each and every touch to my body.

I don't know how long it took. I know it was a while because we had to turn the hot water back on to warm it up again, and Ciel insisted we let it drain to get all the grime out. He also told me I would be cleaning the tub since I made the mess in it. I didn't even have a witty comeback. I just said yes.

I was sitting down while Ciel worked on my arms and back when I fell asleep. I don't know for how long I was out cold, but I felt the nudge of a hand on my shoulder to wake me up. Ciel was still working but he looked almost done.

"Simon, you need to stop moving your tail."

The cat had my tail in his lap, brushing it with a big metal comb and snipping the fur to make it look more uniform. I tensed briefly. Any fox will tell you that our tails are sacred. They were our defining characteristic, and you didn't let just anyone touch it, let alone groom it. But Ciel had been working so well and so diligently that I trusted him with mine.

"Simon," Ciel began as he kept working the brush over my pelt, "I see you're spending a lot of time with the marble fox, that Tristan fellow."

Now I was awake. I tried to not show my wariness as I replied, "Yeah?"

"It's none of my business--you can do whatever it is you want with your life and time--but since we're on better speaking terms now, I feel like you should know that there's some rumors about him that you should be aware of."

"Rumors?"

"Tristan has inserted himself into all levels of society here in the city. He knows politicians, dilitants, millionaires, thugs, mobsters...you name it. He's well-known in this city. You must have noticed by now that everyone seems to know who he is."

"Yeah, but I figured it's because--"

"No, he's not known for his kindness, Simon. He's known for his favors." Ciel kept snipping away. I couldn't see his face. "Some of my clients know Tristan. Once, I was at a weekend stay over at a gentleman's house when Tristan came over. I never saw the man be as scared as he seemed when he saw that fox. They went to the study, and when he came back, it took some coaxing to get it out of him--Tristan was collecting on favors and secrets."

"So...he's an information broker?"

"No. I mean that he finds things out about people and comes calling when he needs something. He's famous and liked, so people introduce him to other people. He gets to know them and they become best friends--you know the game. Then he finds out something about you and collects proof of it--something that could ruin your life if it was made public--and then he asks for favors. But only when he's in a pinch. These days, from what I understand, he trades favors and information for things. He doesn't have to blackmail to get his way."

"But...he's nothing like that to me, he's actually--"

I heard Ciel let out a long sigh. "Working here for so many years gave me the skill of letting people see me as what I want them to see. I put on an act to make my clients feel better. That's why I know, Simon, that Tristan...he is a very good actor. He's made powerful men's wives fall in love with him, bedding them and showing them a time and experience of their lives. He's also done it with plenty of men if he felt the need for it. The fox gets what he wants, and I don't want to see you get hurt because of it."

"And what's that? Did your johns ever tell you?" I turned to face Ciel, still holding my breath.

Ciel shook his head. "No. But I've been able to realize he's not someone I want to get involved in, and I've made sure my brothers and I don't catch his attention."

"He's trying to get Chinatown more steady. It could be innocent."

"He's also got a temper...and a legend about him."

I wanted to strangle Ciel for letting me go for months without telling me this. But I relaxed as best I could and leaned back on my hands. I let him continue.

"I didn't see it myself, but the story is that, when he was younger, he was attacked by a group of men. I don't know why or what for, but he ended up killing a man with rope and then slipped away. He would've been just a kid at the time, but the stories I've heard all say that he killed with...precision. As though he wasn't himself, or something.

"Since then, there have been dead bodies found all over the city. There is never enough evidence to really connect those bodies to him directly, but those people all died by a rope wrapped around their necks. The fox with a rope. The rumor has become a horror story by this point.

"The Spanish immigrants even have a name for it--Zorro de la Soga, the 'Hangman Fox.' Ask Lucas about de la Soga and he'll tell you it's a story kids are told by their parents to behave. But stories have origins in truth. You know what they say: there's no smoke without a fire."

"So why did you wait this long to tell me about Tri being a potential murderer?"

Ciel shrugged. "I wasn't sure. I only found some of this stuff out recently, and I didn't want to point fingers at someone you were clearly...enjoying, and if I had been wrong..."

"I'd have been furious with you," I said and nodded, coming to Ciel's logical conclusion. "Still, you have to admit--"

"It's fantastical, I know." The cat put his brush down. "But what if it's true? Can you really afford to not find out?"

The truth was, I was already sure it was true. The question was...was I merely a pawn in Tri's game, or a true ally like he said? Had he been manipulating me just like he seemed to manipulate anyone?

No.

No!

You can't assume the worst about him until you have evidence, I told myself. I also couldn't just go and confront him, either.

"Whatever you do," Ciel said, clearing his throat, "I just want you to know that I'll help. I don't know what I can do but..."

"It's what friends are for, right?" I continued for him, and I smiled. Ciel's stunned expression was worth it all entirely.