*Ciel's POV*
I continued to rub Azul's back as he began to struggle to keep himself from crying as he was muttering to himself how he wants to hide in a pot. While the others either teases him, the twins, or talks about his past look, the others. I didn't blame Azul for being embarrassed, I would to if the others saw a picture of me as a child, which thankfully there aren't any here. After a bit, Azul felt well enough to stand back up and was no longer close to crying. I stand back up and gave him some space as I stood next to Jack and Grim.
"Anyway. We held up our end of the deal and brought the photo to you within the deadline you gave us. We've completely fulfilled your terms." Jack states
"Meaning, you have to fulfill your end of the terms if we succeed as promised." I say with a smile.
"Yeah, Real shame about the contracts gettin' sanded before we did." Grim states with a smirk as I sigh.
"But it was a good thing that happened, otherwise we'd be done for."
"But stealing just doesn't sit right with me. Azul, you're a law-abiding sorta guy, right? Take some responsibility and return the picture back to where it belongs." Jack orders, Azul looked a bit hesitant but I place my hand on his shoulder.
"We can return it together." I suggested
"Fine... But at least let me switch it out for a version where I've been edited out of the picture." Azul pleas as I nod with a chuckle.
"Alright, if it makes you feel better."
"Hah. You just don't know when to let something go." Leona states with a smirk
"He's right, you know. Records are a valuable treasure." Jade agrees with a smile.
"Ooh, field trip! When do we go? We're goin' as a group, right? I haven't been to the Atlantica Memorial Museum since our elementary school field trip. This is gonna rule!" Floyd exclaims with excitement.
I let out a chuckle as the group were talking about going back to the museum but this time under better circumstances. Even though Jack, Deuce, and Ace looks done with that museum for a while. I feel like they're just going to make sure that Azul does return the photo, even though it's an edited one, back to it's rightful place. Then I heard Grim muttering to something as I look over to see what was going on. I watch as he began to sniff around on all fours, looking for something at a fast pace.
"Grim? Are you okay?" I asked, to which he nods
"Hm? Yo, Grim. What are you sniffing at the ground for?" Ace asks.
"My gourmet hunting instincts are tellin' me....that there's a pitch-black treat as delectable as a truffle around here!" Grim exclaims in excitement.
We all were now watching Grim as he began looking for whatever it was that he was searching at an time like this. The twins, Leona, and Ruggie looked at me, Deuce, Ace, and Jack with confused looks, wondering if this was normal. We shrug to show that we didn't know what was up with him. But we soon got our answer as Grim lets out a shout, which made us look over at him as he turned around. In his paws was another black stone, just like the ones back from the mines and the aftermath of Riddle's overblot.
"Myah! There it is—a black stone! There's no foolin' gourmet hunter Grim's nose!" Grim says with glee
"A...black stone?" Leona question as he got a good look.
"Grim, don't eat that!" I exclaims but before I could grab it, Grim puts it in his mouth.
"Time to chow down! HOMPH! Mmm... It's rich, with a briny punch like salted squid guts... This would drive any discerning gourmand wild! Seriously top-tier stuff!"
"Grim... Why?" I groan before facepalming, this habit of his was getting annoying and concerning.
"Really? You're eating off the ground AGAIN?" Deuce questions in shock, still not use to Grim's habit.
"Feels like a waste of breath to even tell him to stop at this point. There's just no accounting for a monster's palate." Ace states with a sigh as he shakes his head.
I sigh while shaking my head, I swear Grim will be the death of me one of the days and I hope it's not sooner than later. Ace and Deuce were trying to get information out of Grim about his 'black stone' eating habits. Ruggie was trying to process what he just witness, same for the twins and Azul while Jack sighed. As for Leona, he looked like he was thinking about something because he then looked at me with an concern look. He didn't try to hide certain emotions around me due to the fact that I was able to tell easily, which is consider a pain to him.
"...... Hey. Does that weasel always pick up black stones off the ground and eat them?" Leona asks, wanting to know if this habit was normal.
"Not constantly, but...Grim can be such a glutton sometimes." I responds with an awkward smile, however, this only causes Leona to frown.
"Something wrong, Leona?" Jack questions as Leona shakes his head.
"Nah. Don't mind me."
I look at him as my eye narrows, he quickly looks away to avoid meeting my gaze and just waved me off saying it's nothing. He was clearly hiding something from me, either because he doesn't fully believe it himself, doesn't want me to worry, or it's none of my business. This makes me annoyed as I was hoping he would tell me more about the 'black stones' and whether they pose a threat or not to Grim or the rest of us. Plus if their connected to the overblot like Crowley theorized but can't be proven due to lack of evidence. Whatever the case it, I need to find more information, no matter how limited it was, about them as I was not gonna let my friends get harmed because of them.
'I need to know more about those stones and fast.'
YOU ARE READING
An Earl in Night Raven College (Book three)
Fanfiction(Black Butler x Twisted Wonderland) Some time after the events of the Spelldrive, the time has arrived for Ciel and his friends to take their final exam. Much to Ciel's surprise, Grim, Ace and Deuce are all oddly confident, and when grades roll in...
