balancing act [OPEN]

It was definitely a change of pace. Things had settled down for the better this afternoon, although it really boiled down to what “settled down” was in a person’s opinion. To one such as himself, that meant catering to only two first years for the whole day, instead of the usual crowd of six or more. Although it was true that from time and time again he would readily admit that he preferred his job to other less satisfying ones, there were also when there was a much needed break. True, the Butler School had raised his stamina and patience to significantly high levels, but he was still human, after all, and as such, still had his limits. He was more than thankful then (not ecstatic; he’d never feel such extreme emotions) that all the other ladies were already being catered to, and that these two that he had been assigned did not present too much trouble for him. And by “trouble”, he of course meant those spoiled brats that wanted every single little thing handed to them on a silver platter. Yes, he’d endured those kinds one too many times, and it was a miracle how he’d held his post for as long as he did. This job always held a sense of bitterness and satisfaction all at once; one would call it being “bittersweet”.

Thus, to celebrate his temporary freedom, Amadeo had resorted to visiting the Academy’s local library for a book or two to check out. He’d already gone through five books in the past two days, and he was beginning to think that at this rate, he’d end up reading all the books available before the year ended. Ah, well, those were the perks of being a butler in such a high class place, he thought bitterly. All these ladies that usually did whatever they wanted, and was it ever a rare sight to see one stop by in the library for some good old reading every now and again. It was no wonder that the library here was so understocked.

Black shoes clacked against the wooden floor as the man passed on towards the east wing. Almost like a reflex, a white gloved hand reached into his left pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. Quarter to five. That was fine then, he had thirty minutes all to himself before he had to go back and prepare dinner for the young mistresses. That would give him enough five minutes to walk to the destination, twenty minutes to scour for books, and the last five to make his way back to the dormitories. Ah, the busy life of a butler, he thought with a resigned look on his face.

As was usual, the library was rather empty. It was almost night time, so of course the young ladies would be rather off socializing than be stuck in a dreary place like this. The butler stepped inside, holding himself with an air of confidence, something he did so expertly that it was almost like it took him no effort to do so. Red eyes glanced around quickly for any sort of interesting happenings, but found none. It looked like this was the right place to be, after all. No one was around save for the librarian and one or two students.

Amadeo made his way into the central aisle, where his favourite books usually lay. As he rounded the corner into the mysteries and fictional sections, his eyes spotted a truly odd sight to behold. There, situated above a stool with her hands full of books was no doubt a lady. He watched with mute curiosity as the small girl – a first year, perhaps? – returned the books back to their shelves with a scowl on her face. He did not know the motive behind her actions, but that could be saved for later. Right now, he knew he had to do one thing, something that was first nature to him. His footsteps echoed in the silent library as he approached the girl, slowly and gently retrieving the books that she had not put up in the shelf and placing them in his arms. He then bowed, a mocking smile playing on his lips as he eyed her with curiosity. “My Lady, it is not safe to reach above yourself, especially with these heavy matters. Neither is it very ladylike, am I correct?” He stood up straight, a regal appearance to be sure, as his innocently curious eyes awaited her answer.

tag ; ; oz~
words ; ; 753
muse ; ; medium
outfit ; ; usual butler ensemble
music ; ; none
comments ; ; here ya go!

It was to his utter bemusement and luck (if one could call it that) that of all nights, it was tonight that he had decided to stop by the library to restock his supply of books. Perhaps one could call it fate, one could call it destiny, one could call it luck, one could call it pre-determined circumstances, maybe one could even call it a play of the gods. For really, there was truly no other explanation for the series of events that was to occur in this usually solemn place, a place that was so utterly abandoned by most students that it was quite a miracle that it had stayed at this Academy for so long. This place was the library, the goddess of books and knowledge abound. It was here that “fate” had led the butler clad in black, mostly due to boredom. Surely boredom could not be considered circumstantial, could it? Ah, but that did not matter. Either way, what he saw was most definitely something he did not expect to see.

So what was Amadeo expecting to see? Well, a rather emptied out library to be sure; the lack of significance of this place to the student body was rather laughable. On a side note, he was also expecting this lacking library to have the book of which his attention had been diverted: Pride and Prejudice. “Lacking” was the term assigned to this place due to the sheer fact that there were quite sizeable gaps in the collection of titles assembled here. Even the more commonly used books were missing – for example, the Britannica Encyclopaedia set they had here missed number 4-6. The dictionaries had some pages missing or ripped out of them. Really, was it too much to ask for a little maintenance around here? This was a rich, prestigious Academy, after all, and they were bound to gather quite a hefty sum from those who attended. Surely a few thousand or two could be spent remodelling this stuffy place, or adding more renowned books? Why, they didn’t even have Alice in Wonderland, for Pete’s sake! Not that he’d read that or anything, but the underline message was the fact that it possessed a terrible stock. Quite a shame for such a well-known school, which was strong and strict in everything like etiquette, status and manners, but apparently, not even for a building in their own establishment.

Now what truly made his day was casting his eyes upon a rather... vertically-challenged lady along the row of book shelves that he had come to find the book of his desire. A petite woman, indeed, struggling with the books that she had arranged in her arms and... returning them to the shelves? Ah... an odd action, one his fast-paced mind had trouble comprehending. Without further ado, however, his butler instincts had kicked in, and he had found himself by her side in a quick matter of a few seconds, handling the books from her arm and caressing it in his. The smile that played on his lips was still apparent as he spoke, and even as she spoke her snide remarks. The first thing that came to mind was feisty. It wasn’t the bratty or spoiled temperament that he usually saw in these halls; it was just unique. Never had he seen a lady refuse assistance from a butler before. Instead of being angry or having negative thoughts towards the girl, he was rather... entranced. No, not in love, but interested in learning more about this girl. Dissecting her slowly, piece by piece, as he would find out more about her. Amadeo found it odd, however, that he’d never seen her before. Surely, if she was a first year, he’d have tended to her at least once...?

That alluring smile continued to play in his lips as he spoke, a white gloved hand reaching for his chest, placing it there as he bowed, temporarily breaking eye contact with the female. “Of course, my Lady. I do apologize; it was not my intention to displease or insult you in any way. It's just rather... rare to see a lady in this setting. I was just caught off-guard.” He looked around, as though trying to prove his point. Anyone could see that his words were true.

Amadeo stood up straight, the smile now wiped from his face as he instead replaced it with a rather childish expression, one that kids would use to get sympathy from their parents – puppy-look, if you would. The expression was one of sadness and hurt as he heard the words that came out of her mouth. French. Yes, he could understand, as it was one of the languages he’d had to learn in Butler School. “Ah, tsk, tsk. I have said I am quite sorry; there is no need for that sort of language, my Lady. If there is anything I may do for you, please do ask.

tag ; ; oz~
words ; ; 900 (yay!)
muse ; ; high!
outfit ; ; usual butler ensemble
music ; ; none
comments ; ; dun hurt his feelings D:! xD

What an appealing woman this one was. Such a blatant disregard for the rules of etiquette of a lady. Yet, despite her infuriated outbursts, Amadeo could still tell that she was, in fact, a lady. Her clothing was unmistakably of top quality, and she herself was well-groomed, shined to ever last strand of hair. It was her personality, however, that most definitely set her apart from every other stereotypical lady here. Whereas they were needy, controlled and rather refined in terms of speech, this one was rebellious, self-serving and independent. Her every movement from the cold stare on her face to the rigid tension of her body as her muscles struggled to take hold of the books in her hand suggested a hostility or tension toward him. It radiated from every pore of her body, her extreme dislike for him evident in the cold air between them. Any idiot could discern that much. However, more so than her unique personality, he was curious as to her reasoning for such actions. For what intentions did she appraise him as such? Surely he had not bore her any will; he’d never met her before in his life (or as he could recall). He’d done her no wrong, so why did she apparently hate him so? Contrary to how others would react to a situation implied with such negativity, Amadeo was instead merely amused, intrigued. It was an unexplainable feeling to have; for some reason, her negativity pleased him. He, was he developing a masochistic side, too? Nevertheless, he was now less prompted to leave.

The expression on his face was pitying as she spoke once more, beguiling him. The cold look on her face never left. Ah, she was the first lady he’d met that had been able to resist the look he so often employed that sent ladies into tears or swooning all over him. That somehow, made him glad. He’d found a challenge, one not so easily swayed by his wily mannerisms. Her words were the truth. He’d never been one for simplistic orders, being extremely adept at more complicated requests. The pitying look on his face twisted into a well-meant smile as he replied. “My, my, aren’t we irritable today?” He felt the need for a more sarcastic remark – an eye for an eye and all that. But he did so in a manner that would not get him across as incredibly rude; she was a lady, after all (albeit personality) and he, a butler. “To think that someone of your… stature could provide such an extensive vocabulary.

tag ; ; oz~
words ; ; 825
muse ; ; high!
outfit ; ; usual butler ensemble
music ; ; none
comments ; ; lolololol