Thank you all so much for reviewing my other story! It really makes my day when I see you all review my stuff 3 and since there were five, as promised here is the Modern AU/OOC story just for you 3 I'll be updating both from now on once there are at least three reviews :) Thank you again for reading!
In the underbelly of London, hidden secrets lie. Thieves, dealers, whores, and murderers, all prowl in the shadows of the night for a sinful delight. Predators hunting for prey. Demons searching for souls. Sinners seeking corruption. The songs of the outcasts echo through the silence of the darkness. Moaning of the prostitutes, screams of tragic victims, pleading of beggars, and the chilling laughs of the mad, all in a soft harmony beneath the moonlight. The drunks stumble out of the bars, hypnotized by the cheap fragrance of alcohol on the breath of a whore. By day, the streets were crowded with people taking a stroll through the breathtaking city, but by night, the alleyways and crevasses between the buildings housed the nocturnal revelers of sin.
Sebastian Michaelis, co-owner and CEO of 'The Covenant', a company that specialized in manufacturing women's footwear. His fiancé and lead designer served as the face of the company while Sebastian worked as the business head whose strategies and charming people skills were the primary cause of the vast-growing success of the company. Recently, he had been put in charge of the newest branch of expansion to men's footwear and clothing. His associates would call his ideas "brilliantly crazy", his aspirations were far beyond that of any sane businessman, but they got him farther than any of those who didn't take risks.
His fiancé, the red-headed drama queen, Grell Sutcliffe, had been in Milan on a designer's retreat. For an entire month, Sebastian was able to do all he wanted, so obviously he did nothing but work. He had just return from his trip to Tokyo to meet with a Mr. Tanaka, the lead investor of The Covenant, completed the necessary paperwork for expansion of factories to Hong Kong and Australia, and still had three weeks to spare. His next destination for the expanse of his corporation was none other than London. He planned on meeting with a few new potential investors, observing the population, and getting a clear idea of the common people buying the products that were responsible for building his fortune. Why was he so eager to busy himself? The simple reason behind any betrothed man's irrational actions, of course, to avoid his soon to be in-laws.
Upon arriving in London, the aristocrat felt the faintest sense of déjà vu. The scent in the air was sweet from the bakery on the corner, the faint aroma from cigarette smoke and wine brought back memories from the time he lived there before his move to his current home in France. Despite his life of luxury, he was perfectly content without the riches his wealth had offered, which was something he prided himself on. While he walked to the five star hotel he would be staying in, (so much for being a "simple" man), rolling his outrageously expensive suitcase behind him, a smile never left his face. He almost broke down in a laughing fit when he saw a fully-grown obese man nearly reduced to tears over his ice cream falling to the dirty floor. It was his guilty pleasure, Sebastian loved to watch the misfortunes of others, while he would never tell it to anyone, he wouldn't deny it had he been asked.
When finally reaching the hotel, he approached the receptionist's desk. "Vincent Van Gogh, room for one." Sebastian flashed her a charming smile.
"Really now? Van Gogh?" The woman rolled her violet eyes. "Nothing for you, now if this is some sort of stupid prank, I won't hesitate to call security."
Sebastian sighed, "I apologize, er, Hannah. Perhaps it's under J. Michael Tatum instead." He told her.
"Ah, Mr. Tatum, my bad. Here you are, floor ten, room six hundred sixty six." She handed him the keycard and waved for a bellboy to take his things to the room. "Timber here can get the rest of your luggage, is it in your car?" She asked.
"No, this is all I'll be needing for my stay." Sebastian told her, yet another thing he took pride in, being able to pack his whole life into a single suitcase. Timber hauled his silver portmanteau onto the golden cart and rolled it off to be put into the room.
"I apologize again for the name incident." The raven-haired man told Hannah with a light hint of a flirtatious tone in his voice. "My secretary makes all my reservations, and she messes things up often. Though I can't blame her, she has polyneuropathy, it's getting rather bad too."
"Isn't that a dogs disease?" Hannah raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, golden retriever. She was a rescue, didn't have the heart to let her go." He said before walking to the elevator. Once the golden doors opened, Sebastian did a double take, the man in the elevator looked absolutely identical to the bellboy, the only noticeable difference was the way he had parted his violet locks, though this one's nametag said 'Canterbury'. "Tenth floor." He said, dismissing the doppelganger theory. All the employees wore the same classic red and gold uniforms to match everything else in the hotel. Upon reaching his room, Sebastian couldn't help but to overhear two employees talking about their plans for later that night. Though it wasn't the subject of the conversation that had sparked his interests, it was the secretive, hushed tones they had used to discuss it. The raven-haired business man approached the two with an arrogant smile.
"Hello there~" He smirked. "I couldn't help but to overhear, what were these plans you two have for tonight?" Both looked to each other and swallowed nervously, not saying a word. Suddenly like magic, the mute could speak, all because the flash of the obviously wealthy man pulling out his wallet.
"Nine o'clock, Navy To Gold, 1227 Trancy Avenue." They said in unison. "It's a club with some really nice entertainment and music, fun place to go." The shorter male held out his hands like a street urchin begging for a crumb.
At that moment, Sebastian felt especially cruel, and slipped his wallet right back into his pocket. "Thank you both~" He then went to his room and sat on the bed. The theme of the room was as predictable as the sunrise, the same red and gold from the lobby had adorned the walls of the suite. The bed frame was a shimmering gold and the cloud-like mattress was covered in red silk. The walls were a matching crimson and painted intricately with a gold floral pattern. The room was not at all to his liking, he wondered how someone could ruin a perfectly good suite with such tacky décor. However, he was well aware that he would not be spending much time lounging in there anyway.
After hours of making phone calls, making reservations, preparing presentations, sales pitches, and whatnot, Sebastian found himself utterly bored. He was only ever familiar with the whole 'boredom' sensation from bad dates in the past or listening to his fiancé when she returned to their penthouse in France. It was about ten, he wasn't tired, but he couldn't think of anything better to do. The man's mind wondered to that club he had heard the workers discussing earlier. What was the harm? It's not like it was some scenario to kill him or something, plus he deserved a night out on the town, he had earned it, did he not? With that, his mind was made up.
The scarlet-eyed man was clothed in black pants and an un-tucked white dress shirt without a tie. Sebastian was easily the most attractive sight in the city. His attire was classy yet casual, a look nearly impossible to achieve let alone pull off with that kind of confidence. As he walked through the hotel lobby, every woman, and a majority of the men couldn't help but stare. He was well aware that he looked hot, and he had every intention to flaunt it.
When he arrived at the address, there was loud music booming from inside the club. A large flashy sign was hung across the top of the large building that read "Navy to Gold", and the line to get in stretched clear around the block. "Sebastian Michaelis?" He heard a velvety deep voice inquire.
"Claude?" He turned around to face the man. Yep, without a doubt this was him. He wore an overly-formal black suit and frameless glasses in front of his golden eyes, and his deep black hair was slicked to the side.
"Long time no see. I see you found my fine establishment." Claude said as he approached Sebastian.
"You own this place?" Sebastian asked, finding it hard to believe that someone as dull and emotionless as Claude Faustus owned a place this successful- or anything at all for that matter.
"Yes, it's unbelievable right?" He bragged in monotone.
'Yeah, unbelievable, you snarky hair stealing-' it was then that Sebastian recalled why they hadn't gotten along. They were enemies. While he and Sebastian did not talk too much at all during their years in high school, they knew enough about each other to know that they were eternal rivals. "Yes, quite-"
"Claude!" A whiny little blonde pranced up behind the owner in a skimpy little gold number. "I can't find my heels!"
"Did you check the dressing room?" Claude didn't even bother to turn and look at the boy.
"Well duh, I'm not stupid!" The boy said defensively.
"Alois…What are you wearing on your feet…" Claude pinched the crook of his nose, obviously knowing the boy's only intention was to get his attention.
"You're a genius, Claude! Who's this?" Alois said as he walked over, swinging his hips in a rather seductive manner with each step he took toward Sebastian.
"This is Sebastian Michaelis, he's an old…friend of mine." Claude lied.
"Is he our special guest this evening?" Alois never broke eye contact with the raven-haired man before him as he laid a dainty hand on his chest.
"He could be, Sebastian? What do you say, come inside, have a drink~" The owner offered. It was obvious he was using every opportunity to rub his success in the face of the aristocrat.
"Sure, I suppose. I've got nothing better to do." Sebastian shrugged, moving away from the boy furtively as he did. He wouldn't even think to admit that he was there to go to the club in the first place, that would mean defeat, and defeat against someone as pitiful as Claude Faustus was simply not an option!
"Oh, and Hannah wants you inside- Oh that was dirty wasn't it? I didn't even mean it!" He giggled. "She said that she's taking a week off from her job at the hotel to do some wedding planning."
'Engaged to a bitch of a receptionist, oh Claude, your failures make me so happy.' Sebastian thought with a smile.
"Alright, I'll be right in. After you, Michaelis." Claude faked a smile and ushered him in. The first sight that caught Sebastian's eye was the color scheme. Red and gold. Red walls, gold poles and cages with exotic dancers grinding every possible surface, and the little blonde on the pole in the center of the room on a platform wearing a cheap slutty crimson joke of a kimono. With that, he was out.
"Actually, I just remembered, though this place is rather impressive, I have to go. I can see why business is booming for this place, and I'm sure the rewards are simply wonderful but I have to get up early tomorrow morning to interview models for my company's next shoot." He boasted. "Though have fun with your brothel club!" He said as he quickly exited the house of horrors- or perhaps whore-ors was more appropriate. He couldn't help but to chuckle at his own pun.
While wandering the empty streets in hope of finding a decent enough tavern to get a well-deserved drink or four, Sebastian heard a small noise. His head jerked around, trying to find the source of the faint jingling, but saw nothing. With a shake of his head, he continued to walk forward; his destination couldn't have been more than two blocks away. In the corner of his eye, he saw her, a petite figure with a ring of small bells around her ankle. As his eyes drifted upward, he saw a Chinese beauty in a tiny little outfit with matching bells around her wrists, her eyes gazed into his, beckoning for her to follow her down the darkened alley. Despite his better judgment, he did just that. He had been following the girl down the alleyway for about five to ten minutes, she spoke not a single word, and neither did he. While any man would be attracted to the Chinese woman, Sebastian found himself more intrigued. Where was she leading him? Was this even happening? Finally he saw it, a small door with a humble sign above reading "Ninth Ring". The girl looked at him once more and opened the door to reveal a semi-crowded club with music that was much more to his taste than that of Navy to Gold, and the color scheme inside was a series of blacks and whites. As plain as it may have seemed during the day, the multicolored lights made it quite the sight to see. There was a stage that took up the width of the club with pale blue curtains, and little circular rooms around the perimeter of the inside where people would enter with a girl or a drink. While there wasn't anything special about this place from what he had seen, he couldn't deny that it was a decent club.
"Ah Ran-Mao, you've brought another demon to this house of pleasures~" said the man wearing traditional Chinese clothing. "My name is Lau, welcome to the sweetest taste of hell on Earth~" He welcomed the businessman. All Sebastian could seem to think is if his eyes were closed or opened, though nevertheless he accepted the greeting and nodded his head.
"Hello, I'm Sebastian, I'm afraid I was lost when-"
"My little tigress found you. Yes, that's how it does happen a good majority of the time." Lau smiled.
"Ah, so what is this place?" Sebastian asked as he looked around the room. The enormous chandelier hanging above his head was shimmering with black and white crystals that sparkled eloquently in the lights and the sophistication of what he thought was a simple brothel, judging from the dancers and waitresses, was quite perplexing to him. How it could all fit inside such a misconstrued place and not become a popular destination remained a mystery to him.
"It's my own club, here you can have anything, the alcohol or woman of your choice, even any drug you so desire." He smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I do my fair share of charity as well, I'm a good man, a classy pimp as some would say." Lau laughed. "I provide food and shelter for those that need it during the day who work at night."
"Ah, well of all the pimps I've met I assure you, you are the classiest." Sebastian chuckled. At that, the owner simply smiled.
"You've never met a pimp before have you?" The cheshire smile never left his face.
"Not once." For some reason, Sebastian was compelled to tell the man the truth.
"Here then, have a seat. Get a drink and enjoy yourself for a little while. Everything's on the house for tonight." Sebastian couldn't believe the hospitality he was being offered. It was honestly quite incredible. He sat down in one of the plush black chairs and let the scent of sweet sugarcane fill his nostrils. Surprisingly, the smell of the cigarettes and sex was not traceable even the slightest bit. The Ninth Ring truly was a diamond in the rough.
After about an hour of talking with Lau, and planning his bachelor party at the club, suddenly the crowd went absolutely deafeningly silent. A single note on the piano was heard and Sebastian couldn't help but to look to the stage to see what the commotion (or lack thereof) was about. And there it was. The blonde man wearing a white suit took the microphone. "Hello, I am your host, Aleister Chamber. I am sure you all know what time it is now. Now, ladies and gentlemen, rich and poor, I present to you…Hell's little robin~"
The man exited the stage and from the ceiling black and royal blue translucent fabric was being lowered. Seated on a shimmering blue swing was a petite figure with long slate hair down to the small of her back with a top hat atop her head. Sebastian was captivated by the sight, it was as if an angel were falling gracefully into hell.
"The French… Are glad to die for love. They delight in fighting duels. But I prefer a man who lives…" The breathy voice of the beautiful songbird was mesmerizing to say the least. The young girl was lowered onto the stage and her heels clicked as they hit the wood. "And gives expensive…Jewels~" the final word had a slight seductive tone and she turned around to reveal her flawless features. Her bangs covered her right eye and she wore a tight little corselet that was adorned in blue rhinestones. Around her neck was a collar with a little bowtie, and Sebastian couldn't help but to think of a more classy playboy bunny. While the outfits were very similar, for some reason, this young lady brought pride and elegance to the normally slutty outfit. Her perfect legs were covered to about mid-thigh with black stockings and she wore thigh-high black leather boots with matching royal blue silk lace (produced by none other than Covenant designers). Her movements were graceful with the rest of the dancers on stage, and the little robin was by far the most beautiful of them all. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and as the music grew ever faster, the crowd began pairing off as she sang and danced, putting on an enjoyable yet provocative performance. The male dancers dressed in tuxedos took her from the stage and carried her on her back while silver and blue sequins fell from the chandelier. With the rhythm of the music, the lovely little robin was lifted above the crowd then back down again out of sight.
"Cause that's when those louses go back to their spouses! Diamonds~" She sang as the muscled men brought her right to the back of the room. "Are a girls best…." She sang as she was lowered and put down into a straddling position on Sebastian's lap and she whispered seductively. "Friend~" The crowd went wild. Robin smiled and ran her fingers through the jet black locks of the man's hair. Sebastian was captivated, speechless even for the first time of his life. This girl couldn't have been more than fourteen years old. That charming smile and the uncovered deep cerulean orb gazing into his own ruby ones were absolutely irresistible. Before he could get as much as a single word from his constricting throat the girl had fallen back and caught by Bardroy, the bartender that had been waiting on him and Lau. She was carried into the back room of the club, to be followed by a few fellow dancers.
"What an excellent show." Lau clapped to refocus the attention of the man. "If you'd like I can get you an hour with her tonight."
Sebastian shook his head. "I'm sorry but I couldn't… You see I'm very poor, I don't have a penny to my name." He felt awful for lying but that seemed to be the only way to resist the temptation that came with the house of pleasures.
"Well I can get you into the velvet room whenever you'd like, one free hour with our Little Robin, Ciel~" The offer was irresistible. No way Sebastian could maintain that urge. Not at all.
"I'll be here tomorrow night, what time do you open?" He said without a moment of hesitation.
ALRIGHT TIME FOR THE DISCLAIMERS 3
I do not own Kuroshitsuji, nor do I own it's characters.
Hell's little robin's song: Sparkling Diamonds from Moulin Rouge, sang by Nicole Kidman, and originally done by Marilyn Monroe.
Thank you all so much 3 Remember the more reviews, the faster the update 3 THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!