I've been sitting on this story for months now. It's another College AU, except we're starting from the beginning this time. I do love my 'what if?' scenarios :D
I'm still drafting a plan for this, so I can't make any promises that this will be going anywhere!
"Such a pity to lose the bid. You don't see one of those very often at all."
"Doesn't matter how rare it is, I'm not paying more than three million pounds for a Sleigh Beggy."
Hushed voices whispered as they strode down the dim corridor. Even with the emotionless masks donned, Chise could feel their eyes watching her as she passed. Creatures of various shapes and forms lined the walkway, many of which were in restraints of some form. Chise's own chains and cuffs clinked against each other as she followed the man who had just purchased her from the auction house.
The pair walked in silence, until the man stopped in front of a wooden door. The black-suited man held the door open with an extended arm and wordlessly ushered her in. While she glanced around in the lobby, he retrieved a phone from his pocket and made a call. Hushed words were exchanged quickly, none of which stood out in particular.
"My client will be here to retrieve you shortly." The man finally said, putting his phone away. He took a seat on a cushioned bench, motioning for her to do the same.
Sure enough, someone came knocking on the door mere minutes after the call ended. A blonde young lady, perhaps only a few years older than herself, entered the room.
"I'm here to pick up the Sleigh Beggy." Her tone was casual, yet direct. She briefly scanned the room, before meeting her own emerald eyes. She smirked, her narrow eyes focusing on Chise's own.
"Come on, let's leave this sketchy place."
The lady offered an outstretched hand, which Chise hesitantly took. Pulling the meek girl onto her feet, she retrieved a small vial filled with what seemed like crystals and pellets from her coat. Still grasping Chise's hand firmly in her own, she gave a firm tug on the tiny chain attached to the cork. A pop sounded from the vial, accompanied by a bright flash of light which filled the room, temporarily blinding Chise as she felt a sensation not unlike the sudden acceleration and deceleration of a quick-moving elevator.
Chise opened her eyes, blinking rapidly to dispel the residual light spots in her vision. The scene before her gradually came into focus. Red-bricked walls and stone pavements, youths in brown uniforms walking about with backpacks and stacks of books and papers…
"Sorry, I'm not used to transporting with anyone other than my master. Guess I forgot to warn you about the flash." Her voice sounded sheepish, likely embarrassed from her apparent blunder. "Welcome to the College! Let's go over to the Experiment building, Master's waiting for us."
As the two walked towards the building, with Chise obediently trailing a few steps behind, the older girl finally broke the silence.
"Hey, no need to look so down. I swear this place is pretty decent with their student facilities."
"Sorry." Chise looked up from the pavement, shifting her gaze slightly higher. A hand was placed on her back, patting it gently.
"Straighten up, there's nothing to worry about. Master and the others will take great care of you. So, you're a Sleigh Beggy, huh? Didn't expect you to look so… normal."
"Were you expecting something different?" 'Perhaps a person who wasn't so broken and cursed?' She thought darkly.
"Oh no, I mean you look just like any regular person. I thought you would appear more faerie-like."
Chise still had no idea what she was supposed to be, or why anyone would be willing to pay so much for her. But she didn't dare to ask any further questions, in fear that her curiosity would leave a bad impression on her new owners.
Introductions had been brief. From what she could gather, she was bought by an educational institute simply called the College, where students and researchers practised a form of science they called Alchemy. The man they called Renfred made it clear that she wasn't a slave, but was sought after by the research department for experimental purposes. Just minutes after their initial meeting, Renfred rushed out of the labs with his bodyguard (whose name she learnt was Alice) after being summoned by the headmaster.
"Feel free to explore the labs. But don't touch anything and stay behind the yellow lines."
Renfred's words ring in her head as she walked down the corridor which linked the various labs. Her loaned safety shoes' heavy footsteps echoed between the narrow walls and low ceiling. The labs weren't empty as several researchers continued their work beyond office hours, but they may as well have been. The absence of human voices was almost suffocating in this unfamiliar environment. Most of the doors were closed. The glass windows next to them offered a glimpse at any ongoing studies, but Chise refused to look. After years of living in unwelcoming houses filled with closed doors, she knew better than to peek into a place where she wasn't explicitly invited into.
"I haven't seen you before. Would you be a new student?"
Chise jumped at the sudden voice cutting through the silence. She traced the source to a metal door ahead which was left slightly ajar. With soft footsteps, she approached the room and gingerly pushed the door open, entering the slightly dimmed room.
A creature with an inhuman skull was seated upon a wooden chair, legs crossed with an open book on its lap. Two bright red orbs were fixated on her, though she didn't sense any hostility emanating from its body language. In fact, it looked remarkably human in its appearance, wearing a fitted white dress shirt and blue waistcoat with black pants.
A moment passed. Chise was still silent as she struggled to form sentences in a still-unfamiliar language. The skull tilted to one side in a gesture that looked almost curious.
"I believe it is polite to reply when asked a question. What is your name, Sleigh Beggy?"
"Chi-Chise. Chise Hatori, sir."
The creature nodded in acknowledgement. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Chise. From your name and accent, I believe you're from another country in the East, is that right?"
'Another country'? Wait, that means… "This college isn't in Japan?"
It- his?- pupils curved in amusement. "Ha ha. Indeed, we are underground in London."
"London… that's in England! How-"
"Hey, Chise! Where are you?" A female voice called out from the corridor. That must be Alice.
"Run along now, Chise. I won't breathe a word about crossing the safety line without the proper protective equipment. The lab management staff are quite strict about that particular rule." The stranger nodded towards the bold yellow line marked out in tape on the ground, right at the door frame. It almost seemed amused, although she couldn't be sure since its bony face was devoid of discernable expressions.
It wasn't until she was back in the first lab that she realised she didn't even know its name.
What a strange… person.
He had sensed her presence the moment she entered the college. A sudden increase in ambient magical energy was difficult to ignore, especially for an experienced mage. When the Sleigh Beggy- no, Chise- had approached his office, he couldn't help but call out to her. Perhaps he was subconsciously drawn to her by his fae nature, though he was curious to meet the new addition to the College's collection of experimental subjects.
The girl was young, still in her teens. Despite her origins from the East, she had red hair with striking green eyes. Her disheveled appearance and dark eye circles hinted at less-than-ideal living conditions.
What struck him the most was the lack of fear she displayed upon seeing him. He had been careless and neglected to use a glamour before she entered, a mistake he only realised when the girl broke eye contact briefly to glance at his horns. Although his regular form was well-known to the college populace, he adopted various glamours to avoid drawing too much attention to himself. Sure, there were 'Muryans' found all over the campus, foolish alchemists who had obsessed over their research and altered their bodies physically. (The naive alchemists still thought of true Muryans as beings of folklore, unaware that they were neighbours commonly found in the countryside.) But the sight of his bare skull still brought too many unwanted questions from curious students. This girl, though, was definitely a new arrival to the college. It was unlikely that she would've had prior experience with inhuman beings.
Still, humans are liars. Perhaps she was skilled at hiding her fear and disgust, two expressions he was accustomed to seeing whenever the alchemists dropped in to check on him. With a shrug, he resumed his reading.