A sharp knock on the door roused Tillie from her slumber.

"Prrr?" she murmured sleepily. Mey-Rin sat up and giggled at the sound from her cot.

"Time to wake up," came Sebastian's voice from the other side of the door. "We have guests for early breakfast. They are having tea on the terrace and Ning-Ning's presence is requested."

"Who's Ning-Ning?" asked Mey-Rin, stretching.

"Perhaps Tillie can fill you in. I must see to assisting our young master." Footsteps faded down the hallway as Tillie yawned and sat up on her cot.

"Oy, Tillie. Who's Ning-Ning?" repeated Mey-Rin.

"You're going to think I'm a freak, but if Sebastian thinks it alright for you to know, then I'll tell you," sighed Tillie. She fixed Mey-Rin with a firm stare. "But it's a secret."

"I won't tell, I promise!" said Mey-Rin, literally bursting with curiosity. "Ooh, I love secrets!"

"I can show you better than I can tell you. Ready?"

"Yes! Show me, please!" begged Mey-Rin, bouncing in anticipation. Before she knew it, Tillie had shifted into the little tortoiseshell cat. Mey-Rin let out a scream of surprise and fell off the edge of her cot and landed on her bottom.

"Mey-Rin? Are you alright?" came Finny's voice from down the hall. Tillie peered down at her in concern.

"Finny! Get in here!" yelled Mey-Rin, stomping her feet excitedly. Finny opened the door and fixed Mey-Rin and the cat with a curious stare.

"Where'd the cat come from?" asked Finny.

"It's Tillie!" said Mey-Rin excitedly. She stood and began petting Tillie. "I knew you reminded me of a kitty cat!"

"Mey-Rin, it's just a cat," said Finny, fixing Mey-Rin with a worried look. Tillie looked at him, thumping her tail. After a moment, she shifted to her regular form, making Mey-Rin jump back. Finny yelped and hid behind Mey-Rin. "Tillie? You mean you really are a cat?"

"Well, I'm human, but I can change into one. It's a long story, but it's in my heritage," said Tillie cryptically.

"Wait...But what's up with the Ning-Ning business?" asked Mey-Rin.

"Sebastian had me catching mice yesterday as a cat. Ms. Ran-Mao thinks the cat is Master's pet and she named it Ning-Ning," said Tillie. Mey-Rin and Finny burst into giggles. "Laugh all you want. I have to go be a cat for our guests." She shifted back into cat form.

"Ooh! Can I carry you? Please?" asked Finny. He stuck out his bottom lip, his turquoise eyes big and pleading. Tillie stared for a moment and then slowly nodded her head. Finny picked her up gingerly.

"Don't squash her, Finny. Mind your strength!" said Mey-Rin as Finny ran out of the room and skipped down the stairs.

"Mrr?!" Tillie braced her paws against Finny's chest. Finny hummed happily and stroked her head a little too harshly. She growled at him.

"Oops. Sorry!" He gingerly scratched her under her chin. She closed her eyes, purring. She was calm and content enough for Finny to carry her the rest of the way to the terrace without incident.

Sebastian stood just behind Ciel's chair at the head of the table. Ciel had a full breakfast spread out in front of him. Lau sat at the right side of the table, a teacup and scone in front of him. Ran-Mao sat beside him, leaning on the table with her elbows, staring at Ciel as he ate. Her golden eyes fell upon the gardener as he approached.

"Ning-Ning." Ran-Mao stood and walked to Finny, who held Tillie out to her, blushing. Ran-Mao took Tillie from him, smacking her lips cutely at the cat. Finny's blush deepened and he excused himself to go tend to the garden.

Tillie figured she should try acting like a real cat and rubbed her head against Ran-Mao's arm. Ran-Mao returned to her seat, setting Tillie on her lap and running her fingers over the jumble of colors in her fur.

"You know, Ran-Mao was never too fond of cats. I wonder what's so special about this little one," said Lau. He reached over towards Tillie and the hackles on her back raised up as she eyed him warily. With her cat senses she could smell the opium on him almost tenfold. Her tail thumped in warning for him to stay away. Lau was unaware of the warning signal and stroked her head. She hissed and batted his hand away, backing up further into Ran-Mao's lap. Lau withdrew his hand quickly, his eyes widening at her. Ciel froze, his fork halfway to his mouth as he surveyed the scene silently. She hissed again for good measure. After a beat Lau broke into laughter.

"She really doesn't like me, huh? What a shame. She's a good little fighter, though." He reached for her again and she nipped his hand. Lau winced. Ran-Mao tutted, running a hand over Tillie's raised hackles and scratching between her ears.

"If you're done tormenting the cat, I'd like to continue our discussion," said Ciel, putting down his fork.

"Of course, dear earl," said Lau. He took a sip of tea. "What were we talking about again?"

"Don't tell me you've been talking for show all this time, Lau!" said Ciel, glaring.

"I thought I sounded rather impressive," said Lau, grinning. "Wouldn't you think so, Ran-Mao?" Ran-Mao was now cradling Tillie like a baby and tickling her tummy. It took Tillie great effort to not use her right paw in playing swatting games, as the tattoo showed on the pad of her paw in cat form.

"Oh, for goodness sake," muttered Ciel, massaging his temples. "Human trafficking is going to run rampant in London with your cluelessness."

"On the contrary, my young lord," said Lau. "I know all the opium dens in the city. After all, how would I stay in business if I didn't? None of them engage in human trafficking. It's troublesome to try to deal with someone trying to escape all the time."

"I'm still uneasy in just taking your word for it, Lau," said Ciel.

"If you're so uncertain, then why not call out your new maid, Miss Tillie? I seem to recall that we all got distracted last night over Ran-Mao's hair show that she never got to tell her whole story," said Lau. "The rest of the time was spent discussing Shuang. Perhaps she could help shed more light on this matter." He took a sip of tea. "By the way, what does a scullery maid do, anyway?"

"You do have a point," admitted Ciel. He glanced at Tillie, who was being petted by Ran-Mao. He turned to the butler. "Sebastian, have Tillie meet us in the drawing room after breakfast. And bring the card table. I would like to play."

"Yes, my Lord," said Sebastian. He passed Ran-Mao's chair on his way inside and gave Tillie a pointed look and darted his eyes toward the house. Tillie stared up at him in confusion. How was she supposed to get away from Ran-Mao without seeming suspicious?

A playful chirping sound caught her ear. A pair of wrens were playing and fluttering on the lawn. Her ears twitched. She rolled to her feet and crouched, making a show of wiggling her rump in anticipation of a hunt.

"You should try wiggling your bum before your kills, too," murmured Lau to Ran-Mao in jest.

"No." Ran-Mao didn't sound very amused at all.

Tillie launched from Ran-Mao's lap and charged towards the birds. At the last moment, Finny dove in front of her out of nowhere.

"Don't hurt them!" He yelled. Tillie tumbled and he caught her. She sat upon his chest, staring down at him incredulously. "Those are my friends, Tillie!" Her eyes widened at his use of her name. She growled and swiped across his cheek with her claws, leaving four red marks. His turquoise eyes filled with tears immediately. She narrowed her eyes and leapt over his head before running into the house. The sound of Finny's cries followed her.


"Mornin'. Care for some breakfast, Tillie?" greeted Bard as she entered the kitchen after shifting and changing clothes. Mey-Rin and Finny were already seated. Finny lowered his eyes as she walked in. There was a bandage over the cuts on his face.

"Yes, please. I'm starved," she said.

"Great. It'll be done in a minute," said Bard. He flipped the metal spatula in his hand and went back to cooking.

"Finny?" Tillie voiced softly. She slid onto the bench next to him and he turned his head away. "Finny, I really I shouldn't have scratched you and I'm sorry-"

"You were going to kill those birds. You didn't have to scratch me up, though." Finny sniffled. Mey-Rin and Bard looked between the two anxiously.

"I know. I really am sorry," said Tillie, her gaze lowering to the table. "The reason I scratched you was because you called me Tillie while I was in my cat form. I'm scared that Mr. Lau and Miss Ran-Mao might've heard. I really don't want them knowing my secret."

"Why not?" asked Finny, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Well...I believe Lau has a connection with the people that smuggled me from America. I don't think I trust him," said Tillie.

"Smuggled?" said Bard. He passed out plates. "Geez."

"How awful!" said Mey-Rin.

"I don't think they heard. Mr. Lau was too busy laughing that I got beat up by a cat," said Finny, pouting.

"Uh...what? Beat up by a cat? That's why you're all bandaged up?" asked Bard. He started to chuckle.

"Oh. I forgot you weren't there to see it this morning, Bard," said Mey-Rin. "Show him, Tillie!"

"Mrmph," voiced Tillie rather unladylike as she bit into a potato cake. She narrowed her eyes at the unexpected crispiness of it. Bard seemed to have fried it too much.

"Show me what? That she has bad table manners?" Bard joked.

"You're one to talk," said Mey-Rin. "How can you eat with a cigarette in your mouth?"

"It's not lit."

"One of these days you're going to accidentally eat it up, so don't be mad if we laugh," said Tillie, before taking a bite of tomato. Bard huffed and reluctantly set the cigarette down beside his plate. Tillie looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hey. Bard." He looked up at her and she shifted to cat form right in front of him.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!" Bard fell backwards off of the bench he shared with Mey-Rin. Mey-Rin instantly broke into a loud cackle. Tillie shifted back only to let out an extremely loud snort of laughter, which then propelled the others to break into a fit of hysterics.

"Excuse me." Everyone fought their laughter to look towards the doorway where Sebastian stood looking less than amused. "The Master and his guests are being disrupted by your excessive noise. I will not ask you to be again. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sebastian!" Everyone replied, some struggling harder than others to stifle their laughter.

"Honestly," chided Sebastian, raising an eyebrow at Bard sprawled on the floor. "Remember to meet Master and Mr. Lau in the drawing room after you are finished with your duties, Tillie." He left shortly after.


"What took you so long?" grumbled Ciel when Tillie finally appeared in the drawing room. Ciel and Lau were playing a game of Old Maid on the card table. Ran-Mao was absent.

"I apologize, sir. I had breakfast and got acquainted to the scullery," said Tillie, bowing her head and clasping her hands in front of her.

"There goes that word again," said Lau, looking frustrated. "'Scullery.' What's a scullery and why do you need a maid for it?"

"We need to know all the details that you can tell us of your kidnapping," said Ciel, ignoring Lau's question. Tillie gaped at Ciel for a moment until she remembered to respond.

"Yes, sir," she said. "What more would you like to know?"

"Start from the beginning," said Ciel, laying down a pair of cards facedown.

"Alright," said Tillie. She tried not to shift too much as she stood there for a moment to gather her words. "I lived in El Dorado, California. I was orphaned when I was 11, so I had no family. I was very much an outcast for a heritage that I knew next to nothing about. The only caregiver I had was a Navajo woman working as maid at an inn until she died about four years after. I was on my own after that, but was allowed to stay at the inn as her replacement. The town became a hub for stagecoach and freight travel. Overseas businessmen came through looking to secure their part in the gold rush. I became curious and tried to befriend two of the men that stayed in the inn. It...it turns out I was too trusting."

She closed her eyes tight and bowed her head so that her hair partially hid her face. Ciel averted his gaze from her as it made him feel awkward when women became emotional. Lau looked at Ciel, and then Tillie.

"Miss Tillie, let me pull a chair up for you to sit," said Lau kindly, starting to rise. "It won't do for you to stand like that and describe such an ordeal." Ciel and Tillie both fixed Lau with identical looks of astonishment. Tillie hid her face again when Lau gave her an amiable smile.

"I-it's alright, sir, I can get it myself, no need to-"

Tillie stopped short when she realized her hand landed on something softer than the wood of the chair she had reached for. She looked down and saw a tan hand peeking out under an emerald sleeve already grasping the top of the chair. Her gaze shot up in time to see the coy smile spread across Lau's lips. She hastily pulled her hand back and instantly turned the color of a ripe tomato.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't see you." Her eyes were wide as she studied him carefully. He picked the chair up easily and set it down beside the card table. He turned back to see her rooted in place just staring at him.

"I assure you, Miss Tillie, I don't bite," said Lau teasingly. "...When I'm not asked to." Tillie's eyes nearly bugged out and she shivered involuntarily.

"Mr. Lau, that's enough," said Ciel, his cheeks red. He glared at Lau. "I won't have you traumatizing my servants. Tillie, come sit down and continue."

"Yes, sir," she said quietly. She sat demurely on the chair and glanced at their card game before speaking again. "As I was saying, I was foolish for trying to befriend those men. It turned out that they had heard rumors about me and my heritage from some townsfolk that weren't very fond of me. I was kidnapped in my sleep. They drugged me and put me on a cargo train that went out east. There were more men on the train. I tried to escape or fight them, but they would drug me even more. I was then held captive in an opium den somewhere on the east coast. They forced me to take opium so I...was unable to fight them off. When I woke they had m-" Tillie stopped and balled her fists, realizing she had almost told them about the tattoo. Tears gathered in her eyes.

"Go on, dear. You can tell us," said Lau. His voice and expression was somber. Ciel was staring at her in disbelief. They had abandoned their card game.

"They had me down as a gift for the head of a company overseas. I was loaded onto a ship as contraband. The same two men that I had met in California came with me. I was blindfolded and kept below deck. I suffered withdrawal sickness. They...wouldn't leave me alone." A shiver overtook her. She stood on shaky knees. "That's all I can tell you. I can't do this!" Tillie turned to exit but something captured her wrist. She swung her arm back to try and escape Lau's grip, but he caught her elbow and stilled her arm.

"Who did this to you?" His voice was soft and quiet but held an undertone of such anger that Tillie had never heard before. She looked over her shoulder at him.

His eyes were open, brow furrowed, and mouth set in a firm, thin line.

He was staring directly into the palm of her right hand.


Oh my.

I discovered a clip of Kuroshitsuji the live musical on Youtube. I didn't even know such a thing existed. There was a clip where Lau is singing and dancing. I fell in looooove. I think Sebastian was shown off to the side facepalming. I nearly died from giggling and blushing. Lau may feel free to sing and dance for me anytime he wishes.

Until next time! I shall keep warm with thoughts of Lau being my Broadway leading man.