Myur, hello everyone. It's me again. Hey Ariaprincess, thanks for your appreciation of the Trekker and this, the sequel. Just to let everyone know, I also don't plan on stopping here either. This isn't the last fic with Arya in it. Hell, this isn't even the middle of the series I'm planning. So, hehe. You guys have something to look forward to. I've actually written out a skeleton plotline for the whole series, so there's a 95% chance that it WILL get posted and finished. So yay for you guys. And me too, but I'm kinda itchin' to get this series finished so I can work on my other stories. Won't happen for a while though, so I guess I'd better get to it. Lau is also slowly assimilating himself into my mind as my favorite comedic relief. He's rather amusing in the manga.

December 29, 2015

Arya POV:

I watched Soma wave to Ciel from my spot by the fireplace, having been updating my journal to the best of my abilities. "Well, we're heading out. Hurry to bed, little runt Ciel!" he called cheerfully as Agni placed his hands together and bowed from the doorway, before both of them turned and left. Ciel irritably tossed his newspaper down and glared at me and Lau, who was doing something with his pipe and a knife. "You two are coming with us. You might be useful." he growled, and I quickly followed after him and Lau as they headed for the front door. I grabbed my Russian coat from Sebastian and shrugged it on, shoving my journal in the extra-large pocket it had in the lining. I'd written down the few spells I could perform in there, since I had only ever managed to memorize a spell that cast a wall in front of a person or object, and that could be shattered by a stronger magician or even enough impact force.

I shivered and wished I had mittens as we slunk out into the London night, although my winter coat was still warm and toasty. The snow had stopped falling and the night was clear and cold, our feet crunching softly on the snow as Sebastian took the lead with Ciel, Lau, and me following behind. We snuck after Soma and Agni as the latter ushered his charge into a bar, and we peeked through the windows as they showed the ridiculous drawing to various attendees and drunkards, always getting a negative shake of the head or a puzzled, fuzzy (usually because they were hammered) look. "By all appearances, they really are just trying to find someone, hmm?" Lau asked as we peeked around a corner, and Ciel blew on his hands –safely mittened– to warm them. "Brr, its cold." he muttered as he rubbed his hands rapidly together, then looked up at Soma and Agni as they entered another bar. "In order to obtain information about someone in England, the first stop should always be the local pubs and clubs. They aren't doing anything out of the ordinary."

I filed that information away for later usage. "If he actually expects to find anything with that so-called "drawing", he's dumber than he looks." I said under my breath, and I heard Lau snort quietly from behind me. Ciel shushed us both, and we all ducked back behind the building as Agni and Soma walked out of the pub. This slow game of cat-and-mouse continued as I began to resort to pinching myself to stay awake, the city clocks ringing eleven o'clock, and then midnight. We watched Soma stomp down the street, fuming, as Agni glided behind, before they rounded the corner and Sebastian flicked out his pocketwatch. "1 A.M. They will be returning to the house shortly." he commented as I yawned and the bells began to toll again. "Let us head back as well." he added, then whistled sharply as I jumped, seeing a large carriage rattling towards us. Sebastian handed Ciel in and left me and Lau to ourselves, muttering something to the driver as I heard a jingle of coins, before he joined us in what I realized was simply an old-fashioned cab. It began to rattle back in the direction of the townhouse as I slumped against the side of the carriage and tried to get some shut-eye.

***Time Skip***

I groaned and sipped the tea someone had prepared –when I was awake at night and not running on adrenaline, my consciousness regressed back to the Stone Age– as I stared blankly out the window. It was roughly 2 in the morning and it had begun to snow again, which was very nice and picturesque, but I was running on autopilot and waiting impatiently (and sleepily) for the rest of the plot to progress. Stupid midnight calls. I thought as I knocked the rest of the tea back and set the saucer down on the oak table, staring grumpily at the half opened windows. Stupid winter. Stupid snow. Stupid cold. Stupid-

"Young master."

"EEK!"

I tripped and fell backwards, staring at the window as Sebastian raised on eyebrow at me from his upside-down position in the eaves. I took several deep breathes, trying to calm my racing pulse as I pressed my folded hands against the bridge of my nose. Forgot about that bit. I thought shakily as I began to calculate how many years that surprise appearance knocked off of my lifespan and Lau moved away from his position by the bookcase. Sebastian's eyes moved to Ciel. "Young master, he is on the move." he repeated to the earl, who yawned and got up from the couch. "So sleepy…" he murmured, then shook himself and straightened his suit "All right-"

"Wait!"

We all turned to see Soma standing in the doorway to the drawing room. "You!" Ciel snapped in surprise, and I quickly got up from the floor and dusted off my borrowed dress. "Take me with you as well." Soma demanded, folding his arms. "I was aware that Agni would sometimes go out after I'd gone to bed. I want to know…what he's up to." he said, and Ciel and Sebastian glanced at each other. I grabbed a handful of snow from the window ledge and pressed it against the back of my neck to wake myself up, shivering and straightening up at the intense cold. I then tossed the slowly melting ball of snow back outside and grabbed my winter coat, shrugging it back on and following behind the others as they headed for the exit.

***Time Skip***

We all snuck around the corner as Agni entered the gates of a large mansion. "He went into this building." Lau commented as he looked up at the large house. Ciel started. "If memory serves, this is…" he muttered, before trailing off and smacking his mittened hand over his face. "I see. Now I'm starting to get the picture." he said in exasperation, and Soma glanced at him. "What do you mean? Whose house is this?" he asked demandingly, and Lau clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, now, Your Highness, patience, patience." he said as he slipped into his ominous persona again, waggling his fingers spookily. "It will be clear once you've gone inside. And then you will be forced to face the truth, whether you like it or not. You…" He placed a hand on his chest. "…and I both, 'kay?" he asked as he smiled cheerily, and Ciel deadpanned from beside me. "By the "And I", I take it you haven't a clue either?" he grumped, and Lau beamed. "Yes! Who lives here?" he asked obliviously, and I smacked my forehead from behind him.

"This residence belongs to Harold West Jeb, who runs an extensive import business. I had the distinct displeasure of meeting him once…He's an unsavory sort who loves all kind of titles." Ciel said dispassionately, and I scowled. "A social climber, huh?" I muttered in disgust, then jumped as Soma leaned over my shoulder. I hadn't thought I'd said it loud enough for anyone to hear me. "A social climber? What is that?" he asked curiously, and I rubbed my hands together as I blew on them, trying to warm my fingers up. "Somebody of moderate or low birth who is disgustingly obsessed with trying to buy, scheme, or marry their way into the highest societal class possible." I explained absently. I'd only heard about them in period Victorian novels, but it stood to reason that they'd exist in real life too. From what I remembered of West's character, he was a textbook example. "So this guy ships stuff?" I asked Ciel, trying to get us back on track.

"Imports, him? We're in the same business, then." Lau commented, and Soma rubbed his chin. "Why would Agni go to an importer's house?" he asked meditatively, and Ciel made a face. "He mainly imports spice and tea leaves from India, and runs "Harold Trading", a general store, and the "Harold West", a Hindustani coffeehouse." he said dismissively, and Sebastian "hmm"ed thoughtfully. "While investigating Miss Mina, I happened across Mister West's name in some of the documents I was reviewing. Per those papers, Bengal is indeed the main source of his wares, and he has suffered collateral damage from the hanging incidents, but…it seems the company representative himself, Mister West, just happened to be away at the time of the incidents and escaped being hung." he said significantly, and Ciel sighed. "There's nothing for it…let's go take a look." he said grudgingly, and Sebastian turned around. "As you wish, sir."

He grabbed Ciel around the waist and suddenly launched over the wall, and I grinned as I heard Ciel's muffled shriek of "YOU IDIOT!" on the other side of the wall. Lau turned to me with a helpful smile, and I gave him a grateful nod as I stepped into the cup his interlocked hands made and let him boost me up. I gripped the wall with my knees and turned to grab Soma's hand, pulling him up beside me as Lau expertly hopped up onto the wall next to Soma like the stupid martial-arts knowing jerk he was. I gulped as I saw several growling, fierce-looking guard dogs slink across the snow in front of Ciel and Sebastian, and Soma jerked from beside me. "CIEL!" he called before I could stop him, but suddenly the dogs whimpered and began to back away from the duo, tails between their legs. I shivered as the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and not because of the cold. "Oh? The hounds are falling back?" Soma murmured in shock from beside me, and I swallowed again.

Though I suppose the dogs are right to be scared of a demon, I'm just glad he's on our –well, Ciel's– side.

10.18 PM, USA Central Time