I own nothing but my OC.
That Butler, Freeloader 2
≤speech in Indian language≥
'thoughts'
"speech"
"Demonic speech"
{setting/stage directions?}
SOUND EFFECTS
An entire sentence like this, without quotes, is narration for dreams or stuff like written letters.
=†=†=†=†= scene shift/time shift
Previously:
"So basically, they're the opposite of the police in that... they use the powers of 'evil' to carry out the Queen's orders...?" Abberline asked, disturbed. "A slip of a child like him?"
"That is no child. That is... the Devil himself." Randall said ominously.
Sebastian smirked as he walked beside his small master and Chêne.
"Young Master. We have arrived." Sebastian announced once they had reached their destination. He had led them to what looked like the street entrance of a basement, and the staircase seemed to lead on forever, but Ciel couldn't really see much, since it was cast in shadow.
"—You sure this is it?" Ciel asked. It just looked like a rundown hole in the wall to him.
"Yes, Sir." Sebastian replied confidently.
"I have to say, for some reason, I didn't expect that guy to pick such a low-key place... I'd half expected something a little more showy." Chêne said honestly, smiling wryly. "It always feels a little weird going 'underground' since we don't have basements in New Orleans, since we're technically below sea level... we don't even burry our dead in the ground. We have to build mini mausoleums to shelter and protect their coffins." She said as she stared down the dark stairwell.
"You need not accompany us. Our destination is not any place for a lady." Sebastian said, flashing her a shit-eating grin. Chêne raised an eyebrow at him, and scoffed.
"Since when have I ever been 'a Lady'? Besides, Ciel is going, and he's thirteen. You'll have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me, Sebastian!" Chêne huffed indignantly as she immediately started marching down the dark stairwell. Sebastian smiled wryly in amusement.
"Well then, Young Master. Shall we brave the darkness as well?" He asked Ciel, smirking.
"Hmph! Do you really need to ask?" Ciel deadpanned as he followed after Chêne. After they had gone a certain distance, they found that the stairwell was illuminated by the dim glow of Chinese lanterns that had been affixed to the stone walls here and there.
"Do watch your step." Sebastian warned Ciel. The dim lighting might be enough for Sebastian and Chêne to see perfectly in, but Ciel was still just a human, and it was probably just barely enough light for him to even be able to make out that there were steps. They soon reached a double-door that had been decorated with an ornate oriental motif.
"Now this is a little more like what I was expecting!" Chêne said, smiling wryly.
KACHACK.
"!" Chêne and Ciel said when Sebastian opened the door, and a cloud of smoke washed over them, baptizing them in a sickly sweet scent. Chêne gagged, and she and Ciel coughed when they inhaled the overwhelming scent. Chêne grimaced. She really hoped that smoke wasn't what she thought it was...
"What an awful smell..." Ciel said as they both covered their noses. Chêne glanced at Sebastian, and was surprised to see that he wasn't affected by the weird smoke at all... which was strange because his nose was even more sensitive than hers, so it had to be torture... Sebastian had amazing will power.
"Try not to breathe in too much of this smoke, Ciel..." Chêne warned him as they stepped futher into the strange 'establishment.' She hoped it wasn't possible to get a addicted to opium just from smelling it...
"...So you've finally managed to find this place... Earl." Said the very man they had come to see. Ciel could just make out his silhouette in the smoky and dimly lit room. The mysterious man was lounging on an oriental sofa, and there seemed to be another person with him. "I see you have brought Miss Maid with you, as well... How strange to be facing you here like this." The mysterious figure said as he took a drag on his pipe, and exhaled the smoke. "But I've... always believed this day would come." He said as they came closer.
"And what sort of day would that be?" Ciel demanded darkly, vein mark throbbing on his forehead.
"Just what are you trying to say, Lau?" Chêne asked sternly, giving the Chinaman a sharp glare, as a vein mark throbbed on her forehead. Now that they were closer, they could see that the person sitting with Lau was actually a pretty (and somewhat scantily clad by Victorian standards) Chinese girl who was sitting on his lap, there were lots of other scantily clad girls too. They were all lying on the sofa, and fawning over Lau as he lounged nonchalantly and smoked his Chinese pipe. What was this—his harem!?
"I say~! Welcome, Earl~! It's been too long~!" Lau said, smiling innocently (?). "Would you like to sit on my lap too, Chêne? If you tell me what you want for Christmas, 'Santa' might get it for you~!"
"—'Santa' my ass!" Chêne yelled incredulously, multiple vein marks throbbing on her forehead. "I hope the real thing buries you under a mountain of coal—Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!" Chêne muttered darkly, her face flushing red out of anger and embarrassment.
"My, my, you're such a tsundere, Miss Maid~!" Lau said, smiling and laughing. Chêne sweat dropped. Why does a Chinese man keep talking like he's Japanese...? "Anyway, have you been well?" He asked Ciel. "Ah! I heard you celebrated you birthday not long ago? Good tidings to you~!" The girl in his lap was watching them silently as Lau congratulated Ciel. Chêne couldn't help but feel that there was something about this girl that was different from the others that were hanging all over Lau. She was wearing a short purple china dress that had a butterfly pattern on it and a short green jacket. Her hair was pulled up into several very thin, but long braids, and they were wrapped around two little buns on either side of her head that looked almost like little horns, or pointy cat ears, and she wore a silk peony flower in her hair. Around each of her ankles, the girl wore an anklet that had tiny bells tied onto them for charms.
"Never mind that!" Ciel said, flustered. He was blushing too.
"Why are you blushing?" Sebastian asked Ciel. He seemed totally blasé about the whole 'sexy China girl harem' thing Lau had going. Sebastian could understand why Chêne was flustered, but...
"There's something I want to ask you." Ciel told Lau, deciding to pretend he didn't hear Sebastian.
"Ahh." Lau said in realization. "For the Earl to go to the trouble of visiting this dank cellar of an opium den must mean you're here... about that, yes?"
"Brother would you like some? How about you, Sister?" Two of the Chinese girls asked as they offered Sebastian and Chêne a pipe to smoke opium with.
"I shall pass, thank you." Sebastian politely declined, sweat dropping, and smiling wryly, as Chêne vehemently shook her head, declining their gracious (?) offer.
"Word's gotten around already, has it? You've a sharp ear. Yes, I'm looking into that series of incidents." Ciel said. "When it comes to Orientals, talking to you, the big wig of this patch, is always the most expedient... British branch manager of the Chinese trading company 'Kon Ron'... Or should I say... top official of the Chinese crime syndicate Qing Bang—Lau." Ciel said seriously.
"I really would prefer you not call me that. It's much too stuffy and all. Riiiight? Isn't it just, Ran-Mao?" Lau said playfully as he caressed the chin of the girl sitting on his lap.
"Yes..." Ran-Mao said softly, nodding her head in agreement.
"Stop puffing away and hear me out! I've left the management of the oriental quarter to you. So you've an idea of the number of people coming around these parts, yes?" Ciel asked him.
"Now, Now, this is just a bit of mint." Lau said, smiling as he set down his oriental pipe. "Certainly. I'm following your orders to the letter, Lord Earl. Such is the price I must pay to conduct 'business' in this country's underworld, after all."
"Then—" Ciel said, about to ask his first question.
"But first, I have a question to pose to you as well, my Lord." Lau said mysteriously.
"?" Ciel said, wondering what it could be.
"These incidents of which you speak... What are they exactly?" Lau asked, smiling innocently at them.
"Why, you..." Ciel said darkly, suddenly feeling completely drained both mentally and physically. 'We have to take it from the top, huh?' He thought, chagrined.
"He was simply chiming in when he thought it appropriate. I am sure of that." Sebastian said, trying to keep a straight face.
"You see, Ciel? This is why you shouldn't do drugs... they fry your brain, like an egg in a frying pan that's being turned into scrambled eggs..." Chêne said, sweat dropping.
"My, my, how hurtful you can be, Miss Maid~!" Lau said, placing a hand over his heart in feigned astonishment.
=†=†=†=†=
{One long explanation later...}
"—Oh, now I see!" Lau said, finally getting the whole story. They were walking through the streets of the East End now, and Lau was leading them to their first possible suspect. "So you'd like to capture that prankster!" He said, grinning.
"There haven't been any deaths yet, but the gentry and military personnel are being targeted." Ciel explained.
"Ah, you have to make an example of him to keep the common folk in line! There simply is no end to your troubles, earl." Lau said, sighing sympathetically as he shrugged.
"What drivel." Ciel huffed.
'Well... he does have a point though..." Chêne said, sweat dropping.
"Incidentally , we have walked quite a distance. At which lodging house are the Indians based?" Sebastian asked Lau. Ciel and Chêne paused when they heard that. Now that they looked around... they had wandered into an area that was extremely rundown, even by the East End's standards.
"Nn?" Lau said, stopping as he too looked around. "Ah! Do forgive me~! I was so caught up in our conversation that I think I may have gotten us lost~!" Lau said, smiling innocently, as he playfully bopped himself on the head. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Silly me~!"
"Why, yoooou—!" Ciel growled dangerously as a vein mark throbbed on his head.
"..." Chêne said as she stared at Lau. "If I get raped, I'm totally blaming you." She said bluntly. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her and gave Chêne a funny look. Chêne sweat dropped, and smiled apologetically. "Sorry... I'm feeling a little paranoid at the moment... and it doesn't help that I'm having a really strong feeling of déjà vu... even though I know I've never been here before." She explained. "I get the feeling we shouldn't stick around for too long."
"Then first let's retrace our steps back, and—Ow!!" Ciel said, surprised when he turned around and bumped into something... or rather, someone. Ciel was a little surprised to find that he had bumped into a tall Indian man. The man was glaring down at him. "Par—" Ciel said, deciding to apologize since he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.
"Owwww!! I think I just cracked a riiiiib—!" The man yelled suddenly as he grabbed is sides, as though he was in pain.
"Wha—!?" Ciel yelled, incredulously, flinching in shock. There was no way he had bumped into him that hard! Sebastian and Chêne sighed. It was totally obvious the man was faking it. If the fragile Ciel was fine, then there was no way this man could've been injured so severely, and they hadn't even heard his rib crack, either.
"Someone help!" The faker yelled.
"You okay!?" Another Indian man asked, as Indians seemed to suddenly be crawling all over the place.
"What happened!? This's terrible!!" They yelled.
"Wow, what a refreshingly clichéd development we have here..." Chêne said, smiling wryly, as she sweat dropped.
"Oh my." Lau said when they found themselves surrounded by a group of Indian thugs.
"The little master's awfully well-dressed for an East Ender." The faker said as he grabbed Ciel roughly by the front of his coat, surprising the boy. "You a noble?"
WHAP.
Ciel calmly smacked the man's hand away.
"I gotta demand damages for you banging into me, kid!! Leave everything you've got on ya behind, ya hear!?" 'Faker' yelled.
"..." Ciel said, chagrined. As if that was going to happen.
"And once again, you have gotten yourself caught by a second rate thug, Young Master." Sebastian deadpanned.
"For someone with a 'broken rib' this guy sure is energetic..." Chêne said sarcastically. "How should we deal with this?"
"How? Just get rid of them quick." Ciel replied. They had better things to do than deal with these fools.
"As you wish." Sebastian said, smirking slightly as he adjusted his gloves.
"Should we break his ribs for real? People like his really piss me off..." Chêne deadpanned. Ciel sweat dropped. Was Chêne PMSing?
"Make your maid strip too, while you're at it!!" 'Faker' yelled suddenly, pointing at Chêne.
"Strip! Strip! Strip!" The other thugs cheered.
"What the hell—!?" She yelled incredulously, vein mark throbbing on her forehead, as Sebastian held her back so she wouldn't recklessly get herself into trouble. "Let me go! I'll muderize 'em!!" Personally, Sebastian was in complete agreement with Chêne's feelings at the moment, but it would be best if they didn't simply rush in so recklessly.
"And ya know... the Indians around here have it in for you nobles." Faker told them, continuing to ramble, since he thought they had the upper hand. "You dragged us all the way here, and then just threw us out like trash! The lot of you British are self-serving bastards!!" He yelled, vein mark throbbing on his forehead.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends cheered.
"I'm actually American, though..." Chêne said, sweat dropping.
It's your fault we've been reduced to leading lives of misery like sewer rats!" Faker said darkly as he pulled a knife from under his ratty cloak.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends leered.
"You trampled our nation under your shod feet!" Faker yelled.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends leered.
"Now taste the humiliation of being plundered for yourselves!" Faker jeered at them as he pointed his blade at them.
"Taste it!! Yeah!!" His friends yelled.
"That aside, there's something I would like to ask you." They heard a young man say.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends cheered.
"Yeah! First off, I gotta ask you something!!" Faker yelled, not missing a beat, as he started to raise the knife.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends cheered.
"If you prove useful, I'll treat you to something delicious in reward." The same voice from before said.
"Yeah!! Yeah!!" His friends yelled.
"Yeah! Something delicious!!" Faker roared as he raised the knife high above his head.
"Fish!! Yeah!!" His friends cheered.
"Typical. I was just starting to feel a bit peckish!!" Faker yelled. He and his thug friends suddenly froze when they realized what they had been saying.
"DAH! THAT ISN'T IIIT!!" They all yelled incredulously, cutting the air with their hands like stereotypical tsukomi, when they whipped their heads around to face the new comer who had been speaking to them.
"Quiet down, you lot." The purple haired boy said calmly. He and his white-haired companion were dressed in the clothing of Indian nobles. "I'm looking for someone. Have you seen an Indian like this?" He asked as he held up a crude drawing of what was probably supposed to be a woman... it looked like a clapping seal in a wig to Chêne, though...
They all stared at him, stunned. Was he really going to ask them that at a time like this? Did he not see that these thugs were in the middle of trying to commit a crime!? Faker gasped, snapping out of it.
"Hunh!? Don't interrupt us, you cur!" Faker yelled, brandishing his knife at the purple haired boy.
"How dare you call me a cur. I am asking you a question." The boy said calmly. "...Nn?" He said curiously when he spotted Ciel and the others. "What's going on? Are you fighting a duel?" He asked. Chêne sweat dropped. What kind of duel involved 10+ people against three? Wait... three!? Chêne looked around. Where the heck was Lau!?
"Hey, don't igno—" Faker said indignantly, sweating nervously.
"He has a ≤khansama≥ with him..." The boy said as he pushed Faker aside and loomed over Ciel.
"Hey!" Faker said indignantly.
"Are you... a British noble?" The boy asked Ciel.
"And what if I am?" Ciel asked calmly, furrowing his brow slightly.
"Then I shall ally with my brothers in this battle." The boy declared. "Agni!"
'What battle...? No matter how you look at it, this is a lynching...' Chêne thought, chagrined.
"Yes, your highness." The white-haired man said, stepping forward.
"Defeat them!" The purple haired boy ordered.
"≤Jo aagyaa.≥ This right hand with which God has blessed me... shall I wield for my master." The white haired man said.
Author's note:
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! XD I added a link to a holiday pick of all three of them as lagniappe for the holidays ^_^
In case your wondering why Chene is dressed as a Native American, she's actually part Natchez/Cherokee (like 1/32 part, but it's there ^_^;) Chene, like most Americans, is a mix of several different heritages from her ancestors, and they are:
French, French Creole, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, and Natchez/Cherokee Indian (I have it written this way because the Natchez tribe, who were originally living in Louisiana, was pushed out of their territory by the French, and they were absorbed by one of the Cherokee tribes in Oklahoma.
