Chapter One: A suitable dinner
"That was far too long a day." Ciel mutters as Sebastian removes his coat for him and hangs it up.
"I do say, I must agree, young master." Sebastian smiles a bit, removing his bloody gloves. "Brutal murders are never pleasant." The demon says with a grin, waiting for this little noble to move before he does, following along at a close, but respectful distance.
"Get into contact with Scotland Yard." The blue-haired boy orders. "See if they know anything about any recent jewellery thefts in the Brixton area." He yawns. "And get me some dinner now, I'm hungry."
"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bows, and heads over down into the basement. The butcher's shop had very recently run out of quality items, but there was no way he was about to let that spoil the young master's dinner. Not only the one particular butcher's, but all of them in the general vicinity. Normally it wouldn't be anything suspicious, just a coincidental inconvenience, but his young master was now suspecting something to do with sacrificial rituals.
Anyhow, a butler who could not provide his master a suitable dinner no matter the circumstances was not worth his salt.
But... Sebastian did have a lot of work on his hands. Work that required the help of some... friends. Work he'd rather the servants didn't see. He decides he'll allow them a chance of catching something themselves. After all, there was the occasional time that the three servants were not useless idiots. He'll provide the traps and netting for them.
Even if they don't catch anything, it'll be a good excuse to get them out of the general vicinity of the Phantomhive Manor.
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X
"Gee, it must be so hard on the other citizens to have the butcher's shop just run out like that." Finny comments. He's been single-handedly carrying all of the traps and equipment for the three of them the entire trip, once he'd seen the others were having trouble. "Maybe we should catch some more to give to them?"
"Remember we're on a schedule 'ere, kid." Bard lights a cigarette.
'R-right! The master expects his dinner soon, yes." Meirin chimes in.
"Right then, let's go catch us some food!"
"YEAH!"
The three servants all split up and set traps within a three mile radius, exploring to see what else they can find. Of course, none of the three of them thought about the genius idea of finding a way to regroup, but for the moment they are all too occupied finding -admittedly scarce- food. Hunters had caught most of the game for fun, and as it was nearing winter's first snowfall there wasn't too much left to find.
Finnian doesn't have the greatest sense of direction. He ends up wandering in giant circles around the area they'd set the traps in. He'd just wait for the others to return, he supposes. Finny yawns and stretches, humming to himself as he begins to walk again.
Something dark and furry catches his eye on the forest floor as he walks and he pauses, standing a bit straighter. "Hm?" He walks towards the dark and furry thing lying there. It's a rabbit. Its fur is a lovely shade of warm brown, a bit unusual.
The rabbit is also very obviously dead, but seemingly unharmed or even touched by nature. Finny picks it up by its ears, inspects it, and deems it suitable food. He quickly walks back to camp to toss it into the cage, and continues patrolling around.
Things get a bit weirder for Bardroy, who's been travelling due north for a solid little while so he can find his way back a bit easier. He's just got to follow the anthills to return, simple stuff. He's extinguished his cigarette, stomping it underfoot as he passes.
Coming across a little clearing, he stops and frowns. There's a dead fish on the forest floor. He crouches down and inspects it. Perhaps a poacher went by and dropped the thing out of the net?
He picks it up with two fingers. Well... it looks edible. Actually, it looks perfect, like it was freshly caught. Heh, nothing a good show of fireworks wouldn't put a good fix on. He'll consider this his lucky day. He pockets the fish in the apron he forgot to take off. He needs to wash the thing anyway.
Continuing onwards, he finds a dead crab not too far away from the fish. Okay, now things are getting...fishy. Bard warily pokes the crab with a stick. It doesn't move. He's led to believe that the crab, like the fish, was also deposited by circumstance, and considers himself lucky again.
Meirin travels long and hard in one straight line as long as she can before tripping and falling facefirst over a root. She picks herself up, searching for her glasses as she dusts herself off, replacing them on her face and trudging along again.
She doesn't exactly notice the slippery black thing on the ground before she steps on it and slips again.
Picking herself back up this time, Meirin could have sworn there were no roots this time. What could she possibly have tripped over? She turns and looks down on the ground and shrieks in fright.
There's an octopus.
Yes, what appears to be an octopus. In the middle of the forest. Without water. It's not moving, and appears to be dead. Yet the sea creature, like the others, is in fresh condition, seemingly having been in water very recently. How curious...
Meirin doesn't notice any of this, she's too busy screaming and freaking out. She really doesn't like sea creatures.
It's not long before the other two servants hear her screams and rush to her aid, pausing at the sight of the dead octopus on the ground.
"'Ey, 'sall right Meirin." Bard claps a hand on the panicking maid's shoulder. "Calm down, it's not going to hurt you."
"I-I-I reeeally d-don't like sea creatures..."
Finny has picked up the dead octopus, poking at its tentacles. This one, like the rabbit he caught, also seems in perfect condition. Strange. He takes the rubbery sea creature in his hands, and smiles. "Well, on the bright side, it seems like we've done our job! We caught the master a good dinner!"
The servants all whoop and cheer and exchange high fives and hugs, dropping their catches back into one singular crate, and draping fabric over the crate to avoid suspicion.
They finally pause.
"Uh... was anyone...perchance... keeping track of the way we came here?"
"OH NO!"
X-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-X
It takes Sebastian a good long while to find the servants, finally escorting them back to the manner after a sobbing Meirin had been terrified they'd never find their way back. Sebastian gives them a solid lecture on orienteering and learning to use their heads.
With a sigh of "yes Sebastian" in unison from the three idiots-, Sebastian sends them off to deposit the crate in the kitchens and prepare the master's dinner after Bard insisted he try. He frowns to himself as he leaves the kitchen.
It's strange... He was getting a very strange feeling... and when such a feeling is present, it's never a good thing. Or person, in this case.
(A/N: Hiya guys! Hope y'all liked that chapter, very first after a whole year of not doing jack on this website! If you guys have any suggestions, whether or not you liked the chapter, what I could improve on, general good feedback, bad feedback, I accept everything!
Also, I'm of a mind to ask you guys what you think is going on with the animals the servants found before I reveal it in the next chapters.
Let me know by review or private message what you think will happen!
-Darkironprincess17)