"Right this way, M'lady!" Mey-rin chimed as she happily walked down the corridor before turning to a darkly stained wooden door and opening it. Rai flinched slightly at the statement. Rai walked through the doors and was greeted with a luxurious room with a full size bath attached to it and a balcony overlooking the forest. It was decorated in reds mostly; the curtains, rug, wall paper, quilt, drapes hanging from the dark stained wood over the bed. Rai turned to the girl behind her and gave a nod.
"Thank you, it's lovely." Rai stated. She turned and set her bags down by a dresser on the wall to the left of the door. Then she moved to the closet on the other side of the door in the corner facing perpendicular to the wall against the hall. She opened it and placed her long bag in there before taking off her coat and hanging it up and closing the closet. She turned and approached Mey-rin after she had a quick look around. "Alright, I'm ready to go." She said looking from over her shoulder at the balcony to the maid and smiling.
"Right this way." Mey-rin bowed and headed out the door, closing it after Rai exited. Mey-rin trotted down the hall and around a corner before entering another room. Rai just heard a door open and saw a flash of the maid's dress go into a room as she rounded the corner. She stepped through the threshold and was bombarded with a maid's outfit. "Here! Try this on!"
"Uh," Rai stopped and stared at the mound of clothing. "O-kay…" There was a screen which Rai could change behind. She stepped out. "Uh, it's too short, but fits fine." Rai stated, pulling the hem of the dress down, or trying to, it was almost at knee height.
"Oh, my! Here let me try another!" Mey-rin gasped and scrambled for another dress.
"Too loose up top," Rai stated as she pulled out almost half a foot of fabric from her side. "The length is good though." Mey-rin scrambled around trying to find the perfect one. "Too small," was the next, Rai didn't have to even put it on to see that. "Too long," Rai almost tripped over the hem. "Too… lewd…" Rai stated just looking at the outfit.
"Awe," Mey-rin sighed. "Nothing here fits you!" She whined as she went through the dresses again. It was true. Rai did have a slightly unusual body type, though she was tall, she was mostly leg and a small torso. She didn't have womanly curves of one her age, but she had some hip and a slight waist. Rai looked past Mey-rin and caught several glimpses from the candle light of some clothing.
"Hey, what's this?" Rai asked, she was back in her shirt and pants. She picked up the candle and held it up to see some extra butlers' uniforms. Knowing her size in men's clothing, since she had worn them before, she began to browse. "Let's try these on," Rai stated as she handed the candle to the klutzy maid. Rai began to pull down a couple shirts, vests and pants.
"Oh, no! Wait!" Mey-rin squeaked trying to stop her. "Those are men's clothes!" She put a hand on Rai's arm to stop her. Rai looked at her hand then her face.
"I know, but since there isn't a dress here that fits me, why not try something a little different?" She asked with a smile.
"Oh, okay…" Mey-rin hesitated but then let Rai do her picking. After she was satisfied with the clothes, she went behind the screen and tried them on. Mey-rin waited, a little nervous.
"How do I look?" Rai asked as she stepped out from behind the screen.
"Awe!" Mey-rin's face lit up. Rai smiled. "You look wonderful!" Rai had on a white button down shirt with a folded collar and button sleeves, under a black one button waist coat that complimented her slight waistline superbly, and a pair of black dress pants. Rai even changed her braid into a high ponytail which, in Mey-rin's opinion, looked nice.
"I even found some extras in the same size, even with a small grey vertical pinstripe." She said as she looked at herself in the mirror before turning back to Mey-rin. Mey-rin was seeing stars behind her glasses. Now all that was needed were socks and shoes. "Uh, now we need shoes and socks." Rai said and looked at the red head who was almost drooling. "Uh… Mey-rin?" Rai asked snapping the red head out of a trance like state.
"Oh, yes, that's right! Shoes!" Mey-rin set the candle down before diving into the darkness and pulling out several boxes and rushing back, tripping and falling in the process. "Woah!" Rai turned and snatched the three small boxes, quickly stacking them and catching the larger box on its end. "Whew, that was a close one." Mey-rin said from the ground. Rai sighed. She had her work cut out for her. "Wow! You caught that just like Sebastian does!"
"Who?" Rai asked as she set the boxes down looking at them. She opened them and saw black shoes she knew would kill her if she even dared to walk in them. She came to a pair of lace up ankle boots that she liked.
"Sebastian! Only the greatest butler here! And in the world!" Mey-rin chirped, blushing red.
"Sounds like a nice guy," She said putting the other two boxes aside and opening the tall box with knee high boots. "Hopefully I'll get to meet him." She said looking at the size. '40, perfect!' She thought. Rai picked up the other pair she liked and asked, "Mey-rin, do you have any of these in a size 40?" Rai showed her the pair.
"Of course!" She said happily as she jumped up and ran to the shoes again. "And of course you'll get to meet him on the tour!"
"Tour?" Rai asked the girl.
"Yep! I'll show you around the whole place and introduce you to everyone!" Mey-rin said as she came back with two boxes of the same shoe. Rai traded the two with a 'Thank you' for the three that she didn't want. Rai then pulled on black socks and pulled and laced up the ankle high bots before Mey-rin came back out with several more boxes with several packages of white and black gloves on top of them.
"Whoa, careful there!" Rai warned as she took the boxes from Mey-rin when they were about to fall. Mey-rin whined. Rai then maneuvered her foot and was able to kick up the three boxes on the floor onto the pile. "Why don't you just open the door for me?" Mey-rin's eyes lit up.
"We'll drop these off in your room and be on our way!" Mey-rin said, grabbing the candle and opening the door for Rai, before blowing it out. While walking to her room, Rai only could dread what most of the manor would be like, mostly empty useless rooms. Once in the room Mey-rin helped Rai put the boxes away in the closet. Rai smiled and stood up, hands on her hips.
"Well, that does it." She smiled at their work. She turned to Mey-rin, still on the ground. "So, how about that tour?" Mey-rin jumped up and grabbed Rai by the wrist and pulled her out of the room with a grin on her face and Rai telling her to 'slow down!'
Mey-rin stopped by every single room on each floor and opened each door for Rai to look into, and, just like Rai predicted, most of the rooms were full of storage items. The rooms she was more interested in was the study, library, music room, art room, dining room, cleaning closets, and of course the kitchen. Mey-rin introduced Rai to the two men and one young boy in the kitchen. "Rai-sama, this is the Finny, who tends to the garden. Bard who maintains the kitchen. And Tanaka, who over looks everything." Rai was greeted with hellos and she bowed to them. Mey-rin then pulled her to the front door. "And this," She opened the door to reveal the outside. "is the front door and our garden surrounds the place!" Rai stepped out into the sun and looked around. "Huh, that's funny." Mey-rin put a finger to her chin.
"What's funny?" Rai turned to look at her over her shoulder and asked.
"I haven't seen Sebastian or Pluto," Mey-rin stated.
"Who?" Rai asked cocking an eyebrow.
"The head butler and our guard dog!" Mey-rin waved a hand at Rai.
"Oh," Rai turned to face front.
"Would you like me to show you around the garden?" Mey-rin asked.
Rai shook her head, "No, that's alright. I already kept you away from your duties long enough. I'll look around myself." Rai smiled.
"Alrighty then!" Mey-rin waved as she turned back into the manor and left Rai. Rai turned forward and her face fell serious as she made her way to her left and around the property. She walked around, noting every single detail about the property. She made her way to the back of the manor.
While on the first floor tending to his master's whims, Sebastian noticed someone walk by the window. He walked over to it and looked out it, left and right. There was that faint scent again. He glared to his left towards the back of the manor before closing the windows and locking them.
Rai followed the path, looking around at everything when she noticed a shadow moving. She watched it walk towards her. It wasn't a shadow, it was a black cat. "Awe, hey there, little one." She said sweetly as she crouched down and stuck out her right index finger for it to sniff. It rubbed up against her hand and came in closer. "Awe, you're a sweetie aren't you?" She asked it as it came closer and she scratched its head and back.
Sebastian was carrying a tray back to the kitchen when a figure outside caught his eye. It was a cat! A cat being pet by some random person. 'Wait, who is that?' He wondered as he set down the tray and walked to the back doors to investigate.
"You are just the sweetest little thing, aren't you?" Rai asked the cat and it meowed back at her, purring happily. "So, can you tell me about this place?" She asked the cat as it mewed and moved its head along her fingers for a good scratch and rolled over for a belly rub. It purred the entire time. "Really? Now that is interesting." She stated to the cat as it let out another meow. Rai kept playing with the black fur ball as she felt a presence behind her. The cat jumped into her lap and she stood up as she felt it draw nearer.
"Excuse me, but may I ask who you are and what you are doing here?" He asked in a stern voice.
"Now, now, don't be so judgmental." Rai stated as she turned around, scratching the cat's chin in her arms. Sebastian glared at her for having the cat. "Oh, come now, what's with the glare?" She teased him. "I haven't done anything wrong." She stated as a matter of fact like. She continued to scratch the black purring fluff in her arms. "And besides, it is always proper to introduce yourself first before asking others their names." Rai was still keen on the cat that turned over in her arms for a belly rub.
"I see, you're not from around here, are you? Your dialect is different, yet you speak our language quite clearly." Sebastian mentioned, still stern. "Alright, I'll tell you my name as long as you tell me yours and why you are here." He said before he bowed at the waist with his right hand across his body. "I am the head butler of this estate, Sebastian Michaelis." He stood up straight.
"Sebastian… Sebastian…" Rai said his name several times trying to think of where she heard it before. "Ah, yes, now I remember." The cat turned and climbed up onto her shoulders, standing and rubbing against her head. "She told me about you." Rai mentioned as she scratched the cat's cheek. "So, you're the famous 'One hell of a butler', I presume?" Rai asked as she stretched her right arm out as the cat began to walk on it.
"Yes, I am, now tell me who you are." He demanded.
"Patience, patience. I was getting to it." Rai mocked him slightly. The cat turned around, came back and laid on Rai's left shoulder, draping itself there. She scratched its head. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sebastian." Rai stated giving a small bow. "My name is Rai and I hear you already know my friend." She continued to scratch the cat. "And your little boy in the manor there hired me." There was a silence between the two. He kept glaring at her. Rai didn't like the feeling of his eyes boring into her. She glared at him out of the corner of her right eye. "What do you want crow? A hand out?"
"You still haven't answered my question, why are you here, mutt?" Sebastian was almost on the verge of yelling at her.
"Awe, now that hurts," Rai whined slightly as she dropped her head. The cat rubbed up against her wanting more attention since she suddenly stopped. She looked back up at the cat. "I was hired to be an extra for the hellish butler of Phantomhive." She scratched the cat before it slowly started to crawl down. She crouched so the black cat could jump down with ease and not get hurt, before she stood back up. "But, I should be asking you why you are here?" The cat walked over to Sebastian and rubbed up against his legs. He crouched down and picked it up. "Is it that contract on your left hand there?" Rai asked crossing her arms as he stood up straight and stroked the black cat.
"You damn dogs keep sticking your noses in places where they don't belong," He growled slightly at her.
"Again, I am deeply saddened by the fact you haven't figured me out yet." Rai said, slightly let down. "Oh well, that leaves several last options. For, now that you know I'm not a mere dog." She teased, wagging her finger at him. "And, I gave you my name, didn't I? You should have put the pieces together already if you haven't crow." She teased him. "You should at least know who I am by now with those snide canine remarks," She sneered, showing her sharp canines. Sebastian had a cold shiver run up his spine. He closed his eyes and set the cat down. He stood up.
"This is your last warning, tell me, why are you here?" Sebastian kept a cool demeanor on the outside while he was battling his inner demon to attack the female demon, who stood in front of him.
'Oh, for the love of-' "I already told you," Rai said as she approached him and passed him before stopping several feet behind him. "I was hired by that brat of a boy you call a lord." She said to him so only they could hear, a smirk still plaguing her features.
Sebastian tensed, "You're here for his blood." He glanced over his shoulder.
"Tuh!" Rai let out a slight chuckle. "Sorry to say, but I don't have any interest in human blood. And I don't plan on fighting you in your condition." Rai closed her eyes and tilted her head down.
'Damn, how did she know?' Sebastian questioned himself.
"So you can relax, I'm not going to do any harm to anyone of your friends here. I make a living protecting their sorry asses." Rai said dully.
Suddenly, the doors opened and Mey-rin comes out yelling, "Rai-sama!" Rai gritted her teeth behind a fake smile and turned around to face Sebastian, who was now facing the manor.
"So, you are Lady Rai." Sebastian asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"The one and only, but let's just keep that a secret between us two demons now, shall we?" She put a finger to her lips and winked before turning and heading towards the manor and Mey-rin. Sebastian watched her and Mey-rin enter the manor and disappear before he too went into the manor and disappeared behind the closing doors.