A Study in Town Life

It was quite later on in the afternoon when Ciel and his five servants made it to the townhouse. To Blaire's relief, she did not need to share a carriage with Ciel and Sebastian. That was one experience which she did not wish to relive.

Upon stepping from the carriage, Blaire's foot promptly landed in about half a foot of snow.

She got settled in, and was pleased to find that she was sharing a room with Mey-Rin. It would not be until the following day that the demon approached her as she was putting away the dishes from that morning's breakfast.

"The young Lord requests that you accompany us today." Came from the demon. The command was underlying in his tone and she knew that Ciel's 'request' was not one she would be afforded the opportunity of turning down.

Blaire glanced up at him warily. "Should I get changed?"

He surveyed her appearance with a critical eye, making her want to cover her already conservatively dressed figure.

"…quite. I suppose some may question why our maid is accompanying us. We can't have that, can we?" Then he suddenly frowned, hands once again coming to -none-to-gently- pinch her waist. "And for the last time, put your corset on." He seethed, eyes becoming noticeably more red.

"Okay, okay!" She raised her hands up in mock surrender, scurrying away to get changed.

When in the carriage, the journey was completely silent. Ciel, however, was staring right at her from the seat opposite. She ignored him at first, opting to observe the passing winter landscape outside. She could still see him leering at her from the corner of her eye though, and the experience was beginning to make her heart pound like a war drum. She turned to him abruptly, about to scream 'what' at him and no-doubt earn herself a slap in return. However, Ciel spoke first.

"Well?"

The question made Blaire pause. Her rage was replaced by confusion. "Well, what?"

"The young Lord wishes to know what information you can provide about the string of murders which have been happening in London as of late." Sebastian spoke from beside her.

"Could you be more specific?"

"Why should I have to?" The Earl said indignantly, crossing his arms in a childish fashion.

Blaire pursed her lips. She had to say something to convince Ciel or Sebastian to give her a clue about the murders – something that would jog her memory. But she had to do so in a way that would not evoke suspicion. She crossed her arms in a mockery of Ciel's own posture.

"…do you realise how many murders are being carried out at any one time? If you give me a vague question then don't be surprised when you get a vague answer. For all I know, you could be asking me about Jack the Ripper or bloody Mister Hyde. I need a specific question."

Ciel considered her through a narrowed eye. Blaire did not back down from his stare until eventually, the Earl let out a sigh. "The letter I received from Scotland Yard was… as informative as you are being currently. However, what little information they were able to provide was that all of the victims had just returned home from India. The bodies were all strung upside down and found with a note, signed at the bottom with some sort of symbol."

Blaire reeled back in her seat; realisation struck across her face.

Sebastian noticed. "What have you seen?" He leaned slightly closer to her, trying to sense a possible shift in energy around her. To his bewilderment, he sensed none.

Blaire sent him a glare, leaning away from the demon until her cheek was almost pressed against the window of the carriage. "I can tell you the name of the man who did it. Maybe roughly what he looks like. I can also tell you that we will probably meet them both soon."

"There are two murderers?" Ciel's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe.

"No… but the murderer is a uh… a butler of sorts. His name is Agni and he serves an Indian Prince called Soma."

"And you say we will encounter them both?" Came from Sebastian, who's hand had come to rest on his chin.

She shrugged. "If today we're going to see a body, then yeah… yes I expect so." She grimaced, not looking forward to what was to follow.

The carriage had come to a still in the dingy East end of London. Upon approaching the crime scene, it was the bodies she noticed first.

As Ciel had said, they were all hung upside down by thick, brown rope and left to rot on the side of a building. There were four bodies in total, all of them middle aged men. They had been horribly bruised and mutilated, their bindings cutting into the pale blue skin and causing lacerations. Dried and slightly browned blood had seeped between the cobblestone ground. Perhaps the only saving grace was the fact that it was so cold. The body had not begun to decompose yet. People were gathered around, gawking, though being held back by policemen.

The trio approached the scene, coming to a still beside two men who were dressed in suits, trench coats and top hats. One was younger and had a friendly face, the other was much older and was of a stern disposition. Neither of them noticed the approach until Ciel spoke up.

"So, all the victims had just returned home from India then?" In spite of the scene, the young Earl sounded bored.

Blaire pondered how desensitised Ciel must have been to the sight of death by now. She sighed, unable to take her eyes off the body. A sickly feeling churned within her as her stomach threatened to empty its contents. Why wouldn't they at least take the bodies down and cover them up? It was disrespectful, the way the police just let everyone surround the area!

"O-oh! You're here!" Exclaimed the younger, suddenly turning bright red. He had been talking about Ciel moments before.

"But the culprit hasn't killed anyone yet?" Ciel continued, ignoring the detective.

The elder of the two sent Ciel a glower, before his eyes landed on the Blaire, who was stood back beside Sebastian and was still too busy staring at the bodies to notice.

"Ciel Phantomhive. I must protest! It's bad enough that Scotland Yard is subject to someone of your inexperience sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong, but I daresay this has gone far enough!" His voice was gruff and his rage had turned his face an ugly shade of red. "Now you bring a woman to the scene of a crime! Where is your sense of decency!"

Blaire's attention suddenly snapped to the detective, her eyes blazing. "Arthur Randall…" She muttered under her breath with a note of loathing. She hated him already. She took a step forward, her hand clenching into a fist – ready to plough it into the detective's face. She growled when Sebastian pulled her back by her wrist.

He leaned down to whisper sternly into her ear. "Calm yourself. Do not cause a disturbance. To assault a detective would not only be incredibly foolish, but it would also be a blight on our master's reputation."

Blaire grimaced from how firm his hold was and sent him a sour look. She tried to jerk her hand away, but his grip would not give.

"Stay." He commanded as though she were a mere dog.

Their exchange went unnoticed by Ciel and Randall. "This is my assistant. She carries the coats and bags when necessary, pay her no mind." Said Ciel, snatching the note from Randall's hand and reading it aloud. "'The child of craziness and laziness.' This man does have a way with words, doesn't he?" He remarked. "I agree our country would benefit if all these nouveau riche fresh from India disappeared. Still. I don't like this mark."

"Sounds a bit racist." Blaire grumbled under her breath. What was wrong with all these people?

Sebastian glanced at her from the side. All humans were the same to him, and their petty obsession with skin colour was something he could not comprehend. The idea that had he took the form of someone with a different skin colour would cause him to be treated differently was as laughable to the demon as it was unintelligible.

Randall grabbed the note back from the Earl, sending Blaire a second dirty look and gripping the page until it crumpled in his grip. "With this he's mocking the queen and all Englishmen too. He's Indian, I'm certain of it." He grumbled.

"Ah, I imagine that would be the reason I was called in. Since most of the Indian's who have come here illegally are staying in the criminal neighbourhoods of the East End. And Scotland Yard still doesn't know the exact number or the precise location, does it?"

Randall growled.

Ciel continued. "I cannot allow her Majesty to continue suffering such indignation." He began walking away. "Michaelis, Coleman. Let's go."

"Sir." The demon replied dutifully. Blaire followed silently behind the two males, throwing the elder of the two detectives one final sour look before she left. She felt his gaze on her retreating form.

The trio walked in silence down near the River Thames. As always, a fog rolled over the river and she could see the shadow of the newly built Tower Bridge looming in the distance. The streets were narrow, disgusting and shadowed by dingy flats. Blaire brought her sleeve up to cover her nose. She doubted she could ever bring herself to get used to the stench – which seemed to be even worse beside the river.

"You said we would meet this killer soon?" Asked Ciel.

"I think so, yeah." Then something else occurred to her. "Be careful though. He's a match for Sebastian. He's just as fast and just as strong." She warned.

The two males came to an abrupt halt, staring at her. "The killer is a demon?" Ciel asked incredulously.

"…no. He's a human."

Sebastian scoffed. "What utter nonsense."

Blaire smirked, eager to see the look on his face when she was proven right. "You'll see."

They resumed walking, though Sebastian now appeared wary. There wasn't a lot she had been wrong about, so far anyway.

Ciel fell into step with Blaire, peering down at her. "And how could a human possibly be a match for my Butler? Or any demon, for that matter."

"Well, he-" She paused, as from the corner of her eye she saw a shabby cloaked figure stalking right towards them. Ciel was looking right at Blaire though, intrigue clouding his features – he failed to notice the crowd of men slowly gathering around them. One of them stepped forward, and a mixture of instinct and memory from the animation compelled Blaire to pull Ciel out the way of the attacker so he couldn't blame Ciel for bumping into him. "Watch out!"

However, this instead, only resulted in her being walked into instead.

"Ah! You bitch, you cracked my rib!"

Other members from the group shouted at them. "Hey what happened?"

"What a terrible injury!"

"She should pay you back!"

"Nah, she doesn't look wealthy. Those men, on the other hand…"

Sebastian sighed, stepping between the attackers and the two humans under his protection. "What a cliché bunch of thugs we appear to have run into." He glanced at Blaire, as though it were her fault, before addressing Ciel again. "Young master, should I deal with the vermin?"

Ciel sighed. "Yes, make it quick."

The demon smirked, adjusting his gloves. "Certainly."

Ciel was then grabbed by the lapels of his coat by one of the men, a blade brandished in front of his face threateningly. "Listen boy, you are outnumbered. Everyone within a mile of here hates you English dogs." He spat, before Sebastian promptly picked him up by the neck and launched him with inhuman strength. His body landed on the other side of the street with a distinct thud. The onlookers gasped.

"Did he hurt you, young master?"

"He did not."

Another man stepped forward from the crowd. "You damned brat. You take over our country, drag us here and then throw us away like garbage."

Blaire tried to diffuse the situation. "I understand why you're angry, really I do. But we didn't do anything to you!" She couldn't help but gasp when a blade was swung in her direction.

"Shut up you white whore! You could never understand, you lie through your teeth!"

"There's no point in trying to get involved, Blaire. These people cannot be reasoned with." Sebastian pulled her back suddenly, causing her to stumble. "There is no need to get yourself hurt."

Get myself hurt? The audacity of that ass!

"Your people have dragged your filth all over our homeland." A voice called out from the group.

"How about we show you the humiliation of being robbed, eh?!" Another came forward, swinging a knife up over his head, aimlessly coming forward to strike at the trio.

Sebastian braced himself, ready to break the arm of the would-be assailant, however a new voice drew everyone's attention.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for this Indian woman." As expected, it was Prince Soma. His unruly black hair framed his taught face, his lips pursed as he took in the scene before him. His robes swayed as he strode towards them with a straight posture and the golden jewellery adorning his ears and fingers shone in the dim light of winter's day. "Perhaps you gentlemen have seen her around here?" He carried with him a single sheet of white paper, on which is drawn a poor sketch of a woman.

"Who the hell are you? Just stay out of this!" One of the thugs sneered at him.

Behind the prince, Blaire spotted a tall man with white hair and piercing silver eyes, in stark contrast to his deeper complexion. "That's him. The man with the white hair is the killer." She whispers to Sebastian, knowing he would be able to hear her over the commotion.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Oh my, are you fellows having a dual?" Came from the prince. His eyes glance over Ciel. "Hmm? He has a khansama and a patitā with him. Are you an English nobleman?"

Sebastian snorted. Blaire frowned. "Patitā?"

"What if I say I am?" Ciel ignored his two servants.

"Then I will have no choice. I must side with my countrymen. Come Agni."

"Yes sir."

"Defeat the Englishmen."

"Ādēśa hisābē. I shall use my holy weapon which I was given, so that I may serve my master." He loosened the bandages from his arm, letting them fall to the ground.

Knowing what was coming, Blaire moved to run away, but Agni was quicker and he moved to strike her. Sebastian only just managed to intercept the attack, however Agni seized the opportunity and managed to strike Ciel in the arm, causing the earl to cry out. With the demon's meal having been harmed, Blaire was forgotten about and Ciel found himself enveloped by the demon.

Blaire gasped, backing away as she watched the scene unfold. Agni had clearly taken the demon by surprise. Sebastian looked murderous as he struggled to keep up with the human man's blows.

With Agni distracted, Blaire turned to run down the street. She heard Sebastian call her, before cursing as his distraction caused Agni to hit Ciel again.

Tears clouded her eyes. Not because she felt sorry for Ciel, but because she feared the consequences of her actions. That wasn't supposed to happen! Ciel should not have been harmed. If Sebastian hadn't moved to save her, things would have played out the way they were supposed to. How could he have let Ciel be hit like that? Did he truly underestimate Agni's strength and speed even after she warned him?

It was Sebastian's own fault, that Ciel got hurt. Though she very much doubted he would see it that way.

Oh, she really hoped Ciel hadn't been fatally hurt. Sebastian would have her strung up by her own intestines!

The thought sickened her, and spurred her to keep moving. Her heart pounded in her ears as she tried to run. She could hardly move her legs as her skirts kept wrapping around her, so she opted to hold them up and ignored the strange looks sent her way as she scampered down the street. She noticed however; she was getting out of breath much quicker than what she would have usually. Her chest felt unusually tight, worse than when she first started wearing corsets.

She turned down an alleyway, content she was hidden from the butler. Her face was turning pale as she struggled to get in enough air. Her lungs cried out as she tried to catch her breath, but her corset was like a vice around her lungs. Dark spots began to appear at the edges of her vision and the world began to appear hazy. Blaire felt as though she were sinking into the ground as consciousness began to leave her.

You were so unwell, with arms outstretched the whole way

And the long limbs fell, in falling found their place

Notes explaining some things in this chapter, read if you are interested. If not, I'll see you in the next chapter and thank you for sticking with this story, as always, dear reader.

Many Indian resources and livelihoods were exploited by Britain during this time period in the name of the Industrial Revolution. This led to a series of (man-made) famines which left millions of Indians dead. Not Britain at its finest…

About Blaire suffocating in her corset:

Merely wearing a corset obviously would not cause you to faint. Wearing a real, wale-bone corset while running? Not a good idea. They conducted an experiment where they had a woman run up and down the stairs, once without a corset and once with the corset. They hooked her up to read her vitals and they found that while running in the corset, her vitals were much, much higher, she was essentially hyperventilating. Done for an extended period of time I believe would certainly cause someone to faint as the tight bindings starved them of the extra oxygen needed when running.

Notes about Soma and Agni's language:

Patitā = prostitute in Bangla

Ādēśa hisābē = As commanded in Bangla

If anyone was wondering why I went with that language:

When the word Khansama is typed into translate it shows that it is a Bangla word (meaning butler).

Important: For ease of reading, I used the phonetic pronunciation of Bangla words as opposed to how its actually written out in the language. If you want to actually see how it would be written out you must type out the English word and select Bangla as the language to be translated. Typing out "Patitā" into the detect language option will yield no rewards.

As for Agni's usual phrase of "Jo Agna" – I changed it to stay consistent with one language.

The actual TV show/manga seems to use a mix of Hindu, Bangla and Gujarati words. It got really confusing! Feel free to correct me if I got anything wrong.