Chapter Twenty-four:

Taking Care of Business

"So, how long do you think we'll be staying in London?" Kyra mused, critically eyeing a dress before putting it back in the wardrobe with a shake of her head.

"Well, I'm not sure, Milady," Mey-Rin hesitantly replied. "It varies quite a bit. Sometimes, the young master finishes his business in just a day or so, but sometimes it can take upwards of a fortnight, yes it does! This time, the young master instructed us to prepare for at least a week, so we'll be packing eight dresses, yes we will. I'll prepare the petticoats and undergarments myself, since you would like to choose your dresses. Please make sure to pick at least one proper for parties, since the season hasn't quite wrapped up yet."

"Are these okay?" Kyra immediately asked, whirling around with an armful of the dresses with detachable skirts.

Mey-Rin turned and chuckled. "For everyday, yes. For parties, though, you'll need a more proper dress."

Kyra paused before letting out a long, weary sigh. "You mean the big... poofy ones, don't you?"

"I'm afraid so, Milady," she giggled.

"I'll need to deliberate on that," Kyra grumpily replied.

"In any case, that potion Mister Sebastian gave you is doing absolute wonders for your hair, yes it is!" Mey-Rin squealed. "It's already meeting your shoulders after being so short, and it's only been a week!"

"Yeah," Kyra sighed, pausing her dress-finding to fiddle with a strand of her hair. "It's working a bit too well, if you ask me. I thought I'd have more time to get used to it. Tastes horrible, too. I'm not exactly looking forward to my afternoon tea." She scowled. "Ugh. I'd really just rather take one per day, at least for a few days! It's just growing so fast and it tastes awful!"

"Well, I can't see Mister Sebastian seeing too much harm in just a few days, seeing how much your hair has grown already. You look like a new woman already!" Mey-Rin smiled comfortingly. "I myself absolutely love my hair being long. The barber just cut far too much off last time..."

"Oh! Well, then why don't you have the second dosage for a little while?" Kyra beamed.

"Oh, I couldn't!" Mey-Rin squeaked. "It isn't my place, no it isn't!"

"Come on!" Kyra urged. "I'm offering! I wouldn't mind at all! It's actually better this way, so it doesn't go to waste!"

"Well..." Mey-Rin paused, quietly considering. "If Milady insists, then I suppose it'd be rude of me to refuse..."

'And this way, Sebastian won't notice it's not disappearing as fast. It's a win-win situation!' Kyra evilly thought to herself. "So it's decided!" She beamed.

"Yes, Milady!" Mey-Rin smiled a bit. 'Miladies are really so kind!'

"Alright," Kyra said, taking a dress out. "I think I'll take this one, but I'm going to take a walk to think on it. I won't be long, I promise."

"Yes, Milady. If I'm not here when you're back, I'll be in the dining hall polishing the railing and banisters."

"Alright, thank you Mey-Rin," Kyra said as she exited her bedroom. 'How boring, looking at dresses. All I have wanted to do is go outside, and now I am not sure if I will be allowed to go outside in London without the skirt. I am not even sure there is a private garden there or not.' Kyra's brows creased and she let out a "hmph," annoyed at the move to London."Ah, no rain yet!" Kyra mused as she ran outside to enjoy the fresh air.

She had just approached the gazebo area when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Ahwis hopingtae catch up wi` ye 'ere, my fair lassie!"

OoO

He followed them from a distance, pleased that the other hadn't located him yet, wondering why the carriage had suddenly stopped in such an odd location.

The quiet murmur of talking was followed shortly by a quiet energy sweeping the area, leaving a silent warning in its wake to stay away.

He scoffed. 'What an overprotective little...'

A surge of power, gigantuan in mass, flared for just a few seconds before it disappeared... leaving just a wisp of its energy behind.

He hummed. If only those two left, then that meant...

But he had no time to finish that thought, for, within moments, another massive energy came into this world, higher in the sky.

A brilliant golden light swayed and formed into a light ball before erupting and pulsating. A spot formed in the centre before it grew, it swelled, a deep, swallowing black in the heart of the gorgeous radiance. A terrible foreboding sense wafted off of the anomaly as the black and gold intertwined, coexisting in a form similar to yin and yang and yet more malevolent, more aggressive.

Within moments, they arrived, lured by his power.

Wasting no time, he took this as his cue to make his leave.

'This area is getting very popular. Interesting how quickly that happened.'

A smirk tugged at his lips.

'If I tell Sebastian about this, it can help to convince him I mean his lassie no harm.'

His smirk quickly grew as he continued a previous thought.

'Now that those two left, the way is clear. It's about time for me to catch up with that wee lassie.'

OoO

Kyra froze, coming to a screeching halt from her jog around the garden, whipping around to face the speaker, who merely let out an amused chuckle.

'Oh. My. Lord. Heeeeello!' Kyra took a deep breath, eyeing him curiously.

There was a man standing where she had been running mere moments ago. He stood tall, clothed in what was easily recognisable as a traditional Scottish garment, kilt and all.

'Ooh-la-l- WAIT!' Her eyes widened. 'He was NOT there just a second ago!'

"It feels lik' tis bin langer than it haes that a've bin wanting tae catch up wi` ye."

There was a short breath of silence between them.

"What? Sorry, what did you say?" Kyra stammered while noting that her heartbeat had gotten faster just looking at the stranger.

This feeling... This odd feeling seemed strangely familiar...

She immediately recalled just last night, during the Hallow's Eve party.

What she sensed on the roof...

Her eyes marginally widened. 'I'm not sure if this is safe.'

He chuckled as he continued walking, it almost seeming as though he were... circling her...?

She edged away uncomfortably.

"Ah said, it feels lik' tis bin langer than it haes that a've bin wanting tae catch up wi` ye," he repeated, a bit slower.

"You've been... wanting to catch up with me? I'm sorry, do I know you?" Apprehension turned into momentary confusion. There's no way in Hell she would have forgotten this guy.

"O' coorse, lassie. Weren't ye keekin at me lest nicht? Ah thought ye saw me." Amusement twinkled in this stranger's strangely coloured eyes. Green, yet with a hint of red weaving its way throughout- wait, when had he gotten close enough for her to notice that?!

She had slowly been edging toward the manor as he circled her, but suddenly she realised she had been forced deeper into the garden. Somehow, he had herded her further from the manor!

Immediately, her mindset shifted.

'No more ga-ga Scottish brogue. This cutie's up to something. Not. Good.'

"Ah wis gey surprised tae see a lassie lik' ye running aroond lik' that! Tis gey admirable that ye tak' care o' yersel'. Nae mony humans dae, especially th' nobility wummin," he nearly purred, his breath tickling her cheek.

She stopped walking, frozen. 'Humans...?'

Slowly, she shifted slightly to stare at him out of the corner of her eyes.

'I was right. He's. Not. Human.'

A lump formed in her throat as she internally began panicking. Sebastian wasn't here to protect her if needed. What should she do? What could she do?

Apparently, she had been staring too long. She jerked out of her stupor when he bellowed a laugh.

"Awright, lassie! Dae ye lik' whit ye see? A lot o' lassies wonder whit's under this kilt, bit ah shan't shaw ye th'day." He rose an eyebrow, looking her up and down as if she were naked, though rather teasingly.

She grit her teeth, her panic turning into anger. "Oh, ha ha ha, very funny! Rude!" She sneered. The moment the words left her lips, she choked. She didn't want to anger him when she was this far from the house... and Ciel, the one who could summon Sebastian.

He chuckled deeply, gently pressing his forehead against hers. "Ah think a'm oncom tae lik' ye, lassie."

Her confusion spread once more. Was he saying he liked her? He was hard to understand... She voiced her thoughts. "It's hard for me to understand what you're saying."

He laughed again. "Ah, th' sassenach ur aye sae dunderheided. A'richt, ah will huv a go tae sassenach it mair."

She merely stared blankly at him. "Did you just call me stupid?"

"Aye! Ah criede ye stupid English, tae!"

Fury overwhelmed her. "I'M NOT STUPID, AND I'M NOT ENGLISH EITHER! I'M AN AMERICAN, AND AN INTELLIGENT ONE, TOO!" She roared, shoving him hard away from her. "And YOU are VERY RUDE! GOOD DAY, SIR!"

With that, she whirled around and began storming back to the manor.

With a bellowing laugh, he let her go. "Ah will come back efter tea th' nicht! We kin dae this again!"

Her response was a simple middle finger in the air, though... for some reason, she looked forward to it and knew she would show up.

'She's got spunk,' he mused.

OoO

"Oh, mom, I really wish I could talk to you now. I need you," Kyra said quietly as she paced back and forth in her room. Groaning in frustration, she threw herself on her bed. 'Okay, I know he is coming back, and that I will go out there. I should wait for Raven to come back... but it will be too late. She'll be staying overnight. I have to come up with a game plan…'

As she was thinking of what to do, she decided to be very nice and hospitable.

She wasn't under the same protection Raven was while Sebastian wasn't there, and as she knew he wasn't human but not certain as to what he was, she knew there was no guarantee he wouldn't hurt her - or worse.

She had a feeling that he didn't mean to hurt her... but she knew she could still be wrong.

She also had a feeling that if she didn't show up, he would.

With her decision in mind, she set off in search of Finny. Having not seen him outside, she went straight to the kitchen, finding Bard... polishing a... gun?

"Good afternoon, Bard! Have you seen Finnian recently?"

Bard immediately looked up and warmly smiled. "Ah! Hello there, milady! I'm afraid you've just missed him; he just left to tend to the garden."

"Well, at least I know where to find him!" Kyra chuckled. She made to leave but paused instead. "Actually, do you have a few moments? I would... like to talk to you about last night."

He was silent for several long moments. "Well, mi'lady, if you insist, but I would rather not."

"I'm afraid we must. Please don't think I am trying to interrogate you or anything. It's about the comic book comment... You laughed; we both did. So, we have something in common then, don't we? I am not from… around here and neither are you - and I don't mean that we are both Americans, either. I think you know what I mean, am I correct?" Kyra asked cautiously, not wanting to be pushy, but she wanted to know and was nervous about even asking.

"Well... It's rather complicated," he said, averting his gaze a bit and pausing in his polishing.

She smiled gently. "I know. It is for us too. Is my assumption correct?"

There was a long stretch of silence as the two stood there.

He eventually let out a heavy sigh. "... Yes... but like I said, it's... complicated."

"As is my situation," she repeated. "Bard... I think we have more in common than you think."

OoO

Kyra hummed as she walked toward the gazebo, looking for signs of the insufferable man.

'Ooh, Finny already started the fire like I asked!' Kyra noted with a smile. It would certainly be needed as the night's chill was already strong in the air. She hoped that the warmth from the fire had had enough time to start its magic. She clutched her shawl tighter around herself as she walked.

She settled down on the chair nearest to the fire, taking in its warmth. She patiently waited for several minutes before beginning to kick her feet, bored. 'Where is he?' She wondered. If he were inhuman as he seemed to claim and she suspected, then he should have no problem getting here and knowing she was waiting for him. Sebastian never seemed to have an issue with it.

Kyra sighed. 'Why do I even want to see this guy? He tried to herd me and he called me an idiot.' She huffed, shifting a bit.

She had just made up her mind to leave when she heard him.

"Wit urr ye dein' ower thare, wee lassie? Wit, urr he daft, eh? Come donder wi' me!"

She grit her teeth. "No thanks. I'm going to stay by the fire. It's way to chilly."

He reflected for a moment before shrugging and moving to join her, stopping when she held her hand up.

"Ah-ah-ah! You can come join me only if you speak proper English," Kyra tsk'd.

"Ah know, lassie," he chuckled. "Ah wis just joking with ye. Wit, so ye think ahm too daft to mind my own word?"

She held up her hands defensively. "You said it, not me."

He paused a moment before dramatically clutching his hands to his chest. "Ye wound mah heart, lassie!" He cried, doubling over as if in pain.

She burst out laughing, gesturing to the couch as she shook her head. 'Right. That's why,' she mused, 'He's funny as Hell, and goofy, too. Being hot as Hell doesn't hurt, either.'

His lips twitched as her laughter died down. "Now, then! Ah kin ye were sayin' ye'r a wee bit cold? C'mon o'er, then! Ah'll warm ye up a bit," he invited, patting the couch beside him.

Kyra rose an eyebrow, critically eyeing him. "I'm plenty fine by the fire for the moment, but thank you. Please remember that we don't even know each other."

"Och! Yer right, lassie! How rude o' me!" He grinned as he stood, flamboyantly bowing. Standing with his hand over his head, he twirled it as his hand came to rest upon his breast. "Ye may call me Nimrod."

A soft wheeze erupted from Kyra as she wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. "I'm Kyra... It's a pleasure..." She giggled. "Now, please excuse me..." With that, she all but tumbled forward from the chair to the floor, collapsing into a fit of giggles and hysterical laughter. "I'm sorry," she stuttered between gasps. "I never thought that people still use that name! The only way I've heard it used is to mean 'idiot'... dimwitted... Y'know?"

The now-dubbed Nimrod looked rather befuddled. "Ah've ne'er heard that afore. 'Tis rather a decent and respectable name."

"Not in America," she wheezed. "Not anymore, at least."

His mind wandered, not particularly caring about the supposed American meaning. 'Kyra... That goes lovely with mah own.'

"Again, sorry!" she said, sobering up. "I don't know why that struck me as so funny. I don't usually laugh so hard at something like that."

"It's alright, na apologies are wantit, lassie. Ye have a delightful roar, " he replied, amused. He was enjoying his time with the little lassie. With that thought, he couldn't help but wonder when he would return. The Scotsman smiled and asked, "Whin is Mister Sebastian due tae return?"

Kyra, surprised at the question, decided to choose her words carefully. "Oh, he should be back soon. Why? Did you need to speak to him?"

The man chuckled (rather mischievously, in Kyra's view). "Nah, and really. Ah sis just wondering whin th' man would be back." Nimrod paused, noting the change in her body language. She knew exactly when he would be back, he observed. She simply was not telling him. He very much wanted to know how much time he had to spend with this lovely vixen, so he asked again. "Bit do ye ken whin he is expected to return?"

Kyra was becoming very uncomfortable with his questions. She wanted to know why he was asking, but he clearly would be avoiding answering. She decided it would be best to change the subject. "So, Mister Nimrod, what brings you to England? Are you here on business or for pleasure?"

He smiled slowly, standing up and walking behind her chair. As he bent over, he whispered, "A'm 'ere fur pleasure, my dear." His face was close enough to her's that she could feel his breath when he whispered, "That's how come ah desperately need tae ken whin he is due back sae an kin plan this time wisely." He turned to look at her and smiled again, an inquisitive smile that seemed to scream at her to tell him what he wanted to know, a smile that seemed to have something dark hiding behind it... a smile that gave her the chills. "So, please, answer th' question, lassie."

In addition to the smile, Kyra was uncomfortable with him invading her personal space and pressing her so much about Sebastian. If he had no business with Sebastian, he had no right or good reason to be interrogating her like this. She had thought he was there to be with her and get to know her better, but why was he seemingly trying to avoid Sebastian? 'This can't be good. What should I do?'

It was when he shifted and she felt his breath on her lips that she made her decision. With her face flushed and her lips parted, her hands drifted to her belt and expertly unclasped it.

His eyes had followed her hands and he stared in bewilderment at her actions. "Wee lassie, dinnae ye think... that's headin' a bit-" He was cut off when her skirt sailed into his face and through it, he was slapped.

He heard the tell-tail sounds of her retreating again into the manor as she shouted, "CIEL! MEY-RIN! FINNY! BAAARD! BATTLE STATIONS! STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!"

'Well, she does exit with quite a flair... Both times!'

OoO

An arm snaked around Kyra's waist as soon as she entered the manor, swiftly pulling her to the side and against a strong chest. Her mouth was briefly covered by a large hand as the figure swiftly peeked out the door before dodging back inside.

"Pardon my rudeness, m'lady," Bard's gruff voice sounded. "Very quietly now, how many are there? Did you see where they were?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself as he let go of her mouth. "There was... There was only one, but... he's like Sebastian!"

He looked at her with his eyes widened in shock. "Like Mister Sebastian?! What does someone like that want? Is he after the young master?"

"No," she shook her head, "he seems to be after me but is overly concerned with Mister Sebastian's schedule. Last I saw, he was in the gazebo."

"With all due respect, m'lady, how did you get away from someone like that?" Bard asked, looking a mixture of bewildered, impressed and sceptical.

She paused for a moment before replying. "I threw my skirt at his face, slapped him and ran like Hell. I am quite fast, you know. I was on the track team." She puffed her chest in pride. "I was the captain of the track team."

His eyes slowly dropped, noting her lack of skirt. 'Well, I suppose that would... distract him...' "Well, it's a good thing you can do that, then. Why don't you go rest in your room while we take care of this, m'lady?"

She nodded, shaken.

"Alright," Bard grinned, staring at the gazebo. "Time to find this intruder."

"Bard?" Kyra hesitantly called from the door.

"Yes, m'lady?"

"Be careful."

A/N: Hey, guys! The Scottish-English translator I use can be found on my profile page. Thanks for reading! :)