That Butler, New Face

That Butler, Setting Sail

Horses's hooves stamped the ground as they ran down a road leading through woods, drawing the same carriage sent by Scotland Yard for Mister Woodley. Two men in police uniforms sat on top in the front, while Earl Grey sat on top in the back. The moon was high in the sky.

"I've been set up by him..." Woodley muttered. "Th-This wasn't meant to be... Th—"

"Shut it!" Grey said coldly, stabbing his blade through the top if the carriage so that it pierced through Woodley's head back to front at an angle. "Ugh, it really riles me up!" He withdrew his sword and slashed the air with it to fling off the blood. "I was so looking forward to knocking that little brat down a peg."

"It is all because you acted without thought for the consequences," Charles Phipps said, revealed to be the 'police officer' riding shotgun. The one driving was actually John Brown.

"Enough of your lectures, Phipps," Grey said, sheathing his blade. "But I suuure do wonder what Her Majesty's thinking!"

"Who can say?" said Phipps. "That is not for mere butlers like us to know. All is as Her Majesty the Queen wishes it to be—"

=†=†=†=†=†=

{Phantomhive Manor...}

It was a bright, beautiful morning, and Sebastian was just finishing up giving the servants their orders.

"That will be all by way of instructions for today, but..." Sebastian said. "... I have one final announcement. There will be a new servant joining us at the manor."

"Eh!?" Mei-Rin, Finni, and Bard said, surprised.

"Come in," Sebastian called, and the door behind him clicked open.

"!!?" they all gasped in alarm when several snakes slithered out into the kitchen.

"Yiiikes, snaaaaakes!" Bard yelled as he and Mei-Rin made a run for it.

"Gyaaah!" Mei-Rin cried.

"Wah!!" Finni exclaimed, flinching in surprise.

"Do pipe down," Sebastian told them.

"Don't worry, they're trained," Chêne said with a wry smile. "They won't bite unless he tells them to."

"He?" Bard asked nervously, hiding behind Finni.

"..." Snake peeked around the edge of the door meekly. Sebastian strode towards him and slapped him on the back. Snake flinched.

"Stand up straight now! Introduce yourself in a loud clear voice!" the butler told him. "Now that you are here, you must follow our Below-Stairs rules!"

"I-I'm Snake. W-We look forward to working with you. —says Oscar," Snake said.

"Umm... You're... Mister Oscar?" Finni asked.

"No!" Snake said firmly. He pointed at himself then the snake on his shoulder. "This is Snake, and I'm Oscar! —says Oscar." He pointed to the snake Mei-Rin was looking at. "That's Emily..." He pointed at the one hanging over Bard, who was freaking out because of it. "... And the one next to you is Bronte." He pointed at the one on Finni's shoulder. "And Wordsworth is over there."

"Nice to meet you!♥" Finni told the snake, while Mister Tanaka used a snake charming flute on the one on the floor in front of him.

"And the one by—"

CLAP.

"All right, that will do," Sebastian said, clapping his hands. "Let us leave the introduction of those servants for another time. Else it will be night before we know it. In any case, he is the Phantomhive footman as of today. Do try to work together, you lot." Snake was so nervous that his cowlick was trembling.