Establishing shot.
Track back.
"What's the absurdity of life as we know it?"
Ayo thought to himself, perhaps he had made a mistake, perhaps his sister, Jenna, was right.
"I can't handle this. You're on your own big bro!" She said with a whimsical smile, her voice loud as ever.
But that was about 20 minutes ago...? Ayo couldn't quite remember.
Following the girl named Themitha Bethany Shmurda the Third, it was unconvincing and somewhat a feeling of curiosity why an individual such as her would threaten him to follow her.
The streets looped back and forth, the buildings of several skyscrapers and warehouses pasted themselves upon the streets.
Cars played different notes like an upcoming teen band who'd learned how to play riffs from YouTube. Business suits and perfume fragrance filled his nostrils, tugging his lungs, restless.
It caused an ache in his stomach.
No longer able to bear it, he asked, his tone annoyed and anger visible.
"Where are we going again...?"
The girl swooped the hem of her bulky gown sideways as she strolled down the sidewalk, her over-the-top Victorian style dress drawing attention from others with questioning gazes.
"To meet Lady Ban, do I have to repeat myself, you human?!"
"She's as loud as my sister." Ayo recoiled.
"Lady Ban? Who's that?"
"Who's who?"
"Lady Ban."
"Lady Ban's Lady Ban."
Ayo rubbed his temples, his eyes rolling in their sockets.
Another several minutes passed, and Ayo had started to question his sanity, the gloomy sky of evening wasn't more welcoming or cozy at that.
If it was anything, it was threatening...
"...Or maybe I'm just hungry."
---
Arriving at a neighborhood, with identical houses of a meltdown of capitalism that real estate dealers resell, the two stumbled upon one house that stood out like red on porcelain.
A sore thumb.
"Speaking of red, what's up with the house?"
"Here we are, human."
"It's like an elephant hiding behind a tree..." Ayo muttered.
A house of the same exterior design as the others in the suburban area, but in contrast to the rest, it was bright red, a Christmas tree sitting at the doorstep, healthy green grass and knight's armor set standing proud at the pathway.
DREAD.
"It doesn't want me to come." A thick sweat dropped from Ayo's chin.
"Is that what it told you or what you're feeling right now? I can't expect much from you humans after all."
"What's all this, by the way?"
"Do you like dolls, human?"
"..."
"Well..?"
"No."
"Then you get no answers from me, human. Matter of fact, I shouldn't even refer to you as human, you're a pig, 'cause you don't like dolls."
Bethany puffed her cheeks as she snapped her fingers.
"What's going on...?"
Suddenly, he found himself in a room, a table with two chairs at each end, a clock ticking loudly, with several doors, each with the same words written on them.
"SHUT UP."
Ayo's eyes darted to every corner, until they rested on a woman sipping tea, her expression calm and serene, with long hair...
Very long hair that seemed as if it bloomed on the ground like petals.
"*:4;#(?" Ayo couldn't put his thoughts into words, every attempt crushing his capacity to reason clearly, until...
"Good morning."
'Huh? Good morning?' Ayo stopped his indistinct mumbling, staring at the lady as she continued drinking from her small glass cup.
"Isn't it evening?" He asked, scratching his head.
"You question what you're so sure of."
Ayo tilted his head slightly like it could help him understand his situation better.
"Bethany... where's Bethany--"
"On an errand."
"..."
Ayo observed her closely, her long dark hair grabbing a kettle, with seamless motion, it poured some tea in a cup for him.
"Tea?" She offered.
"Uh... Thank you...?" He received the cup from the hair acting on its own.
As much as the tea smelled heavenly, Ayo didn't take a sip, paranoia perhaps?
The ticking clock echoed across the room, but its hands never left their position.
"I've seen great things from you, Ayo." The lady opened the can of sentence, breaking the silence.
"Great things?"
"Yes, great things."
"You mean arguments with my sister and watching Ed, Edd n Eddy?"
She stopped her idle sipping, staring at Ayo's eyes.
"You have large hair, just like mine..."
Ayo traced around her strand of hair, "hair shampoo, gel and a bit of swag." He listed like a buffoon.
"Swag, eh? I doubt that."
"Not all swag clicks with everyone, some are just like niche movie genres."
"A particular category of people will find your sense of swag actually worth giving attention..." Ayo stirred his cup of tea before saying, "...I assume you have a type of swag you're going with, Lady Ban."
"I don't like the word 'Swagger,' it's too jagger..." She rubbed her chin with a thoughtful expression, "I'm more of the woman to go for a class of elegance."
"Elegance... Just like my hair, right...?" Ayo sneered.
"No, just like this gentleman." Lady Ban revealed an 18+ magazine, naked male with... well, extreme girth.
Ayo's eyes widened slightly at the sight, "so you're a goonette?"
"What does that mean?" She asked, tilting her head as she leaned closer.
"Another funny word for a chronic masturbator... Anyways, do you think a less elegant man like me has done great things?"
Lady Ban raised her brows, dropping her cup, the tea still filled to the brim despite her continuous sipping.
"I've met some of your clients, all were thankful for what you've done for them."
"Clients? Last time I checked, I wasn't a businessman." Ayo responded, folding his arms.
"It seems like you aren't informed."
"Of what exactly?"
"About what and who we are." She raised her finger, "We're the Augustus Occultist Club. Responsible for taking care of cases."
'Cases?'
Ayo gulped, his hand scratching his thigh, "I see."
DANGER.
"Is something wrong?"
Ayo stopped scratching his thigh, "it's nothing, I'm just anxious about... 'cases.'"
"I see..." She resumed her sipping.
Ayo tapped the table with his fingers, running them like a drum on the table's surface.
The clock's loud ticking syncing with the tempo of his fingers.
He continued drumming his fingers on the table, this time faster, his eyes blinking in nanoseconds.
Then a hitch in his breath, his lips dry.
He picked up his cup of tea, and started drinking. With each chug, the tea didn't even go down.
Thud!
Ayo hit the cup to the table, his lips stretched with his eyes narrowed.
"I forgot to do the laundry." Ayo muttered, his words slipping into Lady Ban's ears.
"...I see. Too bad you'll be turning into a vampire soon."
"What?"