dandelionterminal

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 8 - Chapter 4: His Mate, Fickle: Part One

link to next part (coming soon)

Notes:

I thought it best to split this one into two parts because they feel like separate major incidents in the arc. This one covers the Undertaker and the next one will cover Viscount Druitt. I took some creative liberties with Madam Red's censored gossip.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter 4 - His Mate, Fickle: Part One

A horse-drawn carriage pulled into the front of a stately estate as Ciel, Sebastian, and Adelaide arrived at the Phantomhive manor house in London. 

“I hate this,” Adelaide said. “There are far too many people in London.” 

“I agree,” Ciel said. “They migrate en masse during the season like birds.” 

“Respectfully, my lord, why was I required to accompany you?” Adelaide asked. “I am your governess, I will be no help on this case.” 

“You are here to assist Sebastian,” Ciel said. “Both of you are connected to the supernatural. You both may be required if there is a supernatural element to this case.”

“Think of it this way,” Sebastian said with a faux smile on his face. “It will be a nice change of pace. It will give us some peace and quiet.” 

“Peace and quiet do sound nice,” Ciel said as he ascended the stairs. 

As Sebastian opened the office door, a ghastly scene was revealed. The office was overturned, books stacked everywhere, linens and cups pulled out of cupboards, toys littering the furniture. At the center of it all was Lau, staring into a vase. Madam Red was in a cupboard, rummaging and talking about tea. 

The trio at the door stood dumbfounded and annoyed. “So much for peace and quiet,” Adelaide stated. “You’ll be lucky if you are not assaulted again by the madam,” she whispered to the demon. 

“Oh, that is what is on your mind?” Sebastian whispered back with a grin. “Feeling jealous, are we?” 

Adelaide scoffed, crossing her arms. “Not in the slightest. I’m worried for her health is all.” Truth be told, she did not know why Madam Red’s fascination with Sebastian bothered her so much. She sighed as she watched Ciel shout at the opium lord, his aunt, and the inept butler named Grell. 

“If you are here in London it can only mean one thing, my lord,” Lau stated. 

Madam Red smiled darkly. “The Queen’s Guard Dog must have a new scent to follow.”

-

Sebastian set the nobles up for tea as Adelaide busied herself with cleaning up the mess the madam and Lau had made. 

“He struck again,” Ciel said, sipping tea. “Another prostitute was found murdered in Whitechapel. The level of violence in these killings is far from normal.” 

“The most recent victim was a woman named Mary Ann Nichols. A special blade seems to have been used on her. She was torn up beyond recognition,” Sebastian stated grimly. 

“His distinctive style of killing has earned him the nickname Jack the Ripper,” Ciel stated sternly.

“A frightening name, isn’t it?” Lau asked rhetorically.

“The grotesque nature is why I am here earlier than expected. I hurried into the city to look into the cases myself,” the young earl responded. 

Lau set his teacup down with a smirk. “But are you sure you will be brave enough to stomach the crime scene? And it most certainly isn’t a place for a lady such as your governess.”

Ciel frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Lau continued. “The sight of the dismembered body is probably more than enough to drive some men mad. The stench and sight will certainly be horrific as well,” Lau stood fluidly and made his way over to Ciel. “Are you and your governess prepared for such a thing? You are just a young boy and the governess is a lady,” he cupped the boy’s cheek tenderly. 

“I am the head of the Phantomhives. My service is to her majesty. By proxy, my staff’s service is as well. We are more than prepared. Do not ask such foolish questions,” Ciel said firmly with a glare. 

-

In the crowded streets of London, Ciel and his posse is found approaching the crime scene of the latest Jack the Ripper victim. Ciel, Sebastian, and Adelaide approach the alleyway from the crowd, drawing the eyes of one of the Scotland Yard members. He was younger, with red hair and a friendly smile. He leaned down to speak to Ciel. “Sorry, my boy. I’m afraid a crime scene is no place for a child. You should run along home now,” he said. 

Ciel stared up at him and bluntly said “I’m here to see the victim’s body.”

This shocked and angered the ginger man. “The body?! Surely you’re playing a joke!”

From the shadows came a voice calling to the ginger man. “Abberline!” The holder of the voice came forward, revealing a top hat and wrinkled face adorned with a stern mustache a sideburns. “Well if it isn’t the Lord of Phantomhive… what are you doing here?” 

The red-headed man, Abberline, turned to the mustached man, “You know this kid, sir?”

Ciel smirked deviously. “We’ve come to help, Sir Arthur. It seems your investigation is dragging a bit.” He held up the letter he received from the queen proudly. “You know who sent me, of course.” 

Both men stared at him in shock. Ciel took the opportunity to snatch the papers Abberline was holding from his hands. Adelaide looked at the papers over his shoulder. “It looks as though they have found no clues yet, my lord,” she said. 

Sir Arthur took the papers back from the boy and declared that Scotland Yard was fully capable of solving the case on their own. With that they left, heading to an associate who may have more information. 

-

As the group traveled in their carriage, Sebastian and Adelaide steered the horses. Sebastian, eyes still on the road ahead, asked his mate a question. 

“Are you wearing the pendant I gave you?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she responded, her tone laced with slight disgust. 

Sebastian smiled smugly. “Good, I’m glad to hear it.” While the pendant was for her protection, it also satisfied a need in the demon to have a claim on the human woman. She would now carry his aura with her at all times, signaling to all the other demons and entities that she was his. “It will help keep you safe. If you are ever in danger and cannot call for me, squeeze it and I will feel it.” 

“That’s creepy,” she said. “But I will keep a note of it, monsieur.” 

-

The group arrived at a morbidly decorated building. A large sign with the inscription of “undertaker” drew the eye to the skulls decorating the top of the shop. 

As everyone observed the building, Lau lifted his hands in confusion. “So… where are we?”

“It’s a funeral parlor run by an acquaintance of my lord’s,” Sebastian said, observing Adelaide out of the corner of his eye. The woman was standing halfway behind him, squinting at the door to the shop. She could feel something off about the building. It carried similar energy to Madam Red’s butler, but older and more intimidating. 

The group made their way into the shop, Ciel leading the charge. “If we are looking for answers this is the place to go.”

The shop was dark. The only light came from the open door and curtained windows. In the dim light, Adelaide could see the main area was lined with coffins and jars full of formaldehyde and body parts. An anatomical mannequin stood in a corner, watching the group enter. 

A menacing laugh came from the darkness. “Welcome. I thought I’d be seeing you before long,” a scratchy voice said. Lau, Grell, and Madam Red stood back to back, looking for the owner of the voice. Adelaide subconsciously gripped Sebastian’s sleeve, eyes wide and trying to see in the darkness. The demon internally purred at the gesture, his chest puffing a bit in pride.

Rattling like thunder came from the shadows as the voice continued to speak. A silver-haired man with long hair, black claw-like nails, and shining green eyes covered by bangs emerged from a coffin. “My lord it is so lovely to see you. Do I finally have the pleasure of fitting you for one of me coffins today?” the man, the Undertaker, asked as he revealed himself from the coffin. His long, black robes and hat were finally on display. Adelaide gripped Sebastian’s sleeve tighter as Lau, Madam Red, and Grell looked at the Undertaker in shock. 

“No that isn’t why I’m here,” Ciel began, bored. “I wanted to-” before he was cut off by the Undertaker with a hand on his cheek. 

“No need, I’m already fully aware,” the Undertaker said. He lifted his head slightly and took in the sight of Adelaide, who was half behind Sebastian and squinting at the Undertaker. The Undertaker’s already devious smile widened at the sight of her. “One of my recent customers was a bit unusual, shall we say? I helped make her beautiful again,” he said, smiling and moving his hands. 

“I would like the details, please,” Ciel said plainly. 

Lau piped up from his position. “I see. So the funeral parlor is just a cover business. So how much is it for information?” he asked, hands on his hips. 

The Undertaker bolted over to Lau and got into his face, making Lau bend backwards to keep space between them. “I have no need for the Queen’s coins!” he declared. “There is only one thing that I want from you!” he turned to Ciel, practically drooling. “Please my lord. Give it to me and I’ll tell you anything!” 

Adelaide looked on, eyes wide, ready to step in and help the boy. Sebastian held her back, however, and pointed out Ciel’s expression. The boy looked exasperated. He was not afraid of the man or uncomfortable at all. 

“Just give me the gift of true laughter!” the Undertaker proclaimed. “Just one joke and all me information is yours!” the man (being?) panted and writhed around in his place. 

“Cet homme est un fou…” Adelaide mumbled under her breath. 

Lau, with a completely serious face, spoke up again. “Leave it to me, my lord. Here is my joke,” he lifted his head. “It is a classic. On which side does a tiger have the most stripes? On the outside,” he smiled, proud of himself, and turned to the Undertaker. “Get it?”

When everyone stayed silent, Madam Red stepped forward with determination. “My turn,” she announced. “I live for gossip,” she began. “This story will make you laugh so hard you may die! So Alice’s beau gave her the most extraordinary dildo for her birthday,” she said with no shame. Adelaide blushed down to her neck and covered Ciel’s ears. Sebastian, smirking, covered Adelaide’s so she would not be uncomfortable. “It was sooo wide and thick with thick veins running down the side, all the way down the shaft-” she was cut off by Adelaide when she glared at the woman and pointedly looked at Ciel. 

“Now my lord it seems you’re the only one left… I gave you a discount last time but I will not be so generous this time,” the Undertaker said, making Ciel snarl in frustration. 

“It cannot be helped,” Sebastian said, stepping forward. “Everyone please wait outside. And do not try to listen in,” he glared at the people behind him. 

While the nobles and Grell put up no fight, Adelaide refused. The door shut and she glared at the demon. “I am not leaving,” she said firmly. Truthfully, she did not know why she was determined to stay. She didn’t want to hear the joke. She just didn’t feel comfortable leaving Sebastian in there. 

“Miss DuPont, this is not something you should hear,” Sebastian said, furrowing his brows at the woman. 

“I do not care,” she said. “I am staying right here.”

“Miss DuPont I insist that you-”

“I said no. I am not leaving,” she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. 

The Undertaker laughed, not loud enough for those outside to hear, but he laughed. 

“Has the butler found someone to go toe-to-toe with?” the Undertaker asked. 

Adelaide pointed at him. “You laughed. I don’t know what you are, but you are not human. You have to answer our lord’s questions now and let us leave.”

“I will answer your questions first,” the Undertaker said, grinning. “I can see that you have many.”

Adelaide paused in her stubbornness. “What?” 

“Just ask,” the Undertaker said. “And then let the butler tell his joke so I can answer the earl’s questions.”

Adelaide thought for a moment. This being was not human and he was offering answers. What if he knew what happened that night to her parents? What if he knew why she and Luca were spared? “What caused the fire that killed my parents?” she asked. 

“Can’t answer that, sorry!” the Underaker giggled, eating a bone biscuit while lounging on a coffin. 

“But-” she began but he cut her off. “I can see many things in people’s lives, but not in yours. Your soul is not of the human realm, I can’t see what is not human,” he explained. 

“What do you mean? I’m not human?” she asked. 

“Nope. You’re closer to the butler than to human,” he said. 

Adelaide stumbled backwards, causing Sebastian to steady her and set her on a coffin to sit. She stared at the ground, feeling ill. Her soul did not belong to the human realm. 

-

After Sebastian had made the Undertaker laugh and the nobles and Grell had come back in, the Undertaker began to tell Ciel what had been happening with his latest clientele. The nobles we sat drinking tea out of beakers, Sebastian stood guard over the stunned Adelaide. “I’ve been receiving clients who are incomplete, you see?” he stated. He walked over the Adelaide, who was still in a slight daze, and used her as a prop. He pointed to her abdomen. “The uterus is missing, which is quite odd,” he said. Sebastian gave him a glare, a warning, but the Undertaker just spun off with a smile. He grabbed his model, staring at it. “He always makes a big mess of the body, but the uterus is always cleanly cut out.”

“He does these killings on the road though,” Sebastian said. “Wouldn’t someone inexperienced have a hard time completing a difficult procedure quickly enough?” 

The Undertaker smiled wider and turned around. “You’re a clever butler,” he said. “That is what I was thinking.” He walked over to Adelaide again and put a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened and glanced up at him as Sebastian contained a growl that was building in his chest. “First he slits her throat with a sharp weapon,” he said,  drawing his finger across her neck. “Then he rips into them right here,” he put his finger on her lower abdomen. Sebastian’s eyes began to glow menacingly as he clenched his fists. “And he takes that precious womanly part,” he concluded while poking her cheek. Sebastian put his hands on her shoulders and glared at the silver-haired man. “There will be more slain, I am sure,” he said. “Killers like him don’t stop until someone makes them stop.”

Adelaide watched the man as he talked to Ciel with critical eyes before looking at Grell. Their energy was similar, she was certain of it. Why would creatures like them take on such mundane jobs? She felt as if there were ulterior motives to their presence in the case.

Notes:

Cet homme est un fou - that man is a lunatic/that man is crazy/this man is crazy

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 7 - Chapter 4: His Mate, Supreme

link to next part

TW: non-graphic descriptions of Grell attempting self-exit because for some reason that was a characteristic of Grell. They/them for Grell until she stops the butler shtick. I love Elizabeth so much, you have no idea. I would die for that girl.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

It was a peaceful day at the Phantomhive estate, despite them being host to the inept butler that was Grell Sutcliff. Adelaide could not put her finger on it, but she did not trust the bespeckled butler. Something about them seemed off. 

At the moment, Bardroy was lounging in the estate's garden, listening to the strange butler prattle on about the success of the Funtom company. Adelaide sat a distance away, preparing French lessons with the help of Luca. The two strawberry blonds discussed what the earl needed to learn in order to succeed in imports and exports from France. The strange butler was trimming hedges with a large set of shears. 

Suddenly, Tanaka appeared behind Grell, in a lucid and dignified state, and explained the origin of the Phantomhive manor’s current state. The servants all smiled and celebrated Tanaka being in his more dignified state. 

As Tanaka discussed the fall of the old Phantomhive manor, Adelaide could not help but notice the similarities between the Phantomhive manor’s destruction and her own family’s demise. A great fire, a miraculous survivor… it was all eerily similar to that night all that time ago. 

As Tanaka deflated, Adelaide looked up from her work to notice Grell’s handiwork on the shrubbery. “Excuse-moi…” she started. “But why is all the foliage shaped like skulls?” 

This question sent the servants and Grell spiraling. Grell dramatically flung themselves at a tree, attempting to hang themselves from one of the branches. The servants worked to get him down as Adelaide stood from her seat and dusted her gown off. 

Suddenly, a pale, small hand with a bright orange bell sleeve reached up and pulled the steps out from under Grell.

-

As the doors of the mansion opened, the servants all came out in droves, flocking to their master and his butler. Stalling behind them was Adelaide, walking slowly and seemingly unbothered by the state of the manor house. 

The servants were all dressed in absurd garments. The chef had a bonnet on his head and a bib around his neck, the gardener had bunny ears and limbs, Luca had bear ears and paws on, and Adelaide had cat ears and a tail. She pretended to be unbothered, but in truth her current state of dress was embarrassing her. 

As the servants sobbed on the butler, he stared at Adelaide, causing her to pause in her steps. He took in the sight of his fated mate, still in her normal gown but her pinkish-hued hair was adorned in a fuzzy black headband with cat ears pointing out of it. Around her waist was a ribbon holding a fuzzy black tail. Her neck was additionally ornamented with a black lace choker with a jingling bell on it. Adelaide moved her arms up to her chest to cover herself in shyness, a faint blush coated her pale cheeks. 

“Can you not look at me like that? C'est gênant…” Adelaide trailed off. 

“Why on earth are all of you dressed like this?” Sebastian asked, looking at Bardroy who was clutching his collar. 

“She’s crazy!” Bard shouted, pointing down the hall. 

“Who?” Ciel asked before he was distracted by the sound of gurgling coming from the next room. Butler and master stuck their heads into the room to find Grell hanging by his neck from the ceiling. The servants of the house followed after them, hiding behind them. Luca and Finny could be seen hiding behind Bard while Adelaide hid behind Sebastian, instinctively and subconsciously gripping his tailcoat. The small action pleased the demon, knowing that his bond with his mate was growing. 

“What the blazes are you doing now?!” Ciel shouted at Grell. 

“I believe I am in the process of dying, currently, my lord,” Grell responded. 

As Sebastian strolled over to take the strange butler down from the ceiling, a squealing blur streaked across the room towards Ciel. As the curly haired, blonde girl clung onto the lord of the house, the servants, including Adelaide, shrank away in fright. Luca continued to cling to Finnian and Adelaide took residence behind Bard now that the demon butler was not at her side. Adelaide turning towards Bard caused the demon butler to glower at the man. 

The blonde girl clinging to Ciel rubbed her cheek against him and blabbered about how much she missed him. 

“Oh Elizabeth what a surprise!” Ciel said awkwardly. The blonde girl pulled back at that with a beaming smile. 

“Oh how many times must I tell you to call me Lizzie!” she said. She scooped him back into her arms “Oh you truly are just the cutest thing ever aren’t you? You darling boy I could just eat you right up!” 

Sebastian did his best to mask his dislike of the young lady clinging to his prey as he drug Grell with him over to his master. “Lady Elizabeth,” he said, drawing the girl’s attention away from Ciel. Once the lady was drawn away from Ciel to greet the butler, Ciel turned away, exhausted by the affections of the blonde. 

“Aww you took him down?” Elizabeth, Lizzie, said about Grell. 

“Yes, I’m afraid he was detracting from the beauty of the room,” Sebastian said, attempting to placate the young lady. 

The lady gasped in offense, “But I had made such a lovely decoration out of him!” she said. 

Adelaide furrowed her brow from behind the chef. “A decoration?” she asked in shock. “What a morbid idea for a decoration…” 

Lizzie beamed. “Yes! Look at it all! Isn’t the salon so cute now?” she gestured to the glittering and frilly decor she had put all over the salon. Stuffed animals, bows, glitter, tinsel, and pink paint littered the salon. Ciel frowned at the sight. 

“My mansion is so pink now…” he said. 

“From now on only the cutest things belong in the Phantomhive manor!” Lizzie declared. “Don’t you agree, Antoinette?” All eyes moved to Tanaka, whose head had been covered in a curly blond wig. Sebastian’s eyes showed the slightest bit of sympathy for Tanaka as he observed him. “Oh and I have a present for you too!” Elizabeth beamed as she threw a pink flowery bonnet on the butler’s head. “You’re always dressed in black so I thought this would be a nice change! What do you think?” 

Adelaide and the servants had to fully turn around to hide their laughter. Adelaide stared at the butler over her shoulder, thinking about how endearing it was to see him be kind to the young lady. She saw the butler glaring over at the servants, trying to mask the harshness in his eyes when looking at Adelaide and just sending her a weary look. The servants all straightened up and stood at attention. 

Sebastian smiled and bowed to the young lady “I am deeply honored that you would go to such length for a humble servant, Lady Elizabeth. Your generosity is overwhelming,” he said with a plastered-on smile. 

As Ciel questioned the lady about how she came to be at the manor, Adelaide approached Sebastian. The bell around her neck jingled as she approached, causing her to groan in exasperation. 

“Monsieur Sebastian,” she began, gesturing for him to bend down so she could whisper in his ear. The butler fought the blush that rose to his cheeks at seeing her in the cat accessories and bent to her level.  “Who is the young lady? All the servants and I have been going along with her antics, but we haven’t the faintest who she is to the master.” 

Sebastian smirked at the opportunity that presented itself. He whispered in her ear “She is the master’s fiancee. By the way, I absolutely adore cats.” The seductive tone in his voice combined with the heat of his breath caused Adelaide to flush pink up to her ears and back away. 

“So what is the young lady’s name?” she asked, trying to put the conversation back on track. 

“Ah, she is the daughter of the Marquess of Scotney, Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford of Scotney, the master’s fiancee,” Sebastian said, straightening his tie. 

All the servants popped up in shock. “The master is marrying her?” Bardroy growled out. 

“Is that a problem?” Sebastian asked. “Nobles marry other nobles.”

Elizabeth spun around in her dress. “I know! Now that the manor is so prettily decorated, we should hold a ball tonight!” She strutted over to Ciel, despite his apparent displeasure and protests. “You can be my escort and we can dance around all evening,” she spun the earl around before hugging him. “You’ll wear the clothes I selected for you right? Pretty please? You’ll look so dashing, I promise!” Ciel began to protest before the lady turned away, “And of course I’ll be dressed up too!” the lady ran up to Adelaide and grabbed her arm. “And you come with me! I want to make you even cuter than you already are!” 

“Pardon? Ah!” Adelaide protested before she was pulled away by the curly haired blonde, Sebastian trying to suppress the snarl that was forming in his chest at his mate being taken away from him. 

-

In one of the guest suites, Elizabeth had Adelaide sat in front of her as she brushed her hair. 

“So tell me, miss governess, what brought you to the Phantomhive manor?” she asked. 

“Pardon? I don’t believe I understand…” Adelaide asked. “I simply work for the earl tutoring him in French and other subjects…” she tried to mask her discomfort and the probing questions she could feel coming. 

“I’m not as dense as I seem to be, you know?” Elizabeth said, holding some bows up to Adelaide’s hair to see how they would look. “No noble in their right mind would hire such a strange staff unless there were ulterior motives. I know Ciel’s business is difficult, the staff must be exceptional. So what makes you exceptional?” 

“I truly am not, my lady,” Adelaide said, tolerating the poofy white bows that Lizzie was putting on her cat ears. “Lord Phantomhive welcomed my brother and me in out of kindness, nothing more.” 

Lizzie hummed, putting some flowers in her hair. “If you insist, miss governess,” she said. “Now let’s get you dressed! Sebastian is most smitten with you, we must make you cute to draw his eye!” she declared while clapping her hands together. “Oh I believe you are mistaken, mademoiselle,” Adelaide said. “Sebastian is not interested in me in that way.” 

“With how pale your skin is white would wash you out,” Elizabeth said, ignoring Adelaide’s comments. “I think some green would look excellent on you and bring out your eyes. Oh, I just know Sebastian is going to fall for you!” 

Before she knew it, Adelaide was swept away by the girl and shoved into a frilly moss-green dress with ruffled sleeves and bows on the bodice. She could not escape the cat accessories either. Elizabeth insisted they made her “cuter”. She just knew that Sebastian would laugh at her that night. 

-

“I just know Ciel will look dashing when he appears,” Elizabeth prattled on to Mey-Rin and Adelaide. “Blue is his color, it brings out his eyes so well.” Lizzie was dressed in a crimson evening gown with pink accents and lace trimming. When Ciel appeared, telling her to leave the women alone, she dashed over to him, gushing about how adorable he looked. She spun the boy around in circles. When she ceased the spinning and gushing she developed a murderous look on her face. “Ciel… where is the ring I bought you?”

“The ring I already have is fine,” Ciel said, ignoring her. 

“But the ring I bought matches your outfit perfectly! This one isn’t cute at all! I just want everything to be perfect…” she trailed off. 

“That’s not it… Lizzie this ring is-” Ciel started before Elizabeth snatched the ring off his finger. 

“Hah! Fooled you! It’s mine now!” Lizzie declared. 

“My lady you should give that back…” Adelaide began. 

“Give it back Elizabeth,” Ciel snapped. “Now.” 

“Why is everyone so protective of this ring?” Elizabeth asked. “It’s far too big for you… You’re ruining our evening! Take it!” she threw the ring on the ground, shattering the stone and separating it from the band. 

Ciel was overcome with anger at the sight and dashed forward, arm raised to hit the young lady. Adelaide rushed forward and blocked the girl from getting struck while Sebastian grabbed the boy’s arm in an attempt to calm the situation. 

“Master,” Sebastian began, a stern look on his face. “You forgot your walking stick that we went to so much trouble to get today.” Ciel panted in anger, trying to ground himself as his fiancee trembled in front of him. Sebastian put the walking stick in the boy’s hand and approached his mate and the young lady she was guarding. Adelaide stuck her arm out to protect the sniffling girl. Sebastian put a hand on his heart before explaining the situation to Elizabeth. “Forgive my master, Lady Elizabeth, but that ring was a precious heirloom passed down to the head of the Phantomhive household. He has grown quite attached to it, so please try to understand why he was so upset.” 

Elizabeth gasped. “It was that important? And I destroyed it?” Ciel picked up the remnants of the ring and approached an open window in the ballroom. “Ciel please I didn’t know-” Lizzie began before gasping as he threw the ring out the window. Elizabeth dashed over to the window. “What are you doing?” she asked in shock. 

“It was nothing but an old ring after all,” Ciel said. “It does not change the fact that I am head of the household.” As Ciel declared this with pride, Sebastian smirked at the boy. Ciel turned to his sniveling fiancee “How long are you going to cry?” 

“I-I’m sorry-” Lizzie said, meeting his eyes. 

“Your face is a mess, completely unsuited for a lady,” Ciel said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “How can I ask a lady with tears in her eyes to dance?” 

The lady’s eyes widened in surprise. “To dance?” As she asked that, violin music began to play, courtesy of Grell. 

“So then we are in agreement to forget our worries and dance the night away?” Ciel asked his future wife. The lady beamed and nodded. 

As the two teens spun around the room, Sebastian approached Adelaide and bowed at the waist with an extended hand. “Lady DuPont, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

“Ah umm…” she started. “I am not a good dancer. I may have attended balls, but I did so for social climbing…” she explained. 

“Ah it is lucky for you then that I am one hell of a dance leader,” Sebastian said. “Please do me the honor of leading you on the dance floor.”

Adelaide sighed but took his hand. “Just this once,” she said. “It is humiliating enough to be forced into this garb.” 

“Yet you still look lovely,” Sebastian said as he began to lead her in a waltz. 

“Do not lie to me, demon, I know you mock me,” she said to him with a glare. 

“I do not lie, my lady,” the butler said. “I told you earlier, I do so love cats.” He took a hand off her waist to poke the bell on her neck, causing her to blush. “That is quite enough,” she said, eyeing Lizzie’s beaming expression as she watched the two of them. “You should use your powers to fix the ring.”

“I already planned on it, my lady,” he said. “My master cannot go without his status symbol.” 

Adelaide nodded. “Another thing,” she said. “Is Grell a bit... Peculiar to you? As if they are not… human?” 

Sebastian nodded. “I had noticed as well,” he said. “I will investigate it, do not worry. You are safe here. Which reminds me…” he reached into his breast pocket as the song ended. All eyes were glued on the pair as he brought out a gift box and opened it. He pulled out a black chain with a shining black feather pendant on it. “A gift,” he said, handing it to her. 

Adelaide could feel the sparkling eyes of the audience and began to think critically. She had questions, but could not ask in the silence. “Put it on for me?” she asked, turning her back to the demon. 

He placed the chain around her neck and she whispered in French, “À quoi ça sert?” 

“Cela te protégera quand je ne pourrai pas être là. Il est imprégné de mon énergie,” he responded in an equally hushed tone. 

Adelaide looked at the demon quizzically as he pulled away. “Merci beaucoup,” she said as Lizzie ran up to her and hugged her, gushing about how romantic the scenario was. 

All in all, it was a disastrous evening in the Phantomhive house.

Notes:

Translations: C'est gênant - it's embarrassing À quoi ça sert? - what is this for? Cela te protégera quand je ne pourrai pas être là. Il est imprégné de mon énergie - It will protect you when I can't be there. It is infused with my energy. I am almost fluent in French but I did not know the words "protect", "infused", or "energy" so I had to use Google Translate for the last sentence. Next chapters we finally enter the Jack the Ripper arc!

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 6 - Chapter 3: Her Mate, Contemplating

link to next part

“Time passes differently in Hell. It is part of the divine punishment from the forgiving creator. Those put into Hell watch as those in the living realm age slowly, while they age rapidly. By the time a human is a teenager, a demon is an adult.” Malphas thought to himself as he tidied the dining hall. “ We stay children for longer and then rapidly grow. We are denied the joy of adolescence.” 

Not that Malphas thought it was a joy. He watched his master stumble his way through it daily. It was a time of agony for humans, but also a time of discovery. Rather than discover themselves as adolescents, demons were denied a complete soul until they bonded with their soulmates. It was not uncommon for demons to hunt down their soulmates by following the thread tied to their neck. It was golden and shimmering, bound tightly to a demon’s neck. It was connected to the wrist of a human or another demon. 

It was rare that it was a human that held the other end of the thread, but when it was in the possession of a human it caused the human immense hardship. The human would possess abilities that would isolate them. Human mates were often sent to asylums as children due to their abilities being misunderstood as hallucinations or delusions. They would feel detached from other humans because of their abilities. They would draw in other spirits and demons that would cause trouble for them because of their energy. That was likely what happened to the DuPont family. 

Demons ran in packs, or families. Powerful demons took younger, weaker ones under their wings and provided protection. This included mates. The families shared a nest, usually a cave system with many branches. The caves were decorated in warm torchlight and furs. Gemstones and treasures from the human realm were hoarded in the caves, trophies of their contracts. 

Malphas sighed recalling his home. While he was under contract as Sebastian Michaelis he could not take Adelaide to his home in Hell to protect her. She would be in danger even more so now that she was connected to his master. Under normal circumstances, she would have never met his contract, at least until she consumed enough demonic energy to be strong enough to protect herself. And then there was her brother, who was clearly another demon’s mate. He knew his mate would not willingly leave the boy. 

He tugged on the thread that glimmered around his neck. He would have to find a way to protect his mate and his master at the same time while also ensuring that the young DuPont boy found his demonic other half so Adelaide would go with him to Hell. This was getting quite complicated. 

-

Malphas followed the golden thread until he found it, which led to a closed door. A washroom, to be exact. He took advantage of his advanced hearing and listened in through the door. 

“Honestly Mey-Rin, you don’t have to accompany me every time I enter the bath,” he heard his mate say. 

“Oh but you come from a noble background, my lady, you may need help,” he heard the easily flustered maid’s shrill voice squeak out. Under normal circumstances, he would be the one taking care of his mate. He would take over all aspects of her care including washing her, feeding her, grooming her… A demon takes over all aspects of serving their mate and contracts. It is a point of pride for the species. However, the time period did not allow for him to enter the room while his mate was in undress. Truly, the sense of prudeness in the era was extraordinary. He placated that urge by brushing her hair in the evening. 

“I am quite capable. You would be surprised what you learn when you have to live without servants to aid you,” his mate responded wistfully. That bothered the demon, that his mate had to endure hardship. When she had shown up that evening, gaunt and pale, for the first time in his life he felt horror and shock. Feeling such a range of emotions was startling for the demon. 

“If you would like to stay, though, Mey-Rin, I would not mind the company,” his mate said with a giggle. “We can talk about that obvious crush you have on Sebastian.” 

That gave Malphas pause. He knew that the maid had feelings for him, much like many of the mortal women he encountered, but he did not expect Adelaide to encourage it when she knew what he was. “W-what ever are you talking about, my lady?” the red-haired maid stammered out. He heard water splash as his mate laughed. 

“It’s not a secret, Mey-Rin, we can all see it.”

“Even so… he is not interested in someone like me,” Mey-Rin responded, her chest deflated. 

“Oh don’t say that,” Adelaide said, water splashing as she turned in the tub. “You’re beautiful, Mey-Rin. In France, we would call you une magnifique rose .” 

Mey-Rin oohed and ahhed at that. “Oh my lady your French is so pretty, yes it is,” she said. 

Adelaide laughed at that. Malphas absorbed that laugh with a small smile and let it echo in his mind as he walked away. He would have to find a way to protect her while he was away. 

-

Once the house had settled into a slumber, Malphas began his work. He thought of who he could ask for assistance. He could ask his mentor, the one who had helped to raise him into the Elder demon that he was, but that involved summoning the demon. However, under the cover of darkness, it would not be hard to establish a brief communication with him. He may have to swallow his pride and ask for assistance from his old mentor. 

When his mentor had brought home a human woman from a contract millennia ago, Malphas had been startled. Andrealphus had never shown interest in the sin of lust. In fact, Malphas had chosen to be mentored by the Elder demon because they shared a dislike of the sin. Andrealphus then explained that the human woman, Chloris, was his mate. He taught Malphas how to see auras and the threads. He saw the shining gold thread tied tightly around his mentor’s throat and panicked, thinking it would kill his mentor. He was still young and naive, unaware that such a simple thing would not hurt the demon. His mentor had laughed at him and told him he had one too and that in due time he could stand on the barrier to see them. 

-

Malphas lit a fire in the fireplace and waited until the coals were simmering and glowing to recite the incantation. When he did, his disgruntled mentor’s face molded into the coals. 

“Malphas, this better be important,” the man said. His voice was as gruff as always. The peacock feathers in his hair flared in agitation. 

“I assure you it is, mentor,” Malphas said. “I have found my mate.”

“Congratulations. Is that all?” the older demon asked.

“No, you see… my master is rather troublesome, always in danger and needing protection. How can I protect them both at once?”

“Straight to the point. Good, I like that. Just give your mate one of your feathers. Then you can feel if they are in danger. If that is all, goodbye,” the elder demon faded from the coals, leaving ash and a peacock feather behind. 

-

Feathers may be a fashionable item, but not in every situation. Malphas doubted that Adelaide would willingly wear a black feather at all times. He would have to make it discreet so that it could be hidden underneath her clothes. He would have to monitor her for a while longer until he could gather her likes and dislikes. 

“We will be back shortly,” his master said, exiting the manor. “Try not to destroy the place while I am away,” he said, addressing his servants.

“I will watch them, young lord,” Adelaide said, curtsying.

“Yes, I trust you to keep them in line, Adelaide. Do not let them injure Luca like they did last time,” Ciel said. 

“Oh trust me, they won’t,” Adelaide said, a fake and menacing smile on her face. 

"Good ," Malphas thought. " She has the malice of a demon ."

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 5 - Chapter 2: His Mate, Mightiest

link to next part

TW: this chapter features some non-graphic SA in the form of fondling and talk. This will happen again when we get to Viscount Druitt as well.

In a remote hallway of the Phantomhive manor, the servants are gathered around a hole in the floor. The soldier amongst them has his head dipped into the hole, looking at a frayed wire. 

“Bloody hell,” he says. “This wire’s done for.” 

“Is it rats?” Adelaide asked. “I didn’t expect them to be this prevalent outside of the city.” She stood and dusted off her skirt. “I must go attend to the master, good luck catching the vermin.” She strolled off, entering the drawing room of the manor where Ciel was mingling with some guests. A red-haired woman dressed in garments matching her hair was sat across from him in an armchair. Her butler, a meek-looking man with glasses and dark hair tied in a red ribbon, stood on the sidelines observing Sebastian. A man of Asian descent was sat in the other armchair, and a young woman in revealing clothing sat on his lap. As Adelaide entered, the red-haired woman was gushing about Sebastian’s physique and stroking his behind. Adelaide paused and made a disgusted face, her pale skin flushing in second-hand embarrassment. Her face, down her neck, and into her arms all flushed pink in shame. Deep down though, something nagged at her. Like an incessant itch to slap Madam Red. 

“You should really quit this country job and come work for me in the city!” Madam Red said, her eyes lecherous as she fondled the man. 

Adelaide coughed, “Pardon me, Madame Red, but should you not focus on your own butler?” 

Madam Red flushed in only slight shame. “Sorry, doctor’s habit! He looked like he needed a physical,” she laughed. 

Adelaide walked over to stand next to Sebastian and laid out some papers in a folder for Ciel on the coffee table. “Your latest marks, my lord,” she explained. “We need to work on your French skills.” 

“Ah, I see. We will discuss it later,” Ciel said, setting down his tea cup. 

The Asian man, Lau, stood. “Do you think the drug trafficker you are after was among your guests today?” he asked. 

“Perhaps,” Ciel responded, leaning back in his seat. 

Madam Red leaned forward. “Why not leave the extermination to Lau?” she asked. “A rat knows best where a rat’s nest is, doesn’t he?” 

Lau went to stand behind Ciel’s seat, a hand on his head. “I am but a tame guinea pig, dedicated to my lord,” Lau said “If he instructs me not to act, I am bound to do nothing.” Madam Red leaped up, snatching Ciel out of his hands. 

“Please refrain from touching the master of the house, monsieur Lau,” Adelaide said. “You have angered the madame.”

“Keep your filthy paws off my darling nephew!” Madam Red snarled at Lau. 

“You ladies wound me,” Lau responded. “I would never paw at him in his own home!”

“Are you saying you would if you were elsewhere!?” Madam Red shrieked, discarding Ciel to the side. Adelaide caught him and ushered him out of the room. 

“Too many rats, my lord?” she asked. 

“Yes, they are quite loud. Tell Sebastian I will have dessert in my study. I will look over the marks you left on my work,” he said, strolling away and towards his study. 

“Of course,” she said, curtseying. 

Adelaide returned to the drawing room and whispered in Sebastian’s ear. “The earl would like to avoid the ruckus and will take his dessert in the study.” she leaned away to see him nod. “I will be helping him with his lessons.” she curtseyed again and headed back to the study. She entered the room with a knock, “Young lord, I have come to help with your lessons-” a cloth was placed over her mouth and she was yanked by her hair into the room and out the window. 

-

In the dirtier section of London lies an elegant, white manor house. Within that manor house is an ornate office with exuberant accents and a large, golden ticking clock. The clock is the first thing Adelaide hears when she wakes up, groggy and bruised. The next thing she hears is a gruff voice mocking Ciel. She realizes she’s bound in that moment, her arms and legs tied with belts and chains. She’s leaned against a wall, a gag in her mouth. 

“Just how many nicknames do you have and how many families have you crushed, Ciel Phantomhive?” the voice asked, though Adelaide could barely hear it through the ringing in her ears. Adelaide lifted her head up from its position against her chest to look to her right. She sees Ciel in a similar state to her, just without the gag. She watched as the owner of the voice grabbed Ciel by the face and barked at him with a cigar in his mouth. Ciel spoke and the man pulled a gun out and pointed it at him. 

As the ringing subsided in her ears, Adelaide heard Ciel say with a smile, “Oh I think they’ll be alright, but you’d better hope your lap dogs know how to fetch.” At that, the man kicked Ciel in the face, knocking him over. Adelaide screamed against the gag, her eyes wide and worried. The man pulled out a phone and barked orders into it. He turned his attention to Adelaide and grabbed her face in his hand, roughly ripping the gag from her mouth. 

“What did he mean by that?” he asked, his breath reeking of tobacco. “Spit it out!” 

“I don’t know,” she responded. “I’m just the governess. I’m not special.” His grip tightened, making her wince. 

“Don’t you lie to me. What did he mean?”

“I’m telling you I don’t know!” with that he threw her on the ground and kicked her in the stomach. 

“Useless woman,” he said and picked the phone back up. “Tell me you made that shot. What do you mean you missed?! You are complete idiots! I never should have hired someone like you! Just get back here!” he shouted into the phone. He then scoffed. “What’s the matter? You princesses see a bear in the woods?” He was quiet for a moment. “What’s wrong? Did someone find you? Talk to me!” 

Ciel laughed. “Sounds like your game of fetch is over!” 

“Young lord, please be careful or he’ll-” she cringed as the man began to kick Ciel again. 

“Just shut your mouth, both of you!” he shouted and picked the phone back up.”You listen to me! One of you answer now or I will kill you both!”

“Hello?” a voice came from the other side of the phone. The man paused, his brow furrowed and his face shiny with sweat from stress. 

“Who is this?” the man asked. 

“Ah, pardon me,” the phone responded. “I represent the Phantomhive estate. I was wondering if my master or Miss DuPont might be available.” The man continued to stress, his body shaking in fear. “Hello? Is there anybody there? Hello?”

From his position on the ground, Ciel smirked and uttered one word. “Woof.”

Sebastian muttered through the phone, “Very good, young master. I will come to retrieve you and miss DuPont momentarily.”

As soon as the phone hung up, the man started shouting at his lackeys. “Listen up! The Phantomhive boy has help on the way! Tighten up security! Not even a single rat gets through!” 

-

Outside the office, much commotion and gore could be heard through the door. The boss stood with a gun in his hand, shaking in fear as loud footsteps echoed down the hall. The doors clicked open and Sebastian stepped inside, unmarred by all the bloodshed that was heard. He stepped inside, a glare on his face, and bowed to the man. 

“I have come to retrieve my master and Miss DuPont,” he said plainly. 

“Is this a joke?” the man said. “I was expecting a giant and instead I get a dandy in a tailcoat. Who are you anyway? There’s no way you’re just a butler.” 

“No, sir,” Sebastian said. “You see I am simply one hell of a butler, I promise.”

Adelaide silenced her scoff from her position on the floor. She settled for an eye roll since no one could see her. 

The man scoffed. “Yeah, sure. It does not matter, I have no intention of fighting,” he said, an unassuming smirk on his face. “Not yet, anyway,” he grabbed Ciel by the hair and had one of his men heft Adelaide up by hers. Both she and Ciel whimpered at the pain. Sebastian remained stoic, but inside he was murderous. The way they were handling his mate was inexcusable. The man held a gun up to Ciel’s head and grinned at Sebastian. “You’d better have what I asked for,” he said. 

Sebastian shut his eyes to hide the red glow that was soon going to emanate from them. He reached into his coat, “Yes, I do. It’s right here,” he said with a small smile, holding up the ransom. When he did, a bullet raced through his skull. Adelaide shrieked, eyes wide. Ciel gasped beside her. Multiple other shots fired through Sebastian’s body, causing him to fall to the ground. From behind a painting, the gunman held their guns up, still smoking with gunpowder. 

The man holding Ciel laughed, “Aw, sorry dandy, I really am, but this round is mine. There’s no way I would go up against Phantomhive, the lord of games, without a hidden trump card.” he pushed the barrel of his gun further into Ciel’s forehead, leering at him before dropping him to the ground. “I may have damaged the goods a little bit, but you’ll still fetch a good price. Don’t worry, though, with how many enemies you’ve made I doubt you’ll be alive much longer.” He strolled over to the man holding Adelaide and smirked at her. “And you. You’ll be a good catch to keep around the house. A bit skinny but we can fatten you up a bit,” he said, pulling her bottom lip down. “You’ve got a nice face, and even nicer breasts…” he ran his hand down her neck to fondle her chest, causing her to snarl and kick at his shins in disgust.

“Let me go, bâtard,” she said “Vous êtes écœurant. Cochon,” she protested against his prowling hands. 

“Enough,” Ciel said from his spot on the floor. “I’m tired of messing around. How much longer are you planning to play dead?” he asked the body on the floor. 

“Not long,” Sebastian said, twitching upwards. 

The men gasped. Their leader shouted from his spot, “How? How’re you-?” His lackeys backed away in disgust and fear as Sebastian sat up from the ground. 

“Guns today are so much more efficient than they used to be,” he said as he sat up. “They can shoot so many more bullets now,” he said as he coughed up the bloody bullets into his hand with a smirk. “Perhaps you’d like these back?” 

“Ah- what’re you doing? Kill him!” the boss shouted to his gunmen. Before they could fire a single shot, Sebastian threw the bullets into their bodies, causing them to fall. Sebastian took a moment to look at his tailcoat. 

“Oh dear. What a waster of a perfectly good tailcoat,” he said. 

“You could have avoided that, idiot,” Ciel said sourly. Sebastian smiled at him. 

“Master… how unfortunate. They did not take very good care of you,” he said. He glared towards the men with their hands on Adelaide. “Nor did they treat Miss DuPont well either…” Sebastian strolled up to the leader and the man holding Adelaide by her hair. “Treating her like she is a toy that belongs to them…”

“Stay back!” the leader shouted. “I-if you come any closer, I’ll shoot her!” he positioned the gun at her temple. 

“Can we move this along?” Ciel asked, still bound on the floor. 

“Please?” Adelaide pleaded. “Their breath smells awful.” 

“Ah but if I come any closer he might kill you, Miss DuPont,” Sebastian said, enjoying the thrill. “I need an order from my master… or… remember our conversation the other night, Miss DuPont? You know what you have to do. Just call my name.” 

Adelaide grimaced and sighed, bracing herself. “Help me, Malphas!” she shouted. 

“It’s over!” the man shouted, firing a bullet towards Adelaide’s skull. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain and darkness, but it never came. She turned her gaze to the man and glared, her green eyes dark. “But... that’s impossible.”

“Are you looking for this?” came Sebastian’s voice over the men’s shoulders. “I’ll be returning it now,” he said as he dropped the bullet into the man’s jacket pocket. The boss flailed in pain as the bullet seemed to move into his arm, causing him to drop the gun. Sebastian glared at the man still holding Adelaide and his arm twisted backward, causing him to release her. Before she could hit the floor Sebastian caught her and set her down next to his master and began to unbind them both while the men writhed on the floor, begging Sebastian to work for them. “I must say… the game wasn’t as much fun this time, Sebastian,” Ciel said. 

“I’m sorry, sir, while that may be an attractive offer for some, I have no interest in such materialistic things. You see… I am simply one hell of a butler,” Sebastian said, his eyes glowing and swirling red and gold. Feathers began to fall around the room as the light seemed to be sucked away. “As long as my master holds the contract, I am his loyal servant,” he explained as Ciel’s contract mark in his eye glowed. Sebastian pulled off a glove to show the matching mark on his hand. “A wish, a sacrifice, and this, all of these things keep me bound to Lord Phantomhive. Until the day I swallow his soul.” 

“Unfortunately for you, this game is over,” Ciel said as darkness covered the room, suffocating the men within. 

-

After they returned to the manor and had cleaned up, Ciel called Sebastian into his room. 

“Explain to me what happened today. Why were you so distracted by Adelaide?” he demanded of his butler. “And remember our agreement. Do not lie to me.”

“I would never lie to you, my lord,” he responded. “Lady DuPont and I share a bond.”

Ciel glared at his butler. “You have a contract with her?”

“No, my lord, the only contract I have is with you,” Sebastian responded. 

“Then what sort of bond do you share?” Ciel asked. 

“How can I explain it in human terms…” Sebastian began. “It is similar to the bond you share with Lady Elizabeth,” he said. 

“You and she are engaged?!” Ciel shouted. 

“Not quite. Lady DuPont does not know of this bond, my lord, but it is what gives her her abilities to command me and see otherworldly creatures,” he explained with a sigh. “And I would appreciate if you did not tell her this.”

“And how will you balance your bond with her and your contact with me?” Ciel asked. “It seems you may run into some conflicts of interest.”

“As long as you both remain on the same side of the battle I can balance anything, my lord.”

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 4 Chapter 1 - His Mate, Competent

link to next part

Chapter I - His Mate, Competent

“Master, it is time to wake up,” Sebastian said. Adelaide drew the curtains open and opened a window to let in some fresh air. She was clad in a gray dress and white, ruffly apron. Her dress had a crisp white collar and cuffed sleeves and neat buttons up the bodice.“For breakfast today we have a lightly poached salmon accompanied by a delicate mint salad. I can also offer toast, scones, or pain de campagne. Which dish would you care for this morning?” she asked. 

Ciel sat up groggily, his blue-black hair sticking up in places. His large, oversized white sleep shirt clung to him like a boy wearing his father’s clothes. He shielded his eyes from the light from the window with his hand. “A scone,” he responded. 

Adelaide served him the scone and a cup of tea while Sebastian went through the schedule for the day with Ciel. In the morning, Ciel will be meeting with a Mr. Hughes to discuss the Roman Empire. As he went through the schedule he dressed Ciel in a crisp white shirt. 

“This evening Mr. Damiano will be paying us a visit,” Sebastian rattled off. Adelaide bent to tie a ribbon around Ciel’s neck. When she finished she handed him his cup of tea. 

“Oh, is that the man I have in charge of stuffed animals at my factory in India?” Ciel asked. 

“Yes,” Sebastian said, putting the earl’s shoes on his feet. “I am told he is Italian. We will of course offer him the finest hospitality the estate can provide.” Ciel lifted the tea cup up to his face. “I know this smell,” he said. “Is this tea Earl Grey?” he asked. 

“Yes, my lord,” Adelaide said, hands behind her back. “From Jackson’s of Piccadilly.” The butler stood to his full height and bowed. 

“Adelaide and I shall await you in the dining hall,” he said. He led Adelaide to the door. As the two’s backs turned, the young earl grabbed a dart and threw it at Adelaide’s head. She ducked as Sebastian grabbed it between his fingers. 

“Nice try, my young lord, but let’s save the games for later,” he said coyly. 

—---------------that butler is an able man—--------his mate is quite competent—--------------

In the dining hall, Ciel threw the dart into his gardener’s head. The servants, including Luca, all gaped as blood spewed from the back of the young blond’s head. A hole was drilled into the gardener’s straw hat as he scampered over to his master. 

“Ow, ow, ow!” he shouted. “What was that for, master? What did I do?” he asked. Luca, dressed in a simple black suit and tie, busied himself tidying up dishes so as to not anger the young lord. 

“Nothing. I do not have to explain myself,” Ciel responded, sipping from his tea cup. 

Sebastian burst into the room, Adelaide flanking him and peeking under his arm. “There you are! Have you finished weeding the courtyard, Finny?” said the gardener floundered and stood at attention. “Mey-Rin, have you washed all the beddings?” the maid, blushing and love-struck, realized that she had not. “Baldroy, shouldn't you be preparing for tonight's dinner?” the chef grinned cheekily, a devious glint in his eye. “Luca, you should be preparing the drawing room for our guest and master.” Luca nodded. “Tanaka... well, I suppose you're all right as you are.” the old steward sipped from his teacup, content. “Now all of you, we have no time for thumb twiddling this morning. So get to work!” 

“Yes sir!” Mey-Rin shouted as the servants all clambered out. 

The butler sighed. “Simply hopeless,” he said. 

“What am I meant to be doing?” Adelaide asked, taking the master’s dishes away as he stood to go to his study. “I can handle my own tasks, you know. I don’t have to keep shadowing you.”

The butler grinned, not the plastic smile she had seen before. This one was more like a cat that was close to catching a canary. “I like you shadowing me, Ms. DuPont.” 

Adelaide glowered. “I am no longer a scared little girl. I can handle things on my own. I’m not weak.” 

“Ah and that is why you are so intriguing,” Sebastian said, bending at the waist to look at her in the face. His face was smug, clad with a grin and glint in his eye.

Adelaide slammed dishes down. “I am going to see the master,” she said and stomped out. 

As she left the room and headed up the stairs Sebastian chuckled. “How charming she is when she is angry.”

—----------------------------the silver is polished to a spotless shine---------------------------------

“I’m a bit hungry,” the young man told his governess. “I’d like something sweet to eat.”

“I must advise against it, my lord. You will spoil your appetite for your meal with the guest,” Adelaide responded. 

Ciel scowled. “Why should I care about that? Make me a parfait.”

“No.” 

Ciel sighed. “Fine. But about that portrait in the hallway…”

“The one of your parents?” Adelaide asked, tilting her head. 

“Take it down. I am Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent, and I am the head of this house now.” Ciel said, almost as if reciting a script he had been thinking about for a long time. 

Adelaide curtseyed, “Yes sir, I will see that it is done.” and she left to return to the servants’ area. As she entered she saw all the servants, including her brother, being scolded by Sebastian. 

“Now do tell me exactly how all of this happened?” Sebastian said, his eye twitching in irritation. 

Finnian was the first to fess up. The blond boy babbled on like a caught child, tears in his eyes. “I thought the garden would look nicer if I used extra strength weedkiller!”

Mey-Rin was next to confess her sins, a cracked lens in her glasses giving away part of her crimes. “I was trying to reach the tea set that is used for guests but I tripped and the cabinet fell!”

Baldroy looked to the side, scorch marks on his face and in his hair. “There was a lot of meat to be cooked and I thought it would go faster if I used me flamethrower…”

Luca, with paper cuts on his forehead, simply shrugged at the domineering presence and held up a book. Adelaide stepped in to translate for him. “I think… Luca was tidying the books in the drawing room when they fell on him.” Her brother nodded and ducked his head down. 

Mey-Rin and Finny bawled and blubbered out “We’re sorry! We didn’t mean to!”

Sebastian looked at the ground, fingers on his chin as he thought. Adelaide watched him, quizically. “We don’t have time to replace the tea set or meat, not to mention the garden. But might I offer a creative solution?” She stepped over to Tanaka, who was calm and collected against the wall, and gently took his teacup from his hands. “We can offer a Japanese-inspired evening for our master and his guest. Just follow my lead, if you do not mind that is.” 

—------------------------------------we might just save this evening yet—----------------------------

Before the sun had begun to set, a solid black carriage pulled by two brown horses arrived at the Phantomhive estate. A man with tanned skin and clay-colored hair steps out. His eyes widen as he takes in the scene of stones and sand before him. 

Rows of stone are surrounded by seas of neatly raked sand. Mossy islands with flowers and bamboo shishi-odoshi float amongst the sand as well. On a deck, the Phantomhive servants stand in their best dress. Finnian is dressed in a yellow vest, and Adelaide is clad in a neat and clean blue dress that matched Mey-Rin’s, Tanaka, Baldroy, and Sebastian are dressed the same. The servants all bow and welcome the guests to their homes. 

Sebastian steps forward and explains that the garden is inspired by the Japanese stone gardens from abroad. “The manor’s governess and footman has been to Japan and thought it would offer a tranquil atmosphere for the evening.” 

“Ah, prodigioso! Wonderful! Truly an elegant garden,” the man, Mr. Damiano, said while spreading his arms wide. 

“We thought it appropriate to serve dinner al fresco this evening. Allow me to escort you inside until the meal is ready,” Sebastian said, handing the guest off to Tanaka to escort him inside. While walking, Mr. Damiano commented on how intriguing and unique the Phantomhive home was. 

Once the guest was inside the servants breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, We actually did it,” Baldroy commented. 

Finny gawked at the garden with shining eyes. “Who would've thought a dozen boxes of gravel could turn into an amazing garden?” he asked. 

Adelaide smiled at them. “There is still much to do for the evening,” she commented. 

Sebastian nodded in agreement, “Let's take care of it while the master is talking business with his guest. Look sharp now.”

—---------------------------we serve the Phantomhive family, after all—--------------------------

Inside the drawing room, Adelaide and Luca stood behind Ciel while he played a game with Mr. Damiano. Well, played a game is putting it kindly. In truth, Mr. Damiano participated in a one-sided conversation while Ciel tormented him in the game. 

“The progress we've been making with the East India Factory is quite astonishing. We already have the makings of a top-notch staff,” Damiano said. 

“Bewitched by the eyes of the dead. What terrible luck. It appears I lose a turn,” Ciel cut him off. Adelaide attempted to cover a snicker, her face contorting in a strange, puckered lips state. Luca looked at her from the side, confused. 

Damiano attempted to mask his irritation as he continued talking, making brief eye contact with the former noble lady. “Right now is the perfect time. We should begin expanding the company and building a strong labor force, it would–” 

Ciel cut him off again, leaning back in his seat with his eye shut, “Go on. It's your turn.” 

Damiano, humoring the child earl, “Oh, yes. I just spin this then,” he then spun a top with numbers on each side. “Okay there, five spaces,” he moves his piece across the board. “Now, what I wanted to ask you. Perhaps you could contribute another 12,000 pounds to support our expansion?” Ciel’s sapphire eye opened, annoyed. “I believe it will be quite a profitable venture for you, my lord, and I would consider it an honor to help expand the Funtom Company-”

“Lose a leg in the enchanted forest. And it's your turn again. I lost a turn, remember?” Ciel cut him off yet again. Damiano’s face washed over with shock. 

Ciel watches critically while Damiano spins the top again. “Oh, I see. Right, I move six,” he said. 

“You don’t. That’s three,” Ciel said. 

Damiano’s eyes widened. “What? But…”

“You lost a leg,” Adelaide provided from behind her master, an evil glint in her eye. “You can now only move half the number of spaces.”

“Oh my, ha ha ha ha. This is a gruesome-a board game, isn't it? Is there-a no way for me to restore my leg, then?” Damiano laughed, light-heartedly. He held his piece to move it through the game board. 

Ciel looked at the board intensely as he spoke, “I’m afraid once something is truly lost, sir, that one can never get it back again,” he snatched Damiano’s game piece, still staring at the game board. He placed the piece down, making brief eye contact with Damiano as he said “your body is burnt by raging flames.”

—-----------------------------intermission—------------------------------

Adelaide stepped into the kitchen area of the manor. “How is everything going in here?” she asked the three gentlemen cutting meat. 

“We’re doing it just like you said,” Baldroy smiles. He holds the meat up to show her. “Is this really what you want?” 

Adelaide smiles. “Yes, that is perfect.” 

From the hall, the maroon-haired maid named Mey-Rin came barrelling in. “Sebastian! I found ‘em!” She was carrying some boxes. She tripped over her shoelaces and went flying down the hall, the boxes rushing forward. Adelaide rushes forward to catch Mey-Rin and the boxes. The force flung her backward, where Sebastian caught her and Mey-Rin. 

“Honestly, you must be more careful, Adelaide,” he said, holding her around the shoulders, her back against his chest. She could feel the rumbling of his voice against her. She looked over her shoulder at him, brows knitted together in annoyance. He wasn’t looking at her though, her was looking at Mey-Rin. “I’ve told you to not run in the manor, Mey-Rin.”

Mey-Rin scrambled backward, flushed and embarrassed, “I’m sorry, sir! My glasses are cracked and I can’t see a thing! Are you alright, Ms. Adelaide?”

Adelaide tried to pull away from Sebastian but was met with resistance from the demonic man. He had her shoulders in a gentle but firm grip. “Yes, are you alright?” he asked. Luca glared at the butler from his spot at the counter, trimming meat. He slammed the knife down firmly against the counter. Baldroy looked at the mute boy and whistled. 

He whispered to the boy, “Easy, tiger.”

Adelaide sighed. “I am fine, I assure you, monsieur.” She stood away from the butler and handed him the boxes. “These are the last items needed for tonight’s dinner. I believe you can handle the rest?” She asked. 

“Yes,” Sebastian answered. “You all can rest, leave the rest to me.” He smiled at Adelaide. 

—-------------------------you need to do very well during tonight’s dinner—-----------------------

Back in the drawing room, Mr. Damiano and Ciel were still seated in their respective chairs. A knock sounded at the door, “Pardon the interruption,” Adelaide’s voice came from the door, “but dinner is served.” 

“Oh, dining out in that exquisite stone garden? Shall we go, my lord?” Damiano asked, already in the process of standing up. 

From his still seated position Ciel said “Very well, we will finish the game after dinner.” This caused Damiano to pause. 

“Oh, is there any real need to finish it? It's obvious I'm going to lose,” he said, clearly trying to get out of the game. 

Ciel stood, smiling with his eye shut. “I'm not in the habit of abandoning games halfway through.” Ciel took his leave and headed for the door. Before he was out of earshot, though, Damiano whispered under his breath with a tsk. 

“How childish,” he muttered. This caused Ciel and Adelaide to pause and Ciel glared at the man. Seeing that he was caught, Damiano attempted to cover up his blunder “Oh I, I mean that sometimes it takes a child's eyes to see what's really important. It's a true gift. Maybe that's what's made the Phantomhives the nation's foremost toy makers. It certainly impresses me!” As they walked to the garden, Adelaide narrowed her eyes on the man. 

“It truly is a gift, I agree,” she said, holding her head high. “You should not discount the ways of children easily.” 

The garden was lit dimly with paper lanterns. A large white table was spread before them. Sebastian, with Mey-Rin by his side, introduced the evening’s meal. Damiano looked down at it with disgust on his face. 

“A pile of raw beef… and this is dinner?” he questioned. 

This prompted Sebastian to go on a spiel about the importance and significance of donburi that stunned Damiano into silence. 

From the sidelines, the servants watched with pride. “That’s our Sebastian,” Finny said. 

“He saved the day,” Baldroy said. Adelaide smiled faintly. 

“Yes… he did, didn’t he?” she said with a hush in her tone. 

-

Once dinner was over, the master and his guest returned to the drawing room. Damiano, wanting to cement the deal, attempted to rush into discussion. Ciel, however, was not permitting it. 

“Before we discuss that, we must finish the game,” he said, sat in his large arm chair. 

“Ah of course,” Damiano said. “I do have a pressing appointment. Perhaps another time-”

“Children can be very demanding about their games,” Ciel said with an evil smirk. “Surely you wouldn’t want me to get upset?” 

At that, Damiano stepped out to make a phone call. Down in the phone room, Adelaide waited around the corner and listened into his conversation. 

“...Yes, I’ve already sold off the factory. Now all that’s left is to pocket the extra cash,” he said. Adelaide sighed from her position.

“He truly is deplorable,” she thought. “He deserves all that is coming to him, right?”

From the shadows outside the door, a demonic face appeared and spooked Damiano. Adelaide grinned to herself, knowing who was behind it and returned to her duties. 

Damiano finished up his conversation and began to return to the drawing room. He passed by the portrait of the late earl and lady Phantomhive, that same haunting face following him up the stairs, hiding in the portrait. Ciel’s earlier words, “bewitched by the eyes of the dead”, rung in his ears as he climbed the steps. The man walked around the manor, lost and confused, the haunting face following him down the dark corridors. He scrambled away, petrified, as servants carried the portrait away. 

Down the stairs, Mey-Rin was busy mopping the floors. Adelaide was accompanying her, listening to her blather on about how shameful it was to be that near Sebastian. As she flailed, her pail broke and clambered to the floor. “Honestly, it’s not shameful,” Adelaide said with a laugh. “Don’t take out your embarrassment on our tools, though.” 

Damanio continued to run through the manor, Ciel’s words echoing in his head, as he tripped over the bucket on the stairs. Mey-Rin, shocked, approached him and backed away. 

“Sir, are you alright?” she gasped. “His right leg! It’s twisted ‘round! What ‘appened to it?” 

“Mr. Damiano?” Adelaide asked, much calmer than Mey-Rin. “Do you need help? Should I fetch a doctor?” 

The two carrying the portrait walked by, still holding the painting of the dead heads of house. “What’s happened?” Baldroy asked.

Mey-Rin shouted about something being wrong with the guest. Damiano glanced over at the painting and Adelaide bent down to whisper in his ear, “you lose one leg in the enchanted forest”. He whimpered and crawled away in agony. 

“I’ll follow him,” Adelaide assured the other servants. She followed behind Damiano, a few steps behind. When he reached Sebastian in the servant’s quarters she joined him at his side. 

“Surely you aren’t leaving the manor yet, sir,” Sebastian said. Damiano clambored backwards. “We haven’t given you the full Phantomhive treatment yet. We still have to serve dessert.” Damiano attempted to crawl away, but he was slow and in pain. 

“You’ve lost a leg remember?” Sebastian continued, following behind him. “Now you can only move half the number of spaces, so why don’t you relax a bit and make yourself at home?” 

Damiano made his way into a room and shut the door behind him, panting in exhaustion and anxiety. Sebastian’s footsteps approached him in the pitch black, causing him to retreat into a cupboard-like space. 

As Sebastian entered he lit the oven. “My what an impatient guest we have,” he said. “Couldn’t even restrain yourself until dessert was out of the oven.” 

Damiano panicked, banging on the oven door and shouting. 

“Hmm perhaps the Italians aren’t familiar with British customs,” Sebastian continued. “Plum pudding, mincemeat pie, there are many traditional English desserts that utilize meat. I find them all quite tasty.” He shut the oven window as Ciel’s voice once again echoed in Damiano’s mind. 

-

“Was all that truly necessary?” Adelaide asked Sebastian once Damiano was set free, burnt to a crisp but free. They were in the servant’s quarters. Adelaide was preparing for bed, brushing her hair in a small mirror. Sebastian lingered behind her, still dressed in his uniform. 

“If our master commands it, we must follow through,” Sebastian said. 

“Sure, but why do you follow his commands?” Adelaide asked. “When you visited me as a child you never followed my orders.”

Sebastian hummed and smirked at her. “Would you like me to follow your orders?” he asked. Adelaide glared at him over her shoulder, causing him to chuckle. “You and I do not share a contract,” he explained. He took off his glove and showed her the contract mark on his hand. “While you and I share a bond, it is not the bond of master and servant. I serve Ciel Phantomhive until his wish is fulfilled and I receive his soul in exchange.”

Adelaide examined the mark, leaning forward to view it in the candlelight. “And what sort of bond do we share?” she asked. 

Sebastian chuckled. “All in due time,” he said. “I do not much feel like sharing that with you at present. Just know I will be at your side whenever you call.”

Adelaide sighed dramatically. “You always say things like that. It is annoying.”

“Maybe so,” he said. “However, it is true. Good night, Lady Adelaide DuPont."

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 3 - Prologue III - His Mate, Bargaining

link to next part

We return to our dinner party now. The DuPont siblings are sat next to each other across from the lord Phantomhive. The hollowed cheeks of Adelaide are flushed with anxiety and Luca’s eyes are flitting around with curiosity. 

The butler with the raven hair strolled back in, a tray of glasses and a bottle of wine on his arm. He bent down, setting a glass in front of the young earl, and filled it with a fragrant wine. “Today’s meal is paired with Pinot Noir. The flavor of the wine is meant to accentuate the savory flavor of the meal,” he said. As he spoke, Adelaide’s mind ran wild. His voice was so familiar, yet she could not place it. It was as if he had reached deep into her mind and pulled out a distant memory but held it away from her. The maid from earlier, Mey-Rin, poured her a glass of wine and poured one for her brother. 

“The meal this evening is boeuf bourguignon. The beef was braised in the same wine you are drinking with the meal. Served with the beef is a combination of mushrooms, carrots, and onions from our manor’s garden,” the butler continued. “Garlic and bacon are also in the stock, imported from Italy.” The butler seemed proud almost like he had accomplished something. The young lord started to eat his meal, slowly as if he was unsure of the meal. 

Adelaide looked quizically at the butler, slowly taking a spoonful of the stew and putting it into her mouth. The butler’s chest puffed up slightly, barely noticeable. In a soft voice, Adelaide asked, “Master butler, Sebastian, was it? Did you prepare this meal?” 

The butler smiled, “Yes, along with our resident chef Baldroy,” he responded. 

“I see,” she responded. “Well, it is delightful. Thank you, and pass along my sincere thanks to the chef.”

~

After the nobles had finished their meal the butler led them to his master’s study. The young lord settled in behind his desk and the siblings sat across from him. The butler left the room but swiftly returned before serious conversation could be had. He served the three young people tea from a floral porcelain pot. 

“Let us cut to the chase,” Ciel said. “You have come to make a request of me, have you not?” He took a sip from the tea cup and grimaced slightly, but attempted to mask it. 

“Ah, yes,” Adelaide said. “I speak on behalf of myself and my brother. You see… my brother is mute. He has not spoken since our parents were murdered.”

“Murdered?” Ciel enquired. “Your parents died in a house fire, yes? I thought it was an unfortunate accident. Frankly, the rumor mill has said you and your brother conspired to kill them to overtake the family.”

“That is unequivocally untrue,” she said. “I believe my parents were murdered by… someone with no shred of humanity left in their being. I know you investigate on behalf of the queen but please… take us under your wing. Help us solve their murder. Our company is dying. You can save it.” 

Ciel interlaced his fingers under his chin. “And what is in it for me? You must understand, the first basic rule of business is not to ask for something, but to offer something.”

Adelaide floundered a bit, mouth opening and closing with no coherent sound coming out. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Sebastian watched her as her aura kept flaring and jolting with nerves. She was desperate, but she was calculating her next move. If she wanted to win this match she had to be smart. 

“We can work. I have… observed your staff here. They are not the most… conventional of folks, from what I can tell. I mean no disrespect, my lord, but your maid seems blind as a bat, your chef burnt the meat in the stew, your other butler seems more like a relic than a servant… something about them must be remarkable to keep them around,” she explained. 

Ciel leaned back and crossed his arms. “Well deduduced,” he complimented. “Explain to me what you can offer that is unusual, as you put it.”

She lowered her head. “My brother and I are not… typical. Many think us insane. We can see entities that others can not. They may be spirits… they may be ghouls… I am unsure, but they are not human. We can converse with them…” she trailed off, calculating her pros and cons. If she were wrong she would truly look like a loon, but if she was correct… she would seal the deal and put the young lord into checkmate. “And your butler is one of them.” she said softly. She looked up at the butler with narrowed eyes, the emerald color shining in the candlelight. “Pleasure to see you again, Malphas .”

Ciel looked at his butler. “Sebastian? Have you met this young lady before?” he asked.

The butler smiled, his fangs peeking out of his lips. “Indeed I have, my lord. It truly is an honor to see you again, mademoiselle Adelaide. I was unaware your brother also possessed the gift of sight.”

“Gift of sight?” Ciel asked. “Explain, Sebastian,” he ordered. 

“Yes my lord,” Sebastian said. “There are individuals born with a bond to the paranormal world. They possess the ability to see into that realm and speak and interact with the creatures of that realm, even when they do not take a human or physical shape.” 

“And how could having this… gift assist the household?” Ciel asked. 

“Well, people with the gift of sight often possess an allure for the supernatural. They could attract those of the other realms to the home or be very useful bait.”

“I see. Well then… Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor, Adelaide DuPont, Luca DuPont.”

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String Part 2 - Prologue II - His Butler, a Shadow

link to next part

tags: not beta read, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, like demon ranking stuff, Demon Deals, demon biology, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Family Feels, Platonic Relationships, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Song: invisible string (Taylor Swift), Cross-Posted on AO3, eventually part of a collection

characters: Sebastian Michaelis, Original female character

Summary:

-One single thread of gold tied me to you-

Demons, angels, and grim reapers roam the streets of London in the latter half of the 18th century. Adelaide DuPont knows that whatever killed her parents was not human. Someone, or something, killed them and left no trace. Adelaide and her brother, Luca, are left almost desolate. Their only hope is to get the Earl of Phantomhive on their side as an investor in their parents' company. Sebastian Michaelis is a leashed demon. However, that does not stop him from smelling his mate. He will not let the fate of humans in this world take her away from him. He can balance two goals at once. He can care for his master and convince his mate to return to the pits of Hell with him.

Adelaide Manon DuPont was born to her parents Elise DuPont and Alain DuPont on September 17, 1868, in France. She was a bright and cheerful child. Her hair was a vibrant red during her childhood but lightened and dulled with age. It settled into an almost pink strawberry blonde. She always loved to learn and create. Her parents fretted about her playing make-believe so much as a child. She always seemed to have imaginary friends that she would talk to and play with. She called them the most terrifying and archaic names. One she seemed to talk to the most was called Malphas and she described him as wearing feathers and having “really long nails”. She seemed to outgrow it though, as she got older. Little did Elise and Alain know that Adelaide simply stopped sharing her strange visions and visitors. Malphas stopped visiting her though in 1885. The family moved to London in 1870 in preparation for their company launch. 

In 1873, Luca Gabriel DuPont joined the family. He was much quieter and withdrawn than his elder sister and was rather apathetic growing up. Luca did not enjoy make-believe or have imaginary friends. But he did listen to his sister whisper to her in the night. When Luca was around 12, he listened to his sister whisper to the shadows through a crack in her bedroom door. 

“I’ve told you, monsieur, you cannot keep coming here. My family worries, I worry, that I am crazy,” she said to the shadows in the corner of her room. Luca squinted, trying to see what or who she was speaking to. That’s when he saw it, a faint golden glow around his sister’s ring finger. It led up to connect to something lurking in the shadows. An arm reached out of the shadows. Monstrous, long black nails on the hand tried to stroke his sister's cheek. She backed away in fear and Luca covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. “No,” she said firmly. “Do not touch me.” 

The shadows moved, as if laughter was coming from a chest. “I am trying to prove to you that I am real,” the shadow said. Luca could not believe it. The imaginary friends, the delusions, of his sister were real. They were tangible, visible, and speaking audibly. 

“No, you are not. You are in my head, you’re a part of my imagination that has gone on too long,” Adelaide said, throwing herself back in her bed and covering her head. “I will not see you anymore, Malphas.”

The shadow chuckled again and seeped back into hiding. “If you say so, Adelaide,” it said and then vanished into the night. Luca ran back to his room and pretended to have never seen anything. From that night on, however, he never heard Adelaide speak to the shadows again. 

______________________________________________________________________

One night, in 1886, the DuPont home caught on fire. The blazes were so large that the public did not believe there would be any survivors and the DuPont Confectionary Company would vanish into the night with the embers. However, once the blaze had died down, the children of the DuPonts were found unscathed, huddled together in a corner of the home. The 18-year-old heiress to the DuPont Confectionary Company and her younger brother were not burnt and barely coughed as they emerged from the still-burning coals of their home. The bodies of the former Earl DuPont and his wife were found to be burnt beyond recognition. From that moment on, the homeless DuPont heirs were shunned from society. 

______________________________________________________________________

Let me give you an example of the treatment of the DuPont heirs. After the fire, the siblings were invited to a ball with the ton. It was assumed that the heiress would find a husband during this ball. The siblings' aunt in Paris sent them nice garments to wear to the event. When the two walked into the event, the room fell hushed and ladies started whispering behind their fans. Adelaide walked up to a group of ladies she used to spend these high society events with only to overhear the whispers they were hiding behind their fans. 

“Do you think it was Addie or her brother? We know one of them had to start it, right?” one of the ladies said, her perfect curls bouncing as she spoke. 

“Oh of course. How else would they be unscathed but their parents burnt to a crisp?” another asked. 

“Do you think that the DuPonts had that much money? Enough to risk your own life and well-being for?” the first one asked. 

Adelaide pauses in her steps, head bowed to the ground. They were not there that night, she reminds herself. They did not know the screams, the horrors she had to endure that night. The sounds of tearing flesh and hellfire echoed in her and Luca’s ears every night when they closed their eyes. Even as she squeezed her eyes shut in the moment to try to blink away her tears she saw the smiles of those monsters in her vision. The obscene fangs and tongues were covered in her parents's blood. She had shielded her brother from their line of sight, protecting him. She did not know why they targeted her home or her family that night. One thing she did know for certain was that those creatures were not human. Her family was murdered, but they were not murdered by humans. And, as your narrator, I can confirm that she is correct. 

______________________________________________________________________

For the next year, the DuPont heirs struggled. It turned out that running a company on your own as a teenager was not an easy feat. The business seemed to be going down farther and farther. Part of the issue was the tainted name of DuPont. Everyone associated the candies the DuPont Company made with the fire and assumed familicide. Try as she might to clear their name, Adelaide could not convince the public that she and her brother did not kill their parents. 

As the year went on, the siblings struggled more and more to make ends meet. Food got scarcer, sacrifices had to be made, and Adelaide started eating less. On the nights when she was the hungriest, she really missed talking to Malphas. 

It was one of these nights that Adelaide started thinking. She had heard of Funtom company, and how the company was run by a child. She started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he would take a chance on DuPont Company, on her and her brother.

[dandelionterminal]

Invisible String (Sebastian x OC) Part 1: Prologue I

link to next part

tags: not beta read, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, like demon ranking stuff, Demon Deals, demon biology, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Family Feels, Platonic Relationships, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Song: invisible string (Taylor Swift), Cross-Posted on AO3, eventually part of a collection

characters: Sebastian Michaelis, Original female character

Summary:

-One single thread of gold tied me to you-

Demons, angels, and grim reapers roam the streets of London in the latter half of the 18th century. Adelaide DuPont knows that whatever killed her parents was not human. Someone, or something, killed them and left no trace. Adelaide and her brother, Luca, are left almost desolate. Their only hope is to get the Earl of Phantomhive on their side as an investor in their parents' company. Sebastian Michaelis is a leashed demon. However, that does not stop him from smelling his mate. He will not let the fate of humans in this world take her away from him. He can balance two goals at once. He can care for his master and convince his mate to return to the pits of Hell with him.

Every faith in history holds some shred of truth. No one faith holds all the answers to the way of the world. No one being that exists on the mortal plane can answer all questions. No piece of folklore is entirely true. Many creatures exist, from the yokai of Japan to the Selkie of Europe. Many wives' tales are also true. Our story is based on a few shreds of folklore and faith. Demons, angels, and grim reapers roam the streets of London in the latter half of the 18th century. Within these streets, one earldom houses many strange people and… entities. 

Ciel Phantomhive, a dark-haired young man with fair skin, houses a rather odd band of servants. Mey-Rin, an outwardly bumbling and clumsy maid with maroon hair and wide glasses, has extreme farsightedness. She has an impeccable vision for seeing afar and is an invaluable sniper. Baldroy, a former soldier with dirty blond hair and lightly tanned skin, is a very headstrong man. He is stubborn and determined to prove himself, but he could be a better cook since he is a chef. Finnian, a walking ray of sunshine with equally sunny hair and freckles, is abnormally strong. Having previously been an experiment subject, he is not used to his strength and breaks objects easily. Tanaka, a butler from Ciel Phantomhive’s younger childhood of Asian descent, does not provide much in the form of serving. And finally, there is the “leader” of the servants. Ciel Phantomhive’s personal butler, Sebastian, is not human. He blends into the human servants well, given that they are all so peculiar. Their own non-human characteristics may help them ignore the russet red eyes and sharp fangs that protrude from his lips. The dark hair on his head matches the dark color of his nails and contrasts his inhuman pale skin. 

As we take a peek into their lives, we may observe the servants preparing for guests. The non-human butler cleans up the messes the bumbling staff make as they lay out provisions for these guests. He glances around at all of the staff, taking note of the auras that glow around them. Mey-Rin and Bard glowed with bright red energy, Finny glowed a brilliant yellow, and Tanaka a soft blue. He watched as his young master came down the stairs, speaking in that too-grown-up tone that masked the young boy inside, as he glowed in muted colors that were filtered by his blocked energy. The servants, including our demonic butler, all bowed to their master. 

“Where are our guests, Sebastian?” the young master asked.

“They should be arriving any minute, my young lord,” the butler answered. As if on cue, a knock resounds on the door. Mey-Rin scrambles to open the door for the guests. On the doorstep stood a young woman with light skin like fine porcelain. Her cheeks were hollowed and her emerald green eyes were dull and sunken. She wore a dress of cheap blue material that highlighted her strawberry blonde hair. Next to her stood a boy with matching hair and eyes who wore a suit of the same material. His figure was much healthier than that of the young lady, though. 

Sebastian took stock of the pair. The boy’s aura glowed a vibrant indigo, but he oozed introversion and anxiety. The female’s aura was a dull, almost black shade of grey. It was a dulled shade of white, a very rare aura color. He looked her up and down when he noticed a shimmer of gold near her hand as she curtsied to the master of the house. He did not hear her words, however, as his ears rang and hummed with his pulse. His heart raced as he took a deep breath, smelling the most alluring scent of discontent mixed with florals and musk. His eyes traced the thread as it flowed into the manor. His mind raced as he saw the thread reach him and go around his neck, tying and binding him to the thing human female standing before him. His face briefly showed his shock before he masked it in a smile. 

His master, the owner of the contract binding him to the mortal plane, spoke to him, “Sebastian, show Ms. DuPont and Mr. DuPont to their seats. We will dine and then discuss business,” he said sternly. His visible eye glowered at him, noticing his flustered state. 

Sebastian’s heart raced in his chest, thumping rapidly with excitement. The need to claim his bondmate was strong in his veins. 

“Of course, my lord,” the demon said. He glanced up at the siblings, “Please follow me, my lord and lady.” 

He led them to the dining room, desperately trying to ignore the scent that was filling his nose. The scent of his mate. The one who held the thread of his fate.

[dandelionterminal]

Guess who's back?

Y'all thought I was gone huh? Well, guess what? I'm bored again.

[dandelionterminal]

when they have a plus size s/o pt. 4

tags: plus size reader, reader is a vision holder (Tartaglia's), reader is a healer (Tartaglia's), fluff, hurt/comfort, insecure reader, jealous reader (Tartaglia's), major retconning of plot, not beta read pronouns: [region] in Kazuha's, [vision] in Tartaglia's, [weapon] in Tartaglia's characters: Kaedehara Kazuha, Tartaglia (separate) begins below the page break

~you braved the storm, welcome to Inazuma~

Uses [region] as a placeholder for the region of Teyvat you feel most at home in

Total words: 1292

Kazuha: where you are a new crew member on the Alcor and Kazuha falls in love with you on the sea. You join the Crux as a roaming adventurer and bond with Kazuha over your shared love of writing. When he begins to feel love for you, you push him away. How could a samurai love someone like you? 

You meet Kazuha after he hears you hiding in the ship's storage as a stowaway 

He decides to allow you to stay and help you hide after hearing your struggles

He’s genuinely so nice

When you meet Kazuha he is so warm and inviting that you end up spilling your guts to him

He fully understands you and helps you get on your feet

Once you start dating he writes you love poems that are so gushy you’re embarrassed

He’s so tender and kind to you that you never doubt him

The Alcor had docked in Liyue several nights ago and you were just now getting the gusto to approach. You had made your rash decision when the ship first docked. You needed to make it to another nation before you were caught by your family and this was the most seamless way. Would you feel bad later? Sure. But now is not the time to think about regrets. As night fell over Liyue Harbor you began your little operation. You crept up to the ship and dove into the water between the ship and the dock. As the voices of the crew died down you shimmied your way up the side of the ship, shivering from the cold once you hit the deck. You crept into the ship's storeroom and curled into a ball behind some barrels. You drifted to sleep, your freezing body giving out to the bitter cold of the night. 

-

The next morning you awoke to the sounds of stomping feet above you. The Crux crew was awake and lively as ever it seemed. You sniffled and curled further into a dark corner as the shifting waves swept the ship to sea. You leaned your head against the barrels and hoped that wherever the ship sailed was far away. 

It wasn’t long though until you heard soft, delicate footsteps come into the room. You covered your mouth and nose with your hands and stiffened your shivering body. You begged your form to be still and not bumbling and clumsy for once in your life. 

“I know you’re in here,” a gentle voice softly calls out. “Just come out, I won’t hurt you.” Right, like you were going to fall for that. This was a pirate ship. You knew what pirates did. You’d read it in novels.

The owner of the voice sighed and began to look for you. As he moved you could see the brilliant colors of his yukata, the sleeves billowing like the leaves adorning it. He peeked behind crates and between barrels before coming upon your frightened form. He smiled at you. “Found you,” he said. His eyes were gentle as he held a hand out to you. When you scrambled farther away he frowned and sat on his feet. He withdrew his hand and set it on his lap. “I won’t hurt you,” he reiterated. “I don’t have a habit of hurting people who do not ask for it.” 

You shook your head. “Maybe you don’t but your captain might.” you whispered. He smiled again. 

“Captain Beidou is kind, she wouldn’t hurt someone with no weapon,” he said. 

You scowled at him, brows down in an angry glare “And how do you know I don’t have a weapon?” you asked. 

“I can tell,” he said simply. “Are you done being afraid of me now? I have no intention of hurting you. I would like to help you,”

Your scowl turned to a squint. “Help me?” He nodded in return. 

“You stowed away for a reason,” he said. “So I would like to help you.” 

“And what’s in it for you?” you emplored.

“A story,” he said. “Tell me your story and I will help you.” 

“That cannot be all it is,” you reply, “There is always more”

“I have no interest in more,” he replied. 

You pause, contemplating. At this point what did you have to lose? You had made it this far and had nothing left to go back to. So you gave in. 

“I ran away,” you said. “I come from a well-known family in [region]. I am getting older and am past my youth… my family wanted me to get married to continue the family legacy.” The more you talked the more things just tumbled out of you. You kept checking his expression and he seemed so intrigued. He listened and nodded along as you told your story. You expressed your hopes and dreams, and you told him about the spouse your family had found for you even though you held no love for them. You told him how it was almost your wedding day and you ran away. You told him about the note you had left behind at your family’s home and the tear stains that were drenched into the parchment of it. When you finished your story it was daybreak. The man simply nodded his head and smiled at you. 

“Thank you for telling me,” he said. He rose to his feet and offered you his hand. He helped you to your feet, “I’m Kadehara Kazuha. Welcome to the Alcor, stow away.” 

-

To say Captain Beidou was less than thrilled about your arrival was an understatement. While she didn’t mind having a new crew member, per se, she was unhappy with how you’d done it. The rest of the crew was less than welcoming as well. The normally happy and lively crew was skeptical of your ability to pull your weight. A round, spoiled person from a well-to-do family was not likely to be able to pull their weight in their eyes. But you were determined to prove yourself. You scrubbed the deck, hauled cargo, anything to prove yourself to the Crux crew. Your “blemishless skin” (the Crux’s words) began to show sun spots from all your time baking in the rays. Your “soft baby hands” were callused from work. Your hair was always pushed away from your face and sweat always trickled down your nose. Eventually, the crew began to warm up to you. Some more than others. 

Kazuha spent a lot of his time watching you. The time he normally spent writing lamenting poems about the solemness of the ocean turned into haikus about a certain soft individual’s beauty. Weeks passed with you aboard the ship and it was a surprise you hadn’t found his love poetry yet. He was glued to your hip most of the time. He escorted you places, showed you the scenery of Inazuma and Liyue, and tenderly and kindly tucked you in at night. The crew began to tease both you and him about it. 

-

One morning, you awoke to a letter next to your head. You sat up, knowing who it was from before you even opened it. No one else on that ship would write you a letter. You opened it to see a beautiful poem written in delicate handwriting. 

Twilight and its delicate sparkling stars

Do not compare to your eyes on that night

A frightened dove, you froze and tried to flee

But flew straight into my heart

Meet me on the deck at sunrise

-Kazuha

You frowned at the letter but threw on some clothes and headed to meet him. It was still dark out that morning when you saw him sitting on the railing. He turned to you and smiled, “It is not dawn yet, y/n,” he said. 

You frowned at him, “Kaedehara, you must be confused,” you said. 

“Confused how?” he replied

“There’s no way that poem was real,” you responded. “Those feelings sounded… romantic”

“And they were,” he said, floating down onto the deck. His movements were soundless, like the wind itself. He approached you slowly like you were that frightened bird in the poem. “I care for you.”

“You can’t,” you replied. “I’m… not meant for you.”

He smiled warmly. “But I was made for you,” he replied. “I was made to compliment you.” He touched your cheek, gently stroking it. “I love every part of you, even if you can’t love it yourself.”

You trembled under his touch, unsure of what to do. “I can’t compliment you. People will mock you for being with me.”

“No,” he said. “They will envy me,” he kissed your forehead and tucked you against him.

~Sneznhaya, try to keep warm~

Uses [vision] and [weapon] as placeholders for what weapon and vision you feel drawn to. Uses Russian pet names, written in English letters for an easier reading experience.

Total words: 1616

Tartaglia: where you are his assistant and healer on a job and he won’t stop flirting with you. You tell him to cut out the jokes, but he insists he’s serious. Over the months, you both end up having feelings for each other. When he continues to flirt with other people, like the traveler, you confront him on how he should be with them.

He’s a huge jokester and flirts when you meet

Turns out that’s just his personality

He keeps telling you he’s serious but you don’t believe him

You two bond during the mission

When you get jealous he’s very amused

Likes to hold you by the waist

He will do anything to keep you safe

Being an assistant in the Fatui was a pain, in more ways than one. Your healing abilities and vision made it hard to get any work that wasn’t dangerous or outrageous. At the end of the day, you still wanted to go home to your family. After gaining a reputation as an exceptional healer among the ranks of the Fatui you started to get more high-profile jobs. The biggest one so far was when you were paired with the youngest and one of the fiercest of the eleven harbingers for a high-stakes, dangerous job collecting a debt. What you did not know was taking that job would lead to you becoming this harbinger’s personal assistant.

-

You met Tartaglia, or Childe as he seemed to prefer to be called, on a typical day in Snezhnaya. It was snowing and blustery, the skies dark with heavy cloud cover. You were bundled in your heavy uniform coat, your vision hanging loose on your chest. You were guided to Childe, who was looking over some paperwork at a desk, by a Fatui peon. Tartaglia looked up at you from his paperwork and gave a polite smile, his eyes distant and hiding coldness. 

“You must be the healer assigned to me, correct?” he said, his ginger hair falling loose in his face. The heavy red scarf he wore covered him up to the chin, forcing you to look him in the eye. You nodded at him, giving a small bow.

“Y/N, lord harbinger,” you said. You kept your head low, waiting for his response. “Rise,” he said, voice cold and distant. He looked you up and down. “Don’t hold me up on this mission, clear? And call me Childe, formalities will cause complications.” 

You nodded again, “Yes sir, Childe”

He grinned at you, “You learn quick, I see,” he said. “You can relax, I have no intention of being a strict superior.” He waved off the Fatui swordsman that had escorted you, who bowed and left. “Take a seat, let’s get familiar with each other. I see you have a vision, [element] type at that. Is that what you use to heal?”

You sat across from him in a small chair, shrinking your shoulders to make yourself as small as possible. You nodded at him. “I am very capable,” you said. “Despite my appearance, I am a capable fighter and healer.”

Childe leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. The black fur of his harbinger coat rose around his ears as he chuckled. “I don’t doubt it,” he responded. “You wouldn’t have risen this high in the ranks if you were not capable.” He moved his arms to cross behind his head. “If you would like, we could spar. Prove yourself as capable as you claim.”

You scowled at him slightly, a faint frown and downturn of your eyebrows the only physical sign of your disapproval. 

“Lord ha- I mean Childe, surely you must be joking. I am no match for you.” You respond. Childe grinned.

“While that may be the case I’d still like to see your skill.” He stood, offering his hand to you. “Come on, little healer, show me what you got.”

You took his offered hand hesitantly and stood to your full height. Childe grinned and shed his coat and scarf, brandishing his bow. You pulled out your own weapon, again hesitant to face off against the harbinger. The battle started off as you just protecting yourself and dodging his attacks. You repeatedly healed your own wounds to keep the fight going. Eventually, you learned his patterns and could attack him. After a few solid hits, he backed off, putting his bow away and dissolving his hydro swords. You backed off too, prepared to heal his wounds. 

“Capable indeed, comrade,” he said. “Not to my level yet, but capable,” he grinned at you. You began to heal him and he smiled. “Your healing feels warm.”

“I’ve heard that before. It’s supposed to be soothing,” you said. 

“I could get used to this.”

-

Childe and you were close. Like… people called you his “work spouse”. After your initial mission together you were joined at the hip… well more like he always had his hand on your hip, his arm wrapped around your waist. He would whisper flirtations in your ear to make you turn red. When you would tell him to stop joking around he would laugh and say “I never joke with you, moy dorogoy”. You would roll your eyes and walk away with your arms crossed, trying to not show that your heart was flying like a hummingbird in your chest. 

You and Childe had been in Liyue for a while. Turns out he had been transferred to the bank branch there. He wasn’t getting injured as often. In fact, it only really happened when he went debt collecting. Even though he was getting injured less he fought to keep you there with him. The Fatui had tried to transfer you to be someone else’s assistant but he fought them and insisted he needed you. They eventually relented and you got to stay in the cushy position you’d found yourself in. 

Recently a traveler has been hanging around Childe. Their golden hair and slim body irks you. They and their little floating fairy are always around him, clinging to him. He even gave them a nickname and “loaned” them money. You thought you were going to kill him when you found out. 

“Childe you gave them money? That is money from your personal account! It’s what you eat with!” you shouted. 

Childe just smiled at you, “don’t worry, velikolepnyy. We still have plenty,” he said. 

You sighed, “It’s not our money, Childe, it’s yours. Stop spending your money on other people, let alone me.” Inside, you were steaming with an unrecognized feeling. You didn’t know what it was that was eating at you. This beautiful and mysterious person had shown up in Childe’s life and he was giving them the attention that used to be almost exclusively yours. You didn’t realize it, but you were jealous. 

You sighed, recalling that memory was awful. The traveler had wormed their way into Childe’s heart. You always felt like an obvious, large, third wheel… fourth wheel if you count the weird silver fairy that hung around the traveler. The four of you were walking through Liyue Harbor one night. You trudged a few steps behind the trio ahead of you. Childe was smiling, telling the traveler about Sneznhaya. You frowned at them, thinking that no one would notice if you left. Your thoughts raced as feelings washed through you. Crimson anger, empty sadness, suffocating fear… you took off back to your lodgings. Once you got back, you curled into a ball on your bed. You lay there, surrounded by the trinkets Childe had bought you. You felt like you were falling into a cave. The hole in your heart ate away at itself, causing your head to spiral into a funnel of self-loathing and anger. Tears ran down your cheeks as you came to the realization that you were in love with Childe, all of these thoughts because you loved a boy. 

-

Back on the streets of Liyue, said ginger boy is frantically looking for you. He hand noticed your absence only moments after your exit. He had reached for your hand subconsciously, something he had been doing since the two of you arrived in Liyue, and noticed you weren’t there. He turned to the traveler, asking where you went. They didn’t have an answer, their gold eyes confused. He immediately apologized for his sudden exit and took off to look for you. He began to blame himself. Something must have happened to you and he didn’t notice. He looked in alleyways, he search the ground for blood spatter, he hunted for you like he was playing hide and seek with his siblings. 

Eventually, he went to your lodgings. He had exhausted himself and all his leads. When he spotted you he fell to his knees. 

“Y/n…” he said. “I thought I’d lost you.”

You looked at him from your bed, wiping the tear tracks. “Lost me?” you asked. “I just came home to rest.” 

“You didn’t tell me. I thought someone had gotten you,” he said, voice hoarse. 

You tilted your head at him. “I can handle myself,” you said. “I don’t need your protection.”

He sighed, laughing humorlessly, “I know, I know… but… forget it,” he stood up and dusted off his gray pants. He looked at you and sat next to you on the bed, laying his head on you. “I was worried,” he said. 

You were stiff. “I’m sorry,” you replied. 

“Just… tell me why you really left. You were crying,” he said. “Your eyes were red.”

You sighed after a bit of silence. “Just me being stupid,” you said. 

“You could never be stupid. You’re smarter than most of the Fatui agents we work with,” he said back. 

You sat in silence, contemplating. You could lose your job, you could lose your friendship… but should you hold it in? He deserved the truth. You shut your eyes, squeezing them tight. “I’m in love with you.”

He stopped breathing, you swear. He just stopped moving and was silent. “Why would that make you leave?” he asked after what felt like an eternity. 

“Because…” you trailed off, “You like that traveler more, so I was giving you space. I take up too much anyway.” 

He laughed, deep and guttural, “Lyubov, I don’t like them more than you. You’re irreplaceable,” he said, snuggling into you. “I love you, too. And I don’t joke with you."

[dandelionterminal]

Travelers -

I’ve finished my first final exam as well as Kazuha’s part of plus size reader. Thank you for your patience.

In the mean time… a poll!

[dandelionterminal]

Hello travelers,

I have finished some of the final part of plus size reader. I’ve been overwhelmed with school and work. However, I have my final exam for my main class of the semester this coming Tuesday. That will alleviate a lot of my work so i can focus on other things.

That being said… maybe I’ll finish it this weekend.

Regards,

Dandelion 🌼

[dandelionterminal]

While I have you waiting for plus size reader with Kazuha and Childe… some headcanons about being Heizou and Tighnari’s plus s/o

features Tighnari and Heizou

all aboard for another short trip back to teyvat 🚉

~you braved the storm, welcome to Inazuma~

Detective Shikanoin Heizou:

* He likes to bring you lunch if you work

* If you’re comfortable with it he would be super PDA heavy

* I’m talking handholding, public kisses and flirting is it too far to say he’s an ass guy and would give booty squeezes?

* “Oh y/n you are so dreamy” and the like all the time

* Walks you home and takes you on cases

* By that I mean you become his assistant against your will unless you want to be

* In private he wants you in his lap or to be his pillow

* Cuddles and kisses and squeezes and strokes. Super hands on.

~Sumeru, don’t forget to dream~

Forest watcher Tighnari:

* He would want you to go on private patrols with him

* He knows all the best spots for scenic dates

* Fennec foxes mate for life so he treats you like his spouse

* Cooks, cleans, snuggles in bed, all of it together

* Reads to you to relax

* He finds your size cute and squishy

* If you get sick he dotes on you

* Prepare for long, dull talks about plants

[dandelionterminal]

Currently working on plus size reader final part and shy reader for genshin as well as working on some original ship fics that will take time.

I’m asking what you guys would be into after and during those ones.

Poll will be up for one week. Enjoy the democratic process 🗳️

[dandelionterminal]

when they have a plus size s/o pt. 3

where Heizou falls in love with your brain and Tighnari can't seem to get enough of you. tags: plus size, fluff, hurt/comfort, insecure reader, jealousy, not beta read pronouns: they/them once in Tighnari's, 3rd person characters: Shikanoin Heizou, Tighnari (separate)

begins below cut

~you braved the storm, welcome to Inazuma~

Heizou: where the flirtatious detective proves his love beyond a reasonable doubt. Heizou is a known flirt, but with you it is different. You work with him on a case and you expect it to end there, but he keeps coming to your work and even gets jealous and protective of you. 

Total words: 1011

Heizou is known to flirt with people in order to achieve his ends and you figured it was the same for his flirting with you

You agree to help him with a case and expect him to disappear once the case is solved, but he keeps coming around

He is intrigued by you and your ability to see through lies 

He falls in love with your mind and intellect before your body

He does not see why you would be insecure, he adores you

Once you start dating, he loves to initiate PDA, much to your dismay

Loves embarrassing you, he lives for reactions

When you first came to Inazuma City, you wandered a bit before finding a home at the restaurant by a big sakura tree. Kiminami restaurant was known for its strange pizza delicacy that the traveler had introduced the owner to. After working there for a while you earned a reputation as the sweet, plump person who had a dazzling smile. 

When Heizou first came to Kiminami he was there to get details for a case. A customer who had eaten there had gone missing under suspicious circumstances and he wanted to dig details out of you. He sat down on a stool and began to chat you up. He ordered a glass of water and a bowl of soba noodles, all the while talking to you about nothing and everything. As you tended to your other customers he began to pry into you. 

“So what sort of people come here? Other than myself of course,” Heizou asked. You raised an eyebrow at him. He was suspicious, in your eyes. People came to the restaurant for small talk, but not this much small talk. The small talk was usually brief, they got their food, and then they would go quiet and then leave. This guy would not shut his trap. It was like he could talk to a wall. 

“Um… anyone and everyone come to eat here. What are you trying to find out?” you asked. You were perceptive to his strange, leading questions. 

Heizou didn’t show it, but he was impressed by your perception skills. Most people, especially customer service workers, in his experience would be distracted by work and just give up any information that he wanted. But you were not lost in the trance of routine and work, you were awake and clever. 

“Oh nothing, my dear. I’m just making conversation,” he answered with a smile, his eyes closed. “Can’t a guy ask a question?” 

You shrugged. “You can ask all you like, but that does not mean that I am going to give you the answer you are digging for. At least not without something in return,” you answer. 

Heizou was intrigued by this. “Oh my. So forward of you,” he said with a wink and shine in his eyes. 

You blushed faintly. “Not forward, mister, just know my worth.”

“Well, that is an intriguing trait. What did you have in mind, for the return of course,” he asked

“Nothing much,” you said, “maybe some mora. But most importantly I want to know why you want this info you are seeking.”

Heizou chuckled, “so you’re interested in my work, hm? Fine. Give me my info, I’ll tell you what I am working on.”

You hummed, tapping your chin dramatically as if thinking hard about your next move. “How about instead we trade back and forth?” you suggested, “that way neither of us is cheated.” 

“Oh you are clever,” he said. “Fine, sit down then.” He gestured to the empty seat next to him. You took a seat, ready to learn all there was to know about this strange man.

-

After you agreed to help Heizou on his case, living for the thrill of it, Heizou would come by each day around lunch to ask more questions about his suspect. It became a routine and you both became fond of each other. Despite your better judgment you began to have feelings for the squirrelly doushin. You let yourself have a faint spark of hope that maybe he liked you back as well. I mean, he did keep coming back didn't he? And the two of you talked about more than just the case. He would ask you how you feeling, if you had eaten, what your favorite things were… How could someone not fall for that kind of person? He was flirtatious but had a good heart deep inside. 

But then his case ended. He’d caught the perp, which meant he would stop coming by.

Or so you thought. He kept coming. He kept showing up at the same time every day. You were surprised, but you didn’t tell him that. 

“You won’t believe it y/n,” he said one day as he came into the restaurant. You looked up from where you were wiping a table for a customer who had spilled their drink. Your outfit sagged off your shoulder as you did so. 

“Oh Shikanoin, welcome in,” you said as you finished cleaning, turning to your patron and smiling at them. “There you go sir, I’ll get you a fresh drink,” you said and turned to get a new drink for the man. 

Heizou glowered at the man and followed you. “Y/n,” he said, “that man is drooling over you.”

You stopped him as he tried to walk into the back of the shop. “Shikanoin we’ve talked about this. You can’t come into the back of the shop,” you said, holding up your hand to his chest. “And he so is not into me,” you defended, tugging your sleeve to cover your shoulder. “No one would be.”

“There you go again,” he said. “How can you not see how dreamy you are?” 

“And there you go again. Archons, if you think I’m so dreamy why don’t you date me?” you asked in exasperation. 

“I would but you’re out of my league,” he said in a deadpan tone. 

That gave you pause. You stopped pouring the man’s sake and turned to Heizou. “Don’t joke like that, it’s cruel,” you said, trying to keep the tears out of your eyes. 

“Why would I joke about that with you?” he said, stepping towards you. He put a hand on your chin to tilt your head to meet his eyes. “I know how you look at me, did you think I wouldn’t notice?” With each word his lips got closer to yours, “And you’re smart enough to know how I look at you,” he said, a breath away from your lips. He waited for you to close the gap. 

And when you did, the greatest mystery of all was solved. 

~Sumeru, don't forget to dream~

Tighnari: where foxes mate for life and he wants to have you all his life. When you first come to Avidya forest as a researcher you don’t expect to fall for the fox man who runs the place. But you do. When you go on your first trek and end up injured and sick, Tighnari nurses you back to health over several weeks. 

Starting off he thinks you’re lazy and clumsy

He doesn’t think you’re stupid like most of the Akademia, but you are annoying to him

But after spending time with you he starts to like you

Your comedy is on par with Cyno’s and he doesn’t like that so much but he can overlook it

He likes to hold you in his arms 

Forehead kisses if you’re shorter than him

He is a tease so be prepared for that

Total words: 1361

Avidya forest was hot and humid. And it was always like that. It was like an eternal hot spring. And it was not easy on the human body. But it is where mushrooms thrived. You trudged through the rainforest, a flask of water sloshing on your waist, a notepad and pencil jingling on the other side, and a heavy backpack clanking on your back. You didn’t know whose bright idea it was to send the least athletic of the dormant fungi researchers into the forest but here you were, climbing hills and swatting bugs off your skin. You were on your way to the village of Gandharva Ville where you were told a former scholar lived. You sighed as you settled to rest on a set of stairs at the foot of a large tree house. From above you, you heard a crude and indignant voice shout down at you. 

“Um, excuse me? That is where people walk, you laze about,” the voice said. You looked up to see a man with fox ears on the top of his head. A large bushy tail swished behind him as his bicolored eyes glared down at you. You stood up frantically, hands clasped in front of yourself. 

“I-I’m sorry,” you stuttered out, intimidated by the confident fox man in front of you, “I’m a researcher from Amurta,” you explained. “I’m looking for a master Tighnari, I was told to find him to get my research mission approved.” 

He raised an eyebrow at you. “You’re y/n? I was told you would be coming. Come up here, laze about, show me this research.” 

You followed him up the stairs and into a cabin. He gestured for you to sit. You pulled your backpack off your back and pulled out a file folder of papers and materials and meticulously sorted. “I’m here to research the Rukkha­sha­va mushroom and its potential spiritual connections. I think the layers of the mushroom hold the potential to heal spiritual and mental ailments,” you explained. 

He hummed as he skimmed over your research. “Quite whimsical,” he said, “but the chemical makeup you break down here does make sense. You can stay here while you research. But don’t wander into a withering zone, and do not eat any wild mushrooms.”

You blinked at him. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” you asked. He sounded like he was talking to a toddler. 

“You would be surprised by the idiocy of some of the Akademia scholars I have encountered,” he replied. He stood and offered his hand. 

You squinted at him. “I don’t doubt it but I am not stupid promise,” you take his offered hand, stand, and sling your bag back on your shoulders. You continue to give him quizzical eyes and head off into the forest. The sun was still high in the sky, the day was young, and you could spend the time finding a spot in the forest and setting up camp. 

You set out to a spot deep in the forest, where no human influence could be seen. You had made it far away from the village, so far only the sound of fungi dancing in the moonlight could be heard. You shucked off your pack and set up a tent on some level ground and began stoking a fire. Come daylight you would head to higher ground to inspect some trees to see if the mushrooms were prevalent at lower elevations. 

-

Tighnari was restless. That researcher from Amurta hadn’t come back yet. It had been three days. Sure, some treks into the forests were long and arduous, but this was unusual. Maybe he had offended you horribly by calling you a laze about. He was about to organize a search party when Collei burst through the door. “Master Tighnari!” she shouted, panting and out of breath. 

“Collei what is wrong? Slow down and breathe!” He lightly scolded. 

“There isn’t time! Y/n came back… and they’re bleeding!” she shouted. Tighnari rushed out, calling out orders to Collei and he ran. 

When he reached you he saw you were practically unconscious, a large gash on your arm that you had haphazardly wrapped a shirt around. The shirt was soaked in crimson and your lips were pale. That wasn’t the only injury. There was a large cut to your head that you had clearly hit. 

“What happened?” He hastily asked you as he began to quickly wrap you in blankets that Collei brought to him. 

You chuckled dryly and coughed. “I was climbing up a tree to reach a mushroom-” you choked out. 

“How high up?” He asked. 

You grimaced. “High.” 

He sighed loudly. “Alright,” he said, standing to his full height. “Collei, I need some water and a stretcher,” he shouted over his shoulder. “We need to start cleaning the wounds.”

And with that the village went to work, rushing around you like a hoard of ants. 

-

That day went by in a blur. People rushing in and out, Tighnari shoveling tonics and concoctions in you to help you recover, Tighnari cleaning and wrapping your wounds and mending your bones, the day turned to night and you drifted in and out of consciousness. 

You woke up the next morning to Tighnari at your bedside redressing the wound on your arm. He looked up, sensing the shift in your breathing, and squinted at you. “More lucid this morning?” he asked. 

You squinted back at him. “I assume so,” you said. “What’s the verdict, doc? Am I not long for this world?” you joked. 

He scoffed. “Your sense of humor is on par with Cyno’s,” he said. “No, but you broke your arm and lost a lot of blood. And we don’t have a healer out here, so you’re stuck under my care until you are well.” 

You frowned. “I guess it could be worse,” you replied. “Sorry to be a burden.” “Don’t climb trees next time,” he scolded. He stood. “Don’t be such a lummox,” and with that, he left, tail swaying behind him. 

-

Over the next few weeks you got into a routine. You would wake, have a light breakfast, and Tighnari would come redress your wounds. During that time you two would talk about anything and everything. It started out lightly. He would ask how you’re feeling and you would reciprocate, asking how he was. Then it shifted as he noticed things about you. He would ask about your other hobbies outside of the Akademia. You would indulge him in his. You would joke with him and dig information out of him. He became gentler with you over time. And you started to look forward to seeing him. You would take all his time away, talking nonstop about anything. One time he even kissed your forehead. Before long your arm was healed and you were set to go back to the Akademia. 

You were putting you backpack on your shoulders when he came in. Just like any other day he came in with a bowl of clean water and fresh bandages. He stopped when he saw you, freezing in his tracks. 

“Oh,” he said. “That’s right. You’re meant to go home today.”

You smiled. “Yep. I overstayed my welcome as it is,” you said. 

He frowned at that. “You’re welcome here anytime, laze about.” 

Your heart skipped a beat and you flushed. You shook your head at him. “Nope I need to get going before people get the wrong idea about us. I stayed too long, I’ve been well enough to travel for a while now.”

His frown deepened. “Wrong idea how?”

You laughed. “You know… I know there is no way you could be attracted to me, I mean I’m annoying and oversized, but other people don’t know that. They just see someone staying and occupying all of your time.” 

He sighed. “Y/n, you’re not annoying. I like spending time with you.” He stepped closer. “And don’t you know… my kind mate for life.”

You frowned. “I’m not your mate though.”

“Oh, but you can be,” he said, setting down his supplies and taking you in his arms. “All you have to do is stay.”

[dandelionterminal]

I promise... part 3 is coming. I'm finished with Heizou, I'm working on Tighnari right now.

[dandelionterminal]

I went to work and suddenly people are noticing my writing…….. hi new people, I’m dandelion.