Madness Part 1
Masterlist
How did things get so bad?
How did you end up lying on the ground, blood coming out of your lips and throat? You saw a strange person loudly chewing on a piece of your flesh.
How did you get to this point?
Your life had gone wrong overnight. In just a few moments, your house had gone up in smoke, you had seen your parents and your sister burn alive, you had managed to save yourself by leaving through your bedroom window. At eight years old, you had been interned because of post-traumatic stress. For fifteen years, you were tortured by his doctors who had nothing to do with your well-being. They said they were healing you, but they weren't. You hated that hospital: the straitjacket, the sensory deprivation, the experimental drugs, the leeches, the electroshock therapy. You wanted out of here, but you were at the mercy of his doctors eager to learn about the human body. Everything had changed when they appeared in your room. A child accompanied by a butler. At first you thought they were a figment of your imagination, until the man named Sebastian took off your camisole.
"Are you…real?" you asked uncertain.
"As real as you are," the child replied, stepping closer to you. "My name is Ciel Phantomhive. I'm looking for personnel. People with certain characteristics."
"Particularity? Looking for staff? Did you take a good look at me? Are you looking for all your staff in a psychiatric hospital?" you asked as you pulled away from Sebastian.
"As the young master just said, he's only looking for people with certain quirks," Sebastian commented smiling at you. A smile that made you uncomfortable. "I did some research on you. You don't realize it, but you have an invaluable ability that you don't yet realize. We're sorely short of female staff. You'd be perfect as a maid."
"Priceless ability? Maid? I've been locked up here for twelve years! I may be crazy, but you seem even crazier," you say between your teeth.
"No previous experience is required here! We don't discriminate by age, race or history," Sebastian said ignoring what you had just said. "We guarantee payment and days off, and even provide luxury supplies like sugar and tea. The uniform is designed by a first-rate tailor. You could even get a raise depending on your performance. How about it? Not bad right?"
"You didn't listen to me," you growled annoyed.
"Fifteen years locked up and tortured in his hospital, that must be a long time," Ciel said looking down at you. "Doctors and nurses say you're crazy, but aren't we all? I can get you out of this place, you'll finally be free. And I could help you find out who kill your family . Or I can leave you here, in this sordid place. You will die alone, at the hands of his doctors."
You, being a maid? You felt like they were playing a joke on you. A joke in very bad taste. But it was your only chance to leave this Hell. You shook hands with the demon, accepting the walk. They took you out of the psychiatric hospital and you agreed to serve Ciel Phantomhive body and soul. The transition from a very poorly maintained hospital to a perfectly clean mansion had been a shock. Everyone here was perfectly clean. You looked like a disgusted rat. Head shaved, still wearing your straitjacket with your hospital gown dirty like your body. But the employees weren't judging you. Everyone seemed to have a past as checkered as yours. A crazy seamstress had arrived the day after you came to the mansion to make you an entire wardrobe. Ciel gave you a present, he had asked Nina Hopking to make you a top quality wig while your hair grew back. It was a second shock to see you so clean, with clothes as clean as you and hair. With this transformation, you swore to yourself to protect Ciel Phantomhive even if you had to die for it. He had saved your life. You had worked hard to become a good example, as much in your domestic tasks as in protecting the mansion from attackers. A year was gone. A year of hard work. During two years, you had believed that your loyalty to the earl would be unfailing until Jack the Ripper struck. Ciel had decided to take you with him and Sebastian to his townhouse and from that moment your life took another turn.
"So, what is this place?" Lau asked, glaring at Ciel with his everlasting friendly smile.
"Why are you familiar with this kind of place?!" Madame Red shouted at Lau.
Sebastian explained that the business they were standing in front of was an undertaker run by an acquaintance of Ciel. You had never heard of this person. Anyway, you had been there for a year and the count was within his rights not to tell you anything. Sebastian opened the door, letting Ciel enter the building. The place was plunged into darkness, there were coffins on the floor and leaning against the wall. You were looking around uncomfortably when a laugh sounded in the room. You moved closer to Ciel, lifting your skirt slightly to put your hand on your gun.
"I knew that you would come," a man's voice reasoned as he pushed open the lid of the coffin he was hidden in. "Do you want to see how it feels to sleep in my custom-made coffin?"
"I didn't come here to play today…," Ciel began before being cut off by Undertaker who put his finger to his lips.
"You don't need to tell me," Undertaker replied, stepping back when you stood in front of Ciel. "I know why you came. With just one look~ I can tell what's on your mind. Since the earl went out of his wa to visit me. I'll certainly do everything I can to help."
"Do you know something?" Ciel asked, waving you back.
"I didn't know you had a new maid, earl~" Undertaker commented as he approached you. "What's your name, poppet?"
"(Y-Y/N), sir."
"You can call me Undertaker, (Y/N)."
Undertaker was no ordinary man. He was goofy, his payment was laughable, which was kind of weird, but who were you to judge him? With himself working, he didn't have to see funny things every day. He had provided information on the serial killer: Jack the Ripper. After the case, you decided to visit him.
"My, my~ Wouldn't that be Earl Phantomhive's maid. It's nice to see you again, (Y/N)," Undertaker greeted, stepping closer to you. "What is this visit worth to me?"
"I'm sorry to disturb you in your work."
"You don't bother me, Poppet. I knew you would come," he said, running his hand through your hair, watching your eyes intently. "You have beautiful eyes~"
"Did you know? How can you know that kind of thing?" you asked, taking a step back, embarrassed by the compliment.
"It's a secret. I'll make us some tea. Take a seat wherever you want~"
Undertaker went to the back room, leaving you alone in the shop. You were looking around when your gaze fell on a particular coffin. You wanted to open it, but it would be an aberration if you did. You shook your head away from the coffin that aroused your curiosity. Undertaker came back into the room with his beakers full of tea. He gave you one of the beakers by opening a jar filled with bone-shaped biscuit.
"Take seat~ Take seat~ you have some time don't you?"
"It's my day off. The Count isn't expecting me," you say, sitting down uncomfortably on one of the coffins.
"So it's my lucky day~"
You just nodded as you took a sip of your tea, watching Undertaker fill out various forms while munching on his cookies. This man was really strange.
"You wanted to ask me something, (Y/N)?" Undertaker asked, leaving his papers to stare at you.
"Hm? Uh…that's right. You're doing research for the young master, aren't you?"
"Yes and?"
"Is it possible for you to do a search for me?"
"It depends, what do you want me to do for research?"
"My family died in a fire. My family's stupid lawyer says my cat, my Dinah, knocked over an oil lamp. But that's impossible."
"And why this?"
"Because…she had come to bed with me. She couldn't knock over an oil lamp. I was the last person to leave the library and I did extinguish the fireplace."
"So…you think it was arson?" Undertaker asked while eating a cookie.
"I don't know. After all this time, I don't remember if I put out the fire properly. But at night during the fire, I saw a centaur."
"A centaur? Are you sure?"
"Yes! I saw him come out of my sister's room. He ran away when he saw me and then… my house and my family were burnt down."
Your grip tightened on the beaker. Even if all this made no sense, you were sure and certain that it was because of this centaur that your family died. Undertaker closed his jar, left his office and approached you. He cupped your chin between his fingers, lifting your head.
"Alright, I'll do a little research, poppet. But there's a price to pay," Undertaker said.
"You… you want to laugh, right?"
"Not this time," he said, licking his lips. "This time I want something else."
You didn't have time to ask what he wanted until his lips landed on yours. In shock, you had no idea to react. Undertaker took advantage of your surprise to pass his tongue over your lips, which brought you out of your stupor. You tried to push the mortician away, parting your lips to catch your breath, but he took advantage of this moment to stick his tongue in your mouth, starting a wild dance with his twin. Your hands gripped Undertaker's robe as he grabbed your waist, pressing his body against yours. Undertaker broke the kiss, finally letting you breathe. Your cheeks were now flushed with embarrassment and excitement.
"This payment will be enough for now, love~" he said in a low, seductive voice. "Come back to me in three days, Poppet~ I'll have all the information you want to hear~ Give my regards to the Count~"
You nodded in response, your voice stuck in your throat. You felt like your legs were freezing her. You heard Undertaker laughing as you stumbled out of the store. You didn't understand why Undertaker did that.
You went to see him again three days later to get the information you wanted. When you arrived in front of the shop, you had had a lump in your stomach. What if he did it again? But you needed his information. You needed to know what had happened to your family. You walked into Undertaker's shop, your heart pounding. The undertaker was waiting for you, sitting on his desk, two beakers of tea in his hands. You felt your cheeks flush as you saw Undertaker smiling at you with the same enigmatic smile that graced his lips.
"Hi Poppet~ Come and get settled, I have a lot to tell you~"
You approached Undertaker who handed you a beaker. You thanked him with a nod as you took your place on one of the coffins.
"So…? Did you find anything?" you asked uncomfortably.
"Lots of things~ especially one thing that might hurt you," Undertaker said taking out a bone cookie.
"What is it?"
"You remember seeing a centaur that came out of your sister's room. What else do you remember?"
"I heard Lizzie talking in her sleep."
"Had she ever done that before?"
Now that he said it, Lizzie had never spoken in her sleep. She had never locked her bedroom door again, it made her feel like she was locked in a cage.
"The fire couldn't have killed her," Undertaker said before taking a sip of his tea. "His room was furthest from the fire. He didn't asphyxiate her. She could have got out otherwise, through the window for example. Like you did. Someone must have immobilized or killed your sister, locked her in, then started the fire downstairs to cover up his crime. This person wanted to kill you all. Neither you nor your cat set the fire, (Y/N). Centaurs n don't exist, unlike doctors."
"Doctor… im-im-impossible… it can't…"
Fear descends on you, like thousands of daggers that pierce you at the same time. Undertaker was right, centaurs never existed. His devil creatures never existed, unlike doctors, especially this particular doctor. Tears were streaming down your pale cheeks, your breathing became jerky, your fingers began to go numb. You were having a panic attack. Undertaker moved closer to you, he cupped your face in his hands, lifting your head to force you to look at him. You see them take a deep breath and exhale. You imitated him, gradually finding your normal breathing. The undertaker sat down next to you, putting his arm around your shoulders to pull you into a hug.
"You had nothing to do with it, Poppet. What happened last night wasn't your fault. You were just a child."
"I saw it…"
"Hmm?"
"I saw him, a half-hearted student. I remember him! That key! Lizzie's!" you say between your teeth taking deep breaths. "He used it against me to make me forget what he did to my sister. Lord, my poor Lizzie."
"Now that you have the answers you wanted, what are you going to do?"
You had made Bumby pay for what he had done to your sister, your family and her poor children whom he had broken up to sell as sex slaves. You got Lizzie's key. Finally, you had the answers you had been waiting for for so many years.
"So? What are you going to do now?"
Your gaze fell on Undertaker. After neutralizing Bumby, you went to the cemetery to announce the good news to your family. The undertaker had appeared out of nowhere, but you didn't care too much to pay attention to that detail.
"I don't know. I stayed alive to find out the truth. I promised myself to stay loyal to the Earl. But even though he didn't help me find my family's murderer, he did when even got him out of the hospital."
You were surprised when you felt Undertaker's hand pull your wig off. You clapped your hands on your head. After two years, your hair had grown back into a little boyish haircut, but you didn't like people seeing your real hair.
"Give them back to me!" you cried, trying to get your wig back.
Undertaker put his arm around your waist, hugging you. You were mortified, your body frozen with embarrassment. Was Undertaker having fun humiliating you? The mortician was watching you intently, his left eye visible. He ran his finger over your cheek, tucking a stray strand behind your ear.
"Why are you wearing that wig?" he asked running his fingers through your hair.
"It's…it's a gift from the Count. Give me back my wig, I need it…"
"Ah sorry Poppet~ I didn't mean to upset you," he said as he put your wig back on your head. "Let me fix it~"
Undertaker arranged your wig to make you look presentable. You glared at the man with long gray/silver hair who placed a chaste kiss on your lips.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, love. I'm sorry if I made you angry," Undertaker apologized, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lips. "But I have a request for you. What I found deserves more than just a kiss~don't you think~"
Your cheeks turned red. You pushed Undertaker away, telling him you weren't a prostitute. This simple sentence made the undertaker who was rolling in the grass roar with laughter. You looked at him surprised as he regained his composure. He stood up saying you were hilarious. Definitely, this man was the strangest.
"I don't want a carnal relationship, my dear. No~ No~ what I want is for you to visit me on your days off~"
"Is that all you want?" you asked uncomfortably.
"Yes~ I am a man of my word~"
You accepted Undertaker's request. You visited him on your days off. Strangely, you were counting the days until your holidays. You enjoyed visiting Undertaker, despite the kissing incident. You caught yourself telling him about what happened to you in the psychiatric hospital, your old life with your family, your life at the mansion and other things. A few days before you embarked on the Campania with the young count, you had gone to Undertaker to tell him that you would be away for a while. Ciel had asked you to accompany him with Snake and Sebastian, of course. He also ordered you to keep quiet about why you were boarding the Campania. Apparently Karnstein Hospital had found a way to bring the dead back to life. It was ridiculous, but with everything you've been through, it wouldn't really surprise you.
"Hey~ the Earl is selfish to keep you all to himself for his three weeks," Undertaker commented as he hugged you and rested his chin on your head. "Wouldn't you like to stay with me for her three weeks?"
"And it is the young master who is selfish?" you replied with a sigh.
"Eheheh~ Sorry~Sorry~ It's okay if you leave. I'm going to be away for a while as well," he said letting go of you to go to his kitchen. "Make yourself at home, Poppet~"
You watched Undertaker disappear into the kitchen, presumably to make some tea. Your gaze rested on one coffin in particular. You didn't know why, but you had a morbid curiosity about this coffin. Why did no one come to claim this coffin? Why wasn't Undertaker going to put him in a mass grave? Who could possibly be in this coffin? You moved closer to the coffin, looking towards the kitchen, making sure the undertaker was still busy. You swallow, grabbing the edge of the lid, forcing it a little to lift it up a bit. You didn't have time to open the coffin enough to see who was inside when a pair of hands suddenly landed on the lid, closing the coffin with a crash. Your body tensed as you felt Undertaker lean against your back, his hair tickling your cheeks and his lips brushing your ear. Your heart was beating incredibly fast in your chest.
"I didn't know you were a curious little mouse, Poppet~"
"I'm… I'm sorry, Undertaker. That's…"
"There's something special about this coffin," he whispered in your ear, stroking the lid. "One thing I seek to fix."
"W-wait Undertaker!" you cried, managing to get out of his grip, placing your hands on his chest to push him back. "I'm sorry for going through your stuff. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."
You looked at the ground ashamed of your behavior. Normally, you would never have done such a thing. Your behavior made the Undertaker chuckle. The mortician took your chin between his fingers, forcing you to raise your head.
"You really are an interesting mortal, (Y/N)," Undertaker commented, bringing his face dangerously close to yours. "With such a beautiful soul~"
Undertaker dropped your chin, running his fingers down your throat, then down your chest. You felt your cheeks warm when the mortician squeezed your left breast in his hand. To your surprise, Undertaker tipped you over the coffin. He clapped his hands on either side of your head and placed his leg between yours. You were trapped.
"Such a sweet soul~" he said placing his head on your chest. "So full of life~ Aaah~ I would so love to kidnap her. Keep her to myself for eternity. Maybe this is the only way to save you, you wouldn't mind me kidnapping you to keep you just for me?"
You didn't know what to answer. You'd be lying if you said that proposal wasn't tempting. To be with Undertaker for eternity? Your irrational side was screaming for you to accept this proposal, but your rational side was screaming at you to run away as far as possible. You were shaking. You didn't know if it was fear or excitement. All this was strange, terrifying and exciting. Undertaker sighed loudly as he tightened his grip before letting go of you to straighten up. For the first time since you had met the undertaker, you saw his eyes. Mesmerizing green/yellow eyes and a long scar lined his face.
"Excuse me, Poppet. I didn't mean to scare you," Underaker apologized, placing a quick kiss on your lips.
Undertaker stood up before helping you to your feet. He readjusted your dress and restyled your hair to make you look presentable. All of this was terribly embarrassing.
"Hm…you…you said you were going to be away too," you say, hoping to break through that unease.
"Right," Undertaker replied, brushing his hair back over his eyes. "I have some business to attend to outside of London."
"I… I see. I have to go. The young count must be waiting for me," you say, pointing your finger at the door. "So…"
Undertaker smiled seeing you so uncomfortable. The undertaker was leaning towards you, kissing your temple.
"We'll see you soon, Poppet~ Pass my regards to the Count."
After this strange visit, you left the shop in perplexity. Undertaker was a strange man, but what just happened was even more strange than usual. You returned to the cart to return to the Phantomhive mansion and prepare for the cruise. Even if it was for an investigation to reassure her majesty, it will be the first time that you will travel aboard a luxury freighter for three long weeks.
Seeing the liner on D-Day made you nervous. It was the first time that Sebastian and the Count allowed you to come on one of their missions, you weren't going to be able to enjoy this sumptuous trip. Elizabeth had wept with joy when she saw that Ciel had "surprised" her. At least you had an excuse. It took another three days to wait for the Aurora company meeting. You had disguised yourself to go unnoticed and avoid a scandal. You had traded your wig (Y/H/C) for long red hair, a fake pair of glasses was placed on your nose and you had traded skilled servants for a crimson red dress. Ciel had put on a blonde wig and traded in his eye patch for bandages. And Sebastian had just put on a wig. The butler quickly explained what you were going to have to do to make it look like you were part of Aurora society. Ciel was mortified and you uncomfortable at the thought of striking such a pose. The young count took a glass of water at an exorbitant price. The smoking room was filled with well-to-do people waiting impatiently for the meeting to begin.
"Are you firts timers?" asked a man who had just noticed your arrival.
"The… the complete flame in our chests…," Ciel began uncomfortably.
"Shall not be extinguished by anyone," the man continued.
"We are…The Phoenix!"
Striking the Phoenix pose was terribly embarrassing. You and Ciel were red as peonies, but at least the man was satisfied. He welcomed you to the company and gave you three Phoenix badges. Giggles came to your ears. You and the young Earl were surprised to see Undertake, laughing.
"Saying "The Phoenix!" with such a serious face hahaha!" Undertaker exclaimed.
"You bastard!" exclaimed Ciel mortifying.
"Now, now young master," Sebastian said.
"Undertaker? What are you doing here?" you asked, trying to forget your embarrassment.
"My job, Poppet. The hospital is a regular customer of mine," Undertaker explained, regaining his composure.
"We're investigating the illegal human experimentation going on here though. Do you know anything about the revival of the dead?" Ciel asked, glaring at his informant.
"Just a sec, if you want information then I want my compensation," Undertaker stopped chuckling. "Let's see~ How about you do that pose once more?"
"Who the hell will…?!!!
"The Phoenix!!!"
Ciel and Sebastian's attention was drawn to none other than the Viscount of Druitt. Undertaker took advantage of his moment of inattention to grab your hand and lead you with him, through the crowd, away from Ciel and Sebastian.
"U-Undertaker? What are you doing?"
"Hush, it's starting," Undertaker said, pointing to men carrying a coffin to the makeshift stage.
A young man, probably in his late twenties, came onto the stage. No doubt a doctor saw the white coat he was wearing.
"Who is that man?" you asked looking at the puzzled Undertaker.
"The Founder: Ryan Stoker. An idiot."
"Hey?"
"Nothing, Poppet," the undertaker replied, hugging you, resting his chin on your head.
"The complete flame in our chest shall not be extinguished by anyone," Ryan said before striking the Phoenix pose. "We are the Phoenix!!! Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to today's research presentation of the Aurora society's "complete salvation of making through medicine". What is complete salvation you say? That is… COMPLETE HEALTH!!! A healthy body! Healthy teeth! A healthy spirit housed within a healthy body! And finally, a healthy mood! HEALTHINESS IS TRULY SPLENDID!!!"
"W-what?" you asked lost. "What he is talking about?"
"Shhh~ The best part is coming~"
"However, there's the worst kind of health issue that we can't overcome no matter how hard we try," Rya continued, placing her hand on the coffin. "What is that, you say? Death! And the great power that will save us from this disaster is THE AURORA SOCIETY'S MEDICINE!!!! We will now show you ladies and gentlemen. The fruits of our "complete salvation of manking through medicine "research."
Two men removed the lid of the coffin where a young girl was. A shiver ran up your spine as you leaned against Undertaker's chest. You felt bad.
"Are you all right, Poppet?" Undertaker asked running his fingernail through your hair.
"That girl reminds me of Lizzie," you say looking away from the scene. "I…I don't want to watch this. Besides, it's cruel to make someone believe that you can bring a dead person back to life."
"Ummm~ Do you mean?"
"Yes! How can they mourn properly?"
"Who knows~ But watch carefully what's next Poppet~"
Even though you didn't feel like it, you brought your attention back to the scene. Ryan's men placed electrodes on the deceased's chest and temples. Ryan sent powerful electric shocks into the body before stopping the machine and ordering the deceased to get up, like the Phoenix. To your surprise, and that of the crowd, the body began to move. The resurrected young girl stood up, under the tearful eyes of her parents and the admiration of the crowd. You remained speechless in front of this scene. How could that be possible? No one could defeat death, not even my medicine. You had a very bad feeling. The crowd began to applaud Ryan for this complete salute. But something was strange in the behavior of the young girl, she was perhaps "awakened", but she did not seem more alive than before. The mother hugged her daughter, crying with joy and thanking the doctor, but to everyone's surprise, the girl opened her mouth as wide as she could to bite her mother's shoulder. Blood spurted from the wound, the mother's cry of pain echoed in the quiet room. There was silence for a few seconds before people started screaming and fleeing the scene. You didn't have time to do anything that Undertaker dragged you behind the machine that had just "resuscitated" the young woman.
"What do you-"
"Hush!"
Undertaker had just clapped his hand over your mouth. You looked at the undertaker surprised by his behavior. His attention was focused on the undead advancing towards Sebastian and Ciel. You saw the butler throw knives at the monster's vital points, but it had no effect. How could that thing still move after Sebastian's knives had touched its heart?
"We've seen enough. Let's get out of here Poppet."
"W-wait! Undertaker!"
Undertaker took you with him out of the room, taking you away from Ciel and Sebastian. You were trying to pull your wrist out of the undertaker's grip, but he was determined to take you with him. You tried to talk to him, but Undertaker pretended not to hear you. You understood that you had no choice but to follow the undertaker through the corridors of the liner until you arrived in a room where you were pushed unceremoniously. You turned to the undertaker, but he quickly locked the door, trapping you in the room. You rushed to the door, trying in vain to open it.
"Undertaker! What's wrong with you?!" you asked, banging on the door. "Let me out!"
"Sorry Poppet. You better stay in there. I don't want you to get hurt. It's the last thing I want," Undertaker replied, his voice muffled by the door. "You don't fear anything here. Stay quietly there until I return. I won't be long."
You heard Undertaker's footsteps walking away from the room. He really just locked you in that room? What was happening? First this girl coming back to life and devouring people, then Undertaker decides to lock you up without giving you a plausible explanation. What were you supposed to do? You couldn't stay locked in this room, but what could you do? You had to calm down and think of a way out of this room. You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard people screaming in terror and running through the hallways. What was happening? There was another strange noise reaching your ears. Rattles. What was happening? You had to get out of here. Your gaze swept the room when you saw an air vent. It was big enough for you to fit in. You pushed the desk to reach your only exit. You manage, with some difficulty, to open the gate and slip into the ducts. Screams of terror, pain and gasps echoed through the vents. You stopped in front of a gate to see what was making people hysterical. The living were chased by other undead. Was that why Undertaker locked you in his room? Did he know what was going to happen? A violent jolt shook the liner. The tremor lasted a good minute until everything became "calm" again. Did he hit something? You crawled back through the vents, looking for a hallway quiet enough to get out of there. You found a deserted corridor, there was not the slightest living and the slightest death. You opened the grille and pulled out the air ducts. This place was way too quiet. You took out your revolver before setting off. You had to find the Count and Sebastian. And quick. You were running through the long dark corridors. The corridors were all alike, this liner was a real labyrinth, it reminded you of the hospital.
"The hospital…," you muttered before shaking your head. "No, (Y/N)! Stay focused!"
You quickly set off through this maze. The liner was leaning dangerously, it was only a matter of a minute before it sank forever in the ocean. You'll run through the long corridors, passing several doors to arrive in a reception room. The huge room was empty, all the furniture had been knocked over and the majority of the doors were blocked, the corpses of half-eating people littered the floor in a pool of blood. How could things have gotten so bad? The huge room was empty, all the furniture had been knocked over and most of the doors were blocked, half-eaten corpses were strewn on the floor in a pool of blood. It reminded you of that night, it looked like it. Deaths, blood, screams, tears. You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard a door open. You got into a fighting stance when you saw a group of men alive, along with Undertaker, Sebastian, and Ciel. A sigh of relief escaped your lips when you saw that they weren't injured, but your attention quickly fell on the strange machine that Undertaker and three other men were carrying. The undertaker put the machine down, under the watchful eyes of Viscount and Ciel, before approaching you.
"You should have stayed in the bedroom, Poppet," Undertaker commented as he wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him.
"You know what's going on on that liner, don't you?" you asked, sternly eyeing the undertaker.
"Ah~ that~ that's another story, Poppet~"
"Ah! Bastard!! Why did you take the device?!!!"
Ryan had just walked into the room with two other people you had never seen. You thought he was talking to the Viscount, but when he spoke, the doctor's eyes fell on him. It was not the Viscount he was addressing. You looked at Undertaker who chuckled as he tightened his grip on your waist. The Viscount fantasized about a new era, which he would name "The Aurora Empire". Either the man or woman was activating his chainsaw, saying he/she was going to paint it red, but Druitt was leaning his wine glass dangerously over the machine. The blonde laughed, saying he could beat everyone here with just a glass of wine.
"I'm going to kill him," you say, glaring Druitt sternly.
"Eheheh~ Not yet, Poppet~"
To your surprise, and that of the others, hundreds of undead broke the windows, clumped together and forming a traffic jam, a few managed to enter. There were far too many of his creatures to fight. Ciel asked the Viscount to activate the machine, but the Viscount announced that his title no longer suited him and that he would activate the machine only if the little Count called him Caesar. What was the problem with this guy who compared himself to Emperor Nero? The man/woman with long red hair ordered Druitt to activate the machine, losing what little patience he/she had. Druitt smiled ordering everyone in the room to do the phoenix dance to prove their loyalty. The three men and the man/woman looked at Druitt with the same idea in mind, to kill him.
"Oh no," Undertaker chuckled, rubbing your cheek against your hair. "Are you sure you don't want to know how that device works? You must too, Poppet."
Ciel glared at Undertaker who chuckled as he imagined this most hilarious scene.
"What are you doing? Come on!" Druitt exclaimed.
"The… the complete flame in our chests," Ciel and Sebastian began.
"Shall not be extinguished by anyone," Grell and Ronald continued.
"The nex embodiment of. We are…," Druitt continued.
"The Phoenix!!!"
The word Phoenix echoed around the room as the group struck a Phoenix pose. Druitt congratulated the group, announcing that he would show them how the army of the dead would bow down to him. Druitt turned on the machine, the light bulbs lit up, sparks appeared, then nothing, the machine went out on its own in front of everyone's eyes. Undertaker's laugh echoed around the room, you saw the undertaker roll on the floor and hold his ribs. Why the machine was not working? Wasn't the Viscount who built this thing?
"Bastard! So you fooled me?!" yelled Ryan annoyed.
You looked at Ryan surprised. It wasn't Druitt he was yelling at, it was…
You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard the sound of the chainsaw motor. You saw Grell leap from the balcony, slicing the undead in half, before rushing at Druitt. You didn't have time to react when Undertaker moved in front of the Viscount, blocking Grell's chainsaw with a sotobari.
"Un-Undertaker?" you asked surprised.
"Hehe… it's been a while since I've laughed so much to lose such an amusing man would be like losing the whole world to me…," Undertaker commented quietly as he removed his top hat. "Don't you agree? Shinigami?"
"The deathscythe's blade can't cut it?!" exclaimed Grell surprised.
Undertaker pushed Grell away, opening his jacket to reveal the sotobaris hiding beneath. Undertaker smiled as he sent sotobari at Grell, who shielded himself with his chainsaw, but one of the sotobari grazed the Shinigami's temple. Grave markers shattered the huge glass. Your legs had turned to jelly, you collapsed on the stairs, staring at Undertaker in shock. What was he doing? What was happening?
"Ahh…how sad…," Undertaker commented, brushing hair from his face, revealing his green/yellow eyes and the scar across his face. "How sad it would be should laughter disappear."
Ciel was as surprised as you to find Undertaker's true face. You shielded your face as the shards of glass crashed to the floor. You didn't want to watch this show. You didn't want to be there. You were praying this was all a nightmare and you were going to wake up. You felt like your head was underwater, it was way too much information to take in all at once. You vaguely heard Sebastian say that he had never noticed the undertaker's true nature and that he had concealed his eyes very well, while Ronald and Grell understood that Undertaker was a Shinigami. Undertaker sneered, saying it hadn't been called that for half a century.
shinigami? What was this thing? What was happening? Why did things get so bad? You lay curled up on the floor, digging your nails into your skull. Your heart was beating insanely fast in your chest, your fingers were numb, your breathing was erratic, you were having a panic attack. What were you supposed to do? To run away? Combat? Do nothing? You vaguely heard Ryan yell at Undertaker, but you felt like your head was under water. The young doctor didn't understand why the Shinigami had lied to him? The whole thing about going to America to spread complete salvation was a lie. All Undertaker replied was that he thought this would all be fun, since Ryan was trying, seriously, to bring the dead back to life and he was the perfect person to achieve his goal. The terrible truth fell on Ryan, he had been manipulated from the start. The young man fell to his knees, horrified by this truth.
"So in the other words, you're the mastermind behind the Aurora society's human ressurection experiments, Undertaker!" Ciel exclaimed, eyeing the undertaker.
"That's a secret," Undertaker replied before sighing with a shrug. "is what I'd like to say, but by doing that Phoenix pose, you've paid me for an awful amount of information. So I'll tell you. Hehe~ It's true that I was the one who made these moving corpses ."
"Why?!"
"Ah yes… at first, it was probably just my curiosity toward humans," Undertaker began, tapping the tip of his sotobari on the ground.
Humans were a body of flesh and a soul. If brought together, they could exist among the living and continue to record their memories in the cinematic lantern. And when the body of flesh withers and a Shinigami comes to collect the soul, the film stops and the living becomes dead. The Shinigami then takes the soul from the body from a list and thus ends the kaleidoscope. Day after day, quietly, indifferently, Undertaker lived this Shinigami life for a long time when one day he said to himself: what if the ending had a continuation? What would happen to the body if a sequel was added to its memories that ended when the soul is removed?
"Shinigami only hunt souls after all. The body and the brain that holds the memories are left in this world," Undertaker continued.
"Hehe~ Well then how about you take a look at their records with your own abilities?" Undertaker asked, pointing to one of the undead.
Grell activated her chainsaw to cut off the heads of two walking corpses, revealing their cinematic lantern. At first, everything was normal, then after the lantern ended, the two Shinigami and the demon were surprised to see that Undertaker had added a film of him doing anything. Which had the gift of making Grell hysterical. You ignored everything they were saying, covering your ears with your hands so as not to hear anything anymore. You had to calm down, to come to your senses. You could see Undertaker, the two other Shinigami and Sebastian fighting among themselves. But no sound reached your ears, you could just hear the beating of your heart which was deafening, your breathing was erratic, your heart was beating at a crazy speed and you had the impression that your legs were made of lead. You were having a panic attack. Your attention was quickly diverted from the fight to be brought back to Ciel. The teenager was talking to you, but his voice couldn't reach you. You were just watching his lips move when your attention was drawn to one of the walking corpses rushing at Ciel. You were brought out of your panic attack, grabbing the young Count by the collar of his jacket to throw him over the banister.
Ciel looked at you surprised when he saw you grab him by the collar of his shirt to lift him off the ground and throw him over the banister. During his fall, he saw the corpse throw itself at you, pinning you to the ground and sinking its teeth into your throat before its body hit the ground heavily, cutting off its breath.
The cry of pain that escaped from your mouth, feeling the corpse sink its teeth deep into your flesh and tear it out, resonated in the room. A metallic taste invaded your mouth, you had trouble breathing. You could only see the walking corpse chewing noisily on the piece of your own flesh.
You saw the man/woman with long red hair land next to you and pull out a notebook.
"(Y/N) (Y/L/N), born in 1864, aged twenty-five, dies of a hemorrhage. Nothing special," Grell said with a chuckle.
Dead…?
You were dying?
So this is how you were going to die?
"Poor thing," Grell chuckled. "A life of misery with an equally miserable end. Be glad to be free of this miserable existence."
As you heard this person speak to you, you saw your vision begin to darken, the noise stopped reaching your ears and then it was black and complete silence.
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💚Can I please request (Ciel. Alois. Sebastian. The undertaker. Grell. madame red ) with the tanjiro s/o
🖤For the demons and shinigamis they are mesmerised by their soul it's so pure and rare th that they need extra protection to be safe.
💚Imagen them learning that they family got killed by a demon and turned her little sister in to a demon and doesn't hold a grudge against any others demon.
🖤(For the undertaker image him getting the okay from her to give her family a proper and beautiful burial instead of her makeshift one. And her being able to give them a proper good bye. 😢)
💚How whoud they react to her smelling gift. Breathing style and rock like forehead and what whoud be there reaction to seeing nezuko for the first time (madame red whoud see her as her child 😭)
I decided to add Claude because why not?
Ciel Phantomhive
Is questioning how you are able to not hold a grudge against the demon who turned your sister into a demon as well as killing your entire family. Are you sure you’re mentally okay? His parents were killed in a fire and he’s seeking revenge on the arsonists and murderers.
He noticed your sense of smell when you entered the room and you saw and smelled Ciel getting more and more angry. You went over and calmed him down before it got to a point of no return. He asked how you knew and you said you could smell it.
He probably loves your cooking a lot. When dinner time rolls around, he finds himself more excited for the main course rather than the dessert. Sebastian is grateful to you because the more healthy he eats, the better his overall attitude is.
When he meets Nezuko for the first time, he immediately questions the muzzle. You explain that it’s to lead her away from the tempting smell of mortal blood because she is still a demon. By the end, she gives him a hug and a nuzzle before returning to the box.
Ciel is concerned when Sebastian tells him that he can sense more demons lurking around the manor because they can sense your pure soul. He puts the house on mandatory lockdown and will order his butler to fight off all the demons outside.
Sebastian Michaelis
Since you are his significant other and he’s a demon, he probably already knows about the horrible news of your family. It’s disgraceful to him. Even demons here were more sensible and reasonable than that.
He noticed your sense of smell when you had a very worried expression on your face and you ran to the kitchen. There, Sebastian found out that Bard was trying to blowtorch the meat so that it could ‘cook faster’.
From then on, you volunteered to help the chef in preparing meals. You told him that it would be volunteer work rather than being paid because you love cooking for others. Moving forward, the other noble families envied the Phantomhive Manor for their excellent food.
When he met Nezuko for the first time, it was a truly interesting sight. He is very tall and she’s very small. Eventually, she rushes in and gives him a big hug. He’s taken aback, but starts giving her head pats in return.
Because of what he is, he’s naturally very protective of you. You have shown him that love is possible, even for a demon. So when he senses more demons lurking around because of the purity of your soul, you get special guard-dog privileges.
Alois Trancy
Is also questioning how you aren’t actively seeking revenge on the one who murdered your entire family. Hell, he’s even more mad when you tell him than you were when you discovered the bodies.
He notices your incredibly strong sense of smell when you take a huge whiff of the air and you sense a carriage arriving at the Trancy Manor. You tell him that it smells like Lord Ciel Phantomhive and his butler Sebastian. He sends a weirded out look to you.
He absolutely loves the food you make. In fact, he’ll throw a tantrum if you’re not the one who made his food for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He would even offer to pay you to do it everyday. You kindly refuse and say you’d do it for free.
When he meets Nezuko for the first time, he gets annoyed that she has a muzzle on and at one point tries to forcefully take it off. You patiently tell him that it’s for his safety because she’s still a demon and she’s probably stronger than Claude.
When Claude alerts Alois that you are basically a beacon for other demons, he is both angry and worried. You’re the only one who truly understands him and he won’t let you be taken away from him. Claude, go take out the rubbish.
Claude Faustus
Like Sebastian, he probably already knows that you are a person with a very unfortunate past. He’s angry that a person as kind and forgiving as you had to go through such pain. But he’s impressed that you hold no resentment.
He notices your strong sense of smell when you sniff and alert him that Alois is going to get angry in a few minutes. He heads over and gives him some scones you made and tea before coming back and asking how you knew. You explained that you had a gift.
Alois was very happy after eating the scones, so Claude asks if he can receive the recipe. You volunteer to just make them for him whenever necessary if he liked them so much. The both of them are very grateful to you.
When he meets Nezuko, the height difference is very apparent. She has to crane her neck if she wants to look at him in his eyes. Eventually, she motions for him to bend over and gives him a few head pats before leaving.
Again, since he’s a demon like Sebastian, he’s very protective over you. When he senses other demons on the premises trying to get you and your pure soul, he’s angry. He suggests that you remain inside as much as you can so you don’t get attacked.
Undertaker
He offers a proper English burial for your family, free of charge as long as you remain an apprentice in the funeral arts (so technically not for free). He’s happy to see that you don’t hold a grudge against all of demonkind.
He noticed your strong sense of smell when you had to mix the ingredients for the embalming fluid but they didn’t have labels. You opened the containers and took a small whiff from a small distance away. You were then able to make the fluid.
Unlike demons, Grim Reapers need to eat. That being said, he loves the food you make because it just tastes so good. He’s always excited when it’s your turn to cook supper because he knows that he’s gonna be eating good.
When he meets Nezuko, they connect instantly. They both have fairly upbeat attitudes in general, so you all are just the happy trio. Considering Reapers aren’t human, I think it would be fine if you took Nezuko’s muzzle off.
Anyways, he probably knows that you have a pure soul because he reaped souls for a while before becoming the undertaker. He also knows that it’s basically a delicacy to demons, so he makes sure that he either accompanies you outside or that you stay inside with him.
Grelle Sutcliff
This is one of the very few times where she shows heavy remorse because she was probably the one to reap the souls of your family. She tells you that the films of your mother were especially sweet because she spent a lot of time with her family.
Through the films, she probably already knows about your sense of smell. You used it a lot when playing hide and seek with your younger siblings. She saw it in person when you were able to sniff out Sebastian and Ciel in the alleyway (iykyk).
She absolutely loves the food you make. She might even come into the kitchen and help where she can as a bonding experience between the two of you. It’s moments like these where your situation could be mistaken as somewhat normal.
When she first meets Nezuko, she squeals about how adorable she is. She takes her by the hand and puts all sorts of accessories into your sister’s hair. Nezuko seems to enjoy it because she’s not fighting against it.
Like the Undertaker, she probably also knows that you have a pure soul because she reaps a lot of filthy and impure ones. She can tell that you’re not like all the others. She knows that a bunch of demons will try to come after you, so she will do her best to protect you.
Angelina Dalles-Burnett (Madame Red)
Grelle has probably told her about your family since she was the one to reap the souls. Angelina is absolutely horrified that the demon would do something so horrible to a person so kind and good-hearted.
She noticed your strong sense of smell when she came back from an… outing… with Grelle. You were able to smell the blood that was previously on her hands before she washed them. You were also able to smell the anger that was present during the time of her committing the crimes.
She does enjoy the food you make. She would tell you about her day as you both sit in the kitchen, just enjoying each other’s company. It’s usually not normal for a baroness to be in the kitchen, but it’s also not normal for a baroness to murder people.
When she first meets Nezuko, like Grelle she probably smiles in excitement. Your sister doesn’t seem to mind the extra attention or the extra dresses provided to her. You laugh as Angeline makes Nezuko twirl.
Grelle probably informs Madame Red about the purity of your soul and how a lot of demons will most definitely be after it. She’s obviously concerned, but she knows that you are strong enough to at least escape a messy situation if you need to.
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