#grell fanfiction | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hereforreadandwrite · 6 months ago

Text

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.

#x reader #fanfiction #female reader #reader insert #black butler undertaker x reader #sebastian michaelis #ciel phamtonhive #kuroshitsuji #grell sutcliff #ciel black butler #undertaker x reader #sebastian black butler

123 notes · View notes

blue-sterling0357 · 1 year ago

Note

hi. may i request headcanons of ciel, sebastian and grell reacting to the fem reader being an umbra witch (like bayonetta)?

(this request was kind of hard, but I really enjoyed writing it!!! Apologies for any mistakes in the request, I'm not familiar with Umbra witches)

Ciel, Sebastian, Grell X Umbra witch! S/O

Ciel PhantomHive

❈ Ciel learned about you being a witch when he started dating you, now he was sure you'd help and he was right, you'd help Sebastian and the other servants around!

❈ Ciel knew you were magical, but just not how magical and strong you were. You and him would have like shooting practice, Sebastian mostly had you both do that, you were surprisingly very experienced with guns, okay that a was an understatement you were astronomical...

❈ Until he found out you were a Umbra witch which kill angels, demons as well....Sebastian was definitely worried if you were here to break his contract, but you told him you weren't and he was normal again, he is quite interested at what you do as a Umbra Witch.

❈ Ciel once saw your shadow when he was sleeping and instead of your own, the shadow was of a very huge and horrendous demon, he asked you about it but you dismissed saying, it was nothing and that the late night shines could have something to do that and Ciel believed that until he learnt about your abilities.

❈ Ciel and Sebastian take you on most of their cases, like during the Jack the Ripper, you fought with Grell very easily using your four guns, two in your hands and other two on your heels that you fire using your telekinetic powers. And Grell got enamoured with you, she enjoyed annoying you and Sebastian...

❈ And when you were fighting with Angela, you let out a huge demoness from your hair, for the first time not only Ciel but Sebastian was frightened a bit and Sebastian in his true demon form and you with your infernal demoness paired up together to kill Angela.

❈ After the fight, Ciel and Sebastian learned about you as a Umbra Witch. You were now more comfortable to dress up to your style more around them, which showed your rank in your clan. Sebastian also learned how you use your hair to create your clothing using magic and how you carry four guns at all time..He is proud of you, a bit...

❈ Ciel learned how Umbra Witches gain power, you told him and Sebastian how you make a pact with a Infernal demoness to sponsor you and allow you to improve you. And you showed him an example by sparring with Sebastian summoning the demoness's fists and feet for attacking the butler. And this is how Ciel learned how your shadow is portrayed by a demon's silhouette.

❈ Ciel started reading books about Umbra witches and learnt about them from you as well, he learned how Umbra witches were witches who are powerful practitioners of a form of magic known as Dark Arts, revolving around the usage of Spirit Energy, an evocation of beings from Inferno, and optionally forming contracted with specific Contracted Demons to perform special techniques.

❈ Ciel also learnt how other than your sponsor demon, you summon more demons from Inferno by using different mediums like using your hair or chanting a spell...Sebastian is kinda jealous at how strong you are and always wants to fight you now...

❈ Ciel notices how you always go missing sometimes and later on learnt how Umbra Witches travel from the normal world to the Purgatorio dimension, which allows them to travel without being by normal humans in the human world and how you can fight beings that are usually invisible to humans, but visible to creatures such as angels. And this is the only reason why Sebastian knows where you even when you aren't anywhere in the manor...

❈ You would help servants around as well, once Mey-rin and you were washing dishes while you were talking with Ciel and she accidently dropped one of the most expensive and prettiest china tea-cup, and you grabbed it with your super fast reflexes, it was around 4 feet above the ground that's how fast you were...Now Ciel did scold Mey-rin a bit, but he is always curious about these perks of yours...

Sebastian Michaelis

❈ Sebastian knew about you being a strong witch from the beginning, he felt an extremely strong aura from you and he could feel demons stronger than him around you, which made him worry if someone was having an eye on his lover...

❈ Sebastian had often see you in formal, body-fitting outfits and always thought you looked pretty and amazing in them, though he was curious as to why you were in such formal clothing, until you told him it's to show your rank in your clan, the he understood and would often keep your outfits clean and fresh..

❈ He asked you about it and you explained how you were an Umbra witch, he remember meeting one of them and learning about them, he knew you kill angels and some demons as well, but he didn't know how and so he was curious about everything you do..

❈ Sebastian had always noticed your shadow not being you but of a huge demon and he figured it's because of your power which had something to do with demons, cause he always felt demons around you even when there weren't any... or he always thought it was his real form behind you but he noticed it looked different than his demon form.

❈ During the luxury liner Campania, while Elizabeth was fighting with the undead, you were fighting with Undertaker and Rian Stoker, Sebastian was keeping an eye on you because demon things and he saw you letting out a HUGE ASS DEMONESS from your hair which literal killed all the people in one sec and since grim reapers probably can't harm them, another plus point of being a umbra witch!!!

❈ You would often tell him how you all needed a infernal demoness to sponsor you and how you could summon their feet and fists to attack something, protect something and basically control them and he got really excited and so you both spend the next three to five hours sparing and him being defeated with stars in his eyes..

❈ If he is allowed to touch one of the four guns, he is going to use it and decorate it according to your aesthetic of your outfit, subtly, of-course, which shows your rank in the clan, you weren't nervous to dress like you wanted around him, he also has gun practices with you and Ciel at times for entertainment..

❈ He learnt about you being able to travel from normal world to Purgatorio world without being detected by humans and so he would also ask if you if you okay with it to also to teleport him with you as well, cause he's clingy like that.. :>

❈ Sebastian is a demon who is naturally a dark creature cap which commit sins all the time, and so it was natural that he chose someone as you to be his significant other, an Umbra witch who are practitioner of dark arts, involving around spirits energy, demons and being able to perform special techniques due to being sponsored by a demoness...

❈ Your super fast reflexes also help you find what tricks sebastian has up his sleeve at times, maybe the tricks he's about to play, maybe the pranks, maybe a hit, or maybe a kiss, depends in all honesty...

❈ Overall you both are a generally dark, cute and demonic couple who'd people are tad bit creeped out and scared off...

Grell Sutcliffe

❈ You met her during the Jack the Ripper case and she was more than happy when Ciel asked you and Sebastian to teach him to be a good butler, she is more than obsessed with you than him tho, curiosity probably!

❈ When she saw you, she did feel the aura of a demon, but not those types like Sebastian, but different, more feminine, maybe more smokey, she doesn't know how to describe it and neither do I! So, she was a bit vary around in the beginning of you both dating, then she became normal afterwards when you explained the different demons....

❈ She noticed your shadow too, she's not that dumb, she is always confused as to why there is a demon in your shadow when you're a human, unless you're a demon? But no, you explained to her that it's because as a umbra witch, that you have a infernal demoness sponsor you, and that's the reason your shadow is a demon instead of a human!

❈ During the book of atlantic, she saw you fight the undead as you let out a demon form your hair and summoned the infernal demoness's fists and feet to attack them in less time as the ship was sinking, she definitely found it very hot! And of-course she clinged to you after the fight..

❈ She wants to learn everything even though her work stops her from spending her whole day with you and learning about your life as a umbra witch no worries she'll learn about you in any way she deems fit!

❈ Oh and she's either in love with your outfit or finds it a bit intimidating, she'll try to match with you as you explain how your outfits show your rank in the clan and she nods as she learns more and she glams up your outfits just a BIT so that your outfits look better but at the same time, your outfit stays the same shows your rank in your clan!!

❈ You know how she has that chin saw, if you give her one of your four guns, she will give her chainsaw but please be careful with it as it is basically her baby, and it is very important to her...

❈ She is very much in love with the witch aesthetic and so it may seem fitting that she is dating you, an umbra witch, a practitioner of dark arts, spirits energy, demons and other things, she also started reading about Umbra witch, which is a tad bit hard considering there isn't much literature talking about your guys presence in the past, she does learnt that you can kill angels and on occasion demons, so there's that!

❈ she wouldn't be able to find you often and when she asked Ciel, he said he never saw you around, unless she talked with Bassy about it! Then she learnt that you can travel from human world to Purgatorio world without being detected by humans and so due to her curiosity, she would ask you to take her with you!!

❈ So there's that, a grim reaper with an Umbra witch, both desperately in love with each other and being simps for each other's aesthetic... <3

264 notes · View notes

adishovskiy · 2 months ago

Text

Alternative?? Modern?? AU designs

Oh wait, hell yes, I can draw anything I want!

OH WAIT, hell no, I can draw anything I want-

Feel free to do whatever you want with these, I would LOVE to see them inspire someone to make something cool...

Here's a silly scenario doodle I made for this AU:

#artists on tumblr #digital art #black butler #black butler fanfiction #kuroshitsuji #grell sutcliff #grelle sutcliff #othello #william t spears #ronald knox #grelliam

28 notes · View notes

pop-roxs · 2 years ago

Text

omgg late valentines grelle x reader fic!! :3

this is like my second ever attempt at fic writing and my first time posting my work so please be easy on me 🙏

(this fic is now on ao3!)

category: hurt/comfort

ship: grelle x reader

word count: 1,206(i wrote more than i thought oh my god)

reader is gn!!!

Valentine's day is a day for couples to express their love for each other through chocolates and cards. It's a day for crushes to be confessed, and for friends to be cared for. This seems like the perfect holiday for Grelle. But she would say the opposite. Especially now.

It had been a long day at the dispatch, and frankly she was tired of seeing all the healthy and happy couples prance about the halls hand-in-hand. Upon arriving home, she threw off her coat and opened a bottle of wine, finishing about half of it in one go. She could cry if she cared. She just wanted the day to end.

William had been insistant on giving her as much overtime as possible. She would've enjoyed it, if it weren't sitting at her desk in her office, filing paperwork for what seemed to be an endless amount of hours.

It was almost midnight now, as she glumly walked over to her couch to sit down. She was exhausted, staring into nothing as her mind drew blanks. She hadn't even gotten chocolate. Not a single card. Not from friends, and she definitely didn't have any secret admirers. Why would she? Nobody at dispatch actually liked her anyways.

And so she sat there. For about a few minutes, until she heard very incessant knocking at her front door. She grumbled and ignored it. But then by the third round they were practically banging at her door, to which she finally decided to answer whoever wanted to visit her.

"...Y/N?" She stared at you, baffled, wondering why the hell you would be here. "Why are you here? Especially at this hour?..."

You tried to give her an answer, but you were panting so hard, your hands at your knees, trying desperately to catch your breath. "I'm sorry, Grelle, just... Give me a moment..."

She nervously stared at you as your breathing slowly calmed down, and this gave her a good minute or two to inspect your appearance. You were still in your uniform, but you were very much not dressed in a way you could present yourself. Your hair wasn't combed, and your laces were almost completely untied. It's almost as if you ran all the way to her apartment.

Once you finally managed to (mostly) calm down, you looked up at her, speaking in an urgent tone. "Grelle, I'm so sorry, I know I haven't seen you all day. I kinda skipped out on work today. Again, I'm sorry."

"Darling, just tell me why you're here. It's almost midnight. You should be asleep."

"And so should you." Grelle stopped talking after you said that. She let you continue. "I was gone all day because I..." You were afraid to say what you were going to say next.

"I was... Shopping. Looking for the right gift. For you." You looked away and held out a box of chocolates shaped in a heart, with a spider lily and letter taped to it. Grelle gasped quietly upon seeing it, staring at you for a minute. She gently took the box from your hands.

"Y/N, dear... Why did you get me this?" She looked up at you, biting her lip. She was afraid you were teasing her. Why in the ever living hell would you get her chocolates, anyways? And go out of your way to give them to her?

"Because."

"...That's it? Just 'because'?"

"Ok, well, I guess it's deeper than that." You stood up straight, fidgeting with your nails. A blush crept onto your cheeks.

"Well then? I'm waiting." Grelle stood leaning on one leg, her hand on her hip, the other holding the chocolates you gave her. She looked at you expectantly, one eyebrow raised.

Your eyes darted around nervously. Her apartment, the floor, the door, the hallway, anywhere but her face. "I... Well, it's not that important, really. I can tell you some other time. It is rather la-"

"Tell me."

When Grelle spoke to you with that stern tone, you shut up and finally looked into her eyes. You stalled for an incredible amount of time. The longer you waited, the more impatient Grelle became.

"Well, if you're not gonna say, I'll just go to bed." She started to close the door, and you panicked.

"W-Wait! I'll tell you." She stopped closing it, giving you one last chance to explain yourself. She kept her hand on the doorknob.

You closed your eyes as you braced yourself for what you were about to confess to her. "I like you."

Grelle's stern expression softened slowly after you said that. She looked at you in disbelief. No, this wasn't true. You were messing with her.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

When she said that, you immediately opened your eyes to return her gaze. You could tell that her eyes were beginning to water, but she was trying to hold it back. That look hurt.

"What? No! No, I'm not. I wouldn't joke about something like that, Grelle." You looked at her sympathetically.

She stared at you in thought. Her cheeks began to burn with a red color. She kept staring at you for what almost felt like forever. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

Grelle couldn't hold it in anymore, as a few tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked at you silently, biting her lip, her eyebrows upturned. You immediately began to worry when she started crying, fiddling with your hands, not know what to do.

"Oh my god, Grelle, I'm so sorry! Are you ok? Did I say something wrong?"

She then quickly started to wipe her tears away. "Goodness, dear, I didn't mean to cry in front of you... This just isn't really believable right now."

"What do you mean by that?" Your heart ached further with her statement.

It was now Grelle's turn to worry, because when she saw your painful expression, she began to feel guilty. "Well... Nobody likes me. Nobody's ever liked me. You know how people treat me at dispatch. I just thought... I wouldn't guess that someone as pretty as you would bother with a woman like me."

"Grelle..." You took a few steps forwards, before wrapping your arms around her, resting your forehead on hers. "Please, believe me when i say this. I love you. I don't just have a small crush on you, or just think you're cute --although that is still true-- I genuinely love you. I don't think i could ever get over that without telling you."

Grelle continued to cry, as she returned your hug, still holding the chocolates. "Darling.. You will never understand how much this means to me. I've been pining on you for so long, I never expressed it since I never knew someone was capable of loving me."

"Please, never believe that lie again." You moved to press a sweet kiss to her cheek, silencing her worries. She looked at you, and her eyes were so full of emotion, sincere and unadulterated affection.

"Come inside, I have some wine we can drink. I would love to share these chocolates with you.♡" Grelle loosened her embrace as she led you into her apartment, to which she spent her best Valentine's night with you.

bro i wrote this at like 2/4am tf

#YAYAAYYAYAYAAUYA guys please love this please give it attention i worked so hard im so proud of it #grell sutcliff #grelle sutcliff #grell x reader #grelle x reader #grell sutcliff x reader #grelle sutcliff x reader #black butler fanfiction #kuroshitsuji fanfiction #black butler #kuroshitsuji #fanfart #water posts

559 notes · View notes

kywaslost · 1 year ago

Text

Maternal Affections - Grell Sutcliff

A/N: When I tell you I slaved over this one, I SLAVED over this one! @idyllic-affections asked that someone write this for them, and I liked the idea so I decided to give it a shot. Usually, I knock out requests or ideas in one sitting, but this, this piece took DAYS. I worked on it every day for hours and ended up falling in love with this. I really hope yall like this one! And as a reminder, I haven’t read the manga yet so I’m sure there are things in this that aren’t canon at all.

Request: fanfic writers, i NEED you all to write grell PLATONICALLY taking care of a young (16-18 kind of age range) non-binary reaper and being like a mother/big sister figure to them. just... her knowing what it's like. her knowing and truly understanding how much pain they were going through in life, how bad it must have been for someone as young as them to end up as a reaper. her making damn sure absolutely no-one treats them like that again because god knows grell is hard to handle normally; lord forbid someone genuinely piss her off. grell just taking a young lil non binary reaper under her wing, it would be so sweet.

Warnings: mentions of suicide, sh, drowning. Proceed with caution please <3

The line between reality and unconsciousness was such a blur you weren’t 100% sure you knew where you were. The last thing you could remember was sitting on the edge of the dock, looking out over the endless sea. Then the feeling of water flooding your lungs as you slowly lose consciousness. You remembered there being a warm breeze, but now you seemed to be cold. You couldn’t grasp your surroundings, floating in and out of consciousness.

Then there were voices. Your breathing stalled for only a moment, fearing you had been found before you could die. And that’s when you began assessing your physical state. You weren’t in any pain, not like you were before you lost consciousness. In fact, you felt just fine, as if you had only fallen asleep instead of attempting to take your own life. And you were lying down. Did you wash up on shore? Last you remembered, you were too far under the surface of the water to be seen.

“Well, good morning dear,” you heard someone say to your right. “You’re finally waking up!”

You stilled, unsure you wanted to open your eyes just yet. You didn’t recognize the voice, and feared it was a nurse, or a doctor, that you’d open your eyes just to see a hospital room.

“You can open your eyes, you know,” the voice spoke up again.

You slowly opened your eyes, only to groan and close them again when you were met with a bright light. Blinking back the tears that formed from the light, you rubbed your eyes and sat upright. The room you're in didn’t look like a hospital room, which made you feel a bit better, until you realized you had no idea where you were, and the person beside you was a complete stranger.

They had bright red hair, dressed in extravagant red clothing. They sat in a cushioned armchair in the corner of the small room you were in. Their legs were crossed at the knees, and they smiled widely.

“Hello, darling.” There was a slight accent to their words.

“Where am I?” you groaned softly. Looking down, you saw a thin blanket covering your legs, and suddenly you were grateful for the fabric. You fiddled with the hem of the blanket as you asked, “Who are you?”

The stranger smiled even wider, bearing sharp, pointed teeth. “Why, I am the infamous Grell Stufliff, the most beautiful reaper around if I do say so myself.” The reaper flicked her long red hair over her shoulder, looking over to you. “Welcome to HQ. You’ll be spending a lot of time here, reviewing souls and whatnot.”

You were so lost and confused. You couldn’t believe what was going on. Surely this wasn’t true. Maybe you were hallucinating from lack of oxygen. Maybe you haven't died yet, but in the process of doing so. But why were you dry?

“You’re confused, that’s common,” Grell said, pushing up off of the chair. “Follow me, and I’ll explain.” She walked over to the door, turning her head to look at you over her shoulder. “Coming, dear?” Snapping out of your thoughts, you pulled the blanket off of your lap, tossing your legs over the side of the bed and lowering yourself to the floor. You had no shoes, like you remembered, and you could feel the cold linoleum floor through your socks. Stumbling to the door, you followed Grell out into the hall.

“Am-am I dead?” you asked hesitantly, pulling at the hems of your sleeves. Grell turned around, walking backwards in order to talk to you.

“Well of course you are darling, how do you think you got here?” She smiled kindly, leading you into a busy room, crowded with people trying on different outfits, much like a clothing store. “This is where people go after they end their lives.” Grell beamed at the sight of red, gripping your hand suddenly to drag you over to them. “Now, first thing’s first, a uniform. Most reapers wear black, but really you are allowed to pick whatever you like.” She let go of your hand to flick through the various tops, taking one off the hook and holding it up to your shoulders. “Oh, red suits you so well, darling! Positively stunning!”

You cleared your throat nervously. “Um, I’d prefer a different top, please.”

Grell frowned, but nodded understandingly. “Aw, alright. I’ll help you, and explain more about why you are here.”

As Grell helped you look for a new outfit, she also explained why you were with her, as well as what you are now. She explained the purpose of reapers, what to expect on the job, and the works, such as death scythes and the death schedule. You didn’t say anything, just taking in her words as you tried on various articles of clothing.

You didn’t understand how you could feel so calm. You’d think waking up in a strange place with an unknown ‘human’ beside you would freak you out, let alone finding out you’re now a supernatural being. But death does that to someone, you think. You already felt safer in this new environment than you did back when you were still living.

It wasn’t until you were dressed in your new clothes and led back down the hall that Grell asked for your name.

“Oh, I’m such a terrible woman!” She shrieked dramatically, falling onto you as you walked beside her. You pushed her away quickly, uncomfortable with her touch. She was still a stranger. “I haven’t asked for your name!”

“Oh,” you said quietly, looking at the ground and shrugging. “Y/N. Y/N L/N.”

And it was now that Grell finally took in your appearance. Your slouched posture, as if you were trying to hide within yourself. You let your hair fall into your eyes, and avoided eye contact. You wouldn’t say much when you spoke, and had such a soft voice it was hard for ehr to hear you sometimes. It left her wondering how old you were.

She decided to back off a bit for the rest of the night, calming down in hopes of making you feel more comfortable. She helped you pick out the perfect pair of glasses, and even recommended death scythes. In the end, she had finished walking you through the beginning steps of becoming a reaper, and it was beginning to get late into the night. Grell was growing tired, and she could see that you were as well.

“Every reaper is assigned a trainee from time to time,” she explained, leading you to yet another unknown location. “So each reaper is assigned a housing unit with spare rooms for the trainees to stay until they become fully-trained.” Grell smiled as she pushed open another door and led you inside. “Welcome home! Mi casa es tu casa, as they say.” She opened yet another door, revealing a decently sized bed with a small closet, and even a desk tucked away in one corner. “This will be your room for the next few months. Make yourself at home!”

The next week passed too slowly for your liking. You learned more and more about becoming a reaper each day, and to be completely honest, you didn’t mind becoming a reaper. Sure, you were lonely, and it looked like a tedious job, but it seemed much better than the life you had when you were living. At least here, there was some understanding of pain between everyone.

You wouldn’t admit it, but having Grell by your side almost 24/7 really helped. She trained you hard. Enough to challenge you and leave you sore, but not enough to hurt you in any way. Every night, once you both returned home, she would make your dinner while you showered and changed into your night clothes.

One night, sleep eluded you. You layed in bed for hours, tossing and turning, but you just couldn’t seem to fall asleep. So you decided to get some fresh air. Grell’s apartment had a small balcony, with the entrance in the living room. So you snuck past Grell’s room, hearing her snores from the hall, as you slipped into the living room and out into the balcony. There wasn’t any furniture, so you settled in the corner, leaning your head against the railing.

Breathing in the fresh air, you closed your eyes, letting the gentle evening breeze caress your face. There was a slight chill in the air and you shivered, curling into a tight ball.

“Darling, what are you doing out here?” You jumped, not hearing the balcony door slide open. Shooting your head up you saw Grell standing in the doorway, blanket draped over her shoulders and another one bundled in her arms. “Mind if I join you?”

You didn’t say anything, only moving your feet slightly so the reaper could sit across from you. She leaned over you, tucking her second blanket around you before sitting in front of you. She let you sit in silence for a moment before speaking again. “Is something troubling you, dear?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” you muttered, pulling the blanket tighter around you. “I’m sorry.”

Grell smiled kindly. “There’s no need to be sorry, love. Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you?”

You thought for a moment, then nodded. “Please?”

“Of course, darling.” Grell took this moment to analyze you again. You looked so young compared to the other reapers-to-be, and you were so quiet. The more she thought about it, Grell realized that she really didn’t know much about you. She only really knew your name, not your age, or how you died, or what caused you to become a reaper.

“How old were you?” Grell asked quietly, also leaning her head against the balcony railing.

“Hm?” you hummed, raising your eyes to meet Grell’s bright green ones.

“When you died. How old were you?”

There was a moment of hesitation before you answered. “18. I was 18 when I died.”

Grell inhaled sharply. “Oh, I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve to die so young.”

You shrugged, closing your eyes again. “I did. I deserved to die. But it’s ok, it’s nicer here.”

Grell placed a comforting hand on your knee. “No you didn’t. No one deserves to be pushed to kill themselves so young.” She received no response, and that’s when the reaper realized that you had fallen asleep. She sighed out of grief for you. She didn’t know how you died, or what pushed you to do so, but Grell had grown fond of you over the past week.

She could never have kids of her own, but she felt so protective over you in this moment, so motherly towards you. So much so that she carefully picked you up, carrying you back to your room and tucking you in. Stepping out only long enough to grab a pillow, Grell returned to your room, making a make-shift bed on the floor beside your sleeping form.

Two days later and you were running off of no sleep. You’d spent the last two nights staring at the ceiling, not daring to sneak back out onto the balcony. By the second day, Grell could notice that something wasn’t right. You were much quieter than usual, and your movements were growing sluggish.

The reaper quietly made two cups of warm tea, bringing them to your bedroom during the early hours of the morning. Knocking softly, Grell slowly opened your bedroom door. As soon as she entered your room, however, her heart sank. Your back was towards the door, but that didn’t stop her from hearing your quiet sobs as you cried into your pillow.

“Oh, darling,” she said quickly, rushing over to the bed. Grell lowered herself to sit on the bed by your hips, then placed the two mugs of tea on the nightstand. “It’s alright, dear. I’m here with you.” She rubbed your back gently as a means of comfort, letting you cry ‘til your heart’s content.

When your tears were reduced to soft hiccups and stuttered breaths, Grell spoke again. “What’s troubling you darling?” she asked softly. “You can talk to me, you know?”

You sniffled, moving so you were laying on your back. Grell brushed the hair from your eyes. You looked like you wanted to speak, but you wouldn’t say anything. With a sigh, you pulled your blanket up to your chin then sat up, leaning against the wall behind you. “I thought that once I die, I would be ok. I wouldn’t have sleepless nights or anything to worry about. I’d be dead.”

“Oh, love,” the reaper cooed. “I understand how you feel. I was once in your shoes. It’s hard to understand the supernatural world while also coping with memories of your past life.”

Tears welled in your eyes again but you refused to let them fall, wiping them away with your sleeve. “Haven’t I struggled enough? I mean, it was so bad I had to kill myself, wasn’t that enough?” You hid behind your hands as you began to cry again. “I suffered for so long, I just wanted it to end.”

Grell slid to sit beside you against the wall then wrapped her arms around you, pulling you against her chest. You let her hold you, stroking your hair and whispering comforting words into the crown of your head. She held you like she’d hold a small child afraid of the monsters under their bed.

While rocking you back and forth slightly, your sleeves slid up just ever so slightly. Grell expected as much, the scars on your forearms showing just how much pain you were in in your past life. She had them too, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt her seeing your scars. When you noticed her green eyes staring at your arms, you quickly pulled your sleeves back down, crying harder.

“Honey, it’s alright,” she cooed. “You don’t have to hide them, I have them too.”

After what felt like years of crying, you lay against Grell and she ran a hand through your hair. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the fact you felt so comfortable with the reaper at the moment, you began telling your story.

“Drowning,” you muttered into Grell’s shirt.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that dear?” she asked quietly. “I couldn’t hear you.”

You repeated, “Drowning. I drowned myself in the river.” Grell’s grip around you tightened. “I’ve always loved water. It’s so calm and I feel like everything will be ok. It’s a nice distraction. So I drowned myself so I could finally have peace.”

Grell was silent for a moment. “I know you may have talked about it when you were living, and it did nothing to help you, but you’re here now. Whatever, or whoever, hurt you is not here anymore. So if you’d like to talk about it, maybe you can finally put it behind you. And if you tell me, maybe I can help you, dear.”

You rubbed your eyes, putting your full weight against the red-head. You then proceeded to spend the next two hours spilling your life story to Grell. You told her about anything and everything, from how you were treated by the world, to how you felt about yourself. You told her about the time leading up to your death, what your thought process was and how you were feeling during that time. The best part was the fact that she didn’t judge you in the slightest. She only held you firmly, rubbing your back or running a hand through your hair.

By the time you finished your tale, you were practically asleep in her arms. There was so much she wanted to say to you, but she couldn’t bear to wake you, and she couldn’t decide what she’d even say. So she just continued to hold and rock you, resting her head on your own. She was definitely keeping you home for the day. There was no way she was going to risk the other training reapers hurting you, either physically or emotionally, while you were in this state.

For your remaining life as a reaper, Grell took you under her wing. She was unbearable most of the time, you learned after speaking with William once. But you learned how to handle her and her crazy personality. After officially becoming a reaper, Grell requested that she be paired with you, and you with her when either of you were scheduled to work. And when she wasn’t paired with you, she’d follow you, hidden within arms reach at any point in time.

When you were given your own apartment, you were lucky enough to be next door to your favorite reaper. You were still young, afterall, and didn’t fully understand how to live on your own in this new world. You still spent a few nights a week at Grell’s place, especially if you had a particularly hard day or weren’t feeling well.

Once, Grell caught wind of some of the newer reapers talking about you and how you dressed. Oh boy, they began praying real quick when they saw Grell storm over, chainsaw propped up on her shoulder. Needless to say, those reapers were out of commission for a while, and Grell came home so pissed off you had to force her to go on a walk with you to cool off.

Now that she knew your whole story, and just how young you were when you died, Grell kept an eye on you at all times. If you had a bad day and she knew before you came to her, she’d make sure she makes your favorite food for dinner, as well as have your favorite warm beverage on hand. Her quest room was always prepped and ready in case you wanted to stay with her.

If you had to be gone for long periods of time due to work, she’d clean your apartment and do your laundry, making sure everything was clean by the time you returned home. Grell saw you as her own personal child, one she couldn’t have on her own. So she made sure to look after you and take care of you in any way she could.

#platonic #x reader #comfort #black butler #black butler x reader #fluff #black butler comfort #black butler fluff #black butler fanfiction #black butler grell sutcliff #grell sutcliff #grell sutcliff x reader #grell sutcliff x reader platonic #grell sutcliff comfort

227 notes · View notes