The First Mission
Author's note: alright this is part of a little challenge I decided I would do I wanna practice writing different levels between characters. So please tell me what you think. It's just a one-shot of a girl reaper on her first mission/final test. This is set shortly after the black butler OVA with Will and Grell's backstory where he isn't AS gay as he is in the anime, and I hope you like it, please R&R
There he was, Sir Isaac William. I thought to myself, peeking out from behind a newspaper I was pretending to read as I watched a handsome dark haired young man pass by, an oddly shaped paper bag wrapped tightly in his hand. My eyes flickered up to big ben, following the time silently. It was almost 11:00pm I only had an hour to decide this man's fate and after almost 24 hours I hadn't found anything to promising, he had been very nervous and awkward when I had bumped into him for conversation, in fact he pretty much blew me off. I sighed as he rounded the corner, rising to my feet and ducking into an alley, quickly scurrying up the side of a building and perching atop the roof. I watched Isaac disappear into a store but before I could see what it was there was a flash of red and I felt a jab of pain as I was tackled off of the roof, falling into the street, a man with short red hair perched on me.
"Gotcha!" the familiar voice cried out playfully.
"Grell!" I whined, "Get off me!" Grell tisked, shaking his finger.
"Now, now." he teased. "Is that any way to speak to a superior?"
"Grell this is my training mission!" I cried out, struggling under the older shinigami's weight, unable to break free and just as I thought I had an opening he snatched my training scythe from my belt, slamming it down into my cloak and pinning me to the ground. "No fair!"
"What was that?" the redhead teased, leaning down with a hand to his ear. "What should you say?" I sighed to myself as I swallowed my pride.
"Please release me Grell." I asked polite but obviously frustrated.
"That's better." he said, a pleased smirk playing across his lips as he plucked my scythe from the ground, handing it to me as I climbed to my feet.
"What are you doing here?" I grumbled as I dusted myself off. "I'm in the middle of my exam!" Grell just shrugged.
"I saw an opening and I took It." he teased, "besides if this was really your exam where is your partner? Everyone gets a partner for this...at least they did when I took It." he started, trailing off into memories or a fantasy; I really didn't want to know which. "Well?" he asked again.
"Well..." I mumbled the rest.
"Speak up." he ordered "I didn't catch any of that."
"...no one wanted to team up with me." I grumbled, knowing my fellow students had gone through great lengths to end up with someone other than me, and with an odd number someone had to be left out. Grell's smile faded and he gave me a sympathetic smile.
"Well I can't say I know how you feel." he said with a grin. "Everyone I know loves me!" he exclaimed happily, wriggling around in excitement. I chuckled, watching him dance around.
Well. I thought with a laugh. Ignorance is bliss I suppose. Grell couldn't help but notice my forced smile, and he wrapped his arm around me, he was surprisingly strong despite his looks.
"How about I'll be your partner!" he exclaimed but I just shook my head, realizing that my target was already half way down the street, a small bag added to his arm.
"No way Grell," I said only half serious. "You'll fail me!"
"I'll have you know I passed at the top of my class!" he teased making a face and sticking his tongue out after me as I began to follow Isaac. I did my best to stifle a laugh as I followed Isaac, hoping to keep him from being suspicious.
"Besides you're a classified reaper." I said to him as he rushed up to my side, falling into step beside me with his hands resting lazily behind his head. "Isn't that some form of cheating?" He thought for a moment.
"Nope~ not that I can think of." he said with a definite smile. "Besides I finished my list for today and I'm bored." I rolled my eyes at his childish manner.
"You can tag along." I told him watching the dark haired man in front of me buy some flowers from a florist who was busy closing up shop in front of his house.
"It's not that hard." Grell said watching Isaac with what could pass as a trained eye. "Look at him, it's his time, I doubt anything he can scrape together will change anybody's' lives." I shrugged.
"I guess so...I'm just scared what if I fail?" Grell shook his head, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"You won't." he confronted. I smiled up at him, grateful for his support. I followed Isaac past a park and in the distance I could see a young woman sitting on a bench under the blooming cherry blossoms, the moonlight her only companion.
"I wonder what she's doing out so late." I wondered aloud. "It looks like she is waiting for someone but I can't imagine why at this hour." Grell made a gagging noise as he glanced at the woman.
"Whatever she's doing she isn't doing it right." he pouted. "I mean look at that dress! It looks like a nightgown!" he commented, causing me to chuckle to myself.
"Actually that's a kimono." I informed him. "It's a traditional Japanese style dress." I glanced back at the woman, my reaper eyes allowed me to see and it looks like a pretty expensive one...she probably imported it straight from japan."
"Don't care." he said, both hands resting lazily behind his head. "It's still weird." he said grinning at me childishly. I rolled my eyes and watched Isaac enter his apartment.
"Only five minutes." Grell told me, raising an eyebrow at I began to worry, my entire body jittering as I paced in front of the building. "Hey kid calm down." he said resting a hand on my back. "He's cute, but not that cute." I froze, looking up at him for a moment, both surprised and amused. "What?" he asked. "Did you see his shape? And don't get me started on that awful hair!" I broke out into a fit of laughed, reaching out and pulling Grell into a hug, his red glasses almost falling off. "H-HEY!" he said pulling from my grasp and tossing the chainsaw over his shoulder. "Don't touch me...I don't want cooties." he said teasing me once more before noting the real panic hidden deep with my eyes.
"Look kid." he told me, ruffling my short brown hair. "You're going to do fine. Now go and make your decision." he encouraged, "Now hurry up! Or I'll tell Will you were late with your first assignment." I stuck my tongue out at him as the bell began to toll midnight.
Ring~ one
I tensed, preparing.
Ring~ two
I took off running my feet moving like lightning across the cobblestone.
Ring~ three
I made my way swiftly up the building in three short leaps.
Ring~ four
I perched myself atop his windowsill silhouetted by the moonlight. He noticed me and swirled around in shock.
Ring~ five
"I'm sorry." I tell him with a small smile. "But everything will be ok."
Ring~ six
I lash out at him, my training scythe flashing in the dim moonlight streaming through the window.
Ring~ seven
To my shock, Isaac grabbed the small scythe by the wooden handle, the grown man beginning to overpower me.
Ring~ eight
I gripped the blade with all my might, struggling for control
Ring~ nine
I pulled the blade free from his grip with a yell
Ring~ ten
I flung the weapon down, the blade sinking into his chest and though there was no blood the man cried out and his bags fell to the ground, spilling their contents.
Ring~ eleven
I was surrounded in a bright light. The films of his life rolled past me in a flash, every moment of his existence and I knew the man better than anyone, and I suddenly knew I'd made an unforgivable mistake.
Ring~ twelve
I lashed out with the crude weapon, slicing through the cinematic record and sending his soul to judgment.
I stepped away as the tolling bell became silent and I stepped away from the body in front of me, I looked down at my work as Grell appeared in the window frame behind me.
"So how did it go?" he asked glancing down, furrowing his brow. "You've certainly made a mess of the place...oh..." I couldn't speak as I stared at the man's body, surrounded by petals of his fresh red roses, a shattered bottle of wine that stained the floor like blood, and a small now open box, a new diamond ring sparkling under the dim light.
"Sir Isaac William." I stated quietly. "Because of death: a sudden heart attack. Date: the 3ed of July 1889...the night he planned to propose to the woman he loved...Japanese immigrant Emiko nobunaga." I told Grell sadly. He frowned, staring down at the mess of things.
"Hey!" Grell cried out as I pushed past him, almost throwing him to the ground three stories below, as I swung myself swiftly from the window and onto the roof. I sat down, clutching my knees to my chest unable to clear my thoughts when Grell came up behind me.
"Quite a night." he told me as if nothing were wrong. "Plenty of stars out tonight," I didn't respond, I just buried my face father into my knees. I had messed up so badly, how could I ever be a reaper? "Hey come on kid." he said realizing I wasn't getting any better. "Chin up it's not the end of the world."
"He should have lived." I told Grell sadly. "He was going to get married, and have children...that would have changed the world...but it won't happen...and it's entirely my fault." Grell looked at me confused.
"How?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, catching me off guard. "because it seems to me that, there is always that possibility she said no...those children may not have lived past infancy and the line would have ended...or they would have been just another average Joe family." he said looking at me, seeming more intense than usual.
"b-but." I stammered.
"Ya know for my exam there was this really great guy...he was smart, and kind, and a top notch writer to boot, not to mention cute OH!" he added causing me to snicker. "Will and I went up to talk to him and ended up inspiring his latest novel. It was amazing, truly amazing and the kid had a bright future ahead of him...and you know what?" he asked glancing over at me, now that I was staring at him intrigued.
"What?"
"We let him die." Grell said matter-o-factly.
"Why?" I exclaimed, "If he was so promising."
"Because it was one man, one novel...it wouldn't change the world drastically...even if it became a famous book." he paused for dramatic effect. "Or in your case, a family." he glanced at me with a toothy grin. I gave him a small smile as he bounced to his feet. "You're a reaper." he stated ruffling my hair. "And you can't let this get to you, everyone dies." I nodded, as the turning in my stomach ceased and I took his hand and rose to my feet. "Come on kid." he told me. "We've gotta get you back to the academy."
-(Sometime later in the reaper realm)-
I put a pair of glasses to my face, peering at the mirror to see how I look. I grumbled under my breath as I picked up another pair, repeating the process and lifting them to my face when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I spun around startled to find myself face to face with a blonde reaper with a new pair of partly rectangular glasses in his hand.
"h-hey." he told me awkwardly. As if realizing he had come over without knowing what to say.
"Hi." I said back giving him a small awkward wave. I'm not going to lie, he was cute, and I'd seen him at a few classes but he was usually asleep and I couldn't remember his name for the life of me.
"Nice glasses." he told me flashing a boyish grin as he tried to strike up a conversation.
"T-thanks." I said shyly, my cheeks becoming tainted with scarlet. I glanced down at the pair in his hand. "Can I see?" I asked. He looked at his hand a moment as if unsure of what I was asking until it finally clicked.
"Oh yea." he said sliding the glasses onto his face.
"Those look good on you." I said with a smile, seeing how they brought out his captivating yellow eyes. "They suit you." he smiled.
"Aw these!" he teased pulling them off and pretending to look at them. "They're nerd glasses like that dork of a professor will's!" I froze, my eyes going wide as I stifled a laugh, holding a hand gently to my lips as the boy laughed. Slowly his laughter died down and he realized me. "w-what?" he asked his eyes going wide with realization. "Don't tell me... is he?" I nodded slowly and he turned around, finding he was standing in the shadow of the dork professor Will. "Hey~ there professor!" the blonde said rubbing the back of his head in nervous habit. "You're glasses look great...did you just get them polished?" he flattered in vein as the dark haired man grabbed him by the ear causing him to cry out in pain.
"Honestly Ronald, how many times are we going to sit in detention?" he asked as he dragged the blonde away, scalding him about remedial assignments. The boy twisted the best he could flashing me a wink and another boyish grin as the professor dragged him away. I waved to him.
I sure hope Professor Will doesn't kill him I thought to myself. Staring after them for a moment even after they'd vanished from sight, a slight smile played at my lips. One thought racing through my mind.
I'll see ya around...Ronald
(Author's note IMPORTANT PLEASE READ...ok I admit it the ending was bad XD sorry I tried. this was just something to get me writing again I had the idea while taking some black butler character quizzes and I decided to challenge myself. so the point of this was so that I could practice setting relationships between characters simply by the way they talk and treat each other. Well I want to practice that and I am going to do a few others with a couple random scenes and I would love if you guys could tell me what you think. I was aiming for her and Grell to have a 'big brother little sister' relationship and her and Ron to have a high school crush relationship...please tell me how I did the feedback would really help me. Please and thank you :)