Fit to Wear Red

What is a Grim Reaper, really? Madam Red learns the hard way that these divine beings are born of less-than-optimal circumstances, waking to find that she is tied to neither Earth nor Heaven, but to the in-between existence of a Grim Reaper.


Author's Preface

(Revised: August 11, 2016)

Welcome to Fit to Wear Red: a piece of Black Butler fanfiction written by Anncatz, with creative contributions and revisions by Contramundi01. Before you begin reading, there are several things that must be addressed and clarified, so that you may have a clear and pleasant experience with the fic.

If you are here, then that may mean that you were drawn to this work by its curious summary. Indeed, it seems strange—verging on an Alternate Universe (AU) tint—to read about the possibility of Madam Red becoming a Grim Reaper, but that is the very joy of fanfiction.

When this story was first published in 2011, neither the Black Butler manga nor anime had revealed the origins of Grim Reapers, so it was only natural for fans to posit different theories about their existence. At the time, it was intriguing, uncharted territory. Since then, Yana Toboso has provided canonical insight into the Grim Reapers, but you are encouraged to keep an open mind, since this is a piece of fanfiction. Fit to Wear Red explains an origin theory that allows for humans to return as Grim Reapers if certain conditions are met, and then explores the many possibilities that are presented by those circumstances.

With this story, it is important to note that regular shifts in perspective and chronology occur, though all of these changes are clearly set apart and labeled accordingly. Through the course of the story, you will come across three different types of documents:

"Chapters." These documents are written in third-person perspective. They tend to include scenes across various times, and they mention the thoughts and activities of multiple characters.

"Interludes." These documents find themselves tucked in between "Chapters." Their distinguishing feature is a switch to first-person perspective, focusing on a single character's viewpoint across a linear timeline. This achieves a particular mood and feeling unique to the character.

"Cinematic Records." These documents are essentially "flashback" scenes, detailing events from a single character's past. They are primarily written in italics to show a differentiation from the current plotline. The term "flashback," however, is too commonplace; in order to add a characteristic Black Butler feel to the story, these scenes are instead referred to as "Cinematic Records." Like the concept from the manga and anime, the "Cinematic Records" are told from first-person perspective. The reader, however, must understand that, despite being called "Cinematic Records," these scenes do not imply that a film is literally being viewed by a third-party reaper.

With all of these things said, you now know the most vital information concerning our story, so read on, enjoy, and review.

~Anncatz


PART 1: Dealing in Death

Every Monday, he reaped souls. Undistracted by anything around him, he worked ceaselessly and dutifully, even in the pouring rain.

Every Tuesday, he held a meeting of the management team, and, later, he called all of the rule-violators into his office and gave them a thorough scolding.

Every Wednesday, he summoned the members of the Grim Reaper Dispatch Society together to advise them on their latest assignments, and, in the afternoon…

Click. Click. Click.

Ah, today just had to be Wednesday.

The sound of the heeled ankle boots clicking down the hallway was unmistakable. With a furrowed brow, William T. Spears glanced up at the clock. Sure enough, it was that time again: Grell Sutcliff's lunch break.

There was something about Wednesdays. For whatever reason, the flamboyant redhead had formed a habit of waltzing into William's office every Wednesday afternoon, and it was always the same:

With a bat of the eyelashes, a blush of the cheeks, and a wiggle of the hips, Grell Sutcliff would approach William's desk. "Oh, Will," he would greet with a far-too-chipper tone, "I heard some interesting things in the workers' lounge just now." Then, with a shark-toothed grin, he would proceed to talk about the latest gossip going around the London Branch. William would ignore this chatter and focus on whatever document he was signing, until Grell would tap his shoulder and inquire, "Hey, Will, you need a break too. Why don't we have lunch together?"

At that point, William would look away from his document and command, "Out of my office, Sutcliff."

But the redhead would simply grin back at him in defiance.

"Now."

The grin would only grow toothier, so William would stand up and look at Grell with a stern, emotionless scowl. The reaper's bold, green eyes would lock for just a moment, and Grell would lean forward with a lusty whisper, "I won't give up, you know."

A monotone reply: "I know."

With that, William would clasp his hands forcefully about Grell's shoulders and then kick him—literally—out of the office.

It always happened that way. The scene was so commonplace that William practically had it written down in his daily schedule. So, since today was Wednesday, he was prepared for the inevitable. Thus the sound of Grell's clicking heels graced William's ears, but… something seemed different today…

Countless weeks' worth of a routine made William T. Spears certain that those heels were clicking at a faster pace than usual. He could only assume that today's gossip had been particularly exhilarating and scandalous.

But, no, it was more than that: Grell Sutcliff burst into the office in a frenzy, panting from having hurried, and carrying an insane look in his viridian eyes. He rushed up to William's desk and pounded his fists onto it, shouting, "Is it true, Will?"

The supervisor inquisitively raised an eyebrow.

"Is she seriously going to be working here?" Grell went on, eyes growing ever wilder.

"You'll have to be more specific, Grell Sutcliff," William calmly instructed. "London is bringing in several new employees of various division and rank—"

"Madam Red," Grell panted. "She's going to be working here?"

"Oh, so that's what this is about," William said, turning his attention back to the document before him.

"Well?" the redhead frantically prodded.

William answered without looking up from his paper: "Angelina Durless will, in fact, transfer to the London Branch."

Grell's voice cracked in hysteria: "So it's really true?"

"Yes," William repeated matter-of-factly.

Hearing this news, Grell stomped his foot on the ground and let out a frustrated cry of exasperation. "How can you do this to me, Will? You're so cold."

"Cold, no," William corrected, lifting his eyes. "Practical, yes."

The flamboyant reaper wriggled in protest. "What could possibly be practical about that?"

"I reviewed all of Miss Durless's files, which proved to be extremely impressive. The woman received an average grade of A at the Academy, including one triple-A score in Practical Technique—"

Grell stomped his foot again. "But I'm the only one at the London Branch who ever got that kind of score!"

"Not anymore, Sutcliff."

The angered reaper's face grew as vibrantly red as his hair. "I won't stand for this, Will. Do you know what she'll do to me when she sees me?"

William met Grell's wild face with a stoic expression. "Any animosity that she may feel toward you is of your own doing, Sutcliff."

"But Will—"

"As the supervisor for this division, I personally made the request for Miss Durless be sent to London," William interrupted. "The truth is that her knowledge and skills as a Grim Reaper will make her a valuable asset to us. Learn to deal with the situation, or fill out the paperwork to request a transfer to another branch."

The color abruptly drained from Grell's face, and the wildness left his eyes. "Oh, no, I can't transfer," he said in a suddenly soft voice.

William raised an eyebrow at the rapid change in demeanor.

"If I transferred… it would mean that I'd given up," the redhead explained with a soft smile.

The head of the management division shook his head and sighed. "Out, Sutcliff."

Grell gave a slight nod and led himself out of the office.

Perhaps the daily routines of the London reapers were about to change more than William T. Spears had anticipated.


She felt the air rush by her as she swiftly jumped from rooftop to rooftop in a small, rural village, though it soon happened that there were no roofs to carry her farther; the houses became sparse and faded into one large, empty meadow. The woman's last leap landed her in the midst of lush, green grass surrounded by wildflowers, and she stopped there for a moment to take in the scenery.

The countryside was virtually perfect. The sun hung in a sky of clear, baby blue, shining its warm, inviting rays onto the vibrant meadow below. She could smell the mixture of soft, floral scents, and she could even hear the cheery singing of birds. Vivid life seemed to surround her.

But death was her dealing now.

Callous eyes surveyed the world from behind the rims of elegant, scarlet spectacles. Angelina Durless's own breath of life had slipped from her lips some fifteen years ago—or perhaps it had been a few more years than that; she was already starting to lose count—and the rules of some cruel, higher order had forced her down a path that she would not have taken, if given a choice.

The harsh reality was that the miracles of birth, life, and death had always eluded her. Angelina never experienced any of those wonders in their proper senses; they were taken away from her by one brutal fate after another. Even her idea of an afterlife—whatever it would have been—had been stripped from her when she found out that her soul had been bound to some opaque existence in between worlds.

What was a Grim Reaper, really? Angelina had learned the hard way that these divine beings were born of less-than-optimal circumstances, and she was, of course, particularly bitter about the whole matter. Her life, her loved ones, her proper end—all were taken from her in one quick, forceful thrust.

A certain "deadly-efficient butler" deserved to pay for that. She had waited for years for a chance to act upon her desire for revenge, and, at last, fate was working in her favor.

Originally stationed in southern France, Angelina had frequently applied for permission to transfer back to her hometown of London, but all of those requests were denied on the grounds that she had not been absent from her home for a long enough time. Recently, though, her employment in France had been cut short at the request of William T. Spears, supervisor of the London District. Spears' Formal Request for Transfer had stated that the Grim Reaper Dispatch in London was short-handed in comparison with the number of deaths that were slated to occur in the coming months, and thus more reapers were needed to handle the situation.

How fortunate it was that Angelina naturally excelled at her career. Her bold conduct and fierce personality had allowed her to surpass her male cohorts and become one of the first female Grim Reapers to work in field duty, and her notable reputation made her a natural first choice to bolster London's lacking forces.

So, she was on her way to London…

Angelina's body tensed at the mere thought of it. Her identity as a Grim Reaper was directly rooted to her past in that city. If it had not been for Grell Sutcliff's rash actions, she would have lived, if even for just a little longer, and she would have experienced a proper death one day. Instead, London was the site of her wrongful death on that rainy night in 1888—the same night that she awoke with a burn in her eyes and vision so blurred that not even the closest objects were distinguishable…


Author's Note: As mentioned in the preface, I want to give special thanks to Contramundi01, who contributed to this story throughout 2011 and 2012, by creating plot points, making revisions, and even writing certain scenes. Without Contramundi01's thought-provoking ideas, I never would have been inspired to write for the Black Butler series.

By the way, here's an interesting little tidbit for the readers: the opening scene for this story was inspired by William T. Spears' character song, "Shinigami no Kitai Kanri," from the Kuroshitsuji II Character CD 04. If you haven't heard it before, you should give it a listen, and you should especially look up the translated lyrics. The song essentially describes the daily life of good ol' Mr. Spears, except it's got this cool, secret agent vibe to it, making it sound way more exciting than it really is. I love it.