Chapter 1: The Interview

The last time I saw color was in my father's eye. It was a glistening blue, like the sky and the deepest parts of the ocean placed their child within him when he was brought before them. I wish I had those eyes. Instead I had my mother's eyes. It's not as though those eyes were ugly. They were a shade of green likely never seen by the common people. They were the green of emeralds, and in her youth, they shone the same. However, as she grew older and tragedy struck, the shine faded and left what I had always seen in those eyes. Depression, disappointment, and no will to live. That's why I hated her eyes and mine. However, the man before seemed to love staring into them.

"What strange eyes you have, Miss Smith," the man commented. I chuckled.

"I mean no offense, but it seems odd to me that you make such a comment. At a job interview no less..." I replied. He chuckled as well, his visible red eye narrowing. He used his long white hair to hide the right side of his face, so I could not see the eye on that side.

The interview room was sparsely furnished with only two beautiful but uncomfortable chairs and a table to my left. My interviewer's chair and mine were not directly facing each other. They were both twisted slightly to face the fire on my right, the only source of light in the room. There were no windows or other lights, so the wall to my left was completely obscured from my vision by darkness. The walls and furniture were all covered by the same gold and wine red pattern. It was a red that matched the man's dark eyes. A fact that was now causing me some concern...

"Indeed. How ironic." He brought his sleeve-covered hand to his pale grin, as I had seen many nobles do when trying to hide their expression, be it one of amusement or disgust. Before he could ask the next question, I spoke up again. After all, I would use any opportunity I had to insult this man before he hired me.

"I assume the maid uniforms will be..." I looked up and down at his attire distastefully, "normal." He definitely took offence to that. It was an understandable question to ask, based on his look. He wore a long white coat that hung loose over at his shoulders and had sleeves that passed far beyond his fingertips. Beneath it he wore a purple shirt and a loose, darker purple necktie. He wore black pants that only went to his mid-calf and white boots with two unbuckled straps and a single buckled one, leaving part of his legs exposed. His eye glared at me.

"Oh, I don't know. You'll just have to see for yourself, if you get the job," he replied icily. He inhaled a deep breath, as though to calm himself, then smiled at me with the same forced smile he had used when I first walked into the room. "Just one more question," he announced. I couldn't think of another question he might want to ask. We had already discussed the normal interview topics, and it had been made very clear that, despite my constant mocking, I was more than qualified for the job. Perhaps it was a job-specific kind of question.

"Were you present at the execution of your father?" His eyes bore into mine, looking for a change. They most certainly found one. My eyes widened then narrowed as I processed the question and its implications.

If he already knows, there was no point in denying, I thought, trying to calm myself down.

"Yes, I was." The direct answer seemed to surprise the man, and a giddy look entered his eyes. He turned to the small table to my left, his right, and readied a fountain pen to take notes. This was going to be a long interview, wasn't it?

"Please, tell me all about it." He practically begged, malice and excitement dripping from his voice. His eyes gleamed with a hunger I had seen only few times before. This man was dangerous. He hungered not for power or glory, but knowledge.

( - )

"Miss Maude, could you come here for a second?" my interviewer called to the servant girl waiting outside the door. It had been a long grueling interview, the last question being the hardest. He pushed for many details and asked smaller questions, most of which were answered with "I don't know." I was thoroughly exhausted. If I didn't get the job after all that waiting and that interview, I wasn't sure what I'd do. The bills would have to get paid somehow. Maybe I could find another job... No, I'd have to move first. Too many people in this town had already fired me. But if I moved, where would I go? I couldn't possibly go back to Uncle Edward's like this... He still hadn't been told about mother, had he... So much to do and so little time... Now a small part of me didn't want the job anymore.

"Miss Ella Smith," my interviewer called, bringing my attention to him fully, "regrettably, I must inform you that, while your application was mediocre and your schooling is lacking, your interview went incredibly well, and you have been accepted into the workforce of Pandora. I am Xerxes Break, your indirect superior and your personal overseer. This," he reached into a dark corner of the room and brought forth a set of clothes, neatly folded and freshly ironed, "is your uniform. Miss Maude," he pointed to the maid he had called into the room earlier, "is your senior and your roommate. Ask her any menial questions you may have. Tomorrow morning I will inform you of your duties. For now, get settled and unwind. I'm sure you'll need it." He sent me a knowing glance and a wink before moving toward the door. "Ah, one final thing," he held a finger in the air, then slowly moved it to his lips. "Make sure to do your job well, or a complaint may escape these lips." The threat was clear. My secret was in danger, and I had to do a good enough job to avoid getting fired for it to stay safe. Sounded easy enough, but who knew when it came to me.

With a final wave, Break left the room, and Miss Maude and I were alone. I spoke first.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss Maude. I am Ella Smith, a common woman from Reveil. I hope we work well together." I gave her a kind smile. Surely my introduction was perfect. I had been taught the manners of such social engagements by my mother from a young age. However, my introduction was only met by a hearty laugh.

"Well, you certainly speak like the fancy folks! Hahaha! And here I thought we might not have to break you from bad habits!" She spoke with a commoner's accent, slurring her words and forgetting an H here or there. Her voice was still high and twinkling, despite her aggressive words and accent. Once finished with her laugh, she placed her hands on her hips and looked at me with a broad smile on her face. "Drop the 'miss.' I'm just Maude, and there's no need for you to call me anything else. I'll be doing the same to you, I hope you know." I nodded, and it seemed a good enough response to her. "Good," she said before turning to the door. "Now we start your tour of Pandora Headquarters!" She lead me along the wide halls, each one lined with either windows or portraits. I used this time to get a good look at my roommate. She had shoulder-length auburn hair that she let hang free, unstyled but somehow still beautiful. Her face was narrow and foreign, and her skin was darker than most, but that only added to her charm. She walked brazenly and openly, as though she was royalty and not the one kissing their feet. On her finger was a ring of bronze. It was a simple circle with a dark stone ingrained in the center on one side. If it had been made of more precious metals or gems, I would have mistaken it for an engagement ring. She showed me the manor inside and out, showing me the gardens, the tea parlor, the dining hall, the kitchens, the library, and all sorts of rooms I couldn't imagine a use for. There was only one place she left me with more questions about than she did answer, and that was the masters' private quarters.

"We may be the ones here to clean the place, but unless we're specifically told, we can't go in the Private Quarters. It's the same in reverse, so you don't have to worry about any of them going through your things." I had many questions she refused to answer, so we just moved on to the next stop on our tour. It ended at the servant quarters, where she showed me our room then went off to her own work. "I may've been asked to show you around, but I still have my own duties to attend to. I'll see you later tonight." Like that, she was gone.

Our room was small, white, and symmetrical. The door was in the center, painted the same chipping white as the walls and windowsill. There was one window opposite the door, and on either side of the window was a twin bed with white sheets, a single white pillow, and a white metal frame. On either side of the beds were white dressers and mirrors. In all honesty, these were the nicest maid quarters I had ever seen. The beds were covered, we were provided individual dressers and mirrors, and we could enjoy the company of a friend at night. For many women, it was a dream come true. For me, it was a means to an end.

I decided now was a good time to try on my uniform and explore the halls of my new home. The uniform was a bit different from what I had seen on Maude and other maids we had passed in the hall. Theirs were black and white and covered in poof. They wore black skirts, blouses, and shoes with white aprons, neckties, and tights. Mine was far less large, clinging to my legs and waist scandalously. The wine red skirt stretched to my knees, the rest of my legs covered by white tights. My blouse was form-fitting as well, only loose on my arms. I had no apron, but I had a necktie similar to a cravat with no place to tuck it. I looked at the outfit as a whole. it was a bit more scandalous than I was used to, and it was different from the other maid's uniforms. Perhaps I was to be assigned a special job? I ended up taking a glance at my face. My cheeks were round and child-like, but marred by the freckles on my nose and cheekbones. My nose was round, fondly called a "button" by my mother, and my eyes were the same. Big green eyes. I pulled at my black bangs, as though I could cover my eyes the way Break did, but they were not long enough. My bangs were straight in the center, then they sloped downward slightly to meet the length of the hair that fell down my back. It was a hideous, straight black. It had worked well for my father, as his hair was short, but I had been cursed with such boring hair. I wished I had been born with Mother's bouncy, cheerful blonde hair and Father's calming and clear blue eyes. However, that was not what I had been given, and I had to learn to deal with that.

I needed to get away from that mirror. I grabbed a tie and pulled my hair into a messy ponytail before leaving the room, careful to close the door behind me. I ended up wandering, not sure where I was going. I saw many maids and other servants, but not many actual members of Pandora. I had heard that this was a secondary mansion and not the primary meeting place of the dukes, but I expected at least a few more people for a place with so many servants. As I wandered, I heard someone call my voice.

"Ah, Miss Ella!" Unfortunately, it was a voice I recognized. I turned to see Break waving at me.

"Yes, Master Break?" I answered, bowing before him as best I could in my tight uniform. It didn't seem very practical.

"Unfortunately, there's been a change of plans. I'll need you to leave for Reveil right away," he explained. The cheer he had in his voice during the interview was gone, replaced with a seriousness that didn't suit him.

"Reveil? Why do you need me to travel to the capital? And, if I may ask, why is my uniform different from those of the other maids?" I was trying my best to be polite to him. Now that he was my employer, being rude was certainly out of the question. However, he seemed shocked at the sudden change.

"You have different duties from the other maids. You are to be the handmaiden of a girl we recently recruited, Miss Alice. Unfortunately, it seems she will be present for many important meetings in the near future, and her lack of etiquette could very well make a bad situation worse. As you have so kindly shown, you are well-versed in subjects such as manners, so you will be teaching her, and at the current moment she is on her way to Reveil as you should be." With that he turned and left. I was shocked. To be working as the personal tutor and handmaiden of one so important was an immense job, but it was likely to pay much more than being a minor maid. While it was a good opportunity monetarily, I was worried about the master I would serve. Anyone whose manners were bad enough to ruin a meeting was sure to be trouble.

I can do this. I can do this. That was my mantra on the way to Reveil.

Hello, hello, peoples of the fanfiction world! Please don't hit me!

So this was an idea that suddenly popped in my head about a day ago. I had a friend help me develop some ideas and now it has become this! I'm very proud of it so far, except for maybe a few places here or there.

Warning: this is going to take place AFTER the Black Butler manga (or at least what's happened so far, not including the current arc) and DURING the Pandora Hearts manga. There won't be many Black Butler characters involved, so sorry to people looking forward to seeing Sebastian and Ciel's antics ^.^

To fans of The Unnamed: I'M SO SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN TO ABANDON YOU ALL, I PROMISE. I'VE BEEN TRYING, I HAVE, BUT INSPIRATION'S BEEN HAVING ISSUES. I'll try and update soon.

Anyway, please let me know what you think. I think I've made it pretty obvious who Ella is. She doesn't talk much in this chapter, but she'll have more personality in the next chapter.

As seen in the title, the Funtom Rabbit plays a big part of this story. It's actually the title of one of the characters. If anyone wants to guess, feel free, though it's probably impossible since this is only the first chapter.

See you sometime!

Fiction out!