Authors Note:
Ok, so this is just an idea that struck me and I really wanted to write it. It's a Bleach/Kuroshitsuji crossover. Whilst containing the characters from Bleach, it will follow the story of the Noah's Ark Circus Arc, although there will be a number of very large deviations. Everyone is human- no one has reiatsu, zanpaktous etc.
I hope I didn't go OOC with anyone and I'm sorry if I did! I found it quite hard to write the characters who have only appeared in the manga, as I didn't have much of a voice to listen to. And it was pretty hard to turn a bunch of mad scientists into circus performers...
In relation to Giselle's gender (I know people have debated it), the Bleach wikipedia specified it as female, so I have used female pronouns. It is up to you whether you decide to read her as cisgender, transgender or on a different area of the gender spectrum.
I do not own/did not create Bleach or Kuroshitsuji. The characters and the Noah's Ark Circus Arc do not belong to me. These belong to Tite Kubo and Yana Toboso respectively.
It has long been common knowledge that the ones known as the Quincy and the ones known as the Reapers were enemies. Two great clans, split apart by values and ethics, by beliefs and culture, each vying for a throne upon which only one could sit.
When war was finally declared, both sides were prepared for a great number of casualties. Their power was even, champion blade wielders and expert marksman in their thousands, with every warrior determined to prove themselves a hero.
However, within days, perhaps hours, the Reapers lay slaughtered, leaving any survivors to flee for their lives and be forever hunted as fugitives of the kingdom. The Quincy were victorious and the bloodshed was brought to an end.
The title of king has been passed down from generation to generation, parent to child, each stronger than the last, holding the land tightly in an iron grip. No Reaper has been discovered now for nearly 100 years. But the world lives in fear of their return and in fear of the destruction that will follow in their wake.
Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Uryuu Ishida took a long, deep breath before placing his hand on the door to the throne room. The small piece of paper crumpled tightly in his fingers had only a few select words inked onto it; a summons that gave him no clues as to why a carriage had arrived to escort him to the palace so late at night. It was never good news when he was called upon by His Majesty and he had soon come to learn that, as the King's Watchdog, any and all unpleasant tasks that the Royal Court wanted swept under the rug would be passed to him.
The heavy beat of rain drummed against the large windows, which for some reason made the corridor seem uncomfortably enclosed, the air thick and stuffy. Uryuu did not know why he felt so uneasy. Why his hand shook for a moment as he pushed down on the elaborate handle and used all the strength in his arms to reveal the room beyond the wooden entrance. Perhaps the fact that it was drawing close to midnight and that the darkness outside concealed many unseen evils made his heart pound slightly harder.
Upon his entrance, he strolled proudly down the room, footsteps echoing loudly. The king, Yhwach, sat rigidly on a large throne at the end of the hall, wrapped in a black cloak that swathed his entire body. He did not move as Uryuu approached him but stared intently forward as if everything was beneath him; a dark, imposing aura radiated from his majestic figure.
To his left stood a tall fair haired man, who Uryuu knew by the name of Lord Jugram Haschwalth, Grandmaster of the Quincy. As His Majesty's advisor and most trusted servant, it was his job to ensure that loyalty and respect towards the king was maintained at all times. He gave a small approving nod as Uryuu swept back his white cape, sank onto one knee and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty."
Yhwach did not respond, but simply lowered his gaze to the bespectacled man who knelt before him. Noticing the prolonged silence, Uryuu cleared his throat and decided to continue.
"I have acknowledged your summons and am ready to receive whatever task you may bestow upon me."
"Uryuu Ishida." The king spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. "I am sure you are well aware of the increasing number of Quincy disappearances within the last few months."
Increasing disappearances? Uryuu raised his head and furrowed his brows.
"I was led to believe that only a few had gone missing? Inspector Opie informed me that the cases were all unrelated and that a few potential suspects had already been apprehended."
Haschwalth placed one hand on the rapier he had attached to his waist and moved closer to his king, seemingly unfazed by the shadows that clung to him. He gripped the hilt tightly, knuckles paling, as a subtle look of contempt appeared on his face.
"The Jagdarmee have always been incompetent, Inspector Opie included. That is why we employ you."
Uryuu did not reply. He had always known that most of the Jagdarmee were nothing but fools; inept pawns only interested in their own personal reputations. Their leader, Quilge Opie, was an arrogant man, often driven by his cravings for power and authority. But despite the inspector's many character flaws, Uryuu had to admit, when it came to hunting down those responsible for crimes, the man was second only to Uryuu himself.
Normally, the mundane investigations concerning missing persons would be assigned purely to Opie and his men; Uryuu found that the tasks generally bestowed upon him were of a political nature, dripping with corruption, deceit and secrecy. The excuse that the Jagdarmee were failing in their task is simply a fabrication, he deduced. The fact that this case is being transferred to me could only mean that it goes a lot further than a few simple disappearances. He swallowed thickly.
"You wish for me to take over the case?"
"You are one of my finest men." Yhwach answered, "If I were ever to select a successor, you would be the man that I choose. I trust that such a man will be able to resolve these mysteries without too much issue."
At this, Uryuu saw in his peripheral vision that Haschwalth tensed and clenched his jaw; a move that he tried to make go unnoticed. Yhwach continued; either Haschwalth had been successful or the king had merely chosen to ignore him.
"Particularly a man who bears such a personal connection to the case."
"Personal connection, Your Majesty?"
Haschwalth stepped forward until his toes touched the edge of the steps that led up to the throne, towering over the crouched man. He did not look at all remorseful as he announced the news.
"Lord Ishida, the court regrets to inform you that your grandfather is among the missing."
No words came. A hollow, empty, numb feeling slid across him. Ever since his parents had been brutally murdered, his grandfather Soken had been his only source of comfort, the only light in a child's darkened world. It had been Soken who had shown Uryuu how to string a bow, how to feel and judge the wind's direction and speed, how to shoot at a moving target without hesitation or regret…
It had been Soken who had consoled him in the middle of the night, when monsters with white masks crawled from gargantuan tears in the sky into his dreams. It had been Soken who had told him stories of ancient Quincy archers who could shoot over a thousand arrows simultaneously; arrows that glowed with the energy of the world. It had been Soken who had taken up a position in the court, despite his age, in order to ensure that a young orphan was cared for.
Grandfather…
"This could very well be the work of the underground." Yhwach's rich voice broke Uryuu out of his thoughts. "It would not be the first time that the vermin of this land have crawled out of their holes to cause suffering."
"Could it not be Reapers, Your Majesty?" Uryuu's voice was accusatory, bitter. He felt a pang of regret as soon as the forbidden words slipped from his lips. You know better than to mention them before His Majesty, he scolded silently.
With this, the king finally rose from his seat. Haschwalth took a step back and dipped his head in respect. The dark aura surrounding him seemed to fluctuate threateningly, whipping through the man's black hair and robe like an ever growing storm.
"Do not let emotions and resentments control you, Uryuu. Could it not be the Reapers? The very idea is impossible. The Quincy have exterminated them, wiped the last few from existence. And if some did slip and wriggle away through the cracks, they would not dare to raise their blades against us again."
"But it is still a possibility!"
Yhwach did not dignify him with an answer but merely turned with a sweep of his cloak and headed towards a door at the side of the room. Unsatisfied, Uryuu made to follow but an elegantly sleeved arm blocked his path.
"His Majesty is tired." Haschwalth declared. "Any other discussions will have to take place tomorrow."
Uryuu watched as the large door swung closed behind Yhwach's departing figure. Something wasn't sitting right with him. The king's exit and sudden fatigue had seemed too abrupt, too calculated, as if the subject of Reapers had struck a chord. Was he hiding something? What if the Quincy were not as victorious as we were all told? What if those murderous barbarians are still amongst us, right under our noses, plotting against the crown...
No, I must not question His Majesty, Uryuu thought. He is right to say that the Reapers are gone forever.
"For now," Haschwalth continued solemnly, drawing his arm back. "I would recommend that you begin your task by speaking to Giselle Gewelle. She may be more informed on the underworld's workings than I."
Uryuu tried desperately to hide his contempt for the woman in question.
"It is late." Swivelling round, Haschwalth walked past Uryuu and headed towards the door the young Quincy had entered through, indicating for his companion to follow. "You may stay the night if you wish. I will have someone make up a guest bedroom for you."
The extravagant corridor was nearly completely in darkness and practically deserted, save for a single servant who bowed to them as they exited. Haschwalth shot him a glance, at which he bowed for a second time and disappeared into the room they had just left. The blonde haired man continued walking until he heard the click of the lock, at which he stopped dead in the middle of the path.
Uryuu frowned and clenched his fist. An uncomfortable tension was rising and he had a horrible suspicion Haschwalth was going to make reference to the successor remark Yhwach had made during the meeting. Folding his arms and opening his mouth to speak, the man went to defend himself but he had not uttered a syllable before the Grandmaster began.
"Although His Majesty did not say this, I wish to make his orders quite clear. I will not allow failure when it comes to fulfilling His Majesty's desires. If you do fail, I will personally see to it that you are punished as severely as I can manage."
And with this, Haschwalth span suddenly on his heel and turned to stare at him directly- a cold glower from icy eyes.
"You will find the one responsible for this. And when you do, you will dispose of them immediately."
The large white entrance that introduced the quarters of Giselle Gewelle always sent a shiver down Uryuu's spine. The woman was well known for certain rumours about her meddling with things against nature's laws; horror stories of violated and mutilated corpses had echoed through the palace since her arrival, not at all helped by her creepy demeanour and the nickname she seemed to revel in- the 'Zombie Girl'.
Unfortunately, after spending the night considering many alternatives, Uryuu had resigned himself to the fact that she was the only one he could talk to. As the royal coroner and undertaker, any and all bodies within the vicinity of the palace and the neighbouring towns were given to her for examination and preparation for burial. If any of the missing Quincys had turned up dead, they were undoubtedly with her.
Straightening his back, he announced himself with a small knock. There was no reply. Perhaps I should come back another time, Uryuu thought in a vain attempt to get his hopes up. But the large sign that read 'open' in gold lettering killed those instantly. She's in there and leaving will only delay the inevitable. Clearing his throat, the black haired man let himself in, a small bell ringing as he opened the door.
As he did every time he paid Giselle Gewelle a visit, he walked in cautiously, one foot at a time. The wide room was fuller than usual, a covered corpse on nearly every surface. The unnatural stillness of the chamber always elevated his pulse, making his throat go dry and scratchy, his fingers itching to reach for his bow. They are only stories, Uryuu had to reassure himself. That woman cannot manipulate the dead.
The morgue was dark and reasonably filthy, not at all a suitable, respectful place for laying the deceased to rest. The only light came from a square window on the far side of the room, which cast long shadows across the floor. One of the shrouds had a few spots of a dark liquid on, which he could only guess was blood.
A line of coffins decorated one of the blank white walls. Most looked nailed shut, except for one on the end that had the lid simply propped against it. Plush purple lining filled the inside and Uryuu felt his stomach drop as he saw it had been recently lain in. Maybe she sleeps in it, he thought, horrified at the idea.
"Excuse me?" Uryuu tried not to let any sign of nervousness show in his voice. "Miss Gewelle?"
"Now now, Uryuu." a soft purr came from behind him. A cold hand ran down his chest and rested on his heart, as if its owner were savouring the feeling of the blood pumping through his veins. "There's no need to be so formal."
Her very touch made him want to be sick.
"I would prefer for you to address me properly." He said coldly, pulling from her grasp. Spinning round, he found himself faced with a small dark haired girl, surely far too innocent to be the subject of such awful rumours. She wore white, as they all did at court, layers upon layers of ruffled silks, her corset emblazoned with golden buttons and clasps. Uryuu cringed at the hem of the dress, dipped in what looked like a hundred years' worth of dirt and…blood. Did she never change? The various rips and tears in the soft fabric made him wish he'd brought his sewing kit.
Giselle pouted before sticking out her tongue. Uryuu tried not to glare, now feeling more irritated than afraid. Suddenly, changing her expression into a smile as if something had caught her eye, she gently moved across the room towards a table that lay covered in a rather soiled looking sheet. With a small giggle, she tore the material off to reveal a corpse, a large opening cut away in its head to reveal the brain.
Uryuu sharply raised a gloved hand to his nose to stop the stench of rotting flesh from going up his nose. He didn't want to know what she was doing with it. It looked far from the ordinary duties of a coroner and undertaker.
"What can I help you with, Lord Ishida?" She drawled his title but didn't lose the inane smile on her face.
"I am here on important business, Miss Gewelle. His Majesty's business."
"Of course you are. You never pay me a visit any other time." Picking up a sharp instrument, Giselle lifted her skirts, revealing her white stockings and two thin, bony legs. Without much care, she climbed onto the table until she was straddling the corpse's torso. Uryuu looked away in horror, which she didn't miss.
"It's easier this way." She batted her eyelashes playfully before sticking the object she held into the brain. The squelch was sickening, a liquid Uryuu couldn't identify trickling out of the man's skull and dripping onto the slab. In an attempt to distract himself, he cleared his throat and began wandering around the room, taking extra care not to touch any other of the shrouded shapes.
"I am here to inquire if you have received and examined any Quincy bodies within the past few days."
"I heard about your grandfather." Giselle didn't look at him but continued prying around the man's head. "Is that what this is about?"
"His Majesty is concerned about the number of Quincy disappearances recently and has ordered me to investigate." Uryuu avoided the question and was quite shocked when she didn't push the matter any further.
A spurt of blood burst from the organ onto the white fabric of Giselle's dress and her pale face. Without hesitation, she licked at the red drops staining her skin and shuddered with pleasure at its metallic taste, eyes practically rolling back into her head. Back arched, neck craned, she acted as if it was orgasmic, like electricity surging through her veins. Uryuu's lip curled in disgust and he tried not to gag. Just give me the information, you repulsive woman, he cursed. Then I can leave.
"Miss Gewelle…" He began to insist.
"Quincy bodies, was it?" She did not move from her position of euphoria. "I used to get a number of those, as much as anyone would expect. But they aren't so common anymore. The only Quincy I get to see now are all alive." With this, she sighed and pouted once more, as if the fact that he stood there living and breathing before he was an inconvenience.
"So you have not received any Quincys for a while now?"
"Oh, I get the occasional one. A 'Mr Robert Accutrone' is under that cover there." She gestured with a bloodied hand across the room to a large white mound. "And a rather lovely young woman by the name of 'Bambietta Basterbine' came in a few weeks ago. I kept her for my…personal collection." She smiled sweetly, eyes flickering to the wall of wooden coffins.
"Have you received any of the people on this list?"
Fishing around in his double breasted coat and desperately trying not to think about 'Bambietta Basterbine', Uryuu pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it delicately, he approached her, arm outstretched as far as it would go to create some distance between them. Giselle snatched it and peered down the list of names. She squinted twice before tossing it back to him.
"I don't recognise any of them." She practically sang, turning back to the body beneath her.
Uryuu grimaced at the fingerprints she's left on it, gingerly holding it by the corner.
"None of them? Are you absolutely sure?"
Giselle nodded her head. Uryuu sighed and placed the paper on the work space next to him. A dead end. Well, he thought, at least I can depart now. He clicked his heels together and gave a small bow to the girl on the table, gritting his teeth at the sight of more dried blood in between the grey tiles.
"Thank you for your time, Miss Gewelle. I am sorry to have intruded upon you."
He walked as quickly as he could back towards the door, trying not to look at the contents of the tables he passed. Coffins, morgue slabs, jars of questionable substances that he had no intention of questioning merged into a nightmarish blur. The light of the hallway beyond was in his line of sight when Giselle's unnerving voice piped up again.
"You know, Lord Ishida…"
Uryuu stopped in his tracks and took a sharp intake of breath.
"I would have thought you'd ask a few more questions than that."
More questions? Slowly, Uryuu twisted until he could see his unwanted companion again. He raised his eyebrows and adjusted his glasses.
"And what would these other questions be about?"
Giselle inserted something Uryuu couldn't see into the brain, then drew her fingers out and sucked on them thoughtfully.
"After all of our meetings you should be more familiar with what I do. Did Lord Haschwalth not tell you?" She giggled and plucked each finger from her mouth one by one. "As one who works with the dead, I meet a lot of people. This means that I know a great many things about the workings of this kingdom. It just so happens to be the case that I received some information that may be beneficial to you."
You've had this information all along? Uryuu's eye twitched at the thought of being played. However, with his interest peaked (and with a sinking feeling that he'd have to spend even more time in the gloomy room), Uryuu made his way back towards her. He drew a small notebook from his breast pocket and with it a pencil. He cleared his throat and stood poised, ready to write.
"If you would, Miss Gewelle?"
An innocent look appeared on her face, although her pale blue eyes glistened as if they belonged to an animal starved of food.
"The information is not free! You will have to reimburse me, of course!" She traced her finger down the corpse's cheek, as one might do to a lover, moving her thighs further up the torso. "Make me laugh, Lord Ishida. Amuse me."
Uryuu spluttered, fumbled for something to say, an expression of panic suddenly on his normally serious face. Amuse her? Uryuu had never considered himself to be a person of much humour and certainly no jokes were coming to him now.
"That look is priceless." Giselle widened her eyes. "Faces like that do things to me …"
The man cut her off by choking, going quite a dark shade of pink, both embarrassed and horrified at her sexual remark.
"Isn't there another way I can repay you?"
"Blood."
Uryuu paled.
"Not a great amount. And you wouldn't have to pay up front. I'll take it the next time you come and visit. It will be most useful in my current project…"
The man considered his options. If I were to attempt humour, there would be no guarantee that I would receive the information. And, Uryuu cringed, my dignity may suffer tremendously. Whilst he despised the idea of his blood in her possession, it was the quickest and the most assured way of getting the valuable information from her.
"During my next visit," Uryuu spoke slowly, carefully measuring each word, "I will supply you with a small amount of my blood for you to do with what you wish."
A small smirk played on Giselle's lips. Triumphantly, she hunched over and drew out a dagger from within her skirts. For a moment, Uryuu was taken aback, convinced she was already going to break their agreement but she drew the blade across her own palm. Tenderly, she smeared the red liquid that came out onto the exposed brain and jolted upright, as if she were expecting something to happen. Insides churning again, Uryuu fought the urge to retract his statement and leave.
"Do you like the circus, Lord Ishida?" She didn't look at him.
The circus? Of what relevance is that? Uryuu could sense he was being messed with again- Giselle's sense of amusement was beginning to border on the infuriating and he could feel time slipping away through his fingers. He stiffened.
"I can't say it has ever appealed to me."
"Oh dear. That's a shame. One of my contacts said that there's an awfully good one currently travelling the country at the moment."
"What does this have to do with the investigation, Miss Gewelle?"
Giselle tittered and wiped her bloodied hands on her dress, leaving fingerprints Uryuu suspected would never come out.
"Always so impatient, always so desperate to get to the point. Savour the suspense…"
"Miss Gewelle." Uryuu snapped, trying not to raise his voice. "I have agreed to your terms, now give me the information."
For the first time since he had entered, she almost stopped smiling. The change was instantaneous; her eyes hardened and dark rings seemed to encompass them, the lids narrowed. He shifted uncomfortably, trying not break his impatient body language, as she placed the dagger beside her and folded her hands between her legs.
"My informant believes that the disappearances are connected to this circus troupe. She claims that wherever they go, a number of people vanish into thin air. Or course, it could just be a coincidence. People go missing every day."
With that, she caressed one hand over the rough skin beneath her and Uryuu couldn't help but have the feeling that the man she sat on had not died of natural causes.
"That is not the most intriguing part though."
At last, she climbed off of the table and approached him. He could smell the scent of death clinging to her figure, wrapping its skeletal arms around her as if she were precious to it. Pushing herself right up to him, she whispered words Uryuu had never expected to hear.
"They say they are Reapers."
Unable to take anymore, Uryuu pushed himself away from her and fled from the room, boots pounding on the floor, sending echoes through the godforsaken morgue. It felt like his heart was skipping beats.
His grandfather, potentially in the hands of creatures as evil as the Reapers.
Was I right after all?
"Keep your soul safe, Ur-y-uu!" He heard Giselle called after him as he sped down the bright corridor. "Or the Reapers may reap it sooner than you'd like!"