It was just a monthly exercise for Reapers orchestrated by Father.

(Spoiler for Kuroshitsuji 2 OVA 6 and possibly both seasons of regular Kuroshitsuji and I think the manga)

This was just another day for William. Even though it was the dreaded reaper testing day that month, He knew he could pass anything Father threw at him (Literally! Last test, he had to dodge a volley of Father's defective glasses!)

As a result, he wasn't worried when he walked to the west hall- that was, not until he reached it.

"Ah! Spears, there you are! Just in time!" Said Lawrence Anderson, renowned Glasses maker for Shinigamis, known by the rest of the reapers as 'Father'.

"Now, William, I'll just ask you to get in that line over there", he said, motioning to a line of evenly-spaced people, who were standing across from another line or people.

'ah, we're going to be doing a partner exercise. How boring' William thought, as he went to his spot at the end of the line. His partner, apparently, wasn't here yet. He scanned the room to see who was missing.

Eric and Alan were there, facing each other, and Ronald was facing Undertaker. Everyone was here except- oh no. William had to find another person to switch with him, FAST, and then-

"OH I AM SO SORRY I'M LATE FATHER I KNOW THAT WAS SO UNLADYLIKE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!"

Too late. Grell Sutcliff came running into the room, looking winded but still energetic as ever. After surveying the scene, Grell too had figured out the partner arrangement, and practically frolicked over to face William.

"oh, Willi-sama! You waited for me! This is going to be F-U-N, eh, Will?" Grell said, walking his manicured red fingernails up William's nose.

William's eye twitched in annoyance. Too close for comfort. Luckily, he was saved by Father on the Speakers.

"Now, will everyone please go back to your spots please? The testing is about to begin."

"Awwwwwww" was Grell's reply, but he complied begrudgingly, slinking over to his spot across from William.

"Today, we're going to try a different type of exercise. As you know very well, reapers, one of our best traits is to remain indifferent when choosing weather a person will die and we take their soul or weather they will live."

'we already know this, why is he reminding us?' thought William.

"However, indifference and heartlessness is not always necessary for your survival. Today, you're in partners not so that you can fight each other, but for totally a different reason. The person you're facing today will be your partner in everything for the test. So, as a result, if one of you fails, both of you will. Don't worry, these exercises aren't' as difficult as other ones, though."

William looked at his newfound partner, appalled. How could something like this happen to him? And with the worst partner ever! But if he failed, he'd lose his glasses, and all those centuries he'd worked to up his reputation would be lost. He just had to buck up and get over with it.

If only it were that easy.