IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello all! Gah, there are so many of you now! This is amazing!
Anyway, some important updates:
1. The music that helps inspire the character relationships/Isabella's character in general are on my 8tracks account! Same username as here and same title as the story, so go check it out! I need to fix the annotations on the songs later though...
2. I'm done with mid-terms, and hello spring break! I have nothing to do this week besides one work shift, so I'm gonna stock pile some. You should get a lot of updates this week if I don't get writer's block.
3. Some of you might remember me mentioning how I had another version of this with Isabella slightly younger and not part of the Reapers? Well, I'm gonna finish fixing that up this week, and hopefully, I will have it posted before spring break is over! I shall let you all know when it is up! I think I'm gonna title it "Twist." How does that sound? Warning though: it will be M mostly for gore type stuff. Maybe something raunchy if I can manage to write it. ^^;
4. So, this story has gotten a little borderline M at times, and I swear, I never intended for that to happen... but yeah, I haven't wrote much gore though I like to and I've avoided the idea of writing anything sex because I really do not want to up the rating on this... but I think I might post a little side thing to this story that only has random M scenes that I could not put into this. It would be titled "Snap." (So, the Isabella stories would be "Tilt", "Twist", and "Snap" which I think complements each other.)
Ex.- How Isabella's dad tried killed her, how Sebastian killed Isabella's dad, sexy times with Isabella and others if I can stop blushing long enough to write the damn scenes... and maybe one or two 'What ifs' as far as sexy times goes. Such as, I know a lot of you like Isabella/William, so even though in the main story they will never be anything more than a close sibling relationship, I could write out a 'what could have happened' cause the idea intrigues me. (Fan service at its finest~ XD)
Anyway, on to the reviews/story!
AboveReality: Sorry for the cliffhanger! I really did not realize that it sort of was one when I wrote the chapter. And thank you!
DeathlyIceMaiden: *wonders what you mean* *rereads chapters* *blushes madly for missing an innuendo that I actually wrote* *dies in a corner*
Mystirica18: Yes. Yes she will. v_v
Tails307: Maaaaaaaybe. And maybe a bit of taunting her first. XD
Midnightsalem: No she did not. XD And yes, I like to think that Vincent would just go "fuck it. She's part demon, let her do what she wants" and thus the little badass was born~ And I really do appreciate it! :D
NekoGirl02: Umm... okay, thanks. I know that the story has some mistakes, especially since I write the skeleton structures out at like 2am before editing the next day. You sound kind of like you are mad about it though?... Sorry?... *shrug*
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.
Chapter 21: Her Instincts.
Tightly clutching her training scythe, the newest addition to the Shinigami Academy steadily followed the instructor in front of her. Her mind spun as she processed all that had occurred in just the past 24 hours. Everything seemed to be happening at once, and she still felt a little emotionally unstable from the… incident with her father last week…her father and him.
Shaking her head, she banished all thoughts of those two from her mind. Her new existence lay before her, and she already knew she had her work cut out for her. The higher ups barely accepted her, and the only reason they did was because of the shortage of Reapers in the England branch, especially specialists. Actually, that branch had no specialists currently, hence the importance of hurrying her training to be put out in the field.
Finally reaching their destination, her guide gruffly stated for her to go into this room and wait before angrily storming away. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she entered the training room. No one seemed to appreciate her presence. Part of her wondered which type was worse: the ones who ignored her or the ones who acted like she was the Anti-Christ.
Well, she guessed an argument could be made that a demon/reaper hybrid could be the equivalent of a devil's spawn, but she liked to think otherwise.
Still, none of them had even given her a chance! She spoke to them both cheerfully and respectfully, yet based on their reactions, you would think she had just stabbed them in the foot with a rusty fork. Quite honestly, it was a bit ridiculous. "Maybe I should just stab them…" she muttered darkly. "Might make this nightmare worth it to see them hopping around."
"Oh, joy. It talks to itself."
The bland yet disgusted voice came from the doorway, and Isabella's head snapped over to see the Reaper. Dressed in a plain black suit, he adjusted his simple frame glasses upon his nose. His neatly trimmed ebony hair remained pristinely slicked back against his head, and her eyes widened with recognition.
It was him. The Reaper that appeared at the manor all those years ago… the one she swore she would prove herself to, the one she swore would know her name. Childish naivety had long since passed, and she knew that the oath was a bit dramatic, but still… she felt as if fate itself had caused their paths to cross again. Unfortunately, his face remained expressionless, though she could easily read his eyes…
She was becoming very familiar with recognizing that hate.
"How I managed to end up with this degrading assignment, I will never understand." He barely even looked at her before turning his attention to his clipboard. Her hands tightened on her training scythe the longer he spoke. "Your outfit is deplorable for a lady your age… but then again, I guess you are not a lady."
Her gaze dropped to the floor, her body quivering, upset by his harsh words. She tightened the trench coat that the Undertaker had so kindly gifted her over her chest, hiding the corset and leather pants she had chosen because of how they were easier to move around in than heavy skirts. Burying her anger, she spoke with a surprisingly calm voice. "No, I have never really considered myself a proper lady, but this outfit will make it easier to fight off demons."
Emerald green eyes flickered up to her in momentary shock, but the emotion was quickly hidden before she even noticed it. "Hmm… Well, the sooner you are trained, the sooner you are no longer my problem. My name is William T. Spears, and I shall be your instructor until further notice."
And so, the lesson began. And by lesson, she felt it more to be an attack against her. He did not hold back, claiming to be 'testing' her skills. Many close calls came from his scythe, the shears growing closer and closer to piercing straight through her. Still, no matter how aggressive he became, she remained in the defensive, never once taking a shot and simply trying her best to block his assault. She would prove herself to him, no matter what it took. She would earn his respect.
By the lesson's end, she was bruised, battered, and torn between crying and screaming. All of this, however, she did not voice. She kept her back straight, her chin high, even as the exhaustion made her limbs begin to shake. Though the Reaper noticed her state through her attempts to hide it, he did not comment. The guilt he felt that tried to crawl to the surface was blatantly ignored.
"You have a ways to go," he stated stiffly. "Go sleep and be on time tomorrow. I will not tolerate you being a moment late, vermin."
Her body went rigid, her face blank. He did not know what to expect in that moment, as her mind seemed to twist and turn, processing his harsh words. Suddenly, much to his shock, she bowed to him. "Thank you, sir." As she rose, a bright smile rested on her face, but her eyes… the two blood red orbs that had held such a fire when the session started, even when the session ended…
Her eyes looked broken.
All because of one word.
All because of him.
Still maintaining her fake confidence, she turned to leave the room, stiffly walking away without glancing back or faltering. Internally, William felt the guilt eat away at him again. Part of him felt that he should hate her, condemn her, do everything in his power to get rid of this taint that dared claim the title as one of the Shinigami. However, her face flashed across his mind… those broken eyes were out of place on one as young as she. And though he knew the break was not solely his fault, for many of the Shinigami had been whispering hateful words for the new Reaper since she arrived yesterday, he certainly did not help the poor girl.
Shaking his head, he did his best to forget about her eyes. Demons had no true feelings other than a ravenous hunger for souls. She was just another one of those vile beasts simply masquerading as a Reaper in training. She deserved nothing but his scorn… No, she did not even deserve his acknowledgment—
In that moment, he realized he had never even asked her name.
Ciel eyed the two beings in front of him. He had expected a bit more… confrontation from the pair, but aside from the little hints of bickering followed by a hushed exchange of words, no other words were exchanged between his butler and cousin for the majority of the carriage ride. They almost appeared to be acting civil.
However, the Young Earl knew Isabella well, and he knew that something was off. After years of spending most of his days attached to her side, he considered himself an expert at reading her. The stiffness of her shoulders and the way her spine straightened almost uncomfortably were clear indicators of her mood.
Isabella was pissed.
Her silence spoke volumes. Ciel's father rarely censored the young woman, allowing her to speak her mind freely. Though not proper behavior for the average noblewoman, she made the perfect Phantomhive Lady, with coyness and grace finely tuned against a sharp tongue and dangerous temper. The only time Isabella would ever suppress her temper would be if she were working an angle, trying to gain favor with her opponent.
What could be her reasons behind curbing her distaste for Sebastian? With his orders to not harm her paired with her obvious hatred of the demon who owned his soul, Ciel would imagine that nothing would hold back her temper and barbed words.
A nudge to his ribs broke his train of thought. Turning to glare at the Reaper beside him, he found himself being grinned at, Ronald having noticed the boy's focus of attention. Shoving his clipboard at Ciel, he motioned for the Young Earl to read the sloppy scrawl.
You noticed her acting weird too, huh?
Scowling, Ciel nodded in agreement. Then, Ronald snatched the clipboard back, either not noticing or ignoring Ciel's huff of displeasure over his lack of manners. After scribbling for a bit, he thrust the clipboard back into the boy's hands.
I could hear them. Thank you super Reaper hearing! Basically, sounded like angry name calling from Isabella at first, then she apologized and called a truce with your demon. They actually made a deal!
Forgetting his manners as well, Ciel snatched the Reaper's pen, either not noticing or ignoring his cheeky grin. After a few seconds, he handed back his neatly written response.
Isabella actually apologized? And what is so important about a deal?
Yep. She did. Genuine sounding too. And kid, demon deals are a HUGE thing. They take their promises seriously. You don't get away with breaking a deal. They are practically on the same level as soul contracts. No take backs, no changing your mind unless both parties agree. They've had the equivalent of wars for this kind of thing.
Ciel frowned, not liking where this was going.
What exactly did they make a deal for?
Basically a promise not to be at each other's throats for your sake. Sebastian gets peace of mind and no risk of angering you for disemboweling your cousin in a frustrated rage, and in return, he is going to train Isabella's demonic abilities. How awesome is that?!
Why do I have a feeling this will end terribly?
"I think I can sum up this town in three words."
Ciel turned his attention to Isabella, who had still not spoken for a while now. Her eyes still remained locked on the old woman disappearing into the fog, and he imagined she likely could still hear the creepy tune song by the mad woman. "Oh? And what would that be?"
Placing her gaze on Ciel, she held up a fist and ticked off fingers for each word she spoke. "Weird. As. Fuck."
The Young Earl's jaw dropped at the profanity, while Ronald snickered. Sebastian shot her a disapproving look. "Such fowl language from a lady…"
"Not a lady." Before he could reply, she cut him off. "I can play a lady just fine around those ass-kissers you all call nobles, but I shall not put up a front around my cousin and friends." Then, eyeing Sebastian, she added as an afterthought, "And demons I tolerate."
The butler just shook his head, a slight smirk playing on his face. "I will believe it when I see it."
"Tch," she replied, eyes roving the dreary countryside. "But seriously, just my luck for a case to be in a town full of dogs. Ugh."
A full-blown grin broke out on Sebastian's face. "Oh my, how could I forget? A cat demon amongst droves of canines… this certainly shall be interesting."
"Oh, come on," Ronald remarked from his seat. "It can't be that bad, can it?"
Ciel sent Ronald a tired scowl. "There is a reason my predecessors did not get me a dog till after Isabella's passing."
The cart had just reached the outskirts of the town, and soon, loud barking could be heard from just up the road. Everyone's eyes widened as several very angry looking dogs sped towards the carriage, making a beeline to Isabella's side. Jumping and snarling, seven dogs swarmed the ground just next to her seat, their hackles raised at the perceived threat.
Isabella went tense, her shoulders rising as she pushed away from the dogs. Her eyes morphed into glowing magenta and nails extended into vicious looking claws as she swiped one hand at the canines before letting out an angry hiss as a threat. The dogs continued their assault, trying to jump on the carriage, and Isabella crawled farther away, not noticing as she ended up in an amused Sebastian's lap. A low growl came from her throat, rising into a yowl that certainly proved to all the humans present that she was definitely far from human.
Seeming to have found a satisfactory amount of amusement from the current situation, Sebastian turned his attention to the dogs, allowing his aura to rise and his eyes to flair to his familiar magenta slits. With pathetic whimpers, the dogs cowered away from the demon before sprinting back into town, yipping in fear all the way.
"Wow, that was scary!" Finny called from the back cart.
"Oi, Sebastian!" Bard yelled out. "Is Isabella okay?"
A content smile on his face as he wrapped an arm around the still tense Isabella whose eyes had yet to change back to her usual blood red, he replied without removing his attention from her. "Yes, the lady is simply upset over the circumstances."
Lifting his free hand to his mouth, he bit the tip of a gloved finger, pulling off the article. Then, he rested a hand on her head, causing her to flinch, before stroking his fingers through her hair, fingers weaving through the blue-black tresses and undoing the last remnants of braids. Though still growling under her breath, she relaxed at the motion, leaning into his hand subconsciously and eventually allowing her growl to shift into a steady purr.
"Sebastian," Ciel blandly drawled. "Just what are you doing?"
"Now, now, Young Master," he softly called back. "I am merely calming your dear cousin…" Tightening his grip around her waist, he moved his hand behind her ear to rub the spot, eliciting a louder purr and even a soft mewl from the half-demon. With a pleased smirk, he leaned in to her ear and cooed, "My, aren't you responsive, little one? Giving in to your baser animal instincts… usually I find the lack of control so distasteful, but oh, you do so make a perfect little kitten…"
"You know," Ronald remarked, having a slightly disturbed face at the two beings in the driver's seat. "If Senior William was here, I'm pretty sure he'd be having a kitten right about now."
The words seemed to click in Isabella's mind, and she bolted up from her spot leaning against Sebastian, irises shifting back to their normal color. Were it not for his arm tightly wrapped around her waist, she would have fallen head over heels off the carriage. Wide eyes turned to meet his grinning face, which in turn caused her eyes to narrow dangerously as she scowled at him.
"Bad puppy!" she scolded, lightly cuffing him upside the head. "Let go!"
"But my Lady…" he cooed again, his grin never faltering. "You were the one who crawled over here in the first place. What if the dogs were to return?"
"Sebastian!" Ciel finally snapped. "Let her go and hurry up! The sooner we arrive, the better!"
With a sad sigh, Sebastian deposited the still scowling Isabella back on the seat before gathering up the reins. "Yes, my Lord…" Snapping the horses back into motion, the carriages yet again began to move, and Isabella mentally prayed that this trip would just hurry up and be done with.
"Isabella," Ciel called out. "You have never responded like that around dogs before. What happened?"
She shifted nervously, shrugging at the question. "No idea. Maybe the fact that there were so many attacking at once?... I do not remember my control ever slipping like that before."
"I should have expected this," Sebastian remarked, seeming lost in thought. "You are being exposed more to my demonic presence, a presence you often view as a threat, hence your demonic powers are likely flaring beneath the surface."
"It's not like you are the first demon I've interacted with," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. "I knew one far longer than I have been speaking with you."
His arched a brow at this little tidbit of information, filing it away to ask about later. "Well, was this before you became of the Shinigami?" She slowly nodded. "So, before you gained not only the power increase with your Shinigami abilities, but also before you had fully matured your demonic powers in general." She opened her mouth to speak, but promptly shut it, not knowing what to say. "So, needless to say, your instincts are much more volatile now than when you first met that other demon…"
"That explains it," Ronald quipped. "The butler has your instincts stressed out. Add in the angry mutts and instant freaked out demon cat!"
Isabella groaned, dropping her head into her hands as she raked her fingers through her hair. "Ugh, I do not need this to deal with… Ronald, please leave this out of the report."
Ciel's visible eye narrowed in suspicion. "What would happen if your superiors were to know about this incident?"
"William would toss me into training for the next month or longer, depending on how fast I mastered this issue," Isabella stated with a weary sigh. "If my other superiors found out…"
She trailed off, refusing to look at the others. Ronald, in an uncharacteristically solemn voice, replied, "She would be deemed unsafe. They would likely do to her what they do to any other Shinigami that cannot perform properly… they would scrap her."
"What does that mean?" Ciel demanded.
"They would burn her Cinematic Record." His voice came out in a whisper, and Sebastian's spine stiffened at his words.
"And what happens when your record is burned?"
Ronald seemed unwilling to elaborate, refusing to meet the boy's gaze. Ciel looked towards his cousin, yet she also would not look at him. Finally, he settled for boring his eyes into Sebastian's back, wanting him to give an explanation. With clipped words as he eyed the silent young woman beside him, Sebastian explained.
"Her soul would be destroyed. Isabella would cease to exist."