Poor Unfortunate Soul
Chapter Three: You must always take care of the clients
Nikola heads down to the embalming room, admittedly tired. They spent what felt like an eternity at the Vladmir's home the other night. He wasn't even involved in the plans either, no of course not. Rather than doing his job he got lost and then found by some bored teen. An annoyingly tall teen. Seriously, what is up with that family?
Sighing to himself, Nikola grabs an embalming report and fills it out, marking up all the details of what is on the body; jewelry, scars, discolorations, etc. Once he fills that out and sets it to the side he puts on his apron, gloves and face mask and gets to work. He's done this thousands of times now, but with this strange family he's afraid the man might do something crazy like pop up and drink his blood. It could happen, you never know.
Nikola expertly removes all the man's clothes and applies the disinfectant spray to the entire body. Rigor mortis has yet to kick in, thankfully, so there is no need to massage the body. Nikola tends to anyways, though, just to make sure the joints are nice and loose for him. After shaving all hair off of the body he begins to work on the face. He places the eye caps inside the man's eyelids, along with stay crème, to keep them closed and prevent dehydration before he goes to work on the mouth.(the next stages are omitted. If you want to know the steps of an embalming you can google it for the rudimentary outline.)
When that is finished Nikola removes his gloves before going about cleaning the body. He washes off blood from the hair and the body before making him presentable, including redressing him. Finally he pulls out a machine they recently bought to place the body into the casket. It took him a while to convince Arsenius it was a good idea, but luckily the man caved when Nikola got his sons to side with him.
The machine is a sort of miniature crane of sorts. It has loops dangling off a long rod that you place the body in before having it lift the body. Once he has that done he turns the machine to the casket and places the body inside. Walking over he inspects to make sure everything is in and nothing is out of place before unhooking him and placing the machine back into the closet. Finally it is time for the finishing touches, adjusting the body in the casket, making sure he looks good, and then closing the casket.
Once done Nikola cleans his hands and throws out his bloodied mask. Going upstairs to the actual funeral home he meets with Marcello, who is holding out his suit. "Hm? What are you doing with these?"
"Papa said you I should bring them to you." Marcello says and Nikola looks at him skeptically.
"Those clothes were already in my office. What do you want?" He asks and Marcello smiles.
"To come see this infamous house!"
"Not gonna happen." Nikola sighs and takes the clothing before going into his office and changing. The body is ready, so now they will be taking it in a hearse to the home so they can perform the ceremony and burial. Arsenius has already prepared the gravesite, so now all they need to focus on is the ceremony. "This means I have to see Demitri again…" He groans and Ion looks at him confused.
"Who is Demitri?" The boy asks, his interest piqued since Nikola never mentions a family member of the deceased by name. He believes it is best to keep as much distance as possible, so the funeral will not be so sad.
"The grandson of this man. He is about eighteen." Nikola explains and Ion smirks.
"Is he cute?" Marcello asks.
"Cute really isn't the word for it…handsome suits him better…" The man muses before blushing. "W-wait! Stop making me objectify a client's looks!"
"Seems to me you had already done that on your own." Marcello teases before Arsenius comes up.
"Alright, the body is in the hearse Nikola, let's get going." Arsenius orders and Nikola nods, following him out in their matching black suits.
When they arrive at the castle they are greeted by Demitri who wordlessly escorts them into a room that is decked out with candles, pictures, and family videos playing on silent all around. It is, as with all things the Vladmirs do, over the top. Instead of being annoying this time, it is rather sad. The entire family is dressed in black, the women in black Victorian dresses and the men in black suits with capes hanging off of them.
Nikola and Arsenius place the coffin on the catafalque and back up, standing in the back of the room so the family can say goodbye. To both their surprise more family has come. Not to their surprise, this family is just as strange as the rest. First off, they are all giants, then their clothing which looks like they are from the 1800s. The women have a dark, almost luring look in their eyes, and the men just radiate power. Demitri's family really comes off as the only safe people.
As everyone say their goodbyes, Nikola watches Demitri. He receives light hugs from him family and a look that seems to almost be contempt. A look his siblings and father are receiving as well. He's not sure why, but it annoys him. Demitri just lost his grandfather, what the hell are they doing looking at him so coldly? Once Demitri reaches the casket he looks down at his grandfather sadly, stroking the man's cheek before standing up abruptly and leaving the room.
Nikola stares on in shock at the fact no one is moving to go find him or comfort him, so in order to escape this place he decides to take up the job. "I'll be back, Arsenius." He whispers and Arsenius looks at him knowingly.
"Such a good friend already~" Arsenius teases and Nikola shoots him a glare before leaving the room. Luckily he knows the layout of the castle now and easily goes through it before noticing something out the window. Next to the tombstone and whole for the casket is Demitri, sitting there and staring into it. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Nikola heads out to him.
"A lot of people came…he must have been really loved." Nikola says awkwardly as he sits next to Demitri.
"Yeah…" Demitri mumbles and the two sit in silence while Nikola mentally kicks himself. If only Demitri were like Arsenius, he'd realize just how hard Nikola is actually trying. He has never been one for comforting someone. Of course that is a major job detail in working for a funeral home, and he is pretty good at doling out the normal condolences and comforting words that you are taught in school. But that's only with strangers, with those he doesn't really care much about and just wants to calm down. Demitri's different though, for whatever reason. Nikola doesn't just want to calm him down, he wants to genuinely make Demitri feel better. He wants Demitri to open up to him, to let out what he's holding in. After all, seeing an upset Demitri is far too disturbing for Nikola to allow it to go on.
"U-um…" Nikola begins, ideas of what to say running through his head but nothing coming out. Really good things like 'I know I just met you yesterday but seeing you sad seems strange, please tell me what's wrong' or 'we can talk about him if you want' or even 'As your friend, I cannot just sit here while you are upset, let me help', yet the words won't come out. The words never come out when it's something he really, genuinely, feels. Instead stupid things come out that make him seem heartless. "Your family is creepy." He blurts out and mentally kicks himself. Like that.
"Heh…yeah…mom's side is strange…and they don't much like us." Demitri says, looking to Nikola. "I know that it's your job to make sure everyone is okay…but don't worry about me."
Nikola twitches a little, wanting to yell at the boy for not understanding what he's trying to do and why. Again, however, it doesn't come out.
"I will be fine on my own, I just need some time away from them. You should go back there." Demitri says quietly and Nikola groans.
"No! Shut up! I'm staying here whether you want me to or not!" He yells and Demitri looks at him surprised.
"Nikola…" Demitri begins before laughing. "You're so awkward!"
"Like you're one to talk! Don't laugh at me!" Nikola huffs, gently pushing Demitri's shoulder which makes the teen laugh harder, his mouth open in a wide smile that shows his fangs.
"Nikola…" He calls once he's finally calmed down. "You're a better friend than I thought you would be."
"Huh…?"
"I figured you would just be using me for the coffins…" Demitri explains. "I'm very happy I was wrong."
Nikola blushes a little and sighs. "I can't just use someone. I am a man of my word, if I say we are friends than we are friends. Besides, I need more friends close to my age anyways…"
Demitri nods and wraps an arm around Nikola's shoulders, pulling him into a half hug.
"Thank you, Nikola." He whispers, making the man's face grow brighter. "You see…mother's family hates us…because father is not like them…the only one who accepted us was our grandfather. Now that he is gone though, the family no longer needs to hide their contempt. We are nothing like what they want us to be." Nikola looks up at him confused.
"How so? You seem equally eccentric."
"I-it's not personalities that separate us…it's…a diluted bloodline." Demitri explains. "Father is not from a bloodline they accept."
"What are they? Royalty?" Nikola scoffs before really thinking about it for a minute and looking at Demitri seriously. "Are they?"
"W-well…" Demitri looks away awkwardly. "We…might be. It's not like I'm a prince or anything…but we are from the royal line."
"No way! Which one?" Nikola asks excitedly and Demitri sighs.
"Well…the one you would probably know best…was Vladimir Dracula." Demitri mumbles and Nikola jumps away.
"Whhoooaaa, wait, what? You're related to VLAD THE IMPALER? …Are you sure you're not a vampire?" Nikola asks and Demitri laughs awkwardly.
"Nikola, come on, be realistic. You embalmed my grandfather, right? Did you see anything out of the ordinary?" Demitri asks.
"Well, no…but your family is still super creepy. The women's eyes seem to be trying to seduce you and the men just seem to want to kill…" Nikola mumbles and Demitri tenses up.
"What…? Nikola, don't go near them." Demitri orders and Nikola looks at him confused.
"Um…I don't plan on seeing them after this anyways. What does it matter?"
"Just…don't ever go near them."
Nikola nods. "Alright, I won't." He says before moving out of Demitri's arm and sitting up straight, his feet dangling into the dug grave. "So…we have a few hours before the calling hours are over…what would you like to do?"
Demitri thinks for a minute before smiling at him. "I would like to draw you!"
"…What was that?" Nikola asks awkwardly, noticing a small sketchbook that seemingly came out of nowhere.
"Yes! Along with making caskets, I love to draw! One day I hope to be an official artist!" Demitri explains, beginning to draw him.
"Well…I suppose you will be wanting to enroll in college then, huh?" Nikola asks and Demitri grins.
"I would love to, but I cannot. I can, however, help class up your funeral home!" He offers and Nikola looks at him skeptically.
"Show me some of your work and I will see if you are deemed worthy."