Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls
A/N: Oh another chapter! =D The last one will be tomorrow, and then I'm taking a break! There is actually a 29, but that's just an overview of all the OCs that I used. I don't know what I'll call it… hmmm… ^^ anyways, I hope you like this chapter. ENJOY!
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"Sophia Serb –"
"It's Ioreta," she smirked, interrupting one of the elder shinigamis in the council.
He narrowed his eyes at her before proceeding. "Sophia Ioreta, after looking over your files we have come to observe that the demon Dorren Apbolos is the one behind the deaths of your parents. We have all decided that you may finish this semester of the academy, but once you have completed your training, you will be sent to a top secret location where no one can track you. Since this demon is currently contracted to a human we are able to transport you in secret, but if you are to stay here then he will hunt you down for sure."
"Because of your father's prestige in the shinigami realm," someone else began, Sophie quickly noticing it was Fiona, "then we have decided that you can become a shinigami, but if you continue to cause problems for our organization then you will be disposed of, is that clear?"
"Oh course," she bowed to her, refusing to look at the other shinigamis in the council. "I will show the same aggravation that my deceased father showed while he was here," she smirked at them, the smug leaving her face as she looked at them in a monotone expression.
"You will take your final exams, since you are close to taking them," Mr. Lorelei told her, "and if you complete them then you can start your days as a new shinigami. If not, then you will be kicked out and disposed of since you cannot stay here in London any longer. Is that understood?"
"It is," Sophie answered, her voice very straight forward.
"You will be sent away immediately after the final examinations, if you make it to that point," he smirked to her, the smug look on his face quickly fading as he held up the mallet. "You have four days till the examinations. Good luck." Then Mr. Lorelei slammed his mallet on the table. "Council dismissed," he said, getting up and leaving.
Sophie walked out tall and proud, a tired sigh escaping her face once she noticed the Undertaker. "Four days…" she frowned, noticing the stoic look on his face.
"I see…" he looked at her, grabbing her shoulder and walking with her towards the exit. "That gives us plenty of time!" he giggled, Sophie raising an eyebrow.
"Oh is that so – Fiona!" Sophie smiled, watching as she walked over to them with a disappointed look on her face.
"Sophia I tried but… it was the best I could do!" she admitted, scratching the back of her head. "They really only needed a scapegoat and when you ran in on the verdict… so they decided to condemn you. Mostly Henry's doing really. Such a pompous windbag –"
"It's alright!" Sophie chuckled. "It couldn't be helped. Besides I… I would rather be in trouble then Alex okay?"
Fiona gave her a smile and nodded, soon looking over at the Undertaker with a stern look on her face. "Even I don't know where she will go. It'll probably be some arid landscape where there are not a lot of people, but then again I don't know. Only a few know where she's going and I'm not one of them. Maybe only two… one… I'm unsure."
"That's alright," the Undertaker said as he gave her a smile. "You did what you could manage. Thank you –"
"Of course!" she giggled. "It was the least I could do for this little Serbus!" Fiona laughed, rubbing Sophie's hair and messing it up.
"Hey!" Sophie yelped, backing away and putting her hair back in order. "Geeze…"
"Well good luck!" Fiona said, waving to them before she left. "I hope to see you around Sophia." Sophie nodded and waved back, exiting the doors with the Undertaker.
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Sophie frowned to herself as she grabbed some soup from the counter, her mind wandering away from what she was physically doing. She was glad that Alex and Julia didn't get into trouble, but now she had to leave. Where she grew up, her home, she would have to leave all of that because of that demon. 'Dorren,' she snarled to herself when she remembered that demon. Just why was he trying to kill her family? Was it an old grudge or something deeper? In all honestly she didn't care anymore, she just wanted to see him dead and out of her life forever. Sophie knew she would never be able to pull it off because she really wasn't that strong, and even when she gained all her powers she wouldn't be able to stop him… at least not yet. This time apart from England may do her good in the long run, but she was determined to come back and finish him off. For whatever reason was in place that her father could not kill him, she wasn't going to let this demon control her life. She would train herself, even if she had to do it alone, to defeat Dorren and destroy him. If anything she greatly hated that demon, Dorren Apbolos. She let out a gasp as her hand touched the pot, burning the edge of her knuckles. "Shit!" she yelped, almost dropping her bowl onto the floor.
"Is something the matter?" the Undertaker called into the kitchen, causing Sophie to chuckle nervously as she filled the second bowl.
"No everything is alright!" she answered him, blowing on her brunt hands and shaking them in pain. She slowly grabbed the bowls and walked into the main room, handing the Undertaker a bowl with a spoon in it. Sophie set hers down on a table and turned to leave, trying to hide her burnt hands from him.
He raised an eyebrow as he saw her stumble around, obviously hiding something from him. The Undertaker noticed that she quickly put her hands in her pockets, about to walk out of the room. "Little maiden, come over here," he said with a playful voice, Sophie stopping and slowly walked over to him.
She grinned back to him with her hands in her pockets, refusing the let them out. "What is it dad?"
"Show me your hands," he said in a monotone voice, causing her eyes to widen in fear.
"N-no really I –"
"Sophia…" he frowned, sending a chill down her spine.
"Oh fine," she grumbled to herself, slowly taking her hands out of her pockets and reluctantly showed him the top of her hands.
He set down the jar he had in his hands and wiped his hands. Then he took her hands into his and looked at the top of her hands, noticing a little bit of skin had bubbled and was peeling off. "Sophia…" he sighed, noticing it was a burn. "Why did you do that?"
"Sorry…" she looked away in embarrassment, "I got distracted…" Then she let out a sigh, "Just… everything is stressing me out… that's all." He smiled and blew on her hands, causing Sophie to flinch back slightly, "Ow! Hey it'll heal in a few minutes… I'm fine."
He pulled on her and made her sit down on his lap, nuzzling his head into her shoulder. "I think you've been pushed enough," he chuckled, Sophie looking at him curiously as he looked at her with a content smile on his face. "How about this, I give you the day off tomorrow. What do you think?"
"The day before my finals!" Sophie gasped, shaking her head, "N-no I don't think I'll be ready if –"
"Don't worry about it," he smiled, brushing some stray auburn hair from her face as he smiled at her. "You have been working hard and deserve a break. Besides, these bones aren't how they used to be," he groaned as he stretched an arm, causing Sophie to giggle.
"Okay then," she smiled, leaning her head into his chest, "I'll take a break."
She let out a yelp when he set her down next to him, handing her the bowl of soup she was going to leave behind on the table. "You better eat your dinner."
"Alright," she grumbled back at him, munching down on the carrots in her bowl and slurping up the soup.
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Sophie let out a yawn as she cleaned the dishes, setting the bowls and utensils they used in their proper places. She looked around the kitchen with a longing look on her place, hoping the place wouldn't fall into complete ruin with her gone. She put her hand upon one of the cabinets and couldn't help but sigh, remembering her mother washing the dishes and tucking her in at night. She always loved being in Thomas' shop, helping him out and keeping things in order. She truly loved living in the mortuary, loving every moment she spent here.
She gasped when boney hands wrapped around her waist and around the top of her chest, knowing exactly who was behind her. "I think it's time for your punishment~" he giggled, his laughter ceasing as he nibbled on her neck.
Sophie squirmed as she tried to get away as he tickled her neck. "Stop. Stop! I'm ti-cklish!"
"I know~" he chuckled back, licking up her neck and causing her to whimper in protest, "but I still need to punish you."
She squirmed away and tried to push his arms off of her, not liking the tone in his voice. "What exactly?" she asked, turning around as she narrowed her eyes and looked up at him.
The Undertaker smirked, leaning into her with his Cheshire cat grin plastered on his face. "I want to see you in your immaculate outfit before you go," he admitted, running a hand through her hair, "and I also want to sleep in the same bed with you, okay~?"
Sophie felt her face suddenly going red, her cheeks burning up by the words he whispered into her ear. "I-I-I…" she was somewhat speechless, unable to think straight.
"You are mine, right?" he said into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "If you are so unsure, then what do you think when I say it to you?"
Sophie paused, looking over at the wall before she looked back to the Undertaker. Then she gave him a smile, taking off his hat and moving his silver bangs away from his eyes. She giggled, putting the hat on top of her head before she answered him. "Oh I don't know," she shrugged with a giggle, "you are my father's friend, but I also believe you to be my father and mentor. In all honestly…" She smiled to him with a smirk on her face, "I think, when you say that I'm yours, that you have possession over a part of me. Not my freedom and the choices I can make, but something… that's what I think." Then she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, pulling back before he could respond. "You should know I can't forget that you kissed me before I regained my memories. Honestly…. I'm still confused of what I'm thinking about right now… but I love you, that I know for sure." She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at his expression. She smiled, noticing that he was deep in his own thoughts. "What do you think when you hear that I'm yours?"
He looked down at her and grinned, smiling from ear to ear. He took his hat back and set it down on the counter behind him, refusing to take his eyes off of her. "Many things," he said, leaning his head towards hers and tilting her head up, "but I love you too. Nothing can change that, even if we are separated by bodies of water and heaps of land. I will still love you and always look out for your safety. I do own you." He chuckled, nuzzling his nose with hers before looking back into her eyes, "I own you and you are mine… for as long as you want me to." Sophie's eyes went wide when he kissed her lips, his hand pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss.
She closed her eyes and pulled up into him, refusing to let him go. Then the clothes she was wearing disappeared and she was in a white dress and black cloak, the hood flying onto her head and coming over her face slightly. He looked down and grinned, parting his mouth from hers as he chuckled. "I want to stay yours, but there is something important that I need to say," Sophie said as she tilted her head so she could see his face.
"And what would that be?" he asked, hugging her tighter and pulling her tighter into his body.
"I…" she looked down before looking back at him, "I was brought up by my mom to wait until marriage before being intimate with someone. That is what she had done actually." Then she giggled, her smile beaming on her face, "Plus that's what I want to do! Wait until I find someone I truly love and want to spend the rest of my life with… just so we're clear," she finished.
"I understand…" he sighed rather disappointedly before his grin came back on his face, "but that doesn't mean that I can't have you to myself, now does it?"
"I guess not…" Sophie shrugged, letting out a yelp when he grabbed her body and picked her up.
She whimpered slightly as the Undertaker forcefully buried his head into her neck, sucking on her skin as he held her tightly in his arms. "Good," he grinned to her when he lifted up his head, causing Sophie to smile at him as she noticed his joyful expression. Then he kissed her lips, her eyes widening at how forceful he pushed into her. She had never felt this way before and didn't know how to respond, but when she let out a sigh into his mouth as she felt her wings fly out behind her. The Undertaker blinked and parted, noticing the mist of the black haze circling around his hand. Sophie curled up slightly, both shy and scared at what she just did. "What's the matter little maiden?" he asked as if it was completely normal.
"Oh I…" she gulped, "I-I don't know –"
She let out another yelp when his lips slammed back into hers, a devious smile on his face when they parted yet again. "Come here," he chuckled as he walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. "It's time for bed," he cooed to her, throwing her onto the bed and pinning her down before she could struggle. The Undertaker snuggled his face into her chest, his hands trailing down her body to the rope around her waist. In a split second he disposed of it onto the ground, his face against her own as he kissed her again. "I am so sorry," he whispered to her as he looked at her and then hugged her tightly, "for everything I've done. I'm just so tired of being lonely and…" Then he let out a sigh, Sophie looking at him in confusion.
Every single time she would peel off a layer and found something about him, he would continue to amaze her with something entirely new and exciting to discover. Sophie chuckled, causing him to stop and lift his head up in confusion. "I think I said that everyone needs some companionship, right? Do you even remember that?" she smirked to him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "P-please don't be gloomy anymore… okay? Even when I'm gone…" He smirked to her and kissed underneath her chin, causing her to giggle. "Geeze why are you so protective!"
"Oh I don't know…" he sighed into her neck. "Just something about you, plus you're my daughter," he grinned, biting down on her neck and causing it to bleed slightly. She flinched slightly and gasped, feeling the blood flow down her neck as he lapped it up. He sent a trail of kisses down her neck and onto her chest, eventually resting his head on top of the spot where her chest wound is.
Sophie sighed to herself, closing her eyes as she kicked off the golden sandals from her feet. "Is my punishment over yet?"
The Undertaker just shrugged, turning over and set his head down on a pillow. Sophie smiled and set her head on his chest, tracing a line where she knew the scar mark on his chest was. The Undertaker smiled and wrapped his hand around her body, rubbing her back as she slowly went to sleep in his arms. He chuckled, brushing past her wings until it completely evaporated in his hands. Then he let a sigh escape his lips, pulling the covers over them as they both fell asleep.
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Sophie hummed to herself, a skip in her step as she walked through the halls. She had taken all the final exam tests for her classes and had the rest of the day to rest thanks to the Undertaker. She wasn't really worried about her average classes, since she would pass regardless of her the grades on the exam, but about completing the examinations that she would be taking tomorrow. The practical technique mostly, but also the written and ethical parts of the examination also. The grades a shinigami will get in these portions also depend on their performance during their years at the academy. The practical technique will be a demonstration of a shinigami's abilities with four side strikes, five from behind, and two in the front. One of those moves has to either knock out her opponent or cause them to forfeit, which would come towards the end. Then the second portion would be a written exam, going over all the material she was supposed to know. Then lastly the ethical portion of the exam; a tally of her own ethics towards her peers and teachers during her days at the academy. She already knew her grade, a C, but that didn't matter too much to her since it would be automatic. Lastly would be a team up with another graduate to obtain a dying soul that had already been evaluated. For normal students this would be a week process, but since the council wants her out of their hair then she was to evaluate them when she read over their cinematic record. She wondered if she would even be given a partner, since this was cutting the time close and the other graduate wouldn't have time to come up with their own evaluation in the time they would probably give her. She didn't mind doing it alone, since it would be a job of hers to do if she did or didn't become a shinigami.
Sophie barely had her mind wrapped around relaxing anymore, but worrying about her examinations and if she would succeed. She hoped she wouldn't be put with a peer that was strong or needed pass as much as her during the practical technique exam. It would break her apart if she had to crush someone else's chances if they were placed in a situation like she is in. She looked up and opened a door, deciding it was about time for her to leave the realm and go home. She began to walk and then paused, noticing a familiar figure walking towards the building she walked out of. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp, running as fast as she could into the hooded being. "Marius!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around him and almost pushing him to the ground.
He gasped in shock, not noticing her till she ran into him. "Sophia!" he laughed, hugging her back just as tightly as she did.
"W-what are you doing here?" she asked, letting go of him and adjusting her messenger bag on her shoulder.
"Well you have a day off and you said I could come here once you had a free day," he shrugged, adjusting the black cloak that he had around his neck. "P-plus Death wanted me to get some stuff for him anyways, though I don't know where to begin…"
"Do you have a list?" She asked, Marius giving her a nod and taking a list out from under his cloak. Sophie opened up the scroll and looked at the list, noticing that Death had written the buildings he would have to go to accomplish each item. "Okay," she shrugged, "We can start here at the academy! Then make our way west to the other buildings and we'll be done by lunchtime! Good thing too, I'm getting hungry," she frowned, hearing her stomach grumble.
Marius laughed and put his list back under his cloak, "Then you can show me the way then."
"Sure!" she smiled, taking his arm and pulling him back towards the building, "but first we need to get you into a suit. If you go around looking like this~ then there will be bound to be questions, and right now I don't want to answer them." Marius nodded in understanding, letting Sophie lead him into the building and up the stairs.
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Marius groaned as Sophie continued giggling, clinging to his arm as she was poking the new black suit she was making him wear. "I can't believe my dear old brother looks so hot! You actually look good in a suit! Unlike most of the men around here," she mumbled to herself before perking back up again.
"I don't think so," he sighed, adjusting his necktie for the upmost time again. "It looks weird… feels weird… I don't like it."
Sophie laughed, punching him in the arm lightly as she brought him through the hallways to their destination. "Don't worry about it! It's a bit different then a tunic, but it's easy to get used to. I like how your hair looks. I wonder if someone will say 'Oh my gosh it's Maurus!' or something like that," she laughed, messing up his hair.
He rolled his eyes and put his hair back to the style he liked it, looking out a window as he did. "I guess so… we are his children."
"No kidding," she puckered her lips before chuckling again. "Sorry I'm in just a good mood right now! So you need to talk to me about everything. You seem to know the details about my own life, but I don't even know where to begin with you! So tell me, what makes Marius Serbus, Marius?"
"Well ummm…" he began as they walked linked arm in arm with each other. "As I said, I have never been here before. I actually want to go to the human realm after my errands are done and look at all the things our parents talked about."
"Of course!" she smiled, "but only the things locally. I don't know if we can do anything like go see where papa grew up as a human… I don't even know where that is anyways!"
"That's alright," he smiled to her, "you can show me around your home. I would rather hang out with you then get lost somewhere else."
Sophie nodded and stopped once they made it around the bend, coming to the General Affairs Department. "So what do you need to do?"
Marius let out a cough as he looked over his list, skimming it over till he came to the items he was looking for. "I need to give them a few forms and request more. I also need to get his personal mail and ask for a date the council wants to meet with him. After that… well that is later," he finished, putting the list back in his suit pocket and following Sophie to the counter.
"Hello," Sophie said with a smile, the lady behind the counter looking over at them as she spoke.
"Hello there," she answered them uninterested, suddenly looking over at Marius with a smirk on her face. "Oh what a lovely hunk of man," she growled, causing Marius to blush. "He's not taken is he?"
"That hunk over there my brother," Sophie said with a huff, narrowing her eyes at her to stare her down. "Now," she began again, perking back up, "we need to get some items for a man named Death."
"Death?" she snorted. "I never heard of this before! What do you think you're asking for?"
"If I may Sophia," Marius said, scooting Sophie over to the side so he could talk to the lady. "I need to speak to your manager Daniela Sampson," he said in a monotone tone, very close to the tone of voice she heard Death talk in when she first met him.
"But she –"
"Now miss," he said narrowing his eyes. "I do not like to be kept waiting."
"Alright mister," she huffed, yelling at someone in the back to go and fetch the manager. Then she smiled, leaning over the counter and close to his face, "You like to dominate don't you? Why don't we go out for dinner some time? I know a nice, quiet café in the middle of London square."
"No thank you," he responded, starting to feel rather uncomfortable about the lady.
Sophie rolled her eyes and pulled him away slightly, causing the lady to frown. "Now where did you – wait, Death taught you that didn't he?"
"I guess so," he sighed as he scratched the back of his head and combed his hand through his auburn hair.
"So cute!" Sophie giggled, grabbing him in a tight hug unexpectedly and almost pushing him to the ground.
"Hey now!" He grumbled to himself, "You're acting like Grandmum Briana. I was hoping to not be cuddled today."
"Oh oops!" Sophie laughed, letting go of him and letting him tend back to his grooming. "Grandmum?"
"She has us call her that," Marius shrugged, "everyone there practically. Only Death doesn't call her that, but I would rather be polite and call her Briana."
"Well it's more polite to call a person by what they want to be called," Sophie told him as they stood and waited. "For an example, I'd rather be called Sophie then Sophia when I'm with friends. I just let the Undertaker call me Sophia because he likes to call me little maiden more than anything else. Plus an older being can call you by your first name if they prefer. It's for them to decide really."
He nodded and then chuckled, taking hold of her glasses from her head and looking at them curiously. "Why do you have to wear these things?" he asked as he slowly put them on his own face.
"They're for shinigamis because they can't see," Sophie smirked as he carefully put them on his head. "I don't need them though. My vision is completely fine –"
"Woh!" Marius exclaimed as he backed up slightly. "Everything is so blurry!" he gasped as if he was a child coming across a new toy. Sophie chuckled, watching as he tried walking around and stumbled slightly. "Shinigamis must be blind like bats," he grumbled, taking them off and handing them back to her. "Oh my eyes… oh…" he said as he rubbed his irritated eyes. "How can you stand those?"
"Practice," she shrugged as she put them in her pocket instead of back on her face. "I feel that my eyesight is getting bad because of them, but they won't let me take them off. It's a mandatory thing, you see, for shinigamis to have glasses. Numbers one and two of the rule book actually. So I'm usually walking around with my eyes closed, if you can believe it, so my eyesight doesn't get too bad. I've learned to sense things, but I really don't need the glasses," she finished, noticing a woman coming out from a door to greet them. "Hello," Sophie said to her, the woman simply nodding to them.
"Hello," she responded back, looking at the two of them. "You called for me?"
"Yes," Marius nodded, taking out a small stack of forms from his suit out of thin air. "My caretaker, Mr. Death, wants me to give you these forms. Also he wants me to gather forms H-34, K-03, K-07, K-10, M-23, N –"
"Yes alright," she grumbled back, getting rather tired with his babble. "State the key code and then we can talk," she said sternly.
Marius narrowed his eyes at her before he stood up proudly and said the words Death made him memorize. "Pulveris estis et ad pulverem revertemur, dicit Omnipotente,"he said with perfect ease, a slight smile creeping up on his face when the woman stood there stunned. "Now will I have to repeat myself and talk to Death about your behavior or can we proceed?"
"Of course sir," she smiled to them, inviting them through the door. "So will you be coming here instead of Death then?"
"Yes," he answered her, Sophie tagging along behind them as she listened to their conversation.
"I am sorry," she apologized, "that I was rude to you."
"Don't worry Mrs. Sampson," he said with a smile, "I hope I wasn't intruding on anything."
"Not at all!" she laughed, a sigh escaping her lips before she continued talking. "I've been very busy, that's all, and you can call me Daniela."
He nodded, letting his sister walk next to him before he continued to talk. "Daniela my name is Marius Serbus, son of the late Maurus Serbus, and this is my little sister Sophia."
"Oh really!" she gasped as they made it to a large room where her office is. "I didn't know the famous Dark Centurion had children. Well it's lovely to meet the both of you. Now…" she began as she invited them in and had them sit down in chairs in front of her desk, "what is it you were sent here for today?"
"Death wanted me to give you forms," Marius said, taking the forms back out of his suit and handing them to her. "I also have a list of things to gather from you."
"Continue then," she said, ushering him to continue speaking.
"I need forms H-34, K-03, K-07, K-10, M-23, N-54, N-55, N-56, P-92, T-44, T-54, U-11, U-12, U-23, and finally Y-06," he finished, not having to look at his list at all to remember all those numbers and letters.
"Impressive," she smirked, having to write down everything he said on a scrap sheet of paper. "Anything else I can do?"
"Death would like his mail for the week," Marius continued, "and he also told me to ask for a date the council wants to meet with him. They were telling him sometime in December, but he needs to know so he can fit it around his schedule."
"Of course," Daniela nodded to them, pushing a button on her phone to call someone. "Mrs. Farah."
"Yes Mrs. Sampson?" they heard over the phone, which Marius was quickly fascinated with the strange object.
"I need you to go and gather some forms for me," she said into the intercom, "which I have the list in my hand. I also need you to get the secured mailroom in the back and gather the mail for a shinigami named Mr. Mortis."
"Of course miss," she answered back, Daniela hanging up the phone as she opened up her drawers and searched for something.
"What is that?" Marius asked Sophie quietly. "That strange device there. What is that?"
"A telephone," Sophie laughed slightly, causing Daniela to look up at them with curiosity. "It's a way of communicating from one room to the other."
"A strange device…" Marius responded, causing Sophie to giggle.
Daniela smile to them and gave Marius a folder, with the name 'Mr. Mortis' on the front. "This has the dates they want to meet with him and any details behind the visit. I hope this helps."
"Thank you," he said, the folder disappearing in a poof of black smoke that came from his hand.
Daniela blinked in confusion and then smiled to them, looking at the pair. "You two really do look like siblings. May I safely assume Marius is older?"
"That would be correct," he spoke up, giving her a slight smile, "but I will admit I am very naive. I have never been here before."
"And I have to show him around," Sophie beamed. "I am actually currently going to the academy."
"I never would have guessed!" she said as she noticed that Sophie wasn't wearing glasses. "Where are your standard glasses?"
"I'm not wearing them," she shrugged, "They hurt my eyes. I humor my teachers by wearing the glasses, but I don't need them."
"I see…" she nodded, then smiling to them. "How long have you been in school?"
"Almost a year and a half," she told her, "but the council is having me graduate early because of my high grades."
"My gosh! So soon," she chuckled, "but what do you expect from the children of Maurus? Oh he was a fine man, if I may say so."
"Of course," Marius said, "I heard he was great and very popular –"
He stopped talking when they heard a knock at the door, Daniela letting out a sigh at the sound. "You may come in," she said, a student walking in with the items her requested.
"Here you go Mrs. Sampson – Sophia!" she gasped, noticing the man sitting next to her. "Who is he?" she asked her.
"Skyler the forms," Daniela said roughly, causing Margaret to break eye contact from Sophie and hand them over.
"Sorry!" she gasped backing away. "I-I better get going then –"
"This is my older brother, Marius," Sophie interrupted her, inviting Margaret back into the room. "Marius, Margaret Skyler, who was my roommate at the academy. Margaret, Marius Serbus, my older brother."
"Hello," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. She hesitated slightly, giving him a smile and shaking his hand. "It is nice to meet one of Sophia's friends," he smiled to her.
Margaret blushed, Sophie quickly noticing this as Margaret shook his hand. "I-it's nice to meet you also," she smiled back, letting go of his hand and quickly looking away. "I-I have to go," she said, rushing out of the room.
Marius frowned, sitting back in his chair disappointed. "Did I do something bad?"
"Oh no!" Sophie laughed and punched him in the arm. "You did fine! It's what we would call eros."
"Eros?" Marius responded, a blush coming to his face. "Oh…"
"Well let's get on with this!" Sophie smiled, a giggle escaping her lips when she noticed that he was flustered.
Daniela smiled to them, unsure what they were communicating to each other. "Here are the forms and the letters for Death on the top of the stack."
Marius nodded and looked through the papers, making sure he had every form accounted for. "Thank you very much Daniela," he said, standing up and shaking her hand.
She smiled and shook his hand. "The pleasure is all mine Marius. Come back any time."
He nodded and he and Sophie departed, leaving the office and walking into the halls. "Oh you've never encountered love before?" she smirked, causing him to blush again.
"N-no actually… do you really think I would?" he asked her, a sly smirk on her face.
"You may never know," she smirked to him. "You know my relationship with Haden. It's not like you could have found yourself someone nice already. See! This is what I'm talking about! This is stuff I don't know about you," she beamed.
A groan came out of Marius' mouth as they walked out of the door and back into the main hallway. "Geeze Sophia…"
"You-hoo!" they heard someone say, the lady at the front counter waving to them. "Don't be a stranger," she winked at Marius, sending a chill down his spine.
Sophie rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him along in the hallway. "W-was that eros too?" he asked her, Sophie shaking her head.
"Nope. Better to avoid incidences like that," she told him. "They aren't looking for love, but something only with physical 'benefits'."
"Oh," he responded, still feeling rather confused. "O-okay then…" Sophie smiled to him and dragged him along, Marius looking back and trying to rub the burning sensation off of his cheeks.
!#$%^&*()
"Grell!" Sophie waved, the red-head looking over and beckoning her over.
"Sophie!" he grabbed her in a hug and a quick peck on the cheek before looking Marius up and down with interest. "And who is this~?" he smirked, his sharp teeth shining through his grin.
Marius blinked in confusion and took a step back, scratching the back of his head nervously. "That timid boy over there is my brother," she shrugged as Grell let her go.
"Oh really?" He smiled slyly, walking over to him.
"Hey come on now!" Sophie growled at Grell in an attempt to back him off. "I told you about him already. He's never been here before… besides I think he's into women anyways," she rolled her eyes as she walked back over to Marius and grabbed onto his arm. "Marius, this is Grell Sutcliff, my mentor here at the academy. Grell this is Marius Serbus, my older brother."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Sutcli –"
"Call him Miss," Sophie said, causing Marius to blink at her confused.
"R-really? How is that possible?" he blinked in confusion. "I-I thought you were a man miss. I am very sorry about tha –"
Grell couldn't help but laugh at his naïve behavior. "Oh! I'm actually a man Marius, but I would rather be called by female pronouns."
"Huh?" he couldn't help but say, Sophie quickly butting into the conversation before it went too far.
"You see Marius," Sophie began before Grell could speak, "Grell feels like a woman trapped in a man's body –"
"You mean like a soul that was supposed to be in a spider but instead ended up in a pig's body?" he tried to try, Grell and Sophie looking at him confused.
"Ummm… I don't know…" Sophie blinked, very confused by his comment.
"Oh," he chuckled meekly as he scratched the back of his head. "I guess Death's analogies don't work…"
"I think I got what you're saying," Grell said, who really didn't know what he was talking about, "but please call me Miss~ Sutcliff, but I'd rather prefer Grell from a young~ hand~some~~ man like yourself."
"O-kay?" Marius shrugged nervously, Sophie giving him a smile and then pulling him along.
"So why are you here Grell?" Sophie decided to ask, changing the subject.
"My scythe needs cleaning," Grell grumbled as he held it over his shoulder and looked at the blade. "There was a demon in my last mission and now the metal is eroding. I really want to craft a better scythe, but they don't like my ideas," he huffed in slight disgust.
"Why this is great!" Sophie cheered slightly. "We're here to retrieve Death's scythe and… get yours Marius?"
"Death told me he crafted a death scythe for me. Since I don't inherit our father's sword, he made something for me." Then Marius let out a sigh, deep in thought, "I wonder what he did. I like the color of blue… I hope he used that."
"Cool!" Grell giggled and linked arms with Sophie, "Let's get going then! I have some paperwork to get to."
"Oh I'm sorry –"
"This kid is very gullible, isn't he?" Grell whispered to Sophie, causing her to giggle.
"Hey give him a break. He has never been here before," Sophie smirked at Grell, then looking up at Marius with a smile on her face.
Once they made it to a big room filled with different types of scythes, Marius and Sophie went to one secretary and Grell went to another. "Hello," Marius said as a greeting, "May I talk to your manager, Lucas Amrit."
"Umm… I don't think I can get a hold of him –"
Marius narrowed his eyes at the lady in front of him, obviously not in the mood to fool around. "Lucas, now, or will I have to destroy everything here with a seismic blast?"
"M-mr. Amrit!" she yelled, running away from the counter in haste.
Marius grumbled to himself and rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming to him. "So loud…"
Sophie rolled her eyes, also tired from the long day they were having. "Yes, well you get used to it. Talk about being harsh. It's like when I threaten someone really," she thought to herself, causing Marius to look at her with curiosity.
"Really? Huh… must be genetic," he shrugged, causing both of them to laugh.
"Hey Grell," Sophie said as they noticed him walking over, "how's the scythe?"
"It'll be about an hour," he grumbled to himself. "Oh well!" he quickly cheered back up and smiled happily. "I can go out and have lunch then! Would you two like to come along? I get awfully lon~ely~ sitting by myself."
"Actually we only have this and we're done," Sophie said, looking up at Marius, "right?"
"That is correct," Marius smiled back. "It would be nice to try this… tea you call it?"
"Yeah!" Sophie jumped up excitedly. "Tea with scones and crumpets. You'll love~ it!"
"Okay I'll take your word on it," Marius smiled back.
Then the lady coming back with the man they assumed to be the manager. "You requested me?" he asked, looking over at Marius more than anyone else.
"Yes," Marius said as he stepped forward. "Let's cut to the chase. Pulveris estis et ad pulverem revertemur, dicit Omnipotente," he said quickly. Grell and the lady blinked in confusion while Sophie just smiled, noticing how tall and proud he was acting.
"Ah you were sent by Death?" the man said, Marius giving him a nod.
"I am," he said simply. "Lucas Amrit I am sorry for my intrusion but I was sent by Death to come and run some errands for him."
"Of course," he smirked, "and I know just what you're here for." Then he whispered something into the ear of the lady and she left, leaving Lucas behind with a smile planted on his face. "This truly is a grand moment! So tell me, what's your name?"
"Marius Serbus," he said simply, "the son of Maurus Serbus and this is my sister Sophia."
"Serbus huh?" Lucas said, looking at them with awe. "I didn't know he had kids."
"He did," Marius cracked a smile to him, "but don't expect a lot from us… or at least from me that is. Right Sophia?"
"Sure," she shrugged, looking uninterested by the conversation. "I'm currently going to the academy, but Marius will not."
"Oh I see…" he said, deep in thought, "that explains our order. I wasn't expecting so many weapons! Usually Death only asks for his weapons to be cleaned, but having two death scythes handcrafted to a being shorter then himself was an interesting order to fill."
"Two?" Marius said, thinking to himself slightly before answering again. "I see…"
"Oh here they are!" Lucas beamed, grabbing the three weapons from her hand and setting them on the table. "This is a sword fashioned in the ancient Roman style. The handle is blue and black and has engravings of death marks all over with your Serbus emblem," he said as he handed it to Marius.
Marius lifted it and took the sword out from the shaft, looking at it curiously. "Yes… just perfect really…"
"I'm glad you like it," he smiled, watching as the sword disappeared in his hand with black smoke before proceeding. "This is your custom made death scythe. If you would like it made in a different style then I won't mind –"
"No it's quite alright," Marius smiled, taking the long scythe into his hands and examining it. It was about a third taller than he was, a larger style like the scythe Sophie was able to summon in her hands. It was black, but also had the color of blue, the blue rimming around the handle with long and intercut designs. "I like it…"
The man smirked and watched as the scythe disappeared in Marius' hands. "Well this is the weapon Death wanted us to clean for him. Here you go," Lucas said, handing Marius the longer death scythe.
Marius nodded and it disappeared in his hands. After he had done Marius took out his list, biting his finger and crossing the items off of his lips with his blood. "Well that's it!" Marius said as the list was consumed in black flames. "Thank you for your services Mr. Amrit," he said with a bow.
"Please kid, call me Lucas," he smiled to him. "And you're welcome," he said with a bow, waving to them as they turned around to leave.
"I guess we're having lunch now?" Marius said, putting his hands into his pockets as he looked over at Grell and Sophie.
"Yeah, and you have to tell me everything," Sophie smirked.
"Great…" Marius frowned, a giggle escaping Sophie's lips as she linked arms with him and pulled him back in the direction they had come from.
!#$%^&*()
"Do you have your presents for Christmas yet?" Grell asked, sitting back in his chair as he sipped some tea.
"I have been busy, but this as good a time as ever to buy stuff!" Sophie beamed, her hands going right for the sugary snacks in front of her. "I was going to do it today, but since Marius is here –"
"Don't use me as an excuse," he huffed, sitting down on his drink and blinking in confusion. "This is tea? It tastes like water…"
"Oh the tea here isn't very good!" Sophie smiled, "I'll show you a better place in town… hey do you mind tagging along then? I won't be able to show you every~thing~, but I can get some stuff crossed off on my list."
"Of course," Marius said, deciding to drink from his cup again. "This is the only day you can do it anyways. You have your testing tomorrow correct?"
"Yeah," Sophie grumbled to herself, "but I'm not looking forward to it…"
"So Miss Sutcliff," Marius began, causing Grell to look over at him. "Sophie told me about you and that you are good with advise concerning… things…" he looked away, his face getting slightly red.
Grell perked up right away and set his tea down, leaning across the table at him. Sophie couldn't help but look at him curiously too, setting her own tea down but was still munching down on a sugary snack. "Why type of things love?" Grell asked as he showed off his teeth in a grin.
"Why ummm –"
"Is this about Margaret?" Sophie asked as she continued to munch on her snack. "You've only been here for two hours and you're love struck?"
"Why no! I mean…" he turned away as he tried hiding his face from them in his suit coat. Usually he had his hood and was able to use that, but now he was defenseless to their stares.
Grell grinned, his smile growing ever bigger on his face. "With avoir le coup de foudre I suggest… for a man quite like yourself~" he purred slightly as Grell looked him up and down with approval, "you wait till you get to know her. You can never be sure about amour anyways. I've been chasing after my dear chérie for eons~ now! Ah…" Grell finished as he sighed to himself longingly.
"French Grell?" Sophie asked as he grinned to her.
"Of course une co~pine" he purred, snatching a snack from her tray and placing it into his mouth, "something you don't know about me, a-ppren-ti."
Sophie gave him a smile and scooted her plate away from him. "I should have known," she shook her head as she sipped her tea.
"Now what is this?" the three of them heard, Sophie narrowing her eyes when she saw the shinigami behind the voice. "Not wearing your glasses again? I'm going to have to report you So-phi-a," he grinned as he walked away.
"Shut up Chaz," Sophie snarled at him, "You pathetic excuse for a shinigami –"
"Hey!" he growled, slamming his tray of food next to a table, "You piece of trash! I'm getting rather sick with the insults –"
Sophie snarled back and stood up, "And so am I – Marius?"
Marius had stood up between her and held his sword at Chaz's neck, an angry glare in his crystal blue eyes as he sent a chill down Chaz's spine. "Back down worm or I'll send you on a one-way trip to the underworld, where vermin like you belong."
"Hey what the –"
"Marius let him go," Sophie grumbled to herself. "He is just… Marius?"
His sword didn't wane and he held the same with his expression. They were full of hatred and disgust as he tilted his sword slightly up and started cutting into Chaz's neck. "You're a disgusting excuse for a shinigami and even more of an evil soul. I should destroy you right now –"
"Marius back down now," Sophie growled at him as she grabbed his arm slightly, "that's an order."
Once he heard the words leave Sophie's mouth he slowly put his sword down, not before he shoved Chaz slightly and causing him to stumble backwards and fall into a chair behind him. "I don't ever want to see your face again," Marius finished, spitting on him and walking back over to Sophie.
"You're crazy!" Chaz said as he wiped the spit from his face and stood up, "You are all crazy! I'm reporting each and every one of you –"
"Do that and I'll kill you," Marius said gruffly as he drank some of his tea with his back turned to Chaz. "I will not hesitate. I don't like seeing filth like you anyways, and if I see your ugly face again I'll turn your body into a pile of ash and let a monster from hell devour your soul ten-times-over."
"But –"
"Go now before you alter my mood from solemn to rage." With that Chaz ran off with his tray, almost slipping on the floor as he did so. Grell's mouth was open while Sophie just narrowed his eyes at him and bonked him across the head. "Hey what the –"
"Don't cause trouble," she said in a quiet voice, sipping her tea as if nothing had happened. "I'm already in enough trouble here. We don't need any more of it."
"Sorry paterfamilias. I was wrong to behave the way I did," Marius said meekly, setting his tea down and looking over at Sophie with a slight fear in his eyes.
"It's quite alright," she said as she kept her eyes closed and continued sipped her tea, "I am not angry with you." Sophie looked over at Grell who looked flushed while she just shrugged it off and looked over at Marius. "And don't your mean materfamilias?" she asked him, "I am a woman after all."
"Yes," Marius said as he sat up straighter, "but you are the head of the household now. That is reserved for the sons, but since I'm dead then it falls on your shoulders. Besides, Maurus isn't going to adopt anyone so you're the head now." Then he gave her a smile and continued to sip his tea, ignoring the glances he was getting from everyone else. "If someone threatens you then they are a threat to our family. I will not stand to have you killed because of a being's immaturity, unlike last time," he mumbled to himself as he continued to sip his tea.
"Thank you for the concern, but I can take care of myself," Sophie huffed slightly, noticing Alex and William walking over to them. "Hello Alex," she smiled, causing Grell to perk right up.
"Why h-hello Sophie," he smiled, setting his tray down next to her and looking over at Marius with suspicion. "We saw what happened. Who is he?"
"Marius Serbus, my other brother," she said quickly, getting tired of the introductions. "Marius this is –"
"Alexander Engjëll," Marius said with a smile, gesturing his hand towards him in an effort to shake his hand. "I know about you. Thank you for helping my dear little soror. Without you she wouldn't have made it this far," he smiled to him.
Alex chuckled nervously and shook his hand, feeling intimidated by his presence. "I-it's Agon," he said quickly.
"Sorry, Alexander Agon," Marius continued to smile to him, causing Alex to smile back as they let go of their hands.
"Now could someone tell me what that display was?" William asked, reluctantly sitting next to Grell as Grell pulled him down next to him.
"Just Chaz again," Sophie grumbled to herself as she finished the last cookie on her plate.
"I'm sorry if I have been bothersome for you," Marius answered her. "I didn't want to cause trouble with my visit. I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Death."
"Don't worry about it," Sophie smiled to him. "If he is on your case then I will take to him. If I'm the head of the household, as you say, then it's my responsibility to keep you~ out of trouble, right?"
"… right," Marius nodded, sitting back and eying William suspiciously.
"That is William T. Spears," Sophie pointed as she finished her tea.
"I know him," Marius huffed, "you've been reading Sophie's cinematic records ever since she got here. Why?"
The other three blinked in confusion and looked over at William, who blinked in shock. "I don't know what you're talking about young man –"
"My name is Marius Serbus," he narrowed his eyes, "and I demand an explanation. Don't tell me you don't know –"
"Marius what did I just say about causing trouble," Sophie crossed her arms and stared him down.
"But Sophia –"
"It's alright Sophie," William sighed as he sat back in his chair. "I'll tell you. Curiously if you must know. I seemed to be the only shinigami curious about a human suddenly showing up at our doorstep and demonstrating our powers as if it was child's play. The fact that she had trouble breathing had to be examined in her past, but luckily Sophie knew her name when she woke up. Also," he shrugged as he sipped his tea, "no one else was investigating the situation, and when I searched deeper… well I couldn't really turn back now could I?"
Marius then nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as they locked eyes. "As long as you don't use her information against her then I don't mind, just stay out of her cinematic records from now on. I don't want some evil soul finding out information about my soror and using it against her."
"Of course," William nodded.
Grell let out an exhausted sigh, "So many things! No wonder you're stressed Sophie."
"Yeah… well," she shrugged as she looked at her pocket watch, "it's about time for us to go. Thank you Grell."
"Hey no problem Sophie!" Grell smiled, giving them away wave as Marius and Sophie left the cafeteria. "Oh wow… the trouble that girl gets into."
"Don't worry about it," Alex shrugged as he ate from his tray. "She can take care of herself. She's a big girl," he chuckled.
!#$%^&*()
)(*&^%$#!
"Hmmm…" Sophie thought as she looked through the shop windows. Marius was lugging behind, being forced to hold all her purchases. "I have something for Grell, Margaret, Julia, Alex, Fiona and William, but nothing for the Undertaker… oh what should I get him?" she yelped, trying to think really hard about what he could want.
Marius let out a sigh and rubbed his head, having to follow her for two hours as Sophie went from store to store was making him exhausted. "Perhaps you can get him a medallion or trinket." Sophie looked over at him in confusion as he gave her a smile, "You know, like the chain he has around his side. I think he would like something like that…"
"Oh yeah…" Sophie blinked, surprised that she never thought about it herself. "Dang… I never really asked him about that stuff…"
Marius smirked as he walked beside her. "Why I think he's in for a treat now," he chuckled, causing Sophie to grin at him.
Sophie's eyes wandered to a shop and she smirked. "Hah found it!" she said, grabbing hold of Marius' arm and pulling him into the shop.
)(*&^%$#!
!#$%^&*()
Marius let out an exhausted sigh as Sophie sat down at the top of the hill, overlooking the cemetery and the fields beyond. "Wow…" he said as he looked out, "You're lucky you get to see this every day."
"Well not anymore," Sophie sighed, leaning against his arm and setting her head on top of his shoulder.
"How was it living in a mortuary?" Marius asked as Sophie looked up at him curiously. "Sure living with Death is weird, but our parents also don't understand how it is living with a lot of death. Heck, I didn't live with a lot of it myself. So how did you fair?"
"Hmmm…" she thought as she settled back down on his head and looked out at the setting sun. "As normal is it can get. True, I'm exposed to death, but I didn't see anyone actually die until papa did. I came to understand that death is a normal cycle in life and it's simply something that happens," she shrugged. "I learned a basic trade like everyone else, but I learned to value the life of a being also. There are reasons why a person died and a background behind their story. Every story is different, every experience is different, and every life is different. That's why I try to treasure every life accordingly, even if it's Chaz," she smirked causing Marius to snarl at the sound of his name.
"I do have to say," he began as a smile crept onto his face, "father was right that your soul is an old soul. Sure, we have that main soul that we all have in common, but yours seems different then mine. I was a child that barely had any experience, while yours seemed to hold wisdom behind those eyes of yours before you could even talk. That's why father was so amused with you," he chuckled. "You came to understand things while I simply can't. I listen to orders, but you can make the decisions. I'm glad you're the head of the Serbus household Sophia."
She cracked a smile and cuddled into his arm, rubbing her head into his arm as she held his hand. "Thank you… I'm glad you said that," she chuckled, "though it's hard for me to believe that I'll be any good at it."
"Don't worry," he chuckled as he held her close, "you're doing fine! You have the skills to decide if a soul should move on or be destroyed, so just go with your instincts."
She nodded, letting out a sigh as she closed her eyes and held onto his arm tightly. Marius smiled; running a hand through her hair as she slowly began to sleep. Then he sensed something, looking up with curiosity until his crystal blue eyes gazed upon the owner. "Hello sir," he said to him, a wide grin growing on the man's face as he walked closer to them.
"He~llo~~ Young Serbus~" the Undertaker greeted him, sitting down next to Sophie as he looked out to the sunset. "How long are you staying?"
"For as long as Sophia wants me here..." Marius answered him, a sigh escaping his lips. "Though I would love to stay around for a while longer, I was ordered back by the time the sun set beyond the horizon... Undertaker," he said as the older man looked over at him.
"Yes~~?" he grinned to him, Marius giving him no heed at his odd tone.
"Do take care of Sophia... she may be the head of the Serbus household, but she is still young in age. I need you to promise me this that you will keep her safe for me." Then Marius chuckled, giving the top of her head a quick kiss before looking over at the Undertaker sternly. "I know she will be leaving you soon enough, but even so I need to know that I do not have to constantly be with her for her safety and protection. Undertaker, I need a strict vow from you that you will keep her safe... is that understood?"
The Undertaker chuckled, his chuckles getting quieter until his smile slightly wavered and he gave Marius a slight bow. "I promise, upon my death, that I will keep Sophia Serbus safe at all costs. You must know," he continued, pushing his hat up slightly as he straightened up, "that she would rather not have attention drawn to herself. In all honesty, it is better for a life to grow up on its own then be influenced by another's means. Don't you agree, Young Serbus?"
He looked at the Undertaker's grin and nodded, the Undertaker's Cheshire cat smile growing bigger by the second. "I do," Marius told him, "but even so I want her to be safe. So many Gods of Death have died... and she is an important piece on the chess board. The parties that will be for and against us, for I do not know of whom they may be, but even so I know her life is in danger. She may grow over time in the place she will be sent to, but she will come back. I know for sure she will... I simply want her to be okay. Is that too much to ask for?"
The Undertaker chuckled, running his hand through Sophie's long auburn hair before letting out a sigh. "No it is not... and as I've said I promise upon my death. You do not need to fear for her safety, but your own. Is that understood, Young Serbus?"
"Yes," Marius said, "thank you." Then he rubbed her shoulder and woke Sophie up, who was a bit groggy from being woken up suddenly. "I need to return home," he said as he gave her a kiss on the forehead, "but I will come back soon enough. In the meantime, the Undertaker will take care of you, alright?"
Sophie blinked in confusion, rubbing her eyes as she straightened up. "H-how... alright Marius. Take care," she smiled to him, giving him a peck on the cheek as he stood up. How the Undertaker would take care of her while they were so far apart she did not know, but Sophie decided it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.
When Marius looked back he noticed that she had quickly gone into the comforting arms of the Undertaker, closing her eyes and resting her head on his chest. The Undertaker looked down to her and smiled with a considerate and loving smile on his face. That made Marius smile, making a mark on his list and finishing everything he had to do for the day. Then he left in a bright light of white, leaving the realm of the living and entering the realm of the dead.
!#$%^&*()
A/N: All I have to say with Grell being French is… I just love it when he's French! ^^ Meh I don't know how his background will be, but he either grew up in France or learned French. We'll see what happens =3 And how did you like overly defensive older brother? Hah! I may make that a bad thing later. We'll just see X3
Oh and I hoped you liked this chapter! It may be a while till I have an UndertakerXSophie moment because I want to develop her character more. Hey I may add something in quickly to the next chapter! It depends, because I had to add a lot to finish off the chapter. As always, I hope you enjoyed! Comment me if you have any questions or just want to talk ^^
Pulveris estis et ad pulverem revertemur, dicit Omnipotente – Latin – Dust you are and to dust you will return, says the Almighty
eros – Greek – passionate love
avoir le coup de foudre – French – to fall in love at first sight
amour – French – love
chérie – French – dear, sweetheart
une copine– French – girlfriend
apprenti – French – apprentice
paterfamilias – Latin – father of the family; The paterfamilias had absolute rule over his household and children. If they angered him, he had the legal right to disown his children, sell them into slavery or even kill them. He looked after the family's business affairs and property and could perform religious rites on their behalf.
materfamilias – Latin – mother of the family
soror – Latin – sister