Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
OCs © reaper-of-lost-souls
A/N: I find it fun to read all these comments you guys are sending me. Woot! I'm glad you guys haven't lost interest yet because it's still going to be a while till this is finished. I don't know, I'm starting to get discouraged that's all. If this is not finished by the end of the summer then I will DEFFINITELY cry 3X You can thank writer's block and homework for my complaining *grumbles under breath* Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! =D (I know you gusy don't want to listen to me complain anyhow so I'll be quiet ^^')
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Sophie slowly woke up and yawned, rubbing her crystal blue eyes and shifting her weight. She smirked, noticing that Jericho was sleeping soundly next to her with his arms tightly wrapped around her waist. She took out her pocket watch and looked at the time, suddenly sighing at the time as she closed the watch shut and let it vanish in between her finger tips. "Jay~…" she called to him in a soft and tired voice, poking his cheek as she grinned, "Jay~~…"
"Not n-now," he grumbled, trying to shoo the hand away from his cheek as he sat up and bopped his head on the coffin lid. "Shit!" he yelped, rubbing his head with a grumble on his lips.
Sophie chuckled, "Jericho it's almost eight."
"Oh," he said suddenly, lifting the lid up and setting it down on the ground. Jericho sat up and rubbed his tired eyes, getting a giggle out of Sophie as she also sat up and stretched.
She smirked, wrapping her arms around his waist and squishing her head into his chest. "Did you sleep last night?" she asked him, "You seem to be tired."
"I did," he chuckled, "but I guess not enough." Then he got out of the coffin, grabbing for his things and helping Sophie out of the coffin. "I have to get going. I doubt anyone will scold me… but I can't have 'being last to work' as a permanent record in my files," he chuckled. "Will you be okay by yourself?"
"Yeah I will," she smirked, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he put his jacket on his shoulders. "I'll only be out for a few hours and then come home. Will you be okay?" she grinned.
"I'll be fine," he sighed, "Just work and more work today."
"Okay," Sophie chuckled, grabbing his face and giving him a long passionate kiss. Once they parted Jericho chuckled along with her, letting her go as he walked out the door. Once she heard the doorbell ring Sophie nodding to herself and stretching her arms more. "aaaaalllriiGHT!" she yawned, walking into the hallway and into the main room. She leaned over a coffin and knocked on the top, hearing a shuffle and a groan from inside. "I know you're in there," she called. Sophie heard a faint mumble, chuckling as she shook her head. "Fine, but I'm going to go out for a while. I'll be back before nightfall."
Then she took off, stopping as the curtains that separated the hallway from the main room as she heard a creak and long black nails curling around the coffin as it opened. "Aw~ you're not going to stay~?"
"Sorry I have some work I have to take care of." Sophie turned around and winked at him, staring at the green glow coming from the crack in the coffin. "Don't worry~. I'll be back before nightfall. I think this is the only things I have to do. Then I can stay here and sleep, sleep, and sleep." She turned around and waved, chuckling to herself as she heard the Undertaker giggle and the lid slowly fell back down on the coffin.
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"Hello – Serbus!" Paul gasped is astonishment. Sophie gave him a smile, knocking any dirt from her boots before walking into the building. "I-I thought you were –"
"Of course I would come back for you," she chuckled. "I'm not heartless Paul, and I told you to call me Sophia or Sophie if you prefer."
"Hmm…" he thought, following behind her as she showed herself around to where Angelina was sitting and reading a book.
"Hello Angelina," Sophie said, the other woman looking up and giving her a nod. "Sorry about keeping Paul here, but I can take him off your hands now."
"You're welcome," she shrugged, letting out a yawn and setting her book down. Angelina stared up at Sophie, who barely noticed her gaze as she sat down across from her and continued to smile gleefully. "… Grell told me that you got hurt. Are you alright?"
"For the most part," she sighed, "but I'm still recovering. I won't be able to play butler~ for a while, but I'm still deciding if I need to have someone else come here to watch you…"
"Not necessary," she chuckled. "Just get better." Sophie nodded and ran a hand through her own hair, turning her head over to the wall and gazed at the cleanliness of the building compared to the morgue. "… Do you need a place to stay?"
"No," Sophie shook her head, "I am living with my father. I plan on bringing Paul with me today. The confusion right now is the perfect time to sneak him into school without anyone noticing."
"School?" Angelina asked, ushering Paul over to sit down. "You have school?"
"Every shinigami is obligated to go to the academy before becoming a full-fledged grim reaper. Paul has never had a real education and I think knowledge is key to succeeding in this life. Right Paul?" she asked him with a grin.
"R-right," Paul answered, twiddling his thumbs and looking to the ground.
"… My question to you is: do you still want to be a shinigmai?" Sophie asked him, sitting back in her chair as she thought. "You don't have to. I can arrange something else for you… it's up to you."
"I still want to be a shinigami," Paul said, looking over at her, "but I mainly want to be like you."
"Oh~?" Sophie grinned, "Why do you say that?"
"Y-you're so cool," Paul smiled to himself shyly, "and you saved me… I know you must be busy and cannot train me, but I was hoping I could learn something from you if I went with you. Why did you –"
"I was interested in your talent," she smirked. "You ask, 'What is that?' Well… your family has strayed away from the entire reason they were created for this world. You know raimondas means advisor and protector right?"
"N-no actually I didn't," Paul blinked in confusion.
Sophie grinned, rustling up his hair before looking at him intrigued. "You possess an impulse to attain knowledge. You have a way with words and can process ideas in a way only an advisor could do. Honestly, from what I had seen from your other brothers, you hold the most promise in carrying on your family name."
"B-but I am only the youngest –"
"Doesn't matter," Sophie shrugged as she sat back in the chair. "Am I the oldest? No, but I was given my role as head of my household because of my abilities and knowledge of this world. That is what I find tragic about this society," she shook her head, "is the lack of knowledge. The fact that you don't even know the meaning of your family's name and the role you have in this world is a waste of knowledge. I think a good education at the shinigami academy can do you some good. You will have to get across the mindset of 'this is the only way' to do things, but I think you're up for the challenge."
"Y-you think?" Paul asked her, looking up at her in awe.
"Yes," she chuckled, "I do. Now are you ready to leave? We have a big day planned and the sooner we finish the quicker I can recover."
"O-of course!" Paul jumped to his feet. "Just let me change and I can go," he told her, rushing out of the room and leaving the two women alone in the room.
"My," Angelina grinned, "why would you take the time to help a young man you barely know?"
"Why not?" Sophie shrugged, standing up and giving her a smirk. "One, it's a fun little game I like to play. Two, I gain instant loyalty if I help. Three… look at him. The poor boy only needs encouragement to succeed. His parents aren't giving him the help he needs and I have nowhere else to place my time and energy except in teaching others. I love to teach and be taught. That's how I grew up I guess…"
"You have changed haven't you?" she smiled.
"Yes…" Sophie chuckled to herself, "I guess huh." Then she looked up at the door, sensing that Paul was almost ready to leave. "I am sorry for the inconvenience of having Paul here –"
"It was fine and fun!" Angelina giggled. "Just get better. Then we can talk about everything." Sophie nodded to her and walked out of the room, Angelina shaking her head as she chuckled and went back to reading her book.
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"W-what are we doing here?" Paul asked, tensing up as he clung to Sophie's arm and looked at the rocky boulders before them.
"The first part of your training will start now," she told him, fixing the large black overcoat on her shoulders and the big brimmed hat on her head. "You won't be just a shinigami, but also a God of Death. Remember that Paul; you are a God of Death and no one can take that away from you. Now," she smiled to him, "just be quiet and observe. Pay attention to everyone's moments and how meetings are organized. There will be a test afterwards." Paul let out a quick whine at the sound of a test, the grin on her face making the notion unsettling in the pit of his stomach.
As she finished talking a wolf jumped down from the rocks and walked towards them, leering its bright yellow eyes at them, but mostly ignoring Paul and looking at the taller woman beside him. "Who are you?" he demanded in a rough voice.
"Serbus," she glared back at him, the bright smile on her face suddenly replaced with a cold stare and a stoic demeanor.
The wolf yelped with surprise and bowed, "I am graciously sorry for not recognizing you," he whimpered. "Master is waiting for your arrival. The boy can wait outside –"
"Thanks, but the boy is coming with me," Sophie huffed.
"O-of course," he bowed again and deciding to not ask any further questions; lifting his head and having them follow him back to their den.
Paul continued to cling to Sophie's shoulder, looking nervously at all the stares he was getting from the wolves they walked past. "If you think you will get far in life cowering to others then you will be deemed useless and destroyed before your life is officially done," she said lowly, causing Paul to flinch. "Show some confidence in yourself and stand up straight." He hesitated before letting go of her arm, noticing the she cold stare before she turned her head and looked back at the wolf. He breathed in a deep breath before letting out a deep sigh, thankful that she didn't lash out at him like his father would do.
Whenever she was giving lessons, Sophie wanted the upmost attention and discipline from her students. That's why her tone of voice was harsh, or rather had changed from her normal blissful attitude to one of stoicism and slight irritation. Why? It was how she was taught by Thomas. There were times for joy and times for sorrow, times for jokes and times for focus. This is one of those times, at least for Paul it was. He had to start off on a solid foundation if he was going to succeed, and that was what Sophie was going to provide for him before she sent him away to the academy. "Right this way Serbus," the wolf said, leaving as they walked into a small hallway at the back of the cave.
Sophie led on ahead, letting Paul decide for himself if he was going to follow or not. Once she made it to a large room she smiled, noticing Fillin sitting in a chair in his human form patiently waiting for them. "Oh Serbus," he smiled, ushering them into the room. "Who is this young boy with you?"
"Paul," she told him, "an apprentice of mine."
"Why don't you sit down and we can begin," he told them, talking to a wolf and having the rest of the wolves leave. "I am sorry that this place is improper for a god of your status but –"
"No need for apologies," she chuckled. "My my~… you have grown up haven't you little Fillin?"
"No thanks to you," he smiled back, watching as Sophie sat down across from him in a chair with Paul sitting down a chair a few feet away from them. "How are you Sophie?"
"Never better," she chuckled, "but running into some problems now a days. Tell me Liulfr all that you know about the increase of demons here in London. Are you alright?"
"Not really," he sighed as he sat back in his chair and thought to himself. "A few years after my father died we began to get more foreign demons than normal. We are used to traveling demons passing through the city, but never at this multitude. It began… I think… seven years after you had left. They follow a shinigami who calls himself Earthborn, but we do not know who he is or what status he has. All we know is that he must be powerful, manipulating others to bend to his will and having others of his organization to do the same. He is a vicious man, or so I've been told, who is talking about 'a new world order' or something along those lines."
"Alright," Sophie nodded, thinking to herself as a servant came into the room and began to pour them tea. Sophie paused and waited for the servant to go, Paul noticing how careful she was with information leaking out to the general public. After a few kind gestures the servant left, leaving the three of them in the room again. "Is that all? How about his movements here? I have heard a lot of information on the mysterious shinigami, but what are his current plans now?"
"That… I am unsure," Fillin frowned, bringing the tea to his lips and drinking down the liquid. "We are puzzled ourselves. Whatever is going on I feel pushed back to the periphery of the situation. That leviathan, for instance, I think it was only the angel that contracted himself to the demon, but for all I know there could be others contracted to him –"
"No it was just that one angel," Sophie told him, bringing the tea to her lips and slowly sipping the flavored water down. "I know… I know what the Leviathan was here for. I have already handled the situation, but I need more information on Earthborn's motives. What are they?"
"I know he is retreating his troops," Fillin shrugged as he set his tea cup down. "I think… because of your disappearance or with help of others; he figured he would be able to take over in one swoop. Since you took over the situation before it escalated, I think he will work in the shadows for a while. It may be another year before he strikes again… I am sorry my information isn't any help to you."
"That's alright," she chuckled, "as long as I get something. Now tell me, how are you? Married? Have children yet?"
"Oh?" he chuckled back, smiling to her as he became interested in their conversation. "A mate, yes. Children, not yet. I'm still working on keeping the pack intact, you see," he smiled happily.
"Well that's good," she nodded. "At least you're married now."
"Yes…" he sighed, "but how are you? Where were you anyways?"
"America," she explained, "because the council wanted me out of their way. Though it didn't work in the long run. I built a lot of experience only in ten years and I can live up to the standard everyone puts me in." She sighed, setting her cup down and chuckling to herself, "It is only a matter of surpassing that image I suppose."
"I wish you the best of luck," Fillin smiled, standing up once Sophie did the same and shook her hand. "I look forward to working with you in the future."
"Of course," she chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Fillin gave her a nod and looked over at Paul, who had also stood up and staring at them intently. "Why do you have this boy following you anyways?"
"Why not?" she grinned, poking his nose and causing Fillin to jump back in surprise. "Wasn't it the way, back in the world of the ancients, which a student would follow their teacher around wherever they would go? "I find challenging tasks throughout the day is more educational then any textbook," quoted from a dear mentor of mine back in America. Thus, experience in the field will last longer in a being's mind then reading about training techniques in books. Are you getting all this Paul?"
"Y-yes!" he said slightly startled, rubbing his head and trying to recall what she had just said.
"Well I should bid you a good day," she smiled as she began to walk away. "I need to heal before I can start working again."
"Sophie…" Fillin shook his head and chuckled, "You can kill yourself if you turn yourself ragged."
"And I am completely fine by that," she smirked back, giving him a wave of the hand as she left the room. Fillin watched as the younger boy followed behind her, Paul running after her once he noticed Sophie had already left.
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Paul gulped, stopping as he stood between the border of the human realm and the shinigami realm. Sophie paused and turned her head, noticing he had stopped following her. "If you believe yourself to be a shinigami and a God of Death then you will be able to pass through the barrier without setting off any alarms," she told him, continuing her decent up a hill and further into the realm. "You will only be suspected a demon if you believe you're not a shinigami. That is the spell set here by the council. Well? Are you coming or not?"
He closed his eyes tightly and then ran past the barrier, looking around him once he ran past her and up the hill. Sophie chuckled and continued to gradually make her way up the hill, walking past a stunned Paul as she walked to a big white building. "Boss?" they heard from behind, a young student holding a suitcase running up to them to investigate the two beings emerging from the top of the hill.
"Sam how are you?" she chuckled, letting the man grab her in a hug before having him let go.
"Thank you soooooo much for everything!" he gasped, suddenly coughing into his hand and catching himself. "I mean… I am doing well."
"Great," she grinned, glancing over at Paul before looking back at the man. "When are you graduating?"
"Actually this will be my last year," he smiled. "I doubt my family will let me back into their society, but I will do the best I can here as a shinigami."
"That's great!" Sophie chuckled, "and it's a good thing I found you."
"Oh?" Sam asked. "Why?"
"I have a boy here who wants to join the academy," she explained, ushering Paul over to stand next to her. "Samuel this is Paul. Paul this is Samuel Mimiteh."
"Ah another child you rescued from the depths of hell," he laughed.
"How right you are," she chuckled, pushing Paul closer to the older shinigami. "Sam can you be Paul's guide? This trip is actually a detour from what I was planning on doing today, but I can stay and fill out the paperwork for him for a short while."
"Of course Boss," he nodded. "Here. I don't have another class for an hour. We can fill out the forms now and have him situated in a dorm room before lunchtime."
"Great," she smiled, "thanks for the help."
"Hey no problem," Sam smiled. "I owe my life to you now. It's the least I could do for you."
"I don't own nothing~ Samuel," she chuckled. "Only the satisfaction that you are becoming the young God of Death I thought you would. Now come along. The sooner I am done the better." Sam nodded and walked beside her, Paul trailing behind them and listening in on their conversation.
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"… and that about does it," Sophie sighed, sitting back in her seat and taking out a silver flask from her coat. "Welcome to the academy Paul Osmund..." she paused before she chuckled. "Why did you choose Osmund, Paul?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Means protector right?"
"Comes from a Anglo-Saxon term meaning os meaning god and mund meaning protection. So you're calling yourself a divine protector~" she chuckled. Paul raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, looking over at Sam as he sat close to them finishing the forms in his hands. "Hope you live up to your name and your own expectations Paul."
"I-I will Serbus –"
"Here you address me as Mrs. Serbus," she told him, standing up and collecting the papers shuffled around on the coffee table in front of them. "Or Boss," she smirked before letting out a tired sigh, "and Sam I told you I like to be called Sophia now. We're not in America anymore –"
"Boss don't argue," Sam snickered as he grabbed the papers from her. "I don't care if you're my superior or not, but I will call you what I like and I like the name Boss."
"Hah!" she laughed to herself before standing up and giving him a swift pat on the back. "I taught you well!" Sophie looked over at Paul and gave him a wink, then sighing to herself as she took off her black hat and ran her hands through her hair. "I should be going now."
"Rest well Boss," Sam smiled. "You're cranky when you're tired."
"Yeah no kidding," she shook her head, walking by Paul and rustling up his hair. Then she gave them one last wave as she left the lobby, setting her black hat back atop her head.
Sophie pulled her coat tighter around her body, feeling a cold draft in the air as she walked outside. It was a good, sunny day today, but for some reason she was feeling cold. Probably it was from the lack of sleep, she concluded to herself, as she walked out of the shinigami realm and back to the mortuary. She yawned as she walked into the main room, setting her coat and black hat on the coat hanger and smiling when she noticed the Undertaker working on carving out several coffins for their new guests. "Hello," she smiled to him, looking around the room before yawning again.
"Oh you're back before lunch?" he chuckled, setting down the hammer in his hand and taking the nails out of his mouth. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."
"I said I only had a few things to do today," she sighed as she walked over to him and grabbed a cookie from the opened urn next to him. "I'm tired though. You won't mind if I stay asleep for a while… right?"
"Of course not~ little maiden," he smiled, running his nails through her hair and cuffing her cheek. "Are you alright?"
"Tired," she repeated, rubbing her head up and down in his hand. "I don't think I'll be up for a while… Say where is Ahe?"
"I do not know," he answered, leaning his face closer to her own and grinning happily, "but if you plan on sleeping for days then go eat some food first. I don't want you waking up in the middle of your slumber because you are hungry~"
"Alright dad," she smiled, leaning up and kissing his lips gently before pulling away from him swiftly, which caused him to let go of her in her haste. "I'll eat something quickly, but I want to go to bed." He nodded and watched as she took off, Sophie not bothering to notice the chuckle that escaped his throat as the Undertaker sat back down and continued to hammer pieces of wood together.
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The Undertaker looked up from his work and grinned, seeing the last rays of light enter the room before it disappeared all together. He cleaned the wood polish from his hands with a rag as he left the handmade coffins aside, deciding it was about time he went to bed. Debating either he will sleep in a coffin, like he usually did, or sleep in the dusty bed, which hadn't been slept in for years; he walked into the bathroom and washed in hands.
Once he walked into the bedroom he smirked, chuckling to himself as he walked over to the two sleeping figures tuck under the sheets. He sat on the bed and ran his hands through black fur, hearing the sleeping panther purr with delight before she woke up and stared up at him. "I'm glad you came back Ahelie," he giggled, letting the big cat lick his hand as he continued to pet her head. "You won't mind if I sleep here for now, do you?" Ahelie yawned and sat up, stretching out her body before turning into a small black kitten and jump off of the bed.
"H-huuummmm?" the other sleeping body groaned, looking up to find the Undertaker leering over her with a wide grin on his face. "W-where are you Ahe?" she frowned and ignored the Undetaker, looking around in panic as the kitten jumped back onto the bed and into her arms. "Ah hi!" Sophie giggled happily, poking Ahelie's nose and setting her back down next to her on the sheets.
Undertaker picked up Ahelie and set her down on his lap, the kitten mewing with delight as his fingers ran through her fur. "Aw~ you don't want to sleep with me?" he whimpered.
Sophie shook her head and chuckled, lying back down in the sheets and yawning to herself. "I do," she said, "but I have trouble sleeping and needed some company. You know that."
"I almost forgot," he giggled, setting the kitten down on the bed as he lifted up the sheets and sneaked in next to her. "You must trust Ahelie huh."
"Y-yeah…" she sighed, curling up in a tight ball. "Can you just let me sleep? I'm tired…"
"Mmmmmm not yet," he answered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body up closer to his. "You haven't had your daily dose of energy." Sophie blinked and groaned, letting Undertaker shift his hand close to her face. She complied and grumbled under her breath as she bit down into his skin, sucking slowly as its iron taste lulled her to sleep. He grinned as he watched her fall asleep in her arms, curling up next to her and licking up the remnants of his blood from his hand.
"Sorry for taking your spot little kitten," he smiled, running his hand through the black kitten's fur as she jumped in between them and curled up in the middle of the two bodies. "Don't be mad with me," he cooed, closing his eyes and setting his head down on the pillow. The kitten answered with a low purr, closing her own eyes and tucked her tail under her body as she went to sleep.
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A/N: Mahaa! Getting rid of some loose ends before I let little Sophie fall asleep for a while ^^ Thanks to writer's block I'm reviewing this earlier than normal, but whatever. I need to catch up with my chapters anyways ^^ At least back to 5 chapters ahead… maybe 4… I don't know =O Just something! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Comment if you'd like! =D
Mimiteh – Blackfoot – new moon
Osmund – Old English – divine protection