((AN: CREDIT TO JESSE FOR ROLEPLAY SCENES. CREDIT TO RAZZEEBERRY FOR ROLEPLAY SCENES.))
Elliot glared at his monitor screen, sending emails to several of his younger dispatch friends, talking about his experience when working with Lydia, telling them how horrible of a reaper she had been.
But only a handle of the reapers replied back, seeming to agree with what he was saying. That women should not work in the field. That Lydia should be punished for what she had done. But soon, a voice of reason replied in the cluster of emails.
"You're a snotty little shit. Lydia has a terminal disease. The Thorns Of Death. Shes already suffering. So bugger off reaperling."
Elliot blinked in confusion, who wrote that? He saw that it said the sender was unknown...He typed furiously on the keyboard.
"And who are you to judge how much shes suffered? She deserves this. She knew what she signed up for a she chickened out." He hit send, only to hear a reply a minute later.
"Such a wasted privilege of youth. I should have finished you off. Your blood was soooo satisfying though."
Eliots blood ran cold. It was her, the vampire. How did she get into the database? Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyes widening. He could see someone standing behind him in the reflection of the computer screen. Red glowing eyes staring at him.
"Lydia's not here to stop me this time, reaperling. Now, where shall I start?" She asked with a fanged smile.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
.../\/\/\...
"Hello again, Luv."
I was in disbelief. It was the same male from before at the sweet shop. But wait, didn't Jenna say he was an Undertaker? I felt like such a dunce.
The strange man grinned wide, pearly white teeth gleaming. He approached me, his boots clicking against the floor loudly, startling me into reality.
I suddenly backed up, getting sudden chills. My eyes went wide. I was easily spooked. "Do you always scare people like that in their time of misery?"
He tilted his head slowly. "Only the ones I like." He assured, poking my nose, "I can tell, you have a spirit like mine when it comes to th' departed."
I flinched at the sudden touch. "What do you mean by that? Are you really a mortician?" I asked, having a hard time believing this. He was just so...goofy.
He gave a sudden giggle, as if amused with my doubts. "You have such doubts...I most certainly am. I am known as Undertaker." He said, giving a mock bow. I really wanted to laugh as how amusing he looked.
I raised a purple eyebrow. "...No other name besides that?" I asked, scanning him with my bright eyes.
"None tha' need to be known right now." He assured, grinning, "So, tell me about this lil' quest you're on?"
Good, right to the point. I was tired and cranky. "I'm just here to pay off whatever I can to make this womans funeral beautiful to compliment her."
He gave a sly smile, "You care about her... were you related?" He asked, curious. I thought that was a rather personal question...
I suddenly looked sorrowful. If only I was...
"No. She...happened to be dying while I was caring for a family. The husband had been shot and I tended to him...And she was dying of TB."
Another nod, "Poor dear, it must have brightened her final moments for someone t' care for her out of their own heart."
I could only nod. I couldn't tell the truth of what really happened. I felt so alone on this. "So...what can I do for payment issues?"
A very eerie grin spread across Undertaker's face. It made me nervous. "Perhaps... you could assist me in my shop? I could use an extra pair of hands."
I as completely dumbfounded with that idea. But maybe it would help pass the time? "...I don't know...I know nothing of how to fix up bodies for funerals." I murmured.
He shook his head in assurance. "I can teach you everythin'." He explained, his fingers interlocking with each other.
I stared at him. That was a very tempting offer. I was always curious about everything. It would help me figure out about where to go with my life faster. Away from Shinigami's prying eyes... I swallowed. A usual habit of mine when nervous. "Alright. I accept. At least for a while." I clarified.
"Good choice my dear." He said, speaking like I knew absolutely nothing, I pouted then. Men...
"Now then, about a nice hot cuppa?" He asked, still smiling. I could feel myself become thirsty. "Yes please..." I nodded, haven't not drank for a while.
.../\/\/\...
Aurora stood over the frail form of Elliot, licking her fingers of blood. What a mess she made. She was usually hungry this time of year. She leaned down, grinning at the fearful Elliot. "You're not even a major character in this story...But you do have some purpose...You're so stubborn...You'll still go after Lydia even after this...Because that's your character. A character that just hates...Just for Lydia's development as a character..."
Elliot weakly looked up at her. "What are you talking about?...Who the hell...are you..." He asked. She grinned, grabbing Elliot by his hair and whispering in his ear.
"You have no shame...No respect...Not even your Senpai's like you. Because they are brutal. A stick in the mud." Aurora then pulled away, her eyes glowing. "But I see something more...A will to live..." She said, standing up.
Elliot had no idea what she was even talking about. This creature was mad. She just took his life essence. How much longer would this take? He could feel himself healing. How did This creature steal so much blood in the first place?
Deep in those dark irises of hers, there was madness. Eternal madness and darkness. Regret, hate. Age, time...Experience. "I am only here for the sake of the one I loved. You may ask yourself, why am I telling you this?" She grinned, her fangs showing. "Is it possible you're going to turn over a new leaf. A better you? Perhaps aid Lydia? Foreshadowing...I love it...Hihihihi..." She gave a deep giggle, the energy around her darkening.
She turned her attention to the door. Seconds later, Grell Sutcliffe entered the room with a chainsaw. Aurora stood there, her eyes showing no emotion. Grell's eyes widened. Elliot and William were right all along. Aurora turned around, facing him with darkening eyes. They were almost black now. Grell found himself swallowing nervously. It was a tense minute, before he revved his chainsaw.
Aurora remained where she was, still showing no emotion or reaction. It was like she was looking right through Grell. Grell meant nothing to her. However, he was in the way of the door...
A smile appeared on her face. "Do you intend to kill me, Grell Sutcliffe?" She asked with amused tone. Her eyes were now showing some type of hatred towards him, like she knew him very well...
It was suddenly becoming clear as to who was the weaker one, as the floor below their feet shook with anger. Grell's eyes suddenly looked worried. He lost his nerve. He backed away from the door, looking sweaty now. Elliot was in shock, even his Senpai was afraid of her? Just how powerful was she?
She tilted her head, smiling as she simply walked out, the floor ceasing it's shakes. They were just letting her go like that?... But Grell soon got the scare of his life as Aurora stopped in front of him, eyes glowing.
"Have a nice day...gentlemen." She snickered softly as she disappeared down the hall. "I've always wanted to saaaaaaay thaaaaaaat!" Grell had the look of anger on his face. Gritting his shark teeth. The power he felt from her was too much to handle. He couldn't even stand to be in her presence. But he had chickened out. HIM. HE chickened out?
.../\/\/\...
Lydia was now enjoying a wonderful cup of tea. Enjoying a rather funny conversation with Undertaker. "And then she filled her _ with glue! With glue!" He sputtered, falling off his coffin and covering his mouth. Lydia laughed hard. He was hilarious. The things he knew! He was hysterical!
"Oh my dear, do you know of any jokes?" He asked, his head peeking over the coffin. He looked hopeful.
Lydia took and intake of breath, crossing her legs and thinking. "What did the casket say to the sick casket?" She asked him, though she earned no reply.
"Is that you coughin'?" She asked. Undertaker seemed to pause, as though he had to think about it. Lydia was about to move on until he gave a snort. "Ooooh myyyy~ Hehiii! Veeeery amusing. Got anymoooore?" He asked.
Lydia had an idea come to mind. She suddenly snorted. "Alright, this will be a bit perverse...While examining the the body of Mr. Schwartz, a mortician notices that Schwartz has the largest _ he has ever seen.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Schwartz," says the mortician, "But I can't send you to be cremated with a tremendously huge _ _ like this. It has to be saved for posterity."
The mortician removes the _, places it in a jar and puts the jar in his briefcase. When he gets home, he decides to show it to his wife. "I have something to show you that you won't believe," he says, removing the jar from his briefcase.
"Oh my God!" she screams, "Schwartz is dead!" " She finished, changing her voice around to make it more dramatic and funny.
Undertaker covered his mouth, snickering loudly. "Such daaaark humor, I love it!" He grinned, sitting back up on the casket. "You're such an amusin' woman, Dear Lydia. I'll enjoy keepin' you around my shooop~"
She gave a sweet smile. He was so silly and nice...Maybe she really would enjoy being there. She could learn so much. "Oh my dear, how rude of me, would you care for a biscuit?" He asked, waving a bone shaped biscuit at her. She raised an eyebrow. "That a doggie treat?" She asked bluntly.
Undertaker burst into a fit of giggles. "No my dear Lydia. Try it~" He said, holding it out for her. Lydia seemed a little hesitant. But why? She wasn't affected by poison...She plucked it out of his bony hands, sniffing at it. Her reaper nose smelling vanilla and ginger. She bit into it with a crunch. She looked excited then. "Tasty." She said, making a cute kitten face as she nibbled on it.
"One of the best." He grinned, eating one himself. She nodded, looking off to the side. Perhaps things weren't so bad. "So...what are you going to with Mary's body?" She asked him, making him perk cutely.
"Well, considerin' the body is still infectious even after death, I have no choice but to cremate her. It will destroy the illness. I'll have you send the ashes t' the family personally." He said as a matter-of-factly. She simply nodded. She found no problem with it.
"However, I would like you to make the urn for her, since you knew her." He said like it was a fact. Lydia blinked and raised an eyebrow. "I only knew her for a short time..." She said, not able to reveal what she really was.
"I trust you will know what to do then." He snickered, getting up and going over to his desk. He pulled out a drawer and pulled out a bag of clay and set it on the desk with a thump. Lydia pouted a little. That was a bit sexist to her...
A grin broke through his face. He loved that look on her face. Teasing was his favorite things to do. "I assume you know how to work with clay." He said, resting his chin on his intertwined hands.
But the second reaction he got was startling. Lydia suddenly looked blank in the face. Blood was dripping from her nose. She suddenly swayed, falling from the casket and hitting the floor with a thud. Silence was met between them both. Undertaker soon spoke. "...That, I did not expect." He said in a darkened tone.
Soon, Lydia was lifted off the floor. Her purple hair delicately covering her face and chest. She looked so frail...
"Sounds like someone needs a long rest Before work.."
Lydia was faintly aware of a soft fabric being put over her shoulders. She was barely conscious now. She felt incredibly sick. She had a splitting headache as well. She clawed at her outfit, whimpering at the tightness around her neck. She felt like her body was on fire. The feeling she had...
Out of no where, she felt something wet and cold touch her face. She found it soothing. She grunted and shivered, finding relief. It was wonderful. She was slowly coming to her senses. Her vision blurred, before sharpening. She turned her head, finding a grinning Undertaker in her face. She gasped out, flinching and moving back. She realized she was in a bed. He must had put her there. "Whats goin' on?" She asked in a slurred voice. Undertaker tilted his head. "You simply fainted while I asked you a question, dear one. Guheeh." He giggled.
"I-I'm so sorry. I s-suffer from seizures and headaches..." She said, rubbing the back of her head. Undertaker just dabbed her head with a wet towel in response. "Nobody's perfect dear one." He said, being gentle with his dabs. Lydia looked thoughtful. It was true, not even she was perfect and she couldn't die...
"Thank you so much...You're very kind." She sighed, feeling her temperature go down. This man knew what to do. It was impressive. And kudos for his patience...
"My dear, I believe you should rest up before you get to work. You have tired eyes." He said gently, pulling his hand away. He then set a folded night gown on her lap, surprising her. "That...For me?" She asked, feeling shocked. He gave a sweet smile. "I believe it would feel more comfortable then what you are wearin'." He said, pointing to her tie. She nodded, taking it off.
Undertaker quickly scooted out, knowing she obviously needed privacy. Lydia shedded off her old work outfit. She would miss it. But for a woman to wear a suit was frowned upon...Still, it was nice since she hated dresses.
She soon slipped the beautiful night gown on her, breathing in relief. No more constriction...She soon heard a knock. "Come in." She said sweetly.
Undertaker walked in, his hidden eyes looking at her. "Perfect. Ehee!" He grinned, interlocking his elongated fingers. She smiled shyly. "Thank you. It's lovely." She said, lightly touching the patterns on her chest. He really was kind...
Lydia soon climbed into the bed. It looked like it was never touched. Where did he sleep then?...Not in the coffins...right? Lydia yawned softly, curling up on the bed. But she soon noticed Undertaker had not moved from his spot...
"...Something wrong?" She asked, staring at his blank expression. She hugged her soft pillow on the bed, getting comfortable.
"No no... I was just... envisioning something." He assured, his smile remaining. A rather...perverse smile, as one would call it.
She blinked, an awkward look appearing on her face. "Oh...Well...What were you imagining?" She asked curiously.
He suddenly grinned, a bit of drool escaping his mouth. "I was watching you sleep and thinking how you would look dead... "
Lydia's face dropped right then and there. Her heart feeling like it sunk into her stomach. A rather horrified look came over her face. Her eyes widening. She was speechless.
"You would be lovely in a casket, so serene and peaceful. The vision of beauty." He said, his arms opening wide.
Her eyes remained wide. And she looked like she would be possibly sick. She grabbed her blanket, and hid under the covers in fright and confusion. She was sleeping in a madmans house!
Undertaker laughed hard then, the floor shaking. "D-Do not worry yourself. My work sometimes slips into my fantasies..." He covered his mouth.
"I don't know whether to be flattered or mortified." She murmured, glowing eyes staring at him under a crack in the blanket.
He simply shrugged. "My intention was flattery dear." He said, turning around and walking out, leaving a puzzled Lydia. Well...that was awkward. She would keep her bow and arrows close...Who knows what this man was up to?
.../\/\/\...
When it came to work, Lydia was a pro. She loved working with Clay, making little shapes and painting. But still, it felt a little sexist since she was a woman. But still, Undertaker must had made some in his time.
But as time went on. Lydia found herself dozing off. As a rogue, she needed to sleep longer then most reapers. Some times it was days before she felt well rested.
But the next time she opened her eyes, she found tea and a biscuit waiting for her on her desk. She blinked sleepily, taking a biscuit and biting into it. It was the boost she needed to get back to work. She had just finished the urn, and was now painting it delicately. Her mind wandering about Mary. What did she like? Roses, purple roses...Pretty birds...Butterflies...
She had seen her record after all...
"Well now, that's just lovely..." Undertaker's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up, startled. He eyed the urn carefully. "Quite the talent..." He said in a low pitch. Lydia looked sheepish. "You sure?" She asked, having a hard time believing that.
"I can spot talent m'dear. I don't see any flaws..." He said, lightly turning the urn on it's pedestal to get a full look. Lydia smiled faintly, though she didn't want to boast or feel proud. She wasn't one to rub it in. "Thank you..."
She then remembered the biscuits and tea. "And thank you, for this." She gestured to said treat. He smirked softly. "You were so deep in sleep nothing could have awoken you..." He mentioned creepily. Lydia raised an eyebrow. Alright, was this guy wanting her to die? Or was she just imagining it?
Though she wasn't sure what she was worried about. It was incredibly hard to kill a reaper. And she was no exception. No matter being a rogue or not.
Lydia then examined her work, before taking it to the kiln. She knew how to work it luckily. Undertaker had scurried off then, seeming to be off in his thoughts. He really was nice, despite his quirks. Hell, Lydia was quirky all over. And some times felt like such a dunce. But most were...
.../\/\/\...
As night came, Lydia was off in her thoughts. Everything had quieted down. Things seemed more peaceful at night. And Undertaker was reading a book in his chair, being dead quiet. He didn't seem to want to sleep yet... Lydia wasn't tired as well. She was thinking about Mary had said to her before she died in her arms.
"They are all waiting for you Lydia..."
What had she meant by that? That there were others suffering and waiting to be released? Was it her job to let them free? Mary had no one to reap her. It seemed she was meant to die painfully alone...
Lydia looked up, her hair falling over her eyes. She didn't want the others to die alone...She wouldn't let them be alone. She could feel something stirring in the back of her head, an itch. A horrible itch to reap...To save their souls...She grit her teeth, getting up quietly.
Undertaker briefly lifted his head to look at her, before looking down at his book again. Lydia was at the door now. "Goin' out dear? It's a bit late..." He observed.
Lydia paused, her hand on the doorknob. What could she say to him without sounding suspicious? She turned to look at him, a child like smile on her face. "I just need some air. I'll be back, I promise." She said. She wasn't lying about the last part...
Seeing as she got no reply from him, she opened the door and left quietly, the doorknob shutting with a click. Undertaker set his book down, his fingers interlocking. He rested his chin on them, his hidden eyes glowing brightly. "One day you will come to understand you can't save everyone...Lydia dear..."
.../\/\/\...
Lydia stood on a rooftop, overlooking London. Her eyes glowing in the darkness. It was starting to rain lightly. Lydia could sense it, souls crying out to be released...Pleading...
Lydia, in almost a trance like state, began walking across the rooftop, before leaping off into the dark night of London. This would be a hard night for Lydia...It would test her strength, her emotions. Her love for humanity.
But she knew, this is what she was made for, releasing dying vessels of tortured spirits. When other shinigami wouldn't. She was the only one who could be there for them. She past by several windows, trying to follow the voices that called to her. Now she knew what that strange pull was. They were calling her, asking her to reap them.
But could she do it? She did it for Mary...She saved her...
She narrowed her eyes, moving faster.
.../\/\/\...
Elliot was laying on a white bed, grunting in annoyance as a doctor looked at him. The doctor was growing annoyed as well with Elliot's impatience. Why was he there anyways? Reapers couldn't die like that.
"So...Doc...What exactly is the Thorns Of Death?" He asked him, just mildly curious. The doctor looked saddened suddenly. "The Thorns Of Death...Is so rare, and Lydia is the only recorded case of a female getting it."
"I get that, but what does it do?" Asked Elliot, rolling his eyes. The doctor sighed, adjusting his glasses. "It's a slow and painful disease where it kills the host. And only reaping one thousand souls will it cease to be." He finally admitted. Elliot blinked, a little surprised. It would kill her slowly?
.../\/\/\...
Lydia stood over the dying form of an older man, dying of natural causes. His record pooling from his body. Lydia watched with a blank expression. But she was speaking softly to him, trying to comfort the man.
"But the chances are she will not survive, she is already relieved of her duty...She is to be collected by dispatch. She will die by this fate."
Lydia then fled, going to the next dying soul. She promised she would keep doing this until their was nothing more of her to give. She would help these poor, hurting souls. She would comfort them in their last hours. She would hold their hand, tell them they are not alone. That their families loved them so much.
"It's unfortunate, since she had such high grades. All "A's" on her report...She was such a caring female. For her to do something so...outlandish is a sin in itself."
She would only reap if they pleaded. Never out of her own judgement. Only when they absolutely wanted this release. When there was no other way. No chance of recovery.
As the night went on, records could be seen pooling out of several house and streets by any weary supernatural being. Lydia was moving so fast with her job. It was incredible. Her face remained blank. She felt such a strange...high from this, like it was renewing her body. It felt wonderful...
She then ran into the darkness, continuing on. She wouldn't stop...never...Even at the cost of her own life.