World Enough

"Ah!" Blaire sat bolt upright with a shout, a sudden burning sensation raging across her ankle and ripping her from sleep. She tried to jerk her leg away however, this only resulted in a firm hand coming to hold the limb in place.

"Sorry!" Came a painfully familiar nasally voice, and when her gaze snapped up to reveal Mey-Rin still pouring a ceramic jug full of steaming hot water over her swollen leg, she scowled. The maid only smiled sympathetically. "Please try to bear it. Mister Sebastian told me to do this."

Blaire quirked a thin eyebrow, looking as though she had bit into a ripe, juicy lemon. Through gritted teeth, she spat: "Did he now?"

"Oh yes! Said it'll help your leg to heal."

"Is he fucking obtuse…" She muttered, sighing in relief when the empty jug was placed on the bedside table. "That won't help at all!" She grimaced. "I need an ice pack or something."

The Phantomhive maid blinked, a look of confusion settled on her sallow face. "Ice? From outside?"

It was then Blaire's turn to frown. "No like… from a freezer or…" She searched Mey-Rin's face for any kind of recognition. Finding none, she tried: "Ice cubes? Wrapped in a cloth?"

"But Sebastian said…"

She pursed her lips. "Never mind what Sebastian said. Can you get me some?"

"…we have an ice box but it'll take some time to prepare. I can get you some cold water in the meantime?"

"Sure, sure."

It was only once Mey-Rin had closed the door behind her that Blaire rolled her eyes, leaning back against the cold metal bedframe with yet another sigh.

When did she get here? And how, for that matter, did she get here? The last thing she remembered was sitting hunched over as she listened to Lizzie screeching in terror.

Blaire crossed her fingers, silently hoping that Lizzie was okay. Children should never be subjected to such horrific things. The brunette shuddered at the reminder of just how brutal this world really was and her heart once again ached with longing to be home again. Her eyes wandered over the plain beige walls and then up towards the drab white ceiling.

The bed she was laid on wasn't fancy by any means. Plain off-white linen and a simple iron frame were completely identical to the second bed which sat only a couple of feet away. A single square window allowed in minimal daylight and the room smelled like a guinea pig cage that had been left to fester and rot. She quickly opted to breathe through her mouth.

It only took a few minutes before Mey-Rin returned, a cloth draped over her forearm and a wooden bucket clutched in her fist, turning her knuckles white as droplets of water spattered onto the wooden floor with each of the maid's clumsy movements.

Muttering in thanks, Blaire sighed in contentment as finally, the damp fabric of the cool cloth came to press against her swollen ankle.

"Oh, it'll be just wonderful to have a second maid join us. There's so many rooms to clean in this house, the young master really should hire more servants!"

Blaire frowned. "Wait… a second maid? Who?" Is there something else the show had missed? Was there in fact, more than just the five servants? It seemed plausible, such a large house surely would have required-

"Oh, surely you jest! Sebastian said you would be working under himself."

He. What.

Her hands clenched around the quilt and she had to resist the urge to snap at the innocent maid. Eyelids twitching, she just managed to stutter out. "And…where is he now…?"

"In the kitchen making dinner for the young master's birthday party."

"Take me there. Now."

"…I can't. He insisted you rest up before you start officially." She wrung her hands together, mumbling a brief apology at the look on the younger woman's face.

Blaire sighed, trying to contain her anger. It wasn't Mey-Rin's fault, after all.

"…can tell him I would like a word?"

By the time that blasted demon had finally decided to show himself, the sun had long since begun to set and was casting the room in sombre golden light. Mey-Rin had gone and come back with ice - which had now melted, creating a massive damp patch around Blaire's ankle.

"So, what's it like being a maid for Ciel?" Blaire had started the conversation with a burning question which she had been wondering about since she had first visited the mansion.

"Oh it's…" Mey-Rin paused, her face losing all expression and her gaze becoming unfocused. "I am very grateful to the young master you see. Sometimes he and Sebastian are harsh…"

Blaire nodded sympathetically, casting her mind back to how the pair had initially treated her.

"…but… he gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere else to go. Same for all three of us. Goodness, I wouldn't have even met Bard and Finny if it weren't for the young master." A proud smile spread across her sallow face like the sun peaking from between the clouds.

Nowhere to go…

The words stuck out to Blaire, swirling around and around in her head until she couldn't take it anymore. Trying to act strong in front of the demon and his spoiled young master had worn her down. Trying to hide her fears and vulnerabilities was getting harder the longer she was here. There was no way she could keep up the act forever. Eyes burning and a lump in her throat, she looked directly at the maid for the first time. "I don't have anywhere else to go either… My home is lost…" A single tear slipped down her cheek, which she swiftly wiped away with her finger.

Mey-Rin's eyes widened. She quickly stepped forward, crushing Blaire in a bear hug. She wouldn't ask about Blaire's circumstances. She knew what it was like to have a past – especially one desired to keep hidden. She knew very well the desire to return home while being completely unable to. "You stay here!"

"I miss my family." Blaire admitted, finally feeling the most understood she had felt since she arrived. Like she could tell the maid anything. Though she wouldn't, knowing full well that ears far superior to her own were listening.

"Me too sometimes. But I built a family here with those two lumps. And if you stay, you will too!"" She pulled back, smiling down at the snivelling brunette.

As if I have a choice. Blaire thought bitterly.

"And… what are they like? Finny and Bard? Tell me about them." She pleaded.

"They're a right laugh, they are. Loyal, honest and always there when you need 'em!" The maid chirped.

"That will be all Mey-Rin, thank you." Sebastian's solemn voice suddenly came from the doorway; his cold gaze focused on Blaire the entire time.

The two jumped, both having failed to hear his approach. Blaire's stomach began to churn in unease, feeling as though she had just been backed unto a corner. She gave Mey-Rin wide eyes, silently pleading with her not to leave her alone with the pale-faced butler. This, however, went completely unnoticed by the maid, who only offered her an empathetic smile and a brief farewell, bowing before taking her leave.

Blaire gripped the off-white sheets, as if they would offer her any form of protection.

Once the door creaked shut, Sebastian took a step closer, raising his eyebrow and motioning to the melted ice saturating the bed. "And what is this?"

"Well scalding hot water isn't going to bring the swelling down, will it?" She snapped.

The demon smirked, his ghastly smile seeming to stretch and morph his face into something just-less than human looking. As if his face was an uncanny, plastic Halloween mask. "The way you talk to your superiors should have been beaten out of you as a girl." He took a step closer. "But it's not too late I suppose. The master of this house has elected you to stay here and work for him and as such, you will now be under my command. You may wish to watch that tongue if yours."

She bristled at the demon's threat. "But I didn't even agree to become a servant, let alone a maid!"

"Need I honestly remind you what your options are? It's this or Bedlam."

She knew he was right. A part of her wanted to blurt out that she would rather be in the madhouse again than live alongside him. However, she would simply be lying to herself. One night in Bedlam was enough for her. At least here, she had a bed. At least here, she wouldn't be confined to the same four walls day by day. At least here, she had found a friend in Mey-Rin. Though something still didn't sit right with her. And the more she thought about it, the more she realised that this just wasn't fair at all.

Christ, she was university educated in computing science and well on her way to achieving her degree! And yet, here, in this time she was reduced to nothing but a speck of dirt. A servant. They didn't even think she could read! They thought of her as a peasant!

"What about another job? I'm good at maths. I could be an accountant?"

He threw his head back and barked out a laugh which made her want to throw something at his stupid face. So, she did.

Yanking the ceramic jug from its place on the bedside table, (she was silently grateful to Mey-Rin placing for it within reach) she threw it towards the cackling demon with a snarl. How dare he laugh at her! How dare he ridicule her in such a way!

Unsurprisingly, he caught the heavy glass with ease, wandering over to put it back from where she had thrown it. "Now please, don't be so silly Blaire. I can handle the young masters accounts perfectly well on my own thank you. I think the role of a maid is much more fitting for a woman. If, and I say, if you do your duties to my satisfaction your wages will amount to two pounds sterling per calendar month."

"Two… pounds…" She repeated slowly, her top lip curling in disgust. "Twenty-five quid per year…" It was then that she realised through her terror – not only did she not have a clue about Victorian etiquette, she also had no idea how Victorian money worked either! And on top of that, she would be performing to Sebastian's standards.

Sebastian was a perfectionist. Not only that, but an inhuman perfectionist, with senses far superior to her own. How on earth could she be expected to keep up with his expectations? And why was she being picked on? Because clearly, none of the other servants had such high expectations.

The demon dismissed her sour look. "Yes yes, well done." He smiled that plastic, condescending smile that always made her want to hit him. "And you will also need to take some basic etiquette training as you are so clearly…lacking. You will of course be given the rest of the week to give your leg time to mend, otherwise you would make a very useless servant, wouldn't you?"

"…and…what day is it now?"

He blinked owlishly. Of all the things to come out of her mouth, he certainly hadn't expected that. With everything else that she knew, why was the day of the week such an issue for her?

Noting the bewildered expression on her face, she panicked and blurted out. "Being in Bedlam and all the stuff with Lizzie just threw me off, I have no idea what day it is anymore…"

"…it is Monday the fourteenth of December… eighteen ninety-one… Goodness you would forget your own head if it wasn't attached to you."

She internally rolled her eyes. Gee I've never heard that one before. So, she had an entire week before she had to start anything. In the meantime, her mission was to avoid that demon as much as possible.

"Now, Ciel is having a celebration for his birthday, please stay in here. You would only embarrass the young master." He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Blaire could only stare at the door, stunned for a second. Then she scowled and stuck out her tongue at where he was stood a second ago. So, she was an embarrassment, was she? The fact that Sebastian instructed her to stay in the room suddenly made her want to do the very opposite. Flinging the blanket off of her, she hobbled over to where her shoes had been chucked at the foot of the bed. Her outer dress had been removed and was nowhere to be seen, though for some reason her corset had been left on. At least it felt as though it had been loosened. She knew she was still technically in her underwear but she didn't care. She was covered enough by her own standards.

I'm not wasting a second looking for my fortieth layer of clothing. Victorian's. Are. Mental.

She flung open the door and stepped out into the hallway, only to pause as she realised, she had no idea where she was going. Shrugging, she turned left and began wandering down the corridor, each step slightly staggered.

Several turnings later and she seemed to be getting nowhere. The halls all looked the same. She came to a still, leaning against the wall to give her leg a break.

It's like a fucking maze, this place.

How the hell could she be expected to find her way around this place to do her jobs effectively? Oh, she looked forward to being chastised for that too.

"Excuse me miss, are you lost?"

…I know that voice?

Sharply turning, she was greeted by a young blonde boy with a pale freckled face and green eyes staring at her in both confusion and concern. It was Finny! Oh, she was so glad to see a friendly, though unfamiliar face.

Much like the programme he wore his tatty beige gardener clothes which were adorned with enamel pins. The only difference was, his straw hat had been replaced with a pointy yellow party hat.

"Are you Blaire by any chance?" He asked, with all the innocence in the world which made her instantly warm to him. He knew her name!

She smiled. "Yeah, that's me."

"Sebastian said you would be a new addition to our team here! Welcome! My name's Finnian. But you can call me Finny." He sent her a toothy smile and shook her hand eagerly, apparently not taking notice of the fact that she was in her underwear.

Wincing a little at the force he used to shake her hand, she gave him a smile. "Nice to meet you. Say, you wouldn't be able to show me to the gardens would you?"

He faltered. "But…The young master is having a party. Aren't you going to come?"

"…actually, Sebastian told me not to go."

"Oh! I suppose he'll want you to learn your way around the manor!"

Blaire smiled awkwardly. Yeah… that's definitely the reason. Poor Finny. Always assuming the best of people.

"I can show you to the gardens, no problem!" He beamed, excited to show off his pride and joy. "But you understand, I can't stay with you for long, everyone will wonder where I've gone."

"That's okay." She answered, grateful for the help.

When they had finally reached the door to the manor gardens, Finny had grinned and bid her a farewell, and Blaire grimaced, knowing that she would never remember the way back.

Upon pushing open the door, she was greeted by the unforgiving, frigid December night air and about a foot of snow. Not letting that stop her, she pushed herself forward and let the heavy oak doors shut behind her. She descended the stone steps towards the frost coated bushes and fountains which were frozen over.

After feeling like a trapped mouse for so long, being outside in the fresh air felt felt so freeing – even if it was winter and she didn't have a coat. Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked up into the clear night sky, taking in a deep breath. This was nice. The garden was so vast, it reminded her that there was an entire world beyond the confines of the Phantomhive manor and Bedlam.

As she moved further away from the mansion, she felt some kind of force pulling her back. Warning her to stay near. Ignoring it, her first few tentative steps turned into a confident, though staggered stride. That house had a sinister aura about it – and she knew exactly what, or rather who, was the cause.

As she moved further into the gardens, the feeling of being pulled back grew stronger until the voice she had grown to detest came from behind her.

"And, where are you going in your undergarments?"

Turning around with a start, her ragged breath fogging in front of her mouth, she coughed. She hadn't been counting on Sebastian coming to get her so soon. Couldn't he even let her outside on her own for a while? What did he think would happen? "I just wanted some fresh air."

Sebastian tutted. Why did this troublesome human need to be so defiant? It was amusing to begin with – now it was irritating. "Come back inside We don't need you falling ill, do we?" A sick human was a useless human, after all.

She gritted her teeth together. "I won't get ill I'm wearing about three layers you fucking dolt-"

Her head sharply turned to the side as a loud smack echoed amidst the manor grounds. She cried out in fright and stumbled back away from his warped figure, but he followed suit. As he approached, his voice held all the dark shades of expression that his pale staring face lacked. "Now, what did I tell you about talking to your superiors? Get inside. I do believe you need to be corrected." The scornful shadow he cast over her grew and smouldered He smirked when he detected her fragile pulse quicken. He clamped his hand around her wrist, urging himself not to crush the delicate bone in his fist.

She cradled her cheek with her non-captured hand, immediately feeling the whiplash in her neck. Neither of them couldn't tell if she was shaking from fear or the cold. She gazed up at him with bulging eyes. Seeing his glowing red eyes staring right down at her in malice yet again gave her violent, blood-curdling flashbacks and she couldn't help the piercing scream that escaped her. Deep down she knew it was futile. However, fear and desperation had stolen over her and dimmed her wits. "Please just me alone! I'm not going to do whatever you tell me! You don't own me!" She screeched, tears running down her face.

A menacing aura radiated from him, even as he started chuckling. "My, you're going to be a tough one to break, aren't you?" He let go of her, pushing her back onto the snow with a thud and adjusting his gloves. "I do enjoy a challenge though."

He couldn't carry her back into the manor kicking and screaming, it simply wouldn't do. Ciel and his guests would wonder what was going on and it wouldn't do well for his or Sebastian's reputation. He would have to coerce her to come inside on her own and in her hysterical state that would be extremely difficult. He sighed internally. So far, she was proving to just be another burden on his back.

Lunging down towards where she had been shoved to the ground, he laughed when she screeched. When he grabbed her underskirt and tore a part of it away, she began flailing. "Stop that!"

"If you enjoy being in the cold so much, why not embrace it?" He asked pleasantly, red eyes dancing in mirth as he tore at the sleeve revealing raw, shivering flesh marred by goosebumps.

"What are you, a pervert as well as an asshole?!" Every time she tried to struggle, he only pushed her more into the snow, tore more of her clothing and exposed her more to the cold.

"Oh, don't be so disgusting. As if I would find your weak little human body in any way attractive." He seemed genuinely repulsed by the notion, hands still gripping a ripped piece of fabric which had once been keeping Blaire warm. "I do hope you will reconsider coming inside now though." He sent her a razor-toothed smile. "If you prove to be much more of a hinderance I'm afraid I will have no choice but to put you back in Bedlam."

"I'm not insane! You can't do that!"

"Perhaps not currently." He started, his expression morphing into one of sadistic glee. He grabbed her arm with such brute force that she hissed, knowing that if she tried to pull free it would surely be dislocated. The demon went on. "I could make you insane, you see. I could hollow out your tiny little human mind – I could torture you to the extent that you barely even remember your own name." He grinned, blood-red glowing eyes boring holes into her and his elongated teeth stretching his mouth into a shark like smile and sending shivers rippling all over her trembling form.

If she kept being so difficult, he may have no other option. Perhaps, he could still use her abilities that way – without going to half of the trouble.

Blaire simmered, finally beginning to calm down from the initial shock. She knew this game, having seen it on a TV screen many times before. Sebastian – or whatever his real name was – was a predator. And she was by definition, his prey. He was the world's most efficient killing machine – a miscreation - and yet, he was stuck acting as a servant. Boredom had long stolen over him. So, when the opportunity arose to terrorize and toy with those who he deemed inferior to him, it was only to be expected that he take it. It was simply the natural order. Just as the lion cannot help but devour the lamb.

Perhaps, Mey-Rin's reactions to him were never out of any sort of admiration or longing – but rather, out of fear. One didn't need to know Sebastian was a demon to fear him. He had an ominous aura about him.

Unabashedly, she began to cry where she lay underneath him. There was nothing she could do but go along with whatever he wanted – this wasn't new information. But it didn't make the knowledge any easier to swallow. It was as though the longer she stayed here, the more the message sunk in:

Your life is not your own anymore.

Even going outside for a few minutes was asking too much!

With heart-wrenching resignation and bleary eyes, she sat up slowly. Sebastian merely watched, curiously but unattached.

Her matted hair clung to her face as she focused on the snowy ground which was slowly saturating her backside. "…okay." She stuttered out between chattering teeth. "I'll come back inside."

The sun was beginning to rise once more.

Sebastian was frowning over a pile of documents in a dusty office somewhere in the heart of London. Upon each document was a typewritten name, followed by a date and place of birth – thousands of them surrounded him.

This was the second time he had wasted hours researching something in the name of Blaire Coleman – a name which was simply not on record, at least, not within the United Kingdom – which didn't make sense as she had an English accent. He brought a hand up to his chin in wonder.

Had she lied to everyone about her name? Was her accent a fake, was she using it to lie about where she was from? He never sensed her lying – so had she perhaps used her abilities to manipulate him? Manipulate even his own senses?

"Oh, Blaire. I hope for your sake that you haven't lied to me."

He crumpled up the document which was in his hand, allowing the innocent piece of paper to fall to the ground.

so come out and reveal your deepest fear

when your heart gives in too soon

Ice packs weren't invented until the mid-1900's – and freezers large enough for purpose weren't commercially available until 1940.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck around in spite of the year-long waiting time – all I can do is offer my apologies. Also thank you to everyone who has left a review on this story so far, they really do give me inspiration :)