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Duration: April 2014

Status: Ongoing

William T. Spears, Darling, Grell Sutcliff - Me

Sebastian Michaelis/Reginald Scot, Undertaker - Brush of Magic

Comments: Oh the feels~

***

The Undertaker had been bored on such an evening as this. There were no pretty bodies left in his shop to get ready for their final debut, before being buried and forgotten about and because the Heavens had opened up, as if in heavy mourning, the interesting people that tended to frequent the streets were all cooped up in their houses. The silver haired man popped a bone cookie into his mouth with a sigh, only to turn his head at the sound of the front door slamming open, causing all of the candles in his home to be blown out. There he was. A demon with crimson eyes, raven feathered wings and a pair of beautifully crafted witchy boots. A large grin broke out onto the retired reaper's face.

"Ah, Butler-san. Long time, no see. But, I can see well enough that life has not been treating you well lately, has it? Hehee~"

"As perceptive as usual." Sebastian uttered out through those plump lips of his, before taking step after heavy step into the shop, blood dripping on the wooden floor behind him.

The Undertaker closed the door behind the demon, before moving to relight a few of the candles in the room. An eerie glow was cast over creature in the dim light. The Undertaker took a seat nearby, as the demon sat on a closed coffin and looked him over, the grin slipping from his face, as he observed him.

"Tsk tsk. You look like you went through a shredder. You look almost lovely enough for burial. Especially with the condition of those wings of yours. Did someone attempt to clip you from existence?"

"Yes. I, like most demons, have had the misfortune tonight of having eyes too big for my stomach. I went after Saint Michael."

"Ah, the Archangel. So.. for you to be going after angels, that means that your right to contract with human souls has been revoked, because of Phantomhive-kun."

Sebastian cast his crimson eyes to the ground as he remembered the proceedings. He had not stood a chance. Not only the weight of all of those charges. Failure to gather a contracted soul, allowing said soul to be turned into a demon, serving said demon for ten years, or so, before contacting higher powers for their judgement.. The list went on and on and even though the demon being questioned was not to blame, he had to bear the consequences of the events leading up to his trial. The Undertaker observed the demon's face in silence for a few moments, before grinning and stating,

"Say no more, Butler-san. I know why you are here."

Sebastian did not bother to ask how. He only peered into the retired reaper's face, as neutrally as ever, despite the throbbing pain consuming his body. The man always seemed to know what was going on, even without anyone telling him. It was a unique talent that the creature appreciated, since explaining such things could get tiring.

"But, which reaper do you have your sights on, hm?"

Sebastian did not even hesitate.

"William T. Spears."

And that is when the entire neighborhood heard the roar of riotous laughter from inside that tiny shop that shook the whole street! The Undertaker knew the demon was being completely serious. But, that did not stop the whole situation from being ironically comical! So, after a bit of negotiating, the Undertaker had the demon transform into the last form he had taken so that William would see him and instantly recognize him, before tucking him into a coffin to rest while he was away.

"Mm, sweet dreams, Butler-san." he cooed, before he closed the lid and strolled over.

He knew that demons did not tend to sleep, but since the man was starving, weakened and losing his demonic qualities the longer he did not eat, he would not put it past him to catch a few winks while he was working his magic. The reaper headquarters received him with respect, as usual, despite his quirky ways. At least his past job warranted such perks, even if he was no longer working in this realm. He turned a corner into the Dispatch department, causing secretarial reapers to rise from their seats in respect.

"Hello, hello, heehee!~" the Undertaker greeted jovially, before strolling right into William's office, without even knocking or bothering to announce himself.

Once he was inside, he took a seat right across from the man's desk, on a file cabinet, before waving at him. Once he had his full attention, he stated,

"You know, Spears.. Something very interesting just wandered into my shop an hour ago. The poor stray is all bruised up and soaked through and through from the rain. Ah, yes, the pretty creature has no where left to go and is practically on the verge of starving to death. Times are rough out there. I wonder how each bruise and cut was inflicted. The finger prints of a strong man? Cuts done out of anger, or with purpose? Mm, no details were given. Talking about it is probably too much right now to bear." he mused, before staring off at the ceiling, as if contemplating the fate of those less fortunate.

The Undertaker was doing his best to weave that magic of his. To get the man interested in this story about the poor soul to have met with such a harsh fate. He was also doing his best to mislead William into picturing anything but, the butler. A delicate woman having been abused by a man could be easily pictured, or even, a dog that had been mishandled by its owner. He was trying to conjure images like these in William's mind to elicit pity and a wish to help from the man. But, he also wanted to be sure that the reaper knew he was speaking about a human-esque being.

"Mm, I would keep it myself, but I really have no space and nothing to offer the put out individual. You know, Spears.. your suit is not as neatly pressed as it could be by more practiced hands.. and your office is not as clean as it could be. Care for a stray, William? They say the pets that one takes in out of the cold turn out to be the most grateful." he said with a smirk.

Now, the only question on his mind was.. had he done enough to snag the stoic reaper and bait him into seeing what he had tucked away in a coffin in his shop. He certainly hoped so, for things were going from boring to interesting in no time flat and he had this little turn of events to thank! He was not ready to hop off now. Not when there was a chance that a long forgotten ambition could be finally be fulfilled and a wrong, righted.

***

Far from anything vile and wicked he was but William T. Spears definitely lived up the better half of the well known adage of 'No rest for the wicked'. It seemed that the concept of rest but a fleeting fantasy for the Supervisor of the Dispatch Division as he skimmed through the reports that his oh-so competent underlings had turned in. Not that it bothered him the least. Though it was rather inconvenient when the familiar pangs of sleep began to creep upon his person and not even the strongest of black coffee could keep him alert enough to go through another pile of paperwork. Despite having learned the hard way that it made no difference if how much effort he poured to make ends meet, there was simply not enough time to make a breakthrough. It frustrated him to no end. It was furthered by the fact that even with the loss of two reapers in the persons of Humphries and Slingby of more than fifty years already, the Human Resources Department had not yet made any means towards hiring replacements. Fine, ONE replacement would be plenty enough to satisfy Spears already. But apparently red tape existed even in the ranks of the reapers. So much bureaucratic nonsense and fiddlesticks had to be put to paper first... One would think that being of a different realm of existence, things would have turned out differently.

The reaper exhaled deeply, exasperatedly as he let the file on hand fall on the surface of his work desk with a soft rustle. "As usual," came the man's irate sounding voice, "No perpetrator of death." This was the nth death to be filed by either Ronald and Grell already. The location of death did not go William's notice. He laced his hands together, tucking them under his chin and stared out into nothing in particular. An investigation needs to be put into order. This is getting ridiculously out of hand already. Seeing that neither of his underlings had bothered to even raise the issue or even lay any leads from their reports, he supposed it would be foolhardy to let them get the job done. Therefore, there was no choice but to relinquish the 'comforts' of his four walled office and get his hands dirty.

He slid his chair back and opened one of his drawers, reaching out for a box of push pins. William got up from his seat with the freshly filed reports in one hand while the other carried the box of pins. Walking towards a far part of his office, the reaper stopped inches in front of a map he'd set up not too long ago. It was a magnified map of a far flung region of Britain littered with pins of differing colors. Each pin was then connected to a piece of string and a carefully handwritten tag of the deceased human's name in fine handwritten script. The reaper added two new names to the growing nest of pins and strings on the wall. He copied the names of the two unfortunate humans on paper and then affixed their names upon the map. Whoever this serial killer was, it had a penchant for blood and fresh meat, as well as livestock...

It was then that the door of his office swung open, by someone's efforts, since doors simply did not open out of their volition like that. From the sound of things, William could only deduce two possible suspects that would be so bold enough to invite themselves in and cross the threshold of his sacred work space without so much formalities for his position.

"Grell I told---," The reaper however was greeted by the sight of his former superior making himself comfortable atop of his file cabinet. The Legend, one of many complimentary epithets amongst the reapers bestowed onto the Undertaker, was there waving at him with a wide grin affixed over the lower half of his face. Well, that had been quite a surprise he had to admit. Though something did not bode well with William with the appearance of the Undertaker in his office. "Well... This is certainly quite a surprise. To what do I owe this visit? Surely you're not here for tea time. The Personnel Department is at a different wing."

Cut to the chase. Tell me what you want already.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he leaned against the wall and offered the Undertaker his time of the day. However, William did not quite expect the things he'd hear. Seemed like the Legend was being a bundle of surprises from the moment of his appearance.

"I see." Always the best and most classic way to begin a statement, it was. "It would seem to me that you're trying, no... only someone so daft would be unable to see what you're really doing right now, to appeal to my compassion and good nature that I be such a good samaritan to take this...unfortunate soul that you've taken in. To sweeten up the deal, you've even gone your way to put in a good word for them by saying 'you would actually keep them if circumstances would have it'. Whatever this stray of yours is like, you must be quite taken by them enough to come and personally see to it they find better lodgings. How very kind of you, sir."

The reaper fell quiet for a moment, seemingly ignoring the Undertaker as he laid his light green eyes on the map briefly then on the documents now pinned on the wall. This sounded too good to be true to him really. There had to be a catch. It was impossible to come so free and so well sounding like that. Even if it was from the palm of the Legend's hand.

"I suppose I could pay your establishment a visit and have my supper while I'm at it," he said finally breaking the silence, "I won't promise you anything however but seeing your sincere efforts so far... It wouldn't hurt to take a peek. I wouldn't want to insult your having to come here like that. I still hold great respect for you and your wisdom on this account." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a pocket watch to check the time. It was past five in the afternoon already. Way past five in the afternoon. Actually, it was well fifteen minutes past eight in the evening. "I'm clocking out now. You came just in time. Shall we get going?"

***

"Mm, well, this stray is quite magnificent. Special." the Undertaker said with mirth.

Yes, he had always thought so. Something about the demon who last called himself Sebastian Michaelis, was truly unique. He deserved better then a common demon's fate, for he put his heart into serving. It was as if every stand of the demon was dedicated to whatever master held his leash at the time. He formed emotional bonds with his masters and other people around him in such a way, that they came to love him. Yes, love. Love for a creature that was thought to be incapable of it, himself. But, really, the Undertaker was sure that that was not the case. Demons loved. Their love was just harder to earn and expressed much more subtly. How he knew this was his own affair, buried deep into the folds of his blood laced past. But, as he remembered softer then velvet lips upon his own, sometimes, in the middle of the night, as but a fleeting memory of what once was, it reminded him of this fact. The demon had so much to offer, but only to the right person. He had requested William T. Spears, of all people. Perhaps this was fate?

"Ah, excellent, Spears, hehee~"

With that, the Undertaker scooted off of the file cabinet, adjusted his robes and lead the way out of the reaper realm, via the places dimensional portal room. With that, he lead the way three blocks down the road to his shop. He unlocked the door and stepped in, lighting a few more candles so that the man could get a good look at who was in the coffin. He knew that his reaction would probably be.. a bit surprised to say the least. But, despite the butler being a demon, he was also in very bad shape. In humanoid form, it was clear to see, since he lacked all of those feathers and fur. All of those deep gashes, that sunken in stomach, the black circles around his eyes from lack of rest and shelter.. the way his chest rose and fell with effort.. it was enough to elite pity even from someone staunchly against demons. Or so, the Undertaker hoped.

"Now, Spears, this stray is incredibly weakened. So, look before touching and think about your actions, before resorting to anything.. excitable." he said with a small chuckle, before he finally opened the lid of the coffin.

Inside, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened just a crack. Sebastian beheld William and was silent. He would remain quiet and allow the reaper to take in the look of him. The clothes he had been wearing were torn to rags by now, blood stained them in so many places. Many open wounds like the one slanting down on his stomach were quite visible. He was in no position to fight the reaper. He would be nearing death, soon, if something was not done and he was in no condition to hunt souls any longer. In other words, William T. Spears was Sebastian's last hope for a shot at survival.. and everyone in the room knew it.

***

Noise. There was so much noise as far as his supernatural ears could take in. The streets of London after the dusk was animated as a cacophony of street music, singing voices and off tune musical instruments, vendors yelling at the top of their lungs in an effort to peddle their wars, the clicking of shoe heels against the pavement and soft murmurs of prostitutes in the middle of a deal, haggling for the best price for her services. Odd sights of people selling the most unusual of services and just as strange appearances decorated the surrounding area. Something burnt and charred to ash tickled at William's nostrils as he followed the Undertaker's streets to the soft light of the oil powered street lamps that towered over all, standing tall and proud.

It was entropy at it's finest and for some reason, while this would properly upset William on a normal day, he actually found the human chaos that was London quite pleasing.

Eventually they entered the better parts of London and a significant decrease of the night time noise was very much noted. As the funeral parlor came to view with it's darken brick and granite exteriors, almost invisible in the heavy veil of the evening, the reaper couldn't help but wonder what possessed the Undertaker to turn his back on their ways just like that. The Legend was practically at the top of the game and the recipient of so much accolades and praise. He was a hard worker and well respected by all. So why...?

The reaper was pulled out of his thoughts when the funeral director turned to him with a delighted smile and beckoned him inside of the mortuary with a wave of the hand. Spears nodded curtly, expression neutral and decidedly calm despite the troubling thoughts that jogged across his mind. As he crossed the threshold and stepped inside, the man felt a chill run down his spine that made him stop and pause for a moment. This definitely did not bode well... There was something unsettling about being here and he wasn't quite liking that. Now he couldn't help but wonder if this had anything to do with the long haired ex-reaper's 'special stray'. However it was already too late for William to break into a run and get out when his feet had began to move, following the trail of candle light and the Undertaker's soft but distinct footfall. It didn't help how... giggly the man was.

William swore he could hear faint snickering from the Undertaker as they made their way to wherever they were going.

He found himself led in front of a coffin that had been closed and apparently housed the 'stray' that the Undertaker had taken a fancy to. William steeled himself and prepared for the worst. Nodding towards the retired reaper's words and well timed chuckle, he watched as the lid was slid to the side and reveal the contents that laid within.

Chartreuse green eyes widened slightly in a rare moment of displayed emotion at the sight of no other than the former Phantomhive butler looking worse for wear and laying quite comfortably against the coffin's interiors. William had not quite expected this. Never in his wildest dreams had he dreamt of finding the demon in such an awful, decrepit state. It was almost heart wrenching seeing the normally well kept and statuesque Sebastian Michaelis look like he was short of dying. The reaper didn't know any better of course. He took in on the image before him, his mind going on overdrive at the puzzle that was.

William rested a gloved hand against the edge for the coffin, sliding it across the sides and continued to idly observe, staring at the damage on the butler's humanoid form. Sebastian looked pitiful... Then without warning, said right hand reached forward and grabbed the Undertaker's garb with force as the reaper shook him with force and snarled.

"What is the meaning of this?! I have no time for jokes, Undertaker!," the bespectacled supervisor roared angrily, clearly not amused by the turn out of events. An exquisite stray... That hell hound?!, "I demand an explanation for this!"

Superiors, respect and idolizing be damned, clearly the funeral director was out of his mind to even suggest that William take in this...demon simply because he'd ask so nicely. This was a demon for crying out loud! Not to mention, one he wasn't entirely fond of. Oh wait, William didn't have anyone on his list of demons he was fond of to begin with.

***

People loved to shake him. That was what the Undertaker was coming to believe, as the shinigami went from calm and collected observation, to flying into a small fit of rage, resulting in his robes being grasped and him being shook like a babies' rattle! It reminded him of that red headed reaper who had found his way into his shop that one time, brought in as a corpse by those who did not realize that reapers did not always need to breathe to be living.

"Wil-liam! Ju-st gi-ve m-e a ch-ance t-o ex-plain, he-he-hee-ee!" he said with a s**t eating grin, his words halting with every shake.

Once the other had finally released the man to let him take a shot at clarifying what he was hinting at, he sighed with relief, before uttering,

"Butler-san got cut a bad deal. In his last contract with the Earl, the child became a demon. Because that happened, even though it was out of his power, Butler-san's ability to form contracts with ordinary humans was revoked by the devil, himself. When that happens to a demon, they have one of two choices, normally. They either starve, or hunt up higher on the food chain in the forms of reaper souls, angels souls and so on.

But, Butler-san was too ambitious tonight. In his quest for nutritious, high quality food, he attacked Michael, the Archangel. Obviously, as you can see, that.. did not go well for Butler-san. In fact, judging by his state, hunting other supernatural entities may not be for him. He is a serving demon, after all, Spears. He was not made to hunt like some feral thing. He was made to enrich a master's life. His hands are not made specifically for killing like many other demons, but for the exploits of naturally elegant talents!

That being said, he is, indeed, a magnificent specimen, since good serving demons like him are becoming more and more rare. He was a serving demon to humans. He held the power over a contract, but it was one he did not break his word on. That means he is half tame. But, I can link you and Butler-san up in a contract that would make him all the way tame. He would be under your control. You would hold the keys to the contract and you would get to keep your soul during it. You can even decide when he feeds and how much, all in exchange for one of the best helpers I have ever come across! And he is willing to do it, because he came here, asking me specifically for you. That means he knows what he is getting into. But, really, Butler-san has no other choice. He is holding onto the last strand of strength he has. He will die soon, without a master. You are his last chance to live. Isn't that right, Butler-san?"

"... Yes." he uttered out, it coming out in barely a whisper, since he was so weakened.

He hated to admit it and he hated it even more that it had come out so pitifully sounding. But, it was the truth, both his state of being currently, his position and his need for a good master. Pride be damned, he wanted to live. He wanted to live so desperately! At such a moment, the head of dispatch would know it if he only but, looked into his dimmed, crimson eyes. He just wanted to go on existing, even if that meant he was the dog of a reaper. At least he would be a live one.

***

His initial findings were unsettling. This looked too properly executed to be a set up of kind. Never mind the fact how the Undertaker pressed the tips of his fingers and flashed him a rather expectant grin across his face as both he and Sebastian waited on bated breath for so a response from him on the matter. So the demon's waning life force had been what had caught his breath to still in a metaphorical sense. Reapers didn't need to breathe like most creatures of the world after all. The demon reminded him too much of a flickering candlelight with how his energy crackled in a lively swirl then faded and back again. Reminded him too much of a human at their death bed. Neither the grinning funeral director or the heavily wounded demon were lying.

The reaper had heard about the matter regarding Phantomhive ascended into demonhood due to some contractual complications but he wasn't thoroughly interested about it, having only known of it through hushes at the workplace. They were true then... One more demon dog on the loose then.

William couldn't help but look back on the date, hastily bringing out his pocket watch to check on the time again as well. It was far from the Feast of Fools and definitely not the best time for a prank. April One or otherwise, pranks were best put to action before midday. Surely the Undertaker would know of London's tradition.

Still even with the truth looking at him in the face, he refused to accept of the reality of the situation. It couldn't have been happening. No, certainly not to him, though his argument of being exception to the rules of circumstance held no teeth or logic, William could not come to terms that he was here being offered a rather inviting offer of a contract with a demon. Inviting because of the terms of the arrangement were undeniably more geared towards the pleasure of the master-contractor than of the demon-servant. But this was still a deal with the devil himself. Why him? Why did Sebastian Michaelis choose him out of---Hold on, he stopped himself and frowned, gritting his teeth behind his sealed lips. The demon had not chosen him solely now that he thought about it. William had only been second choice to the Archangel Michael.

He only wanted to feed from the angel, his mind quickly corrected him. He chose you however to be his lifetime master and commander.

He chose not to comment further at the hindsight.

William let out a deep sigh then adjusted his glasses, giving both the retired reaper and the demon a lingering glance. Whatever you two are onto... I hope to God that it wears off soon. This is too much of a sick joke you're both leading. Even involving someone like me into your games. Seemingly hellbent on being a trooper on the thought that was nothing more but a very elaborate prank no matter how real everything was, the reaper decided he would humor both men on this prank and concede to their conditions. A contract between a reaper and a demon? Practically unheard of. Was that even possible? Were there even chances for it to be legal and binding to begin with? He searched through his memory and found that there had been no such record though there had been mentions of love affairs between the two species but that was that at most.

None of Grell Sutcliff's misadventures in laying claim over the butler counted of course. The redhead was an embarrassment in the first place.

The reaper was smart (But in this case he was not smart enough as he would have saw himself) and whatever life threw at him, he would triumph and rise above s the challenges it threw at him. This would be no different. He would show these two ruggamuffins not to mess with the 'William T. Spears.' The tables would soon be turned on both Undertaker and Sebastian Michaelis. It would have to happen.

He pulled out of his silence, remaining the stately visage of calm then turning to his former superior and uncharacteristically smiled then asked, "Where do I sign?"

***

Sebastian let out a shallow breath he had not even realized that he was holding all of that time. William had said yes? Had he done it out of pity? Out of kindness? Out of a favor he owed the Undertaker? Because he was acquiring a servant that would be forced to slave for him for an eternity, under his terms and his rules, alone? It scarcely mattered. All that did was the fact that he was going to live through this night. That he would be fed and that insatiable hunger that was eating away at his very life force would be satisfied once more and if Spears was a benevolent master, perhaps it would even be taken care of whenever he had need of nourishment. It sounded almost too good to be true to Sebastian. Almost like, indeed, the stray that he was, was getting a new home with a new owner, that would not let him starve, like Ciel, unmercifully had done for ten years.

The Undertaker grinned from ear to ear as he said, "Good choice, Spears."

With that, he came back with a small, wooden box. It was reminiscent of the vampire hunting kits but this was not one of those. It was the wooden carry box of a sealer, otherwise known in the reaper world as a Contract Broker. It figured that he was qualified enough to do the more elaborate ones. He opened it up and began to rummage through the vials there, until he came up with many different vials and seeds, which he began to crush and mix together in a mortar and pestle. He began to explain the terms of the contract to both parties, as he prepared the potion.

"Spears, Butler-san, the contract is simple. Each of you have your own duties to fulfill in it but, it is not something way out there and most certainly not something you wouldn't expect. Butler-san, your job will be to follow orders to the best of your abilities and serve your master with respect and adoration, doing all that you can to make his existence more comfortable and enjoyable. Your payment will be that he will feed you off of the excess of his energy that remains at the end of the day from off his soul. So, the easier you make things for him, the more food you stand to gain from it.

As for you, Spears, your job is to not only feed your demon, but to clothe and take care of his modest needs, materially. In exchange, you will get what from Butler-san the things I expressed were his duties. So, a loyal servant for the rest of eternity. The contract can only be released by the master in this case. Also, the demon can not appeal this contract, if he feels that he is being treated unfairly. All disputes must be worked out between the servant and holder. But, I do caution you, Spears.. if you under feed your demon out of spite, or cruelty, it is a double edged sword. For your souls will be so closely connected in this contract, that if you neglect him in such a devastating way, you, too, will start to feel the pain of his all consuming hunger.. a pain a reaper surely could not bear for very long and remain healthy. Now then.."

With that, he put the now glowing mixture into two vials. He handed one to William.

"Drink it down."

With that, he placed his arm under the demon's neck and lifted him up slightly, before holding the vial up to his lips and slowly giving it to the demon, who coughed once or twice, since his body was practically shutting down and not wanting to consume something so strong. Once they had gotten the drinks down, he rolled the butler onto his stomach, before using his long nails to slice right through what was left of his jacket and shirt. He tore the rags away, revealing his bruised up back. He then took the silver knife. He then sliced open his own palm, rubbing with his fingers to really get the blood flowing. He the used it to paint a line all the way down the demon's spine, before he stopped at the back of the neck. He then took William's hand and sliced with the tip of the knife, an 'X' shape right in the center of it.

"This is going to be the location of your seal, where Butler-san will feed from."

With that, he made another 'X' this time, on the back of Sebastian's neck.

"This will be the seat of power from which your master holds authority over you and the contract."

Sebastian sighed heavily. It was like a collar and leash. He despised that, but had no room to complain, so he continued to lie still, obediently waiting for what was to come next. The Undertaker then took William's hand and placed it on the back of Sebastian's neck, having William gripping it from behind, until the 'X's aligned perfectly.

"Now, hold still you two. Especially you, Butler-san.. believe me when I say that this is really going to hurt you much more then it is going to hurt Spears.. and by much more, I mean it's not going to hurt him at all and might wished I had just let you die, hehee~."

The Undertaker grinned and held up his bleeding hand, right as lightning struck outside, surely setting the mood.

"I, the Undertaker, hereby contract these two to work as one soul and their hearts to beat as one! Be reborn, master and servant!"

And with that, the back of Sebastian neck burned with an intensity he had never before felt. The pain was practically unbearable! And for someone like Sebastian, that said a lot!

"Agn!" he grunted out, gritting his teeth and moving his legs about weakly, his fingers gripping and digging into the cushion of coffin, trying to find anything to take his mind off the searing agony.

But, finally, the pain stopped and he stilled. When the Undertaker removed William's hand, there it was.. an elaborate crest was now located on the back of his demon's neck and an identical one was in the middle of the inside of his hand, just above his palm. It was the crest of the reapers, with William's initials located at the very bottom of it. Sebastian Michaelis now belonged to William T. Spears.

***

The Undertaker's words were heeded to, but it wouldn't take till a much later time and place for Spears to take them all in for that they were. If anything, the reaper was too caught in the dream-like quality of the experience of forging a contract with a demon. From the ingestion of the strong tasting liquid with a pungent odor to the flash of lightning and the surge of bright, feathery light energy that flowed in and out of, then exchanged between William and Sebastian... Even the pained grunts and hisses of the demon sounded beautiful to his ears no matter how foreign it was. The retired ex-reaper's rasps and wheezing giggling... Everything had happened too fast, too soon...

It didn't seem real at all. Nothing did.

Of course, this was a dream after all.

William stared at his marked palm with undisguised curiosity. The branding had been anything but painful, more on uncomfortable and strange. He had a rather high threshold for pain and was not the kind of person that would be easily fazed by the sight of blood. The cut on his palm did stung however. It was reminiscent of a precise paper cut but much larger and on a different spot on his hands. The pain ebbed away during the branding of seals, so did the mark and now there was a peculiar looking magical seal branded on his palm.

The evening smell of melted wax and dust, holding the weight of an unnamed intensity. He gingerly traced at the brand and cast his eyes on Sebastian, then back at the Undertaker. This looks so real...It reminded him of the seal that had been on the former butler's file but it wasn't quite the same at the same time. Whatever the funeral director made him drink was really strong. No wonder these two were so into this ridiculous game of theirs... But certainly not strong enough to rattle the reaper's wits asunder. If anything, Spears still felt very much himself albeit a little dizzy and disoriented. He could still taste the bitter aftertaste in his mouth. So unpleasant...

"That's it? That's all there is to it?," questioned the reaper, turning to the long haired ex-reaper with a raised eyebrow. Somehow, William had expected something much more...flashy and garish to it. No prescriptions to the phases of the moon or casting of circles? Nothing?I knew it. This is indeed all a farce. I'll truly take certain delight in casting you both out of your miseries. The use of sorcery and magic in the forging of contracts were much more precise and done in opportune time and place. Simply linking two souls of such pedigree at a humble funeral parlor in the dead of the night on an inauspicious day seemed... ordinary. Too ordinary. "Just like that and this demon's mine to keep for as long as I please? Seems too good to be true, sir. I dare say there's a catch that you haven't made me privy to..."

"So, gentlemen... Now that I've decided to oblige you on taking in your special stray," William flashed the retired reaper a look, pointedly referring to him before turning his eyes on the disheveled demon. He was then replacing his familiar leather glove onto his hand, sheathing his fingers in the protective glove. Once both hands were properly gloved, the reaper slipped his jacket off his shoulders and put them on Sebastian's shoulders instead in a vain attempt to make him look decent. For some reason, the look of death on the demon's face inspired pity in him and take action. It didn't sit well with him to see the butler look so mussed up. He may not have been fond of Sebastian Michaelis but he supposed the demon deserved the right to look proper still. The reaper rested a hand on his hip and gestured to give his words an extra edge, "What now?"

What's next? Surely you've thought hard what you want in mind after I 'willingly' partake in your little game.

***

The Undertaker sat down on his chair, nearby, before pulling out his jar of bone cookies. He popped one into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it before smiling and stating,

"That's all there is to it. What happens next is up to you, really. Oh, opps, especially up to you. Butler-san just lost consciousness."

It was true, the demon's eyes had closed and he was sleeping soundly, all the while, one of his hands gripped the jacket William had placed over him, which was, indeed, keeping him more decent and pleasantly warm.

"But, I can give you recommendations. I say that you should sneak Butler-san into the reaper world, avoiding anyone who would ask questions or tattle on you. And once you have him in your quarters, nurse him back to health. Butler-san is going to need a few days of good, long feeds. He has the power to make himself look like a reaper, you know. He can change his eyes to the color green easily enough. So, get him back to a healthy weight and don't put too much stress on your own body for those three or so days, lest you pass out, since feeding a demon will take getting used to. And once you get him back to good health, get him a few suits that reapers would usually wear and a pair of glasses. Call him a transfer in or something. Hehee, those knuckle heads you work with would believe THAT! Also, here.. let me write down the instructions when it comes to feeding to make it easy and less hazardous."

With that, he handed him a page with the position instructions, before he then looked up into William's face and said,

"And one last thing, Spears. Take good care of him, hm? For a demon, he is an angel~" he said, chuckling at his own play on words, before popping another bone cookie into his mouth.

His hand made a motion toward the out like a light, still incredibly weakened butler that William would obviously have to carry back, before making a shooing motion toward the door. The demon was out cold and the Undertaker wanted him to take him and be on his way. If that was not a sign that this was all for real, then no such thing existed. It had all really happened. He now possessed his very own demon.

***

That's it? Despite the funeral director repeating his words, William was still in disbelief of the man's words on the matter. He had hardened look on his countenance as he struggled to keep his mind to wrap around everything that had transpired so far, that is how the reaper would have liked to believe things to be rather than the way that they truly were.

His lime green eyes turned onto the sleeping form of Sebastian's when the Undertaker pointed it out for him to see. Indeed the demon had fallen asleep and had taken to making a makeshift cover of his jacket over his form like that. It was unexpectedly endearing seeing the butler's features soften into such an unguarded expression like that. The reaper winced inwardly and felt disgusted with himself, feeling soft at the sight of the enemy. That face was nothing but an illusion, made up to deceive and entice the weak of heart and mind.

William T. Spears was anything but weak of the heart and will.

So now he had to take Sebastian Michaelis home and tend to the butler himself? He supposed he could do that. Unless the demon had problems with his spartan lodgings then he saw no problem about housing the latter. Once the demon was up and about, he could begin a very thorough cross examination and get to the bottom of everything. Considering that they would be doing all of these within his home turf, the reaper would have the homecourt advantage and be more than able to get the upperhand should Sebastian resort to doing something ...funny. Separately questioning the two individuals at a time seemed like the best mode of action right now, so to the reaper's mind. He would start with Sebastian, his so-called new 'demon servant'. If the demon so willed for it, William also wouldn't mind playing along with this contract farce of theirs. If the former butler was so much a great thespian enough to encourage sympathy and concern out of him, then he could do so too.

"Of course, I will," assured William with a honeyed tone, still on the idea that he was truly being played a fool by the pair inside the funeral parlor. "It's not everyday that a demon of Sebastian Michaelis' caliber is practically being handed to you on a silver platter. Of course I'll take care of him." The reaper reached for the demon's cheek, letting the tips of his gloved fingers touch lightly on the cheekbones and skin. He suppose the Undertaker wouldn't approve of him dragging the butler out of the funeral parlor with the latter inside of the coffin would he? Who knows the Legend might even charge him for that. Regretfully, it seemed that he'd have to make use of his own strength to get the job down.

He stretched his arms out and cranked his neck then shifted his weight so he could scoop the sleeping Sebastian into his arms, hooking one arm under the man's legs and the other around his neck. Once the demon was secured in his hold, William conjured a portal that lead him directly into his living quarters with the power of his mind and stepped through.

...I hope Darling isn't going to be such a grump about having a guest for the meanwhile.

***

The Undertaker watched with a bone cookie hanging out the side of his grinning mouth as William used his reaper abilities to summon a portal into his quarters and carrying the demon off in his arms back with him into the reaper realm. Once the portal shut, the Undertaker swallowed the now chewed up remains of the cookie, before stating,

"Good luck, Butler-san."

Sebastian did not feel his new master's gloved finger tips brush across his face, nor did he hear the conversation that he and the Undertaker had had concerning him. The next thing he knew, he felt an intense gaze upon him. Sebastian slowly made his way back to the conscious world, his crimson eyes struggling, but finally managing to crack open. He was feeling at his worst. The pain of his stomach was absolute agony, his vision was dotty and everything felt surreal, like he was going to pass out again at any moment. His heart was also feeling fairly weak as well and quite in his chest. A well fed demon did not need to worry about their hearts so much, since it was not the main structure supporting the supernatural creature, not with soul's in their tummy's to act as coal in the furnace of their anatomy. But, now, its' faint beating was the only thing keeping him alive, little different from a reserve generator coming online, since when a demon started losing their powers and dying from starvation, they began to revert more into a weak and dying human-esque existence.

Sebastian moved his lips. Nothing came out at first. The demon tried harder to speak, pushing from his gut with all the strength he had left to spare.

"Shujin... Please.."

That was all he could muster, as he glanced at the marked hand. He could not even move his own arms to claim said hand. He was too weak to move. But, he had managed to bestow upon William, his title. Sebastian, by saying that, had accepted William as his master. But, of course, such a victory would be short lived for the reaper, if the demon did not get food in his system soon. His eyes were so glassy, like those of a sickly feline. Sebastian was fading fast, like melting snow on the ground of an encroaching Spring.

***

Darling was none other than William T. Spears' best kept hobby and secret. Unlike the rich and famous whose best kept hobbies and secrets were lovers born out of extramarital affairs, 'Wendy Moira Angela Darling' or Darling for short was a beautiful long haired Persian female with stunning green eyes that rivaled that of the reapers' own light green pairs. She was black as midnight with the traditional look of her kind with the rounded face and short but distinguishable muzzle. The feline's more striking characteristic had to be the fact she was anything but friendly to strangers. She was especially not fond of a certain red haired reaper that had a penchant for coming in unannounced. Apparently, she viewed Grell as a threat to her position as the Queen in the reaper's heart. As such, she was almost more than happy to display her sharpened eyeteeth and unsheathe her claws to assert her dominance.

Sensing the shift of portals and the reaper's return, the feline ceased grooming and hopped off her perch on the reaper's bed and began to make her way through the the apartment,nudging doors and squeezing her body through openings to find William, greet him even.

However the cat was most surprised to find that the man had returned with another cat. A rather big cat that looked worse for wear. He was holding him close to his body and even wrapped the larger feline with his jacket. Darling's smile collapsed into a frown at the sight of of William being close to another! Was she going to be replaced?!

She followed her master as he strode briskly into his bedroom, kicking the door open and laid the rather large cat onto his bed. Quickly divesting himself of his leather gloves, William threw them onto the bedstand and made his way into the bathroom, to retrieve a basin and a towel to clean the butler's wounds. The Persian jumped onto the bed as well, pawing at Sebastian and mewled out loud. No response. She took a sniff in the air and pulled back at the thick smell of something she couldn't name, blood and so much dirt. Just what did this other cat do to get into such a scuffle?

"Darling don't touch him!," came the reaper's voice as he came back into view and began to clean up after the demon's injuries. The cat growled feeling put out at told, seemingly rolling her eyes and settled one her pillow and her side of the large king sized bed. Apparently, William was a sprawler when he slept and enjoyed waking up to Darling beside him, hence the larger than necessary bed space for a bachelor like himself. He gingerly removed the his jacket off the demon and the rest of whatever was left of the man's clothing, idly throwing off his shoulder so he could properly attend to the wounds. As funny as it was, William let out a gasp in surprise when the damp towel came into contact with Sebastian's injuries. They were real... The demon was truly injured. Somehow, he had half expected to end up finding well painted make up on the deathly pale skin. Swallowing thickly at this realization, he chose to ignore the warning bells and pushed himself to get the man cleaned up instead.

Sebastian would have to make do with one of his spare night shirts. They seemed to be of the same size anyway.

"Shujin... Please.."

William paused, pressing the damp cloth against the demon's skin and stared funny at Sebastian. Did he just---? Even the cat stirred at the harsh and forced out whisper, noting the urgency in the 'bigger cat's' words towards the reaper.

"You're awake," he announced, decidedly putting away the basin and towel.William had been seated to his side, letting Sebastian lay in the center of the bed while he towel bathed the wounds clean. The reaper took the demon into his arms, with every intention to help him sit up or get into a much more comfortable position. He had planted a palm behind the butler's neck, the marked palm at that and had unconsciously moved it directly over the mark. When a strange electric current shot up at the contact of his skin against the other's skin, he nearly dropped Sebastian and glared at him in surprise.

...What in bloody hell just happened.

The reaper repeated the action. There it was again. Frowning, William could not figure what in the world was happening. He then heard the crunch of crumpled paper, at the corner and remembered the piece of paper that the Undertaker had given him before he left the funeral parlor. Where did he drop that one...? The piece of paper was now being pawed by a very curious Persian who was poking it as if she was reading through it. The feline had left her perch, circling around the two men and found the forgotten piece of paper first. He extended his hand, as if asking for it. Darling looked at him and meowed in annoyance then pushed it towards the reaper. He ripped it from the mattress and quickly read through it.

"...feed using contract seals.," he read out loud to no one in particular.

What. As in...?

Feeling curious, William looked at his branded palm again and saw the seal upon his palm seem to glow and crackle to life on his skin. Then he looked at Sebastian. So he pressed it somewhere on the back of the demon's neck, searching for the seal and pressed upon it.

***

Sebastian had felt his consciousness fading from himself again. It was a horrible, sinking feeling, as if his body was being pulled into the depths of the ground by thousands of rotting hands belonging to the dead. But, that is when he felt it. A spark lighting up his dimming world. What was that? Then, it came to him again, not as a single spark, but as a lightning bolt of energy! Sebastian gasped softly, his eyes opened a bit wider, as they became more alert.. more alive. Finally, though, the primal part of his brain could wait no longer. With the energy that the seal to seal contact had given him, he shifted his half mast eyes over to the sight of William's arm, before he lifted a shaking hand toward it. Finally, with great effort, the demon's normally strong hand closed weakly over the reaper's, before guiding it over, until it was just over his lips.

Sebastian's other hand also came up, before they cupped William's hand to his mouth, where the demon closed his eyes and began his first attempt at feeding this way. His instincts were all that he had to go off of, never having fed this way before. But, he knew he was on the right track from the appetizing smell coming off of the seal. To Sebastian, it smelled like dinner. The demon's tongue darted out to lap tentatively at the mark. One lap.. two.. three.. and then a nibble, before finally placing his entire mouth over the mark and sucking gently. The demon was soon rewarded with what he sought. A bit of soul energy had come right off the top of his master's soul and flowed into the demon's mouth, as if his arm was the straw and his master, a wonderfully decadent chocolate milkshake.

"Mm~" Sebastian moaned as he fed, his face soon melting into a look of peace and sheer pleasure.

More sounds of that variety came out of him, as if they were praise for the most delicious meal being served to him that he had ever eaten.. and in truth, it was. So much better then even the best of human souls! It was like the greatest feast a demon could receive, instead of just a mouthful! It made the demon so very glad that he had made this deal. It had been a huge risk and it had paid off handsomely. The soul energy was not bad. It was delicious and the demon could feel the pain in his stomach and blossoming all over his body from the wounds slowly fade away. The actually wounds and bruises would take a lot longer and more feedings, but at least, for now, he would not have to suffer any longer. It had been a full ten minutes. Sebastian was, for the first time in his life, truly sated.

So, he pulled away and released William's hand to let him have it back, before stating,

"Your taste.. is what I imagine my previous master's chocolate cake to taste like to him." he admitted softly, his face as neutral as ever, but his eyes filled with a unique sort of bliss and ease.

***

Truth be told, he had not a single clue what he was doing. It was simply a conjecture on the reaper's mind considering that the Undertaker had done something similar during the so-called ritual. William figured that maybe a direct contact of the seals would spark some kind of reaction from the weakened fiend. Indeed there had been one. It had felt something akin to a build up of electricity on the texture of skin when his palm met the back of Sebastian's neck. He felt a sharp spark of energy initially that ebbed into a constant pricking sensation centered on the branded seal of his palm. Surprisingly enough, whatever he was doing seemed come to fruition when the demon begin to stir to action in his grasp.

William saw the effort the butler was exerting to take his hand off the back of his neck. Out of curiosity, he aided him and did not fight the action, letting the crimson eyed demon have his way. However he was not quite expecting what happened next. The reaper felt something dart on the palm of his hand. It was sudden, wet and surprising. The man flinched but did not pull back, for some reason, William felt compelled to remain glued to the spot and have everything continue as it should be. Sebastian licking at his palm made him freeze up at how foreign it was. Soon, there was teeth then. But the most startling of all was the fact that the demon began to suckle at the mark on his palm.

As if the sensation of moving lips against the sensitive skin of his palm weren't enough to inspire something out of him, the butler was... moaning. Sebastian was actually mewling against his palm while he fed on the reaper's hand. Soon enough, the butler began to make other just as pleased little sounds, obviously enjoying himself and feeling content with the meal he'd had.

It reminded him too all much of times he would feed Darling by the hand.

Surprisingly enough, William let his other hand rest upon the demon's crown, gently threading through the messed up black strands and finger combing through the light kinks and knots of Sebastian's hair. He had a light hand, considerably affectionate and gentle as he alternated from combing to soft petting. It was the hand of an experienced and loving pet owner. The reaper fell into a trance of kind, closing his eyes and let out a soft hum of contentment during the entire ordeal.

He only snapped out of it when Sebastian pulled away and spoke to him.

William let go of him awkwardly, letting him slide out the cradle hold suddenly as he slipped off the bed and got up. Once up on his feet, he stared down at Sebastian, quietly reminding him of their positions without meaning to. "Is that so...?" The green eyed reaper had been called many things. But receiving a comparison with chocolate cake was not one of those many things until now. "As I'd expect from you. Considering how truly sinful chocolate can be. No surprise you'd be most acquainted to that, demon."

***

Sebastian laid there, taking note of the way William had rose above him, putting distance between them not only physically, but also, in status. It was something Sebastian respected as a boundary. William was his master and was claiming his place as such, as the boss, whether he knew it or not. Sebastian was nothing, if not obedient, so he calmed his own aura down, shrinking it, so that he had made his own spirit small and demure, as a butler's should be, instead of lively and somewhat joyful to be still in existence.

"Actually, though I fear I may be erring on the side of impertinence, which I will have to ask my lord's forgiveness for, that taste is something that I am not familiar with. Most human souls, even the finest thereof, taste, at best, to a demon such as myself, like a modest chicken, or roast, that needs to be seasoned to have any real taste at all, by life experiences. But, by some odd twist of fate.. your soul tastes exceptional without any aid. It will please me, then, to be in your service." Sebastian said, with the respect a servant would render to a master on his now stoic face.

But, that is when it happened. The demon did something he never did and was startled at himself for doing it. A yawn slipped out of him, causing him to raise a hand to cover it out of ingrained etiquette training and surprise. Tiny tear drops prickled at his eyes cutely as he did so, before he uttered,

"What.. was that? Impossible. Demons do not.. y-yawn-" and there it was again.

Another yawn.

"So.. tired.. so suddenly." he uttered, before sleep claimed him once more. On the bottom of the Undertaker's note was a bottom section scrawled with an amused face doodled at the bottom of it. The message stated,

P.S. Butler-san will get really sleepy when his tummy is full of your soul's energy. So, it might be best to feed him right before you go to sleep to match your own sleep schedule, so that Butler-san is not up and about when you are trying to snooze!

***

He wasn't quite sure how to react about being told of the flavor of souls in such a manner. Humans weren't quite up the alley of the reapers like they were for demons. The consumption of human flesh and souls were as taboo as the other. Not once did it ever cross the overzealous man's thoughts to be curious of how it tasted. No surprise then that William felt...uncomfortable hearing his retainer talk about it along the lines of roast and chicken. The man's face crinkled in distaste briefly as he lifted his branded palm to view, letting his eyes pass over the seal and examined it while continuing to listen to Sebastian talking.

Exceptional without aid, huh... Big words, demon..

Even William let out his own small reaction of surprise when the demon began to yawn. The reaper's eyebrows quirked in bewilderment at the sight of it. Weren't demons immune to the effects of sleep deprivation? Yet, there it was. A second yawn and soon enough, Sebastian had fallen asleep once more.

The reaper curled his fist closed and sighed at the sight of the butler sleeping on his bed. Considering the spartan accommodations and lifestyle lead by the modest William, the bed was quite extravagant. The four poster bed's frame was carved out of sturdy oak, left in it's natural brown shades and polished for measure. It was a canopy bed with it's heavy steel gray curtains pulled back and dark colored sheets. It almost didn't look like it belonged in such an ill decorated room with so little belongings or a mark of the owner who lived in it.

William rolled Sebastian to the either side of the bed, away from the middle since that was where Darling slept with himself on the right side of the bed but sometimes strayed elsewhere on the mattress. Once, he'd awakened with the Persian sprawled over his head. That had been quite awkward.

Seeing that the butler was not going to awaken anytime soon and was still dressed in his tatters, the reaper saw to it that he was dressed for bed at least, gingerly letting him wear a robe in his slumber. Though he figured that dressing him up was mostly for his comfort than for the demon considering they were impervious to the cold among other things. There was no way that that he'd offer that fiend fuel for whatever diabelerie if so help him God. Sebastian had fallen asleep on top of the sheets rather than underneath, but considering things---William wouldn't have been too comfortable at the idea of the demon too close to his person and on his own bed. Distrust for demons per se. The rags for clothes were folded away and the bowl, damp cloth had been put aside. Now that everything had been put in their proper place, the reaper went off to take care of his dinner and retire for the night.

To think I said I was going to have my supper outside...

Dinner had been a quiet and simple affair where he prepared himself fish and bacon chowder and some leftover baked bread from the previous day. It would have been roast meat however, the imagery of Sebastian's words were too vivid in his mind and made him wince in discomfort. He served himself white wine to go with the seafood dinner. One of the very few comforts William allowed himself was a fine glass of chilled wine every now and then. Considering the kind of mess that the Undertaker and Sebastian Michaelis had dragged him into, this seemed like a very good time to twist the cork and pour himself of the white smoke and honey laced concoction. This was all too difficult to accept though it was real as it looked. Almost unreal.

William looked back on the evening's events and found himself staring at the his branded palm, as he took careful sips of his liquor. ...My very own retainer. Servant. Vassal... Extension of my will and desires. Let's see how long you'll manage yourself under these conditions then.

By the time he reentered his bed chambers, Darling had already taken her perch in the middle of the bed on top of the oversized and fluffed up pillows however she was not laying out lazily or adorably but sat upright and with a scowl on her countenance. She lifted a paw and seemingly pointed at the sleeping Sebastian. There was another cat on the bed after all. William was tired, unusually so and was not up to deal with the jealous Persian's antics. Quickly dressing for bed and ignoring the meowing, he practically flopped onto the bed and raised the covers on top of himself and announced to the cat that he was going to sleep. Darling growled in response but laid down at last and slept. Fine, the feline conceded. She still deserved an explanation.

***

Sebastian had been slumbering for six hours straight, before his eyes finally slid open, slowly, as if he had never been asleep in the first place. He laid there on his back, perfectly still, as he shifted his crimson gaze around him, taking it all in. Ah, his master had clothed him for the evening. He knew it was most likely for his own comfort's sake, since humans and reapers alike, tended to be more modest then demons, but he was grateful that the other had bothered to cover him, nonetheless. He then noticed his master sleeping on the other side of the bed. Ah, then he would do his best not to disturb him. But, what next caught his attention, however, caused his to stop breathing entirely for a moment. For there, curled up between William and himself, in the middle of the bed was.. a beautiful cat.

"Oh, my." Sebastian whispered softly, rolling onto his side, as slowly as he could, trying to avoid putting pressure on any of his still open wounds, "Just who might you be?"

With that, he began to gently scratch behind the ears of the feline and pet down the silky fur of its back.

"So magnificent! So graceful! Just seeing you makes my aches to feel better."

The demon was, unwittingly, making his kitty face, which was, of course, the one he made when he was adoring a feline, the blush and all. The demon had always preferred cats to dogs and thought of them as the most wonderful creatures to have ever graced the human world. The demon, in truth, was half cat himself in a way. Half cat and half crow. His adoration, thus, went to cats and his respect to the ever clever crow seeking to nab shiny pieces of sparkling wealth from ladies who dared to step out of their houses in finery. The demon found a cat's purring to be comforting and their gaze to be full of wisdom. Ah, how he adored felines. The demon did not speak in a tongue that animals could understand and vice versa. But, the adoration in Sebastian's gaze and the way he lavished affection on the cat's coat could be easily understood. And despite him appearing as a large cat to Darling, one thing was different. This was a cat that could give pets as well as receive them.