•Y/N: Your Name
•L/N: Last Name
•H/C: Hair Color
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Your POV:
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I shiver from the cold as Arthur, Oliver and I finish setting up for my latest performance. I was happy they came to help, since it's always more fun to dance with a group of people than by yourself. It makes me feel more confident too. Ash was kind enough to "pull a few strings" to get me a stage for the Frost Fair.
{Lol. Did you get it? *cue smirk and wiggling eyebrows*}
The angel stopped by earlier to help too, but he left not too long ago, claiming to have his own business to tend to. My black gloved hands rub my arms, hoping to gain more warmth from my comfy, dark red coat with black, faux fur lining.
{Basically, it looks like this, but you'll have to imagine dark fur inside of it}
"Looks like we're all set. Get in position, guys," I say with a smile, excited to start. I'll be getting a pretty big crowd this time. There's lots of people out here. Arthur and Oli both nod their heads before resting their bottoms on the chairs set up on the stage. I plan on doing one maybe even two shows today, knowing that the ice would break later on in the day, and I'd also like to have a look through the stalls. I'm sure the boys would like to check the shops as well, so I don't want to keep them for too long. They wait for me as I step behind the stage, where I had hidden a small, wireless speaker, and make sure the volume will be loud enough for people to hear, but not too loud that it would be disruptive. I'm sure lots of people will be curious as to where the "band" is hiding, which will be pretty amusing for me. With everything prepared, I hop back onto the wooden stage and stand between the chairs before speaking loud and clear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin! Gather 'round! Gather 'round!" I shout, catching the attention and curiosity of a few passing people as they approach the stage. I reach a hand into my pocket, where my phone lies, and start the music.
Play Song:
I gesture to my head with both hands and tilt my chin up slightly to gaze at the sky as I start to sing.
"There's a fire in my brain, and I'm burning up." I bend my right knee towards Arthur and lean towards him.
"Oh, my." he echoes my words as I pull away to stand straight before I make the same motion to Oliver on my left, who also copies my words with a big smile on his face.
"Oh, my." I stand straight again before strutting to the front of the stage to greet my audience as the boys jump up from their chairs.
"Keep running for the sink, but the well is dry.
Oh, my." I drop down, sitting on the ledge with my chin resisting on my knuckles as the two pick up their chairs and move them aside, facing each other. This allows more room for us to move around.
"Oh, my.
Every word I say is kindling,
But the smoke clears when you're around." I could see a shadow hovering over me and spin my head around to find Arthur standing behind me with a smile. He bends over and offers his hand, so I take it before effortlessly being brought to my feet.
"Won't you stay with me, my darling," I sing as I place a hand on his shoulder, while my other remains in his hold as we swiftly spin back towards the middle of the stage.
"When my walls start burning down?
Down!
Down!" We dance together for a few seconds before I part from him and step away. With the focus no longer on him, he gets down on one knee and bows with his hand over his heart.
"This house says my name like an elegy.
Oh, my.
Oh, my." I approach little Oli and get down on one knee.
"Echoing where my ghosts all used to be.
Oh, my.
Oh, my." The boy runs into my arms and hugs me tight, which warms my heart even though it is only part of the show.
"There's still cobwebs in the corners,
And the backyard's full of bones." Picking him up, I stand and dance with him, much like I did with Arthur, though, I had to carry him, since he's so small. He wasn't heavy, at least, so I wasn't struggling at all.
"Won't you stay with me, my darling,
When this house don't feel like home?
When this house don't feel like home!
Oh, ashes, ashes!
Dust to dust!
The devil's after both of us!" I lower Oliver back to his feet and release him as Arthur gets up and takes my hand to twirl me around.
"Lay my curses all to rest,
Make a mercy out of me!" The dark-haired boy dips me before pulling me back up and letting go. Both boys step away from me and kneel before the audience from behind me, like how Arthur was positioned before. Meanwhile, I walk over to the edge again.
"This tired, old machine is a-rumbling.
Oh, my.
Oh, my.
Singing songs to the secrets behind my eye." I cover my eyes with both hands before revealing them again. Behind me, I could hear the boys fetching the chairs and positioning them side-by-side so that the seats touched.
"Oh, my.
Oh, my.
All my aching bones are trembling,
And I may yet fall apart!" I fall back and am quickly caught in Arthur's arms. While I belt out the next lyrics in a strong voice, he straightens me out and spins me around. His hand takes my left, while Oli takes my right before they escort me to the chairs.
"Won't you stay with me, my darling,
When the war starts in my heart?
When the war starts in my heart!" Being careful, I step onto the seats and turn around to face my audience with a big smile on my face.
"Oh, ashes, ashes!
Dust to dust!" The boys fall to their knees, and I soon join them before putting a hand on both their heads, lightly forcing them into a bow.
"The devil's after both of us!
Oh, lay my curses out to rest!
Make a mercy out of me!" I practically launch myself out of the seats, and thankfully, they don't knock over as I now stand in front of the two.
"Oh, ashes, ashes!
Dust to dust!" I slap my right hand onto my chest while my other reaches out to the left of me.
"Tell me I am good enough!
Lay my curses all to rest!" The boys both stand at my sides, doing the same exact pose as me.
"Make a mercy out of..." The song ends, and I pant to catch my breath, my heart pounding heavily in my chest as the applause fills the air. We all smile and take each other's hands before giving a few bows.
"Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience! Please, feel free to make a donation if you enjoyed the show!" I announce while gesturing to the basket I left at the corner of the stage after the two let go of my hands. It was empty, but now that I've pointed it out, a few crowd members approach and slip some money into the basket. I wait for the crowd to disperse before going up to it and split the money three ways before handing Arthur and Oliver their share. "You guys did great. Why don't you go enjoy yourselves for a while? I'm going to check out the stalls."
"Thank you, miss Y/N!" They say before getting off the stage, making me smile as I watch them disappear. Breathing a happy sigh, I get down as well before grabbing Teddy, who I had left behind the stage and send the speaker back home, where it won't get damaged. When I return, I decided to have a look around. I want to find Ciel, so I keep my eyes peeled for the young earl and his handsome butler, but I was too distracted to notice what was right in front of me. Knocking into something hard, I yelp and fall onto the ice. Groaning, I rub my lower back before peering up at...
'Ah, shit! Not him again!' I nervously stare up at the familiar, human-like doll as his head clicks downwards to look at me.
"Oh? It's you," Drossel mutters softly in surprise upon recognizing my face, as he extends his arm to help me, which made my stomach flip. I place my hand in his gloved one with great hesitation and am gently pulled up. I quickly retract and step back, fearing that he would do something, only for him to walk away as though nothing happened. I sigh in relief and watch him leave with an uneasy feeling stirring in my gut. "Okay, something weird is definitely going on here." I shake it off for now and continue walking until I finally spot the blue-eyed noble speaking to... Aberline, was it?
"It's not, I'm on duty right now!" The inspector exclaims as though he had been insulted.
"Oh? Well, then, I'll leave you to earn your wages in faithful service to the queen and country. Good day, inspector," the boy says rather rudely while turning around to leave, but then, we lock eyes, and he freezes in place.
"Hey, Ciel!" I call to him while waving my hand excitedly.
"You again?" I hear him mutter as I weave through the people to reach them.
"Wait, come back! I have some questions I want to ask you! Ciel!" Aberline reaches out to touch the boy's shoulder only for his hand to be smacked away by the butler.
"Pardon me. My master is a touch fragile at the moment." Ciel sends the demon an unamused glare, which makes me chuckle softly as Sebastian corrects himself. "I mean sensitive. Perhaps you could be a trifle more gentle when approaching him?" The inspector holds a hardened stare while looking at the man in black before his gaze shifts over to me.
"And, you are?" He asks curiously.
"The name is Y/N L/N. Please, just call me Y/N," I insist while sticking out my hand to shake. He does so delicately, before uttering,
"Right..."
"If you insist on talking, let us do it elsewhere. It's much too crowded here," the earl suggests, to which the inspector replies,
"Of course."
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"Um... Why is she here?" Aberline inquires while looking my way with a confused stare, causing me to quirk a brow at him.
"She comes and goes as she pleases. Besides, she works for the queen in the same manner I do, apparently," Ciel cuts in before I could make a remark. I huff.
"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here? It's rude." I shake my head at them as the young boy has a sip of his tea while I grab a cookie off the plate that was put down by a waitress dressed in a short, dark pink dress. Poor girl, I imagine she's freezing her ass off in this weather.
"Now, what is an inspector from The Yard doing here? What's your business, Aberline?"
"Murder. A man's corpse was found this morning trapped in the ice on the Thames. We learned he was a member of a certain criminal organization. I'm here because..." I drown the man out as I raise up my hand slightly to grab the attention of a passing server. I already know what he's about to say anyways, so I really have no reason to pay attention. One woman stops and smiles as I make a request.
"Excuse me. Can I get some hot chocolate?" She gives me a nod before stepping away to grab my order.
"The diamond: the ultimate symbol of eternal radiance," Lau chimes in in his usual, soft voice, appearing behind me like a ghost and nearly giving me a damn heart attack as the waitress returns with my steaming hot drink. "A stone that bewitches all those who seek its sparkle. What man wouldn't be inspired to pursue such an exquisite prize? Even if he knows that all that will await him is total destruction."
"Impossible! How do you know about The Hope Piece?" The inspector stands from his seat, bewildered by the man's knowledge of the precious stone as I sip my sweet hot chocolate and snack on a few cookies.
I pay little attention as they ramble on about the diamond, but I couldn't help but feel excited to see the Undertaker again.
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Arthur's POV:
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I hold Oliver's hand in my own, so that we don't get separated in the crowd as we travel between the rows of stalls, admiring all the trinkets and clothes displayed to the public for purchase. A smile touches my lips when I see how excited my little brother is, and thanks to Y/N, we can actually buy something for ourselves. It was very kind of her to give us these warm clothes for the cold season.
I wish I could repay her for all she has done. I bury my face into my soft, grey scarf to escape the cold biting at my nose and sigh happily. I'm so glad she came into our lives. We were so miserable before, without a friend in the world. No one ever looked twice at us, and though she is very strange, she has a big heart to be helping us. I owe my life to her.
"Brother, you're doin' it again!" Oliver points out, knocking me out of my daze.
"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry, Oliver!" I apologize. I have been spacing out a few times recently, and Oliver has started to notice. He's a smart boy, always able to tell if something's wrong. The blonde laughs at me, and I give him a smile, while his hand squeezes mine.
"Christmas is comin'! Why don't we get miss Y/N a present?" He suggests, causing my eyes to light up.
"A present? What a brilliant idea, Oliver! Owf!" I grunt upon smashing into a man wearing odd clothes, who's carrying a strange music box. He's dressed in something a doll would wear with vibrant blue and red colors with a big bow and, what appears to be, a half-skirt. Upon his head is a big top hat, dressed with a couple black feathers and wrapped in red ribbon, and he has a strange, blue marking on his face, but what unsettled me most was his purple eyes. I wasn't sure why; they just seemed too glossy — more like glass than an actual eyeball. I brush it off and quickly apologize. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean t— Huh?" The man walked right past me, as though I wasn't there, before blending into the crowd. Humming in confusion, I raise my hand behind my head to scratch it, my brows furrowed. "Strange bloke ain't 'e?" I mutter while standing up, nearly slipping on the ice. Thankfully, I didn't bring down Oliver too.
"And, so I think to myself: how strange that people keep running into me today," I hear the man say before he's completely out of sight, though, I could hear the sound of his box playing the familiar tune of London Bridge.
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Your POV:
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After finishing our tea and biscuits, we all traveled outside, following Aberline's lead to the Undertaker's temporary post on the ice. Ciel was shocked to say the least.
"You're sure this is the right place?"
"Yes, it is. He set up shop here because so many people have been freezing to death during the fair."
"Can't you just tell us the information?" Ciel whispers to me, so that the others could not hear, seeming like he had no interest in seeing the man inside. I chuckle softly at the boy and shake my head.
"Now, now, Ciel. What fun would that be? That's like you're asking to cheat." The earl sends me a sharp glare, but it did little to faze me. I merely keep my smug expression as Aberline approaches the entrance.
"You lot can all wait right here, outside. You're all lucky I let you accompany me at all." The man lets out a surprised scream as he falls right through the flap disguised as a door, making me laugh into my hand. Ciel rolls his eyes at the foolish inspector
"What a hopeless fool."
"One of the privileges of youth, my lord... So, what is this place?" Lau asks, striking a flame within the earl.
"It's the Undertaker's parlor! You met him during the Jack the Ripper case remember?"
"Oh, right!"
"Aberline won't last one minute in there. Sebastian, prepare to—" before he could finish his order, the ground shook as a familiar cackle breached the air, taking the group by surprise. Ciel is the one to push aside the tarp to step inside, and he was shocked by the sight of the silver-haired man on his back with his legs kicking in delight, giggles flying out of his mouth before he gradually settles down.
"I assure you, man, you're in the wrong profession! You're hysterical! You've ought to be a world renowned comedian!" He compliments while getting up, still giving little cackles.
"What did you say to him?" Ciel asks while approaching the inspector, absolutely astounded by Aberline's newfound ability.
"I have no idea. I was just talking to him normally, and he began laughing like a madman," he claims, seeming just as confused. The reaper takes note of my presence and, somehow, his smile grew a little bigger as he greets me.
"Didn't expect to be seeing you here, dearie." A few more giggles escape the man as I smile back at him. "And, my, what a cute, little bear you have," he mentions while poking a boney finger at Teddy, who currently rests in my arms.
"It's always a pleasure to see you, Undertaker," I say while squeezing the toy closer to my chest.
"How unexpected. You aren't without talent," Ciel mutters under his breath, talking about Aberline.
"It seems you are a man to be recond with. Most interesting." Suspicious, Sebastian sends a sharp glare towards the man, sending him into panic mode.
"But, I didn't do anything!" He swears while sticking his hands up in surrender, which only caused the demon's glare to strengthen. It was so tense, I had to at least try lightening the mood.
"I think Sebastian's a little pissy because he had a good joke planned out for you. Poor baby had his fun ruined," I whisper into the Undertaker's ear while nudging him with my elbow, eliciting a snort from the man and a few more cackles. In an instant, the intense heat of his glare shifted to me, making me feel like I was being consumed by the flames of his hatred. For a moment, I genuinely feared for my life and broke into a nervous sweat. It was all put to an end when Ciel slams his hands onto the lid of a coffin hard enough to make it shake, clearly fed up with all our nonsense and wanting to proceed. This scared the crap out of me and got me to slap a hand over my frantically thumping heart.
"Tell me more about the ring! I want to know it all!" He demands, sounding beyond annoyed.
"Jeez, talk about disrespecting the dead. You probably just jumpstarted that poor guy's heart," I joke, even though it was likely that the coffin was empty, but the earl was less than pleased with my interruption.
"Shut it, you!" He yells harshly with his own glare, but this one was far from playful. It was much like the one Sebastian gave me moments ago. Bitting the inside of my cheek, I could feel my heart sink as I look down at the floor, losing my smile. I could help but feel a little hurt.
"Awe, look what you did to the poor girl, young earl." Lau points out with a barely noticeable frown on his, usually carefree, face. His voice suggested he felt mostly indifferent about my feelings and was simply teasing the boy, but there was a hint of scolding there too, even if it was faint. Undertaker frowns as well, but much deeper while crossing his arms.
"I won't tell you a thing — not until you apologize to her." His voice was serious for once, which seemed really out of character and took the whole room by surprise.
'Wait, he's actually mad at Ciel for yelling at me?' I was shocked. Why would he even be bothered? Well, whatever the reason, it made my heart swell. With a sigh in defeat, Ciel settles down and meets my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Y/N. It was rude of me to shout."
"Don't worry about it. It just... It wasn't a good time to be yelled at," I say softly while tightening my hold on Teddy. I haven't been particularly well lately. I've been feeling depressed ever since my parents left me behind again, which has made me a little sensitive to negativity. I haven't confided in anybody, not even Arthur and Oli. I don't like dwelling in my sadness. I'd rather just ignore it and keep smiling, like always. I tense up when a gentle hand was set in my head and glance up at Undertaker, who smiles and ruffles my H/C locks. I can't help but smile back at him.
"Thank you," I say quietly.
"No trouble, dearie," he whispers back. Ciel clears his throat to gain our attention and brings us back to the problem at hand.
"Now, please, tell us more about the ring. The body that was trapped in the river this morning was the last to have it."
"Perhaps, it was trapped in the ice near where the body was found? You're a citizen of our great country, mister Undertaker. Please, give us your help in this matter." Aberline begs, causing the reaper to chuckle.
"As I said before, I'm profoundly impressed with you, inspector. I'll tell you everything. Where is the ring, you ask?" Everyone sits on edge as the Undertaker walks past and leaves the tent, causing the others to exchange looks before we follow him out. We take a short walk towards the bridge and stop in front on a detailed, ice sculpture.
"You see, right there." He gestures to a blue ring wrapped around the figure's finger, and the inspector gasps loudly in the most dramatic way with his hands on his cheeks.
"Ah, it appears that a sculptor has happened upon the ring and designed a beautiful, ice sculpture to compliment it. Our mystery has been solved!" Lau exclaims, stating the obvious.
"Collect the ring now!" Aberline orders, causing two men to run up to retrieve the piece of jewelry, but they were stopped by a loud voice.
"What do you think you're doing, thieves!?"
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The Song: "Curses" by The Crane Wives