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Title: Epilogues and Beginnings: 33 Kuroshitsuji II series-ender drabbles
Words: ~2500
A/N: The mini-plotbunnies floating in my head wanted to turn into tiny little drabbles, some a few paragraphs, some just one sentence long. Some serious, some silly, some salacious.

Do not assume these all fit in the same storyverse. (Just like Kuroshitsuji itself.)



*****
Routine

Ciel asks, "What's on today's schedule?", and Sebastian wants to say, My complete and eternal loathing for the pact which ties me to you for all time, just as it will be every damned day, but he's sure that wouldn't go over well and would get repetitive quite soon, so, instead, he says, "Nothing."

*****
Retribution

Ciel's first act is to lock Sebastian in a box. He lets him out after a fortnight. Or perhaps it's a year; he can't be bothered to keep track.

*****
Britannia

When they tell Lady Elizabeth, she spends two days not understanding, trying to pin down everyone and tell her what they mean in a way that makes sense, you sillies, you're not speaking nicely at all. Then she spends three days shouting, calling everyone fools and idiots. By the time tears come at the end of that fifth day she's locked herself in her bedroom where she doesn't have to look at anyone, and she doesn't come out for a week.

When she is fifteen she is betrothed again. At seventeen she is married to a baronet of modest standing, and she never speaks the name Ciel from that day forward. She dies at age 57 of an infection of the lungs, and everyone, including her grandchildren, remembers what a softly demure woman she was in life, if a little serious.

*****
Identity

Luka calls him big brother and Hannah always refers to him as Master (she does this for Luka, too, but somehow they can tell which Master she means), and Claude still calls him your highness (and smiles when the response is "You're my highness," in return, and then, oh, Claude does more than just smile), so, in time, Alois finds it doesn't matter what his name is, or was.

*****
Dismissal

"You're off the case, Rubinstein," says Randall gruffly.

"Does that mean I can shave?" says the junior detective, scratching at the absurd little mustache on his upper lip. "What happened? Don't tell me my cover's blown. Unless the smug little bastard found out Abberline didn't have a brother." He removes his hat, runs a hand through his hair. "Cold as a witch's tit, that kid. Never got him to open up to me. Who's taking over?"

Randall pushes aside the detritus of the gift box, all white ribbons and stiff black paper, and sits turning the card over and over in his fingers. "No one. It's closed."

*****
Fledgling

At the end of their dance, Ciel steps away to bow to Lizzy, as he's been taught. Lizzy does not curtsy back. Lizzy, in fact, collapses to the ground and does not move or speak.

Ciel stares at the pink-and-white tumble of her corpse. From behind him, a long sigh. "Young master. You have an escalated strength in your new form. You must learn to control it. Quickly."

"Oh?" says Ciel. "That's very interesting. I should go test it." He starts to step away, then looks back at the broken thing on the floor. "Oh. I should be sorry, shouldn't I."

*****
Reunion

One consciousness, split between three bodies. In death, it feels good for him to be whole again.

*****
Sequel

The gift boxes are not identical.

Undertaker opens his and finds the following things: a lock of midnight hair, a stoppered vial of still-liquid blood, and a vellum square bearing the true name of an ancient demon and the phrase, Get me out of this.

Undertaker cackles. The ritual will take ten mortal years to prepare, and Sebastian must know that. But it will be good to be owed a favor by such a senior denizen of Hell. Undertaker picks up the box, and goes to begin.

*****
Reminder

The other reapers do notice that Grell flounces off in tears every time someone proposes a break for tea these days, but Grell has flounced off in tears for one reason or another for so long that no one pays much attention.

*****
Lesson

"Teach me." Ciel has looked into the eye of immortality and emerged ready. "Teach me how to contract souls."

Sebastian does as he is bid. "First, a human must want. Must want something," he begins.

"Hmp." Ciel's mouth curves in a smile. He does that more easily, these days. "In that, demons and humans are identical, aren't they."

Sebastian does not answer. He has the luxury of silence, at least.

*****
Duty

Soma returns to the east. Agni does not oppose this plan, thinking it is the first sober decision the prince has made in his life.

His father is so pleased with his son's newfound maturity that Soma moves up several places in the ranks of succession, and, for a time, relations between England and Bengal are marked by a notable if short-lived stability.

*****
Virgin

It's as he said: memory doesn't count for anything.

Because if memory counted, Ciel would have to remember that the last significant act of his human soul was in humiliated but curious response to Alois Trancy's fey smile and his leer of Wouldn't you like to know what it's like, before you're truly dead to the world? To the kiss, to the exploration of hands, of mouths, all the way to the shudder and the capsize of flesh and guilty passion.

And he can't have that.

*****
Souvenir

She knows the young master is wrong. Memories do count. They count for everything.

But Maylene does understand that they're meant to be memories. That's why she takes off her glasses at last, and stores them in her keepsake box. So they won't get broken again. Because Mr. Sebastian is no longer here to fix them.

*****
Enthusiasm

The reapers notice a sudden escalation in the number of deaths marked by irregular soul transition. What new demon could be wreaking all this havoc? It stretches the reaper's ranks and abilities to their limits; they're exhausted. And the paperwork.

Right when William had been thinking of going into retirement. Honestly.

*****
Justice

The massacre at the asylum was enough of a tragedy. But the gutting fire, a week later? And the sinkhole beneath? That seems more like a curse.

The asylum is not rebuilt.

*****
Boys

One wouldn't think the afterlife would have so many pockets. But Claude and Alois manage to disappear together for long durations, and when Hannah thinks to look for them--Luka invariably tagging along--Hannah is forever leaping to cover Luka's young eyes from the sight.

"Could you have a little consideration?" she hisses at the two, as curious Luka protests and tries to twist free.

"We did," assures Alois, arching, not even bothering to cover up. "We went somewhere else. You're the one who interrupted."

Her glare is directed at Claude; he's older and should know better.

Claude doesn't look at all contrite. He doesn't even disengage from Alois. "I am sorry for whatever familial vision you had of this cluster of ours," he not-apologizes. "I am the least paternal creature you could imagine, Hannah. What did you expect?" He licks Alois's ear, and Alois mewls.

Perhaps she should have thought this through.

*****
Restless

Without the queen's little watchdog to pester him for information, Lau is able to move back into comfortable obscurity. He finds he doesn't like it as much.

*****
War

"I want to go see this Lucifer. Arrange an audience for me."

It is the worst idea possible. There will be blood and the deaths of demons. Mine, possibly. Yours, likely. His, not unthinkably. I do not know which outcome would be worse. Sebastian thinks all of this.

What he says is, "Yes, my lord."

*****
Existence

It turns out that Ciel Phantomhive made a will shortly after he returned to the restored mansion with a black-clad butler in tow. The house legally does belong to the servants.

Bard learns enough cooking to keep them all fed, and somehow the house does not collapse under Maylene's maintenance, and Finny, well, Finny keeps their spirits up so that no day is too bleak. And Tanaka is there to greet every new visitor and escort them through the mansion, telling the tale of the house and of the late Phantomhive line.

But when Tanaka dies some years later, Bard, Finnian, and Maylene pack up and leave. They cannot state it in words, but they know they are all in danger of becoming the mansion's pale ghosts. They escape, and begin to breathe like living things once more.

*****
Tolerance

Sometimes he thinks this is not so dreadful, or shouldn't be. He has spent a good portion of his existence in servitude to this human or that, and the Earl of Phantomhive had been a rather spectacular example of those, hadn't he. He had been content to wait for his reward. Perhaps he should continue along, just telling himself his reward will be a little longer in coming.

And sometimes he thinks he is one "Yes, my lord" away from punching his fist through his master's chest again.

*****
Lucre

The Viscount is broken-hearted, simply devastated, when he hears that cousin Alois is dead.

His uncle the earl had been such a splendid customer of his. Druitt had been looking forward to making a similar tidy profit in childflesh when cousin Alois was old enough to want his own. Ah, well.

*****
Pretender

"I found this," says Randall's aunt.

Randall stares at the folder she holds. "That's nothing with which you need concern yourself," he says at last.

"The queen should know these things," she cuts, lifting her chin.

Randall's lips are pressed into a thin, but amused line. "That works on nearly everyone else, madame."

She wilts a little. She's a formidable woman, and Randall himself suggested she would be fitting to play this role, but that's why he must be the one to keep her leashed.

"Give me that, your majesty," he says, respectfully but brooking no argument, and his aunt scowls as she gives over the folder marked Operation Watchdog to her nephew.

*****
Family

Hands on hips, Hannah stares back at Claude and retorts, "And what in Lucifer's name is a turkey pot pie?"

*****
Devotion

"Say something."

"Yes, my lord."

"Besides that!"

Sebastian, who has learned that he does not, in fact, possess infinite patience, answers, "What would my master like me to say."

Ciel's face holds some of the pique that was his natural state as a human. "Smile at me again, damn you. Say you are glad to be at my side. Say you are satisfied to serve." His face twists to true anger. "Say this pleases you!"

"Yes, my lord."

"Get out of my sight!" snarls Ciel, and Sebastian, remembering a similar command, actually can smile for a moment, and goes.

*****
Birthdays

Lizzy's first daughter is born in September. Her father buys her a birthstone ring when she turns six; Lizzy stares at the blue of the sapphire and wills herself to stay composed and smile. She doesn't want to spoil her daughter's special day, or her present.

*****
Salve

The boy who cannot legally bear the name Abberline has, at the least, wealth to compensate for his bastardy. The toys gifted to him in abundance before his birth are unique creations of the Funtom company and some of the very last that now-defunct company ever made, and his mother manages their sale to collectors wisely.

*****

Ambition

"I'm going to become a pastry chef. Like Mr. Sebastian," says Bard.

Finny claps his hands together, but Maylene makes a dismissive sound. "You just want to use a blowtorch on the sugar crusts."

She's right, of course.

*****
Heritage

What Claude told Sebastian was true: the maze's answer to What is Alois Trancy's real name was as he stated, for the reasons he gave. The maze had its own purpose, and the answers had to fit that purpose alone.

But there was another reason: the stolen child of the Trancy line did indeed survive. And was taken in by a then-childless family. One who lived in a poor little English village called Arachnohill.

But Alois is dead, and so knows everything now. And so is and so does Claude. And such indelicacies were only concerns for the living.

*****
Weapon

Laevatein waits.

Under the depths of innumerable fathoms, under the crush of unimaginable tonnes of rock, the demon sword lies. It cannot be destroyed. Millennia may pass before any hand touches it again.

But unlike the creatures who wield it, Laevatein has perfect patience. And it waits.

*****
Apology

"Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord?"

"You've been...so very efficient. No, that's not the word, I'm being churlish. You've been..." Ciel licks his lips as he searches for words. "I'm very glad you're at my side."

Sebastian lets silence stand between them.

"So," Ciel continues, "I was wondering if this might make you happy." Shedding feathers, shedding most of his flesh, Ciel transforms.

On pink-padded paws, Ciel steps daintily up to him. Butts at his hand with that sleek pointed-eared head. Mews.

Sebastian decides it's quite tiring being angry all the time.

*****
Delusion

It is not so easy to kill a demon.

After the destruction of the island, Hannah's body heals itself, though she makes no attempt to leave the ruin of rock on which she rests.

Demons have no souls, and no afterlife. Demon-devoured humans, likewise. But mad Hannah Annafellows, the sole demon ever to love, dreams her ecstatic dreams of her three beloveds joined with her in death.

She is a whispered legend, revered and pitied, among the denizens of Hell, and so other demons let her be, and do not disturb her dreams.

*****
Fantasies

When they tell Lady Elizabeth, she goes very still. She goes to the garden. She stays there until nightfall. Then she gets in her carriage and goes home. She does not speak to anyone for three days.

On the fourth day, an hour before dawn, she walks out onto the Middleford grounds and pushes her face into a dew-covered spiderweb. "Is there a fairy out there?" she croaks in a voice three days hoarse from disuse. "I have a wish."

*****
Compensation

"Tell me you're pleased," Ciel commands as he once did, an immeasurable amount of time ago.

Sebastian looks at his master, seated upon the throne of Hell.

The view from the left-hand side of Hell's throne is a lofty one, even if one must stand. Slowly, as it is an action no longer so familiar to him, he finds himself gracing his master with the start of a smile.

"Yes, my lord."

Date: 2010-09-28 11:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neocloud9.livejournal.com
Claude still calls him your highness (and smiles when the response is "You're my highness," in return, and then, oh, Claude does more than just smile)

D'aww! ;3;

Loved these! Great ideas, filling in some of those plot holes...

Demon Kitty Ciel will live on in my heart forever. XD

Date: 2010-09-29 11:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
I can't help but milk the whole afterlife idea for consummated Alois/Claude--if they're going to give us that, darn right I'm going to milk it.

If I had a demon kitty Ciel plushie I would sleep with it.

Thank you so much! :D

Date: 2010-09-30 12:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neocloud9.livejournal.com
Heh. That sounds rather dirty, worded like that...

I WOULD PUNI-PUNI IT INTO OBLIVION. <3

You're most welcome! These were all really great, sorry I could comment on each and every one...

Date: 2010-09-30 12:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
I WOULD PUNI-PUNI IT INTO OBLIVION. OH YOU DIRTY THING YOU.

Aw, you're so sweet, thank you!

Date: 2010-09-30 12:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neocloud9.livejournal.com
Goodness, just noticed my typo! I meant "sorry I couldn't comment on each and every one," of course. *facepalm*

Date: 2010-09-30 08:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
Ah ha ha, now *I* just noticed your typo! Your meaning was evident in context so I read it that way too. ^_^

Date: 2010-09-29 02:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crescent-moony.livejournal.com
Retribution-- YES. YES. YESSSSSSSS.

Dismissal-- THIS MAKES SENSE AND I LOVE IT. I wish the anime had actually given us some closure on the "who the hell is Edward" front, but I adore the answer that you've given us~ <3

Sequel-- What a delicious idea. I love knowing how desperate Sebastian must have been to request something like that.

Lesson-- Now what I want is a fic where Ciel contracted to someone, and we get to enjoy the dynamic of Ciel and Sebastian playing games with each other and Ciel's new charge. How wonderfully confusing the struggle of power would be! XD

Souvenir-- ...just beautiful. I think I teared up~

Boys-- PFFFFFFT~ OH, I CAN SEE THIS. XD

Tolerance-- I feel bad for laughing; poor, frusterated Sebastian. ^_^;

Devotion-- And now my heart is broken. D:

Ambition-- Oh, Bard. Maybe he should look into what dishes he can serve "flambe," as well. :3

Apology-- D'AWWW~ <3 It's like a band-aid on my heart. XD

Fantasies-- Now I think Lizzie should contract with Ciel. THAT would make for an interesting season 3...

SO MUCH LOVE ON YOU AND YOUR AMAZING WRITING~ <3

Date: 2010-09-30 12:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
Hee, "Ciel locks Sebastian in a box" was one of the first concepts I had for these. I hate to think Ciel might do it. I have to read that one as crack humor to tolerate it!

Abberline's brother was WTFery to top the WTFery already driving through this season, so, yeah, you can believe I wanted an answer on that one!

The one with Undertaker is one of my very favorites. I would so love to see Sebastian's workings, trying to find loopholes out of his contract.

Now what I want is a fic where Ciel contracted to someone, and we get to enjoy the dynamic of Ciel and Sebastian playing games with each other and Ciel's new charge. I WANT THIS. I WANT THIS TOO AND I WANT IT BADLY, holy cripes. That is SO cool to imagine. And, yes, can you imagine Ciel coming at Lizzie's request? And her reaction? And everything?!

Thank YOU so much for being there to read these and to write your own fantastic fiction and feed my habit so shamelessly AND FOR THE FANART, OMIGOD I'M STILL REELING OVER THAT!

Date: 2010-09-30 04:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crescent-moony.livejournal.com
Really? I love the idea that he'd do it legitimately, because it seems so DEMONIC. But at the same time, it makes my heart hurt for Sebastian... so maybe it IS better to think of it as humor, now that I think about it. ^_~

I think you just gave the perfect answer.

I'd love to see Ciel's reaction when Sebastain just suddenly drops dead. XD;

YES. YESSSS. RIGHT?! It would be so delicious! I can just see Sebastian and Ciel making bets about his new contractor behind said contractor's back; "I bet I can make him sleep with me first." "Wager?" "You bottom if you lose." Stuff like that, haha. ^_~ (But yeah. The Lizzie!contractor thing might have to be played with. Fer srs.)

D'aww~ you flatter me. -^_^- I ONLY WISH I COULD GET YOU A BETTER SCAN OF IT~

Date: 2010-09-30 09:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
"I bet I can make him sleep with me first." "Wager?" "You bottom if you lose." IT WOULD GO JUST LIKE THAT. :D

Date: 2010-10-01 03:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] crescent-moony.livejournal.com
IT WOULD. <3

Date: 2010-09-29 01:54 pm (UTC)
alice_montrose: by me (Kuroshitsuji - Sexy Sebastian)
From: [personal profile] alice_montrose
Undertaker, tsk tsk!

Ciel did what? To Lucifer? NO ****ing way!

Date: 2010-09-30 12:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
The Undertaker one's one of my very favorites. :D

Ciel did...whatever you want him to have done to Lucifer. ^_^ Hey, he's got Sebastian to help. Or to do most of the dirty work, most likely.

Date: 2010-09-29 02:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mukku-fan.livejournal.com
This is AMAZING~! Am very glad I was a link to this.

Date: 2010-09-30 12:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
I'm so happy you came to read! Thank you to pieces! :D

Date: 2010-10-01 04:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shidarezz.livejournal.com
I was so happy when I saw you had entered the Kuroshitsuji fandom and I'm even happier now! I was hoping the second series finale would create some rabid plot bunnies.

They're all wonderful but I have to say that Sequel holds a special place. I want to see what Sebastian does to Ciel after the Undertaker breaks the contract. Please?

Date: 2010-10-01 10:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
You ask me so nicely, how can I refuse? :D Give me some time to think about it and play with it and maybe there will be a smutty ficlet if it wants to go that way. So happy you enjoyed these, thank you so much!

Date: 2010-10-09 01:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
Annnnnnd diddit! One version, anyway. ^_^ Go here: http://amanuensis1.livejournal.com/251306.html

Date: 2010-10-09 10:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] leftminds.livejournal.com
Aughghghh I loved each and every one of these, --loved-- them. And Compensation is the best ending note, ever. Ever ever. I've got to go hyperventilate in a corner for a bit now.

Date: 2010-10-10 12:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
I have too much fun thinking about Ciel as ruling Hell, with Sebastian as his right- left-hand man. ^_~ Thank you so much for reading and for commenting; it totally makes my day!

Date: 2010-11-24 12:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] justwolf.livejournal.com
These are wonderful. Golly. I really like how you managed to evoke such a sense of characters or place in each of these drabbles.

'Apology' really made me smile! I like the Ciel/cat comparison a lot. 'Retribution' is fantastic too: I can just see that as one of the horrible things they do to each other in hell. Torture must get so long-winded when no one can die.

I really liked the one about Lizzy too--she's not a character I warm to, but it was great to hear more about her and get more of a sense of her all the same. I really enjoyed 'Fantasies'.

In short, these are really lovely!

Date: 2010-11-24 01:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! The end of series 2 made me want to see a hundred different directions, a hundred different resolutions for each character. (And how could I resist writing my mini-take on cat!Ciel?) Lizzy is the sort of character I can't warm to, but when I imagine how true grief could shape her I can start to like what she might become.

I'm so glad you enjoyed these, thank you for commenting!

Date: 2011-01-01 02:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hollywood-r-bin.livejournal.com
*worships* i love all of these! Amazing snippets of all the possible post KuroII outcome. The last one definitely made me feel better (since i just finished KuroII recently) about the show's ending... so does the kitten one. Poor Elizabeth though... i do like the one where she went to find spiderwebs.

Date: 2011-01-08 04:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
The last one is kind of the relief of the pressure that Kuroshitsuji II's ending placed on us, isn't it? I mean, I love it, but I love it as long I can still imagine the resolution after the dance, if that makes sense. Thank you so much!

Date: 2011-01-09 02:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hollywood-r-bin.livejournal.com
That does make sense. It would be better if there's a resolution, cause that ending was really tragic if it ended with them stuck together in that way. I don't like the idea of Sebastian growing continuously hateful of Ciel whom he once wanted to taste so badly and still do.

Date: 2011-01-09 10:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
It's fascinating how much the viewer wants to see Sebastian get what he's owed despite his being a demon. That's what the ending of the second series brought home: why do we want that? Why isn't this just, to see a demon thwarted? And in some ways it is, but it's a human inability to conquer the concept of immortality, of forever, that makes us need resolution, so what that open ending does is make a host of new stories available to us, even though we still want to imagine how those all end!

Date: 2011-01-09 03:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hollywood-r-bin.livejournal.com
haha yeah, i wonder about that myself. Why do we want Sebastian to eat Ciel's soul so much?

Your later sentences confuse me though. I'm not sure if it's immortality we have a problem with... in stories where immortality is the resolution then it's not a problem at all, but this one makes immortality leave everything hanging.

Date: 2011-01-09 06:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amanuensis1.livejournal.com
*snickers* I almost put "I'm not sure if I'm still making sense" at the end of that comment, because I realized how convoluted it read. I think that, as mortal humans, when we're confronted with the fictional concept of immortality we still have a need to say, "Immortality, right, gotcha!...So how does it end?" Because we need to process endings, being mortal, and because immortality isn't real. That's me, anyway.

Date: 2011-01-10 03:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hollywood-r-bin.livejournal.com
Hmm... well i think there are stories where characters end with immortality where we don't need another ending, there could be more story to it but that's optional... like, just because it's not 'the end' of the story for the character, doesn't mean it's not the end of the story... i just find it painfully tragic for Ciel and Sebastian to end in that way they I don't want it to end that way. Its probably more to do with my Ciel/Sebastian ship love than any issue concerning immortality, at least on my end :p

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