Chapter Text
Dread. The uneasy feeling one gets when awaiting something with intense apprehension, and in severe cases, a paralyzing fear. Like an icy touch, it can shoot up the nerves and cause one to shiver like a madman in the middle of even the hottest summers.
Within the bowels of a dense forest, nestled in the tangled halls of a manor, resided the dutiful Sebastian Michaelis polishing silverware. His gloved hands moved skillfully, holding a cloth and wiping a spoon which had a particularly stubborn stain of food, refusing to get cleaned. However, the ever persistent butler wouldn’t let that small obstacle deter him, continuing to rub away the stain until the spoon caught the light of the sun’s rays through the window, reflecting them in a spectacular beam. The corners of his mouth curved into a satisfied grin, placing the piece of silverware into its designated drawer, fitting in perfectly with the stacks of spoons already in there.
Alas, no matter how much dishware he polished, or how many chores he completed around the manor, nothing could distract him from the ever present sense of dread gnawing at his core. He took a break from his monotonous actions to just stare out one of the windows in the kitchen, his sharp gaze scanning the wide expanse of trees that decorated the forest bordering the garden. He pressed his palms against the windowsill as he leaned forward, excusing his actions as checking for any possible threats, when in reality it all stemmed from an immeasurable amount of anxiety creeping up his veins and rooting deep in his mind.
In the perfectly tended garden he could see Finny frolicking about in the grass, taking a break from his gardening activities. This caused Sebastian to sigh, rubbing his temples with gloved fingers and closing his eyes. He didn’t know whether to just leave the boy alone or go out and set him straight, but since the garden seemed in good shape, he begrudgingly decided against interrupting Finny’s boyish activities.
Sebastian pushed himself away from the windowsill, walking out of the kitchen and towards the library. His wandering was mostly aimless, deciding that he would just complete random chores he saw unfinished around the manor. He straightened his posture and kept his focus on the sounds he could hear in the normally dull manor. The soft clacking of his shoes against the hard floor, the soft whistling of the breeze outside, the quiet rustling of papers from Ciel’s study.
He inhaled sharply, breathing out a deep sigh as he entered the quiet library, the room completely empty. He paced throughout the bookshelves and did some dusting, the duster gliding lazily over the rows of assorted books as his mind drifted more and more into the realm of his thoughts. He was pulled back into reality when a book that was haphazardly placed on the shelf fell at his feet, a small cloud of dust escaping its pages, yellow with age.
Puzzled and mildly annoyed at his carelessness, Sebastian bent down and picked up the book, examining its contents and cover curiously. On the cover in big golden letters read “Ravens” with a picture of a raven etched into the black cover in the same gold color. He scoffed, rolling his eyes and opening up the book to peruse its contents despite his initial uninterested reaction.
“Ravens oftentimes form symbiotic relationships with wolves in the wild, the ravens providing guidance to the wolves and in return getting a share of the wolves’s hunt.” He read aloud, acting as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard in all his years of living. He let out a soft chuckle, trying to be as quiet as possible in the already silent room as he read over the passage once more.
“Ridiculous.” He snapped the book shut and placed it back on the shelf, finishing up his work in the library fairly quickly. Once he was done, he stood in the very center of the room to observe what he had completed, his blood red eyes scanning every nook and cranny of the space. Everything was spotless, from the countless amount of books lining the shelves to every surface void of any dust, perfection at its finest.
“Finally.” He murmured, before his mind once again began to swirl with countless anxiety riddled thoughts. He tensed up immediately at the sudden wave of uncertainty, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His senses being bombarded was a feeling he was used to, the gentle hold of his worries oftentimes accompanying him throughout his day to day life. However, what he was feeling at that moment was incredibly different from his usual bouts, but instead was the very same dread from before.
He stifled a groan of sheer annoyance at the unwelcome reminder of his unnecessary feelings, instead letting out an exasperated sigh. These thoughts brought on yet another aimless walk around the manor, this time keeping tabs on everyone there and what they were accomplishing. Bard was in the kitchen as usual, however for once he seemed to be behaving himself and keeping his distance from explosives. Mey-Rin was busy dusting one of the many guest rooms, her glasses practically sliding off her face before she pushed them back hurriedly.
Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. He thought to himself, straightening his posture as he continued on his lengthy walk. He looked to the side at the paintings of former lords and ladies of the manor, his eyes narrowing in concentration. A long lineage of powerful nobles, he couldn’t afford to let down his job in caring for both the young master and the wellbeing of the manor. Not for himself, not for anyone, and certainly not for his unreasonable anxieties.
It was at that moment that his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by his name being called from Ciel’s office by none other than the young earl himself. He silently appreciated the distraction and made his way upstairs, his footsteps deliberately quiet, as if he wanted every move he made to be undetected. He approached the doors of the room and opened them slowly, peering inside the spacious room before laying his eyes on Ciel. But instead of at his desk as usual, the boy was standing in front of the window, looking outside with an incredibly puzzled expression.
“You summoned me?” Sebastian inquired as he stepped into the room, the door shutting behind him with a quiet thud. However, Ciel’s response consisted only of pointing out the window he was so entranced by, no words escaping his mouth. Sebastian, confused, walked over and stood beside the young lord, peering outside to see what all the fuss was about.
Finny was still running around in the field outside, this time chasing after a rabbit that had trespassed onto the manor grounds. Sebastian, still incredibly confused at why Ciel would be so distraught by his servant chasing a rabbit, started looking around the outside scenery. He eventually spotted the presumed source of the sudden interest in the outside: the skies above. The clouds that were just moments ago a tranquil white now merged into a dark gray vortex right above the manor, low rumbles of thunder shaking the ground.
“Is this the work of a demon?” Ciel asked in bewilderment, holding onto his desk to keep himself from being thrown off his own feet. Sebastian responded with a distracted shake of his head, somehow remaining perfectly still despite how aggressive the shaking was. Books fell from their shelves, Sebastian wincing as he realized he would have to reorganize the entire library after they figured out what was going on.
Then, as quickly as it had started, the violent shaking ceased. Sebastian quickly exited the room, sprinting outside to see the vortex of clouds himself. Once he left the manor, he was almost blown off his feet by fierce winds that had kicked up, putting a hand in front of his face so that he could squint through the storm. He pushed through the chaos, keeping his feet planted as he made his way to the field where Finny was previously playing, the boy having retreated inside once the storm had begun. He looked up at the cloudy vortex, furious winds whipping his face while he attempted to find the source of the sudden chaos.
Suddenly, a beacon of blinding light blazed down from the eye of the vortex, connecting with the ground right in front of Sebastian and sending him flying a few feet. He landed on his back with a thud, quickly scrambling up, his eyes wide with alarm. To catch him by surprise was one thing, but to knock him off balance was something else entirely, something he blamed on his distracted mind.
Damn it! He thought, whipping his head directly at the center of the vortex, his regularly aloof expression contorted with pure anger. However, he was caught entirely off guard when he saw a woman descending from the vortex, enveloped in glorious sunlight. The wind began to subside the closer she got to the ground, both of these factors helping Sebastian pick out her features.
She had short dark brown hair that was styled into neat curls, an azure blue hat with a peculiar orange and gray feather nestled atop her head. Her cheeks were a rosy red, and her lips a deep crimson, contrasting against her cerulean eyes. She was wearing a simple dark sapphire dress with a deep red bow tie, and held herself with such grace that Sebastian felt he couldn’t get close to her even if he wanted. The most peculiar thing about her however, was the fact that she seemed to be floating down with an umbrella in her hand.
She was beautiful.
The dread that was once prescient in Sebastian’s subconscious progressively chipped away the closer she got to the ground, and once she finally landed, the weight that clouded his mind had entirely dissipated. The storm that was brewing above had also ceased entirely, leaving in its wake a sickeningly sunny day and the mysterious woman who was now standing in the yard. Sebastian was flabbergasted by the series of events, standing there with messy hair and a muddy coat from his tumble. Ciel had grown impatient waiting for his butler to return and now made his way outside, standing next to a bedraggled Sebastian.
“What the deuce is going on over here?” The boy asked, looking over at his butler then looking at the mysterious woman who had emerged from the vortex. Sebastian barely acknowledged Ciel’s presence, staring intensely at the woman who was now walking towards them. Although he was sure he had never seen anyone like her in all his years of life, he couldn’t help the fact that he felt like the two were at the very least acquaintances at one point in their lifetimes.
At the same time, he just couldn’t shake how she appeared to float with every step she took closer to where he was standing. She stopped at a normal distance away from him, her eyes gleaming with such wonderful joy that he couldn’t look away. His heart thundered from within his chest the more he studied her, a faint curiosity turned into something else entirely. This newfound feeling quickly rooted itself where the dread had been once before, and shot through his nerves. He could’ve sworn that the ends of his extremities began to burn, however that was more likely than not the doing of his own mind. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his subconscious, refusing to engage with them any further than he had to.
“Who are you?” He inquired, straightening himself up despite how rough his appearance seemed. The woman’s expression flickered from one of collected poise to one of uncertainty, her eyes narrowing for a quick second as she studied Sebastian. His heart once again began to pick up speed, however he didn’t let it show on his face, instead just standing up straighter than before. But as quickly as it had arrived, the hesitancy present in her face disappeared, replaced with her usual elegance. She looked from the butler she was studying moments before to the boy next to him, closing her umbrella and holding it as if it were a cane.
“My name is Mary Poppins, and I believe I’ve been summoned.”