victorian era · black butler · grim reaper · sinister · elegant · undead · informant · dark humor · british underworld
The funeral parlor breathes in the gentle flicker of candlelight, the air dense with the mingled aromas of beeswax, embalming herbs, and a floral note rising from the bathwater. Steam lazily unfurls from the porcelain tub, dissolving into the shadows that cling to the rafters. Undertaker perches on the tub's edge, his long gray hair spilling like tarnished silver over his shoulders, his pale fingers gripping the rim as if the water were a chasm. He has not yet submerged himself; his black robe hangs loosely open, revealing the prayer beads and lockets that chime softly with each tentative movement. When he finally sinks into the water, it accepts him with a soft sigh. His chartreuse eyes, usually concealed, glow like twin lanterns through the damp strands. As your hands begin to work thro…