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video | un: undertaker

[Undertaker pops on screen, looking like his usual self. Smiles all around, hair veiling his eyes, dark though not black clothing. He has mastered the phone-thing as of some time ago, but he hasn't had any real reason to need to use it until now.]

[Now, he has a message.]

I understand there's to be a special holiday coming up around these parts. Hygge, it's called. They say it's about family and friends, whoever you might be.

[He shrugs, grinning a little more, and though it might look wild on him, it's not entirely unfriendly.] So here's what I'd like to do. Some of you know me from the little cafe on the corner, some of you don't at all. If or not we've ever met and you feel so inclined, I've a kitchen in my house what needs using and a want to make all the hot cocoa we can handle. Stop on by and I'll welcome you to a cup of it.

[He has directions for the house, if anyone needs it. Then, with a tip of his hat, Undertaker ends the feed, leaving the invitation open to any who might take it.]

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[His hair is long enough it has tickled him just as well time and time again, but it's something he has had to live with while he let it grow out. It wasn't always as long as it is now, but those growing pains come with everything, regardless of individual or time or place.]

[He doesn't blame Vincent for leaning back and away from the mess.]

Oh, but she was. You know as well as I do that women have so little choice when it comes to the way their lives go in our time. She was willful and strong, but she also was betrothed.

{Who knows what Vincent might have done with his if given enough time. He likes his hair on the longer side of respectable - or so Franny tells him constantly - so who knows? He might have grown it out all the way. For now it adds to his mystery~~, which attracts those like Kelvin~~.}

I gave Rachel a choice. We were a good match - everything was as it should be - but if she did not love me then there was no point to it.

{He stretches out his legs and smiles.} She loved you.

[That would have been interesting to see. Vincent with his hair at a length, bound at the back of his head.]

You're also a considerate man, and you have some sway in who you marry as such. Husbands and wives don't often marry for love, they marry for convenience or political or social advantage. The woman I loved was a victim of the same, but she turned it to her advantage, as any smart woman in her position would do. She was attracted to me for certain, but she would never say she loved me, and she would never let me tell her I loved her. We both knew where she would be in the end and she didn't want either of us to regret it. So I gave her and she gave me one night. We loved as if it would never end. [He shrugged.] I never imagined what would come of it.

[He hesitated.] Or, rather, who.

Edited 2017-12-05 03:44 (UTC)

{The tale is too romantic for him to not be moved by it. There are also some curious similarities to his own situation. He favored his mother from birth, yet one would think there would be some resemblance to his father too. However there never was even the tiniest speck of familiarity. After Claudia died, Vincent became even more estranged from his father, finding it difficult - if not impossible - to feel affection for him.

The feeling seemed to be mutual too. He had told Rachel everything and they had decided that he would be very involved in their children's lives. He wouldn't be cold like his father had been - and their children would most certainly favor them both. Once he had seen and held his little twins, Vincent had begun considering a new possibility.

What if his father wasn't his father? Claudia was indeed a willful woman and she knew her mind without question. He took after her in most aspects except...a few.}

...did she know you fathered the child?

[He tilted his head, casting his gaze aside for a a short time as he considered the thought. If Claudia knew, she never mentioned it to him, but he had a suspicion that she thought her son the legitimate child of her husband, if for no other reason than to preserve the family line.]

In truth, I will never be sure if she knew. I've lived a long, long life, but I've never once fathered offspring until my son came along. I may not have known that he was my own until... [Again, he hesitated, for the first time in a long time, felt a nervousness creep in on him, despite the easy smile on his features.] Well. He started seeing things he shouldn't have.

{It's easy to say something is a coincidence and leave it at that. Vincent has a sneaking suspicion Undertaker would allow him to be that willfully ignorant. But he isn't that sort of person.

Neither of them are, really.} ...like strange men in suits? {Is it possible that his father - his true father - has been under his nose this whole time?}

Undertaker, I do not think your name is all that fitting anymore.

[Somehow, he'd seen that going far worse in an irrational and not entirely sane part of his mind. But he shakes it aside with a rustle of his hair and forces a wider grin from himself.] Something like that.

[He had no other reason to tell Vincent than that he'd wanted the man to know, for himself. It was a selfish reason, but it would explain something that the Earl had been seeing for who knew how long.] All those times your father told you that you were crazy for seeing what you did, now you know you weren't. But don't you dare start calling me what I think you mean, and I mean that. I didn't raise you, I was never there for you. I don't deserve it. Your name and title are yours and you'd best not let this try to take that from you.

{He is a little too old for teenage outbursts. Besides Undertaker is answering many old questions and since he is fond of him already, this is not something that causes him grief.}

He and I rarely saw eye to eye. {He smiles through the pain; he has long since accepted that he was not the favored child.} After mother passed, it was just...worse. We were almost complete strangers. But I had Franny so it didn't matter.

{Then he had completed school, befriended Diedrich amongst others and married Rachel. The Phantomhive estates fell to him - they had belonged to Claudia and she had named him her heir. All went a little too smoothly.}

I can't rightly say when he died. Does that make me a horrible son? {Maybe. He is horrible for other reasons too.}

I wouldn't say you were never there for me.

[In that, he feels a flash of renewed regret, more than what he carries having estranged himself from all but the Phantomhive's mortician and informant all this time while he had a son in and among them. He hadn't been terribly close to Claudia's husband, more the tool to be used than the confidant Vincent made him to be. It was no wonder Claudia was hesitant to wed, but it was beyond her control.]

You did as you were meant to do as the Phantomhive heir, and I hear your people love you far better than the former Earl. That's more than can be said of your father. Sure, he kept business running, but he wasn't kind about it. I wouldn't say you're a horrible son for distancing yourself.

[He shook his head, wanting to argue the rest, but kept his silence on it. He hadn't been there for Vincent or his step sister, not in the ways a father should be there for his child. He himself had been raised better than that, but time had certainly changed him.]

{Some part of him - some little speck of the child he used to be - gives into a whim, then. He leans in and rests his forehead against Undertaker's shoulder, eyes closed. Yes, there is that feeling of being appreciated and protected. Even if his friend and confidante did nothing else for him, this is more than his father ever did.}

I was lucky. Right when I needed it most, my friends and my wife-to-be closed in around me. Franny was there too, distracting me with being the best Earl possible. I think I disappointed her more often than not, but I am myself. I cannot pretend to be anyone else and I will not do something that is at odds with who I am.

{He lifts his head slowly.} I have no wish to distance myself from you.

[Following that whim, he tilts his head against Vincent's and lets the man stay there as long as he wants. Leaving himself to balance against hand, he lifts the other to stroke a line from the back of the Earl's neck down to a shoulder blade and leaves it there until Vincent wants to pull away.]

They're all good people. You've a lot of your mother in you, but they did well to help you as you grew. I've no doubt you helped them just as much. It's what you do, as little or well as I know you. If you had become anything other than what you are, I might find myself disappointed in you for your mother's sake.

[When Vincent pulls back, he separates himself without protest, even if a piece of himself doesn't want the air between them now more than anything.] I'll thank you for that, if for nothing else, then for your son's sake.

{The kindness Undertaker shows isn't at random or without meaning. Vincent finally understands that it stems from a bond they have shared since the beginning. He cherishes that bond even if Undertaker does not want the title that generally goes with it. Words can be misunderstood or lies; he will hold onto this feeling instead.}

I rely on others and they rely on me. I am not above anyone; we all have roles to play. {He had informed the twins of their place on the estate and what would be expected of them.} So you are not disappointed?

{He feels a spot of warmth in his chest and though he pulls back, his smile is more open and more honest.}

Should I tell him?

Edited 2017-12-05 05:36 (UTC)

[He leans back against his palms on the bedding, humming in thought.] No, no. I jest. I've never been disappointed in you and you've all the right in the world to dismiss that if I was. All I would ask of you is to let me be as I always have been to you. I will be no less.

[If he was ever disappointed in either of them, it was himself, but that feeling seems far from here now, farther and farther away the more brilliant Vincent's smile becomes.] Let me tell him, my lord. I won't leave that on your shoulders. He already knows I'm connected to your mother somehow. If I don't tell him, he will find out in time, but now that I've let the cat out of the bag with you, I may as well confess to him.

{His cheeks grow hot and he chuckles bashfully.} Why would I dismiss your opinion? I have held it in high-esteem for this long. {He grows solemn and thinks back on what Undertaker had done for him; for his son.} You are not far off the mark for being a father, though I am hardly one to judge.

{The choice is entirely right and Vincent presses a kiss to Undertaker's cheek.}

I will leave it to you. {Slipping off the bed at last, he pulls on his shoes and makes his way to the door.} Are you hungry?

[He shrugs, a simple enough gesture, and the blush on Vincent pulls at heartstrings.] That would be for you to decide. We've been civil enough all this time and I don't expect that to change, though if it makes you happy, we can both call ourselves terrible fathers and be at peace.

[Another jest. His grin softens when Vincent moves close and kisses his cheek, and he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. It's enough of a change from what they normally do that the surprise takes him a moment to recover from.]

Me? I'm fine, thank you, but I'll be glad to join you for a cup of tea, if you don't mind. [Before he stands, he reaches back behind him for the brush, intent on putting it back on his way downstairs after the Earl.] And thank you again for helping me with this mess of hair on my head.

Oh I think now is the perfect opportunity to begin hating you! {He grins, his comment obviously meant as a jest.} How shall I punish you for being such a terrible father? I am too old for fits or tantrums and I can do as I like without permission... Perhaps the true punishment is in spending time with me at all?

{But he knows that isn't so. He has loved Undertaker for awhile and to have that love verified as the same sort he holds for his mother, well, that just makes him happy.}

I don't mind in the least. {He makes his way down the hall, humming.} I enjoyed the task, so you needn't thank me.

Is it, now? [This is more his element. Banter back and forth has been a love of his for ages, and the grin on him shifts more into his usual humor as he takes the brush back where it's been and... on a whim, he steps and is suddenly downstairs in the kitchen, for none other than to see the reaction from Vincent while he gets the cups down for them and tends to the kettle.]

Oh, whatever am I to do? My own child hates me and now I'm forced to be here with him night and day, looking for ways to free his own son from a terrible fate. I told myself I should have been a better father and now my son has become me, a terrible father himself, wanting to help me with the young Earl. My legacy is doomed!

{One minute Undertaker is there, behind him, and the next, he is...nowhere? No! Vincent tilts his head, amazed when he hears someone moving about in the kitchen below. He is quick to rush down the stairs and into said room, eyes wide.}

Is that a Grim Reaper trick? {A damn good one. He's jealous!} I do not think becoming you is the worst fate! We both know it can be far worse.

{His amazement does not leave him easily and he gives his head a shake.}

I suppose that explains why those men seemed to be there and then...not.

[Okay, so it had been a bit overboard. Really though, he'd wanted to tease. He could never quite get enough of it with Ciel and now that he had Vincent back to poke at, what was he to do? Vincent started it and that was his excuse.]

[Water in kettle, kettle on the stove, he sets the burner as if nothing had happened.] You could call it that. It's not anything I was able to do in life. Have I sufficiently impressed you enough to distract you from hating me? I can do it again, if that's not doing it for you.

{He fights a grin, bowing his head forward. His shoulders shake the slightest bit - it is difficult to contain laughter - but he is able to rein himself in and give Undertaker a quizzical expression.}

Do you truly think you can make up for everything by disappearing on me again?

{His smile this time is gentler and he opens one of the cabinets, pulling out cups and plates.}

If you do disappear, I will just have to find you.

[He makes a show of wincing, though the comment does put a flinch in his chest through his smile.] Ah! A harsh blow, as expected of milord! Your words are sharper than any blade. No wonder you're the Earl and I'm not!

[But there's a chuckle in him yet as he moves to wipe down the table, if for no other reason than to have something to do while he waits for the water to boil.] You could find me no matter where I go, I would bet, but I think we both know you wouldn't have to look far. I have a hard time getting away from you. Must be something from your mother. Was she part magnet, by any chance?

{He has a razor sharp tongue - like someone else (ahem) - and he has trouble holding his punches (mainly because he doesn't and that ends up being the recipient's problem). But though he points out the irony of Undertaker's jest, he does not sound or look the least bit angry.}

You know how to speak to the heart. The only reason you are not Earl is because you did not wish to be.

{He brings the plates and cups to the table, arranging them neatly.} Is it terribly silly that I still do not wish for you to leave?

{The comment has him smirking.} She never told you? She possessed a magnet that drew in those with supernatural abilities. I think you more than qualify!

[Rather than sit at the table, he folds his arms across the back of one chair and leans into it, putting it on two legs for the moment as he watches Vincent set the dishes. Why there are two sets here, he doesn't know. Does the Earl mean to feed him anyway or is he waiting for his young son?]

Goodness, no. Why would I want to be? All that attention on me all the time. I did mention I'm trying to hide from certain figures, didn't I?

[Joking aside, he never had been born into noble life and out of it, past what he had with Claudia, he would stay. One more reason their affair was kept secret and his distance from Vincent had to be what it was. Bad enough that a noblewoman had slept with someone not her husband.]

[Playfully, he bopped his forehead with his palm.] Now that explains it. But I don't find it silly that you want me to stay. I'd like to remain here, near you and your son, just as well.

{Tea usually includes a snack, does it not? Cookies or cakes - and a plate makes that less of a messy affair. As far as Ciel is concerned, Vincent will spend any time he can with him, but he is also doing his best to not push.}

I don't mind it. {The attention, that is.} I ignore the majority of it. Few opinions truly matter when you think about it. The rest is just noise.

{Except... He should have seen trouble coming. He wishes he could go back in time and see what he missed.}

The surname didn't tip you off? Phantomhive? {His eyes sparkle and he moves back into the kitchen to search for cookies or cake. Even sandwiches would be appropriate.} He would be very unhappy if you left. ...as would I.

[He'll let Vincent choose what he wants from the cabinets unhindered. The man knows his way around the kitchen well enough, and it's as much Vincent's as it is his anyway.]

Indeed. I've cared for little in the way of opinions for myself outside of my employment. [In the funeral home and with the Phantomhives just the same. His mannerisms said as much for him.]

Might have. I knew your mother in passing before she was married, but I supported her fiancee and knew well enough what I was getting myself into with that one. [In a way, he thought he owed the man some thanks. He was the one who introduced them, but that was long ago and Undertaker hadn't had good or ill feelings for the Earl beyond business acquaintance either way. He bows his head at that mention though, and sets the chair back down to go tend the kettle as it starts screaming at them.]

I might as well. My name is still on part of this place, if nothing else. To be honest with you though, it gets terribly lonely if I'm away from either of you. After everything we've been through here, it's become something of a habit.

Speaking of habit, your rest earlier during your nap. I've noticed your son has a difficult time sleeping without me near. If you've the same inclinations, I don't mind letting you use me as a sleep aid. Nothing wrong with it.

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