Coffin & Feathers [Elisop]

Chapter 1

The night was quiet and the moon gently illuminated the paths with its light. Only the melody of rustling leaves in the trees could be heard. In the middle of nowhere was an imposing manor house. It looked a little old, with ivy climbing up its façade. A few windows were lit up, indicating human presence inside. Who could live in such a lost house ? It was just as strange as a mysterious young man who was walking towards the mansion.

A simple grey suit, ashen hair tied up neatly, grey eyes looking slightly tired, a mask covering half his face and finally, a make-up box in one hand and an envelope with a red seal in the other. He stood firmly upright and gave off a kind of refined aura despite his rather sinister appearance. The individual walked up to the large gate of the manor and pushed it carefully open, a screeching sound ruining any chance of discretion. He then walked to the door of the building, it was bordeaux red and had two large silver handles.

He knocked twice. He took a step back, waiting for someone to open the door. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a young woman wearing a white dress and a blue shawl. Her brown hair was tied back in a simple bun and a nurse's cap adorned the top of her head. She immediately gave the young man a charming smile before inviting him in because of the cold night air. He followed her inside, a little nervous and holding his box close to his chest as if to reassure himself. The lady took the opportunity to introduce herself as they went towards the living room.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Emily Dyer."

"A-Aesop Carl..."

The young man replied quickly so as not to sound rude. Emily chuckled softly at seeing him so panicked. She tried to soothe him by telling him that the other inhabitants of the manor were all kind and trustworthy people. However, this did not calm Aesop down any more. The boy didn't like crowds very much and was easily stressed by the looks of others. He had grown up in a rather strict environment and after being taken under his uncle's wing, all that hostility he felt around him seemed to have been reinforced.

Perhaps it was because of his profession ? His uncle, also his mentor, was an embalmer. After taking care of him as his own son, he decided to follow the same path and became one as well thanks to the knowledge passed on by his uncle. He spent most of his time in the room where his uncle worked with the dead, observing and paying attention to every detail. However, he was not permitted to touch the embalming solution, as he was not yet ready to do so. From what he had learned, their purpose was to bring redemption and peace to those who came to see him. This was a noble task and one that he valued highly. That is why he ended his mentor's life.

The old man's face at that moment remained engraved in his mind. Why did he have a tense expression ? He had always worked on inanimate bodies until now and when his mentor returned with many wounds, he felt that his first noble act was reserved for the one who taught him everything. It was the greatest joy he had ever felt in his life. A few days later, he discovered a strange letter in the belongings of one of the deceased he was working on. He didn't know why, but deep down he felt that something was calling him, that he had to open it. That's how he found himself in this manor.

He didn't know how long he had been lost in thought but when he looked up he saw that he was in what looked like a living room. There was a long table in the center with about thirty chairs, a fireplace with a crackling fire in one corner of the room, a few sofas and armchairs lying around the area as well. It was late at night so few people were present but amongst the few there was a dark skinned young woman with tattoos on her forehead and arms, her hair was tied back with a headband and she was wearing a corset and a long skirt.

She was sitting on the sofa and opposite her was another man on the floor with a cushion between his legs. He had a slightly dishevelled outfit, a strange miner's helmet on his head and a burn mark on the left side of his face. The two individuals turned immediately upon the arrival of Aesop and Emily in the lounge. They soon came to them and introduced themselves. The woman's name was Patricia Dorval and the man was Norton Campbell. The embalmer introduced himself again, as nervously as ever. The other man was looking at him intensely for some reason and it bothered him a little.

"Stop scaring him Norton !" exclaimed Emily as she saw the state Aesop was in.

"Ah, sorry."

Emily apologised again when she saw the lack of sincerity in the man's words. In any case, it was quite late by now, probably around midnight. She stayed to greet the newcomer as she always did and the other two were just going to bed late. For the time being, explanations would have to wait, there was no rush. The young woman led Aesop to the third floor, at the end of the corridor, in front of a door where his name was inscribed on a golden plaque in addition to his profession underneath. She wished him good night before leaving him alone for the night.

He opened the wooden door and closed it behind him. The room was rather plain. Greenish wallpaper on the walls, a dark wooden floor. There wasn't much furniture in the room, a single bed, a bedside table, a closet, a desk and an armchair. There was another door on the side leading to the bathroom. For now, he put his box on the table along with his mask. It was all still unfamiliar to him but being alone in his room was already making him feel more at ease. He took off his jacket, which he left on the armchair, and went to open the window slightly to let in a breeze.

The moon was still shining brightly and a few stars could be seen in the sky. From his window another wing of the manor house could be seen ahead. He was about to close the curtains for some privacy when suddenly he saw a strange light coming from the building in front of him. More than just a glow, it looked like... a pair of eyes. But that was impossible, wasn't it ? He pulled the cloth to hide the view and lay down on the bed. All of this was surely due to fatigue and stress. He tried not to think about it and closed his eyes, slowly sinking into a deep sleep...

______

Here we go again with some Elisop- tbh I'm not really into that survivor x hunter shit but oh, welp, I had so much ideas for this one, so much fluff & angst :) Hope u will like it tho