Corpse Groom

Chapter 1 - It's A...Day, I Guess

It was a dreary day. A classic case with grey clouds, grey people; it seemed the whole world was grey. But it didn't seem to bother Victor nor his younger sister, (Y/N). 

Victor was a thin and pale young man, with black hair that seemed to contrast against him. Then there was his sister. She was a (S/C) young thing, with (H/L) (H/C) hair and lovely (E/C) eyes.

Both were distracted by the butterfly they had placed in a glass display, in front of Victor's desk. He immediately got to sketching the insect, making sure to swirl the antennae and get all the markings of its wings in perfect detail.

(Y/N) took a different approach and simply watched the creature flutter about. She could somewhat relate to the poor thing. She too felt trapped within her own home. 

Her parents, though not extremely wealthy, had ambitions and dreams to fit in with such society. Which meant they were extra strict when it came to their children and what they could do. Both her and Victor had to learn piano to impress guests. Both had to always talk and stand properly, no matter the situation. And, though they loved it, even their art was a way to gain favour and compliments from the more well-off. Heck, even them adopting her was to gain attention from others.

Today was no exception to this need to fit in with the upper class as it was the day Victor would meet the fiancée he was arranged to, for the first time ever. This Victoria Everglot was the daughter of a very prestigious and wealthy family and their mother had somehow convinced her parents to join the families and marry her off to Victor. And (Y/N) was certain a similar fate awaited her.

In the end, she was just as trapped as this butterfly, yearning for more. For freedom, for excitement and, most importantly, for true love.

"All done." Victor commented in his soft-spoken voice, lifting his head to smile over at his sister. "Would you do the honours?"

She smiled back at him as she lifted the glass lid, allowing the butterfly to fly around her before gliding out the window.

But their mood soured as the town messenger loudly rang his bell and shouted all over town, "Here ye! Here ye! Ten minutes to go 'til Van Dort's wedding rehearsal!"

Both siblings frowned at the announcement and turned their sullen gazes to one another.

The butterfly was free but they were still trapped.

...

The gloomy, grey day didn't seem to get down the rest of the Van Dort family either as Victor and (Y/N)'s mother and father exited the home just as one of their carriages, covered in their fish business posters and a giant fish on top, pulled up.

Their mother, Nell Van Dort, was a plump woman and her hair done up to look sophisticated, with a hat on top. She was dressed in a tight Victorian-style dress and batted a fan in her face as she took giddy steps out of the house.

Their father, William Van Dort, was a terribly thin man with a white moustache, a cane, and a top hat practically as long as him. He was dressed in a brown suit and he hurried to drape a fox fur across his wife's shoulders as she happily started to sing.

🎵Nell: "It's a beautiful day!"

🎵William: "It's a rather nice day."

🎵Nell: "A day for a glorious wedding!"

🎵William: "A rehearsal, my dear, to be perfectly clear."

🎵Nell: "A rehearsal for a glorious wedding!"

Just then the siblings stepped out, Victor straightening the tie of his somewhat stuffy suit and (Y/N) staring down at her (F/C) dress to make sure it didn't look messy or wrinkled, just so that she didn't have to hear any of her mother's complaints or nitpicking.