#Lizzie got treated better when she lost Sebastian

[winnie-the-monster]

You ever think about how in one way or another Hope has been grieving her whole life. And then get even more disgusted(and in my case just the tiniest bit murderous)at how she was treated in legacies when it came to her grief. Bc I do all the time. If they weren’t dismissive of it and how she feels, they were acting as if there was some type of time limit on grief. Like Hope has been grieving the loss of her loved ones since she was seven. She deserved to be treated better than that, and not have people tell her “it’s called grieving, Hope, you should try it sometime” or “this is good, this is letting go.”

[abybweisse]

Kuro is series that everyone knows it but it's also really underrated? Cuz most people have watched the anime but a few people really follow the manga😕also I think ot really has great charecter writing,and none of them are plain,even the strongest ones has their own weaknesses which I think is really cool( sorry for my bad english:)

Interesting series

When I tell people that I blog about a manga, they ask me which one. I say "Kuroshitsuji, which is better known as Black Butler". They say "Oh that one. Yeah, I watched some of the anime." And I have to explain how the anime diverges, and how the manga is better, imo. Because usually they have already said the anime wasn't their cup of tea, etc.

And it's true that none of the characters are simplistic or all good/all bad. The Viscount of Druitt gets on his nephew's case for being rude to a young lady. Kelvin probably had his heart in the right place when he first got into philanthropy. Heathfield misses his dead wife and daughter. Sieglinde's mother loved the man who fathered their child and wanted their daughter to be happy with her life (even though it ended up including harming and manipulating her); she loved her country, too. Even the circus doctor might have started out truly caring about his patients and humans, in general. Each of them lost their way. Quite entirely, and none of those people seem redeemable. But even they are not completely one-sided.

And there are no true Mary Sue characters... their only inherent flaw being their flawlessness. You would think Sebastian, as the title character, could be treated like one, and occasionally he gets that treatment within the story, but there's always something or someone that reminds him of his own imperfections. Both of the "Ciel" boys are highly flawed. Lizzie, Edward, and Francis/Francis, too. Agni was self-admittedly terrible until he was given a second chance. Soma is talented but full of himself and makes terribly rash decisions. Vincent and Rachel are flawed. The only regular character that hasn't been shown to have any major flaws, so far, might be Alexis! But we honestly haven't seen much of him, so I'm sure he has at least one. Tanaka? Flawed. The reapers? All of them inherently flawed. No one is perfect. And that's great.

But what about John Brown and Charles Phipps?

I think they'll end up flawed, too, especially Brown....

[animeyanderelover]

R!Ciel and O!Ciel fighting for childhood female darling (Do you think they could share?)

Here again, please keep in mind that I’m not completely finished with the manga yet.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, manipulation, paranoia, threatening, blackmailing, bribing, controlling behavior, sabotage, kidnapping

R!Ciel and O!Ciel fighting over their childhood friend

☕️🍵I don't think they would be able to share, at least not with both of the twins agreeing willingly or even reluctantly. Ciel thinks that he has the right to be the heir of the Phantomhive manor since he fulfilled all the duties of one the last four years whilst his brother wasn't there. He was clearly enraged due to the inauspicious return of his older brother and declared war to him by dismantling one of the blood factories which "Ciel" needs to function. He is exceedingly competitive and doesn't stop fighting until a victor is declared. It's the same with fighting over the same darling

☕🍵"Ciel" on the other hand desires a rivalry between his brother and was somewhat excited when finding out about the blood factory. On the other hand he seems to have an obsession over his little brother and it probably intensified after after he became a Bizarre Doll. Such creatures run on their past dreams and "Ciel's" past dream used to be with his little brother and the darling. So his obsession became stronger too, for both the darling and Ciel. He still wants to be with his brother, but after he nearly died and was saved from Undertaker, he became so much more willing to cause his little brother great troubles. I can see him planning to win against his brother, for the position of the heir of the Phantomhive and the darling, and afterwards get his hands on his brother as well and controlling and keeping them both for himself. Despite all he does still care for his brother, in a twisted sense, but it's there! He would still not be above taunting his brother if he should win.

☕🍵Even when all of you were younger, "Ciel" was already very possessive of the both of you. He was most likely more lenient with letting his brother spent time with you since Ciel suffered from asthma and for that couldn't leave the house for a longer time until it slowly got better and he was able to leave the house more often too. "Ciel" wanted to protect you even back then, together with his brother you were very important to him. I do not doubt that he might have liked you even back then, just like his younger brother did. Back then Ciel had a bit more of an advantage, most likely because he wasn't engaged to Lizzy. So the small boy sometimes talked that he wanted to marry you later on since you were together with his older brother one of the very few people who he was able to play and spent time with. He shared maybe the dream of opening a toy store in England together with you.

☕🍵"Ciel" was jealous because of this all, because his little brother and the girl he liked didn't have to be forced into the things he had to do. His partne had already been chosen, his life was already decided. He cared for his brother and knew that Ciel liked you, but he got jealous nevertheless and it might have led him to pleading his father if he could eventually not be the fiancé of Elizabeth, but with you. He had this dream of marrying you, just like his brother had. His parents most likely knew about his and Ciel's love of you and it worried them a bit. But separating you from the twins was a bad idea. "Ciel" would express his frustration an his anger and Ciel would be saddened and in a bad mood with his older brother reassuring him that you'll come back to them.

☕🍵But "Ciel" was from a very early age on just so much more charming than his younger brother was. He was more open, more playful, more fun to be with and could do much more with you than his brother could. It made Ciel worry a lot, knowing that due to his sickness he couldn't do all the things his brother could do. Due to that he always clinged somewhat onto you whenever you were with him. He was insecure, knowing that his brother was more of a fitting partner you might later on desire than him and due to that like him better later on that him.

☕🍵After "Ciel" died, his brother took his identity and the name of the Earl of Phantomhive. He had become a more cold and cruel individual. He had lost his brother and went through a terrifying experience which made him much more possessive over his childhood friend. He most likely managed to break off the engagement, using Sebastian as a way to set up rumors which led to the Midford's and him ending the engagement. He would be very smart about it just like his brother would be, though he would be more colder about it. I think since you knew them since childhood, you might realize that this isn't the real Ciel, but his little brother. And Ciel himself wouldn't want to keep this a secret for too long either. He had to go as a child through the fear of the darling potentially ending up liking "Ciel" more than him and whilst he didn't plan on his brother to die, he takes this advantage to make the darling his.

☕🍵He most likely kidnapped his darling so she wouldn't tell anyone about his real identity and locked her just up in his house with Sebastian and the servants making sure she doesn't escape. The servanta have unswaying loyalty towards their master so they wouldn't really believe you whenever you tell them that this isn't the real Ciel. You're somewhat stuck with Ciel having the upper hand.

☕🍵So the sudden appearance of "Ciel" ruined his plans and if it wouldn't have been for Lau and Ran Mao helping him escape, he would have ended up in a lot more troubles. "Ciel" would be for now the one who has a hold on his darling since she would be really thankful for his appearance since Ciel kept her isolated all for himself and it is also good to finally have the truth spilled out. Whilst "Ciel" isn't necessarily angry with his younger brother taking his identity, he is mad that Ciel treated you the way he did, abusing you directly mentally and being harsh with you. This isn't "Ciel's" style. I don't say he's any better, he is actually the more terrible one. But he is just so much more sly and charming about his way of manipulation and after years of being kept from the world, and since Ciel isn't the best in showing affection and his feelings too openly, the darling is just starved for more human feelings which "Ciel" uses to his advantage.

☕🍵He brings his darling into staying isolated anyways, whatever love he held beforehand for her became twisted and enhanced due to his transformation into a Bizarre Doll, though he doesn't tell his darling from this so she doesn't feel freaked out or scared. But he does uses his sudden physical dysfunction and weakness to guilt-trip her into staying with him. He was for years away and went through too much so it would be no wonder in her mind that he himself is love starved as well. He would be so much smarter about the engagement and use Elizabeth's confused feelings to break off the engagement again, but this time officially since the previous break up wasn't real due to his brother playing his role.

☕🍵He would quickly progress into courting his darling and making her his fiancée. He would just end up confessing his love after just spending time with her and given the circumstances, she might not have the heart to reject him and there is probably also the thought in her mind that this is "Ciel", the charming and caring boy. Nothing like his brother. That's what he is counting on, but in reality he is so much more fearful and terrible than his brother, instead of threatening and blackmailing, he relies more on gaslighting and effective guilt-tripping. He makes you paranoid of the world without you even knowing and you have to attend to him anyways more due to his weakened body.

☕🍵Currently Ciel is in a worse position, mostly because he doesn't have you. He is of now seen as a criminal, but at the very least is not alone. He has all his servants, Ran Mao, Lau and Sebastian by his side. He knows that his brother wants a fight, over power just as much as you and Ciel doesn't back exactly off from this. He's frustrated with the current situation and wants to turn the tables around. He knows "Ciel" can only function as long as he has plenty of fresh blood since his body needs it to function. So he plans on starting with cutting off all the places where he gets that blood from to beat him once and for all.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Hey man, I hope you're holding up okay! I was wondering if you'd be down to do reactions for Ciel, Alois, Soma, and Lizzie (either together or separate is totally fine!) having an older sister figure!reader? If you need me to clarify anything or just wanna do one or two of em, that's totally fine! Stay hydrated ♥

this is such a pure concept and I love it so much!!!

you stay hydrated too, and please stay safe, sweetie!

ALOIS

Oh, he loves you so much, so, so much!! You are the best big sister ever and he absolutely adores you! Please don’t ever leave him! You’re the last thing keeping him at least the smallest bit sane. After everything he’s been through, and the fact that he’s already lost his brother, he desperately needs and wants family. He wants love. Now that he’s basically claimed you as his big sister, he’s going to be very clingy with you; basically being the annoying little brother who always wants to tag along with whatever you’re doing. He might occasionally threaten to do bad things if you don’t give him his way… say, he will threaten to strip off his clothes and run naked through the streets if you don’t let him have candy before dinner. But surprisingly, he’ll actually usually apologize and not go through with it, and moreover, he’ll listen to you if you ask him to do something most of the time. He also will always, always want you to sit with him until he falls asleep, and the first thing he does every morning is give you a hug and kiss on the cheek.

CIEL

You might not be his sister by blood, but you can be damn well assured youare his sister. He won’t let anybody doubt that for even a second, nor will he let anybody get away with thinking you don’t mean anything to him. You are probably the single most important person in his life who’s still actually alive, or at least you share that spot with Lizzie. He loves you very much, which is why he tries to keep you out of his more dangerous work. Of course, he can’t really keep it from you, so you usually disregard his warnings if you think you can protect him, much to his frustration. Because he trusts you so much, he shows you his contract mark and tells you everything about Sebastian; and he orders Sebastian to obey any order that you give despite the fact that the demon has no contract with you. (Yet. There’s no saying you won’t form one to keep Ciel safe.) During downtime, he relaxes by playing chess with you, and he will often seek your advice in running Funtom. When there are quiet moments and he needs comfort, he will always come to you in private, seeking a long embrace from his big sister.

LIZZIE

Ooooh, she’s always wanted a big sister, and now she can finally have one!! She’s so excited that she actually got to choose who her big sister would be! It honestly goes without saying that she adores you with all of her heart. From dress-up to makeovers to accompanying her to parties, you’ll be treated to the full gamut of experiences as a big sister. It’s no secret that she loves her big brother Edward too, but secretly she’s always wanted a big sister. After all, she can’t ask Edward for advice about her relationship with Ciel unless she wants to risk her brother razing the whole of London to get revenge on whatever slight he thinks Ciel has committed against Lizzie. She really loves for you to do things like brush and braid her hair, and she’s notshy about letting the whole world know just how much you mean to her. She knows you’ll always be there for her no matter what happens, so she feels like she truly can come to you with anything she needs to talk about.

SOMA

Perhaps you haven’t always been in his life, but you’re here now, and he trusts you with his entire self! Why should it be any different than having a sister he’s known for all his life? Some bonds just don’t work like that. Anyway, at least he thinks it’s better to have you now, because many of the things he finds himself dealing with lately are so much more overwhelming than the things he dealt with as a child. Support is something he’ll always need; especially now when he’s so unsure of himself and his place in the world. You will absolutely have to get along with Agni, which is really no problem since it’s impossible not to. Put the two of you together, and you’ll be an unstoppable force of encouragement for Soma. More than anything, he’ll actually act a bit more spoiled around you than he actually is ― begging you to make cookies or help him with his hair or whatever strikes him in the moment that he wants you to do. He just loves spending time with you and being reminded that he will always have you.

[nicolasnelson]

Sizzie fic - Perchance to Dream [oneshot]

Title: Perchance to Dream Relationship: Lizzie Saltzman/Sebastian Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Sebastian’s POV Words: 2,388

Summary: Sebastian has a dream about Cassandra which scares him. Thankfully Lizzie is there to comfort him, but he wonders how long she will stay by his side.

Requested by @fandommatchmaker19​ // Prompt: Would love a Sizzie one-shot in which Lizzie comforts Sebastian about something.

[AO3 LINK]

Sebastian could see her face in vivid detail, every inch of her as fine as an artist’s masterpiece. Her loving gaze and playful smile invited him in, and she whispered a promise to him.

“I will protect you always.” She kissed his palm and brushed her hair aside, allowing him access to her stunning neck.

“I cannot,” he said, though the temptation burned in his chest. Cassandra always did this to him, teased him with what he could not have.

She scooted closer to him on the bed, wrapping a leg around his torso and pushing her body against his. She slipped the sleeve of her silk gown off her shoulder so her breast pressed against his skin. Soft and warm and oh so tempting.

Sebastian nuzzled his cheek against her neck. His body was taut as he fought to maintain his control. If he broke for even a moment, desire might take over.

“Please, Sebastian,” she pleaded. “Blood will increase your lust. I want to feel all of you, to experience you the way only your victims have.”

“You may not survive it,” Sebastian said, his voice soft and strained. He sounded a little scared, even to his own ears, and maybe he was. It was hard to stop feeding once he started. The only times he managed it were when his victims were less than desirable.

She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his head closer against her neck. “I trust you.”

Sebastian chuckled against her skin. That was a mistake. No one should trust him when he could not even trust himself. The warm, sweet scent of blood tickled his nostrils, and he looked down to see Cassandra had drawn a knife under her collarbone. Red pooled from the cut in rivulets, trickling down onto her exposed breast.

His mouth watered, and he licked his lips. He could feel that his self control was already gone.

Sebastian awoke. He sat up in bed and saw the woman beside him, the long blond hair. He sighed in relief. He hadn’t killed her after all.

“Cassandra, dear,” he whispered and turned her onto her back. Dead eyes stared up, not quite meeting his, and he scrambled backwards off the bed. He hit the floor with a thunk.

And then he opened his eyes and found himself in a different bedroom. He was in bed, a blond woman beside him. It was all so familiar, like he was reliving the same nightmare. He didn’t dare check to see if she was alive.

The room was suffocating him, the floor wobbling beneath his feet. He stumbled to the door and tried the knob, but it wouldn’t turn. Oh, God. He was locked inside.

He slid his back down the cool wood and crumpled up, arms wrapped around his legs. His whole body was shaking, and he felt the tears trickling down his cheeks. Like the blood trickling down Cassandra’s chest. Oh, God. He still remembered the taste on his lips, sweet like strawberries.

“Sebastian, are you okay?”

He jumped, looking up to the blond woman. As his eyes focused on her, a name popped into his head. “Elizabeth.”

He sighed with relief. At least he hadn’t killed her. He hadn’t killed Cassandra either. He knew that now. It was just a dream, a memory, but knowing that didn’t calm him down. He was still on edge, like balancing on a tightrope above a pit of blood.

Elizabeth Saltzman sat down next to him and put a hand on his knee. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. You should go back to sleep.” He gave her a small smile.

Elizabeth laughed. “That was the saddest smile I’ve ever seen. Come on, Sebastian. You can’t keep this inside. I know what that’s like. It’ll just burn you from the inside out.”

“Like your episodes?”

“Exactly. You’ve seen how bad those can be. I don’t want you to go through that too.” She grabbed his hand, which was still shaking, and squeezed his fingers.

There was something soothing about being with Elizabeth. She understood him better than most, and she had the patience to learn more. It hadn’t always been that way. He could remember a time when she hated him, but now they were at a comfortable place. Not lovers, but certainly more than friends. Partners in copulation and the occasional crime.

“It was a dream,” Sebastian said. It felt wrong to say it aloud, like he was lying, because it was so much more than that. “Not a dream. A memory. There was a time I nearly killed Cassandra. I managed to stop myself, but it has always haunted me.”

“The past tends to do that,” Elizabeth said, sighing. “And you have more of it than most.”

Sebastian laughed, but it was soft and self-pitying. “I wish memories were not so long lasting. You would think I would forget after all these years, but I can never forget. Even when I am not actively thinking of them, they influence my actions.”

Elizabeth pulled out her cellular device. “I’ve got a playlist I like to listen to when I think I’m about to have a meltdown. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it helps to get my mind off what’s bothering me.” She hit a button and music sprung forth from the device. She set it on the floor in front of them and leaned her head on Sebastian’s shoulder.

Sebastian squeezed her hand, grateful to have her by his side. The music was indeed soothing. He focused on the words and seeing how he could relate to them. The refrain particularly resonated with him.

I don't know if I can stay strong. Hold on, for too long. I've been lost. I need you here to calm me down. I need you here to calm me.

“Thank you, Elizabeth.”

“You’re welcome.”

They stayed like that through several more songs until Sebastian really did feel calm again. He’d never been able to calm himself down with music before. These fits of anxiety had plagued him for many, many years. They always made him feel like he was dying as a memory replayed in a loop in his head.

But Elizabeth had helped get him out of that loop. He had to do more than thank her with words. He had to show this beautiful creature how much she meant to him. How grateful he was that she had treated him like a person and not a child or someone crazy. She hadn’t seen his anxiety as a weakness at all.

And he’d never seen her struggles with her mental health as a weakness. So why all the self pity? He was strong and capable too. He was allowed to break down sometimes. His life was complicated and difficult. It was a wonder he hadn’t had a big meltdown after waking up in another century.

Everything was still so new, and he was still adjusting. Some things were amazing improvements that made life more convenient, like these devices that played music and relayed messages to other people. Some things were more annoying, like the doors that would open suddenly when you walked near them. Others were downright mind boggling, like the game of matching candy that people played on those devices for hours on end, wasting their lives away, chasing the satisfaction of reaching each new level.

It was a whole new world, and he wanted to make the most of it.

“Can we go for a ride in your vessel?” Sebastian asked.

“Right now?”

Sebastian chuckled. “Why, yes, my dear, it is my time of night after all.”

“We’d have to sneak out,” Elizabeth said, though there was a smile on her face and a glint of mischief in her eyes.

“Add it to our list of crimes, Bonnie.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, laughing. “I should never have shown you that movie. You relate far too much to Clyde.”

“Only for his dedication to Bonnie,” Sebastian said, drinking her in. Elizabeth really was the most wonderful creature he’d ever met.

...

They snuck out through the kitchens in the dorms. Pedro was in there having a snack, but he promised Elizabeth he wouldn’t tell anyone. Sebastian wasn’t sure whether they could trust the small child, but he didn’t really care if they got into trouble. He was used to it by now.

Elizabeth put the top down on the car and drove them through the town and onto the interstate. Sebastian enjoyed the cool air against his face. It reminded him of horse riding, but it was so much smoother and faster, much more exhilarating. He looked over at Elizabeth to see her blond hair whipping all around her like a tumbleweed.

“Oh, hush. Your hair doesn’t look any better,” Elizabeth said when she caught his amused smile in the mirror.

He glanced at himself. The wind was slicking his hair back, much like the 1931 version of Dracula. “This is very old wine. I hope you will like it,” he said, smirking.

Elizabeth barked out a laugh at the reference. “Aren't you drinking?”

“I never drink”—Sebastian paused dramatically—“wine.”

Elizabeth jerked the car to the right and took the exit. She drove into a small patch of woods and parked the car. “Should we put the top back up?”

“Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn,” Sebastian said.

“Oh, God. I love it when you quote Gone with the Wind.” Elizabeth grabbed his neck and pulled him into a hungry kiss.

Her breath still smelled of peppermint toothpaste, and Sebastian found it downright intoxicating. He helped maneuver Elizabeth over the center console so she could straddle his lap. It felt nice to look up at her, like she was some goddess smiling down at him, bestowing kisses upon him like gifts no mortal man deserved.

Sebastian had to remind himself he was no mortal man. He’d made his share of mistakes, but this beauty believed he was worthy of her affection. He had confidence that he looked the part, but he never believed he had the personality to match. All his charm was heavily practiced, as he’d spent years studying (and flirting with) the masters. Kings and prostitutes and everything in between.

Elizabeth pushed her hair behind her shoulder, exposing her neck to him. “Do that thing I like.”

Sebastian was hesitant for a moment as the old fear gripped him, but he obliged, pressing his lips against Elizabeth’s smooth skin. He ran his tongue along the back of her ear, playing in the corner just behind her earlobe. Elizabeth melted in his arms, goose pimples prickling all along her skin as she shivered in delight.

He was still surprised she trusted him to do this. Was she even a little afraid he might be tempted to bite her instead? Or was she like Cassandra, naively trusting he’d be able to stop once he started?

Witches couldn’t know the allure of blood, how it wasn’t like a delicious cake they could eat bit by bit over time. Blood was like wine to an alcoholic, drugs to an addict, that stupid candy game to mindless teenagers. You didn’t have to be a ripper to become consumed by that hunger.

Elizabeth nuzzled her nose against his, pulling him from his thoughts, and he couldn’t help but think instead about how adorable she was. And how unfairly lucky he was to have her in his arms. He wasn’t good enough for her, and she knew it, but she wanted him anyways.

Their lips met again, tongues dancing to the familiar choreography, and he ran his fingers through her hair, marveling at its softness. He imagined transporting her to his time. Not his drab life on the colony, where he was devoted to Cassandra, but the time before he became a vampire. His life in Europe, the elaborate parties he had attended. Elizabeth would look wonderful in one of those ball gowns, with her hair pinned up, that lovely neck on full display. Dainty gloves on her dangerous hands. Pink slippers on her beautiful feet.

Oh how she would have turned heads. He would never have gotten the chance to dance with her then, only to admire from afar.

“I am pleased with how my life has turned out,” Sebastian admitted, a little surprised that he’d uttered the thought aloud.

Elizabeth sat back a little to study his face. “Because of me?”

Sebastian let out a chuckle. “Well, yes, you’re a big part of it. But there’s more to it. If I hadn’t been desiccated in that box, the colonists would have killed me. I never would have gotten the chance to see the twenty-first century, to attend a school of witches, werewolves, vampires, and other things I had never heard of, like tribrids and phoenixes.”

“Well, they are one of a kind,” she said.

Sebastian smiled. “As are you, Elizabeth. I am at an odd place in my life right now. While I am grateful to have the chance to live in this world and interact with you, I fear that all of this will not last. No one in that school trusts me, even after everything I do to help all of you. It feels like I may never earn my place. I am merely being used for my muscles and my vampiric abilities.”

“That is not how I think of you,” Elizabeth assured him.

“Do you think the others will ever change their minds? Or will they continue despising me forever?”

Elizabeth pressed her forehead to his. “Forever is a long time. I think they can warm up to you eventually. I’m doing everything in my power to persuade them.”

Sebastian felt that bubbly happiness in his chest. The kind that made him nervous. Elizabeth was doing so much for him, and all he was doing was helping her when she asked, offering his body to her when she asked.

Maybe it was time he did a favor for her without asking. A gift perhaps, or a special day just for her. An idea was already forming in his mind.

“Elizabeth, how would you feel if I took you on a proper date?”

She blinked in surprise, then smiled sweetly. “I would like that very much.”

[trishbsblog]

‘What sort of a report is this to show your father when he comes home?’ Lizzie Winters looked at her eldest daughter’s school report in dismay. ‘Betty could do better but is lazy and inclined to mock the advice of her teachers…’ she read the first few lines of the Headmistress’ summary to her daughter, who sat at the kitchen table drinking fizzy Vimto through a straw. ‘You’ve got a C-grade in everything but art and for that you’ve got a B+… do you think that’s good enough?’ Betty shrugged and sent her a look of defiance. ‘We can’t all be as brainy as Francie, can we?’ she replied, but though the words were meant to pierce there was no real malice behind them. Because Betty adored her younger sister and had protected her from everyone when they were small. But she had not been able to keep up with her clever sibling and, when Francie had been accepted at a prestigious boarding school that specialised in art, they’d parted with floods of tears from both girls – morefrom Betty than Francie if the truth were known. ‘I don’t need higher maths and sciences for what I want to do, Mum. You didn’t pass a load of exams at school but you’ve done all right for yourself…’ ‘I never had the chance… but then I got taken on at Bert’s workshop and that was my lucky day,’ Lizzie said defensively, because sometimes when Betty looked at her she saw Harry’s eyes gazing back at her and she felt guilty. Was it her fault that Betty was so defiant and so determined to disappoint Sebastian? Did she feel that her parents loved her less than her sister because she was Harry’s daughter and not Sebastian’s? Harry had been Lizzie’s first husband, but their marriage had broken down during the war and he’d died in a terrible accident, only hours before his daughter was born. Betty had never known her true father, and although Sebastian had always loved her and treated her as if she were his, perhaps she’d felt shut out or deprived of a father’s love? ‘I had good friends and then I met Sebastian and he believed in me and my talent… you have the opportunity to do so much more…’ ‘Maybe I’m not as talented as you or Francie,’ Betty said, ‘but you can’t deny that I’m good at making and trimming hats – and clothes. Why won’t you give me a job in your workshops, Mum? It’s all I want to do, for now anyway – and my arithmetic is good enough to work out the cost of a range and the correct mark-up…’ Perhaps Lizzie ought not to be surprised that Betty loved hats and wanted to be involved in the business. Betty had been in and out of the workrooms all her young life, watching the various steps towards making the beautiful hats her mother was now famous for. It was August 1958 and Betty’s eighteenth birthday was in September. She’d had enough of school and exams and wanted to experience life – and Lizzie could hardly blame her. She’d chafed at the bonds that held her back when her aunt had kept her dressed like a schoolgirl long after she’d left school to work in a canteen on the Docks. ‘It’s not what your father wants for you…’ Sebastian had hoped that Betty would learn something useful and find a good job that would take her out into the world and give her the freedom their generation had never had. He didn’t want her to be a workshop girl, because life was different now and Sebastian saw his daughters living fuller more exciting lives. Air travel and foreign holidays were gradually becoming available to anyone with a decent job, and the new motorways made it easier to get from London and the rest of the country. Although they’d had a short period of petrol rationing after the crisis in the Suez canal - that had finished the previous year and the severe shortages had ceased completely in the early fifties making it possible to buy so many lovely things in the shops these days, goods that had been imported from all over the world. It was a different world, an exciting world, and Sebastian intended that his daughters should be free to enjoy all the benefits education could give them. Lizzie half agreed with him, because she knew that running your own business was a hard life, even if you loved it and were talented enough to be successful, but mostly she just wanted her daughters to be happy in their lives. ‘He thought you might be a secretary with extra languages and find exciting jobs here or abroad… or perhaps work in his West End shop, learn to be the manageress and eventually take over… unless you wanted to travel. What happened to your flair for French and German? You seemed to enjoy other languages when you were younger…’ ‘Boring…’ Betty yawned and twirled the end of the exquisitely cut hair that made her look like a model out of Vogue. Her hair was much lighter in colour these days and Lizzie suspected she rinsed it with a hairdressing product to take some of the redness out of it, because it was more blonde than the sandy red it had been once she’d lost her baby blonde. ‘Besides, much as I adore Sebastian, he isn’t my father and I don’t see why I have to do what he wants. You wouldn’t mind me working with Ed and Romany, would you?’

[abybweisse]

💬 Can I confess that, once I knew about the Victorian trouser etiquette, that I assumed the reason Ciel wears shorts, is bc he still has the body of a 10yo? I know it's just Yana's choice, but suspense of disbelief made me think that's a good enough reason. He looks like a 10yo, which makes people view him as even more childish, and even less of a threat. And if he looks like 10, but dresses like an #Adult in the streets, people might focus more on him, than him just wearing childs wear.

💬 for random chat

It’s difficult to reconcile all of that with how our earl is trying so hard to be seen as an adult. And his shorts are about the only truly childish thing in most of his outfits. He’s got heeled shoes to add a little height, and he’s not wearing much of the brighter, more childish colors.

Most of the fancier outfits we’ve seen him in are from official art that’s never seen in the manga itself (fancy cover art outfits don’t count as canon within the storyline). Those strike me as Yana-san just wanting to make fantasy outfits for him — ones he wouldn’t really be okay with wearing otherwise!

The main culprits here (within canon) seem to be who’s dressing him up like he’s a doll: Sebastian literally chooses his outfit for the day and gets him dressed; Nina designs and makes most of the clothes (including the dress for Druitt’s party); Lizzie also plays dress-up with him by buying an outfit she sees and basically forcing him to wear it (ch2). There’s even a later scene (after the circus arc) where Sebastian says some of these clothing choices have gone too far, arguing with Nina to say her choice of ribbon color (red for his necktie) is too childish looking. Since Nina likes to design for women, as well as for boys under 15… and because she’s a personal fan of wearing shorts… she’d probably want to keep our earl in shorts as long as she possibly can. It’s a delight to her that he’s not growing (and that his waist size actually went down).

Truth is, sons of the British royalty and aristocracy are expected to wear shorts until they are 8.

So, he’s being dressed most of the time more like he’s 7, thanks to the shorts… but with some styling details that are more mature.

The oddest outfits (for him) in the manga canon (not including the party dress) are probably:

The one that Lizzie buys. It’s more like the fanciful outfits that Yana-san puts him in for official art, but they are never part of the manga canon. But where on earth did she see an outfit like this, as ready-wear, and decide to get it for him? It might be one of the things Yana-san wishes she could change about the early chapters, before serialization, but the mere fact Lizzie saw an outfit like this… for boys his size… hanging in a shop… suggests that some designer thinks this is good fashion for an aristocratic kid his size (not necessarily a kid his age), but Lizzie sees nothing wrong with dressing her (then) 12 year old cousin like he’s… 10? 7? So she picks it out for him as a gift.

The one designed by the tailor working for the demon cultist who buys the twins. And that gives me the eeriest feeling that it’s this same designer and tailor who later has a shop, where Lizzie sees the outfit for ch2, a couple years later. Both outfits are made for a 9/10 year old boy (size), and both have details that wouldn’t be typical of boy’s clothes… at any age. Perhaps Yana-san knew exactly what she was doing with that other outfit in ch2? In January 1886, that demon cultist is killed, and his tailor no longer has this wealthy client who appreciates their skills and designs. Just like Nina works for the Phantomhives but also has her own shop, this other tailor might have already had one, too. Still, a major client has been lost. The outfits for ready-wear might be a little less flashy than the ones the cultist ordered, so that they will better appeal to the general population… but these are still unusual fashions.

It’s no wonder, to me now, how our earl got so angry in ch2, particularly over the ring… when he’s wearing an outfit that might give him vibes from the night of horror we finally saw in ch135….

Keep in mind he dresses more appropriate for his age when he goes to Windsor to receive his title (11 or 12) and again when he’s at Weston (13). Even Nina gives him longer shorts (in ch66) than usual, so the long shorts and tall boots make that outfit completely cover his legs.

Seems to me that our earl particularly enjoys making Sebastian wear odd things, or at least placing him into situations where he has to change out of the butler uniform. He was too embarrassed by what Lau had for him to wear to be able to get a laugh at Sebastian’s expense. Everyone with our earl was forced to wear clothes they aren’t used to. But there are at least three times he’s had the chance to really turn the tables on the demon: 1. Lizzie shows up with a pink hat with fake strawberries hanging from it (ch2), 2. Lizzie shows up after the Campania with the nightgown, slippers, and sleeping bonnet (extra chapter), and 3. Nina makes Sebastian try on a bunch of outfits, and some of them are just bizarre (ch116). That last one has our earl even asking what the demon thinks about being treated as a doll.

I think that, most of the time, our earl just puts up with the clothing decisions made by others, and I’m not sure why these other people (particularly Sebastian, Nina, and Lizzie) think it’s a good idea to dress him up like a little kid, instead of the titled earl he’s supposed to be. People probably think he’s just very eccentric, because he should be wearing full trousers all the time now.

My, my. Methinks their creator is the one who really wants to play dress-up. No wonder the god of their world is smiling when misfortune strikes….

Anyone else think it’s weird that Finny also usually wears shorts, even though he’s a servant and working in the gardens? He’s wearing short trousers, that end just below his knees, and long boots that go up to the shorts. He should have full length trousers with knee patches.