#also yes ciel is a black butler reference

[smoothie03]

Hetalia Gangsta AU

{District 5 - Knights Templar}

Sooo, I may haven't read the AU properly yet but I saw the art and the strips (without translation) and wanted to include Knights Templar to the fun because Hima won't draw him again anyways.

Here we have Gabriel de Payns; Earl of the long gone district 5, richest man of the surrounding districts.

Code name: le Ciel

Currently lives in his dead family's mansion which is now part of district 33 (France), occasionally found at the mansion of the 'Hüter des Bündnisses der Treue'. (if I understood that one introduction illustration of Prussia correctly, lol)

In this universe, Gabriel has to weaponize his kindness to survive after District 5 literally got burnt down to the ground. The legacy and inheritance of his family - an ancient lineage of knights - make him a target for any person who tries to benefit from Gabriel's financial support. The Earl doesn't care a lot about the wealth he posesses since it was the very thing that led to his district's downfall. He will grant immense support to those who manage to persuade him and he will give them the money they need to fulfil their goals...as long as they align with Gabriel's own values and good deeds he also wishes for. He can be the kindest and most giving person as long as his trust isn't broken. Don't dare to betray him; he has scary dog privilege. (Gilbert)

However, this earl is an entity that barely shows himself to the public or the broad daylight. Ever since the Great Fire, one could only meet the earl once darkness falls. There were rumours that this mysterious, living source of endless gold was actually nothing more than a legend, a vampire or a ghost even that haunted people's minds, yet the results of his actions can be seen in every project that was built upon his riches. Merely the leader of the Medic District (Joan/Hospitallers), the leader of District 33 and of course the Anführer des Treuebündnisses have seen him outside of these narrow time-windows, proving that he was indeed alive and the last one of the former district that was still standing. But why did the earl have the habit of only expecting visits in the evening and nights? The rumour says it's because of his burn scars that shattered his once perfectly angelic face.

Lore of District 5 | Past:

District 5 once was a very elite and wealthy district with many families from a knightly background but the district was tattered by greed, pride, selfishness and religious fanatism. A religious sect acted in the district's underground. It once was a powerful instrument to ensure the obedience of masses and it used to be a source of income for many wealthy families of district 5, especially the one Gabriel comes from. As the son of the sect's leader he grew up very sheltered and influenced by the sect's mindset. He was supposed to follow the footsteps of his father (as a district leader and the leader of the sect) which put him under a lot of pressure, however, the older and more concious Gabriel got, the more he started questioning the morality of this cult. Gabriel himself wanted to give; to be kind. Which was also his dream for the future.

But still, the way language was weaponized within the cult to get what they wanted is still a skill and advance Gabriel uses in his current position as it does give him a non-violent power and control which is crucial if he wants to keep his current status and security. However, even though he proceeds to use the techniques he learnt as a kid, Gabriel does not share the mindset of the sect or the people he grew up with; he despises it and wants to distance himself as far as possible from what happened in the past as he saw that it was cruel.

Between the different districts were many conflicts. But the last one with district 33 with the combination of an uprising of the opressed social classes of district 5, caused the event which is known under the name "the Great Fire". District 5 got almost completely annihilated by flames. The bourgeoisie vanished, the rest of the hierarchies and systems of the district broke into pieces. As if the district never existed.

Only then, when the fire burnt down the last 'chains' that held Gabriel back in his so called 'destiny' or 'right place', he gained back the freedom he never had but wished for. And with that, the chance to change his future and a chance to help those who had been exploited by the district's underworld opened up to him.

As he was the last one of the old world that was still standing, yet the one willing to create a new and fairer world.

[ulquiorrapleasecallmetrash]

Spending Halloween w/ The Black Butler Characters

.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃

Fandom: Black Butler/ Kuroshitsuji

Genre: Halloween Headcanons

warnings: none!

Rated: PG I reference sex like one time.

Admin Wisteria: I have a tooth infection and in pain so I decided to write something because Halloween is coming up. So I hope you black butler peeps enjoy this post!

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

Sebastian Michaelis:

-Well, I mean he is a DEMON of course he enjoys Halloween in a sense. 

-Doesn't care about the human food or trick or treating aspect but i can picture him playing some silly pranks on his s/o and everyone else in the manor. (Except Ciel, of course.)

-Honestly I can picture Halloween enhancing Sebastian’s Demon powers making him much more strong. 

-He will become faster, stronger and more handsome. 

-They don’t call it “The devil’s Holiday” For nothing. 

-So for the first half of the day once he notice his enhance demon powers he will get so many things done around the the manor. He will clean 10x better, cook tastier food and will be just in a better in a mood. 

-I recommend not talking to him during the day because he is in full demon, perfect butler mode and wants to get everything done because he has more power to do it. and everything needs to be done during the day while Ciel is Awake.

-Then after Ciel goes to bed and everything is done during the day then he will have a lot more time to relax and with his s/o. 

-Will make you cute halloween sweets, and makes you some extra yummy tea. 

-I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he is more horny on Halloween. Maybe in a Demon Breeding AU Halloween can be the their Spawning day. 

-So At night you guys are gonna get freaky, like A LOT.

-Getting freaky with a sexy demon on Halloween. You guys are on tumblr so i know you guys would like that.

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

Grell Sutcliff:

-She loves Halloween. 

-Though, might be busy on Halloween depending on how stupid people are during this time of year.

-I can also picture Grell enjoy eating the fun Halloween candy and such. 

-Also would love to go around with her s/o and pull pranks on the other reapers. 

-Especially William.

-She and you would plan the funniest prank on William each year and he Loathes it. 

-Then later I can picture Ronald knox wanting to join in on the fun of pranking william. 

-So he will plan funny prank to pull on William during halloween as well. 

-So now every year on halloween Grell, Her s/o and Ronald Knox will just have a prank pulling contest on William to see who can pull the best pranks on them. 

- Will all you get in big trouble and will suffer from over time because of it? Yes. Was it worth it?  Hell yeah it was. 

- Would love to wear sexy costumes to fluster  you. 

-Would make a huge big deal and will make you watch her put it on. 

-”What do you think about this? Mmm you look a bit flustered darling~” 

-”I can turn around for you if you like, Oh I think you would LOVE that~.”

-Huge cuddler, would love to cuddle with you and eat halloween sweets with you. 

-And will bombard you with kisses as well.

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

Undertaker:

-You are dating Undertaker. 

-Alright, next character. 

-Just kidding just kidding but there is still a LOT of truth to it. 

- Besides living in an actual FUNERAL HOME with dead bodies everywhere and coffins Undertaker will still go FULL OUT on the Halloween traditions.

-Will pull so many practical jokes on you it is almost annoying. 

-So you have no choice but do the same to him and have a prank war.

-Will decorate the Funeral extra spooky with (Probably real) Skeletons and (Probably real) Spider webs and spiders.

-But also kind likes the stupid, silly, childish but cute halloween decorations too. 

-”Maybe I should decorate the Funeral home with these silly dancing skeletons you think it will make the place more appealing and less scary?”

You: No.

-Will make you those cute bone treats he eats but spooky versions. Might add some orange and black icing and sprinkles. 

-Might even paint his nails orange and black just for funsies if he is in a good mood. 

-Probably will spend a lot of the day making stupid Halloween pun jokes to just to tease and annoy you. 

-How did the skeleton know it was going to rain? He could feel it in his bones.

You: Okay that was cute…

Undertaker:Why did the skeleton climb a tree? A dog was after his bones.!

You: okay okay I get it.

Undertaker: How does a ghost sneeze? Ah, ah, ah BOO! 

You: This is going to be a looonnnggg day...

-But yeah, Everyday is Halloween if you are dating Undertaker he just becomes ten times more Undertaker-like on this day haha.

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

Gregory Violet:

-Of course my boy loves Halloween. 

-He is very into the the whole halloween vibes and would love do everything with you. 

-Loves going to pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin to carve. 

-He can be very particular about it so you might be there for awhile. 

-He is pretty good at Carving pumpkins.  He enjoys carving them with you even though he most likely hates the texture of the pumpkin guts. 

-But he is very passionate and has so much precision just like when he draws. 

-Also would take joy into decorating halloween cookies with you. 

-He is pretty good with doing that as well. 

-If you beg very sweetly and if he is in the right mood he might let you paint is nails orange and black  but just for the week of halloween. 

-Loves the cute halloween shaped candies that look like eyeballs and ghosts along with the packaging with cute ghosts on them.

-You know he is doing inktober. 

-And he will show you all the drawings that he is done during the month. 

-Cute halloween date idea would be you both going to a old, cool cemetery with a picnic basket and just sit and chill there. You could read or do whatever while he sits and draws the really cool tombstones in the cemetery.

-At night I think he would enjoy laying  his head on your lap while you read some ghosts stories in those cool goth looking books. 

-You can play with his hair while you read him “30 terrifying ghost stories that will give you the chills” he relaxes him and he will just sigh happily. 

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

Snake:

 -He is more fond of the fun side of halloween rather than the scary spooky side. 

-Enjoys decorating, making halloween sweets, pumpkin carving, etc.

-He maybe old but take him to go trick or treating. My boy has been in a cage all of his childhood let him enjoy trick or treating!

-He will be shy at first, because well, you know, people can be cruel But I think he wouid end up loving it. 

-Especially if he dresses up at as a reptile and they compliment on his scales on his face. 

-Does he knows that they complimented  on them because they look like really good makeup? Yes. But does he care? No because he will be so happy and flattered and that is all that matters. 

-If you know how to knit, sew or crotchet, the snakes might like it if you make them one of those cute halloween snake sweaters for the colder season. 

-Snake would also love it so much if you make them all matching including his. 

-Along with those cute hats that I seen on the internet. 

-Take a picture because snakes in costumes are so cute i can’t-

-Not good at pumpkin carving (So he says)  but he still enjoys  doing it with you. 

-Doesn’t mind going to a pumpkin patch either, as long he and his snakes are dressed warm. 

-Would love a picture of yopu and him next to really big pumpkin. 

-Loves the halloween candy the most. 

-He would eat so much of it he will get sick but it would be his first and last time doing that.

₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚𖦹⋆.˚⊹.🎃₊˚

[faioula16]

Sebastian Michaelis fluff/yandere Alphabet

Warnings: This post includes sexual content and violence but other than that pretty much fluffy fluff.

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

✿ Sebastian is extremely affectionate and loving when it comes to his mate, especially if you're human or a Neko.

✿ He highly believes lavishing you in affection and tender care is the key to winning your trust and that you will also be more willing to accept your fate of lhim as your demon butler/lover and eternal companion, not to mention he LOVES to take care of and please you kitten~.

✿⁠ From the moment you, his beloved darling kitten, open your eyes until it's finally your bedtime, you can be sure you'll receive tons of hugs, kisses, caresses, praises, delicious treats, compliments, loving massages, and so much more! In other words, Sebastian pampers you to no end.

✿⁠ Sebastian also loves to perform acts of service, like acting as your loyal butler to take care of you properly and in utter perfection. Maybe he got attached to his role as a butler from his previous contract with Ciel.

✿ Breakfast in bed, bubble baths, delicious feasts, dancing and cooking lessons, lots of cuddles and sensual make-out sessions while you sit on his lap, bedtime stories and lullabies, romantic dates deep into the woods and even in the city (If you behave and be a good kitten of course).

✿ In his mind, he thinks of you as the mistress/master he will always happily serve, protect, and care for with all his black demonic heart. He doesn't see you as food, however. To him, you're so much more; you are his mate, the one he wants to spend eternity with, whether you like it or not.

✿ Mark my words, he...SPOILS...you rotten! Anything that you desire, anything at all, but he'll never let you go, sorry, kitten.

✿ "I never thought a demon such as myself could feel pathetic human emotions like love. *sights deeply* Yet here I am in the human world, doing my best to keep you safe, happy, and satisfied. Are you sure you're not a devil yourself, my mistress/master~?" He whispers to your ear in a teasing manner as his slender, ungloved hands caress up and down your curves.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

💀 All in all, no matter how much effort Sebastian might put to keep his sadistic/murderous demonic nature under control, he cannot help himself when it comes to 'the enemies' (As Sebastian fancies to refer to them).

💀 They may be daily intruders or someone who made the grave mistake of flirting with you or even acting too friendly. He considers such people not worthy enough to breathe in Your Majesty's presence. (Yes, Sebastian sees you as royalty and treats you just like one) 

💀 Not even two days may pass when those persons are missing. Sebastian, of course, is clueless to your concerns and just wants to continue your usual activities as if nothing happened. 

💀 He has his very own professional torture chamber in a grand basement beneath the house he built up just for you both. He keeps the victims down there for as long as possible (even for months), gifting them the slow and exclusively painful death they deserve. 

✿💀 Sometimes, when he feels extra sadistic, seeks some entertainment, or if the specific person just happens to piss him off by Keep flirting with you despite the warning death glares Sebastian has given to them, your demon will lock up the helpless victim all tied up and mouth gagged into the closet of your shared big bedroom right before your king sized bed.

✿💀 The poor person is forced to watch as Sebastian pleases your body in many ways and positions, hear your pleasure screams and whines and Sebastian's loud yet joyful moans. To see yours and Sebastian's cheeks turning bright reddish as your demon thrusts into you and whispers praises to your ear with your back against his bare chest so you're facing the closet and his victim unknowingly to you.

✿⁠ "Should I slow down or go faster? Tell me, kitten, who can please and love you like I do, hmm~? Yes, say my name, say my name louder…I want to hear you come for me! Oh, yes, my love~"

✿ And like usual, after every sex session, Sebastian will carry you to the bathroom to clean off the sweat and cum of your delicate skin and put you in fresh night clothes.

✿ He then tucks you in bed under the fresh new covers and gives your forehead a goodnight kiss as you drift off and finally fall asleep in bliss and all exhausted.

💀 Once Sebastian makes sure you're comfortable and deeply asleep, he plugs your ears before he walks over to the closet and grabs the poor person on his shoulder like a potato shack while he leaves the room quietly.

💀Sebastian walks down to the basement and ties his victim with chains against the wall. He then walks to the small bathroom to change his butler uniform to his 'work' outfit.

💀 "Don't worry, human, no one will hear your screams of agony and despair. However, you should have chosen your actions more carefully and taken my warnings seriously; now, you will pay the price for the sins you have committed. Tell me, mortal, are you ready for your painful trip down to hell? You lowlife scum!"

💀The nearly dying person is stared at by Sebastian in satisfaction after he's nearly done with them, his tall figure is covered in the blood of his victim as he takes the cigarette from his lips gracefully and sets it off against the poor person's skin. 

💀 “Oh please, stop those ugly screams and do try to die quietly. I don’t want you to disturb my precious kitten’s slumber”

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

✿ The only cruelty Sebastian would ever show towards you is to isolate you from any friends or family of yours. That highly depends on how you’d respond to his love confessing to you. 

✿ If you will return his feelings and love him back, just as much as he adores you (Not very possible, I am afraid) then Sebastian will happily allow you to see and interact with those close to you. A pretty normal and happy life, with him always by your side of course. 

✿ Compared to the second choice you may take, which is to decline him. That would leave Sebastian with no other choice than to kidnap you and take you far away from society where you’d have to be with him for the rest of your life, and your next one...and for those who’d follow for eternity.

✿ He can and will create a paradise\Eden for you both to live in. Where you will have everything you can imagine, but it will be just you and him with no one else to destroy your happiness or take you away from your love-sick demon butler. After all, he's one hell of a butler and lover.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

✿ Like I already mentioned earlier, besides the abduction and insolation from other people close to you, there is nothing Sebastian wouldn't provide you with.

✿ Good heavens, he even allows you to have a certain amount of freedom. After all, he did build your house in the middle of a huge forest so you could wander more freely and also be unable to escape him.

✿ He would leave the doors unlocked so you could walk outside and start to run off to your 'freedom'.

✿ Honestly, he's so grateful to you, because, with all this time you're giving him with your illusions of escaping, he has all the time he needs to clean up the house, tend to the garden and the livestock, and finally prepare your bath and dinner.

✿ As the sun goes down and you're still running through the slender trunks of tall trees, you're suddenly scooped up in your butler's arms.

✿⁠ "Enough for today, my love. We must head back home, It's time for dinner"

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

✿ You're his everything. God forbid if someone would succeed in killing you, Sebastian would lose it for real. But we all know very well that he wouldn't allow such a thing to ever happen.

✿💀 You’re his soul, you’re his heart, you...are...his...world. So just imagine if a grim Reaper would threaten your life, what would happen then? Well, let’s say things would get pretty... ugly. 

✿⁠💀 Sebastian would expose his true form without even noticing and would go ballistic. No one in this world shall dare lay a finger upon you because they would be destroyed by everything that he is to protect you. 

✿ The deadliest, most powerful force in this world is his love for you.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

✿⁠ In Sebastian's eyes, your attempts to fight back against his natural demon instincts to lavish his mate in affection is pretty laughable...and also quite adorable to be honest.

✿ See, how would your reaction be to the sight of something like this?

✿ Any sarcasm, insult, or harsh comment of yours would be immediately responded to by a loving gesture from your demon. Such as a glance full of adoration and a pitty-full smile, followed by a sweet kiss on the lips to cut you off your swearing and bitter tone speech.

✿ The more you keep using that inappropriate language the more kisses your sweet little mouth is going to receive.

✿⁠ Now if your actions go so far as to slap Sebastian across his handsome face, that would annoy the demon a bit but also it would turn the demon on.

✿⁠ When it comes to this situation he follows two different tactics:

1) Manipulation/honest mode: He would sigh out in satisfaction and turn his glace back to you by slowly raising his gaze with a hard blush across his cheeks. "Harder~ If that's your way to respond my love for you...then I will gladly accept it. I will embrace every part of you and continue to love you unconditionally to the very end"

2) Seducing/Pampering mode: As you'd yell at him and try to hit him again, Sebastian would grab you gently by the wrist bring your hand close to his lips, and give your knuckles and palm a few loving kisses. You'd try to pull away but his grip would tight a little and he'd pull your body against his with a secured arm around your waist. "Now kitten, such behavior is simply unexplainable, even though...I do love it when you are that bratty~" He'd chuckle to himself and rub his nose against yours. Finally, he'd make sure to sit you comfortably on his lap for a passionate make-out session.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

✿ The first time you attempted to escape Sebastian felt utterly confused and dare I say...hurt, his narcissistic ego mostly.

✿⁠ He thought he was the defection of the perfect lover and butler and he still believes so, but why on earth would you ever want to leave him? After everything he has done for you...

✿⁠ Sebastian would try to talk with you at first, to learn the reason behind your actions and help him understand if he did something wrong.

✿ If you tell him that you don't love him, that you want to leave and never see him again. Sebastian would simply chuckle and try to comfort you with kisses and caresses. But if you will refuse his affection he'd respectfully back away and give you a calm apology, then he would bow and exit the bedroom to give you some alone time to think of your previous actions. Not before he would softly confront you though.

✿⁠ "You should be ashamed of yourself my dearest. Honestly, I never expected you to be such an ungrateful and selfish little mistress/master"

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

✿⁠ Hell? Good heavens no, after all, he was the one who helped you escape from hell itself and bounded himself with you as his mate. Sebastian was more than delighted when the hell king accepted his offer to grant him freedom and allow him and you to go up to the human world, while the demon butler would have to sacrifice a certain amount of souls to the king every year in exchange for their agreement.

✿⁠ Sebastian would work very hard for you to experience the complete opposite, to create a heaven for you, to give you the world.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

✿ Sebastian's only desire is for you to love him back share plenty of life experiences and travel all over the world before you settle down to a peaceful area where you will be safe and happy with him.

✿ Lots and lots of cats or kittens living with you in your dream house/mansion.

✿⁠ He wouldn't mind having a baby with you but if you're not fond of kids and don't want to have any he would be secretly relieved because the only one he desires to live with, is YOU and your many feline companions.

✿⁠ Sebastian will make sure to make your dreams come true, and he will be more than happy to be married to you. Only if you wish so of course, he already has bound himself to you by placing the silver seal on your neck, official marriage is not necessary yet always welcome on his part.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

✿⁠💀 Our demon is grateful for the fact he's free to choose between the souls he has to sacrifice to his king, this way he has the opportunity to lash out his jealousy at those who are trying to take you away from him or just flirting with you by becoming the very victims, torture them and send their souls to the dark lord.

✿💀 His main pleasure in life is you, there is no doubt. But he also quite enjoys smoking his 'favorite' cigarettes/cigars after every torture session to every one of his victims. From the best quality and the really strong kind that can bring a mortal person high within seconds and most possibly overdose them and kill them within a few hours. This kind is the only one that can satisfy such a demon like Sebastian. The only times your butler smokes is after he's done with his victim or after every sex session with you.

✿⁠ just imagine him laying over your king-size bed with you in one arm with your head resting against his chest already asleep from the exhaustion and the amount of pleasure he gave you just a few moments ago, while his other hand holds his cigarette (the light ones) between his slender fingers, the windows wide open of course. He lets the smoke escape from his lips and signs dreamily before he hugs you even closer, gives you a forehead kiss, and giggles to himself for what a lucky demon he is.

✿⁠💀 Sebastian would never lash out his jealousy or rage at you, his precious kitten. That's what his victims are good for after all.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

✿⁠ His mode is always bright and joyful when he's around you, without losing his well-behaved manners or butler aesthetic of course.

✿⁠ He clearly shows more interest and puts much more effort into serving and caring for you compared to your friends or family who visit you and him at your house from time to time.

✿⁠ Sebastian thrives on attention, especially yours. But that doesn't mean he won't try to impress your loved ones and make them see him as the perfect man for you. The only one who can make you truly happy.

✿⁠ He can and will make your parents like him a lot so they won't have any problem with him being your butler and lover,

✿ Doesn't mind PDA at all, I already mentioned he loves to be the center of attention but he especially loves it when people see how loving and affectionate he can be to you.

✿⁠ He will kiss you, embrace you, praise you, compliment you, flirt with you, serve you, and be the perfect gentleman he is to you regardless of who is watching.

✿⁠ The more flustered you will get the more he will tease you. He simply adores when you blush and try to hide your face with your hands.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

✿⁠ In this specific scenario neither of you had a choice for that matter but to feel a natural connection for each other. Thanks to Sebastian's demonic sense from the moment he laid eyes on you he instantly knew you were meant to be his and of course he didn't lose the only chance he had to claim you as his by placing the 'mate' seal on your skin and bounding himself with you for eternity as I have already mentioned it previously.

✿⁠ Whatever sins you might commit when you were alive they brought you down to hell and you were supposed to be tortured and suffer until the end of the world. Fortunately for you, before the executioner was even able to lay a finger upon you hell's king right-hand man and head butler interrupted him by pointing out that by the king's orders, he's the one who was supposed to punish you for your sins and that his fellow demon was needed elsewhere.

✿⁠ Once you both were left alone in the torture chamber the butler approached your laying figure over the stone bed with slow steps.

✿ "Well well, what do we have here? I never thought such a beautiful kitten like yourself would end up down here" He chuckled to himself as he sat gracefully on top of you with his legs placed against the sides of your waist in a firm yet gentle manner so you couldn't struggle much against his weight.

✿⁠ "Such nice and soft skin you have. It would be a shame if someone would cause the slightest damage to you~" His slender hands caressed up and down your sides smoothly.

✿⁠ "Who...are you?" Sebastian chose to ignore your question as he continued exploring your gorgeous body.

✿⁠ Sebastian laughed at such an adorable reaction and started to leave tender kisses on your, face, lips, and neck.

✿⁠ "Ahh, you are my mate Indeed~" The butler commented joyfully. "Not to worry dear, it will hurt only for a tiny moment. You may scream as loud as you can though, for it will make it more convincing that I am giving you the punishment you deserve" It was utterly painful yet quick and so the sheal was planted on your neck as it appeared magically across Sebastian's chest as well.

✿⁠ "Now all that's left is to convince the king to allow us to return to the human world" Signs deeply to himself as his thumb whips off your sweet tears. "Hopefully it won't be such a hard task otherwise what kind of butler/lover would I be?"

✿⁠ That was the first time you heard his famous motto, which changed from its original form a bit. He'd use it countless times in the future.

✿⁠ Next thing you know is you waking up on a very soft and comfortable bed, something you have never experienced before while hearing the soft sound of birds and your new butler/lover humming a soft melody as he places your lunch meal on the small table right next to the king size bed you are. "Ah lovely, my darling mistress/master is finally awake, and just in time, your lunch is ready. From now on I will change your life for the better, you don't have to worry about a thing...your Sebastian is here~"

✿⁠ In a second scenario where he meets you in the human world under normal circumstances his demonic senses recognize you as his mate instantly too and so he uses his charm and perfect gentlemanly behavior to approach you.

✿⁠ When you go out you almost always 'happen' to meet up with him. He's always willing to help you in any way possible and makes it clear that he's interested in you by flirting and serving you at any given chance. He points out that he is desperate for a job as a butler and housekeeper for these are the only things he is good for and you happen to be so kind and generous to hire him.

✿⁠ Sebastian is so happy that you accepted his offer as he wraps his arms around your waist and spins you around for a brief moment before he puts you down and clears his throat. "Apologies my lady, such inappropriate behaviour is simply unacceptable and it's my first day, please forgive me" He takes down on his one knee and with your hand to his gloved palm. He kisses your hand without breaking eye contact with you, which allows him to see the blush on your cheeks and that is precisely what convinced him, he would succeed in slowly but surely making you fall in love with him and accept him as your mate. All he needs is time and as a demon he has plenty.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

✿⁠ Not necessarily, Sebastian's true intentions are masked only when it comes to everyone else but you.

✿⁠ He thinks of every other human being pretty seemingly as how we think of bugs. He believes the only thing the human breed is worthy of is the next possible bodies that will host your precious soul through the centuries that are to come so you will remain alive forever.

✿⁠ The demon may tolerate any friends of yours or family member visits but he does so for your sake and only.

✿⁠ The truth is that Sebastian wants you to be only with him and no one else.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

✿ Sebastian would never lay a finger upon you, he finds that method unnecessary and pointless.

✿⁠ When it comes to your punishments, he uses pleasure to remind you of three things. Who you belong to, who has claimed you as his, and that no one else could ever satisfy your every need like he does.

✿⁠ Your demon pleases you all night to bring you to the point of absolute exhaustion.

✿⁠ Orgasm after orgasm, no matter how much you may plead for him to stop, he won't. Non-stop sensual lovemaking and so many different positions. He's pretty fond of Oral, especially when he gives it to you.

✿⁠ "It's pleasure time my darling~" And that phrase means it's punishment time. Sebastian simply loves bondage! Tying up your hands right above your head with his tie and also covering your eyes with a lingerie piece of fabric to excite your fantasy. He simply adores the sound of your moans as he kisses lower and lower on your body.

✿⁠ The more you protest, that you can no longer cum, the more sweet nothings Sebastian whispers to your ears and continues to gently fuck you with no mercy. But he's kind enough to give you a few breaks from time to time during your sex session. He is not that heartless after all, not to you at least.

✿⁠ Pleasure time also means him eating you out to no end. Oh, how he loves it when you shout his name in pure ecstasy while he drinks the sweet nectar that comes out from your pussy/dick once you cum hard right into his mouth.

✿⁠ Your punishment comes to an end after the thirteenth orgasm. Sebastian then lets you rest as much as you want.

✿⁠ With a satisfied smirk he gives your forehead a sweet kiss and your unconscious body the necessary aftercare like cleaning you up, dressing you in a fresh pair of pajamas, massage your hips with a special lotion so you won't feel pain between your legs when you wake up.

✿⁠ Then he will tend to the house and get all the chores done, prepare your meal, and finally return to your bedroom so he can cuddle you close for hours.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

(I already mentioned that sorry)

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

✿⁠ Extremely patient, especially the first months of your abduction if you chose to refuse his love confession that is.

✿⁠ Sebastian thinks your bratty behavior is very amusing and dare I say cute, don't misunderstand him though, if you keep behaving like a child he's going to treat you like one.

✿⁠ Besides affection, Sebastian knows patience is the key to breaking your walls and letting him love you.

✿⁠ If you happen to throw a tantrum he's going to act pretty calm and cradle you in his arms, soothing you with white noises or singing you a soft melody. Whisper sweet nothings and give your forehead or cheeks tender smooches until you calm down, then you and him are going to talk and he promises if you play nice from now on he's gonna get you on dates to the city and even let you see your friends more often.

✿⁠ In other words, if you are good to him, and learn to respect and appreciate him, he will return the effort 1000%.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

✿⁠ Let's make something clear here, you will NEVER be able to escape him. You're marked by him, he has claimed you as his remember?

✿⁠ Even death cannot take you away from Sebastian for he has the ability and right (since your soul belongs to him) to transport you to a new body. Until he finds the ideal one however he keeps your precious soul in a very special old magic box he borrowed.

Do not ask how or where he obtained such an item, you don't wanna know, believe me.

💀 If somehow miraculously you'd successfully escape to another world/dimension where Sebastian cannot find you or if someone would kill you all the rights your demon has on you are lost, for the simple fact he's no longer your demon.

✿⁠ This would be the final shot of Sebastian's meaning of existence. After all, in his mind you, his mate is the reason he lives for, he only exists to serve and care for and adore you.

💀 If the only thing that's truly precious to him would be vanished, killed by someone, or taken away for good that would make Sebastian simply lose it.

💀 The demon finally in his true form standing over the cliff of the highest mountain, howling and scratching himself in pure grief, agony, and despair.

✿⁠ Perhaps losing you could be the only way this demon would be able to set actual tears and for the first time in his long existence CRY for real.

✿⁠ Sebastian's cry could be better described as a mixture of echoed, weeping screams, and brawls from the top of his lungs.

💀 His narcissistic personality and big ego would lead him to destroy most of humanity and everything in his path and finally kill himself with a death syte to put an end to his misery.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

✿⁠ This demon has never regretted anything he has done so far. Your abduction is the last choice he will take in case you reject his love for you.

✿⁠ Sebastian would make sure to try any possible method to win your heart and trust before he is left with the last choice of your kidnapping. He didn't want to come to this point but darling you left him with no other choice.

✿⁠ Perhaps he would let you go for a certain period, six months or so for you to believe that he loves you which is true (but not in the most healthy way). Then he will try to court you once again slowly but surely and create a new healthy bond and life by your side without being forced to take you away from society again since you would accept him as your butler/ lover this time.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

✿⁠ His demonic instincts mostly but later on your pure and innocent yet interesting personality, your flaming passion for life and your very well-hidden dark side were more than enough to catch his attention and his attachment to you grew the more you got to know each other.

✿⁠ If you share the same feelings with him and accept him once he confesses his love to you his yandere side will never be revealed to you or to any close person of yours.

✿⁠ A happy life with him always protecting you and remaining by your side is a guarantee. And for those who would follow in the future of course.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

✿⁠ Any sweet tears of yours will be whipped gently by his thumb or licked off your delicate skin with his hot skillful tongue.

✿⁠ If you scream for him to let you go or call him names and such he can always shut that little mouth of yours with a loving make-out session. You're not going to be able to scream if your mouth is so busy receiving his sweet kisses. Honestly, he could kiss you or let your tongues dance together all day so try to resist him all you want kitten. He won't stop kissing you until you calm down and won't deny him anymore.

✿⁠ Now if you try to escape by using violence like punching, slapping him, or even scratching his back. OOH~ please do the last one, it turns him on. Scratch his back to the point he will bleed, which will make Sebastian's cheeks turn reddish, and plead for you to continue, he'll keep kissing, licking, and sucking down your neck and chest as he moans softly and giggles in the process. He may even cum to his pants and blame you for it but also as he finally takes them off, he promises to make you cum for him as well. But to his mouth by eating you down there as a punishment for making him embarrass himself like this in your presence as your butler.

"Don't you plead for me to stop my love~" He kisses your neck. "After all, you are the one who started all this" Kissing down between your chest. "Now now, it's time to return the favor and make you moan in ecstasy my beloved little brat~ Oh, you will enjoy yourself as I punish you, I mean please you of course"

✿⁠ As cute as it might seem your insolation at first, eventually will start to annoy him because he can't spend quality time with you if you keep behaving like this.

✿⁠ Of course, he would never lose control, not in front of you at least. Sebastian will take out that rage on 'the enemies' as I mentioned previously.

✿⁠ Sebastian will talk with you and think of ways to make your life more enjoyable. In the end, he will successfully coax you out of your shared bedroom and reward you with every little process you will make by spending quality time with you out in the forest or going for a walk or shopping therapy in the city, even give you some alone time every day for you to have some privacy and do any hobbies of your choice.

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

✿ Our demon butler is described as a gentle and loving yandere type that will harm and kill only to protect his darling.

✿⁠ Unlike most yanderes however, Sebastian knows exactly what he's doing and will do his absolute best to succeed his ultimate goal which is to have you willingly by his side for the rest of eternity.

✿⁠ He's a lovesick demon but he's yours darling until the end of the world.

✿ "The adoration a demon like me can feel for a mere human...It's awfully laughable you know" Kisses your forehead tenderly. His slender hands caress up and down your naked back. "I have not the slightest idea what love actually is. But you, you make me feel so alive, how can you explain that hm?" He gives your lips more sweet kisses. "Oh, I can sense you are a little tensed, how about if I give your back and waist a nice massage? It will help relax your body completely under my touch and give you a good night's sleep"

✿⁠ Once you accept his offer Sebastian is more than delighted, with a quick yet smooth move he turns your body so now he's facing your back and you the soft/fluffy matters. He sits on top of you, the side of his face against your cheek. You close your eyes as a big smile appears across your face when his hands begin to massage your skin. "Isn't it better now darling? Any bad thought of yours slowly fading away as you submit yourself to your butler's care~" He whispers to your ear and gives your cheek a sweet smooch.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

✿⁠ Oh darling, how could you possibly think you could ever escape him? Not possible I am sorry.

✿ And to think you can use any of his weaknesses against him looks like you look forward to a sweet punishment.

✿⁠ The only weaknesses Sebastian has are four, which are YOU, cats, salt, and a death syte. Unfortunately, neither of these could be used to win against such a powerful demon like himself, not by you at least.

✿ You may search among any demonology books you can find, of course, Sebastian will know and secretly laugh at your pathetic attempts to find anything to use against him. Darling those books you secretly tried to borrow write nothing but nonsense and won't help you even a bit.

✿⁠ Sebastian will even tease you to the point he will creep out behind your shoulder silently like the predator he is, waiting for you to notice someone is spying on you. Then he will bend beside your face and give your cheek a quick peck, making you yelp and almost throwing the book down to the floor.

✿⁠ He chuckles sarcastically and hands you the book with closed eyes and a smirk before he walks away to tend back to his chores leaving you wondering if he knows what you're trying to do behind his back.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

✿ Not even if his life depended on that. He would much prefer to suffer in agony and utter pain so you would never experience such things yourself.

✿⁠ Sebastian may be very sadistic, narcissistic, shellfish, and heartless but when it comes to you all these traits of his personality go aside as if they never existed in the first place. You are his number one priority and the second one is his hunger for a delicious soul.

✿⁠ How could he possibly hurt you kitten, the only true companion he has? Besides it will be a shame to cause any damage to such a beautiful body like yours, no matter what the shape, size, or anything like that. You are perfect in Sebastian's eyes and he wouldn't trade you for all the souls in the world.

✿⁠ "You...you're my bundle of joy, and cats of course but mostly you, my everything" Sebastian speaks softly while his forehead is pressed against yours. It doesn't take long for his lips to join yours.

✿⁠ Sebastian will never let you learn about his agreement with the Hell king and the souls he has the sacrifice every now and then to the demon lord, he will never allow you to discover the secret basement he uses to torture his victims, he will never allow you to see his true form. All these to keep your innocent precious you undamaged from any possible threat that could destroy your mental or physical health.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

✿⁠ He will do absolutely anything for you to return the feelings he has for you. (As much as that's possible)

✿⁠ Sebastian worships the ground you walk but he won't let you know that much at the beginning of your 'friendship' so you won't notice how desperately he wants you as his mate. He's a prideful demon after all and the last thing he wants is for you to feel any sort of pity towards him.

✿⁠ However, once you form a romantic relationship with him which is precisely what Sebastian wants, he will make sure you understand how much he adores you as a whole.

✿ Body, heart, and soul he will dedicate all these and everything that he is to you his true mistress/master.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

✿⁠ Oh believe me when I say he yearns to hold you in his arms from the very moment he realizes you're his mate but unfortunately for him, he has to hold back for as long as he has to, so he can approach and court you probably.

✿⁠ No matter how many men or women flirt with you Sebastian tolerates them for as long as they keep their hands to themselves.

💀 If any of these filthy bugs would touch you in any way no friend should they will be vanished from the earth within a few days. Not a single trail will be left behind in their absence.

✿⁠ If he couldn't do that much in order to protect his mate what kind of butler/lover would he be?

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

✿⁠ NEVER! That would destroy the very purpose of having a mate.

✿⁠ It is the demon lore to never hurt his darling in any way or for any other creature to do so. It is forbidden and that includes grim reapers as well.

💀 Causing harm to a demon's mate could bring world destruction even a hell apocalypse and nobody is insane enough to want such a thing to happen.

✿⁠ The mate is EVERYTHING to a demon, that is why it's such a rare opportunity for a demon to find one in the first place.

[sleepingdeath-light]

relationship hcs ; agni

requested by ; mod / self indulgent

fandom(s) ; black butler

fandom masterlist(s) ; hub | specific

character(s) ; agni

outline ; “dating headcanons for agni”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

agni is the most loving and attentive partner that you could possibly hope for — someone who loves you wholly and unconditionally, who supports you in everything you wish to pursue, who is consistently mindful of your boundaries and wishes, who is proud to be with you and who never fails to step up when you’re unwell or upset

when it comes to pet names his favourites for you are ‘mera pyaar’, ‘jaanu’ and ‘my dear’ — he mostly defaults to his native language when he’s complimenting you or referring to you in an affectionate manner, but he has picked up a few english terms of endearment that he’s grown quite fond of using with you

whenever you’re injured or unwell (be that due to physical sickness, mental illness, or a chronic flare up) he will tend to your every need (even more so than usual): managing and tracking all of your symptoms, fluffing your pillows, fetching new blankets, helping manage your temperature, massaging away any aches or pains, making sure you take any medication exactly when you need to, helping you get enough rest, making you your favourite foods, making sure you stay hydrated, helping you keep clean, etc, etc.

he makes it known that he thinks you’re extremely attractive to him and isn’t shy about complimenting you — be that on a new hairdo, your outfit, or just your general appearance — and he’s always extremely earnest and genuine in what he says (yes he might be a bit over the top in how he says it but he wholeheartedly believes what he’s saying and will insist upon it — even if you don’t believe him when he says that you’re incredibly ‘beautiful’/‘handsome’/‘attractive’ depending on what sorts of descriptors you prefer)

his main love language is acts of service and he loves being able to take care of his loved ones (you and soma, mainly) — he learns the recipes for all of your favourite meals, remembers everything you mention liking so that he can get you the best gifts for your birthdays/holidays, tends to you when you’re unwell or in poor spirits, etc.

and if you start to take care of him as well, even if he’s a bit reluctant at first, he’d absolutely melt and get extremely emotional as he’s looked after (especially if you’re very physically affectionate as well)

he prefers to keep pda to a socially acceptable level, and minimal if he’s working since he has to focus on taking care of soma, but he’s always happy to peck you on the temple, the top of the head or across your fingertips if he has a moment

he’s an early riser and if you’re the sort who prefers to wake up a bit after sunrise then he’ll gently kiss your forehead and tuck you back in bed — eventually returning with a cup of your preferred morning beverage and a very cheerful, of quiet, ‘good morning’

when you cuddle he prefers to take on a role that allows him to hold you and keep you close — whether that’s big spoon or him just laying on his back with you curled up against his side/on his chest — because he likes feeling as if he’s protecting you

if you want to learn from him (be that cooking, his native language, or another skill of his) then he’s happy to teach you — agni has the patience of a saint and will offer encouragement, praise and feedback throughout (giving you the space to learn and to grow without judgement whilst also keeping you on the right track)

sometimes he’ll zone out and just stare at you with this really soft lovey-dovey expression on his face when he’s meant to be working and several people have picked up on it — with some lovingly teasing him for it (ciel, soma, sebastian, and bard) and others finding it adorable (mey rin, finny, and lizzy)

agni doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body and trusts you completely, letting you handle any interactions you’re in and only ever stepping in himself if you look uncomfortable, the other party appears to be threatening you, or if you ask him to lend you a hand — and if it comes down to it he’s going to protect you as best he can because that is his duty as your partner (as he’s sure you’d do the same in return)

[vilemint]

Steeled Revenge

(Sebastian Michaelis x OC) fanfic

CH II

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(you can also find this fic on AO3, linked here with over 15 existing chapter with +60k words in case anyone is interested.)

Before reading:

There will be mentionings of situations most will not find comfortable. Please when reading that you understand that these themes exist and it is not targeted towards any person, groups, sexual preferences, religious beliefs or any of the sort.

I am not responsible for your feelings after reading the warnings!! Most of the time, certain words and expressions were commonly used during this time era. It isn't targeted towards you!

___________________

MINORS DNI.

DO NOT COPY, REFERENCE, OR REPOST MY WORK.

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WC: 2.3k

First Ch Prev Ch:

CH II

Both of the men's eyes widened, mouth slightly open at what they had just heard. Ciel soon collected himself, blinking before he said anything else. “Your father? I’ll see what I can do. It’ll be helpful if I had more information, mind giving me some?” 

Mavis looked down at the floor of the carriage before returning her gaze to the young Earl and Sebastian as she started. “You might’ve heard of him, Vogeljunge. My father, Marquis Fairview. He was a powerful full fledged demon. I don’t know how he met my human mother, he died before I got to know.” She paused for the both of them to register this info. 

Ciel turned to his butler, “Does it ring a bell at all?” 

With a gloved hand to his chin, Sebastian pondered. “Do you mean the Tungsten Demon?” 

Mavis nodded. “I know that you represent a crow or a raven, but my father represented the Clouded Leopard. That’s why I’m able to swivel my joints like this-” She rotated her shoulders around, causing Ciel to cringe loudly and recoil. “Eugh! Stop that at once!” 

She squinted and chuckled loudly. 

Then, a thought popped into the boy's mind, gaze soon landing on Sebastian as he stared at Mavis with more intensity and interest. ‘Oh no.’ “Wait a minute-” He started, “Aren’t..aren’t leopards..c..cats?!” The look Sebastian had gave it away. “OH NO. No, no, no, no, no. It’s ONE thing for me to be allergic to them, but it's a whole other thing when I’ve just employed a Cat Demon!” He faltered, ‘soul’ seemingly leaving his body. 

Mavis couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “So do I still have a job, Young Master?” She teased, smirking as this boy who acted like the world was beneath his foot melted into his cushioned seat. While she had the short fun with Ciel, Mavis stopped smirking when the nagging feeling of eyes boring into her very core was stuck on her body. Turning her head slowly, she saw Sebastian, stiffening slightly as his eyes were deadlocked into hers. She wasn’t expecting the man to have such an intense gaze, it was like he was staring at free food.

His eyes were glued to her body, silently taking in her features that slowly led to what she was saying was true. Her hair, though somewhat long, was slick and straight, except for the back that spiked upwards like a cactus. The odd coloration of her hair as well was a dead giveaway, a dreamy dark sky blue with black spots dotted throughout the strands. He remembered now when he saw her in the alley, how her hair ‘fluffed’ slightly in an attempt to make herself look bigger. Then it was the fangs, longer than his own when his barely peeked through his lips one of hers was far longer. 

‘A cat demon, hmm?’ He thought, a smile forming on his lips. ‘Oh, I can't wait to play with this girl.’ 

“Anyway..You said something about imprisonment?” 

“Ah, yes, when my father died I was taken by some Church. I was too young to fully understand what was really going on, all I remember from that day was him disappearing before my eyes.” 

Ciel nodded. “As I said, I will look into it and do as much as I can.” 

Mavis sighed. ‘I can tell by the way this boys' talking that he's serious..At least he’s better than the other one.’ She smiled, and held out a hand, which caught Ciel off guard but eventually took. “Deal.” Was all she said. 

The rest of the ride was made in silence, other than the occasional question here and there. Soon Mavis caught sight of a large manor ahead. “I’m assuming that this is yours?” She asked Ciel who nodded. “Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor, Mavis.” 

A small smile creased her lips. As quickly as the manor came into view, they were already up at the front entrance, stopping the carriage before a staircase leading to the main doors. Sebastian got out first, coming around the carriage and opening the door, allowing the young Master to come out first, followed by Mavis, who swatted Sebastian’s open hand for her to take. “Don't get any bright ideas. Or else this cat will come and eat the pesky bird.” She hissed and growled deeply. The sounds of her growls were equivalent to a tigers or a lions, though not as loud. Something that only Clouded Leopards can do. 

Sebastian pulled his hand back and just eyed Mavis walking behind his master. A new feeling rushed through his body making him shiver ever so slightly. ‘She really is something else..’ He smirked. 

The duo waited at the top of the stairs for the head butler to come back and open the door. As he did, Sebastian kept his eyes on Mavis, while she stared back. Hers not wavering with their emotion. 

Grasping the doorknob, Sebastian opened the door and allowed the two to step inside. 

Ciel’s manor wasn’t what Mavis was expecting. IN fact, it was much nicer than she had envisioned. 

The checkered floor was waxed and polished till you could see your reflection, the air felt clean to breathe, and everything was well up to date and maintained. The last place she worked at had half, if not then 1/4th of the cleanliness that this manor has. “Wow..” She muttered, looking up at the ceiling, the wood up above was bloody polished too!! 

Amidst her mesmerization Mavis’s ears picked up the sound of footsteps. Quick footsteps, and more than two pairs coming right for them. 

She swirled her head just in time to see 3 new people rushing into the Grand Hall. 

“The Young Master is back, yes he is!” 

“Ah, and Mr.Sebastian too! Welcome back!” 

“Oi, who's the lass?” A man, with blonde hair, scruffy facial hair, a cigarette in his mouth as a cooks uniform covered his body inquired, approaching the woman. 

“This is Ms. Mavis Fairview, she will be our new butler, and your second boss.” Sebastian replied while removing Ciel’s coat, hat, and cane. 

The chef walked up to Mavis’s face, hand on his chin. Smoke from his cigarette infiltrated her nose with a sharp pain. 

“You sure that this is a woman, Sebastian? Looks kinda like a guy..” Silver colored eyes squinted at the man before pinching the burning end of his cigarette out after giving the tips of her fingers a quick lick. “I beg to differ.” She hissed lightly, causing the American to stamper back in surprise. “I-I’m so sorry Ms. Fairview!” He bowed. The woman just huffed and looked at the last 2. “W-Welcome Ms.Fairview!!” They said in unison. 

Her lips pursed slightly. ‘Hmm..they’re rough around the edges, but they’re better than the last batch.’ 

“Mavis, that’s Baldroy, the Manors head chef.” Sebastian introduced the still stunned man. Then mentioned to the others. “And this, is Mey-Rin the house maid, she's..special, in her own way.” Mey-Rin nodded. “Yes, I tend to accidentally trip over my feet lots a times cause of my glasses..” She lightly adjusted them while blushing at how close the clad butler had gotten to her. “And finally this is the Gardner, Finny. He has some impeccable strength.” Finny just smiled. 

The soft sounds of laughter from down below caught Sebastian’s attention. “Ah, terribly sorry, this is Tanaka, head butler of the previous Earl Phantomhive.” Tanaka chuckled, holding a yunomi (a tall tea cup from Japanese culture.)

“Its a pleasure to meet you all.” Mavis replied, bowing slightly in respect. 

‘At least she knows some manners..some.’ Thought Sebastian. “Young Master, may I show Ms.Fairview to the servants quarters?” Ciel looked up at him, as his Butlers face tried to hide the temptation to get closer to the new woman only because of what she was. “No you may not. You’re coming with me so I can retire. Mey-Rin will show Mavis to her quarters.” 

“Y-yes Master!” She piped up, clambering over to the woman and taking her hand then quickly dragging her away. “Finally another lady in the house! Honestly being the only woman here was suffocating, yes it was!” She smiled, surprising Mavis. Here she was expecting Ciel to allow Sebastian to show her to her room. 

Him. 

Who was a man. 

But also a demon. 

To show Mavis, a new employee, and a woman, to her room by himself. As if he couldn’t sense where she'd go if he didn't. 

As the two left, Sebastian turned to the last two servants and excused them to rest for the night. 

------------

Mey-Rin proudly walked the new employee to her new room, while also explaining some of the areas of the Phantomhive mansion that they passed by without giving Mavis a traditional tour. “Ah! Here we are!” She suddenly stopped in front of a door, making Mavis run into her. “Oops, my bad!” 

She rubbed her nose lightly. “It's fine, I should’ve been paying attention.” 

Mey-Rin opened the door for the new butler, allowing Mavis to go in first, then herself. “Since you’ll be Sebastian's second in command you get a slightly bigger room than the rest of us, ‘bigger’ only because you’ve got a walk in bathroom, yes you do!” 

Mavis looked around, it was a simple get up, and a hell of a lot better than where she’s been sleeping recently. Especially her last job, they made her sleep like an animal. Not like she isn't one though, but still. 

“Thank you Mey-Rin, I look forward to working with you tomorrow.” She bowed again, making the house maid blush lightly. “Y-yes of course! If you wish to bathe, there are towels in the dresser here. Goodnight, Ms.Fairview.” And then, Mavis was alone. ‘I wonder if shes a mind reader. I thought about bathing before sleeping in these over the top silk-cashmere sheets.’ She thought. 

Meanwhile, Sebastian was undressing the young Earl, discussing about the day, more so about Mavis. 

“Young Master? What are your thoughts on Ms.Fairview?” Sebastian perked up, folding the boys' day clothes neatly together. Ciel closed his one exposed eye, pondering. “I’m still unsure, but if what you say is true, that she’s a half demon, then that only leaves some other possibilities left. We shall see how she does tomorrow. For now, once you’re done here, bring her one of our extra butler suits.” He paused, turning to the servant. “Only. The suit.” 

Sebastian smirked, and bowed with a hand to his ‘heart’, “Yes, my Lord.”

“Ah, much needed..” Mavis smirked, sinking into the bath water more. Only her upper torso was exposed, hair slightly damp from the steam, and a content smile on her lips. Warm baths were the best, being able to just sit in liquid warmth and not give a care in the world was so calming. Much better than waiting for rain, or swimming in the Thames. 

That is, till her sensitive ears picked up the knock at her door. “If it's who I think it is, I'm not interested.” She blatantly spat out, now irritated that her peace was disturbed. 

“I’m only here to deliver your new uniform, Ms.Fairview.” 

Of course he is. With a slight growl, she pushed herself up and closed the bathroom door a little more before muttering, “Fine. But nothing else.” 

With the door opening, Sebastian entered and noticed that the woman was bathing. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t tempted to go in and join her. 

“And please, drop the formality, just call me Mavis.” She barked. In return she heard a soft, “Of course, Mavis.” With the uniform now on the bed, Sebastian opened and closed the door. 

Thinking he had left, Mavis returned to her ‘paradise’. Not noticing that she was purring softly from her comfort. 

“My, you really are a Cat Demon aren’t you?” 

Damn it. So much for paradise. 

The woman squeaked, and let out a low hiss, further confirming Sebastian’s suspicions. He chuckled, leaning into the bathroom’s door frame. Her gaze immediately landed on the man, anger boiling slowly. “Watch your tongue. I am in no mood for chasing a bird around the manor right now.” She said with a knifes edge, adding into her seriousness. Sebastian just stood there chuckling to himself while Mavis sat vulnerable in the tub. She’s pretty much at the demon's mercy. 

“And a defiant one at that. It's not often that other demons, humans even, are even remotely interesting. But you…something really intrigues me.” Sebastians’s words rolled off his tongue without any hesitation. “I’ve heard of half demons existing before, but nothing about them living into adulthood.” He smiled, eyes looking right into hers. “I’ll show you the mansion in the morning. For now, get some rest, little kitten.” 

‘Kitten?!’ She inwardly screamed. To be called in such a derogatory way..it ticked her. But she did notice one thing while looking into Sebastian’s eyes. His eyes didn’t hold malice, or danger, not even a hint of a thought of doing something to ehr. Which caught her off guard, the demons she’s met before wanted her in every way possible, soul included. She’s grown used to those lustful eyes. But she didn't see it in this Raven Demon. 

“Alright, thank you, Sebastian.” Was all she said, head turned away from him. This time, she actually heard him utter a soft ‘you’re welcome’ and then properly left the room. “Perverted bird brain..” Mavis said to herself. 

After the nice bath, the need for rest soon came upon her body. Yes, while it is true that demons don't need to sleep, or wish to (typically), Mavis still had human ailments that she couldn't escape from. Exhaustion, illness, injury, instability, anything a human can get, she can too. She is also able to get seriously injured, while being able to still heal due to her demonic attribute, but it takes days for an injury like that to heal. 

Slipping into some light night clothing, Mavis peeled the sheets of her new bed back and plopped herself down right in the middle of the mattress. The softness of the materials, and the hardly used bed below her easily allowed her to fall asleep.

[dazzlerazz]

Also some of my friends find it funny that my house lead is named Ciel and I'm a fan of black butler whose main character is named Ciel and my answer to that is:

Yes it's intentional but I hadn't interacted with the media or fandom for probably years by the time I made by vipers so it was like a distant memory so I was like "ha it'd be funny if I made a reference only I would get in this thing" because that's something I like to do with my ocs

[midnight-in-town]

Hello ! I hope this isn't a dumb question but I've just been wondering ... Chess is particularly important in Black butler , with Ciel constantly referring to others as pawns and the constant reference/imagery to it in the manga . It also seems pretty accepted in the fandom that Ciel is extremely good at the game or even unbeatable , but has it ever been mentioned in the manga that he's particularly good at chess ? Like Lizzy fencing level of genius ? Or is that just something we all automatically assume ?

Thank you !

Hello Anon!

Yes, it has been mentioned on different occasions, in the manga. :)

For example, by Ann (ch8)...

and his brother (ch131).

So it's definitely canon that our!Ciel is good at chess! Pretty much like Liz being incredible at fencing. :))

I hope it answers your question, have a nice day! 

[k-s-morgan]

Hi! This isn’t an ask, but more of a rambling that I deemed too long for the comments, that stems from your post claiming Book of Circus as your favourite Black Butler episodes. and to that I say - YES. Book of Murder is a masterpiece. It houses one of my favourite scenes - the one where Sebastian says: "This wasn't a scenario decided by God or fate, but one decided on by my master, with timing decided by my master. I was killed by the criminal expected by my master, by the Hione who came to torment my master", which really captures the essence of whole 'Ciel vs God' dynamic that's woven into the duration of the show.

Throughout the plot, there are three major instances in which an offering is made to Ciel - offerings of redemption. The first is from Angela - a chance to purify himself and have an afterlife - which he so vehemently rejects in the knowledge that he quite literally *is* his darkness, and therefore refuses to rid himself of it.

The second is comes from Abberline in his death, where in his final words he tells Ciel he has a chance to take back his future. And Ciel has to watch him die with the knowledge that he has already made up his mind about his fate. I don't think he's so affected because he regrets selling his soul. I don't think he suddenly wants to live, or no longer wishes for revenge. But I believe the reason he is so affected by Abberline's death is because he holds a sentimentality for him that is not dissimilar to the one he feels for Elizabeth. Ciel is cruel, I don't think he regrets the steps he has taken to get to this point, nor the ones he knows he must take in the future. But though he is cruel, I believe he has a sort of fond curiosity for the untainted goodness that characterises those like Abberline and Elizabeth. Like you said before, he feels condescension towards the man perhaps due to the naivety his blind heroism implies, but I think his attachments to him come from an underlying curiosity to see if such goodness can exist in such a corrupted world - a silent hope to be proven wrong in his cynicism. When Abberline dies, that very hope he didn't even know he had gets shattered. It brings about a sort of forced perspective that makes Ciel question himself in ways we haven't seen before.

Abberline's death had been avoidable and it was certainly in vain. Abberline had died for someone who had already made up his mind - someone who had rejected God once before and would do it time and time again as proven in the anime. Ciel is such an interesting character because, although he is dark, he still values the light and makes some sort of effort to preserve it in spite of the contempt he feels for them. It is the thought of dying in vain that seems to bother him so greatly, not death itself. No, Abberline dying isn't enough for him to want to live again, or to even think about throwing away his revenge - that was never in question. But it is enough to extinguish the lingering flicker of hope he had for humanity (despite being so distanced from term himself).

This, combined with the disappointment he feels at Sebastian's actions, causes the existential haze of uncertainty that leads to the third and final offering. And the most surprising thing is that this offering comes from Sebastian himself. He senses the doubt in Ciel and, like every thought the boy experiences, fails to understand it. He mistakes it for him second-guessing his revenge and decides to discontinue their contract. But he isn't angry - that much is clear. Instead, he wishes him to "forget everything and have pleasant dreams", with a rather wistful expression on his face. What this line ends up reading as is a bittersweet  goodbye from the demon - an offering for Ciel to let go of his revenge and find happiness in the afterlife with his now soon approaching death.  There is almost a strong disappointment in him, but is not resentful of it - Ciel is human and he can't keep expecting him not to be. His offering almost acts as a thank you for the moments of excitement their contract had given his monotone life and I believe that is why he makes it.

He sticks around to see if Ciel accepts his offer, though already expecting him to, and is there to witness the very moment the boy rejects it. Gone is the uncertainty of Abberline's death and the Paris crisis, and Ciel, the Earl of Phantomhive, returns to him - sharper, colder, more ruthless than ever. Sebastian realises his misjudgement and returns to his side, ready for the final battle. Killing an angel. It's laughably symbolic.

The rejections of God, the evasion of the Hope Diamond's curse (where he even wore two rings as if to taunt the fates), the references in Book of Murder - they all depict this metaphorical sort of battle between Ciel and God. And the ending of Kuroshitsuji II is the depicts how he triumphs over fate, claiming his rightful place as an immortalised creature of Hell.

I know I've gone on a bit of a tangent here in your inbox, but that one quote from Book of Murder is so symbolic to me in the way it sets up the comparison between Ciel and God (in which 'God' represents power over fate).

Before I sign off, though, I just want to make light of the existence of the show's final offering, occurring in the last few minutes of the series. This last offering has nothing too do with God, nothing to do with any complex battle between the Phantomhive and fate, but is much simpler than that. In fact, the final offering of the show comes from Ciel, and he gives it to Sebastian - it's almost poetic, is it not?

"Are you sure you don't want to pull it any tighter?"

In this single, unassuming line, Ciel is asking Sebastian if he wants to kill him, and release himself from the eternal contract they've found themselves in. Such a noble and dignified soul as Ciel would always be sure to make through on his word and, despite the loophole that now extends their contract, he would still be willing to let Sebastian kill him should he wish to do so. The man may no longer be able to take his soul, but the boy can still give the order to kill him and free himself. Ciel's respect for Sebastian is complex and contradictory at times, but what never changes is his willingness to die by his hands and see through to his side of the contract.

“Is it over? The one who plunged me into bottomless darkness… I don’t even know why she did it.”

In the episode where Angela is crushed by the Church, Ciel offers his soul to Sebastian. Even when unsatisfied with the result, his unwavering nobility led him to make good on their deal and fulfil his end of the contract. The earl faced the demon, his expression calm, and with a steady voice said “A promise is a promise. Take it.”

This unwavering dignity and nobility he holds in himself I believe is the reason for this offering and Sebastian's turn to reject it is almost a 'love confession' (as you have brought me to see it) in itself.

As a final sort of note - I just wanted to let you know that, since reading your reply to my comment on TGSTLTH (from a while ago), I brought myself to rewatch Kuroshitsuji II with your interpretation in mind and ended up really enjoying it. You've singlehandedly made me do a complete 180 on a season I previously hated - looks like I had just watched it from the wrong perspective. So, for that, I thank you

Hey! Sorry for getting to your ask just now. I absolutely loved it :D And yes, Book of Murder is a masterpiece - I still remember watching it for the first time. It was late at night, I had to go to bed, everyone was sleeping, but I kept watching because stopping just wasn't an option, I had to know what happened next.

Ciel vs God is such an interesting topic. In some ways, Ciel and Sebastian exist in their own universe where there is no place for anyone else. There is a God aka Ciel and a demon aka Sebastian. And they are both allies and adversaries at the same time - they are tormenting each other and uniting to torment others.

I agree absolutely that Ciel holds a fondness for certain people, with Lizzy and Abberline being a good example. He has a degree of contempt and irritation for them, but they do mean something to him. Ciel's curiosity is a big and detached thing, and this places him on Sebastian's level in such an interesting way because sometimes it's almost like Ciel isn't human himself - humanity intrigues him as if he doesn't belong to it. His fascination with the light just underlines his affinity with the darkness.

I have many thoughts about Ciel's behavior during the days following Abberline's death, and you certainly introduced many excellent points! My general opinion on Ciel's motives is... complicated. I agree that he never felt like really giving up his revenge and trying to live a 'happy' life - he knew it's not for him at that stage already. However, I feel like Abberline's parting words affected him a lot, even if briefly. When Abberline tells him that he can start everything from the beginning, Ciel sounds absolutely heartbroken when he confesses, "I don't have a future." The way he acts later, telling Sebastian to stop and not kill the angel, hesitating, reinforces this idea to me. I think you described it best - Ciel is having an existential crisis. It's not like he suddenly regrets his decisions, but he's temporary unanchored and unsure what he wants and what he should do. Having a dream where Abberline urges him to give up his hatred also seems to affect Ciel, but it's so telling that he wakes up and immediately says, "Sebastian." It's a fascinating arc and I can't wait to explore it.

I love your words about three offerings - so true. And I'm so happy you liked S2 when watching it from a new perspective! I used to be so confused as to why people hated it: it's not perfect, but I thought it was amazing in many ways, especially its bittersweet ending.

[chibimyumi]

Hiii!!, hope I dont bother you, but I've been thinking about this for a while... I guess Vincent's character design was created much later in the series, but may had it been a conscious decision to make his and Sebastian's character design quite similar? And if so, may had it been so as Sebastian has taken the "paternal" role in O!Ciel's life? (I remember I once read a phrase by Yana Toboso about parents and their influence, but I don't remember how it goes, quite well)

Dear Anon,

You are certainly not bothering me, don’t worry (^▽^)

Ah yes, I have seen mentions of Vincent’s and Sebastian’s likeness very often among this fandom. Back in 2014 Yana made a statement about this topic saying:

“Ciel’s papa and Sebas. Leaving parts of their faces aside, their facial expressions are similar, and that’s why I don’t like drawing them side by side (laughs) That Vincent and Sebas look similar is intentional, but I don’t think I’ll ever reveal the reason in my work.”

Later in 2017 however Yana did basically reveal the reason behind Sebas and Vincent’s physical similarity:

Today I was having food in a cafe and I ran into women having a heated discussion saying “Black Butler has very few handsome men”. Because I have no confidence in drawing distinguishable handsome men I can’t just increase my supply of canonically handsome men (adult males with a beautiful face and a long silhouette like Sebas). I have this fear that when I have to draw a close-up of [handsome] faces nobody could tell one apart from another 😅 【Toboso】

I do wonder whether in the manga my readers can tell Vincent and Sebas apart aside from using the mole (there is a difference in the droopy-eyes and the eyebrows though). I really experienced the difficulty of the concept of handsome men the hard way. I’ll do my best to train [my ability of drawing] handsome men though (∩^o^)⊃━☆゜.*【Toboso】

(I took a drawing of both Sebas and Vincent from a similar art-style period and traced their eyes and eyebrows for clearer reference.)

Answer: Yep, the actual reason for Sebas and Vincent’s supposed similarity is just plain old “SAME FACE SYNDROME”! And true to her word, Yana indeed did not reveal the reason in her work.

Indeed, the claim that Sebas intentionally took form after Vincent really is not true. It’s just one of the many examples of this fandom reaching, speculating, and then presenting it as fact.

Firstly, Sebas never saw Vincent or even an image of him before he took his current human form.

Secondly, Yana LOVES pestering O!Ciel, and by extension Sebas does too. Sebas has consistently shamed his master for showing any “weakness” and just loves pestering the boy in all ways possible. His go-to method to “help” his master with his trauma even is to re-traumatise him. Arguably taking form after the father O!Ciel had lost tragically would be a fair method to ensure maximum ‘seasoning and flavouring’ in Sebas’ textbook; that is, IF he knew what Vincent looked like. If Sebas actively took form after the boy’s late father, then it makes no sense whatsoever that the manga never shone light on the matter. Yana would never miss out on the opportunity to let Sebas really make O!Ciel’s life miserable in such a passive-aggressive way had that been the intention.

Thirdly, I also doubt whether Sebas and Vincent’s likeness is diegetic; i.e. does O!Ciel see it? If he does see the likeness between his butler and his late father, wouldn’t he have shown some reaction, especially upon first encounter? So far I have seen no indication of either master or servant having noticed any similarity. O!Ciel was surprised when he first saw Sebas’ human form, but any human form would probably have surprised anyone after seeing that entire goop-zoo display. After having seen what the demon is capable of shapeshifting-wise, surely the boy would have concluded it could take ANY other human form. And yet, when Sebas offered to take a different form O!Ciel didn’t hesitate to decline. That probably means that he really wasn’t bothered by this particular human manifestation. Of course one could argue that a father-look-alike is how O!Ciel likes it... but then, you’d also think there’d be some reaction.

About Sebas’ paternal role you mentioned, I THINK you were talking about this blog post by Yana in 2010?

[...] my assistant recently said: “Ciel’s papa looks so evil! Is he the final boss or something!?”” To which I replied: “he’s Ciel’s father you know” “Ahー... (agreeing)” she said. (Laughs) Somebody who is really good at heart cannot possibly have given birth to a child with that horrible a personality! Well, until the age of 10 he might have been a normal child, but he probably already had some grounding.. you know, through [evil] bloodline (laughs) We do say that “a parent who raises the child is the true parent”, and for the past 3 years Sebas has been keenly raising him to be a Thorough★ Sadist, so you could say that the evil blood inside him has awakened perfectly.

So yes, Sebas did indeed raise his master as he has explicitly been tutoring him on all matters. However that does not mean that he was trying to fill in the vacancy left by Vincent.

I hope this post has been interesting, and I wish you all a good day ^^

[dexpairs-blog]

Nicknames for the brothers and the (un)dateables my MC Ciel gave them and viceversa.

The brothers

Lucifer:

For him: Luci. Mainly bc it annoys him lol

For them: none, he doesn't see the use of nicknames.

Mammon

For him: Ciro (i already explained the joke in one of my posts) or a nickname after an inside joke. They use goofy nicknames.

For them: C(yes a short version of Ciel), pipsqueak, a nickname after an inside joke or they also get called a chihuahua-

Levi

For him: levia-chan, LORD OF SHADOWS, Levi, Sebastian.

For them: Shieru (it's the japanese pronunciation their name), HENRY, something related to black butler they have the same name as the protagonist.

Satan

For him: gattaro (like a cat lady but it's the male version)

For them: trouble maker. Pretty self explanatory.

Asmo

For him: PRETTY or sunshine (it makes him so happy to be called that)🥺. (Yes they literally call him pretty).

For them: sweetie, darling.(in a platonic way)

Beel

For him: SOFT BABY- no they just call him "Bub".

For them: C, yes he also calls them "C".

Belphie

For him: bitch (it's in a playful manner most of the time), Bel, lazy bones, lazy bitch.

For them: gremlin, midget, also calls them "C", dumbass.

The (un)dateables

Diavolo

For him: Dia. Lucifer would have their head if he found out they call him that lmao-

For them: he also calls them a trouble maker :D

Barbatos

For him: Barb. Lol

For them: none tbh, he might also call them a trouble maker occasionally.

Simeon

For him: MOM, mommy, mama, mamma, everything that has to do with a parent figure lmao-

For them: CHILD :D, little lamb.

Luke

For him: bro, bby(it's only when they coo at him lol), son lmao-

For them: he call them his sibling but it's not really a nickname??

Solomon

For him: MAGIC MAN(yes a jfc reference) or old man if they want to piss him off.

For them: he call them his apprentice or "little rascal" bc it lowkey pisses them off lol

[frosteee]

Undertaker & Ciel’s Relationship (so far)

I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, and other people in the fandom have talked about it also (way before me, so I’m tagging on lol) that UT doesn’t see the Phantomhive twins as individuals, but simply members of the Phantomhive family. 

That got me thinking about how UT has treated O!Ciel so far, leaving R!Ciel to the side for now. 

Talking with @frederickabberline​ got me to realise that, aside from maybe one or two exceptions, UT refers to everybody by some title or other, usually their job (e.g.: ‘Mr Butler’ for Sebastian, ‘Earl’ for O!Ciel). And when he does refer to someone by name, which is exclusively or pretty much exclusively the Phantomhives, he always attaches that last name. 

For example, most recently, when addressing Frances, even though she married out of the Phantomhive family and became a Midford, UT still addresses her as ‘Lady Frances Phantomhive‘. It’s as if the man is incapable, or unwilling, to personally recognise anyone who is not a Phantomhive.

In our discussion, frederickabberline mentioned that this detachment could be a deliberate/subconscious act for UT to protect himself from further heartache. His glee at other’s expense, leading to very, very problematic comments, could also be an extension of this. Still not excusable, but it’s an explanation.

So, how has this mindset affected his relationship with O!Ciel so far?

The Phantomhives are interchangeable to him (AKA The Amorphous Blob of Phantomhives)

On the surface this can be seen as a good thing. After all, to favour one twin over the other for x reason, as Lizzie acknowledges to herself, is inherently selfish and unfair to the other person, no matter how much of an honest or natural feeling it is.

UT does not have such a preference. When he meets O!Ciel in the Chapter 131 flashback, he calls him ‘Little Phantomhive’ and cannot tell whether he is the younger or elder brother, before stating that he doesn’t care which, not because he likes them equally but because they are Phantomhives.

As far as he is concerned, the twins are mere parts in the amorphous, ever-growing Phantomhive blob. They have no identity outside of being Phantomhives, the same as Frances. He had no special bond with either twin because the only connection between them and himself that mattered was their family name.

If UT was interested in getting to know either twin as a person, like the opportunity he had in the Ch.131 flashback, he would have attempted to seriously differentiate the two. 

While he does ask which twin O!Ciel is, he does it as a rhetorical question, a joke, and then immediately follows it by dismissing the question altogether as he has already decided it doesn’t matter.

More unsettlingly, it appears UT is so disinterested in the development (physical and otherwise) of the individual Phantomhives, that to his eyes they are unchanging. Though UT does remark on O!Ciel’s small stature a few times, this is spoken like/treated as a joke more than an observation from interest.

[There are very rare exceptions to this, but I’ll get into those later.]

This is shown when he responds to Frances commenting on his lack of visible aging by stating that she still looks as if she was ‘born yesterday’.

Even Vincent, whose death UT has lamented the most openly, even shedding tears, is not exempt from this treatment at all. He is no less ‘a Phantomhive anyway’ than his children/relatives, I realised (thanks to frederickabberline again!). 

Yes, UT regrets his death, but whenever he has brought it up it is always in the context that he can no longer revive him because his bones were burned to ash. (x and x). He never says anything like ‘He was a dear friend, how could I have failed him’, ‘He was a good man, why was he given such a death?’, ‘We had such good times together,’ - something to indicate an attachment to Vincent as a person.

And then, immediately following his lament, UT once more depersonalises Vincent, just like he did the twins, by stating that at least “the ‘Earl of Phantomhive’ is still with us”. It always comes back to that, as if it’s the only thing keeping him from wallowing in grief for those individuals.

As long as one Phantomhive is alive, he can deal with/suppress/channel his grief of personal losses into a goal which will keep him from losing more, and dwelling on what he has already lost.

Even when he comments on how much he dislikes the Phantomhive Watchdog work, while he mentions O!Ciel he talks about the ‘karma’ or ‘fate’ than hangs over every Phantomhive, the things every Phantomhive Watchdog deals with. 

As we hear later, he is resentful of the path the Phantomhives walk, their inability to rid themselves of it (by listening to him/heeding his warnings), and the Watchdog life in general, so he doesn’t care about the effects on Ciel, but the effects the ‘chain of fate’ has on the Phantomhive family and their legacy.

This more recently extends to his statement of ‘I didn’t want to lose anymore Phantomhives’, which is as blatant an explanation as you like. It confirms where his mind has focused all this time.

UT regularly teases/dismisses Ciel regarding the trauma of his past.

@frederickabberline​ kindly shared with me the moment where UT describes the ‘proper’ method of killing that Jack the Ripper probably used, to O!Ciel, using O!Ciel as a prop - even though he had a human dummy to use for this purpose.

He may as well have whispered “I know what you did three years ago!”. He’s even gesturing to the boy’s abdomen/stomach area with his ring hand! With his phrasing, and the Japanese text confirms that he literally refers to “steal[ing] the precious thing”, he echoes R!Ciel’s ‘Who stole the candy from my tummy?’ message. 

Oh yeah, and he does this while knowingly allowing O!Ciel to sit on the coffin with his dead/bizarre doll twin inside!

Thankfully, O!Ciel doesn’t catch on, but Jesus Christ, UT!

If UT truly cared about O!Ciel’s emotional well-being, just cared about him as an individual, why would he reference one of the most painful moments of O!Ciel’s life in such a sneaky, tactless manner, even if he knew he could get away with it here?

He does it again in Ch. 24, where UT doesn’t even hide what he’s talking about under the context of a different subject, like he did in his first appearance. Here, after remarking that dead children are commonplace in the underworld, he directly tells O!Ciel “The Earl knows that very well, doesn’t he?”.

JESUS CHRIST, UT!

He doesn’t consider O!Ciel’s feelings at all. He cares about his own amusement at O!Ciel’s expense, which extends to basically anyone else. But O!Ciel is a Phantomhive, part of the family UT is so concerned with/attached to he is literally trying to overturn the law of death for them to continue living.

But as I outlined earlier, UT does not care about any of the Phantomhives, at least the ones currently living and the previous Earl beyond the fact that they are Phantomhives. 

Therefore, he does not consider O!Ciel’s trauma, or care to know about it. He didn’t care to know how he was different from his twin, they were all  the same to him, so why would he care now?

Even if we consider that this black/gallows humour is UT’s personal way of coping, anyone with an ounce of tact would still not do this in front of others who they know such humour will hurt. Maybe UT has too many screws loose to care, or he is so detached he simply does not have room for it in his head.

UT does advise O!Ciel to take care of his soul, as he only has one - which considering his history with R!Ciel (who is still chilling in the zero gravity float spa coffin in the room somewhere), makes sense. But he’s still speaking to O!Ciel as a Phantomhive.

While UT is very well aware of O!Ciel’s contract to Seb the demon, and aware of the danger O!Ciel has placed his soul in, he later contextualises this as the result of O!Ciel holding the same ‘great power’ as his ancestors, which leads to them forgetting the importance of their lives/their souls.

So again, it’s about the Phantomhives as a whole, and how O!Ciel is repeating the same mistakes as his ancestors. He isn’t concerned with O!Ciel’s feelings here, even though he is clearly re-living that traumatic event front the past.

The final, and most damning, is UT’s attitude towards O!Ciel when the existence of R!Ciel is revealed. He reacts to O!Ciel’s obvious disgust, grief and terror with a shrug and exasperated “What? How can you not like this? Does it really matter if he’s alive or dead?”

UT is so detached from O!Ciel as a person, and detached/disinterested in general from human feelings beyond his own - consciously or otherwise - that he cannot fathom how the twin of the zombie twin he brought back might have an issue with what UT did.

UT is projecting, I think, his own feelings/expectations onto O!Ciel in this scene. Easy to do, because he had detached himself from the boy personally. If UT were in O!Ciel’s shoes, he would be delighted, because at this point that it does not matter to UT in what form such and such returns, human or bizarre doll, just so long as they do, and that it will be as if they never died.

And this comes before the revelation that R!Ciel’s dead body was ‘watching’ him the whole time!

Again, it’s unclear whether UT is simply bonkers and doesn’t care anymore or if he’s genuinely unable to focus on anything other than his end goal to acknowledge how messed up it is and how it’s hurting O!Ciel.

Exceptions to the rule

So far, I can point to two incidents that deviate from the usual detached manner in which UT deals/relates to O!Ciel.

The first comes in the Campania arc when UT entrusts his treasured funeral lockets to O!Ciel. Ch.64.

The look UT gives O!Ciel is important, and it is the first of two key moments which could lead to their relationship changing perhaps for the better. He looks surprised, shocked, and the light/roundness/look in Ciel’s eyes give him a more innocent, childish look. 

The close up between them indicate that they are really looking at one another. Or, if this is purely UT’s POV, he is really looking at O!Ciel.

I couldn’t swear to it, but this could indicate that finally, UT is seeing O!Ciel as a little boy, not merely an extension to the Phantomhive legacy, and that this reassures him enough to entrust his most treasured possessions - the last remaining pieces of the people he cherished - to O!Ciel. 

This, and his expression as he tells O!Ciel that the item is his treasure, is the first time UT shares anything personal with O!Ciel, and they share a connection for a moment, after so many years - many more for UT - of being detached/distant from one another.

The second time comes exactly twenty chapters later (may not be relevant, but I just noticed that) in the Weston Arc, where UT remarks how O!Ciel is different from his ancestors for saving Harcourt in from the rampaging bizarre dolls instead of just himself, as his predecessors would have done.

This is the first time UT acknowledges something about O!Ciel’s personality that makes him himself, and not merely an extension of the Phantomhive family or another Phantomhive making the same old mistakes on the same old path. UT seems pleased to see this.

Of course, these incidents happen before the whole ‘Hihi, your dead brother’s corpse was by your side this whole time, Earl!/’Your dead brother is a zombie, why aren’t you happy?’ event, in which he describes the twins as ‘mirrors of each other’, which harkens back to his inability/disinterest to tell the twins apart and all the issues that come with it.

UT himself

It’s difficult to say at this point whether UT is aware that how he is acting/what he is doing is wrong. If he knows that how he is treating/has treated O!Ciel is not the way the child of the family he cares for so much should be treated, and whether he justifies this in his own head (’ends justify the means’ type thing) or whether he is too insane to care anymore.

He does not deny to Othello that he has a few screws loose, so there’s that at least as far as self-awareness goes. He has likely been severely traumatised by the losses he suffered in the past, and whatever else we can theorise about his reaper past, and has done all he can to prevent more - event to the point of alienating and depersonalising the members of the same family he once deeply loved.

Whatever the case, I think enough groundwork has been laid for there to be a conflict later down the road on this point, focusing squarely on how he has viewed the Phantomhive family members for some time, the twins included. 

Conclusion 

While he has remained largely detached from O!Ciel and only interacted insofar as it suits his goals and his obsession, there have been moments where UT and O!Ciel have shared a personal connection where UT was forced to see O!Ciel as an individual. An individual deserving of more attention and care - PROPER attention and care - than UT has been willing to give in a long time because he has been so focused on his own goals and his own wishes for the Phantomhives.

He may for the first time actually start to consider what is truly best for the twins, instead of simply what he wants.

How he responds to this conflict within him between a newfound personal care for O!Ciel and the goal he has been working so ruthlessly towards for years is definitely interesting to think about.

It could completely throw off-balance how he has thought/operated for so long, and bring back painful memories and force him to confront ugly things about himself that he has either been too blind/mad or single-minded to acknowledge. 

He might question a lot of things he’s done, his current plan even, and maybe consider working with O!Ciel and allies rather than separately from them, as he has always done. He might realise that his detachment, disinterest, and depersonalisation are flaws rather than self-protection, that do more harm than good, and realise he needs to change.

Funny, when he goes on so much about how little the Phantomhives change and how it always comes back to bite them - UT is guilty of the same, in his own way!

Anyway, I’m sure his and O!Ciel’s dynamic and relationship will change, possibly quite dramatically, soon! 

What do you guys think?

[tsukikoayanosuke]

The Captain’s Rambling - How TW:OPT was written

Well, today (it's already the 29th of September in my timezone) is a special day and I just uploaded the newest chapter with interesting things going on in there. I did promise that I will tell you how Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure was written, right? Well, gather around children. The captain has a story to tell.

I think it was around March of this year and I think it was the early stage of quarantine in my country. I was like relaxing, watching YouTube while having an online class at the same time (please, don't do this at home). Around that time my autoplay got me some Black Butler amv and being that girl who never watches popular anime, I only have the vaguest idea about Black Butler except everyone seems thirsty over Sebastian. But the concept of master & servant always interests me. So, I tried actively search for some Black Butler AMV until finally, I came across a thumbnail of 'Ciel'. However, I soon found out that it was not a Black Butler AMV, but instead, it was the Twisted Wonderland opening song.

My first thought was: "Oh no. Is Disney making another Kingdom Hearts series?"

After a quick search in Wikipedia, I decided to cruise through Tumblr, seeing some cute stuff, and then, just out of curiosity, I check whether there was any fanfiction of this game. Lo and behold, Archive of Our Own has a section already. So, of course, I wanted to read some fics, because that's apparently my job. While very early there are some Canon Characters/Reader fics, I tend to avoid it for now, I found a fic titled 'Beyond the Looking-Glass' and it's also a crossover with Kingdom Hearts. So, I was like: "Okay. Let's give it a try." A few sentences later I found a familiar name: 'Hikari'. My brain was a bit slow at that time so I scrolled back up and looked at the author and then it suddenly clicked and I got a surprise. Ah... No wonder that name sounded familiar...

A quick visit back to Tumblr and I found out that, yes, it was the same Hikari KH OC that. Apparently, wingbladeweaver1357 also plays Twisted Wonderland? Okay...

That somehow convinced me to give this game a try.

Reading the fanfic wasn't enough so I watched Ami Yoshiko Twisted Wonderland videos and then Shel_BB's translation to understand the plot so I can follow the fanfic too. Slowly but surely, I started to fell in love with the game.

However, it wasn't enough for me.

So, I was reading the translation for Episode 3 and I reached the part where MC signed the contract with Azul. And I remember thinking: "A very miss opportunity to make it a 'Poor Unfortunate Soul' musical segment." And it gave me an idea: what if I write a songfic just for that scene?

However, there was a problem. Because the MC/Yuu is basically our self-insert, many people, including me, have their own interpretation. So, if I write a (Y/N) fic with my interpretation of the MC/Yuu, it would probably only appeal to a small audience.

So, I decided to make my own MC. And thus, Jonah Argentum was born. But his creation story is a story for another time.

With my MC/OC created, I can actually start writing. However, another problem started. How do I introduce my MC/OC into this songfic? Would the reader able to connect with him in his first debut?

And then, I got a crazy idea. What if I basically adapt the whole game with my MC/OC?

Around that time, the fanfictions weren't as many as now and more of them are Canon Characters/Readers or Original Female Character(s). Nothing wrong with that, but I sort of wish that we have more Original Male Character(s) just for variety. Most of the fanfics that were following the canon plot hadn't even passed the Prologue. So... Why not? I think I'm part of the earliest fic posted in AO3's Twisted Wonderland fandom. I'm not the first one to do this adaptation, but I think I'm the first one with male MC/OC.

After reading some translation and imagining the whole this as an anime, on 15 April 2020, the first two chapters of Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure was posted.

Throughout April, I managed to finish adapting Welcome to the Villains' World, and on May 4th (because Star Wars day) I posted the first chapter of The Crimson Tyrant and I think I was the first one to start with the Heartslabyul adaptation.

On the first update, I decided to make a Tumblr account to write my notes for each chapter, because I have some references and trivia I want to write and I'm afraid that I would be too much if I post it on the note section of AO3. And thus, officially started the Behind the Fic - TW:OPT.

By the time the fic reached 100 kudos, I decided to write something to celebrate. Now that at least I have some readers who are familiar with Jonah, I felt like it would be okay if I write that Poor Unfortunate Soul songfic. It became the first fic in the Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure - Gaiden.

Around June, I suddenly had an idea to maybe branched out to Wattpad, because of course that site has a Twisted Wonderland fandom. And thus, around 6 June 2020, Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure was re-posted on Wattpad.

And in August I found out that FanFiction.net finally has its own page for Twisted Wonderland. So, of course, I wanted to post it there too, because it's basically going back to my roots. I started in FF.net, of course, I would eventually come back to that site. Thus, starting 25 August 2020, Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure is available on FanFiction.net

Do you think I went overboard with the re-post? Probably yes.

The fanfic is still going strong even though the update wasn't as frequent as it usually did once, but even until now I still enjoy writing it. It's strange on itself. I usually got bored by Chapter 10, but with TW:OPT we're only 11 chapters away from hitting the 100th Chapter Mark. Today's chapter is the adaptation of the original idea to make it a songfic, and thus I feel like it would be a perfect time to tell the origin story.

Another thing that today is my birthday, so I decided to give you guys something other than the update.

Thank you so much for those who had been sticking around for this small fic (I guess I can't call it small anymore, huh?) whether you were there since the beginning or finding it through Tumblr or just finding it now. Thank you for giving this fic a chance. I tried my best to reply to all the comments posted there to show that I appreciate the responses, kudos, and bookmarks. Thank you as well for those who had been sticking around Tumblr. I hope you don't mind my notes.

A special thanks to @wingbladeweaver1357​ for being my inspiration to write this fic as well.

Well, then. If you want to ask anything, my DM and Ask Box is always open.

And I guess I should say this...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

[jayda-starrjones]

My Top 10 Favourite Animes (So Far)

1. NANA

I've loved nana since I was 10, it was my first anime. I'll prolly love it forever, it makes me cry and I just feels so real and nostalgic idk the aesthetic of this anime is my most favourite thing in the world. It's about two 20 year old girls who are polar opposites but have the same name meeting on a train to tokyo; and their worlds end up colliding. With Nana Osaki, the punk singer in a band trying to make it big and Nana Komaru, the girly romantic, it ends up being a story of young adults trying to figure out their lives. It's emotional and real, with emotional and real characters.

I'm also a nana osaki kinnie

2. Devilman Crybaby

First of all: I LOVE ryo. His character depth is EXQUISITE. Second of all: I loved loved LOOOOVED the ending. It hurts but it's realistic and makes sense. It's complex... I enjoy complexity 😌✋ The plot is introduced as childhood friends trying to save the world from "devils," but I think it's REALLY a story about love and the complexity of it; how if you're greedy and narrow minded then you'll fuck up love for yourself. If you've seen the entire show then you know why.

I'm also in love with the shot of ryo pulling out his gun and shooting the devils at the sabbath party in episode 1

3. Ouran Highschool Host Club

The characters are S O endearing. Except for Renge, she annoys me 💀 but honestly this anime is just really fun to follow. It's a girl who joins the host club as a boy in order to pay off her debt to the boys from the host club, while also making great friends with them in the process. The characters have a good dynamic and they work well with each other, especially cause they're all quite different from each other. IDK MAN I JUST REALLY ENJOYED THIS ANIME OK

4. Danganronpa

Ok so tbhhh I don't really know if this one counts cause I love the games, not diggin the anime, but I think it's referred to as an anime so whatever lmfao. Again, the characters? Great, amazing, tasty. Like I'm being fed a full course meal with a bunch of different shit in it. Danganronpa is so diverse with it's characters, like some of them are kinda out there lmao. Yes, yes, I am also a Toko kinnie 😌✋ I enjoy the story of the main games and the antagonists are MMMM M W A H CHEFS KISS. The style of it is pretty cool too. It's about kids who wake up in a school only to find of they're being held hostage there unless they kill the others to be set free, if they can also escape the Phoenix Wright style court trial without being caught.

Side note: the games were supposed to be a LOT darker than they already are, like sickeningly dark, I almost wish they were what they were going to be just so i could see how they would have turned out.

5. Black Butler

I am enchanted by the dark plot. I started watching Black Butler when I was like 13 and fell in love with it's universe. It's dark, cold, fun and thrilling. Did I mention dark? It's about a boy who makes a deal with a demon just so he can survive the trauma that was sprung onto him. Ciel is crafted as a kid who hasn't been able to heal, and probably never will. The manga is better than the anime, a lot better; but the series is SO good. This is wack to think about for me but this anime actually got me through some hard times. Not in the most healthy way, but It helped me grow a THICK ass skin because I would relate to the feeling of loneliness and revel in the only other feeling I had in me; rage. I used to kin Ciel so hard bruh

6. Beastars

This anime gives me like a sorrowful depression afterward lmao like I can't put my finger on it but every time I've gone through it and binged it it's made me like sad, even tho it's not very sad?? I still love it tho. I love the idea of a wolf falling for a rabbit and having to fight his instincts just to be with her. Also, if you're an ARMY, legoshi has Namjoon's eyes. CAN'T EXPLAIN IT HE JUST DOES MK

7. Attack On Titan

K ya it's a popular anime everyone likes BUUUUUUT it has a nice big place in my heart so it's going on this list. The development between characters throughout the anime and manga is intense. I didn't expect where the story is to this day; I don't think anyone did lmao also? When I first started reading the manga it was cause I needed to finish where the anime left off cause I couldn't wait any longer lol THE MANGA?? GIVES ME LIKE CHILLS?? Idk the manga is scary to read sometimes lol again, I can't place it, but sometimes it's so gritty I can hear the screams in my head and feel the ambiance and death in the air. I like an angry ambitious story 🤷‍♀️

8. Yuri On Ice

GREAT love story. I also love yuri plisetsky a lot. The anime is really pretty and conveys a warm feeling. The pacing is really good as well. It moves pretty fast, considering it has like what, 12 episodes? I also loved the ending because like :') yurios debut dudes :') did u see the tears :'))))))

9. Death Note

Ok so I recently rewatched this anime for probably the 4th time with a friend and realized that the pacing isn't too bad but sometimes it feels slow. Nonetheless, I love it a lot. A killer and a detective working together to capture that same killer is fun to follow. It has a really nice aesthetic and I think it's clever with various things handled in the anime. It's very entertaining, I love playing it in the background while I'm painting. Also, I have a death note 🤪

10. Cowboy Bebop

This anime is different from most animes I get attached to, mostly because it loosely follows a plot but REALLY i think you could prolly tune into any episode and grasp what's going on. It's JUST space shananagins dude. Again, beautiful aesthetic. Cute characters. I love how cyborg man has a bonsai room like cmon that's such a cute character detail.

VERY Honourable Mentions

One Punch Man

K but one punch man is so funny wtf and it's very quirky and fun. Just the thought of a low budget superhero who isn't recognized as a superhero & can only kill bad guys with one punch & hates it is kinda funny idk man, mf does his deed of the day and then panics cause he needs to make it to the supermarket on time for the sale that's going on lmao

Soul Eater

Of course, great characters, great plot. Really good animation style. Funny with a dark aesthetic ♡

Your Lie In April

Okay hear me out. I haven't actually finished it yet. I just know that the characters have so much depth that I've been sucked in. I also don't think I've ever seen an anime THIS beautiful. Like really, this anime blows me away with how beautiful it is sometimes. It makes me rlly sad for some reason tho. Pretty music romance that'll remind you of your childhood mmmm

My Future Diary

mmmm taystey yandere

[antihero-writings]

His Butler, and the Problem with Magic (Ch2)

Fandom: Black Butler | Kuroshitsuji x Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Crossover

Fic Synopsis: Life at Hogwarts isn’t all bad…usually. But when Valentine’s Day rolls around, and Lockhart throws an extravagant ball, the number of couples at school the next day skyrockets, and Sebastian finds himself a new object of devotion…Can Ciel save his butler from the spell on his own?

Character Focus:  Ciel (Edward Midford, Grell, Lizzie, Snape)

Notes: I bet you all thought I forgot about this fic didnt you? SIKE! I forget nothing.

(By the way, I'll definitely repost chapter 1 of this as well, in case you guys forgot about it XD)

I was informed that Valentines day with this coming Sunday and I couldn't believe it. I had been wanting to work on multiple valentines fics and I thought I had weeks left to write them XD So in light of that, I knew I had been slowly chipping away at a chapter 2 of this over time, so I decided to check it out and see how much work I had to do to make it postable in time for valentines day. To my surprise, the chapter was pretty much ready to go! So at long last, here it is!!

I really hope you enjoy it!! If you do, I implore you to consider commenting and/or reblogging!! I assure you its much much more likely this fic will get a chapter 3 if I know that people are interested in reading more <3

@elegantkittycat Tagging you in case you’re still interested in reading more!!

Chapter 2:

Ciel jerked his hand away as the cauldron sizzled, muttering curses under his breath—(the normal kind, not the magic kind). Usually Sebastian managed their clandestine dealings and he didn’t have to worry about burning his fingers off.

His conversation with Tom Riddle had left him with a list of ingredients, and a method of combining them into a potion that would allegedly cure Sebastian and others of this ailment.

He was fully aware trusting strange voices in diaries wasn’t the best decision he could make on the career path of life, but considering he had found no other options, and a whole lot of annoyance, he didn’t have much to lose. Besides, Sebastian was a demon, so even if it was supposed to make your eyes pop out or something, he’d probably be okay.

Ciel looked down the instructions and grimaced, reaching over for the next ingredient, trying not to look directly at it.

Despite the potions classroom being the main place to get potions, and potion making materials, he was not in the potions classroom. This late in the evening, Snape probably would have killed him. He was in a room on the seventh floor which Sebastian had found last May. It seemed to hold within it whatever the person walking by it required.

He dropped the last ingredient in, raised his wand, muttered a very complicated spell and sighed.

The only thing left to do was wait. It had to brew for twenty-four hours, which meant it wouldn’t be ready until six o’clock the next evening. Twenty-four hours was too much time with a love infested school to deal with.

Ciel packed up his stuff and headed out into the hall—making sure to check for Filch first. He was almost back to his common room when—

“CIEL PHANTOMHIVE!”

He nearly tripped and toppled to the ground taking all his supplies and homework with him.

As he righted himself, he jerked his head up to observe the source of the disturbance: a tall, blonde boy, a few years older than Ciel, sporting his Gryffindor robes as if he was the reincarnation of Godric goddamn Gryffindor himself.

Ciel had the displeasure of knowing this boy.

“Edward?!” he growled, recovering his dignity and dusting himself off. “Are you trying to kill me?!”

“That depends,” he said in a low murmur that seemed to hide waves of anger.

He marched up to his future-brother-in-law, stopped far too close, and stared into Ciel’s eyes like he could bore into his brain with his gaze.

“What. Did you do. To my sister?”

“What did I— ?” Ciel blinked, rivalling anger disappearing in the face of concern. “What?”

Edward was the son of the proud, and not to mention handy-with-swords Marquess Midford, and all this noble, virtue-loving, God-fearing, paladin energy was often channeled into being protective of his younger sister Lizzie…who also happened to be Ciel’s fiancé.

“Lizzie. What did you do to her?!”

“Yes, I’m familiar with to whom you’re referring!” He pushed him back, “What’s wrong with her?!”

It was Edward’s turn to blink. “You don’t know?”

“You may or may not have noticed I am otherwise occupied! I’ve been running around trying to save my butler from this hell, thank you very much!”

“Oh,” his eyes flickered.

Ciel looked up at him, then blinked. “You think I caused this?!”

“Well you don’t exactly foster an atmosphere of peace and calm, now do you?”

“I’d thank you to have more confidence in me in the future! For your information, Undertaker caused this!”

“Undertaker?! Oh that slimy bloke hasn’t seen the last of me!” He turned, putting his fist into his palm, beginning to march out of the room.

Ciel lazily grabbed the sleeve of his robe, pulling him back. “Hunting him down isn’t going to get you any answers—and will likely make you more frustrated. Believe me, I’ve already tried. Now, if you’d be so kind, I’d like to know what’s wrong with my fiancé.”

Edward rubbed the back of his head. “Well…”

“Tell me, Edward.” It was Ciel’s turn to stare him down. Apparently it was effective, because Edward couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Well…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I went to go say hi, and I found her sitting in the common room, staring out the window. She barely took any notice of me. And when she did she started spitting prattling nonsense about this man she met,” he said the last words like men were the most revolting things in the planet. “Naturally I assumed this was a newfound appreciation for you, or she simply was admiring Lockhart like she usually does.”—Ciel made a face at this—“But apparently…not.”

Ciel blanched. He was about to speak, but Edward continued:

“When I learned it wasn’t you, I told her to have some decency, but it was as if she couldn’t even hear me!” His air of forced calm broke. “Apparently she’s madly in love with some—some—some idiot!”

“She’s… what?” The words were soft.

“I said—”

“I heard what you said!” He grabbed his robes.

Some third years walked by at that exact moment and stared at them. Ciel released him, and he and Edward paused and waved awkwardly. After they passed, Ciel continued in a shout-whisper.

“How the hell did this happen?! I specifically made sure she stayed away from the punch at that party!”

“The punch? What punch?”

“The punch Undertaker spiked!”

“Undertaker spiked—?! Oh…Maybe she drank some when you weren’t looking? You can’t have been keeping her under constant surveillance, can you?”

“I was watching her very closely, she couldn’t have!” He said, realizing his usually-more-than-adept butler was quite possibly compromised at the time. “When did these symptoms start? The morning after Valentines Day?”

“Um,” Edward put a hand to his chin, thinking, “I…I’m not sure.”

“Oh you’re just useless aren’t you?”

“More useful than you! If you knew it was spiked at the party, why didn’t you tell everyone?! Or try to stop him?!”

“It seemed like a harmless prank!”

“What are we up to?” Snape’s greasy form appeared, cutting the scene.

“Nothing, Professor Snape,” Edward said quickly. “We were just—”

“I wasn’t talking to you.” He folded his arms and stared down his hooked nose at Ciel. “Your detention is to take place tomorrow evening at six o’clock. Meet me in my office. Try not to earn yourself another one before then.”

“Yes, Sir.” Ciel said softly.

Snape’s black robes swished passed them.

“So Lizzie—? Wait, did he just say six o’clock?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Damn it!” Ciel groaned, leaning against the bannister.

“What’s wrong?”

He waved him off. “It’s none of your concern.”

Edward folded his arms and glared at him.

“I’m working on a potion to try to neutralize this whole…love mess.”

“I’d say that’s very much of my concern! You have the antidote?!”

“I said I’m working on it. It’ll be ready at six o’clock tomorrow evening—six o’clockexactly.”

“I guess you’ll have to get it after you get back.” Edward shrugged.

“It’s a very delicate potion I have to—Ugh Nevermind.”

After a pause Edward asked, “…And you’re sure this antidote will work?”

“I’m not sure of much of anything. The only thing I am sure about is if the potion doesn’t kill me, if I’m late to his detention, Snape just might.”

*****

As Ciel sat down to breakfast he made the silent resolve to quickly finish the potion at six o’clock, then speed to the dungeon as fast as possible, taking the bottle with him to his detention, and hurry to Sebastian right afterwards. Snape wouldn’t be happy, but, despite what he said to Edward earlier, the worst he’d do was give him another detention, or take a large sum of house points. And he wasn’t so strict he’d make students empty their pockets, so he shouldn’t notice while he sat sitting for a few hours cleaning viper guts off potion bottles. There was no telling what this potion would do if he left it for however long detention was, so it took priority. And even if his detention went into the night, that would be the perfect time to test it—the demon wouldn’t be asleep anyways.

Ciel was currently trying to make his seat in the great hall a little corner of peace and calm, and block out the chaos in the rest of the hall, setting down his knife properly, trying to ignore the food flying across the hall, when—

“Oh, Brat~!”

Ciel sighed resignedly as his least favorite redhead came swinging into his vision.

“What are you doing back here so soon?” Ciel grumbled, holding his scowling face in one hand, sticking his fork aimlessly into his eggs with the other.

“And when I came all this way to see you, too?!” He turned up his nose in disgust. “I couldn’t possibly get my beauty sleep after I saw my Sebas-chan in such dire straits.” He pulled a scroll out of his jacket pocket, “So I was up all night thinking of ways to get him back to his sexy self!” He unrolled its impressive length, the end landing in Ciel’s eggs.

Ciel couldn’t help but skim through some his ideas, if nothing else for a good laugh.

They ranged from the more simple and reasonable Find the spell, and make a counter curse, and Bash his head in, to the not-so-reasonable Maybe true loves kiss will work~?

“What’s this?” Ciel squinted at a particular line. “‘Put that brat he calls “master” in mortal danger’?”

It was starred and underlined several times.

“Oh you noticed that one did you?” He said in fake innocence. “That’s one of my personal favorites!”

Ciel’s eyes lidded.

“And how exactly would putting me in mortal danger solve the problem of my butler being in love with you?”

“For some reason—can’t see why—Sebas-chan is very attached to you—”

“Sure, it has nothing to do with the contract we made.”

“Yes, yes.” He waved him off. “Well he’s very against you being in any sort of danger. See the idea,”—He put a nail on the table— “is that if we put you in mortal danger his primal demonic—”—he said the word in a way Ciel was not fond of—“inclinations will override the spell and snap him out of it.”

Ciel blinked, staring down at the line of text.

The worst thing was…that actually made some smidgen of sense. You know, in a sadistic kind of way.

“And how would you propose we do that? You know, without actually killing me?”

“Oh all part of the fun. I have a number of ideas as to how we could push you riiight up to the edge! It’ll be delightfully diabolical. Of course, if it doeskill you, well…” he turned away and muttered, “All’s well that ends well, as they say.”

“Not that that doesn’t sound fun…” Ciel stood, pushing the list away. “I’ve found my own way of breaking the spell thank you very much.”

“Oh?” Grell blinked, intrigued. “Have you now?”

“Not that its any of your business, yes.” He brushed himself off, gathering his stuff, “If you’ll excuse me, I have my own business to attend to.”

“Well when that fails don’t hesitate to come crawling back to your favorite reaper Grellypoo ~!” He rolled up the scroll.

“You’re not even my fifth favorite reaper!” He threw over his shoulder.

“But at least I’m on the list!”

*****

Due to the fact that little real learning was happening on either side—unless you count learning too much about various students and teacher’s romantic habits—they had decided to cancel classes for the time being. This gave the teachers more time to devote to finding the cure as well.

Ciel decided to take this time to ascertain the validity of Edward’s statement the night previous and visit Lizzie.

She was a Gryffindor like her brother. Visiting the Gryffindor common room wouldn’t be first, or even last, in a list of things he wanted to do…but he’d half to bear it.

As he walked up the stairs he bumped into someone. At first they apologized and continued walking but soon the other person called back:

“Hey, I ran into yesterday didn’t I?”

Ciel turned to see none other than Harry Potter.

“Yes?”

“Did you happen to see a diary? Like when you were helping me pick up my stuff?”

“The great Harry Potter keeps a diary?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “It’s not my diary. Just a diary.”

“A diary that just so happened to find its way into your bag?”

“Well…yeah.”

“Sorry to say, I haven’t seen it.”

“Hmm…Alright. Thanks anyways.” He waved as he continued down the stairs.

As another Gryffindor left, he slipped into the common room.

Lizzie was sitting in a chair against the window, just like Edward said she would be. She rested her hand on her chin, her elbow on the table, and watched the rain fall.

“Lizzie!” he ran up to her.

“Oh…Ciel…it’s you,” she said in a dreamy, nonplussed tone.

“Yes it’s me. What happened? Have you completely lost your senses?!”

“No I’d say my senses are in tact thank you. And I’d thank you not to ask a lady such an impolite question.”

“Sorry but…what happened? Why are you—?”

“I don’t know. I just, of a sudden, found him to very attractive one morning, and I’m having trouble thinking of much else.”

“Who?” He sat in the chair across from her.

“That’s not really of your concern, is it?”

“It is when I’m your fiancé!” He said a little too loudly, making Gryffindors turn towards him.

“Mm…” She muttered like it wasn’t an issue.

“Lizzie, I tried to make sure you didn’t drink that punch at the party! How did this happen?!”

“Party?” She paused, and for a moment he wasn’t sure she was even going to continue the conversation. “…Oh I don’t know. I seem to faintly recall the most beautiful man I’d ever met saying I simply must try it.”

His eyes widened. “Someone gave it to you directly?! Who?! Why?!”

“I’ve already tried that, I don’t think you’ll get much luck. She won’t tell me either.” Edward arrived at his side, then leaned over and whispered, “I think she knows we’ll come after him.”

“I was going to opt for slow psychological torture,” he muttered back, “but I’d like to hear more about your method.”

Edward tried to suppress a smile.

“And you really love this man?” Ciel asked Lizzie.

“Oh, with all my heart!” She seemed to gain a rush of energy.

He sighed, realizing more questions would be futile, and getting up.

“Alright well…” He ran his hand gently over Lizzie’s fingers. “I-I’ll see you soon.”

“You’ll give me the potion as soon as you can, right?” Edward demanded.

“I’m going to use Sebastian as a test subject, but, if it works, then this will be my next stop.”

“The password is ‘chocolate frog.’ Feel free to wake me up. I can’t stand another minute knowing Lizzie is in love with some-some lunatic!”

“We’ll figure it out, don’t worry.”

*****

Ciel carefully held the porcupine quills, and gingko leaves over the cauldron, dripping them in one at a time, stirring counterclockwise with his other hand, glancing continually back to the instructions.

Finishing off the potion was proving no easier than making the rest of it, but at last, it gave a final sigh, and turned a foggy white.

Ciel gave his own sigh of relief, before using tongs to dip and fill the bottle beside him, making sure to clean off the sides of it—(it was a good thing he used a towel to do so, because the stray drops burned through the fabric).

He held up the bottle, staring at the potion. At long last. Finally, after three days of slow torture, he’d finally be rid of this curse, and the world could return to its normal state—demon butlers included.

He slipped one into his robe pocket and the moment he stepped out of the room, he sped off towards Snape’s dungeon for his detention without a moment to clean up the rest.

He hadn’t intended to burst through the door, but he found himself doing that a lot over these past few days.

Snape’s black eyes narrowed upon his panting form as if he were a worm to bottle. Then they flicked to the clock.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry, Professor, I—”

Snape held up a hand to stop him. “The last three days have been longer than the past few months, and am not interested in feeble excuses, Mr. Phantomhive.” He glided around his desk, but instead of setting him up at a desk, he marched past him, swung open, and exited the classroom.

Ciel paused a moment, leaning over to the side, watching him exit, a quizzical look on his face, before deciding he wanted him to follow him.

“Where are we going, Professor?” He asked as he caught up—(not altogether happy that he’d have to do more walking after the run he just made).

“Your detention is to take place in the Forbidden Forest tonight.”

Ciel’s eyes widened.

Snape raised an eyebrow. “Is our dear Mister Phantomhive afraid of the dark?”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all…due to it being forbidden and all.”

Snape smirked. “Most of the time, yes. But on some extra special detentions we may take students inside.”

He was right: The Forbidden Forest wasn’t exactly a common detention spot, though it wasn’t unheard of either. What was more surprising was that Snape taking him there. Usually Snape’s detentions consisted of pickling rat brains, or cleaning octopi suckers off desks. Not that he’d been to very many of his detentions—he’d always been pretty good at potions. It was this godforsaken spell that had reduced him to a less-than-model student.

“Professor, may I ask what exactly will we be doing?” He asked as they traversed the grounds, the trees growing ever closer.

“You will be coming with me to gather a rare flower that lives in these woods.”

Ciel gave a curt nod. It was a moment or two before he asked, “May I ask what it’s for?”

“I am a potions master, Mister Phantomhive. I encourage you to use your brain.”

“I understand that. But what potion is it for, Sir?”

“I am attempting to remedy the spell that has plagued the school.”

Ciel fell silent at that, resisting the urge to tell him he already had the solution in his pocket.

They arrived at the edge of the forest, the trees reaching towards them with gnarled claws, the darkness like curtains for a stage set.

“Lumos.” Snape spoke, and Ciel drew his wand and did the same as they ventured into the shadows.

The trees seemed to taunt them, to whisper about them, to dare them to come any closer, any phantom sound at home here.

After more than a few minutes walk in silence—quite possibly half an hour—Snape stopped and spoke: “They should be around here, nor should they be difficult to spot. Look for a glowing blue flower.”

Ciel made a move to venture off in search of them, but Snape grabbed his arm, warning:

“Don’t wander off where you can’t see me.”

Ciel nodded before venturing into the trees, scanning the ground for anything glowing, or blue, continually glancing back to make sure he could still make out the figure of his teacher.

It wasn’t long before he saw something glowing, and ran up to it. …It turned out just to be a mushroom.

As he sighed disappointedly, and stood back up, he saw two beady eyes staring at him from the darkness.

His heart began to pound as he stared, unsure if he should back up, stand his ground, play dead, or attack, the ghost of a certain name forming on his tongue.

He never had to fear beady eyes, bandits, or bullets with Sebastian around. This was the first time he felt real fear in a long while.

A black spectral horse reared out of the bushes, its eyes aglow with more than just a reflection of the dark.

It stepped towards him in slow, calculated hoofbeats, flaring its nostrils a little too frequently for his liking.

He’d read about these before.

He continued backing up, as the thestral didn’t seem like it planned on stopping its pursuit anytime soon.

“Mister Phantomhive,”—Snape’s voice was low, warning—“I am aware you likely don’t see anything but—”

“I can see it.” He continued his reverse walk.

Snape gave him a short glance like he had a newfound respect for him.

These creatures only appeared to people who had seen death, and he was sure the look in his parents’ eyes that night sufficed. But they didn’t commonly act like this.

Snape lifted his wand, casting a nonverbal spell, and the thestral fell to the ground with a bloodcurdling whinny too much like a scream, ropes binding its legs.

Ciel let out a relieved exhale as Snape joined him.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine…Thestrals…they aren’t commonly…aggressive, are they?”

“No.” Snape muttered softly, gazing for a moment at the now-helpless creature, then turned sharply to Ciel, pointing his wand at him. “Empty your pockets.”

Ciel jerked his head to the professor, saying a little too loudly, “What?!”

The thestral fought against the binds, and Ciel took a step back.

“I said, ‘empty your pockets.’”

“Why?!”

Snape flicked his wand, and his pockets’ contents excavated themselves of their own volition.

Snape grabbed the potion from the air, and let the rest of spare quills and things fall helplessly to the forest floor. He held it up and stared at it, observing the contents, his emotion as imperceptible as always. Then he lifted the cork, sniffing it. His eyes widened and he jerked to look at Ciel, his eyes almost more terrifying than those of the thestral, and definitely not holding a look his eyes had ever contained for him before.

“Where did you get this?” He whispered.

“Excuse me?”

He lifted the potion up, and violently smashed it on the ground, the contents breaking out with a puff of smoke, spilling helplessly onto the forest floor.

“NO!”

Snape grabbed his arm as Ciel made to reach for it, as if to save the unsalvageable.

“I said—” he grabbed both his arms, forcing him to look at him. “Where. Did you get that?”

“Sir…. I don’t understand…”

Snape’s face was far too close to him for comfort.

“Listen to me and listen to me very carefully. That potion is more than dangerous—it’s banned in every major country. It’s not something I could easily mistake. If you were to use it, you wouldn’t just die an excruciating death, it would rot you from the inside, and leave you open to the possession of any vile spirit in the vicinity. A fourteen-year-old boy such as yourself shouldn’t be carrying it around in his pocket,” he spat. “And I’d like to think that you didn’t know what it was when you gained possession of it. Now.” His grip tightened on one of his arms, his nails digging in, as he put his wand to his throat with the other enunciating each word, “WHERE. DID. YOU. GET. IT?!”

[ckret2]

The Earl and the Count

Fandom: Black Butler & Dracula crossover Wordcount: 3000 Summary: After a ship runs aground with everyone aboard missing—everyone, that is, but a mysterious corpse in a coffin—Queen Victoria passes the mystery to Ciel, who takes it to Undertaker. Who immediately calls Grim Reaper Dispatch to report a rogue vampire. Notes: I literally wrote this fic because I want to apply to a zine that requires a Black Butler fic in the application and I went "crap, all I've got is a couple of drabble-length character studies I never posted."

###

"It's so rare that you bring guests without asking for my help." Undertaker ran his long fingers lovingly over the polished coffin.

"There's nothing you can offer on this case," Ciel said. "Unless you happen to be familiar with the Russian ship Demeter."

"Ah?" Undertaker tipped his head back. "No, I don't know anything about it."

"Then my services won't be needed today." Sebastian was delicately brushing coffin dirt off his jacket sleeves.

Undertaker made a strangled noise. "Perhaps I was too hasty! Describe the case to me—maybe I'll know something?"

"If you do, we should get the information in exchange for the coffin."

"You know my fee, Earl."

Ciel sighed. "Fine. The Demeterran aground this morning. The captain’s log details the crew disappearing one by one during the journey from Varna to Whitby. The only human body found aboard was in that coffin." He nodded toward it. "Her Majesty had the contents of the ship delivered to Phantomhive Manor for us to investigate."

Undertaker sat on the table beside the coffin and slid off the lid. "How very remarkable." He tilted the corpse’s head back and forth. "I've never had a guest who looked so lively so long after death—at least, not before Icleaned him up." He slid an arm around the corpse's shoulders, gently lifting it. Dirt spilled out of its long wavy black hair. Undertaker took one of its limp hands to study the sharp nails. "Yes, veryremarkable. Your work?" He glanced at Sebastian.

"No. He appeared that way when we opened the coffin," said Sebastian, hiding his disappointment that he couldn't take credit for this miraculous circumstance.

"Strange..." Undertaker's silver bangs drooped onto the corpse's forehead, studying its face for any trace of makeup or magic. "There's no doubt it's dead. How...?"

The corpse's eyes snapped open.

Undertaker froze. The corpse froze. Icy blue eyes rolled around in their sockets, taking in the arm supporting its neck, the hand holding its hand, and the startled man bending over its coffin. The corpse snapped, "Do you mind?"

Undertaker shot up, hands next to his head. The corpse dropped back into the coffin with an "Oof." Dirt puffed up around him. He coughed, waving it away.

"Your fangs!" Undertaker exclaimed. "You're...!" He cracked up, laughing so hard he slid off the table and onto the floor.

Without the slightest change in his expression, Sebastian radiated smugness. "I hope this will serve as pre-payment the next time we come calling."

Ciel, who had only justlost his cool enough to press his back to the door, rounded on Sebastian. "You knew?! Why didn't you say something?!"

"You didn't ask."

"Didn't—! I referred to it as a corpse, didn't I? If you know I'm incorrect, you should correct me!"

"Wouldn't it look inappropriate for a butler to speak back to his master, my lord?"

"In private!You had allthe time we were in the carriage to London!"

"And my lord, you never called it a corpse. All you said in the manor was 'Disgusting' and 'Close up that coffin, we're taking it to Undertaker.' Just now, you called it a 'human body,' which doesn't necessarily imply the body is inanimate."

Waving his cane toward the coffin, Ciel snapped, "I also said there were no living people on board, which was wrong!"

"Was it?" Sebastian's gaze slid to the corpse, who was irritably brushing dirt from his hair and clothes. Smiling coldly, he asked, "Areyou alive, sir?"

Ciel snapped his mouth shut, scowling; but he gave the corpse a new, uncertain look.

"What an impertinent question," the corpse huffed. "Every Englishman I've ever met has boasted about his nation's enlightened attitudes—yet you're still limited to the binary of 'life' and 'death'?" Sniffing disdainfully, he climbed from his coffin, carefully stepped around Undertaker—still a pile of giggling limbs on the floor—and resumed cleaning his black suit. "But you, sir—I suspect you already know full well what I am."

Wearing the same smile, Sebastian bowed his head in acknowledgment. "Of course. Neither dead nor alive. Undead."

"A vampire!" Undertaker clapped.

"Such things are real?" Ciel asked Sebastian quietly. Sebastian nodded.

"A wonderful guest, indeed," Undertaker said. "And a wonderful prank. Thank you for this gift, Earl."

"'Earl'?" The vampire's sharp gaze turned on Ciel.

Ciel lifted his chin, meeting it unwaveringly.

The vampire didn't so much walk as glide across the room. "Forgive me for not greeting you sooner! I've been awakened so suddenly from my slumber, I wasn't aware that I was in the presence of one of my equals."

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "'Equals'? How so?"

"I studied English society extensively before traveling abroad, including your titles of nobility—I do believe that 'earl' is your country's equivalent rank to mine?" His smile was much like Sebastian's: charming, handsome, cold, hungry. "My name is Count Dracula. I am most honored to make your acquaintance."

###

"Corrupt souls?" Dracula asked, surprised. "Really? I would have imagined that they taste foul. Certainly, my most delectable meals always come from the virtuous."

"Quite the opposite," Sebastian assured him. "Forgive me if this metaphor isn't illuminating—although I have learned a great deal about cookingfood in my time at Phantomhive Manor, I'm woefully ignorant as to its taste—I am assuming that you remember mortal food?"

"It has been ages, but yes, I vaguely remember food. Go on."

"Grapes may rot, and milk may spoil, and in either of these cases it is then considered foul, is it not? But grapes in the hands of a winemaker or milk in the hands of a cheesemaker turn into delicacies. The 'corruption' enhances the flavor of what would otherwise be very plain foods."

Dracula nodded. "Yes, I understand. Whereas my primary diet is blood. If we liken blood to figs—they pair well with, say, a chevre, a cheese so fresh it's nearly still warm from the goat's belly; but something hardened and brittle like parmesan will overpower them. Perhaps a delicacy for you would spoil my meal."

"Perhaps so," Sebastian agreed. "I'm afraid that's outside my expertise. I never drink... blood."

"I'm starting to feel like a hunk of cheddar," Ciel muttered, leaning back against Undertaker's desk. "How much longer do we have to stay?"

"Patience, Earl," Undertaker said, each syllable hitting a different note. "Grim reapers are zealous about monitoring vampires. I've already messaged Dispatch; if you're not here when their investigator arrives, they'll just track you down. Even Iknow it's easier to go along with their tedious procedures. "

Ciel sighed. "We're going to miss dinner at this rate."

Undertaker waved a dog treat.

"No, thank you."

Someone knocked the door. "Ah!" Undertaker said. "That should be them."

"Allow me." With a cordial smile, Sebastian opened the door.

Grell's eyes lit up. "Oh—!"

With a cordial smile, Sebastian shut the door. He turned around. "Please ask Dispatch to send someone else."

Grell opened it. "Hellooo!" Her wide grin nearly cut her head in half. "When I was told to check out a vampire, nobody said the most handsome demon in London would be here, too." She leaned adoringly toward Sebastian. He leaned the other way. "To think I complained about being sent!"

"You should have complained harder," Sebastian said.

"Don't be like that, Bassy dear." She moved as if to pat Sebastian's head, watched him flinch out of range, and swept by with a satisfied smirk. "And it's alwaysa pleasure to see yourpretty face," she told Undertaker as she passed.

He hummed noncommittally, grinning like a cheshire and twirling a lock of silver hair around one finger in mock coquettishness.

Grell spared Ciel only half a look before scoffing. "Usually I'd have to check to see if you've been enthralled, but your contract prevents that. So I can skip you completely."

"Then we can leave?"

"Assuming I haven't enthralled Bassy into wanting to stay." Grell winked toward him. He frowned. "But, yes. If we need any information, we'll send a telegram."

Ciel looked toward Sebastian. "Then let's go."

"Hold on," Undertaker murmured. "Your Victoria gave you the Demeter's cargo because she wants you to discover what happened to the crew, did she not?"

"Of course."

"Then," he tilted his head toward Dracula, "when Grell interviews him about how he got here, shouldn't you listen to what he has to say about it?"

Ciel looked at Dracula, then Grell; then sighed, leaned against Undertaker's desk, and crossed his arms.

Sebastian pulled out a pocket watch, checked it, neatly clicked it close, and said, "If it would please you, I can head home first to ensure that a late dinner is prepared when you return to the manor."

"If I have to stay, so do you."

Sebastian hesitated; then nodded. "Yes, my lord."

"Now, where...?" Grell's gaze fell on Dracula—who seemed, more than anything else, bewildered by her—and her eyes widened. "Oh, my. Hello, tall, dark, and handsome. Lucky me—three gorgeous men in one room. I could party until dawn."

"But you won't," Sebastian said.

"Don't underestimate me." She slid onto a chair near Dracula, pulled out a notepad and pen, and asked, "So. What's your name, handsome?"

"Count Dracula," he replied.

"A count, no less! From...?"

"Transylvania."

"Transylvania..." She jotted down the information, then graced him with a shark-like smile.

He met it with a furrowed brow and faint frown, as though he was puzzling something out.

Grell had never once brushed off a gawker when she could instead bask in the spotlight. So she lowered her pen and said, "You've been staring since I came through the door. Haven't you ever seen an English lady before?" She winked.

Ah. That was the hint Dracula had been wanting. His brow smoothed and his charm reappeared. "I confess—although I've heard much about London's lovely ladies, I've never had the opportunity to meet one until now. Tell me—is your vibrant scarlet hair common, or is that a feature only the once-dead ladies receive?"

Sebastian and Ciel stared at Dracula in wide-eyed shock.

For a moment, so did Grell. But then her face lit up like a gas-soaked house under a match. "You charmer!" she squealed. "The red's all natural, actually! You can alwaystell when a woman's not a natural redhead. Death did give me some otherassets, though." She ran her tongue along the tips of her sharp fangs.

"Any vampire would be deeply desirous of such a mouth," Dracula said.

"Oh!I would loveto listen to you talk about which parts of me you deeply desire. But," she tapped her notepad, "unfortunately, we dohave a questionnaire to get through. I'm off duty once I get this in, though—perhaps I could give you a proper tour of London?" She batter her eyelashes.

Bowing his head, Dracula said, "It would be my honor to see London's nightlife on the arm of such a charming woman."

Grell turned to Undertaker and mouthed, "Thank you." Undertaker—sitting at his desk with his chin propped in his sleeve-bundled hands, watching the proceedings with a grin—let out a quiet, creaky laugh.

"Shouldn't grim reapers not get along with vampires?" Ciel muttered. "They don't get along with demons."

"Vampires are taken on a case by case basis," Undertaker murmured. "A vampire killing doesn't steal or damage a soul, so to grim reapers, it's no different from any other murder. Vampires who are good about getting in their paperwork can be quite popular."

Ciel blinked. "Vampires have paperwork?"

"So!" Grell said. "Let's start with the basics. Are you registered as a vampire with Grim Reaper Dispatch in Transylvania?"

"I am. I have been since the day I was turned."

"And you have your license to keep possession of your cinematic record after death?"

"Not on me," Dracula said. "But I assure you everything is in order."

"I trust you," Grell said. "Headquarters can check with the Transylvania Branch."

Ciel sighed, crossed his arms, and settled back to listen.

###

"And have you brought any other vampires or thralls with you?" Grell asked. Her flirtatiousness had petered out over the course of the interview as she focused on the minutiae of Dracula's trans-Mediterranean journey.

"None with me," Dracula said. "However, I already have one thrall in England who has been awaiting my arrival."

"Do you only plan to feed while you're here? Or will you be turning anyone?"

Ciel had found himself wondering that same question. He knew little about vampires outside of folk tales he'd previously dismissed. Sebastian seemed to be acquainted with them; Ciel would have to ask him for information later.

But if vampires did indeed go about exsanguinating humans and turning the corpses into more vampires, that made this Dracula the exact type of threat that Queen Victoria had tasked him to neutralize. Depending on Dracula's plans...

"I intend to turn a great many people," Dracula said amiably. "As many as I can."

Ciel frowned.

"You're going to give us a lot of extra paperwork," Grell lamented. "I can hear Will grousing already. You'll be a dear and do your half of it so we don't need to chase you down, won't you? I'm sure you know how many forms it takes for an undead human to keep its cinematic record."

"I'm well aware. My manservant Renfield will tend to all the paperwork."

"Wonderful." Grell lowered her pen. "You'll have to stop by the London Branch within the next week to sign a few little forms for us to keep on file—but everything else appears to be in order. Welcome to London, Count Dracula."

He bowed his head in gratitude. "I apologize that I wasn't able provide my license. I wasn't expecting my luggage to be held up."

"These things happen." Grell waved off the apology. "I can show you our local office during our tour of London. Besides that, we're done here."

"Then so are we," Ciel said. "Come, Sebastian."

Undertaker waved. "I owe you a free favor," he called after them. "The prank with the coffin was well worth it."

Few stars were yet showing when Ciel and Sebastian stepped outside, but the moon was bright and cold. As soon as the door shut, Ciel muttered, "Ate every crewman aboard. Planning to turn who-knows-how-many Londoners into his kind. He'll be trouble."

"Will he?" Sebastian asked with an unkind smile. "Certainly, the queen would object any actions that would reduce her empire's population. But if the count is here to turnpeople, not consumethem, wouldn't the number of subjects under her rule remain the same?" Ciel gave him a dirty look. He went on, "Can a vampire not be an Englishman?"

"I doubt Her Majesty will see it that way. You're more familiar with vampires than me. I'll be relying on your knowledge to..."

A red and black shadow glided around them, and a folded piece of paper emerged from its depths. "My address," Dracula said, with Grell wrapped happily around his other arm. "At least, my address nearest to Phantomhive Manor—I have property across England. I'm given to understand that my luggage was taken to your manor?"

Ciel did an admirable job of acting like he hadn't been overheard plotting. "I'll see to arranging its shipment."

"Wonderful." Dracula stepped back, then paused. "You're a remarkable fellow, Sebastian. I've never met a demon employed as a butler. I'm sure you must hear that all the time."

"Once in a while," Sebastian said.

"I quite enjoyed our culinary discussion," Dracula went on. "I've never had blood from someone whose soul has been fermentedrather than rotted. Perhaps in the hands of a proper chef..." He glanced at Ciel—who felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise—then back to Sebastian. "I'm sure you began preparing your own food because you found eating it raw tiresome and flavorless?"

"Like the first humans to spice their meat," Sebastian agreed.

"I've often found myself with the same problem. Dining on uncooked ingredients makes for a poor meal, no matter how high-quality the ingredients may be. If I am to make a home in England, my estate could benefit from a chef trained in the ways of a proper English butler."

Sebastian's eyebrows raised. "I'm afraid you have no way to pay me for such a service."

"No?" Dracula said. "We share the same prey but prefer different cuts of the meat. A meal you season for me is one you season for yourself. I think we could find the arrangement mutually beneficial."

Sebastian's expression froze in place, concealing his thoughts as he turned over the proposition.

"Come now," Grell chided, although she was more amused than put out, "don't tell me you're trying to take another man home right in front of the lady on your arm?"

"Tonight, I am yours," Dracula reassured her. "But I would be remiss not to extend a job offer to such a worthy candidate while I have the opportunity."

"Sebastian is already under a contract," Ciel said firmly. "Until his obligation to me is up, he's in myservice."

"And I would never try to steal him away from you," Dracula said, placing his free hand over his chest. "But your contract will eventually... terminate. And when he's looking for a new employer, I hope he'll keep me in mind."

Ciel shot a dark look at Sebastian. But he merely bowed his head. "Your offer is most generous, sir. But for now I should be escorting my young lord home."

"Of course. It's far too late for a child to be out," Dracula said. "Dangerous things roam the streets at night." Grell snickered; the moonlight glinted off her and Dracula's fangs.

And then they twirled away together, Dracula all but disappearing into the shadows while Grell's coat fluttered like a flame; already, she was talking to him about what late-night theater they could catch.

###

((Comments & reblogs are welcome! Also crossposted to AO3, link available on my blog.))

[sadlyanne]

A Thought: Maybe Sebastian hates the fact he’s a demon?

Now hear me out, I know that at the end of the day Sebastian is a demon so he lacks care heavily. He also is a narcissist (I believe Yana herself has claimed this) BUT we can see that when Sebastian is in his human form and can do outstanding things in-front of humans for their attention!

ehem-

“I feel like I’m the worst so I always act like I’m the best” Is a lyrics from Marina and The Diamonds - Oh no!

 And for some reason I cannot shake the feeling that it fits Sebastian to a tee.

Now, this-

LOOK A THAT DEMON’S FACE AND TELL ME HE IS NOT SAD AT ALL. LOOK AT HOW HIS HANDS ARE EVEN CLUTCHED ON HIS KNEES. HE CLEARLY WANTS HUMANS TO ACCEPT HIM AND BE AMAZED BY HIM. *ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THIS SCENE!*

Bravat KNEW Sebastian was not human. In-fact, I believe he knows Sebastian is a demon. But he refers to him out loud as “black hole” of some sorts. So it wasn’t like, “oh too bad so sad you don’t meet the standards.” NAH HE WAS LIKE “yO I’M NOT SAYING THIS DUDE IS A DEMON BUTTT THIS GUY IS A DEMON.” And once everyone knew that well, you can see how they reacted. Now something I noticed that no one really pointed out is what Sebastian does after this scene. He rebels.

I think Sebastian was in distraught and probably felt really shitty being reminded of the awful creature he is, and after his emo phase and being thrown out what happens?

The demon runs into a cat and feels all better. For now.

*side note remember when Sebastian talks about how demons have pets but he prefers cats*

anywhooo-

I feel like this scene he’s like “at least YOU’LL accept me and keep me company, right?” Who needs those dumb humans anyways.

WELL IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DO

^drinking alone in a bar WHEN YOU CAN’T EVEN GET DRUNK LMAO

B O Y

OKAY BACK TO IT.

(SO ONCE AGAIN WE CAN SEE HE IS REJECTED.SO HIS EMO ASS GOES TO A BAR) ehem-So now that he has caught a beautiful woman’s attention without even trying you see Sebastian’s signature smirk and he is back on a roll! When I see that smirk all I can hear is, “I knew it.”

Then this damn demon returns back to where he was kicked out of with girls on his waist like “GET FUCKED” I MEAN LOOK AT HIS FACE WHEN EDWARDS CONFRONTS HIM. Y E AH SEBASTIAN WHAT ABOUT YOUR “BUTLER AESTHETICS” He knew e x a c t l y what he was doing.

Feeding his ego.

Something that has recently caught my attention that I think is a strong point.

Sebastian can tell no lies right?

In season one, Sebastian turns into his true form to defeat Angela/Ash.

What does he say?

He literally calls his TRUE FORM “unsightly” “disgusting” “repulsive”

YES. THE SEBASTIAN MICHAELIS WE ALL KNOW JUST SAID THOSE THINGS ABOUT HIMSELF.

Ch 91 of the manga

I believe he might as well be saying “gotta look attractive” even his facial expression shows just how satisfied (and confident) he is with the way he looks. (Not to mention Sebastian choose to look this way when he first made the contract with CIel.) I believe this is his ideal image. 

Last but not least, Sebastian claims to hate dogs. Yet we see him get compared to a dog...quite a bit.

Sebastian the dog was muzzled, and so was Sebastian. Also notice how Sebastian with the muzzle has a broken chain leash, and the dog in the cover right above- it’s chain leash is broken as well. (just some neat things to point out.)

In-conclusion, (because i suck at explaining things and do it very sloppy)

I think Sebastian has a battle within himself. He IS a demon, so of course he loves to indulge in all things sinful. We see him do some pretty fucked up things. Even with children. However, we also see Sebastian in more recent chapters talk about how “even demons have a few policies they like to stick to” he straight up says other demons are consumed by “filthy greed” and that he does not fall into that. It’s against his “aesthetics”. So your aesthetics is playing butler and being a cat lover who uses OPERA GLASSES IN FRONT ROW SEATING WITH DEMON VI S ION I MEAN JUST LOOK AT THIS DEMON-

(also why has no on made a meme with this)

It’s very clear to me that Sebastian does not fit into hell, nor Earth. He’s just a weirdo all around hell even the reapers talk about it throughout the manga. I think Sebastian hates that he is a demon, yet he finds humans so weak. I think Sebastian uses contracts for his personal gain to find the happy medium(kinda maybe sorta). The strength/power that comes with being a demon, yet the aesthetics and simplistic life that comes with being a human. Sitting in hell eating any soul you can get your claws on all day? BOORRING he wants to play dress up and fuck around.  AND THAT FOLKS IS MY LONG-ASS ANALYSIS IF YOU CAN EVEN CALL IT THAT.