#and now mr reaper ig

[glowsticcc]

what is it with death entities and Wanting Philza Minecraft

what is it about this white man that makes reapers go "hmm yes this one"

if i had a nickle id have 15 cents which isnt a lot but yknow

[renegadewangs]

Van Zieks - the Examination, part 4

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: (see  Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I’m outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - I’m using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what’s said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesn’t matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

It’s time to take a close look at Episode 2 of the second game, The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro!

Episode 2-2: The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro

Remember how in the last episode we vaguely got Barok on our side near the end of the trial by proving Mrs. Garrideb was actually involved in the crime? … Yeah. Forget that progress. It's being undone. Case 2-2 is the first case of the second game which features Barok, which unfortunately means he needs to be 'reintroduced' to the audience and it takes him back several steps in his growth. It makes sense, I suppose, it would've been weird starting a new game with him already being lightly on Ryu's side. Even so, it's a bit insulting how this case acts as if the chronologically previous one accomplished nothing.

So anyway, this case flashbacks to something which supposedly happened right after the first game's fourth case. The day after Soseki's acquittal, even. Turns out, Soseki awoke to find one of the other tenants in his building dead and asked Ryu for help, but (S)Holmes tagged along. Gregson is at the crime scene, keeping an eye on the place and on Soseki in particular since he's suspicious. (Sure, Gregson. Sure. Has nothing to do with the Reaper's curse, probably.) After some investigation with (S)Holmes, Gregson has enough evidence to actually arrest Soseki, which definitely feels like a step backwards. A bit later, it turns out the victim is Not Actually Dead Yet. Again! The Great Ace Attorney really enjoys throwing us for a loop by pretending we're in for another murder case.

Anyway, during the course of the investigation, I found two mentions of Van Zieks. The first is when you investigate the broken glasses and bottles in the victim's room. Susato is immediately reminded of Lord van Zieks.

And when examining Garrideb's old army uniform, Susato points out it might suit Lord van Zieks.

Haha, as if his usual outfit isn't ostentatious enough already. So we learn that Susato doesn't have a very high opinion of him at all, and I should hope it's not still related to that time he called detective novels pathetic. It's fun of them to refer to him in an investigation that he's not involved in in any way, especially when they don't know yet that he's the prosecution again.

Speaking to Soseki in the gaol, we're once again told that he's had a dreadful time in England so far. He sees foreigners everywhere and he's sure they're all laughing at him. He's been so on edge the past year that he's moved 'more times than he can remember'. So once again, we're reminded that racial prejudice in 1900s England is a focal point of this game's story. Once the conversation is over, Gregson appears to let the gang know that the victim has regained consciousness and is accusing Soseki of poisoning him. We're going to trial for an attempted murder charge, y'all!

The next day, in the defendant's lobby, Susato comes bursting in with the dreadful news that Barok van Zieks has once again taken on the prosecution. It's definitely safe to assume now that either Ryu or Soseki is the reason he's taking on these not-really-murder trials when he normally wouldn't. As I mentioned before, this is his reintroduction in the second game and so the game feels compelled to remind the player of what went down in case 1-4:

He sure did! The game also once again reminds us what the Reaper's Curse entails, and that perhaps that's the reason why Soseki is on trial yet again. He's doomed, perhaps. Susato also informs us that (S)Holmes is running late, just as he was two days ago, and Ryu thinks that's a good thing because if the Great Detective were there, Ryu might come to rely on his help.

… I suppose? He already relies on Susato for help and I feel like that would warrant far more 'preying' from Van Zieks than relying on a male, adult British detective for help. Though knowing (S)Holmes, he'd end up stealing the show and taking the words from Ryu's mouth, but that doesn't seem to be what Ryu's worried about here. I suppose the main point to take away from this remark is that Ryu wants to do as much as he can by himself. He wants to appear strong in front of Van Zieks to avoid presenting an easy target, and I think this might actually be the first time we see a sentiment like that from him. Is he afraid of Van Zieks? Does he actually care about the man's opinion? Anyway, he swears to show Van Zieks what a Japanese lawyer can do.

Inside the courtroom, Van Zieks does the usual prosecutor spiel about how the defense needs to be ready for defeat. Ryu thinks to himself that Van Zieks has a particular animosity towards Japanese people for some reason.

Good thing we got a second game in the series, eh? So because the defendant was on trial only two days ago, the same jurors were chosen where possible. The only juror not returning is Mrs. Garrideb, who's too busy being in prison. Her spot is now taken by a very fancy lady we later learn to be the wife of the Altamont Gas Company's owner. She may as well be the CEO herself with how she's acting, though. Anyway, Van Zieks addresses the jurors directly.

“However, the innocent verdict afforded to this eccentric Nipponese before... has had dire consequences. Did the accused repent for his wrongdoing in that affair? Far from it. Instead, he used his freedom to perpetrate a most blood-curdling crime!”

Van Zieks makes record time by taking off his cloak immediately after this line. He's gone straight into overdrive. The witnesses summoned this time are Inspector Gregson and... Soseki? It's very irregular for the defendant to be testifying, especially this early in the trial and especially by the prosecution's request. I can't really make much of it. It feels like the only reason Soseki is testifying is for this joke:

Also found when examining the testimony is a remark from Van Zieks that I honestly found shocking in how ferocious and scummy it is.

Unnecessary, that remark. It didn't need to exist at all in my opinion. So after Ryu shatters the testimony and scatters Gregson's fish 'n chips, Van Zieks calmly pours himself a glass of wine. I have to be honest, by now whenever he does this I'm left wondering what he'll do next. Will he crush the chalice? Will he throw it? Will he actually take a sip? The versatility of the action and unpredictable nature of Van Zieks add a bit of suspense. Turns out, his mind wandered during the testimony.

And then he ends up crushing the glass in his hand anyway. Alas, poor chalice. We knew it. So after a bit of debating back and forth about whether Shamspeare drank the supposedly-poisoned-tea after Soseki left the room, Van Zieks suddenly falls silent. We get three different, consecutive frames of him going “......” and when the judge asks what's wrong, he says this:

Supersonic hearing, this one. That is, unless the carriage entered the courthouse and literally pulled up in the hallway outside the room? Haven't we learned our lesson from the last time a carriage was driven into the Old Bailey?! So Shamspeare was apparently subpoenaed by the prosecution and has shown up to testify (with his doctor's permission). Bad news for us, since he's the one accusing Soseki in the first place. There's also a second witness to support Shamspeare's insistence there were no other visitors to the room and therefore only Soseki could have poisoned him. After that testimony is over, Van Zieks gets his wish and all the jurors vote guilty.

Van Zieks really seems to think that Soseki is a terrible person deserving of justice, huh? He was right there during the previous trial, saw Ryu prove without a shadow of a doubt that Soseki was innocent and still insists that justice will be done “this time”. Calm the heck down man, you're the one who sided with us when Mrs. Garrideb needed to testify, remember? And here comes another example of the game pretending the previous trials didn't leave an impact; when the Summation Examination is brought up, it's with disdain and this remark:

Bro, we used the Summation Examination successfully like five times already. Sit your butt down and watch the show. The jurors once again give prejudiced reasons for their decisions:

And unfortunately, instead of changing their minds by proving Soseki is a morally upstanding, innocent citizen, Ryu instead gets through this Summation Examination by basically proving Shamspeare is a worse person than Soseki. That's... not the direction you should be taking here, narrative. After convincing four of the jurors that Shamspeare is a fishy liar, Van Zieks flings another chalice of wine in frustration. The judge still thinks he could technically pass a ruling on the trial, since the new information didn't exactly disprove that Soseki is the culprit, but the jurors have been influenced so thoroughly that they can't let this new info go ignored. Testimony from the Altamont Company is allowed! Van Zieks thinks it's a waste of time, of course, and if this were reality it would be. Since it's an Ace Attorney game, we know Shamspeare's gas thievery is bound to somehow be related to the incident. Van Zieks flings yet another chalice after hearing the testimony (how many has it been already? Five?) and very shortly after, he tosses the entire bottle over his shoulder. Susato points out that he seems to be in a violent mood. I feel like someone must've pissed in his oatmeal that morning, because I've got no real explanation for why his character regressed this badly in the course of what chronologically was only two days.

Van Zieks flings two more chalices as the testimony progresses to prove that Shamspeare made fake coins to fool the gas meter. At the end of it all, he supposedly 'throws his hand up in despair and happened to catch his hallowed bottle along the way', flinging yet another one of those into the gallery. I'm starting to feel very bad for the people seated behind him now. Is the game overdoing these quirky animations to compensate for his regressed attitude? Because I'm not sure it's working... Van Zieks continues to insist that the situation hasn't changed and only Soseki could have poisoned the victim, so he calls for immediate adjucation. The game gives Ryu the option to either object or wait and see, and I have to be honest, this gave me pause. After what happened with the penalties in case 1-4, I was sure Van Zieks might dish out more punishment for waiting and seeing. Turns out, he doesn't. Ryu points out that Shamspeare likely used the tea to make these fake frozen coins of his, meaning there's still tea left at the scene of the crime which can be tested for poison.

Head in my hands right now. Again, I get it, they basically had to reintroduce Van Zieks to newcomers of the game (however few there might've been) so they had to regress him a bit, but I really don't like this. He honestly felt like he'd grown at the end of 1-4 and the game's not only undone it, it feels like they've made him even more of a scumbag. This line and this gesture honestly doesn’t quite correspond with the character established in the previous game. Anyway, court adjourned till the next day so the police can test the tea for poison.

During the investigation segment, we get a conversation that I'd quite honestly forgotten even exists. Turns out, (S)Holmes and Van Zieks are acquainted! ...or are they? (S)Holmes says he 'must pass the time of day with Mr. Reaper again, as it's been too long' and when asked whether they're acquainted, (S)Holmes replies that there isn't a person in the world who doesn't know his name, expertly dodging the question. Naturally, a new conversation topic opens up about it, so we can still attempt to needle more details out of him.

He explains the history of the Reaper's curse a bit more. Previous defendants found not-guilty would 'disappear from the capital' by falling under a passing carriage, drowning in the Thames, succumbing to a sudden fever... Etc. Susato points out that if those rumors are true, then surely the obvious conclusion would be that they were killed by Van Zieks's own hand. (S)Holmes points out that's impossible, since Van Zieks was already investigated on the matter before and for every single incident, he had a solid alibi. (This... doesn't disprove Van Zieks had anything to do with it, but okay (S)Holmes. Sure.) (S)Holmes also rubs it in yet again that Van Zieks retired from the courts five years ago and didn't return until the day Naruhodo arrived. I honestly don't know why they keep bringing that 5 year hiatus up in every single case, because as far as I can recall it was never fully explained or relevant.

I love how “foul smell” is wedged in-between those two topics as if it's also related. Anyway the conversation continues when Ryu brings up that Van Zieks seems to have a particular disdain for Japanese people. Susato demands to know whether (S)Holmes knows a bit more about it and while he's silent at first, he relents and tells us a tale (which will apparently be forgotten by Ryu and Susato in case 1-5). Van Zieks “chose to enter the legal profession ten years ago, but before that time, the man's closest companion hailed from the empire of Japan”. Which is a wording that baffles me, because it implies that Van Zieks chose to enter the legal profession at the same moment that Japanese person betrayed him, which we know is not the case. He was already in training to be a prosecutor before that, otherwise how could he possibly have prosecuted the Professor trial? Ryu is shocked and asks to know more, but (S)Holmes says the veil on the events from the past will be lifted soon enough. I'll get back to the implications of what this means for Van Zieks's backstory when we hit this exact same reveal in case 1-5.

Van Zieks is mentioned very little in the rest of the investigation segments. We only learn that he tasked Gregson with finding new clues, much to Gregson's dismay, as there isn't much to be found. The Inspector does immediately leap at new information when we uncover it, which implies he's eager to either please Van Zieks or avoid being scolded by him. I'm assuming the latter, but it's also possible Gregson feels guilty over the whole Reaper thing and Klint's autopsy, and is now compensating by working his hardest to fulfill Van Zieks's requests.

At the very end of the investigation, when evening falls, (S)Holmes reminds us that “it'll be hard to escape the grip of our friend, Mr. Reaper”. The next day, in the defendant's lobby just before the trial begins, Ryu thinks to himself that he doesn't believe in the legend of the Reaper any more than he believes in the convict's curse Soseki keeps mentioning. What's interesting here is that Ryu isn't dreading the confrontation anymore. After the McGilded trial he seemed genuinely intimidated by the concept of going up against Van Zieks (not because of the racism but because of what happened to his first defendant), but now he's not so hesitant anymore. He's beginning to see that Van Zieks can be defeated, that the Reaper thing is nonsense and that protecting his client is a fight worth fighting.

Into the courtroom we go for day 2 of the trial! When the judge asks about the results of the tea test, Van Zieks is silent for a moment. He pours himself a glass of wine, asking for a moment to “savour a liquid of a more sanguine hue”, then refers to Gregson for the full report. Gregson confirms no poison was found in the tea remains, but the prosecution wouldn't be the prosecution (and the game would be pretty boring) if they didn't have a backup plan. When Ryu proclaims Soseki is innocent, Van Zieks accuses him of jumping to conclusions, “a typical Nipponese reaction”. It's also a typical prosecution reaction to be hypocritical, no surprises here. He throws his chalice (first one of the day) and summons Shamspeare back to the stand to testify about how Soseki's unpoisoned and undrank cup of tea had been used to make the ice coins.

There's some lines here that I thought I might as well include:

“Yet on occasion, tedium distracts me and I pour more times than I intended until the bottle is dry.”

You know, it occurs to me that this drink is pretty much confirmed to be wine. He's very extra when talking about it himself, but he had his silly little wine analogies in the previous case and Susato referred to his glasses as “wine glasses”. And you would think it's obvious that it's wine, but we know Ace Attorney's long history with 'grape juice'. Either way, this dialogue leaves a pretty harsh implication that Van Zieks drinks alcohol simply to distract himself from troublesome moods. Sure, he says “tedium”, but this is a stoic prosecutor in the year 1900. They referred to depression as “melancholia” back then, and since he doesn't appear to have any friends, I expect he experiences “tedium” quite often outside the courtroom. He apparently set a rule for himself not to fill his glass more than seven times during a trial which, in turn, implies he's aware any more would cause problems. All of this is moot, of course, since 80% of the wine he pours for himself ends up on the floor between shards of glass. Still, though... Zieks, are you okay?

I don't think he is, because he pulls a very dirty trick here. Ryu proves Soseki drank all his tea and therefore it couldn't possibly have been used, so Van Zieks insinuates to Shamspeare that perhaps he misremembered using the tea from Soseki's cup and instead used tea still left in the teapot. An excuse Shamspeare happily takes, of course. Not gonna lie, I got angry, not because it's a dirty trick but because it's inconsistent. This is the very same character who all but dragged Mrs. Garrideb down from the juror bench to testify when it became clear she likely threw a knife out the window. And now he's feeding slippery excuses to a man who's very clearly lying about all sorts of things? What??? And remember this incident, because I'm going to be referring back to it later.

He crushes another chalice, removes his cloak and continues to insist that we should believe this thieving liar at the witness stand. The jurors for some reason buy the baloney served to them on a tinfoil platter and even twist Ryu's sentiments around, with some bloke going as far as to interpret the situation as 'the lawyer lad believes anyone who steals gas deserves to be poisoned'. Summation Examination gets very funky this time around, with the outcome being that Shamspeare probably blew the gas pipes (s-snerk) and the poison was laced on the pipe.

Van Zieks pours himself a glass of wine and pretty much immediately flings it, saying these are all empty assertions without a shred of proof. When Ryu presents the picture with the skin prints, Van Zieks once again breaks the rule of the prosecution staying silent during Summation Examination to point out that skin prints cannot be used as evidence, since that method is not recognized by the court (yet). Aaand he crushes yet another chalice in his hand.

Susato claims it was never meant to be used as official evidence, it was only a tool to demonstrate a new possibility to the jury. Jumping through some loopholes here, we are, since the picture is clearly in our Court Record as evidence. But, well, the prosecution cheats too so what's the harm? Some jurors vote not-guilty, but there's still one more that needs convincing on order to keep the trial going. Ryu says he has a witness who's already testified that the pipe-blowing incident did indeed occur that night, as Soseki stated the other day before the court that his stove went out in the dead of night. (Hang on, is this why the narrative made him testify alongside Gregson?) With that the majority of the jury votes not-guilty and the trial has to continue, but Van Zieks is extra rattled now. (Another bottle goes soaring.)

He once again reminds the court that skin prints aren't admissible evidence and therefore, there is no real proof Shamspeare put his mouth to the pipes (ghghhh I'm sorry this is such a silly thing to have to type out). Ryu asks for an investigative team to test the mouth of the gas pipe for poison, but since it would've evaporated by now, that's a no-go. Also, Van Zieks says that “what appears to be simple is my Nipponese friend's mind” and that's a scumbag point. Ryu attempts to turn the trial around by claiming that Shamspeare attempted to kill Soseki, making the defendant the victim, but Van Zieks ain't having it. The aggrieved being the accused is an interesting notion, but doesn't change what actually happened. In fact, if anything, it establishes a motive for Soseki to lay a trap for Shamspeare. Because who else could have known about the gas pipe trickery and put the poison there, right? Why, the true culprit, of course.

Our man Van Zieks really doesn't like (S)Holmes, huh? A tidbit which the games will never bother to explain! Either way, Ryu raises the name of Olive Green, the victim of the previous case. And I gotta say, I do genuinely like the way they integrated these two Clouded Kokoro cases together. The chronology of everything that went down is very fun to decipher, but long story short, Olive Green was at Briar Road the day she was stabbed for a reason and knows more about the 'convict curse' Soseki and Garrideb kept mentioning, so let's drag her into court! Van Zieks agrees to subpoena Miss Green in order to 'see his Nipponese friend's farce through to its conclusion'.

So during intermission some more evidence is handed to Ryu and when trial resumes, Van Zieks continues to be his usual self.

“The prosecution has tried to extend every courtesy to this amateur newcomer from dubious Eastern shores.”

Ryu sweats bullets as he meekly thanks Van Zieks “(for his backhanded consideration)”, but once again the judge is the one to call Van Zieks out on his attitude.

Amazing. It's so refreshing to see a judge who actually disagrees with the prosecution's haughty attitude problems and acknowledges it has no place in a courtroom. Nothing against Udgey, because we all love Udgey (and his Canadian brother), but this man actually grows and learns. So Olive Green takes the stand alongside Shamspeare (maybe not the best idea since Ryu just accused her of trying to murder this man) for dual testimony. When Green brings up what a dreadful ordeal the knife to her back was, Van Zieks says this:

Hang on, empathy? He's giving her advice? This reeks of humanization! Green seems taken aback and thanks him for his words, so the sentiment was genuinely accepted. This in itself is a very nice scene to see in action, similar to Van Zieks allowing Roly Beate to keep his job. Unfortunately, Van Zieks's character is in a wild rollercoaster of moral inconsistency during this particular case which sours the experience somewhat. Case in point:

YOOOU hypocrite! This actively angered me, because at the very start of this same trial day he was personally feeding lies to Shamspeare. Now he's warning Green not to lie? It gets even worse a bit later on when Green gets cornered about stealing the note, she asks him whether it could all be some sort of misunderstanding, and he says:

ACTIVELY FEEDING SHAMSPEARE A LIE. THE VERY SAME DAY. I'm all for prosecutors using dirty tactics. It helps to juxtapose them further to the honest defense attorney we play as. However, it needs to be consistent. Either a prosecutor condones a witness's lies to help their case, or they feel that they're above it. The third, most used option is for them to start off condoning it, only to learn that truth takes priority over victory. This sloppy back-and-forth morality that Van Zieks has going on here is insanely frustrating, so it's no wonder some players end up disliking him. It honestly feels as if they rewrote this case so many times, they screwed up the exact growth trajectory Van Zieks has.

Anyway, it seems Van Zieks is suddenly fully on our side now to help Ryu prove that Green was in Shamspeare's room and laced the gas pipe with poison. And I mean help help. When the judge points out that if Green had laced the pipe the very same day she was stabbed, the attempted murder would have happened six days ago. Van Zieks is the one to say “Perhaps not, My Lord” and explain Briar Road was full of police at that time. At this point, Van Zieks and Ryu (and also Susato) actively start to take turns to explain the proper chronology of events. So the defense and the prosecution are in perfect sync right now, working together to explain the whodunnit. This is the ideal outcome to any trial, usually not seen until the last case of the game, so it's curious that this dynamic abruptly shows itself in a case like this. Van Zieks does still have one moment of gaslighting when he claims Ryu may have inhaled some dubious gas, causing his judgment to be clouded, since there's no motive behind Shamspeare's attempts on his fellow lodgers. A matter that's very easily resolved, of course. Once the name of Selden is brought up, Van Zieks continues our little game of back-and-forth-truth-reveal until (S)Holmes shows his face.

“Your usual haunts are the filthy backstreets of the capital, are they not?”

To which (S)Holmes replies that it's been too long, and Van Zieks's complexion has worsened since last they met. Alright, so Van Zieks and (S)Holmes definitely have met in person before, some undetermined amount of time ago. You'd think that going by (S)Holmes's friendly attitude they might've even been friends once, but our great detective is like that towards everyone. This is evidenced by an earlier encounter with Gregson where (S)Holmes insists they're friends and Gregson says that they're not friends, to which (S)Holmes quietly agrees. So really, this little exchange tells us nothing about the history between the great detective and the Reaper.

Some shenaniganry, a breakdown and admittance to guilt later, the court is finally ready to deem Soseki innocent. Van Zieks once again has some interesting lines here:

“And one I certainly didn't envisage walking... with you.”

Considering he attempted to trip us up for most of this walk up until the very last stretch, I don't like this remark very much. It feels very unearned. This is another one of those things that would've been more suitable in the last case of the game, but instead it's being crammed into a messy mid-game moment with the pretense that Van Zieks learned a lesson about being our ally.

In the defendant's lobby, the game basically gives the exact same dialogue as at the end of the original Clouded Kokoro case; that Soseki is returning to Japan and hopes to pen his own literature there, with the rest of the cast pointing out that the Reaper's Curse must factor into his decision to some degree. So we're still holding onto that question of whether Soseki will escape an untimely death or not. Anyone who's already played the last case of the first game will know the answer, of course.

So to summarize... I genuinely didn't enjoy Van Zieks's portrayal in this case. It really feels as if something went horribly wrong and they got some notes mixed up about where his character was already headed in the previous game. It's a crying shame. There was a lot of potential for a case set between 1-4 and 1-5, but they really dropped the ball when it comes to consistency and I've no doubt that it reflected badly on people's opinions of him. Though I think when we return to the first game for The Unspeakable Story, everything will right itself out again to some degree. Stay tuned!

[amazingorangedangantrash]

Give us the list of gifts!! I’m curious to know what they would give,,

You got it chief!

(Sorry this is a tad late, life has been kicking my butt lately-)

• Chiaki- probably a game or something like that. Most likely a multiplayer, and a promise for the two of them to play it together sometime. She might bring his switch or smth if she knows he'll be there a long time and get bored.

• Hajime- his underwear unlike everyone else, a relatively normal gift, like chocolates or something. they're orange flavoured He'd probably also be the one bringing him general stuff, like a change of clothes and all that.

• Nagito- also his underwear honestly, Nagito is one rich hoe so you know whatever he brings is going to be extremely high quality (especially for his beloved symbol of hope!). It's mentioned in UDG that Makoto likes trendy things, so maybe something he knows Makoto's had his eye on for a while now, but couldn't quite afford.

• Peko- honestly, Peko has zero experience in gift-giving, and probably turns to Fuyuhiko for help. Little does she know, he also has no fucking clue-

• Fuyuhiko- the guy has no idea how to give casual gifts. Makoto just wakes up one day and there's a newly crafted authentic sword embellished with the Kuzuryu clan name lying in the corner wrapped in silk, and he's just like... 'thanks... ig-'

• Jokes aside, he'd probably give him a nice watch or suit- guy's gotta look good when he confronts his rivals attends school.

• Nekomaru- hmm. He's a pretty sporty person, so maybe a tracksuit or gym clothes? Or no- maybe a nice planner/to do list to scribble in. (To Makoto's surprise, it's actually very pretty, and even handmade!)

• Akane- we all know the way to Akane's heart, and it's food- she'd probably bring him a lot of snacks and stuff, especially whatever's his favourite (maybe a bit too much... well, it's not like he minds sharing. Although, maybe that was her plan all along...)

• Ibuki- she'd bring along some CDs and music he likes/she thinks he'd like. It's the perfect opportunity to get him to listen to some of her reccomendations! Also, here's a cute idea- she brings her guitar and sings to/with him in his room.

• Mikan- Mikan is most likely the one actually looking after Makoto, but I guess if she'd had to gift something, it might be some cute stationary? (*looks at Mr stapler-*). I feel like she'd want to give something handmade, like cookies, but she's a bit clumsy and wouldn't be able to make it.

• Teruteru- ok teruteru would DEFINITELY give homemade snacks and stuff. He'd for sure insist on making Makoto's meals (in exchange for helping him with uh... changing his bandages-)

• Sonia- she might realise that Makoto is likely to get bored, and leave him some of her favourite reading material (unfortunately for him, said material is occult magazines, the current issue of which is centred upon a haunting at a hospital... he doesn't sleep well that night-)

• Gundham- isn't it sweet to imagine Gundham might actually leave one of his animal friends to keep Makoto company (even moreso if it's one of the Dark Devas- ahhh that level of trust)- or as he'd say, to "keep watch over him".

• Hiyoko- knowing Hiyoko, she'd probably leave a LOT of sweets. Most likely the traditional japanese kind too, though, there's a fair share of gummies and chewy sweets too.

• Mahiru- she has quite an eye for pretty things, so I think she'd leave some rather nice flowers, maybe in resin, like a bookmark or table decoration. Or, maybe she'd leave some polaroids to remind him of how much they all appreciate him.

• Kazuichi- a television. But not the hospital kind, oh no, this one he built specially for his bud. And maybe some other little gadgets here and there. (Also some coconut water, cause, he just likes it man-)

• Twogami- he'd.. probably copy Byakuya tbh *wheeze*

• Ryouta- a copy of a particular anime that he knows Makoto will like/cheer him up (I'm looking at you, *insert your favourite comfort anime series/movie here*)

Class 78

• Byakuya- knowing this guy, he'll buy whatever's expensive- he might even leave some of that pricey coffee because he "cant stand to see Makoto drinking that commoner crap anymore-" (insert that scene from ouran high school host club here-). Although... i cant remember but i think it was mentioned that he likes flowers? He might leave those.

• Kyoko- she actually likes some pretty feminine things, like perfume and cherry blossoms. I can see her leaving one of those really nice pens/journals. Or a set of some nice lotions/stuff like that.

• Aoi- donuts, duh. (She really likes cute stuff too, so maybe some adorable erasers!)

• Sakura- don't let her appearance as a wannabe jojo character fool you! she likes some delicate things. She might leave a rather beautiful charm, as a token of her friendship. Due to her practicality, I can also see her leaving vitamins and health supplements to make sure Makoto recovers quick!

• Yasuhiro- he's pretty superstitious, so alongside some nice scented candles (pine tree and summer berries, to be specific, to match Makoto's 'vibes') to clear the air, he'd leave some good luck charms to keep away any um- 'ill-intentioned spirits'.

• Toko- she definitely likes receiving very girly gifts, but I don't know if she'd feel very secure about giving them? Maybe she'd give him a signed copy of one of her books- maybe even a personal one she wasn't really planning on publishing...

• Genocide Jill (or however you call her idk)- JILL PUT DOWN THE SCISSORS- JILL- N O-

• she gave him a coupon for a haircut. That's... considerate (he'll let his hair grow to his feet before he lets her scissors anywhere near his neck-)

• Hifumi- 'please,,, please let this be a normal, completely safe for work piece of storytelling', Makoto thinks, as he opens the doujinshi, already perturbed by the... *ahem* somewhat suggestive cover.

(It is not safe for work)

• Celeste- a rather aesthetic pair of red and black glittery dice, and playing cards. (He finds that the dice are loaded and the cards are slightly uneven). I also like to think she might leave him some high quality tea and a set- (as a tea lover myself I'd definitely appreciate that as a gift hehe)

• Chihiro- they also like cute things! They'd definitely leave a totally adorable set of charms or something (I'm thinking of those ones that you'd hang from your phone), or pretty flower stickers for a laptop. Maybe a handmade gift too!

• Kiyotaka- he's that guy who brings the homework most likely something practical, like a scarf or coasters, y'know, that kind of stuff?

• Mondo- an entire motorcycle maybe- maybe just a leather jacket for now...

• Sayaka- he likes pop music, and I'd imagine he likes hers too (maybe not as much as his sister tho adjajsaisb-). She'd give him an album of covers she'd made, since she knows he likes her voice- all his favourite songs.

• Leon- a signed baseball. Makoto's the only one he's confided in about wanting to go back to baseball about, so he gives him a signed one as a token of appreciation.

• Mukuro- a confession letter. Mukuro has no idea what to give. Her love language is bullets and weapons and oh wait a minute.

• "Is... is this an actual gun-?"

• Junko- chocolates. Yup. That's it. They're just chocolates. Promise. 100% dairy-filled, ethically produced, got-em-on-sale chocolates.

• (And they may or may not be lined with Carolina reaper pepper extract-)

Bonus:

• Izuru- literally all of these but handmade and 200 times better because he's an actual god-

(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8a/df/ca/8adfcaa6bc7579f028bf5d0b34583dd5.jpg)

[fandomlife-giver]

His Maid, However You Please: 2

Summary: Beauty is a dangerous quality to possess. There will always be those who wish to steal it away.

Pairings: Eventual Sebastian x Demon!reader

@wintersdoll​

Warnings: Violence

Word Count: 2857

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"You again!" Ciel sneered.

"A deadly efficient butler—that's me!" Grell posed and stuck his tongue out.

Ciel looked away from him as Grell shrugged. "Though I do find myself masterless at the moment." He jumped off the roof and landed before Ciel. "After the Madam Red incident, I was temporarily demoted. And now, I only get the lowliest of jobs. That brute Will told me I wouldn't get my old post back until I collected some truly troublesome souls. That rotten sadist!"

He crossed his arms and tapped his chin in thought. "Although I must confess, I like rotten fruit every now and then." He shuddered in delight. "And those cold, bruting eyes of his sure keep me warm enough on a freezing night!"

That was when he looked down and noticed Pluto, obediently sitting next to Ciel. "And whose this wild one? He's a cutie." He glanced over at Ciel, who looked as if ready to attack instead of Pluto.

Grell tilted his head. "Oh dear. You aren't considering avenging your beloved aunt Red, are you? I mean that would just be silly."

"You shut up!"

"Now, now, be nice. I don't see Bassy or N/N anywhere. What could a brat like you do without them?"

"Be quiet!"

Pluto then went forward and growled at Grell, who looked at him with widened eyes. "Oh, is he your protector for the evening?" He looked away and mumbled to himself. "Why does this little kid get all the good-looking men?"

*bark* Pluto charged forward, which made Grell hug himself. "Ooh, he's going to attack me!" He opened his arms to him. "Oh, how exciting! I'm all yours, but please be gentle-" It was only when Ciel ran passed him did he notice Pluto had charged passed him and towards another direction. "Hey! What am I—chopped liver?!"

Ciel ran after Pluto, until he stopped upon seeing Pluto was in front of a doll shop, with a familiar looking doll on display with curly blonde hair, green eyes and a pink dress.

"Lizzie!" He went to go towards it, but stopped once he noticed Grell beside him reading a book.

"Look what we have here. Number 493 on the To-Die-list: butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay." He looked up at the shop. "A Mr. Drossel Keinz."

*smash* *bark* *bark*

Ciel looked back, to see Pluto had jumped through the window then proceeded to run to the building and throw the door open. Pluto was crouched down with the doll in his mouth.

Pluto ran to Ciel as he crouched down and took the doll from him. The first thing Ciel noticed was the orange bow wrapped around the doll. The bow Lizzie had been wearing as a barrete earlier. Lizzie

He looked around and noticed the back door was open. They all ran out the door and stopped at the site of a large, old castle. Lizzie's somewhere in that mansion. I know it.

"Goodness, not exactly the most welcoming of places is it?" Grell stepped forward and looked up at it with a hand on his hip.

Ciel looked over at Grell. This is the man who killed Madam Red. But...I need him. Memories of Lizzie flashed through his mind as he looked down.

"Fine, Grell. Come in with me."

"Huh?" Grell looked over at him in surprise.

"Protect me and I'll grant a request."

He scoffed. "How insulting. Earl or not, you think I am the type of woman you can just buy with money-"

"I'll give you Sebastian for a day and you can do whatever you want with him." He looked up at Grell with a smirk.

Grell stopped and tapped his chin. "Sebastian-and whatever I want to do?" He grinned and beamed down at Ciel. "Even kissing?!"

Ciel shrugged. "If that's what you want."

Grell gasped. "Does that mean I can use tongue?!"

A smirk crawled up Ciel's face. "Do anything you please with him."

Grell almost fainted from his fan-girling, but then he stopped and thought about something. "I wonder—could this affect dear N/N in any way?"

Ciel chuckled. "No need to worry about Y/N. She hates him."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Oh please, she barely let's him in the same room with her, let alone something as intimate as kissing. It really is a wonder how they get anything done together."

Grell squealed in excitement. "Its an offer I couldn't possible refuse! I'm deadly serious!" He posed (again)

. . .

*slam* Grell held the main doors open. "All right, here we go! ...eh?" His smile dropped as they all stared at the life-size realistic girl doll standing on a pedestal in the center of the room, her eyes cast downwards, staring into nothingness.

They ran forwards and stopped in front of her, but a certain blue diamond had caught the reaper's eye. "Hey, look. That ring's a lot like yours, isn't it?" Ciel looked down at the familiar blue ring upon the girls right thumb.

The hope diamond? He looked closely at her face. This doll looks like...

He thought back to the photo of the girl that came with the queens letter.

Impossible! The girl's eyes rolled down and her arm suddenly reached out and grabbed his throat. He put a hand over hers, but she was too strong. In a desperate attempt, he looked over at Pluto. "H-help, Pluto!"

Unfortunately, Pluto was a little busy playing with his new toy, one of the small dolls. "You stupid useless mongrel!"

A glass bulb suddenly fell and hit her on the head, which made her release her grip on Ciel and make him fall to the ground. "Now, why would you call the puppy—when you should be calling me?"

He looked up at the red grim reaper that was standing on the chandelier. "Grell!"

He rubbed his hands together. "As a reaper, I have all the tools needed for harvesting a soul." He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pairs of scissors. "My death scythe!"

Ciel stood up and looked at him in confusion. "Um, but aren't those just... scissors?"

Grell flailed his arms around. "What do you want me to do?! Will took away my personally modified death scythe! I miss it so much!" He stopped and grinned. "I'll show you! I'll snip her into bits!" He leaped off the chandelier.

Ciel held up a hand. "Hold on! Don't hurt her! She isn't actually a doll!"

"Death! Welcome to the after life!" He soared down and sliced her neck as she approached Ciel, then landed on the ground in front of him.

Ciel ran to the girl as she fell, but stopped as saw dust poured out of her neck. "Maybe she was a doll after all."

♪ Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away♪

They both looked to the double doors as they opened up and out stepped a man with light orange hair that was cut in flares, tossed aside from his eyes, and bangs that reached his chin. His eyes looked as if they were made of glass, being amethyst and stir emotionless. He wore a blue and pink eye shadow to accentuate, as well as, below his right eye, was painted a blue fleur-de-lis.

His attire consisted of a blue tailcoat, gold piping and a red ribbon tied in a bow around his neck, and a black top hat decorated with a red ribbon and two black feathers. Along with short black pants, white gloves, knee high black-white striped socks, and black boots with gold buttons.

His face was illuminated by the candelabra in his hand. "What a useless doll. She was another failure." He walked forward and stopped a few feet from them. "So then, I thought to myself: In order to succeed, I must make them considerably stronger than this."

Ciel rose up and watched him as he raised his arm and moved it to the lyrics.     ♪ Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel♪ ♪ Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady♪ From the shadows he came from, several life-size doll girls came out and stopped in front of the ginger. He then backed away and disappeared back into the darkness.

Ciel looked at all of their faces. "I've seen them before."

Grell snipped his scissors. "I'm not going to let anyone take away my day with dear sweet Bassy!" He charged forward, with Ciel once again putting a hand up.

"Hold on, Grell—wait!"

"Take this, dolls!" He went towards one of the girls, who blocked him, which made him fall back. He looked at her with wide eyes. "I-I couldn't cut them!"

The skin that had covered the girl's hands was gone, exposing her steel hands. They all started to march towards them.

"Grell, this is an order! You and Pluto—" Who was still playing with his toy in the corner. "—stay here and keep the dolls occupied. Play with them...for as long as it takes."

Grell liked back at him in fear. "Huh?"

Ciel took out the ring that had been on the first doll's finger and clenched his fist around it.

A doll had soared towards Grell, who moved back in time, making her steel hand stab the ground where he was. He looked to the side when Ciel ran past them. "You're going to leave me here?! Not very human of you!"

"I'm the inhuman one?" Ciel replied as he ran out of the room.

The dolls look just like the pictures of the kidnapped girls. No, the dolls are the girls. That means...Lizzie... He thought as he ran up the flight of stairs and into the main ballroom.

"Ciel Phantomhive." Ciel stopped in the center of the room and looked up at the ginger that sat up on the balcony, watching him. "You are indeed a beautiful specimen. I'll have to make you into a doll worthy of such exquisite beauty."

Ciel turned and gazed up at him. "What have you done with Elizabeth?"

The ginger seemed to ignore him and only pulled his hat over his eyes. "Now, what material shall we use for you? Clay will wash away too easily, but iron is far too crude for you."

Ciel clenched his teeth in both anger and annoyance as the ginger raised his hat to look directly at Ciel. "So then, I thought to myself-" Ciel didn't wait for him to finish as he kept running, until he left the room.

The ginger rose his hands and conducted the lyrics. ♪ Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold♪

Ciel opened the door to find himself in a black room with white painted masks mounted on the walls. Then, the masks opened their mouths and sang in a perfect harmony.

♪ Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold♪ ♪Build it up with silver and gold, my fair lady♪

Ciel covered his ears and kept running as the singing continued.

♪ Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold♪ ♪Build it up with silver and gold, my fair lady♪

The voices seemed to grow louder as he ran up a flight of stairs and into another room, slamming the door behind him.

He was panting as he leaned his back against the door. But when he caught his breath, his eyes widened at the familiar symbol that made up the floor. The symbol that forever left his mark on him.

"That day...my birthday...my life changed forever. As long as I live, I will never know a happy birthday again." His eyes narrowed. "Never!"

"Truly master, nothing good ever happens on your birthday, does it?"

Ciel froze at the familiar female voice and turned towards the open window. His eyes widened at the two shadowy silhouettes behind the curtain that was currently blowing inside.

"You lost your parents, your home, and this time, you stand to lose Lady Elizabeth." The curtain blew to the side, which revealed you and Sebastian sitting on the window seal with your legs crossed.

Ciel sneered at the both you, but mostly at the person who had just spoken. "Y/N!"

You were both silent, but he only seemed to get angrier. "Take that back, right now."

You tilted your head. "What do you mean?"

He stepped forward and clenched his teeth. "I won't let you taunt me!"

You smiled and looked down. "Master, earlier you had informed me you had some business to take care of. This "business" of yours—did it include endangering yourself? In a misguided effort to rewrite the past, I mean." You looked up at him knowingly, but he only continued to coldly glare at you. You softly chuckled.

Sebastian outstretched his hand. "Do you remember what you said at the frost fair? About your body? About your ring?" When Ciel didn't respond, he continued. "What you said—was both had been shattered and reborn. And that you no longer had any fear of being broken, yourself."

"I remember. You don't need to remind me." Sebastian smirked at the harshness in Ciel's voice.

♪Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel♪

You looked at Ciel curiously as he turned and faced the double doors. Seconds later, they opened and an entire group of girl dolls entered in.

♪Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady♪

Ciel's eye widened. "They defeated Grell."

You jumped off the ledge and walked over to them, paying close attention to the music the dolls seemed to be moving to. "Interesting. They appear to be controlled by the singing of that song."

If the lyrics are build it up with iron and steel, that seems to give them strength to move. But, if you change the lyrics, you could break them...

"In which case..." You folded your hands over your stomach. ♪ Iron and steel will bend and bow♪

Ciel looked up at you in surprise. ♪ bend and bow, bend and bow♪ The music ceased, along with the dolls, who began to move their heads to your voice. ♪ Iron and steel will bend and bow, my fair lady♪

You jumped up, landed behind one of the dolls and bent her iron neck, which popped open. As you continued, the dolls' metal necks had all bent open. ♪ Iron and steel will bend and bow, bend and bow, bend and bow♪ You outstretched your arms and stood in the middle of them as they all broke.

♪ Iron and steel will bend and bow, my fair lady♪ As you finished the last line, you bowed before Ciel and lowered your head.

He glared down at you. "Who are you calling a lady?" You looked up at him with a smirk and raised an eyebrow.

You then stood up as Sebastian walked over and looked at him. "Now, young master, let us go."

"I think not."

You all turned at the ginger that stood in the doorway, surrounded by the fallen dolls, now carrying a music box, painted with a blue fleur-de-li around his neck that you assumed was the origin of the music.

"Ciel Phantomhive, you are now the property of my master." From the corner of your eye, you swore you saw a vein pop out on Ciel's forehead.

My, someone doesn't look very pleased.

"'Property'? Who do you think you—"

"The proof is there. You're marked by the very ring you're wearing." Ciel stopped and looked down at the ring upon his finger.

"I know what it is. That is a Hope peace. The same gem my master sends as a token to those who are destined to become his dolls."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at him. "What master?"

He raised his arms out. "It's been decided—Ciel Phantomhive is going to become a doll. An exquisite doll made of silver and gold."

You gave a smug smile, then raised a finger and moved it to your voice. ♪ Silver and gold will be stolen away, stolen away, stolen away♪

The ginger's eyes widened. "What?" He watched and reached out as Sebastian picked Ciel up bridal style and you both jumped out the window. You, of course, throwing one last smirk over your shoulder before disappearing into the night.

The ginger walked to the center of the room and looked out the window. "He was indeed stolen away." He slumped down to his knees with his head down. "However, I am thinking to myself..."

He looked up. "Ciel Phantomhive will return. Whether he wants to or not."