#ciel: ' >:| *consumes with attitude*' ))

[wolfofwinchester]

Got my hands on a book of herbal medicine and you better believe Claudia is having me take note. Will these ever come into play for threads? Maybe, maybe not. Are they fun to have stowed away all the same? Absolutely.

[rinaxtaros]

[06] | 𝐑𝐄𝐃.

summary: Ciel, [y/n] and Sebastian discuss her future with the Phantomhive’s.

— Tainted (verb) contaminate or pollute (something)

"Well if you are ordered to be by my side I suppose there is nothing I can do.” Ciel shrugs as his eyes flutter close. Sebastian scoffs "My Lord!"

Ciel opens his eye to glare at his baffled butler “I believe this matter has no need for your input, surely you understand the details of our contract?"

Sebastian stays quiet as he sees Ciel had stuck him in a rut. It is true. Yet it annoys him that his simple-minded human master had told him about the details of a demonic contract. He lets his eye twitch in annoyance.

"Do not fret, Sebastian" You interrupt, placing a hand against your heart in feign compassion “I do not wish to consume your master's tainted soul.”

Your eyes flush with a beautiful array of pinks, reds and magentas. Your passion is very obvious as it swirls within your eyes when you’re speaking.

Ciel observes your characteristics intently. The young boy notices the way your eyes seem to glow a passionate red whilst you speak (mock) to Sebastian, and how they seem to sparkle under the candlelit room. Ciel believes your eyes are reminiscent to his late aunts ruby hair.

Though, he should be terrified by the powerful aura you hold, he is nothing short of captivated. Even when you were disguised as a figure close to his mother, he could still sense your strong abilities. Although he may not of known of your supernatural prowess, the confidence you radiate when you’re not acting the part of a humble maid is something that matches Sebastian’s cocky attitude.

"If you are to watch over me, I suppose we should disguise you as a maid." Ciel interrupts the bickering that had begun between you and Sebastian in his time spent thinking.

“Perhaps a housekeeper, a higher position.” He ponders, hand cupping his chin.

“Very smart, young master.” Sebastian comments, ignoring how your smile is pissing him off “It means she can speak to us regularly without being questioned.”

Ciel nods.

"Maybe a name change is in place?" He asks as he looks towards the newest member of the Phantomhive manor.

“Whatever you wish, Phantomhive.” You reply, looking towards the young boy. Despite his young age, he is quite a distinguished businessman.

Ciel thinks for a few moments, allowing the sounds of nature to enter the room. The light pitter-patter of the rain against the large expanse of the glass panes is calming to say the least. It adds to the atmosphere of the room that Sebastian had attempted to make for his master.

You glance at Sebastian. He has had his guard up the whole time you were here, which you find quite confusing. You have shown no sign of aggression, just a simple jest here and there with said demon.

"Have you had any past names?" Ciel rips the two from their staging contest. You laugh “It would take me years to list them all, little Phantomhive."

You blink, thinking “You can call me [y/n]. We can just pretend you hired me after your aunts passing.”

Ciel growls lightly "Do not call me that!" You cock a brow. It’s quite easy to rile up the poor thing. Has Sebastian been a good little dog and not crossed the line with little Ciel?

"I think I recall that you are not my master.”

Sebastian hums "I suppose you aren't my Lord, however, technically you don't have a master at all." He glances at you through the corner of his eye, almost smirking as he tries to one up you.

“Her soul has been eaten has it not?"

You nod. “That is a dilemma for me.” You slip the lacy glove from your hand to show the pair the faint marking “It disappeared when she passed, but after reading the letter, it reappeared.”

“Only slightly, though.” Sebastian hums.

The study falls quiet, the only sound being the clock that ticked on the mantelpiece. The soft glow of the room bounces off of the entities present.

The two seem to communicate silently, passing you glances. It unsettles you.

"I hope that you don't get too happy with me being here, I find it tedious." You add, downcasting your eyes to your scratched shoes. The woodlands had done a number on the polished material.

"Perhaps you can be an informant, surely you know quite a bit about the underworld." Ciel asks.

“Oh? and why would I tell you?” You tease half-heartedly.

"Because I have Sebastian" He speaks smugly "I'll just ask him to torture it out of you.”

His attitude is truly vile. A little boy with such tone-deaf confidence really ticks you off.

“Is that anyway to speak to someone that can so easily kill you?" You mutter, tongue clicking against the roof of your mouth in distaste. Sebastian shuffles, turning towards your figure.

Does he not realise you have to desire in hurting the boy?

“Plus I think you’ll find that…” You glance over at Sebastian “I’ll enjoy it.”

"Is that anyway to speak to my Lord?" Sebastian enquires, stepping towards the demoness who changes her gaze to the wall in front of her.

"I'm starting to rethink this proposition, perhaps I will ignore Anne's last order.” A sigh escapes your lips, tired eyes boring into Sebastians so uninterested it makes his blood boil. Sebastian scoffs.

"You call yourself a Faustian demon yet you disobey your masters orders?" Sebastian glares in disgust. You mirror the disgusted look "You may have respect in Hell, but we are on Earth, I shan't feel scrutinised by your words.”

Ciel laughs from his chair, watching the conflict between demons. A voice in his head tells him he should probably be scared as there is a high chance that a demon fight will break out. Sebastian's demon aura grows from his back, magnifying with the blatant disrespect you continue to show but by the cocky smirk on your face, it’s clear you enjoy pushing his buttons.

Perhaps Ciel will bargain to keep you around.

"Your words aren't just blatant disrespect, but I rather find it amusing to think you will get away with what you say.” Sebastian growls. You shrug her shoulders "If you think you'll get me back in Hell then you are wrong, I don't wish to go back there for centuries.”

Sebastian raises an eyebrow "You think I won't get you here? You think lowly of me, darling.” He chuckles lightly as he collects himself.

Ciel hums, his hands resting in his lap "Will you stay [y/n]? I'm sure you would like to get started on your next contract.”

"Yes.” You confirm, "I would like to make a contract, but no souls attract me.”

Your eyes flutter closed for a second, "It's getting late, little Lord, are you sure you're not tired?" You ask, eyes fluttering open to catch the slight slouch in his posture. Ciel’s houlders droop as he tries to keep himself up right, but he fails miserably. He’s still a child after all - he’ll eventually give into his tiredness.

Sebastian turns to his master, his hands toying with the Phantomhive stopwatch and clicking it open. His eyes widen "Unfortunately she is right my Lord, the time is a quarter past twelve.”

Ciel sighs tiredly "I suppose so.”

"What game are you playing at?" Sebastian asks as he walks down the large hallway, candle holder in hand. His eyes flicker occasionally to the demoness beside him who walks along silently.

"Nothing..but now that you say something like that, perhaps I'll start one.” You taunt, fluttering your lashes towards Sebastian who watches with an unreadable expression.

He scoffs "I can tell what sin you are.”

You pouts (although you weren’t trying to hide it), "Really? How about we play a game then?” You pause Sebastian in his stride.

He watches as your hand slivers to grasp around his black tie. Your fingers curve around the material, watching as his eyes flicker between your hand and your face. You pull, relishing in the way he seems to stutter.

Sebastian's eyes waver for a few seconds as he formulates a plan. A smirk widens on his face as he leans closer, there faces barely centimetres apart "Perhaps we can, but I decide the rules'.”

[animeyanderelover]

I’m currently in Europe so I’m awake for once when requests are open!

May I request how Ciel, Sebastian, and Reiji Sakamaki’s would treat a s/o who’s body is really fragile (they bruise easily, have fragile bones, etc.). Thank you very much! 💖

I actually planned a little special for my 6k celebration but I’m still so loaded with requests that I think that I’ll have to cancel that and do it a bit later😵‍💫.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, overprotective behavior, abduction

S/o with a very fragile body

Ciel Phantomhive

☕️Ciel’s condition was of a rather delicate status during his early childhood days too. His asthma used to be quite bad, there were days where he couldn’t leave the house or his room. So despite his strict and sometimes apathetic attitude he can understand his darling’s frustration and anger regarding the hindrance that is their body. Unable to do so many things simply because it’ll only result in large and painful bruises or even a few broken bones. Whilst the Phantomhive heir bears more sympathy for you though, that doesn’t mean by a long shot that he’ll let you risk anything. He’s overprotective and his paranoia worsens because of your risky condition. He probably feels the constant need to know where you are and if he’s in the mansion, he wants you in his field of vision.

☕️A doctor is constantly checking on your condition and is always kept close in case something should happen. He’ll also force you to consume medicine and vitamins to strengthen your immune system and overall condition. Ciel will also be really pissed if one of his clumsy servants accidentally hurts you. He holds them dear somewhere in his heart, knows that all of them are primarily here for their skills to kill and protect him. That all doesn’t stop him from lashing out on them if their chaotic antics hurt you, especially because of your delicate body. He argues heavily with you when you insist to do something which he knows your body won’t handle and at one point just snaps, slight paranoia shining through.

☕️He feels sorry afterwards but knows that he’s in the right. Ciel tries to be softer and more spoiling to you in other areas as a sort of attempt to distract you from the sadness of the inability of your own body. Your room is designed to be comfy and cozy with minimal risk of you hurting yourself. There are events where you two do go out but you’re never allowed to stray away from him as he keeps an eye on your condition sharply. When he catches yet another bruise on your body, he will end up interrogating you how and where you got it. The whole mansion is over time (y/n)-proofed for you only to decrease chances of you hurting yourself. He treats you like glass at most times.

Sebastian Michaelis

🐈‍⬛It’s pure and unaltered overprotective instincts speaking out of the demon because his human mate is such a delicate thing. He feels the constant need to be around you to protect you from everything that could even bruise your skin or hurt and damage you even the slightest bit. When he catches a good glimpse of your bruises and scratches the first time, you swear that you hear a low growl rumbling deep inside his chest. He still has a contract with his master but at times he seems slightly tense, subtle glances outside and at the clock. As soon as the demon is free to go, he’s rushing to you to check on you. It isn’t very often that he’s ever made a great fuss about someone but he does exactly that when he’s with you.

🐈‍⬛The demon becomes essentially your doctor who bandages every little injury and makes ointment himself to help the bruises you have. He is able to sense your disappointment and sadness because your body holds you back from doing the most basic things but Sebastian is firm in his decision to minimize the risk of you hurting yourself. Whether you like it or not, you’re his mate and he can’t let you risk your health. Sebastian keeps you fairly isolated and to himself as he’s coddling over your fragile condition. He could almost enjoy this in a way, him as your sole caretaker, if it wouldn’t be for the constant injuries. It isn’t normal nor healthy which only makes him more protective, worried for your wellbeing. He’d like to call himself patient but it’s likely he’s tempted to kidnap you faster because of your weak physical body.

🐈‍⬛He’s clingy, barely leaves you alone when he’s with you and is staring at you just to ensure that nothing happens. Your sadness doesn’t fly over his head though as he tries to entertain you otherwise. He gets you books, reads to you, if you enjoy music he’ll play something for you. The demon himself is more careful with his own physical affection simply because he knows that you can’t handle much. Normally he’d love to bruise you with bites and kisses but he has to hold back as you are unable to endure that. He still needs some skin-ship so he often holds you softly in his arms. He’s quite aggressive if someone accidentally hurts you, even if just by accidents since his overprotective instincts just ring loudly the moment you get harmed.

Reiji Sakamaki

☕️Reiji is the worst one in here which is essentially boiled down to two main reasons. The first one is that he’s such a perfectionist and has high expectations on his s/o. Surely they’re special because otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten obsessed with them. Their frail body is such a big thorn in his eyes though and he’s not one to hide his obvious displeasure because of it. Especially in the beginning he openly shows his dissatisfaction and it makes you feel down because you know that he’s blaming you too for not having done more to fix your body. The vampire dedicates his time into brewing together medicine to increase your physical health and you’re forced to consume it daily.

☕️He even watches you just to make sure that you really take it. You’re on a strict schedule as it is. A healthy diet, physical workouts to slowly strengthen your bones and the time where you go to bed and get enough rest. Reiji is a controlling individual and wants his partner to be perfect in every aspect. Another big problem is that Reiji is a sadist and will punish his s/o if they misbehave. He’s not as dumb and impulsive as to let that get the better of him if he’s confronted with your weak body. If he goes too harsh, chances are that he will cause you permanent damage and he does not wish to be responsible if he ruins you. He will still lecture and teach you better if you behave like an ungrateful brat. You should thank him for even bothering with a helpless case like you.

☕️He’s huge in degrading you for your condition and making you feel like you’re a burden because of it. Harshly sucking your blood so that it hurts is also always an option although he makes sure that you always consume enough nutrition to ensure a healthy blood flow. You end up with large bruises on your neck and shoulder though whenever he does this. Examines your body all the time for new bruises and is always questioning you sternly when he sees a new one. All your clothes are covering you up completely to hide all the bruises because he doesn’t want his brothers to look and make unnecessary comments. He is more lovely when he softens up, treats you nicer and far more delicate, indulges in little wishes of yours as he stops blaming you for your fragile body.

[circeeoflesbos]

La Mort de Psappha

POEME DRAMATIQUE EN UN ACTE de Renée Vivien Evocations, 1903

Scène 1

L’école de poésie fondée par Psappha. Une statue de l’Aphrodita enguirlandée de roses. Par la porte ouverte, on voit l’Égée, les jardins et les maisons de Mytilène. Le soleil, pendant l’acte, décline et disparaît dans la mer.

Éranna de Télôs, chante.

« Lasse du jardin où je me souviens d’elle, J’écoute mon cœur oppressé d’un parfum. Pourquoi m’obséder de ton vol importun, Divine hirondelle ?

« Tu rôdes, ainsi qu’un désir obstiné, Réveillant en moi l’éternelle amoureuse, Douloureuse amante, épouse douloureuse, Ô pâle Procné. « Tu fuis tristement vers la rive qui t’aime, Vers la mer aux pieds d’argent, vers le soleil… Je hais le printemps, qui vient, toujours pareil Et jamais le même ! « Ah ! me rendra-t-il les langueurs de jadis, Le fiévreux tourment des trahisons apprises, L’attente et l’espoir des caresses promises, Les lèvres d’Atthis ? « J’évoque le pli de ses paupières closes, La fleur de ses yeux, le sanglot de sa voix, Et je pleure Atthis que j’aimais autrefois, Sous l’ombre des roses… »

L’Étrangère entre, hésitante. Elle est blonde. Ses regards incertains errent autour d’elle.

Éranna.

Vierge, que cherches-tu parmi nous ?

L’Étrangère.

La Beauté. Je cherche la colère et la stupeur des lyres, L’âpreté du mélôs, parmi la cruauté Des regards sans éclairs et des mornes sourires.

Damophyla.

Viens cueillir avec nous les roses de Psappha : Elle enseigne les chants qui plaisent aux Déesses.

Atthis.

Viens, tu verras, parmi ses ferventes prêtresses, Celle dont le laurier grandit et triompha.

Éranna.

Ses cheveux sont pareils aux sombres violettes.

Gorgô.

Seule, elle sait tramer les musiques muettes Des gestes et des pas.

Dika.

Son baiser est amer Et mord, comme le sel violent de la mer.

Gurinnô.

Elle est triste ce soir. Son regard inquiète.

L’étrangère.

Quelle angoisse l’étreint ?

Dika.

Un songe de Poète ?

Éranna.

Non. Car elle est sauvage et triste tour à tour, Et se lamente, en, proie aux affres de l’amour.

Scène II

Psappha entre, voilée, morne et silencieuse. Pendant toute la pièce, elle ne découvre point son visage. Elle s’arrête devant la statue de la Déesse.

Psappha.

Accueille, immortelle Aphrodita, Déesse, Tisseuse de ruse à l’âme d’arc-en-ciel, Le frémissement, l’orage et la détresse De mon vain appel. Éloigne de moi ton mépris et ta haine, Verse à ma douleur tes sourires cléments, Et ne brise pas mon âme, ô Souveraine, Parmi les tourments.

Sa voix se déchire dans un sanglot. Elle rejette le paktis et demeure dans une attitude de désespoir.

Chœur.

Aphrodita changeante, implacable Immortelle, Tu jaillis de la mer, périlleuse comme elle. La vague sous tes pas se brisait en sanglots. Amère, tu surgis des profondeurs amères, Apportant dans tes mains l’angoisse et les chimères, Ondoyante, insondable et perfide. Et les flots Désirèrent tes pieds, plus pâles que l’écume. Ta lumière ravage et ta douceur consume.

Psappha, sans entendre, noyée dans son rêve.

Fille de Kuprôs, je t’ai jadis parlé À travers un songe.

Éranna.

Comme un son de paktis indécis et voilé, L’incertaine douceur de sa voix se prolonge…

Psappha.

Tu m’as répondu, toi, dont la cruauté

Pèse sur mon âme immuablement triste : « Pourquoi sangloter mon nom ? Quelle Beauté, Psappha, te résiste ? « Moi, fille de Zeus, je frapperai l’orgueil De celle qui fuit ton baiser, ô Poète ! Tu verras errer vainement sur ton seuil Son ombre inquiète. » Ton venin corrompt le sourire des jours, Déesse, et flétrit ma chair humiliée, Toi qui fus jadis mon rayonnant secours, Ma prompte Alliée.

Damophyla.

Tel on voit périr par le flambeau mouvant L’essor des phalènes.

Psappha.

L’Amour a ployé mon âme, comme un vent Des montagnes tord et brise les grands chênes…

Gorgô.

Rien ne brûle en ses yeux des poèmes vécus…

Atthis.

Son regard se dérobe et pâlit sous les voiles.

Psappha.

Je n’espère point étreindre les étoiles De mes bras vaincus.

Elle sort lentement.

L’Étrangère.

Oh ! vers quel lointain, vers quel mystère va-t-elle ?

Gurinnô.

Le soir tombe. Elle va vers l’oubli de l’amour, Vers la Mort.

Éranna.

Sans espoir, sans désir de retour, Elle atteint lentement le rocher de Leucade…

Atthis, écoutant.

Sa voix fiévreuse pleure et râle par saccade.

Damophyla.

Vierges, la volupté de la Mort est dans l’air…

Éranna.

Psappha vient de s’éteindre ainsi qu’une harmonie.

Atthis.

J’entends, comme un écho, son appel d’agonie.

Gorgô.

Et je vois son cadavre emporté par la mer…

L’Étrangère.

Ô compagnes, les pleurs sont de légères choses Et ne conviennent point au glorieux trépas… Chantez ! il faut remplir de rythmes et de roses La maison du Poète où le deuil n’entre pas !

Elles répandent des roses sur le seuil de Psappha. Leurs gémissements se mêlent à l’accord victorieux des lyres.

──────────────────

Illustration : Théodore Chassériau — Sapho, 1849, Musée d’Orsay

[christophe76460]

Un dieu qui est tout amour, toute grâce, toute miséricorde, aucune souveraineté, aucune justice, aucune sainteté, et aucune colère, est une idole. (R.C. Sproul)

Pour beaucoup de personnes dans notre société, Dieu ressemble à une sorte de grand-père dans le ciel, quelqu’un qui se soucie suffisamment de nous pour nous donner des cadeaux et nous visiter occasionnellement mais qui reste généralement distant, passif et non impliqué. Pas étonnant, pour beaucoup, que Dieu ne semble pas captivant.

Comparez cette image avec ce que nous voyons dans Exode 3, lorsque Dieu se révèle à Moïse dans un buisson ardent. Dans ce récit, nous voyons l’écart entre le Dieu véritable et les fausses idées contemporaines le concernant. Considérons un instant ce Dieu ardent qui se révèle dans sa gloire, afin que notre sentiment de crainte soit rétabli.

Dieu est singulier et remarquable

L’histoire commence avec Moïse déconcerté par un buisson qui brûle mais qui ne se consume point. Il est plus que curieux ; il est impressionné. L’étrangeté du spectacle l’y contraint. C’est étonnant. Je veux en savoir plus.

Toutes les conceptions trop ordinaires de Dieu sont d’ores et déjà remises en question. Le fonctionnement du cœur humain est tel qu’il façonne des dieux qui se conforment à ses idées et à ses désirs. Dans notre état déchu, nous pouvons préférer l’image d’un Dieu qui détermine les grandes lignes de notre vie mais qui ne dit ou ne fait rien d’inattendu, un Dieu qui ne nous en demande pas trop, un Dieu qui est facile à vivre et qui est dépourvu de mystère.

Mais la rencontre que fait Moïse nous montre un Dieu dont la révélation est étrange. Dieu est différent. Il se démarque. C’est l’incompréhensibilité totale de cette scène qui attire Moïse.

Et donc, ce n’est pas le fait que Dieu soit comme nous qui nous donne envie de nous approcher de lui, mais le fait qu’il soit si différent, si extraordinaire, si remarquable, si étrange. Cette vérité nous rappelle qu’en tant que peuple de Dieu, nous ne sommes intéressants que lorsque nous nous démarquons, lorsque nos vies sont différentes, quand il y a quelque chose de remarquable dans nos attitudes et nos actions. C’est l’étrangeté de nos croyances et de nos pratiques qui attire l’attention des autres, et non la qualité de notre intégration ou de notre conformité à la culture qui nous entoure.

Dieu est inépuisable et saint

Ensuite, Dieu commence à parler du milieu du buisson. Pourquoi ce buisson brûle-t-il ? Qu’est-ce que cela signifie ? C’est peut-être pour en extraire la vérité selon laquelle Dieu est inépuisable et saint. Le Dieu de l’univers est autonome et saint. Il ne manque jamais de carburant. Et comme le feu, il est à la fois merveilleux et dangereux. Moïse commence à s’approcher du feu mais Dieu lui dit de s’arrêter. Moïse doit se préparer avant d’aller plus loin. Bien qu’attiré par le feu, il en est également menacé.

C’est la marque d’une vraie rencontre avec Dieu. Nous sommes attirés à lui. Sa sainteté et son étrangeté absolues nous y obligent, mais dès que nous nous approchons, nous nous sentons menacés. Nous nous sentons dérisoires à la lumière de sa grandeur. Nous nous sentons vides devant sa connaissance. Nous nous sentons faibles par rapport à sa gloire.

Dieu dit à Moïse d’enlever ses chaussures, car il est sur une terre sainte. Cette instruction divine nous rappelle que nous ne pouvons venir à lui que selon ses conditions, pas les nôtres. Nous ne créons pas un Dieu à notre image, pour l’adorer ensuite tel que nous voulons qu’il soit. Nous découvrons le Dieu qui nous a créés à son image, puis nous l’adorons tel qu’il l’ordonne.

Moïse s’avance, craignant de regarder le visage de Dieu. Ce mélange de crainte révérencielle et d’émerveillement est une autre marque d’une vraie rencontre avec Dieu. Devant la puissance de Dieu, nous sommes limités. Servir le Seigneur commence avec Dieu, qui est saint, et toi, qui t’humilies. Ce sentiment d’être à la fois attiré par le mystère de Dieu et pourtant effrayé par sa majesté – est un signe que vous avez affaire au vrai Dieu.

Il est facile de perdre de vue cette majesté, d’oublier que Dieu est comme Aslan de C. S. Lewis, le grand Lion à côté de qui vous ne vous sentirez jamais totalement en sécurité. «Inoffensif, qui a dit quoi que ce soit par rapport au fait qu’il soit inoffensif ? . . . C’est un lion, après tout ! Ce n’est pas un lion apprivoisé. Mais il est bon. » C’est un lion avec un rugissement féroce qui peut vous éclater les tympans, mais c’est aussi le lion qui vous permet d’enfouir votre tête dans sa crinière pour y pleurer toutes vos larmes de douleur. Dieu est comme ça. Il est indomptable, insondable, inexplicable, mais pour toujours et à jamais bon. Le feu tout-puissant de Dieu : dangereux car il peut vous brûler, mais bon car il peut vous réchauffer.

Dieu est actif et impliqué

Dieu est proche et actif, non pas distant et passif. Beaucoup de gens aiment l’idée d’un Dieu distant et passif parce que cela signifie qu’ils peuvent s’appuyer sur Dieu chaque fois qu’ils ont besoin de lui, mais ils n’ont pas à lui prêter attention et à obéir à ses commandements. Mais le vrai Dieu de l’univers n’existe pas pour nos desseins ; c’est nous qui existons pour les siens. Il est activement impliqué dans le monde qu’il a créé. Même dans les situations où il semble être absent ou silencieux, il est impliqué. Il est compatissant. Dans ce qu’il dit au buisson ardent, on voit comment il répond aux cris de son peuple.

Dieu répond en choisissant d’agir par l’intermédiaire d’un messager. Dieu a révélé son plan à Moïse parce qu’il voulait l’impliquer. Le plan de Dieu implique le peuple de Dieu. Il nous éblouit par sa sainteté et son amour, puis il nous envoie avec sa vérité et sa grâce. Il nous appelle au salut, puis il nous mandate pour le service.

Le plan de Dieu est d’utiliser des personnes pour sauver des personnes. C’est ce qui s’est passé quand il a envoyé son Fils unique pour nous sauver. Il ne nous a pas sauvés de loin, mais de près et de façon personnelle, depuis l’horreur d’une croix romaine. Il est impliqué. Ne pas voir cela à propos de Dieu, c’est manquer l’une des manifestations majeures de sa gloire. Il nous utilise. Il nous choisit. Il est actif. Il aime. Il associe. Il se soucie. Il répond. Il appelle.

Le buisson brûle encore aujourd’hui si nous ouvrons nos yeux pour le voir et ouvrons nos oreilles pour entendre Dieu nous appeler. Alors, enlevons nos sandales pécheresses et approchons-nous du Dieu saint qui nous a graciés par la croix. Apprenons à Le connaître, lui le remarquable et le saint, le merveilleux et le dangereux. Ce n’est que lorsque nous sommes saisis par Dieu dans toute sa gloire que nous pouvons être envoyés par lui dans toute sa grâce.

Trevin Wax

De l'article :

https://evangile21.thegospelcoalition.org/article/ce-dieu-ardent-qui-revele-sa-vraie-nature/

[theodora3022]

Bloody Rose(Sebastian Michaelis x Vampire F!reader)

Request: Sabastian with a female vampire s/o? Can be yandere or not! You choose.

Notes: I made this in headcanons form and I’m typing on mobile during witching hours, so bear with me dear anon-

I decided to go with fluff since I am in a soft mood today~~

Warnings: Fluff, mentions of blood

To others, you were a tailor owning a small haute couture shop, a spinster who make her living by making outfits. But they won’t know you been doing this since the Georgian times.

You move from county to county, around England every decade or so, to avoid suspension. Luckily no vampire hunters has ever been on your tail: you consider yourself as a good subject to the crown despite being a blood drinker. You only consume animal blood, which made you a harmless vegetarian. Being a forever maiden is not unpleasant by any means, apart from being banished from sunlight. You miss being able to run around in the sun freely. When you do go out during a sunny day you cover yourself in fabric as much as possible, resulting you with overly pale skin.

Contrary to common belief, you slept until the afternoon, opening up the store even during the day. You had forced yourself to change your biological routine to fit in the human society. Although your bed resembles a traditional coffin in shape, it is never an actual one. The mirrors in your shop were not backed by silver, so you can still see your reflections.

You happened to be at late Victorian London when a mysterious murderer decides to drain the blood of thier victims like a vampire would, how unfortunate.

You were one of the suspects, so Sabastian and his lord were obligated to pay you a visit. Although they did not put you as priority to begin with: you never done things like this. 

You welcomed them to your store with a polite smile and warm greetings, as any good saleswoman would. 

Ever since transforming, you had not drank a drop of human blood. However, you can still smell the scent of their blood even through skin. It feels like...a natural perfume to you, to describe it at best. Some are sweeter then others, like tempting sweet delights, and you had to make sure you are well fed before going near them. 

That little lord’s blood is sweet and tempting. The butler, however, his blood just...is that even blood? You thought to yourself. It reminds you of the mighnight, danger lurking underneath the peaceful surface.This man is no ordinary human, you can sense that much. You had never delt with a demon before, therefor your knowledge is rather limited, only from books and theaters. 

Vampires are demons are cut from the same cloth, in a way right? Both can only venture in the shadows for eternity, trying to get by without being slain by those self righteous dastards. Sebastian had met some of your kind over the centuries, albiet none of them are as lovely as you are. You still act like a young human woman, if not for your overly pale skin you would be considered as normal. He wonders what made you this way, as all vampires, save a selected few, are humans before something happened. You seem like a kind lady, not one of those blood-hungry lowlifes he had seen before. 

You showed Ciel your collection, took his measurements when he demanded, never flinching away from the young lord’s cold attitude. When you went into the inner chamber to retrive more material choice, Ciel decided you are most likely not the murderer they are looking for, and Sebastian agrees. There is not a single scent of human blood on you or anywhere in sight, as demons can smell such things even one uses the finest soap to cover the traces.  Even though you are a vampire, if you are harmless to others Ciel is not intersted in fighting you(he has a demon for butler, so?).

“But she is a fine tailor, right milord? Maybe you can just make this a normal shopping trip.” What an unsual person you are, thought Sebastian. He might just take a little more time to observe you. It has been forever since he met another immortal being that does not irritates him.

“Very well. This would not be a complete waste of time then. I need a new suit for the social season anyway.” The young man tsked.

When they asks you to deliver the order yourself, you were hesitant about going outside. Your ususal customers send their servents to collect their orders, as you insisted so. You know what sunburns can do to you, but they offered you a down payment you cannot refuse. It is a risk you are willing to take. Even vampires needs gold to survive, if you do not wish to massacre humans for food.

The moment you stepped onto the estate, covered in a long hooded cloak and gloves, you can sense great calamity has occured in this location rather recently. But that is none of your concerns, the customer’s private life is nothing to pry about.

The servents...they are an odd flock, to say the least. They might seem clumsy or even impotent, but you know that butler knows better then to hire three imbeciles.  

After you made your delivery, Sebastian insists on you staying for the afternoon tea. You wanted to decline, since normal food has been tasting like wet paper ever since that awful day, but you find it hard to say keep saying no to such a comely man. He is the most goregous male you ever seen, and you say that as an immortal. The term “devilishly handsome” is like a tailor made suit for him. 

To your surprise, you can faintly taste the refreshement’s fruity flavours. When you were human yourself you have always loved food, missing it much when all you can taste is blood. So you helped yourself to quite a few tarts and biscuits, not knowing the demon had added special ingredients just for your vampire taste buds. You were so focused on your plate that you missed Sebastian’s calculating smile. 

That esclated rather quickly, soon you found yourself promising to tailor more clothes for Earl Phantomhive, therefore being on their premise more. 

Sebastian would always treat you to a plate of mouth-watering refreshments before you depart. Soon you find yourself answering his somewhat intrusive questions, as it is only fair to give him some compensation for those delicious treats.

The questions are surfaces ones at first. What is your favorite color or your preferred weather. Then to more personal territory, such as the reason behind your spinsterhood or what in a man that attracts you the most. You would blush madly, a feeling you have not felt in years fills your empty soul, and tell him your little answers.

How endearing. Compare to werewolves who behaves like canines, vampire leans closer to the feline side. You reminds Sebastian greatly of the black cat he encountered last spring. Your nonchalant and cheerful attitude are identical to the lovely creature. Oh and how he loves petting her soft fur. He wonders how your hair would feel under his hands. He initially might just be curious of how an odd vampire you are, but now the demon had found you to be quite an entertaining presence.

It has been so long since you had any friends, so you opened up to him quickly, disregarding the risks. You even revealed your identity to the man in black after he swears on his heart to not tell a soul. 

“My entire family was slaughtered by venegeful vampires. My father used to work as a vampire hunter for the mad King, therefore he made enemies of many. Ironically I survived, only to found out I turned into this. A creature who can only hide in the shadows forever. I swore I would never be like those blood suckers, I would never kill someone just to saitate my blood lust. Thank you Sabastian, for all those delicious cakes. They made me feel human agian once more. Also thank you for listening to my rambles, it has been so many years I confided in someone.” So you where a noble lady once. That is where your fine but antiquated manners originates from.

What a calamity you had suffered, yet you remain strong and lighthearted nonetheless. Moving from place to place, afraid to be burnt for your youthful appearance.You deserve to be cherished as the treasure you cleary are. No more hiding and running, not if he can help it.

You gladly accepted Lord Phantomhive’s offer to serve as the household’s tailor, the pay is generous and working for one person greatly reduce the risk of being discovered. Plus you get to spend more time with your new friend Sebastian! It is an offer you cannot turn down.

Sebastain is in a contract right now, but Ciel could only live so long. Prior to meeting you, he never thought about the future after his contract is completed. He imagined the two of you traveling across the European contient as friends, or something more, for the rest of your infinate lives. He has always been alone whenever he was not in a contract with humans, but the idea of being with someone forever is rather appealling to the demon. 

Even though he does not let his emotions discract him from his duties, you can still feel how he smiles whenever you enter the room. You would curl up your lips jovially in return, sometimes even teases him for having a charming smile. 

For now, Sebastian would be your good friend, always lend an ear to you for anything, or offer his shoudler should you need it, as long it does not get in the way of his duties to his liege. But who knows what would happen after the contract is completed? The world is yours to explore, with infinate amount of time, with him by your side.

[animebaby00]

Tea and Cookies (Ciel Phantomhive x Female! Reader) - One-shot

Summary: Y/N, the newest maid at the Phantomhive manor, adds a little something extra to Ciel's afternoon tea to hopefully brighten his mood.

~~~~~~~

Stoic. Firm. Serious.

That's how the young master was portrayed to almost everyone. 

Punctual. Proper. Dedicated to his work. A human being with a perfect attitude that never faltered for anything.

But Y/N, she's noticed things that others haven't.

She had seen the small, underlying blush on his cheeks when embarrassed or flustered. 

She noticed his determination to please those around him. 

She's come across times where the tiniest of smiles had laced his lips.

And quite honestly, those were her favorite times because of how rare they were.

The young master was nowhere near the average 14 year old. 

Even as she bustled around the kitchen, she still found it strange to address him as such. After all, she was almost a whole year younger than him.

Just barely a teenager and working as a maid in the famous Phantomhive Manor. Even younger at the age of 12 when she had first started.

The word 'maid' had a repulsive sound to the average, noble lady. But Y/N was thankful to be given the position after the horrible state she had been in when she arrived. 

A lowly orphan clad in a torn, mud covered dress covered in soot and ash. An injured leg from running through the forest to escape the thieves that had stolen from the orphanage she had called her home. The crude individuals had set the building ablaze and she watched what few friends she had choke and suffocate in the dark, thick smoke.

On the Queen's Guard Dog's doorstep with red, watering eyes, matted hair, and a weak, trembling form.

An absolute mess.

But despite it all…. the young master took her in.

With a Butler clad in black by his side. 

The whole thing sounded frightening, and she had nightmares for months. But soon, comfort in knowing she was protected and had a place to call home again was a reason to stand strong and move on. 

She was welcomed with open arms and proved to be one of most level headed people in the manner, talented in many fields she didn't know herself capable. 

On top of every schedule the young master had, a worthy opponent in chess, decent in the kitchen, a fast learner in archery, and unbeknownst to her, the person Ciel preferred most to bring him his afternoon tea. 

And currently, that was what she was doing now.

Her steps were quiet as she made her way to her young master's office, cart in tow decorated with delicate silver utensils and expensive China. 

At last, she reached the door to the young master's study. She lay a fist against the door and knocked, and a muffled "Come in." could be heard shortly after.

She opened the door just enough to fit the cart through and closed it behind her once in the room, being mindful to not disturb the busy male as he talked business with his Butler. 

"I will send these out immediately, My Lord." Sebastian stated, tapping a stack of documents against a desk in order to even the top edges of them, " Don't forget you have your meeting with Mr. Thompson at 3. I will fetch for you when the time comes." 

"Very well," Ciel said lowly, folding his hands together, "You are dismissed." 

Sebastian bowed both towards Ciel and then to you. You curtsied in reply, keeping your head low out of pure respect, only raising it once Sebastian had finally left the room. 

"The other 3 could learn a few things from you." 

His voice rang in your ears. Smooth, mature, and slightly cold, causing shivers to run down your spine.

You turned around to see Ciel looking at you, lips turned into a rare half smile while his single blue iris stared back at you. The other covered by a silk black patch.

You took a step forward, pushing the cart that was in front of you as you began to prepare a cup of tea for your master.

"Do you mean Baldroy, Mey-rin, and Finnian, sir ?"

Ciel nodded, "Yes. I've been very tempted to insist you teach them manners and respect. Bard can't go one day without blowing up the kitchen even if all he's doing is boiling water, Finnian speaks out even when conversation is being held, and Mey-rin can't curtsy property or push that cart without tripping over her own two feet." 

You did your best to stifle a small laugh, "Yes, I'm aware of their shenanigans. But at least they get the job done. Especially with Sebastian constantly nagging at them."

Ciel hummed, "I suppose you're right. But they are still fools."

You chuckled, picking up the now filled cup of tea along with the saucer.

"It's Earl grey today, young master. Shipped here yesterday." 

"Hm…" he took the cup from you, his fingers lightly brushing yours. You could feel your cheeks heat up slightly, but tried to keep yourself calm, as any such behavior was highly improper.

But you were unaware of the blush that had dusted his cheeks as well. 

Even with such a slight touch, your skin had felt so soft. 

Being so close to him, he could smell your sweet scent. Vanilla, maybe mixed with hazelnut. It was divine and-

No. Stop. 

Such thoughts were entirely crude. He mustn't think like that. 

"Uhm...my lord?"

He blinked. And it was then that he realized he had been staring. Bloody-

"Are you alright ?"

His eye widened, "Oh ! Yes, m-my apologies. Just...lost in thought I suppose. I have quite a...uhm busy schedule today. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to it."

"Oh, I see." You looked behind you at the tea cart, specifically at the extra tray you had purposely brought in, covered by a silver lid.

You had made them just to be nice, not sure if he would even like them. But now, perhaps they could serve as a token to brighten his day a bit.

Another thing you knew was how much he hated meetings of business no matter how important they were. 

You turned to face him again.

"S-sir...i-if I may ?"

"Yes ?"

" I...well, it's not much but," you retreated back to the cart and picked up the sterling silver tray and set it on his desk, "Perhaps these will help." You hooked your fingers under the handle and lifted it.

Ciel's mouth dropped open slightly in shock. 

Simply displayed before him, was an assortment of cookies. 

They were pretty basic looking, but they smelled absolutely heavenly of chocolate, peanut butter, toasted sugar, and cinnamon. It clouded his senses, delectable, and so very sweet. 

He could've sworn ( though he would never admit it ) that his mouth was watering. 

You giggled at his expression, grabbing a tiny pair of serving tongs and put one of each cookie on a plate you had grabbed. Four sounded like a lot, but you had made them smaller on purpose, finding it easier to enjoy them when they took about one or two bites to consume. 

"I know Sebastian doesn't exactly like you eating sweets this early in the afternoon, but I think today can be an exception. " 

Ciel was dumbfounded, almost missing your previous statement. 

It was obvious, but he had to confirm.

"You...made these ?"

You nodded, "Yes. I did. Fresh out the oven this morning." 

"That's... highly impressive."

"Is it ?"

Ciel picked up one of the cookies. It felt warm against the skin on his fingertips."Well I know you had chores this morning, and you also helped with breakfast. So I suppose I'm just confused on how you found the time."

"I have my methods," you stated simply. 

Ciel smirked, his face imprinted with slight amusement as he brought one of the cookies closer to his lips, mouth opening slightly as he bit it in half. 

And immediately after, total bliss blossomed over his taste buds. It was soft, warm, with a slight bitterness so as to not make the dessert too sweet. He would have to guess it to be raw cacao powder or dark chocolate, but nonetheless. 

It was delicious. 

You watched him with a hopeful expression, watching his mouth move with every chew. 

Your heart was beating in your chest, and for the first time in a long time, you found that you couldn't read his expression which scared you quite a bit. 

Yet you were able to muster up enough courage to ask him the simple question that was burning on your tongue.

"W-what do you think m-my lord ?"

You knew you looked a fool. Standing there with fidgeting hands and sweaty palms.

But the cool, crisp, clean voice that you had come to adore cleared that nervousness away

"They're like nothing I've really ever tasted before in a sweet."

Your eyes widened, heat rushing to your face.

That made you perk up in both happiness and worry. but it seemed Ciel caught on to the flusteredness you felt taking over your nerves. 

He rose his hands up quickly, "W-which isn't a bad thing I assure you! Don't worry, please." He leaned forward, folding his hands across his desk, "They're actually quite good. I...like them very much."

The blush on your face deepened, "O-oh ! That's v-very good to hear. I'm happy you like them...m-my lord."

Ciel tilted his head,Actually....I was going to ask you, if perhaps you could -"

*BOOOOOM

All potential awkwardness and discussion  was forgotten ad, both you and Ciel's heads darted to the doorway.

Ciel stood up from his seat, rushing over to your side, "What the bloody hell was-"

"Y/N !!!!!" 

You could hear frantic footsteps clack from down the hall. The door to Ciel's office was flung open and you immediately recoiled and Ciel clicked his teeth once you both caught sight of Mey-Rin standing there, out of breath, covered head to toe in soot and ash. 

You were about to ask what was wrong, but Ciel beat you to it.

"Mey-rin what is the meaning of this ?!'

"M-my apologies young master !" She squeaked, "Bard...he ehmmmm...oh he blew up the kitchen again yes he did ! A-and I was fetching Y/N for her assistance…"

Ciel sighed, rubbing his temple, "She'll be there in a few minutes. Go and get a head start without her. Now."

Mey-rin bowed clumsily, her glasses nearly falling off her face, "Y-yes young master."

And then she was gone, but not before you could hear her trip and fall from down the hall with a loud yelp. 

Ciel turned to face you, "Told you they were fools."

You sweatdropped, "W-well it was good for the time it lasted. Bard hasn't blown up the kitchen in...I believe...3 days ?"

Ciel gave out a deeper sigh, finding his way back to his desk as you collected and put away the items on the tea cart. 

"I suppose I should get going," you said, wheeling the cart closer to Ciel's desk, "I'll leave this here for you in case you want more tea or sweets." You turned your gaze fully onto him, " Now, what were you trying to tell me before ?"

Ciel's dark blue iris widened, "Oh ! Yes, uhm, simply just...I was going to say that if you're okay with it, I w-would like you to bring me my tea more often. I enjoy your company very much...it's nice to not have some lunatic driving me crazy or having Sebastian constantly nagging at me. I suppose it's just a relief to be around someone...normal."

You blinked, shocked over Ciel's statements due to several things. 

He stuttered quite a bit, something he hardly ever does. And he also didn't come off demanding with it at all. He was actually considering your wants and that made your heart flutter with warmth. 

How could you say no ?

"I-I'd be happy to serve you, sir. It would be my pleasure." Your curtsied then turned around, keeping your head his way so he could see the smile on your face, "Sorry, but please excuse me. I've been given news I'm needed in the kitchen."

At this, Ciel's widened eyes softened as he watched you leave, but just as you were about to…

"Oh, and Y/N ?"

"Yes, my lord ?"

He gave you a knowing look, "When we're alone, please, call me Ciel."

You weren't fazed or shocked by his request, you thought it rude to be, so you merely waved and abided by your master's wishes.

"If that is what you wish...Ciel." 

And you left, leaving Ciel alone to finish his tea and the special little treat you made just for him.

After all, what's a good cup of tea without a little something extra to go with it especially if it can brighten someone's day ?

Which is something you definitely achieved.

[keybladeciel]

Wait... KHOC Week's going on and it's time to bring my two main Keykids into this for Day One of @khoc-week

Introducing the main protagonist of Forgotten Arcadia... Ciel! (And his sister Celeste.)

Wielder Identity: Ciel Lumiere

Age: 15 (Almost every chapter of Part 1 after a certain threshold.) 16 (Part 2)

Union: Vulpes

Party during the Age of Fairy Tales: Neo Arcadia

Race: Miqo'te-l'Cie hybrid. (Albeit his hair was dyed to a bluish-green by himself.)

Keyblades of Choice: Starlight, Sleeping Lion, Bad Guy Breaker. (Ciel balances Strength, Speed, and Magic for his fighting style, but favors Speed, owing to him being inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog's attitude and disdain towards injustice, as well as the Avatar's friendly nature in the actual KHUX.)

Hair colors: Blue (dyed), Black (Natural)

Eye color: Blue

Weight: Roughly 180 lbs owing to his physical activity and blitzball hobby

Height: 5'8" (Age of Fairy Tales), 5'11" (Present Day)

Details: Ciel was intrigued by the tales of Keyblade Wielders as a young child. Unaware of his family's history, Ciel was chosen by the Keyblade for the sake of saving the World from an inbalance of light and darkness that may linger long after his generation dies. Ciel's friends often serve as his power... but in reality, Ciel sees his friends not as means to ends, but as people worth fighting for. Killing or harming those he cares about will result in an angry boy hellbent on avenging those he lost and justice for them. While Ciel hates Wielder on Wielder violence and killing, he has no qualms of doing so if his loved ones and friends are threatened.

Favorites...

Food: Sea Salt Ice Cream.

World: Game Central Station (He nerded out when he met Sonic the Hedgehog.)

Color: Blue. He was lucky to find a set of blue armor prior to the Keyblade War

Nicknames: Kit-Kat (Given by Alouette once she finds out about Ciel's Miqo'te traits. This is exclusively used by her.), My Knight in Shining Blue Armor (Used by Strelitzia when being refered to others. Those close to the two will know) Little Sky (Strelitzia's personal nickname for him. Believe it or not, Ciel doesn't mind it since he's her Little Sky.) The War-Hero of the Dandelions, Everyone's Twin Hero...

Curse Word: Damn. Count how many times he'll say it during the first part WHEN he starts cursing. (The story will also include other curses) He's also fond of "Bastard," but that's for those on his hit list.

Hobbies: Blitzball, reading, gardening, cooking, and gaming whenever the World isn't at risk.

On to our heroine...

Wielder Identity: Celeste Lumiere

Age: Mostly similar to Ciel's owing to her being the latter's older twin sister (15 and 16 in Part 1 and Part 2 respectively)

Race: Miqo'te-l'Cie hybrid. (Albeit, she keeps the latter a secret towards anyone out of her party. Ciel is proud to be both.)

Keyblades of Choice: Starlight, Treasure Trove, and anything Strength oriented. (The payoff is slightly less speed, but she's no less nimble as her younger brother.)

Hair color: Dark Brown

Eye color: Blue

Weight: It's a sensitive subject for her.

Height: 5'8" (Age of Fairy Tales) 5'9" (Present Day. She's barely taller than Strelitzia.)

Details: Celeste started off her Keyslinging days a year earlier than her brother. While she has a bubbly and frivolous personality, her actual personality is serious when she needs to be serious. Despite this, her maturity is on par with her brother's. (Typical maturity, but laid back.) If their mother's cooking is involved, both siblings will act their age no matter what. Celeste has three specific methods of angering her, those are mentioning her weight, threatening, harming, or killing her loved ones, and harming, killing, kidnapping, corrupting, and vesselizing Ciel. (Seriously... DON'T HARM CIEL.) On a pettier note, she hates it when her mint chip ice cream is consumed without her permission.

Favorites...

Ice Cream: Mint Chip

Food: Homestyle cooking

Color: Blue. She shares this favorite color with Ciel

Nickname: Cel (Given to her by Ciel and used by virtually everyone who knows her after a while), Miss Starlight, Everyone's Twin Heroine...

Curse Word: Or rather insult. She's fond of calling people "jackass" as an insult. Unlike her brother, who dishes insults out like candy, Cel can't stop using this particular insult.

Hobbies: Same as Ciel's minus the blitzball hobby.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Does Sebastian have any siblings?

oh nooooo I got even more into this than Claude’s family!!

now I need to draw Sebastian’s sibs too XD

SEBASTIAN

Sebastian is actually the only one of Melinda’s children, or was, which perhaps explains why she practically chokes him with her control. He was her first child, and always considered himself as an only child. Around the time she shows up again, when he’s involved in his contract with Ciel, she comes along with another demon who can’t be more than 500 or so years old — just barely an adult by demon standards, a young man contracted to one of Ciel’s business associates.

This demon goes by the name Ira Blackford while under contract (and would probably call himself Ira Michaelis outside of it), and he absolutely loathes Sebastian. Why, one might wonder? Ira believes he’s the golden son because that’s how Melinda treats him. Unlike Sebastian, Ira has absolutely no curiosity about humans aside from preying on them, and he obeys their mother’s words to the letter, without question, without defiance, like a perfect little prince. He’s livid and jealous that their mother is so interested in Sebastian despite the fact that he believes he’s superior to his older brother in every single way. Wherever he can, he attempts to ruin the daily goings-on of Sebastian’s life out of pure spite. It’s a wonder they haven’t come to blows yet… but that conflict is inevitable, just a matter of when.

The rest of Sebastian’s siblings are half-siblings who come from his father’s side. His father, while still a demon, is much kinder and gentler than Melinda while having strength enough that he can afford to be that way. Sebastian was this demon’s second child, and was driven away by Melinda before he even knew that she was pregnant. Over the years he’s had a few other children, enough that Sebastian has three half-sisters and a half-brother who would enjoy being part of his life. Because of the way their father raised them, they’re all unusually pleasant for demons.

His older sister is named Mellori, and she’s an incredibly quiet woman. She’s also very much a leader, consistently trying to keep order among any group she’s part of. The other siblings have a tendency to listen to her simply because she’s the eldest and the most like their father. Though she can be just as ferocious as any demon should the situation call for it, she’s taken after their father with a talk first, shoot later mentality. She truly does have her family’s best interests at heart, and has been contracted among the same family for several generations so as to earn her meals. It also seems that their father is where the curious-about-humans gene comes from, because Mellori has it too. In fact, she adores humans as much as any demon can. While they don’t see eye to eye on everything, Sebastian enjoys being around her, finding her a rather calming, wise presence.

The second oldest sister is a few hundred years younger than Sebastian, a bundle of energy named Picave. Her siblings have taken to calling her Pica, and sometimes Pica Pica. She’s wild, always involved in some outlandish scheme to get her meals without either contracts or hunting. Predictably she almost always fails poorly, but occasionally some of her siblings, Sebastian included, will throw her a bone and feed her without expecting anything but a small favor in return. She’s fascinated by humans despite having no real clue how to imitate or interact with them. She acts as Mellori’s enforcer at times, physically restraining her siblings if they try to go against the eldest’s word. She’s too much for Sebastian to be around for long stretches, although he does find her over-the-top vigor a bit refreshing for a demon.

The third oldest is Tristis, a demon who’s about 1000 or so years younger than Sebastian Even though he loves all his siblings, he seems to be consumed by a deep depression without any discernible cause. As if life itself is weighing him down, he spends his days listless at best and in agony at worst, often unaffected by his sisters’ attempts to make him feel better. He gets his meals by way of contracts with doctors at various hospitals, ones whose patients are either terminally ill or in such bad shape that they’ll likely be dead soon. He figures if they’re dying anyway, isn’t it the most humane way to get a soul? Of course, this means he’s a target for Reapers whose quota he’s eaten, but… pros and cons. His is a miserable existence as far as Sebastian is concerned, and yet… whenever Tristis is with Sebastian, the two of them seem oddly content with each other.

Sebastian’s youngest sibling is Ornata, a rebellious young woman who, despite her name suggesting otherwise, possesses a distinct lack of ladylike qualities. Much of her attitude comes from disdain at being treated as ‘the baby’, and it’s often her who Pica is holding back from doing something Mellori has told her not to. She’s desperate to prove herself as someone who’s capable and just as brutal as any other demon, willing to go to pretty much any lengths to avoid being considered adorable, frilly, or sweet. It tends to be her that fights off any Reapers who come after Tristis, much to his and Mellori’s dismay. She also despises Ira once she meets him, and point-blank asks Sebastian if he wants her to “carve out that bell-end’s tongue so you can serve it to your master for dinner.” Sure, he declines, but she can see that sparkle in her big brother’s eyes that makes it clear he was entertaining the idea. Sour disposition aside, it seems that more than anything, she and Sebastian kind of understand each other in a way.

[midnight-in-town]

Hello! I came across your RCMT and I loved it to say the least! Watching their interactions as children tipped me off the wrong way and I couldn't quite place why but I think you hit the nail on the head.

So its about 5 am for me now so I might be going delirious but I was wondering (going by your theory) if r!Ciels participation in the massacre at the Phantomhive manor ( him assisting the intruder if not planning the attack himself) ended up being a bigger reason for his "defiled soul' to be powerful enough for a (as far as we know) powerful demon to be summoned, rather than the horrid things the cult did to him being responsible. ( I adore the thought of Sebastian being a lowlife in the demon world idk why I just want this man to be bullied somehow but thats a whole other thing. )

PS: Also that might be me misremembering the manga but I'm sure no powerful demon would have appeared if the soul wasn't "bad" enough for them , I mean from what we know Sebastian is " spicing up " O!Ciels soul with evil deeds so it'll be tastier later on. So going from that what better soul to consume than the one who has wished and assisted on the death of their father? (And most of their household.)

Again that might just be me and my deep hatred towards the use of sexual violence in horror (and in fiction in general)but I hated the idea that victims of //r*p*// are being seen as defiled, or corrupted. So I rather like the idea of r!ciel being just enough of a corrupt person by himself.

Hello! Wowww, long ask, I didn’t even it was possible to do that now!! 

Anyway, first of all, thank you very much for reading! :3 I know the RCMT is not everyone’s favorite theory (and its name is misleading), but I do enjoy it on several levels. I’m glad it made some sense to you, Anon. :))

Other fans either prefer the theory that real!Ciel never had anything to do with the massacre 4 years ago, or the twist that our!Ciel’s “asthma” was actually caused by real!Ciel [x] (as in some sort of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, if you want). To each their own, Yana will eventually tell us the truth.

Moving onto your idea:

“I was wondering if r!Ciels participation in the massacre at the Phantomhive manor ( him assisting the intruder if not planning the attack himself) ended up being a bigger reason for his "defiled soul' to be powerful enough for a powerful demon to be summoned, rather than the horrid things the cult did to him being responsible”

Hmm, I had never thought about that and I really enjoy the idea. :)

For now, we unfortunately don’t have enough knowledge about demonology in Kuroverse to be able to answer that question. At the same time, that also means that you’re free to imagine whatever you want, until Sensei possibly answers this point one day. :)

The thing is, we don’t even know if Seb ate real!Ciel’s soul to cross over (it’s really unclear), even less about if it’s possible for Seb to be aware of how real!Ciel’s soul got “corrupted” (be it because of the cult, or the possibility of the RCMT). As far as I can remember, he never made any allusion as to real!Ciel’s soul besides the fact that it was how he got to cross over and answer our!Ciel’s call. 

Whereas Ciel’s soul is bound by contract to be Seb’s dinner, so maybe it’s different, as in, Seb (who’s going to eat this soul) enjoys the events “spicing up” Ciel’s soul, because he knows by experience that it’s going to be extra tasty that way:

It’s really hard to say but, without any hint either way, we can imagine pretty much whatever we want. :)

I rather like the idea of r!ciel being just enough of a corrupt person by himself.

Actually, I do as well, but for different reasons than what you mentioned about the cult. 

After all, we know that the Phantomhive family is said to be cursed: 

Of course, it has many possible meanings (for example [x][x]), but it’s also interesting that the Undertaker (phantomhive fan #1) has described our!Ciel as being “different from his ancestors” (ch84), as in probably more selfless [x][x][x]:

Because in that case, it wouldn’t be surprising that real!Ciel was “corrupted” even at 10 years old. It would just be yet another curse befalling this family, amongst all the many other possible ones. 

Besides, when you see his attitude as a Bizarre Doll in the current arc, it doesn’t necessarily come from the time with the cult: I mean, sure, he immensely suffered and probably got slightly crazy because of it, but there is still the obsession with his little brother, to the point that he’d try to kill Soma and to destroy the Bitter Rabbits (proof that Ciel succeeded in becoming a toy maker). 

There has to be a background to this strange attachment from before they were abducted, as the flashback chapters before ch134 do a good job foreshadowing.

TL;DR I’m still sold on the RCMT (real!Ciel not being the big bad/target of Ciel’s revenge, but just being in/directly guilty for the events of 4 years ago).

However, would it have been enough corruption to pay for a demon crossing over (without all the horrors done by the cult)? It’s hard to say, but maybe. Desperation and giving up on God on Ciel’s part were what Seb said triggered his summoning though:

I don’t know if that answers your question, sorry if not, Anon.

Thanks again for reading and I wish you a nice weekend ahead! :3

[chibimyumi]

In the Shadows of the Spotlights – Kuromyu 2015

First of all, thank you, @rmglawliet for your interest and prompt for analyses. Thank you @lambsthroat, @inarislair and @downthebitterrabbithole for your interest and compliments. As my blog is dedicated to only Furukawa-era Kuromyus, I shall start with the first Yunbastian musical: The Lycoris that Blazes the Earth 2015

Details in the Shadows of the Spotlights

The main differences between the manga and the musical are brought by the result of different possibilities that come with different media type.

Unlike in manga, stage portrayals allow for what can be called a simultaneous panelling. With manga, as pages and panels are limited in both size and number, a mangaka must often choose to sacrifice certain things for the sake of aesthetics. Just imagine every single panel to be drawn in panorama featuring every single character’s reaction just because the mangaka is indecisive. Nope, not pretty. On stage however, the opposite is true; even if the centre of attention might only be on one character, whoever is present also on stage –however far in the background – cannot be ‘out of view’. This is where skilled performers and concrete character interpretation become essential to a good production. The most memorable examples in my opinion are brought by Sebastian and Madam Red.

1. Hints in the Background

The first scene for analysis is when Ciel first meets up with Madam and Lau in the London town house. When we meet Lau, he behaves like nothing but an utter and complete airhead. He gives nobody reason to suspect he is not the ‘dumb foreigner’ as dictated by Chinese stereotype. In this rendition, ‘nobody’ seemed to include Madam Red and Grell as well. Though I personally think Araki laid emphasis on the clown aspect of Lau a bit too thick, he does fit in with the goofy half of the Lycoris musical. While I would have loved to see how Lau would function as a more subtle bridge between the musical’s starkly contrasted serious-vs-goofy tone, he is what he is. The only problem is that I personally find it hard to believe how this Lau could have survived this well in 19th century supremacist England as a foreigner, let alone made his way through the ranks to becoming branch leader of a crime syndicate… but that’s just me perhaps.

♪The air is filled with darkness and a beast-like stench, unlike anything you have ever seen. You could hold your breath and desperately try to keep your calm. But once you set foot in there, all that is left is being consumed by madness ♪

Lau joins a comic song where he enjoys gossiping and taunting Grell together with Madam, and Madam seems to enjoy his company, until Lau suddenly displays a sudden hint of intellect and wit previously invisible in him. At this, Madam who was originally sitting to the side of the table springs up in seeming paranoia.

She appears to try to assess Lau from closer up and subtly shifts towards the man. The second Madam gets up, Sebas already takes notice and makes to collect the empty cups. Sebas’ action here gives us a hint that he has been paying a very close eye to the duo and is constantly on alert. This is perhaps the first indication that Sebas already knows something is wrong with Madam and her butler.

Grell meanwhile, notices the increasing distress in her mistress and approaches her, convincing her to remain calm and sit down. A very small but telling detail is when Madam is about to sit down again, she waves a gesturing hand to assure Grell that everything will be alright. This small gesture is easily overlooked, and yet is a powerful detail in storytelling. To spectators who are already familiar with the story, it adds layer to the characters and is almost a spoiler to cracking the case. To unfamiliar spectators, it is subtle enough to not spoil the outcome, but does give them a glimpse of the deep bond in this master-servant relationship.

2. Not ineffective, just nasty

The second scene that can serve as splendid example is Sebastian’s passive aggressive upside-down reading previously mentioned in this post. Here however, I shall go into more analytical detail.

Another hint we are given that Sebastian knows more than he lets on is the scene where Ciel and Madam play chess. Sebastian has been ordered to go through the list of suspects over and over again, because Ciel remained dissatisfied about his report that “other than the Viscount of Druitt, none of the humans present at the party could have committed the crimes.”

「ドルイット子爵以外の人間には不可能です」 “Druitt shishaku igai no ningen ni wa fukanou desu”

Although translated to English, ‘none of the humans’ sounds like such a blatant give-away that people might even doubt Ciel’s intelligence, in Japanese this phrase is art itself. ‘Ningen’ means ‘human kind’ as well as ‘people’. In Japanese however, though the word explicitly stresses the type of species, to average listeners, nothing about the phrase would sound out of the way. (If there’s something similar in a language that you know, please share! I’d love to know how this ‘hint’ would best be translated in other languages.) Sebas could have opted for equally natural alternatives such as 人 hito, meaning simply ‘persons’, or 容疑者, yougisha, meaning ‘suspects’, of course. But why would he? This specific wording is a very subtle way of Sebastian to hint at his master that he is headed in an altogether wrong direction, without giving the boy the satisfaction of getting the answer presented to him on a silver platter. Sebastian cares little that his sense of humour would come at the expense of more human lives. What the demon does mind is that his master would make him put up with more of the boring paperwork, again.

This annoyance was not explicit because no lines were given to Sebas in either manga or musical script. Though Sebastian remained graceful, his true sentiments probably boiled down to a simple ‘bitch, please’. In the shadows, Yunbastian would display his irritation with the attitude of a five year old in the most elegant fashion ever to be seen in theatre.

In an interview, Furukawa shared with us that his Sebas would obey his master’s instructions, so reading is what he would do. But he would not hesitate to let his master know just how foolish these instructions were. Passive-aggressive loud turnings of the pages and upside-down reading are what were due. Sadly the loud turning of the pages is inaudible in a grand theatre, but the upside-down reading can be witnessed in its full glory. No, it was not a coincidence, and I can assure you. Even if it was just so that the stack of paper was wrongly sorted, nobody besides Furukawa could have seen that the words were upside down. So why would Yunbastian bother? Turning paper with gloved hands is tricky! (Seriously, you try it yourself).

This seemingly small gesture is more important to the entire flow of the story and the characterisation of Sebas’ character than one may suspect at first. Sebastian is designed as a demon butler to whom the even most herculean of tasks seem like a doddle. The way that it has been revealed in the manga that Sebas had always known whose tail his master should have been after seemed a bit of out of the blue. In the musical version however, thanks to this ‘simultaneous panelling’ I mentioned before, the revelation was turned into an inevitable result of a gradual development in time. The manga left me personally wondering why Sebas didn’t help Ciel solve the Ripper case sooner. The obvious reasoning is that he simply couldn’t, be it because of order restraints or even personal incompetence. As it turns out in the musical however, Sebas was not ineffective, he’s just nasty.

The small hints in the backgrounds did not only show us how savvy Sebas had been, but also function as a warning that behind the elegant façade, a nasty jester hides. This is perhaps the first example we get of Yana-sensei’s claim that ‘she was beaten to the punch by Yunbastian.’ Glimpses have been shown, but we did not get any explicit confirmation that Sebastian is a nasty demon with an even nastier sense of humour until 2018 in chapter 138. During the run of Lycoris back in 2015, we already see that Furukawa foresaw how petty and tempestuous Sebas truly is behind his concocted beauty.

3. That Demon, Still Butler

The third and final scene I selected for analysis is the one with Undertaker after Madam’s funeral.

After the funeral, Undertaker brutally taunts the boy about the loss of his aunt, but Ciel buffs up and lies: “I prioritised catching Jack the Ripper over saving her life. I left her to her fate… with knowledge. Even my own blood relative.”

In the manga, Sebastian’s reaction ⇈ to Ciel during and after the funeral had mostly been a stoic and disapproving one. This is to be expected, as without Sebastian, Ciel would simply have been useless at his own job in this case. It had been Sebas who had given all the puzzle pieces to his master, and it was also he who had to lay all the pieces into its frame. Ciel was only there to see that the job be done the way he wanted it to be done, but otherwise only served to slow the case down. Sebastian’s attitude? If you see fit to waste my time I would happily waste yours too, my Lord.

Yunbastian too has grown rather spiteful by the end of this arc, but he is sassier than Sebas in the manga. While Sebastian in the manga seems to merely disapprove, Yunbastian raises a very judgemental eyebrow. He said nothing, but the eyebrow may as well have been knitted into a frown spelling ‘oh-really-now?’

Then, although Undertaker was hardly a threat at that point of the manga, when he grabbed the boy by his collar in a somewhat aggressive manner, Yunbastian turned immediately and stays on alert from that point on. However subtle this gesture, we are once again reminded of the sole reason Sebastian is on Earth. He is still bound by the terms of his contract, and is therefore first and foremost Ciel’s mother butler.

All in all, I think that both Akane Live and Furukawa Yuuta made very significant contributions to their characters that Yana herself admitted to have failed to portray in the manga (I shall add the source when I find it again). Although the Jack the Ripper arc is very interesting and beautiful, I do wish the manga could have been fleshed out a bit more. I personally found the solemn-vs-goofy balance a bit askew in the Lycoris musical, but the actors really did give the characters so much more depth and layers.

Thank you all for your interest and compliments, and also for reading this long fan-ramble disguised as an in-depth analysis!

[bizarre-dollhouse]

Yana Toboso’s Writing Style: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I’LL STOP WRITING LONG WINDED KURO POSTS WHEN I’M DEAD.

I do my best to stay out of Kuro discourse because...I just hate it and find it’s usually about stuff that’s pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things. But within the past several months I’ve noticed a new point of contention is the author herself, which I think is an actual good point of contention because it opens up an interesting conversation about the work as a whole and how/why Kuro is the way it is (aka good, bad, and...tonally confused to say the least). 

And just to make things perfectly clear, this is an opinion piece about Yana Toboso’s strengths and weaknesses as a mangaka. This is not me telling people that they’re viewing the series all wrong and that I’m right. I just want to open up a discussion (in fact, I welcome people disagreeing with me, I just want it to be clear that this is not an attack on other people’s opinions, it’s just my opinions).

Lots of text under the cut.

I’m going to start with what I like about Kuro, since I’ve been reading it for like, 5 years and own 25 volumes of it (including one I just bought like 2 weeks ago). 

The Good:

What I think is by far Yana’s biggest strength is her characters. They all have very distinct personalities, but aren’t just one note. There’s also a lot of them; one thing that struck me when I reread all of Kuro was just how big the cast is and how it feels even bigger because a very large portion of the cast have their own arcs, whether it be during the course of the series or in their backstories (or both). 

Even the villains are a really good variety of comedic, evil/scary, and sympathetic (except maybe the first mobster guy but the first arc kinda sucks anyway and is mostly just for plot establishment. And I guess the curry contest guy kinda sucks too but that arc is all about Soma and Agni so I can give it a pass). Baron Kelvin is piss-your-pants terrifying in his appearance, actions, and behaviour, but still has a backstory that isn’t at all sympathetic but makes you understand his motivations. 

I think that’s the key for all of the villains/characters in general; everyone has motivations that make sense even if they’re not relatable. 

I also think the fact that most people in the fandom want spin-offs (about the reapers, Vincent and Dee, the servants, the season 2 cast, etc.) is indicative of how good these characters are. There’s a sense that most of them could hold their own story.

I also think that the characters interact well with each other, whether it be in a fun way or a more serious way. Narrowing it down to the 2 mains, one aspect of Kuro that keeps me coming back is how Ciel and Sebastian work off of each other with their dialogue and general attitude towards each other. They’re both in a weird position where they kind of hate each other (Seb finds Ciel annoying and troublesome while Ciel is always a little afraid of Seb) but also need each other (Ciel needs protection/a weapon of mass destruction, and Sebastian needs food). Due to this weird situation, they’ve developed this comedic dialogue that’s kind of born from their repressed emotions. TBH the way they work off of each other has made them my favourite sherlock/watson duo.

The only flaw with the character writing I think is Sebastian, who’s kind of inconsistent. But chapter 137 served as a kind of reminder that his human personality is 100% an act (aside from maybe his cat fascination...). But yeah, for the most part Kuro has a top notch cast.

Another thing I think Yana is really good at is foreshadowing. This might be a touch contentious, but I maintain my earlier stance that a big reason people hate the 2ct being canon is because of expectations and the fact that it’s a cliche is western culture (and personal taste, of course). Rereading the series was unbelievable because there were so many “AHA” moments and “how could I have been so blind?” moments. I think any plot twist that makes you go back and read a series and say “ooooh thaaaat’s what that waaaaas” like 90 times had some good set up to it. (Actually rereading the Campania and the Green Witch arcs made me feel like it might have even been too obvious...but a lot of people still didn’t catch it so, kudos). 

Even in the Curry arc there’s tidbits of foreshadowing for the servants backstories, and I’m sure other speculation that’s going on right now will have some pay off in future chapters (some of it, anyway). All in all, the series made for a great second go because of all the little hints that can be caught once you know future plot points.

Yana Toboso also has a lot of really good ideas. The execution can go either way, but the concepts of most (definitely not all) of the Kuro arcs are like...really great. Some of them are these alternate spins on history that come from these creative supernatural elements (side note: I like how the zombies in the kuro-verse bite people because they want to consume a soul, but can never succeed. It’s both creative and a little fucked up). Or then there’s something like the Green Witch arc that plays out like a Scooby Doo episode but it’s got all of this weird stuff about war and poison and psychology and dreams and other good shit. Even though I think the cricket match went on for way to long, I’ll admit that the idea of this evil genius murderous noble achieving his goals by cheating at the worlds most boring sport is kind of funny.

I hate the boyband arc though I’m sorry that was not a good idea i hat--

Despite some fan-servicy bits (which I’ll talk about A LOT later) Kuroshitsuji feels like a passion project. This is pure speculation, but if you read the extra behind the scenes bits in the manga volumes, Yana talks about all of the books she read to prepare for this, or how she actually took cricket lessons with her editor despite the fact that they were awkwardly old to be in beginner lessons. She also did a shit ton of work for anime-only character designs and other promotional stuff while still publishing a chapter every month.

Even without the “behind the scenes” stuff, the amount of references that can be found in her work and the fact that she never misses a month even when she’s publishing bonus chapters gives off the sense that she cares about this.

Though again, 100% speculation.

I also hugely appreciate the mixture of comedy and tragedy in Kuro. (It opens up some problems, but we’ll get to those later). It’s not a slog to get through but it also doesn’t feel...pointless? I guess?? It’s mostly a dark comedy with action-y moments that then becomes a genuine horrific tragedy. It’s kind of hard to explain why I like this combo, but if it helps anyone relate to what i’m saying, it’s like the tone shifts in Angel Beats and how that show is both enjoyable and a total cry-fest. Same with Kuro except with different genre trappings. There’s a sense that anything could happen since it’s not all tied to one tone. Tone pieces definitely aren’t a bad thing, but I like the huge variety that can be found in this one series.

That being said...

The Bad:

I’ve said this approximately 37359767 times on this blog, but I’ll say it again.

Kuroshitsuji has a pacing problem. A really bad pacing problem.

There’s literally an arc where Ciel goes to a school, makes some enemies Mean Girls style, plays sports, and then finds out the bad guy is the same bad buy from the last arc who’s plans have changed only slightly. This is one of the longest arcs in the series.

This. Strikes me as a bad idea from a structural standpoint. The arc isn’t really a bad idea, but it’s like...a 2 volume idea, y’know?

I’ve already talked at length about how bad the pacing of the blue cult arc was so i won’t repeat myself but, yeah. Unbelievable waste of time also huge missed opportunity for a Phantom of the Opera spoof like are you kidding me ALL OF THE PIECES WERE THER--

A lot of people complain about the Green Witch arc’s pacing since it’s really long and has a weird act structure (which it is and does respectively). This is something that doesn’t bother me at all but I feel like it’s worth bringing up since it bothered a lot of people, so maybe it’s something I just don’t see.

Also even though I like the mix of comedy and horror/tragedy, sometimes it doesn’t flow very well. This is especially apparent in the boyband arc, where the jump from stupid to serious is break-neck, and the lack of interesting events that happen in the school arc.

Kuroshitsuji is also at a disadvantage being a monthly publication instead of a weekly one, which makes the stretched out parts feel even more stretched out. It isn’t tailored to this release schedule (although I wouldn’t know how to fix this particular problem other than to just...tighten things up pacing wise). 

Yana also has a tendency to expect her readers to read her mind. What I mean by this is that she’ll say things on twitter/her blog like “Sebastian is the main character of Kuro” or “Ciel and Sebastian have no emotional connection,” and like a million other things.

....She says it like it’s obvious but if you go on tumblr or forums or anywhere...clearly not everyone sees these things and will often ask questions about her posts because they seem so not-obvious. 

Which is super weird because (if I remember correctly), she once said that people can interpret her work however they want, but she seems to be actively discouraging that.

This is another thing that makes me think Kuro is a passion project. It’s like she feels the need to make sure everyone sees everything that she’s thought of...but it doesn’t work if it’s not actually weaved into the narrative, then it’s just confusing.

This bothers me a lot because as a university English Major I’ve had “Death of the Author” drilled into my brainstem and Yana’s actively fighting me on it. Please make things more obvious in your story if you want readers to understand them.

Of course there’s a bunch of supernatural inconsistencies like “if Sebastian/the reapers/this supernatural thing could do this, why couldn’t they do this? how does this work?” (like, it’s implied that the reapers can make themselves invisible to humans if they want...so why do Grell and Ron show up to the Campania in full visibility? All the time?). Stuff like this is a problem with literally every supernatural story ever, so I try not to harp on it, but it’s there.

Tiiiiiiime for the most contentious topic.

The Ugly:

I’ll say this a bluntly and straightforward as I possibly can: Kuroshitsuji is kind of perverted. 

It is.

While the rumour that Kuroshitsuji was supposed to be a yaoi has been thoroughly debunked, Yana did used to draw BL staring young boys under the name “Yanao Rock.” 

....Yeeeaaaah it unfortunately comes through in Kuro. The unbelievably infamous corset scene is played as a joke, but it is the most perverted joke in the history of the universe.

One thing that blows my mind (in a bad way) is that one panel where Ciel’s having an asthma attack (you all know exactly what I’m talking about) and it can be so easily seen as looking pornographic when out of context. There’s also that recent cover page (I believe for chapter 136?) where RC and OC are lying in a kind of state of undress and they look really pretty even though the context is horrifying. 

Also that scene of RC swallowing the ring is drawn really pretty which is...a weird scene to have drawn really pretty.

i’ve heard people say that this all means nothing and we’re all reading too much into it, which I don’t buy for a second. I’ve also heard people say it’s for fujoshi fan service to which I’m kind of like....maybe?

This is based on 100% speculation, not at all fact, but I think the most obvious explanation is Yana is drawing beautiful boys in weird positions because she’s good at/likes drawing beautiful boys.

I’m not saying this is a good thing or an ironclad excuse, because it’s noooot. It comes across as pretty tasteless, especially given recent developments. It reminds me of the snake arc in Bakemonogatari or the weird shit that’s in the Made in Abyss manga; like this sexual shit feels very odd in these stories but there’s a sinking feeling that the author threw it in for their own enjoyment, like they were maaaybe trying to be sneaky and failed.

That being said, in that one particular scene in chapter 135 that actually deals with legit sexual abuse, I...didn’t think that sexualization felt perverted outside the context of the narrative (IT DEFINITELY WAS PERVERTED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE NARRATIVE, DON’T GET ME WRONG). And this isn’t just going off of Yana’s bullshit tweet because, like I said earlier, these things should be clear to the audience within the work itself. It was nasty as fuck, but I could see a scene being portrayed similarly in something like Berserk or Game of Thrones or any grim dark story, and no one being as mad at the creator BUT

BUUUUUUUUT that’s the issue! Kuroshitsuji is not Berserk or Game of Thrones! The issue with the series being a tonal cluster-fuck is that scenes about explicit sexual assault don’t fit in a black comedy formula so it feels weird. THIS ISSUE IS EXACERBATED GREATLY BY THE LACK OF TACT DISPLAYED IN OTHER SCENES THAT CAN BE READ AS/ARE SEXUAL. Yana made it really hard for this scene to be okay by being all loose with tone and the visual presentation of younger male characters earlier in the series.

Huge problem. Very unfortunate.

Conclusions:

I felt compelled to make this post because Kuroshitsuji is a series where the artist is not abstract. With most shows or movies people say “that movie was good” or “that show was bad” or whatever. But in Kuro discourse it’s always “Yana Toboso did bad” or “Yana Toboso did good.” 

I’m not saying this is bad....(in fact it’s probably good since Yana (and K-san) are being rightfully complimented/dragged based on the merit of their work) It is interesting, though, that Kuro discourse made a sliiiight shift from the work to the author. So, this was me trying to tie the author and the work together.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[animeyanderelover]

Can you do poly!Lau and RanMao with prompt 53? Thank you <3

Yo! Lau and Ran Mao are one of my favorite duos in Black Butler and without a doubt a poly!relationship I would love to be in💘. I also changed the prompt a bit due to two persons saying it.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, obsessiveness, kidnapping, drugging, being tied up

Prompt 53: “It is funny that you think you can actually leave us.”

"Don't you like the tea? Your face looks awfully much displeased." You quickly waved one of your hands, not wanting to be impolite whilst being invited by one of the people you had happened to meet through Ciel whilst working in the manor temporarily. "That's not it. It doesn't taste all too bad. It's just a bit...bitter.", you decided to say, realizing that it still sounded pretty fastidious. "Is that so? It was a new flavor since I added some strong herbs in hopes it would taste good. I apologize. Ran Mao, would you be so friendly to give our guest here a bit sugar?"

The girl just nodded, putting her tea cup down and grabbing the container with the sugar before standing up from Lau's lap and stepping next to your side. You hadn't bothered to ask why she was doing this all the time, but since Lau didn't seem to mind, you hadn't asked. Maybe you were a bit embarassed to do so, you didn't want to make yourself feel uncomfortable. But over time you had learned to not pay too much attention to it.

"Thank you, Ran Mao. You didn't have to stand up just to give me this. The container was only a few inches away-" You had your hands stretched out, wanting to grab the bowl with sugar from Ran Mao. But instead she suddenly started pouring at least the half of the sugar into your tea cup. "...from me.", you finished the sentence, staring a bit dumbfounded at what had been once tea. Ran Mao tilted her head confused, not understanding why you looked so taken aback. "No...sugar?", she asked, the sentence sounding somewhat broken. "Too much sugar.", you replied, stirring the viscous and brown mush, out of pure criosity tasting a bit of it before twisting your face. Now it was too sweet, though the strange aftertaste was still dancing faintly on your tongue.

You just put the tea down, deciding to turn your attention back to Lau and Ran Mao, who had by now sat back down on Lau's lap. "Do you want new tea? I prepared a lot more of it. Or do you wish for something else?" You shook slightly your head, not needing more tea. "It's nice of you to ask, but I'll decline. I have everything I need. And I'm sure that you wanted to talk about something with me, didn't you?"

Lau gave you a small and mysterious smile, being satisfied that you had figured that much out. "Ran Mao and me did indeed. We heard from Ciel that now that your job is done in the manor, you were planning on returning home. It saddened us to hear this information. We both became very fond of you these past few months." You scratched the back of your head, a small feeling of sadness and guilt yourself blossoming in your chest. "I'm upset myself, you know? I really started liking my time here, but I can't do nothing about it. I have my own master wating home for me. I was only supposed to work with the young lord until the agreement between the Phantomhive company and my master's company is completely planned and also agreed on from both masters. And now that this happened, I'm finished."

You folded your hands together and stuck them between your knees, staring down at your lap. "My master wants me home fast as well. I need to hurry up, don't have much time." Lau had put by now his cup of tea down as well, looking at you through his closed eyes. You had the feeling that he was observing you a bit. "You don't really seem to like your master. If I remember right, you told me once that you wished he was more like the young Earl." You were a bit surprised that he still could recall this, you had almost forgotten about it by now, most likely because you had mentioned it ore incidentally. "You have quite the good memory. To be honest with you, I really don't like my master that much. He is strict, mean and sometimes just expects too much from his servants. It's tiring and those last few months were such a luxury for me. But tomorrow morning that all will be over." You sounded almost a bit wistfully. Why wouldn’t you? Tomorrow you would be stripped of all the free time you used to have all these last months.

“You could stay here.” You chuckled a bit when hearing this, thinking he was just trying to lift your mood a bit. “I would love to stay, but I don’t want to have my ears pulled by my master for doing this. It would end with me having to scrub a whole room until I’ll feel like my bones won’t be able to support my weight anymore. I had to do it one time, couldn’t move properly for a few weeks without feeling the tightening stiffness. And I had to skip one night of sleep and only was able to be met with my bed the following night since I had to work the day as well. But maybe my lord will let me visit sometimes. It isn’t like I don’t want to never see you again. I’ll definitely write letters though, that much my master will allow me to do.”

“Your master doesn’t sound like he’s a very pleasant person to be around.”, Lau commented, the smile still gracing his features whilst Ran Mao was staring motionlessly at you with her golden eyes. “He isn’t. But he’s the one who pays me and next to that I also have my friends there. I can’t leave them alone with that man or else they’ll totally collapse. I’m the most experienced one in my household. I have no choice, but to go back.”

“Stay.” Hearing that from Ran Mao was a bit heartbreaking, knowing that she didn’t speak much and for her to say such a thing meant that she really wanted you to not go. She still didn’t have much of a facial expression on her face, but she had started leaning forward, her big eyes drilling almost into you. Lau was doing the same thing, only that his eyes were closed. It never ceased to fascinate you how he was able to make a person feel the intensity of his starre whilst his eyelids were closed. You swore that it made you feel slightly dizzy.

“See? Even Ran Mao here wishes you to stay. I’m sure that your master wouldn’t mind too much if you would just resign. I informed myself a bit about him, he seems like the type to just catch a new fish as soon as an old one disappeared.”

“Wait? You informed yourself about my master? Why?” You had started feeling a bit funny by now, trying to stay focused. You didn’t want to worry the two of them.

“Because I was a bit curious when I heard that Ciel would have a new servant coming to join him for a bit of time since the lord himself was bound to bed. He seems like a rather despicable man if you ask me.

“I admit that he isn’t the best lord to have, but I’m still working under him and he is still the man I have to serve and respect every day and who pays me in return. So I can’t complain too much. I doubt I would find that quickly another place to work at, not with him and his vengeful character. Next to that I’m afraid that it’ll affect the contract between the Phantomhive and him. I worked too hard for this to have it break apart because I went missing.” You felt a bit too lightheaded, your mind starting to spin and you were by now sure that this wasn’t from their gazes. Had you perhaps done a mistake tasting the mush made of sugar and the tea?

“I can assure you that he wouldn’t do that. I even had a talk with Ciel about this one time before. Your lord is more of a greedy type and his company was slowly starting to collapse. The collaboration between his and Ciel’s company saved him before any real damage could be caused. He won’t risk losing his support pillar and I doubt he really cares much about his servants.”

“Do you have to say it like this? It-it sounds a bit harsh.”, you slowly mumbled out, a weird feeling having started to spread and fill every pore of your body, giving you the feeling that your whole body had started to relax and feeling more numb. The dizziness had gotten stronger as well, making you grip the fabric of the clothes a bit tighter, narrowing your eyes in hopes of getting rid of the feeling.

“It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. There are a lot of better people out there with which you could live and who would treat you better.”

“And who would that be? Do you mean the young master Ciel? Do you think he would take me in?” You couldn’t help, but blur those words out, your thoughts having suddenly becoming a bit too twisted for you to make sense of them anymore. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you scolded yourself for having said that, but you seemed to not be able to process anymore what you were saying or doing or what was happening around you anymore.

“The young Ciel certainly seems to be a better master to have. But I was thinking about someone else who would love to have you with them and take care of you. You wouldn’t even have to work anymore.” You looked with clouded eyes at them, barely being able to keep them open anymore. You were feeling too drowsy and sitting on a comfy couch made you play with the thought of just laying down and taking a nap. You actually shouldn’t do this, you had to pack your things and head for the next train to travel all the way back, but your normally so dutiful attitude seemed to get drowned by this weird, tingling feeling inside of you. You wondered if you were drunk, but you hadn’t consumed anything that had alcohol in it.

“And who would that be?”, you slurred out, trying to stand up only to collapse right away back into the softer fabric of the couch. Your legs felt weirdly wobbly, but you still tried to somehow manage to stand straight up and walk out of here, your inner clock managing to get your body to move. You had to finish packing your things.

“I was thinking about Ran Mao and me. We both seem to care for you a lot and it was shocking for us to hear that you were leaving so suddenly. We were planning on spending a lot more time with you, weren’t we Ran Mao?”, Lau answered, glancing at Ran Mao who hadn’t stopped looking away from you for once. The girl just nodded, starting to move upon noticing that you had forgotten how to walk. In any other scenario you would have felt ashamed, but currently everything seemed and felt a bit...strange.

“It’s nice from you to say this, but I have to hurry up now. Or else I’ll gonna get in troubles from the stupid old man. Wouldn’t want that. Gotta hurry up an’ catch ma train.” You had somewhat manages to support half of your weight on the couch whilst limping with the rest of your body slowly away from them. “(y/n), I don’t think you should go. You won’t be able to stay conscious for too long and I also don’t think you’ll be able to walk properly.”, Lau called after you, sounding half-amused as well as a bit worried.

“Don’t tell me what I can do and what not. I have to leave now.”, you whined in a childish tone before your knees gave away under you. But before you could make contact with the ground, Ran Mao was quick to catch you, her eyes glancing slightly concerned over you before turning to Lau, who had started walking over to you. “You don’t have to worry Ran Mao. They’ll be fine. The medicine I gave them shouldn’t cause them any feelings of nausea or headaches. Only dizziness and the feeling of being a bit high. They should fall asleep any moment now.”

“Medicine? Which medicine?”, you asked, hanging in Ran Mao’s arms like a sleepy little kitten. “The one I put in your tea, dear. It’s the reason your tea tasted so bitter before. You won’t leave London after all. Or us. It is funny that you think you can actually leave us.”

Somewhere in the back of your mind you started panicking when you heard him saying these things. He had drugged you! You had to run! But your mind was too foggy to let this information sink in by now and you also felt too tired to care. Ran Mao had additionally to that started to caress your head, the small soothing gesture only making your eyes feel even more heavy.

“How are you feeling?” You barely heard Lau asking you this question. “Tired.”, you mumbled out, having by now totally loosened up in Ran Mao’s hold, who was still holding you. “Then sleep. We’ve already prepared a room for you to stay in.”

You felt his gentle fingers brushing along your jawline and you unconsciously even leaned a bit closer to him, liking the feeling of it.

“Don’t worry, Ran Mao and me will take great care of you. You won’t have to work anymore, won’t have to endure anyone bossing you around anymore or about earning money. We’ll take care of anything for you. Right, Ran Mao?” She seemed to press you closer against her chest, but you were only one point of a knife away from falling asleep so you might as well have mistaken this. But you still heard her muttering her answer out. “Yes.” That was the last thing you heard before you just finally allowed yourself to slide away in your temporary dreamland, though somewhere in the back of your mind you knew you would wake up to discover a bad surprise.

[lmv-h]

 Ce n’est pas la première fois que j’éprouve cette sensation de ne pas être le fils de ma mère et de mon père, mais bien plutôt de ma tante côté paternel et de mon oncle côté maternel. Que je sois le produit de cette toute ensemble légère, totale et parfaite translation, je le sens aujourd’hui avec une grande précision. A elle seule elle rend compte de cette conscience très particulière que j’ai de vivre. Les vertus éclairantes de ce regard oblique sont proprement vertigineuses. Dans un léger cafouillage chromosomique dont je vis les effets dans le moindre détail, tout à coup je me découvre comme par le biais d’une coupe transversale. Alors, non seulement je m’explique moi-même dans mes comportement, mais encore je justifie les interactions de mes attitudes les unes sur les autres. Cela est comme si, infiniment plus qu’à l’ordinaire, je me prenais en flagrant délit d’être moi-même. Lors de tels instant je me vois enfin tel que je suis et de me connaître à ce point dans mes singularités — celles-là mêmes qui font de moi quelqu’un de différent des autres et, partant, de quelqu’un — pourrait me porter aux abords de la déraison. Pas assez de conscience égare, trop, au coeur de la lucidité, fait vaciller. [...]  Peu après que, pour la première fois, j’eus formulé l’idée de ce transfert à l’origine de ma naissance, je reçus une lettre de Georges Bataille. Son oeuvre exerçait sur moi une fascination d’autant plus grande que, traitant d’érotisme, son auteur avait été pendant plus de quatre ans l’amant de ma tante. Au reste, ce qui portait mon trouble à son comble, c’est le fait de savoir que Bataille avait eu pour Laure une authentique passion amoureuse. Que je puisse ainsi avoir sur ces amours un double point de vue leur conférait un singulier relief.   Parce qu’ils s’étaient l’un et l’autre longuement expliqués sur ce point, je savais qu’en s’étreignant Laure et Bataille avaient eu une certaine appréhension de la mort. Que Laure fut morte faisais que je participais à cette expérience qui avait été la leur.  Déjà, j’aurais été capable de reprendre toute l’oeuvre de Bataille et de retrouver derrière chacune de ses pages quelque chose de sa folie pour Laure. C’est ainsi que, pour moi, les deux volumes de l’Expérience Intérieure, et surtout, Le Coupable se réduisaient à l’énoncé de la grammaire passionnelle de son auteur. Derrière ces paragraphes, en filigrane, se découpait le visage de Laure et cela avec la force terrible d’une incantation. Plus encore : je me faisais fort de déchiffrer l’oeuvre entière de Bataille à la lumière de son désir de Laure. C’est ainsi que, progressant dans la lecture de l’Erotisme, j’avais la sensation de remettre les pas dans ma propre exploration du plaisir. Enfin, restait le Bleu du Ciel. Cet infini-là, d’une manière à la fois évidence et impalpable, me restituait l’image de ma Laure avec tous les pouvoirs et, aussi, tous les sortilèges de l’évidence.   Ainsi, on comprendra d’autant mieux mon trouble en recevant une lettre de Bataille qu’on aura saisi que si j’avais fait d’elle ma mère diagonale Laure était aussi autant que pour Bataille sinon plus : ma morte à moi, ma hantise à jamais, mon véritable amour.  [...]  A nouveau donc, je ne pus me contraindre à ne pas songer à ce qu’avaient dû être les étreintes de Laure et de Bataille. J’imaginais mêlée à leur tendresse sans nom, leur fureur amoureuse inscrire leur couple dans les rets d’une série de lois qui rendait leur folie naturelle. Je voyais même Georges, en bon théoricien du plaisir, justifier leur amour à tous deux au point d’en faire les éléments d’une logique implacable. De Bataille aussi et depuis longtemps, j’avais fait un père, non pas un géniteur mais un père mental. Qu’à la fois Laure fût morte, qu’elle eût été ma tante et que je l’eusse aimé passionnément sans avoir jamais pu l’atteindre, me réduisait à l’état d’une blessure, d’une quelconque forme ayant assez de vie pour souffrir d’amour et, compte tenu de la violence qui m’était faite, pas assez. Cette brûlure sourde, infiniment profonde, je n’ai, par la suite, cessé de l’éprouver. Elle m’a aujourd’hui réduit à l’état d’une braise qui n’en finit pas de se consumer. Tout ceci explique pourquoi j’ai moins lu les ouvrages de Bataille que, notre amour étant commun, je ne les ai scrutés, cherchant à retrouver dans ses écrits quelque chose des palpitations de mon sang.

Ma Mère diagonale — Jérôme Peignot

(à propos de Laure (Colette Peignot) — et de Georges Bataille) 

[christophe76460]

Tant que l'héritier est enfant il n'est pas différent d'un esclave !

Il est triste de constaté que beaucoup d'enfant de Dieu sont resté à l'État d'enfant ! sans aucune connaissance de leur père et de ce qui a fait pour eux !

pire encore ils n'aspirent même pas à la maturité .

La peur des responsabilités et du sacrifice de soit est devenu leur raison de fuite pourtant ils rêvent toujours de possédé l'héritage mais sans fournir d'effort .

Que c'est triste une tel attitude dans les cœurs des hommes .

Dieu bénit Adam et Ève en leur disant << soyez fécond et peuplé la terre ...>> nous savons que le Seigneur voie les choses qu'il dit dans leur réalisation ! ses paroles ont lieux de décret ! A ce moment à ce moment le Seigneur bénit Adam et Ève en même temps il bénit leur descendants de la même bénédiction donc il est bien logique que nous soyons nous aussi victime de leur malédiction car la bénédiction est héréditaire ! de même la malédiction l'est aussi de parents à enfant dans le sang qui les lie !

Le fuit de leur désobéissance a entraîné leur séparation d'avec Dieu et avec eux toute leur descendance ! Ainsi nous voici né sous une condamnation du péché hérité du sang de nos premiers parents ! ce même sang qui roi ND témoignage que nous sommes enfants né de la postérité d'Adam et Ève .

Ce que nous devons savoir en tang qu'héritier est que Dieu est tellement saint qu'aucun mal ne peut existé en sa présence ! Pour les protégé il chassa Adam et Ève du jardin et avec eux toute leur descendances avenir afin de les protégé de lui même .

Rappelez vous dans le désert avec le peuple d'Israël ! le Seigneur dit à Moïse << Ex 33:3 ... Mais je ne monterai point au milieu de toi, de peur que je ne te consume en chemin, car tu es un peuple au cou roide. >>

Le Seigneur ne nous veut pas de mal mais son amour fait face à sa justice ! et ça justice est claire ! Dieu ne peut nous pardonné ! Il ne peut pas faire comme ci de rien n'était et simplement nous pardonné ! non il ne peut pas ! Nous avons péché nous devons payer !

Dans le ciel le péché a déjà été juger et condamné ainsi donc tout ceux qui l'ont se retrouve sous ce jugement et cette condamnation .

C'est à ce moment qu'intervient la grâce de Dieu ! Non pas pour contourné la loi mais plutôt pour satisfaire l'exigence de la loi et offrir aux homme une occasion d'être sauver du jugement .

Le Seigneur nous avit déjà illustré cela par le sacrifice de l'agneau ! un agneau sans défaut était sacrifié et ainsi le péché du peuple serait symboliquement transféré d'eux à l'agneau .

Mais qui serait assez qualifier pour recevoir le jugement à la place de hommes ? Aucun ange ne le pouvait car la rébellion a commencé par eux au ciel ! Cela prouve qu'ils peuvent dévier et donc ne sont pas sans défaut !

Aucun homme ne pouvait se tenir debout pour l'humanité car tous sommes descendant d'Adam et Ève ! la malédiction du péché est donc dans notre chaire et nous sommes né pécheur ! et donc ne sommes pas sans défaut !! Les démons possèdent une parie de la vie de chacun de nous et aucun ne pouvait prétendre être juste .

Il ne restait que le créateur lui même !

Dieu a envoyé son fidèle messager ! celui qu'il appel fils et qui accompli toujours avec soin tout ce qu'il reçoit du Père !

Ce messager c'est c'est la parole de Dieu lui même qu'il appel appel fils et est également une image parfaite de Dieu lui même !

voici pourquoi le Seigneur dit << mon père et moi ne sommes qu'un...je ne fais rien de moi même mais toujours ce que j'ai entendu du père qui m'a envoyé >>

Ce qui est né de la chaire est chaire et ce qui est né de l'esprit est esprit !

Voici l'ange dit à Josèphe << Josèphe descendant de David , ne crains pas de prendre Marie pour femme car l'enfant qu'elle porte viens de l'Esprit Saint ! Elle donnera naissance à un fils , tu l'appellera Jésus ! c'est lui qui sauvera son peuple de ses péchés >>

Le conflit dans le ciel avait déjà été juger et condamné ! Il ne manquait que le cas de la terre des hommes et le Seigneur lui-même est venu comme un homme pour le régler .

Christ n'étant pas fruit de l'Union d'un homme et dune femme il n'a donc pas le Sang d'Adam ! Il n'est pas fils de Marie ni de Josèphe !

il est le deuxième Adam !

Et son sacrifice conformément à ce que le Dieu avait annoncé par les prophètes , il prend sur lui le péché du monde ainsi que la condamnation qui pesait dessus !

rappelez vous que le séjour des morts est un lieu de péché et que la présence de Dieu n'y s'y trouve pas ! Pourtant il est dit << 1P 3:18 à 20 Christ aussi a souffert une fois pour les péchés, lui juste pour des injustes, afin de nous amener à Dieu, ayant été mis à mort quant à la chair, mais ayant été rendu vivant quant à l'Esprit, dans lequel aussi il est allé prêcher aux esprits en prison, qui autrefois avaient été incrédules, lorsque la patience de Dieu se prolongeait, aux jours de Noé, pendant la construction de l'arche, dans laquelle un petit nombre de personnes, c'est-à-dire huit, furent sauvées à travers l'eau. >> il ne pouvait pas y aller mais le péché du monde lui en à donné l'accès l'accès afin que l'Évangile soit connu de partout y compris dans le séjour des morts .

Mais rappelez vous aussi que Dieu est tellement saint qu'aucun mal ne peut existé en sa présence ! Ainsi le séjour des morts ne pouvait le retenir et le troisième jour il et revenu dans son corps de chaire .

La justice de Dieu était satisfaite et l'homme a maintenant une nouvelle opportunité de revenir dans la présence de Dieu !

La foi nait de ce que l'on entend et ce qu'on entend sort de la bouche de Dieu ! Et ce qui viens de la bouche de Dieu c'est qu'il a tellement aimé le monde qu'il a donné son fils unique afin que quiconque croie en lui ne périsse pas mais qu'il ait la vie éternel !

Quiconque place sa confiance en Dieu , en le sacrifice que Dieu a fait pour nous , celui-ci est automatiquement déclaré saint parce qu'il a eu confiance en Dieu !

Abraham l'avait compris ! Il savait qu'il fallait avoir confiance en Dieu et se détourner du mal ! La bible dit qu'il a eu confiance en Dieu et cela lui a été imputé à justice .

Paul qui autrefois thaïs les Chrétiens , se rendant compte de ses erreur et de la grandeur du sacrifice et dons de Dieu , finira par dire << je n'ai pas honte de l'Évangile ! C'est la puissance de Dieu par laquelle il sauve tous ceux qui croient...>> Il avait accepté d'être perçu comme faux par ses anciens amis pharisiens, d'être perçu comme une personne rôle ou insensé aux yeux des autres car il avait pris conscience du dons gratuit de Dieu en Jésus et était prêt à tout perdre !

Chadrak, Méchak et Abed-Nego répondirent au roi Nebuchodonosor << ô roi , il n'est pas nécessaire de te répondre sur ce point . Si nous sommes jetés dans la fournaise où brûle un feu ardent, notre Dieu que nous servons peut nous en délivrer, ainsi que de ta mains ! Ô roi ! Mais même s'il ne le fait pas , sache que nous n'adorerons pas tes dieux et que nous ne sous prosternerons pas devant la statut d'or que tu as fait ériger . >> ils avaient compris qu'une relations véritable avec Dieu était bien mieux que n'importe quelle position ou plaisir !

Lazare n'était rien d'avant le riche mais la fin de sa vie rend témoignage que sa conditions de vie n'était pas une excuse pour se détourné de Dieu !

Josèphe était introduit devant pharaon après 20 ans d'esclavage ! il avait une occasion de plaidé sa cause mais il dit à pharaon << je ne peux me prosterné devant un dieu qui n'est pas le miens et cela même au périls de ma vie >>

Des gens animés de mauvais esprits viennent et tante de semé le trouve parmi les enfants de Dieu ! certains disent << vos pères étaient noirs , indien ,arabe , etc...le christianisme vous prive de vos cultures et histoires ! cela vous maintien sous une emprise colonial pour vous rendre docile >>

Mais l'écriture nous apprend ceci << Josué chapitre 24 verset 2 Josué dit à tout le peuple: Ainsi parle l'Éternel, le Dieu d'Israël: Vos pères, Térach, père d'Abraham et père de Nachor, habitaient anciennement de l'autre côté du fleuve, et ils servaient d'autres dieux. >> Abraham lui même , le père de la foi est née en milieux idolâtre ! certainement il a pratiqué ses choses et lui aussi cherché l'enfant par des voie satanique comme beaucoup le font de nos jours ! pareil pour Moïse car l'écriture dit de lui qu'il était instruit de toute la sagesse d'Égypte ! et nous avons vu ces égyptiens face à Moïse ! Moïse fait un miracle et eux le reproduise ! Il est donc claire que le Moïse instruit de la sagesse d'Égypte dans sa totalité était certainement un pratiquant de ces mythes !

Ces deux figure respectable de la bible on marché dans les enseignement qu'ils avaient reçu mais lorsqu'ils ont croisé le vrai Dieu ! leur changement vous le connaissez !

Job lavait compris ! L'Éternel dit de lui qu'il était intègre et droit fouillant le mal !

malgré cela il ne se contentait pas de connaitre Dieu en pensé ! il le manifestait en acte en gardant l'Alliance dans l'obéissance ! Ses enfants se donnaient fête jour après jour l'un chez l'autre à tour de rôle mais job n'y allait pas ! il savait ! il savait que ce qui se passait durant ces fêtes ! il savait que ses enfant ne respectait l'Alliance avec Dieu ! il savait que durant ces fête se passe beaucoup de débouche et de débordement déshonorant Dieu !

Et après chaque fête il appelait se enfants et offrait un sacrifice pour chacun d'eux ! il se disait << certainement mes enfants ont offensé le Seigneur >> et il agissait toujours ainsi ! Il savait que la colère de Dieu planait sur eux à cause du péché ! il savait qu'elle était le jugement !

Ainsi donc Dieu appel à l'obéissance dans la foi et a une communion perpétuel dans son temple c'est à dire nous ! nous qui devons garder l'Alliance soigneusement dans la sainteté après avoir reçu ce dons précieux de la foi .

Mais Dieu se lamente << je n'ai personne qui se souvienne de moi ! personne ne garde alliance ! personne ne me visite dans le lieu de prière qui est leur coeur ! >>

Moïse l'avait compris ! il fouillait le péché et allait à la tente de la rencontre tout les jours et Josué ne la quittait jamais !

Maintenant avez-vous conscience du sacrifice de Dieu et de ce que cela représente ? savez vous qu'il a fait tout cela pour vous ? savez vous qu'il est a la porte de votre coeur en demandant l'accès ? es ce que vous vous soucier de cela ?

[kuro-freakin-shitsuji]

▌Kuroshitsuji Ch 131 review

This chapter hits you in the feels. Tears were shed. It’s a lengthy chapter that doesn’t progress the story much at all, but does answer questions and gives glimpses into the life of the Phantomhives before the event. 

Below are some Japanese panels and my comments of what stood out to me this month: (text & picture spoilers after the jump)

For the sake of clarity: Our!Ciel = Smile, and Real!Ciel = Ciel.

First, I have to mention that this chapter strengthens some of my prior theory and speculations. As I mentioned in this reply, I highly doubted that Smile was being taught how to take over for his father’s position in the event that something happens to Ciel. The panels of this chapter strengthen that doubt for me from Smile’s narration in these panels and Diedrich’s declaration:

Smile: We have the same face, but everything else is different. Ciel is cheerful and kind. Ciel is strong and reliable.

Smile: It’s only me who will never become the Earl.

These panels could also just be a reflection of Smile’s poor self-esteem, seeing himself as nothing but the extra child who can’t do anything right, is sickly and gets in the way, and can’t keep up with his perfect brother. But Diedrich reinforces the notion that Smile will never be taught how to take over as Earl:

Diedrich: The second son doesn’t inherit the title or land. Sooner or later, you'll have to leave home on your own!

Don’t you love how this bitch keeps coming up out of NOWHERE??! Even the Undertaker can’t tell the twins apart, either.

Ciel calls Smile お前 in each panel presented, and it’s a bit frustrating because Yana knows we’re all waiting to learn what Smile’s name is. This is torture, pure sadism ;----;

I’ve speculated that Ciel’s body houses Vincent’s soul, and this chapter makes me speculate it even more. We know from the previous chapters that Ciel is familiar with Sebastian in some way, and from the text I wasn’t very sure what it meant. However, now that we have glimpses of how Ciel and Smile lived and treated each other, I’m more inclined to thinking that either Ciel’s new body isn’t housing Ciel’s soul, or that Ciel’s soul is very angry. He treats Smile much differently, and I’ll never forget the way he spoke down to Smile here in such a condescending way in 130:

Ciel: 何故そんな嘘を？怒らないから言ってごらん？ “Come on, tell me why you lied. I won’t be angry if you do.” 

It’s still a mystery to me why Ciel appears to do a 180 upon their reunion with the smug personality and condescending attitude. He’s not the same Ciel we see in chapter 131. Does he think Smile truly did a selfish act in playing his role by taking his ring, his name and title, his fiancee, and playing the role of his birthright? Does he blame Smile for what happened to him? Was there already a budding wedge between the two before Ciel was slaughtered that day?

This scene touched my heart and I immediately cried. To me this was one of the surest signs that Ciel loved Smile, and it touched me because of the parallel from the famous scene in Campania:

look at the eskimo kiss tho!!!

Here, Ciel brings Smile warm milk and honey to bed, hoping it will help soothe him to sleep. The two then joke about how its something Tanaka would never allow because they could get cavities.

The scene in chapter 131 and 62 make me wonder…if Sebastian really did consume Ciel’s soul, is that soul subconsciously affecting Sebastian in the ways that he caters to and cares for Smile? For those of you that have seen the anime season II: when Hannah consumed Luka, his soul affected Hannah so much so that her actions drive the rest of the plot of that story. I would not be surprised if Yana utilizes something from that verse into the manga edition of Kuroshitsuji, if she hasn’t already. I know a lot of fans don’t like season II (I personally love it), but we can’t sit back and act like it actually doesn’t exist as a part of this universe of alternate endings. She’s still making money off of it. It’s there.

Note at the last panel that Smile mentions how Tanaka wouldn’t let him have sweets before bed because of cavities, playing off of the memory with Ciel *cries*

In these last panels, we see a bit more of how Smile’s low self esteem comes into play. He feels like a burden for his family who want to enjoy a day on the boat, and insists they go and enjoy the day without him because of his fever.

I love how Ciel promises to bring him flowers and rocks ;----; I used to collect rocks whenever I traveled and would send the biggest ones home to my granny. This panel reminded me of my childhood for some reason.

Smile is crying after Tanaka praises him for the way he handled the situation, and I’m sure he feels bad because he can’t go, too. But Tanaka promises to give him whatever he wants, and Smile wants sweets. They seem to be a kind of comfort food for Smile, as well as chess for relaxing.

Smile: 僕は幸せだったーあの日あではー

We learn that up until this point, Smile was happy. Despite being the sickly twin, the twin denied the inheritance and the title, he was loved by his family and was genuinely happy until that day. We don’t know what “that day” is; it could be the incident itself, or a different event we will learn about in the coming chapters. The concluding manga sentence is an ominous poetic touch to end the chapter, making me even more sad for Smile and his overall suffering. It’s as if the image of the person I once thought I knew is being shattered right before my eyes. He was always a sympathetic character, but seeing these panels in his point of view make it more heart-wretching for me. If there’s more to learn about what impeded Smile’s happiness, we’re sure to learn it all now.

Manga caption: 輝かしい笑顔の園は、花のように儚くて。。。 A garden’s brilliant smile is fragile like a flower.