#edward midford fanfic

[thefakeearlhasafancyeye]

Phantomhive twins breaking Edward and Elizabeth’s untainted views of the world and inadvertently introducing them to very dark realities in life>>>>>>>>

[edenityy]

( chapter seventeen ! )

"You look stunning, darling. Just like a princess."

The day is March eleventh, a Monday and Leah Barrett's seventeenth birthday. Decorations cover the halls and rooms of Barrett Manor to celebrate the special day and the front door consistently opens to allow guests to file inside, the elaborate decorations managing to mesmerize some individuals. But the real star is the birthday girl.

Sitting before a large vanity, Leah cheerfully gets the final touches added to her look, her mother stationed behind her with a smile full of admiration. Her dress is one of the largest she has ever worn. The main ensemble is pink and silky, but overtop are lace coverings in whites and yellows, creating a nice contrast that sits well beside her porcelain skin. Even the jewelry is appealing, a necklace full of pearls and gems while her earrings are flowers and dip into a pearl.

A soft and genuine smile covers the brunette's face, allowing her mother to add a floral headpiece to the side of her hair done up in a low, braided bun. "Thank you, Mama."

"It is about time we head downstairs now, can't be late for your celebration!" Vivienne responds as she steps towards the door.

Following suit, Leah waves for Anna who stands in the corner of the room to follow her before boldly stepping out of her room. Her eyes light up at the sight of the decorations, woven through the halls that radiate a magical feeling for the girl. But it isn't until she reaches the top of the stairs and looks down that she is even more surprised.

"There are more people than I anticipated!" Leah stares at the guests in wonder, ranging from close friends to distant relatives. She has not seen most of these people in years, startled at the fact that they even bothered to attend.

Vivienne lets out a giggle. "Well, surely you weren't expecting we would host a celebration this large for the.. five people you speak to? Someone must attend," she shakes her head lightheartedly and sticks out an arm for Leah to grab.

Giving a small pout, Leah takes ahold of her mother's arm and the pair set off down the stairs. Guests turn their attention to the birthday girl descending the stairs, marveling at the size of her dress and knowing that the celebration will now officially commence. It is not until the women reach the bottom of the stairs does the dress shows its true size, nearly half of Leah's height horizontally.

"Let us say hello to—"

Hardly having a moment to blink, Vivienne watches the blur of pink and yellow fly past her.

"Gwendolyn!" Leah calls out, speeding for her cousin with open arms.

Gwendolyn Vásquez, a first cousin of Leah through her mother's side, is a girl who just barely breaches average height. Her skin is naturally tanned and her hair is pin-straight and dark brown, drawing attention to her Hispanic heritage. Most have always found it hard to believe the pair are related, but they remain inseparable despite their rare chances to see each other.

A bright smile flashes on the face of the younger girl, wrapping her arms around the birthday girl. "Leah! It has been so long," Gwendolyn squeezes her with the little amount of might she has.

"It has been nearly a year! I'm afraid that if I want to see you, we may have to start kidnapping Aunt Florence," Leah's tone is joking, although not entirely unserious.

"I can't wait until I marry!" Gwendolyn huffs. "I'll be able to see you much more often."

Nodding, Leah almost smiles knowing that her cousin is only a year or two away from debuting into society. "Ah—"

Vivienne approaches from behind. "Don't spend too much time on one person, darling," she begins to usher the two girls to the ballroom where the guests have moved.

"But Mama!" whines Leah.

"You can spend as much time with Gwendolyn as you would like after you greet your other guests! Have respect for those that have come," Vivienne leads her daughter over to a corner filled with her aunts and uncles.

Grumbling under her breath, Leah begrudgingly shuffles through the large ballroom. "I don't even like most of these people.."

— ౨ৎ —

After many reluctant greetings to such an extensive guest list. The room is filled with people Leah can hardly remember, second cousins, family friends, and individuals she only speaks with once a month. All of it leaves her feeling quite drained as she is twirled back into the arms of her father, looking up to a proud smile.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Lucius asks. "I hope everything is to your liking.." he whispers, recounting the amount of time he spent planning.

Looking up into her father's eyes, Leah nearly pouts and shifts closer further from his arms, feeling his hands settle on her forearms. "Why did you invite so many peop—"

"Papa, where did you get the cake? It's delicious."

Stepping over to the scene is none other than Daniel Barrett, a plate in one hand and a fork in the other. His face is stuffed with chocolate cake, threatening to fall out of his mouth and ruin his suit. But that doesn't stop the boy from talking with his mouth full and ducking away from his curious aunties who pester him about a future engagement.

"You are already eating cake?" asks Leah in exasperation. The celebration began not even an hour ago, so she knows that there is no possible way the cake has already been cut.

Shoving another bite of cake into his mouth, Daniel gives a roll of his eyes. "There are two separate cakes besides the main cake, I will have cake if I want to have cake!"

"He has quite a bit of sass."

"I have sass?!"

"Don't start arguing.."

The Barrett siblings huff in annoyance before their father can scold them, though there is a playful undertone to it. This playful exterior seems to be sucked out of the older boy when he looks at a figure behind Leah, earning a shift in both Lucius and Daniel's moods.

Daniel scowls but it is hard to tell if he is serious or not. "Who invited you?" he chews on another bite of cake.

Clearing his throat, Ciel stands behind his fiancé with a smile plastered on his face, unsure of how to feel with the sheer number of people in the room. He wears a simple but classy suit with a tie matching the pink shade of Leah's dress, his hair done up a bit special for the occasion. When she mentioned the celebration would be grand, he hadn't expected this.

Leah turns around to see who her father and brother are looking at, face lighting up at the sight. "Ciel, you came!" she dives in for a hug.

"I wouldn't miss it," Ciel wraps a firm arm around her waist, trying to ignore the large dress pressing against him. "Lau is here with Ran Mao. And I believe I saw Elizabeth and Prince Soma at the food table."

Pulling away, Leah gazes about the room to spot any of the mentioned individuals. "I will have to seek them out if they don't find me first.. There are quite a few people in attendance, hard to see past all the heads," she pouts, view blocked by the many tall men that fill her family.

"Is it alright if I give you one of your gifts now?" Ciel clears his throat, "I'm afraid it can't wait very long."

"I don't mind!" she flashes a smile.

Watching her fiancé walk off, Leah turns to her father and brother in anticipation of her present. Despite the numerous boxes that litter a table filled with gifts just for her, she has spent the last week the most excited about what Ciel would possibly give her.

Reentering the room, the Phantomhive servants gather in a small group and draw attention from the other guests. Ciel stands beside them and prepares to show off the gift, praying they don't mess up.

Stepping forward, Bardoy is missing a cigarette when he smiles, pulling out a party popper to shoot confetti in Leah's direction. After him is Meyrin who pops up from behind him, singing an off-tune song as Sebastian pulls her into his arms to do a classic waltz. Finally, Finnian steps up last with a basket situated between his arms, sweating nervously but keeping an unwavering smile firm on his face.

Finnian is bold, taking steps closer to the Barrett and lowering the basket to stomach level. At first, the room fills with silence and Ciel's agitation at the poor execution from his servants, awaiting to see what it is in the basket. But it's not until the gardener lifts the top do the guests look in awe at a white-furred dog popping its head out, staring straight up at Leah.

Looking at the dog and back up at Finnian, Leah tilts her head when the little bundle of fur starts trying to sniff her. She has never seen a dog like this before, eliciting confusion but still sending a happy signal off in her head.

"Are you giving my sister a deformed rabbit?" asks Daniel incredulously, ready to start yelling at Ciel. However, it is hard to take him seriously with a half-full plate of cake in his hand.

"Daniel.." Lucius pinches between his brows in frustration.

Ciel deadpans. "It's a dog," he shakes his head at how ridiculous the question sounds. "A Pomeranian to be exact. They are a bit rare and are becoming popular with Queen Victoria."

Bending down to get a better look at the animal, Leah gently wraps her hands around its body to pick it up. She doesn't react at first, once again looking back at Finnian who can only smile in response. But when the dog sniffs her face and gives a lick to her cheek, the Barrett nearly squeals in pure excitement.

"It's so cute!" she tries to avoid yelling, not wanting to hurt the dog's ears. "I shall name you.."

The ballroom fills with silence, anticipating the name Leah will give to the dog. Most know her to be quite indecisive and lack creativity, preparing for a name just as ridiculous as Daniel's previous question. This doesn't waver the girl though, staring at the ball of fluff in thought.

"PomPom!" Leah announces. "Your name is PomPom!"

Living up to her lack of creativity, Leah gives the Pomeranian one of the first names to cross her mind. Not that she cares what others would think about the name aspect. Leah is just glad Ciel showed his face at her birthday celebration and came with a present as cute as this one, as well as more she has yet to see.

She hands the dog off to Daniel who hands it to Finnian and runs over to Ciel, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Thank you so much! It is so cute, I love it!" Leah hops in the spot where she stands.

"It is a male," Ciel gives a gentle correction, slowly wrapping his arms around her in return.

Watching the scene, Daniel is unimpressed. "I still don't believe that is a dog."

Gwendolyn walks over with a shake of her head and takes the dog from Finnian, shaking PomPom lightly in front of Leah. As much as she wants to groan at her brother's words, Leah doesn't let them cloud her feelings for the animal.

"I don't care if he is a dog or not, he is absolutely adorable!" Leah gushes and plucks the dog out of Gwendolyn's arms, holding him close to her chest.

"It looks like a deformed rabbit," quips Daniel.

Turning around faster than one can blink, Leah glares sharply at her brother, PomPom still in her arms. "How is it that you are the heir?"

"What do you mean by that?" Daniel raises a brow.

"I mean that you are simple and wouldn't survive a day running a household," retorts Leah.

Flashing an offended look, Daniel hands off his now empty plate to a passing butler. "I am very much capable!"

"Please never reproduce."

"Now you are just talking to talk!"

"I am talking because I am right! If you reproduce your child will end up simple as well."

"Papa, do you hear this?"

"Do not cry to Papa! Go cry to a woman in the hopes she will marry you."

"Excuse me?!"

All of the guests watch in astonishment as the siblings take a previously light moment and turn it into an argument, silence being the only thing to accompany the voices. It's not until Vivienne harshly whispers to Lucius that it comes to an end.

"Enough! Both of you!" Lucius raises his voice, nearly yelling.

Feigning a pout at her father's interruption, Leah shuffles over to a giggling Gwendolyn who holds PomPom after managing to sneak him out of her arms and tries to strike conversation with Ciel. However, Daniel is relieved by the silence, feeling comfort knowing that his sister can not embarrass him before all of his family members.

Miraculously, the guests return to their previous activities after watching the dispute. Anyone who has visited the Barrett household more than once knows that bickering is a common occurrence between the two "children" of the manor, then proceeding to hug and laugh the next moment as if it never happened. But to those within the ballroom, that is their least concern, focusing on enjoying the prestigious night.

— ౨ৎ —

With the situation having cooled off, the fight was practically pushed to the back of people's minds to instead cheerfully celebrate, cutting the main cake. It is triple-decked and covered in intricate designs with the icing, cut open to reveal the vanilla flavor. Leah's favorite as she can't eat anything overly sweet.

Leah marvels at the sight of her cake, though as beautiful as it is, she is conflicted on whether she should eat a peace. Nonetheless, a friend of her's named Henrietta keeps her distracted, pointing out a display of ripe and plump strawberries that the Barrett is sure to adore.

Henrietta Sánchez is a childhood friend of Leah's, the girls have known each other since the age of five. She is of a similar ancestral descent to Gwendolyn, also being Hispanic with tanned skin and hair so dark it nearly appears black. However, unlike the Barrett's cousin, Henrietta is nearly an entire foot shorter than Leah and harbors a more stout build.

"I did not expect you to attend," Leah lifts a strawberry to her lips.

Furrowing her brows, Henrietta cranes her neck to look up at Leah. "Why?"

Leah shrugs. "We haven't had much time to see each other as of late. I thought you might have wanted to do something else instead," she whispers.

"Just because we lack the time to see each other, does not mean I care any less," Henrietta smiles softly. "As long as you attend my birthday celebration as well."

A giggle leaves Leah. "I would not miss it for the world."

Silence falls upon the pair and it is comfortable for them, matching their naturally quiet personalities. This silence is broken though when Elizabeth bounds over at the sight of her friend, dodging anyone who happens to be in her way. She doesn't get noticed until she wraps her arms around Leah a little too tightly.

However, poor Edward seems to not be noticed entirely until he speaks up. "Happy birthday, Leah!" he cheers with a bright smile on his face, shifting nervously.

"Edward.." the corners of Leah's mouth pull up ever so slightly. "Thank you very—" she is cut off when the boy's sister decides to speak up.

"Leah, this is the first time I have gotten to see you up close today!" yells Elizabeth in pure excitement. "You look like Antoinette!"

A noise of discomfort escapes Leah, but she smiles nonetheless. "Thank you.."

Elizabeth begins chatting away before she notices Henrietta stationed beside Leah, getting a piece of cake. "Who is this?"

It takes Leah a moment to realize who Elizabeth is talking about. "Ah.. Elizabeth, this is Henrietta Sánchez," she gestures the best that she can while still encased in Elizabeth's arms. "Henrietta, this is Elizabeth Midford."

Thankfully for Leah, Elizabeth pulls away to instead approach Henrietta and happily talks her ear off, giving the Barrett a chance to scope out the room once more. But when she glances at the few people still surrounding the table for cake, she notices Prince Soma happily taking a plate with Agni a few steps behind him.

"Happy birthday, little sister!" Soma flashes his brightest smile before taking a large bite of cake.

Her brows furrow. "Who invited you?" Leah asks before she pauses, realizing how rude it sounds. "A genuine question. I don't recall my father knowing you. Thank you though— for the birthday wishes."

Elizabeth speaks up. "I did!"

Blinking in surprise, Leah nearly responds until she notices Ran Mao in the near distance. She immediately perks up at the sight and disregards her current conversation in favor of approaching one of her other friends, having not seen her in months.

"Ran Mao!" exclaims Leah, her running coming to a stop once she's positioned in front of Ran Mao and Lau. "I am so happy you are in attendance! I had to sneak your invitation into the pile when my father was not looking.."

Taking a bite of cake that she is sharing with Lau, Ran Mao nods. "You're welcome."

"Happy seventeenth birthday," Lau speaks up with a smirk. Though it is clear he mainly came for the food.

Leah gives a tight-lipped smile, starting to feel a sudden exhaustion but still thankful for all of the birthday wishes. "Thank you!"

To no one's surprise, a blanket of silence falls upon the trio. It would be much more awkward if it weren't for the fact that Leah's social battery feels like it is slowly draining before her eyes, threatening to leave her an empty shell of a person. Or that Leah is naturally comfortable with Ran Mao. 'Why are the lights so bright?'

Before Leah is capable of fixing her lips to break the silence, the sound of numerous displeased voices meets her ears. Upon turning around, she notices that the sounds are emitting from the servant's feet away at the food table. At first, Leah can't exactly realize what the commotion is about.

Excusing herself from her 'conversation' with Ran Mao and Lau, Leah takes small steps over to the batch of Phantomhive and Barrett servants. "What is all this noise about?" she asks. 'I am the one who is supposed to act displeased.'

Both Thomas and Sebastian glance away from their scolding. "We were just informing them that they cannot eat the cake. It is reserved for the guests," says Thomas, devoid of emotion and almost making Leah shiver with his stare.

Noticing the disappointed look on Finnian's face, Leah almost feels a form of guilt. "Let them eat cake.." she mumbles, begrudgingly grabbing a plate for Anna when she notices how she stares as well.

"But, Lady Le—" Sebastian attempts to object.

"There is plenty to go around. You all can help minimize waste," Leah says, a ghost of a smile forming when she sees how much happier Meyrin and Bardroy look. "Except Thomas. Thomas gets nothing!" her tone immediately shifts to one that is much more harsh, reflecting her current want to step away from all the people crowding the room.

Finnian looks up mid-bite, face ever so slightly flushed. "Don't you believe you're being a bit harsh, My Lady?"

"He deserves nothing!" Leah repeats in frustration.

Strangely enough, Thomas says nothing in return. He doesn't need to after all. He enjoys the mean words, knowing that her fear and guard around him slowly chip away. After what most would claim are pointless years of serving a bratty daughter of a wealthy family, this has become the demon's normal. Quite pathetic if you ask Leah.

Leah grabs a grape from a bowl in agitation and stuffs it in her mouth, unknowingly giving Anna a signal that she might be set off soon. Thankfully, Daniel comes to the rescue. But it is far from intentional, as he is grabbing his third slice of cake.

The voices of the guests drone in Leah's ears as her eyes fall upon Daniel, blinking wildly. "You are having another slice of cake?" she asks incredulously.

"Yes," Daniel playfully giggles in her face and brings the cake to her lips, letting her take a small bite. "Papa says in half of an hour all of the guests are going outside to see something in the garden. I believe it is just to show off the flowers in bloom," the boy rolls his eyes.

Leah's eyes glaze over, hardly paying attention to half of her brother's words. "Well, I shall spend some time in the garden before then. I cannot handle all of these people."

"Don't take too long, I need someone to talk to so our aunts stop pestering me about an engagement.." he glances around the ballroom in a paranoid manner. "Oh, and your rabbit peed on Gwendolyn's hand."

Not having it in her to argue or react, Leah sighs through her nose as she begins to walk off. "It is a dog.."

Initially, she worries that it will be hard to escape from the room given that she is the center of attention. And her humongous dress. But to Leah's relief, the number of people makes it hard to easily spot her amongst the heads blocking anyone's view, allowing her to swiftly duck out of the door. Though Thomas is not particularly pleased with her departure.

Outside in the halls, the sounds of the ballroom fade the farther she gets, the noise of her heels clicking against the floor slowly taking over. Most of — if not all — of the people inside the manor are in the ballroom, including the guests, which leaves the building feeling very desolate despite the shining decorations. Something Leah is accustomed to.

Leah eventually speeds up her steps once the double doors to the garden come into view, pushing them open and feeling a wave of relief wash upon her. Making her way over to the gazebo, she shakes her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. ‘Why can't I handle social interaction like a normal person?'

Gleams of moonlight shine down on the garden and reflect on Leah's skin, making it appear as though she is emitting a glow. The sounds of rustling leaves fail to calm her down, unlike how it normally does. It is such a lovely day but she can't keep her emotions in check.

Her hands grip the railing of the gazebo and she tries to close her eyes, taking deep breaths to steady herself. 'Why is it that everyone suddenly feels so annoying? Or that it is too loud and the lights begin to hurt my eyes? Everything is so exhausting sometimes..' Leah fights the urge to take her hair down, choosing to stare ahead of her at the colorful flowers.

'The quiet is always—'

The sounds of rustling footsteps pull Leah from her thoughts, almost earning a noise of irritation. Those footsteps belong to none other than Ciel Phantomhive, peeking his head over a tall bush and approaching when he notices his fiancé.

"I thought I saw you leave," his voice cuts through the air as he comes to stand beside her.

Throwing Ciel a glance, Leah prefers to keep her gaze trained in the general direction of the moon. "I was beginning to feel uncomfortable.." she mumbles.

Ciel's brows furrow. "Uncomfortable with what?"

"Interaction I suppose. I spoke to too many people for too long— it is overwhelming," there is a waver in Leah's voice.

Silence falls upon them when Ciel takes a moment to think, observing her face from a side angle under the moonlight. "You haven't smiled much as of late," he points out.

"This is the normal amount in which I smile," she retorts.

"Yes, but normally—" Ciel can't finish his sentence.

Leah gulps, fidgeting with her fingers. "Because I thought you would like me more."

The rustling leaves fill the stunned silence as Ciel thinks of what to say. "What do you mean?" he asks.

"I thought if I acted more like a desirable lady— more like Elizabeth, you would like me more. But it has never worked. You look at me no different," Leah's voice shakes when she says these words, unable to bring herself to look at Ciel.

Ciel's eyes soften with a turn of his head, looking down and placing one of his hands on Leah's. "I like you the way that you are. I just struggle to express myself," he whispers, leaving out the part of how he knowingly pushes others away.

Lifting her head, tears prick Leah's eyes when she looks into Ciel's blue ones. "But you have always shown a preference for Elizabeth.. You are always much kinder to her."

"I do not have a preference for Elizabeth," Ciel corrects. "And I am only more kind because Elizabeth can be quite emotional. You don't cry nearly as much as she does."

Leah blinks, a wave of stubbornness overcoming her. "But—"

"No buts," he grabs ahold of both of her shoulders before she can testify, staring into her eyes. "I chose you. I sought you out and harassed your father just for your hand in marriage. If I liked Elizabeth more than you I would not still be in this arrangement."

The Phantomhive's words echo through the wind, causing Leah's ears to ring. She stumbles over her words and cannot find a proper response, an inner battle taking place within the confines of her head. Blinking past the light shining into the side of her eye, she shakes her head with parted lips.

"It is not as if you can leave this arrangement," she whispers. "If you were to break off a second engagement, your reputation would be in shambles. You are stuck with me regardless of how you feel," Leah seems set on finding any possible reason she can find to back up her claims, regardless of how ridiculous she is starting to sound.

The grip on her shoulders getting ever so tighter, Ciel releases a shaky breath. "I want to be with you! What part of that do you not understand you stubborn girl?!" he raises his voice into a near yell and his cheeks have a faint flush.

A sound rivaling that of a gasp escapes Leah, staring up at Ciel as her eyes dance across his face. Her chest heaves with heavy movements as she tries to maintain her breathing, pushing against the corset molding against her waist and bosom.

Chill air encases the pair, adding a dreamlike atmosphere amidst their moment. 'Certainly this is not real?' Leah's hands twitch as she feels the warmth of Ciel's on her shoulders, causing her to take a small step closer. It isn't until she is nearly pressing against him that the blue-haired boy almost comes to his senses.

Settling onto her toes, Leah brings her face closer. It doesn't make much of a difference to the height gap, due to the heels, but it is effective in making Ciel's breath nearly stop. A long pause comes over them before the Barrett brings her lips crashing onto his in a soft, but chaste kiss.

When they pull apart, they stare into each other's eyes, the darkness making it harder to see. Neither Ciel nor Leah are sure of what to say, both closing and opening their mouths in the manner of a fish trying to find even just a word to say. 'This is real..'

"Ciel.." Leah decides to be the first to break the silence, slowly dropping from her position on her toes.

Unlike the Barrett who feels a slight sense of bliss, Ciel is unsure of how to feel. "Leah," he murmurs, feeling conflicted.

Lips parting, Leah's pale cheeks burn up with the way Ciel stares down at her. "I—"

She is quick to cut off her sentence at the sound of approaching footsteps, practically throwing herself away from Ciel in favor of planting herself at the other end of the gazebo. Through the moonlight, Daniel shows his face and stops at the entrance, eyeing both of them up suspiciously.

"What are you two doing?" he asks with a raised brow, looking back and forth between the betrothed pair.

Leah shakes her head frantically. "Nothing! I came out here to think, Ciel merely ended up following me."

"Are you trying to compromise my sister's virtue, Phantomhive? Just because you are betrothed does not mean you can—" Daniel raises his voice into a yell, a protective urge overcoming him.

"No!" Ciel shakes his head and takes a step back. "It is nothing like that! We were just having a conversation," his voice is clear to appear more confident, almost startled by the bulkier figure of the heir to the Barrett name.

Daniel doesn't respond when he hears the faint sound of voices getting louder, squinting his eyes in an attempt to intimidate Ciel. "The guests shall be out here any moment now. I wanted to warn my sister," he adjusts on his feet.

"Well, I suppose we get a head start on the view!" Leah laughs oddly, earning a look from her older brother.

There isn't much left to say about the situation between the three, Daniel simply waves his sister over to follow him. Leah obeys despite her wish to stay and talk with Ciel about what just happened, picking up the skirts of her dress to step forward, slightly haltered by the lowered hems she isn't accustomed to.

Stepping past Ciel, she stops beside him subtly to gently smile up at him. "Thank you.. truly," she whispers.

Ciel doesn't have a chance to respond before a voice cuts through the air, the sounds of the guest's chatter also growing louder.

"Leah!" calls out Daniel, waiting expectantly for her to follow in his trail.

Turning her head around to face her brother, she smiles and lightly jogs after him.

"Coming!"

[willofthewood]

CHALLANGE

i have no idea what I want to draw. SO, I want you guys to send me a picture of your oc(s) or a character you like from ant show and I'll choose one at random to draw and post! submit the pictures in the section called 'silly little questions' on my profile. bsd characters are encouraged, but not mandatory!

gotta thank Beyoncé 💞

[thislittlekumquat]

It's Reaping What You Sow monday! In this week's installment, we take a break from the action to see Wolfram being the long-suffering uncle we all deserve to cover our asses when we're up to secret shit. I hope the Phantomhives have money for a ye olde wet vac, because Ciel gets quite rude.

-

Reaping What You Sow is my ongoing fanfic exploring what would happen if Lizzy figured out just how badly the Undertaker (her grandpappy) has been fucking with her family for at least three generations. And also if she figured out what she wanted for herself, rather than what she was told to want.

[kywaslost]

Good day! Could you make a Ciel x reader where the Ciel has a crush on the reader who is Lizzy’s sister (for the sake lest say Lizzy and Ciel ended to engagement) the thing is the reader is the only one in the Midford family to have dark hair (from a grandparent) and she gets very insecure about it, feeling like a black sheep in her family. Lizzy and everyone is very kind to her it’s just she constantly feels left out because she has a very different personality compared to her sister and brother. She feels very out of place during photo’s with her family. And especially during parties when people talk about her either being adopted or the cause of her mother being unfaithful. She just is naturally much more moody, and she doesn’t have as many friends unlike Lizzy because she just brings the mood down.

Sorry if it’s a lot, have a good day!

Odd One Out - Ciel Phantomhive

A/N: I decided to post this one a day early! I only have one class today and have a lot of free time at the moment. So sorry this took so long!

Not gonna lie, I had to do some research for this one. I’m a sucker for genetics, and so I got super excited for this one. Blonde hair is an autosomal recessive trait, meaning both parents have to be blond. Since both Midford parents are blonde, all of their children have to be blonde, that’s how I learned it. But I did some research to see if there’s mutations or something that can cause dark hair in children born from two blondes. I’ll try my best to simplify what I’ve found. 

Melanin is a polymer, and it is most often known as the polymer that gives skin, hair, and eyes its color. By what I can understand, there are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Lots of eumelanin produces black or brown hair, whereas pheomelanin produces red hair. Blonde hair is produced by very little eumelanin. Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) is responsible for determining hair color. Mutations in the MC1R gene can cause red or auburn hair. 

For the sake of this fanfic, let’s just say there’s a mutation in the reader’s production of eumelanin cause I can’t find any way for two blonds to produce a dark-haired kiddo. And yes, I know this is a fanfic but listen people my love for science is strong so fiction or not I’m gonna make my details as accurate as possible. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and here are my sources <3

You were the black sheep of the family in every way possible. Literal or not, others found great joy in pointing out every difference between you and your siblings, especially when it comes to your appearance. It’s difficult to explain to others why you bear little resemblance to your family. Sure, you had your mother’s build and your father’s eyes, but that was as far as it went. You didn’t have the same hair color as your parents and siblings.

It’s common knowledge that two blonde parents bear a blonde child, yet you had dark auburn hair. After years and years of torment and rumors of your mother being unfaithful, or that you were adopted, you began researching why you were the way you were. There wasn’t much out there, but you did discover that you had some type of genetic mutation dealing with hair color. That’s why it was so difficult to explain to others why your hair was so different from your family’s, they didn’t have the same extent of knowledge as you did. 

It didn’t help that you were also extremely different personality wise. Your sister Lizzy was very outgoing and extroverted, never hesitating to host parties or to meet new people. Your brother Edward, on the other hand, was very stoic and serious. He didn’t tolerate much of anything, and was very protective over you and your sister. But you weren’t much like your siblings. You often kept to yourself, only spoke when spoken to, and were generally just very independent. Growing up, the only real friends you had were your siblings, and your twin cousins.

Now that you’re older, you are even more independent. You spent less and less time with your family, often opting to stay in your room or going off on your own into the city. Your family constantly tried to get you to go to events with them, such as going to balls, parties, and even things as simple as family outings, but you couldn’t help but feel out of place. People constantly stared at you, and you couldn’t help but notice their hushed whispers as you walked by with your family. 

You were grateful that your family didn’t see you the same way the rest of the world did. Your parents treated you no differently than your sister and brother. If anything, they tried their hardest with you to try and make you feel more comfortable and confident in yourself. Lizzy constantly wanted to be with you, doing your hair and makeup to spend some quality time with you. She took you dress shopping, and tried to cheer you up in that sort of way. 

Because of your discomfort around your family, you often spent a lot of time with your cousin Ciel. His servants never treated you any differently than they did the rest of your family, and the boy’s Estate overall felt like a safe place for you. Ciel was always willing to let you vent to him, whether it be about how people had been treating you or how you were thinking of yourself, he always had advice to offer. 

What he never would confess, however, was his feelings for you. His engagement with Lizzy ended just over a year ago, and it was all because he realized he had feelings for you instead. Watching you change throughout the years broke his heart, how you became more independent and less willing to socialize and go out. 

You were staying a few nights at the manor to spend some time with Ciel. You had been having a particularly hard time, and you thought it best to spend some time with the boy. He greeted you with open arms, and immediately ordered Sebastian to prepare your favorite meal for dinner. You fell into your cousin’s arms, tearing up as he held you tightly. 

“May I ask what brings you here?” CIel asks calmly as he hugs you. He can feel your tears soaking into his shirt and he becomes even more worried. 

You sniffed as you pulled away from Ciel, wiping at your eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just been a really long week.”

Ciel frowned, gently taking your arm and leading you inside. “Come, tell me about it.” You were led inside the Estate and to the sofa beside the fireplace. Ciel draped a light blanket over your shoulders as he sat beside you. Taking your hand in his, his blue eye met your E/C ones. “What happened?”

You began to cry harder as you recalled the events of the past week. Ciel listened as you told him about the hushed whispers and not-so-hidden stares followed your every move at a ball you attended with your family. Then how you stepped out of your comfort zone to speak to girls your own age at said ball, and how they giggled to each other as they ignored you and walked away.

Ciel wrapped you tightly in a hug, pulling you so your legs are draped over his lap and your face is buried in his shoulder. “Look at this,” you sniffle, reaching for your bag at the end of the couch. Ciel released you from his arms as you dug through your bag, pulling out a photo. You replaced yourself on CIel’s lap, handing him the photo. His warm hands brushed against your own as he took the image.

“This is a lovely photo,” he smiled softly. It was a printed image of the most recent family photo taken three days ago. Your father held your mother’s waist, Edward on his other side and Lizzy standing beside your mom. You were beside your sister. Ciel was right, it was a lovely photo. But the longer he looked at it, he noticed everyone’s bright smiles, and then you. It looked as if you were near tears, barely able to hold your smile long enough to take the photo.

“Honey,” Ciel coos quietly. This was very uncharacteristic of the Earl. He never showed this much empathy and emotion towards someone before.

“I hate this photo,” you cried as you rested your head on his shoulder once again.

“Why?”

“I look so out of place!” You pointed to yourself in the picture. “I hate that I was born this way! Why did I have to have this mutation?”

Ciel set the picture aside, wrapping you in his arms again and running a hand down your back. “I think you’re beautiful,” his voice was soft as he whispered in your ear. “Genetic mutation or not, I love the way you look, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” CIel continued to hold you until you fell asleep in his arms. As he carried you to your designated room, he whispered to you. 

“I don’t understand why others treat you this way, and I wish they would stop just as much as you do. But I love you, Y/N, and I would give everything to have you in my life. Genetic mutation or not, you are beautiful just the way you are.”

[antihero-writings]

His Butler Cemetery, Chapter 3: The Problem of the Nights

Fandom: Black Butler | Kuroshitsuji (manga)

Fic Summary: Four visits to the cemetery, each growing in emotional intensity, and spanning backwards in time. (Spoilers for the manga!!)

(I'll put the links to chapters 1 & 2 in a reblog!!)

Chapter Summary: “Young Master, Edward. If something you held most dear suddenly shattered one day...What would you do?"

"Dear, God. What a terrible ordeal you've tasked my sister with...."

Character Focus: Edward and Lizzie Midford

Notes: Eyyy remember this fic? The one I planned to finish in October 2018? Hehe...Yeah...

I never forgot about this fic... life just kinda got in the way and I moved on to other things. I have so many fics on my computer that I just can't seem to figure out how to finish, and this chapter was one of them. Lately I've been trying to go through some of them and either just slap an ending on them, or split them into multiple chapters so it's more manageable, haha. So I just picked a way to end it, even if I'm not entirely satisfied XD

I actually really really like Edward as a character, and was kind of inspired by the quote above to write this. I was excited to write for him for this fic, and really really liked this chapter, so I couldn't go without posting it at some point!!I hope people still like it, even though it's been so long...I'd deeply appreciate it if you could leave a comment to let me know!!

By the way, I am NOT caught up on the manga, so please don't spoil anything from the recent chapters for me!!

Chapter 3, the Problem of the Nights:

Edward never could win against her.

Father would laugh and say that the Midford women had always been strong, and it was no cause for shame.

Still, there’s something particularly humiliating about getting your ass kicked by a cute little girl….Especially when she’s your younger sister.

The world would coo over her: her pretty shoes, her curly blonde hair, her frilly dresses, and sigh in awe that someone so cute could be so skilled with the sword.

And, if he was perfectly honest, she was incredible. He would never deny that, never say the praise was undeserved. Often he was her biggest fan, her loudest cheerleader, and if anyone dare lay a finger on her, or say a single syllable of slander, they’d certainly have a sword to answer to.

And, he supposed, her proficiency was good for him too, in a way, because it pushed him to work harder.

But no matter how many days he spent waking up early to wave his sword at empty air, no matter how much mastery he had compared to his classmates, he could never catch up to her. Sometimes it felt like the race was rigged, and he wasn’t moving at all.

He applauded her, admired her.

But sometimes he would throw his sword into the wall and demand that it listen to him. That he, a thirteen-year-old boy could and should be better at swordplay, than a ten-year-old girl who decorated her world in pink plushies and bonnets.

When the other nobles chatted with Lizzie, and about Lizzie, and then turned to him to ask what he’d been doing, sure he had a story to top hers…

Sometimes he would hold his head high and boast of his accomplishments, and Lizzie would have only the loftiest of compliments to add.

But other times that question would ring through his head, and his tongue would fall limp in his mouth.

Because no matter how much he’d done, if he was the top of his class, he could never triumph Lizzie.

What have I done lately? Not much compared to Lizzie.

Mother was not the kind of person who would answer for you; unlike most mothers she wouldn’t boast of her children smallest accomplishments. In fact, in even their greatest endeavors she could find “room for improvement.” He wasn’t complaining: this too was a good thing; he would never be where he was now without that.

But sometimes he just wished she would just wrap her arms around him and say that she was proud of him.

There was Father at least, who was the softie of the family. Who would clap him on the back and tell Francis not to be so hard on him, that he’d done more than well. His eyes would shine as he promised he was a champion in his own right, as well as his eyes. And that helped. Still…

Still, he didn’t feel like much.

It wasn’t that he was bad at things, or dumb. He was quite smart, good at school, but he didn’t…excel.

The thing about Lizzie is that there were only a few things she practiced, but she excelled at them.

Jack of all trades, master of none, so they say.

And no one notices you unless you’re very good at something, or very bad at it.

So he faded into the background. Lizzie’s cheerleader. His parents’ son. And he told himself he was alright with that.

Beneath all those intermingling feelings of pride and jealousy was a question:

How could such a small girl hold so much fight inside her? How could those gentle eyes hold so much fire?

It didn’t make sense. She was supposed to be sweet, and gentle, and soft. So what was it that drove her to get the gold when he could only ever snag second place?

He got his answer when he met Ciel.

The twin boys, one of whom she was destined to marry—some day, after they had learned how to be gentlemen in a world of men who weren’t gentle.

Well he couldn’t approve of that without meeting him first.

The twins were…so small. Smaller even than Lizzie. Big blue eyes like stormy days.

One marched up to him and demanded who he was, and what he was doing there, and that his name was Ciel, and he was to be the Earl some day. The other, hid behind his father’s pant leg, and muttered his greeting from afar. And when Mother scolded Mr. Phantomhive to keep them in line, and comb their hair properly, even the bolder one shirked into the shadows.

He finally understood what Lizzie had that he didn’t:

Something to protect.

When he took up the sword, it was for the sake of the sword itself, and a name.

When she took it up, she did so for something more than the trade, the passed-down-name, the skill. The sword was a means, not an end. There was something—someone—she loved, or was learning to at least, and if that person were ever threatened, she didn’t want to stand on the sidelines and cry. She wanted to stand between him and danger and do everything in her power to keep the hurt at bay.

She didn’t care about being well-versed in the sword: she just cared about protecting him. The sword was simply how she’d do that. And, well, the irony of being something is that you’ll only be good at it when you’re looking beyond it.

And it was that, that passion, that idea that there was something beyond, that this was all in preparation for a war against anything that stood to harm him, that was why she excelled. Because he didn’t have anything calling him to it, besides the fact that the Midford’s had always been good at it. As long as he didn’t have a reason for it within himself, he would never excel.

So, from then on, he never complained, silently or aloud. From then on he was nothing more than her firmest supporter, and when people asked what he had done lately, expecting his story to top hers, he could be okay that he would never be better than her at some things.

And then, one snowy December, when they were putting their finishing touches on their Christmas tree, and competing to make the best cookies, someone arrived at their door to tell them they found Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive in a pool of their own blood…and the twins…they didn’t find.

She didn’t cry. She didn’t immediately burst into a thousand shards of glass like he would have expected.

He would have liked it better that way. Because he could deal with that. Because he could do something, he could run up to her, hug her, kiss her, comfort her. Be the big brother.

No, the Midford women had always been strong, and she was no exception. She didn’t fall to pieces. She went into her room, put on a black dress and bonnet—(as was proper). And she went to the funeral, as all good little noblegirls should.

And all throughout the service, as they lay Rachel and Vincent to rest, beside two little graves they all knew were empty, as the vicar read from a Bible a passage about sheep, and finding your way home, he kept glancing at her, kept waiting to see the tears to stream down her face, for her to fall to her knees.

Her eyes were big, and blank, and full of almost-to-the-surface tears, yet she was sugar and spice and everything nice; the picture of an English noblewoman.

She went about her day, whole, composed, proper. And no one could have guessed that grief wasn’t another thing she excelled at.

But he’d never quite forget that night. The sound he heard, even through the passing years.

That night, after the funeral, after mother sent her off to bed with a few proud words, and father kissed her one to many times, after Edward grabbed her hand and asked “Are you sure you’re okay?” After she said “Yes, I’ll be fine.”—

He woke up to the sound of screaming.

He shot up in bed, wondering if he’d dreamed it, heart yammering, breath burning. He didn’t bother to light a candle, just stumbled out of bed, and ran down the halls, calling her name.

When he reached her room, she was sitting on the floor beside her bed in her little white nightdress, and tear tracks staining her face; in pieces. A perfect gold stain on the world.

She reached her hands weakly out to him as he knelt down before her, and wrapped her arms so tight around him that he thought she might break him too…and she cried into his nightshirt until she stained it. But he didn’t care.

Many little girls run to their parents in this situation. But he knew, if she had gone to their parents, mother would have told her there was no use crying, they weren’t coming back, and father would have doted on her, and she wanted neither…or rather, something in between. So she came to him.

This wasn’t the last time.

During the day she would go about her life as normal.

But every night she woke up. It was always somewhere between 14:00 and 16:00 he heard her screaming, calling the name of the sky. Either that, or he would hear a faint knock on his door, and see the face of a broken little girl in need of her big brother.

It became muscle memory for Edward to comfort her. To throw off his covers and run to his sister’s room, or he would pat the blankets beside him to say come here, and either way he’d wrap his arms around her tight, as if trying to wring the tears out of her, and she would sob until they burned rivers in his skin. He would brush his hands through her golden hair, whispering things in her ear like shh, and it’ll be okay, and singing old lullabies, all the while knowing knowing the quiet would come. And he would pray. Pray that things would be okay. Pray that the one who created the universe would grant some solace to this sweet little sheep.

He would pray, and the next day, with tears barely barred from his own cheeks, he would kick the wall, and demand why and how a merciful God could do this to someone like her. Why he would take good people from the world.

—(He would pray, and he thought one day he heard Him say They aren’t yours to keep.)—

Sometimes she asked if they could go to the cemetery in the morning. They would dress in their finest blacks, looking like ink blots on the world, onyx with gold filigree in the cracks. She would carry bouquets of flowers, the petals sifting off in the wind, and add them to those there, left by the miscellaneous others who cared for them…And she wouldn’t cry then, no. She wouldn’t cry until it was past the witching hour.

She didn’t give up. Didn’t stop living. For all intents and purposes she was the same as she’d always been…but something was missing when they crossed blades.

She woke up less and less as time went by. Eventually her visits to his room were stray nights in the grand scheme of things, and she didn’t cry so hard. Sometimes she’d just sit with him, or ask to play chess, or chat with him till the morning came.

And then one day, after the grief didn’t burn so badly in her chest—

Her fiancé came back without an eye, and with a pitch black butler.

He didn’t talk about what he’d gone through, or how he’d come back. He didn’t speak of that day his parents died. He didn’t mention how his brother died—he didn’t mention much of his brother at all.

He wasn’t that brazen, bold, grinning child they knew before. He was dark, and serious…and he never smiled.

And Edward was glad to have him back…yet from the start he couldn’t help but feel…uneasy. Like something was wrong. Something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. There were too many questions, too many gaps in information, and the darkness that seemed to flock to this boy now didn’t help.

And Edward, though Lizzie’s fire was only stronger since he came back, her skill even more unmatchable, was at last able to get a few good hits in sometimes.

He couldn’t believe he never saw it before, his reason beyond the sword, the task of carrying on a name... it was there from the beginning.

He knew who it was he had to protect.

[albedos-little-helper]

Edward Midford x reader

Request by @yumeastreea

Summary: Francis forces Edward into an arranged marriage which he isn’t too thrilled about at first but kinda falls in love at first sight i guess. Kinda only his pov No Francis slander i love her ;-;

Wc: 850 words

Authors note: i had a vision i swear idk what happened.

Edward always did everything to not anger his mother, the Marchioness Francis Midford, in any way, shape or form. He quickly learned that this would make life easier for him, the rest of the family and the whole staff. He had his duties as the eldest son of the Midfords and he fulfilled them as best as he could, but when a few weeks after his 18th birthday his mother started to make comments about finding him a suitable wife soon, he was stunned to say the least.

It wasn’t unusual that she would push such an issue now. Far from it. Most of the young gentleman his age were already in some sort of promised relationship, but somehow he always managed to avoid this topic. Its not like he didn’t like the idea of marriage, an own home and eventually some children, but he always imagined that he could choose the person to spend the rest of his life with himself. He must admit that his way of thinking is kind of naive for someone of his rank, but the fact that his sister already has a fiancé while he doesn’t always gave him hope. He thought that his parents might have forgotten about that part.

To his surprise his mother was already prepared and in contact with multiple other families that had a daughter his age and by the time he finally gave in to the idea of an arraigned marriage it only took a couple of letters to schedule a first meeting with his soon to be fiancé and her family. As expected he had no say at all in choosing the woman he was supposed to get engaged with. Which was probably better for him because he was a nervous wreck. He knew he could have never made a proper decision regarding this topic himself and even though he felt quite left out he was also very glad for is mothers assistance.

So after dozens of letters that were send between Francis and y/ns mother it was finally time for both family to meet in person. The two women agreed on nothing too fancy at the mansion of the midford family. Edward already heard a lot of good things about his future fiancé, but only from his mother so most of it was related to her status and reputation. Of course she reassured him that y/n was a lovely person, but that didn't calm him down one bit and the longer he waited for the day of the get together to arrive the more anxious he got.

What if he doesn’t make a good impression on y/n?

What if they have nothing in common?

Or even worse. What if Lizzy doesn’t like her?

The more he thought about y/n the more worried he got.

The day of their meeting finally arrived and Edward was even more nervous than expected. He was extremely tired due to the lack of sleep last night what made him look a little sick. His mother had to constantly correct his posture and at this point his father just felt really sorry for him. Luckily his dear sister had the brilliant idea to surprise her fiancé with a visit so there was one less factor he needed to worry about right now.

His family was already waiting for y/ns arrival in the mansion’s library and when they heard their carriage arrive Edward felt like his heart is going to stop. Even though the thought of running away crossed his mind he already saw servant rush to the front door to let the visitors in. Everything was happening so fast and he didn't even realise that his family including him stood up to greet the visitors.

At first an adult couple came through the huge door and quickly introduced themselves as the l/ns. Both seemed very friendly, but Edward couldn’t even look at them as his eyes were practically drawn to the other sound woman that entered the building shortly after them and in a matter of seconds his face turned from white into is very healthy pink. He quickly acknowledged y/n parents with a short greeting and made his way over to her. Normally he had no issue talking to women, especially after his time in the Phantom Five, but this felt different. He was grateful that he learned all of those skill so right now he could at least fake some confidence. With a light smile on his lips he looked directly into her eyes and reached for her hand.

“Its a pleasure meeting you miss l/n. I have been desperately awaiting your arrival. My name is Edwards Midford.“

His tone was very gentle, but a slight shakiness was still audible. The young man slowly takes her hand in his an raises it to give it a little kiss. He knew that this wasn’t the proper way and he knew he would be scolded later by his mother, but he genuinely hoped that he was able to make a remarkable first impression on his soon to be wife.

[queencamellia]

Daily Life of the Midfords

A/N: This was originally written for @wife-of-queens-watchdog for the @faustianexchange (make sure to join this next year!), but I switched prompts midway for a sweet Cielizzy fic. I stumbled upon this again and decided to finish it lol. :3

Timeline: Sometime after the Public School arc & before the Green Witch arc.

Victorian England particularly stresses the importance of social etiquette. “One must always conduct themselves in such a behavior befitting of one’s class,” one of his mother’s friends once told Edward, patting his cheek with her gaudy pink fan. “You’re a good, proper boy. Nothing like my rascal of a son.”

The Midfords, to the majority of Victorian elite, are always kind, cordial, and charming despite their superior monetary status. Their manners are impeccable, and their comments rarely elicit any sort of resentment or dislike. They are, as many whisper, the shining example of true Victorian nobles.

“How proper she is,” they whisper of Francis Midford, unbeknowning of the calculating nature and mild distaste behind the former Phantomhive’s cordial compliments. “A good wife that has done her duty in raising two marvellous children.”

“How sweet and delicate she is,” they whisper of Elizabeth Midford, unaware of the steel warrior underneath the dimpled smiles, the swords beneath her petticoats, and even the loyal knight underneath her princess-like conduct. “She would make a nice and docile wife for my son.”

“How strong he is,” they whisper of Alexis Midford, ignorant of his father’s true strength (his heart) and fooled by his genial and lighthearted nature. “He is our knight.”

“How kind he is,” they whisper of Edward himself, oblivious of the ruthless measures he can (will) take for the sake of his family. “He will make England proud, someday.”

Edward is aware of all of these whispers, but follows his parents’ precedent and feigns ignorance anyways. Although it’s considered more of an “unrefined” American game, his father once taught him how to play poker. Edward knows better than to reveal his cards before the game’s over.

He is sitting ramrod-straight in front of an ornate rosewood table. Placed in front of him is the possibly the most traditional of English breakfasts: back bacon, eggs, British sausage, and various fried vegetables. To his right is a servant perched over the coffee table, pouring another cup of coffee for his father. Edward’s father always drinks coffee at breakfast, to his mother’s everlasting annoyance.

It’s relaxing to be around his family again. Their presence is comforting; it helps Edward cope with what would forever be known as the “incident” amongst Edward and his fellow Weston College prefects. Ciel had told him that he wouldn’t turn out like the former Weston prefects, pointing out Edward’s guilty conscience as evidence. Unfortunately, his cousin’s words weren’t enough to assuage Edward’s fears.

I could’ve ended up like them. I would have acted just as blindly, just as recklessly, and definitely just as foolish if Ciel hadn’t revealed the truth. Edward’s realization that day had shaken him to his very foundation, but spending time with his family drives away his fears. His family is his anchor: his mother’s stern looks and sister’s bright countenance ground him.

“We forgot to congratulate you,” his father says suddenly, setting down his coffee mug, “...about your promotion to prefect.”

There are many words left unsaid. Edward is certain that his parents know there is more to the story. Ciel’s presence at the boarding school definitely fueled their suspicions.

“Sir?” Edward asks immediately, then flushes a bright red. It’s nearly instinctual to call older men ‘sir’ thanks to Weston’s strict protocols. “Thank you, Father,” he amends, fixtating his gaze on his plate awkwardly. He thought himself past the phase of teenage gangliness, but he supposes he is wrong. It’s somewhat humiliating; Edward Midford is supposed to be strong and bold, not diffident and gauche.

He stabs at a slice of bacon with his fork, a feeble attempt at distracting himself from the awkward atmosphere that has enveloped the dining room. Alexis Midford, for all of his strengths, has never been one to talk about feelings: that role had always been allotted to Lizzy.

Speaking of his sister, Lizzy is beaming at the pair, most likely pleased that they are on slightly better terms. After being defeated by Ciel in the cricket match, Edward’s father hadn’t been angry with him, per say, but Edward’s been unable to look at his father properly in the eye since, despite his father’s multiple talks about how failure makes one stronger.

His sister clears her throat, catching their family’s attention and eliciting a stern look from their mother. “One of the servants brought to my attention that there’s a new comedy showing at St. James’ Theatre.”

“Lady Windermere’s Fan?” Their father asks, his face breaking out into an attractive grin that Edward knows he has inherited. “Why,  I was just talking to Viscount Arbuthnott of the matter.”

“It sounds horribly improper,” Francis sniffs. “A man running off to have a love affair with his wife’s mother, for shame.”

“You mean you wouldn’t attempt to elope with our dear Ciel?” Their father teases, his comment instantly infuriating his wife.

“Alexis!” she rebukes sharply, but when their father lays a hand down gently on hers, her sharp look softens. Edward and Lizzy exchange uncomfortable looks as their parents gaze at each other with sickeningly sweet adoration. Edward briefly wonders how the prudish aristocrats would react if they witnessed such...well, as Lizzy says, “lovey-dovey” exchanges between his parents.

To Edward’s immense relief, Lizzy clears her throat, cutting off their parents’ blatant adoration of each other and drawing their attention to her. “Mother, Father? I was hoping to attend the play with a few...friends.”

Their mother has always been quick-witted, immediately noting Lizzy’s aversion of aforementioned friends’ names. “Of whom are you speaking of, Lizzy?”

“W-well, Ciel will be there,” Lizzy says brightly. She’s oblivious of the way their parents’ eyes sharpen. “And I have kept a healthy correspondence with several of the boys we’ve met at Weston during the cricket tournament.”

“So they’re all boys?” Alexis demands, managing to sound both like a British knight and like an overprotective, clingy father at the same time.

“Well, Earl Grey and Earl Phipps should be attending,” Lizzy responds cheerfully. “Don’t fret so much, Father! They can keep an eye on us.”

The mention of Double Charles definitely does not comfort Alexis Midford in the slightest way. “More boys?”

“...Nina may accompany me,” Lizzy suggests meekly, sensing both Edward’s and his father’s growing consternation. Her offer doesn’t assuage Edward’s suspicions (he’s not going to let a bunch of little punks hang around his precious little sister, dammit), but their father relaxes. Lizzy senses her opening and pounces. “I’ve really been looking forward to this outing, Father,” she insists emphatically, pulling all stops -- pleading eyes, pursed lips, and all. “May I please go?”

Their father visibly wilts as he acquiesces, “Take Paula and invite one of your female companions along.”

“Father!” Edward protests immediately, but his sister is already out of her seat.

Beaming, she hurries over to their father, pressing kisses to both of his cheeks and giving him an affectionate hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squeals, emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. “Oh, this will be so much fun!” She then turns to Edward, staring at him innocently. “Is something the matter, big brother?”

He can’t bear to extinguish the light in her eyes. “Nothing,” he grinds out. “When do you plan to attend the theatre?”

“Tomorrow evening,” Lizzy admits, giving her brother an affectionate pat on the shoulder and pressing a kiss to her mother’s cheek before bounding off to her room, dismissing herself from their meal. Lizzy has always been an unstoppable whirlwind of surprises, but this time he still needs a few more minutes to process exactly what had occurred.

“...Edward,” Francis says, taking a sip of tea.

His mother’s voice is cold, commanding, and undoubtedly Phantomhive. Edward unconsciously straightens his spine. “Yes, Mother?” His heart pounds with hope that they will grant him permission. Alexis is giving her a similar hopeful expression.

Francis Midford nee Phantomhive gives him a slow, serious look. “...make sure you watch over sister.”

Edward beams. Parental approval granted. “Of course!”

“Is your brother not coming?”

Lizzy blinks, then turns around with a half-upturned smile. “Earl Grey,” she greets, curtsying. The formal gesture irritates the Queen’s butler, judging by the prevalent scowl on his face. “Unfortunately, my brother had prior arrangements,” she says regretfully. Although she loves Edward Midford to the moon and back, she doesn’t want him to use his precious vacation time chaperoning her to a play. Edward never likes such productions, anyways.

Earl Grey gives her a measured look, his silver eyes darting to her left where other nobles are engaging in conversation. “Hm. Is that so?” he mutters mainly to himself, shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well, his loss. Wilde’s works are usually decent.”

Lizzy visibly perks up. “You read Wilde’s works?”

“His poems, mostly.”

Lizzy brightens.

(Disguised as Cheslock’s nonexistent cousin, Edward laughs along with some of his companions’ jokes as he glares daggers at Earl Grey for being so close to his little sister. For Heaven’s sake, where was that man’s propriety? Nobody needed to be that close to discuss literature, dammit--)

“Oh, good evening, Earl Phipps,” Lizzy chirps, skipping over to the other silver-haired noble.

“Lady Midford,” Phipps greets, bowing his head in respect.

Lizzy giggles and swats at his arm with a fan. “Lady Midford is my mother. Please, just call me ‘Lizzy.’”

“As you wish, Lady Lizzy. Please, just call me Phipps.”

(Edward glowers. How dare such a man act so casually with his little sister!)

“Cieeeeeeeeeel!”

“Lizzy!” Ciel groans, prying her off. She purposefully slackens her grip so he can push her off and frowns at him.

“Aren’t you happy to see your cute fiance?” comes Grey’s voice, amused and almost accusing.

“Cute?” Lizzy repeats, indignant as she places a hand on her hips and flips her hair, the epitome of grace. Obviously. “I’ll have you know, earl, that I am pretty and beautiful. Ciel’s cute.”

Ciel squawks, turning red. “Elizabeth,” Ciel hisses, cheeks burning. “Enough.”

“I mean, look at his smile! Oh, and his ears are so red. Ne, ne, Ciel? I have a new outfit in mind that would suit you well.”

“Are there ruffles?”

“...no…”

“Ribbons?”

“...no…”

“Frills.”

“...maybe a little…” Lizzy pouts. “You’re no fun. Come on, Ciel: let’s enjoy the play to its fullest!”

“I didn’t want to come to the play,” grumbles Ciel. His eyes, however, speak differently.

(Cheslock has to physically restrain Edward from approaching the pair to pummel Ciel to the ground for speaking so callously to his precious little sister.)

“Mother! Father!” Lizzy flies into the sitting room, shrieking in a rather unladylike way. Her parents indulge her, regardless, and hold out their arms for a group hug. “The play was amazing,” she babbled. “We must attend it together, sometime. I think you will enjoy it, Mother. The actors were perfect for their roles. Oh, where’s Edward?”

“Here, Lizzy,” Edward says, appearing in the doorway. Her brother smiles gently at her and ruffles her hair as she launches forward to give him a hug. “So you liked the play? Did any of those ruffians try to pull anything on you?”

“Honestly, brother,” Lizzy huffs, giggling. “You worry too much. I almost thought that you’d come to whisk me away during intermission.”

Edward twitches. “And have you miss the second act? I think not,” he laughs. Her brother is much too considerate and kind, but Lizzy doesn’t mind. If anyone tries to cross their family and spit on his kindness, her sabres are ready.

“I would’ve liked to have Ciel come for dinner, but everyone seemed like they were in a hurry to leave,” Lizzy pouts. Unbeknownst to her, Edward gives a nod towards their parents and mouths “mission accomplished” behind her back. “Dinner after a play sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

“How about this, then? We’ll all go see a play of your choice at the week’s end,” their father suggests genially. “Family is important, and we should do something together before Edward leaves for Weston.”

“Yes!” Lizzy cheers, embracing their father wholeheartedly.

Edward laughs, glancing to his side to look at his mother. Although she portrays herself as a cold woman, he can easily discern her telltale signs of contentedness.

“Happy, mother?” Edward asks quietly as they watch the raucous father-daughter duo laugh and chatter.

Francis Midford exhales, a genuine smile curving across her lips. “Of course.”

[sondepoch]

Thoma reminds me of Edward Midford, and after Childe I don't know if I can trust him 😔

okayy listen i only watched like the first two seasons of black butler (or like, the first season and maybe half of the second) so idrk who Edward Midford is i just know that i read one fanfic where he was a love interest and i've liked him ever since so that's a plus in my mind ;)

[officialrachelphantomhive]

Hey! Like Group Chat aus? Like reading bad fanfic? Like the Phantom Five?

Check out my fanfic! Cleverly titled phantom 5 group chat, because I just have a way with words

[tickledpink31]

My tablet wasn’t working so behold a hand-drawing of my OCs

Let me introduce them to you:

Akane Hayashi from Ouran High School Host Club

Age: 16-17

Height: 157cm (5′2″)

Formerly known as Aisling by her birth parents

The adopted daughter of the Hayashi family

Deaf and speaks JSL

She came to life after I watched Amélie 

Affiliated closely with Kyoya

A talented engineer and botanist

Her parents are generous people and she’s no different

The Hayashi family are also a modest bunch and live in an apartment big enough for three people

Veronica Midford from Black Butler

Age: 19-20

Height: 156.5cm (5′2″)

I wanted to indulge in my love for reverse harems and time travel stories so Veronica was born

Prepare to be romanced by a demon, three reapers, and maybe I’ll throw in an angel

Descendant of the Phantomhives and Midfords (either from Lizzie or Edward, but not O!Ciel.)

Known as Lady Phantomhive by ominous people that she meets *cough* Undertaker *cough*

I kept changing her style before I settled with the short wavy look

A psychic like her ancestors as a side effect of the demon contract

Dresses in lolita, but her fashion choices look more mature these days

Her older sister, Beatrice, practices exorcism

I just realized I forgot to put the devil’s trap in her eye (Beatrice put it there for protection)

A charitable young woman who wants to help and will do it outside of the law if she has to

Much smarter than people realize

Fluent in 6 languages including ASL

Kaguya from Avatar the Last Airbender

Age: 16-18

Height: 165cm (5′5″)

Born in the era after Korra

I don’t really follow The Legend of Korra ever since the end of season 1 and I don’t really want to so I’ll decide what’s canon

Youngest of 10 siblings

Has been to the spirit world several times without aid

Travelled to Republic City from the Northern Water Tribe to attend the Bending Arts Academy and become a doctor

Invented a healing form of blood bending

Minerva “Minnie” Castillo from Obey Me

Age: 18-19

Height: 162.6cm (5′4″)

You probably know her from some of my posts so I’ll give you a brief rundown

She’s me but better

Why did I draw her eyes wonky?

I ship her mostly with Lucifer

Filipino-Canadian like me

A musical theatre kid

An identical twin, practically the Snow White to her sister’s Rose Red

Unwilling and chaotic mom friend

Planning never goes right for her so she’s in literally in hell

Lives in a van during her college life

Erika Matsumori from Harry Potter

Age: 11-16 (Golden Trio Era) 30s–40s (Post-Wizarding War II)

Height: 175cm (5′9″)

At the risk of getting attacked I am making not one but two Harry Potter OCs one of which will be paired with Draco

I am a recent fan and yes I’m aware how problematic Rowling is so don’t ruin this for me

This girl’s resting bitch face gives Blaise Zabini a run for his money

In the language of Hanakotoba, Erika means “solitude” explaining her solitary disposition

Her surname translates to “pine” and “forest”

Pine for the wood of her wand

Forest because back in Japan, Erika often ventured into the nearby forest to look for yokai

Erika has nerves of steel and an equally steely face

But she has a good heart underneath

Had a hard time making friends but Luna Lovegood was a good start

Ginny became her friend by extension of Luna but not without a few misunderstandings

A year younger than the Golden Trio

Dated Colin Creevey for a month before they decided to just stay friends

She’s a muggle-born Slytherin (I do what I want)

Although she’s a muggle-born, she grew up knowing about the wizarding world because her uncle is a muggle-born

Was once a student at Mahoutokoro (did you know students there start attending at age 7 but are not boarded until they are 11?) until she was expelled for associating with yokai

Moved to the UK with her uncle to attend Hogwarts at 11

Became part fox after helping a kitsune get back to their mother

Has narcolepsy and has plenty of vivid prophetic dreams because of it

Like a true Slytherin, she protects her kind, muggle-borns that is

She defended her fellow Slytherins before the Battle of Hogwarts

It annoys Draco that she just happened to catch his attention

Made love potions illegal as an adult

Like vixens, Erika goes to great lengths for her family especially her three children in the future

Kikyo Malfoy from Harry Potter

Age: 16–19 (mid to late teens depending on when the story takes place)

Height: 160cm (5′3″)

Erika and Draco’s eldest child and only daughter

She two brothers who are twins, Scorpius and Ryuji, they are both protective of their sister

In the language of Hanakotoba, Kikyo means unchanging love, honesty, and obedience

Not a Slytherin but a Ravenclaw, her parents knew that all along and they are proud of her regardless

Wrote a non-biased version of the Harry Potter series for the purpose of helping muggle-borns and half-bloods who are not aware of their magical heritage

Writes about Newt Scamander, her mother, and herself—a complete series in different points of views of all the houses

Has the ability to split into four different versions of herself (Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor) possibly even more

Wishes she has her mother’s nerves of steel

Has some kitsune abilities like summoning fire and enhanced sense

Marie Christen/Marjorie Calieus/Mar from The Arcana

Age: 21

Height: 151.8cm (5′0″)

I have mentioned my love for time travel stories and world hopping so prepare for another one

There aren’t a lot of world hopping fanfic for The Arcana so here’s mine…sort of

They are the offspring of two powerful magicians from far outside of Vesuvia

Their father travelled to our world and dropped Mar off at a married couple’s house in Zürich and was renamed Marie Christen

Mar is non-binary but goes by all pronouns and still responds to the names Marie and Marjorie

They have a birthmark on their cheek which The Fool symbol

Happily lives in adoption with her parents Eva and Liam and her kid sister Antoinette

Her familiar is a lamb named Edelweiss

Her biological aunt located Mar when they were 10. From then on, Mar made frequent visits to their aunt’s shop in Vesuvia to hone their magical abilities

At 12, they met Asra who was nearly 15 at the time

[thewomaninlilywhite]

Hi! For the Valentine's day asks: 8, 22, 43? ☺️

Hi!!

8) Favorite fanfic trope?

Most of my ships are rare pairs or for small fandoms, so I’m generally not too picky. I am a sucker for angst-with-a-happy-ending and mostly anything hurt/comfort

22) Fictional crushes?

My OCD and Asexuality combine with this question to form the ultimate pretentious answer (this is also wild because, like, a year ago I would NEVER publicly admit to liking anime as much as this answer implies):

Aesthetic Attraction: Soul Evans, Ronald Knox, Maxim de Winter (specifically Larry Olivier), whomstever the heck Ed Stoppard played on Frankenstein Chronicles because clearly I am a SUCKER for morally grey characters

Platonic Attraction: Lilias Craven, Lucy Westenra, Lenalee Lee, Maka Albarn, Fiona MacLaren, Tonya Zhivago, Natsu Dragneel, Juliet Ashton

Both: Grelle Sutcliffe, Archibald Craven (specifically John Lynch), Georg Nowack (specifically Zach Levi), Edward Midford, Marian Halcombe (specifically Carolyn Maitland)

That was WILD

43) Favorite abba songs?

Gimme Gimme Gimme is the first one that comes to mind idk why but it’s an absolute vibe

[edenityy]

Fractured Elegance

Things to Know

It is a Ciel Phantomhive x Fem! OC.

Edward Midford and Finnian are secondary ships.

It is a retelling of the manga and includes heavy spoilers! I wouldn't advise reading it if you haven't read the manga.

AO3 gets better author notes, meaning I probably won't write many here. If you'd like to see them head on over to AO3! I also suggest reading on AO3 because my typical formatting won't cooperate with me here and I think Tumblr makes it ugly + I don't know how to make things aesthetic. It won’t let me center text. I’m not dealing with it. Sorry if you don’t like that but I have genuine beef with this app.

I try to post once a week! This fic is not pre written. If there are weeks where I don't post, that means I am low on motivation and I kindly ask you to be patient! Please don't pester me for updates as it will only irritate me, it won't compel me to work. The days I post are randomized. I also find Tumblr beyond irritating and tedious so that may delay my updates on this platform.

My AO3 tags are: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage, Ciel Phantomhive/Original Female Character, Edward Midford/Original Female Character, Finnian (Kuroshitsuji)/Original Female Character, Aged-Up Characters, Arranged Marriage, Marriage of Convenience, Canon Compliant, Teenage Ciel Phantomhive, Kuroshitsuji Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eating Disorders, Canon-Typical Violence, Mild Gore, Eventual Smut, Pregnancy, Established Relationship, 19th Century, Misogyny, Period Typical Attitudes, Romance, Humor, Background Relationships, Engagement, Canon - Manga, Fluff, Angst, Friendship/ Love, Slow Burn

Please beware of these if there is something you do not like.

I often replace/take Elizabeth out of the story, but I do not demonize her. This may not be the fic for you if you like her a lot.

There are numerous of my original characters, approximately seven that are more prominent. You will find out more about them as you read.

Grell when being referred to by other characters will typically be referred to as a man. However, when I am describing actions, Grell is referred to as a woman.

Thank you for reading!

[le-saltimbanque-decrepit]

Challenge (Kuroshitsuji)

Day #1 First Encounter With This Series (i.e. how you discovered it, first episode you watched, etc…): It’s funny. I was dreamed about this anime, because I had seen some pictures on internet. I thought that Kuroshitsuji was about Sebastian, who was a noble man, and Ciel dressed as a girl was his maid (I thought he actually was a girl) and I said: I had dream about these anime whose protagonist is a servant xDDDD

Day #2 The Moment That Made You Fall in Love with this Series: I was fan of Gosick, a detective-mystery anime in the victorian era, and when I finished it, I decided to watch Kutoshitsuji, because it was the same genre and in the same period. When I watched the first chapter, I fell in love with the series.

Day #3 Favourite Female Character: Doll. I love her. I love her voice and her tomboy style. I also love Madame Red, Frances and Lizzy (the badass) ;)

Day #4 Favourite Male Character: So many! Sebastian. Ciel. Bravat. Gregory. Herman. Edgar.

Day #5 Favourite Romance/Rivalry: I love Sebaciel. I also like the relation between the P4 and their fags <3

Day #6 Least Favourite Female Character: None, I love all of them

Day #7 Least Favourite Male Character: Derrick Bitch Arden

Day #8 Least Favourite Romance/Rivalry: I don’t like that Sebastian and Ciel are enemies with Bravat :(

Day #9 Funniest Moment: So many, for example, when Gregory makes Herman make strange poses to “draw him” :P

Day #10 Saddest Moment: The circus member’s death... :(

Day #11 Something You Wish Hadn’t Happened: Same, that the circus member don’t die :(

Day #12 Something You Wished Would Happen But Never Did: Some ships, and that the S4 was not in danger... Also, the 2CT, but soon it wil be true. 

Day #13 A Song That Reminds You of this Series: A demon’s fate by Within Temptation

Day #14 Favourite Villain Bravat. He is a villain, isn’t he? :P

Day #15 A Character Everybody Else Loves That You Hate: I don’t hate them, but I think that the servant and the shinigami are overraterd.

Day #16 A Character Everybody Else Hates That You Love: The prefects, Aleister Chamber, Bravat :)

Day #17 The Character You Love To Hate: Derrick Arden because he deserves to be hated xD

Day #18 The Top Three Things on Your To-Do List if You Suddenly Found Yourself in the Series: Marry the weston boys, Bravat, Sebastian and Ciel, go to a safe place and live happy :)

Day #19 A “Ship” in the Fandom You Can’t Stand: I like all ships

Day #20 The Best and worst Fanfic You’ve Ever Read of this Series: All were good. Herman x Lawrence, Edgar x Herman, Ciel x Sebastian, Bravat x Lizzy, Frances x Sebastian, and my favorite one, Herman x Dahlia. I read a Herman x Edward, but I didn’t like their personallities so much. And one very funny, Gregory ordering Herman to get naked to draw him xD

Day #21 On a Scale from Secret Admirer to Panty-Sniffer, How Obsessed Are You with this Series?: 666 xD

Day #22 The Character You’d Want as a Drinking Buddy: Sebastian drinks so much like we can see in a circus ova xD

Day #23 The Character You’d Want as a Fuck: Muahaha, Ciel is so little for me, and Sebas too old...  Bravat? Gregory? Edgar? Herman? =)

Day #24 The Character You Find Most Relatable: I am like Gregory Violet’ appareance + Edward Midford’ personallity + Lawrence’s brain + Lizzy kawaiiness

Day #25 Favourite Object/Prop: Criquet bat xD

Day #26 Favourite Costume: I love Gregory’s, Sieglinde’s, Bravat’s, Doll’s and Lizzy’s

Day #27 Favourite Quote:  “ Neither white flowers nor plain clothes suit you. What suits you is the red of passion, the color of liquorice burning the landscape” - “Tradition is absolute” and the beautiful quote from Dee to Vincent in a volume cover “The days I spent with you are burning in my memory” ToT

Day #28 Favourite Climax : I like the end of the Weston arc, with the flashback of Derrick’s death 

Day #29 A Moment That Made You Question Whether You Would Continue Reading/Watching…The shit chapters without plot movement

Day #30 Will Anything Ever Replace this Series for You?: no xD

[edenityy]

( chapter five ! )

"It's wonderful that your mother allowed you to attend the ball!"

Standing close to the refreshments table are Leah and Elizabeth, the pair adorned in extravagant dresses for the occasion. After hours of begging, Leah proved it worth it when her mother finally caved in. Elizabeth herself followed a similar strategy, though Francis seems slightly more lenient at the idea than Vivienne.

The young Barrett is dressed in a powder blue dress made of some of the highest quality fabric, bringing out the color of her eyes. Numerous small details surround the skirt as the top half is accentuated perfectly by her corset, followed by a pearl neckpiece that compliments her skin tone. Many eyes attach to her, capturing her every move through the ballroom. Brown hair also falls across her shoulders, curled at the end, and put up in a half up-half down style.

Despite having previously been upset that her mother wasn't going to be debuting her this season, Leah now appears reluctant due to the attention she gathers, "Yes.. Amazing, isn't it?" she fights back a sigh, opting to pick up a glass and sip at the liquid she's unfamiliar with.

All Leah and Elizabeth are capable of hearing is the immense chatter that fills the room, nearly drowning out their voices if they don't speak loud enough. Not far from the teenage girls stand their mothers and surprisingly, Edward, conversing while chaperoning the pair through the night's endeavors.

"Just look at all the beautiful dresses!" Elizabeth sings, hands tightly clasped together as she observes the other women in the room. Carrying herself away from Leah, she darts around the ballroom to begin interacting.

Watching her friend practically disappear before her eyes, Leah fights back another sigh, "Wait up!" Discarding the drink in her hands, the brunette begins to chase after her friend, unable to hear Edward attempting to call her back.

"I was going to ask to her dance.." Edward says with a look of defeat.

"You'll find the chance." Vivienne smiles, taking a sip from her glass of lemonade as she watches her daughter run off.

Across the room is a different story, Ciel wears a pink and black dress to disguise himself, utterly regretting all of his decisions. Trudging through the ballroom with an eye out for Viscount Druitt, he can't shake his disdain for his current situation.

"I really do not want my fiancé to see me like this.." Ciel's mind flashes to a vision of Leah, already picturing how she would react to seeing him in such a way. The thought of the shock, then gossip surrounds his brain in a thick fog.

"That head-piece is so exquisite!"

Sebastian and Ciel turn their heads at the speed of lightning to the sound of an all too familiar voice, eyes immediately settling upon the blonde and brunette pair. In between the two women, Elizabeth compliments any lady she comes across while Leah attempts to keep her on a leash and drag her away.

Glancing ahead of her, Elizabeth's eyes light up at the sight of Sebastian trying to whisk Ciel away, "That dress that girl is wearing is so cute!" she yells, but her voice dies down when the Phantomhive can break the line of sight within the large crowd of people in the room.

"Hm? Where did she go?" Elizabeth asks while turning her head every which way.

"She must have seen something that caught her eye. Or wanted to get away from you. Most strangers don't appreciate being chased.. even if you have good intent." Leah folds her hands near her abdomen, subtly messing with the fabric of her gloves.

Ducked behind a table, Ciel and Sebastian are mere feet away from Leah and Elizabeth. There's a tall and extravagant cake between them, which unlikely catches the eye of his fiancé, "Why are they here?! Anyway, let's go to where the ladies are.."

"Oh Elizabeth, look at the cake! It's beautiful." Leah muses, admiring the intricate details that surround the dessert.

Shifting her attention from the task of trying to find the mysterious woman, Elizabeth is just as content at the sight of the cake before them, "It is! We must have a slice together when they cut it!" She nods.

"I— I couldn't.." Leah breathes out, placing a hand lightly above her stomach with knitted brows. Even though she's thin, she can never shake the insecurity she developed during childhood, learning she was bigger than other girls.

"Nonsense!"

"How strange.." Sebastian whispers, "For your fiancé and cousin to be here, it is quite unexpected."

"Regardless of the disguise, if we meet.."

"You'll be found out."

Ciel's face fills with panic at their words, "If he discovers me, I won't be able to investigate!"

"Further, everyone here will find out that the young lady is you," Sebastian replies with a monotonous tone.

Sheer dread overcomes the Phantomhive, "If people find out I'm dressed like this, it'll be the ultimate humiliation for the Phantomhive family!" Ciel tries to hold his voice back from a shout, "If it comes to that, I'd rather die! Anyway, we cannot.." he trails off.

"Viscount Druitt is so handsome tonight!"

"His light golden hair is like gold thread!"

Viscount Druitt stands confidently a few meters away, conversing with guests. To no one's surprise, women speak of his looks from any corner of the room.

Reluctantly approaching the man, Ciel tries to keep his composure and act as he would a lady. As in copying how he sees Leah act. Unluckily for Ciel, he's barely able to get a word into the Viscount before the dreadful voice of Elizabeth emerges from behind him.

"Ah! Found you!" Elizabeth calls out, starting to approach excitedly.

Barely an inch behind her, Leah is tugging on the girl's arm and trying to pull her away, "Stop chasing people! Can't we get a snack or something?" she huffs.

Cursing under his breath, Ciel is quick to dart off and away from the pair, "I was so close too!"

"The girl in front! Please wait!" Begs Elizabeth, nearly unaffected by Leah's attempts to drag her back.

It's an annoying game of cat and mouse, with an extra player to intervene. Ahead of the girls, Sebastian leads Ciel through the people. But not far behind them, Leah rolls her eyes at Elizabeth who never seems to know when to give up.

Hand in the air, Sebastian waves over a butler, "Gentleman, please give a glass of lemonade to those ladies." he says while whisking Ciel away, pointing in the direction of the young Earl's fiancé and cousin.

Elizabeth holds initial confusion at the sudden offer of lemonade but Leah appears more than pleased, giving her a chance to catch her breath after the brisk walking to keep up with the blonde. Holding the glass between her gloved fingers, the Barrett girl hides her unstable breathing to take large gulps of the liquid while Elizabeth merrily chats away to more women around them.

Unfortunately for Leah, her break is short-lived when Edward quickly approaches her from behind. Gently grazing a hand past her shoulder, the older boy smiles widely, "May I have this dance?" he asks.

Fighting back a startled gasp when Edward suddenly appears behind her, Leah gives a lopsided, but soft smile, "You may."

Walking towards the dance floor, Leah gives one last look in Elizabeth's direction as they leave her behind, only praying she doesn't cause the unidentified lady any more trouble. But while distracted by her friend, she hardly notices that she brushes past Ciel who stands tightly next to Sebastian.

Guiding Leah to the dance floor, Edward takes her right hand in his left and places his free hand around her waist, leading the two of them in the dance. The dance is a classic waltz, one of the first dances that many learn. Following the music, their steps move in sync and Leah's dress skirt flows with her movements, her unlowered hems freely brushing across her ankles and calves.

"I'm glad I caught you in time. I thought you'd spend your entire evening chasing after Elizabeth," Edward chuckles, twirling the shorter girl in his arms.

Keeping her eyes trained on his, Leah smiles. "I was preparing to. Balls are a lot less fun than I thought they would be.." she complains.

The brunette's words earn a chuckle from Edward, both of whom barely notice Ciel and Sebastian just a few feet away from them. Somehow Elizabeth doesn't either, fixated on her cousin in the pretty dress yet is incapable of recognizing him. That could be explained by Ciel ducking his face out of their view whenever he can.

When the song ends and everyone returns to their original states, Leah lets go of Edward and returns to Elizabeth's side, brushing her shoulder past Ciel's and muttering a quick apology. Approaching her smaller friend, Leah's brows knit together when she realizes she is just staring off into the distance. Or more so, a particular boy in pink.

"Elizabeth?" Leah calls out, lowering her head to come between the blonde and the form her eyes are fixated on.

Blinking in surprise, Elizabeth looks up to meet the blue eyes that bore into her green ones, "Oh, Leah! How was the dance with Edward?" she asks.

"It was alright.." Leah shrugs, "What are you looking at?"

"The girl in that beautiful dress! I still haven't gotten to talk to her.." Elizabeth leans to look past Leah's shoulders, "But here's my chance!" The blonde announces, setting off with a pep to her step.

Leah sighs in irritation as Elizabeth begins to approach Ciel, currently in an uncomfortable conversation with Viscount Druitt. 'That girl never knows when to give up.'

Ciel himself is practically shaking in his shoes, knowing of the two familiar figures who are quickly closing the distance. In a quick matter of luck — aka, Sebastian — Ciel's initial worry of his life being over is somewhat reassured in a matter of seconds. Watching the butler wearing a masquerade mask slam down a cupboard between Ciel, Leah, and Elizabeth, he hides his surprise at the demon's sudden plan.

"The ball is at its peak, so at this time, may all the gentlemen and ladies watch this magic performance I shall do with this cupboard!" Sebastian announces. "That gentleman," he shifts his attention to Lau, "Can you assist me?"

Lau's signature smirk paints his face, "Me? Why of course."

Leah and Elizabeth both watch in amusement and wonder, eyes sparking with sudden interest.

"This is an ordinary cupboard. I will now enter it."

With the rest of the guests enamored by Sebastian's display, no one notices Viscount Druitt and Ciel sneaking off away from the party.

"After I go into the cupboard, tie it up tightly with these chains," Sebastian explains to Lau, handing the chains over to him. "And then these swords will be used to pierce this cupboard."

Drowning out the last of the explanation, Leah finally racks her brain to recognize a familiar face. "Is that Lau?" She questions, furrowing her brows before looking to her left to see Madame Red. 'I suppose Ciel didn't come after all?'

As much as the Barrett enjoys being in her thoughts, the train is quickly interrupted when she is brought back to hear Lau make exaggerated noises while impaling the box with Sebastian inside. The guests all look with utter shock and worry at multiple swords stabbed into the cupboard, a smiling Lau to accompany it.

"He suddenly went from the top?!"

"He really did it without restraint!"

Lau, who seems entirely proud of his work, sparkles, "Alright, let's see if he's alright?" he suggests.

Taking the swords out of the cupboard and undoing the chains, the door to the cupboard ominously begins to swing open. Everyone watches in silent worry before bursting into shouts of surprise when Sebastian steps out completely unscathed.

"Impressive!"

"A miracle!"

"Wow!"

"Bravo!"

The room is filled with sounds of applause, replacing the previous silence that could be cut by a knife. Stepping away from Elizabeth, Leah slowly walks over to Lau and Sebastian who she can now see.

Clapping cheerily, Madame Red has the smile of a happy child, "That was quite impressive, Sebastian!"

"Sebastian? If everyone else is here, then where is Ciel?" Leah questions, tilting her head.

"You can never be too surprised with that boy! I'm sure you're glad to be here though? How was your first ball?" Angelina gives a smile to the young Barrett.

"Well it's not my first.. but honestly. Never again." Leah sighs. All the attention she received, even without having to interact with anyone, was enough for her. Then following such a hyper Elizabeth around all night? The brunette is more than glad her mother chose to not debut her this season.

— ౨ৎ —

"What's the meaning of this?!" Ciel shouts, slamming down the latest newspaper. "The Viscount didn't go anywhere last night!"

It is another day in Ciel's townhouse, but not a particularly welcome one with the latest news. Around the room, the aristocrats are stationed in different spots of the room, holding the newspapers to observe the headlines displayed in bold words.

"If the suspect could not carry out the murders.. it's an impersonator.. no, it's possible there were others from the beginning." Lau speaks, standing in front of a bookcase.

Madame Red furrows her brows, "Meaning the Viscount isn't involved?" she asks.

"I have to come up with something again.." Ciel sighs. "We have to narrow it down. Sebastian, organize the list." The blue-haired teen demands.

Sebastian places a hand on his chest, "Your humble servant understands."

Later that same night, thunder and lightning crash around the townhouse. Leah and Madame Red sit around a small table, Ciel in his lounge chair a slight distance away. The trio are all wearing their sleep attire, paired with simple robes wrapped around themselves.

"There are four and a half million people in London alone. During the season party period, there's be even more." Ciel groans, smacking the papers on his left with the back of his hand. "If we relax the requirements, the pool of people increases even more."

"You're still working?" Leah questions, tilting her head to which her untied hair follows.

"Leah. Madame Red."

"Sometimes you don't need to work so hard." Madame Red smiles, holding up a box with the design of a chess board on the front. "Want to relax a bit and play this?" she asks.

"International chess, huh? It brings back memories.." Ciel says.

"Is that so? Because Sebastian was coming, I got this out from the attic!" Madame Red muses. "Come! Take a break! Take a break!" Angelina chants, pushing some papers off of the table.

"Grell, please prepare some tea!"

"It's already late so I've prepared herb tea made from wild roses," Grell explains, placing a cup in front of each aristocrat before pouring them a cup.

Hesitantly picking up her porcelain, Leah sniffs at the liquid before bringing the cup to her cherry-tinted lips. Taking a small sip, she recoils in her chair at the salty taste, spitting it back into the cup and placing it back on its plate.

"That's repulsive.." Leah sighs, leaning back in her seat.

"This tastes bad!" Madame Red shouts, "Why is herbal tea salty?! And you call yourself a butler?! Do it again!" she demands.

Grell shakes in her shoes, looking at her master, "Even so, I'm still a butler!" she tries not to raise her voice in response.

The red-haired woman lets out a breath of irritation, not bothering to listen to Grell's continuous apologies. Turning in her seat to observe the butler clad in black, she leans a head on her hand, "That butler of yours, whether he's capable or just a workaholic.. that's not much?" she questions.

"This is nothing," Ciel states in response.

"Since he's so capable, you should just make him do the investigation on the Viscount instead." Madame Red suggests.

"That is my 'power' and 'hands and legs'." Ciel holds up a horse piece, "Sebastian is merely one of my chess pieces. It is not possible to move the chess pieces without me, the person behind it. If I won using a free moving piece, that would not be to my credit." Ciel says.

Placing his horse piece on the board, he snatched up one of Angelina's pieces. Madame Red seems to be slightly surprised that her nephew has managed to snag another, trying to think of a new strategy.

"The one who gives the order will always be the master. Without my command, he will—"

Poor Leah has begun to tune out the conversation, eyes flickering closed out of utter boredom. The sound of the rain doesn't make her feel any better, slowly lulling the teenager to sleep in her seat.

Minutes pass before anyone has noticed Leah fell asleep. The first to notice was Madame Red, checking on the girl in her odd silence after she made her turn on the board.

"She fell asleep?" Angelina questions, which prompts Anna to walk over.

Glancing down at the chair, the maid sighs as she observes the sleeping brunette. Hair slightly sprawled across her face, parted lips, and faint breathing is displayed, all while sitting in an uncomfortable position.

"I will have her moved," Anna bows, "Please enjoy the rest of your night."

Before Anna has to chance to attempt to lift her mistress out of the chair, Sebastian places his papers down to walk over, "Allow me." he leans down to pick up the young Barrett.

"My, she's lighter than I thought she would be.." Sebastian says in surprise, fighting the urge to begin throwing her around from how little effort it would take.

Anna glances up at the butler, "Yes, she has a habit of not eating. It's been more noticeable over the years." she says, now walking with Sebastian toward Leah's designated room in the townhouse.

Most of the walk is silent, a silence that can't seem to decide if it's a comfortable one or not. Anna's dull personality makes it hard for her to entertain conversation, rather than choosing to focus on getting Leah in bed. Thankfully the townhouse isn't as big as a mansion, making it easy to reach the room.

Moving ahead of Sebastian carrying the young lady in his arms, Anna opens the door for him and stands to the side as he shuffles inside. Adjusting the girl in his arms, Sebastian pulls back the blankets and lays her beneath, turning back to Anna.

"Goodnight.." Sebastian smiles, walking out the door.

Approaching the sleeping Leah, Anna hardly pays Sebastian any mind as she prepares her mistress's items for tomorrow. "Goodnight."

— ౨ৎ —

It's only a matter of months before a multitude of people are gathered in a chapel to attend the unexpected funeral of Madame Red, the air filled with sadness and tears. Leah stands close to the coffin, observing Angelina who now lacks color with a blank look.

However, underneath her tough exterior, the girl is fighting back the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes. "I feel like you understood me in a way.. Even if we didn't speak much." her voice wavers, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Just as Leah lays the flower in her hand beside Angelina's head, the doors to the chapel swing open, prompting everyone to look back. Ciel stands front and center, Sebastian behind him to the side holding a hat to his abdomen with a solemn look.

"Ciel..!" Elizabeth exclaims, standing a few feet away from the coffin herself.

Releasing a breath through her nose, his fiancé watches as he walks closer with a crimson dress slung over his shoulder, "I knew you'd show up eventually." she gives a sad smile.

Leah steps back from the coffin, giving Ciel space to say goodbye to his aunt. Watching as the Phantomhive sits atop the podium holding the coffin up, she watches warily when Ciel swings the dress on his aunt and gently touches her face.

"You know white flowers and subdued clothes do not suit you. What suits you is passionate red. The color of licorice burning in the Earth." Ciel leans down to place his face closer to Angelina's, "Aunt Ann."

Just as Ciel finishes speaking, red flower petals begin to flood into the chapel. Everyone looks up and around in surprise, gasps filling the room while Sebastian stands outside with a carriage full of petals. Aiming her head up, a couple fall on Leah's head and face, causing her to release a small giggle.

Pulling away from his aunt's body, Ciel gives her one last look, "Good night, Madame Red."

Leah, Ciel, Sebastian, Lau, and Anna all stand by Angelina's grave. The young Barrett stares down at the touched dirt, solemnly holding her hands together to give silent remorse. Beside her, Anna keeps a hand on Leah's shoulder in comfort but makes no further moves.

"You did not inform the Queen of Jack the Ripper's true identity?" Lau asks.

"I did not think it necessary." Ciel replies, staring at the headstone, "After all, Jack the Ripper is no longer in London."

Looking up in confusion, Leah turns to Ciel with knitted brows, "Who was Jack the Ripper?" she questions.

Meeting his fiancé's eyes, Ciel feels the sorrow pouring from them. Unable to break the truth, he decides to leave her in ignorant bliss. At least for the time being.

"Do not worry about it.."

[edenityy]

Do you like Black Butler?

Do you like fanfiction?

Do you like Original Characters?

Do you like rewrites of canon plots with fun add-ins and special storylines from the author?

Then check out my fic!

I’m edenity and I write fanfiction. Currently I have one long fic that (at the moment of writing) is 50k words and ongoing! I always try to update once a week!

My fanfiction is called “Noblewoman | Black Butler”

and follows the plot of the manga. You see my MC (Leah Barrett) plunge into the world of Black Butler and accompany the Queen’s Watchdog on his missions.

Check me out on AO3 and Quotev!