#undertaker is cedric theory

[liusia-piu]

[abybweisse]

Why I think Undertaker has to be Cedric, revisited

At this point in the series, I'm a bit surprised how many in the fandom not just don't see him as Cedric K. Ros-- but actually rail against the idea.

So, here's a long, somewhat thorough overview of the situational and physical clues that he's Cedric, the father of Vincent and Francis/Frances.

Situational hints

How he cries over the details of Vincent's death. Not just that he died but what became of his remains. I'd cry over my dead son, too, especially if I had the ability to reanimate corpses but his body was destroyed by fire so that I couldn't do that. Let alone the fact his cinematic records were destroyed, so I not only couldn't make a bizarre doll of him, but I couldn't even review his memories to see what happened right before he died. This ties in with what he later says about not wanting to lose any more Phantomhives. But it strongly suggests that whoever set the fire did so specifically to thwart the efforts of a grim reaper. Whoever did that either knew Undertaker was a reaper or was at least following the instructions of someone who knew.

The whole not wanting to lose more Phantomhives thing. Claudia/Cloudia is gone, and so is Vincent. Reanimating real Ciel is the best he can do to not let the older twin go. He tried to destroy Sebastian to release our earl "Ciel" from their demon contract and might try again. Makes you wonder just how many Phantomhives he's really lost already. As well as where others might still be alive. What exactly was his business in France? 🤔

Even his odd comment to our earl (before the attack) that he wasn't sure which twin this was... but that it didn't matter because they were both Phantomhives. Instead of seeing an heir and a spare, he saw them equally. At least he did then. I suspect he now sees our earl as a spare soul... or conversely sees real Ciel as a spare body. I guess both could be true, making them still essentially equal in his eyes. Again, this could be another attempt to save our earl from Sebastian. By putting our earl's soul into the unmarked body of real Ciel, that might void the contract... unless the seal on our earl's eye also somehow affected his soul. 🤔 Anyway. I digress, since that gets into a separate theory discussion.

Standing in to help young Mr. Pitt take a photo of the twins. That's right after telling our earl it doesn't matter which twin he is. Then the other twin and Mr. Pitt arrive, the latter holding a new camera. It's odd that Mr. Pitt would ask a non-relative of the kids (besides a nanny) to help stage the photo, though Pitt is perhaps the non-traditionalist anyway. Undertaker seems like he's shocked to be asked, but he also seems amused. Mr. Pitt likely doesn't even suspect Undertaker is the twins' paternal grandfather, otherwise he might have seen it as a scoop, á la "LOWLY UNDERTAKER IS SIRE TO PROMINENT NOBLE FAMILY" or something equally scandalous. Because undertakers were considered low class citizens. So, Undertaker acts shocked but complies with giddy delight. By asking Undertaker to help stage the photo, he has likely, unwittingly asked a relative of the boys, which would be considered completely appropriate for the time period.

How he treats the Midfords. He recognizes Lizzie's talents and skill with a sword, otherwise he wouldn't have wanted her at Sphere Music Hall as a protector of the lords of the stars, while he kept them and Blavat hidden away. So he probably had Blavat bring her into the cult. Undertaker might see some of himself in Lizzie, but he definitely sees it in Frances/Francis, and I don't just mean physically. Both women fight in a similar manner as he does: highly skillful and graceful. Idk what he thinks of Edward, but I know he got a great laugh from watching the Phantom Five (including Edward) perform onstage. He doesn't interact much, if at all, with Alexis, who isn't a Phantomhive.

What he says to Francis/Frances, as well as how she responds. Again, he hardly acknowledges Alexis' existence, but Undertaker speaks directly with "Lady Phantomhive". That's really important because she's married into the Midford family and hasn't gone by her maiden name in many years. As long as Edward is old plus at least a bit longer, since she strikes me as too proper for a shotgun wedding, even if she weren't a noble. So, he sets her apart from her husband because she was born a Phantomhive. He doesn't want to lose her, either, because she is her mother's daughter. Then, when she nervously states he hasn't changed in roughly four years, he pokes fun at the fact he hasn't changed in a much longer time frame. He says her birth, over 30 years ago, seems like just yesterday. She's sweating bullets, and it's not just his creepy vibes. She knows he means it -- that 30-some-odd years is nothing to him... and that he very specifically recalls her birth. I'm pretty sure she knows he's her father, and she's horribly embarrassed by the fact. Alexis doesn't have a clue about it, and she'd rather keep it that way. But what he says strongly implies that he was present at her birth. Maybe down the hall, like Vincent was when his sons were born, but there... and just as anxious and excited and proud.

How the years for Cedric's birth and death dates are hidden by a speech bubble. Cloudia/Claudia's dates are fully shown because she's a regular human being. Well... a human, anyway. But if Undertaker is Cedric, then the birth and death dates for him would be from when he was a human, before he committed suicide and was sentenced to serve out his punishment as a reaper. That death date could be decades or even centuries before Cloudia/Claudia was even born. Remember that this family tree isn't one prepared by humans; it's part of the dossier that the German reapers have for our earl. The focus is purely biological ancestry, not marriages. Cloudia/Claudia and Cedric don't have to be married to be on this family tree; he is biologically the father of both Vincent and Francis/Frances.

Physical hints

He looks a lot like Francis/Frances and Edward. And Yana-san tweeted years ago that Francis and Edward look like Cedric. Here's a comparison between Edward and Undertaker. Here's one between Francis/Frances and Undertaker.

The place on his right where his hair has a long braid seems to match up with Lizzie's and Francis/Frances' right side locks that tend to stick out. He's got it tucked behind his right ear, but the braid might originate from the same spot. If Lizzie and her mother pushed those locks back, behind their right ears, the placement would be the same as Undertaker's braid.

He has the exact same baby hairs at the nape of his neck as Lizzie and Francis/Frances. They might be a bit shorter, but they are definitely there. Here's an old post about it. Edward possibly does, too, and we could tell if his hair was grown out and pulled up, but his hair is short and a bit shaggy on the nape of his neck, so we can't be sure.

[cedric-k-rossignol]

Placing my bets now that Undertaker's last name is Rossignol, the French word for nightingale. 

In trying to explain to a friend the plot of black butler via the iceberg meme, I've become so convinced that I've figured out Cedric K. Ros-'s (aka Undertaker's) last name that I've rejoined this site to scream into the void.

At least, I haven't been able to find anything on the English/French speaking internet suggesting this theory has been floated before.

Of course, this is assuming you subscribe to the Cedric K. Ros- = Undertaker = Undertaker x Cloudia affair = Grandtaker pipeline. And, that you think he is of French/Breton origin. 

Dates

Important to note that dates and numbers are important in Black Butler's story, both within the fictional narrative and in connection to real historical events (emphasized with the first arc lining up with the actual 'Jack the Ripper' murders). Some examples of this;

1819 is the year in which the real Queen Victoria (and her cousin-husband Prince Albert) were born. 1819 is also the year in which the name 'Cedric' first appears in the novel 'Ivanhoe'. Within the story, this is also right around the time that reaper 136649 attacks Reaper HQ.

1837 is the year in which the real Queen Victoria ascended the throne. In Black Butler, this is year in which Molly G., the first chronological locket on Undertaker's chain, died. 1837 would also be right around the time that Undertaker is noted as having absconded with his death scythe, officially deserting the organization...20 years after a workplace shooting (he must be union).

Prince Albert dies on December 14th, 1861, in the real world. The Phantomhive twins are born on December 14th, 1875 - the 14th anniversary of Prince Albert's death. Vincent is 24 years old when he becomes a father. The manor is attacked on December 14th, 1885 - the 24th anniversary of Prince Albert's death. Vincent is 34 years old when he dies. There's speculation that the story will end on Friday December 13th, 1889 - the twin's last day of being 13 years old, before they turn 14 years old on December 14th, 1889, the 4th anniversary of the attack on the manor.

Vincent Phantomhive is born on Friday June 13th, 1851. Cloudia Phantomhive dies on Friday July 13th, 1866. She is 36 years old when she dies. If you believe that Undertaker's reaper serial number 136649 means he died in the year 1366 (an interesting time period in Brittany, what with the Breton War of Succession, the Hundred Years War, the Black Death...), this would mean Cloudia dies 500 years after he unalives himself.

TLDR, dates matching up with historical events/publications is not coincidental. Yana pays attention to her numbers.

Now, back to Cedric K. Ros-

I've read speculation that the 'Ros-' must have something to do with roses, since Phantomhives are so often associated with roses (and their thorns). Guess what little bird is very commonly associated with roses? Whose song is often associated with melancholy, longing, and mourning? Who so often seems to unalive themselves on thorns?  

"the nightingale...can also be seen to provide a link to something, opening out onto something beyond the self. Heard but not seen, the nightingale represents an intangible presence; a longing that can be either terribly earthly, in the guise of sexual desire, or soaringly spiritual, as when the nightingale represents the soul, rising above."

Some fun facts about nightingales;

Female nightingales are mute, only male nightingales sing - though historically people thought the opposite, so many of the nightingales in literature are female.

It is one of the only birds that sing throughout the night (name means 'night singer').

In Persian poetry, the nightingale is a symbol of a lover who is "eloquent, passionate, and doomed to love in vain" - the object of their affections is the rose, which "embodies both the perfection of earthly beauty and the arrogance of that perfection."

The oldest appearance of nightingales in literature goes back to the myth of Philomela, who was turned into a nightingale by the Gods.

In Shakespeare's poem 'Lucrece', the titular character is inspired to commit suicide when a nightingale leans their breast against a thorn to inspire a song and ward off sleep.

The nightingale also makes an appearance in Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet', when Juliet mistakes the song of a lark for that of a nightingale.

I have read a ridiculous amount of poetry about nightingales recently (there is a lot of it), but I'm going to focus on one Breton piece from the middle ages and two English pieces from the 19th century because they have the most relevant dates (which as previously mentioned, are important).

Laüstic

There is the Breton lai 'Laüstic', composed in the late 12th century by Marie de France (Laüstic' is the Breton word for rossignol/nightingale). Breton lais are a form of medieval French romance literature that often involve supernatural and fairy-world Celtic elements.

"In most of Marie de France’s Lais, love is associated with suffering, and over half of them involve an adulterous relationship... In Marie's Lais, "love always involves suffering and frequently ends in grief, even when the love itself is approved."" 

The lais of Marie de France explore courtly love, a popular theme in medieval literature that began with Troubadour poetry in southern France in the 11th century.

"The courtly lover existed to serve his lady. His love was invariably adulterous, marriage at that time being usually the result of business interest or the seal of a power alliance. Ultimately, the lover saw himself as serving the all-powerful god of love and worshipping his lady-saint. Faithlessness was the mortal sin...The courtly lover, while displaying the same outward signs of passion, was fired by respect for his lady."

Basically, courtly love emphasized the importance of a man's respect and devotion to their lover, and I don't think anyone could doubt Undertaker's devotion to his cause.

Sidenote: I think the French story 'Floire et Blancheflor', one of the oldest and most popular romances of the middle ages, is also incredibly relevant to Undertaker & Cloudia's love story. It also explores this concept of 'courtly love' (involving a fake tomb, a prince disguised as a merchant, and an attempted suicide, no less)...and the flowers associated with the lovers are red roses and white lilies... You can read part one of my theory on Floire et Blancheflor here.

A plot summary of 'Laustic' from Wikipedia: 

Two knights live in adjoining houses, in the vicinity of Saint-Malo in Brittany; one is married and one lives as a bachelor. The wife of the married knight enters into a secret relationship with the other knight, but their contact is limited to conversation and the exchange of small gifts, since a "high wall made of dark stone" separates the two households. Typically, the lady rises at night, once her husband is asleep, and goes to the window to converse with her lover; whenever her lover is home, she is kept under close watch.  Her suspicious husband demands to know why she spends her nights at the window, and she says she does so to listen to the nightingale sing. He mocks her, and orders his servants to capture the nightingale. When it is caught he brings it to the lady's chambers, denying her requests to release the bird. Instead, he breaks its neck and throws it at her, "bloodying the front of her tunic just a bit above her breasts". After he leaves, the lady mourns the bird's death and the suffering she must accept, knowing she can no longer be at the window at night. She wraps the nightingale's body in silk, and embroidered with writing in gold thread, and charges her servant to deliver the bird and her message to her lover, who, in response, preserves the nightingale in a reliquary, a small vessel which he has encased with small jewels and precious stones, and carries it with him always. 

From the Wikipedia on reliquaries;

"A reliquary (also referred to as a shrine, by the French term châsse, and historically also referred to as a phylactery) is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a fereter, and a chapel in which it is housed a feretory or feretery."    "Relics may be the purported or actual physical remains of saints...The term is sometimes used loosely for containers for the body parts of non-religious figures; in particular, the kings of France often specified that their hearts and sometimes other organs be buried in a different location from their main burial."    "In Buddhism, stupas are an important form of a reliquary and may be buried inside larger structures such as a stupa or chorten." 

Interesting, because the wooden grave markers Undertaker carries/uses to conceal his death scythe are considered to be a variant of stupa (as far as I can tell). The grave markers are sotoba inscribed with sutra - also interesting to note that in Japan, nightingales are considered a religious bird because "its song is reminiscent of the intonation of a Buddhist sutra", which in turn ties into the Buddhist prayer beads he wears around his neck.

The concept of reliquaries is somewhat similar to that of mourning lockets, especially if you consider that in the context of courtly love Undertaker was whipped likely worshipped the ground Cloudia walked on and would have treated her like a saint (good for her).

"Reliquaries are decorative vessels, often in the form of a hand, cranium, or other body part that contain the fragment of a saint or someone of holy importance. Some fragments could include remnants of a garment worn by the individual or even a piece of bone that was part of their body."

A famous reliquary is the Holy Thorn Reliquary, commissioned in late 14th century France by John, Duke of Berry (this dude has relevance to Brittany and the Hundred Years War) to house a relic of the crown of thorns.

"The jewels, which would have been keenly appreciated by contemporary viewers, include two large sapphires, one above God the Father at the very top of the reliquary, where it may have represented heaven, and the other below Christ, on which the thorn is mounted."

Sapphires and a crown of thorns are not new symbols in this story - imma leave it at that because I'm getting off topic and this is already ridiculously long.

The Nightingale and The Rose

The short story The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde (snake's snakes) was published in the book of bedtime stories The Happy Prince and Other Tales in May 1888 (which lines up pretty closely with when the first chapter of the manga takes place). This is a bleak tale about the selfless and sacrificial nature of true love.

But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. ‘Press closer, little Nightingale,’ cried the Tree, ‘or the Day will come before the rose is finished.   So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.  And the marvelous rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.  But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter, and her little wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat.  Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy, and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried its message to the sea.  'Look, look!' cried the Tree, 'the rose is finished now;' but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.  

The emphasis on the nightingale's song also brought to mind the Mother 3 theory and the importance of the music in that game - and the idea that the last names of Undertaker's lockets make a chord progression. IDK that much about Mother 3, so I can't say if there are any other further parallels to draw.

Also who would read this to a child as a bedtime story???

Undertaker. Undertaker would totally read this to Ciel as a bedtime story, who am I kidding.

An Ode to a Nightingale

Finally, there is the poem "An Ode to a Nightingale" by John Keats (another one of snake's snakes). 

There is a clear theme of death in this poem, and of life after death/immortality. There is also a sense of longing for death, of the relief death brings - very relevant for all reapers.

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

The first stanza mentions 'Lethe', which is one of five rivers in the Greek underworld. "The shades of the dead were required to drink the waters of the Lethe in order to forget their earthly life. In the Aeneid, Virgil writes that it is only when the dead have had their memories erased by the Lethe that they may be reincarnated."

Afaik the only reaper to reference their previous life is Sascha, and there weren't many specifics. This could just be because speaking of their human life is painful, given they all made the choice to end it...Or is it possible HQ alters their memories?

O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

The reference to Provencal song is once again a reference to the concept of courtly love (seen in Laustic) that began with Troubadour poetry in Provence, France in the 11th century.

Already with thee! tender is the night,   And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne,  Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays;  But here there is no light,  Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown  Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. 

Stars and heaven reference (Astre/Sirius & Ciel), and a reference to the moon as in the Oscar Wilde story... The Queen Moon, on her throne...

I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,  Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,  But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet  Wherewith the seasonable month endows  The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild;  White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine;  Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves;  And mid-May's eldest child,  The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine,  The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. 

A reference to May (we will come back to this), to musk-roses (symbolizes 'capricious beauty'), and to 'the murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves'. As previously mentioned, Cloudia dies in July...

Darkling I listen; and, for many a time  I have been half in love with easeful Death,  Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme,  To take into the air my quiet breath;  Now more than ever seems it rich to die,  To cease upon the midnight with no pain,  While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad  In such an ecstasy!  Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain—  To thy high requiem become a sod. 

The suicidal ideation is strong here.

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that oft-times hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

Immortality. The last few lines immediately brought to mind the theory that Undertaker drowned himself.

Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?

The last stanza has the poet bidding 'Adieu' - the French word for goodbye forever which translates literally as 'until God'. Gotta love how dramatic the French are.

From Wikipedia: 

"The nightingale described experiences a type of death but does not actually die. Instead, the songbird is capable of living through its song, which is a fate that humans cannot expect. The poem ends with an acceptance that pleasure cannot last and that death is an inevitable part of life." 

And here's the thing...Keats composed this poem in one day after a nightingale built its nest near his home. Specifically, he wrote it in one day of May, 1819 - the same month and year in which Queen Victoria was born. 

The rest might be me just grasping at straws but the connection to Queen Victoria's birth is what I find most convincing, since Yana has seemingly already sourced Cedric's first name from literature in 1819. I think the setting/plot of the novel 'Ivanhoe' and her name choice of 'Cedric' reveals a lot about Undertaker's past and his motivations, and I think the same could hold true for his last name. I am convinced his name is Cedric K. Rossignol.

God only knows what the 'K.' stands for.

[midnight-in-town]

About Kuro 2024 episode 6 : Ed's genius ability

(Companion post to this one)

I was looking forward to this episode and I'm so glad they kept Edward's pivotal moment...

...totally uncut. It's especially striking when a few other manga scenes didn't make it into the episode.

I know fans like to joke that Ed is too much of a good guy (and also gay), which is how he managed to reproduce Cheslock's cricket move, but that's not it :

Like Liz, Ed is a genius, even if he doesn't realize it yet. And I'm glad that Editor K commented on this anime bit with this :

"There's one person in all boys' manga who has the ability to copy. This special skill is explained in the cricket episode, but in other words, Edward has the potential to become super strong in battle"

(by google translate)

According to Yana, Ed takes after Frances who takes after her dad, Cedric K. Ros--, so this means Ed takes after Cedric as well.

But according to several fans, including me, there is a good probability that Cedric K. Ros-- is one of the Undertaker's many identities over his existence and he's currently the strongest character of the series, who put even Seb in difficulty twice.

According to Editor K above, Ed's ability makes him likely to become super strong in battle (by the way, it's also an ability that allowed him to put on a flawless leader of a boys' band act, just like UT acted perfectly as Weston's principal, just saying).

I think we don't need more to put 2 and 2 together : Ed is going to be a very important ally on our!Ciel's side against real!Ciel's.

[amethystroselily]

Ok the Undertaker being Vincent’s dad theory is really funny to me, so here’s how I think it could possibly work.

Undertaker was a reaper 70 years ago and seems properly obsessed with the phantomhive family as a whole, and met Vincent later on in his life, so I really don’t think he was married to Claudia. Plus Claudia and Vincent’s father didn’t have the same last name, so whoever he was I doubt they were married (perhaps having to do with Claudia trying to keep her title or something). So I think he had some deep attachment to a previous Phatomhive lord (perhaps he was a servant), but then the earl died or something, and then he killed himself, becoming a reaper. Then maybe he was monitoring the family for years and they kept dying so he snapped and went rogue, maybe his experiments kept failing, so then he was like woah maybe as a reaper I should see what mixing my dna in would do (probably a rule about not fraternizing with humans to avoid this), and around then the current Phatomhive family head is a woman so like great time to test it out, then maybe the relationship fell apart because of some sort of respectability she had to maintain or they were busy or something and she didn’t want him around her kids anymore, then years later undertaker gets back to stalking the phatomhives once his son is the new earl.

Maybe he wanted to use Vincent’s body because he had a higher concentration of reaperness, but then he lost the corpse (maybe bc fire, maybe bc Vincent isn’t actually dead) so he’s using ciel instead.

Also I’ve seen the theory Francis was involved in Vincent’s death, and maybe that’s why he doesn’t seem particularly invested in her side of the family. Perhaps sibling feuds are a long tradition in the Phantomhive family and it makes him think of a previous one and that’s why he keeps getting so involved.

The way Othello talked about Undertaker made him sound like he was a lot like Francis when he was younger, and I think the idea of Francis looking down on this random strange man who worked with her brother and him turning out to be her father whom she takes after in both looks and personality is so interesting.

Also I personally think he like stole some of Othello’s research on resurrection on his way out and that’s where all the tension is coming from. Because obviously Othello can’t tell Grell that, so he has to skirt around it, but there’s obviously something more going on between him and undertaker.

[dqrkncss666]

Welcome to another Theory Show with Dora on crack.

Today we will talk about this:

So.

WHERE IS FRANCIS?!

As we can see we have Claudia P. and Cedric K. Ros- something, they have done the deed and created Vincent.... Where is FRANCIS?!

As we see on the family tree, again, Vincent continues to marry Rachel and have the Phantomhive twins. WHERE IS FRANCIS?!

Shouldn't she have been on Vincent's left?

Now, if we go with the theory that Cedric is, in fact, the Undertaker then this could be an error Yana made or, over here, the German shinigamis are following ONLY O/Ciel's bloodline going up to his father and then going up to his grandmother. Which is a logical explanation as to why Francis is not there. This is the best scenario and the one I like to believe.

But what if Undertaker is not actually Cedric and Francis not being on there is on purpose? What if Claudia wasn't faithful to her legal husband Cedric and had an affair with the Undertaker creating an illegitimate daughter?

Without having done any research, I personally believe that this would explain why Francis married out of the Phantomhive family so quickly. She had no title and her position and the family's reputation were on the verge of scandal. Her marrying Alexis Midford and becoming a Marquisses would not allow any time for anyone to question her legitimacy and of course, keeping the family name clean.

Could her wedding with Alexis have been merely to cover up her mother's doing? Maybe Claudia betrothed her to Alexis when Francis was a baby so she could be sure her daughter would never face any problems with her title and fortune being on the verge.

But then we come over to Vincent, does he know his sister is his half-sister?

Over to the Undertaker now, if this theory is true why is he protecting the Phantomhives only and not the Midfords as well? Did he protect them "off-camera" as we say, in the Campania? Will we see it in a flashback?

Does the British Shinigami dispatch have knowledge of this family tree? Why have we never seen anyone speaking of it? They clearly don't know anything.

DOES FRANCIS KNOW?! Is that why every time she sees the Undertaker her face changes? Does she hate him? Perhaps she thinks he is the one who ruined the Phantomhive family and her future.

If this theory is true, are we gonna have a chapter (when Yana finally comes back from her hiatus because she clearly wrote herself into a wall) of Francis arguing with the Undertaker about him ruining her family and making her an illegitimate daughter with no title and no fortune? Him trying to comfort his daughter and calm her anger down and finally seeing those two be kind to one another?

But this is merely a theory after I got crack. We will see. :>

[fallenrayvens]

You know what?

I’m hereby declaring that besides all the already existing clues and evidences that point to Undertaker being Cedric Phantomhive, I believe in it mainly because of the fact that the name of this family is Phantomhive.

Just like Undertaker was obviously a reaper to me from the start because duh, of course. Have you looked at him. His name is Undertaker. He runs a morgue.

Of course the noble family that is known for ruling the English underworld, currently has assassins as normal manor servants and a fucking demon as the main butler and is literally named “phantom hive” has grim reaper lineage. Wouldn’t surprise me if undertaker wasn’t even the first one of them.

It just seems like a Yana thing. She did it multiple times already, nothing stopping this from being so obvious.

[welcome-tothe-madness]

Undertaker identity theory (spoilers)

I don’t have much evidence for this theory BUT I got to thinking

Ciel is a twin right? Twins are usually genetic. But in Rachel and Vincent’s case, neither of them are twins, they’re both either older or younger siblings. I found that kinda odd

Then I kept considering Undertaker and the theory that he is Cedric. I think differently. I think Undertaker could be Cedric’s twin.

While I don’t have much evidence, I can’t help but think of Madam Red and her story with Rachel and Vincent. It makes me curious on whether that was meant to be foreshadow of some sort. A sibling forced to watch their sibling and their love marry? And grow extremely protective of their children? Idk.

I have no idea how old Undertaker was when he offed himself, but I’m not sure he was alive long enough to have kids with Cloudia, just to end up ending his life. But if he had a sibling who carried on and married her after his death, his age (appearance wise) makes sense.

Idk, I don’t have anything I can cite that would make this plausible, but for someone who does a fair amount of research for their works, it’s strange we haven’t seen a single mention of any twins prior to the Ciel’s in the family.

What do you guys think?

[blxxdingstars]

Is Frances Midford (home name Phantomhive) an albino?

It's not canon since Frances colours are from the anime (Book of Atlantic), but I believe her hair and eyes colors were somehow confirmed by Yana.

Hair without any pigment and violet/pink eyes in the real world means an albino.

If this would be canon in the manga too and the theory about Undertaker being the father (and Yana confirmed that women in the Phantomhive family take after their fathers) would be also true, it fits that Undertaker was also an albino when he was alive and had then violet/pink eyes.

@abybweisse (because I don't want you to miss this idea)

Additionally if the celtic theory would be true:

Undertaker (or rather Cedric K. Ros) with his natural white hair could be a natural leader among Celts.

[thlayli-ra]

Okay, every time I watch RAW/Smackdown I start wondering who's a valet and who's a dominant out of the new(er) guys and who's paired up and who's single... Indulge my curiosity, pleeeease? 😄

This is pretty much my default setting LOL - I exclusively judge wrestlers based on how they fit in the valetverse, so will I indulge? Absolutely!!!

Raw Roster:

(Let's start with the easy ones)

Cody Rhodes (valet) is still married to Randy Orton (dominant) but they've since divorced from Ted DiBiase Jnr. (They also have a kid in the valetverse now)

CM Punk (valet) is still married to The Undertaker (dominant) and they have Frankie Calaway.

Seth Rollins (valet) is still married to Roman (dominant) and Jon Moxley (valet) but their marriage is a bit shaky after the events at Wrestlemania (which I will go into in future fics). No kids.

Drew McIntyre (dominant) is still married to Jinder Mahal (dominant) but he's... having a bit of a crisis just now involving a certain Second City Saint.

Sami Zayn (valet) recently remarried Kevin Owens (dominant)

Damian Priest (dominant) is married to Finn Balor (valet, beloved husband), Dominik Mysterio (valet, who's been sniffing around elsewhere recently) and JD McDonagh (valet, but is actually more Finn's boyfriend)

Chad Gable (valet) is married to Otis (dominant). For now...

Kofi Kingston (valet) and Xavier Woods (valet) are both married to Big E (dominant)

Gunther (dominant) is married to Ludwig Kaiser (valet), recently divorced from Giovanni Vinci (valet)

Rey Mysterio (dominant, had to think hard about this one. He ticks all the right boxes for a valet but the more I think about it, the more I see him as a really short dominant) is married to Joaquin Wilde (valet) and Cruz del Toro (valet). Recently betrayed by bestie Carlito (dominant, who Dirty Dom has been sniffing around).

Karrion Kross (dominant) is a tricky one for me because he needs a Scarlet imo - his harbinger of doom! But whether this role is filled with another wrestler on the roster or a 'gender-bender' version of Scarlet, I can't decide. I'd love to hear some suggestions?

Sheamus (dominant) is recently divorced from Ridge Holland (valet) and Pete Dunne (valet).

Everybody else on the Raw roster is single, as far as I can see (but then I only watch Raw sporadically when Punk is on) and is split like this;

Valets:

Akira Tozawa, Dragon Lee, Ilja Dragunov, Jey Uso, The Miz, Ricochet, R-Truth, Tyler Bate

Dominants:

Akam, Braun Strowman, Bron Breaker, Bronson Reed, Brutus Creed, Dijak, Ivar, Julius Creed, Odyssey Jones, Rezar,

Smackdown Roster:

LA Knight (valet) is still married to Bobby Lashley (dominant)

Baron Corbin (dominant) has divorced from Bo Dallas (valet, who has since vanished...???? Hmmm 🤔)

Angelo Dawkins (dominant) is married to Montez Ford (valet)

Santos Escobar (dominant) is married to Angel (valet) and Berto (valet)

Karl Anderson (valet) has long been married to Luke Gallows (dominant)

Johnny Gargano (valet) is married to Tomasso Ciampa (dominant)

Everybody else is single and is split like;

Valets:

AJ Styles, Apollo Crews, Ashante 'Thee" Adonis, Austin Theory, Carmelo Hayes, Cedric Alexander, Elton Prince, Grayson Waller, Kit Wilson, Logan Paul, Tonga Loa (so far, maayyy change my mind on that depending on what he does the next wee while)

Dominants;

Andrade, Shinsuke Nakamura, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga

Phew! Considered yourself indulged! 🤣

[abybweisse]

I had a question about something I had always thought of as odd is in Kuroshitsuji. Ciel and Elizabeth had been betrothed since childhood, and that on its own isn’t that weird. But then I remember that Vincent married Rachel (who is not related to him like Ciel and Lizzie are) for love and they didn’t even meet until they were older, and the same is presumed for Frances and Alexis. Do you think that there might be any plot related reasons for why the Phantomhive family (particularly Vincent and Frances who likely arranged for this) would have chosen to have those two marry? Perhaps anything related to their lineage?

Reasons for marriages

Well, let's back up... slightly... about why Vincent and Rachel get married. I'm not saying they don't love each other, because they definitely do. It's just that I'm not exactly sold on the idea that's the only reason he proposes and she accepts. At the time, and particularly among the nobility and royalty, marriages are pretty much never just for love; they are nearly always strategic... and it's just wonderful if there's also a love connection.

Someone like Vincent Phantomhive, the queen's watchdog, has to choose a wife wisely. She doesn't necessarily have to be in the best physical health, but she must have certain qualities, especially regarding personality and intelligence. They meet in the first place through her father, who probably counts among the "evil nobles" already. I've said this... somewhere, quite some time ago... that Vincent probably makes it known he's looking for a wife, and everyone in his network makes suggestions. He agrees to meet the ones that sound the most promising. Of course, his associates with young maiden relatives are going to try to get them married into the Phantomhive family, unless it would be too much of a peerage downgrade.

That said, Rachel's father probably would have been okay with Vincent choosing either of his daughters. It's just that it was definitely customary to marry off the oldest daughter first. Besides, I think Angelina is about 15 when Rachel is 17/18. Vincent canonically (because Yana-san says so) is already self conscious about the age gap between himself and Rachel -- about 6 years. So, it really puts things into perspective how unrealistic Angelina is to ever think she might have a chance with Vincent. He is nice to her but probably sees her as a kid, and he speaks to her in third person just like Rachel does. Like "Angelina's hair is lovely...", etc. to her, not to someone else about her.

Anyway, Vincent meets with Rachel a few times, where they get to know each other better, and they decide they are a good match. More importantly, Vincent must decide that she fits all his criteria... whatever that might entail. Then, given the formalities of the time, Vincent asks Rachel's father for his permission to propose.

For Francis/Frances and Alexis, it seems they meet during a fencing challenge... where she clearly prevails. And he falls madly in love with her, not just for her skill but also presumably because she's beautiful. After that, I have to assume he woos her until she accepts his proposal. Her mother is dead by then, and her father is... well... I think Alexis is led to believe that her father is also dead. They likely don't ask for anyone's approval... besides perhaps Vincent, with him being official head of the family by then, and he has no particular reason to say no. She gets bumped up in the peerage, too, so it's a bonus.

With Ciel and Lizzie, yes. I think there is a strategic reason for betrothing them... which probably happens as soon as the twins are born, if not before. It strengthens family ties, financially, etc... but it could also be a matter of special lineage -- say, a known reaper in the direct line of both kids. And Lizzie, from a very young age, is being trained to be the perfect wife of the queen's watchdog; that's something else her mom and Vincent might have planned as early as possible.

Notice that we've never heard about a betrothal for Edward. It could be that he's also betrothed and we've simply never heard, since it's not important to the story. Or it could be they didn't bother to arrange a marriage for him, since the Phantomhives don't have any daughters -- this would strengthen the idea that Ciel and Lizzie's betrothal is strategic. Personally, I hope he gets to marry for love... and I hope he ends up with Paula, despite the fact she's not in the peerage. He could raise her status, and that would be nice. Honestly, I hope that... after all this is over... Lizzie gets to find someone for herself and marry for love.

[cedric-k-rossignol]

Cedric K. Ros- & The Significance of Being Born on March 25

AKA Undertaker is the New Year's Baby. Happy New Years Eve! Did you know that March 25th used to be considered New Year's Day?

For most of Europe, March 25th was considered the start of the New Year throughout the middle ages. In France, they moved the start of the new year to January 1st in 1564, and in England it wasn't changed until 1752.

I share the popular/apparently somewhat controversial opinion that Undertaker is Cedric K Ros-, and I have a theory outlining why I believe his last name is Rossignol. Based off the popular theory that his reaper serial number means he died in 1366, and a connection I believe they share with a medieval French romance tale 'Floire et Blancheflor', I think that he was born on March 25, 1331. In a way, this would mean he and Cloudia were born on the same day, as both their birthdays would fall on Holy Monday, a day of the holy week that precedes Easter Sunday.

But if he was born on March 25, 1331, that would also mean he was born on New Year's Day. March 25 is the day of the Annunciation - the day on which the archangel Gabriel came to Mary and told her that "she would concieve and bear a son through a virgin birth and become the mother of Jesus Christ, the Christian Messiah and Son of God, marking the Incarnation." Girl, ya knocked up. This is exactly 9 months before December 25th, in case you were side-eyeing Mary 🤨. The day was chosen as the start of the new year by some dude in AD 525 because according to Christian theology, the era of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ. But that's not all!

It was traditionally believed that the Creation of the world, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Exodus from Egypt, the Incarnation, the Crucifixion and Death of Christ, and the Last Judgment all took place or will take place on March 25.

...And also the birth of Cedric K Ros-! Woo 🎉 What a special baby boy our Undertaker is.

Depictions of the Annunciation also usually show St. Gabriel the Archangel handing lilies to Our Lady. Mary is often represented by lilies, and the Madonna Lily, named for her, is often called the Annunciation Lily in honor of this Feast and is a perfect ornament for the day. The Venerable Bede (A.D. 672-735) described the transluscent white petals as symbolic of Mary's pure body, and the golden anthers as a symbol of the glory of her soul when she was taken up to Heaven at the Assumption

Madonna lily is just another word for the white lily, the flower that is often associated with Undertaker's presence in the story in the manga (further discussed here)

This flower is also strongly associated with Easter, and there are a lot of links between Undertaker, Cloudia, and Easter. It has several meanings - notably associated with purity, loss, renewal and resurrection. The lily is a symbol strongly tied to France, French Royalty, and French Christianity - beginning when the first pagan King of the Franks was persuaded to change his insignia from three toads to three lilies by his Christian wife, Clotilde, patron saint of the lame, after an angel gifted them to her. (My write up is in the works for King Clovis, Queen Clotilde, and Emperor Charlemagne, all of whom relate back to Floire et Blancheflor.) This is the origin of the fleur-de-lis as it relates to the French Monarchy.

But wait, there's more! You thought this was just a boring history lesson? Wrong - buckle up for some head scratching astronomy!

March 25 was also the date on which the spring equinox was originally set (the date now varies from the 19-21 March), also known as the Vernal equinox. This is the date where the day and night are more or less equal at 12 hours each. The location of the Vernal equinox is also known as the first point of Aries;

The first point of Aries, also known as the cusp of Aries, is the location of the Vernal equinox, used as a reference point in celestial coordinate systems. The first point of Aries is considered to be the celestial "prime meridian" from which right ascension is calculated.

So, right ascension is a way of locating a celestial body - and it's measured in hours. Instead of 360 degrees, one full rotation is 24 hours. And the Vernal equinox/first point of Aries is the starting point from which you measure. Grab the tape measure stopwatch!

I wasn't able to find any particular superstitions in French/Breton/Celtic culture for children born on this day. The general consensus seems to be that New Year's babies/babies born on the day of the Annunciation would have been considered lucky, blessed by God, and perhaps gifted with divine foresight/prophecy.

I don't think Undertaker would agree with the whole lucky and blessed thing...but I'm not going to rule out the potential link to him having foresight - or even him believing he had the gift of foresight. A sense of impending doom is a common phenomenon in people who suffer from depression or PTSD.

The Vernal equinox, along with the Annunciation, both pertain to the idea of spring, of renewal, of sowing seed 😏 Nice. I have nothing further to add.

Finally, and of course most importantly, this makes him an Aries. Undertaker would be an Aries...says me, a notorious Aries' lover. Him AND Cloudia, Lord help us those two would have been trouble...

Have a happy & safe New Year's everybody 🎉 May emerald witch grace our screens in 2025, and may the great hiatus come to an end 🙏

[midnight-in-town]

Uhm, sorry in advance if this ask doesn't make too much sense but at the end of the Green Witch arc, Sasha says 'You hear about deserters once in a while' and wonders why they would try to leave the Shinigami Dispatch Society; however, would he have questioned this if he and Ludger were seriously considering the possibility of a shinigami being part of O!Ciel's lineage a couple of chapters ago? Do you think this could refute the UT grandfather theory?

Hello Anon and sorry for the delay ! Don't worry, you make sense, but actually I think these are two different topics. :)

Considering this scene in ch103, I just don't believe...

...that Sascha and Ludger were hinting that Cedric was a deserting Shinigami, which is why "it runs in the family". Because of ch105 and discussing deserters like you said, but also, how would they even know by looking at that family tree ?

Sure maybe, Cedric's birth and death years are hidden to us readers in that panel because he was several decades or centuries older and it's written on the tree but, since Shinigamis technically aren't allowed to interfere with life and death, I don't think noticing weird birth and death years would have immediately led Sascha & Ludger to the conclusion that "Cedric K. Ros- is a deserting Shinigami".

No, I rather think that Sascha and Ludger put two and two together that the Phantomhive family is burdened by the Watchdog duty because they have this weird lineage "running in the family".

Because, as I explained before, I don't think, even if Cedric is UT, that he's the explanation behind the lineage thing. Because I'm sure Claudia also had weird abilities, which is why she received the Watchdog title despite being a woman, like our!Ciel and like Frances.

So I rather read this scene in ch103 as Sascha realizing that "Earl Phantomhive, they who undertake the dirty work of the British royal family... oh, because they have this ability that runs in the family and allows them to detect supernatural beings !".

Keep in mind, I could be wrong, but I don't think ch103 is meant to draw attention to the whole Cedric = UT thing, that has more to do with ch105. Ch103 is purely about the Phantomhive lineage, so it has more to do with our!Ciel's direct predecessors.

I hope it makes sense ? Have a good day Anon. :))

[midnight-in-town]

@tothelasthoursofmylife awww thanks for all the references (and excellent point about Wuthering Heights, it completely slipped my mind)! <3 

Hmm, then Vincent and Frances had to have had a legal guardian after Claudia died, because Vincent was only 15. If Cedric stayed around and didn't disappear after Dia died, I'd say logically and legally that it was him. If he also was (thought to be) dead (before coming back as UT), then it was someone else.

Also tbh, I doubt Vincent would have wanted to be his sister’s guardian. I really think he was quite possibly a feminist, having Claudia as a mom, and he would have had no problem admitting that Frances is stronger than he was (honestly the story hints that they were quite close as siblings [x][x]).

Also additional headcanon, purely imaginary, but i totally envision that the Midfords were aware of the Watchdog position being fulfilled by the Phantomhives (due to some past mission before Vincent and Alexis were born).

So I like to imagine that Grandmama Midford was quite a secret fan of Claudia (being an independent and strong woman wearing a bulletproof corset lmao) and was absolutely delighted when Alexis came back home one day, stars in his eyes  after being beaten by a certain “Lady Phantomhive” (especially if Alexis himself follows the pattern of sons taking after their mom, that Yana uses for some of her characters, including Frances and her kids). xDD

No one but Alexis could have been Ciel's legal guardian, but I liked that Yana confirmed it.

This makes me wonder though who Vincent and Francis' guardian was after their parents died, and I really hope Yana tells us that too.

Cloudia, obviously, could not have had a brother (at least not one who survived their father) but I wonder if she had a younger sister (or even sisters)? Either the potential sister or, if she was married, her husband could have been their guardian then. Or if Cedric really isn't Undertaker, maybe their guardian was a Ros-?

(If Cloudia's hypothetical sister married and had children too... I wonder if those more distant Phantomhive relatives will eventually show up, if they're still alive?? The unnamed female Aristocrat of Evil maybe; not the scarred man, he looks so much like Alexis. What a family business XD)

[sebadztian]

Hello! I really like your work about the demon Ciel and Sebastian, how they investigate the crime and show their love to each other. Can you write more of these? If I have time, I have a couple of ideas.1. Ciel and Sebastian are investigating a new case with a detective during which Ciel has to enter into a contract to get food and find out important information, but the man or woman who made the contractthe contract prevents Ciel and Sebastian from investigating the case and their relationship (for example, he can interrupt the kiss or Sebastian wants intimacy)2. At the beginning of the story there was a priest, I don’t remember his name, sorry. So he asks Ciel for help, to find his son, for example, while investigating the case of missing children, a priest comes to Ciel.3. Participation with Elizabeth is at your discretion author.Well, if you don’t want it and you don’t like it, you can refuse it.Question from me Do you think the Undertaker is the grandfather of our Ciel and his brother? since the name of our Ciel's grandmother was written in his medallion. And there are theories that the Undertaker and Claudia knew each other and they were in love

Hello!!

Thank you for the ask!

Long answer below the cut

Topic: Is UT the twins' grandpa?

Thank you! I'm so glad that you like the Phantom P. I. series! Those are great ideas and I'm actually planning something for the next installment in the series involving Elizabeth. Unfortunately, I'm currently rather busy with a few WIPs as well as my work, so I'll have to put this series on hold. Please don't worry though! I'm not abandoning this series!

Regarding Undertaker being the twins grandfather, well, I'm not quite sure myself. While Claudia's name is part of his 'treasure', there are other names on there too. So, if he indeed had a romantic relationship with Claudia, how about those other names? Were they his past lovers too? We don't know.

He did say that he 'cannot bear to lose another Phantomhive', but we don't know how he's related to them or why he's so obssessed with them. UT is so full of secrets, probably one of the most secretive characters in the manga. While we're learning more and more about him, there's still not enough evidence to support any theory about his background and his relationship to the Phantomhives.

What we know is that Vincent's father (the twins' grandfather) was called Cedric K Ros(?) - part of his name was cut. We don't know his birth year nor when he died.

So, is Undertaker Cedric?

We can assume that Undertaker is quite old. In Campania, he said that it has been at least 50 years since anyone had called him a Shinigami.

The Campania incident happened in April 1889, which means that the last time Undertaker was an 'active' Shinigami was in 1839 or even earlier. About a decade after Claudia was born.

So, when Claudia was about 10 years old, UT stopped being a Shinigami (This is assuming that it has been 50 years and not 75 years since his 'retirement').

Given his skill and his power, it's clear that by the time he 'retired', he had already been a Shinigami for a long while, so much so that he couldn't part with his beloved scythe.

It brings us back to the question above, is Undertaker and Cedric the same person?

The answer depends on what happens to Shinigami after they 'retired'.

Do they 'move on'? Or are they allowed to go back to the human world to live among them?

If so, then yes, there is a probability that UT could be the twins' grandfather. He retired, lived among humans, met Claudia, got married.

If not, then no, there's no way that UT is Cedric without the Shinigami not knowing about it.

I'm sorry that this doesn't really answer your question, but I really can't find anything that would give a definite answer.

Thanks again for the ask!

[xbluexrose]

I thought about this part from the manga.

I comes from shinigami's notes, so it's true. The real father of Vincent IS someone called Cedric K. Ros.

Some people think this is Claudia's mortal husband but since he married her and she didn't changed her family name into his nor he did, it seemed more like an affair.

So, maybe, in mortal's books Vincent is Claudia's hudband's son, but the real father can be found only in shinigami's documents. And shinigami know that father isn't an ordinary man judging of german grim reapers reactions.

For me personally this theory is good enough to say that real Undertaker's name is Cedric K. Ros and he is Vincent's father.

Thank you for reading my speech. :)