#yes eric forgives you alan yes he does

[hide-your-bugs-away]

[elizaxspears]

Ronilliam: Holiday Fluff

Just something for the season! It’s all fluff!

Grell’s thrown this party every year and Ronald’s attended every year. Free drinks and good company? What wasn’t there to love? She went all out with the theme as well, decorating every inch of her flat in reds and silvers which Ronald isn’t surprised by. When red is one of the many colours, of course Grell’s going to go all out.

Some of the people here, Ronald doesn’t know personally. He’s crossed paths with them from time to time but that’s about it. He mostly sticks around Eric and by extension Alan while Grell is off being a good host. It’s all relatively what Ronald came to expect except for one detail. He’s not surprised to see him in the less crowded area of the kitchen, but William’s here, silently sipping from his glass of red wine. He doesn’t look as annoyed as Ronald expected him to be. “Hey, I’m not seeing things, am I? Mr. Spears is actually here?” he asks Eric who’s probably on his fourth glass by now.

“Nope, that’s Spears alright.”

“How the hell did Grell actually get him to be here?”

Eric chuckles, slinging his arm around Ronald’s shoulders. “My guess? Blackmail.”

“Or he came on his own.” says Alan who’s joined them with a small plate from the desert table. “He does have free will, you know.”

“Pretty sure if that was the case, Spears woulda left by now.” Eric counters. “We all know he’s the poster child for alone time.”

Ronald looks past Eric, his eyes locked on William who doesn’t seem to be all that anti-social. Those that have gone up to talk with him aren’t brushed off right away. He swallows at the very prospect of finally getting that time to actually talk with his superior outside of work, to get to know the man behind the reaper. Almost as if he senses that, Eric gently nudges him forward. “Go on Ron. Go talk to him.”

Ronald looks up at the older reaper before nodding to himself. “Yeah. I’m gonna. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck.” Eric grins, plucking a biscuit off Alan’s plate to which the brunette playfully pouts and mentions he can grab his own.

Ronald leaves them be and steals himself before turning on the Knox charm and sliding up next to the man. He’s dressed a little less formally, no tie, waistcoat or gloves, but everything else about him screams ‘professional’. Although, he does smell different. The cologne he usually has at work is a more dark, woody scent with a hint of spice. This one smells almost like cinnamon. “Hey sir! Gotta be honest, didn’t think I’d see you here.”

William slowly sips from his drink, his eyes that had been trained on the more dense crowd outside the kitchen, glide over to him and Ronald sucks in a breath. Those normally cold, harsh eyes actually feel a little softer. “I hadn’t intended to come but I finally ran out of excuses and Sutcliffe cashed in her chip to get me here.”

“What? You owe her?”

“I did, yes. Many years ago she’d saved my life.” he sighs, twirling the maroon liquid in the glass. “That’s the only stain I have on my otherwise perfect record.”

Ronald snickers, sliding just that little closer to William so their arms touch. Either William doesn’t notice or truly doesn’t care Ronald’s put himself into his personal space, because he doesn’t pull away. “Well, I’m glad you’re here.”

This time William does look at him, one perfect eyebrow curiously arched. “Are you?”

Ronald can only give him a genuine smile as he answers, “yeah. I really am sir.”

“Might I ask why?”

Ronald tries to play coy, giving an offhanded shrug. “Who wouldn’t be happy about Mr. Spears being here?”

William lets his eyes trail over the party once again. “Normally, I would say many but I would seem to be proven wrong.”

“Yeah. You are.”

William falls silent for long enough that Ronald thinks that’s maybe a subtle que for him to leave but then William speaks again, “but, and forgive me if I’m being too presumptuous, you most of all?”

Ronald feels heat rise to his cheeks but he doesn’t shy away. Instead, he turns to meet William’s eyes. “No, you’re right. I’m really glad you’re here. I’ve been…really wanting to talk to ya for a long time now, just, y’know, could never find the right time to do it.”

William fully turns to him now, giving Ronald his full attention. “Have you?”

Ronald straightens his back, knowing it was now or never. “Yeah.” he takes a deep breath. “I’ve been trying to find the right way to say this or how to get you alone to tell you this so you wouldn't think I’m tryin’ to suck up for brownie points, but, I really like you Mr. Spears and…and I was kinda hoping that maybe, you’d wanna go out with me some time? Dinner and a movie maybe? You’re kinda old, so I was thinking you’d like the old cliche?”

William looks at him as if he’s offended by the old comment but thankfully, the man does have a sense of humour as a small smile spreads over his lips. “Oh really? Must I remind you of what year it is and the year you were born?”

“You’re still older than me in human years!” he playfully nudges William’s side. “You’re lucky I like older men though.”

“I wasn’t aware you liked men at all.”

“I mean, I kinda stopped liking everyone except you.” he shrugs again. “But uh, yeah. Just wanted to tell you that and let you know the offers open if you ever wanted to take me up on it. So, I’m gonna go and find Eric, y’know, make sure Alan still has the patience to deal with–”

“I would like that very much.”

Ronald blinks, letting those words sink in before staring wide eyed at his superior. That soft gaze is solely on him and it makes him feel warm inside. “R-Really…?”

William actually laughs, but it’s soft and quiet, a sound Ronald wants to hear again and again. “Yes, Ronald.” he suddenly looks unsure of himself, draining what’s left of his wine. “I’ve fancied you for quite sometime but for obvious reasons, I never tried to pursue a relationship with you. Thus, when you asked me to dinner and a movie, it honestly sounded too good to be true or that someone put you up to it.” that strange nervousness leaves him as he looks Ronald back in the eyes. “But you sounded too genuine for me to believe otherwise.”

Ronald can’t help the ear to ear smile that spreads on his face. He reaches out and takes William’s hand, feeling the surprising warmth that seeps from William’s skin into his own. “I mean it.” he tugs at his hand, trying to lead him from the kitchen. “And for starters, I wanna get you outta this kitchen and socialising. Alan’ll be there as a crutch if Eric decides to be, well, Eric.”

“I have no doubts about that.”

Yet as Ronald begins to pull William from the room, Grell suddenly stands in front of them, hands on her hips and looking almost offended. “Excuse me!” she points up. “Do you two really think I’m going to let you escape without the traditional kiss under the mistletoe?”

Both of them follow her finger, surprised when they do indeed see the hanging ornament. Neither recalled it being there when they entered the kitchen but it’s there clear as day now. “Awe c’mon Grell! Do we gotta?”

“It’s tradition!” though she suddenly flutters her lashes at William, “and if you won’t, I’ll gladly take your place.” Ronald wants to protest a little more, not sure how comfortable William would be with it but to his further surprise, William’s hand is cupping his cheek and gently turning his head toward him. Before he can even utter his next question, William’s lips are on his and it feels like fireworks are exploding in his chest. They're soft and warm and just how imagined they’d be.

As William pulls back, Ronald snaps out of his trance and yanks William back in for another kiss; a proper kiss. One he’s eager to return. His hands clutch into William’s shirt and William’s other hand on his cheek holds him in place until they both finally break apart and Ronald’s vibrating on the spot. William’s thumb gently strokes over his skin and there’s that smile on his lips, the one Ronald wants to commit to memory. It’s soft, it’s warm, it’s genuine. It’s William. “Happy holidays, Ronald.” William whispers to him, pressing his lips back to Ronald’s for another, even sweeter kiss.

“Happy holidays, Will.” Ronald replies when he can, refusing to let William go.

Grell eventually ushers them out from the under the mistletoe but that doesn’t stop Ronald from wrapping his arms around William’s and clinging to him for the rest of the night and for every night onward.

[ameryros]

Black Butler Shinigami & Thorns of Death speculation ramble

Major musical spoilers!!! Read at your own risk! I recommend watching Kuromyu 2, the most beautiful death in the world before reading uwu

Okay so we know that to become a shinigami, a human must take their own life and in return they shall return as a shinigami as punishment. They also do not remember their past life, so they probably do know that they commited suicide, but they don’t know why. They also “work” until the day they are forgiven, but isn’t specified when or how they reach that point.

Shinigami’s work by reaping and collecting human souls and that they cannot interfere once the name is on the list. A human can have their life spared if the human is someone “ who has potential to be beneficial for this world “, which is rare according to the official wiki.

It is said that the thorns of death is caused by a soul of a human that is destined to die, but fight’s back against the shinigami. If that was the case, shouldn’t there be more shinigami’s who have the thorns? I doubt there are very few humans that accept death that peacefully and lets the shinigami do their thing. 

William should have the thorns as well seeing that Thomas fought back against him during his first reap. it was also the only time we ever saw emotion out of that man. If anything, I’d reckon that most of the shinigami’s have the thorns of death.

In the second Black Butler musical we follow Alan Humphries and Eric Slingby. For those who haven’t watched it yet I don’t want to spoil, but the gist of it is that Alan has the thorns of death, and Eric is stealing human souls to try and save Alan (cue crying noises). A thousand human souls to be exact. 

Speculation #1 : The Thorns of Death isn’t from souls fighting back, but rather the Shinigami showing compassion/emotions and/or second thoughts about reaping the soul. The Thorn’s are also not lethal. It is also not a disease or illness.

This is kind of a well known speculation but I wanted to put my thoughts into writing. We know that suicide is what makes a human a shinigami. Wouldn’t it make sense that they would be punished if they showed compassion or kindness to someone who is destined to die? 

They were not kind to themselves, for whatever reason they took their own life and they were reborn as Shinigami. So if we play by the idea that their punishment for committing suicide as humans is to take human life, it would be ironic that they now feel or have second thoughts about taking it. 

Their last act as a human is take their own lives, and in death they shall do it infinitely. 

This brings us to the emotions part. We know that William is all about work. He is robotic in a way, emotionless and numb to everything as long as it doesn’t interfere with his work. As mentioned above the only time we ever see William show emotion is during his first reap, where Thomas essentially fought back, not wanting to die. Since then the William we know and love was born.

“If only I could understand their pain a little better”

“Thinking you could understand another’s feelings as they face death is sheer arrogance”

“Though I’ll never fully understand other’s thoughts as they await death, I feel I’ve gotten a bit closer”

"I was born alone in this world and alone I will die. If this is my fate, why are tears coming out of my eyes?"

- Alan Humphries, Kuroshitsuji Musical, The Most Beautiful Death in the World

 Alan in and of himself is filled with emotions. He is empathetic and wants to understand feelings and emotions of the very people he is taking lives from. To the souls he reaps, he is death. Just as he took his own life, he also faced death. I think he feels the need to understand what they are feeling, whether it’s because he wonders deep inside how he felt when he died, or because he is just a pure and kind soul. (We do not know how Alan died, his Death Scythe is a long handled garden slasher and no other distinct qualities or sign as to how he died) 

Shinigami will spend eternities watching cinematic records, observing human life, and death. It would make sense that a shinigami wouldn’t care if they took human lives, it’s just their jobs. 

Ronald Knox has emotions, he flirts, he is playful and occasionally seen with human women and interacting with them. But he does not care about their lives. As seen in the Book of Atlantic he bids the human woman he was with goodbye, ending it with “if you’re still alive”, which he probably already knows that she does not survive. So it’s entirely possible for a Shinigami to display emotions and a personality, as long as it does not interfere with their job of reaping.

For this speculation emotions is what causes the thorns. And it can be stopped if the Shinigami stopped having feelings or empathy for the human souls they reap. 

William for example, it would make sense that he is entirely void of emotions. If this speculation is right, then he would have the thorns from Thomas, which if he continued to feel or think about, would eventually kill him. If he did the same thing with every soul he reaped, he will die even faster. Getting rid of emotions would essentially get rid of/ not have the thorns, hence surviving. 

Either way, William may or may not have eradicated the thorns, but if he stopped it early enough I don’t think a small amount of thorns would be lethal. He may still feel the prick or pain of it, but it will not lead to his death.

Alan on the other hand is portrayed naturally empathetic, he is filled to the brim with emotions and thoughts about the souls he reaps, and as long as he continues it, the thorns will only sink deeper. 

In my opinion it’s more of a consequence than an illness if we go by this speculation and it is entirely avoidable. After all, they took their own life selfishly, it is now their punishment to take others, but now they hesitate? Or feel for the humans? It’s a baffling concept considering it goes against their whole existence. 

Shinigami’s are the neutral ones. They hold no opinion over the life or death, they just take. So for them to not be neutral, if would still make sense that they get the thorns as punishment/consequence.

Speculation #2: A thousand stolen human souls is needed to “cure” the thorns, but why? 

Let’s say that there is no other way to get rid of the thorns. Once you have it, there’s no stopping it. (We’ll forget about William’s case and focus on Alan)

In the musical we see Eric taking the souls for himself to collect and eventually give to Alan. He goes out of his way to make a whole opera play to garner enough humans to take souls from. 

But why would this work? 

Selfishness. This ties back to why the thorns were there in the first place. 

Feeling or trying to understand human pain or emotions is what gave them the thorns, so if a shinigami would take so much lives so selfishly, so greedily, to save themselves, it would negate the thorns that they acquired.

Having no regard for human life would most likely get rid of the thorns purely because it contradicts the thorns presence in a shinigami. 

But isn’t taking human souls for themselves against the rules? Why, yes, yes it is.

Which is why Eric was sneaking around doing it. He only formulated the mass soul reaping when he realized that Alan does not have much time left, and he needed the souls immediately to save him.

Let’s talk about Eric Slingby for a moment.

“And yet somehow.. somehow I have finally found... one fragile ray of light.

“Forgive me Alan, I can’t give you up. I just can’t give you or your life up!”

-Eric Slingby, Kuroshitsuji Musical, The Most Beautiful Death in the World

We talked about how having emotions or feeling empathetic towards humans cause, thorns. But it doesn’t seem to apply to shinigami relationships.

Eric is literally intervening with Alan’s eventual death by collecting the souls, so do the rules of being neutral not apply to them? Are they free to save each other?

I don’t really see a problem with this, I can kind of see that it might not be included in the rules since well, they aren’t human, and it just makes the story even more heart-wrenching.

Eric also has emotions and a personality, and even though he doesn’t understand why Alan is feeling the way he does when it comes to human emotions towards death, he still sees him as a friend and wants to save him. It just goes to show that even shinigamis can have healthy relationships. (cri)

Okay we’re back. During the musical Alan learned that it was Eric who was taking the human souls to save him, and he immediately tries to stop Eric. They have a bittersweet moment and decide to run away together and Eric promising not to kill anymore to get souls, and they leave their glasses behind, signing their resignation.

But the thorns didn’t stop. And eventually Alan is on the verge of death, and Eric breaks his promise, he wanted to save Alan no matter the cost. Eventually Eric needed one more soul to complete the task, and the only human left that he could kill quickly was no other than Ciel Phanthomhive. But  just as he was about to kill Ciel, Alan dived in between, Eric’s death scythe killing him.

Eric was devastated, and begs Sebastian to kill him which he does with Alan’s death scythe. Everything he had done was to not lose Alan, but in the end fate was cruel to them. As the very thing he wanted to protect disappeared by his own actions, he essentially killed himself once more by asking Sebastian to take his life. 

He lied beside Alan, in his second time tasting death for himself, at least in death they were still together.

The souls he collected erupted from his body and rained down on the ground, Ciel and Sebastian musing that the souls were beautiful, white, and pure, it was innocent. It was the most beautiful death in the world.

So what would happen if Alan didn’t take the souls? Would Eric just have 1000 souls with him? Would he return the souls to the dispatch center? Would they be fired? I don’t know really, but all I can most likely assume is that everything Eric did to get the souls would be useless and for naught. Alan I think would have died either way, he would never have taken the souls. 

I can see Alan and Eric still alive and happy together if they ran away earlier and the thorns weren’t as bad. 

Another ending would be Eric letting Alan die per his wish, and Eric turning into an emotionless void like William from the sad event. I can see Eric getting the thorns for himself as he would probably remember Alan whenever he takes a human soul, and the guilt of not saving him would also probably eat him alive. A lose-lose situation.

Even another one would be Alan surviving if speculation #1 was true, but then he would also be emotionless and unfeeling, unless he figured out how to exclusively not feel for the humans and their souls, but that’s a far fetch, I just don’t see Alan doing that. And even if it did happen, I'm quite sure Alan and Eric's dynamic would change and it wont be the same. Also a lose-lose situation. 

It’s a bitterweet ending for Alan and Eric, I can only cry and curse at the world so much for giving them such fates. 

I guess that’s what fanart and fanfiction is for amiright?

If you read everything and got to this point, wow, don’t you have a life? Just kidding. I hope you enjoyed and let me know your thoughts if you like.

I might write more of these if I find more stuff I feel like is interesting, or people can give suggest stuff through dm’s or messaging.

Stay safe, healthy, and hydrated!

Much love, Ames

[red-butler]

Ring Popping the Proposal

Based on the headcanon from @deadly-safety-scissors 

Also up on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25346248

The Bardcliff proposal!

It started, as many bad ideas do, with a visit to the pub. Bard, Eric, Alan and Ron were in the mortal realm, celebrating Alan’s promotion to head of first year training and moving from pub to pub, getting steadily more and more drunk and more and more silly and excitable as they did so. It was closing on two on the morning by now and all of them had reached the stage where what would normally be considered stupid, nay suicidal, ideas were becoming absolutely brilliant plans that they just had to do.

“You-you’ve gotta do it Bard!” Ron laughed, glasses askew. “It’ll be the bestest thing ever!”

“I don’t actually wanna die you guys!”

“Nooooo, she won’ kill you!”

“She’s too much in lovey dovey goodness with you.”

“I ain’t risking my-my...uh…” Bard frowned as his train of thought failed him. “I ain’t risking my life on that. She’ll kill me. Again.”

“But it’ll be sooooo funny!” Eric grinned, Alan nodding beside him.

Bard spared a moment to think that all his friends were evil bastards who were actually out to get him killed, but the drunken haze pervading every one of his thoughts was beginning to sway him.

“Where would we even get one bad enough?”

“I know!” Ron’s hand shot up in the air like he was back in training again. “Oh, pick me!”

“Go on…”

“There’s a little toy thingy, you know, where you...um...put the money in and getta toy back? It’s nearby an’ it does rings!”

“Yeah!” Eric jumped to his feet. Or staggered rather, catching hold of the edge of the table to stop himself keeling over. Alan and Ron followed him up, dragging a still somewhat reluctant but getting caught up in it all Bardroy with them. All four wandered out of the pub and into the night.

Finding a specific location when you were drunker than a skunk was harder than expected, and it took nearly twenty minutes of peering at shops and around corners, giggling like children as the silly adventure took over them. By the time they actually found the toy dispenser Bard was completely on board with the idea they’d come up with. Ron came to a halt and gestured proudly to the dispenser. It was a cheap one that took pound coins and gave plastic children’s jewellry in return. Necklaces, bracelets and most importantly rings in a variety of colours.

All reapers began digging through their pockets looking for spare change and fumblingly slotting coins into the machine. Alan checked through each toy as it fell out.

“Gold necklace...blue ring...bracelet with, um, kitten on it...yellow ring...bracelet with a shell on it...gold necklace...green ring...red ring, oh! Oh! Red ring!” He triumphantly held up the ring and all four reapers gathered around it eagerly.

“It’s hideous!” Eric said in awe. It rather was, chunky cheap plastic with a large translucent red ‘jewel’ sticking a good inch out. The seams were obvious and there was a very obvious ‘made in china’ stamped on the side.

“And...you want me to propose to Grelle using this?” Bard asked, staring at the ugly thing.

“Yes.”

“She’s gonna kill me.”

“But it will be so so worth it won’t it?”

“Well…” Bard looked at the ring and tried to imagine the look of sheer outrage on his beloved Grelle’s face when he proposed to her using this.

“But you’ve gotta do it properly!” Alan chipped in. He might seem the sane one, but Bard had a sneaking suspicion that Alan had been the instigator of this whole idea. 

“Properly?”

“You’ve got to be wearing...wearing the worst clothing you can find, and ask in the most casual way..and not shaved and everything!”

“Are you mad!” Bard exclaimed, but he was laughing at the same time.

“Nope! But she’s gonna be!” Eric laughed, sitting on the damp pavement  and putting on all the rejected jewellry. Ron was still entranced by the hideous red ring as Alan kept trying to persuade Bard to get himself killed in the most exquisitely painful way possible.

“Come on guys...I can’t propose to her like that, she deserves better than that…”

“We’re not saying it has to be the real proposal!” Ron said, “You can-can do a proper one later! This’ll be great though!”

“Well…”

“Aw, go on Bard! You’re only gonna get to do this once, so may as well have fun with it! Right?”

“But-”

“Come on!”

“Please?”

“I’m sure she’ll forgive you, eventually…”

Bard looked back at the red ring, thought about just how angry Grelle would get with a proposal that seemed so sloppy and half hearted. She would be incandescent with utter fury. He wondered how it would feel to get a chainsaw straight through his head while she banshee screeched at him. She was beautiful when she was angry, his red red queen.

“Aww, alright.” 

All three other Reapers broke into loud cheering, Ron and Alan doing a bizarre drunken dance as Bard agreed to their scheme.

“But if she kills me, I’m haunting you lot forever.”

“She won’t kill you, she looooooooves you!”

“Oh! I’m going to film it! We can never forget this night!”

“Ron, she will kill you too.”

“It’ll be worth it!” He chirped.

“Well if Ronnie’s going to be there, I should probably be as well. Jus’ to stop Grelle actually murdering either of you.” Eric said, hauling himself up off the pavement with Bard’s help.

“I suppose that means I’d better be there too. To stop you lot getting into trouble.” Alan said.

“Stop-stop us getting in trouble?” Bard spluttered, staring at the shorter man. “This whole thing was your idea! You’re the one getting us into trouble, not out of it!”

Alan simply shrugged, looking very pleased with himself and Bard gave up. Alan might seem innocent but he was the worst of the lot of them for coming up with ideas for getting them all in trouble.

“I don’t know why I spend time with you lot…”

“Because you looooooooooove us!” Ron laughed.

“Urgh, I’m getting too sober for this...shall we head back to the pub?”

“That, Bardroy, is the best idea any of us has had all night!”