#birthday celebration no working for you earl

[goodqueenaly]

Hi I loved your thoughts on Myranda Royce and was wondering what your thoughts were on Bronze Yohn? He seems an honourable sort but almost a bit to Ned Starkish for his own good. Do you think him and Sansa will end up saving each other by bringing down Littlefinger?

I think Bronze Yohn Royce is in many ways about as typical a Westerosi aristocrat, and specifically a blue-blooded Valeman, as we’re likely to find throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Even before we meet Lord Royce on page, we hear of him through social-political reputation: he is the head of Ser Waymar’s “ancient house with too many heirs”, the great lord whom Lord Commander Mormont was too afraid of insulting to refuse the under-experienced Ser Waymar command of his fatal ranging, the high-ranking guest of Winterfell welcomed at table with Lady Catelyn and in the yard and at hunt with Lord Eddard. His place among the top tier of Westerosi aristocracy has been long assured: Royce attended both the tourney of Harrenhal and the tourney at Lannisport, tilting at both, and defeated at least Thoros of Myr at the melee held to celebrate Joffrey’s twelfth birthday. Nor does Lord Yohn appear less than impressive when he comes into the story himself: Sansa counts him among the “heroes of a hundred songs” who pass by her at the Hand’s tourney, and almost reverently describes his namesake runic armor to Jeyne Poole. Indeed, Catelyn indirectly acknowledges Bronze Yohn’s stature in Westerosi, and particularly Vale, aristocracy by describing Nestor Royce as “Bronze Yohn’s cousin, from a lesser branch of House Royce”; even another aristocrat in his own right should, in Catelyn’s mind, be defined by his relation to the much greater Lord Royce.

Unfortunately for Bronze Yohn, being so typically aristocratic has at times influenced his decision-making, occasionally leading to unwinnable situations where traditional blue-blood lines of thought and operation simply do not work. If Royce was not alone in rejecting Tyrion as a bridegroom for one of his female relations, his refusal reflects the widespread ableism found among Westeros’ elite. Along with the majority of the other great (male) aristocrats of the Vale (at least according to Kevan Lannister), Lord Royce sought to court the widowed Lysa in order to exercise power as a sort of jure uxoris regent; unwilling, perhaps, to engage in a sort of Ainslie Bond-like approach to forcing Lysa into an aristocratically appropriate marriage (much less actually trying to imitate the historical Earl of Bothwell), and convinced that the Vale could only be ruled by an Arryn or one of the highest birth who was himself (specifically himself) closest to an Arryn, Bronze Yohn was perhaps, like his countrymen, stuck with simply trying to woo Lysa into marrying him in order to effect the changes he wanted. Even more problematically for Bronze Yohn (and his allies), in their approach toward Petyr Baelish the Lords Declarant were simply outmatched, caught by the very aristocratic forms they were trying to enforce. Certain that only a blue-blooded Valeman would do to raise Jon Arryn’s son, disdainful of the relatively lower born second husband of Lysa Tully controlling the Arryn heir, Bronze Yohn was, like his allies, limited to making bald but impotent threats against a man with sufficient personal and royal resources (themselves largely one and the same, of course, as the late great Steven Attewell explained) not to be intimidated by such posturing. In turn, Bronze Yohn seems to have poured at least some of his energies into cultivating the would-be Arryn heir, Harry Hardyng, staging (in every sense of the word) a melee at Runestone and knighting the victorious Harry thereafter; it is perhaps not unlikely, if no better for it, that Bronze Yohn, intractably opposed to Littlefinger, encouraged young Harry to look down on Littlefinger - a snobbishness that for Harry has extended, at least initially, to open rudeness toward “Alayne Stone”.

However, Bronze Yohn’s ironclad (or should it be bronzeclad?) belief in his aristocratic position does not preclude him from a willingness to act in the name of honor, and to lead his family accordingly. While he might have been pursuing Lysa as a suitor, Bronze Yohn was nevertheless not shy about “stirring up all sorts of trouble”, in Lysa’s opinion, by demanding that “[Lysa] call [her] banners and go to war” on the side of Robb Stark - a recognition by Lord Royce, I think, not just of the historical kinship between Stark and Royce (and the threat to him personally, as one of those identified in Cersei’s initial demand for homage) but also of the generally dishonorable conduct of the Lannister-Baratheon regime. Too, though Yohn Royce obviously did not know about the secret agreement between Lyn Corbray and Littlefinger (nor, by extension, the pretended dramatics Lyn acted out during the Lords Declarant meeting), Bronze Yohn responded with honorably appropriate fury - denouncing the man he believed was his ally to defend the hallowed tradition of guest right (even where the beneficiary of that tradition, in this scenario, was the much-loathed Petyr Baelish). Likewise, I think due credit should be given to Bronze Yohn for raising at least two of his sons (certainly those two most familiar to us as readers) with a sense of duty and bravery even in the face of unwindable odds: though both Waymar and Robar demonstrated some of the haughty self-assurance typical of young Westerosi aristocrats of their rank (albeit perhaps not totally for Waymar), both also proved willing to die in the name of honor - Waymar distinguishing himself as a man of the Night’s Watch in doing battle against the Others, Robar allowing Catelyn and Brienne time to flee while he himself fought the grief-stricken Loras Tyrell following Renly’s murder.

Ultimately, I do believe that Bronze Yohn will be an ally to Sansa, both because of that aristocratic standing as well as his personal sense of honor. Sansa already considered revealing herself to Bronze Yohn when the latter came with the Lords Declarant to the Eyrie, and while she decided against doing so in the moment, she had no way of knowing that her reasoning was wrong: Royce did want to fight for Robb, and with Sansa the last remaining legitimate Stark (or so Sansa and Bronze Yohn believe for now, anyway), I think there is a very good chance that Royce will want to fight for her once Littlefinger’s plan to reveal her kicks into gear. Moreover, if Sansa, learning of Littlefinger’s crimes against her family and her friend Jeyne, calls upon northern and Vale lords to cast him down, I firmly believe Royce will be first in line, ready and more than willing to cast down the man Sansa knows was responsible for Jon Arryn’s death (among much else).

[deathfavor]

@furiaei said:' hey, Earl, ' Mya begins, taking a seat by his side, ' I know you're maybe not really the type to do this kind of thing, but, I guess celebrating the little things once in a while isn't all that terrible, right? ' she laughs, presenting the Advisor with a cup cake, on top of which there has been placed a singular candle. it may have been a joint effort, considering making anything that isn't a deadly weapon is... quite the feat, the least being said.

producing a lighter from her jacket's pocket, Mya sets the candle alight, briefly singing that "Happy Birthday!" song. ' you're supposed to blow the candle out and make a wish. ' a sigh does not delay to come forth from her lips. ' before you ask, yeah, I'm aware, from an intellectual point of view, that these things tend to seem unnecessary. it's just... well, it's nice to have a mini birthday party of sorts for a change. go ahead! make your wish! '

happy birthday earl

" Mya. " Earl greets the other in kind, sparing a brief moment to glance up from the documents he was looking over to give proper acknowledgement. At least, that had been the fox's sole intention. But a brief glance turns into a much longer one when he realizes that she's got something behind her back and starts talking.

" Let me guess, Zoya or Horo snitched? " He sighs, though it sounds more tiredly amused than genuinely irritated or frustrated. Earl rarely spilled personal information, even with something as simple as his birthday - although that was rather from lack of thought than conscious effort. It wasn't something he put a lot of focus on. " Or maybe Jer? " That old man was also a contender - all three of them worked hard every year to make sure Earl didn't spend the whole day working.

Earl lowers the papers as the cupcake is presented to him; and then he allows for a rare chuckle to leave his chest, deep and full. He's not sure anyone could have done it by themselves but at least it looks presentable. ( Taste might be another matter, but for the sake of the day, and for the people, he's willing to take a gamble. )

" Despite how many birthdays I've had, I don't think sitting through that song gets any less awkward. " It must be a special day to have Earl laugh a second time, only speaking once she's actually finished with the song. " Contrary to common belief, I am aware of that. Horo was always rather enthusiastic about that part. " Earl didn't bother with such things for himself, but he'd always put the effort in for Horo. Even as she got older and acted as though she wasn't waiting all day for it. " Seems your mental version of me has already given you a lecture. " It is entertaining. " A wish, huh? "

Wishes are pointless. Any other day, he might have said as much to Mya. But today he lets it slide - as much as birthday's were a celebration to the day themselves, he supposes it was also a day for others to celebrate both the person and the years of knowing them. God knows even here in Syndicate everyone could do with some cheer. Earl might be serious, but he wasn't going to take that fun from others. Besides the fact he's tried before in vain to treat his day like an ordinary birthday - Legion won't have that.

" Alright. " Wish in mind, Earl blows out the candle. The corners of his eyes crinkle with a smile. " And as I recall, traditionally cakes are split. It might be mini, but it serves the same purpose. So. I take half, you take half? " He offers.

[mitskijamie]

Rip Ted Lasso cheesy sitcom filler episodes. Roy’s 40th birthday episode where he grapples with mortality while everyone runs around trying to throw him a surprise party…Ted and Beard double date episode…flashback episode with the original actors but different haircuts…bottle episode in the locker room!!

YES LITERALLY LITERALLY LITERALLY ....

- X rated Will Kitman antics episode. Drugs. Sex. Booze. Gambling. And he shows up at work the next day looking cute as a button :)

- Team Bonding Trip to a countryside retreat of some kind goes horribly wrong. The boys end up sleeping four to a bed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory grandparents style, it pours rain the entire time, the power goes out, etc. Of course at the end they wind up having a great time and come out stronger as a team, but it's touch and go for a while because Jamie can't blowdry his hair

- Phoebe and Keeley girls' day out episode!!! Roy doesn't come up once, they talk about vampires all day in various scenic locations around London

- Anthology episode where the bus breaks down in a storm and Ted suggests they tell spooky stories while they wait for the tow truck. I know everyone hates anthology episodes but I think they're fun

(Bumbercatch's story is borderline incomprehensible and really more of a conspiracy theory about the Cars franchise than a story. Nate's story is about a guy whose dad is disappointed in the choices he's made for himself. Dani's story is about a ghost dog haunting the person who killed him by sneaking up and biting his nuts while he has his eyes closed in the shower, and it becomes increasingly clear that this is a very real fear he has about Earl. Roy's story of course is so violent and graphic that everyone is genuinely terrified, and Ted has to step in with a campy cowboy ghost story that culminates in a tense silence broken by Beard yelling out and jumpscaring everyone)

- 00s party boy Roy flashback ep (Brett Goldstein in a wig as you said. Obviously)!!!!!!! Near the end he scores some momentous goal and we see Georgie and baby Jamie in a Kent kit celebrating in front of the TV lol

[lupinmoonlight]

Hey, I loved Corrupted! Can we try it the other way around with Y/N dominating Remus? 👀

Aged and Edged

Masterlist AO3

Summary - It is Remus' birthday and you edge him a year older using your mouth (1,665 words).

Warnings - teacher/student roleplay, (reversed) D/s dynamic, oral sex (reader giving), swallowing, premature orgasm, remus comes twice, overstimulation, my grammar.

Notes - HAPPY BIRTHDAY REMUS <3 Thank you for your request @crazykidsdontmelt! I never thought of reversing the roles and it was surprisingly fun!

It was a quiet evening in the cottage. It often was, with Remus. Yet, today, the quietness was more pronounced, as he deliberately made it so because it was his birthday- a day he stubbornly believed didn't warrant any celebration.

You, however, thought the man should be worshiped. You adored him. But anything extravagant would spark a rant about the insignificance of another year passing, an silly argument that would end with you rolling your eyes at him and him attempting a stern glare, only to be betrayed by the soft kindness that filled his eyes whenever he looked at you. So you kept it quiet. Of course, you made his favourite breakfast, took him to his favourite bookstore, brewed his favourite tea- a strong cup of Earl Grey with a dash of milk- but you kept it quiet.

Now, you both lounged by the fireplace, him on the sofa and you on your preferred spot on the floor, tucked cozily between his legs, each absorbed in a book. You still were both new to this kind of domesticity. It wasn't long ago that you were his student, where every interaction, every stolen glance, every touch was forbidden.

Turning around, you shifted your position, now looking up at him with a mischievous glint in your eyes. His book hovered mid-air as he watched you with a curious expression.

"Is everything alright, love?" he asked softly, his hand reaching down to caress your cheek.

"Mhm" you mumbled before resting your head on his thigh, feeling the comforting weight of his hand as it moved to thread through your hair.

Your own hand began a daring journey over his thigh, a light, innocent touch at first that grew bolder as it neared his crotch. His reaction was immediate- a sharp intake of breath and a subtle tensing of his body. His fingers paused, then tightened every so slightly in your hair.

"Y/N, w-what are you doing?" he stammered, his usually composed self nearly undone by this small gesture.

You looked up at him through your lashes, feigning innocence. "Nothing".

He tried to act casual, but you could already feel him harden from beneath your hand resting innocently over his growing bulge. Deciding to take it a bit further, you sat up slightly, now kneeling between his parted legs, and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Hands off, Professor," you said playfully.

Obediently, almost comically so, he let his hands fall to his sides, his expression a delightful mix of flustered anticipation and alarm. He looked at you, clearly intrigued and utterly at your mercy, a stark contrast to the dominant he usually was in your moments of intimacy.

The bulge in his trousers was obvious now, straining against the fabric, and you couldn't help but chuckle softly as you imagined the power you held over him in that moment.

"I want you to know how much you mean to me, Remus. How much I love you," you whispered.

"I do know, Y/N, but you really don't need to-"

"I want to. Please, let me."

"Okay," he murmured, his voice quiet and vulnerable, something you rarely saw in him.

Your hands were steady, despite the excitement you felt, as you gently eased his trousers down, revealing more of him to you.

You leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his knee, then slowly working your way up his thigh with a series of soft, lingering kisses, making his length twitch in anticipation.

"You deserve to be cherished, Remus," you said, pausing to look up at him again. "Let me show you how much."

His response, this time, was a silent nod, his usual eloquence lost at your boldness. In contrast, his erection stood proud, hard and ready for your touch.

Your fingers trailed over his skin, lightly caressing him, teasingly stroking him. And then, leaning down, you started licking a soft, slow path from the base of his shaft to the head, circling the sensitive tip with your tongue, savouring the taste of him.

His head fell back against the couch as he fought the urge to touch, to claim, to reassert the control he was so accustomed to. Meanwhile, your tongue moved deliberately slowly over his cock, never really taking him in, eliciting soft gasps from him. You love the way his body responded to your touch, the way his hips bucked involuntarily, desperate for more contact.

As you sensed his growing struggle, you paused, locking eyes with him, a silent challenge passing between you. It was then that his hands moved, almost of their own accord, reaching for you, fingers threading through your hair with a firm grip, his intention to fully bury himself in your mouth clear.

"I said hands off, Professor," you chided softly. The use of his formal title in such an intimate setting only made him throb.

With a frustrated groan, he let his hands fall back to his sides, his body language a blend of obedience and barely restrained lust. You could sense his struggle, the effort it took for him to remain passive, to relinquish control to you.

You opened your mouth, allowing him to feel the warmth of your breath, and slowly took him in, relishing the feel of him against your tongue. You swirled your tongue around the head again, making him groan obscenely.

"F-fuck…" he breathed as you felt him noticeably pulse in your mouth.

You grinned around him, enjoying the sound of his desperation, and took him a little deeper. His hands clenched at his sides, knuckles white, as he fought the urge to defy your commands. With a moan, his head fell back against the couch, his eyes closed, lips parted as he surrendered to the sensations.

You began to work your head up and down, taking more of him into your mouth each time, each movement deliberate, calculated to tease, to draw out the tension, winding him tighter with every flick of your tongue, until you felt him hit the back of your throat. You paused, deliberately swallowing around him before slowly pulling back until only the head of his cock was still in your mouth. You could taste the salty precum that was steadily seeping out of his tip and just lapped it up like it was your favourite thing in the world.

"Wait- wait- s-stop," he gasped, panic lacing his voice as his hips bucked up. "I'm…I'm going to…"

You released him with an obscene pop and watched as his eyes squeezed shut and his cock began to pulse, untouched, while thick white ropes shot out, landing on his stomach and your hand.

"I…I'm sorry," he stammered out of breath, "I didn't mean to…"

But your response was a chuckle, light and soft, as you held his still hardened length. You licked and kissed your way up his shaft, cleaning every inch of him, and took him right back into your mouth. Remus gasped, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I-I don't think I can-" he murmured, his voice strained.

You pulled back and licked the remnants of his release from your lips, one of your hand stroking him gently. "Let me worry about that, Professor."

Remus whimpered- fucking whimpered- as you wrapped your lips back around him. He made another feeble attempt at holding your head steady, weakly trying to thrust into your mouth, but you placed his hands right back on his sides.

"No," you commanded. "You don't get to control this."

Remus made a sort of desperate sound and his hands fell limply to his sides. Holding the base of his shaft, you dragged your tongue along the length of him and his response was immediate. A sharp gasp escaped his lips, his body arching off the couch. You pressed your hands to his hips, holding him down.

"Stay still," you said, stroking him deliberately slowly, feeling him pulse and throb. Remus trembled, violently, his chest heaving. He was overstimulated, right where you wanted him. You reveled in his reactions, each sound, each movement showed how desperately needy he was. You were almost in awe of the power you held, the ability to unravel this man, once your professor, who was always so composed and in control.

Almost out of pity, you allowed him back into your mouth, sinking down until your nose was flat against his abdomen- no further to go. The depth was unfamiliar and you struggled to hold yourself there, but you controlled your reflexes fighting against the intrusion and breathed through your nose as you worked your throat around him.

"Y/N," he panted, his voice filled with pleasure, desperation, and a hint of bewilderment at his own body's responses.

"Too much…it's too much…" he managed to gasp out.

You slid your lips back up, not fully pulling back, and used your hand to stroke him in tandem with your mouth. Remus was falling apart. You could feel his cock jerking in your mouth, preparing for another release.

"Oh fuck-" Remus whimpered. You moaned around him as you felt him start to spasm, his hands fisting the cushions.

You sunk back down until his cock was buried down your throat once more and swallowed around him and then, with a loud, unrestrained moan, Remus lost control, and you allowed him. His hands gripped your hair tightly, pushing you down as far as he could, his hips bucking wildly as he spilled down your throat. You swallowed everything he had to give until there was nothing left, until he finally let go of your head and fell back, boneless, as you released him.

Remus was shivering, panting, heaving, sweating. It was unbelievably satisfying to see him so undone. You had done this. You had made him this way, and it filled you with an unexpected pride.

"Happy birthday, Professor," you teased.

Remus smiled, a sheepish sort of smile, and swung his arm over his face, embarrassed.

"I'm getting too old for this."

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

09/08-09/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Leslie Jones Bday; Rose City Comic Con (Rhys, Kristian, Vico, Matt); Nathan Foad; Alex Sherman; Vico Ortiz; Dominic Burgess; Rachel House; Samba Schutte; Baby Baby Baby Reminder from AdoptOurCrew; Tell Tale TV Voting Results; Fan Spotlight: IllustoryArt Affirmation Cards; Big Gay Energy Podcast;

Hey Lovelies, the way things are going, I'm gonna aim for 2 day recaps for now, I know that kinda messes with the name, but hey! Hope you're all staying healthy and safe <3

== Leslie Jones Birthday ==

Happy Belated Birthday to Leslie Fucking Jones! Her birthday was Sept 7!

Source: Leslie's Instagram

== Rose City Comic Con (Rhys, Kristian, Vico, Matt) ==

The weekend wrapped up with more and more fun with the crew! Kristian even got to meet a llama during RCCC! .. apparently Nathan in disguise!

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

Our fabulous crewmate MentalDevass over on twitter was such a sweetie and allowed me share this super cute interaction with Rhys on the recap tonight! <3 Thanks hon!

Source: MentalDevass's Twitter

Lots of shots of the panel from Seattle Refined!

Source: Seattle Refined

== Nathan Foad ==

Nathan telling Germany he'll see them soon! Looks like he'll be joining the StuttGart ComicCon happening at the end of November!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram

== Alex Sherman ==

Alex is out seeing Beetlejuice!

Source: Alex Sherman's Instagram Stories

== Samba Schutte ==

"Take Me To Your Baker"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samba Schutte (@sambaschutte)

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico is Narrating a new book-- "American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era"! Wanna preorder it? Here's some options!

Booktoopia

Libro.Fm

Audible

Barnes & Noble

Source: Queer News Instagram

== Dominic Burgess ==

Happy Star Trek Day to all who celebrate! Dominic sends his regards!

and also-- more Cat Content!

(And although this was prior to the news, very appropriate given the passing of the Late, Great, James Earl Jones. Rest In Peace sir <3)

Source: Dominic's Twitter

Dominic also shared the good news about his current show --Congrats to the Team of Palm Royale for winning an emmy for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music!

== Rachel House ==

Rachel was out promoting the fabulous TE MAUNGA at that Toronto International Film Festival!

Source: Collider Instagram

== Baby Baby Baby Reminder ==

Our friends over at @adoptourcrew are promoting the Baby, Baby, Baby Event! Remember to schedule your tweets!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Tell Tale TV Voting Results ==

Source: Tell Tale TV / Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Illustory Art - Affirmation Cards! =

I cannot tell you how much I absolutely adore how our brilliant community continues to spread love, kindness, and support. Tonight's new Fan Spotlight is on Illustory Art! Illustory does absolutely adorable and beautifully colored illustrations, pins, and fan-themed affirmation cards! I'm sure you've seen some of their charming work around-- they've done so much fun stuff for the Doctor Who, Good Omens, and OFMD community! Do you have one of their affirmation decks by chance?

If not, and you're interested -- there's some great news -- coming this Friday, Sept 13, new preorders are becoming available on Illustory's Ko-Fi!

OFMD Season 2 Booster

Full OFMD Deck

and a new set-- What We Do In the Shadows!

The WWDITS set was made in collaboration with apolin.art, another gorgeous illustrator! If you'd like to see more of their works-- or put in a preorder, you can follow the two of them on their socials below!

Illustory's Socials: Ko-Fi / Linktr.ee / Instagram / Tumblr / Twitter

Apolin Art's Socials: Linktr.ee / Instagram / Twitter

== Big Gay Energy Pod ==

New episode of Big Gay Energy Podcast comes out on Wednesday! They'll be discussing the OFMD Cancellation with their friend Chloe!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Big Gay Energy (@biggayenergypod)

Source: Big Gay Energy Podcast Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Tonight, since the delightful Illustory Art gave me permission to spotlight some of their works, I'm gonna add a couple from their Good Omens Deck to the Love Notes since I just feel so warm and fuzzy inside when I look at them <3 Remember lovelies that you can do anything. You don't have to do everything, even though sometimes it feels like you need to-- but you have the potential to do so many many wonderful things. Please be kind to yourself and give yourself a break, you're getting to where you want/need to go in your own time. Rest up and keep on keeping on <3

Source: Illustory Art's Instagram

[aubadeatelier]

Happy 20th Anniversary D. Gray-man!

On 31 May 2004, an amazing journey began with Allen Walker making his way to the European Branch of the Black Order as a new exorcist.

And now, it is 31 May 2024, 20 years of a still on-going journey. A lot has happened and changed and yet, he keeps walking.

Happy Birthday, D. Gray-man! And thank you for everything you've brought to me and so many others!

This post contains the pieces I did for the D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine. 1 Party Doodle and 2 Redraw Project pages. Please enjoy! To see the whole zine, please access the zine through the link below to the project tumblr!

✦ D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine ✦

Please make sure to take a look at the whole zine! I had the greatest honor to work with more than 100+ amazing artists across the world. It would mean a lot to me and all those who worked on this zine to have our work seen together as one!

(PS. I asked a funny little question in the Party Doodle section of the zine!)

[Beyond this point are my pieces and some fun facts!]

Party Doodle || A Celebration from 35 Years Ago featuring from bottom left, Mana D. Campbell, Nea D. Campbell, ???, Cross Marian, and Timcampy. ✦ I originally made this celebration doodle with the intention of just drawing Nea, ???, and Timcampy. But upon popular demand and the power of friendship (shoutout to Hana Hazel, Kanin, and Sabhamun), I ended up adding Cross Marian and Mana! And honestly, the additions were a great idea and really make the piece feel more lively and fun! (Also we need more Campbell brothers content damn it. I wanna see them happy!) ✦ Also, if any of your are up-to-date at this point, you know Chapter 251 coming out shook so many things including this piece that was already done when it released. But! I think it's fun to keep it as is as a relic of the pre-251 era. (Who knows? Maybe I'll make a fixed version!)

Redraw Project Page 01 || Chapter 04. Page 119. ✦ The first redraw page I received for assignment! I ended up liking the page, because it felt to me an integral establishing page for the series' themes. I may have gotten a little overboard with how I wanted to interpret the page, but I thought originally I would not be doing a second page and thus, wanted to put a lot of effort. In D. Gray-man, Akuma are created when a person makes a deal with the Millennium Earl. More often than not, the person has no idea what this deal entails, only that they can bring their loved one back from the dead if they agree to it. But what happens when the person is aware or knows not to accept the Earl's deal? And we receive a heart-wrenching, but understandable answer. To have the knowledge of the Earl's tricks does not automatically save a person. The Earl preys on the vulnerable. He appears and makes his offer to those in the deepest pits of despair and grief. That is how he got Leo. He was just a kid who lost his mother. He may have known more about the Earl and Akuma, because of his friendship with Jean, but when you are grieving kid-- what do you do when someone promises you they'll bring back your mother who was taken from you so suddenly? It is difficult to say no. ✦ The books that frame the piece are meant to convey this emphasis of knowledge and study-- the days Jean and Leo spent reading through Jean's father's books and notes about the Earl and Akuma with intention to patrol their town and keep people safe. Ultimately, a book page is the last panel, showing a representation of Leo and the Earl at a grave as Leo becomes an example of a person who takes the Earl's deal and whose body is taken by an Akuma. ✦ The blue tones of Jean and the Akuma were on purpose made to contrast the warmer tones of Jean and Leo's days together. ✦ It was crazy getting to draw an Akuma's face. It was a challenge to try and draw kids, but I ended getting through it pretty well. ✦ There are a few silly easter eggs in the open books. I put a small anniversary message in one. And in the other, I tried to sketch Cornelia and the Campbell Estate with the lyrics of the 14th's song. A nod to some content in the later parts of the series.

Redraw Project Page 02 || Chapter 01. Page 38. ✦ Originally, the plan was I only would do 1 redraw page and 1 doodle, but we needed fill-ins and I took a shot at it! ✦ When I found out it was a page from Chapter 1, I was ecstatic! I had originally wanted to do one from the chapter, but they were high in demand which was more than understandable. ✦ Unlike my first redraw page, I decided to be a little more simplistic with the layout. This layout is not too far off from that of the Katsura Hoshino's, but I made a few changes such as certain angles, drawing characters closer to emphasize faces. ✦ I am not the strongest with backgrounds and drawing buildings, but I ended up enjoying the challenge of it all. Thankfully, a lot of other artists in the project tackled the building and referenced the original page, the pages and sketches of the building or interior by other project artists, and the anime to ready myself to tackle it! ✦ The spirals of the Akuma bullet gave me trouble at first, but then I ended up enjoying it as I figured it out. ✦ This page was overall a big joy to play with as it challenged me with backgrounds, certain effects, and word bubbles.

And with that, this concludes the tour of my work on the D. Gray-man 20th Anniversary Zine. I have so much to say about this series and what it means to me, but I will try not to make this post horridly longer.

D. Gray-man is the series that made me fall in love with storytelling and art. It showed me something that filled an emptiness I felt. It gave me joy and company at a time where I felt unsure who I was and felt like an outcast. My resolution after this project is to continuously grow better at my stories and art. I hope to make something as meaningful to myself and others as D. Gray-man is.

Happy 20th Anniversary D. Gray-man! I hope and pray for more wonderful chapters and for there to be a lovely conclusion someday. For now, let us keep walking together!

[buckrecs]

𝙡𝙚𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧

masterlist | s.s characters masterlist

ONESHOT

Sweet On You by @ladyfallonavenger

A childhood friend stirs something in Lee that he didn't think was possible.

Want To Bet On It? by @ladyfallonavenger

“What’s the most you ever lost in a coin toss?”

something sweet by @laineywilsons

your first halloween as the sheriff’s wife doesn’t quite go as planned.

a different kind of angel by @laineywilsons

a chance meeting on a knockemstiff back road changes lee’s life forever. 

babydoll by @bellasburdens

go ahead, baby by @sweetdreamsbuck

You’ve been taking cooking classes to surprise Lee for your anniversary. You try to keep it a secret from him and he finds out that you’ve been lying about where you’ve been going.

Sweetheart by @likeahorribledream

Lee takes you out to celebrate, but he quickly notices that something is bothering you.

Drabble by @sweeterthanthis

A thorn in your side is all he ever was, but using his desire to your advantage wasn’t as selfless as you’d lead him to believe

Pearl Necklace by @mypoisonedvine

your husband has a special present to give you this christmas.

In Through The Window by @disturbedbydesign

You and Lee had always dreamed of starting a family, and when you finally gave birth to your first child, you thought your dream had become a reality. But then something changed—your baby changed—and your dream turned into a nightmare that only you could see.

Meant Something by @mickeyhenrys

“of course it meant something!” 

coping mechanism by @lokiskitten

you’ve been seeing Lee for a while now, keeping your relationship secret for the sake of both of your reputations and mainly in order to avoid drama. One night, after you cooked him a fancy dinner, you notice an unusual sentiment of frustration radiating from his body. After begging him, the man eventually reveals the reason to his sorrow and you decide to show him how much of a handsome man you believe he is.

Goodbye, Earl by @disturbedbydesign

You thought you'd left Knockemstiff behind you, but when your best friend needs saving and has no one else to turn to, you return to town to take care of business. But can you get out of town before Sheriff Bodecker catches up with you? Because he's got some unfinished business of his own.

You can be my daddy tonight by @bucknastysbabe

If you’re seeking heaven then you’ll want to come and get it.

Mix Every (Baking) Failure with Chocolate by @acatwriteshere

Reader is trying her very best to make her first Valentine's Day as a married woman the very best any husband could wish for. How sad that she fails at preparing the main surprise.

dinner and a treat by @nickfowlerrr

girls like you don’t need heaven by @noceurous

the night works for the troubled ones, it was better to make it home before the sunset

SERIES

just between you and me, did the love affair maim you too? by @extremelyblackandwhite

sheriff and his princess by @sweetdreamsbuck

Anything by @littlelioncub43

It’s Day I of your birthday week, and you decide to kick things off with a little celebration dance. Lee, of course, isn’t complaining about it. After all, whatever you want, you get. 

Domestic!Lee by @tumblin-theworldaway

Got Any Candy? by @qyllenhaal

Y/n wants to get out of town and move to the city, but the pay she's making at her job isn't cutting it. She answers a weird ad in the classified ads that doesn't turn out to be what it seemed.

+ Down By The River

[doihavetosaymyname]

SIGNS YOUR MANIFESTATION IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE

Pick a pile and get a reading <3

Art credit: YOSHITAKA AMANO.

Pile one

4 of wands, the Tower,  king of pentacles, the Fool, 9 of swords rx, 3 of swords rx, 4 of wands (again), the Star. 

Channelled message: Don’t lose hope.

Phoenix rising from the ashes symbolism; a shocking event that will make you reevaluate your whole life might happen shortly before your manifestation. You may feel like you hit the rock bottom but you are  also free. The moment you have nothing to lose anymore your dreams will come true. 

Your manifestation seems to come true during the Aquarius season. Also manifestations may happen during the time you attend lots of celebrations: weddings, birthdays, baby showers, etc. 

Pay attention to 4444 synchronicity. 

Song: SZA —Far. 

If nobody wants you, you’re free. 

Pile two

The Strength, 7 of pentacles, 8 of cups. 

Channelled message: No need to proof anything to anyone.

You have been waiting patiently, you have been putting in work to hone your craft; you walked away from things that no longer serve you, cut off some friends. May feel bittersweet about it. Once you ‘tame the beast’ inside by doing shadow work, your manifestation will come and hit you out of nowhere. 

Leo season is important for you, you may have Leo in your big three, too. 

Occurrence of number 8, 8888 synchronicity may be a sign that your blessing is close. 

Song: FKA twigs — lightbeamers. 

Tell yourself you love you so

Lay down your fears, baby 

Ain’t anybody dies from it, no

Pile three

2 of swords, 9 of wands, king of wands rx, 8 of wands, the Emperor, 7 of pentacles, 8 of wands rx (again), the High Priestess

Channelled message: Keep going no matter what .

Expect your manifestation to come true during the Libra full moon (Aries season). 

You may feel like you do not have control over anything in your life, things would become very fast-paced and unpredictable. Lots of people may reveal their dark secrets to you; you may hear information you think you were better off not knowing. There is a possibility of getting into a love triangle, too. 

Fire element plays an important part in your life. Candles, lights, and even fire sign people may be a good luck omen to you. 

Song: Beyoncé — Break my soul. 

You won’t break my soul. 

Pile four

5 of wands, 9 of cups, the Devil rx, the Hermit, the World, 4 of cups, 6 of swords, queen of wands. 

Channelled message: Use your gifts for good and you will receive 10 times more goods back.

Seems like you will be blessed with material abundance in that period of time. Overindulgence, hedonistic approach to life, lots of sex with no genuine connection. All of it is fun at first, you even mistake your physical wealth with your manifestation coming true. Eventually this kind of lifestyle leaves you bored and empty. You will experience lots of fighting, too. 

And then, during that period of isolation, your true manifestation will actually hit you. There will be an opportunity to travel, to finally reignite the spark in your soul. You will regain passion for life and feel truly happy. 

Number 9 is important to you, you may be a life path 9. Capricorn and Virgo season are your most lucky times of the year, you may have those signs in your big three. 

Manifestation may come true during your North node/Sun/Venus/Jupiter 12th house transit. 

Song: Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt — Super Rich Kids. 

Oh, real love

I’m searching for a real love. 

______________________________________________________

If you are interested in private readings, feel free to message me <3

If you like my readings, please consider donating <3

KO-FI

PAYPAL.ME

[morphodae]

omg i finally remembered my password!!! lollll

i came to see you write for bb? omg that was my childhood,,,

since i read ur other posts/thoughts on bb, may i ask for headcanons on how you think alois would feel knowing he is actually the son of the earl (*retch*)? or just you know ur overall thoughts on it lolll thank youuu!

Hi Cece! I hope you've been well! And yeah I write for Black Butler now lol. I've been hyperfixating on that show and manga alongside Honkai Star Rail, soooo yknow how it is lol.

You absolutely can request this! I'm about to rub my hands together like a lil gremlin and put this all into words because I have a LOT ok--

a/n (1): i assume you want a x reader for this? let me know if that was alright! :) i dont think alois would be able to get through this revelation without a confidant/companion tbfh

a/n (2): just for people to know that black butler is a fandom (that I write for) where I will only write for older!ciel and older!alois. I will likely write those two between the ages of 18 and early twenties

Older!Alois Trancy - discovering the 'truth'

Again, and I mentioned this for those who aren't familiar with my post and a crack theory I saw circling around; the idea is that Alois is actually THE Alois mentioned in season 2. You know, the son of Earl Trancy and his late wife who offed herself due to the "kidnapping" of her son? So, imagine Claude suggested this fabricated story, thinking it too unbelievable to possibly be the truth, only for the young, naive 14-year-old Alois to think it perfect to trick his "uncle" with. In this case........ it wasn't a fabricated story by Alois when Arnold Trancy came over. "Jim Macken" is his name, the name given to him by the couple who adopted him as a baby.

Anyways...

In no way do I see him taking this news well. That's the understatement of the century, but you know what I mean.

Even if Claude didn't yeet him into the afterlife and nom nom on his soul at the end of S2, I can still sort of see the rivalry between him and Ciel throughout the years. Either way, I digress: let's say Alois - for one reason or another - is able to celebrate a few more birthdays past his canon age of 14. So, now he's a young adult and is suddenly staring the cold, cruel truth right in its face.

How, exactly, the truth of him being the biological son of the late Earl Trancy being discovered is something that could have happened in many ways. The most likely way I see this happening is that Claude got pretty tired of Alois' "boring" soul and decided to stir the pot. It isn't out of the realm of possibility to see Claude unearth some secrets of the Trancy estate in order to... alter Alois mental state so that it may affect the "flavor" of his soul.

Now, in Alois' extreme grief and PTSD coming back full force upon such a horrific revelation, his soul is now more appealing to Claude (yippie -_-).

No servant in that household is prepared or equipped for the incredibly detached and (even more) unstable young man they serve under. Most days I can see Alois staring blankly, mind going at super speeds. Hardly anyone can get through to him. But, as I said, the flavor of his soul is now more appealing to Claude. That little shit knows what he did stirring the pot and is waiting patiently for his mental state to "burn even hotter."

I can only see Alois working through this if he had a companion. In this case, the reader. They are a human, they have emotions, they can understand him. It's really all they can do to help him through such heavy news. And even if Alois is older now and has mentally and emotionally matured ever-so-slightly (i am a firm believer he has bpd but that's another can of worms), he is still in the process of growing as a person. So, having an actual person in his life whom he trusts and cares for deeply, and boy does he care deeply (scorpio energy fr), he will not ever forget it nor will he ever let them go. They are his rock, his safe place, his only anchor to the world. If he can't trust anyone, then he can trust them. In fact, it may just be the catalyst towards a future marriage proposal.

[thephantomtheory]

Earl Grey, Lavender, and a Bow | Levi x Reader

notes: alright... i'm back after a mini hiatus for my love's birthday. here's a lil drabble.

content: levi x reader, canonverse ig? just you being sweet for levi's birthday xx

cw: sfw, but really mild mentions of grief/loss if you squint

-

Levi never knew how you learned his birthday. He’d managed to keep that information unwaveringly private, despite Hange’s desperate attempts and sleepless nights wildly digging through archives to uncover it. He suspected that, perhaps Erwin knew, but if so, never said a word, which went much appreciated by Levi.

Levi’s birthday was something he’d rather not acknowledge. He never did like a fuss, or an excess of attention, or spirited social gatherings. He didn’t see the point in celebrating another year while so many of his comrades would not… could not…

In fact, the first year he’d known you, he’d honestly forgotten about the occasion himself. It was a quiet day and frigidly cold, as it always was that time of year. The sun set early, pale orange and icy blue hues loosely sinking beneath the edge of the Walls, the remaining faded light sparkling over the new layer of snow.

It crunched like muffled sighs underneath his shoes as he walked back to Headquarters from the local tea shop. He’d restocked on Earl Grey and crushed lavender, but he’d been hoping to find a rare blend, black and earthy leaves specific to the season, but unfortunately left empty-handed.

The wind picked up and Levi pulled his scarf tighter around him. Three young children threw snowballs at each other in the middle of the street, their cheeks pinched rosy from the cold, while their laughter swelled innocently and bright into the evening. It was simple. But it was everything. He walked on.

By the time he made it back to Headquarters he had buried his nose into his scarf and his black hair was decorated with a white dusting of flurried snowflakes. The building was more quiet than usual, as everyone had a few weeks off and whoever had families went to spend time with them. Of course, there were many members who had learned to make a family out of their fellow soldiers, including a select few from Levi’s own squad, and they milled about in the dining commons while Levi passed by as a shadow, on his way back to his office to prepare for tea with you, a nightly routine that the two of you had fallen into much like snowflakes fall to the earth; effortless and weightless, but falling nonetheless.

He unlocked the door to his office, leaning back against it until it clicked closed, sighed. He unwrapped his scarf from around him, peeled off his mittens and placed them neatly on his desk, setting his coat on the back of his chair. He went to light the fire and then began to prepare the tea. He turned again to his desk, where he’d left his packages, and spotted something red just on the corner.

He blinked. A subtle red bow. Atop a grey-blue tin box. Right next to his mittens. How did he miss this?

Levi picked it up, analyzed the print on the front of the box, and realized it was the tea he was unable to find earlier.

He ran his thumb over the velvet of the bow, and then he remembered.

He felt the soft fabric under his skin. And then he realized.

He didn’t have to ask who’d left it. Just the other week, he’d mentioned he was looking for this tea during one of your late night conversations. And you always listened.

Not much later you were sat across from him, sipping the tea he’d just poured for you. You brought the cup to your lips, tasting, and mused,

“Mm, new blend?”

“Just got it today.”

“It’s nice.”

The fire crackled beside you. He eyed you.

“How’d you know?”

You smiled into your cup.

“Know what?”

A small grin pulled at the corners of his lips, which he hid as he sipped.

“Brat…

Thank you.”

©2022 thephantomtheory | do not repost my work anywhere, and do not plagiarize (reblogs much appreciated)

[jules-has-notes]

2018 VoicePlay summer activities — projects, planning, and the Philippines

Summer is often a time for fun and relaxation. For the VoicePlay guys, the summer of 2018 was largely a time of planning, rehearsing, and pursuing some individual projects. Though they did also do some significant travel.

.

Following a comfortably busy spring, they took the beginning of July as a time to rest a bit and work on other things.

"You're not going to start chasing me like Eli does, are you?"

.

J.None spent the Fourth performing with Paradigm at a local event, before zipping up to Virginia for his aunt's wedding.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J.None 🧈🎶 🎙📝🎬🎹🎸📽🤣 (@itsjnone)

J.None sings "Why I Love You" by Major. at his aunt's wedding reception.

.

When the weekend rolled around, the PattyCake guys took over a grocery store in a nearby town for an overnight video shoot with the ladies of 4Eva29 and a group of dad friends.

.

All aboard

The second week of July began with a flight to Puerto Rico so VoicePlay could board the Disney Fantasy and perform on the last third of its trip back to Florida.

When they were ashore once more, they released their epic Panic! at the Disco two-parter, which received a flood of attention. They then spent the rest of the month preparing for the coming months.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

.

Up, up, and away

August kicked off with a trip up to the northeast, returning to New Jersey, where they'd received a warm reception the previous winter.

photos by Duane Smith and Leon King

Leon also posted a few short clips to his Instagram.

.

On your marks…

A week later, they convened at Rayne's Room to film three short music videos geared toward social media that they could release over the following weeks, as well as a promotional video for their upcoming concert with Rachel Potter in the Philippines.

Recording all of that in one sitting was apparently a little rough on their bass man, though.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EArl Elkins (@earlzshore)

Earl and J teasing Geoff for indulging in a moment of younger sibling behavior

.

Get set…

The first item from that marathon session they released was, of course, the announcement of their concert in Manila.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

.

Go!!!

A few days later, they boarded their flight to The Philippines. Once they arrived, they had a little time to get acclimated, so they decided to visit The Dessert Museum and sample some local sweets.

.

The show itself went swimmingly, and the crowd had a grand time singing along with some of their best tunes. The only hitch was Geoff having to tough it out with a minor case of food poisoning.

.

The next day was the party with their hosts. They gave the tiny birthday girl a private preview backstage. (Scroll to the third slide.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel Potter (@therachelpotter)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

Carrot shenanigans will continue indefinitely.

.

The trip happened to coincide with Eli's birthday as well, so their hotel surprised him with a tasty treat for the occasion.

Some of the food might not have agreed with Geoff, but Earl clearly enjoyed himself more and found a new favorite dish.

After just a few days on the other side of the world, it was time to head home.

.

And for our next trick…

While the rest of VoicePlay recuperated from their globetrotting, Layne and Tony announced upcoming auditions for PattyCake's second scripted series, The Princess Academy.

.

Once they were well rested, VoicePlay hit the road again to kick off the main stage performances at the Woodstock Fair in Conncecticut. They were in a double header with Lee Rocker from the Stray Cats.

photo by Duane Smith

post show silliness // travel advice

.

As the rest of the guys spent some more time at home, J.None headed over to Dallas to visit with friends. He even happened across a bonus pal from high school.

When he got back to Orlando, J was greeted in a brotherly fashion (by his fellow mischievous middle child Layne, of course).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

.

Just a few months after VoicePlay had hit 300K subscribers on YouTube, they celebrated gaining twice as many followers on Facebook.

.

Here, there, and everywhere

Since they weren't returning to Disney World for the holiday season, the guys announced a much more reasonable tour schedule for the end of the year.

.

As the month hurtled toward its end, Layne and Tony gathered a cadre of their favorite Disney antagonists to film the first episode of their new Villains Lair series.

.

A couple days later, VoicePlay hopped up to Little Rock for the ACANSA Arts Festival at the University of Arkansas.

.

Over the ensuing weekend, J.None made another trip up to Virginia. In addition to visiting family, he also fit in a video shoot with his longtime friend Najee for their song "Dues".

.

Everybody scream!

VoicePlay closed out the summer by preparing for their favorite time of year with an elaborate music video shoot. After two long days of props, prosthetics, silliness, snacks, and hard work, the boys had the makings of a fantastic visual tale to accompany their wonderful singing.

[thelensofyashunews]

Maxo Kream and Evilgiane Team for "Eye Know," a Fast-Paced Slapper

Consistently toying with listeners' expectations, Maxo Kream effortlessly molds underground sounds to fit his speaker-knocking Houston style. The acclaimed emcee connects with Surf Gang producer Evilgiane for "Eye Know," his new video single. The Surf Gang producer (known for his work with Kendrick Lamar and Earl Sweatshirt, among others) provides a beat that swings with relentless propulsion, as Maxo steps up his game, decrying haters and fakes with his double-time rhymes: "I know some n****s that's gangsta on Insta/You catch 'em and see 'em they really some h*es/I know some n****s got millions on YouTube, but can't do a concert, can't sell out a show." Directed by Michael Onipede, the video matches the song's playful vibe, liberally using the fisheye lens as Maxo hits licks and counts the cars in his garage.

"Eye Know" is this year's second collaboration between Maxo Kream and Evilgiane, following "Bang The Bus," an ethereal and energetic offering that arrived in January and earned acclaim from Stereogum, Rap Radar, Hits DD, and more. "Bang The Bus" kicked off a productive 2024 for the beloved rapper. Maxo used his music to process a loss in his family, paying tribute to his hero, his father Emekwanem Ibemakanam Ogugua Biosah Sr., aka Brandon Banks, who passed away earlier this year, in the single and music video for "No Then You a H*e," covered in Billboard, HotNewHipHop, Brooklyn Vegan, and more. He teamed up with fellow Texan That Mexican OT for "Talkin In Screw," a syrupy tribute to DJ Screw and the South Texas rap scene.

A master storyteller who has succeeded for over a decade in the game on his own terms, Maxo Kream is a proud torchbearer for the Texas rap tradition. Today, the Houston heavy-hitter celebrates his birthday by sharing "Talkin In Screw," a new single and music video featuring fellow Texan That Mexican OT. Produced by Nick Grand, the new song is Houston to its core, populated by screeching synths and thumping 808s, inviting Maxo and OT to apply their fastest flows as they flex in double-time and dare any smack-talkers to meet them face-to-face. In the final minute of the song, "Talkin In Screw" slows to a syrupy pace, putting a spotlight on Maxo's lyrics and paying tribute to the late Houston innovator DJ Screw. Maxo is hard at work on an upcoming project, due later this year, featuring these singles and diving deep into Maxo's personal history.

Maxo's upcoming album is the highly-anticipated follow-up to the 2021 album Weight Of The World, which earned critical acclaim from Pitchfork, NPR, Complex, and many others. The album featured collaborations with heavy-hitters including Tyler, The Creator, A$AP Rocky, Don Toliver, and Freddie Gibbs, and was expanded with 2022's Weight Of The World (Deluxe), adding features from Benny The Butcher, Anderson .Paak, Babyface Ray, and more. Maxo spent 2023 releasing more fiery collaborations, including "Bonecrusher" ft. Key Glock and "Whatchamacallit" ft. Luh Tyler, and working on his health: the rapper recently shared that he lost more than 75 pounds and is in better shape than ever before. 

Maxo Kream is currently on tour with his good friend That Mexican OT. Stay tuned for much more from Maxo Kream, as he continues to perfect his personas and honor his late father in 2024.

[deathfavor]

@shackld said: "Earl! Uh, happy birthday!" Nobody would blame her at feeling a little uneasy at being around the man, he didn't exactly seem to like her all that much and well, Chief can't say she blames him but the whole 'bomb' situation did wonders for her opinion of him as well. Still, there was a part of her that wanted to gain his trust so… baby steps. "Zoya told me, but I didn't really know what to get you so-" She's quick to step into the room, having lingered awkwardly in the doorway, and slide the envelope towards him. "It's a card, it's got a dog on it." She didn't know why that was important to mention. "And also… a gift card to this lousy fast food place, um. I don't know, it's good - maybe you can take Horo." (i stand by that shes scared of him idec)

happy birthday earl

When the Chief approaches, Happy birthday is the last thing that even the ever-cunning fox expects. Mostly because HE certainly hasn't informed her of the day, but he doesn't think about it that much either. At least, not until Horo or Zoya or any of the other Legion members make it abundantly clear that he won't just be working on his birthday like he intends. Every year he tries, every year he fails. Still. Chief is unexpected even when it comes to today.

" ... Thank you, Chief. " It takes him a moment to thank her properly; he is nothing if not polite on matters like this. " Zoya told you? Now I know how everyone seems to keep finding out. " So that was where the leak in his personal information was. Even if it was only the day. Though, he can practically imagine her rolling her eyes and remarking that C'mon Earl, you need to loosen up! What's one day of celebration? because that WAS so very her.

He lifts a hand calmly. " Nothing is neces- " Still, before he can actually dismiss it, the chief has already produced an envelope and placed it on the desk. Its so...absurdly ordinary that he almost chuckles. Almost. Something like birthday cards even with all the violence and chaos. He ensures she isn't touching it before he reaches out to grasp the envelope and open it to see the card. Amusement gleams in his eyes at her apparent need to inform him of the fact it has a dog on it. " Symbolic? " He asks, though there's a hint of teasing in his voice rather than just the usual grim tone. Whether she catches it or not is of little matter he supposes. " It's a very nice dog. " Might as well humor it. A dog gifted to a fox, how funny. " I appreciate it, Chief. "

Earl glances at the gift card that slides out, grasping it between gloved fingers. Her discomfort is evident, but that's the lowest thing on his priorities. For all the tough, ruthless, and cunning energy that Earl gives off ( and indeed, is ), the mention of Horo immediately has his focus an interest. He always has a soft spot for her. No matter where they are or what has happened, he is always her big brother first and foremost.

" Can Horo come out to a lunch? " Earl asks, dark eyes focusing on the Chief with active interest now. That would be nice, a way to spend time and check on his little sister. " Thank you, again. This is more than I expected. "

[scribbleseas]

The Indignant Pawn, Chapter XV: The Hand Of Karma

Description: You are Y/n Y/l/n- formerly known as Princess Helena, the runaway princess.

You're an assassin for hire who only agrees to find the worst of London's criminals at the business end of your knife; until a mysterious woman hires you to end the likes of Ciel Phantomhive, the King of the Underworld. You find yourself trading your weapons for your abandoned family crest in order to infiltrate his home as none other than Princess Marie-Louise, your twin sister. What's to happen when you find that the young Earl is more than a callous businessman?

OVERALL STORY WARNINGS: sexual assault (once in the prologue), objectification, misogyny, death, detailed description of blood/gore, detailed description of murder, lying, impersonation, theft, weapons, detailed panic attacks, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, kissing

CHAPTER WARNINGS: insinuated sexual assault, drug addiction (opioids)

Author’s Note: Happy Holiday Season, everyone! I’m sorry this was so late. Final exams and final research papers actually obliterated all of my time and creativity. However, I was determined to finish this chapter and get it out before the New Year. I hope it was worth the wait-- I’m thinking this will be the longest you will have to wait for a while. I should be able to go back to my previous semi-regular updating schedule (like every other week).

ps. i had more than half of this chapter formatted before tumblr decided to not work and deleted my progress. fuck.

Happy Reading!

- Dan

⇠ PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER ⇢

MASTERLIST

APRIL 13TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

“Ciel, what do you mean you were unaware that it is Marie’s birthday?” Lizzie’s smile faded, replaced by frustration in her eyes. In times like these, she most resembled her mother, attempting to keep a placid face despite her growing frustration. “Please, tell me you’re playing with me; you absolutely cannot be joking about this.”

When did Y/n decide to allow Lizzie to refer to her so casually? Ciel mused, but that was beyond the point. What mattered was that he now had to waste a day in celebration of a woman he had no desire to celebrate in the first place. He knew it was coming, more than aware where Princess Marie’s birthday appeared on a calendar. Unfortunately, that would be the same date as her vindictive twin, who had been impersonating her all this time.

Besides, Ciel had no way of knowing if Y/n even liked celebrating her birthday; he knew nothing about her childhood and teenage life. She could detest her birthday as he did his for all he knew. In all likeliness, he would never understand, given how closely she guarded her life’s complexities.

After all, Ciel’s birthday was the day of the fire that ruined his life, killing his family and destroying his home. The only present he received that year was a demon butler that he summoned from the pure hatred that poisoned his soul. Maybe Y/n’s birthday reminded her of the palace that was abusive enough to cause her to run away twice. 

“Lizzie, what I mean is: I have much more important things to worry about. Such as keeping her alive,” Ciel replied, sighing at the drafted letter in front of him. He was in the middle of penning a response to the man he put in charge of the hiring process for all of his new steamship fleets. Each ship needed a captain, a sufficient number of workers to load and unload heavy cargo boxes, and operators to keep the vessels working. Ciel had just finished reviewing each of his manager’s selections and was writing to approve each one. 

He lied, considering there was no real threat toward anyone besides himself. After all, the real Princess Marie was already dead, and all Ciel was “protecting” was her lying and bloodthirsty counterpart, sent to him as part of a ploy for his life. However, Ciel still had to remain consistent with each pretense. No one else could know the truth. 

“How could you be this obtuse?” Lizzie asked incredulously, with a newfound bluntness to her words. Ciel appreciated her more for it. “It’s the woman you love’s birthday today! You cannot sit idly by! I allowed our engagement to go to rubbish; don’t you waste that by not making her feel loved!” Lizzie exclaimed, quick hands pulling the half-written letter from Ciel’s focus to force him to focus on her. 

“Love her?” Ciel couldn’t fathom the idea of liking Y/n, much less loving her after gleaning the truth. It was a weakness, and if he hadn’t let himself grow so attached, he would not have needed the phone call to show him that Y/n was not Princess Marie of Schleswig-Holstein. There were too many signs that he let go because she made his heart drum in his chest with such ferocity he could hear it in his ears. “I don’t--” 

“Yes, you do love her,” Lizzie said with the same gumption Ciel noted during their private discussion at the wedding. They had a similar exchange; his cousin insisted he loved the princess, and he assured her he was incapable of all love. 

“One moment of her dancing with another man drove you half-mad,” Lizzie said, laughing sadly, despite the tears in her eyes. She dabbed at them with a napkin carefully. “I could only wish you would care for me that much.”

“I do care for you.”

“It’s not the same. Think about it.”

And he had thought about it. 

Y/n drove him half mad with her constant mimicry and her instantaneous sarcasm. Her relentless mind that formed such witticisms and strategy that either left Ciel defeated in a game of draughts or lying on the floor, writhing in pain. She hurt him. It was her mission to hurt him.

And yet, it was Ciel’s instinct to care for her-- beyond keeping her alive. Her smile painted his world. Her lips lit a fire in his stomach. When she laughed, shivers rolled down his spine. Even worse, Ciel would smile in response before he understood what he was doing. 

While it was his duty to care for both Lizzie and Y/n, he never found himself searching for ways to go out of his way and bring a smile to his formerly betrothed’s lips. Ciel never found himself thinking about Lizzie so much he felt deranged. He never would have offered an extension of his first kiss to his cousin in a fiery moment of unconstrained passion. A culmination of his frustration and the sheer depth of what he felt for the woman who both drove him beyond insanity and pulled him back into what felt like the body of a living human being.

He’d been a corpse. And she’d brought him back to life, forcing him to feel emotions he’d never-

Enough. 

He’d made himself blush. Damn it all. 

Ciel groaned, hiding his face in his hands. Days ago, he would never have allowed his cousin to see him so…vulnerable. But if not his cousin, who else? Ciel clearly couldn’t work through his emotions himself. Sebastian detested Y/n, and it didn’t take a genius to know why. If Ciel could feel himself changing, indeed, his soul was changing. It was brightening, and that wasn’t the sort of taste that lured a demon.

“Fine, fine,” he surrendered, ignoring his cousin’s delighted laugh. While he wasn’t sure he loved Y/n, there was some driving passion behind his feelings for her…despite her litany of deception and lies. “What do you reckon I do, then?” 

A half-decent Guard Dog would do nothing of this sort. He should have been writing detailed reports of his findings over the past several months to turn Y/n into the Queen, torturing her to find the name of her employer. It wasn’t possible for her not to know. He needed to understand the whole of this ploy she’d forced him through like a pathetic chess piece. 

But apparently, Ciel Phantomhive was ignoring his duties. He’d drafted that letter to Her Majesty over and over but discarded each attempt, unable to scribble the right words down. The right words to send Y/n to a probable execution.

Grinning broadly, Lizzie exclaimed, “we celebrate her birthday! You buy her a cake and presents, and make her feel like the most important person in your life, of course! I had Nadia make her the cutest dress,” she gestured to the delicately wrapped box in Paula’s hands. The pink bow atop the box bounced in the handmaid's hold. 

“I will inform Sebastian to stop at the jeweler’s,” Ciel said as if he were making funeral arrangements rather than planning a birthday dinner. He shouldn’t be celebrating this woman. He should have her tortured by Sebastian until they could extract the answers they required from her: who wanted him dead, and why, and how did she survive all of this time? Was everything she said to him a lie?

Ciel was weak, and for that, unsure if he could forgive himself. But he could live with that sort of hatred. He’d lived with it every day for years. Besides, for every bit Y/n weakened him, he had the same impact on her; he was sure of it.

That being said, he had the perfect gift for Y/n; a far cry from a dress or jewels Marie would desire. Sebastian could quickly stop at the bladesmith’s while he was out. Ciel began to sketch. 

. . .

Sebastian decorated the gazebo delicately, per Lizzie’s direction. Plush pink roses and vines twirled around each column supporting the roof, adding a graceful ambiance to the scene. The air smelled of flowers and sugary frosting as the demon walked the hitwoman’s birthday cake from indoors to the dining table; Y/n sat at the head, Lizzie forced Ciel to sit at her right hand, and she sat across from him. His servants filled the rest of the table, an oddity, but Lizzie wanted the celebration to be as meaningful as it could be on such short notice. 

“Happy Birthday, Marie!” Lizzie was the first to cheer as Sebastian approached with the dual-layered cake decorated with intricate frosting patterns Ciel struggled to see in the dim light. A half dozen candles sat around each layer, each lit, casting an orange glow over Y/n’s face as Sebastian placed the dessert before her. 

“Happy Birthday, Your Highness!” Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finny echoed, a little more reluctantly than Ciel would have liked. However, Lizzie failed to notice their hesitation, more fixated on the opulence of the frivolous cake Sebastian whipped together. 

Y/n merely offered a strained smile in response, her eyes searching. He could tell; she was wondering why they celebrated her birthday after Ciel condemned her to her fate. She wanted to be anywhere else. She distrusted Sebastian, such was evident by the way she flinched at the miniature, yet brilliant, flames atop each candle.  

Ciel had to admit, they made him a bit apprehensive as well. He focused elsewhere, returning his attention to Y/n’s skeptical expression as she listened to the exchange between Lizzie and Sebastian.

“Sebastian, this cake looks lovely! I cannot believe you’re such a talented baker,” Lizzie gushed, squinting at the complex designs, swirled eddies, and flowers made of frosting, all measured and perfectly symmetrical. 

“You are simply too kind, my Lady. I’m no one deserving of such high praise; I’m simply one hell of a butler,” Sebastian simpered, basking in the complimentary glow Ciel’s cousin cast all around her. He never received such praise from Ciel simply because his ego was so inflated it hardly fit in the manor, to begin with. 

“You really outdid yourself this time, Sebastian, yes you did!” Mey-Rin added, vehemently staring at her lap to avoid looking the butler in the eyes. Her face flushed red.

“Thank you, Mey-Rin,” the butler grinned slyly and bowed at the waist. He began preparing the Green Tea for the table, strategically picked to pair with Y/n’s favorite cake flavor. Or was it Marie’s favorite cake? 

“It would be a shame to keep everyone waiting any longer. This cake does look divine,” Y/n puckered her lips to blow out each candle. Thankfully, the scent of smoke dissipated quickly-- it was causing Ciel’s heart rate to steadily rise. He swallowed the lump in his throat, soothing his stress with a short breath. Once again, he caught the overwhelming scent of sugar and roses. 

The table broke out into applause and cheers, to which Ciel was late to engage, slowly clapping. Out of rhythm. 

Across from him, Lizzie sent him a vexed look, purposefully looking between him and Y/n, who plucked each candle off the cake to keep the wax from dripping onto the frosting. She hardly flinched at any unbearable heat from touching the hot candles. A princess would have asked a servant to do this for her, unwilling to put her fingers at risk of burning.

These slight hints should have exposed Y/n ages ago had Ciel not been so utterly daft.  

Wish her a happy birthday, you heartless fool! Lizzie widened her eyes at him, gesturing with her head.

Could she be more obvious? She might as well speak her mind at this point. 

Ciel felt his cheeks warm as he returned his focus to Y/n, trying to create some semblance of fondness to appease Lizzie. He was a brilliant liar; smooth lying should’ve come easy, but the words died on his tongue.

With a final withering look Ciel’s way, Lizzie carried the table’s happy atmosphere. Clearly, she was the only one invested in the celebration-- Y/n looked like she was considering several exit strategies, and Ciel’s servants were still reeling from the brawl she brought to them over a week ago. She was a force to be reckoned with, indeed. Much like Finny had a bruised abdomen to show for it, the discoloration under Ciel’s eyes and wrist had only cleared up a few days prior. 

“And Marie, did you know that it’s good fortune for you to make the first cut?” Lizzie asked, gesturing to the elegant, serrated knife Sebastian left aside the cake on the platter. 

“I did not,” Y/n lied with a tactful smile, meeting Ciel’s eye as her nimble fingers wrapped around the knife’s handle. She was mocking him, reminding him of the damage she could do with such a blade. His stomach lurched in response to both Y/n’s sardonic look and the sense of dread that came from witnessing her with a knife.

Y/n used two hands to wield the knife handle and force the blade into the cake’s bottom tier. She made a show of pretending there was notable resistance from the layers of cake, frosting, and filling. Please, she was strong enough to nearly have broken his wrist. And his nose! Who the devil did she think she was fooling?

Be honest, Ciel. A few days ago, you might’ve been fooled. 

After Y/n made the first cut into the cake, Sebastian did the rest of the hard work, cutting slivers for everyone at the table. The servants excused themselves to ‘help’ Sebastian with the cleaning. 

Lizzie hurried everyone through inhaling their cake because she wanted Y/n to open her gift: a complex aubergine dress with puffy sleeves, understated and graceful. The deep shade of purple complimented Y/n’s sharp eyes. 

Y/n didn’t have to pretend to be impressed by the dress; it was a decent selection. It showed ample thought on Lizzie and Nadia’s part, analysis of the deep and studious color palette Y/n favored, simple lace embellishments of the same shade, and a back that closed by a complex tying mechanism. 

“I love it, Lizzie, thank you,” Y/n said, running her fingers over the expensive satin. So as not to ruin the dress, she folded it neatly in the box, for the most part, tugging a sleeve out of it to get a better look. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Nadia is brilliant.”

“I’m so pleased that you like it,” Lizzie grinned, “but I think Ciel might outdo me tonight. That’s why I saved him for last.” She smiled, but her eyes threatened him: you did get her a gift, did you not?

“I’m not sure I would say that, but I did pick something for you, Your Highness,” Ciel admitted, setting aside his pride for the sake of his plan. He needed to act seamlessly to keep his cousin satisfied and unsuspicious. If Lizzie suspected something was wrong, she would never leave and, inevitably, find out the truth. After all, he was a skilled liar, but not even he could keep his frustration at bay. 

He pulled the velvet box from his pocket, the moment feeling annoying reminiscent of his impromptu ‘proposal.’ By the brief grim look on Y/n’s face, she drew the same connection but accepted the little box nevertheless. To her apparent relief, it wasn’t another ring but a pair of pearl drop earrings set in gold. Ciel didn’t know the intricacies of jewelry; he merely had his butler go to the jeweler's and pick something passable. Much like him, Y/n wouldn’t see the difference between freshwater cultured pearls from China (which they were) and glass imitation ones.  

“Those are incredible!” Lizzie gushed, gaping at the earrings with approval. 

“They are, yes,” Y/n agreed wryly, shutting the box with an air of finality. “Thank you,” she shifted in her chair as if she was fighting a suffocating desire to leave.

“My pleasure,” Ciel responded mechanically.

Naturally, Lizzie disapproved, watching the exchange with a frown. Of course, she was dissatisfied. And she wouldn’t leave if she was dissatisfied.

Ciel cleared his throat, “Your Highness, I actually…have another gift for you. But…I would prefer to show it to you…” it was excruciating to formulate each word. Alone. Without meaning to, he looked at his cousin pointedly. 

Catching his accidental look, Lizzie took it as a cue to act. She forced a yawn, dramatically pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. She rolled her shoulders back in an exaggerated stretch. “You know, I am actually rather sleepy,” she said unconvincingly, “I shall go find Paula…and… take my leave! Goodnight, Ciel! Happy Birthday, Marie!” She said, slowly rising out of her chair, only to scamper away when she got to her feet. 

“-- Lizzie!” Ciel protested, feeling as if his cousin had left him abandoned at sea. Left adrift without a lifeboat to take him out of uncharted territory: facing Y/n in  disquieting neutrality. He stood to get a better look at his cousin as she grew further from his vision, calling for Paula. 

“I’m retiring for the night,” Y/n lied, finally standing. “You didn’t have to do this. I’ve never cared much about celebrating my birthday,” she took a step away, but before she could continue, Ciel stopped her, his hand nearly missing the back of her shoulder. 

“I had no choice. You know that.”

Y/n turned on her heel, combat-ready by instinct. “You did. She’s only your cousin now, it’s not like you have to maintain her happiness,” she shrugged her shoulder, frowning at Ciel’s hand. He refused to let her leave before he could finish his piece.   

“No, I—” he started to explain.

“You, what? Did you have more questions to solicit me with? I’ve told you everything I know about the woman. I’ve given you my bloody word, what more can you possibly want from me?” She raised her chin, daring him to challenge her. 

But Ciel knew what Y/n’s word was worth; he couldn’t trust her more than he could hope to fight her and live. Besides, the Undertaker said Y/n liked to have the complete picture of everyone she worked with; a sense of their backgrounds, grievances, and why they wanted someone dead. Without knowing the whole picture, she would not take on a mission like this. 

Ciel couldn’t even recall killing a natively Spanish household and leaving a pregnant woman alive. Could Y/n’s employer be lying?

“Just…” stop being so bloody stubborn and come with me. “...I decided to get you another gift. For you. Not who you pretend to be. Do you want it or shall I have the bladesmith melt it down and use the materials for something else?” Ciel demanded, letting his extended hand drop back to the side. Y/n’s mouth opened to formulate a response, but he wasn’t finished yet: “I will be waiting in the drawing room. Meet me there, or refuse. Your childishness is not my concern,” he feigned aloofness as he passed her, showing himself back inside. 

Ciel would have taken pleasure in saying that he genuinely couldn’t care if Y/n joined him. He wished his ego and heart were that fortified, but if he had claimed they were, he would’ve been lying to himself.

Instead, Ciel spent the next two hours glancing at the open door, using a copy of Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil to keep himself from staring at the door like an overattentive dog. 

Even worse, he wished he could say he was comprehending the German words he was reading, but that would be another lie aimed towards himself that was simply too far. Lying to someone else was excusable-- Ciel did it all the time, every day, every hour. 

Lying to himself would be weak. He was not weak. 

He could acknowledge that as he waited for Y/n, she was in the front of his mind. Not Nietzsche’s thinking, not his responsibilities as a good and vicious Guard Dog. No, he was wondering if she would show. If she would like his gift. What she might say. 

Perhaps he was weak. 

“I would’ve assumed you retired by now,” her voice made Ciel straighten his back, tense. His mouth felt dry. He fought his instinct to stand as he would have for an active royal. She wasn’t Princess Marie. He knew that, yet his muscle memory preferred treating her as so.

“I am aware of how stubborn you are. My only option was to simply withstand your thickheadedness and you would eventually surrender,” Ciel responded coolly, satisfied with the way he kept the quiver out of his voice. 

“In that case--” Y/n started, turning to leave. She’d hardly stepped foot through the threshold. 

“Y/n,” he interrupted her with a cutting stare. One might think he was urging her to drink a poison chalice rather than sit and open a birthday gift from him. On the couch in the drawing room…where they haven’t been together in what felt like ages. It was only a little over a week, but when Ciel thought of how things were before the phone call… it could have been a decade’s difference.

“Fine,” she snapped, taking a seat on the other end of the couch. As far as she could get. 

Really? She was the one who attacked him and nearly broke his nose! 

“I thought you might like something more to your tastes,” Ciel said, reluctantly offering the pristinely wrapped box to her. 

“You didn’t have to,” she inspected it before tearing the paper along the taped seams as if she wanted to preserve the wrapping. 

I know that; I don’t have to do anything. I wanted to. Don’t ask me why.

She opened the box to reveal a dagger, the blade sharp and forged from steel. The handle was made of white marble, its quillion sculpted into gold swirls, matching the bottom of the handle. 

This was one of the first times Ciel rendered her speechless, but her face told him everything he cared to know. Her eyes were wide as she took in the dagger’s every detail. Her face reddened, matching the soft pink roses Sebastian used to decorate the gazebo. Like one of Lizzie’s gowns.

Her dexterous hands tested the dagger, determining its weight and how the handle fit in her calloused palms. Ciel would know they were calloused-- he’s had the pleasure of holding them while waltzing. At the time, he’d presumed they were callused from the harp, not the everyday labor of an acting commoner and… the general toil of murder. 

“I’ve always preferred to use daggers. Ever since I started…” she began, her words something adjacent to a thank you. His neutral frown nearly cracked.

“What caused you to start?” Ciel asked before he could help himself. For a moment, Y/n looked like she was considering turning her new blade against him and slitting his throat, but instead, she merely sighed. She watched her reflection in the flawless blade, her face clear of makeup, her hair out of its sophisticated braid. 

Y/n moistened her lips, finally bringing herself to look at Ciel. Her thumb caressed the handle as she spoke, describing a day that took place… five years ago. March 1888. 

She was a poor 16-year-old, homeless and alone. Entirely out of stolen jewels from the German royal family, starving. It was pouring rain, and she had no other choice but to huddle under the scaffolding outside the Undertaker’s shop. Cold, wrapped in tattered blankets, watching the world continue without her. 

Nobody cared about her or the other homeless children living on the streets.

“My William did not deserve this. He was a good man. A good and honest man,” a woman’s insistent voice shook. Four children and another lady around the same age accompanied her. She cradled a baby in her arms while the other woman held an umbrella over her head as they left the Undertaker’s shop.

 “I know, Edith. I know. It was a terrible accident-” the other woman began, only to be cut off.

“It was no accident! Armed bank robberies are not accidents,” Edith refuted, allowing one of her daughters, presumably, to hold her hand while she used her occupied arm to cradle the swaddled infant. “William, the father of my children, was murdered. And you don’t understand what I would do to his murderers if I--” she whispered forcibly. 

“Those are not Christian thoughts,” her sister gasped, “you mustn’t think of the world in such a manner. God always has a plan, have faith in Him,” she urged, walking along Edith’s two sons. 

Y/n listened intently, studying Edith, listening to her. Her husband was probably William Wagner, one of the four tellers murdered in a violent bank robbery the other day. Established newspapers printed their names and obituaries alongside their portraits.

William Wagner: survived by his wife, Edith Wager, two sons, and two daughters, William Jr., John, Victoria, and Ava. 

The man had kind eyes and smile lines. Y/n couldn’t imagine the loss the family suffered…any more than she could imagine letting the scum who murdered him (and the other three men) live. 

Edith wanted to cleanse the world of evil, a Christian thought, and you wanted to afford a loaf of bread. And, of course, be the hand of karma. Justice itself-- if all the government wanted to do was hold prisoners in jail cells for the rest of their lives, wasting tax money on food to keep them alive. Meanwhile, they ignored the homeless children on the street, refusing them any money or food.  

Y/n could dispatch bank robbers for Edith and William. And she did, that night, using a trusty dagger that wasn’t much different from the one she held in her hands. She snuck into their holding cells under the guise of being one of their relatives, wanting to say goodbye. If they knew better, their guards didn’t care enough to stop her from killing them. 

Afterward, finding Edith’s home was simple. Dodging her grateful hug was not.

“I am not a senseless killer, Ciel,” Y/n said starkly, practically challenging Ciel to second-guess her. He was reluctant to. “You are the King of the Underworld. Not many people know what that means. I do, and in my professional opinion, you need not think long and hard about why someone called me to kill you.”

Ciel frowned. He thought about his Madame Red, all of the broken children he ordered Sebastian to incinerate each time his finger pressed into his shotgun’s trigger. 

She was a serial killer, Jack the Ripper. They were too traumatized to ever live a happy or decent life. Every time he shot, his bullet lodged itself into a criminal. 

They weren’t the same. They couldn’t be the same.

. . . 

APRIL 15TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

Ciel started his work day writing a letter to Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. Y/n and Princess Marie’s grandmother. His sovereign and employer. This was not the sort of inquiry he thought he would have to pen to the Queen of all individuals, but it was more time-efficient than sending postage to Germany. After all, the royal twins’ mother, Queen Helena, tended to spend most of her time racing around Europe to open charities. Any letter addressed to Queen Helena and sent to Germany would take ages to reach her desk. 

Besides, no reasonable Queen would allow her daughter to marry below her social caliber and outside the royal family. No sensible Queen. Ciel stood a fighting chance, seeing as the Phantomhive family was in Queen Victoria’s service for generations. 

Ciel’s bloodline was the closest to the monarchy without genuinely being a part of it. Queen Victoria would consider how valuable the Phantomhive line might be to her family-- particularly when she was already the Grandmother of Europe. A branch of her family tree ruled every established European country; there was no tactical advantage in Princess Marie marrying another German prince. 

Thus, he reached above Queen Helena’s authority. If Ciel could gain Victoria’s approval, he would be unstoppable-- no one would undermine her authority, not even her own daughter.

Ciel uncapped his pen and began to write, his handwriting pristine through balanced lines and even loops:

Your Majesty, 

I write to you with a request that might seem unfounded, but in truth, it has been months in the making. 

As you are aware, I was previously betrothed to my cousin, Elizabeth Cordelia Midford, since childhood. Though recently, she has opted to end the arrangement with her parents’ consent as a result of my untimely courtship. 

During my time as your granddaughter, Princess Marie-Louise of Schleswig-Holstein’s supervisor and protector, I feel that my…

The ill feeling in Ciel’s stomach stirred once more, threatening to reach his throat. He rubbed his forehead in a weak attempt to dispel his forming headache. 

He detested almost nothing more than expressing his feelings and asking for permission. To have to do both in one letter was almost more than he could manage.

Almost.

He picked up his pen again:

…emotions towards her have grown much more intense than I might have anticipated, from a respectful acquaintance that a guard might have to a feeling much more intense than such professionality. I feel that my connection with Her Highness has grown undeniable; to the extent there is too much intensity to deny both in public and…

Ciel hesitated.

to ourselves. While I could never presume to ask for Her Highness’s hand while she is promised to His Highness Prince Aribert of Anhalt, I do feel it is sensible of my station to first appeal to you. 

As per usual, I shall only act at your will and discretion. I am your Guard Dog, and I do put my duties to the Crown above all, including my personal feelings.

With Gratitude, 

Lord Ciel Phantomhive

With that, he folded the stationary into itself and fit it into an envelope. He poured wax over the envelope’s opening and pressed his family cress into the steaming liquid, immortalizing his family crest: the widespread two-headed eagle with a shield in front of it. Under this shield was a banner with the Latin for power and rule. Potentia and Regree, respectively. 

“Sebastian,” Ciel said, calling his demon back from the short errand he sent him on. His butler needed to deliver his outgoing postage and this newly drafted letter to the castle. Beyond that, Ciel was impatient to reap the results of Sebastian’s trip. And admittedly, he craved a decent parfait. 

Without wasting a moment, Sebastian breezed through Ciel’s office door, holding a sterling silver tray with a notebook the size of a dictionary and, of course, the parfait that occupied Ciel’s mind. The demon’s expression was as placid as ever. A surprise, considering he’d spent his morning investigating Y/n, someone he may detest more than Grell Sutcliff. Or even Pluto, the demon dog Ciel took in with the sole desire to bother him. 

“Yes, my Lord?” Sebastian chirped as he put a napkin on Ciel’s desk to avoid scraping from the glass's bottom. 

“Tell me about your findings,” Ciel responded, trading the stamp with his family seal for the small spoon to dig into his snack. He gestured to the notebook with his spoon as Sebastian unloaded it from his tray, placing it on Ciel’s side.

Ciel opened the notebook, scanning over the first page. Sebastian filled every line with the victim's name in chronological order. He started at the top, looking for the first name he did not directly recognize.

Cooper Finley

Amelia Dyer

Felix Keating

“Tell me about Felix Keating,” Ciel ordered, vaguely recalling the headline that appeared in the paper several months previous. Shortly before Y/n arrived at the estate. The businessman’s servant found him stabbed in the back of his carriage. Ciel didn’t mind the death, considering he was visiting London to see a play. Any commoner’s rage might have been provoked at the sight of a rich man amongst them-- Ciel had disregarded the murder. 

Sebastian obliged. “Mr. Felix Keating, a prominent iron manufacturing owner. Found murdered the night of December 17th, 1891 by his longtime coachman, Horace McLaughlin. Cause of death, blood loss due to a stab wound between his fourth and fifth ribs. All of this occurred several days after a legal court found Keating innocent of all dangerous workplace and child labor charges, following the death of Margaret Calvert, a young girl working in one of his factories. Poorly built machinery malfunctioned, causing it to combust and-”

“I understand,” Ciel interrupted firmly, having no desire to hear the gruesome details of a young girl’s demise. “And her parents?”

“Yes, I spoke to them. They were quite stubborn, but eventually, they came around. The husband, Eric, confessed to everything-- meeting Y/n, attempting to pay her, saddling themselves with an alibi-”

“Attempting to pay her?” Ciel said, ignoring Sebastian’s vaguely irritated look. The demon disliked when he interrupted him. 

“She refused to take the full sum of her pay,” the butler clarified. “Quite…merciful of her, considering their living conditions,” he continued, as if the compliment was difficult for him to admit.

Well, of course. They are factory workers who live in Birmingham. They could use all the money they could get. If they were affluent, they would not have had their daughter working at such a young age in the first place.

“I never requested your opinion, Sebastian,” Ciel chastised, only to further irk his butler, “now tell me about her first murder.”

While Ciel already knew about her first paid killing, one could only assume Y/n’s first murder had to be a different circumstance. No one decided to make a hobby out of slaughtering others without having done so successfully beforehand. 

“Gladly, my Lord. Investigating her first murder took me to the Dowager Baroness, Lady Cecilia Wright.” The demon smiled again, the look somewhere between fond and malicious. The same expression he wore after he extracted information from certain women. Like Beast. And that nameless nun. “Though we did have a meaningful discussion, she did insist on speaking with you, my Lord.”

Ciel fought the bile that threatened to rise up his throat. “Fine.”

“I thought you might agree, so I told her we would make a private appearance at her soirée tomorrow evening.”

. . . 

APRIL 16TH, 1892

LONDON, ENGLAND

When Ciel considered Lady Wright’s history, it made sense that Sebastian’s investigation of Y/n’s early life led him to her. The late Lord Steven Wright was murdered the morning of February 3rd, 1888-- four years ago and a month before Y/n’s first paid murder.

There was a suspicious amount of mystery surrounding Baron Wright’s death. From what Ciel recalled, an armed thief broke into the Wright estate, resulting in the Baron’s murder. While the paper prided itself on the specific details it published, this case was particularly vague, leading the public to suspect there was something…more to it. However, it didn’t concern the Queen, and evidently, what was no concern to Her Majesty, was no concern to Ciel. 

Besides, Cecilia Wright’s estate was now a popular destination for elegant and frequent parties-- no one missed the Baron, an avaricious man known for toeing the law with technicalities. Perhaps, Her Majesty was pleased with his demise. 

“You’ve put together a lovely party downstairs. People seem to be enjoying themselves,” Ciel broke the leisurely silence between him and the Baroness. She led him from the intense party to a room that seemed to be converted from an office to a sitting room. Sebastian waited outside the door because Ciel could hardly tolerate the evident flirtation between Lady Wright and his butler. It was tough to watch, and Ciel had withstood even the most gruesome sights.

“It truly is amazing when your imbecile of a husband dies and you have no children to continue his ridiculous legacy?” Lady Wright’s smile spread slowly, a little deranged. Her forehead creased as she grinned, matching the smile lines on either side of her lips. Despite being a noblewoman, her cheeks were sunken in, matching the deep bags under her tawny eyes. Her pupils practically swallowed her brown irises, making them appear like twin black abysses. 

Ciel’s first instinct would have been to express his condolences for her lack of children, but her maniacal smile said otherwise. 

“Everything he owned is mine. All the money, the property… I love my life,” she rambled, her gloved hands fiddling with her gold bangles until she stopped abruptly, staring into Ciel’s gaze. Her smile melted. “And I did not murder my husband to achieve this life if that is why you are paying me this visit, Queen’s Guard Dog.”

Ciel found her face disarming whether she smiled or not. Her eyes still shone with a certain lack of sanity, whether she looked like the party’s hostess or a manic killer. He straightened his posture in response to her change in demeanor.

“Of course not. I know your husband’s killer, and I know you know her as well. I wish to question you about her.” Ciel corrected her, his words causing her to relax once again. “Y/n Y/l/n,” he added to prompt her into speaking since the girl probably asked (threatened) her to keep her mouth shut.

“Yes, that was her name,” Lady Wright hummed, a hyperactive hand coming to twirl at one of the adlib strands of hair that framed her face. Her auburn hair was graying at the roots. 

“Would you tell me exactly what happened the night of the Baron’s murder?

She raised a thin eyebrow, “and why would you need that sort of information? Are you meaning to apprehend her for a murder carried out four years ago?” 

“Not at all. I would only like to…understand her history more,” Ciel answered truthfully. If he was to live with someone who lied to his face repeatedly, slowly reeling him into an inappropriate relationship without imagining a bullet between her eyes, he had to understand who she was. He deserved to understand who she was. In total-- beyond what she chose to disclose. 

Lady Wright was unconvinced.

Ciel took a hurried breath in, growing frustrated with the Baroness. What else was he supposed to say?

I need to know everything about her. She’s an unending mystery, and I want to understand her. Put all of the pieces together. I need to justify not turning her into the Queen for who she is. I need to justify why I thought to press my lips against hers when I had a knife to her throat. 

He must have looked more tortured than he meant to because Lady Wright smiled. She laughed warmly, a quivering hand settling over her heart. 

“I understand, Lord Phantomhive,” her eyes sparkled. “Your face tells me everything I need to know. You love her.”

“Love is not an emotion I understand nor feel,” Ciel’s frown deepened. Y/n drove him to the very brink of sanity. He detested her, yet, he could never force himself to drive her away. Love couldn’t be this maddening. An emotion made to bring people together couldn’t hurt this much. 

“My Lord. No one understands love,” Lady Wright corrected. “Stop fooling yourself trying to understand it. You must be wiser than that.”

“Fine,” Ciel mumbled, his gaze casting off to the side. “I understand.”

“Now let me tell you about the girl I met four years ago,” Wright started, sitting back in her chair. “Y/n broke into this estate through the servant’s entrance and found our quarters in the early morning. I only caught her when she started crying afterwards, wailing on our carpet…getting blood all over it.”

“And the sound of Baron Wright bleeding out next to you failed to-”

“Yes,” Lady Wright interrupted Ciel crisply, “I am a heavy sleeper. Your darling butler knows this. Now would you let me speak? Incredibly rude to interrupt a lady.”

Ciel nodded once, fighting the temptation to roll his eyes.

“I asked her why she killed him and she told me he sent men to her home and they killed someone important to her over an inane plot of land. Then they tried to…hurt her,” Lady Wright said meaningfully, her fingers returning to the gold bangle that hung around her skinny wrist. “She killed all three of them. And my husband, which I took no issue with- I was sure that the bastard was cheating on me, anyhow.”

He considered her words: three men dead, a close friend dead. From conning Steven Wright for over some land. The most common land scam in the business world was claiming to have purchased over acres within a foreign country, making a fake contract, and selling it for money before the buyer could go overseas and validate the claim made. Ciel imagined something of that caliber took place. It would have been much too easy to pull off, considering Y/n was fluent in German. 

“She took me to that shack of hers and it was truly gruesome,” Wright reminisced with the same sick grin. “Four men. Dead. I had to ask my most loyal staff to help us clean. You know, I wanted to take Y/n in and raise her, but she refused me. Heaven knows why.”

Because you are 59 and wearing elbow-length gloves to hide the wounds from your opioid addiction. What 16-year-old in their right mind would want to be ‘taken in’ by you?

“And you are certain that your husband caused harm to her and killed her friend?” Ciel asked, holding onto his very last shred of hope that Y/n was a serial murderer with no motivation. They simply could not be of the same occupation because that would mean Ciel had significantly less of a reason to dislike her.

“Yes, completely,” Lady Wright answered. “Insurmountable proof of personal violation and her friend…I believe his name was…Bernard? Benjamin?” she hesitated, unconvinced by the names that surfaced to mind before her face lit up, “Baxter! Was a corpse on the floor. She was clearly distraught over the man.”

And that revelation nearly made Ciel the same level of ill that he felt when he stared into Amelia Dyer’s dead eyes. When he realized that the girl he knew as Princess Marie was a killer set to make him his next target. 

Only now, he realized that perhaps…this killer might have been better than he was.

After all, Ciel dispelled evils that worried Her Majesty. Y/n worked to dispel evils that caused direct harm to the underrepresented- a pair of factory workers from Birmingham. For less than half the sum of her pay! Ciel took generous compensation from the Queen, no matter how insistently he told her he required no payment for her bidding.

Y/n was correct to say it didn’t take a lot of thinking to understand why someone might wish Ciel dead. 

In truth, she was better than him.

. . .

Tags:

[jvstheworld]

My Ted Lasso Re-watch: S2E1 (part 2)

Goodbye Earl

Ted thinking that the team's tie streak his karmic justice because of the end of last season. Or it could be that the team is missing something... A certain Prince Prick of All Pricks?.... Just saying.

Nate is really starting to get harsh with Will. It was a simple request to celebrate his mum's birthday and Nate acts like it's the worst thing ever. And it's only going to get worse. And Beard can tell that something isn't right.

Nate getting phrases wrong, pearl instead of diamond and then wonder kid instead of wunderkind.

Ted shouting yes to Beard calling Nate unlucky after their discussion of the word gives me life.

Ted is a Diane Sawyer fan. (I don't know who she is. I need to watch more films).

How does Ted come up with his Tedisms? Or how do the writers for the show come up with them? How do you fan fiction writers do it too? Also by the way, you Ted Lasso fanfic writers are awesome, I love reading your works, mostly the Ted related ones, because if I haven't made it clear, I love Ted. And the way some of you write him and how sweet he is and certain fixations on certain body parts (not being rude, I'm talking hands, chest and stomach) is just wonderful. May you continue to find inspiration.

Barkingham Palace is a great name for a dog's shelter, and I'd go there any day over Buckingham Palace. (I am not a fan of the Monarchy, which if my ex-RAF service man father hears about he will not be impressed).

To Earl, he was a good boy.

Empire Strikes Back - basically season 2 of this show. How would you explain the Luke and Leia thing when they are brother and sister? You can't hide that, it's on the Internet so kids will know about it before they watch the film, so how do you handle that conversation to first time viewers with questions?

Ted wanting in on girl talk. It's basically the same principle as the Diamond Dogs. Which he and Roy talk about later in the season.

Ted being a country music fan makes sense since he's a Midwestern boy. And who doesn't love Dolly Parton? But if it's an obvious and out there alias, doesn't that defeat the point of having one in the first place?

Roy's new coaching gig - 8 year old girls football team. He's great with kids and he doesn't hide who he is with them which makes them like him even more. Roy is just Roy all the time no matter who he is with.

Ms Bowen knows.

Roy likes hot chocolate. Good man.

Unlce Roy is proud of Phoebe's red card, because that's what he would do too.

We love Roy's feral look. Shame he had to get rid of it.

I want to see the full version of Roy's retirement press conference. I just need to.

Roy says fuck 5 times, shit 4 times and twat once, in his rant about being a football pundit.

Holy shit Roy! £1236, that is quite the tab. I wonder if that number is going to pop up again later? Wonder what Phoebe would spend that money on.

Dani's nightmare, poor guy. Though with a blood splatter like that he could be in an episode of Supernatural, or in a horror film, or The Boys.

The two women in Dani's bed are his girlfriends because he is in a throuple, as seen at the end of season 3. Hey, if they are happy then fair play to them.

Red hat to Planned Parenthood anything is bordering on yikes territory. Though as long as it doesn't have a certain phrases on it, you should be fine.

Ted wishing he was Keeley. In what way?

He wants in on girl talk, then why not? He's got the right enthusiasm for it. Like when he shouts 'Stamos' and talks about John's last name and then does his announcer voice. He's trying, bless him.

Sir. Theodore. How dare you look like that while looking at Rebecca! Don't be all fucking cute and adorable with your cute smile and head in your hand and listening skills.

Ted being late to practice because he was helping Rebecca pick nail polish colours. That is peak friendship right there. And he's so proud of wearing it too. And he would have had to wait for it to dry fully before going to training.

Dani's problem is a tragedy. Beard you undersold it, my guy.

Even Sam is done with Jan Maas.

Beard is always there to help Ted, even with Tom Cruise's hair styles in different films. Which Ted graciously accepts the correction. Unlike someone people *cough*nate*cough*.

Ted's sneakers are coordinated with his training gear. Just felt the need to point that out.

Okay, why would you stand in front of the guy who is struggling to kick the ball in the right direction? And not behind him? Because that ball hitting Ted's butt had to really hurt. Poor Ted butt. Get an ice pack of that. Does he need help rubbing it better? I swear I will stop one day. Though the friend I sometimes refer to in these posts told me I should include my thirst for Ted in these and I have. But this thing I have for a guy who is 21 years older than me is not going away anytime soon apparently. Damn my attraction to older men, and this one specifically. But it's fun to annoy my friend with it.

[ohwowimlonley]

Earl Gray - letters from your favourite [send me your favourite character and your pronouns + name (if you want), and I’ll write you a letter from the perspective from that character (SFW ONLY IF YOURE NOT A MOOT)]

first of all, congrats on 1k, meg !! your celebration is so cute, i love the theme 💗

so my favourite character is draco malfoy (obv), my pronouns are she/her and my name is hana. ty <3

Hana my love,

The house has been so lonely without you. All the rooms feel so empty without you in them. One of the only plus sides is that, with you gone I was able to buy all of your birthday presents without you nagging me that I’m spending too much (by the way, without you there, I did spend too much, and I love it). I hope you’re not working to hard over there, I’ll have to owl your mother to keep an eye on you. If you don’t hurry your little butt home soon, I’ll have to fly my way out to your mother’s and bring you home.

With all the love in the world,

Draco.

P.s, if you see a birthday present that’s moving, and random pet bowls, ignore everything