#ciel: ‘Our dog? he died—‘

[thatgirlonstage]

Given my proclivity for both fantasy and amnesia stories it’s probably not actually THAT weird that it’s happened twice — altho in fairness, neither of these start with amnesia as a selling point, so it’s not like I sought them out — but if I had a nickel for every time the question “Who?” was one of the single most emotionally devastating things that happens in a whole series I sure would have two nickels

[warmmilk-n-honey]

Ok part 2 of my dadbastian vampire au...

Seb is actually surprised that Ciel survived the transformation since he's tiny and Seb has never known of another child vampire. Sebastian also kind of lucks out finding out that his new charge was the son of a wealthy nobleman, now he gets to live in a giant manor! Before he was just kinda hopping around mostly living in like the woods, he's a very skilled shape shifter and was kind of feral before he started playing at being a fancy noble.

Seb is an extremely old vampire and is therefore pretty dang powerful.

Ciel adjusts to being a vampire poorly at first, he is just a baby after all and he's still grieving his family and dealing with his trauma. He does start to enjoy his un-life a bit though as he realizes he can take out his rage and trauma on adults, he can make adults suffer and he doesn't have to feel like a helpless child anymore, he likes feeling powerful. He develops quite the sadistic side which Sebastian can't help but feel pride for.

Ciel has a hard time sleeping in his coffin at first because of nightmares :( (Even though these vampires are physically dead when they sleep they still can dream.)

Sebastian has to teach him to be an earl and a vampire at the same time and he realizes he has his work cut out for him. He's definitely teaching his son all the wrong lessons just like in the manga.

Ciel is by no means powerful by vampire standards since he's so young, and needs Seb to help him with hunting most of the time-they eat the intruders trying to attack the manor.

Ciel starts to act like he doesn't care about his dead human family and this revenge thing is just a game to him, but deep down he misses them a lot. He also acts this way when Madam Red dies, not only because he's the dysfunctional sonboy we all know and love, but because he feels like he should be more detached from humanity and in many ways he is. Ciel also has a soft spot for the Midfords, though when he saw them for the first time after he turned it was rlly difficult for him to not eat them. He especially wants to protect Lizzy and keep her from knowing his true nature.

Ciel is also extremely gluttonous for blood and his hunger is difficult for Sebastian to satiate, his love for sweets transferred to a to a love for fresh blood :)! He grumbles about being hungry all the time and Seb has to warn him about feeding on conspicuous victims.

Queen Victoria actually knows about Sebastian and Ciel's nature but doesn't rlly care since having powerful undead creatures at her disposal doing her bidding is nice for her. (I mean she employed a 10 year old, what's stopping her from employing a vampire? Also because John Brown may or may not be a vampire...)

Being the queen's guard dog also provides more food for our vampires, they have an agreement with Victoria that they are allowed to eat the criminals they subdue instead of turning them into to the Yard.

While Ciel enjoys parts of undead existence, he did not think through becoming a vampire and really just wants to die for real. He hates being stuck in the body of a 10 year old and it's a great source of angst for him. He has also not properly dealt with his grief and trauma, and being a little sadist isn't actually good therapy for him, who would have thought!

He openly resents Sebastian for turning him, which Seb's dismissive response is always "well you chose this.🙄"

Their relationship is quite toxic like it is in the manga, the differences being that Seb doesn't have to be fake nice since he's not playing the butler role, and that he does deep down begin to care deeply for Ciel as his son.

On the one hand Seb regrets turning Ciel because he sees how much pain he goes through, but on the other hand he does like having this little thorn in his side around. He's still kinda abusive tho and their relationship is complicated, Ciel has slit Sebastian's throat on occasion, y'know how it is, kids🙃

Ciel also deep down feels attachment to Sebastian as a parent, but he would never admit it out right.

Ciel is lowkey planning to off himself after he gets his revenge but Sebastian hasn't rlly told him how to do it, they are weaker during the day and direct sunlight hurts, but it doesn't destroy these vampires (neither does fire). Ciel thinks Sebastian won't tell him because he's an asshole and won't tell him important vampire information, but the truth is simply that Seb doesn't want his son to kill himself, and doesn't want his son kill him! (Ciel would never actually kill Seb if he knew how, but these two suck at communicating their true feelings so...)

Also in this au all of the reapers are actually vampires-so vampire Grelle! (side note I've always seen the reapers as sort of vampiric especially when you consider certain vampire myths that say people who commit suicide become vampires!)

[abybweisse]

Hi there! I recently finished reading the Black Butler manga for the first time and I’m completely blown away!!! One thing I’m curious about and would like to know from a long-time manga reader: When did people start to seriously theorize that Ciel had a brother? I binge read the manga in less than a week and all of the foreshadowing/clues went completely over my head, so I would love to find out what made people start to get suspicious and what kind of theories started to pour in! 👀

Wow, that's a lot of reading in less than a week! I would have missed a bunch of little details, too, if I had tried that! 😯

When did 2CT start?

Well, I didn't join the fandom until sometime in 2015, and some people were already talking about various hints that there was probably a twin brother. @kurotwins and @akumadeenglish who are both not active here anymore (at least not on those blogs) we're talking about it, as well as some others I'm not as sure about. Apparently, the Japanese chunk of the fandom didn't really debate there being a twin; it was sort of accepted very early-on. It might be a matter of translation issues, like "sons" translated to "son", etc.

Anyway, I recall reading a bunch of their posts, and then I started paying more attention to a scene in ch1. Chlaus shows up with the packaging for a game called "Mouse3" by "Ninkyodo". Well, that's a parody of Mother3 by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on April 20, 2006. Unlike the previous two versions of the game, Mother3 never got localized as part of the EarthBound series. Which is why Chlaus tells our earl the "game" was so difficult to find in Italy. Of course, that packaging contains the drug evidence that our earl needed to show Scotland Yard. To put Azzurro Vanel (and potentially the Ferro family) away.

The irises are used in both Victorian flower language and Japanese flower language to mean a few different things, but one meaning they share in common is something along the lines of "I have a message for you." Well, that message is the game packaging shown on the very next page.

Mother3 is about mirror twin boys who deal with tragedy soon after their birthday (9th or 10th). Their mother is killed by a monster, and their father is so distraught about her death that he goes into a rage and end up in jail for a while. Soon after the dad gets out of (escapes from) jail, he finds out the older mirror twin had gone off by himself to kill the monster, but now he has gone missing. Everyone is searching, but no body has been found. However, the player of the game can see Claus' broken body at the bottom of a cliff. It's understood that he's dead. The main characters still don't know, though. Not for another three, almost four, years. After losing his wife and being unable to find his older son, the father becomes kind of useless. Notice that the guy in Kuroshitsuji is Chlaus, and the older twin in Mother3 is Claus.

Three years later, Lucas (younger mirror twin) is about 13 years old, and he sets off on his own quest for revenge, along with the loyal family dog, Boney. The rest of the game takes place during this one year, then it ends just before his next birthday. The last thing Lucas has to do before he can "win" is defeat his own older twin brother, who had died, been turned into a Fascinating Chimera, and had been pitted against him.

So, I started coming up with my Mother3 theory for Kuroshitsuji back in December 2015. Back then, I was already theorizing that not only is there a twin brother, but he's a mirror twin. The missing twin is older, dead, reanimated, and will pop up again as an adversary.

Soooo, idk how long some version or other of 2CT has been around, but a very specific version of it came to me (and became very serious to me) in December 2015. And it's canon now: mirror twin brothers; one lives while the other dies; the dead one is reanimated; they end up having to confront each other.

Even Sebastian gets to parallel the roles of both the loyal family dog, Boney (under contract) and the Dark Dragon who must be given your "heart" to follow your will (as the demon who demands a soul as payment).

That's why I'm so into my Mother3 theory, which started out kind of small and grew and grew... because the similarities don't stop there. Not even close. Numerous characters and plot lines have strong parallels to Mother3 characters and plot lines, while a few are better paralleled in Mother and Mother2. The timelines are essentially the same between Kuroshitsuji and Mother3, too.

Maybe check out my "Why I theorize" post and my "Masterpost 1" for more on that, to get more into it. There are several masterposts and addendums, plus a few more masterposts on the way... eventually. When I first started posting about it, I didn't expect it to be such a big finding, but here I am, still talking about it! 😆

[cornybunbun]

A Broken Doll - A Sebaciel Fanfic

Chapter Fourteen

Summary

Under the gaze of the Bone Tower, all are equal. Human, Demon, Fae... Death does not discriminate.

Sebastian has a job to do: he is to infiltrate the Human Realm and find out the source of their magic. The easiest way to get access to the Human Realm is by arranging a marriage and then seducing the human pitiful enough to be bound to him.

However, on his wedding night Sebastian finds himself collared by a child with magic burning in his eye and contempt written across his face. Now he is Ciel Phantomhive's dog, and although he wants to carry out his job for the Demon Realm he finds himself entranced by the way his new husband commands him to kneel.

-

Chapter Fourteen

-

When the distant sounds of Claude searching through the eyrie for them had died down, Ciel disentangled himself from Sebastian and stepped up to the side of the roof. Sebastian sat up and watched him, waiting for him to speak. The little human stood in thought for a moment, frowning out at the ocean. The scars on his body were lit silver in the moonlight.

"We can't leave this realm until we find my aunt's name. So we can't stay up here forever. I've been thinking over that riddle that the Seeing Eye gave me: You shall take it with your own hands from that grotesque horde, and it shall be waiting for you. It is calling for you now. That seems to suggest that I need to go and find it. But..." He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to one side. "It's a fair distance down. I may be able to use magic to create a path, but I used most of it up during that party."

"How does your magic replenish itself?"

Ciel didn't answer, just stared down at the distant ocean. Sebastian got to his own feet, but stumbled as his body protested. He had used up the last remnants of any energy to quiet Ciel's night terrors and now the exhaustion flooded through him. He clutched the side of the roof and breathed deeply to try and keep from passing out.

A hand on his cheek. Ciel had come to him and was now reaching up, pulling Sebastian's face round to examine him. His brow was furrowed in concern. A gentle finger pushed stray locks of hair out of Sebastian's face, tucking them behind his ear.

"I'll get us down," Ciel said firmly. "I can use magic to slow our descent, and we can jump."

But Sebastian shook his head. "My brother isn't aware that you have any kind of magical ability and we should keep it that way. If he detects magic from you then he'll hunt you relentlessly." 

And punish Sebastian for not divulging the truth about his husband, but Sebastian did not need to share that information just then. Instead, he straightened up and attempted to put on a reassuring smile. 

Read More

[midnight-in-town]

It always confused me how Vincent and Rachel was never attacked with their 30+ servants before the twins were ten, and once our Ciel returned he's like, another lovely night with failed assassination attempt, ever night! before even starting on his watch dog business. And it's like none of whom sent those assassins were found to be guilty of "that day", so they're simply Vincent's old enemies.... I wonder if the house was protected by supernatural contracts as well? And it broke on 14/12/1885?

Hey Anon! Oh yeah, good point, but you know what...

I wonder if the house was protected by supernatural contracts as well? And it broke on 14/12/1885?

It is actually a crack theory of mine, one of the few I have never posted, but related to the idea that the Phantomhive family is tasked with the Watchdog duty because they have a special lineage. :))

Honestly, I don’t know precisely why Ciel was attacked so much when he came back...

it could be manor robbers who initially heard that the whole family is supposedly dead and the manor empty

and/or some parts of the underworld trying to eliminate the heir to the Watchdog title, thinking it should be easy since he’s only a kid with one manservant (like when Mey was tasked with killing our!Ciel before they met)

However, I don’t think it’s illogical that these events happened when our!Ciel came back. I mean, we don’t know for sure what Vincent was like, as the Watchdog, but even though I believe he strongly disliked the position, he probably had quite the iron grip over the underworld (like our!Ciel did until very recently). If so, that could explain why the underworld kept a low profile while he was alive but then tried to get rid of his heir, upon realizing that our!Ciel was literally ten years old.

That being said, as always, don’t forget that our!CIel not mentioning an attack on the manor before 1885 doesn’t mean the manor was never attacked. After all, the twins were kids and our!Ciel in particular hardly knew about the Watchdog position before his parents died. So it’s possible that the manor was attacked a few times back when Vincent was alive, but the twins (or only our!Ciel) didn’t notice, because Tanaka did his job properly.

Additionally, another crack theory I have is that maybe Vincent had some sort of foreshadowing gift, which would be very useful when it comes to preventing such attacks in the past. However, this crack theory makes it all the more painful to realize that, if Vincent indeed foreshadowed his own death...

then he must have known long before dying that he wouldn’t be able to escape such a sad fate. :// (I know I wouldn’t want to live with such a burden)

Anyway, I just love the idea that the Phantomhive manor itself is built on supernatural-related ground and used to be supernaturally protected. Until Vincent’s murder and that fire that destroyed a large part of it, that is, because I doubt this protection is still a thing, not with Seb rebuilding it with his powers and constantly wandering around everywhere. In any case, it’s probably one of those crack theories we will never get any confirmation or denial about. xD

I hope I answered your question, have a nice day Anon!!

[azuresins]

I know I am completely wrong, but I just had the thought wouldn't it be great if OCiel's name is really Sebastian. I mean great as in interesting in a narrative sense. OCiel naming the demon after himself, creating his own darkness etc. Before anyone brings up the dog was named Sebastian, Vincent (or whoever named the dog), loved OCiel so much they named the dog after him.

Even if it's not canon and not correct...That's an interesting thought. I could imagine a scenario... where R!ciel would want to name the dog after his brother. I hope it's okay if I go off for a minute on a tangent, but the concept is interesting to me: The idea that OurCiel would desire to give Sebastian a valued namesake when he appeared to do the opposite in canon. Sometimes I think there's ... some implication, between Sebastian and Finnian the gardener. It's bold to say there's envy, I wouldn't go that far but I do think Sebastian gets irritated from time-to-time when the gardener is often afforded kindness and trust at times when that is so rare from Our!Ciel. For-all-intents and purposes he does all of the things that O!C can not do for himself, you're right about that. Logically, it would make sense if one considers it, but ... instead, Sebastian is named after his pet. Can you imagine for a moment that Finnian WAS Our!Ciel's name and he watched someone 'lesser' get that name instead? Finnian the gardener got his name, from a much kinder and more sentimental source, regardless. From a tender childhood memory. Something that really mattered to Our!Ciel, something he knew a lot about. Finnian the gardener was named with thought, named with care. Something very grand. Even Sebastian said that name was better and preferable because of what he was named after. That always stuck out to me, a lot. It's another part of the reason I am very partial to my own theory on his name, I'm not going to lie. Sebastian wondering why a stranger and someone so disposable at a first glance, was worthy of such a grand namesake when he, was named after a dog. If only Sebastian-the-demon-butler knew that actually, the dog was sentimental to o!ciel near the end of it's life, and died trying to protect him, right... That the sentiment might not be as unkind or insulting of a gesture, as he might have expected. ...But O!c wont admit that, of course. What we know about his name for certain though is this. That the name is not English, it was shocking enough for relatives to ask Vincent and Rachel to change their minds and go for something more noble, and that the name is most-likely associated with light or the heavens. Ciel is a french name, not commonly english but not so out of the ordinary or undignified, that anyone would say anything about it. It's pretty, it's noble. If I had to choose another good contender ... I think Sirius is the next most likely choice. But I don't think it is if only because... it doesn't quite fit. "Sirius" almost checks every box except for the bit where ... it's not so different a name, that relatives would ask Vincent or Rachel to change their mind. It's a little eccentric, but not unheard of among nobility. All the English nobles and some fairly high profile people were pretty damn-quick to hang out in a place that was run by an someone under the anonymous alias known as "Lord Sirius" without batting an eye... and I promise you: no english noble in their right mind during that time, would do the same for a concert hall run by anyone under the anonymous alias "Lord Fenian." They'd demand to see him, call the yard, investigate, search the place IMMEDIATELY and probably expect there were bombs inside. I'm also certain given all the context clues in place from both the Queen and Vincent, that the name is going to be an Irish one... Either Fionn or Finnian. Not many people are familiar but the warrior Fionn himself wasn't born with that name, he earned it. He had a different birth name. Depending on the legend his hair was also stark white for a time, not blonde.

[pain-in-the-butler]

it’s late, I’m bored, time for Hunger Games Simulator Kuroshit Edition Episode 2

Day 1 Cornucopia highlights

Sebastian’s just like “aight time to clean”

it’s gonna take more than that to help you now, bud

they might be too pure for this

rip grandpa

Will also said “fuck it, cleaning time”

Agni brings out the right hand of god for bread, Randall gets the broken nose he’s deserved for a while now (he did win the last Hunger Games, to everyone’s disappointment)

O!Ciel hoping to hibernate it out

TERRIBLE NEWS EVERYONE, OUR GIRL IS DEAD ALREADY

Phipps, Macmillan, Finny, Lizzie, Soma, Abberline, Undertaker, Edward, Bard, Ronald, Othello, Mey-Rin, and Grey all got away from the cornucopia safely. Some of them got weapons, but the game doesn’t record what weapons people have and what they don’t, so whatever people picked up doesn’t really matter

Day 1 highlights

HARCOURT CAME TO FUCKIN PLAY YA’LL

gdi Randall, we just lost three of four girls in one fell swoop, I hope you bleed out from your broken nose and die

Ronald says we aren’t allowed to have nice things

Other highlights:

Day 1 Arena Event: Borders Close In

Edward punishes Agni for his bread crimes

Hunger Games simulator is actually just a rare pairs simulator

pretty upset that Harcourt died so soon, it’s always kind of funny when he gets the chance to become a cold-blooded killer

and there goes our last lady (though now that I think about it, I should probably sub in Lao and Ran-Mao)

Day 1 and we’ve already lost Lizzie, Mey-Rin, Bard, Tanaka, Soma, Agni, Sieglinde, Grell, Othello, Phipps, Abberline, Randall, and Harcourt

This leaves us with only eleven survivors: O!Ciel, R!Ciel, Sebastian, Edward, Finny, Undertaker, Wolfram, William, Ronald, Grey, and Macmillan

Night 1 highlights

the boys are like “better make the best of a bad situation by creating the next Kuromyu”

Macmillan had the same idea, but he’s alone, and no one’s favorite character is Macmillan

alternate title: R!Ciel and Undertaker traumatize Edward and Finny so badly that they can’t sleep

O!Ciel’s sitting on his food cache like a fat dragon guarding its hoard of treasure

Wolfram is unable to sleep, but Grey builds himself an entire camp and presumably gets plenty of beauty rest

Day 2 highlights

Macmillan refuses to kill the shorter, two-eyed version of his friend. Meanwhile, R!Ciel is already dead

Ciel’s almost too in character as he waits for the enemies to come to him while he does whatever the hell he wants

they’re just blond boys doin what blond boys do

other highlights:

Wow, no deaths today, so it looks like it’s camping o’clock

Night 2 highlights

black ops Macmillan says never trust anyone, not even the side character who exists to set up exposition

why do I feel like Wolfram will regret this

well, at least we know he didn’t burn down the manor

R!Ciel: I’ve reclaimed the manor, my title, and my girlfriend. What are you gonna do about it? O!Ciel:

other highlights:

Alas, poor Will

Day 3 highlights

R!Ciel is really out here like “I’m incapable of dying, just try to kill me and you’ll see” but no one believes him

the food king discovers he cannot be sustained on food alone

Grey does the gentlemanly thing

Wolfram says “my death scythe now”

Other highlights:

and so day 3 comes to an end with this final roster

we’re fortunate enough this time to have things wrapping up with both twins and Sebastian still alive, which keeps things interesting. However, Macmillan is also here, and the randomizer could turn him into an absolutely feral killing machine. Nothing is sacred in Hunger Games Simulator

Night 3 highlights

looks like someone couldn’t find that water source

another man cleared of arson

fast, hungry boy and strong, hungry boy bond over being hungry

still not entirely certain Macmillan knows he’s helping the wrong twin

the only wounds he's gotten are from the thorns while picking berries.......

fair enough my man

The Feast highlights

Somehow the frail, decrepit perpetual ten-year-old managed to defeat the powerful demon and grim reaper armed with a lawn mower. Did I mention nothing is sacred

Day 4 highlights

Macmillan and Finny both spared R!Ciel, but as soon as Macmillan asks for death, Finny’s like “you got it champ”

meanwhile the brothers are squabbling but what else is new

imagine if we got to a point in the manga where the roster actually looked like this 3wijaor;jiwa

Night 4 highlights

so I guess somehow Grey has cemented himself as Enemy #1 and the boys put aside their differences so they could have a slumber party with the remaining blond boys

Day 5 highlights

Older blond boy kills younger blond boy in a truly devastating example of blond boy crime. Meanwhile, O!Ciel add medical supplies to his growing collection of goodies, and Grey says “ooga booga” at a child

Night 5 highlights

it’s like the start of the Blue Cult arc all over again

Day 6 highlights

Did R!Ciel just die really anticlimactically?? Also, O!Ciel becomes a perfect combination of McGruff the crime dog and Smokey the Bear and says no to fires

Night 6 highlights

Hunger Games simulator returns to being a rare pairs simulator. Somehow O!Ciel has acquired an infection, and R!Ciel is definitely dead

Day 7 highlights

O!Ciel, Grey, and Wolfram take a page from the Public School Arc’s notes and don’t do anything interesting for a while

Night 7 highlights

Wolfram gets medical supplies but refuses to use them on his new boyfriend. O!Ciel's canon energy is stifling

Day 8 highlights

O!Ciel receives a weapon he won’t use. Grey tries to make something happen. Wolfram goes spelunking

Night 8 highlights

O!Ciel’s canon energy continues to rise to dangerous levels, but Seb’s too dead to hear him make orders. Wolfram dies, and if this were the manga, you know our boy wouldn’t stand a chance in hell against Grey

Day 9 highlights

IT’S THE HUNGER GAMES SIMULATOR AND NOTHING IS SACRED

god look at that shit-eating grin. Ciel managed to make it through the whole thing without killing anybody and he knows his ass would be grass if Grey hadn’t gone kablooey. unbelievable. our grand champion, everyone

[butterbuni]

♥ Sebastian Michaelis ♥

♥ 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵:

Songs: ~ The Lonely (Piano and Cello Orchestral) ~The Suite - Downton Abbey ~The Spectre (Piano Orchestral) ~Something Just Like This (Piano Orchestral)  ~Duneagle

♥ Tea Time Head Cannons 

~Tea time always happens at noon. Sebastian never forgets. He is always ready no matter the day.

~ Should Sebastian forget he always makes up for it with better décor or better menu options

~I feel like despite Sebastian being quick and efficient he spends the most time picking the kind of tea set to use

~There are many options can you blame him?

~Once Sebastian finally picks out the perfect tea set to go with tea he makes sure to prepare a fancy dish to go with

~Once again met with too many options too little time

~Bare with him, he always comes through in the end :D

~He set the table perfectly momentarily checking his watch to get his young master. 

~Throughout the tea time process getting the young master is by far the longest thing. 

~He is constantly stopped by one of the others. Either Baldroy is messing with the menu he had perfectly hand crafted. Mey-Rin is messing with the tea setting. Or Finnian is messing with the décor.

~No matter, he is able to succeed in the end with almost no causalities. If you disregard some broken dishes, a few burnt pastries, and ripped table cloth :D

~Once Sebastian has gotten Ciel ready for tea time everything else is a breeze 

~Ciel has not been burdened he has done his job as a butler

~After all he is simply one hell of a butler 

♥ 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

Paring: Sebastian x Fem Reader

Word Count: 803

The bright moonlight seeped in to ballroom of the Phantomhive Manor. The soft sounds of the orchestra echoed beautifully. All the guests danced gracefully. Smiles on all their faces. It was very rare that the Phantomhive Manor would open their doors for anyone other than high society.

However today was a very rare occasion. It was Ciel Phantomhive's birthday and by some grace his wife to be, Elizabeth, had convinced him to open the manor to the public. He even seemed to have a bit of fun. Though if anyone asked about why he had done such a thing. Ciel would always reply, "It was simply a matter of business."

His butler knew better and it amused him every time Ciel would say the same thing over and over to each guest that came up to him.  

"Master," Sebastian would say after each guest that arrived, "I don't think saying that would make your guest any happier."

Each time Ciel would roll his eyes and dismiss Sebastian off but he was fooling no one. Sebastian had already long before noticed the sense of happiness that surrounded the boy.

It wasn't until you came walking through the manor doors did something pique Sebastian's interest.

You wore a beautiful but simple red dress. However you were frowning even before you got to there. Your eye's surveyed the the ball not looking amused in the slightest. You slowly stepped down the grand steps, your hand trailing the banner. Sebastian cocked an eyebrow.

You looked like a noble yet he he couldn't quite place his hand on where you could possibly be from.

"Sebastian."

Sebastian looked to his young master only to finally see him with a small smile. "If you want the guests to remain happy. Then go make her happy," Ciel said he cocked his eyebrow to you.

Sebastian smiled before sweeping into a quick bow, "What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't di that."

He got up picking out a white rose from a nearby vase. He walked over to you as you stood off in a corner not participating in the event.

Once he reached you a took a quick bow offering you the white rose. Surprised you took the rose from him bringing it up to your nose giving it a small whiff. It smelled lovely.

"My name is Sebastian, butler of the Phantomhive family. You seem unhappy," Sebastian said calmly. You twirled the flower in your hand pondering it all.

"Why be happy, is the question." You answered after a bit. Sebastian was amused. "It's a lively event. You should be smiling," Sebastian said a bit of him wanting to push the conversation further. He was interested in what you had in mind.

"It's always should this. should that. Whatever happened to 'do whatever you want'," You said you continued to twirl the flower in your hand a frown still evident on your face. You were serious. Why should anyone be told they should do something even when they don't feel like it.

"Then that defeats the purpose of free will wouldn't you say?"

You cocked an eyebrow, "Whatever do you mean?"

"You say you want to be able to do whatever you want but if someone were to tell you that doesn't that count as an order," Sebastian smiled.

For the first time that night you smiled. Sebastian was surprised. He had planned another choice words for your type of questions and he was more than prepared to let you hear them.

"Sebastian Michaelis. Butler to the Earl of Phantomhive or rather the Queen's Guard Dog." You said a sly smirk playing on your lips.

"So you are well aware of who I am prior to our meeting?"

"Why would I not? It's rude not to know your hosts before attending a party." You placed the white rose on a nearby table. Sebastian took a small bow, smaller than the one from earlier but deep enough to show his respect.

"Pardon my manners, I never got your name." He insinuated for you to tell you his name. You let out a small giggle, "I am free to do whatever I want. I am also free to tell you my name regardless of if you ask or not."

Before Sebastian could answer you, you grabbed the white rose from the table, "It was nice meeting you Sebastian Michaelis, your order was definitely fulfilled."

Sebastian stood confused as you started walking in the direction he had come from. You slide your hand across his chest placing the white rose in his chest pocket. You leaned into his ear and whispered, "You are simply one hell of a butler after all. Save your first dance for me will you."

You leaned away. A genuine smile on your face and in your hand, a letter from the queen.

-------------------------------

This also serves as an example of what you will get with my small package option for my commissions 

[starlight-ascension]

The girls as Power Quotes

Nagisa: “You could sooner divert a river from its course than deny my nature” 

Honoka: “You will be reduced down to a single atom once I am done with you”

Hikari: “I see now that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant: it’s what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.” 

Nozomi: “Impudent of you to assume I will meet a mortal end” 

Rin: “I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me” 

Urara: “Each comment is a prayer, bringing me closer to emerging from my cursed plane. Thank you for heralding the apocalypse this old god brings.” 

Komachi: “Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse in the body of others and makes them bleed deeper in something that’s larger than life, than his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized by the storytellers.” 

Karen: “The words of prophets are written on the subway walls” 

Kurumi: “In a world of blood and chaos, rabbits must hunt as wolves” 

Love: “Tonight you spoke with the devil. The devil looked a lot like you.” 

Miki: “Your boos mean nothing. I’ve seen what makes you cheer.” 

Inori: “No pet is perfect, it becomes perfect when you accept it for what it is.” 

Setsuna: “Can you feel your heart burning? Can you feel the struggle within? The fear within me is beyond anything your soul can make. You cannot kill me in a way that matters” 

Tsubomi: “No one will know the violence it took to become this gentle” 

Erika: “Do you think God stays in heaven because he, too, lives in fear of what he’s created?” 

Itsuki: “I will seize destiny by the throat and force it into the shape of my choosing” 

Yuri: “God gave me depression because if my ambitions went unchecked I would have bested him in hand-to-hand combat by age 16” 

Hibiki: “Bury me shallow, I’ll be back” 

Kanade: “I hope your gods forgive you because we surely won’t”

Ellen: “I am a monument to all your sins” 

Ako: “The world should have protected you, but you have been asked to protect it. What an honor. What an injustice.”

Miyuki: “There’s no light at the end of this tunnel, so it’s a good thing we brought matches” 

Akane: “If the world chooses to become my enemy, I will fight just like I always have”

Yayoi: “There is not enough time to make all the things one’s imagination can conjure” 

Nao: “All these moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain” 

Reika: “Kill me and live with the memory. Then tell the stars that you won.” 

Ayumi: “Our paths may have crossed briefly but you still had the misfortune of knowing me” 

Mana: “Whenever you look at another creator or an artist that you respect, you’re only seeing what took them a long time of work and doubt to push through. You never see the struggle behind it. So you think you’re the only one struggling, when in fact, everyone goes through it.” 

Rikka: “Take this gift, for the gods surely won’t” 

Alice: “The anger in your heart warms you now, but will leave you cold in your grave.” 

Makoto: “I’ve been through hell and I’ll come out singing” 

Aguri: “You kneel before my throne unaware that it was born on lies” 

Regina: “What is better: to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort” 

Megumi: “This is hell’s territory and I am beholden to no gods” 

Hime: “I thought there were no heroes left in the world” 

Yuko: “To feel sorrow is to deserve peace” 

Iona: “God may judge you but his sins outnumber your own” 

Haruka: “All knowledge is ultimately based on that which we cannot prove. Will you fight? Or will you perish like a dog?” 

Minami: “What the fuck is that, ‘act my age’? The ocean is old as fuck, it will still drown your ass with vigor.”

Kirara: “If you don’t like what I’m doing you can try to stop me, but given that not even God has succeeded yet I don’t fancy your odds” 

Twilight: “You are alone, child. There is only darkness for you, and only death for your people. These ancients are just the beginning. I will command a great and terrible army, and we will sail to a billion worlds. We will sail until every light has been extinguished. You are strong, child, but I am beyond strength. I am the end, and I have come for you.” 

(yeah i did twilight instead of towa because this quote is incredibly badass and only fits a villain) 

Mirai: “Do I look like the kind of woman who dies?” 

Liko: “God is dead and soon we will follow” 

Kotoha: “To become god is the loneliest achievement of them all” 

Ichika: “Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sort of good at something” 

Himari: “What are you gonna do with that big bat? Gonna hit me? Better make it count. Better make it hurt. Better kill me in one shot.” 

Aoi: “I will face god and walk backwards into hell” 

Yukari: “I’ve heard it said that we only gain wisdom through suffering, and tonight I intend to make you very wise.” 

Akira: “Too many people have opinions on things they know nothing about. And the more ignorant they are, the more opinions they have.”

Ciel: “My body may be a temple but I am the God to whom it is devoted. Do not presume to tell me how I may decorate my altar.” 

Hana: “Violence for violence is the rule of beasts” 

Saaya: “People say ‘phase’ as if impermanence means insignificance. Show me a permanent state of the self.”

Homare: “Do not let my origin story become yours” 

Emiru: “You can’t shake the devil’s hand and say you’re only kidding.” 

Ruru: “One day you’ll decompose and I’ll be there to watch it happen” 

Hikaru: “No curse of mine shall befall you from my dying breath” 

Lala: “Pick a god and pray” 

Elena: “One day you will be face to face with whatever saw fit to let you exist in the universe, and you will have to justify the space you’ve filled” 

Madoka: “My father taught me as a child that if you shoot for the moon and miss, the cold vaccuum of space will suck out your eyeballs. Failure is not an option. Go kill them.” 

Yuni: “What are you going to buy in your lifetime that’s worth more to you than your own humanity” 

Nodoka: “I’ll do whatever you want” “Then perish” 

Chiyu: “You know what they say about healers and poisoners: similar skill set, very different philosophies”. 

Hinata: “The version of me you created in your mind is not my responsibility” 

Asumi: “There is no point being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes” 

[totallynotstalya]

What if Sebastian (the dog) hated our!Ciel so fucking much it killed his parents and burned the house down just to make him suffer??

[sunshine-tattoo]

so I think that Ciel becoming a demon would be the absolute best way to end the manga.

not the bullshit from season II where it came outta literally nowhere but an actual arc about it.

o!ciel made all of his decision because he wanted to get revenge for his family and restore their honor.

we as the audience assume that this is because they loved him deeply and that he cared about his title.

but we now know that's a lie.

the only happy and smiling images we see of ciel aren't even him. they are of r! Ciel.

he was loved by his parents. he had the title. He played games and was betrothed to Lizzy.

O! Ciel was sickly and quiet and somewhat emotionally ignored in favor of his strong and charismatic brother.

He was literally just a spare. A buy one, get one free deal. No one cared what he did.

But then everyone died.

And as much as he's hadn't been loved, his rage at everything that had happened summoned help.

His brother was dead. The understudy now had to take the role.

And he did an excellent job. More than his father ever did and more than his brother ever could. The demonic help didn't matter: he was the one pulling the strings.

No longer living in his brother's shadow he truly became himself.

But then his brother returned. He had kept the seat warm but it was time to step down. The lead diva was back.

What's more, he didn't even tell o! Ciel that he loved him or had missed him.

He just said that he was "naughty" for pretending to be him.

Even tho that had been Ciels job since birth.

Now o!ciel has nothing, just like before. Lizzy has her love back. The queen has her guard dog. The Phantomhives have their heir.

What is left for him? Just Sebastian. The one person his brother will never have.

The bond that they have is complicated, but they definitely care about each other.

Sebastian has even hinted that Ciel's adventures are some of the most fun he's ever had with a human.

I think that o!Ciel's journey should end with him just saying fuck it to his old life.

Who cares who killed his parents? They never cared for him. Not really. And as the guard dog they had hundreds of enemies. Somebody just managed to get lucky one night and successfully killed them. It could have been anyone.

Who cares about his bloodline? He was never really a part of it anyway.

Who cares about the queen? His role was always disposable to her.

Our Ciel's life only really began when everyone else was gone and he had nothing.

Becoming a demon and joining Sebastian's world would be paradise.

He would be free of all of this and it would be his decision to make.

He could live forever beside the only person who ever bothered to truly get to know him.

The rest of eternity could be a game of hunting souls and forming contracts.

Let R!Ciel be the Earl of Phantomhive like he was always destined.

O! Ciel could form a name and an identity all of his own and become a powerful demon. That sounds like the perfect life for him.

[abybweisse]

@gkrosental Oh, I’ve blogged about this before, but it’s split between various posts. So, it might be hard to find. You can check my blog, though, for #advanced technology, #medical technology, #technological advances, #medical advances, #reaper technology, etc. Oh... and stuff like #george and #giygas....

For one thing, that’s not Sebastian’s mobile; it’s the one Vanel’s thugs have. He just takes it from one of them to talk to Vanel.

The other thing is that modern technology shows up in the manga quite frequently, and Yana-san explained once that it’s an alternate universe to begin with, and these things are, therefore, only... slightly anachronistic. Let’s not forget that our earl has some kind of television; it’s been vaguely mentioned by our earl and Finny, and much more directly mentioned by Soma. Funny thing about the TV is that our earl must not be the only one to have one, since John Brown mentions the same TV program to the crowd at the Crystal Palace; he promotes the rumor that the show is based on Queen Victoria! But yeah... some of them are definitely still anachronistic, even for the Kuroverse.

The reapers (and their superiors) have advanced technology. We know this for a fact; even ages ago, when Othello was newer to the reaper organization, he’s seen carrying around a box of computer parts, like a keyboard. Othello says that humans can get ahold of such knowledge through demon contracts, etc. Even though Sebastian hasn’t been told (that we know of) to “invent stuff for me” by our earl, we can pretty well assume that Funtom’s innovative toys come from a combination of our earl’s imagination and Sebastian’s demonic abilities. Funtom is best known for its Bitter Rabbits and candies, but they also sell video game consoles... with game controllers connected by wires. Indeed, Funtom sells a few things that you’d only expect the reapers to have. But it doesn’t end with Funtom, not even regarding video games. How else would Chlaus show up in ch1 with that game cartridge packaging for “Mouse3”? It was actually full of the drug evidence he’d brought back from Italy... but the packaging is probably legit.

I suspect that reapers, like Undertaker, also have an effect on the advancements that humans make... accelerating the process of innovation. Those dialysis machines are a perfect example. I’m not sure yet who actually built them. Perhaps Druitt, since he has a medical license? And because Undertaker saved him on the Campania for REASONS...?

At one point, during the murders arc, Charles Grey makes a comment that Germany’s about ten years ahead of where it should be; I’m not sure how he learned that (perhaps from John Brown?!?), but this means that the Kuroverse is dealing with an accelerated timeline for its technological advances. Characters like Grey and Othello acknowledge something is amiss. But, it’s complicated why it’s happening. Germany might have some reaper or demon/angel intervention, too, but they also have/had prodigies, like Sieglinde Sullivan. She managed something her parents, with all their learning and training, had failed to do. SuLin was the result. Idk how they got the rest of the advanced technology they are using, like radar and tanks. Divine intervention? Other geniuses? Since coming to Great Britain, Sieglinde has continued to shock and amaze with her latest inventions... which seem to be financially backed by the queen....

The reason I mentioned #george and #giygas is because of my main theory regarding Black Butler... that’s it’s largely based on a Nintendo game called Mother3. I mean, that’s what “Mouse3” by “Ninkyodo” refers to, after all. But, as I’ve said in many of my posts about this, it’s not just Mother3 being used for the manga series; it’s the entire game series. And this topic is one of those situations that requires going all the way back to the first installment: Mother. In the US, it was titled EarthBound: Beginnings.

In Mother, a young alien, named Giygas (the translation varies, but this is one of the common ones), is traveling from their home planet, populated by this technologically advanced civilization. Their spacecraft crash lands on Earth and they are taken in by a couple, named George and Maria. They raise them as their own, and they later manage to travel with Giygas back towards their home planet, and Maria stays there... but George returns to Earth... with stolen technology, which he continues to research... and spreads around to other humans. Giygas is sent by their superiors to stop George, because the alien race is worried that humans will eventually use their own technology against them. However, George has died by the time Giygas returns to Earth, so they decide to target George’s descendants. Humans have started to incorporate the knowledge that George brought back; it’s even showing up in some humans’ natural abilities, as if it’s being genetically inherited. We meet one of those descendants, Ninten. He, with the help of friends, has to collect melodies from a song and sing it to Queen Mary, who is... kind of like Maria... but on another plane of existence, called Magicant.

Later, Ness (in Mother2, aka EarthBound) and his pals have to fight people who are under Giygas’ power, including a rather bothersome and wholly self-centered boy named Pokey Minch. By now, Giygas has been driven mad by his futile attempts to stop the spread of this stolen technology and knowledge. Then they have to fight Pokey Minch again, but Pokey has been drastically changed by time-traveling equipment he stole from a human inventor (Dr. Andonuts). Ness and his friends have to fight not just this futuristic version of Pokey but also an unhinged and unleashed version of Giygas; the alien has lost their physical form and now exists as an evil force of immense power. Through prayer (mostly), Ness and his friends are able to banish ... perhaps truly destroy... Giygas, but Pokey escapes to cause problems yet another time.

With Mother3, which never got a worldwide release (which is why Chlaus says in Black Butler that “Mouse3” [and the drugs] were hard to get ahold of in Italy), mirror twin brothers Claus and Lucas get separated after their mother is killed (and their father is too full of grief to help them). Claus ends up missing (he’s dead at the bottom of a cliff), and Lucas and the family dog, Boney, go on a quest to avenge his family. Lucas, Boney, and friends they make have to defeat King Porky; King Porky is what the time-traveling Pokey Minch decides to call himself when he travels to this future setting and settles down to become a tyrant. Giygas seems to be gone, but King Porky still follows Giygas’ destructive life path. King Porky is obsessed with popularity and technological advances. And, at some point, the lifeless body of Claus gets turned into a Fascinating Chimera, and the mirror twin brothers have to compete to fulfill a prophecy... of waking the Dark Dragon. Dr. Andonuts was previously forced to help King Porky, but even he eventually gets revenge.

I have a lot of posts about Mother3 theory, and I’m trying to focus here on a particular aspect, so here are some parallels, particularly regarding technology:

Our earl — Lucas

Real Ciel — Claus

Sebastian, under contract — Boney, the loyal family dog

Sebastian, aka the “Black Butler”, once the contract is fulfilled — Dark Dragon, particularly once the prophecy is fulfilled

Undertaker, bringing otherworldly technology to humans — George

Reaper superiors and/or John Brown — the original manifestation of Giygas and that alien race

Reapers, in general — Magypsies, in general

Prince Soma — Pokey Minch

Prince Soma with the Right Hand of Kali — Pokey Minch with the unhinged Giygas (This parallel would be further strengthened if Prince Soma ends up stealing anything out of Sieglinde’s lab or convinces her to make any sort of contraption for him.)

Queen Victoria, who demands unwavering loyalty and is trying to increase Great Britain’s power through technology and new infrastructure — King Porky, who demands the same and is also focused on infrustrucfure, technology, innovation, etc.

Queen Victoria with John Brown — King Porky drunk on unbridled power, basing his actions on what he thinks Giygas would want of him.

Undertaker, inventor of Bizarre Dolls — Dr. Andonuts, inventor of Fascinating Chimera

Sieglinde, chemist and inventor of various contraptions — Dr. Andonuts (also his younger version, Lloyd), inventor of various contraptions

There are so many other parallels, not just in characters and plots, but also in their timelines. However, like I said... I’m trying to focus on your ask regarding technological anachronisms.

TL/DR: It’s definitely supposed to be the Victorian era, but it’s an alternative universe to our own, so it took some different paths along the historical timeline. Add to that the fact that reapers and demons/angels (or other supernatural beings, like gods) have been intervening in human lives, and advanced technologies and innovations have been introduced along the way because of it.

There are lots of examples of this throughout the series, including the mobile phone used by Vanel’s thugs (Sebastian grabbed theirs; he doesn’t have one of his own). Other examples include TVs, video game consoles, war tanks, radar, and all the contraptions Sieglinde makes for herself and for others, like the Phantom Five.

This all works just dandy with my theory that the manga series is largely based on Nintendo’s Mother game series, since both deal quite a bit with “stolen” technology and runaway technology/innovation.

Thanks for the ask and for letting me screenshot the message to answer in a post. 😊

[chibimyumi]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but in the last post you mentioned that Yana used to write inconsistently in the past, do you have any examples? I always thought she's very consistent lol (well except the okama thing with Grelle but that was a good change/rectifying a mistake)

【Referred post】

Dear Anon,

No, I do not mind (*´ω｀*)ノ

Indeed, Yana has written quite some inconsistencies. I am fairly sure I did not manage to notice all of them (for better or for worse), but I shall highlight a few I find noteworthy.

So please find a list here ranked from least to most unforgivable in my opinion.

Number 6

Obviously this is a case of Yana having decided against one of her earliest dubious decisions, but the technological chronology in ‘Kuroshitsuji’ is bonkers.

In the earliest chapters we see very advanced technology, from wireless telephones to a f*cking Funtom DS. The Funtom DS is a commodity produced by O!Ciel’s own company, and as we have seen in some later chapters, he is used to supervising the product quality himself. As such we can safely assume that he is aware of such technologically advanced items.

Regardless, in the Emerald Witch arc we see this same Funtom CEO shocked upon seeing a war tank.

As discussed in this post in more detail, it is simply Yana’s decision to be more historically accurate, and ever since getting an English history advisor on her team, ‘Kuroshitsuji’s period accuracy has increased immensely. Therefore I find this inconsistency simply funny, and is in no way a blemish to the series in my opinion.

Number 5

Unlike the inconsistency in period accuracy, number 5 is one I do consider a blemish.

The patheticness of O!Ciel’s physical powers is notorious. During the Circus arc when he was auditioning for example, we see how the knife he threw wouldn’t even have neared the plank were it not for Sebas’ help. In the Boarding School arc too, the boy is very aware of his lack in physical prowess, and goes through the trouble of doing complex calculations to beat their opponents at cricket.

… in the very same arc however, we see this same little noodlearm throw the lantern over a tall fence, therewith successfully smashing in a glass window from dozens of metres away.

It likewise makes no sense that the little flame did not go out during its flight, and that O!Ciel didn’t consider that despite his superb understanding of physics…

This ⇊ is what should have happened, and would frankly have been better.

╭( ÒДÓ)و 　　ミ🏮🕯️                    🏘️

(;; ・_・)つ     ⌒ ⌒ ⌒ 🏮💨…      🏘️

The entire scene where O!Ciel causes a fire to force all the Violet dorm students out was an insult. The fire should never have spread that fast to begin with, but okay, let us stretch our suspense of disbelief, and accept that the fire just happened to have hit a chain of combustibles and explosives. But why bother getting everyone out in the first place?

Like Sebas said, he can sense the souls from that range. This is CLEARLY not played as one of the instances where Sebas is messing with his master by keeping information from him.

Number 4

O!Ciel is not just smart, but also tactical. Admittedly he was quite a bit of a starfish up and until the Jack the Ripper arc, but Sebas certainly taught a lesson, albeit in the hard way (extensively discussed in this post).

Afterwards, O!Ciel always made sure to actively involve himself in all types of investigations, but he would never unnecessarily expose himself to danger, or waste time for that matter. He would usually send Sebastian to do some pre-investigations first, and use that information to plan his strategies further.

In the Emerald Witch arc however, O!Ciel tagged along to investigate the cursed forest. The boy did not believe in the werewolf’s curse, that is something I can accept. But he did also know for a fact that all humans who entered the forest either died, or came out barely alive. Regardless, he still entered the forest without any precaution, and guess what, it turned out badly!

Writer’s convenience much?　

Anyway, anything in life is an experience, and after exposure to mustard gas, O!Ciel sure is a more seasoned Watch Dog now ( ^_ - )-☆

Number 3

Sebastian’s demon powers are superb, but also most definitely the least consistent in Yana’s writing. The demon powers are usually an extension to Sebas’ character, but more often than not does Yana use them for sheer convenience.

In the Campania arc it had been established that the bodies of Bizarre Dolls are weaker than a living human’s. This makes absolute sense as the corpse will decompose, breaking the proteins that keep us strong (I think it’s called proteolysis? I’ll stop talking before I betray further just how much I suck at biology.)

In the Boarding School arc however, Sebastian dashes forward to meet Professor Agares in head-on wrestle combat, and we see his hands shaking, struggling to keep the zombie in place. How? This same demon who can effortlessly punch holes in stone floors and through walls?

The same strength inconsistency happens in the earliest chapters too, where Sebastian struggles very hard to withstand Grell’s attacks. The Death Scythe is of course a terrifying weapon, but without the brute force pressing the chainsaw down, it is hardly a threat.

‘Brute force’ I say… but according to Yana’s Q&A in the ‘Character Guide Book’, a reaper’s physical strength is not much greater than a human’s. And yet Sebas is clearly struggling judging by how his eyes even glowed up.

I am going to assume that Yana scratched that initial setting for reapers as it was literally more than a decade ago, which is why ‘Noodlebastian Part 2′ doesn’t get its own category. If Yana did NOT scratch it however, what good are Sebas’ arms then?

Perhaps this was Yana’s sixth sense telling her that in future her Sebas will be played by Prince Noodlearms. ( ´艸｀)

Number 2

Similar to number 3, Yana made good use of Sebastian’s superiour senses, and established that he can smell whether something is a Bizarre Doll or not. Maggie’s body was quite far removed from him, and yet he said the stench is enough to make his nose twitch.

Excellent!

But then in the Boarding School arc, despite having spent quite a lot of time with Professor Agares, he only started to suspect something was up after he made physical contact with him.

Yes, perhaps Undertaker found a way to preserve Professor Agares’ body better than Maggie’s, but then surely Sebas would still be able to smell that the man does not sweat anymore. Is it perhaps that Sebas could only tell after touching Agares’ hand that is presumably softer than a living human’s hand?

Well… as demonstrated during their clash explained for ‘number 3′, apparently it’s fine? Which is it, YANA!?

Number 1

So far we have seen inconsistencies in O!Ciel’s behaviour and intellect, as well as Sebas’ demon powers being switched on or off for the sake of plot convenience (or dramatic effect).

The most unforgivable inconsistency in my opinion however, is Sebastian’s attitude in the Blue Sect arc when his master passed out at the hands of the enemy.

Sure, he was occupied by a cat, and we know he goes bonkers for them. But despite Sebastian’s craziness, we also know he still always prioritises his contract. He did notice in time that something was up with his master, and he did seem to worry for a split second. But then he basically went ‘meh’, even though he really should have gone to check what was up.

It was not until much later that he suddenly noticed the blood on O!Ciel’s body, acting like his entire contract was on the line. He apologised profoundly for his neglect, finally giving the correct amount of f*cks as is in character for him. But really though, Sebas would really never have waved off his master fainting in enemy territory in the first place if you ask me.

This is the reason why I placed this one in first place, because this is the only inconsistency that not only defies the law of the universe, but also almost threatens Sebastian’s very contract.

Mehbastian, you won the golden trophy🏆, congratulations!

[aksthetwosainthijimiko-blog]

I am not Zero, part two

“Thank you.” Dhira.... Lalita.... Zero inclined his head as took the new E-tank from Hidden Phantom, one the Shinobi had fetched from behind a secret emergency unit.

Zero cracked it open, but didn't drink it yet. Instead, he seemed to be offering it to someone... probably his imaginary friend.

The black and white Shinobi grunted as he studied the ancient build.

... For something that was over a hundred-year-old, Zero didn’t look all that different from Phantom and his brethren, being manufactured at the same time, four years ago in a bid to stop the maverick uprising by giving Master X some potent assistants.

He still looked very worn tough, but who wouldn't after running up the booby-trapped tower and fighting hords of pantheons and the guardians?

‘Any lesser reploid would not have made past the fifth  floor’ Of this, Phantom was certain.

“Say... Phantom?” Zero addressed the Shinobi. “Can you hide yourself from X?” Zero asked as he finally began to sip from the can.

“You want me to spy on my Master.” Phantom flatly stated.

“As a Ninja, we do not have masters, and we do not follow the general morality, just a Strong code of ethic and respect.”

If the one you serve is less than stellar and is using your mystic skills to opresse instead of protecting; then it is your duty to kill him.” Zero declared with eyes holding cold steel. “Hidden Phantom, you are not a Dog-like Samurai who will slavishly follow the order of his master unquestionably. You are a Shinobi, a free agent, and instrument of divine justice to be used for those who have abused their power!”

Phantom reflectively swallowed... this, was not the confused dog he had fought the first two times, but an ancient warrior, a Shinobi who lived by the code...

And yet.

“Big words for Ciel’s attack mutt.” phantom gave a nasty smirk.

“I don’t serve Ciel.” Zero flatly refuted as he sipped from the E-tank, letting out a small sigh of relief. “But... I am the Servant of a worthy master.” He admitted with a beautiful and ever-so grateful smile.

Phantom would forever hate himself... but at this moment, Zero became the most beautiful and handsome reploid on the planet.

“Oh? And who would that be?” He asked instead, trying not to stare at the bright-faced maverick.  Intel about the red Legend was harder to come by then one would expect.

“ You don’t know them and... They’re not In Neo-Arcadia.” Zero informed the Shinobi, who was now all ears.

“Not in... some reploids raiders, are they?”

“Nope!” Zero took a sip. “A couple of Vaishnavas living in France. In Nouvelle Mayapure.”

“You’re lying!” Phantom immediately denied. “Neo-Arcadia is the last Bastion of humanity, beyond its sacred walls lies a radiated desert!”

“Not everywhere.” Zero simply answered. “Sure most of the big cities are still ruins. But small villages and small settlements have grown into other cities... Nouvelle-Mayapure is one of them. And this was where I found my master and his Saintly wife.” Zero drained the last of the thank and after consuming the can (it was made of specialized Alloy needed by reploids.) He got up. “As much as I would love to keep chatting about my Gurus, we have plenty on our plates... and I would rather not make X wait for me any longer.”

“Right... lead the way.” Phantom bid as he  activated his cloaking device and shut off all unneeded communication... essentially, appearing as dead.

:Zero... please wait five minute, I want them all to think I died.: He Radioed the eldest built. And, after five minutes went to the transerver.

He could feel his pump pulsating... what would be revealed from this confrontation?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phantom stood hidden behind Zero, the natural darkness of Area X masking whatever had been left by his cloaking device.

In front of his stood master X, in all of his glories. He was glaring at Zero with both fear and rage. His red eyes glowing in the gloom of the room.

Zero took a few steps forward when the three other guardians teleported in.

“Stop!” Harpuia yield as he launched a wind blade... his accuracy greatly diminished by his wounds.

“We won’t allow you to pass!” Fefnir roared.

“... J... Just give up!” Leviathan managed to say in between her gasps.

It seemed Zero had not been lenient on her.

:Zero... And I thought you holy man would not hit a woman. : Phantom mildly scolded the so called... servant of God. :Not so above all, are you?:

:Technically, we are all female by nature.: Zero replied without a pause as he prepared for the worst. :And Leviathan is a... A coward like the rest of your group... but she’s still considered a warrior in her own right.:

:Cowards?:

:A real warrior will fight to the death and will gladly die in the battlefield... you all ran away the moment you began feeling some of your wounds.:

“Leave, you won’t survive this fight.” The voice of his master resounded from the dark area of the room. Interrupting whatever argument Phantom may have had.

On one side, Phantom knew Master X was right. None of them were in any condition to face the fool...and yet!

They could have given some support to the emperor of Neo-Arcadia. But alas, their Master desired to fight his traitorous friend alone.

He would win, of this, Phantom was sure... like, absolutely sure...

After a round of very understandable cursing, all guardians vacated the place, leaving only Zero, Master X and the hidden Phantom behind.

Zero gave a good look at Master X, then he opened communication with Phantom.

:Phantom, whatever happen... please don’t kill him.:

:I will be the judge of that.:

: Krishna told me the next step will be easier if he’s still alive... and knowing your skills, there would be no chance to even try to reason with him.:

:Reason with him?: Phantom almost asked.

: He’s only four year old, Phantom... he’s practicly a child.:

:If your right, that is.:

Zero didn’t awnser, instead, he turned his attention towards master X. “Who are you?“Do you have a name?”

‘Ah, Acting dumb, are you?’ Once again, Phantom was eager to see where this would be going.

Master X sneered, his red eyes shining with... malice? ‘No, that can’t be right.’

“What you don't remember your old friend? It’s me Zero, X!”

Zero kept looking at his old friend as if he was a stranger... and then.

“X has Green eyes.”

Those four words had the same effect of a missile detonating in the middle of Neo-arcadia.

“He’s five foot three, you barely five feet in height. His nose was covered in freckles, your skin is smooth... And X’s voice is deeper, yours is childlike.”

Master X... is he really was whom he declared to be, sneered.

“Let me ask you again; who are you?”

“I’m X’s perfect copy!” The Copy revealed himself. Opening his arms as his natural cruelty manifested himself in his smile. “I am the new hero, the one who will save the humanity from this wasted world!”

For his part, phantom did his best to remain concealed as he watched a monster move the body of his beloved master.

Phantom knew body language, he had a dedicated computer designated for those type of programs.

“Didn’t you noticed Zero?” The copy continued... and Phantom could only hope his body language was just an illusion. “Humans have never been this happy before. And this is all due to me.” he raised his hands as pride filled his chest. “I have managed to achieve the goal neither of you even managed to come close... I Have achieved what X never could!”

“Alright, and who are you?” Zero asked again. Not with anger (admirably enough). “Do you have a name? A number? Any type of designation?”

This question seemed to take...

Phantom’s eyes grew wider behind his mask... Zero had established that this reploid was but a mere copy, now he needed to know who he truly was.

The copy worked his mouth for a bit, it was clear that Zero managed to catch him in a loop. “I... I’m... AH...”

“They called you X.”

“Shut up!”

“They didn’t even bother giving you your own identity.”

“Shut up!”

“Tell me... how did you discover that you were made at the image of my best friend?” Zero asked as he showed no sing of agretion. His posture was relaxed, and while his arms were crossed, they didn’t carry any sign of fear or mistrust.

His voice was modulated in such a way that it carried a type of kindness only experienced councillor. But from What Phantom had managed to gather from the public enemy number one... Zero was never a councillor, but had needed one.

Unfortunately, he never went to see him, and instead, sealed himself again. Essentially committing suicide, if his final logs were of any indications.

And then Zero’s reaction to Phantom’s attempt made all the more senses.

“Why should I tell you, Maverick.” The Copy spat. “You're a Criminal, a terrorist!”

“I didn’t bomb a peaceful settlement... and I would never murder my kind because human’s can’t live without their Internet and whatever electronic drugs on the market for them.” Zero openly sneered.

“What’s wrong with them if it makes them Happy?” The Copy shot back. “They have whatever they want, they have all the pleasure they desire... Isn’t it the goal of life for them? To have as much pleasure and happiness before death come, and they become nothing?”

“No.” Zero awnser flatly. “ The living entity is the eternal soul, for him, death is but a change of costume.” He explained, reminding Phantom that he was indeed a spiritual practitioner.

Weirdly enough.

“ You want to make your humans happy... and this is the desire of all great leader. But the only thing you saved what the cage the soul is stuck it.” He declared bodily. “No one can truly be happy and not serve God with Love, it’s impo-”

“Oh, Shut up would you?” The Copy snapped. “ The soul’s a myth, scientists has managed to replicate human consciences in machines.” He sneered as he aimed his buster (left-handed) at Zero. “Wake up, Zero, this is the age of technology and cold, hard fact! The whole concept of God and the soul has been busted, I know we’re all going to die, so better enjoy whatever life I have left.”

“And yet, reploids are doing an action only embodied spirit soul can; they desire! They have emotions... and you killed them all for a false sense of peace and artificial prosperity... and out for your own twisted sense of so-called pleasure.” Zero sneered and Phantom realized that he was getting rilled up.

He had heard stories and inspected the result of what a rilled-up Zero could do... it was not pretty.”

And science didn’t disprove anything save the intelligence of those who worship it.” The Blond legend raised his voice as he jabbed an accusatory finger at the copy. “What did science gave us save from a hundred years worth of wars, famines and false promises of a better tomorrow? It did nothing, absolutely nothing... nothing but more misery hidden behind a veneer of so-called pleasure.”

Copy stared owlishly at the Mad maverick, computing what he had just said.

Then... a mocking smile split his lips has he began to cackle at the crazy blond.

“Your... you're funny. You’re hilarious.” phantom heart the bank grade bolt lock the only two exits the room. “Let’s just get this over with, shall we?”

“... So, you want to fight?” Zero asked As he took out his Z-sabre. “You demons are all the same.“ He growled. “Fine... Yamaraja was waiting for you anyway.”

And thus... the most brutal of fight began as Phantom helplessly looked on.

---------------------------------------

To be continued.

[midnight-in-town]

I might be overthinking, but could bard and MeyRin's backstories be foreshadowing? Like, if combined with RCMT, it could be like O!Ciel cooperating with Lau to get rid of assain attempt and Lau got his promotion smoothly= somebody convincing RCiel cooperate to get rid of Vincent, Bard's family died and house burnt because they angered the natives first= the Phantomhives been attacked in a similar way for formerly accumulated grudges as Vincent working as the guard dog?

Hey Anon! Sorry, I’m not sure I understand the point you’re trying to make?

Yes, I believe real!Ciel might have been manipulated and played a part in the events that happened 4 years ago (the aformentioned RCMT theory) and that Vincent’s death is related to a grudge that Queen Victoria might have against this family [short version][long version].

However, while there are some similar elements in Mey’s and Bard’s backstories, I don’t see particular foreshadowing, as of right now?

In fact, I’d rather say that it makes sense that the servants were kinda drawn to our!Ciel, like he was drawn to them because there is a specific pattern in their pasts that must have reminded our!Ciel of his own trauma : like Finny being a child experimented on by adults in captivity...

Or Mey being used by adults as a pawn because of her skills (like Ciel with the Watchdog duty and the Royal family)...

and Bard, throwing himself into war and revenge, probably in order to forget about his own survivor’s guilt (because his family died and he didn’t).

We shall see later if there is foreshadowing in those flashbacks, but for now I see more parallels driving the characters forward in their dynamic with our!Ciel, rather than hints for future developments. :) It’s just me though!

Have a nice day Anon!

[kclenhartnovels]

[Happy (late) Birthday, @gingerly-writing! For your viewing pleasure, a continuation of this prompt with an AU of Vendave for you. I hope this is a satisfactory gift :3. TW: torture, dehydration, captivity]

Vendave castle had withstood more battles in the past three years than she had two decades prior. Nestled so far into the heart of her country, she had stood vigil as promise more than fortress, until Kendrick had swept his armies out of the mountains and started his siege. Since then the castle had changed hands between both armies multiple times, had been burned twice, flooded once, and once even had a herd of livestock stampeded through the Great Hall. That had been a move that caught Kendrick by surprise, to the point where even being led through the chamber gave him echoes of snorts and stamping hooves. He almost smiled. 

“Do you want him in the dungeons, sire?”

“No,” Delgos answered, without turning. His broad back supported a velvet cloak, and though the edges were tattered, he looked every inch the Prince Consort he had become sometime during the long war. How they had time for marriage, Kendrick had no idea. How he still wanted to marry Constantine when he was dethroned and crippled, Kendrick really didn’t understand. “Take him up to the southern tower, and chain him there. I want a guard posted at all times. One of ours, please.” 

The guard saluted. “It shall be done, Your Highness.”

Maybe, Kendrick decided, as he stumbled up the spiral staircase, encumbered by chains and hustled along by spearpoint, the marriage had been for the title and power that would come with it. After all, now that the Vendavens had retaken their lands, the throne was Constantine’s again, and he was in little position or inclination to rule at the moment. Kendrick hadn’t seen him in months, not since removing the little whelp’s arm in a swordfight. Maybe he had died of infection afterwards, and they were keeping that fact hidden from the troops for morale. He had done much the same thing after his father’s death anyway. All things considered, he rather thought Delgos would make a better King than Constantine. Constantine was weak and uncertain. Delgos was a battle-worn commander now, all hard lines and discipline. His men would respect that, far more than they would ever be willing to kneel to the short, one-armed, defeated King of Vendave. 

Though if Kendrick found any of his men willingly kneeling to any of the Vendaven people, he would personally kill them once he was free of here.

Kendrick sat against the wall under the prod of the spearpoints, and sighed through the gag when his aching arms were pulled over his head, wrists secured close together. He heard a groan of protest from his shoulder joint; ever since an arrowhead had been dug out of it six months ago, it had given him trouble with rotation, and the current position did him no favors. His ankles were manacled to the floor, and the gag stayed firmly, annoyingly, in place. Had it not, Kendrick would have had some choice suggestions on how to make a prisoner more uncomfortable. He had perfected it over the years, after all.

As it was, he sank back against the stone wall, rolling his shoulder carefully to try and work out some of the pinching ache. It didn’t help much, and he was too tired to try and rise enough to relieve some of the pressure. It would work itself out eventually, or he would grow accustomed to it enough to put it to the back of his mind. 

He closed his eyes. His mouth still tasted like copper and leather, the gag biting into the corners of his mouth. It was too kind of a thing; he would have used a brank, like he had on T’ke so many years ago. Gods, how long ago had that been? He had still been a Prince then, still fighting the last of his brothers for the right to the Kingdom. And his white ghost had been the one to secure the title for him, before disappearing like smoke and ash. It had been enough. It had gotten him this far. 

And he had gotten so close. 

He had gotten the castle, and swept his way towards the sea, chasing the tails of the bedraggled army. And then at the coast, ships had sailed in out of Reckson, trained mercenaries calling up old allegiances from the last war, and the tides had turned. And turned. And turned. Again and again they came so close to murdering each other, to taking out the high command and delivering the final crippling blow to the enemy. And it was Delgos who had finally swung the strike that took him down. 

Well, at least it hadn’t been Constantine. That might have been shame enough to stop his stubborn heart. Maybe. 

Kendrick wasn’t sure if he truly slept, or just wavered in and out of dreams and memories, hanging as slack as the chains would allow. He still stank of blood and battle, and the tower was eerily quiet. He could practically hear his own heartbeat echo off the stone walls. All of the tapestries and most of the furnishings had been destroyed in one conquest or another, and all that remained in the circular tower was arrow slits, a low table, and two stools. Maybe those had been brought up recently, for whatever purpose Delgos had devised. 

Breaking him. Hah. He doubted Delgos had it in him. All he would have to do was bide his time. If he could be free of here, he could make his way back to Ciel and regroup, rebuild. He was still King on the mountain. Diana had been minding the castle in his absence. He trusted her implicitly, and fully expected to return home to a kingdom running better than when he had left. Now all he had to do was return to her. Somehow. 

He wasn’t sure if he slept, but he was certain when he woke. It wasn’t the sound of footsteps that brought him around first, but rather the smell of food. His empty stomach growled, and he opened his eyes to see Delgos walk into the room carrying a tray on one arm. The Prince Consort had shed his armor and finery, and wore such a plain and shirt and breeches he could have been mistaken for a servant, were it not for his bearing, and the scars of battle so clear on his dark skin. The top of a tattoo peeked through the laces on his shirt, but Kendrick couldn't make out the image.

“It still smells like smoke up here,” Delgos remarked with a wrinkle of his nose, setting down the tray and moving one of the stools around so that he could face Kendrick. “Half the castle still reeks of it. What sort of oil did you pour on the walls before you set it alight? We won’t be able to breathe freely in here until next spring.”

Kendrick wasn’t sure what sort of answer the other man was expecting, and he just gave him a simmering look around the gag. Delgos rested his elbows on his knees. A thin silver coronet was mostly lost in the waves of his thick black hair, but it glimmered in the sunlight that streamed through the narrow wall slits. Kendrick could see why Constantine had chased him. For being a halfbreed merchant’s son, he had an aristocratic face, and the sort of patience that Kendrick rarely saw outside of the spotted mountain cats, picking their way across icy crags after nimble and tender goats. What he couldn’t understand is what he saw in the Runnemede brat. Constantine was no lion, regardless of what banners they flew. 

“I’m not a cruel man by nature,” Delgos went on, since Kendrick could do nothing to interrupt him. “I have tried very hard to be a fair and patient man. But you have put me in a position that makes that impossible. So.” He leaned forward, catching the buckle on the side of the gag and slipping it loose. “I am going to have to start to mirror you instead, dragon.”

Kendrick flexed his jaw with a sigh of relief, aware of how dry his mouth was when he finally spoke. “Lesson one: don’t give your captive a nickname that instills fear.” 

Delgos backhanded him so sharply that Kendrick saw stars. The hit came too fast for him to expect, and he gagged on his words, blinking hard. 

“Do I look like a man that’s afraid of you?” 

Kendrick couldn’t see him for a moment until his vision cleared, but even so--no. Delgos did not look like a man afraid. He looked calm, collected, and faintly amused. “So, dragon, have you finished blowing smoke?” 

Blowing smoke. He snorted quietly, but said nothing. Blood trickled over his tongue; he had cut the side of it on his teeth from the blow. It made his throat feel more raw, and when he swallowed it felt like there was sandpaper lining it. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he’d had even a mouthful of water, but he felt it now. 

Delgos leaned back on his stool, and picked up a mug off the tray. Condensation beaded on the outside, rolling over his fingers and down the sides of the silver mug. Kendrick reflexively swallowed when Delgos did. A foam of ale misted on his lips for a minute, then disappeared with a sweep of his tongue. Fuck. 

“You know the biggest problem with the way you ran your Kingdom and your soldiers?” Delgos asked, when he seemed pleased at the stretch of silence. “You rely on fear and awe. You don’t instill loyalty, or respect. You treat your men like they were dogs. Worse than dogs. A good dog isn’t expendable.” He leaned forward again, enough to slosh some of the ale over the side of the mug. More of the liquid slid over his fingers. Kendrick watched the droplets hit the dusty floor, soaking into the hay and disappearing. If he’d had enough moisture left in his mouth, he might have whimpered. He hated it. 

“Do you want to die?” Delgos asked at last, tapping the red mark on Kendrick’s face with damp fingers. 

Kendrick gritted his teeth, and forced his focus back on the other man’s face. “No.”

“Good. Because starvation is a long, slow, terrible way to die.” He took another slow drink of ale, then held the mug in front of Kendrick’s face. He could feel the chill off the mug against his inflamed cheek. “And I would rather not watch you waste away. I just want you to break.” 

Good fucking luck with that. Kendrick curled his lip slightly, but couldn’t stop from watching Delgos dip his fingers into the mug of ale. He brought his hand up, and the liquid rolled down his fingers, finding every little crease, every callous and scar. Scars that Kendrick had helped put there. War and strife and sorrow, the droplets channeling like blood and tears, slipping away to fall into the straw. He leaned forward as much as the chains would allow, his dry throat aching to stop the waste.

Delgos smiled. "Is there something you want?"

"I am going to skin you alive when I am free of here," Kendrick warned. "And I'm taking your lips first."

He shrugged, sitting back again. He crossed his legs comfortably, and pressed the sole of one boot to Kendrick's chest, applying pressure to force him back against the wall again. "We'll see what wins out first, dragon. Stubborn ego, or thirst. You let me know when your pride has started to whimper, huh?" And he settled back, drinking his ale, carving hunks of bread and cheese from the platter, and looking over a few papers that had come with the tray.

And all the while his heel dug into Kendrick's chest. Not painful, but persistent. He rolled his sore shoulder again, trying to find a new position that hurt less. The chains rattled. Delgos didn't so much as twitch.

The beam of light from the window slit slowly crept across the floor.

Delgos had finished eating. He toyed with the last of the ale, swirling it in the cup so that Kendrick could hear nothing but the slosh of liquid, see nothing but the beads of it sliding down the metal side, pooling in the creases of the other man's fingers, and staining the hem of his sleeve a shade darker. With a contented sigh, he finally swung his legs around, freeing the pressure from Kendrick's chest, and stood. 

"I will be back tomorrow," he said, balancing the mug between his fingers, letting it tilt down until the remaining liquid pooled dangerously near the rim. "Think on what you want until then."

What he wanted was to wrap the chains around Delgos' neck until he was begging for mercy. What he wanted was his throne back, with his soldiers and his lovers all back at heel. 

What he wanted was water. 

Kendrick didn't sleep. He tried, dozing until his head drooped, snapping awake again when his chin hit his chest, the strain sending pain down his back. He fought the chains, chafing his skin until it bled. They didn't loosen. He scuffled at the hay and grime at his feet, finding nothing useful and stirring up enough dust and soot to make him sneeze. His eyes watered. His throat burned. He didn't sleep. 

Morning light cracked through the window and lanced across his face with fresh insult. He craned his neck back as far as he dared, trying to both stretch the aching muscles and get the sun out of his eye. He grimaced, arching his back and pulling at the chains. His shoulder screamed protest, and he heaved free a frustrated noise at last, the breaking of the silence so harsh it almost startled him. No noise followed from outside, and Kendrick swore loudly. His own voice was hoarse, and he screamed his frustration to the walls, to the slice of sunlight, to the chains. He yelled and cursed and thrashed until his dry throat allowed no more noise but a hiss of angry air. 

"Do you feel better now, little dragon?"

Kendrick felt his cheeks flush; he hadn't heard the door open, too busy listening to his own frustrated echoes. He tried to speak, but he had worn away what little voice he had left, and nothing but a rough sound followed.

Delgos smiled, leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded comfortably. "I hope it helped. Are you ready to be reasonable?"

He glared. It felt ineffectual at best.

At last, Delgos stepped inside, closing the door behind him with his foot. He knelt in front of his captive, and ran his hands up Kendrick's arms, finding the trails of dried blood left behind, searching the raw skin around his wrists with a gentle touch. "Were you growling all night long?" he asked, sounding amused. "I don't even have to hurt you. You'll do that yourself."

He rocked back on his heels at last, and freed a waterskin from his belt. The sound of the sloshing liquid made Kendrick's throat ache with longing. Delgos popped the cork, then waited. 

Kendrick could have strangled him. His fingers trembled, and his throat strained for a painful, dry swallow. He tried to breathe through his nose, but it did nothing to relieve the dryness of his mouth. His lips were cracked. 

"Well?" Delgos asked at last, tilting the waterskin so that a few jewelled drops slid over the back of his hand. He pressed his knuckles to Kendrick's cheek, and he automatically turned towards the promise of water. 

A bubble of curses died in his sore throat, and he closed his eyes. He pressed his face against the cool of Delgos' hand. "Please," he rasped, not sure how he found his voice enough to beg. 

No matter his hurt pride, when Delgos tipped the water between his lips at last, the cool flood of relief was like opium smoke. Delgos supported the back of his head, giving him a few mouthfuls before he pulled it back again. "Not too fast, you'll make yourself sick."

Kendrick licked his lips, catching the last drop of water before it could roll down his chin. He cleared his throat. It hurt marginally less than the last time. "How long--?" His voice cracked. He swallowed, then tried again. "How long do you plan to keep me like this?"

Delgos smiled. "Until you break. How long that takes is entirely up to you." He tilted the waterskin towards him again. "How comfortable you are is also entirely up to you, too."

The chains rattled as he shifted. "Uncuff me then."

His smile widened, sharpened. "No."

Kendrick scowled. "Uncuff me, please."

"Marginally better," he allowed. "But no. When I hear your genuine begging, little dragon, and I am in a good mood. Then maybe." He moved the waterskin over again, waiting until Kendrick leaned towards it to pull it away. "Ask me again."

Kendrick closed his eyes. Survive this, and a chance for escape. But he had to survive first. He had to live first. He had to. "Please," he whispered, his voice coming rough again. 

"What do you want?" Delgos needled.

"Please, can I have more water?"

Cool fingers cradled his jaw again. "Look at me."

He didn't want to. He knew all the tricks for breaking captives, for snapping stubborn will and leaving a man crawling. He knew. So did Delgos. He had seen the broken things that Kendrick had left behind. And Kendrick, in the pit of his aching stomach, knew it was only a matter of time before hope of escape would poison into the despair of inevitability.

He opened his eyes. "Please," he repeated, each word like a grain of sand in an hourglass as he looked into Delgos' face, "can I have more water, Prince-Consort?"

"That is a mouthful of a title, isn't it?" Delgos tsked thoughtfully, and poured the water into his cupped palm, then tipped that into Kendrick's open mouth. "Let's keep this simple, as you may find it hard to talk later. You can call me My King.” 

“You’re not King of Vendave.”

“No,” Delgos agreed, holding his gaze like a viper pinning a mouse. “No, little dragon. But I am your King, now.”