“The butler who seemed so obedient and competent… Who’d have thought I’d be wiping your ass after you played with fire?” - Chapter 215, alt translation
Isn’t that an crazy way of saying it? “Backing you up after you played with something dangerous”... He sounds way more intense in the original Japanese 🫣
I have always been of the belief that Ciel does WAY too much for Sebastian especially if you consider their circumstances (predator/prey & master/servant) and more importantly, he is Not normal about him at all. Honestly, reading the manga will have you going, “Which noble treats their servant like this???”
That’s why instead of doing my serious analyses, going through the manga chapter-by-chapter on my sideblog or even finishing the editing process of my fic, I came back to drop this long post of every single time Ciel said or did something that he did not have to do for or in relation to Sebastian. There’s a lot so bear with me. Welcome to...
Ciel Doing The Most (CDTM)
Every Instance in Kuroshitsuji of Ciel Doing or Saying Things He Isn’t Obliged To (For a Demon Butler)
Please excuse the messy panel compilations, I wanted all the bits I mention to be visible. Let me know if you can't see and I'll make sure to send you a clearer version of a panel.
BEFORE THE TURNING POINT
A look at already-generous Ciel's attitude from the beginning of the manga to the end of the Phantomhive Manor Murders arc.
At the end of the Black Butler arc (right before the Red Butler arc), we find out Sebastian has pocket money which could only possibly come from Ciel's pocket. This implies he is either paying wages or giving him a little bit of personal money, just so he isn't penniless.
During the Red Butler arc, Ciel gets annoyed at Madame Red groping Sebastian. When they go to investigate the Viscount, Ciel is horrified at the idea of dancing with Sebastian asking how he could dance publicly 'with the likes of him' (essentially pointing out his status, in the original Japanese he asks 'with a butler?') but when Sebastian says a tutor is a part of the upper classes, he agrees to dance with him. However, we know that when Sebastian was teaching him how to dance, he had no problem with it. He seems to focus on the public part more than the dancing part, this attitude is later amended.
Moving on, in the Indian Butler arc, he gets angry that Sebastian cares more about the schedule than his wellbeing after Sebastian steps up to his defence during the fencing battle between Soma and Agni.
At the end of the Circus arc, despite being angry at Sebastian (after the snake incident), he has him sit in first class with him, perhaps due to the affect that arc had on him (Joker and Doll mentioning his noble status, we also know he felt the most guilt to them other than his family members courtesy of his mental breakdown in the Green Witch Arc). This is his first attempt at fixing his haughty noble image in regards to Sebastian. From this moment on, Sebastian is always in First Class with him whenever they ride a train.
In the Phantomhive Murders arc, he tells them to put Sebastian’s cats back into his closet and to not let them out of his bedroom, even though he could have just kicked them out of the house, there was a window there. Clearly he was angry at Sebastian for keeping them behind his back but he did not mention it at all, assuming he keeps them in his room behind his back.
Let's keep in mind that in between all these acts, Ciel was also acting like this (hiring a dude to hit Sebastian in the first chapter, trying to sabotage him during the competition for the royal warrant, hitting him when he was unable to move during the murder arc):
TURNING POINT
The Luxury Liner arc where Ciel's attitude to Sebastian softens after they face an enemy that can mortally wound him.
In the Luxury Liner arc, Ciel panics at Sebastian getting hurt, defends Sebastian verbally against Ronald Knox and doesn't fall asleep even though he is freezing/suffering moderate hypothermia (falling asleep) because he sees a bizarre doll bite Sebastian, this is also where he reaches his hand out to help Sebastian onto the boat, though this is rejected. Him asking if Sebastian can do it is also corrected by Sebastian who tells him to order him as a servant.
Ciel's attitude changes drastically here, not only worrying for Sebastian but praising him and trying to make him happy. He tells him he did well that day and gives him a day of rest in which he brings him dinner and sits with him while he eats (he brings the food himself since the other servants tell him it would make Sebastian happy if he takes it to him himself). He even 'orders' Sebastian to lie down and rest since he was refusing to). Also he teases by saying all that suffering on the Campania was worth it since he got to see Sebastian in a 'rare', 'ridiculous' state.
TWISTED TRUST & CONTROLLED CONCERN
This era of their relationship spans from the end of the Luxury Liner arc to the end of the Blue Cult arc.
In the Easter chapter, he tells Sebastian that his status does not matter in a game and he should freely attack the Double Charles if he needs to. A big change from his shame of dancing with him in public while in a disguise, he yells this out in front of the Queen's butlers as himself, Earl Phantomhive, while knowing they are high nobles who might see this as a transgression.
At the end of the Public School arc, he listens to Sebastian telling him to take the servants to London for shopping, also he trusts him to go to Somerset House when Sebastian asks to make another stop and only asks what Sebastian did there after he comes back into the carriage.
In the Green Witch arc, they once again sit in first class together and he expresses curiosity in Sebastian’s past for the first time. He apologises to all of the servants including Sebastian who is very surprised about it, considering he had just aggressively attempted to eat him (even though it was all to 'shock' him out of the state he was in).
This is also when we find out that Ciel, while bestowing his affection, has absolutely no trust in Sebastian as a person, only as a tool. Yet he still treats him like a person he cares for.
He thinks Sebastian will enjoy being a wild beast (we know he doesn't), he antagonises him but still worries when Sebastian is dragged away in at the Sphere Music Hall, even trying to leave with him. Blavat, in order to convince Ciel to stay, tells him not to worry and that they just left him outside and Ciel still asks him to make it quick. In the Halloween chapter, he tells Sebastian to be careful when it comes to humans (I don't want to get too into this but the dialogue here is wild). Also Sebastian rightfully calls him out for enjoying watching him being bossed around by Nina and trying on outfits (he was sat at the changing room door laughing, to be fair) and Ciel doesn't deny it, calling him a 'dress up doll' with that expression.
WHERE WE'RE AT NOW
The overly lenient and strangely affectionate way Ciel treats Sebastian in the narrative currently.
In the Blue Revenge arc so far, he has bought tea for Sebastian while they were together in the first class dining cart of the train (which Sebastian found strange but he provided an excuse for), he gets curious about Sebastian's relationship with Modri but after Sebastian says he doesn't know him and just wants to compensate him, Ciel even agreed to pay compensation to Modri on behalf of Sebastian (this is also where the 'wiping his ass' comment is from since it can also mean paying someone's debt for them). He also bought dinner for Sebastian (which Sebastian was not expecting but was strangely happy about) then while they were eating (why did the maitre d seat Sebastian and not the little boy...), Ciel tells him to act natural when Sebastian says people remember them from the news, he even asked if Sebastian liked the food and acknowledges his palate is different.
There is probably so much I missed or didn’t think worthy for inclusion but all in all, I think that was all. Hopefully it’s clear that he is, in fact, down bad. Like DOWN down bad. It is serious, it is terminal and it is talked about way too little. Anyway, this post is my attempt to make up for my absence.
i need sebaciel codependency. sebastian feels restless when separated from his master, like he's forgotten how to think for himself and only knows how to follow orders now. ciel feels unsafe when separated from his butler, like a child who's lost their teddy bear
ciel who always commands sebastian not to stray too far from him. ciel who finds himself straying into the kitchen in the middle of the work day just to watch sebastian cook and bake. ciel who wants to be carried rather than walking separately. ciel who can't sleep these days without sebastian sleeping next to him
sebastian who only feels truly at ease while at his master's feet, in the safety of their manor, where the only soul sebastian has to focus on is his young master's. sebastian who feels anxiety for the first time in his long, long life when he loses sight of ciel in a crowd. sebastian who takes any excuse to carry ciel rather than let his master walk. sebastian who actually sleeps, but only with his arms around ciel
if you think you're stupid, don't despair. it could be worse. you could be an anti in the kuroshitsuji fandom who denies the presence of the blatant thematic eroticism and psychosexually/romantically charged subtext present in sbcl's gothic dynamic. they exist. they are among us.
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