An open Black Butler RP account.
I think someone might have had this url before me...? If so, please be advised that I am not that person. This is my first time RPing Ciel on tumblr.
M!A ①: None
M!A ②: None
This is a multi-ship, multi-verse, independent blog. I make every effort to tag my nsfw posts and to put smut under a read more. All Sebastian/Ciel posts will be tagged #sebaciel so block that if you don't enjoy the pairing.
Please see the "RP Info" page for more information.
OOC: I had a great time at the kuro musical yesterday. I spent like a fortune on merch for me and a friend and I met three wonderful ladies from the kuro forums, one of whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to during the show. I might have ended up with an extra pre-order of the DVD.
.. Are you out of your mind? Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but if someone says the grass is blue or the sky is green, someone has to tell them off.
2013 Eric is the world’s most terrible actor and the universe’s most terrible, dreadful singer (if you can call him that). The nicest comment you could say about him was that he was extremely pitchy. Sure he’s cute to some people, but his voice and acting? Especially his voice? Nah, don’t kid yourself, he’s the worst. I hope that he was just really nervous that night of the DVD recording and he just blanked/forgot that he was a professional actor/*singer*.
Sorry.. This is the first time I’ve ever put down someone’s opinion like this, & I know this’ll probably never even get read, but 2013 “Eric” (doesn’t even deserve to be called that bc the original actor and character is amazing) deserves no praise. At all. And a lot of criticism.
Well, I don't think this would be one of those instances. Appreciation for singers and vocal styles is completely a personal preference. I'm not saying the 2013 actor is is any way better than the original. I didn't see that performance live, and watching a DVD (at least for me) isn't quite the same experience. All I know is that on the day I went to see the 2013 musical Eric was on form and I appreciated his performance. If you don't agree, that's perfectly fine. You're entitled to your opinion.
The notice came with the morning paper. It was a lavish thing, dressed with embellishments, and framed with skillfully rendered illustrations. Ciel didn't normally take the society page. It was nothing but insipid profligacy—old nobility basking in a haze of professed importance, drowning themselves in parties and galas, while foreign innovation snapped up the world’s economy. Carnegie, Rockefeller, and John Pierpont Morgan: the faces of America's financial aristocracy were born of common blood, yet held more wealth than the Queen herself. They had no titles, no status, and yet…
Ciel balled up the paper and tossed it in the fire. Sebastian knew he hated the society page, yet there it was, folded to the correct page and ironed, just so. It wasn't a mistake. It was a reminder, a thinly veiled threat, marking the passage of time. Still, it was hardly a surprise. The invitation had been sitting on his desk for months, buried under reams of company paperwork. Ciel had ignored it, of course, but failing to acknowledge the invitation would hardly stop his ex-fiancé from marrying her American suitor. The proof of that was crumbling in the hearth. Had she missed him at the ceremony? They’d barely even spoken since she followed her brother to New York.
Unearthing the ivory envelope, Ciel stared blankly at the neatly curling script, imagining for a brief moment what it might have been like to marry Elizabeth Midford.
The contract was taking longer than he’d ever expected, but his butler never betrayed a hint of impatience. Sebastian woke him every morning, managed his meals, his schedule, and his household with an efficiency no human could ever hope to emulate, and apart from a few conciliatory strands of white, he made only the barest of nods to human aging. The clock had always been there, invisible and silent, winding down to an unreported deadline. Ciel knew the contract couldn't last forever, but with the Funtom Company’s continued success overseas, his duties for the Queen, and his role in the London underworld, he was constantly moving from place to place—a meeting in Dubai, a mission in Russia, kidnapped for ransom in Rome. He hadn't given up, by any means, but investigating a twelve-year-old domestic arson case became next to impossible when you spent three fourths of the year abroad.
Or at least, that’s how things had been up until a year or so after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, when Charles Grey came bearing Her Majesty’s final order.
It was a cruel joke, a paradox that doubled back and bit its own tail. As the Queen’s Watchdog, Ciel had sworn to obey without question, but this directly interfered with his demonic contract. Even without the contract, how could he ever hope to find happiness after all the terrible things he’d done?
The letter picked at his sores for months, festering in his heart, and adding to the shock of Lizzy’s engagement. That was the last he’d heard from Queen Victoria. Ciel still had his business. He still held the reigns to an international network of con-artists and criminals, but he could feel the clock now, ticking in his mind like a buzzing insect. He couldn't wait anymore.
“Are you quite well, My Lord?” Sebastian asked, removing the remnants of his master’s half-eaten breakfast. The Earl blinked, only vaguely surprised by the intrusion. Sebastian made no mention of the morning paper or its current whereabouts, but that didn't mean much. The demon never lied, but he still had the tongue of a politician and the composure of a marble statue.
“Of course” Ciel said, pulling the rest of the paper off the cart, and hiding behind the front headline. “Is my nine o’clock here, yet?”
“No.” The cart vanished under clean white linen. “Mr. Vanderbilt’s ship was delayed. He sent a telegram requesting you reschedule for next Tuesday.”
“Fine.” Ciel put the paper aside and flipped through a stack of documents. “Contact Harrods. They’re expecting samples this week, and I need Vanderbilt’s signature before I can release them.”
“Consider it done. In that case, it would appear you have the morning free. Mrs. Agnes Marshall will be visiting this afternoon. She was delighted by your proposal, and would like to discuss the collaboration over tea. I've scheduled fencing lessons before dinner, and you’re expected for billiards with Masters Lau and Chlaus later this evening. Ah, and this…” He paused to pull a letter from his pocket and Ciel stiffened, recognizing the royal seal. “…arrived before breakfast.”
Ciel snapped his fingers and held out his palm, tossing the Vanderbilt file on the following week’s stack of papers. Sparing the haphazard stacks a disapproving glance, Sebastian passed the letter to his master.
“This isn't the Queen’s handwriting.” Ciel noted, flipping the envelope over to examine the seal. There was no mistake. It was definitely the royal insignia, but the usual shade of red had been replaced with royal blue. Ciel frowned, fishing in his desk for a letter opener, before sliding it under the flap. The letter reeked of cloves and black licorice—a combination he recognized from years of obligatory social functions. It lingered in smoking rooms and clung to the skirts of beautiful women. Ciel knew who the letter was from, and he knew what it must mean. Scanning the contents, he dropped it the parchment with a sigh. “I've been summoned.”
Sebastian lifted the letter, examining the cursive scrawl. “Ah, yes. Prince Edward. Has the Queen handed him your leash, already?”
“Presumably.” Ciel replied with a hint of bitterness. The Prince of Wales was a pompous womanizer with a penchant for illegal gambling. That usually wouldn't bother Ciel. After all, he was something of an expert in questionable morality. Given his line of work, it was practically essential. Prince Edward, on the other hand, was a different story. As a member of the royal family, he couldn't be subjugated with bribery or coercion. Not by Ciel, at least. No, as the royal watchdog, he would be wiping the sleaze off the Prince's boots—a difficult task considering the man’s love for French brothels. Dealing with illegitimate heirs and their money-grubbing mothers sounded about as enjoyable as rusty thumbscrews. Ciel was no stranger to death, but he took no pleasure in its delivery, especially when children were involved. Besides, mopping up wild oats wasn't likely to garner new leads for his revenge.“She’s certainly allowing him access to national affairs, but I assumed—after the Queen’s last letter…”
“He might leave you to your melancholy?” Sebastian raised his eyebrows in feigned concern.
“No.” Ciel said with no small amount or petulance. The insinuation prickled more that he cared to admit, particularly in present company. “I’ve been thinking about that letter. You see, it raises several questions—things I never considered when I was a child. Doesn’t it seem odd?—Not the apology, though that’s curious in itself, but Queen Victoria, the very personification of morality, drafting a twelve-year-old orphan to a life of murder and criminal espionage? There’s something…off…and I need to know if it’s relevant.” The Earl spun the silver ring, now lodged with relative security on the fourth finger of his right hand. Even at twenty-two, he was smaller than his father. Childhood illness and lack of exercise had conspired to keep him from his full potential, but he suspected the weight of the contract might have some affect on his physiology, as well. Sebastian certainly kept him well fed, but Ciel never gained so much as a pound, despite his sweet tooth. “I need you to look around while we’re at the palace. With all the reports I've given, there must be records somewhere. I trust you can do that without being seen?”
“Of course, My Lord.” Sebastian placed his palm on his chest and bowed. “You’re expected at half past six this evening. Shall I reschedule your game with Masters Lau and Chlaus?”
“No. They’ll understand if I’m late.” Ciel said. He leaned back in his chair, sifting through a stack of papers on his left to extract his recommendations for Marshall’s Ice Cream. “I think I’d prefer to take the car tonight. Make sure it’s ready.”
“Very well.” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed as he watched his master sift through the papers. “Might I suggest you to spend the morning on this paperwork? I apologize for speaking out of turn, but your desk is becoming an embarrassment to the household. If you would just permit me to—”
“No.” One word cut the demon’s suggestion from his lips. The Earl didn’t even look up from his papers. “Keep your hands off my desk.”
“Is that an order, sir?”
“Yes.” Years of teasing and manipulation had left Ciel with about as much patience as pure nitroglycerin. Lifting his eye patch, the Earl glared spitefully at his demon. “Do not touch my desk. Do not employ a secretary or anyone else to do it for you. I like my papers the way they are.” It was a vain and frivolous order, but that hardly mattered. Muttering a few choice words under his breath, Ciel flipped the patch back as though slamming a door on the conversation.
Kuroshitsuji Ikebukuro Animate Exhibit: Garden of Recollections
This is the second or third Exhibition I’ve been to at the Ikebukuro store, but this was the first to charge admission. It was 800 yen for a ticket, or 2800 if you wanted a limited edition pouch. It wasn’t nearly as impressive as the Gengaten, but it was a fun trip back through the Circus Arc.
They had a lot of props and character cut outs, including that bloody table and creepy doll parts. I found a framed dedication to Will’s suit, though unfortunately there was no life size replication. Ah, and the asthma shot. So many priceless memories.
Goods Pictured: Book of Pouch, Towel, Ribbon Charm Strap, Ribbon Turban, Tokuten Photo Prints (Ciel & Sebastian)
I’m sorry I wasn’t clear enough when I first posted this.
This is not cosplay. These are professional stage actors from the new kuroshitsuji musical “Lycoris that Blazes the Earth.” The costumes were designed by Toboso Yana, and Ciel is literally a twelve year old boy. Please keep that in mind when tagging.
i really want a plot where muse a and muse b both go to a private school and muse a is really studious and innocent like never been kissed type thing and muse b got kicked out of their old school for for sleeping with a teacher and one day muse b sees muse a in the hall and is like ‘i’m gonna make it my mission to corrupt them’ and yeah
Hey guys! Long time no see. I'm kind of drowning in kuro overload right now. I went to Yana's 10th anniversary gengaten last Wednesday and it was pretty freaking amazing. They had an entire gallery floor filled with artwork and series memorabilia. Unfortunately, like most events in Japan, photography wasn't allowed, so most of the photos are from the press release.
The selection of artwork was diverse and spanned the entirety of Yana's career, including several original manga pages from before her debut. The drawings were framed with the original hand drawing set next to a completed digital print. Yana does a lot of work on the computer, so it was interesting to see her artwork mid-process. Sometimes she would leave Sebastian's face blank to fix on the computer or write in little notes about things that had to be changed. She also uses a light board to finalize individual characters and props before joining them together in the final version.
My favorite piece showed the cover of volume six (Ciel in a winged armchair holding a riding crop) with a documentation of the entire creative progress from blue sketch, object studies, inked lines, and finished picture. There weren't many rough sketches or under-drawings, but hopefully they will have more of those in the art book.
It was great to see her lines and traditional media, but I would have liked to see at least one digital exhibit showing her usual process for touch-ups and color. I'm the nosy kind of person who wants to poke through people's Photoshop layers. lol They DID have the original architectural sketches of Phantomhive manor, Campania, and various other locations. If I would have risked photos it would have been those. The drawings had tiny Sebastians showing height relative to perspective and unffff--
Apart from the artwork, they also had costumes from the kuro-musical, Yana's tools for drawing, and a selection of previously released merchandise. My new goal in life is to own the official Phantomhive ring.
There was also lots of new merch to buy. I managed to get one of the limited edition Earl Grey necklaces as well as some other goodies. The signed prints....I can't even justify spending that much. I wanted to. But they were out of the one I really wanted and I spend way too much on this fandom as it is. OTL
