Sebaciel🎀🔪

[phantomhivemichaelis13]

Monochrome Kiss is from Sebastian's POV (imo)

I feel like Monokuro kiss, the op to Black Butler is essentially from Sebastian's pov

I KNOW it sounds like Ciel's pov at first, and rightfully so—but I listened to the song obsessively. Each time it feels like, it was indeed Sebastian singing it, professing his feelings for Ciel based on one specific translation of the song here:

There is no color to our encounter, marked in monochrome

Sebastian and Ciel's first encounter is when Ciel makes the contract. For Sebastain, the initial encounter is merely monochromatic, or dull as he naively assumes that this will be just one of his other contracts. And soon, Ciel will blend in with his monochromatic past of consuming souls in the darkest recess of his mind.

I go where your cool fingers beckon me

The unforgiving autumn, which forcefully traces my scars, comes

While your cool fingers still beckon me

This denotes the fact that Sebastian follows Ciel's orders, whatever, whenever, however Ciel wants things done—he goes there to complete the task. Ciel's sharpness, and sometimes viciousness makes him a cool person in Sebastian's eyes. Aka, he is somewhat fascinated with Ciel's soul.

Like troublesome ice, melting down---Sebastian's hunger is beckoning him to consume Ciel's soul. He is just like ice, melting in his hunger for his soul.

(Also this reminds me of Ice King by Yana Toboso-)

You tenderly scoop me up and toy around me with your lips

But the moment he hears Ciel's orders from his lips, he restrains, incredibly fascinated. Sebastian has had instances where he could consume Ciel's soul, and yet he holds back when he gets a glimpse to his soul— through his vicious, and grim voice—keeping Sebastian on his toes, guessing and being bewildered with this child's cunningness. Sebastian is being toyed around, with Ciel's lips (orders)

Nevertheless, I search for a form of love

Sebastian wants this contract to end– He is hungry and wants to devour the soul that he has so tastefully cultivated. And yet

Sebastian has grown fascinated, and feels a glimmer of love— and he wishes for Ciel to confirm it too, subconsciously.

The dry eyes that shape the present rather than a time far beyond

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

Together, we concealed our pale selves, the moon is hiding too.

But he knows that their time is limited. He is stuck in the present and cannot think of a time far beyond Ciel's existence. He is hiding this desire and at the same time, he also somewhat wishes for this dilemma to just end.

Since then, I came to love the night somewhat

In the sea of dependence, I forget to even breathe.

Right before we get absorbed in each other, you only leave behind a trepid breath

Or Just before you get carried away, I'm leaving only my warmth

Sebastian has come to love the fateful night they met–they become entangled with each other very deeply as the days go on. Yet, Ciel and Sebastian both face trepidation at this very notion.

Or, In the art of knowing when to quit, I hate your conceited kisses

Sebastian knows when and where to mark the termination of a contract, and yet he hates (read loves™) Ciel's vain self.

Don't leave me alone and brighten the room, you speak

Every word slips through the cracks in your room

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

But the night ignores that wish and brings morning

Sebastian's monochromatic life finds color as Ciel brightens it up with his words. He wishes the nights would last, but the days are passing as Ciel gets closer and closer to his vengeance.

The sighs are lost in the question behind a smile; only the moon is watching

So here's another kiss, to tainted bliss, a toast to empty promise (oooh i LOVE these lines so much)

I shall paint this final night

As the moon illuminates us.

Sebastian does not wish to think much of this question, this dilemma. So he wishes to end this contract by the moonlight- end it with a kiss specifically. He imagines this vividly, and yet he restrains.

[anas-fromgaza]

Here you can donate to the families in Gaza. We have collected $3,912 / $20,000.

This video shows ongoing, systematic demolitions in Gaza.

Homes are being destroyed, neighborhoods cleared, and entire areas wiped out even now, while a ceasefire is supposedly in place.

People are watching their houses disappear piece by piece.

Not during fighting.

Not in the middle of airstrikes.

But after everything, when they were told it was safe to breathe again.

The destruction didn’t stop.

It just became quieter.

These images show displacement tents set up right next to a heavily damaged building.

The building was hit before and is leaning, at risk of collapsing at any moment.

Families are living in these tents because they have no other place to go.

There are no safe areas left, no intact homes, no shelters to move to.

Leaving this spot doesn’t mean safety it just means being displaced again.

So people stay.

Not because they feel protected,but because this is the last option they have They sleep knowing the building beside them could fall.

They wake up hoping it doesn’t.

This is not temporary living This is forced survival.

Donate for GAZA

This donation campaign is for ANAS family. Not for strangers, not for a cause I'm distant from but for the people who raised me, the people I love, the people I'm terrified of losing.

They are in Gaza, trying to survive something no human being should ever have to endure. Constant bombardment, displacement, hunger, fear, and the feeling that tomorrow is never guaranteed. Every day is about staying alive one more night.

If you choose to help, you are not donating to an abstract crisis. You are helping real people with names, memories, and lives that matter to me more than anything.

[zimowahistoria]

it has absolutely no relevance to the plot whatsoever, but sebastian is so devoted to his job that he even irons the newspapers for his master

[lisyonokk]

is it crazy to think that this scene is actually a sebaciel parallel? like finny is actually like the best most human part of Sebastian or smth...

the ability to really hurt but the desire to protect instead, the hot-headedness of just brute-forcing your way through enemies (yana described Sebastian as a creature who does not think much before acting)

even with the name thing. he NAMED them both and it gave them a purpose and meaning...

yeah I'm not saying finny isn't his own character but I can't unsee the similarities

[phantomhivemichaelis13]

Monochrome Kiss is from Sebastian's POV (imo)

I feel like Monokuro kiss, the op to Black Butler is essentially from Sebastian's pov

I KNOW it sounds like Ciel's pov at first, and rightfully so—but I listened to the song obsessively. Each time it feels like, it was indeed Sebastian singing it, professing his feelings for Ciel based on one specific translation of the song here:

There is no color to our encounter, marked in monochrome

Sebastian and Ciel's first encounter is when Ciel makes the contract. For Sebastain, the initial encounter is merely monochromatic, or dull as he naively assumes that this will be just one of his other contracts. And soon, Ciel will blend in with his monochromatic past of consuming souls in the darkest recess of his mind.

I go where your cool fingers beckon me

The unforgiving autumn, which forcefully traces my scars, comes

While your cool fingers still beckon me

This denotes the fact that Sebastian follows Ciel's orders, whatever, whenever, however Ciel wants things done—he goes there to complete the task. Ciel's sharpness, and sometimes viciousness makes him a cool person in Sebastian's eyes. Aka, he is somewhat fascinated with Ciel's soul.

Like troublesome ice, melting down---Sebastian's hunger is beckoning him to consume Ciel's soul. He is just like ice, melting in his hunger for his soul.

(Also this reminds me of Ice King by Yana Toboso-)

You tenderly scoop me up and toy around me with your lips

But the moment he hears Ciel's orders from his lips, he restrains, incredibly fascinated. Sebastian has had instances where he could consume Ciel's soul, and yet he holds back when he gets a glimpse to his soul— through his vicious, and grim voice—keeping Sebastian on his toes, guessing and being bewildered with this child's cunningness. Sebastian is being toyed around, with Ciel's lips (orders)

Nevertheless, I search for a form of love

Sebastian wants this contract to end– He is hungry and wants to devour the soul that he has so tastefully cultivated. And yet

Sebastian has grown fascinated, and feels a glimmer of love— and he wishes for Ciel to confirm it too, subconsciously.

The dry eyes that shape the present rather than a time far beyond

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

Together, we concealed our pale selves, the moon is hiding too.

But he knows that their time is limited. He is stuck in the present and cannot think of a time far beyond Ciel's existence. He is hiding this desire and at the same time, he also somewhat wishes for this dilemma to just end.

Since then, I came to love the night somewhat

In the sea of dependence, I forget to even breathe.

Right before we get absorbed in each other, you only leave behind a trepid breath

Or Just before you get carried away, I'm leaving only my warmth

Sebastian has come to love the fateful night they met–they become entangled with each other very deeply as the days go on. Yet, Ciel and Sebastian both face trepidation at this very notion.

Or, In the art of knowing when to quit, I hate your conceited kisses

Sebastian knows when and where to mark the termination of a contract, and yet he hates (read loves™) Ciel's vain self.

Don't leave me alone and brighten the room, you speak

Every word slips through the cracks in your room

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

But the night ignores that wish and brings morning

Sebastian's monochromatic life finds color as Ciel brightens it up with his words. He wishes the nights would last, but the days are passing as Ciel gets closer and closer to his vengeance.

The sighs are lost in the question behind a smile; only the moon is watching

So here's another kiss, to tainted bliss, a toast to empty promise (oooh i LOVE these lines so much)

I shall paint this final night

As the moon illuminates us.

Sebastian does not wish to think much of this question, this dilemma. So he wishes to end this contract by the moonlight- end it with a kiss specifically. He imagines this vividly, and yet he restrains.

[phantomhivemichaelis13]

Monochrome Kiss is from Sebastian's POV (imo)

I feel like Monokuro kiss, the op to Black Butler is essentially from Sebastian's pov

I KNOW it sounds like Ciel's pov at first, and rightfully so—but I listened to the song obsessively. Each time it feels like, it was indeed Sebastian singing it, professing his feelings for Ciel based on one specific translation of the song here:

There is no color to our encounter, marked in monochrome

Sebastian and Ciel's first encounter is when Ciel makes the contract. For Sebastain, the initial encounter is merely monochromatic, or dull as he naively assumes that this will be just one of his other contracts. And soon, Ciel will blend in with his monochromatic past of consuming souls in the darkest recess of his mind.

I go where your cool fingers beckon me

The unforgiving autumn, which forcefully traces my scars, comes

While your cool fingers still beckon me

This denotes the fact that Sebastian follows Ciel's orders, whatever, whenever, however Ciel wants things done—he goes there to complete the task. Ciel's sharpness, and sometimes viciousness makes him a cool person in Sebastian's eyes. Aka, he is somewhat fascinated with Ciel's soul.

Like troublesome ice, melting down---Sebastian's hunger is beckoning him to consume Ciel's soul. He is just like ice, melting in his hunger for his soul.

(Also this reminds me of Ice King by Yana Toboso-)

You tenderly scoop me up and toy around me with your lips

But the moment he hears Ciel's orders from his lips, he restrains, incredibly fascinated. Sebastian has had instances where he could consume Ciel's soul, and yet he holds back when he gets a glimpse to his soul— through his vicious, and grim voice—keeping Sebastian on his toes, guessing and being bewildered with this child's cunningness. Sebastian is being toyed around, with Ciel's lips (orders)

Nevertheless, I search for a form of love

Sebastian wants this contract to end– He is hungry and wants to devour the soul that he has so tastefully cultivated. And yet

Sebastian has grown fascinated, and feels a glimmer of love— and he wishes for Ciel to confirm it too, subconsciously.

The dry eyes that shape the present rather than a time far beyond

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

Together, we concealed our pale selves, the moon is hiding too.

But he knows that their time is limited. He is stuck in the present and cannot think of a time far beyond Ciel's existence. He is hiding this desire and at the same time, he also somewhat wishes for this dilemma to just end.

Since then, I came to love the night somewhat

In the sea of dependence, I forget to even breathe.

Right before we get absorbed in each other, you only leave behind a trepid breath

Or Just before you get carried away, I'm leaving only my warmth

Sebastian has come to love the fateful night they met–they become entangled with each other very deeply as the days go on. Yet, Ciel and Sebastian both face trepidation at this very notion.

Or, In the art of knowing when to quit, I hate your conceited kisses

Sebastian knows when and where to mark the termination of a contract, and yet he hates (read loves™) Ciel's vain self.

Don't leave me alone and brighten the room, you speak

Every word slips through the cracks in your room

I wish for it to be wrapped and end it like this

But the night ignores that wish and brings morning

Sebastian's monochromatic life finds color as Ciel brightens it up with his words. He wishes the nights would last, but the days are passing as Ciel gets closer and closer to his vengeance.

The sighs are lost in the question behind a smile; only the moon is watching

So here's another kiss, to tainted bliss, a toast to empty promise (oooh i LOVE these lines so much)

I shall paint this final night

As the moon illuminates us.

Sebastian does not wish to think much of this question, this dilemma. So he wishes to end this contract by the moonlight- end it with a kiss specifically. He imagines this vividly, and yet he restrains.

[tears-in-my-chiikawa-eyes]

In honour of the recent news and newest chapter, I think we should have a RONTOTO fluff week 2025 ..

Pls writers, write fluff fics of rontoto I can't do it anymore. Pls list some cute ideas for me to write.

[phantomhivemichaelis13]

Yess

[wrydemonandslychild]

r!ciel's use of elizabeth as his bodyguard in the blue cult arc (where she fights sebastian) is very interesting because it mirrors the way sebastian is o!ciel's bodyguard but what's funny is that he claimed to be scared of strong women but is now using her strength to his benefit and speaking to people lower than him (see: the servants/sebastian) in a very harsh way while o!ciel never really sticks to treating people of the lower classes like they're somehow less human? he expresses remorse if he fails them and even if it's just for business, he tries to understand them (which is more than what can be said for most modern businessmen). he also doesn't stop his servants from speaking and generally builds rapport with people of all backgrounds (for example the respect he shows "professor" arthur in the murder arc despite their being a clear difference in their social class). he is not the type to use people for their merits then hypocritically insult them. if lizzy who is r!ciel's protector had a position that was was as low as sebs' who is o!ciel's protector... how do we think r!ciel would talk to her? if she wasn't his cousin. if she wasn't his fiancée. if she was just a servant. just something to think about.

[wrydemonandslychild]

blavat was wrong. ciel is no star, even his name itself proves that and falsely calling him lord sirius won't change that he is earl ciel phantomhive; the skies, the heavens. it's sebastian who is a star that exploded on itself—a collapsar—and is now floating in the sky that is ciel. no matter how much he swallows as a black hole or if he explodes so violently that rather than a supernova, he creates a hypernova... the sky is infinite enough to hold him.

and once the universe and sky inevitably collapse and the heavens crumble, he too will perish with it.

[guldaastan]

israel bombed another hospital in gaza. this did not get the same coverage or reaction that the bombing of the first hospital in gaza received. i feel like this is because this cruelty and inhumanity has become normal.

what does the normalisation of a hospital bombing say about our world? i don't think that the cruelty and suffering faced by people in gaza should silently be accepted by everyone.

i think that all of us should be doing all that we can to support the people in gaza. we have ways to help a population undergoing a genocide, it's best to use those.

so please have heart and consider helping a family with two young children survive this genocide. every tiny bit helps. their fundraiser is verified.

donate here

[icantbelieveitsnotbutler]

Does Sebastian Believe Ciel's Lies? (Do You?)

At various points in the manga, Ciel lies to Sebastian or to others in an effort to seem less emotionally vulnerable and invested in the things and people around him.

In some instances, Sebastian seems to see through it easily.

In other scenes, it's harder to tell what Sebastian is thinking. When I first read them, I thought it was obvious that Ciel was putting on a front to protect himself, and Sebastian, with hundreds if not thousands of years of experience with humans, would immediately realize that. Now, with the way Sebastian has been acting in more recent arcs, I'm not so sure.

After Madame Red's funeral, Sebastian accuses Ciel of being too kind, i.e. too emotionally attached to Madame Red to shoot her with his concealed gun when it became apparent that she was (half of) Jack the Ripper and she attacked him. Ciel answers that he didn't need to because Sebastian would have saved him. When Sebastian points out that Ciel stopped Sebastian when he tried to kill her to save him, Ciel says that he didn't think Madame Red really would have killed him.

The first time I read this, I thought Ciel was making up excuses after the fact, and that in the moment he didn't shoot her and stopped Sebastian because he cared about her. I still believe this, but I've realized that Sebastian might not.

Ciel goes on to say that Madame Red's weakness was that she hesitated to kill him, and that he himself doesn't have that weakness. This delights Sebastian so much that he gets chills.

I always assumed he was reacting like that because of the contrast between Ciel's tough words and actual feelings, like after the ring-breaking incident.

Now I think it's possible that he's accepting Ciel's words as the truth and is happy that his master is so cold.

A similar situation occurs after the incident at Kelvin's manor. In response to Sebastian's questioning, Ciel insists that he is visiting the circus troupe's orphanage not for emotional reasons, but because it is his duty as a nobleman to see what can be done for them now that their benefactor is gone. He also claims that he ordered Sebastian to burn Kelvin's manor with the children inside because, due to his detached, extremely logic-based reasoning, he came to the conclusion that they would be better off dead.

Again, I dont believe a word. Ciel told Sebastian to burn those kids because he was having a panic attack and he wanted Sebastian to get rid of the trigger. He's going to the orphanage because he knows he did something atrocious and wants to help, to save, the helpless. This is what I believe.

But does Sebastian? He drops the topic with a noncommittal response, I assumed because he knew pressing Ciel would only get more of the same justifications or irritate him, but now I'm not sure.

The most recent example I could find of this type of scene, where Ciel tries to conceal attachment and sentimentality with indifference, is after the public school arc.

Sebastian offers him a letter from McMillan but Ciel rejects it, ostensibly because he's done with the case and has no attachment to any of the people there.

Sebastian later opens it and finds a photograph of Ciel with his cricket team. Instead of offering it to Ciel, who thought it was just a letter and might feel differently about a photograph, Sebastian burns it.

This would be quite cruel and not worthy of a butler if Sebastian believed what I believe: that Ciel didn't want the letter because he is terrified of becoming attached to people and then putting them in danger and losing them. But I don't think Sebastian realizes Ciel is lying. I think Sebastian believes Ciel is as cold and detached as Sebastian himself, or at least on the way to being so.

In the beginning Ciel was just another human to Sebastian. But increasingly, he seems to be acting more like he views the world as 'us compared to them', rather than 'Sebastian compared to everyone else'.

In the circus arc, after Sebastian lets the snakes out before Ciel had a chance to get away, Ciel confronts him about it. For some reason, Sebastian seems surprised by his accusatory tone.

Sebastian explains that he was only following orders and that Ciel knows he wouldn't have let him get hurt, so he assumed Ciel would view his actions as an exciting addition to their game.

The most obvious and probable interpretation of this scene is that Sebastian is being sarcastic (does the contract rule against lying allow sarcasm?) and he released the snakes because he's a spiteful freak. He's turning the things Ciel has said against him (that Sebastian is only a pawn who acts according to Ciel's orders; that Ciel doesn't have to worry about his safety because Sebastian is required to save him).

But assuming that Sebastian thinks Ciel is like him, or becoming like him, the scene changes.

When Sebastian says, "As young master is insatiable when it comes to games, I assumed you felt the same way," perhaps he's being serious. This would explain his confusion at Ciel's anger. He's laughing and his fangs come out and his pupils go slitted because he's getting a rush from playing with Ciel, and he thinks Ciel is having fun as well. And he really is flattered that Ciel thinks his "idea of sport" is in bad taste, because for a demon, that's a good thing. This isn't how humans play, but it is how demons play.

But Ciel isn't a demon. He's a human child with human emotions, and if Sebastian has somehow allowed himself to be convinced by his facade, I can't imagine it ending well for either of them if he realizes his mistake.

[icantbelieveitsnotbutler]

I found another instance of Sebastion talking about humans (the out-group) as something separate to himself and Ciel (the in-group). It's from the most recent manga chapter (from last year), but it doesn't really spoil anything.

Why are you forming an in-group with that boy... you're going to have to eat him...

[ello-ol]

Never underestimate the bond between a teenage girl and the fictional non-canon bl couple she found in 2020 that altered her brain chemistry forever

[sp00ky9]

Check in with ur local kuro fan today they will not be sane

[i-am-grell]

Happy Emerald Witch Arc to those who celebrate 🥳

[lithth]

[dearestsebastian]

i didn't like season 2 kuro ending with demon!ciel AT FIRST bcoz sebastian looked unhappy which doesn't feel right to me but then the lyrics to the ending song cured me:

In a night sky without stars, I can't find my destination, so my eyes wander...

I've been living with selfishness and freedom interchangeably. There was nothing to be afraid of, only because there was nothing to protect.

[lyrics obviously about seb wandering around aimlessly just eating humans and shit, with no sense of belonging and getting bored of his way of living but not knowing how to fix this]

Now, I'm afraid of tomorrow, and of ten years ahead too. I need a hug, my sweetheart.

People cry to the sky, spread their arms and dream. I'll forever protect the blue sky that I saw that day.

[seb meets ciel a.k.a the blue sky. things change and suddenly he has something to protect and begins to fear for the future. other people wish for the sky/something intangible, but sebastian already saw/found his "dream"]

I no longer yearn to be able to spread out and fly freely. Nobody is truly free. That's not what freedom is, it's just that the sky has no boundaries.

In the sky known as you, trap only me in there. I'm not going anywhere anymore, so please don't go anywhere either.

Everyone in the sky are all within a cage called "freedom". Having only you is alright. In this "sky", I don't need wings anymore.

[out of kuro context, it's basically about how if u're too concerned with maintaining ur freedom then u won't be able to commit to anything and that's kind of a cage in itself, since u're trapped.

at first sebastian was trapped by this dilemma too, but then he realized that the thing he fears losing the most is actually not some meaningless freedom, but ciel. he'd rather be "trapped" together with ciel forever than to wander around without him]

it's the perfect song for kuroshitsuji ending and i can picture how their relationship may develop in the future after ciel becomes a demon 🥹💙

[ceoandslutler]

a short analysis on the theme of kindness in kuro, in defence of the morally reprehensible protagonists.

i previously spoke about sebastian pulling a "not like other humans" line on ciel but the things he's actually saying in this chapter are crazy...

chapter no's and pages in alt text!!

media illiterate (most kuro fandom antis') logic is that ^this guy's^ the big bad villain of kuro, there's so much to analyse about the theme of kindness and humanity in kuro but ultimately people are blind to it because sebaciel are not the kind, happy-go-lucky type of protags many people are used to and people struggle to purify them. there are so many people in this story "more innocent" than them and less morally grey which makes them look like worse people but the fact is that they are the "worse" in a world full of the "worst". they're there to show you how despicable humanity can be but they have their moments of 'good' (otherwise they'd be lacking in likability), especially moments like this can be quite odd in this story about corruption and evil because in those pages, these two do not seem like the deplorable, manipulative and conniving characters we often see them as. this moment reminds me of another very dear chapter to me which two volumes comes after this.

this is such an interesting part of the manga (it's why the blue cult arc is my favourite arc of the manga despite all the popstar/idol shenanigans that threw a lot of people off). the way these two behave in this arc is not normal, they do not need to go above and beyond for these people. it is not necessary for sebastian to go this far for ciel AND his tenants (who it is important to note he has no contractual obligation to care for, especially not to the extent of giving them the "time of their lives") and it is certainly not normal the way ciel treats these people with zero contempt even when they 'disrespect' him as a noble. these two are genuinely weird for their time, blue cult arc also gives us an unforgettable seb moment (link).

this chapter also serves as part of the transition between the blue cult arc and the blue memory arc which is also...

one of the most intriguing parts of the manga... what's interesting here is that ciel HAS kept his tenants happy as proven by the halloween chapter (the page below from this same chapter talks of infrastructure needs having to be met and we read that ciel has fixed the roads since becoming earl and even an old donkey can transport milk from across them- that's how good the quality of the roads are). however, what i want to focus on is undertaker previously saying ciel, despite having phantomhive blood is not like his predecessors. in fact, the flashback chapter shows he's not even like his own identical twin brother!

i really wonder what exactly undertaker meant by saying that right as ciel saves joanne in the school arc and also what vincent was thinking about his sons in this flashback sequence. did vincent think o!ciel is different too? and what is it that makes him so odd? or rather, what makes him an exception in the phantomhive family? i look forward to whatever yana has in store for us and hope to see where these wonderful characters with such bizarre morality (or lack there of) end up.

i will talk about this theme more in the future but if anyone has something specific to add, please do. and even if it's not too detailed or you're unsure, feel free to tell me what you think about the use of 'good' and 'evil' for the main characters of kuro overall! some things to consider:

fundamentally why are ciel and sebastian the way they are? and more importantly, do you think yana intended either of them to be read as strictly "evil"? a lot of people make the case of the fandom purifying them but i never see that these days, usually it's only ciel that's sanitised of all sin and sebastian that is demonised (although occasionally both are demonised as solely "bad guys"). i joke about them being narcissistic and not the nicest people (which is something i genuinely believe) but i do not think they are the root of all evil; which is a take you can have without absolving them of any and all misdeed they may have committed. i think what i'm really getting at is that sebastian is not ""evil""? and he's not innocent either. but he's a force for "good" in the story. he works for the phantomhive estate and the people living on that land more devotedly than a demon with a 3-clause contract with the master of the land should and he shouldn't be excluded from the phantomfam and only seen as horrible/evil but nor should he be solely seen as a silly little cat loving parent. and you don't need to ship sebaciel to see him this way, just read the source material with your eyes peeled, really think about what sebastian does and says. he's so interesting and he's so much more than the fandom makes him out to be. but interpret him however you want, i guess.

[plague-of-insomnia]

Interesting post! I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like it.

As for how Ciel is different—ofc we cannot know yet exactly what this may mean, but I have my own theories.

I think Yana has shown consistently throughout the manga that as cold hearted and merciless as Ciel can be, he also has a big heart— he cares about people even if he doesn’t always want to admit it. He will often put others first ahead of himself. (Granted, he knows he has Sebastian protecting his life, but even so.)

For example, repeatedly in the Campania arc, Ciel puts others ahead— he sends Sebastian to check on the midfords, he stays behind to help Lizzy (even stripping off her frock to save her life), he tells Snake to go ahead—and later gives him his place on the life boat.

It would have been extraordinarily uncommon for a noble of his station in this time period to give a footman his place on the lifeboat. I’m kinda disappointed that we didn’t get to see Snake have to recall all the small kindnesses Ciel did for him at the end 😥.

I also firmly believe that Ciel tried to push Soma (Agni) away to protect him, which is what makes the attack and Agni’s death all the more heartbreaking.

Ciel claims he never considered Soma a friend. Perhaps that’s true; we do know that Soma was the one who entrenched himself in Ciel’s life. We also know he’s used Soma to his advantage (like in the Weston arc).

Still, I suspect part of why he immediately turns his back when saying this is because he wants to hide his face/not give Agni the chance to read anything beyond the surface. Sebastian, on the other hand, seems to suspect that Ciel’s lying, or at least not telling the full truth.

We also saw Ciel show kindness to Sieglinde. Sure, part of why he offered to let her come with them was national security; after all, she has powerful secrets and capabilities that would be dangerous to England and potentially beneficial to the Queen. So we could dismiss that as mere duty/strategy. (He tells Sebastian that she’s merely insurance, which offends the demon, but I don’t think Ciel intended it in quite the way that Sebastian took it. He claims he trusts Sebastian least of all— but I think Germany has made him doubt the queen and her motives.)

Despite this, Ciel warns Sieglinde about what to do/say when she meets with her majesty. He essentially advises her on how she can use the queen to her own benefit, and even calls her a friend. Granted, that word was probably thrown in as a manipulative tactic, but it doesn’t change the simple fact that Ciel did not need to do that.

Ofc it’s in his interest to have Sieglinde as an ally he can rely on, another piece to use when necessary, but I suspect that this was not motivated purely based on his own plans but because he genuinely wanted to give the naive Sieglinde the opportunity to protect herself from being used by the queen— perhaps because he’s feeling a bit used himself?

Now to go back to your examples of how Ciel has handled the estate— I think the difference between him and his twin could fill a whole long post on its own— but I think it’s also a crucial part of his character.

As I said before, Ciel may have selfish motives (revenge), and he may be willing to use and dispose of people to get what he wants—but he does care about human beings. Don’t forget that he went to the orphanage at the end of the circus arc, presumably with the intent of becoming their new patron.

Likewise, I think he doesn’t see the upkeep of the estate as a chore but a core part of his duty, as his father explains in that flashback. Likewise, Ciel doesn’t treat people, even the servants, like they’re beneath him. Remember how RC won’t even speak directly to them (except when giving orders/to Tanaka), but OC often asks Sebastian for advice, and speaks to the servants fairly often/casually, even taking them out to get them necessities (like Mey Rin’s glasses).

Yana has definitely set OC up to be a bit of a paradoxical character— but I think that’s why Sebastian finds him so intriguing. He can be both kind and cruel, selfish and philanthropic. Both light and dark.

So I think when people say OC is different I think this is what they mean. He’s not purely conniving or cruel but has a true core of genuine humanity— which is lacking in most humans in this series.