You guys ever wondered about how Vincent seemed to find perfectly normal that UT would try super hard to bring him back in the extra chapter?? Especially since that sentence “love is wonderful thing but it can also give birth to horrific disaster” could be meant for either the twins or UT @ the P family?
……Btw did I mention this super crack theory I once had that Frances was the one who burnt down the manor 4 years ago somehow? I mean, I 99.9999% doubt it’s really the case but just humor me for the sake of crazy thoughts™.
We know UT apparently wondered about bringing the dead back, or at least about editing the cinematic records, before he even deserted:
So if he already had something like the bizarre doll project in mind before Vincent was even dead (to bring back the people represented by his lockets for example), and if Vincent
somehow
knew about UT’s plan to bring back his mom or even him should something happen…
Then if he told his sister about this detail, Frances showing up on December 14th for one reason or another (since Ann was coming too) could have rescued Tanaka before setting the manor on fire so that…
UT wouldn’t be able to bring back her brother. (I’m aware that
burning her home or her brother’s dead body + Rachel’s appears awful and heartless of her, but frankly I can also see how the thought of her dead family being brought back could motivate her if she believed UT was mad enough to attempt it)
I know that we’re 27 volumes in and we have 0 idea about if UT and Frances even know each other (though everything about their respective character implies that Frances would probably despise UT if they do), but we know that Frances really cares about her family and that she and Vincent were close siblings.
Ch132 even hint that she seemed as aware as Vincent that he wouldn’t live a long life, most likely because they both had their mother’s example in mind (or even simply because they were realistic), but we don’t know what else she might be aware of or not.
Personally I like to think that she and Tanaka are 100% on the same side and mainly that he keeps her updated about how Ciel is doing so that she won’t step into her nephew’s life too much…
and since it appears Tanaka was aware about the twin coming back, I’m not sure, but maybe UT’s plan of bringing back the P family one by one because “he simply cannot bear to lose another Phantomhive” was not an entirely new idea before the Campania arc for some characters.
As I said tho’ it is pure crack, because for now it makes more sense that Frances was at home on December 14th + that the supernatural being who attacked the manor was the one who started the fire (either accidentally or not, à la Seb), but I felt like sharing, especially since we have yet to see any reaction from Frances about what happened 4 years ago and that’s fishy for me. :3
(also that could explain why Vincent was chilling and apparently totally aware that UT was trying to bring him back no matter what in ch107.5)
This is just in case we actually start to get to the bottom of this arc in this month’s upcoming chapter. Here’s a list starting with ch108, but feel free to add in case you think I possibly forgot something!
Last update: 12/12
Ch108: what is that weird liquid that UT gave to the twin and why did he say “it’s still too early for you to wake up”?
About Bravat himself: is he a charlatan, or is he a scientist maybe?
He’s human and didn’t use to be a good deviner (ch143)
Also did he really see through Seb’s disguise or was this all pretending too?
He confirmed that he sensed Seb was different at first glance! (ch145)
ch112: how many times did Lizzie give some of her blood to Lord Canopus?
ch113: what did Lizzie mean when she was crying about “not being able to save the twin”? Save him from who or what?
it was most likely about not having the same blood type ‘cause they don’t know about universal recipients (ch144)
ch114/119: about blood transfusions => who mastered the procedure? Does it serve a purpose outside the 4 or 5 star lords (like war, as Wolfram pointed out)? How does it play into making more “perfect” bizarre dolls?
Is it why real!Ciel “grew up” despite dying 4 years ago?
How come no one knows that AB (sirius) is the universal recipient type?
ch114: Othello and “50 years ago” => is this old case relevant to the current arc somehow? Or is it just related to UT’s desertion?
Othello and UT know each other = confirmed (ch142)
ch115: about the twin’s damaged arms that we can see => is it because he’s dependent on blood transfusions?
ch116: is there a reason Nina was chosen by the sect to make all the outfits? Could it be because “the Hopkins tailors have outfitted generations of the Phantomhive family” (and “it’s all for the blue star” who’s the twin)?
ch117: why are the rooms for the 4 or 5 star lords so different? Is it supposed to remind them of their previous environment/social condition when they were still alive?
ch119: Any chance that us finding out about Wolfram having the B blood type (same as Lizzie) will be relevant later? To transfuse Lizzie maybe?
still ch119: was Othello speaking about UT when he said “that one didn’t know much about this stuff… who else is there?”? If so, then can another supernatural being be involved with the sect?
ch123: we found out that Lord Sirius is real!Ciel, but what about the other star lords’ identity? Are they possibly characters we already met (and who died)?
ch124: how/when did Bravat/the blue sect came to know and dialyze those old lords from the Parliament?
About the blue sect: any possible link to the Aurora society or even the mysterious Osiris company?
Also if UT is really the only mastermind behind this, then why the change of method between the Weston arc and now, when he called Agares a masterpiece?
ch125: what’s the point of making a second music hall in Bath? Or is it just a false lead, because it was just the place where Bravat would dialyze the old lords?
ch126: was the twin wearing an eyepatch when he came to attack Agni and Soma? If no, did Soma just fail to notice the difference with our!Ciel?
ch127: who killed Agni? Is it Polaris, the “blue star’s butler”, or is it someone else? Also is he human or a supernatural being, since Agni commented that his killer was really strong?
ch128: what was the purpose of the attack on Soma and Agni? Leaving our!Ciel a message (”who stole the candy from my tummy”)? Or simply the twin being jealous (since Soma does call himself Ciel’s “big brother”)? Something else related to the curry arc maybe, since Ciel made sure Scotland Yard wouldn’t get to Agni?
ch129: Did Ciel leave the pieces of the photo with Soma when they took him to Sieglinde? Will Sieglinde manage to convince Soma that our!Ciel is not the one who attacked him (since he’s the one who brought Soma + especially since she saw our!Ciel has the contract’s seal in his right eye)?
ch129: between the dead lords from the Parliament in ch125 and Violet probably giving the name “Ciel Phantomhive” for the blue star’s identity to Scotland Yard, will our!Ciel get in big troubles and accused of all that Bravat did in this arc?
Yes, he was for a good part of it (ch143)
where are the Double Charles?
ch129: since the servants initially thought the twin was our!Ciel, did they not notice the possible absence of Sebastian by his side? Or do we have a doppelgänger for Seb too?
ch130: how comes Tanaka didn’t appear very surprised about the twin’s return? Could he have known in advance? But if so, who told him and why? (additional question: was it foreshadowed in ch120?)
Also, how and when did Tanaka find out about our!Ciel taking his brother’s identity? Could this be related to him knowing the twin was coming back?
Actually I’m surprised our Ciel hasn’t gotten an asthma attack yet. I mean, this is such a stressful situation for him right now and just look how much he’s shaken and shocked by all this:
And given the situation it’s no wonder our Ciel looks close to a breakdown. He never expected his twin to return. The identity as “Ciel” gave him confidence to return while he blamed himself for his brother’s death. First I even thought what he tried to say in the current chapter here…
…was that he himself was the one who had caused real Ciel’s death. However, given the prior panel…
…you may be right that he had actually wanted to say that it was him who had died that day.
I’m sure our Ciel was always aware of his lie. He didn’t forget who he really was even though he did everything to be “Ciel”. But still, being “Ciel” gave him strength and helped him deal with his feeling of guilt. Now with the return of the twin and with his lies being revealed all this is threatened to be destroyed. And that will surely throw our Ciel into a crisis.
I’m really unsure about where his will all lead to. Our Ciel is certainly forced to face his decisions and the truth now and depending on how he deals with that and on what will happen to the twin he may or may not continue living as “Ciel”. On the one hand it would be nice for him to be able to live as himself once again, realizing that it wasn’t his fault for what happened to real Ciel and that he himself is worth as much as his twin and has all the right to return as himself. On the other hand would it take much character development for that and I don’t think our Ciel is ready to let go of all that he clung to these past four years. Keep being “Ciel” may be the easier way for him.
Tanaka likely has known Undertaker the longest out of all the Kuro. characters since he worked for Claudia (whose name was on Undertaker’s mourning chain, indicating familiarity).
The scene below means a lot (though it’s not very surprising), but honestly it just creeps me out.
Note how close Undertaker is to RC. It’s not even close at this point– he’s touching the kid.
If you were a butler, would you let just anyone approach or touch your master, especially when that master is practically your grandchild?
Just so you know, Tanaka and RC were standing on the same step at the beginning of this chapter (where they’ve been during OC’s flashbacks).
But while everyone was talking, he disappeared…
While I don’t know where he went, or if this is just an artsy angle and Tanaka either moved back or is purposely absent for aesthetic reasons, Undertaker’s proximity says a lot.
Tanaka let Undertaker approach Real!Ciel.
Tanaka is letting Undertaker say his spiel.
It is now very, very likely that Tanaka knows Undertaker.
Unfortunately, we only got to see one Tanaka-reaction shot in this chapter, as seen below.
This is after RC stated that he wouldn’t let anyone try to punish OC for his lie.
Tanaka is very composed and not disturbed by RC’s speech, indicating that this protective behavior may be normal (based off OC’s flashbacks, I think we can agree).
If you squint hard enough, you can see a degree of sadness, but honestly I read that expression more as calm acceptance rather than sadness at RC’s words.
Aside from this image, we don’t see how Tanaka reacts to Undertaker except for his inactivity– no one’s stopping the man.
The look on Tanaka’s face and his lack of surprise at RC showing up also implies that he knows a great deal about the twin switch, and apparently about RC (due to his allowance of Undertaker’s actions/ proximity).
Questions
Tanaka’s actions and Undertaker’s presence lead to more questions in this deepening plot:
Was Tanaka working with Undertaker?
When did Tanaka become privy to RC’s existence? Did he allow Undertaker to begin his work, or was he only notified after RC was brought back or in the stages of “rehabilitation?” For all we know, Tanaka was just made aware of Undertaker’s presence in this chapter or when RC arrived. Based on his composure toward RC and his lack of interference with Undertaker, I doubt this is the case (i.e. he’s known for a while).
Why does Tanaka allow Undertaker’s current actions?
Tanaka’s lack of interference indicates that he already knew of Undertaker’s involvement. Though Undertaker was an Evil Nobleman, that does not give him the intimacy to meddle in Phantomhive matters, especially ones related to life and death.
Possible answer: The Undertaker-Claudia theory, in which Undertaker and Claudia were friends or lovers (though iirc, the age differences would have left Claudia as a child or relatively young when Undertaker was alive– feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). This long intimacy with the Phantomhives may have reassured Tanaka.
A related theory is that Undertaker is Vincent’s father, whether that be through the guise of Cedric K. Ros or through an extramarital tryst. Reminder that Undertaker would have already been a shinigami at this point, so the question rests with whether or not shinigami can have children. If Undertaker was Vincent’s father, whether as Cedric or himself, and Tanaka knew, he may feel obliged to assist the man in his endeavors.
Love
Could Tanaka only know Undertaker as an Evil Nobleman? Is he moved by promises of reanimation and returning what was once lost? Personally, I’m not so sure if Tanaka would be lured by such ideals. The Halloween chapter (120, iirc) showed that while he greatly misses those he’s lost, he wants their souls to be comforted. Does he think that reanimation is a comforting solution?
What does Tanaka know about Undertaker?
At the very least, Tanaka knows Undertaker from the latter’s role as an Evil Nobleman. However, these two have likely known each other for decades. Tanaka’s composure indicates trust in the man, plus he was not shown reacting to Undertaker’s arrival or explanation. Further than being acquainted with Undertaker, Tanaka likely knows about his reanimation attempts and equally likely about his shinigami status.
Tanaka and Undertaker both share Japanese aspects as well. Since Toboso-sensei enjoys using stereotypes, this could indicate that Tanaka is familiar with the notion of shinigami or believes in such.
Again, all of these questions stem from the idea that Tanaka and Undertaker are more than acquaintances due to the Phantomhive connection and age.
Perhaps next chapter will show Tanaka reacting in shock, that his lack of action this chapter was merely artistic focus, but based off these scraps of context and Tanaka’s composure thus far, I highly doubt it.
Bonus: The Fire
Remember this online mistranslation, in which RC should have said something about OC taking advantage of the fire? What fire do you think RC was referring to?
Originally I thought it was the Phantomhive Manor Fire, but after this chapter, perhaps RC was referring to the cult fire?
OC saw Tanaka after he had Sebastian burn down the cult building– perhaps he told Tanaka about setting the building ablaze and about RC’s fate?
We know that Tanaka knew about the switch, but we don’t know what exactly OC told him about his brother’s fate.
Either fire being referenced makes sense, as evidence would have been lost in both cases.
Time to wait another month to find out what’s up.
I hope you don’t mind me butting in, OP! You make some really good points (although I don’t agree that Undertaker could still have been alive at the same time as Cloudia, that’s a separate issue;;), and there’s something I’d like to add!
First, regarding their shared link with Japan, I think it’s always good to note when Tanaka’s past is on the table that Japan was forcibly opened to trade (and following that its citizens were finally allowed to travel abroad without being automatically branded as pirates) in 1854. This is three years after Vincent was born, and the same year as one of Undertaker’s lockets. If Tanaka had left Japan before that point, he would have been considered a criminal by his homeland.
Therefore, if Cloudia and by extension Undertaker had anything to do with the political situation going on then, it’s even possible Undertaker was one of the first Western people Tanaka ever met. By all means, he has far more reason to side with Undertaker than Sebastian, especially if he knows that Sebastian is here to eat OC.
I personally feel like Tanaka has a general policy of non-interference, considering how he’s played along with OC’s charade, didn’t want Sebastian to do anything drastic during the green Witch arc, and right now doesn’t seem keen on interfering either.
The big thing you reminded me of though, was that there was a gag scene in the anime where Tanaka was found casually drinking tea with Ash, who as we know turned out to be the big bad. (speaking of non-interference, season one also showed him having agreed not to tell Ciel anything under Vincent’s orders, so as not to inspire Ciel to take revenge and live in hatred) (lol). Supposing Tanaka has known about this for a long time, and known about both sides for a long time… tea with the enemy, indeed. I don’t know how you feel about the anime, but considering it was supervised by Takeshi Kuma and has foreshadowed other major things with throwaway gags (like Grelle’s exaggerated suicidal tendencies), I’m personally inclined to say this lines up
Thanks to another blogger’s recent post about the attackers at Phantomhive manor (sorry, I don’t recall the OP), I’ve noticed something I hadn’t before. They provided this picture:
…showing that Tanaka must have been stabbed or slashed in his side before being stabbed in the back.
And where else have we seen this?
More evidence that these attackers are the same person?
I’ve got quite a lot to say about this chapter, some things I ranted about yesterday already, but for now let me just say that this cliffhanger is something I’ve been waiting for a long time, but I hope we get explanations about the current arc before UT starts spilling the beans about why he’s so attached to this family (though most of us already have a few ideas in mind).
I also want to say that this won’t end well, again with no surprise. I’m positive that UT is extremely interested in saving Ciel from Seb…
(he’s probably the one who told Bravat to say that)
…and there is a big chance he thinks that, because the twins were so close, real!Ciel being back might help with separating
his brother
from Seb.
However, the most crucial point is that UT is also doing all of this for himself (”I simply could not bear to lose another Phantomhive”), which is clearly biasing him about how clinging onto your dead loved ones isn’t a good method of coping and won’t be one for our!Ciel either.
Honestly, it’s probably going to be the arc UT fails/fucks up for the first time in the story: he’s so focused on the idea that he can’t bear to lose more of the Phantomhive family that it’s blinding him to why bringing back the twin wasn’t a good idea. It shows through:
Lizzie being depressed for several months
Ciel feeling horrible right now
real!Ciel most likely not being 100% okay in the head
the attack against Soma and Agni (I mean, true, UT probaly doesn’t care about them, but it heavily factors into awful how Ciel must feel right now).
I’m just saying, wanting to save our!Ciel from Seb is one thing, but it should have included not attacking our!Ciel’s very few friends. Maybe that means UT doesn’t have a lot of control over the twin (who probably attacked Soma and Agni out of jealousy?), which is the same as having already fucked up anyway.
Finally, yet another argument about UT being biased, but if the RCMT is true, then it means UT ignored the possibility that real!Ciel was partially responsible for Vincent’s death (if he saw his cinematic record?) and brought him back anyway and that is… messed up.
TL;DR if the current arc is all about UT not moving on, then it’s going to slap him back in the face and frankly? He’d deserve it, and I say that as a big fan of his.
Hey so I received a few questions and I realized maybe I had not been clear on something.
When I say that UT deserves that this whole arc gets thrown back to his face, I mean it as ‘he’s lying to himself if he’s trying to justify any of this and I hope he’ll realize/admit it because otherwise the wakeup call will be tough/he’ll keep on making the same mistakes until he ceases to exist”.
I’m not going to deny it, it’s easy to feel for UT: we more or less all have a good idea as to why he’s so bent on “not losing another Phantomhive” + he’s a cool and handsome character, so it’s natural to want to pat him on the shoulder and say “there there, plz don’t cry”.
However, there is a difference between excusing his actions so far by pointing out he’s feeling lonely and miserable vs acknowledging his grief all the while saying that his way is definitely wrong. And the same goes for him in the story.
Maybe it will make more sense if I use another example: so take Frances or Tanaka. Whatever happened to Claudia, whether she was killed to or not (we might find out soon apparently), the fact something horrible happened to Vincent and his family would have been enough to justify Tanaka and/or Frances going on a vendetta.
Now it’s obviously super hard to be sure where Frances is concerned because she doesn’t exist in the plot, but still, does these two having reasons to wish for revenge automatically mean they ought to go after it? Nope, obviously not and you can be sure that if it were the case, it would be narratively depicted to be a wrong decision (the way it is with Ciel’s revenge, through Seb waiting to eat his soul mainly, once he’ll be done).
So it’s the same for UT and that’s what I meant to convey: UT’s way is wrong, there is 0 doubt about it (and if you need a proof, look at Agni’s murder, Lizzie constantly crying or even how much Ciel is shaking in the new chapter), but even then, it’s about whether the character acknowledges that his choices have bad consequences or not.
If UT’s way to go about the current arc is going to be summed up as “I can do what I want because I have reasons to act this way, thus you can’t stop me”, then this leads to why I’m hoping this arc will turn out to be a giant slap to his scarred face (=> he’ll be forced to realize he fucked up).
On the other hand, if UT shows that he’s already aware that the current arc is fucked up on many aspects but that he doesn’t care because he just wants to feel better (or if he admits that bringing back the twin is entirely selfish and for his own sake), well, at least that shows he’s aware of his actions, even if they’re wrong.
It’s subtle, I know, but I find that UT lying to himself vs showing awareness creates a lot of differences for him as a character and for what we might expect of the rest of the arc. That’s it, sorry for rambling!
I’ve got quite a lot to say about this chapter, some things I ranted about yesterday already, but for now let me just say that this cliffhanger is something I’ve been waiting for a long time, but I hope we get explanations about the current arc before UT starts spilling the beans about why he’s so attached to this family (though most of us already have a few ideas in mind).
I also want to say that this won’t end well, again with no surprise. I’m positive that UT is extremely interested in saving Ciel from Seb…
(he’s probably the one who told Bravat to say that)
…and there is a big chance he thinks that, because the twins were so close, real!Ciel being back might help with separating
his brother
from Seb.
However, the most crucial point is that UT is also doing all of this for himself (”I simply could not bear to lose another Phantomhive”), which is clearly biasing him about how clinging onto your dead loved ones isn’t a good method of coping and won’t be one for our!Ciel either.
Honestly, it’s probably going to be the arc UT fails/fucks up for the first time in the story: he’s so focused on the idea that he can’t bear to lose more of the Phantomhive family that it’s blinding him to why bringing back the twin wasn’t a good idea. It shows through:
Lizzie being depressed for several months
Ciel feeling horrible right now
real!Ciel most likely not being 100% okay in the head
the attack against Soma and Agni (I mean, true, UT probaly doesn’t care about them, but it heavily factors into awful how Ciel must feel right now).
I’m just saying, wanting to save our!Ciel from Seb is one thing, but it should have included not attacking our!Ciel’s very few friends. Maybe that means UT doesn’t have a lot of control over the twin (who probably attacked Soma and Agni out of jealousy?), which is the same as having already fucked up anyway.
Finally, yet another argument about UT being biased, but if the RCMT is true, then it means UT ignored the possibility that real!Ciel was partially responsible for Vincent’s death (if he saw his cinematic record?) and brought him back anyway and that is… messed up.
TL;DR if the current arc is all about UT not moving on, then it’s going to slap him back in the face and frankly? He’d deserve it, and I say that as a big fan of his.
Happy birthday @thedarkestcrow!!! ^3^ ❤ Here’s to you my friend on this special day, a little gift!!
I somehow managed to be on time ^^” which is really a first for me, haha! Anyway I really wanted to make a little gift for you, to thank you for being my friend, for always chatting with me, discussing crazy ideas and running an amazing blog! ❤
Keep on being awesome and enjoy your birthday, I love you! ^3^
DISCLAIMER: please keep in mind that I’m not a good writer, but I was inspired by these little posts [x] [x] and I thought I’d make something out of it! Hopefully you can enjoy it, but even if you don’t, that’s alright! xD
This little story takes place after the current arc, but there is no real spoiler about it, since I have no idea when and how it’s going to end. Honestly it’s just a typical girls’ day out, to hopefully fit with your own happy day!
BTW, it’s approximately 4k long so, ahem, take your time.
Sieglinde
frowned, not convinced, and turned to Nina Hopkins who was waiting patiently,
hoping for a backup. The talented and fashionable clothier only smiled while
weighing the scissors that she held in hand, not desiring to influence her
client’s decision, so Sieglinde sighed again.
“Lizzie, I
still think that this is not a good idea. I cut my long hair but it was because
I wanted a new, fresh start. Besides, I am more of tomboy than you are and Ciel
himself said so!”
For the
first time since the two young ladies had entered Nina’s shop to make some new
dresses one cold afternoon of winter, Lizzie stopped smiling to stare at her
friend. There was no coldness in her gaze, but she was serious all the same. “Sully,
I told you before, I want, no… I think I
need a fresh start too. Especially after everything that happened, I…”
Guessing
what she was about to say, Sieglinde quickly raised her hands in apology. This
little outing was supposed to be a joyful moment they could both enjoy with
each other, especially after the rather morbid last few months. Besides,
Sieglinde had promised herself that she would try not to make Lizzie address
any depressing subjects relating to what she had lived through recently. What
Lizzie needed was comfort right now and she herself had helped the German
prodigy so much after her arrival in England that the least to do was
reciprocating.
So, inhaling
and then smiling widely, Sieglinde said: “Then cut your hair if that is what
you wish! It will grow back and you are so lovely that I doubt any haircut will
manage to make you look ugly anyway.”
Lizzie
smiled brightly again upon hearing her friend’s approval and turned to nod at
Nina who was still waiting with the scissors in hand. The clothier started
humming to herself as she undid her regular client’s twin tails, combing
through her hair with her fingers. “Lady Elizabeth, your hair is not naturally
wavy, is it not?”
“No, it is
not. Or rather, Paula curling it most mornings of a week ends up giving it a
constant wavy semblance, but it is not naturally like that.”
“It will be
hard to curl it once your hair will be shorter though”, Nina remarked with a
soft voice, “and I was under the impression that you liked it when it curled.”
“I do!
Mother’s hair looks naturally wavier than mine but I always thought it was
prettier her way rather than my boringly straight hair, so Paula curled it for
me for years.”
“Lady Midford’s
hair, huh…” Nina appeared thoughtful for a moment, stroking a strand of
Elizabeth’s hair between her thumb and forefinger. “Tell me Lady Elizabeth, do
you know how long the Marchioness’ hair is now?”
Elizabeth
took a moment to think about Nina’s question. She had never seen her mother
without her hair being neatly tucked into a bun except on rare occasions, like
getting ready for the night or after an intense training session, but she
expected it would at least reach the middle of her back, which is what she told Nina.
“I think
sometimes her maid cuts the tips though, so it is possible that it might have
grown longer than that.”
Nina chuckled
a little at this, to Lizzie’s and Sieglinde’s confusion. However before any of
the girls could ask, the clothier was already explaining: “The Marchioness was
my very first client and back then I remember her hair already reached her
hips. It was at the same time as I was told that she was a skilled fencer,
which impressed me even more.”
“Mother was
your first client?” Lizzie repeated, blinking. “But she is older than you are
Nina, so how old were you both when you worked on an outfit for her?”
“Well, let
me see… She must have been eighteen years old and I was twelve? My father was
already outfitting Earl Phantomhive’s predecessor, Lord Vincent, as well as his
sister at the time, but I was overflowing
with creativity and so he kindly asked if I could work on a creation for your
mother, Lady Elizabeth.”
Sieglinde
almost whistled before reminding herself that it was not particularly
lady-like, while Lizzie smiled at Nina’s apparent enthusiasm. “Your family line
outfitted many generations of the Queen’s Watchdog, is it not the case, Nina?”
“Indeed! I
do not know myself when it started, but my father always insisted that the
Phantomhive family was a very important client of us, the Hopkins tailors. I do
still feel grateful to this day for the Marchioness’ kindness towards my slight
inexperience of back then and despite how she initially scared me, but—“
“Wait,
Nina?! Mother scared you?” To this,
Lizzie could not help but chuckle. She knew Nina would have never meant to be
insulting with that comment, but she found funny that it was mostly what the
clothier remembered from her very first client, knowing how unstoppable she was
when it came to her own opinions about fashion. “She is indeed very strict, but
I always thought that she had perhaps a mellow side to herself when she was
younger. I guess not then.”
Nina’s
expression softened after the passionate look her reminiscence had triggered. Putting
down the scissors that she had kept in hand all this time, she leaned against
the dressing table Elizabeth was sitting at. “I dare say it was my inexperience
that led to such a reaction out of the Marchioness. However, after that initial
misunderstanding, things worked out quite well and I was able to meet her
expectations as well as my father’s.”
“But what
happened?” Sieglinde asked, not able to hide her curiosity. The younger girl
had met Lady Midford only a few times, the last being when she had stormed on
stage one November evening during one of the Phantom Five’s concerts to bring
her son, Lord Edward, back home. Almost two months had passed since then, but
Sieglinde had instantly understood why Ciel himself had said that he was no
match for her.
“Oh, well,
I attempted to cut her hair you see, and she expectedly did not take kindly to that.”
Leaving only
a few seconds for the surprise to settle in, Nina did not wait for the younger
girls’ astounded reaction before explaining further, no shame at all underlying
in her voice, proof that she really had put the event behind her. “I was 12 and
my father had just explained to me that Lady Frances had agreed that I could
design a special outfit for her as my very first work. You know the kind, Lady
Elizabeth, a dress that would allow for a few weapons to be hidden underneath.”
Lizzie
nodded to that, still inwardly wondering how such an usual assignment could
have led to a twelve year old Nina trying to cut her mother’s hair, but she did
not have to wait very long to find out.
“My father
and I came to the Phantomhive manor after he had explained to me what kind of
dress your mother would need due to her position as a relative of the Queen’s
Watchdog’s. Mr. Tanaka received us with kindness as he always would – I do not
recall meeting Lord Phantomhive that day however – and I met with Lady Midford
alone but, as I was starting to take my measurements, I tried to convince her
to cut her hair and, as you could guess, she refused. Voilà.”
The story
as it was with its abrupt conclusion did not satisfy Lizzie’s curiosity, nor did
it Sieglinde’s, but the latter could afford to be less inquiring than the
former since she was not Lady Midford’s daughter. “But Nina, why would you even
want to cut my mother’s hair?” Lizzie asked, her eyes widening, “was the Alice
style already en vogue back then?”
“Non, obviously it was not. Years ago, I
just thought that it would prove easier for her to have shorter hair – it
reached her hips, Lady Elizabeth! –
especially since she was described to me as a great fencer who also had skills
with guns. Quite original for a noble lady, really!”
Yes, it was
indeed no surprise to almost everyone that Nina always was very appreciative of
Lady Midford’s… aesthetic, but Lizzie
personally never thought it anything else but charming.
“So my inexperience
it was, as I told you,” Nina kept going. “I chose to see only efficiency over
any personal preference. The look Lady Midford gave me when I attempted to
insist and convince her was quite frightening, to say the least, and I remember
leaving the room for a moment to join with my father, tears threatening to
fall.”
The two
ladies could only imagine the scene in silence, Lizzie knowing better than
anyone what kind of glare her mother was capable of generating, as Nina smiled
to herself, no bitterness in sight.
“It was Mr.
Tanaka who explained to me that Lady Midford – who was still young Lady
Phantomhive back then – was rather sensitive to the subject of hair in general.
Not to mention her distaste of certain haircuts for men, as it happened she
also took great care in letting her hair grow long, something the previous
Countess Phantomhive had apparently done as well.”
This time,
Lizzie visibly tensed upon hearing the mention of her mother’s own mother
before blinking slowly for Nina’s story to sink in. On her end, Sieglinde
noticed her friend’s reaction and her eyes traveled back and forth from her
friend to Nina for a few seconds, wondering what exactly the matter seemed to
be.
“So,” the
young German prodigy started slowly, still side-glancing Lizzie, “Lady Midford
wanted to keep her hair long like her mother?” She did not add ‘big deal’,
because it was inappropriate and mostly because she had a slightly hard time
understanding Lizzie’s silent but thoughtful reaction, but she still thought it.
“Sully,”
the young noble lady said gently, “I think Mother’s own mother, that is my
maternal grandmother, died when Mother was still young.”
“…Like
Ciel’s parents you mean?”
Lizzie
nodded slowly, the shadow of grief passing in her eyes while Nina looked down
for a brief moment. “Like Uncle Vincent and Lady Rachel, yes. I hardly know
more on the subject because it is not one Mother or even Uncle Vincent liked to
mention, but I think it may explain why Mother was sensitive about cutting her
hair in the past. Right, Nina?”
“Absolutely!” The clothier nodded vigorously,
“Lady Midford liked to keep her hair long to imitate the late Countess
Phantomhive’s hairstyle. Something like a memento I suppose and maybe it is
even still the case today, which is why I dared to ask you earlier in the first
place.”
Sieglinde
reflected on the last few minutes of the discussion once Nina had finished her
sentence. The younger girl had not thought about her own mother – for the few
minutes she had known the truth about her – for a while now. To say she had
been able to immediately forget about the disfigured old-looking crone who had
given birth to her, amongst the rest of the treachery that was her life up
until a few months ago, would be a lie though.
Sometimes
she was still crossed, still shocked and sad. Some other times, she longed for
a chance to go back in time, despite knowing how ridiculous it was, since she
had witnessed firsthand how the military had been ready to kill her upon her
discovery of the truth.
There were still nights she would wake up from a nightmare, half crying about
the lie she lived for so many years and despite Wolfram’s numerous explanations
about the truth.
Yes, sometimes
it seemed pointless to not have been able to fully confront the first twelve
years of her life. However, living in England since then had helped her
tremendously about seeing through what she wanted for herself (and for Wolfram
too, to an extent) and she knew she had Ciel, but also Soma and Lizzie to thank
for that.
Still,
getting a new haircut had been a symbol of new beginnings and freedom, a way to
clearly cut with her past as she strived to work for a better future. So the
feeling of honoring the memory of a dead parent one had loved, as Nina’s story
conveyed, suddenly felt a little too foreign to her.
For so long the idea of her own mother had been one of filial love and fondness
too, until the truth had painfully destroyed this image, and Sieglinde knew she
would never be able to dream peacefully about it ever again.
Yet it was
different for Lizzie who, as Sieglinde had understood, looked up to and
respected her mother with everything she had. And as it seemed – judging by her
reaction – Lizzie’s tone held the same amount of respect towards the subject of
her grandmother and the subject of her mother, despite hardly knowing a thing
about the former, which was something Sieglinde almost felt jealous about.
She knew
what it was, that Lizzie looking up to her mother, who also apparently looked
up a great deal to her own, was the reason the young noble lady could afford to
look up to her maternal grandmother who died so many years ago. Familial love
really could be an amazing source of personal motivation, so it was slightly
saddening to the German prodigy that she herself would never be able to
experience that anymore.
“Sully?”
Lost in
grimmer thoughts than she would have liked to admit, Sieglinde was slightly
startled upon hearing Lizzie’s specific way of calling out to her. The older
girl was smiling her usual bright smile at her, with her hair undone but still
uncut, while Nina was rummaging through her drawers looking for one thing or
another. “Are you alright? You seemed to
have been spacing out for a little while.”
Sieglinde
shook her head a little, attempting a smile of her own. “No, I am fine. I just
remembered a few things… from my life back in Germany.” Lizzie nodded but did
not care to inquiry further than this. In fact, she never would, just like Ciel
and Soma, which was something Sieglinde was grateful about.
Ciel aside,
because he was aware of where she came from, all that Soma and Lizzie knew was
that he had brought her back from Germany and that it had something to do with
one of his missions for Queen Victoria. The details were lost on them but,
while she knew Ciel had never said a word to either, both Soma and Lizzie had
seemed to unknowingly agree about not asking further.
One day,
Sieglinde had decided a while ago, she would tell them just like she hoped she
would get to know the secrets they were probably keeping to themselves too. One
day, when she would feel the need to. For now…
“So, what
about your hair Lizzie? Should we move on, or is it just the dresses for today
in the end?”
…Sieglinde
felt that they had digressed from the purpose of this afternoon, which was
mostly about cheering Lizzie up after everything that had happened in these
last few months.
“Ah yes,”
Nina chirped in, “not to rush you, but I have another client appointment in one
hour, my lovely ladies!”
Lizzie
turned to look at herself in the mirror atop of the dressing table. She audibly
sighed while taking the end of her hair in hand, as if weighing it and her
decision at the same time. Without a doubt Nina’s story had influenced her in
some ways, but then again, it was understandable.
If shortening
her hair had been akin to a fresh new start for Sieglinde who wanted to cut the
ties to her past, Lizzie’s current hairstyle was also an illustration of how
she genuinely looked up to her mother and she had no reason to want to part
with that. If anything, Lizzie’s mother was a main reason Lizzie was such a
strong young woman and this was something to be proud of.
No, the
only reason Lizzie felt the need to change was regarding what had recently
happened.
“Lizzie…”
Sieglinde spoke slowly, “I hope you know you do not have to cut your hair just
because of everything that happened with… Ciel and that Blue Sect? If you need
something to… change, it can be done differently.” Or so she hoped her friend
would understand, because she was failing to put it with better words.
Sometimes
it was easy to forget that she and Lizzie had known each other for only a few
months.
But still, while Lizzie had come to accept her presence on a regular basis and
had declared her a friend almost immediately, the proximity the young German
prodigy shared with the young Lady Midford remained something rather new after
twelve years confined in her Green Mansion in Wolfsschlucht and years
surrounded by adults.
That was
why Sieglinde could feel estranged from her role of confidante from time to
time, especially after the recent events that had shaken London and Ciel’s
entourage rather strongly. The young German prodigy used to have an entire
village relying on her – or so she had thought since “the Green Witch” had been
the pawn all along – yet trying to do the right thing for a friend seemed
immensely more difficult than every else that had been considered her duties up
until a few months ago.
You are not a witch, Wolf had said on that night her whole world
turned upside down, you are just an
ordinary girl. These words were the first truth he had told her and they
still rang loud and clear for her to be fully aware that her manservant was
absolutely right. It just so happened that it took Sieglinde until this afternoon
in particular to figure out than being an ordinary girl and enjoying quality
time with her friend had its share of compromises to master. Which she intended
to do right now.
“Lizzie… I really
find your long hair pretty so, instead of cutting it, how about you start
styling it differently? I do that myself with… different ribbons, almost every
day, and this can definitely be called a change.”
“Oh!” Nina meddled
in with a smile, certainly more helpful than at the very beginning of their rendezvous,
“a new style is always refreshing… Though not always fashionable obviously
depending on whether it follows the current trends or not, or if it even fits
the client themselves, but the new beats the old almost all the time.”
“Thank you
Nina,” Lizzie chuckled at her tailor’s volubility, “I do appreciate the support.” Checking the length of her hair in the
mirror once more, her smile became a touch more melancholic, “I just do not
know what I am supposed to style it after, especially since I had made up my
mind to cut it…”
“Well~,” Nina said in cheerful voice, putting both
her hands on the young noble lady’s shoulders, “Reminiscing might have just
given me the best idea for the
daughter of Lady Midford! Not that you should expect any less from yours truly
in the first place—”
“Wait, I
thought we had settled on not cutting Lizzie’s hair anymore?” Sieglinde
intervened, slightly confused.
“May I
remind you that I did not get to cut
Lady Midford’s hair either? Or were you not listening earlier? Now that would
be rather rude, Miss Sullivan~!”
***
“…Lizzie, it
suits you so well…! You look so pretty!”
“She does, does she not? Ah, I just knew it
would be a style befitting you, Lady Elizabeth!”
“Lizzie? What
do you think?”
Yet
Elizabeth remained silent for a little while longer, observing the ponytail
Nina had carefully combed her hair into. Her usual curled strand on the right side
of her face had been left untouched, but the rest of her new hairdo made her
appear like an entirely different person.
“Mother
used… to wear her hair like that, right, Nina?”
“That is correct!” The bubbly tailor nodded vigorously, “This is exactly her hairdo the day
I met her and that she too styled after her own mother, or so Mr. Tanaka
confided to me those many years ago!”
Elizabeth
stared at her more adult-looking reflection in the mirror. This was still her,
of course it was, but looking more mature than she ever had before. Now it was
not a bad thing at all and she liked her long ponytail… But is it a good thing, do I even have the right to style my hair like
that after everything that happened recently…?
An even longer
silence looming ahead, Sieglinde and Nina exchanged a glance briefly, Sieglinde
starting to worry that maybe this afternoon had not been enough to cheer her
friend while Nina looked thoughtful. Maybe what Lady Elizabeth needed was about
more than change, maybe she sought reinsurance instead after everything that
she had been through…
With this
in mind, Nina went to gently pat her regular client’s shoulders: “Lady
Elizabeth, do you know what Mr. Tanaka also told me, years ago?”
Lizzie
looked up from the mirror to Nina, slightly intrigued. Inwardly, she was
slightly amazed at how much her tailor knew about her family when she felt so
estranged from everything lately. Yet this was also why going to Nina was never
a waste of time.
“‘The Phantomhive family line has rather
strong-willed women’ he said, and I realized he was absolutely right from
the moment one glare from your mother was enough to chill me to the bone! And you
also are a strong-willed woman, Lady Elizabeth, like your mother and your
grandmother before you. This is why you survived until now and why you will from
now onwards and there is nothing to be ashamed of: clients like you are the
reason the Hopkins tailors remained associated with the Phantomhive family for
generations.”
A smile
slowly found its way to Lizzie’s lips, one that mirrored Sieglinde’s own, as
they both took one of Nina’s hands.
“You just
need to believe in a new beginning, Lizzie,” Sieglinde added. “And even if you
need more than just one through life, I am sure it will always work out.”
It will always work out…
Elizabeth
thought about Ciel, about the one who died four years ago and the boy she
loved, about Soma who lost Agni and about her family who had trusted her during
these last few months. Truthfully, she was not sure of what ‘working out’ meant
anymore: would everything still be the same, would everyone still wait for her
if her new beginning was to take some distance?
Ciel… I could not save you, but I will try and save
your brother instead. From the darkness that is already threatening to engulf
him in. For that
was what she had decided after he had died once more, leaving painful
injuries in his wake and only time to heal them.
Slowly her
hand went to rest above her chest, feeling and stroking the shape of a ring
hanging from a simple chain around her neck, carefully nested against her skin.
The ring was made of gold and a crystalline jewel, a fleur-de-lys pattern crowning it: ‘it is a reminder,’ that man had said, ‘a reminder that it is never too late if the time to act is now.’
So maybe,
just maybe, her new beginning was simply the right time for her to prove that
she finally deserved to be called a strong-willed woman of the Phantomhive
family.
Make them proud, little Lady Lizzie.
Notes: I’m always shitty at writing endings, so I hope this one here wasn’t a drop in quality. xD Also, the little part about the ring at the end is related to this crack theory of mine (I’m sorry I couldn’t resist) and the fact I totally think Liz should team up with UT to try and save Ciel from Seb.
What else is there to say, except that I totally HC Nina has having a thing for ladies over gentlemen, not that there is anything wrong with that. ^_^ Also I really enjoy Sieglinde and Lizzie’s friendship so I hope I managed to make it justice.
Finally I’m not sure about the title, so if you have a better idea, I’d be happy to change it! 😀
There you go! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN MY FRIEND ❤ I love yaaaaaaaaaaa, hope your day will be as great as you envisioned it to be!
So I’m not totally familiar with the supernatural aspect of Black Butler (I’m like this with every show, I care so little about Nen it’s funny). However, I will attempt to answer your question from a character development standpoint. So, assuming that R!Ciel who I will just call RC cola from now on is actually 100% genuinely revived from the dead through whatever magic they did to do that, here is my best guess from a character perspective on why we see him distorted.
First it’s important to point out that RC Cola and Ciel are meant to be compared as foils, they are quite literally twins. Not only that but every time they are described it’s describing them as identical but opposites.
This is of course, pretty blatant stuff. Ciel tells us the audience point blank in his narration that we are meant to compare the twins, and see that they are different. However, literary foils mean more than just a comparison. A foil is an illumination to point out something that would otherwise be hidden in the main character.
The narration tells us that RC Cola was the most important twin and the true heir, but really RC Cola’s only purpose in story is to highlight and inform us of things about Ciel. That being said let’s analyze what the flashback tells us about RC cola’s character pre-demon cult.
It’s established right away that RC Cola sees value in his brother, even if Ciel compares the two of them and often puts himself down with that comparison. Also, in his youthful naivete RC Cola assumed that the two of them would always be together and was upset by the idea of Ciel having his own life.
Of course this was just a childish tantrum and his possessiveness over his sibling is definitely something he would have grown out of if given the proper opportunity. His father comforts him by emphasizing the responsibility and position of the earl.
Just as much as Ciel defines himself by being the weaker sibling, RC Cola defines himself as being the stronger and more responsible one. Of course that doesn’t mean he doesn’t value Ciel because the manga clearly establishes that he does, but rather it’s a pretty common sibling dynamic for one to view themselves as “the responsible one”, right? Even with twins who are basically the same age.
RC Cola probably got a lot of reassurance by making himself appear stronger for Ciel, and saying he would protect him. It was a role he gave to himself, the same way Ciel always saw himself as weaker than RC Cola. However, we see that RC Cola because of the cruelness of the situation he’s in fails to both protect Ciel, and to return to the mansion with him, and dies a pretty pointless looking death.
All of his reassurance amounting to nothing apparently. So if RC Cola is somebody who gained his self confidence one through his relationship with his brother, and two specifically through protecting his brother, and embracing his responsibility through his role as earl or his obligation to protect his brother and appear more confident for the sake of the both of them, then having all of that stripped away in his death would definitely do something to mess with his personality.
We see the first thing he does upon revival and anouncing himself is to reclaim his identity as the first heir, and also to reassert that Ciel is the weaker bodied one between the two of them.
So basically, the flaws of RC Cola’s childish personality that probably he would have grown out of if tragedy had not intervened, have come to entirely overtake his personality and change his identity. Which leads us to what exactly this is supposed to indicate about Ciel.
It’s a metaphor for Ciel’s survival guilt, basically. The same way RC Cola’s pointless death is something that caused him to lose the chance to grow up and move past his flaws, surviving the incident is also something that permanently warped Ciel’s personality to the point where he who was gaining confidence in standing on his own two feet and leaving the title of earldom is now pretending to be his brother discarding all of his original wants and dreams for the sake of making up for his own survival in the past.
The reason RC Cola is a metaphor is because in this story which is magical and not reality, Ciel can be confronted with the person who died when he survived, walking around again as if he was alive again. Whereas in real life cases of survivor’s guilt, you’re not going to talk it out with the survivor’s zombies and try to reason with the unfairness that some people live past terrible things and some people do not.
So from a metatextual standpoint the reason RC Cola’s personality is so twisted is because he’s meant to confront Ciel with the fact that Ciel has spent so much time living in the past he’s refused to let himself grow up properly, and is merely putting on an act of what he thinks growing up should be. This is done by showing RC Cola being a warped version of his past self who never got the chance to grow up, and therefore shows all of his childish desires, to be with Ciel forever, to have the responsibility of the Earl, (most likely treating Lizzie as a future bride he’s entitled to as Earl but we haven’t gotten to that part yet), and to be the stronger one while Ciel again is the weaker one pushed to an extremely unhealthy level because of the growth he was never allowed to receive.
midnight-in-town 