► Dance with the Devil
Series: Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler)
Name: Sebastian Michaelis
[Backstory]
The story is set in 19th century Victorian England, and tells the tale of 12-year-old Ciel Phantomhive, a sweet-faced boy from a background of nobility, and his perfect butler, the devilishly handsome and charming Sebastian Michaelis. They reside in an enormous mansion full of incompetent servants, and spend most of their days traversing the cobblestone streets of England battling crime and the forces of evil. That’s the premise in a passing glance.
In reality, Ciel is no more sweet than Sebastian is human, and is incredibly cynical and business-savvy for his young age. As the only surviving heir to the Phantomhive family, he is the mastermind behind his family’s fortune, a toy and food production business that goes by the name of Funtom. His family has been serving as ‘watchdogs’ for the Royals for centuries, maintaining the Victorian undergrounds and making sure that anything that lurks beneath stays there and doesn’t spill over into ordinary, civilian life. This means dealing with drug dealers and undertakers, illegal trading businesses, mafia and serial killers, Indian princes and dodgy circuses acting as a front for kidnapping children. Oh, and innocently unaware fiancées, of course. And all the while trying not to get caught up and taken prisoner themselves, maintaining the image that the Phantomhives are just another noble family in the upper echelons of society.
Sebastian is the young heir’s perfect butler. Emphasis on the word perfect by the way. Teatime will never be the same after watching this man whip out an atrociously expensive tea set, one whose colour and design and possibly even shape have all been carefully selected to match the occasion. And that’s not even getting started on the tea, imported from the finest plantations in India, and steeped in the pot just so, enough that it was perfect every single time. Suddenly it seems as though you’ve been sharing tea and crumpets with Queen Victoria herself. And in a household of almost completely useless servants, it’s a miracle that Sebastian manages to handle such perfection all by his lonesome. He makes the gardens beautiful, washes up, hangs the laundry, polishes the silver and organizes meals all before waking the young master up and handing him the morning paper, complete with breakfast in bed. And then he spends the afternoons teaching him to waltz and making enormously detailed sculptures out of the finest chocolate. He’s the perfect gentleman, his smiles are free, and he doesn’t even have a hair out of place. It’s so strange and wonderful and ideal it can’t possibly be real. It’s like he isn’t even human.
Which of course, is the truth. Sebastian is a devil summoned from hellish depths unknown by Ciel around three years before the storyline takes place. He is bound to the boy because of the contract they made, the seal of which is clearly visible on Sebastian’s right hand when not hidden under gloves, and in turn, Ciel’s right eye. When Ciel dies, Sebastian will devour his soul. But he has pledged to serve the boy loyally and without question until that day arrives. Though his demonic aura is well-hidden under the guise of a man (though not well enough for other supernatural entities to pick up on), Sebastian’s true nature sometimes manifests itself in the ways of a cutting smile, his cold sadistic eyes and his cruel inner monologues. He has battled men and won using the likes of knives and forks alone, caught bullets between his fingertips, fought everything from bodyguards to shinigami to Indian butlers whose skills rival his own, and had wonderfully violent time while doing so. He takes his kicks where he can find them, and doesn’t hesitate to have his fun at others’ expense, hurting people with unfeeling words, silverware and sometimes even his bare hands. And any damages he receives, whether it is a bullet to the head or a chainsaw nearly ripping his shoulder off, the most you’ll get out of him in return is a ceremonial ass-kicking and a woeful lament about his once perfectly pristine clothes and the state of their ruination.
He does seem to have a strange fetish adoration for cats though. Because apparently they are the only creatures so mysterious and beautiful, he’s yet to figure them out. That said, his relationship with Ciel is an enigma. From a servant’s perspective, he’s perfectly loyal, but does he truly care for the boy, or is he just looking after the state of his soul? Is he capable of feeling human emotions? Or is that just another part of his perfect act? It’s hard to say. And at this point in the plot, we can never know for sure.
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[Abilities]
Physically --> He’s a bat right out of hell. Sebastian has all the abilities of a typical supernatural entity, which include but aren’t necessarily restricted to things like super-human strength and agility, flexibility and mad ninja demon skills, regeneration…things all decent immortal beings should have. That’s not to say he isn’t affected by the magic and skills of other immortal beings such as the shinigami, nor does he have amazing dodging ability. He still bleeds. And he has taken a few bullets and knifings in his day not that he didn’t recover fairly quickly.
Mentally --> He sharp. Really sharp. Inhumanly sharp. For obvious reasons. It’s in the genes as they say. His species is just naturally predispositioned to learn, solve problems and pick up on things much faster than a perfectly mortal human being. Of course, he’ll never reveal what he knows unless you ask. He’ll just let you stew away, pretends he knows as little as you do and secretly laugh at your stupidity behind that enigmatic smile he’s got going on. However, he is honest and while he might bend the truth for his own amusement, he’s quite openly stated that he never, ever lies.
That butler, so perfect --> Sebastian is the Martha Stewart of 19th century England. He’s basically a god of housework. In which case he is entirely capable of doing any and every single task available in the household - cooking, cleaning, gardening, researching, running errands, building, repairs, etc. - quickly as well as perfectly. Sublimely even. He seems to have a talent for it. And even if he does get it wrong, or god forbid, not up to par… he’ll just keep trying until he gets it right. He seems to be particularly gifted at making confectioneries such as chocolate and cakes, which is probably thanks to Ciel’s sweet tooth.
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[Personality]
If you were to scratch at the surface, you would find Sebastian to be eternally polite, responsible and charming. He is in every sense, the image of the classic Victorian gentleman. He is accommodating and punctual, providing only the highest quality services for those in his care. Even if something were to go horribly wrong, as things often do, he would still manage to find a way to ensure that you wouldn’t have ever guessed that an error had occurred in the first place. From wining and dining to laundry and gardening, and even compiling a list of alibis for every aristocrat in England for a murder case in a single blessed night, one has to wonder just how he does it. He’ll smile, he’ll soothe ruffled feathers and he’ll be so perfect it hurts. Too perfect in fact. Harmless, yes. But definitely creepy.
And that’s probably because that isn’t Sebastian’s true personality at all. Sebastian is a demon to the core, every last inch of him from his hair to his nails, and it shows. Though his charm hasn’t changed, it becomes only as meaningful as the task he’s trying to carry out. Sometimes that task is mockery. Sometimes even seduction. In truth, Sebastian has very little patience for people he deems to be incompetent, foolish or weak. His inner monologue is filled with thoughts on these matters. And none of them are very flattering. And while he’s not terribly thrilled with violence (since it might ruin his suit), neither does he have a problem with hurting or killing people. That’s service with a smile, for you. The man is a creative sadist. He’s a starving demon bound by a contract. Not even his master has been able to escape his wrath. Seeing as his words wound just as much as his fists. (Not that he uses his fists all that much. He might sully his gloves.)
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[Timeline]
The current manga timeline, where they’re investigating the Noah’s Ark Circus. So that’s around Chapter 30 and onwards.
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[Sample Journal Post]
Oh my. This certainly doesn’t look one bit like London. With fifteen minutes left until suppertime and without the manor or the master in sight… well. I can already see this is going to be a trifling matter. And young master Ciel becomes so displeased when meals aren’t properly served on time. The constant hovering presence of that spoilt prince and Mr. Agni hasn’t done much to improve his recent mood either. What a bother…This won’t do at all.
I wasn’t aware it was possible to get lost between the Noah’s Ark Circus and the young master’s townhouse at all, let alone within a few minutes of leaving said circus. Perhaps I have miscalculated the distance. Or Master Ciel’s sense of direction. It seems children are more adept at getting lost than I had first previously imagined.
Ah well. I suppose there’s nothing else for it. I might still be able to make it back in time sooner rather than later if I move quickly. As charming as this city seems to be and as much as I’d love to stay, it would be in bad form if a servant of the Phantomhive household was caught idling around the streets while the young master’s supper grew cold.
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[Third Person/Log Sample]
It had been cold that night. The clouded sky was slate grey and the streets were wet with melted snow. Still Sebastian - a name as binding as the contract imprinted on his hand, as it was not the demon’s true name - carried the young master through the quiet streets with all the quiet stoicism that beheld his rank and status.
After all, what butler operating under the esteemed Phantomhive name could not even take care of a child sick with asthma? Of course, ‘taking care’ of the young master meant following orders. The idea of looking out for another’s wellbeing was completely lost on the demon. If the young master said he was fine, Sebastian wasn’t going to be one to argue. It was simply not his way. But even the hell-born knew when to slink away to lick their wounds and recover their strength. Perhaps they were one and the same.
Ciel lay still in his arms, sweated and shivered and took shallow, fevered breaths of chill air. He did not understand this mortal illness; the earl had never mentioned it to him before and if ever they had a mutual agreement on anything it was that if they didn’t ask, the other would not tell. But a contract was a contract. In this game they played, he was the pawn, the knight - but a knight unable to be moved by the king wasn’t much use at all. Honestly…but that was the mark of a good butler, wasn’t it? Acting with discretion. He sighed a little, mostly to himself, and wrapped the cloak around the boy even tighter around his small frame. The look Ciel gave him then was suspicious, his only visible eye narrowing a little. Really, earl or not the young master was still a child. And Sebastian had found it was innate in children to be brats lately, or perhaps it was just the constant hovering presence of that spoiled Indian prince.
He smiled a little. It was a teasing smile, somewhat mocking, but only if you stripped away the layers, the niceties, the charming butler act he was made to wear like a second skin. It was something they all had to get used to; supernatural entities that is. Grell Sutcliff had boasted about being an actress of the highest degree and that supervisor of his, the one that watched Sebastian like a hound, well he was just terrible at blending in. It was somewhat amusing. Sebastian could act too you see. The only difference was that Ciel couldn’t escape it. Oh he never lied, but the boy didn’t always trust him. He could play this game too, after all.
“It’d be terrible if you were to catch your death of cold, young master,” he said by way of explanation, his voice smooth and pleasant. Charming. Demons were good at that. Luring people into the shadows with their sweet words and faux smiles. And the shinigami at the circus had probably agreed, what with the way he refused to let Sebastian out of his sight whenever the young master was not present. It had become an annoyance, to say the least.
Ciel had looked at him for one long moment, before huffing and coughing into his fist, dismissing Sebastian the moment he looked away. “Whatever,” came the curt response. “Just get us back to the manor. I hate to think what that idiot prince is doing unsupervised.”
Sebastian’s smile quirked a little. But all the same he bowed his head and carried along his way. “Yes, my lord.” If they hurried, perhaps he’d be in time to prepare dinner. He could put the young master to bed and take care of the tasks around the house without any disturbances from certain other useless staff members. The irises of his eyes glowed with a faint, unearthly red as he carefully climbed the stairs, holding the earl gingerly in his arms.
He was a demon to the core. And the least he could do was to properly take care of his soul until it was ripe for the picking.
Name: Sebastian Michaelis
[Backstory]
The story is set in 19th century Victorian England, and tells the tale of 12-year-old Ciel Phantomhive, a sweet-faced boy from a background of nobility, and his perfect butler, the devilishly handsome and charming Sebastian Michaelis. They reside in an enormous mansion full of incompetent servants, and spend most of their days traversing the cobblestone streets of England battling crime and the forces of evil. That’s the premise in a passing glance.
In reality, Ciel is no more sweet than Sebastian is human, and is incredibly cynical and business-savvy for his young age. As the only surviving heir to the Phantomhive family, he is the mastermind behind his family’s fortune, a toy and food production business that goes by the name of Funtom. His family has been serving as ‘watchdogs’ for the Royals for centuries, maintaining the Victorian undergrounds and making sure that anything that lurks beneath stays there and doesn’t spill over into ordinary, civilian life. This means dealing with drug dealers and undertakers, illegal trading businesses, mafia and serial killers, Indian princes and dodgy circuses acting as a front for kidnapping children. Oh, and innocently unaware fiancées, of course. And all the while trying not to get caught up and taken prisoner themselves, maintaining the image that the Phantomhives are just another noble family in the upper echelons of society.
Sebastian is the young heir’s perfect butler. Emphasis on the word perfect by the way. Teatime will never be the same after watching this man whip out an atrociously expensive tea set, one whose colour and design and possibly even shape have all been carefully selected to match the occasion. And that’s not even getting started on the tea, imported from the finest plantations in India, and steeped in the pot just so, enough that it was perfect every single time. Suddenly it seems as though you’ve been sharing tea and crumpets with Queen Victoria herself. And in a household of almost completely useless servants, it’s a miracle that Sebastian manages to handle such perfection all by his lonesome. He makes the gardens beautiful, washes up, hangs the laundry, polishes the silver and organizes meals all before waking the young master up and handing him the morning paper, complete with breakfast in bed. And then he spends the afternoons teaching him to waltz and making enormously detailed sculptures out of the finest chocolate. He’s the perfect gentleman, his smiles are free, and he doesn’t even have a hair out of place. It’s so strange and wonderful and ideal it can’t possibly be real. It’s like he isn’t even human.
Which of course, is the truth. Sebastian is a devil summoned from hellish depths unknown by Ciel around three years before the storyline takes place. He is bound to the boy because of the contract they made, the seal of which is clearly visible on Sebastian’s right hand when not hidden under gloves, and in turn, Ciel’s right eye. When Ciel dies, Sebastian will devour his soul. But he has pledged to serve the boy loyally and without question until that day arrives. Though his demonic aura is well-hidden under the guise of a man (though not well enough for other supernatural entities to pick up on), Sebastian’s true nature sometimes manifests itself in the ways of a cutting smile, his cold sadistic eyes and his cruel inner monologues. He has battled men and won using the likes of knives and forks alone, caught bullets between his fingertips, fought everything from bodyguards to shinigami to Indian butlers whose skills rival his own, and had wonderfully violent time while doing so. He takes his kicks where he can find them, and doesn’t hesitate to have his fun at others’ expense, hurting people with unfeeling words, silverware and sometimes even his bare hands. And any damages he receives, whether it is a bullet to the head or a chainsaw nearly ripping his shoulder off, the most you’ll get out of him in return is a ceremonial ass-kicking and a woeful lament about his once perfectly pristine clothes and the state of their ruination.
He does seem to have a strange fetish adoration for cats though. Because apparently they are the only creatures so mysterious and beautiful, he’s yet to figure them out. That said, his relationship with Ciel is an enigma. From a servant’s perspective, he’s perfectly loyal, but does he truly care for the boy, or is he just looking after the state of his soul? Is he capable of feeling human emotions? Or is that just another part of his perfect act? It’s hard to say. And at this point in the plot, we can never know for sure.
► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
[Abilities]
Physically --> He’s a bat right out of hell. Sebastian has all the abilities of a typical supernatural entity, which include but aren’t necessarily restricted to things like super-human strength and agility, flexibility and mad ninja demon skills, regeneration…things all decent immortal beings should have. That’s not to say he isn’t affected by the magic and skills of other immortal beings such as the shinigami, nor does he have amazing dodging ability. He still bleeds. And he has taken a few bullets and knifings in his day not that he didn’t recover fairly quickly.
Mentally --> He sharp. Really sharp. Inhumanly sharp. For obvious reasons. It’s in the genes as they say. His species is just naturally predispositioned to learn, solve problems and pick up on things much faster than a perfectly mortal human being. Of course, he’ll never reveal what he knows unless you ask. He’ll just let you stew away, pretends he knows as little as you do and secretly laugh at your stupidity behind that enigmatic smile he’s got going on. However, he is honest and while he might bend the truth for his own amusement, he’s quite openly stated that he never, ever lies.
That butler, so perfect --> Sebastian is the Martha Stewart of 19th century England. He’s basically a god of housework. In which case he is entirely capable of doing any and every single task available in the household - cooking, cleaning, gardening, researching, running errands, building, repairs, etc. - quickly as well as perfectly. Sublimely even. He seems to have a talent for it. And even if he does get it wrong, or god forbid, not up to par… he’ll just keep trying until he gets it right. He seems to be particularly gifted at making confectioneries such as chocolate and cakes, which is probably thanks to Ciel’s sweet tooth.
► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
[Personality]
If you were to scratch at the surface, you would find Sebastian to be eternally polite, responsible and charming. He is in every sense, the image of the classic Victorian gentleman. He is accommodating and punctual, providing only the highest quality services for those in his care. Even if something were to go horribly wrong, as things often do, he would still manage to find a way to ensure that you wouldn’t have ever guessed that an error had occurred in the first place. From wining and dining to laundry and gardening, and even compiling a list of alibis for every aristocrat in England for a murder case in a single blessed night, one has to wonder just how he does it. He’ll smile, he’ll soothe ruffled feathers and he’ll be so perfect it hurts. Too perfect in fact. Harmless, yes. But definitely creepy.
And that’s probably because that isn’t Sebastian’s true personality at all. Sebastian is a demon to the core, every last inch of him from his hair to his nails, and it shows. Though his charm hasn’t changed, it becomes only as meaningful as the task he’s trying to carry out. Sometimes that task is mockery. Sometimes even seduction. In truth, Sebastian has very little patience for people he deems to be incompetent, foolish or weak. His inner monologue is filled with thoughts on these matters. And none of them are very flattering. And while he’s not terribly thrilled with violence (since it might ruin his suit), neither does he have a problem with hurting or killing people. That’s service with a smile, for you. The man is a creative sadist. He’s a starving demon bound by a contract. Not even his master has been able to escape his wrath. Seeing as his words wound just as much as his fists. (Not that he uses his fists all that much. He might sully his gloves.)
► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
[Timeline]
The current manga timeline, where they’re investigating the Noah’s Ark Circus. So that’s around Chapter 30 and onwards.
► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►
[Sample Journal Post]
Oh my. This certainly doesn’t look one bit like London. With fifteen minutes left until suppertime and without the manor or the master in sight… well. I can already see this is going to be a trifling matter. And young master Ciel becomes so displeased when meals aren’t properly served on time. The constant hovering presence of that spoilt prince and Mr. Agni hasn’t done much to improve his recent mood either. What a bother…This won’t do at all.
I wasn’t aware it was possible to get lost between the Noah’s Ark Circus and the young master’s townhouse at all, let alone within a few minutes of leaving said circus. Perhaps I have miscalculated the distance. Or Master Ciel’s sense of direction. It seems children are more adept at getting lost than I had first previously imagined.
Ah well. I suppose there’s nothing else for it. I might still be able to make it back in time sooner rather than later if I move quickly. As charming as this city seems to be and as much as I’d love to stay, it would be in bad form if a servant of the Phantomhive household was caught idling around the streets while the young master’s supper grew cold.
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[Third Person/Log Sample]
It had been cold that night. The clouded sky was slate grey and the streets were wet with melted snow. Still Sebastian - a name as binding as the contract imprinted on his hand, as it was not the demon’s true name - carried the young master through the quiet streets with all the quiet stoicism that beheld his rank and status.
After all, what butler operating under the esteemed Phantomhive name could not even take care of a child sick with asthma? Of course, ‘taking care’ of the young master meant following orders. The idea of looking out for another’s wellbeing was completely lost on the demon. If the young master said he was fine, Sebastian wasn’t going to be one to argue. It was simply not his way. But even the hell-born knew when to slink away to lick their wounds and recover their strength. Perhaps they were one and the same.
Ciel lay still in his arms, sweated and shivered and took shallow, fevered breaths of chill air. He did not understand this mortal illness; the earl had never mentioned it to him before and if ever they had a mutual agreement on anything it was that if they didn’t ask, the other would not tell. But a contract was a contract. In this game they played, he was the pawn, the knight - but a knight unable to be moved by the king wasn’t much use at all. Honestly…but that was the mark of a good butler, wasn’t it? Acting with discretion. He sighed a little, mostly to himself, and wrapped the cloak around the boy even tighter around his small frame. The look Ciel gave him then was suspicious, his only visible eye narrowing a little. Really, earl or not the young master was still a child. And Sebastian had found it was innate in children to be brats lately, or perhaps it was just the constant hovering presence of that spoiled Indian prince.
He smiled a little. It was a teasing smile, somewhat mocking, but only if you stripped away the layers, the niceties, the charming butler act he was made to wear like a second skin. It was something they all had to get used to; supernatural entities that is. Grell Sutcliff had boasted about being an actress of the highest degree and that supervisor of his, the one that watched Sebastian like a hound, well he was just terrible at blending in. It was somewhat amusing. Sebastian could act too you see. The only difference was that Ciel couldn’t escape it. Oh he never lied, but the boy didn’t always trust him. He could play this game too, after all.
“It’d be terrible if you were to catch your death of cold, young master,” he said by way of explanation, his voice smooth and pleasant. Charming. Demons were good at that. Luring people into the shadows with their sweet words and faux smiles. And the shinigami at the circus had probably agreed, what with the way he refused to let Sebastian out of his sight whenever the young master was not present. It had become an annoyance, to say the least.
Ciel had looked at him for one long moment, before huffing and coughing into his fist, dismissing Sebastian the moment he looked away. “Whatever,” came the curt response. “Just get us back to the manor. I hate to think what that idiot prince is doing unsupervised.”
Sebastian’s smile quirked a little. But all the same he bowed his head and carried along his way. “Yes, my lord.” If they hurried, perhaps he’d be in time to prepare dinner. He could put the young master to bed and take care of the tasks around the house without any disturbances from certain other useless staff members. The irises of his eyes glowed with a faint, unearthly red as he carefully climbed the stairs, holding the earl gingerly in his arms.
He was a demon to the core. And the least he could do was to properly take care of his soul until it was ripe for the picking.