Sebastian † Michaelis (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thebutler_serving) wrote2012-10-26 08:46 pm
thebutler_serving) wrote2012-10-26 08:46 pm
Entry tags:
† Character Information
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Kuroshitsuji
Canon Format: Manga
Character's Name: Sebastian Michaelis
Character's Age: Hundreds of years old... appears 20s-ish
What form will your character's NV take? A small silver cell phone, attached to a chain like a pocket watch
Abilities: Sebastian is a demon who masquerades in human form for the sake of appearing as Ciel's butler. Obviously this entails a number of superhuman / supernatural abilities, but the trick is finding the balance between excelling at mundane tasks using the power of a demon and not being exposed in the process, which demands timing, craft, deception, and sometimes going about things the old-fashioned way, albeit with diligent research.
The first of these is speed. Sebastian can move faster than a bullet, fast-enough to stop a bullet in its tracks and hold it up in the glove of his hand. When the Italian thug tried to fire at Ciel at point-blank range, Sebastian managed to intervene, only to kindly "return" the bullet to the gentleman. In the scenes preceding their meeting, he also danced away from constant bullet-fire, all the while throwing trays and silverware back at his attackers.
That brings me to strength. When he had the bullet in hand, Sebastian easily embedded it inside the thug with the press of a fingertip. Additionally he was able to forestall the momentum of Grell's Death Scythe when it was thrust towards him. He's stronger than human, though he doesn't make a big show of this, deftly catching boxes and lifting other people in plain sight.
Next there's resilience. Sebastian certainly is a quick-healer, recovering momentarily from a barrage of bullets, a sword to the back, or several striking him at once. While the blood stains remain, the wounds close. He has taken more serious damage from a Death Scythe, which has arguably come the closest to causing him serious injury, but even after Grell attempted to saw off his arm or slice him across the chest, Sebastian recovered while retaining full use of his limbs. He stuck his head inside the mouth of a tiger - because he thought it looked like a cute over-sized cat and wasn't the least maimed when it chomped down. I'm not sure this would qualify him as invincible, though certainly fast-healing and fairly durable to trauma.
Sebastian is a formidable opponent because aside from speed, resilience, and inhuman strength, he is proficient with a number of weapons. Aside from hand-to-hand combat, including formal martial arts (as seen in the very first chapter when dueling with Ciel's teacher), Sebastian knows how to fence, can handle a gun, and has turned flatware into threatening projectiles.
In addition to his ability as a fighter, however, Sebastian is known for his investigative skill. During the early Jack the Ripper arc, he suspects who the real culprit(s) is/are, but Ciel sends him out to gather information, which he does in an extremely timely manner - and is home in time to serve tea. Research is another of his strong suits, sending out and inquiring among people concerning their whereabouts or reading up on culinary skills. If he has been ordered to do so, Sebastian will not be content until he finds the answers or masters a recipe. He is a perfectionist at his work, and all right, a bit of a show-off.
Persuasion, if I may, is another inherent ability of Sebastian's. He can seduce with his "demon whisper," he comes across as charming and likable to most people and uses that to his advantage. It's not entirely clear what sort of humor he used to persuade Undertake to give them information, but it was apparently successful, although he can use intimidation equally as well as a means of persuasion, if it comes to that. He certainly seems to take pleasure in threatening or at least scaring others, as he does towards the end of the murder mystery arc after revealing the truth behind his "death".
Add to these qualities flexibility, not having to eat and drink like humans do, which is fortunate since he has a distaste for it. Cake is nothing compared to devouring a human soul and Ciel's offering of a spiked drink gave him heartburn. That has a lot to do with why cooking for Ciel was such a trial in the beginning, because he had no personal taste for human food to judge by, which makes perfecting his culinary skill a bit of a challenge.
Character History: http://kuroshitsuji.wikia.com/wiki/Seba
Point in Canon: End of Titanic with Zombies arc, chapter 65
Character Personality: "Demons are those who use various chances to poke fun of humans, before proceeding to leach whatever comes out of it as a means of survival." – William T. Spears
This is Sebastian’s nature, in a nut shell, but it doesn’t account for the intricate structure that Sebastian has set up by serving as Ciel’s butler. While he does enjoy the occasional amusement at Ciel’s expense, and the ultimate goal is to cash in on his end of the bargain (devour Ciel’s soul), he is incredibly focused on his job. He is a "butler to the core" / "one hell of a butler". He is ever-concerned with the neatness of his appearance, with following Ciel "like a shadow," carrying out his orders to the letter, with finesse, speed, and accuracy. He is one extraordinary butler, and in his subtle, sneaky way, he constantly finds some way to rub it in when others praise his uncanny ability. He acts humble and bats the praise away, but you can just tell he's eating it right up. It’s only natural, after all, for the Phantomhive butler to do this – especially when said butler is a demon.
Of course, that's not to say Sebastian was always so efficient. Upon first entering into their contract, Sebastian had quite a time going about the regular routine of serving as Ciel's butler. For one, he openly relied on his powers to complete tasks, which was a dead giveaway and not done in a normal household. Secondly, he wasn't taking into account the fine points like the temperature of Ciel's bathwater or the taste of his food, going through the motions and making a mess. His job was poor and Ciel had to try it again and again until Sebastian started to get a knack for it, even going through his work the long way around. So it's only fitting that when he finally doesn't master the job, he relishes in it, if only to trump Ciel and his previous inadequacies.
On the surface, Sebastian is polite, formal, good-natured. He is constantly smiling, apologizing, thanking, offering comfort to other people surrounding Ciel that seem to be in need of it. But this is just another layer to performing his job with grace. A butler would be humble, gracious, hospitable - all of these things that Sebastian portrays. It’s not to say that Sebastian is really a sweet-natured person. It’s his role. His true nature is more apparent when he interacts with Ciel in private, or even the way he readily admits to the charges laid out by William T. Spears whenever they meet. He won’t deny he has the urges of a “beast,” but he is still a “collared dog,” bound by the contract, more interested in his role with Ciel than giving into the base, indiscriminate urges of a demon unleashed. But there’s no reason while performing the job, and taking small pleasure in its work, that he can’t also enjoy poking fun at Earl Phantomhive.
Sebastian likes to mock his weakness, his age, his size – not to mention his inability to dress himself. He is tickled by the Queen’s address of Ciel as a cute boy, knowing how much Ciel hates it. He knows Ciel has a personal bubble and doesn’t like to be touched, and yet he is constantly invading it, forcing him to smile, trying to teach him to dance, touching him in order to wake him. Needless to say, it pisses Ciel off. But Sebastian takes the verbal abuse with grace, smiling, amused, as Ciel calls him an idiot or tells him to shut up.
He is disgusted with Grell Sutcliff for a number of reasons. Firstly, he doesn’t care to be hit on by the man. So gauche. Secondly, he thinks Grell (obviously) fails as a butler, but also, he is breaking the rules as a Death God as well. That is unacceptable and contemptible. While Sebastian is all-consumed with his own role and playing it off flawlessly, Grell seems to be all about self-interest, giving into his own pleasure more than focusing on his job. He doesn't know or respect his place. Whereas Sebastian is properly attired in his formal, dark clothing, clearly honoring his station as a butler, Grell’s appearance is careless and flashy, far too indulgent. You can see a great deal about Sebastian’s character in the way that he reacts to Grell, negatively and with displeasure. Aesthetics are of great importance to Sebastian, his appearance, the quality of his work, succeeding and exceeding expectation, and making it all look effortless.
His attention to detail certainly comes into play with his direct way of relating to Ciel. He often takes the earl literally, for his own amusement or because it's part of their agreement to follow his command, but Sebastian does so often using Ciel's exact wording, or keeping in mind previous commands during current situations, such as acting like a butler aka a normal human domestic as Ciel commanded even when Ciel was at gunpoint, demanding assistance. There is one nuance that he cannot escape or well, two: he cannot lie to Ciel, by his own command, and whenever Ciel formally orders him to obey or to act, Sebastian must.
Even though Sebastian likes to push Ciel’s limits, as far as physical boundaries, it is not clear if Sebastian has any need for or like of physical affection. The only thing that seems to come remotely close is his interest in cats. He thinks cats are beautiful creatures, especially enamored with their paws. They’re no-nonsense, unlike humans, and he regularly visits a stray cat at the manor. He was also taken with a tiger at the circus. At one point you find that he's even been stashing cats inside his bureau. He loves to stroke their paws and hold them, using their company as a stress-reliever.
On that note, Sebastian is usually a very calm individual, able to work well under stress, to keep to his own rigorous schedule. But the incompetence of his fellow employees does seem to wear on his nerves. He even goes so far as to lose hair over it. It’s the only time you really see him lose his cool. Otherwise, he’s a smiling, confident, a cool customer doling out responsibilities to his less than capable subordinates, or asking them to stay calm and stay out of it, thus minimizing the likelihood for damage and mistakes.
Also, I really enjoy the glimpse you receive of Sebastian’s “demon whisper” in chapter 28. It shows you how he is capable of deceiving people with ‘sweet poison,’ offering to take away their pain in a way that’s almost seductive. Actually, pretty sure he goes so far as to seduce/sleep with Beast to gain information. If not, he goes damned near close.
In the murder mystery arc, Sebastian not only fakes his own death, but impersonates an older man. There his incredible speed and timing comes into play as he constantly has to shift between posing as the one and acting in place of the other, all he claims at the specific orders of Ciel. He allowed himself to be "murdered" in order to catch the culprit, claiming that he still feels some form of pain at being not once, but repeatedly impaled by Earl Gray and then his own hand as he lay in wait as a dead body. Sebastian gives credit to his young master for masterminding the entire affair, although naturally, all of the responsibility of carrying out the plan was left to him. While acting out the farce, Sebastian still had to make sure the meals were pre-made and instructions left for the rest of the staff, and lamented the bloody state of his clothes from the blood staining. He still found time, however, to steal a few moments with his feline companions.
Aside from taunting Ciel, Sebastian does have a sense of humor. It's a shame that it goes on behind the scenes, but whatever he does, he managed to make Undertaker roar with laughter early on in the manga and thus provide them with important information in exchange, while the attempts of Ciel and Madame Red barely raised a brow. Perhaps, with most things, he merely figured out the key to cracking the puzzle and did his best.
General
Canon Source: Kuroshitsuji
Canon Format: Manga
Character's Name: Sebastian Michaelis
Character's Age: Hundreds of years old... appears 20s-ish
What form will your character's NV take? A small silver cell phone, attached to a chain like a pocket watch
Abilities: Sebastian is a demon who masquerades in human form for the sake of appearing as Ciel's butler. Obviously this entails a number of superhuman / supernatural abilities, but the trick is finding the balance between excelling at mundane tasks using the power of a demon and not being exposed in the process, which demands timing, craft, deception, and sometimes going about things the old-fashioned way, albeit with diligent research.
The first of these is speed. Sebastian can move faster than a bullet, fast-enough to stop a bullet in its tracks and hold it up in the glove of his hand. When the Italian thug tried to fire at Ciel at point-blank range, Sebastian managed to intervene, only to kindly "return" the bullet to the gentleman. In the scenes preceding their meeting, he also danced away from constant bullet-fire, all the while throwing trays and silverware back at his attackers.
That brings me to strength. When he had the bullet in hand, Sebastian easily embedded it inside the thug with the press of a fingertip. Additionally he was able to forestall the momentum of Grell's Death Scythe when it was thrust towards him. He's stronger than human, though he doesn't make a big show of this, deftly catching boxes and lifting other people in plain sight.
Next there's resilience. Sebastian certainly is a quick-healer, recovering momentarily from a barrage of bullets, a sword to the back, or several striking him at once. While the blood stains remain, the wounds close. He has taken more serious damage from a Death Scythe, which has arguably come the closest to causing him serious injury, but even after Grell attempted to saw off his arm or slice him across the chest, Sebastian recovered while retaining full use of his limbs. He stuck his head inside the mouth of a tiger - because he thought it looked like a cute over-sized cat and wasn't the least maimed when it chomped down. I'm not sure this would qualify him as invincible, though certainly fast-healing and fairly durable to trauma.
Sebastian is a formidable opponent because aside from speed, resilience, and inhuman strength, he is proficient with a number of weapons. Aside from hand-to-hand combat, including formal martial arts (as seen in the very first chapter when dueling with Ciel's teacher), Sebastian knows how to fence, can handle a gun, and has turned flatware into threatening projectiles.
In addition to his ability as a fighter, however, Sebastian is known for his investigative skill. During the early Jack the Ripper arc, he suspects who the real culprit(s) is/are, but Ciel sends him out to gather information, which he does in an extremely timely manner - and is home in time to serve tea. Research is another of his strong suits, sending out and inquiring among people concerning their whereabouts or reading up on culinary skills. If he has been ordered to do so, Sebastian will not be content until he finds the answers or masters a recipe. He is a perfectionist at his work, and all right, a bit of a show-off.
Persuasion, if I may, is another inherent ability of Sebastian's. He can seduce with his "demon whisper," he comes across as charming and likable to most people and uses that to his advantage. It's not entirely clear what sort of humor he used to persuade Undertake to give them information, but it was apparently successful, although he can use intimidation equally as well as a means of persuasion, if it comes to that. He certainly seems to take pleasure in threatening or at least scaring others, as he does towards the end of the murder mystery arc after revealing the truth behind his "death".
Add to these qualities flexibility, not having to eat and drink like humans do, which is fortunate since he has a distaste for it. Cake is nothing compared to devouring a human soul and Ciel's offering of a spiked drink gave him heartburn. That has a lot to do with why cooking for Ciel was such a trial in the beginning, because he had no personal taste for human food to judge by, which makes perfecting his culinary skill a bit of a challenge.
Character History: http://kuroshitsuji.wikia.com/wiki/Seba
Point in Canon: End of Titanic with Zombies arc, chapter 65
Character Personality: "Demons are those who use various chances to poke fun of humans, before proceeding to leach whatever comes out of it as a means of survival." – William T. Spears
This is Sebastian’s nature, in a nut shell, but it doesn’t account for the intricate structure that Sebastian has set up by serving as Ciel’s butler. While he does enjoy the occasional amusement at Ciel’s expense, and the ultimate goal is to cash in on his end of the bargain (devour Ciel’s soul), he is incredibly focused on his job. He is a "butler to the core" / "one hell of a butler". He is ever-concerned with the neatness of his appearance, with following Ciel "like a shadow," carrying out his orders to the letter, with finesse, speed, and accuracy. He is one extraordinary butler, and in his subtle, sneaky way, he constantly finds some way to rub it in when others praise his uncanny ability. He acts humble and bats the praise away, but you can just tell he's eating it right up. It’s only natural, after all, for the Phantomhive butler to do this – especially when said butler is a demon.
Of course, that's not to say Sebastian was always so efficient. Upon first entering into their contract, Sebastian had quite a time going about the regular routine of serving as Ciel's butler. For one, he openly relied on his powers to complete tasks, which was a dead giveaway and not done in a normal household. Secondly, he wasn't taking into account the fine points like the temperature of Ciel's bathwater or the taste of his food, going through the motions and making a mess. His job was poor and Ciel had to try it again and again until Sebastian started to get a knack for it, even going through his work the long way around. So it's only fitting that when he finally doesn't master the job, he relishes in it, if only to trump Ciel and his previous inadequacies.
On the surface, Sebastian is polite, formal, good-natured. He is constantly smiling, apologizing, thanking, offering comfort to other people surrounding Ciel that seem to be in need of it. But this is just another layer to performing his job with grace. A butler would be humble, gracious, hospitable - all of these things that Sebastian portrays. It’s not to say that Sebastian is really a sweet-natured person. It’s his role. His true nature is more apparent when he interacts with Ciel in private, or even the way he readily admits to the charges laid out by William T. Spears whenever they meet. He won’t deny he has the urges of a “beast,” but he is still a “collared dog,” bound by the contract, more interested in his role with Ciel than giving into the base, indiscriminate urges of a demon unleashed. But there’s no reason while performing the job, and taking small pleasure in its work, that he can’t also enjoy poking fun at Earl Phantomhive.
Sebastian likes to mock his weakness, his age, his size – not to mention his inability to dress himself. He is tickled by the Queen’s address of Ciel as a cute boy, knowing how much Ciel hates it. He knows Ciel has a personal bubble and doesn’t like to be touched, and yet he is constantly invading it, forcing him to smile, trying to teach him to dance, touching him in order to wake him. Needless to say, it pisses Ciel off. But Sebastian takes the verbal abuse with grace, smiling, amused, as Ciel calls him an idiot or tells him to shut up.
He is disgusted with Grell Sutcliff for a number of reasons. Firstly, he doesn’t care to be hit on by the man. So gauche. Secondly, he thinks Grell (obviously) fails as a butler, but also, he is breaking the rules as a Death God as well. That is unacceptable and contemptible. While Sebastian is all-consumed with his own role and playing it off flawlessly, Grell seems to be all about self-interest, giving into his own pleasure more than focusing on his job. He doesn't know or respect his place. Whereas Sebastian is properly attired in his formal, dark clothing, clearly honoring his station as a butler, Grell’s appearance is careless and flashy, far too indulgent. You can see a great deal about Sebastian’s character in the way that he reacts to Grell, negatively and with displeasure. Aesthetics are of great importance to Sebastian, his appearance, the quality of his work, succeeding and exceeding expectation, and making it all look effortless.
His attention to detail certainly comes into play with his direct way of relating to Ciel. He often takes the earl literally, for his own amusement or because it's part of their agreement to follow his command, but Sebastian does so often using Ciel's exact wording, or keeping in mind previous commands during current situations, such as acting like a butler aka a normal human domestic as Ciel commanded even when Ciel was at gunpoint, demanding assistance. There is one nuance that he cannot escape or well, two: he cannot lie to Ciel, by his own command, and whenever Ciel formally orders him to obey or to act, Sebastian must.
Even though Sebastian likes to push Ciel’s limits, as far as physical boundaries, it is not clear if Sebastian has any need for or like of physical affection. The only thing that seems to come remotely close is his interest in cats. He thinks cats are beautiful creatures, especially enamored with their paws. They’re no-nonsense, unlike humans, and he regularly visits a stray cat at the manor. He was also taken with a tiger at the circus. At one point you find that he's even been stashing cats inside his bureau. He loves to stroke their paws and hold them, using their company as a stress-reliever.
On that note, Sebastian is usually a very calm individual, able to work well under stress, to keep to his own rigorous schedule. But the incompetence of his fellow employees does seem to wear on his nerves. He even goes so far as to lose hair over it. It’s the only time you really see him lose his cool. Otherwise, he’s a smiling, confident, a cool customer doling out responsibilities to his less than capable subordinates, or asking them to stay calm and stay out of it, thus minimizing the likelihood for damage and mistakes.
Also, I really enjoy the glimpse you receive of Sebastian’s “demon whisper” in chapter 28. It shows you how he is capable of deceiving people with ‘sweet poison,’ offering to take away their pain in a way that’s almost seductive. Actually, pretty sure he goes so far as to seduce/sleep with Beast to gain information. If not, he goes damned near close.
In the murder mystery arc, Sebastian not only fakes his own death, but impersonates an older man. There his incredible speed and timing comes into play as he constantly has to shift between posing as the one and acting in place of the other, all he claims at the specific orders of Ciel. He allowed himself to be "murdered" in order to catch the culprit, claiming that he still feels some form of pain at being not once, but repeatedly impaled by Earl Gray and then his own hand as he lay in wait as a dead body. Sebastian gives credit to his young master for masterminding the entire affair, although naturally, all of the responsibility of carrying out the plan was left to him. While acting out the farce, Sebastian still had to make sure the meals were pre-made and instructions left for the rest of the staff, and lamented the bloody state of his clothes from the blood staining. He still found time, however, to steal a few moments with his feline companions.
Aside from taunting Ciel, Sebastian does have a sense of humor. It's a shame that it goes on behind the scenes, but whatever he does, he managed to make Undertaker roar with laughter early on in the manga and thus provide them with important information in exchange, while the attempts of Ciel and Madame Red barely raised a brow. Perhaps, with most things, he merely figured out the key to cracking the puzzle and did his best.