InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "We're jammin'!"

Sebastian "weirdo nerd" Michaelis (servingdinner) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2016-03-23 23:54:00

Entry tags:

angelina burnett, ciel phantomhive, sebastian michaelis, yuuri shibuya

[backdated to Day 367] classy Victorians can afford being late to the party
a;

[Watch out! When they said, "let's launch our kids into the future", they probably didn't mean this: a Victorian boy sailing at inhuman speeds over everyone's heads.

The kid's desperately screaming "Sebastian!" even as he collides with… well, Sebastian. Who just so happened to arrive in the prison a moment prior. Saying that Ciel "collides" with him is selling Sebastian short: what happens is that Sebastian, in that one moment between arriving and having a flying kid crash into him, manages to turn around just in time to catch Ciel in his arms.

It’s… not Sebastian's best heroic catch. Managing to catch someone at a moment's notice is one thing – bracing for the unexpected impact at the same time is another entirely. With a grunt he takes a stumbling step backwards—

possibly right into you. You know, if you just happened to be innocently standing there and didn't have the reflexes to move out of the way of two people who were literally not there a moment earlier. Sorry?]

[[OOC: Let us know if you'd like Ciel, Sebastian or both for this option!]]

b;

[Five minutes later and Ciel's off, doing his part in finding more intel on this place. He's approaching people at random, turning wide lost eyes on others and wandering around like a lost child. Anyone in the vicinity will hear him poshly asking for help.]

I think I'm lost. [Looks down at his jumpsuit. How awful. Not to mention ill-fitting, the sleeves spilling over his fingers and his legs being dwarfed by bunches of cloth. Looks back up.] No. I'm definitely lost. Have you seen my caretaker? Tall, dark, ridiculously useless when faced with cats? We were separated and...I don't even know why I'm here.

[So innocent. Much helpless. The powers that be definitely screwed up with this one. Feel free to spill anything you know about this place to him, even gossip if need be.]

c;

[Five minutes later, Sebastian is on the other side of the dome, to do his part of the investigation. "Try to find a way to break us out." Not the easiest task when his demon powers are restrained, but of course he'll give it his all regardless.

At least his part doesn't require any helpless act - he's changed out of the jumpsuit, is strolling alongside the edge of the dome with seemingly perfect composure before calmly stopping, looking up at the wall... you'd think he isn't a new arrival at all, acting so cool about everything. That is, perhaps, before he turns his head towards any passerby and asks, pleasantly and with a smile:]

The dome truly has never shown signs of cracking, has it?

[Maybe he is a little worried, after all.]

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

	soularpower 2016-03-24 09:55 pm UTC (link)
	Yes. Something unexpected. [Suspicious squints at Sebastian.] Do you truly not remember? Undertaker threw me from the balcony. You were trying to catch my hand and... [You kind of failed?] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	servingdinner 2016-03-24 10:16 pm UTC (link)
	[Sebastian frowns up at Ciel for a moment.] Did you have a nightmare? [Reaches up to gingerly touch his temple. No head injuries in the fall?] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-03-25 09:06 pm UTC (link)

[No, unless Sebastian counted being caged by a metaphorical steel frame and knocking his head against it as they impacted as a head injury. He allows the touch without any reaction, used to Sebastian's lack of physical boundaries by now.]

Don't insult me, Sebastian! I'm well aware of when my mind is playing tricks on me and what I saw... [He breaks eye contact with Sebastian, looking down with a thoughtful expression.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

servingdinner
2016-03-25 10:31 pm UTC (link)

But none of that has happened.

[It's not that Sebastian is prone to doubting himself, but right now there's a hint of uncertainty in his voice. What did just happen, then? Ciel actually has an idea of what events have just transpired, nonsensical as they seem. Sebastian has no idea what's happening. Is he the confused one here? No, surely not.]

Undertaker? [Why would he be throwing Ciel off balconies? Let's start somewhere.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-04-05 07:45 pm UTC (link)

Yes! [He's explained all this already, is Sebastian suffering from short term memory loss now? Should he be concerned for his butler?]

Undertaker. The one who humiliated me by forcing me to tell him ridiculous jokes. Surely you remember him? [The same one who managed to play them all for fools. And why couldn't Sebastian have detected that he was a reaper? Then again, Sebastian is reacting a bit slower than normal, lacking any of his usual quippage. Maybe...?

Thrusts a hand in Sebastian's face, two digits held up.]

What is your name? How many fingers am I holding up? Are you hiding anything from me?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

1/2

servingdinner
2016-04-05 08:20 pm UTC (link)

Naturally, but I...

[Can't exactly escape the hand in his face, can he, being on the ground as he is with Ciel on top of him. Sebastian settles for making a bit of a displeased face, but he answers obediently:]

Sebastian Michaelis. Two. [He's hiding a lot of things from Ciel, but...] I do not speak false when I say I don't understand what you are talking about right now.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	servingdinner 2016-04-05 08:26 pm UTC (link)
	Young master. I apologise, but... [Sebastian holds up three fingers (without thrusting them in Ciel's face, thank you very much).] The same three questions. Please answer in turn. [Yes, Ciel just told him off for insinuating that he's imagining things. Just let him rule out the possibility of a concussion on Ciel's end too and he'll stop suggesting it.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-04-05 08:56 pm UTC (link)

[Sits back on Sebastian's spleen (does he even have one?) and huffs, crossing his arms in annoyance. Must they? Sebastian's the disturbed one here, and now he's making Ciel jump through hoops to convince him otherwise. How irritating.]

I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive, The Queen's Watchdog. Whether or not I'm hiding something is none of your business. And four. [Because he's a little brat.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	servingdinner 2016-04-05 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	[Ciel, pardon your dumbass butler who falls for your trolling. FROWNS SO MUCH as he reaches up to cup Ciel's head between his hands. Brb inching his fingers all the way over Ciel's skull to find that head injury.] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	soularpower 2016-04-05 10:25 pm UTC (link)
	[Wait, are we already at the ~scalp massage~ part of the day? Surely not in public! Says quietly, and somewhat dangerously.] Sebastian. What on earth are you doing? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

servingdinner
2016-04-06 10:53 pm UTC (link)

[Oh, sure, Ciel gets to sit on Sebastian and tear his clothes off right in the middle of the street, but as soon as Sebastian touches him it's "you can't do that in public~~". He sees how it is.

What he doesn't see is any wound. And that's even after he ignores Ciel's dangerous tone and simply continues his investigation until he's satisfied. Okay, giving Ciel back his head now.]

Neither of us is injured. [That's what on earth he's doing. Being concerned for you, you brat. Things would be a lot less puzzling right now if either of them had hit their head.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	soularpower 2016-04-06 11:31 pm UTC (link)
	[Well, sorry to disappoint and make your life so difficult. You knew he was a hypocrite the moment you started contracting with him and you did it anyway? Joke's on you?] Then how do you explain your lapse in memory? [Because it's certainly not his.] Maybe we should start with what you last remember. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	servingdinner 2016-04-07 12:04 am UTC (link)
	[Regrets are occasionally had. Not often, but occasionally.] I was just in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. [Certainly not jumping off any balconies. Besides:] There is no way I would suffer memory loss because of a mere head injury. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	soularpower 2016-04-07 12:14 am UTC (link)
	[That's all well and good (and probably very true about the mere head injury part) but...] You're in the kitchen every morning, preparing breakfast. Except when we visit the palace. This does not help. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	servingdinner 2016-04-07 12:34 am UTC (link)
	[Uh.] Young master, it is the 16th of April. [They're going on that sea voyage tomorrow, remember?] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-04-07 12:51 am UTC (link)

[Oh. Well, that settles it then. Sebastian, against all assertion that demons don't get concussions or lose their memories, has a mild case of post-traumatic amnesia.

Ciel will just have to take charge. Again. Dismounts from his butler!pony and on the way up, starts tugging on the sleeve of Sebastian's coat. He's not normally so physical with Sebastian (or anyone really) but the image of Sebastian's desperate face is still clinging to his mind.]

Come. We'll solve this, you'll see. [He doubts anyone here will know demon anatomy but at least a quick physical check may reveal how to reverse Sebastian's memory lapse.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

servingdinner
2016-04-07 10:09 am UTC (link)

[Don't tell him that's a wrong answer, too. Tugged, Sebastian obediently stands up, not protesting Ciel's hold on him. He starts re-buttoning his vest with his free hand at the same time as finally taking a good look at their surroundings.

...Where are they even?

You know, Sebastian is (to put it mildly) a confident, self-assured person, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to remain self-assured when nothing at all makes sense. He's not worried for himself, but if there's something wrong with him that means he's not on top of his game to protect Ciel.

Looks back at Ciel again. You're in charge of the sense-making for the time being, so:]

Where are we, then? [Moreover:] And the balcony?

[He swears to Satan, if Ciel tells him he never said anything about a balcony and Sebastian just hallucinated hearing him mention one, he's retiring.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-04-07 09:40 pm UTC (link)

[Looks all around at the unfamiliar technological doodads, noting the copious use of electricity where in London, such use is just starting to be implemented. He can take two guesses as to where they are, and might not even need the second one.]

It looks like the Reaper headquarters. Undertaker or [grimaces] Sutcliff may have inadvertently sent us here. [And as soon as the thought occurs to him, Ciel pushes Sebastian against the wall, enacting stealth mode. They'll walk along it, with Ciel glancing around corners for Reapers before tugging Sebastian along.

For some reason, the stragglers they see wandering here and there don't seem to have Reaper colored eyes, but Ciel's chalking that up to Reapers being ridiculous creatures that contract human soul constructs for their maintenance work. Or at least, it makes sense in his head. And the balcony?]

It was a distraction technique. Undertaker knew you'd try to catch me [Sebastian's sleeve gets a light squeeze at that] and took advantage of that. [He gives him an unreadable sideways glance.] I've never seen you make that face before. [Does he mean the pain from being skewered? The desperation on Sebastian's face when Ciel's fingers slipped from his? Who knows.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

1/2

servingdinner
2016-04-08 04:30 pm UTC (link)

[Reapers. Sure, why not - it makes about as much sense as anything else these last five minutes. If Ciel hadn't already been holding on to him Sebastian would have been tempted to pull him close as he pushes Sebastian against the wall. As it is, he goes along with what Ciel decides to do... while reaching inside his suit jacket for his cutlery. Nothing. Not one single knife. Somehow, that figures. That's one point in Ciel's favour in this game of "which one of them has lost his grip on reality?".

Sebastian keeps regarding Ciel long moments after the young master has already turned his face away from him. Tilts his head slightly, quizzically. He can't quite read that expression, but whatever face he (apparently) made, Sebastian assumes it wasn't a proper butler face. So:]

I apologise.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

servingdinner
2016-04-08 04:36 pm UTC (link)

[He's about to comment on how the people around don't look like Reapers, but he stops himself before opening his mouth. "Look"? Why was he about to use that word? Why not "they don't feel supernatural"? He thinks it over for a moment, and-- he can't feel anything in particular from any of those people. Because they're not alive? No, he...

His senses are oddly dulled. Another point for Ciel. While the young master checks around the corner for the coast to be clear, Sebastian takes a moment to do something very unlike himself: actually consider if he's feeling all right. Does he feel strange in any other way?

...Huh.

With one arm still claimed by Ciel, Sebastian sinks down on one knee. No, he's not suddenly fainting:]

What you are saying is that Undertaker is a Reaper? [Please explain this plot twist while Sebastian is down here on the ground. Doing things, apparently.]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-04-15 08:21 pm UTC (link)

[Ciel nearly loses his balance when Sebastian takes a knee, forcing him to stumble back a step when the hand he's trying to pull along refuses to budge. He glances back with confusion.

Oh, what are you doing down there? Yes, yes, he understands, fealty forever and always, one hell of a best butler, now is not the time. Unless...]

Are you succumbing to your head wound? You? [They can't afford the time right now, get up, faint later, when they're out of Reaper HQ. Except Sebastian isn't budging and neither of them are going anywhere soon, so Ciel sighs and resigns himself to explaining in more detail, all while keeping a look-out for any pesky Reapers.]

All this time and you never noticed. I guess this means you lose your title as "one hell of a lie detector." I suppose it makes sense now why he's always covered his eyes. I just attributed it to him attempting to hide his scars.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

servingdinner
2016-04-16 08:25 am UTC (link)

[Being a practitioner of "actions first, explanations later", not only does Sebastian not budge; he also doesn't answer one way or another (that helps so much with making you seem coherent and all there, Sebastian). Oh, he listens to what Ciel is saying, and frowns at his words... or maybe it's at his own investigations.

Sebastian pulls up the hem of one of his trouser legs to expose his ankle (there's no end to the scandalousness today). There's the ankle monitor, fitted tightly around his leg.]

Look here. [And please explain this if it makes any sense to you. Sebastian will return to the topic of Undertaker, but for the moment being this takes precedence. He raises his eyes somewhat, to confirm-- yes, Ciel is wearing the same kind of ankle bracelet. How about Sebastian just reaches out and tries to break it for Ciel (gently; he's not looking to hurt the young master's delicate little legs.)]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

soularpower
2016-05-25 03:42 am UTC (link)

[He can't say he's thrilled at having a butler flashing his ankle all willy nilly at the general public (this type of risqué behavior will not be tolerated, Sebastian, shame) but that all flies out the window when he catches sight of the contraption around Sebastian's leg.

What the-?!

Ciel's anklet doesn't break, no matter how skillfully Sebastian tugs at it. It does, however, seem much more constrictive and heavy now that Ciel's aware of it.

Leg manacles. That can only mean one thing.]

Sebastian. Are we prisoners here? No. They wouldn't have let us wander around like this if we were. [And is that thing blinking at them?] Could it be...that it's a bomb?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

servingdinner
2016-05-25 08:01 pm UTC (link)

Doubtful. There is no smell of either gunpowder nor guncotton.

[Sebastian would much prefer to free Ciel before thinking of himself, but once it's established no amount of dexterity will unlock the contraption he abandons Ciel's leg to instead tug at his own manacle, as hard has he possibly can - there is, after all, no risk of Sebastian snapping his own leg in two.

Of course, nothing happens, and Sebastian frowns. Weak. That was pitifully weak, for an attempt at 'as hard as he possibly can'.]

I believe its function is, rather, to subdue. Normally it would be child's play for me to break something like this.

[And surely, even if Sebastian's mentally unwell that shouldn't affect his physical strength?]

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	soularpower 2016-05-26 12:45 pm UTC (link)
	[Well, that's certainly a relief. Ciel has no interest in adding a peg leg to his eye patch. The idea of being a pirate might have been romantic when he'd been four, but it would just be bloody annoying at this point.] Normally? What do you mean by that? [Couldn't his butler do anything and everything? Even be stabbed and brush it off like a scratch?] (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)