A Lesson For Kuroshitsuji Cosplayers, From Sebastian With Love
Here is something controversial for you. And, dare I say it…sexy. It's all for fun, but also food for thought. You are going to gasp, going to shake your head, going to laugh, and going to have your eyes unintentionally widen in surprise. Because today, 'Sebastian' is here to entertain us! You won't be getting away until you read this, right to the very shocking end. If only every anime convention was the same! *sigh*
Author's Note: I mean absolutely no offence at all to cosplayers. I am not saying that you should go and do what 'Sebastian' does...unless you want to. Unless the people at the con drag you off stage (in either lust or disgust) or they blush uncontrollably. Unless you are a hairy guy, who in that case, should never ever attempt to...oh never mind, I can't bare continuing that sentence.
This is a one shot, to be clear. And now, I have to source the picture that gave me inspiration for this story. It's the manga cover from volume six. Check it out on Google Images: 'kuroshitsuji volume cover 6'. For some annoying reason I am unable to post a direct web link for us to see the picture, and I am not sure if we are even allowed to do that, so I will leave things be. But DO see the picture. It gives you a chance to see the costume he wears.
Now that you've seen it, can you imagine the real Ciel, just sitting back like that in his chair while the real Sebastian...does more active things? Hehe. I'll grab the tissues, you have the nosebleed.
We start off with two cosplayers. For all the dedicated cosplayers out there, this one's for you!
Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji is the intellectual property of Toboso Yana.
Rated: T
The train was so stuffy.
A tall, slender girl scented the warm air around her, and wrinkled her fine nose in mild disgust. Somehow, she was sure that the carriage smelt faintly of wet dog.
She clung to a swinging handle above her as the train rattled on, the mid-morning sunshine passing over the row of windows and spilling onto the dirty carriage floor and the legs of many standing passengers.
Her companion was a delicate- looking young boy of five feet who sat in front of her in the seat she had saved for him, the last one available. He rested with one leg crossed over the other, his half-lidded left eye staring around the train in a condescending, dispassionate fashion. His right eye was concealed by an eye patch.
The other passengers decided that the pair was worth their interest, and so now and then they would abandon their novels and half-solved sudoku puzzles to steal a glance in their direction. This was short-lived, as the people's furtive looks were somehow brought to the attention of the sternly smiling girl, even though her back was turned to all. Her burnt-amber eyes sought the other eyes out and stared them down, driving them back to mind their own business. How did she know? She must have seen their heads move in the reflection of the windows in front of her. Of course. The girl now shifted her stance in order to shield her younger companion from their unworthy gazes.
But the passengers couldn't help staring; these two were dressed so irregularly. The young boy, who can't have been more than thirteen, wore a nineteenth-century style outfit: his revealing black shorts were upturned and triple-buttoned at the sides, his calf-length darkest navy socks were upheld by black leather suspender straps that were tightened just under his knees, and reminded some of lingerie stockings. He sported heeled black shoes that were tied up with large navy ribbons.
The owner of the shoes wavered his crossed legs impatiently as the passengers continued to secretly absorb his outfit from the corner of their visions.
His white, flowing shirt peeped out at his high collar and at his long sleeves where it overflowed, but was mainly concealed by a tight yet smoothly-fitting black, double-breasted jacket. The jacket had a refined sheen about it, giving it the quality of smooth leather. It was adorned by a large trio of black roses on the right upper chest, and fine, dark gold chains hung down from them in a loose bundle. Some chains fell in a curve over to his left side, where they were fastened in place by a dark gold pin that bore the letter 'P'. Round his proud neck rested a glossy navy bow of ribbon.
If the boy were to stand, his admirers would have a full view to the dramatic extent of his jacket's layering, for he sat on the black embroidered train that flowed out from behind him when he walked. His shirt too, seemed so long that it fell out at its back to the length of his knees.
Crowning his head was a shiny top hat with a wide brim. It was decorated with more navy ribbon and a side gathering of black roses, and rising from their centre were an accentuation of two dark, curled feathers that bobbed gently with every jolt that the train gave. Perhaps for dramatic effect, he adorned an eye patch over his right eye. And covering the young boy's fingers were black leather half-gloves - they left his wrists exposed. He also had two bold rings on either hand, one gold and the other a large blue gem.
In his hands rested a lengthy stick, which seemed to most like a ridding crop meant for whipping horses with…so what did he need that here for? The way he positioned it in his tight, leather-clad grip as he looked boldly down upon the general populace, was nothing short of erotic. 'Who is up for some nice punishment?' he seemed to say, as he slapped it's tip up and down into his left palm. This boy was dressed to make a statement, and he was making no apologies to anyone about his sexually suggestive outfit.
The tall girl, probably just out of her teenage years, was wearing nothing near as complex and layered. From what the most daring of the passengers could lean across to discern, she wore a neatly-ironed white shirt with tiny pleats, a thin, black bow tie, and grey vest that was half-covered by her black jacket from which swallow tails drew gracefully around by the back of her sleek black trousers. Her white gloves contrasted with her black suit, and though her outfit was simple, it had a certain classic elegance about it. As she stood there dutifully in faultless posture, it was clear; she was playing the part of a high-class servant to that haughty little noble-child. The only thing awry with her outfit was her choice of footwear; the tips of glossy leather heels glimmered out from beneath the long legs of her trousers, ever so excitingly. This was a servant, yes, but a servant with her own brand of personal style.
Everything the two wore seemed to be modelled after ordinary day wear, but intended for the people from over one hundred years ago. How peculiar! Where would anybody go to purchase such fine, antiquated attire? Surely, it was vintage or tailor-made, and therefore very expensive. Some appreciative people silently applauded the pair's efforts for…whatever they wanted such costumes for.
And not to mention their hair styles. The boy had dyed his a dark teal and oddly enough, had it cut into a contrastingly modern bob with a edgy, split fringe that allowed random tendrils to frame his boyish round face. His one eye was bright blue, an azure so strong it could only have been from the colouring of a contact lens.
And his friend was wearing an all-too intimidating pair of dark red contacts. Those, combined with the paleness her makeup had lent her smooth face, made her seem to belong to an otherworldly, haunted place. Her choppy long locks of jet black floated perfectly around her cheeks. The sides of her hair tapered up around her defined jaw, until they formed into a recognisably male-type cut. What sacrifice for a girl- to cut her hair, people thought, all to look the part of a male butler!
For they were cosplayers, and serious ones at that. While the boy played Ciel Phantomhive, the young lone Earl of his English household, the older girl played his demon butler, bound by Faustian contract to serve until the day the Ceil character should die. And then this demon, named Sebastian, would devour his human soul. So grim a plot for the quiet-natured girl in her innocent butler's costume.
The train came to a grinding halt at the next station. Standing still, the girl seemed to defy the laws of gravity, while the other standing passengers swayed from the force of momentum that had their susceptible bodies still moving forward. It was because her character of choice was a demon, and demons did not give way to the rules that mortals obeyed.
They were in character all the way, these two.
The carriage doors scrapped open, and with the influx of new passengers came a trio of equally unusually dressed teens.
"Ha, amateurs," people turned in surprise as the boy finally broke his stiff silence with a mocking glance towards these other cosplayers, who were now eagerly making their way over to the unenthusiastic pair. The arrivals were dressed for the part, but their costumes could never hold a candle to the pair's 'Ciel' and 'Sebastian' act.
"It seems that they wish to travel with us, My Lord" said the girl, grinning as she played up her butler's mannerisms exactly.
The small group of youths approached and took places around the pair. They set their backpacks down between their legs and held onto the handles above them, as the train took off from the station. A rosy-cheeked brunette girl, in what seemed like a black school uniform with a red armband, grinned broadly to the young boy. She frivolously waved her fingers at him from the opposite side of the carriage.
"Hi, I'm Alice! I mean, 'Yuki', ahem. Do you like the costume?" She gave her short skirt a twirl while clinging to a nearby pole. He remained quietly disinterested, while his companion observed the newcomer carefully from her high vantage point. The butler thought on how poorly put together this Alice girl's costume was; as she rotated parts of loose white thread fell from her modified black skirt. But Alice herself didn't seem to notice.
Beside her were two others; an older looking teen boy with similar facial appearance to her was wearing a white suit with black embroidered patterns, and the smaller, short white-haired girl was wearing a school-type uniform identical to Alice's. Alice turned back in assurance to her friends as if to say, 'These people don't talk, but aren't their costumes so cool!' She tactlessly pressed on talking before the silence between the two companies deepened into uncomfortable limits.
"You're going to the convention too, right? Or do you guys usually dress like that?" she snorted too soon at her own joke. 'Ciel' left her hanging. His Sebastian stood there calmly, her head above the chatter that was about to re-erupt.
"This is my best friend, Julia, and she's playing Zero. You know Zero right? See, we're all doing Vampire Knight. And that is Lucas, my boring-ass brother over here," the jabbering girl pointed to her obviously sullen brother, "but we managed to make him play Kaname. He has the height for it, and his hair is naturally dark so it's easy that way."
"Yah! Easy for you guys. Seriously, why couldn't you just ask that Leanne chick instead? I'm not the only one in the world with brown hair, for Christ's sake…," Lucas, a.k.a. the unwilling Kaname, sulked as he slouched against a pole, not bothering to reach for a hand hold. Bad posture and a miserable expression, the tall girl thought. Not much of a Kaname at all.
The short girl, Julia, piped in, "You know Leanne is sick. Besides, it will be fun once we get there. And I so can't wait!" She turned to the blue-eyed boy, "I haven't been to a con in ages! Alice here is so kind, you know, you… Uh, hey, what is your name? You never told us."
As Julia waited meekly, the nobly-dressed boy took his time in turning his stare from out a window to directly into Julia's light blue eyes. His rich azure overcame her own shade so easily. It was to be the same with his character.
"You may call me Ciel," he spoke in measured syllables, not wasting any more breath than he had to on this sad stranger.
"And I am Sebastian," the tall girl's voice rolled gracefully over them from above in velvet tones. At this Lucas sat up, recognising something in this girl that was not to be taken for granted. She had presence.
"Nice to meet you, 'Sebastian'," Alice laughed, "I can't believe I didn't pick it earlier! You guys have Kuroshitsuji written all over you!"
"Excuse me, did you just say that we have 'shit' written all over us?" Ciel snapped bitterly at the misunderstood jumble of words.
"What? No! No! That's the Japanese name of the anime you're cosplaying, didn't you know?"
"Oh," Ciel replied apathetically.
"Seriously! How could someone not know these things…" Alice trailed off as her eyes were caught by Sebastian, who was well-practiced in the art of delivering a devastating, yet perfectly pleasant smile, just as like her character. The other girl backed down immediately.
Julia instead tried to smooth things over for her, "Anyway, Alice invited me over to stay, since my home is so far away from any conventions. I can stay with her for two whole days after this, so we can have lots of time exploring the stuff we bright home today. Isn't that gonna be so much fun?"
"Yup, but I know the convention itself will be awesome too...Speaking of which, we should be there in twenty minutes," Alice inspected her watch. With nothing to do her mind wondered, and she took in the tall girl's smooth paleness and fine features, her burnt-amber eyes and her effortlessly Sebastian-like demeanour. She took in Ciel's carefully re-created outfit with all its decorative pieces, and then her magpie-like eyes glinted at the sight of his chains, "And you guys. You seem to have done a lot of work to get your costumes so detailed. Seriously, look at those gold chains on his jacket. How did you do all that?"
As Alice incorrectly moved in to invade Ciel's personal space by reaching for his jacket, a swift hand slammed down from above and grasped her own, like a hawk that had swooped in on its clueless prey.
"You must not touch my master."
"I…I was only curious. Um, sorry," she stuttered, slightly afraid. Sebastian let her hand fall slowly but didn't let up her unnerving stare.
After a few seconds, Julia tried again, "Wow. Um, you guys really take your cosplay seriously, don't you? I mean, you even act like the real Sebastian. That is really dedicated of you. And you, 'Ciel', your act is perfect. But I don't think the real Ciel would have a riding crop with him. What happened to his cane?"
"I think that being Ciel allows me to choose what is right for me to carry with me, do you not think so?" Ciel spoke like the real Phantomhive, shooting down another one of Julia's friendly offerings. At this clever answer the boy's butler smiled widely down at him in amusement.
"I guess that's one way to look at it," Julia fell silent once more.
And for the rest of the train ride things were quiet.
As the train came to a groaning stop at their awaited station, Sebastian extended her gloved hand towards Ciel, who took it automatically, and she guided him through the crowds towards the open doors. Alice and co. took advantage of the path Sebastian had carved and made a bee line towards the exit. From behind, Julia beamed at the sight of the little Ciel being escorted through the rabble crowd of bustling passengers by a truly dedicated Sebastian. Almost like the real thing, she daydreamed.
The moment the pair hit the station platform they set off at a brisk pace, the irritated boy leading. He wanted nothing to do with these common people. They didn't know what kind of an insult they were to their chosen characters, and it was sickening for he and his Sebastian to watch them do what they thought was a perfectly just expression of cosplay.
Sebastian followed her master while simultaneously whispering to him quiet instructions as to where they were heading. The girl had taken note of the location, not the boy. Though she had superior capabilities to he in most aspects, it was her Ciel who was in charge, and so she told him exactly where they were going next, before they met a new corner. They travelled seamlessly through the streets at quick pace, and soon they reached the front of the local convention venue. They had also put fat minutes between them and Alice… Sebastian praised herself with a private smile.
Standing outside the venue, they could see it was a large community hall used for various events. The exterior looked old but friendly, with brass doors and red carpet inside. Sebastian glided forward to hold the doors open for Ciel, who walked through without acknowledging her efforts. As was the role of Ciel. Following closely behind, Sebastian and he came immediately upon the people of the convention.
Though this was a relatively small one, it seemed that the local anime-lovers had been itching for a convention for quite some time, because the entrance was thick with crowds. The late registration desk was positioned in one corner of the foyer room, while several labelled open double-doors lead away to large halls, presumably holding exhibitions and more.
"Where did you want to go first, My Lord?" the girl leaned over to Ciel's ear, making sure he heard her. Ciel let her hot breath sweep over his cheek as he watched the crowds rush by. He wondered exactly what they thought they were achieving by imitating characters in this way. He knew why he was doing this. But why where they? Why would they undertake this chaos and noisy hassle, just to get a taste of characters who only existed on pages of a book? Why obsess over the intangible?
Ciel sighed deeply. Then he spoke, "I want to see the manga books first. I want to know exactly what stories they are selling to these…fans."
Amber eyes inspected the door signs rapidly in turn. Then his guide ploughed through the crowds, using a combination of her striking resemblance to the real deal, which scared the crap out of most Kuroshitsuji fans, and her physical prowess. Soon they had entered a hall with endless rows of stands filled with posters, mangas, Dvds and Cd soundtracks to animes, and other tonnes of merchandise. The place was packed with avid collectors and stall onwers. The two spent half an hour searching through their own theme's section. The boy was overwhelmed to read of Ciel and Sebastian's adventures in manga.
"Sebastian, they have this!" he held up a manga focusing on the Jack the Ripper chapters in outrage, pointing out the moment when Ciel had been cross-dressing and was drugged by Alister in a quiet room, only as an attempt to sell him off to the highest bidder in an underground auction.
"Oh, My Lord, don't look at it," Sebastian stayed in character by acting mildly affronted, and gently took the book from Ciel's grasp to place it back on the stand. Ciel moped, and the stand owner began to chide Sebastian for not buying the comic.
"Oi, girl!" You can't just read these and put them back. This is not a library!"
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and took an impressive stance as he addressed down to the noisy man, "We are professional cosplaying actors, can you not tell? We must perform soon, and simply wanted to revisit some earlier events of the story so that we could better comprehend Ciel's character weaknesses."
"Hey!" Ciel yelled at her.
"Do not get so defensive…My Lord," Sebastian's words were laden with hints, and she urged Ciel to not press further. She turned back up to the stall owner and issued a shallow bow for sake of ending the issue, "Forgive us."
"Uh, alright then, since you're one of the professionals…" he trailed off, suddenly shy, and quickly busied himself by straightened stacks of unsold manga. Sebastian politely steered her master away from the merchandise hall, and they made their way into the exhibition hall nearby.
There they found many fan-entered artworks; some amazing, some mere filler for the true masterpieces of hours-worth of laboured talent. On coming upon the Kuroshitsuji section, Ciel immediately fumed at his nostrils- the first artwork on display was a yaoi-inclined drawing of his favourite character with that wicked Alois Trancy.
"My God! Tear it down, Sebastian, do it for me now! I command you!"
"I'm afraid that would cause undue hassle to our situation. It is simply a drawing and cannot harm us. Would you rather we not move onto some nicer pictures?"
Ciel pouted but knew he was only making a fuss. He quickly ran past the Ciel and Alois monstrosity, which anyhow had a nice palate of red and blue in it, and stopped short of another artwork that caught his eye.
"Oh Se-bast-i-annn! Come and see this, and tell me it doesn't irritate you."
Dutifully, Sebastian strode over to where her master waited, but her body froze over as she saw the picture to which he was referring to. There, in all its red and black glory, was a scene of none other than Grell Sutcliff and Sebastian Michaelis, entwined on top of their discarded jackets as they fondled each other under the full moonlight that bathed a London rooftop. It was too much to bear. Ciel thought he heard her dry retch.
"Let us…move on…now…please, My Lord."
"Ohh, but I really like the use of oil paints in this one. It really makes the painting come alive, wouldn't you say? Especially with the glowing quality in the lover's eyes. Mmmm. Especially that," Ciel put a hand to his chin in mock thought. Others nearby were remarking on how cute the picture looked.
"Please, My Lord. Anything but Grell. I must insist."
Ciel chuckled as he lead them on to safer artworks, while his butler walked in uneven, shuddering strides behind him.
As they further toured the convention, they were learning a lot about how people here treated Kuroshitsuji, how they viewed its characters, and who they decided to pair them up with. There were even a lot of suggestive pictures of Ciel and Sebastian together. While openly, the boy and his companion both threw up their hands dismissively at the images, privately each considered the portrayals as somewhat accurate. The pair decided to overlook the bands and autograph sessions altogether, seeing them as an unnecessary detour. Eventually they made their way to the first cosplaying competition of the day.
The room dedicated to it was huge and airy, and thank goodness for that, because most of the people in the convention had begun to pile into it. There were various tables circled by chairs that attempted to accommodate the swell of people. Around them, Ciel watched the swarms push past, he feeling secure with his protector standing over him. No one could knock her down, so he would always be safe. A tsunami couldn't shake his faith in her.
Sebastian also watched: from her height she saw the tops of many hats and wigs; some hideous, some tolerable. Nothing came close to the authentic grace of her master's garments, nor her own. Suddenly, in the distance she spied a bright red haired cosplayer with a bright red jacket and…a chainsaw?
"My Lord, I think we should move. Follow me closely now," Sebastian tried to keep herself from darting away and leaving Ciel behind as the red hair drew nearer and nearer to them, a shark's garish fin gliding through the sea of people. She was not in the mood for taking any form of Grell right now.
Just as the crowds closed over behind them and concealed them, some people heard a disappointed voice moan to their friends, "Awwww! I swear I just saw a really good 'Sebastian' right now. They were right here! Damn it, we should have run faster! I've been needing a Sebas-chan to complete my look…Now I can't even get a kiss from them to post on You Tube. Life's so unfair."
Luckily, Sebastian and Ciel were well out of ear shot, and had already made their way to a distant table on the other side of the hall. There Sebastian drew out a chair and helped Ciel into it, then took her post beside him as they watched the show begin.
It lasted another half hour and was enjoyable to a certain extent. But it also showed them both how many other animes had been treated in the same fashion to Kuroshitsuji. So many had been…imitated, yet not truly captured. Only a handful of people had gone above and beyond. Those dedicated few knew exactly what it was to be in the character's skin. And how to embrace them completely. Sebastian thought, it may not be the same as the real thing, but these rare few made a worthy tribute to the characters.
They watched as costume after costume was judged. After the contest was over and the happy winners announced, Sebastian made sure they held back till the hall was relatively empty. In the murmuring quiet, she knelt to Ciel's side so they could exchange private words. The boy spoke first.
"Sebastian. This is all a dress up game to them. They don't understand. Do they?"
"I doubt it, My Lord….I think now is the time to let go of what cannot be changed. I sincerely do not think that most of them will ever understand…to the full extent…of what it is to be…not just, act."
"Then let's go home now. There's nothing left for us here. We found what we wanted to know."
"Yes, My Lord," in her kneeling position she placed her right hand over her heart and rose to draw out Ciel's chair.
The hall was now dotted with shifted chairs and chatting fans, which they weaved past. The pair were making their way past a group of people at one of thee few still-full tables. These people seemed to be having a heated discussion about something. Ciel lingered in their direction and overheard their argument.
"You can't just cross some random pair together because they're the same gender, and stamp the label 'yaoi' on them! Or 'yuri'! Give me a break. It's like every character has been forced into some heinous pairing. You fan girls take it to a new low, seriously," it was Lucas, the failed Kaname. He seemed to be bored enough, or stupid enough, to dare argue with fan girls. Dangerous.
"Oh yea? Well give us one example of a 'heinous pairing'!" a Kallen of Code Geass cosplayer barked insultedly.
"Yea, tell us!" Naruto's Sakura demanded.
"Like…like what's his name…you know, the guy…with the thing…" Lucas trailed off, not knowing much at all about particular animes.
"They all have things, that's what makes them guys," a girl smirked. The others giggled.
"I didn't mean it like that...Yea, see! That's why these sick pairings occur; because you fan girls have sick minds," Lucas retorted in satisfaction, not realising how close the Kallen was to concussing him from behind with her plastic gun. Sebastian shook her head at the girl from where she stood across the table, and Kallen miserably lowered her weapon.
"Well then, give us that example we've been waiting on," said another.
Ciel interjected coolly, "What about Grell Sutcliff and Sebastian Michaelis?"
"Ah, yea, but they go together, that's different," Lucas spoke to the voice behind him that he didn't yet recognise.
"I think my butler would disagree," the Ciel boy came into his view, his Sebastian following closely behind with a slightly sour look on her marble-like face.
"It's you two again! Ha, I didn't mean to offend your butler, but that's what Alice said. She actually wouldn't stop talking about Kuroshitsuji after you guys left us. I think your costumes got to her."
Ciel frowned at the mention of the insulting sounding Japanese name, but he nodded at the idea of their costumes blowing that silly Alice girl's sawdust-brain away. That's what reality did to fake people, after all.
"Well forget this, because I think it's time for a little fun. Let's have a competition! Whoever does the most entertaining thing with their character, wins!" challenged Sakura.
"Sure, I'm in," Kallen agreed.
While the cosplayers were organising themselves, Sebastian leaned over her master's shoulder, "My Lord, shall we leave now?"
"No, I want to watch what they do."
"But you know it won't give us any new information. The mission is dead, is it not?"
"I know that," Ciel whispered back. But he had comes to realise something as he heard them talk of odd pairings. Here, people would never give what Ciel wanted. Right down to the sickening mismatch of Grell and his butler, they had no respect. They were too narrow-minded. So, if there was no way to change them, and he was stuck here for the long present, there was nothing else to be done…So might it not make sense to find a way to be at peace with their beliefs, even if they were slightly crude? These people were not purposely being malicious. And besides, he had nothing left to loose now.
"We are staying here Sebastian. There is nothing more to do, but find a way to enjoy ourselves amongst these fools. What do you say?"
"…I say, considering our circumstances, that is a very wise judgement from you, My Lord."
"Very well. I shall sit here a while and watch them perform. Their pathetic attempts at acting might make me laugh."
Sebastian grinned gently before standing upright. And 'fools' they all were. But while the companions were here all they could do now was, as the boy said, enjoy themselves.
The players were surrounding a nearby low, circular platform around which they dragged chairs to watch from. She helped Ciel into a chair right in front of the platform, giving him an optimum view, and then stepped back as one of the cosplayers mounted the platform as music played from an Ipod and speakers, and they started to 'act out' their character in what Sebastian thought was a very stupid manner.
Ciel smirked at the actions. He was cosy in his seat and happy for one rare moment, even if from only the ridicule of others. Sebastian smiled from her place behind her master.
The games progressed and Sebastian stood back, continuing to watch them vaguely. She was suprised by a whispering of her name, "Sebastian! Hey…hey black butler! Over here!"
Sebastian turned to see a teen girl calling to her by a lone-standing chair that was some feet back from the last row of chairs around the platform. Making sure Ciel was happily occupied, she left her post to address the stranger, "Can I help you?"
The teen girl was of medium height with light brown hair and warm eyes. She seemed very pleased to get hold of this particular cosplayer.
"I just wanted to say, your costume is the best I've ever seen. A lot of people have been saying that there was an awesome Sebastian cosplayer around somewhere, so I've been looking around for you. I just had to see if you were as good as they said you were. And you're better. Really, you look like the female version of him. A very good imitation of the character."
At this, she saw the tall girl's face undergo a strange transformation; from mild curiosity, to mild pleasure, to…was that anger? No, she was smiling again. But there was a determined gleam in her burnt-amber eyes. The girl couldn't help but say, "How strange…even contact lenses show people's thoughts."
"I was thinking," Sebastian spoke in her velvet tone, no undertones of irritation detected, "that imitations are not very pleasant…but if you think that my costume is good, then you will really enjoy the rest of it. You have yet to see the whole costume. So, please allow me to demonstrate."
Sebastian began by removing her fine black jacket, letting it roll off her lean shoulder blades and folding it neatly on the lone chair that stood by them. She drew one hand and then the other to her mouth, so that with her teeth she could one by one tease her white gloves off her fine hands. Letting these white handfuls drop from her pursed lips to the floor, she turned her head down to watch as her bare hands slowly unbuttoned her vest - as if this was the most natural thing in the world to be doing in a room still occupied by a fair amount of people. The brown haired girl gulped as she failed to form a sentence of shock or protest. Who would even want to protest here?
The grey vest slid down her back and clung to the base of her wrists. Sebastian turned and let it slip off so it dropped easily into the chair. She proceeded to loosen her tie with one hand, pulling it roughly from side to side as she smiled down at the wide-eyed girl. The tie was set free and discarded to the ground. Sebastian slowly plucked apart her white shirt by the buttons and then loosened her belt.
Her trousers slid fast to her ankles at the same time that she allowed her shirt to fall away from her arms. All that was left now were her undergarments. Black leather undergarments.
Creamy, toned skin, like sculpted marble greeted the eyes of the surprised public. She had all the right curves. Ciel, and those focused on their competition, were yet to notice the black push up bra with dark lace trim that wound its way firmly around the girl's chest. The lack of shirt collar revealed a leather studded choker around Sebastian's neck, and a gathered and furled band of black silk around her right upper arm that looked like a small garter. And now that her trousers had been done away with, everyone could see the shoes that were once only shiny toes of leather-they were actually thigh-high black leather boots, glossy and sharp-heeled, that highlighted her slender legs. She wore black leather hotpants that didn't quite cover the plump lower curves of her butt. And suddenly, she pulled a pin from the back of her hair and a cascade of rich, shiny black hair whirled out and swept around her shoulders. The transition from reserved butler to femme fatale had been made quickly and smoothly.
"…What a cosplayer…"
"Oh, I forgot this," Sebastian reached behind her lower back to withdraw a coiled black whip. It could have only been propped between the leather hotpants and her butt cheeks, "Can you take care of my clothes for me? I have something I need to do."
The brown haired girl nodded weakly as Sebastian strode past her, towards the platform in her shining leather boots. The clicks the heels made into the floor drew people's attention, including Ciel's. His eyes widened as collective gasps broke out around him.
As she approached the temporarily empty platform she lifted one leg onto its edge, and leaned on her raised thigh with one elbow. She addressed the small but captivated audience.
"Everybody has always wanted to know what Sebastian's true form was. Well now, you know."
And with that, she launched herself gracefully onto the platform. The group watched nervously as the girl took her place in centre stage and clicked her fingers for the person in charge of the music to play a song. A Pikachu-costumed ten year old who stat on the floor- the proud little dj- trembled as the half naked, leather-clad girl pointed directly at him. It was the first time he had a girl sent chills down his young spine.
"Make it a sexy one," she winked at the Pikachu face. The innocent little mask bobbed up and down, nodding in earnest.
Ciel looked up at his Sebastian. The incredible irregularity of this situation seemed to wash over the boy without discomfort at first. If she wanted to do this, then it was her choice. But then the music started and she lashed her whip hard around her legs to the beat, where the coils entwined over the glossy leather of her boot. She twisted her left arm over her shoulder and slowly slid the whip coils up between her legs, over her butt and up her back until the whip came free of her boot leg with a soft snap, yet its tip remained poised between the front of her thighs.
At this, Ciel grew awkward and tightened the grip on his leather crop, the leathers creaking from the friction. He wished he could use his crop to lightly beat some sense into her. But knowing Sebastian…that would only encourage her right now. With a small gulp, he decided to say nothing and see where she took this.
From the platform, Sebastian watched her master mentally writhe in his chair, and she released the whip from her thighs by whirling her body around smoothly on one heel to the music. She knew what she was doing. Every sexual twist and turn, and every smooth jump and slide to the beat caused her leather outfit to crease and creak satisfyingly, and her silky black hair to whirl around her face and lips. The light-catching black leather made sure no one could look away. The music was loud, and Sebastian's body was louder. She grew in energy with the beat, urging her audience to enjoy themselves too. They soon relaxed and began to smile. She was beautiful dancer, and her moves were graceful and erotic, without being too lustful.
In the crowd were a mix of people, mostly teens and some of them cosplayers. But there was also one man. Someone's father. Sebastian decided that he should not be neglected. She gave one warning to him; a wink over her shoulder, before she crouched down and spun around on the stilettos of her heels to face him. He leaned forward in anticipation as her curved body rotated in front of him. At the moment their eyes made contact, her long whip suddenly lashed out. The audience gasped as it hit his shirt and wound around his chest, but the man barely felt the pain. Sebastian went down on her knees and crawled to face him, only two feet away. Resting up on her knees, she raised her left arm slowly, exposing the soft inner skin of her arm, and tilted her head as she wound the whip over the right side of her body, so that the cord was tense between them and pressing into her perfect rear. The taunt whip now ran from her left hand to around her back, to the man's tightly coiled chest. And then she pulled. He was dragged closer to her body as she held her stance. The way she kneeled and dragged him in accentuated his focus on her upper thighs, making him blush gladly.
"Boy, your cosplay partner is seriously out of control," one of the teens whispered beside Ciel.
"I doubt I could stop her…"
"Who said anything about stopping her?" The person quickly returned to silence, entranced in the sexual trap that was very gorgeous dancing young woman meets flimsy leather apparel.
Ciel turned to see it was the Kallen girl who had spoke...
He had to use the leather tip of his crop to keep his jaw from dropping. O-k, the boy thought. She had now seduced even the girls. The room was all hers. Ciel shook his head, almost in amusement…Go Sebastian, he thought. How could he be irritated when his butler was doing so well? A rare little grin formed on the boy's mouth. He would let her get away with this nonsense, he decided.
Back on the platform, Sebastian had dragged the man close enough to playfully nipped his hat off his head. The man was most likely minding the costume piece for those he had come with, but it was her plaything now. She released the blushing man from her whip with a skillful flick, and flipped the dark fedora neatly onto her head. Abruptly, the music swung into fast pace and she went into high gear, soon throwing the fedora up high. It arched across in mid-air to the other end of the platform, and she spun outwards rapidly to catch it in her right hand just before it sailed out of reach. Her fast revolutions were showing off her every curve and line, her barely covered butt driving them all mad. She strutted to the centre of the stage while rolling the hat up her arm and onto her head again.
Ciel could only sit back and laugh.
"Now this is my kind of anime convention…" Lucas was going gaga from opposite Ciel's end of the stage. On hearing his comment, Sebastian dove on her knees and came to a stop just in front of him. He gulped as she used her whip to curl around his pant leg and tug at it suggestively, all the while staring unmistakably at his crotch. The group giggled as they witnessed one of their own, again, become the single focus of her attentions. This was the only time they were almost free from her memorisation.
When Sebastian was done teasing Lucas she turned her attentions back to the crowd, and performed her most sexually aggressive moves yet. The song was almost over, and it was becoming more powerful with each beat. The climax of the song hit the group, and she ended her freestyle routine in front of her young master. She extended her left leg forwards and tossed her head back, while sharply lashing her whip against her left side so the cord wound several times around her glossy boot. As the whip-end lashed into her heel she gave the hint of a soft whimper. The music faded, leaving the group close to sighing.
No one would admit it later, but several boys and girls were very close to lunging onto the platform themselves and pulling their star towards them, not giving a damn about what anybody else thought. They were now much relieved to have the song end there and regain control over their bodies…but they were also very miserable when they saw their dancer's attentions return to her master; her rich, warm eyes locked onto his azure one, and her body facing his. She waited in her pose for his order while her chest rose and fell softly for more air. Ciel simply stared up at her in supposed disappointment from underneath the brim of his top hat. That was when the group finally realised just how dedicated she really was to her Ciel. A true Sebastian to the last. Such great acting skills were to be envied. Or was it actually…
They watched her master frown and give an emotionless order as he pointed his crop rudely at her, "You've had your fun, now get down from there. We are leaving."
A collective "Ohhh!" was issued from the group, but Sebastian simply knelt down on the stage with her right leg up, her whip rested low in her left hand, and crossed her right palm over her heart, "Yes, My Lord."
She sprung up to land lightly before his feet. Ciel rose from his chair without paying her heed, and strode in the direction of the hall's exit. He waved one hand behind him as the only parting sign he was willing to bestow on the overworked rabble of his abandoned company. They watched his loose white sleeve flutter gracefully downwards as his hand lowered, and the luxurious high train of his black jacket flow out behind his calves.
Sebastian gathered her whip into coils without making another suggestive gesture, though all eyes were on her for something provocative occur. She kept her eyes directly on her master up ahead. But then…the glint in her eye and the minor curve at the edge of her lips…that sliver-of-a-moon smile that was so Sebastian. They all saw it. She did it as she was eyeing the back of her Ciel up and down like an object of great desire, grinning as she imagined unspeakables, they assumed.
Though Ciel walked on by, his butler fell behind as she went to put back on her clothes. Another miserable sigh from her new fans was heard in the background. The brown haired girl was still there at the lone chair, minding her clothes as promised.
"Uh, hi again. That was…" words failed her as Sebastian bent right over to draw up her trousers and fasten them neatly by her belt. Making sure she was dressed without creases or kinks, Sebastian smoothed down her shirt and vest, then slid on her swallow-tailed black jacket and white gloves. Her tie came last, concealing the studded collar that lay just underneath. Lastly, she took a hair pin from her breast pocket and quickly swept up her longest tendrils into a neat, flat bun that was now covered by a layer of shorter hair. Now no one could tell Sebastian really had short bangs with long hair, because it looked convincingly like long bags with short hair. Suddenly, she was a butler again.
"Thank you."
"You're…very welcome," the brown haired girl watched avidly as Sebastian quickly strode out of sight, her height allowing her to keep watch over her master's distance figure.
She entered into the foyer and her heels hit the soft red carpet, ceasing the attention-grabbing clicking noises that they made when on hard ground. Ciel knew she was close behind, but kept going as if he was there with no one. Her black boots make a barely audible leather crease at her knees as she walked. Only now was it clear to Ciel, where that noise he heard so often this day was coming from.
The people in the foyer watched the pair as the butler's steps neared her master. Sebastian walked in perfect timing to reach the main door one second before he did, and she held it open for Ciel once again. That was the last any of them ever saw this perfect cosplaying team.
As they reach the outside and came into the sun, Ciel heard Sebastian come beside him, choosing to walk on the side closer to the street in protective fashion. On and on they walked, back the way they had come. Ciel flicked his crop in irritation as he went.
"Sebastian. What was wrong with the Rolls Royce?" They had a real Rolls Royce?
"It needed repair work, My Lord."
"Don't give me that. At first I couldn't work it out, but I understand you now. You wanted to go walking about it public with that…suit underneath. You enjoyed that."
Sebastian made no effort to support or refute this comment. She simply clicked on with her heels, the leather between her thighs creasing enough for Ciel's level ears to hear it loud and clear.
"I didn't know we wore matching outfits. Leather with leather…" Ciel looked down at his leather half-gloves, and at his jacket, which looked smooth enough to be mistaken for the real material... Abandoning his trivial thoughts, he remembered that his companion had acted unpredictably towards him today. This had to be stamped out.
Ciel abruptly halted and whipped out the crop to his side. Its tip landed squarely on his butler's crotch and stopped her in her tracks. He began with a low, reprimanding tone, "Stripping and dancing on stage…That was a very unbecoming thing to do, Sebastian. You made me feel like some kind of pimp."
"I am sorry My Lord, I just had to get that out of my system."
He stood before her so that they were face to face, he silently damning his curiosity as he spoke, "…How did you mange to hide all that under there anyway?" Ciel motioned with his crop to her humbly concealed body, "The whip, at least, would have caused you trouble."
"My leather garments are no trouble, as they are made of thin fabric. My boots hide fairly well, being easily tighter than my trousers. And my whip…"
"…That you place between your buttocks…" Ciel added very quietly as he blushed.
"…Is quite unobtrusive, to be frank, My Lord. And my jacket is long enough to cover any sign of it, do you see?" She twirled once so that he saw her back. True to word, the coiled whip wasn't at all visible. As she faced him once more, Ciel eyed her suspiciously.
"Really, that can't have been comfortable to have stuck between…you for so long."
"I can bare it," she said simply, with a feline grin of sublime contentment on her pretty face. Ciel narrowed his eye up at her while she remained happily silent, beginning to get the idea that she actually really liked the feel of a hard leather rod-handle where, in his opinion, one should never be felt.
"I am sure you do your best," he retorted almost sarcastically. As he walked on and she began to follow, he continued over his shoulder in a more positive tone, "Besides, we have to make the most of what we have been given while we are here. But I still don't understand how you ended up with that body, of all those that you could have been."
"Efficiency, My Lord. And I seem less threatening this way. Also, no girls are going to try to come onto me anymore."
"That's what you think."
Sebastian almost smirked, but he held his tongue. No, her tongue. The demon was a she now. She had to get used to thinking of herself in that manner.
She would always be Sebastian. After he christened her thus it had become her name, forever. And she loved being in her masculine form. It suited her so well. But it was also nice to have her true form out in the open, even though her master didn't understand it. While they were in this world, she would remain in this body until it was time to return home. At least for now, Sebastian could physically be herself, and as provocative as she liked within tasteful measures. The people of this era didn't seem to mind it at all. The demon grinned slyly.
They reached the station platform and waited for the next train to arrive. Electronic signage glared weakly in the daylight, while people dressed in drab rags bustled around them with bland expressions on their faces. Cheap perfume and cologne swept by and quickly faded into the wind- just as intangible as the secret reality of the whole universe.
In this world, the pair's existence was only present in a story, made in Japan and translated into the English language. But it was so much more…if only these people could see. They made their petty tributes by costume and simple fan-ship, to a world they barely knew.
If only.
But the secret was lovely and enveloping in its heavy, mind-blowing depth, its truth placed on the shoulders of a few. Ciel and Sebastian were able to reach this world because of a form of their presence in it. How many others had come here to explore, to understand? Sebastian wondered. How many had masked their identity in order to comprehend another form of their own existence? They must have turned away in disgust, back to their homes before the insult of their trivial representations became too much to endure.
But she knew Ciel was a hard boy to impress, so he gaining this knowledge did not disturb him too greatly. He had gotten over it. And perhaps there were more worlds for them to investigate. But for now, their plan was to stay here and learn a little more of their new surrounds. They had already established a temporary home and comfortable transport. It was so easy to blend in, being in a world where its people were absorbed in their technology and themselves, and their little worries that ate them alive, day to day.
There they stood amongst the normal populace, mistaken for people in pretty costumes. The wind whipped over their clothes and made Ciel's teal hair waver. The sunlight danced over their naturally bright eye colours, and Ciel's azure eye glanced up to his butler. He had gotten used to thinking of her as a 'she' too, after his initial awkwardness. Ciel thought her wicked personality to be the very best of all her features, as it seemed to infect every one of her forms in perfect grace. And...she looked beautiful in any form, he thought privately.
"You're really loving your new body, aren't you, Sebastian?"
Sebastian looked downwards and smiled deeply at her master's acknowledgement.
"Yes, My Lord."
Note: I hope you liked that!
The lesson, among other things, is to be true, to be dedicated, and to be daring. And also, that there is a whole lot you can hide strategically underneath the right kind of suit.
As said in the author's note, I do not wish to deeply offend anyone. I respect cosplayers and this is why this story is dedicated to them. Besides, cosplaying is for fun, correct? So please don't take serious offence. With the written notion that cosplaying is trivial and that fans are not doing it justice, and that the whole treatment of Kuroshitsuji is offensive, I truly do not believe. I am a fan myself (hence writing this, hmm). But I can imagine Ciel and Sebastian in our reality thinking so. It would be a very strange thing for them to witness, to say the very least. In their eyes, our world treated them like fake things instead of real people. Of course it would insult them.
If you don't think Sebastian would do such extroverted things, well...are you serious? Did you see him stabbing people with cutlery? Letting people fall off cliffs to explode into a million pieces? Did you see what he did in episode 17? Yes, innocent lil' Sebby, I know, right.
There are some details I left out so that the story could be enjoyed without hassle. But if you must know, Ciel and Sebastian see themselves as English, and the Japanese influence over their representation is a mere random truth of their new world. If you have any other questions, I will answer them in your reviews.
If somebody feels the need to start an intellectual argument over how there is no way that Sebastian is a young woman in true form, then bring it on, but I warn you: I can logically talk my way past every single dispute. Meanwhile, obsessive ranters will happily be ignored, while still making me laugh. Let me thank you in advance...pah! *sour lemon face*
Now, let me happily thank every reader and reviewer who appreciated the story. At what part did you suspect they were the real Ciel and Sebastian? How funny/cute/hot was it? Let me know, I really love reviews!