Sebastian turned a page in the book he was reading. He was quite glad that he could steal away a few moments to peruse the tome, even if it was because the Earl had rudely exited the dining room before dinner was completed. He'd not even been able to bring out the trifle for dessert, though he supposed if Ciel were going to behave like a child he could do without sweets.

The book he was perusing was actually not a book at all, but a journal, the first of a few volumes that Elise had given him before he'd left her home early that morning. The visit had proved to be much more fruitful than he had anticipated, once he revealed why he had come to see her in the first place.

Elise was quick to lend assistance but cautioned him that he should make sure he was absolutely serious about his intentions. Sebastian had wanted to take the words to heart, but honestly didn't see what could go wrong. It was clear that Ciel didn't wish to marry Elizabeth, and though the other wouldn't admit it, was desperate to find a way out of the union. Sebastian told himself that he was doing it for the Earl, but he knew that wasn't true. He was doing it first and foremost for his own selfish reasons.

Sebastian knew that there were several ways that one could become a demon, but Elise had successfully accomplished it in a way that few others had. She was the only one that Sebastian actually knew personally, which was why he had sought her advice. That and she was terribly efficient, having recorded every step of the process from the start of her contract with Henry through the actual transformation itself. She'd written it in a strange way; part diary and part research manual, but it was fascinating. He wondered if Elise had ever planned to have someone read it, but knew that the woman would have just done so for her own benefit.

She'd explained the method to him, but had said it would probably be better if he read about it first and then asked questions if he had any. But she insisted he start at the beginning because there was a lot more involved than just simply performing the procedure. Sebastian didn't see how, it appeared very straightforward and not unlike the contract he and Ciel had already formed, save for a part that gave Sebastian a bit of pause. But Elise had thrust the journals at him and told him to return any time he liked for a chat and to borrow more.

"You can't have too many at once," She'd said. "What if he sees them? I can't say I approve of this sneaking around, though. Does he even know that you want this?"

"No," Sebastian replied. He truthfully hadn't been entirely sure himself that he had wanted it until he had admitted it out loud. It was completely unchartered territory for him, wanting to be with another like that. None of his other contracts had stirred even the slightest desires for it. It truthfully made him a bit nauseated as a demon to think that this was where things were heading. And yet…

He flipped to the next page. This first volume was chronicling Elise and Henry's time together starting when they'd formed their contract. It appeared that human desires really did fall into several simple categories: power, lust, wealth, revenge. They were so easily predictable and yet still so fascinating in their tireless pursuits of these things that really meant little to nothing in the end. They would all end up the same, satisfying some demon's hunger until the next bit of prey wandered in. Well, almost all of them. Clearly, Henry's story had ended a bit differently.

The details of the man's history were a bit hazy. Henry Avon had actually grown up a very poor man; his parents had passed when he was young. Henry was an exceptionally smart businessman and though he specialized in silver, he also operated some less than savory businesses on the side. Of course, these led to interactions with many equally unsavory people, one of which took a fancy to Henry's wife and took her for his own when he felt Henry was not turning enough profit for him. Henry had tried to get her back but she'd been killed in the resulting scuffle. She'd been carrying their unborn child. It was then that Henry lost his mind.

There was talk of a witch who lived within the city who was said to be able to bring back those who had died. Henry sought her out initially wishing for this at first but over the journey he decided instead that he wanted retribution for her death and to crush all of his enemies businesses into dust, leaving himself to rise to the top. The witch turned out to be Elise, who at the time was masquerading under the name "Hecate", having been amused by the Shakespearian play, Macbeth published a few years before. She wasn't a witch obviously, but she was able to grant wishes and thus satisfy her desire for souls. The good-looking man who stumbled into her shop intrigued her and she agreed to help him with his quest.

Sebastian remembered this shop as Elise set them up frequently when she didn't feel like roaming about pursuing souls. Humans were desperate and though most, especially at the time were afraid of magic, there were enough individuals so consumed by greed for material things that her belly was never empty for long.

"He was a rather gallant fellow," Elise had said once in the past. "I could tell even under all the wine and the madness."

The butler sighed. He'd been quick to dismiss Elise when she said things like this. It was unnatural for a demon to become romantically enchanted with anything as insignificant as a human. They existed to become food, something to pass the many boring years. Yet now here he was, devouring an account to help him accomplish something different to this ideal.

Elise made the contract and burned the symbol onto Henry and then—

Sebastian growled. This was ridiculous. He tried to focus on the page but other things distracted him. Though the Earl had left dinner in a rather unsophisticated way and been relatively silent (moping about his chambers if the butler had to guess), he appeared to have flipped and gotten over his anger entirely. Instead, he was now engaging in some very wanton activities and Sebastian with his demon sensitivities could hear everything.

Sebastian really thought Ciel was overdoing it. He couldn't remember the other moaning quite so much or saying such lewd things. Wherever had his master picked up such language? If he were younger, Sebastian would have had to take a more restrictive approach toward his reading materials. Maybe it would be good to do so anyway. The butler shifted on the bed, trying to ignore how much his own arousal was growing at the spectacle. Sometimes the Earl could be insatiable.

The butler rolled his eyes. Ciel would of course do something like this, seeking to irritate him for whatever it was he thought the other had done. In truth, Sebastian knew he shouldn't point out his master's shortcomings, whether they were something the other could remedy or not. However, he sensed that perhaps there was something else that had caused Ciel to snap in such a way though he couldn't imagine what that would be.

Maybe he really didn't sleep soundly last night, Sebastian thought, tossing the journal down in defeat. Perhaps it was wrong to go out, to ignore the pull of the contract. But if all goes according to plan then the young master shall thank me later.

He told himself this, but knew that it probably wasn't something Ciel would be pleased with. As much as the Earl might wish to get out of his marriage to Elizabeth, Sebastian doubted very much that becoming a demon would be the solution he would choose. Sebastian decided it didn't matter; he was sure that the idea would grow on the other. After all, Sebastian had enjoyed being a creature of darkness his entire life and he'd never tired of it. It was rather enjoyable, unless of course you had to deal with a cheeky brat for a master. He'd thought his charge had outgrown such immature manipulation but…

Sebastian's eyes flashed. It appeared that the other had finished and the demon wished very much to go upstairs. But Ciel had forbidden him from doing so, from attending to him, leaving the butler to slither around the room in irritation. He crossed once more to the bed, glancing at the journals scattered across it, trying hard to ignore the sounds that were still going on upstairs. Ciel was now getting ready for the loudest bath he'd ever taken, the water thundering into the tub, everything being bumped and banged around with much more noise than needed.

Well, if that was how Ciel wanted to play it then that was fine. If he didn't want to see Sebastian that night, then the demon was going out. Elise hadn't said how soon he could visit again but she'd seemed intrigued by his plan and if anything he could perhaps get some more interesting insights than reading about her…husband's woeful life prior to her involvement in it. Really demons did end up adding a certain spice to a human's mundane existence.

Ciel was splashing in the tub and Sebastian was quite certain he was going to start touching himself again. Maybe he would get the shampoo in his eyes. The more distance he put between them the less irritation he would feel. He was a bit surprised at the Earl's daring. Didn't he know that teasing a demon was worse than poking a sleeping bear? Rolling his eyes, Sebastian sighed heavily. That pluck was exactly what made Ciel so fascinating; he wasn't afraid of anything.

Sebastian concentrated his energies and soon found Elise's blue door materializing in front of him. No longer wishing to hide his presence from her right away, he didn't waste the time appearing at a point away from her house closer to the center of the city. He knocked and she answered.

"That was quick," She said. "So, how did he take it?"

"I didn't tell him," Sebastian said as he strode past her into the townhouse. "He was actually in a very foul mood tonight."

"Really?" Elise said. She leaned against the wall, her blue eyes glittering, arms crossed. "So…you thought the appropriate response to this was to abandon him again? So cruel as ever."

"I didn't abandon him, he ordered me not to see him until morning," Sebastian said. He flashed the contract mark at her. "In case you've forgotten these things do not let either party escape. Leashed like the damn dog he named me after."

"I think it's romantic," Elise said. "Bound together until you consume their soul…or not."

Her eyes focused on something behind him, a smile gracing her lips. Sebastian turned to see Henry descending the stairs. He was finely dressed and he smiled at Elise, pulling her into a deep kiss before he turned to look at Sebastian. He frowned slightly, staring the other up and down. Sebastian suppressed the growl building within him.

"Elise, I am going to the club," He announced. "Gaumont wants to go over the plans for that movie studio again. I tell you that man had got some big ideas, it's sure to be prosperous."

He cast one last look at Sebastian, his own eyes glowing a bit, pupils slitting before they returned to normal once more and he took his hat from the stand and disappeared into the night.

"He's charming as ever I see," Sebastian said thickly as he followed Elise back into the sitting room.

Elise went over to the bar cart and poured herself some wine from a decanter. She offered some to Sebastian, who declined, wondering if this really were such a good idea after all. Demons didn't need to eat or drink human foods, but Elise had developed a taste for some of them over the years. She sat down, swirling the contents in the glass. Her eyes shifted toward Sebastian.

"In case you've forgotten, he liked you," Elise said. "I wanted you two to become friends, but of course your pride had to get in the way of that. Which, I am unsurprised to see has not declined much with time."

Sebastian reclined in the chair. "Are you just going to continue to insult me?"

"You're the one who sought my help," Elise sipped her wine. "Perhaps if you weren't so…conceited you'd be enjoying a romp in the sheets with your Earl instead of sitting here with me right now."

Sebastian growled. "Who says that's what I want right now?"

"We're demons," Elise countered. She drained the glass in one swallow. "It's something we always want. Plus the scent of arousal is all over you and you're not even attempting to hide it."

She went to go and get herself another glass of wine, shaking the crystal decanter invitingly. "Sure you don't want, some, Bassy? Might loosen you up."

"Don't ever call me that again!" Sebastian hissed. "It's irksome enough I've got that damn reaper falling all over himself, I don't need to be reminded of it by you."

"Reaper?" She turned. "My goodness, what sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into?"

"My master has a rather complicated past," Sebastian said. "The finer details of which I will skip over. What matters is what's going to happen now."

"Did you read the journals?" Elise said.

"I started the first," Sebastian replied. "Today was rather busy and I didn't have much chance until the Earl decided to cut dinner short. The detailed account of Henry's life prior to your contract is simply riveting."

"Why him?" Elise said, choosing to ignore Sebastian's sarcasm.

"Pardon?"

"Your Earl," She said. "What made you pick him?"

"When we made the contract?" Sebastian said. "I found him amusing. He had incredible rage for one so small. Such anger was simply delicious, and I suppose warranted, given all he'd endured in his short existence. The quest seemed interesting enough and I was bored. His soul is exquisite and has continued to marinate beautifully over the years."

"And when it became something more?"

Sebastian paused. He hadn't really been asked such a question before, though he was surprised to find that an answer rose in his mind quicker than he would have thought. He wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to reveal this to Elise. The business with the vampires was a touchy subject, something of a private affair between himself and the Earl. The female demon hummed, changing the subject.

"Has he seen your true form?" Elise asked. "Any of them?"

"No," Sebastian replied. "I have always thought it something that he shouldn't look upon unnecessarily. Perhaps he glimpsed it when he first summoned me, but that was so long ago, I don't know how much he remembers."

Elise hummed softly again, and Sebastian wondered what it mattered. The only reason demons usually showed their true form to anyone was because they were going to kill them. Since he had no plans as such to do anything of the sort to the Earl, there was no point in revealing something that might make the other change his mind. Ciel had once told him that he liked the way he was, but he wasn't sure that that same courtesy would be extended to how he looked. He knew that he was still handsome even by demon standards, but the form was still terrifying.

"What?" Sebastian asked. Elise was still staring at him thoughtfully. "Don't tell me you did such a thing?"

"I—well—not on purpose," Elise said. "It was actually an accident that Henry saw me the first time. Even though you find him silly, he is actually a rather brilliant man. So smart, especially in terms of business, much like it sounds as though your Ciel is from what you said last time. But even the smartest of humans make mistakes and those can breed enemies, which of course is what led him to me in the first place. Some men came for him once. I could sense their intentions as they broke in. They were looking to kill Henry, possibly torture him for some information before doing so. I just couldn't let that happen."

"So you let your emotions get the best of you," Sebastian pointed out.

"In a way," Elise shrugged. "They made me so angry, and I wanted to hurt them. Besides, they weren't the sorts of people who should have been allowed to walk the earth any longer. I reverted and slashed them all to pieces. Their screams were music to my ears it was a most delicious kill. It wasn't until I'd finished that I saw Henry standing just inside the front door."

She fell silent for a moment and Sebastian could tell that she was recalling the memory. He was curious to know what happened next, since it obviously had worked out favorably for her. He waited patiently for her to resume. Elise was never a woman to be rushed if she didn't want to be.

"I thought for sure he was going to be disgusted," She continued. "There I was with bodies around me, covered in blood, my shadow eclipsing nearly all of the light in the room. I know he could clearly see that while I did retain some of my human characteristics, there were new additions as well, my ears much more vulpine and of course the tail. He started toward me ignoring all the carnage with the strangest expression on his face. Then he came over and just studied me for a few moments. 'Fascinating', he said. That was the first word out of his mouth."

The she-demon's eyes glittered. "I'd been especially fond of him for a bit at that point and he'd made use of my…feminine attributes. But that was probably the moment when I knew I loved him. It was quite a strange emotion to process, seeing as we can't really feel it with our own kind."

"So why turn him?" Sebastian asked. "If you would lose that."

"You don't," Elise replied. "I don't know exactly how to explain it, but if it was present before the change it doesn't disappear. However, the reason I bring up your true form is because if you are indeed interested in pursuing this human, he needs to actually be aware and accepting of all of you—not just the parts he likes."

Sebastian was going to say something further as this conversation was taking a direction he wasn't sure that he wanted it to go in. He was interested in pursuing the Earl, but he still didn't see why he had to bring his full demon self into it. He could stay exactly as he was for eternity if he chose. And he didn't love Ciel. Elise was a softer demon when it came to humans. Sebastian didn't entirely understand what was going on with him, but it wasn't love, demons as powerful as he couldn't love.

"You doubt me," Elise said, bringing him from his thoughts. "I only say it because you appear to want to be rushing into this as quickly as possible. The interaction I spoke about was two years after I entered Henry's service, but we didn't implement the change until a few years after that. Unless you're certain, if you let him get too close, and he ends up rejecting you for some reason, he could shatter your core. You know that, don't you?"

The demon's eyes flicked away. He did know this, but it was something he had previously ignored since he didn't ever think he would be in danger of it happening to him. Of course that had always been because he had always held humans in low regard, seeing them only as vessels for cooking souls or to satisfy any other lustful urges he might have. But then he had entered the contract with Ciel and things had shifted for them over time, subtly at first, and then building rapid speed. He still didn't see value in humans, they still amused him with their tirelessly mundane lives, but when it came to the Earl, he felt differently. There were humans, and then there was Ciel.

Demons didn't possess souls or hearts as humans did; their life force moved through something referred to as a demon's core. It was filled with darkness and the very depraved, impious thoughts and actions that gave them their nature. However, if a demon spent enough time around humans, particularly if they grew certain attachment to them, their core could soften and become more easily tamed. This worked out well for the humans, but not so for the demon. If the demon let itself become too subdued and the humans ended up causing it pain and suffering instead of the other way around, the core could shatter and the demon would die along with it.

Sebastian shifted. "I'm aware."

"Good," Elise said. "So read the journals and be smart about it. This is not something to be reckless about."


This is a longer one. Just making up my own demon lore. But I find the concept of the cores interesting. It was actually casually referenced before in TDB, though not explicitly. I think people are still enjoying this story? If you are let me know.

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Dardar1: Yes he does. But Ciel is terrible with feelings. Actually they both are. But they'll get there. This one's more emotional than the first part for sure.