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[untiltheend]

This is Sebastian Michaelis. I am unavailable at present, but please leave a message. Should a response be needed I will reply when time permits me. Please do keep your message brief.

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[untiltheend]

[Playing dress-up and playing house both at once, in fact.]

I would not have the young master arrive here under any circumstances. ["Too bad" nothing.]

I would return the gesture of comparing you to him, but I fear there are far fewer common points between the two of you than between Mr Lecter and I. The young master is very particular about what goes into his food, and he is not very empathetic.

[Both his young master and Will do smell very delectable, very sweetly of misery... but that isn't something you say out loud in polite conversation.]

[empathicfault]

[ Will just nods in acknowledgment when Sebastian says he doesn't want his master there. That's a fair opinion. The Barge certainly has its share of suffering and ridiculous situations.

As the butler continues onto differences, Will smirks a little. ]

And I'm not exactly young, either. But I'm not really surprised- I suspect anyone who'd catch the eye of someone like you would have to be a very unique sort of individual. Can I ask his name?

[untiltheend]

[Yes, right... but more importantly: Sebastian's master arriving on the Barge would imply he died (because there is no way Sebastian's master would ever be deemed fit to be a warden). And that thought, the idea that something besides Sebastian killed him, is unacceptable.

He does smile slightly upon being called remarkable. He is amazing, it's true.]

He is the earl Ciel Phantomhive. [Slightly changing the meaning of what was asked, because, well... identity is a complicated matter where the young master is concerned.] And he is indeed unique in many ways.

Now, I am not implying that you yourself do not possess your own unique points. That level of empathy certainly is not commonplace, as far as I am aware.

[empathicfault]

[ Will lets Sebastian turn the topic back towards him. He is curious about this young man, but ultimately it's in service to learning more about Sebastian himself. ]

I've been told it's unique, as well. I said it was a condition, but the truth is...they didn't know what to classify it as. Here, it's been likened to seeing visions.

[ He shakes his head, and then runs a hand back through his hair. ]

I don't think it's that accurate. Just my brain handing me deductions in metaphor.

[untiltheend]

[Sebastian hums a little in acknowledgement.]

I imagine it must be bothersome to live with. From an outsider perspective, however, the idea of experiencing life that way sounds rather beautiful.

[empathicfault]

[ The words hit him like an arrow to the chest, and he looks up and directly at Sebastian, his eyes wide. ]

It...can be. Yes.

[ He can feel the slide of blood and fabric under his hands, the warmth of the hand on his back, holding him up. He shuts his eyes, briefly, and settles his thoughts. ]

Most people aren't able to see that. I spent most of my life wallowing in the pain it caused instead of...working with it. My way.

1/2

[untiltheend]

[Sebastian gives a mildly surprised look back at that reaction.

Huh. Your typical person would sooner take offence to that statement.]

[untiltheend]

[...Well. A reaction like that is fairly beautiful in its own way, too, isn't it? Humans that react unpredictably... Sebastian likes those.]

The human mind does tend towards self-pity, in the end.

May I assume Mr Lecter had a hand in you learning to work with it, then? [Since he supposedly was so endlessly fascinated by it.]

[empathicfault]

Doctor Lecter, but yes.

[ And it's so nice to be able to speak freely about this- or at least, relatively freely. He's used to only allowing himself digs and insults at the man. Those are admittedly satisfying in their own right, but he misses him. ]

I often got the feeling that everyone in our sorry world was miserable, except him. He saw beauty in art, in music, in the fleeting nature of our lives. He never felt shame, and only very rarely regret.

[ Not that he suspects Hannibal would ever admit that. ]

Seeing the world through his eyes was like suddenly coming across the aurora borealis in the darkest hour of the night. I was blinded at first- and he also blinded me, because he knew I'd eventually see him for what he was. But after we both revealed ourselves, we helped each other.

-and we tried to kill each other a few times. That's more on me. But even that was...fun.

[untiltheend]

[Sebastian laughs softly, a hand over his mouth, half in amusement, half in surprise.]

--Knew you that in some folklore, the aurora borealis are something to stay away from?

[well. Certainly he understands better now why he would remind Will of Doctor Lecter. The brief nature of human life does have beauty to it, although few humans can see it.]

You and he certainly seem to have an interesting relationship.