In-Character
Full Name: Sebastian Edgar Talbot, 6th Viscount Cheltenham Nicknames: often goes by Talbot or Cheltenham; but Seb for those closest
Birthdate: September 12, 1864 ? (>.>;)
Current Age: 29 years
Gender: Male
Occupation: Viscount, duh probably nothing official, and definitely nothing wizarding, but he does ride for the Ranelagh Club (team captain)
Reputation: 9 - He's mostly just a smart mouth.
Residence: The family seat is Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire but they also have a London house and he, himself, has a private set of rooms in Hogsmeade
Hogwarts House: Slytherin
Wand: spruce wood, 12", stiff, curupira hair core
Blood Status: Muggleborn
Social Class: Upper
Family:
Father - Edgar Talbot, 5th Viscount Cheltenham (deceased)
Mother - Lady Amalia Talbot, nee Hatton, (former) Viscountess of Cheltenham, now Dowager
Sister - Lady Sybil "Sissy" Vane-Tempest, nee Talbot, Marchioness of Townshend
Appearance:
Sebastian's dark and stormy visage embodies the elegance and sophistication expected of a Viscount. (It was bred and beaten into him after all.) His chiseled jawline and sharp, blue eyes reflect both an aristocratic inbreeding and the inner turmoil he grapples with. He has a smattering of freckles that look like someone sneezed and splattered paint across his nose, but otherwise he has relatively smooth features. His sense of style is impeccably tailored, favoring bespoke suits in rich, dark hues and elegant accessories that that might cover up any failings one might suspect, but he does err on the particularly muggle side of wardrobe. He is ambidextrous and wields his (PITA) wand with both hands.
History:
Birth, 1864 | Sebastian is born the future Viscount Cheltenham to an influential muggle family, the second child to an older sister who takes none too kindly to being displaced. His father, the previous Viscount Cheltenham, and his mother, a prominent socialite and former countess who made a scandalous love match, set high expectations for him from an early age.
Early Childhood | As a child, Sebastian is frequently teased by his peers for being the runt of their group. He's smaller, and less vocal than the others, and his peerage - that he is to inherit - sits so far down the food-chain compared to the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Duke of Nottingham's sons. But their mamas are his mother's closest friends; have been since all the little brats were born. He's stuck with them, like it or not. The worst of them is, however, Clarissa Harrington: the Duke of Somerset's daughter. Mama is sure they will marry one day, but Seb definitely has his doubts.
At age 8, Seb accidentally shatters a pot in the greenhouse after Clarissa begins to laugh at him (and his family) for thinking they could ever be good enough to marry him to a future duchess. The pot shattering is a shock to everyone, but it doesn't end there. Little incidents keep happening around him, things the adults seem perfectly happy to explain away, but that Sebastian himself sees less than coincidental. When he finally learns about who and what he is, he is excited to share with his friends, determined that this will finally be the thing to make him shine. Obviously, it doesn't go quite as planned, considering he made Clarissa's big head swell up with warts all over, and the Ministry is forced to intervene. Obliviators come to erase all memories, and Seb is firmly talked to before they vanish again, as quickly as they came. The whole experience leaves him with a sense of isolation and estrangement from both muggle and magical societies. How could these... wizard people, just poof into his life - tell him all these things - and then vanish again? Wasn't he supposed to go with them or something? Couldn't they give him more answers than he had questions?! Interactions with the others become more strained after that. They are distant now, and suspicious of him, feeling something might be off. Even though they can’t remember, Seb is left haunted by this memory, regretting his arrogance.
Later that same year, he meets Colin Harper, the gardener’s son, and they become quick friends. Where the others see him as lesser, Colin doesn't seem to see his title at all. They bond over a shared interest in horses; Colin works in the stables most of the time and Seb rides the horses he cares for (duh). They soon become relatively inseparable, much to his governess and later mother's chagrin. Throughout their friendship however, Seb is careful not to mention anything about his magical ability and their friendship grows into a source of genuine connection. It's unconventional but he appreciates it, despite what others might think.
Hogwarts | At 11, Sebastian receives his Hogwarts letter. Those wizard people return, though this time it's some old man in a beard, and tell him all about what he's to expect. His parents are frightened by the encounter, and discourage him from pursuing any kind of magical education. It's a big row but in the end, he manages to make it to the train with all his things and hopes that come winter holiday, they might be able to smooth things over. He is promptly sorted into Slytherin House, and as expected, his time at Hogwarts is marked by struggle. If he thought being an outsider within the peerage to which he rightfully belonged was difficult, this was a whole new level of misfit.
It was as much a shock as it was refreshing (maybe) for his title to mean very little, but his muggle background carried a stigma with it that Sebastian had not been prepared for. Where in one world he was used to being above at least the common folk, here he was lower than a working class pureblood all because he hadn't been born into magic. It was something to get used to, certainly. The competitive nature of Slytherin House only heightened his internal conflict, and over the years quiet Sebastian Talbot became outspoken, rude, and a bit of a bully.
Family Tragedy | During his sixth year at Hogwarts, Sebastian’s father passed away. This loss thrust him into a position of greater responsibility and heightened the pressure to uphold the family’s reputation. His elder sister, recently debuted, had done a good job of it so far-- she'd had two marriage proposals in her first season and was now engaged to the Marquess of Townshend. The summer holiday that followed, and each thereafter, brought with it intensive classes on what it meant to uphold the family title but the event created a rift between him and his remaining family. Seb, away for the majority of the year, felt even more isolated in his role as Viscount in the dungeons of Hogwarts.
Graduation and Return to Muggle Society | Despite the personal upheaval, Seb continued into his seventh and final year. He engaged in activities like Quidditch to maintain what little status he managed to claw, lucky that his fanaticism for polo translated to riding a broom. It's in this seventh year that he buckled down to complete his animagus transformation too. (If he was to take anything from his magical education, he was determined for it to be that. And, of all his professors, Thompson seemed to be the most understanding despite how horrendous he was at Transfiguration.)
After graduating from Hogwarts, Sebastian returned to his muggle life, taking on more responsibilities as Viscount Cheltenham. He navigated his role in society, balancing the expectations of his late father with his own struggle to reconcile his magical heritage with his muggle title. He became more involved in upper-class muggle society and continued to pursue polo and art, both of which offered him a way to manage his competitive nature and find moments of escape from the complexities he faced day to day.
Her, 1887 | At 23, Sebastian met (or more aptly re-met) Irene Crawley, Colin's fiancé. He recognized her immediately from his days at Hogwarts, having stumbled across the Gryffindor once or twice during his time there. He remembered her face particularly well because—despite his better judgment and determination to save face among his peers—he had found her beautiful, graceful, and interesting. All things he continued to think as he was now thrust upon the reality that she was to wed what was still his best friend. Colin had, in his own right, studied to become an artist and was making a successful go of it. Even though they didn’t see each other as much as they once had, Seb was still fiercely protective of his friend and said friend’s affections.
Driven by a mixture of jealousy and a desire to control the circumstances, he subtly influenced Colin to break off his engagement with Irene after Colin confided in him about the magical world, his father, and everything else. Being a member of said magical world, Seb understood (or thought he did) how hard it would be for Colin to similarly straddle the line between magical and muggle, not to mention carrying the burden of his father’s death. He never once betrayed his own interest (in either the magical world or, admittedly, Irene), and the wedding came and went without consequence. Sebastian did not learn that Colin left her at the altar until some months later when, driven by guilt and anger, Colin announced that he had decided to move to France to further his studies.
Here and Now, 1888+ | It's been almost eight years since the incident with Irene and Colin, and Seb has continued in his struggle to straddle the line. His mother has become ever more insistent than he take a bride (a muggle one, obviously) but Seb himself wonders if perhaps taking on a pureblood magical one might not improve his circumstances? If he managed to find someone with her own circle and support network with a firm standing, he would inherit that by proxy. Perhaps then he might find a foothold and manage to ease some of the burden.
Personality: GUARDED | BOLD | PROUD | ARTISTIC
Seb carries the weight of a fractured identity in everything he does. Outwardly, he appears composed and reserved, a gentleman well-versed in the proprieties of the upperclass. His manners are precise, his speech carefully measured, and he rarely betrays any hint of the turmoil beneath the surface. To the casual observer he’s an impeccable viscount, dutifully upholding the expectations of his peerage with an almost obsessive diligence. But this polished exterior is his armor—his way of keeping both the magical and muggle worlds at a safe distance.
Internally, he's a mess of unresolved emotions. Seb harbors a persistent chip on his shoulder, a sense of being perpetually undervalued despite his title and because of his blood status. Having survived to become Slytherin alumna did not come without its scars and he struggles still with who he is as both viscount and wizard. This sense of inadequacy drives him to assert control wherever he can, and - sometimes - he can come off less than elegantly. As a result he has a constant need for validation that can lead him to boast or flaunt his position, though he tries to be subtle, and careful not to appear desperate.
That said, Seb is fiercely loyal to the few people he trusts and deeply introspective, often haunted by his past mistakes and the loneliness that comes from straddling two worlds. His attachment to the responsibilities of his peerage might seem rigid, but it’s also a way for him to anchor himself in a world where he feels adrift. At his core, Seb yearns for a sense of belonging, but his self-imposed walls and fear of vulnerability keep him at arm's length from those who might offer him solace. He uses art and music as a medium to escape all that.
Other:
ON ART: Seb's art is deeply personal, reflecting that which he struggles to articulate verbally. The subjects of his physical work often include lonely landscapes, hidden faces, or abstract depictions of the worlds he straddles, filled with vivid contrasts between light and dark. But his true genius is found in composition. He plays piano, violin and even dabbled with the harp in his infancy. He one day hopes to compose an entire opera or ballet and see it taken to a real stage.
To most, his art remains hidden—tucked away in private sketchbooks or in piano benches across the estate. Only those he truly trusts are allowed glimpses of this vulnerability, and even then, he presents his work with a wary detachment, as if fearful of being judged or misunderstood. His perfectionism bleeds into his artistic endeavors, sometimes leading him to obsess over details in a way that mirrors his need for control in his social life.
ON MAGIC: Magic is a struggle for Seb in many forms. He's not an untalented wizard by any means, but due to his emotional turmoils and profound sense of lacking, it's unreliable at best. He has powerful spurts and complete flops, depending on how his mood is going. As a result, and after getting into a few scrapes with the Ministry as a result, he mostly stays away from using his wand if he can help it. He's become somewhat adept at very basic, wandless magic by accident, more out of a necessity to try and control his bursts than any real prestige that may come with the feat. He is utter trash at occlumency and legilimency and can't cast a patronus to save his life. Not when it really matters, at least.
ANIMAGUS: It's a miracle Seb managed to become an animagus at all, given his difficulties with magic, but he's always had a knack for introspection and potions. (Potions, being a more balanced subject, was Seb's best in school. Being as meticulous and controlling as he is, he managed it on sheer force of will alone.) He completed his animagus studies in his seventh year and takes the form of a red fox. It's about as fitting as he cares to consider: he is often chased out of places and never quite valued for what he's worth, much like the regal creature he embodies.
AMORTENTIA: tbd
BOGGART: Werewolves. As a muggle-raised child, Seb grew up with the very muggle myths about werewolves and the comfort that they did not exist. Having since learned that they do, he dreads ever meeting one.
PATRONUS: A stag, only managed to cast once as of yet.
ALSO-- cashing in an ATO for this pretty little asshole <3
He can be "elsewhere" for group since he's everywhere p. much
Sample Roleplay Post:>3
Out-of-Character
Name: FoxAge: lalala~
Contact: PM
Other Characters: Basil Foxwood and co.
How did you hear about us?: teehee
