Though Sebastian Moran is the man who abused Tyson, The Colonel in his main!universe is based on a very specific AU version of Moran; with the face claim of Jeremy Irons and originally written by my dear friend Peter. Though he isn’t interested in RP anymore, he’s given me carte blanche to continue Ty & Seb’s story however I see fit.
So, let’s learn a little about the elusive Colonel.
Rather than working for the Moriarty Mirrors, Sebastian hates them for stealing his Kitten and making him their Pup. If he had met them before they ‘took Tyson away’, Moran still would have taken issues for working for someone so much younger than him, but he would have served loyally once he started.
If Sebastian isn’t the best at something, he will work for the web or take complete control over them. Annoyingly enough, there is a lot that Sebastian is good at. He’s egotistical, but he can back up his claims which is why he’s as infuriating as he is. It’s grating that he constantly claims to be the world’s greatest sniper, but he has the record to prove it; and his bloody grin proves that he knows that.
He mentions his age a lot: You wouldn’t attack an old man, now would you?Sebastian is in damn good shape. His age doesn’t make him any less deadly, but that simple comment is enough to make people assume that he’s weaker than he actually is and can trick them into pulling their punches. Tyson’s own tactics to make people underestimate him are largely learnt from The Colonel.
Similarly, Tyson’s habit of drawling - to take more control over a situation and minimise his stutter as much as possible - comes from Sebastian. He drawls, in a voice Tyson would often describe as mellifluous, to waste people’s time. It’s his time to waste. He is in control. No one else.
Sebastian is a gambler and an adrenaline junkie, but his main vice is alcohol and Moran is an incredibly aggressive drunk. Without a doubt, the man is an alcoholic. Some of his worst attacks on Tyson were done in a drunken rage. He leans more toward Scotch and Whiskey, but he also likes wine and rum.
Of everything he demanded of Tyson, Sebastian never forced Tyson to have sex with him. This was more about Moran’s ego, about not needing to force anyone to bed him than a moral standing, but the point remains. He enjoys sex and has a stronger drive for it than Tyson, but he prefers having control rather than companionship with people.
Sebastian is homosexual. In his own words, he has ‘nothing against the fairer sex, you see. They’re simply… not for me. I can understand the surprise. Most things should be for me, after all.’ That said, Sebastian has slept with plenty of women; as a younger man to hide his homosexuality and in later life for gain, such as information.
He was born to Sir Augustus Moran & Alissa Moran. His mother died in childbirth four years later and took his baby brother, Severin, with her. His father passed away when Sebastian was seven, leaving him in the care of his Auntie Delilah: the widow of his father’s older brother, Bartholomew Moran.
The mourning Sebastian enjoyed the company of his cousin Katherine, until he was sent away to Eton boarding school. He found himself in trouble frequently, but excellent grades - and his Auntie being willing to throw any amount of money into not needing to care for Sebastian herself - kept him from getting expelled.
He was then accepted into Oxford University and studied literature, Roman history, and art. Sebastian was first drawn to the bottle during his third year, but at the time it was largely in control: a way to unwind after a long day of studying. He was argumentative with every professor, but he was a good student. Sebastian is a very intelligent man.
Sebastian didn’t plan on joining the army after graduating. He had been walking down the street one day in his final year when he was stopped by a recruiter who, more or less, dared Sebastian to sign up. His inability to avoid the bait of a challenge hasn’t changed.
Naturally, Sebastian excelled as a marksman and climbed up the ranks swiftly. He served for many years and his dependency on alcohol became worse and worse. Eventually, he joined the First Bangalore Pioneers in Afghanistan where Tyson became his spotter and they served with Captain John Watson for a time.
Moran’s alcohol dependency became worse and he began a relationship with Tyson, and then began abusing him. His temper got worse and worse until everything came to a head. Moran shot General Clarkson, putting him into a coma that would last until Tyson was already within the web, and forced Tyson to abandon the army at knifepoint.
Once the army got too close to tracking them down, Moran gave one final assault to stop Tyson from running and then abandoned him, fleeing back into India and making a name for himself hunting tigers for a short time. However, he abandoned that too and returned to England to hunt down Tyson: intending to return to rural India once he had his property under control.
Moran was always controlling of Tyson, but his ego was challenged and fed by him in equal measure. He liked that, no matter what he did, Tyson would still meet his gaze and refuse to give in. Sebastian never wanted to completely break Tyson, he wouldn’t be any fun then: a mentality he shares with the Moriarty Mirrors.
After returning to London, knowing there was only one place Tyson would have gone and would always return to, Sebastian needed money badly; his dearest auntie having cut all access to the family fortune. He began publishing the stories of his time in the army and his adventures afterwards.
As a wanted man, Sebastian couldn’t publish his memoirs under his own name. Instead, he began living off the royalties of the fictional adventures of ‘Zachary M. Cohen’ and publishing under the same pen name. Tyson has read all of those books, hoping to get an insight into what Sebastian plans next and desperate for any connection to him.
Sebastian has very old school sensibilities - especially in aesthetics things, such as three-piece suits and straight razors; something he shares with Tyson - and puts a high value on loyalty. More on people being loyal to him, than being loyal to things himself. He is very sentimental about his sniper rifles, however.
Even though he knows that the web is keeping tabs on him and letting Tyson know where he is, Sebastian doesn’t bother moving apartments until Tyson appears at one: escorting a catatonically drunk or wounded Sebastian home. His apartments are always a mix of utilitarian and luxurious.
He has the bare minimum that he needs, but the best possible version of them. Often the only seat will be an impossibly comfortable four seater settee, so that he can fully stretch out rather than have company. His bedrooms are usually only a bed and a wardrobe, but it will be the largest bed possible.
