pop rocks

[cutlery]

[ By the time Sebastian reaches out in Communion, he’s already felt the fullness of his rage and taken it out. Viciously. It’s an occasion where he’s grateful for what Ryad provides, lest he had to express it in a more troublesome way.

Sebastian’s usual affect is warm and friendly, if with a polite distance, but today, it’s ice cold. His Communion is always expressed as something dark, but there’s a secondary sensation that comes today as well. It’s the unsettling sensation of being watched that makes someone’s hair raise. After all, there’s uncountable eyes in that abyssal dark. ]

I shall be brief. Someone broke into my home a few days ago and left a “gift” most unwelcome. A Shard belonging to someone from my home. Yet, though I kept it isolated to inspect it further, that did not seem to matter. It infected the Shard that Lady Yima gave me. A Shard that is now no more, for it burst. The soul that was in that little rock is no more.

[ His voice becomes more tense at that last sentence. It’s clear he’s very intentionally holding back his temper significantly. ]

I make this announcement for my fellow Zenites’ sake that they might destroy any they come upon immediately. Also to inform them that there is a way for these Shards to be tampered with that has been exploited. But let me also be clear.

I will find whoever was unwise enough to step into my home and play with my pet. I went through great lengths to obtain that soul, and I do not take kindly to being robbed of it. But there is no need for threats beyond that, is there?

[ So he says, but it’s crystal clear—Whoever it was, they’re in grave danger if they’re discovered. ]

Comments

[eightfoldfiend]

[Through the Communion Yuber has a presence like black oil and curling smoke; thick and oppressive.]

Are you saying one Shard can infect another? Has that happened before?

[redsoil]

[ oh boy! they just got finished in ryad too, i swear set is still standing next to the demon as he capitalizes on this knowledge ]

You mean, a Shard more fragile than our own is just as easily endangered? What a rope Yima provided her own to hang themselves with for Zenith's promises!

[cutlery]

No.

[ He's sharp and definitive. ]

There was something strange about the one that was left in my home. But I did not have a chance to decipher what it was, precisely.

[eightfoldfiend]

No? It was destroyed, then?

A pity, I would have liked to examine it, myself.

[A snort.]

Are you sure there was a soul within it?

ASSHOLE (fond?)

[cutlery]

[ He'd also clearly been just standing there, trying to not lose his temper and totally unmask his anger for everyone to see. Yet Set digs into the very sore spot (as Sebastian would, to be fair), and he's mad all over again... So, Sebastian lunges at him in reality, but his response is in Communion. ]

Your mockery is ill-timed.

[ At least it's a rare case where Sebastian's anger is white hot instead of the cool neutral he prefers. Clearly, that Shard really was important to him! ]

It should have been safe. I let no one even see it.

[ ...Technically, not true, but Sieglinde was long gone now. For anyone he didn't know, he was much more protective of the Shard. ]

Not commenting

[zauneyete]

[ But Sebastian, you know that moment when the pie gets set in the window sill, and the smell lines start weaving their way towards your nose like a cartoon character? That's what's happening right now, because even though one meal might be gone, there's another one in kenos just cooking away.

And if there's one advantage to this communion, other than warning whoever did do it, is that it increases the paranoia of his current master like ten fold. Silco doesn't even let people know Jinx exists let alone let anyone know where she is (except set) but that doesn't mean he isn't going to come up with six different ways to hide her and come up with seven or eight plans to prevent it for good measure.

But he isn't commenting. Nope. He isn't even here. He even CAREFULLY keeps it out of harbinger brain space, but he can't hide from Sebastian as easily, especially when Sebastian knows what threatening her would do.

So just consider this an appetizer! 🙂 For later this month! ]

Ok more seriously (??) now

[narsinssist]

[ Damn what kind of soul would make sebastian this mad? ]

Isn't that particularly cruel? Creative, though, I can appreciate the dedication to inflicting unique suffering. To dangle something so...[this word is offered with weight] precious, only to snatch it away?

I wonder if there is a way to replicate this attack? [ On the one hand, he's thinking zenith to Meridian, but also, just any old meridian doing it on their own.]

Well, I suppose it does not matter until you find the target, but inflicting that on an enemy might be worth the trouble of finding out.

[ Probably not the time but! He figured Sebastian will be fine. They don't actually care about anyone anyway. ]

sebastian's no good horrible month

[redsoil]

[ Set's response in Communion is an animal shriek of pain (ow, sebastian hits hard) and then dead air. Albeit a lingering sense of mocking smugness left behind.

In an actionable way, he's just gone down to the demon's onslaught, his own claws and teeth brought to bare as he laughs and yelps in pain in the same breath. ]

Ow! It is not my fault! You should not have taken your due spoils so early into the war, you greedy thing! If anything, you can blame your true master for not making the risks more clear.

[cutlery]

Absolutely. I can see them, so there is no mistaking it.

[ And technically no mistaking who it was either, but that's a side curiosity. It's the only reason Sebastian had even kept a suspicious thing, which he obviously regrets now. ]

They are both nothing more than pieces now, though.

life is so hard for him (deserved)

[cutlery]

[ Set has already witnessed the worst of his anger, and it essentially still drips off of him. It’s vicious and deadly, but also wilder and more chaotic than the demon likes to present himself as. It’s what has him almost reflexively lash out so that he’s tackled Set down to the ground with his own claws and fangs. His bright eyes are focused on Set hatefully, like he’s the one that did it and he’ll take his due—

…But he really is just continuing to throw a tantrum. A dangerous one, but a tantrum all the same.

Set is right, annoyingly, and that gets Sebastian’s hot rage to twist into a grimace. He tries to dig those sharp claws into Set’s side, but not deeply. It’s enough to hurt, but not enough to cause any serious damage for either one of them. ]

There should have been no risk.

[ He hisses it out, and it’s just a bit hoarse, which gets him to close his eyes and recollect himself. Somewhat. ]

What, I should have waited for a promise like Meridian’s? What do you have to show for your allegiance?

[bakedapple]

[ Whatever uneasiness Link might have felt from the unnerving tone of Sebastian's mental voice is immediately forgotten by the content of his message. Link responds with alarm, with the distinct sound of a strong, chilly wind blowing around him — the same sound surrounding him where he stands in the physical world, leaking into Communion space in his unfocused shock. ]

What?

It — it burst? That... who would do such a thing??

[ That means the person is gone. Forever. A Shard retrieved from the Timestream, destroyed forever. ]

H-How is that even possible? What do you mean, infected? Where did you keep it — how far away was it from the bad Shard? It took a few days, you said? And it — what, it exploded?

[ He needs all the details, now. ]

private

[cutlery]

[ He got messy at Set for two whole seconds there, so Raphael gets the private treatment. ♥ How nice for him. ]

I do not care to replicate it, Raphael. My enemies do not deserve the mercy of being shattered.

[ that’s a yikes, ]

That soul was mine. It does not matter whether it was precious or not. It was the fruits of my labors, and the prize I was owed. It will be paid for. Surely I do not need to justify that to you.

[redsoil]

There is always a risk when you make a bargain, Sebastian. You know that! Your master really affected you, if you did not consider that until just now.

[ Sure, the demon received unparalleled freedoms for his allegiance, but the short term gains sure seem to be falling apart in the long run!!

Set writhes below him, feeling the bite of claws that he's just observed shredding tender flesh. He thrums with pain, and snaps his teeth in return. The pure sadism of the creature before him is inspiration, and he shivers — pained, and yearning to embody that precision and deadliness. ]

I have prestige. A position of power. And a distinct lack of obvious weaknesses. You accepted gifts, dear demon. Of course they came with a latent price.

[ And then, he shrieks — aghast and horrified on Sebastian's behalf. ]

You wait for a contract to be fulfilled, you ninny! What is Harmonization with Meridian but one?!

[cutlery]

[ The rush of questions and the implications that Sebastian uncharitably hears in them are met with a spike of hostile irritation, but it is only a spike. He’s worked out his aggression twice over now (thanks Set), so there’s a sense of Sebastian intentionally finding his calm again. The unsettling feeling retreats somewhat as well, though not fully. ]

—I do not know. I have my suspicions, but they are only that.

[ Honestly, Silco was at the top of the list. But even if no one else had, Sebastian had felt his reaction to this revelation… And Silco was a wretched thing. He wouldn’t be able to resist gloating about this if he had done it. ]

I found the Shard in my home, but I could tell immediately that it was off, in a way. Something had latched onto the soul inside it. I kept it in my wine cellar to study it. Mine was— [ He pauses and makes a sound of irritation, because this wasn’t something he wanted to reveal. Now it doesn’t matter, though. ] The third story of my home, in my study.

[cutlery]

[ He can’t deny that Ciel affected him, though it’s something he does loathe to admit. He was just a human, and a child at that, but how much of his personality now had been shifted by that little brat? He had served many masters, but somehow, few played as good of a game as him. It’s why he was so deeply furious to have had him slip between his fingers. It wasn’t just the work put into cultivating Ciel. It was also the fact that he truly believed that boy was different, delectable in a way that he had never seen. It’s what had also made him wait, because gobbling up such a delicacy immediately had seemed gauche.

He laughs harshly, partially at that painful thought, and partially at Set’s continued words. Sebastian’s mouth is filled with inhuman teeth instead of most of them being human now. Maybe he’s losing control of his human appearance in having such intense feelings that he’s not prone to, or maybe he’s considering ripping out Set’s throat. Maybe both. Regardless, the grimace twists into a cruel smile as he digs his claws in deeper to the first knuckle. He can feel the separation of muscle, and he cuts into them to make them snap. ]

No obvious weaknesses, is it? So, none of those little mortals you favor? That sickeningly dishonest priestess of yours?

[ He’s lashing out and it’s obvious. Set is prodding at sore spots with his words, and obviously, he’d try and do the same. Yet, it doesn’t carry the weight of a threat towards these people—he’s only pointing out something he sees in return out of spite. But doesn’t that mean that he sees some truth in what he’s saying? ]

Silco is not the one that did it. [ He’s certain of that now ] So, will you accept it when I tear the Shard from one of your dear Meri as payment for what I am owed?

[hauntedking]

I must admit, I find this deeply troubling.

[ But he has suspicions about who might have arranged it - or at least the possibility of it. After all, he's been party to conversations about taking shards hostage - or smashing them. ]

There's so much to this - to our presence here that remains unanswered. And now this...

[erbe]

[Rin, too, had expelled most of her despair by now. Any distress she felt during the initial realization that Sakura's shard had been damaged is now buried deeper than almost anything else she seeks to keep hidden. For now she's icy too — frosted like an empty glass left in the freezer for chilled wine. Brittle, too.

Though she does make note of how he speaks about "that soul," now and how he commented on his, "young master" before. There's no surprise. Only confirmation. However Rin has no room left in her heart for condemning him. At least not in the moment where Sakura's shard is still cracked and vulnerable.]

Was it gradual, or immediate?

not here

[sterngaze]

cw vicious animals fighting :tired:

[redsoil]

No, I would not accept.

[ Meanly, his mouth twists. Sebastian isn't issuing a threat, but he bristles all the same; a god ought to, and to not would be evidence that he was trying too hard to be something he was not. He could say that they were as much his "contractees" as Sebastian's masters were, but as he was not a demon in full yet, it would ring false and hollow. Instead, he twists against Sebastian's claws and snaps his teeth against his face, biting into cheek and jaw towards the facsimile of bone below.

That should be enough to tell him that he's struck true. Maybe it will satisfy Sebastian a little, to know that the mortals have value. Enough to make Set angry, too. ( He wants to pretend they're all little meals, validating him and nothing more. He can't, and it's dangerous that he's grown so close to them. ) ]

Your loss is not a personal matter — you chose Zenith, you accepted the Shard from its leader, and you took a Master who will feed you the soul you are working for. You would not have had this issue otherwise, as you would have just gone home to that soul you have now wasted. Moving against any of the Meridian will be an act as a Zenite, and I will support my allies. As you would.

NOT HERE.

[redsoil]

[ DIMITRI?????

PLEASE BLAME HIM OH MY GOD ]

they're so normal

[cutlery]

[ It’s not like he can get out of the way without withdrawing completely, so it’s easy for Set to bite him. It pulls out a sharp noise of pain, and Sebastian lurches forward into the bite, but mostly to prevent Set from tearing into it further. Set could snap the bone if he wanted, he imagines, just as he could dig in further and rip out whatever organ his hands grabbed first. Is that more of an insult to Set, he wonders?

He spits out a glob of blood that gathers while Set speaks, but it’s another small sign that he’s listening that it’s to the side rather than lobbed directly at him. Still, though. It’s probably only Set that could handle this, for many reasons. His eyes are still wild, his posture as tense as a bowstring about to snap as he’s curled over Set. Even a formidable human would probably be cowed under such an intense gaze. ]

Is it a god’s nature to be soft towards the little mortals that covet your attention?

[ It’s a question that’s not meant to be answered. It’s just as mean and mocking as pointing out that obvious weakness in the first place. All because he hates the single word wasted. At this point, he would truly never want to return to his world, since the freedom he has here is too much to ever want that, but it’s just that idea of the other chance that he’d missed. That if he’d picked it, he could still have what he so deeply wanted. He would give up his contract with Silco in a heartbeat to possess Ciel’s again.

It's a tense moment of silence after the barbed question. Sebastian doesn’t move a muscle. He’s poised to strike and just continue fighting and shedding blood until he’s less furious.

But his hand relaxes, and he removes those claws from where he’d embedded them into Set’s side. ]

You are mistaken. I assume it was one of your allies, since it makes the most sense. They may have been inspired by this war. But I am not. I would tear Zenite meat from bone the same as Meri. They have overstepped.

private af

[tattooism]

Sebastian Michaelis.

[Kiritsubo has never been anything straying far from sensual, casual, or flirtatious in her interactions with him. With anyone, really. Perhaps "mysterious" is the closest she has come to hinting that she was far more than she appeared to be.

But there is something deathly serious in her "voice" now. Something as cold as the shard embedded in her tongue tasted.]

Precisely how long did it take for the shard to burst after you discovered the other... ?

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian scoffs first, since deeply troubling is an understatement, but this is also more personal for him. ]

Then I would hope you support finding the culprit. One can only assume that it was a Meridian, after all.

[cutlery]

Gradual. It took a few days' time.

[ How many exactly, uh, waves hand vaguely. Enough. ]

I did not keep them close to each other. They were never even in the same room.

[kaientai]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[ whatever ryouma chooses to believe, a soul may have been wiped from existence forever, which is worth recognising even if sebastian chooses to call it a pet. within communion, he is content to linger at the edges of that abyss, and there is a strong impression of something large and covered in scales coiled around him protectively but also somewhat possessively. ]

It's interesting that it was possible to do this without the same happening to your Shard. All things considered, I guess we should be thankful it wasn't a worse outcome.

[ he doesn't have much to add to this, but he knows it's worth keeping an eye on. ]