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[ 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. ]

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I support discovering how it happened, who, and why. Something that can shatter the inanimate shards handed out by Yima is powerful. Especially since we have no idea what that means for our own shards.

[ He pauses. ]

And those shards you do have - well. I don't see them as a part of any war we're meant to be fighting.

[ He's so lucky ♥ but also
probably for the best. ]

Oh no, I would never suggest you merely shatter an enemy. [ A scoff. ] That is for the short-sighted, and wasteful.

[ YEAH. SILCO. ]

No, you do not need to justify this to me. In fact, I was more curious how the concept of it could be turned to other things. Though, I suppose it's an exercise in hypothetical since we do not know what was done to them. I just wonder if there is a way to take from them, what was taken from you, in a similar fashion.

[ He miiiiiiight just be enjoying thinking about torturing some faceless rando. Just Devil/Demon Things. ]

You cannot claim that was a line not to be crossed in hindsight, Sebastian. Just because you got sloppy after tasting the freedoms given to you for being Zenith's does not mean I will immediately agree that you are due anything over your own mistake.

[ Sebastian hates weakness. Set knows this. To point it out is tantamount to asking to fight to the death, yet he does it regardless — because, seeing the normally preternaturally-composed demon so very, very unhinged is both enticing and frightening. He's furious, and Set isn't against taking advantage of this wrath, pressing on it like a bruise welling beneath the skin and urging him to think. To be himself, remember his priorities and realize: ] You let Yima give you what you already earned.

[ He feels the wet ( and simultaneously dry? ) drag of claws from his body and twists, mouth full of dark ichor and shadow and mock-blood as he drags his lips into a dire frown. Upset, a little, on behalf of the soul who was destroyed, but pressing it into a shape that makes him look sympathetic with Sebastian. His hand cups over his side, which aches and screams with pain even after the demon withdraws his fingers, his voice a rasp, a hiss of vicious daring. He could be destroyed for this. Sebastian is capable of it. ]

You were mislead and used, as I see it. I promise I do not dare to insult you with pity this time — it is only that there is no worth in Zenith's immediate gratification if there is no guarantee. What an empty promise you were given, in exchange for your dutiful service.

I see. They're not all on the same timeline, then.

[Tohsaka says nothing else. Was her own shard damage? Someone else's that she knows?]

[Oh, this is not a great thing to hear after just barely getting her hands on a precious Shard herself. She is practically bristling in this mental space—out of anger, primarily, but there's fear there too.]

What the fuck? These things can break that easily?

[This is why souls should stay in the body! Chloe is beginning to feel like she can't be trusted to hold onto anything as important as this.]

I'm gonna smash any weird rocks I find. Screw taking chances.

[ Sebastian's reception to Kiritsubo at least isn't so chilly. She asks a direct question, and considering that rare, serious tone in her voice, he's serious in turn. She asks for precise, and boy, does she get it. His perception of time is much more precise than he lets on in general, so she gets an exact number of hours that he then restates in days. ]

Why?

[ His voice is serious too—insistent. ]

Did you also find one?

[ Normally, Sebastian would be interested in how Ryouma's Communion presents itself, or rather, what's coiled around him so protectively. It is strange, but whatever curiosity feels is dampened by—

...Well, he's not sure. Sympathy isn't something he expected to receive. It doesn't make sense to him, in a way, so there's simply nothing in response. No particular bite, no gratefulness, just a void of emotion, however brief. So, he moves on. ]

Mine is fine. I did have a thought that it could spread. [ Briefly, anyways. Between the unholy anger. ] But it was visually distinct, at least to my eyes. I see nothing of it left.

[ This is someone he doesn't recognize, and there's a little spark of curiosity in response, though it's brief. He's at least calming down by this point (thankfully), but he's still not happy in any sense of the word. Unsurprisingly. ]

I did not think so, though I never checked. Considering the risks, testing their material strength did not seem worth it.

[ He absolutely would have to someone else's Shard, but to his Happy Meal? No way. ]

...Regardless. That is what I would recommend. Either that or toss it over the edge of the island entirely.

[... So. Their "new" shards had been discovered within two hours of each other.

She may only have two hours. Five hundred years of painstaking, lonely preparation might be foiled in just two hours-

Though she strives for the usual unbreakable sense of reflection she projects in Communion, telling nothing of herself and simply serving as a mirror towards her partner... its cracking. Because the shard inside of her is cracking, and no matter how composed she sounds here, she is actually somewhere in Springstar, hidden away in the back alleys in case her shape began to slip, hunched over in mounting pain.

The instinct is to hide it, but... This man had the ability to see souls. He would notice if it was gone the next time they spoke. There is no reason not to say in private,]

I did.

[ Sebastian bristles again with a sneer that bears his teeth when Set calls him sloppy, since that’s an insult that digs into his pride in a particular way. It’s easy to read on his face that he’s thinking better of removing his claws from Set’s side. If he puts them back, he’s going to puncture a lung just to hear less of these insults. Perhaps more than that, at this rate.

But that insult is still something that Sebastian can accept, in a way. He hates it being pointed out, but even he knows, deep down, that trying to hunt down the culprit and string them up is a short-sighted idea. What does Ciel’s soul even mean, truly? He might have been a decadent meal, but in the true grand scheme of things, he’s nothing. Pushing back on that feels acceptable, if only from Set.

But Set pushes past that. This conflict over Ciel’s soul is petty. But pointing to his decision to ally with Zenith this way—

Shadows snap out from under Set and wrap around him tightly, and it’s far more of them than he’s seen before. It’s holding him in place, but more than that, they’re a substance where Sebastian and Set are similar, in a way. He can turn to sand if he wants. The shadow can still catch every grain and pin it in place because of how they both operate as more liquid than anything else. They nearly envelop him, like Sebastian were going to just swallow him up into a void and eat him whole, but they’re only restraints. Still, though. This isn’t something he’s used for anyone else so far.

His hot, feral anger has cooled in an instant to something icy. If Set hasn’t already crossed a line, he’s dangerously close to it, but he already expected that. Sebastian grabs Set’s face with his unclawed hand, which also happens to be the one bearing the mark of his Covenant with Silco. For once, the symbolism of the choice isn’t intentional. ]

What bold words. Are you daring me to swallow your Shard up instead, Set?

[ There’s notably no honorific. But it’s just as notable that he hasn’t already done so. Sebastian may like to play with his prey, but not when he’s as serious as this. He’s felt the stirring in his soul, after all. Or, weakening, more accurately. ]

Or do you imagine this is when I so gratefully say “Ah, how right you are, what a fool I have been.” How convenient that losing the price paid for my loyalty would push me to the alternative. What a clever scheme that would be… And what sweet words come from the trickster god’s mouth to sell such a story.

[ His grip doesn’t tighten, but his gaze is so intense that it feels like he’s boring into Set’s soul by looking at him. ]

Was this your plan? Or were you involved in it? And do not insult me by attempting to lie to me.

[ They've gotten along poorly at the best of times -- even setting aside the matter of Sebastian's interference when it comes to Silco-killing, Gen finds him fucking insufferable and annoying to be around. But that's that, and this is this. Gen's always been good at compartmentalizing his distaste for people, forcing himself to cooperate with people he finds loathesome, especially when the stakes are high enough.

So despite everything that's happened between them, Gen's 'tone of voice' across Communion is a flat neutral. Whatever traces of his natural, shitty, irate personality come through are only because of his nature, not because he's picking a fight. (This time.) ]

Your shard, the one that was destroyed. What was it like, when it was getting damaged. Before it [ died ] ... broke.

[ Is it the same sort of thing that happened when Reiji's shard had grown cold after his own death? Are the two things related, maybe? ]

[She can’t exactly blame him, considering the monumental significance of these tiny things, but she’s really wishing they came with instruction manuals right about now. Do not place Magical Soul Shard under extreme pressure. Do not put it in the vicinity of freaky, diseased Shards.]

Crushing seems like the better bet. Then you know the thing is gone.

[Like hell she’s gonna trust anything yeeted into the void not to come back.]

Man, I need to find a hammer. A big one.

[Or a bat, that one’s the tried and true destroyer in her heart.]

I’m sorry for your loss.

[ it’s a… genuine?statement? like a stock phrase that might be programmed on a talking doll or automaton: perhaps empty and soulless to some, but certainly without any falsehoods. innocent, even.

in reality, flat’s not sure what it is that sebastian lost: a pet? human or animal or something else? but he understood the feeling behind the message: whatever it was that he lost, it was important. therefore, this is definitely the phrase that he must use in this moment.

there is also, behind all that, the curiosity to find out what could have caused this. he figured these shards were fragile, but this is far from “oops i dropped a shard and it broke”. ]

Are there no magical traces that you could follow? Even after days, human scent can still be traceable by dogs, and same with magical ones— but this place has so much magical energy that it might be a bit more difficult to follow…

Edited 2024-02-06 14:38 (UTC)

[ There’s silence over Communion first where Sebastian’s suspicion is clear. After all, you don’t trust another demon/devil’s intentions, ever, and especially not when they’re on opposite sides.

However. As he’s here in Kowloon just outside of Ryad, he can’t exactly deny the impression he’s getting from Raphael’s thoughts. It does feel good, and especially at the moment. ]

…I suppose it’s not impossible. But Shards are harder to come by than most things.

[ At the moment, he doesn’t care about what it means for their Shards so much. He’s pretty singularly focused on losing his meal, but he doesn’t let that seep in. ]

Clearly, someone disagrees with you. If they wanted to strike at Zenites where it is most tender, they have figured out their mark. That much is obvious, I now say with regret.

[ Sebastian’s frown is clear from the tone of the hm he utters first, but he doesn’t respond immediately. Her implication is clear, but what that further implies is more troubling. This was a more coordinated effort? But still, he’ll confirm. ]

So, you also found an unwelcome gift, I take it?

[ Sebastian just hums out a flat noise first, since his thoughts do immediately go to her more… unique circumstances. Bitterly and only because he’s still angry, he wonders meanly if she regrets her choice of where to store that Shard now. But, with a sigh, he pushes those cruel thoughts away. No, she at least presents an opportunity, so he composes himself. ]

I see. Would you like for me to view it? I am not sure what it was, precisely, but I could see the taint.

[ Despite not wanting to (because he’s sulking like a big baby), he can’t help but laugh a little at her straightforward solution. It’s still short and a bit flat, but it’s genuine amusement all the same. ]

That is one way to solve the problem, yes. I imagine Mr. Amos Burton has plenty, considering his workshop, should you need suggestions.

[ This is probably the first time that Sebastian has ever heard this tone of voice from Gen, wow… Which is notable, because at the first connection, he assumes that the young man is going to be a little shit and gloat, but that’s not what comes. He pauses, almost uncertain in that surprise, but he answers straightforwardly. ]

I cannot give a full certainty for all the “symptoms” it may have had, since I do not—did not interact with it regularly. But it was notably cold when I checked on it last.

[ Again, sympathy. It’s strange, almost unwelcome, especially with the confusing set of feelings that surround it. Sebastian isn’t at all sure how to take this one either, but for completely different reasons… Like many, he’s immediately thrown off by Flat. Gold star for Flat! ]

If there were, it is not something I would be able to do.

[ He’ll at least admit that without a fuss, since it doesn’t feel like any particular weakness to him. His affinity for magic is low, probably owing to what he is, or so he’s always assumed. ]

There was a sort of taint that I could see in the Shard that appeared in my home, but I could only see it because I am able to see souls if I so choose. [ at least it’s not by default ] Once they were both destroyed, there was nothing left to see.

If one doesn't care for the cost of collateral damage, those do seem an obvious target, I must admit.

[ The thought has crossed his mind - and come up in conversation. It's a point of weakness; a way to strike at the leverage that Yima has. A threat and a promise that Yima cannot keep her side of the bargain because she cannot protect them.

A rather cold and brutal calculus that Dimitri does not like but sees the logic behind. ]

Hmmmmm…

[ yes, he is humming in his own thoughts.

and also he is hiding this convo under like 20 proxies. he figures that whoever did this might be watching and he doesn’t want to have eyes on himself. ]

Do you want help? [ it’s a simple question. if sebastian lacks the skills, then he should simply look elsewhere for help, right? and if someone needs help then, flat sees no reason not to offer. ] I can’t promise results, though! I don’t think we’ll have a big “aha!” moment, and the crime scene might be too contaminated for me to distinguish anything by now. I think the most I could give you are hints.

[ it? what’s ‘it’? don’t worry about it. ]

But if you’re fine with those risks and don’t try to eat me if I fail, then I’ll be happy to help.

[Claude really doesn't want to respond to this, not least because he'd rather fly under the radar than become a potential suspect. But it's hard to avoid, being a Stargazer, so he clamps down on the flare of anger he lets slip through the connection (about the Shard? about Sebastian? both?) to give an answer of feigned nonchalance.]

Hey, maybe a friend of Aetós' did it. That charmer will do just about anything when it comes to Shard experimentation.

[Is that likely? Who knows, but Let Them Fight.]

[That is the question. Does she? If she had her way, in her own world, she would prefer to handle things on her own. After all, she had all the time in the world to educate herself, and then solve it, with broadcasting her business to those that could use it against her in a nebulous future. If time was pressing, she would consult an expert, of course, but-]

Yes. I will allow you to view it.

[She doesn't phrase it like he would be doing her a favor. Because he wants to know just as much as she does- who did this? And how.]

But you must also look at something else for me as well. I need to know if the damage to the soul in my shard is approaching the level yours did before shattering.

[She needed to put a seal on it, anyway. It's the only thing she can think to do to try and save it--]

[ If Sebastian didn’t know how to handle sympathy, he definitely doesn’t know how to handle an offer for help. He feels the focus of Communion narrow to just the two of them and is already curious, but the question just turns it to pure bafflement. It’s not like he’s so distant from humans that he doesn’t understand the idea of altruism (or whatever it is Flat is doing), but he just wouldn’t expect it, considering, well. He’d definitely taken a strong tone with his announcement, to put it lightly. ]

I would not eat you.

[ He clarifies that first, and there’s the lightest feeling of offense… Is it important, no, not compared to everything else, but he feels a need to not come off as a complete boor now. ]

…If you are offering sincerely, I will not refuse it.

[ Though he also only accepts it because he doesn’t know who this is. If it were someone who had been here longer, he’d be much more suspicious of their “help”, but someone newly arrived had less stake in things, presumably. ]

It will take me some time to return to my home, since I had to step out. [ Translation: go fight out his feelings and then wrestle with Set, as you do. ] Why are you offering?

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