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

[erbe]

I'd be unsurprised if a small handful of people received such "gifts".

[Her anger begins boiling again, but it's kept leashed. The sensation like a pot on the stove in another room — its simmering heat recognizable even from a distance.]

[corvidant]

[ His presence in communion is cold and calculated, though something rattles in his mind, agitation peeking through the surface calm. ]

I had imagined these gifted Shards were more delicate than our own, without a physical body to guard them, but to think they could simply explode... You have my sympathy.

[ Not so much in the sense that one offers condolences, though, and more so for being robbed of something that belongs to them exclusively. ]

If you don't mind, it would be in Zenith's best interest to conduct a thorough investigation-- and my own, as well. Whoever is responsible for this may have a larger scale target, after all.

[escardos]

You wouldn’t eat me, fantastic!

[ he means it.

the second question is also answered with little hesitation. ]

Because isn’t it normal to help someone in need? [ this question, however, was probably not just meant for sebastian. flat’s thoughts come to a sudden halt, as if he himself were shuffling through a notebook full of notes on what’s appropriate and what’s not.

he recalibrates, thinking of a friend’s words, and starts again, answering his own question. ]

No, my friend once told me that it’s not normal, but there’s nothing I can do about that. You were sounding pretty threatening, after all. In movie terms, you might just be the bad guy. [ he sounds extremely unbothered by this, albeit not in a disrespectful manner. if anything, what sebastian might sense is flat’s own scattered thoughts coming together in a stream of consciousness. ] I want to help because it’s what I want to do, and because it’ll make your process of finding who did it more efficient.

[ it’s a shame to see so much waste in the actions of both parties. if it were him, he would be doing everything much differently. ]

Oh, but I have one question! There’s no right or wrong answer to this, so please answer freely: If you find who did it, what will you do to them?

[alliterating]

[ Man, she wishes she could block this out. But... ]

...that's kinda disturbing. Just some random new shard shows up and the next thing you know the other one blows itself up? Sounds like someone enjoys fucking with you.

[ Is she worried about Fu Hua's shard now? Maybe a little. ]

[cutlery]

[ too late buddy, you were already towards the top and the glib answer isn't helping,,, ]

Perhaps. [ Absolutely not, and Sebastian knows it personally. Aetós would never encounter Sveinn and make a mess if they didn't want to. ] Or perhaps it was a Shard-Bearer with a bit of a grudge and given means. I would not think Aetós to be so sloppy as to leave a mess.

[cutlery]

[ There it is again, but— No, the feeling that comes with it is different and much more familiar to Sebastian. This brand of sympathy is the one that resonates, because that’s precisely how Sebastian feels. Yet, how odd. He wouldn’t have expected anyone else to feel that way about their gifted Shard. ]

It was not a risk I was ever made aware of. Nor anyone else, to my knowledge.

[ At least when it comes to the request, Sebastian acquiesces to this one much more easily than Flat’s… ]

I do not mind. I had to step out, as my feelings were so high [ putting it lightly ], but I am on my way back to my home now if that is acceptable.

[ he doesn't mention that someone else is also coming, ]

[redsoil]

[ He knows enough about Sebastian by now, to know when he's pushing too far ( too fast, too hard ) and this is one of those instances. Like every other inch of him, Set's tongue is as deadly a weapon — perhaps one of the deadliest, made and molded into a knife, a hammer, a wedge that seek to find the gap in the demon's impermeable armor. Finding it is one thing, surviving the retaliation after he exposes it is another. Because physically, he might maneuver free of it. He might grapple with the shadows by turning to sand and slithering free. He might shelter his Shard if Sebastian thinks to dissipate him simply to release the brunt of his ire — but no, he is restrained.

Held down. Pinned in place. Controlled and trapped. It sparks a terror within him that he cannot, will not, let Sebastian get a read on. Even as his mouth snaps shut and his eyes pin wide under the edge of that grasping hand, seizing his face. The dark pupils within red irises thin, and Set thrums below the restraining shadows like he's preparing to lash out. To try and buck Sebastian off of him. He cannot use his mouth, but there still is Communion. He opens his mind, privately, to the demon astride him. ]

It would be a great loss for you, if you did.

[ Would it? He's banking on his utility, on Sebastian's enjoyment of his existence, to allow him to survive for longer than he might — a god does not, at any point, possess the mentality to imagine themselves possessed of the ability to die. They've had the discussion before, after all. The density and weight of Set's soul is akin to an ocean, even if it is packaged up in a manageable bite. He thinks it would, at the least, change something about Sebastian, if not rupture him. ( But, would it? If it is within a Shard, and perhaps not part of his whole, then would it not be a bite-sized morsel now? ) ( And demons, he has come to know, devour for power. ) ]

I knew nothing about this, Sebastian Michaelis.

[ He's not lying in the least, either. This is not one of his schemes, though the spark within his soul — black and deep, shines gleaming like sharp teeth — and is enough of a hint to a demon that living within him, there is something that doesn't mind seizing the opportunity it has presented to him. It's not a lie, to point these things out. ]

It is convenient, that is without a doubt... but, it is also disappointing. To know how much you pride your power and freedom, and to know you would not have had to face this, had she not played into your desires so effectively. Learning the lessons of hell from you has been eye-opening, dear teacher.

[cutlery]

Not just me, apparently.

[ He won’t say who the other two are, since that’s kind of up to them, he figures. They’re both exceptionally private, so if they want to share, they will. ]

Someone—or multiple people—saw fit to escalate things intensely.

[corvidant]

[ How curious. This other man doesn't seem to take his words as condolences, either, not a sorrowful 'thank you' to be heard. If he's to assume his true feelings were communicated through communion, that's made all the stranger, too...

Ah well. Whether or not they share a sentiment, what matters is that they agree on cooperation. ]

I see. I have only recently arrived, but I've caught word that tensions have escalated between both factions. It's possible that having more Oracles on their side may have... emboldened the more dedicated Meridians.

[ Not... that Akechi hasn't resorted to unfair methods before, but naturally he won't let his side be cheated on. His justice will prevail. ]

Regardless, I would be amenable to getting started as soon as possible. I will only need directions [ oh, wait-- ] and a name to search for.

[bakedapple]

Wine cellar, to the third story...? That's...

[ So far. Even if that Shard was tainted with something, how could it travel such a distance and be potent enough to actually make another Shard explode?

This is terrifying. Nobody's gifted Shard is safe. Link is shocked, and desperate for information, and filled with sympathy — but all of those feelings are quickly dwarfed by the anger that surges into his mind and out into Communion. ]

It was the Meridian. It has to be, doesn't it? Somebody over there — somebody had to have planted it in your house knowing this would happen.

[ Anyone aligned with the Zenith, whether Shard-Bearer or native, doing something like this is totally inconceivable. While their goal is creating a new world, the Shards that Yima gives to those who choose to follow her are like totems of that promise. They are not only cherished individuals from home (whatever one's meaning of "cherished" might be, in this instance) but proof of Yima's power itself. ]

If they've figured out a way to do something like this...

[cutlery]

[ At least a small mercy is that Sebastian doesn’t find Set’s reaction strange. He’d surely be straining in the same way if their positions were reversed. He has him thoroughly pinned, since those shadows are ethereal and weightless, but they’re every bit as strong as Sebastian himself. It’s why he rarely uses them this way, lest someone realize their true utility as one of his last resorts.

Yet, it’s almost worse when it’s in Communion, because it’s clearer when he’s not speaking to an audience just how deeply this loss and this conversation affects him. His mind is always shadows, a cool, dark abyss that Set has luxuriated in before, but it’s more chaotic now. The eyes and teeth that had appeared once when Hayame had destroyed his eye are all out to bear, but they’re not lashing out in animalistic frenzy.

The countless eyes and teeth of as many beasts are focused on Set. The eyes stare at him like they’d be able to just see a lie, and the hungry mouths drip with ichor and grin as they wait to tear him apart. Set had seen Sebastian’s true face, yes, but this feels like it just as much. It’s something chaotic and ugly that the otherwise orderly demon took great care to keep out of view.

It’s tense as he listens, and more tense still as a silence lingers. That last little comment gets Sebastian’s grip to tighten, and his fury is ice instead of fire. It seems like a push too far to turn his “lessons” back on him like a mirror.

Yet—

It’s a weighing in his mind of which wound to his pride is worse—that he would be fooled, or that someone else would point it out. Both sting in a way that’s equally worthy of retribution to a demon, but one is more rational than the other. He’d already realized the flaw in his bought loyalty the first time that Set pointed it out here. It’s from those cracks that Zenith is ebbing out of him now. Maybe Set can even feel it—the doubt that’s coiling like a blight around a purple flower.

It's only moments that feel like an eternity, but the dark calms. The eye and mouths close, and the restraining shadows retreat back to the eaves that they had sprung from. His hand quivers as he does it, but he lets go of Set’s jaw. That’s all answer enough, and it seems like Sebastian stubbornly might not say a word. But surprisingly, he does, though his voice is quiet. ]

It may well be something she regrets.

[ It’s as close to a “you’re right” or an “I believe you” as he’s going to get. ]

[alliterating]

Don't know why. Meridian's been winning lately.

[ Because that's who she immediately thinks of - Meridian. ]

Unless it's a "strike when they're weak" kinda thing.

[leicesters]

[oopsie doopsie]

And here I thought they liked messes, with all the destruction they caused in the past. [Though some of Sebastian's earlier phrasing does make him wonder--] Can't you ask Yima for a new, uh, pet?

[eightfoldfiend]

If there was black magic involved there might still be energy lingering in those pieces.

[youngprodigy]

[That is rather terrifying.]

How in the hells did someone come across the ability to do something like that?

[It makes him want to hide his own very, very well.]

[diegeticmusic]

[Ooh, that feeling is... unpleasant in every way. Makes Grace shiver.

By contrast, Grace's presence is much lighter, a smoothness like the vibe of a late night at a jazz bar, but something troubled underneath it all. She hasn't been able to fully divorce shards and Eidolons in her mind, even though they are ultimately different things.]

Wait, so... it just exploded? Isn't that almost like murder?

[If the soul is gone forever, that's death, isn't it?]

[kaientai]

[ it doesn't matter much to ryouma that he gets nothing in exchange for his sympathy because it was offered with no expectation of anything in return anyway, so it is what it is. interesting, though, considering that reaction (or lack thereof) speaks to sebastian's nature. ]

That's a relief to hear! I'm sure there are broader implications that those with greater expertise in this area than myself will surely be thinking about, but I can only see what's in front of me.

[ he's a simple guy who is just going to stick to what he's good at. ]

If Meridian fails to restore our worlds, the souls that remain in Kenos are all that's left, so every single one is precious.

[ even the soul of someone who is definitely his competition. he hasn't gotten to a place where he thinks of anyone as his enemy yet, but his opinion wouldn't change anyway. ]

And if we succeed, I would hope everyone has the opportunity to return home again.

[punkisntdead]

Sounds like I got myself somewhere to stop and shop, then. Thanks for the heads up.

[As if Sebastian had just said “hardware store” and not “workshop.”

There’s a moment of hesitation that follows after that though, where Chloe’s own dismayed anger at learning this news gives way to a bit of sympathy. Dude might not be feeling as pissed off now as he had when he first made this announcement, but he sure still isn’t happy. (Incredibly fucking weird feeling to just know that about someone without even seeing their face, by the way.) Which, you know, fair.]

And… sorry about that Shard of yours, man. That really sucks. There’s really no way to fix it?

[narsinssist]

Indeed they are! Perhaps there will be opportunity in the future. Or perhaps it is merely my idle thoughts.

[ After all, it is not sympathy Sebastian will get from Raphael. It's just a soul, after all. They're a dime a dozen, to him. It may be his, but surely it is a space easily filled? His Savant's mind is more interested in the puzzle — figuring out a new way of torture — and learning how to do it intrigues him. Raphael, after all, is less... strictly adherent to the Meridian versus Zenith question at the moment. He has his preference, but should the winds of change turn elsewhere, well. He will not hesitate. ]

If you are not able to level that particular torture on your target, I wonder what equivalent suffering you will choose to inflict instead.

[ and can he watch ]

[cutlery]

[ There’s an impression of a frown at “black magic” but only because it’s a term with weight for him. He may be much more open to the idea of things existing across worlds here, so he’s sure that it’s quite real and literal, but he can’t help the reflexive feeling in Communion especially. ]

…Perhaps. I do have someone coming to look at it, so we shall see. It was not my impression that it was magic, though. I could see something in the Shard very clearly.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian just hums out a neutral noise, but that’s clear enough just how upset he is by all of this. Raphael and Sebastian just have a different view on the true value of a soul, but their uses for them were different. That’s what Sebastian thinks of first, and though he’s not upset at Raphael, he does consider just cutting the connection at that.

…At least until the latter part. That’s what gets Sebastian’s attention to essentially refocus, since it’s bait, and good bait too. He’d keep his thoughts to himself for the most, but for another like him? ]

Equivalent? Hardly.

[ For their kind, vengeance is different. It’s a perfectly normal social dynamic in Hell, plural or otherwise. So, his presence in Communion turns a little more intense, though he’s still vague and brief. The abyssal darkness edges in, since he doesn’t need to keep it at bay so much. ]

I will make them pay that price until I am satisfied, not until it is equivalent.

[cutlery]

[ Truthfully, there is one Zenite that Sebastian thinks could have done it and absolutely would have, if he had the ability to. But the fact that Silco fled with the sort of fear in his heart that Sebastian knows the source of exonerates him. And later, the fact that Rin and Kiritsubo were also targets will too. ]

Presumably. They have reason to. Besides whatever personal grudges exist, I am known as a powerful Zenite.

[ He’s not bragging here, it’s perfectly factual. Largely because Set says it every time he gets a chance??? ]

…Not that my ability matters, I do not think. It is merely that is targeted so, and unacceptable.

[cutlery]

Indeed. Which I am well aware that some of your allies do not.

[ It’s said accusingly, and he doesn’t exactly care that it’s hypocritical in his particular case. He’s just mad to lose his prize. ]

Who has spoken of it?

[cutlery]

[ Her answer isn’t clear, but the anger is. It at least makes it a little more confusing, since he’d at first assumed that this was a personal revenge, but Rin doesn’t have a reason to be included (nor Kiritsubo later). That makes him thoughtful, but it’s intense. Vicious, even. ]

…I see. [ After a pause, he decide to just speak to his thoughts: ] I thought it may be something targeted, but perhaps not. Or not so specifically, at least.

Did you also have a break-in recently?

[cutlery]

[ He at least understands it perfectly well, so he hardly minds her phrasing. If anything, he just moves along smoothly. ]

I can, at least somewhat. I did not keep the Shard with me regularly. In fact, I rarely interacted with it, since that was part of how I was keeping it safe.

[ He hates using the past tense already, but— ]

There was a kind of taint in the Shard I received, at least. I will be able to see that without a problem.