[ Every time they talk, he gets BULLIED!!! (deserved), so Fane's reception isn't exactly thrilled... But he doesn't hang up, nor does the displeasure have any real teeth to it. Per usual, he's just a bit surly at a default. ]
...But, yes. That sounds wise. I've been working with her on the theory, and it is about time that we switched to the practical. [ A thoughtful noise follows, and at least like any good Savant, the flicker of irritation is quelled by the prospect of an interesting problem to be dug into. ] Now, I assume?
There is never a better time than the present. I will come fetch you, and show you to my temple.
[ not the shrine, but his TEMPLE ]
We have begun transporting supplies out to the location, based on the theorem developed, so I hope you will be satisfied with what we have to begin with. And will let me know what more you need. No matter what it is, I will find it or something to replace it.
Very well. I'm still residing in Heliopolis since it's convenient, so I'll be ready when you get here. I look forward to seeing the progress so far.
[ A pause, as Fane clearly is considering whether to trust Set with something or not... But he decides that there's perhaps no one better to ask that an apparent god. Probably. He doesn't completely know how it works, but he doubts he'll be judged, at least. ]
...There is a personal matter that I'd like to ask about. It gets people all riled up for some reason when I've asked in the past, but perhaps you can be of assistance in obtaining what I need. It's not strictly related to this, but it'd be an asset, I assure you.
[ He almost says it now, but, no. With a sigh, he adds: ]
—No, I'll just ask when you get here. It's at least a brief query.
[ The moment that Fane had expressed that he would be amenable to joining Set, the god had gone on the move. Heliopolis wasn't far from where he and Akua lived, so it would take him no time at all to get there. In the meanwhile, he could still chat while rapidly approaching the man's location. ]
Oh, people always get riled up about the most inconsequential of things! "Set, stop picking fights with your allies!" "Set, stop making deals for our benefit with our enemies — let us be friendly with them with no purpose, instead!" Blah, blah blah!
[ Soon, he is at Fane's door. Knocking briskly, calling his name. ]
Fane! Let me in, before I show you how poor the security here is ~!
[ He realizes that Set’s expectations for what Fane is going to ask him might be a little skewed in this moment, but he still doesn’t think it’ll be a problem. ]
Hmph… But what sort of deals do you mean? Dealing with our enemies does seem like a poor idea, but it all depends on the conditions. What did we gain?
[ Since that’s kind of all that matters to Fane. He’s truly a “ends justify the means” guy, which is precisely how he gets in trouble, and he has no self-awareness to realize it. Though at the very least, he doesn’t immediately criticize Set.
…For that, at least. Once he’s at the door and being annoying, Fane huffs out a noise of annoyance, but he’s quick to open it. The remnants of magic flutter off his form, as he’d quickly cast Disguise Self before opening the door. It’s not for Set, naturally. It’s more because he prefers to not be stared at in the busy Springstar streets. ]
[ Having a relationship with Silco, whom literally everyone hates, means that he's not completely off the grid and unaccounted for. Set's deal with him ( and thus Sebastian ), during the Iconoclast had not precisely shaken out in favor of Meridian — so, the situation regarding repayment had shifted a little. Set was biding his time to reclaim the second half of his bargain, for what he had offered in exchange; then again, the relationship he had with Silco was, in and of itself, a very strange reward. ]
Depending on our endgame, perhaps even someone who could tear down Zenith from the inside out.
[ HM!
And then Fane's opening the door, and Set's a little disappointed that he didn't get to show him his fun party trick. He squeezes past the sorcerer, and hikes his hands onto his hips expectantly. Even as his nose wrinkles a little at not being able to see Fane's real face. It's a bit silly to him, but he is literally a man, an animal and a storm all in one. Going around in weird shapes and with bits of himself as entire other things is normal. ]
[ HM INDEED… That’s a curious note to end on, which is why Fane gives him an expectant look at first to finish that thought, but naturally, Fane is expecting too much. Set pushes his way inside, and though Fane sighs at the intrusion, he doesn’t stop him. There’s not much to see, after all. Fane’s quarters are almost completely undecorated from the way they come by standard. There are books and papers that neatly sit on a desk, and an unusual, floating chest near it.
Oh, and there’s a young chicken. It’s completely pitch black, almost like another bird that Set knows, and it peeps happily as it threads between Set and Fane’s feet. It also has atrocious vibes. ]
Agh, Peeper—
[ Fane sighs in exasperation, then leans down to pick the chicken up and take him further into the quarters so they can at least leave, lest it follow them as a third party member, ]
And don’t give me that look. I grow tired of being stared at every time I step out of this place. It’s as if no one has seen someone without skin before!
[ The chicken has HORRIBLE VIBES, yes. Set still, immediately, emits the most eerie, animalistic little coo upon seeing it. Since he's not into eating meat, the chicken does not clock to him as a meal at all, but a cute little pet. Also, he's a big fan of birds — Horus, Sebastian, and now Peeper, all are creatures he wants to hold in his arms and aggressively pet. Cats and dogs are great, but you can't top the brilliance of birds! ]
Oh, let it come! Fane, it is so cute and horrible!
[ He takes a nice look around Fane's place, wanting so badly to pry into all his notes and sniff around the chest — but, another time. Instead, he sweeps back to Fane's side and loops his arm boldly through the scholar-sorcerer's, as if they are bosom companions and not a horrible cat and one of his ( other ) favorite chew-toys. ]
Honestly, considering the non-human entities I have seen here, you would think that Kenos would be a little more used to the unique among us. There is nothing strange about you, tch!
[ At least Peeper is happy for the attention! Fane, alas, does not have the “Pet Pal” talent, so he doesn’t get to enjoy the extremely cute peeps of him going “Mama” at Fane repeatedly. A for effort, Peeper. ]
No, absolutely not. If he dies, it becomes a whole problem.
[ He sets Peeper down in what’s clearly a repurposed cat bed, but he at least happily cheeps in the nest that Fane has set up for him. Apparently Fane has a bit of a soft spot for birds too! Or, at the very least, a responsibility to make sure this one doesn’t turn into an endless, extremely annoying Voidwoken spawn point.
It’s as he walks back that Set loops their arms together, and it immediately shows the limitations of the spell that Fane uses. Set’s arm passes through the illusion of Fane’s, and it’s clearly raw bone that fills out the flowing robes that he wears. He makes a slightly indignant sound, and it’s clear that he’s about to tell Set off, but it also quickly quiets at that last comment. There’s a softer feeling in their connection, but he’s quick to try and push it away with a sigh. ]
…Well, they’re better than Rivellon, that much is certain. They stare, but they do not chase me down with pitchforks and torches and force me to immolate them in turn.
[ Does he sound or feel guilty about that? Nope! Not even a little!
He doesn’t try and free himself from Set’s grasp (perhaps he knows better at this point), but instead just leans over to grab a messenger-style bag that he’d filled up already. ]
Well, let’s go, before Peeper thinks better of staying put.
[ Set immediately begins to wail because he wants Peeper to come with them AND go nuclear on Kenos, that would be FUN. No jk, he doesn't do that at all. He just looks at where Fane has placed the chicken with a distinct expression of disappointment, as if all the fun has just been stolen out of his life. He then presses his fingertips to his mouth and blows a little kiss to the cheeping bird, automatically fond over a cute, deadly creature.
And then he has Fane in arm, and he can feel the bony press of him below the spellwork. There's no issue that he takes, though, with the sensation. Again, he is a divine entity — his mother is the night sky, his father the soil of the earth. He speaks with crocodiles and has, in Kenos, lain with the shadows themselves ( sighs ) — it's not something that strikes him as odd, nor alarming. If anything, he treats Fane like any other being! ]
If they did, I would not be one to admonish you for defending yourself as necessary.
[ He sniffs, derisive of Rivellon's close-mindedness ( ugh mortals! ) and waits for Fane to snag his bag before promptly swinging him out the door and into the street. They'll be heading for Springstar's main Cornerstone, and out into the depths of the Beyond via it. He'd like for Fane to see the place where the weapon was being designed and assembled, more than the staging grounds he's made of his shrine and Quetzalcoatl's temple. At this point, he isn't hiding as much as he once did, because the theorem only needed to match the technological level of Kenos for it to function. He has the bullet and the power, it's just the "gun" and "target" he needs. ]
The location is protected, needless to say. Spellwork on it has a targeted psychological bomb devoted to Zenites who might find the location, which we might switch over to a strict ban if they determine where the Cornerstone itself is. For now, we expect them to forge the perils of the Beyond moreso than visually confirm a teleportation target.
[ A content sigh, and he bumps his strong hip into Fane's side. A devil's smirk spreading across his sharp teeth. ]
— however, before we discuss mechanics and theory... you had something you wanted to ask of me?
[ Set’s acceptance of Fane—both in very casually latching onto him and in approving of his methods for dealing with those that do not—is something that Fane quietly appreciates. Outwardly, it’s given little more than a thoughtful sound, but Fane’s mind is no secret to another Savant. He’s deeply appreciative in a way that makes it clear that despite his posturing, his skeletal state is something he hates. He’s also just awkward about expressing it. For fair reasons, he’d contest with sarcasm, since thanking someone for not treating him like a monster seems like an incredibly low bar, but.
It's not something he ends up speaking to, and he instead allows himself to be swept up in Set’s energetic carrying on instead. He may not be totally comfortable with being touched, but at least Lohse was as clingy as Set seems to be, so he’s used to it, more or less. Bless Lohse for domesticating this rude nerd a little. ]
You may as well ban them from the start. There’s no good that would come of them approaching, is there? But I suppose it is fair enough that it is protected enough just by the inconvenience of getting through the woods themselves. I don’t imagine it’s easy for most.
[ He responds with all business, and he's reverted to normal once they're away from Springstar, but makes a little noise as Set bumps into him and makes him stumble just a bit. He looks to Set, expressionless as always, but just from his posture it’s easy to imagine the huffy grimace at being bullied… But his tone is lighter than that. ]
Ah, yes. I’m in need of something— [ Fane waves his hand in a circle as he tries to think of a good word, but it’s clear from his tone when he finds it that he disagrees with the assessment ] —”unethical”, and you seemed like a good person to ask.
[ What does that say about Set? Don’t worry about it! At least Fane’s logic is simply that a god of war would have plenty of knowledge or access to what he needs. ]
I’m able to make a mask that gives me more of a solid disguise than that paltry Disguise Self spell can offer, but one of the ingredients is troubling to the lesser races, apparently. I need a face, so therefore, a corpse. I already have a tool with which to remove it, so that’s no concern, but from my understanding, Kenos doesn’t simply leave them lying about like they do in Rivellon.
Yes, I may as well! However, this way they will writhe in abject terror and present wonderful targets of themselves for me to take potshots at in a place where they have no easy escape. And did you know? Yima herself pointed this location out to me!
[ get wrekt yima?????? Set has considered the meaning of her granting him such direction and wisdom, often and always since she first gave him such a terrible vision of his son burning in Meridian's light after he'd asked for knowledge of the world. And he had received the knowledge. The fact that his kin must have existed in the world — either because it was his world, or because they had been among the first generation to settle it, he did not know. All he knew was that it had bothered him for months afterwards, and bothered him still: the thought that he could be taking the wrong path, if what he wanted the most was to save his child.
Yima was the same, after all. But, to see her... to see her, whom was said to know so much, see so far, know how best to give to her loyalists, embracing his own brother? That had been enough to send him spiraling into revulsion. There could be no Zenith for him, if she was there. He'd never be able to stomach a love that embraced all, at the expense of others who needed a leader who would protect them.
Anyways, he's maudlin over it. Enough's enough, and the weapon being assembled will be a firm statement from Meridian. Whomever wanted to admit to their part in the aftermath could, but he was the one willing to rise up as the proverbial villain before all of Zenith. It was, after all, his destiny to be the bad guy. <3 Which is why Fane saying that he's a good person to ask because the matter is "unethical" does not give him pause. Well, not much pause. The steps he take do briefly slow, his eyelashes fluttering in a moment's understanding of the impact of his cultivated image has truly made. ]
You would be correct.
[ Though he feels a simmering sickness in his belly over it, he lifts his chin and plows ahead callously. ]
— you need a corpse? Just any old corpse? That is easy! I would rather not slaughter a Springstar citizen for you, but since we are on our way to the island of Highstorm, I can always hop into the city-proper and make one for you. Do you want someone big and strong? Maybe cute and endearing? Oh! Oh! How about sensual, if you would like to honeypot a foe. Or maybe... ah, a child?
[ That last one comes out, a little falteringly. Set's not entirely willing to just murder a child ( anymore ), but he has before. He will again, if it's for Meridian's betterment. Still, his eyes shift to the side for a moment, and land upon the dark ring of shadowy-beads upon his left wrist; a curse, burning dark and hateful upon him, binding him to a world that no longer existed, but was waiting for him. What would... what would dipping back into his old ways truly cost, if there was no world ( yet ) to weigh them again?
It's a bit like being in moratorium from his atonement, isn't it? ]
Oh. [ It’s an “oh” of recognition that the idea is tactically sound. ] Well, that makes sense, in that case. The other Godwoken and I had a variety of methods to slow our other foes to make them easier targets. I miss some of their spellwork, in fact…
[ What he wouldn’t do for little tomes of Geomancy and Pyromancy to really turn the tables of battlefields here… And he does miss them, he supposes. He’s still (tsundere) a bit conflicted on how he feels about them.
Though he does make a little noise of disapproval at how Yima apparently gave him this location, Fane doesn’t get the time to ask about that before they get to his question. Someone more empathetic might notice those slowed steps, Fane surely doesn’t. He first makes a sound like he would have been clicking his tongue if he had one, since if it’s just making a corpse, he could have done that himself, but he at least lets Set go on. At least until that last suggestion. ]
Absolutely not.
[ Fane’s voice is firm in rejecting children, and it’s as quickly as Set makes the suggestion. Fane may be morally dubious, that much is obvious, but he has clear, strong convictions. Children seems to be one of them. It’s nothing that he’s particularly secretive about (he’d told all of Kenos about it, by his measure), so he also doesn’t think it needs explaining. Of course a father would have a line in the sand about murdering children. ]
…I did not mean murdering them, necessarily, but all the rest are fine. It’s somewhat irrelevant, since I only need their face.
[ At least rather than just leave it at that, ominous and mysterious, he does explain further. ]
I am working on a trinket that allows me to be more flesh and blood. By combining an orb of pure Source with a face, I can magically mold it to an enchanted mask. The process is trivial. But the crafting material is… more complicated. I had hoped you might know where they dispose of corpses around here, since I could just take someone that has already died, but if murder is the only recourse, then so be it.
[ As a fellow Savant, Fane will undoubtedly be able to feel the relief ( and guilt ) that swims within Set when the man rejects the idea of utilizing a child. He'd rather not fall that far, again. Maintaining his vow to his own son was integral to everything he did, and to return home and be forced to admit the things he had to do on Meridian's behalf was — already a topic he was hesitant to broach. Ma'at would know, though. If not her, than Thoth with his all-seeing gaze. And if they knew, it would get out eventually, with the new volume of sins and crimes reaching the ears of his diminutive, cursed son ( — no, his grown, divine son whom could not even remember him — )...
He doesn't want Anubis to regret giving him another chance. Hurting his son once was enough. And the lingering, somber pain affiliated with the thought of a child might hum within Fane, flowing inescapably from Set himself. #Fathercore. He hums in his throat, thoughtful as he rouses from the relief that Fane would never want him to target a child for such uses. Murder, or maiming. ]
I would assume most people would be distressed if we simply took their faces, so a corpse it will have to be. They complain less, and your enchanted mask will not become the talk of the town if there is no one around to spoil the magic it takes to create it.
[ He does think, though. ]
Springstar immolates their own. Few corpses survive beyond a perfunctory handful of days it takes to attend them, put their affairs in order, and return them to the Church for the next Sending. I could ask my contacts there, but it depends on how quickly you need the face. If it is soon, murder is the best route. You would not have to worry about someone recognizing the dead, and raising alarm that they had begun living once more, that way.
[ Fane may be terrible when it comes to reading body language or tone, but the connection of Savant to Savant at least does a lot of work in bridging that gap. The combination of guilt and relief gets Fane to look Set’s way, and his expression would be quizzical if he had it. But the somber pain— Ah, that he knows.
He looks ahead again, considering how to bring it up, but it’s something that moves to the back of his mind for now. There’s the practical, macabre matter at hand instead. ]
Yes, they are. The cretin I stole the design from used it on someone who was not dead yet, and needless to say, he didn’t enjoy it and he died quickly. But so did the cretin.
[ ♥ happy ending ♥ ]
…Regardless. I’d prefer it sooner rather than later.
[ It’s something he would have taken his time with only a day ago, but now that he’d promised to help Liem, he needed it sooner. He does leave his wording without the insistence that implies a time crunch, since he and Liem had discussed this and decided secrecy was best. Worst comes to worst, he’ll make “material” himself, no need to involve Set. ]
I… suppose someone that would not be missed? It wasn’t something I had to consider when making them in Rivellon… All the Masks I made just came from people littering the Joy, so…
[ He gets sucked into his own contemplation for a moment, but it’s not mysterious what Fane is considering from their connection. Also just his personality in general. He’s not experienced in being the subterfuge type. ]
Edited (whoops, wrong word aGH) 2024-02-07 22:07 (UTC)
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no subject
[ Every time they talk, he gets BULLIED!!! (deserved), so Fane's reception isn't exactly thrilled... But he doesn't hang up, nor does the displeasure have any real teeth to it. Per usual, he's just a bit surly at a default. ]
...But, yes. That sounds wise. I've been working with her on the theory, and it is about time that we switched to the practical. [ A thoughtful noise follows, and at least like any good Savant, the flicker of irritation is quelled by the prospect of an interesting problem to be dug into. ] Now, I assume?
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There is never a better time than the present. I will come fetch you, and show you to my temple.
[ not the shrine, but his TEMPLE ]
We have begun transporting supplies out to the location, based on the theorem developed, so I hope you will be satisfied with what we have to begin with. And will let me know what more you need. No matter what it is, I will find it or something to replace it.
no subject
Very well. I'm still residing in Heliopolis since it's convenient, so I'll be ready when you get here. I look forward to seeing the progress so far.
[ A pause, as Fane clearly is considering whether to trust Set with something or not... But he decides that there's perhaps no one better to ask that an apparent god. Probably. He doesn't completely know how it works, but he doubts he'll be judged, at least. ]
...There is a personal matter that I'd like to ask about. It gets people all riled up for some reason when I've asked in the past, but perhaps you can be of assistance in obtaining what I need. It's not strictly related to this, but it'd be an asset, I assure you.
[ He almost says it now, but, no. With a sigh, he adds: ]
—No, I'll just ask when you get here. It's at least a brief query.
no subject
Hm?
[ The moment that Fane had expressed that he would be amenable to joining Set, the god had gone on the move. Heliopolis wasn't far from where he and Akua lived, so it would take him no time at all to get there. In the meanwhile, he could still chat while rapidly approaching the man's location. ]
Oh, people always get riled up about the most inconsequential of things! "Set, stop picking fights with your allies!" "Set, stop making deals for our benefit with our enemies — let us be friendly with them with no purpose, instead!" Blah, blah blah!
[ Soon, he is at Fane's door. Knocking briskly, calling his name. ]
Fane! Let me in, before I show you how poor the security here is ~!
no subject
[ He realizes that Set’s expectations for what Fane is going to ask him might be a little skewed in this moment, but he still doesn’t think it’ll be a problem. ]
Hmph… But what sort of deals do you mean? Dealing with our enemies does seem like a poor idea, but it all depends on the conditions. What did we gain?
[ Since that’s kind of all that matters to Fane. He’s truly a “ends justify the means” guy, which is precisely how he gets in trouble, and he has no self-awareness to realize it. Though at the very least, he doesn’t immediately criticize Set.
…For that, at least. Once he’s at the door and being annoying, Fane huffs out a noise of annoyance, but he’s quick to open it. The remnants of magic flutter off his form, as he’d quickly cast Disguise Self before opening the door. It’s not for Set, naturally. It’s more because he prefers to not be stared at in the busy Springstar streets. ]
I’ve no need for a demonstration, thank you.
no subject
[ Having a relationship with Silco, whom literally everyone hates, means that he's not completely off the grid and unaccounted for. Set's deal with him ( and thus Sebastian ), during the Iconoclast had not precisely shaken out in favor of Meridian — so, the situation regarding repayment had shifted a little. Set was biding his time to reclaim the second half of his bargain, for what he had offered in exchange; then again, the relationship he had with Silco was, in and of itself, a very strange reward. ]
Depending on our endgame, perhaps even someone who could tear down Zenith from the inside out.
[ HM!
And then Fane's opening the door, and Set's a little disappointed that he didn't get to show him his fun party trick. He squeezes past the sorcerer, and hikes his hands onto his hips expectantly. Even as his nose wrinkles a little at not being able to see Fane's real face. It's a bit silly to him, but he is literally a man, an animal and a storm all in one. Going around in weird shapes and with bits of himself as entire other things is normal. ]
no subject
Oh, and there’s a young chicken. It’s completely pitch black, almost like another bird that Set knows, and it peeps happily as it threads between Set and Fane’s feet. It also has atrocious vibes. ]
Agh, Peeper—
[ Fane sighs in exasperation, then leans down to pick the chicken up and take him further into the quarters so they can at least leave, lest it follow them as a third party member, ]
And don’t give me that look. I grow tired of being stared at every time I step out of this place. It’s as if no one has seen someone without skin before!
[ fane, they haven’t, ]
no subject
Oh, let it come! Fane, it is so cute and horrible!
[ He takes a nice look around Fane's place, wanting so badly to pry into all his notes and sniff around the chest — but, another time. Instead, he sweeps back to Fane's side and loops his arm boldly through the scholar-sorcerer's, as if they are bosom companions and not a horrible cat and one of his ( other ) favorite chew-toys. ]
Honestly, considering the non-human entities I have seen here, you would think that Kenos would be a little more used to the unique among us. There is nothing strange about you, tch!
no subject
No, absolutely not. If he dies, it becomes a whole problem.
[ He sets Peeper down in what’s clearly a repurposed cat bed, but he at least happily cheeps in the nest that Fane has set up for him. Apparently Fane has a bit of a soft spot for birds too! Or, at the very least, a responsibility to make sure this one doesn’t turn into an endless, extremely annoying Voidwoken spawn point.
It’s as he walks back that Set loops their arms together, and it immediately shows the limitations of the spell that Fane uses. Set’s arm passes through the illusion of Fane’s, and it’s clearly raw bone that fills out the flowing robes that he wears. He makes a slightly indignant sound, and it’s clear that he’s about to tell Set off, but it also quickly quiets at that last comment. There’s a softer feeling in their connection, but he’s quick to try and push it away with a sigh. ]
…Well, they’re better than Rivellon, that much is certain. They stare, but they do not chase me down with pitchforks and torches and force me to immolate them in turn.
[ Does he sound or feel guilty about that? Nope! Not even a little!
He doesn’t try and free himself from Set’s grasp (perhaps he knows better at this point), but instead just leans over to grab a messenger-style bag that he’d filled up already. ]
Well, let’s go, before Peeper thinks better of staying put.
no subject
And then he has Fane in arm, and he can feel the bony press of him below the spellwork. There's no issue that he takes, though, with the sensation. Again, he is a divine entity — his mother is the night sky, his father the soil of the earth. He speaks with crocodiles and has, in Kenos, lain with the shadows themselves ( sighs ) — it's not something that strikes him as odd, nor alarming. If anything, he treats Fane like any other being! ]
If they did, I would not be one to admonish you for defending yourself as necessary.
[ He sniffs, derisive of Rivellon's close-mindedness ( ugh mortals! ) and waits for Fane to snag his bag before promptly swinging him out the door and into the street. They'll be heading for Springstar's main Cornerstone, and out into the depths of the Beyond via it. He'd like for Fane to see the place where the weapon was being designed and assembled, more than the staging grounds he's made of his shrine and Quetzalcoatl's temple. At this point, he isn't hiding as much as he once did, because the theorem only needed to match the technological level of Kenos for it to function. He has the bullet and the power, it's just the "gun" and "target" he needs. ]
The location is protected, needless to say. Spellwork on it has a targeted psychological bomb devoted to Zenites who might find the location, which we might switch over to a strict ban if they determine where the Cornerstone itself is. For now, we expect them to forge the perils of the Beyond moreso than visually confirm a teleportation target.
[ A content sigh, and he bumps his strong hip into Fane's side. A devil's smirk spreading across his sharp teeth. ]
— however, before we discuss mechanics and theory... you had something you wanted to ask of me?
no subject
[ Set’s acceptance of Fane—both in very casually latching onto him and in approving of his methods for dealing with those that do not—is something that Fane quietly appreciates. Outwardly, it’s given little more than a thoughtful sound, but Fane’s mind is no secret to another Savant. He’s deeply appreciative in a way that makes it clear that despite his posturing, his skeletal state is something he hates. He’s also just awkward about expressing it. For fair reasons, he’d contest with sarcasm, since thanking someone for not treating him like a monster seems like an incredibly low bar, but.
It's not something he ends up speaking to, and he instead allows himself to be swept up in Set’s energetic carrying on instead. He may not be totally comfortable with being touched, but at least Lohse was as clingy as Set seems to be, so he’s used to it, more or less. Bless Lohse for domesticating this rude nerd a little. ]
You may as well ban them from the start. There’s no good that would come of them approaching, is there? But I suppose it is fair enough that it is protected enough just by the inconvenience of getting through the woods themselves. I don’t imagine it’s easy for most.
[ He responds with all business, and he's reverted to normal once they're away from Springstar, but makes a little noise as Set bumps into him and makes him stumble just a bit. He looks to Set, expressionless as always, but just from his posture it’s easy to imagine the huffy grimace at being bullied… But his tone is lighter than that. ]
Ah, yes. I’m in need of something— [ Fane waves his hand in a circle as he tries to think of a good word, but it’s clear from his tone when he finds it that he disagrees with the assessment ] —”unethical”, and you seemed like a good person to ask.
[ What does that say about Set? Don’t worry about it! At least Fane’s logic is simply that a god of war would have plenty of knowledge or access to what he needs. ]
I’m able to make a mask that gives me more of a solid disguise than that paltry Disguise Self spell can offer, but one of the ingredients is troubling to the lesser races, apparently. I need a face, so therefore, a corpse. I already have a tool with which to remove it, so that’s no concern, but from my understanding, Kenos doesn’t simply leave them lying about like they do in Rivellon.
cw child murder mention
[ get wrekt yima?????? Set has considered the meaning of her granting him such direction and wisdom, often and always since she first gave him such a terrible vision of his son burning in Meridian's light after he'd asked for knowledge of the world. And he had received the knowledge. The fact that his kin must have existed in the world — either because it was his world, or because they had been among the first generation to settle it, he did not know. All he knew was that it had bothered him for months afterwards, and bothered him still: the thought that he could be taking the wrong path, if what he wanted the most was to save his child.
Yima was the same, after all. But, to see her... to see her, whom was said to know so much, see so far, know how best to give to her loyalists, embracing his own brother? That had been enough to send him spiraling into revulsion. There could be no Zenith for him, if she was there. He'd never be able to stomach a love that embraced all, at the expense of others who needed a leader who would protect them.
Anyways, he's maudlin over it. Enough's enough, and the weapon being assembled will be a firm statement from Meridian. Whomever wanted to admit to their part in the aftermath could, but he was the one willing to rise up as the proverbial villain before all of Zenith. It was, after all, his destiny to be the bad guy. <3 Which is why Fane saying that he's a good person to ask because the matter is "unethical" does not give him pause. Well, not much pause. The steps he take do briefly slow, his eyelashes fluttering in a moment's understanding of the impact of his cultivated image has truly made. ]
You would be correct.
[ Though he feels a simmering sickness in his belly over it, he lifts his chin and plows ahead callously. ]
— you need a corpse? Just any old corpse? That is easy! I would rather not slaughter a Springstar citizen for you, but since we are on our way to the island of Highstorm, I can always hop into the city-proper and make one for you. Do you want someone big and strong? Maybe cute and endearing? Oh! Oh! How about sensual, if you would like to honeypot a foe. Or maybe... ah, a child?
[ That last one comes out, a little falteringly. Set's not entirely willing to just murder a child ( anymore ), but he has before. He will again, if it's for Meridian's betterment. Still, his eyes shift to the side for a moment, and land upon the dark ring of shadowy-beads upon his left wrist; a curse, burning dark and hateful upon him, binding him to a world that no longer existed, but was waiting for him. What would... what would dipping back into his old ways truly cost, if there was no world ( yet ) to weigh them again?
It's a bit like being in moratorium from his atonement, isn't it? ]
normal
[ What he wouldn’t do for little tomes of Geomancy and Pyromancy to really turn the tables of battlefields here… And he does miss them, he supposes. He’s still (tsundere) a bit conflicted on how he feels about them.
Though he does make a little noise of disapproval at how Yima apparently gave him this location, Fane doesn’t get the time to ask about that before they get to his question. Someone more empathetic might notice those slowed steps, Fane surely doesn’t. He first makes a sound like he would have been clicking his tongue if he had one, since if it’s just making a corpse, he could have done that himself, but he at least lets Set go on. At least until that last suggestion. ]
Absolutely not.
[ Fane’s voice is firm in rejecting children, and it’s as quickly as Set makes the suggestion. Fane may be morally dubious, that much is obvious, but he has clear, strong convictions. Children seems to be one of them. It’s nothing that he’s particularly secretive about (he’d told all of Kenos about it, by his measure), so he also doesn’t think it needs explaining. Of course a father would have a line in the sand about murdering children. ]
…I did not mean murdering them, necessarily, but all the rest are fine. It’s somewhat irrelevant, since I only need their face.
[ At least rather than just leave it at that, ominous and mysterious, he does explain further. ]
I am working on a trinket that allows me to be more flesh and blood. By combining an orb of pure Source with a face, I can magically mold it to an enchanted mask. The process is trivial. But the crafting material is… more complicated. I had hoped you might know where they dispose of corpses around here, since I could just take someone that has already died, but if murder is the only recourse, then so be it.
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He doesn't want Anubis to regret giving him another chance. Hurting his son once was enough. And the lingering, somber pain affiliated with the thought of a child might hum within Fane, flowing inescapably from Set himself. #Fathercore. He hums in his throat, thoughtful as he rouses from the relief that Fane would never want him to target a child for such uses. Murder, or maiming. ]
I would assume most people would be distressed if we simply took their faces, so a corpse it will have to be. They complain less, and your enchanted mask will not become the talk of the town if there is no one around to spoil the magic it takes to create it.
[ He does think, though. ]
Springstar immolates their own. Few corpses survive beyond a perfunctory handful of days it takes to attend them, put their affairs in order, and return them to the Church for the next Sending. I could ask my contacts there, but it depends on how quickly you need the face. If it is soon, murder is the best route. You would not have to worry about someone recognizing the dead, and raising alarm that they had begun living once more, that way.
no subject
He looks ahead again, considering how to bring it up, but it’s something that moves to the back of his mind for now. There’s the practical, macabre matter at hand instead. ]
Yes, they are. The cretin I stole the design from used it on someone who was not dead yet, and needless to say, he didn’t enjoy it and he died quickly. But so did the cretin.
[ ♥ happy ending ♥ ]
…Regardless. I’d prefer it sooner rather than later.
[ It’s something he would have taken his time with only a day ago, but now that he’d promised to help Liem, he needed it sooner. He does leave his wording without the insistence that implies a time crunch, since he and Liem had discussed this and decided secrecy was best. Worst comes to worst, he’ll make “material” himself, no need to involve Set. ]
I… suppose someone that would not be missed? It wasn’t something I had to consider when making them in Rivellon… All the Masks I made just came from people littering the Joy, so…
[ He gets sucked into his own contemplation for a moment, but it’s not mysterious what Fane is considering from their connection. Also just his personality in general. He’s not experienced in being the subterfuge type. ]