sterngaze: (neutral: commish)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-01-31 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Liem has already gone through the full range of emotions about the ethics of what he’s proposing they do, and has settled firmly on the side of “needs must.” Besides, perhaps the danger Oblivion presents even to the souls pulled from its jaws will persuade those on the Zenite side to think better of just shutting the door on the old reality and making a new one, as though Oblivion won’t likely just follow straight after them.]

It varies.

[Liem does not sound thrilled about this, but he is resigned to see the mission through even so.]

One shard is to go to Sebastian Michaelis.

[Liem doesn’t even know if he has a gift shard, but if he does, Liem can’t imagine he has any gentle plans for it. Probably exploding into fragments would be a mercy in this case.]

One is to be delivered to Rin Tohsaka.

[He doesn’t love this. He doesn’t know the girl at all, but she seems like a normal teenager from what he’s gathered. Just one more black deed on a list of things he’d rather not spend time remembering.]

The third is for the shapechanger, Kiritsubo.

[This is just a big ????? to him. Everything he’s seen about her in the papers was triple-X rated, so he knows essentially nothing else about her.]
sterngaze: (neutral: dry)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-01-31 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[The demon, yes. At least there is one name in this lineup that no one will have to feel guilty about including, although Sebastian is also probably the most likely to make trouble for them if he figures out who is behind the interference. Liem thinks briefly of Hayame’s ocular surgery and grimaces, just a little.]

There is no reason I couldn’t deliver Miss Tohsaka’s shard.

[He doesn’t want to, but to a certain extent, Liem feels like any obligation to take less pleasant aspects of this job falls to him, as the primary person responsible for the mission’s success.]

If possible, though, I would like to avoid a scenario where Mister Michaelis and I must directly cross paths, even if it’s while I’m disguised. He is familiar enough with me that it’s possible he may discern my identity.

[Sebastian seems pretty sharp. Ideally, they could just sneak into his house and leave the shard where he’ll find it, without ever running into him face to face. Perhaps a heist is in order? It depends on the resources available to them, and the difficulty of the job. They’ll figure something out.]

I’m planning to source Lady Sahelian’s assistance as well, if she is amenable.
sterngaze: (neutral: dubious)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-01 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
Ideally, we could just deliver it to his home without ever having to encounter him.

[Liem has the address, since he was invited there for dinner some time ago. Unfortunate now that he didn’t go, because it means he’s never been inside, but it’s not the worst starting point to go off.

In any case—they can iron out the details as they go.
]

I don’t doubt her dedication—I only know she is already quite busy. But we will see.

What is that Mask that you’ve been working on?
sterngaze: (neutral: tousled)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-01 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
[Liem follows Fane’s brief explanation with interest, a little bit intrigued at how ornate the helmet itself looks. The false face he uses is far flimsier in comparison—though of course, not only can it only contain a single disguise, it is limited in exactly the same way that a disguise self spell would be; that is, there is no physical transformation at all.

Naively, he doesn’t ask where the faces come from, assuming it’s just a matter of magical expertise and material expense, not actual faces from people.
]

That does sound useful. I have limited access to disguise magic as well, but only of the illusory kind. And I have been using the one disguise I have to stay anonymous in Highstorm, so it would be inconvenient to have it associated with this mission.

[There is a pause as he thinks, his hum coming over communion as physical sensation, almost like a faint breeze.]

We will have to discuss further—with Lady Sahelian, if she has the time to join us. It would be good to lay out our means and a plan of action.

[Liem is definitely a plan sort of guy. He likes having something to follow.]
sterngaze: (neutral: dry)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-05 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[It’s good that they can all agree on this.

Unlike Fane, Liem has no judgment at all for anyone who might not condone the kind of tactics they’re getting up to. That’s one of the reasons he’s willing to take the job: because he thinks it needs doing, and he knows not everyone in Meridian would be willing or able to complete it.
]

Yes—I’m sure there are those on whose consciences it would weigh if they knew. It’s best the others don’t find out, lest they be tempted to warn someone in Zenith.

[He knows quite well some of the low-tier Meris can’t be trusted to keep things like this to Meridian only.]

There are certainly some outside the three of us who would approve, but in the interest of discretion, I would keep it between us until we’ve delivered everything we need to.

[Little does Liem know he’ll live to regret those words.]
sterngaze: (neutral: dubious)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-06 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah, if Hayame has spoken to Fane about Sebastian, then no wonder the man has such a strong disdain for him. Plenty of people can’t muster any dislike for Sebastian at all, even though his true nature is no real secret.]

He is extremely fast and strong, for one thing. He can also transform—obviously into human shape, but also into animals, and into shadows as well. And he can give himself claws, of course. Personally, I would take pains to avoid a direct confrontation.

But as far as I know, he is also quite inexperienced when it comes to magic. At least, that was the case some months ago. He had no senses to detect it, and no experience with it from his own world.
sterngaze: (neutral: tousled)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-07 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[Fane's question gives Liem a bit of pause.]

Not as far as I know. We are not from the same world, so all I know of his abilities comes from my experiences with him here, but I've never been given reason to think possession was one of his powers.

[It's not a guaranteed "no," but given the utility of a power like that, he'd think it would have come up by now. He hopes it would have.]
sterngaze: (neutral: dry)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-09 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
Ah.

[ This is indeed a horrifying thing to contemplate, but at least, given Fane’s reasoning, Liem is satisfied he doesn’t have any specific insight into Sebastian’s nature that might be relevant in this case.]

Well, I feel confident in saying that his human shape is a form he adopted, rather than the body of another person. I knew Sebastian Michaelis before we were brought to this world, actually, and he looked the same then as well. I find it hard to believe he would arrive still possessing another person’s body, given it is the soul that is pulled here, not the physical form.
sterngaze: (disapproval: unimpressed)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-10 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, Liem wonders after the there-and-gone disappointment, the meaning escaping just beyond the reach of his fingers—but he is distracted by the notion of Silco trying to sink his nasty, bitter fangs into a skeleton.]

I hope you made him regret it.

[Who just up and bites people out of nowhere? Imagine being so uncouth. Because the Exalt Oracle wasn't broadcasted for everyone and their brother to see, Liem can convincingly say he would never do such a thing.]
sterngaze: (neutral: tousled)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-13 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[It is kind of funny to imagine Silco going in for a bite and getting nothing but air—or maybe nothing but musty old bone (sorry Fane). It is strange, though...]

I didn't know he had become a vampire. He wasn't one during the previous Oracle trial.

[Liem should know.]

Did he seem strong, physically?
sterngaze: (neutral: dry)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-16 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Liem suspects that Fane would not have found Silco particularly strong when he was still human, even if physical power is not his strong suit, so he suspects he must have become more powerful as a result of his transformation. That, at least, is good to know for future.]

I was familiar enough with them in my own country.

[Partly because of his own fearful lack of understanding about his own body, and partly because of a more recent desire to hunt down and exterminate his father.]

They were known to be quite dangerous, but I suppose you’ve demonstrated that you can handle Mr. Silco quite capably. Besides, I get the impression he’s unlikely to be involved in his servant’s personal business.
sterngaze: (neutral: pensive)

[personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-20 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Offensive magic is unfortunately not my strength, but if I come across any who might share their knowledge with you, [other than Akua, whom he obviously already knows] I will certainly recommend you to them.

Anything I know about vampires, however, I'd be happy to share with you.

[Both because Fane is his ally, and because Liem still manages to be of the opinion that the only good vampire is a dead vampire. Sorry to the actual good vampires in Kenos, whose name Silco is now besmirching.]

Perhaps we can meet to discuss at some point after we've concluded this business.