[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.
Then I’ll volunteer to deliver that creature’s. I’ve never met him, only that “master” of his, so he wouldn’t recognize me if we cross paths. Besides, I’ve slayed demons in the past. I’m not concerned about him.
[ That’s not completely true, since demons in Rivellon were formidable in their own right too, but it’s true that he’s killed several at this point. He’s merely willing to take the one that he imagines to be “difficult”, especially since he does have the advantage of being less known than Akua or Liem, presumably. Which— ]
I imagine Akua will help, I will say. I’ve been working with her lately over magical theory, so she seems committed enough to Meridian’s goals to help.
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.
[ Fane admits it with some reluctance, since he really is a bit more battle-ready than his erudite demeanor might imply, but Liem is right. Better to avoid a fight in the first place, especially with something quite strong. Still, he's quick to brighten again by a bit when Liem asks. His tone is still a bit dismissive, but his feelings make it a little clearer that he does enjoy explaining things like this. ]
Ah, little more than a toy to my people, really... It was a matter of survival for me in Rivellon, but here it's at least more a useful trinket than that.
[ As he continues, the image comes to mind of what's more accurately called a helmet that bears four faces at each side. ]
A Mask of the Shapeshifter is a rough translation from my tongue. It's not unlike "Disguise Self", but the effect of the magic is much more physical. It will make me flesh and blood, albeit somewhat imperfectly, but the limitations are more problems for me than the disguise itself. [ It gives him none of the senses he lacks, most disappointingly to him. ] I'll only start with one face, but perhaps eventually I'll fill it out to the full four.
[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.]
[ Luckily, this is something that they’re united on, albeit for likely different reasons… Fane and Liem are just orderly sorts of people, and then there’s Akua who just likes a good scheme. And good for her. ]
I agree. Considering the risks, it would be best to be unified in our plans of action.
[ There’s a sense of affirmation like Fane is nodding, but with a light ah, he does add: ]
And I assume that this is all secret even to Meri, correct? I imagine some of them wouldn’t be pleased at being proactive.
[ There’s a little bit of a derisive tone at the end there, so there’s no mystery how Fane feels about that. ]
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.]
[ The idea of people snitching makes Fane sniff derisively, and there’s a deeper pang of distaste that makes it clear that he has an idea of what to do with such people, but… He doesn’t say anything about it, surprisingly. His reflexive instinct might just to say that traitors should be executed, but that’s not exactly something he can advocate for. He’d been subject to his culture’s equivalent of it and wrongfully, so even if it’s deserved… It’s not a position he could advocate for anymore. ]
I understand. Then I shall not speak a word of it.
[ At this point, he’s assuming that he’ll be taking care of Sebastian, so he moves onto that. And hilariously, my characters gossip about each other, I guess, good for them. ]
What do you know of the demon that I should be aware of? I’ve heard some about him from Hayame, but that was more about his foul acts, not what he’s capable of.
[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.
[ Fane makes a light noise of discontent, but his mind is whirring a bit more than that. It sounds rather different from the demons of Rivellon, which isn’t much of a surprise, considering. But if he’s inexperienced with magic, that’s at least one advantage that Fane will have in spades, since that’s the entirety of his battle skill. Even so, he deeply wishes that he’d interrogated Jahan more about how he managed to fight and contain demons now… ]
Then magic it’ll be. Not that I have alternatives, exactly. Brutish strength isn’t exactly a strong point when one is missing their musculature.
[ Now, granted, you can totally build a skeleton as a tank in Divinity, which is hilarious. But you can also give them facial hair, so don’t think too much about it, ]
Not that I understand the mechanics of how it works, but simply to be sure… He cannot possess people, can he?
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.]
Hm, good. That’s something that demons from Rivellon could do, and it’s cowardly and inconvenient. An… ally and friend of mine, she was possessed by such a creature.
[ So, apparently not all of the distaste was from Hayame. He does hesitate on picking the words, but that’s because his relationship with the other Godwoken was complicated. He does feel like Lohse is a friend, but it also feels a bit wrong to call any of the Godwoken that when their plan eventually involved killing each other for their own convictions. It was simply a bridge they would cross when it came time, they’d all decided. ]
He looks human or whatever is why I ask. If he’d simply possessed a body, just killing the poor wretch he’d taken control of wouldn’t do a thing.
[ 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.
[ in actuality fane would be interested in the fact that they knew each other before but I’m smacking him with a rolled up newspaper so he doesn’t ask ]
Ah, good. Your reasoning makes sense as well.
[ There’s a brief pang of disappointment that Fane doesn’t elaborate on, since it amounts to a stray thought. Does that mean that his skeletal state is inscribed on his soul somehow? ]
In that case, it should be straightforward. I’ll try for subtle first, of course, but if that doesn’t work, I have plenty of spells to unleash on him. I already had the displeasure of meeting his “master” or whatever they’re supposed to be, so I might as well make it even. [ and just because he’s feeling bitchy, he adds: ] He tried to bite me, the idiot.
[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.]
[ Fane’s response is immediate and haughty. He’s perfectly self-confident in the annoyance and suffering he’d inflicted on Silco. At least until the Voidwoken showed up, but. He’s still wanting to call that a fluke rather than worry that it’s possible here too. ]
His want to kill me aside, it was rather funny, actually. I’d used the spell to make myself look, well, whole, so he thought he was going to make a meal of me. Fool.
[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.
Yes, he did. I’m admittedly not the best judge of strength, since I was never athletic before and now, well, it’s considerably worse.
[ Skeletons aren’t physically strong? Shocker. There’s a feeling like he’s dismissing that thought with a wave of the hand. ]
I don’t know much of vampires though, I will admit. They’re not something we had in my culture, so it’s yet another thing that came about when the world went to shit after the Eternals disappeared. [ He sighs ] Not that it’s particularly relevant for me. It’s part of why I did not look into them much.
[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.
...Hm. If you don't mind, I might ask you about them in more detail another time. It would be a good addition to my notes on the various... sorts of people in Kenos. But in this case, it's more relevant to just keeping that Silco creature more in line.
[ He truly is a Creature, good assessment for once, Fane. ]
Though on a related note, if you happen to know any tutors in more offensive magic, I would appreciate recommendations. I was traveling with a group in Rivellon and picking up the magic there, but ended up focusing my studies on support and the like since I'm ill-suited to being at the front of a fight if it's anything much more than magic. It seems to be a rarity so far, so I feel a need to supplement my repertoire further.
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.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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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.
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[ That’s not completely true, since demons in Rivellon were formidable in their own right too, but it’s true that he’s killed several at this point. He’s merely willing to take the one that he imagines to be “difficult”, especially since he does have the advantage of being less known than Akua or Liem, presumably. Which— ]
I imagine Akua will help, I will say. I’ve been working with her lately over magical theory, so she seems committed enough to Meridian’s goals to help.
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[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?
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[ Fane admits it with some reluctance, since he really is a bit more battle-ready than his erudite demeanor might imply, but Liem is right. Better to avoid a fight in the first place, especially with something quite strong. Still, he's quick to brighten again by a bit when Liem asks. His tone is still a bit dismissive, but his feelings make it a little clearer that he does enjoy explaining things like this. ]
Ah, little more than a toy to my people, really... It was a matter of survival for me in Rivellon, but here it's at least more a useful trinket than that.
[ As he continues, the image comes to mind of what's more accurately called a helmet that bears four faces at each side. ]
A Mask of the Shapeshifter is a rough translation from my tongue. It's not unlike "Disguise Self", but the effect of the magic is much more physical. It will make me flesh and blood, albeit somewhat imperfectly, but the limitations are more problems for me than the disguise itself. [ It gives him none of the senses he lacks, most disappointingly to him. ] I'll only start with one face, but perhaps eventually I'll fill it out to the full four.
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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.]
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I agree. Considering the risks, it would be best to be unified in our plans of action.
[ There’s a sense of affirmation like Fane is nodding, but with a light ah, he does add: ]
And I assume that this is all secret even to Meri, correct? I imagine some of them wouldn’t be pleased at being proactive.
[ There’s a little bit of a derisive tone at the end there, so there’s no mystery how Fane feels about that. ]
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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.]
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I understand. Then I shall not speak a word of it.
[ At this point, he’s assuming that he’ll be taking care of Sebastian, so he moves onto that. And hilariously, my characters gossip about each other, I guess, good for them. ]
What do you know of the demon that I should be aware of? I’ve heard some about him from Hayame, but that was more about his foul acts, not what he’s capable of.
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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.
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Then magic it’ll be. Not that I have alternatives, exactly. Brutish strength isn’t exactly a strong point when one is missing their musculature.
[ Now, granted, you can totally build a skeleton as a tank in Divinity, which is hilarious. But you can also give them facial hair, so don’t think too much about it, ]
Not that I understand the mechanics of how it works, but simply to be sure… He cannot possess people, can he?
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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.]
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Hm, good. That’s something that demons from Rivellon could do, and it’s cowardly and inconvenient. An… ally and friend of mine, she was possessed by such a creature.
[ So, apparently not all of the distaste was from Hayame. He does hesitate on picking the words, but that’s because his relationship with the other Godwoken was complicated. He does feel like Lohse is a friend, but it also feels a bit wrong to call any of the Godwoken that when their plan eventually involved killing each other for their own convictions. It was simply a bridge they would cross when it came time, they’d all decided. ]
He looks human or whatever is why I ask. If he’d simply possessed a body, just killing the poor wretch he’d taken control of wouldn’t do a thing.
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[ 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.
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Ah, good. Your reasoning makes sense as well.
[ There’s a brief pang of disappointment that Fane doesn’t elaborate on, since it amounts to a stray thought. Does that mean that his skeletal state is inscribed on his soul somehow? ]
In that case, it should be straightforward. I’ll try for subtle first, of course, but if that doesn’t work, I have plenty of spells to unleash on him. I already had the displeasure of meeting his “master” or whatever they’re supposed to be, so I might as well make it even. [ and just because he’s feeling bitchy, he adds: ] He tried to bite me, the idiot.
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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.]
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[ Fane’s response is immediate and haughty. He’s perfectly self-confident in the annoyance and suffering he’d inflicted on Silco. At least until the Voidwoken showed up, but. He’s still wanting to call that a fluke rather than worry that it’s possible here too. ]
His want to kill me aside, it was rather funny, actually. I’d used the spell to make myself look, well, whole, so he thought he was going to make a meal of me. Fool.
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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?
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Yes, he did. I’m admittedly not the best judge of strength, since I was never athletic before and now, well, it’s considerably worse.
[ Skeletons aren’t physically strong? Shocker. There’s a feeling like he’s dismissing that thought with a wave of the hand. ]
I don’t know much of vampires though, I will admit. They’re not something we had in my culture, so it’s yet another thing that came about when the world went to shit after the Eternals disappeared. [ He sighs ] Not that it’s particularly relevant for me. It’s part of why I did not look into them much.
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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.
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[ He truly is a Creature, good assessment for once, Fane. ]
Though on a related note, if you happen to know any tutors in more offensive magic, I would appreciate recommendations. I was traveling with a group in Rivellon and picking up the magic there, but ended up focusing my studies on support and the like since I'm ill-suited to being at the front of a fight if it's anything much more than magic. It seems to be a rarity so far, so I feel a need to supplement my repertoire further.
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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.