KENOS IC CONTACT
© TESSISAMESS
[ Communion with Silco is like being doused in cold, polluted water. It feels like taking a breath is difficult, like there's fingers around your throat, pain all over. The water is too-slick like it's almost more pollutants than water, and the water crashes against you, inescapable, even if you were to somehow find the ability to breathe, there is still no escape from the sickening undertow. Somewhere, perhaps deeper in the water, or something else, is a simmering, vile hatred, resentment, and it feels like it should be hot enough to make the water around you boil, even if it's almost too-placid, and too cold. Like all of this hatred is buried deep. Then again, the fact that it feels so close means it must burn so hot. ]
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His head even tipped, with a note of sarcastic acquiescence. The room certainly suggested that he administered it here, but he answered the question with his usual lofty, airy sort of tone. ]
Not usually. I do it at Birdie's since she gets the profits of my work for now. [ It's almost ironic, that he's selling his touch -- but it comes at a very high price, especially after the keen-eyed Birdie saw what it did -- but Silco can't help but feel a touch of discomfort at the fact that he was selling something like this. ]
We're using this for... [ Hands together, and then they splayed out, as if that was a descriptive way of showing what he and his new best buddy the demon were doing. ] Experimentation.
The tables with the restraints aren't just for show, after all.
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Shit, maybe he wants to blink, seeing a fair bit of himself in Silco β in Silco's current behaviour β after all. Forcefully stuffing everything back down so you can operate in the basics that civilization has to offer. Sure, he's more of a dick than Amos tends to be β on purpose, he's pretty sure β but Silco does a hell of a much better job than he does at playing pretend so well it might as well be reality.
That might be dangerous, but for whom, he doesn't know.
There's the quirk of an eyebrow at mention of Birdie's name β selling himself, is he? Like Amos isn't doing something similar for Arjun, like he won't continue to do so should he garner the right reputation β but he smooths it over well enough as he looks around the outpost. Minutes ago, all Amos had bothered having an eye for was a hiding place. Now that he's actually inside here, actually looking around, actually taking stock of the tables and restraints everything they have to offer... ]
That's cool.
[ Cool sure is a word for it. He speaks cooly at least, meandering his way over to one of the tables, pleasantly interested as he looks over the restraints. ]
Not sure if I fit into the kind of experiment you're looking for, but probably better off to have me in one of these things if we're gonna ease me into it. Easier for the both of us. [ He looks back up at Silco. ] That work for you? Figure I might be feeling up to it again in a couple of weeks or something like that.
[ Which might have to be a longer ways off if they get preoccupied with something else going on in the world at large, but there's been nothing of the sort so far, so why would anyone have reason to expect any sort of disruption... ]
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Perhaps more than he realized, if Amos's actions were to lead anywhere.
He gestured toward the table, before he clasped his hands behind his back, his head tipped as he fought past whatever... anger/disgust/abandonment he was wrangling to drown beneath the surface, to let lurk there, until he let it loose. ]
It's made to hold someone with shimmer, so if it's easier for you than dying, you're more than welcome to come, and we'll play with it. Worse comes to worse... I have an associate that can likely take care of you, if you get too unruly.
[ Despite his physical prowess, Silco did seem to keep powerful friends. ]
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There's gotta be a catch somewhere is on his mind, but faint, more a cautionary musing than any cause for alarm. He's only had two hits so far, and one had been solely Silco's idea to give him. Whatever it is they've got going on right now, there's an air of mutual respect to it. However that might fracture, he doesn't know β he's just aware that it's certainly a possibility.
(He assumes it'll come from Silco's end. Not his, of course. Not after he's just bugged him. And it's far too early for him to recognize that there is a small, small part of him that kind of wants to jump right back in right now, buried under the weight of everything else that makes up his psyche, not to mention the fact that he's now very confident if he were to go again he'd die, and he just doesn't want to go through all of that all over again so soon.)
Right now, though? Right now is just cooperation. ]
Might want to have that associate on hand. I'm pretty strong already. Your shimmer makes me stronger. When it wears off I can be a whole lot worse. [ He's just laying out facts as he crouches lower, bringing himself eye level with one of the restraints, running it between thumb and index finger. It's good, solid. He definitely couldn't do anything to it as is, but with something else coursing through his system...
Amos turns to look back up at Silco. ] Better safe than sorry, right?
[ And while he's not exactly keen about the idea of being caught on camera for this experiment β kinda just screwed himself over a little there β at least he knows, for him, it's for a good cause.
For Silco? Eh, doesn't matter. ]
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[ When they've been testing this new strain of shimmer, anyway. It's coming along, but it's slow going, there's no way they can develop the drug quickly, and even though Silco has his touch, and a single vial given to him by Yima, it's not nearly enough to make more. Not without plenty of experimentation and testing, comparing, and playing with the substance. Singed was a genius, after all, and that meant that replicating his careful work would be painstaking.
It took time, and that was time that someone was going to observe, although Silco hardly knew that. ]
I think you will at least find that with a little more control over the effects, we might not even have to use the restraints, but if they do, they will hold. [ Simple fact, obviously. They were made to test Shimmer, so they could handle well more than what Shimmer could do. They didn't want to take a chance without the proper equipment. ]
And besides, if it's truly bad... [ His eyes flicked outward, to the large garage-style door in the front, that the table very clearly could face. It faced Ryad. ] We'll just let you out into Ryad.
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Yeah. That makes sense, though. Silco wouldn't fuck around without plenty of precautions in place; nobody who has ever achieved his position of power would. Amos is plenty familiar with the notion, has had no problems acting within the confines of those parameters. And besides β not only are they technically allies, but Silco is actually doing him a favour. The only reason this might not be mutually beneficial is because of Amos' own bullshit β and that's the entire reason he's doing this, to try to put an end to it.
He stands back up with a small grunt, pushing himself back up with the table's help. It really is strong and sturdy. That'd make things a hell of a lot easier for him if it held, too. ]
That makes sense. Restraining me might actually make things worse on my end β [ someone's got a problem with losing agency. Even if he volunteers to use them when he's of sound mind, who knows how it'll fuck with his head when he's high on Shimmer or just sheer rage β ] but whatever we can do to make sure I don't trash the place or kill you. Those're the last things I want to do.
[ He's such a good ally? Trashing the place after he's just put a bug in it would be detrimental to that whole operation and might come back to bite him. And Silco's doing him a favour; it'd be a dick move to just kill him. ]
I still got some things to sort out with some people in case I do end up needing to kick it again, but once I do that, we can figure out a time.
[ He holds out his hand for Silco to shake. It's a deal, then? ]
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[ Because they have a demon contract and because Silco's soul will apparently be delicious. Oh well, not like he's using it. That can't possibly go poorly or anything, he's not worried about it. ]
When you're ready Amos, be sure to stop by. I'm interested in helping you learn to control this power of yours just as much as you are. [ The power he had, ripping into That Thing stuck with Silco, how he'd been able to rend and tear and rip it apart, snap bones and sinew like they were nothing. Oh, Silco had every interest in helping him with that, because Silco was not a strong man. Willing to do whatever it took, yes, but Amos believed in Yima, in a way that Silco didn't, and would therefore do what was necessary to achieve their goals.
Which meant helping him become a monster truly was in both of their best interests.
He reached out with a gloved hand, his right, and shook Amos's hand. ]
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So they shake on it, Amos' grip firm and strong, but reasonably so. Silco knows what more lies under there. And they will be working on a way to bring it out, together.
Just something that's gotta be done, and Silco's the best man to help him. So as long as he's not worried. As long as he's got whatever contingencies he needs in place. As long as he... also wants to get this done.
They have a deal, and he'll just so happen to be caught on camera for part of it.
Amos lets go, his hand falling back to his side, a picture of innocence. He only came out here to talk, after all, and they've done that. They've reached an agreement. They're all good.
He nods, about ready to head on out, if that's the last of what they needed. ]
Thanks. [ He does mean that. Despite any vague suspicions or signs of distrust on his end, he is thankful. He knows it's not an easy ask. ] I'll give you a heads up first. [ Sorry for stopping by your place unannounced like this. (Except not really, but he doesn't need to know that.)
I owe you one is on the tip of his tongue, part of his easygoing nature, but maybe it'd be better not to.
He's content to leave it at just that. ]