zauneyete: (Default)
𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗰𝗼 ([personal profile] zauneyete) wrote2022-10-21 08:13 am

KENOS IC CONTACT

SILCO
CONTACT
WRITTEN â—¦ ACTION â—¦ COMMUNION
© 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. ]
cutlery: (make her stronger. faster. assier.)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-02-26 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian laughs, then dips forward into a elegant, though not full bow (he’s still preparing his rolls, after all!). It’s insincere, though also clearly at Birdie’s expense. ]

Oh, I am sure she would. As would many in Kowloon and for a wide variety of reasons, even. Kowloon is nothing is not diverse, I shall say that.

[ Even beyond Ryad, Kowloon might as well be hunting grounds for a demon like Sebastian. What brought people to a place like Kowloon was desire. He straightens back with a pleased little smile as he’s given his compliment and nods to affirm the trust. Silco is absolutely correct, after all. It’s a curious (but useful) part of the demon’s personality to be a perfectionist in all things. Along those lines, he makes a thoughtful noise first. His further response makes it clear that Sebastian has been studying on his own time. ]

Hm. It may be a suitable way to extend the usage of what Shimmer we do produce, actually. From what I have been learning about how drugs affect humans, I can certainly rattle of plenty about opiates since they seemed well studied, and I at least have some guesses about what Shimmer may be doing. Not that I can examine it, mind you, since the methods to do so are beyond me, and I do not know if the technology even exists in Kenos. But, considering how the opiates activate in the brain to create their analgesia and sedation, it may essentially “cool” some of the more vicious effects of Shimmer upon the personality. The opiates will provide a calm and an innate addiction themselves, and it may pave the way into pursuing the more manic high of Shimmer over the more sedate of opium. A gateway into deeper Shimmer usage, should that be what you wish.

[ Sebastian shrugs as he finishes folding up his neat little baskets, though one roll is held out for Silco to take after. Again, a sharp contrast against the ruthless scheme that Sebastian lays out. ]

Well, if it does not kill them, anyways. The physiological effects are still something I am looking into, and human bodies are terribly strange and contradictory. For all I know, combining the way opiates depress the central nervous system with how Shimmer does the precise opposite may make their hearts explode.
cutlery: ('stralian etiquette)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-02-27 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ As the few drops are mentioned, Sebastian makes a thoughtful noise again, but it comes with a little smile. He hadn’t quite considered it before since Silco’s preferred usage was clear, but framed this way? ]

Ah, as Paracelsus said, then. “The dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.”

[ So Shimmer probably could be used for something useful and medicinal, he realizes. Perhaps if his master were more noble, that is the sort of breakthrough he would be seeking, but… If he were more noble, he surely wouldn’t have contracted with Sebastian. There’s the other portion of the quote as well, after all. “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison.”

It’s kept to himself for multiple reasons, least of all the not poisoned roll in Silco’s hand, but he wouldn’t want to put the thought in his head and have it go to waste. He smoothly moves on to the lighter subject, especially since it also allows him a favorite activity, even now: complaining about Ciel. ]


I am grateful for your praise, of course… But I must say, if my previous master wished for me to be a butler and only a butler, I would not be cooking. That would have been the job of the chef, but besides the fact that he refused to hire anyone for nearly a year, when we did finally obtain one, he was beyond useless in the kitchen. As with everything else, the duty fell to me, and it was only because he wished to cause me difficulty in everything. I did not know how to cook at all when I entered his service, you know.

[ Sebastian sighs since immediately, all of the days spent grueling in the kitchen only for Ciel to dump it on the floor (for him to then clean up) because it wasn’t perfect come to mind. Or, worse, on Sebastian personally. This may beg the question of why Sebastian continues when it’s absolutely not necessary at this point, but it’s at least a question he knows is coming. ]

…It was surprising to discover I liked it. Cooking and cleaning both, really. I may have been stuck in the service of an incorrigible brat, but at least the day to day work ended up being pleasant once I became well-learned in the various pieces of that responsibility.
cutlery: (room temp IQ on that one)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-07 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
It is a thought I did entertain at times… But it would have not been proper, really. The self-sufficiency you speak of would have been lightly scandalous for an Earl of the young master’s importance. Why, all that was acceptable was when he went to school for a time, really….

[ Sebastian shrugs dismissively since he won’t get too much into it. He knows that Silco has a deep distaste for how the “higher” classes live, but even besides that, he also has a good guess that he’d just find it boring. So, rather than get into the finer points of Victorian high society and etiquette, he moves on. ]

Though he never admitted it, part of it was also to keep me on a short lead. Considering the circumstances of how he summoned me, I am sure he would have preferred for me to have no independence whatsoever. In fact, I would say that the freedom you grant me is somewhat unusual. Most of my masters have preferred that I be no more than their slave. It is their right to demand of me, but still.

[ He pauses in the thought with a thoughtful hum as he appraises the baskets, then heads over to a bouquet to collect some flowers from it. He’s also going to decorate them, yes. ]

I needn’t be coy about it. It only offers them an illusion of control and a way to assuage their fears born of a religious context you do not share. I always found it a bit foolish since it is not as if restricting me so will save them. If anything, it only makes things more difficult and contentious for us both.
cutlery: (he is frickin frolicking)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-09 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian hums out a thoughtful little laugh. It’s a sentiment that Silco has expressed before, but still, it’s no less surprising to hear in earnest. The last time it had briefly been mentioned, he’d kept the elaboration to himself, but now, there wasn’t so much need. ]

Well, you did get a much better deal than any of my previous masters. I am sure that the price was part of their ire. Thanks to whoever deigned to bring me to Horos or Kenos, you got to skip the matter of summoning entirely. Now, the rules of that process are not one I ever had any control over, mind you, but they were quite brutal indeed. More than your soul, you must give up something incredibly precious.

[ He pointedly keeps his attention more on his delicate handiwork because he can’t resist bringing it up. It’s a tiny push, one that would seem just as coolly logical rather than personal, but it isn’t. Sebastian knows where some of the cracks in Silco’s heart lie, no matter how the man tries to hide them. He won’t be bold, not yet, but he’ll test the waters. ]

Jinx’s soul, perhaps? Souls of family members were very common as the fare.

[ But, he doesn’t linger, doesn’t twist the knife further. He likely doesn’t need to. It’s Sebastian’s impression that the mere mention will be enough for this moment, and Silco’s thoughts about it will carry it much further. Sebastian’s manipulations were deft until the precise moment he wanted them to be known. So, he continues without so much as a beat. ]

Ah, but I am not surprised that it would draw a reminder! Would the young Earl ever be so unfortunate as to come here to Kenos, I imagine you two would utterly despise each other. [ TRUE, AS THAT ONE MEME PROVED, LMFAO ] It is my impression from how you and Vander have talked about it that he would be perfectly at home in Piltover. Far worse than that, he would even have a job keeping Zaun to heel, were it at all similar. Why, you would be the worst of enemies!
cutlery: please do not take! (this mDE ME CHUCKLE)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-10 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian’s attention is casual, but he’s pleased to see his sly little words hit their mark and so surely. Silco is guarded and clever and had almost avoided Sebastian knowing about this little weakness entirely. But almost fittingly, Jinx had arrived and left in a whirlwind of chaos and part of that wake was making Sebastian aware of one, tender little part of Silco’s heart. Eventually, it’s something he’ll taunt him for. But he can be patient and wait until it’s all the sweeter. ]

Well, in the theoretical, you probably would have worked together, true. The Queen’s Watchdog had a little council of ne’er-do-wells, and you would have been perfectly in place there… Just also rather subject to his authority, so unhappily so.

[ He laughs since the idea of it is rather delightful, actually. He’s sure that had someone like Silco been a part of Ciel’s inner circle, they would have been at each other’s throats. A shame, almost, because it also would have meant that Ciel’s temper would have eventually won, and he’d have to kill that person. Ah, well.

Now pleased with his handiwork and moving away from the more personally sensitive subjects, Sebastian sets the bread baskets aside to engage fully with the conversation. His kitchen is already so neat that there’s not anything to clean up, so. At least teasing Ciel will always be an eternal hobby. ]


I believe he would have mixed feelings, though that seems an understatement for it. On one hand, he would be free. He would have escaped my grasp and I would have no claim to him whatsoever. He survived the impossible and could go on to live a full life that he was denied. Most would call that fortunate.

[ But— ]

He would despise it and himself. To be gobbled up by a demon means you needn’t think too hard on your sins. The ends justify the means, for your fate is certain. Denied that, then what? All your crimes now rest squarely on your shoulders with no reprieve. [ He shrugs ] …And besides. He would agree with you about power. If someone were to snatch up my Covenant with you, how would you respond?
cutlery: (yield: 1 per large tree)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-12 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That immediate, blunt response gets Sebastian’s smile to widen sharply. It’s just a little bit more, but it shows a peeking of more vicious teeth. A slip, perhaps, but here in only his master’s presence who has no distaste for what Sebastian is, he finds it to be no harm. There’s no need to hide how he enjoys the idea that he’s such a valuable resource to be fought over. It’s beautifully, perfectly human, because given an impossible freedom from his grasp, they’d still foolishly try to recapture themselves.

It's only for a moment, though. That flicker of vicious delight softens (if only slightly) in his amusement as Silco describes his plan further. How fun indeed! ]


Oh, very! There are certainly demons less principled than I who will bite off their master’s head given the first opportunity. Literally, of course. [ demons… ] But my high personal standards also allow things to be more agreeable for me. More treacherous sorts tend to wear chains that are a bit more literal… And I shall be no one’s pet.

[ Which may be an interesting choice of words considering how Aetos refers to Sebastian, but. That probably means nothing! It’s definitely not that it successfully irritates him! ]

Though, your plan, while delightful, does have one flaw! I am terribly vindictive. If someone were able to kill my master and pull a meal out of my hands, I would be hard-pressed to take their offer under consideration. It would please me more to show them why demons have the reputation we do.
cutlery: please do not take! (he's a golden deceiver!)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-17 05:22 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, yes, that would be the most efficient! And safest, naturally. Why, to finish one job and have another immediately lined up is even convenient. To have a gap in work is such a bore…

[ He agrees with a laugh and a nod. The laugh is perfectly genuine since, well. It’s very funny to be openly discussing such a thing, honestly! Really, the longer he spends here in Kenos and in the service of Silco, the more that he’s really just glad that his old world and its conventions are gone. This is a much more fun way to do his business! ]

At the very least, I doubt you have much to worry about in that regard! I can imagine someone wanting to help you with the intent of your wish, perhaps… But the extent, now that is a different matter entirely.

[ He waves his hand with a little flourish as he considers it and continues. It’s not hard to imagine someone wittingly or otherwise getting dragged into Silco’s desire to get revenge on Vander. He imagines that the real limiter is Silco’s own unwillingness to explain it. ]

…Though, in a sense, I suppose simply having someone wanting to help you could be enough. I would venture to guess that Vander would find it despicable indeed were you to bring others into your conflict. Correct?
cutlery: (Bill Nye the statistical fact guy)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-27 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian cants his head with a slightly more pursed smile at what Silco says first. It’s not a surprise. Rather, it confirms an impression that he’d already made a guess of. It wasn’t like Vander was so unwilling to dive into an old grudge considering how little it had taken for him to murder Silco… But it was definitely Sebastian’s impression that he was the sort of man that likely disliked that part of himself. It’s very much unlike his master, who relished in it.

But it’s funny when he runs into conflicts like this. From Sebastian’s perspective, there could be peace if Silco was able to swallow his pride and attempt to reconcile. It’s also something he’d never encourage. ]


Oh, I imagine the deal would be a shock indeed. Thinking of myself as naught but a tool, I would be quite the escalation, I assume!

[ His tone is light and playful, but it does smooth back to something more serious as he has a question in turn. He has a guess at its answer from Silco and Vander both… But hearing Silco actually say it is far more than his simple guess. ]

How would he take it, do you think? That you despise him to the point of giving up your own soul?
cutlery: (hehe they have boners)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-03-30 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It’s deeply amusing to have his suspicion confirmed that this entire conflict was so heavily skewed to one side. It’s nothing short of delightful, as it’s precisely the contradictory thing that Sebastian loves about humanity. Silco could make this simple. He and Vander could reconcile, and while Sebastian is certain they would never be friends, they could at least come to terms with a truce. Yet, Silco would never take it. That hatred and bitterness burns too deeply for him to even consider it.

Privately, Sebastian agrees. It is childish. But it’s childish in a way that most humans tended to be, in his view. His agreement comes with no judgement, only the small pleasure of affirmation that Silco was precisely the sort of human that would end up in his grasp. ]


Ahhh, drowing, was it?

[ It’s definitely an “ah” of understanding, since the method does feel like a piece sliding into place. The circumstances alone were enough for Sebastian to understand Silco’s hatred, but there is something much more personal (and symbolic, he thinks) about drowning. ]

How brutal. I admit, it is not possible for me to drown, but it does seem a particularly unpleasant way to go. Or, well, to nearly go, in your case.

[ He hums thoughtfully, then laughs ]

…Well, it does give me a few ideas for how to torment Vander when we get to that stage of things.
cutlery: (Chaotic Fuck You,I Do What I Want)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-04-03 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ That laugh sounds sweet to Sebastian’s ears. He doesn’t know the thoughts going through Silco’s head, all the complicated feelings and the past that goes with it, but it doesn’t matter. Not really. Sebastian simply knows that they’re ugly, twisted feelings, because how else could you laugh at drowning a man with such delight? That thought might as well be as delectable as the smell of his meticulously baked treats.

So, he pushes for a little more. He’s greedy when it comes to food. ]


Ah, it would be a shame for you to just watch… Even if I am your tool to use, it would not be quite so fulfilling if I were to be the one to do it, surely.

[ He hums thoughtfully as he considers it ]

I will see what I can do. Surely there is something here in Kenos that would allow me to lend you my strength… For a time. I imagine you would enjoy Vander’s reaction to simply that as much as the act itself.
cutlery: (upvote Thor catgirl)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-04-03 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
And I am nothing if not gracious.

[ It’s a response with a snicker since he’s well aware that it’s not exactly accurate. Could it be called generosity when it’s so self-serving? It’s at least something he jokes about openly because he’s also sure that in this matter, Silco doesn’t care. So long as he could be the one to strangle the life out of Vander, Sebastian doubts that his master would care where it came from. ]

I will see to it, in that case. I cannot promise it quickly, mind, as I admittedly barely know where to start… But if it is at all possible, it shall be done by the time you need it.

[ and thanks to them being awful people I have my next power buy set!! Thanks, assholes!! ]

Though with that charming thought, I believe I have kept you long enough at this point, hm? I am glad meeting Sveinn went well, and I have a few interesting tasks to investigate. A quite productive little visit.
cutlery: (tell her you want to be pegged)

[personal profile] cutlery 2023-04-04 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, absolutely. They have quite good memories, so I am sure he will be happy to see you. So to speak, of course.

[ What with the lack of eyes and all, etc., etc… Sebastian thinks he’s funny, unfortunately. His rather smug smile brightens back to genial and friendly, and he nods in confident affirmation. ]

Indeed. I shall drop these off [ He gives a nod to the baskets ], and then head out to the market to procure a few more supplies, as there are a few things we are running low on. It should be no more than an hour or two after you.

[ At least Silco doesn’t have to worry about keeping the outpost stocked and running with Sebastian under his employ. He’s diligent to a fault, so everything about how it runs practically is perfectly maintained. It’s the benefit of a perfectionist, at least. ]

So, I shall see you shortly, Mr. Silco. Take care on your way down.