Tangled Webs [Complete, Zarius&Caedes]
Oct 18, 2023 21:06:04 GMT -5
Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 18, 2023 21:06:04 GMT -5
Zarius would be lying if he said he was not surprised by Caedes reciprocating his statement. The changeling has every right to have trust issues given what happened to his whole family. Part of him doubts that the assassin means the words fully. How could he? Caedes has seen the line of work the fellblood's entire family is in first hand and is no stranger to the criminal underbelly of Darkveil. Their profession relies on well crafted lies and is built on a foundation of deceit and manipulation. It's all the fellblood has ever known, basically ever since he was old enough to speak. If Caedes wasn't privvy to this knowledge, if he was just another sorry sap that Zarius had managed to wrap up in a tangled web of lies, then maybe the fellblood would believe that the man meant those words.
After all, that was the whole point of gathering allies. To gain their whole hearted trust. To ensure that those people who bought into Zarius' lies would stand by him and defend him even at the expense of their own safety and wellbeing. To have an arsenal of willing sacrificial pawns and gambits at his disposal should the need ever arise.
But Caedes is different. Caedes isn't a pawn under any delusions of friendship or mutual respect. That arguably makes him one of the most dangerous allies in Zarius' inner circle. Or it would, if those words were insincere. Yet Caedes continues, explaining how obvious it is that he does trust the fellblood with a teasing jest. If this was an act, well, Caedes should pursue a career in theater.
Zarius sighs and looks down at the floor. "Clearly," he parrots before continuing with a shrug. "I am certain if you linger here long enough she will show up. Though she might be more willing to work with you if she knows I have confided in you. While she is a fan of gossip, she knows to keep her mouth shut about sensitive family matters."
Try as he might to keep things light, this whole conversation has an undeniable weight to it. It makes him almost miss that very first encounter with Caedes when they could take their job a little less seriously. Racing up that tree feels less like a memory and more like a dream these days.
He shakes his head. "There is no reason for me to withhold details from you at this point. What you already know is enough to be problematic if the wrong people hear about it."
Really, if Caedes had any motivation to, the changeling could easily sabotage Zarius' whole operation, his life's work, and just his life in general with all the inside knowledge he does have. Sure, he doesn't know everything, but he knows plenty which could be used as leverage if given any reason to do so. The same could be said about what Caedes has told Zarius though, and that is very important for keeping their working relationship functional. They could float together, or sink together. At least, that's how it is supposed to work. Emotions tend to complicate that delicate balance.
Zarius shifts his weight a bit while under Caedes' gaze. He's not a man who often feels vulnerable or cornered, and even now he's not certain that those words properly describe how he is currently feeling. Honestly, he's just tired, and it shows.
"There are a number of...quirks associated with this thing," he starts, carefully considering which bits of information are most important for the changeling to know. "Voices in my head, this heat that radiates off me, the blue fire, and the smoke," he explains as he gestures to his throat. "I believe it to act out of self-preservation, which has in a way extended to protecting me as its host. It tends to go on the offensive when I am put on the defensive. When I am injured or in severe danger, that is when it tends to flare up."
He pauses for a moment, going over all the previous incidents in his mind to the best that his memory will allow before strategizing possible ways they could have been avoided. This was all speculation and theoretical, but it wasn't exactly something they could safely predict, practice, or guarantee success with.
"As far as what to do, removing threats or removing myself from the dangerous situation should work in theory. If it does managed to take over, I would suggest resorting to restraint as necessary. Given my lapse in memory of most of the incidents, I believe it can more freely take over my body when I am unconscious, so avoid knocking me out if possible. If all else fails, wait it out. It seems to lack the means to maintain its control for extended amounts of time."
So far, that final statement has held water, but for how long it would stay that way is uncertain. This thing has been gaining power and become more and more of a pain to deal with, which means that there is a risk that at some point it will be able to hold on for longer, and maybe even indefinitely. At that point, their options would be extremely limited. There may even only be one unavoidable outcome.
It's not something he wants to think about and definitely something he doesn't want to say aloud. But for everyone's sake, his family, his allies, everything he's worked for, and even Caedes, he forces the words out.
"If none of that works...do whatever is necessary to stop it."
After all, that was the whole point of gathering allies. To gain their whole hearted trust. To ensure that those people who bought into Zarius' lies would stand by him and defend him even at the expense of their own safety and wellbeing. To have an arsenal of willing sacrificial pawns and gambits at his disposal should the need ever arise.
But Caedes is different. Caedes isn't a pawn under any delusions of friendship or mutual respect. That arguably makes him one of the most dangerous allies in Zarius' inner circle. Or it would, if those words were insincere. Yet Caedes continues, explaining how obvious it is that he does trust the fellblood with a teasing jest. If this was an act, well, Caedes should pursue a career in theater.
Zarius sighs and looks down at the floor. "Clearly," he parrots before continuing with a shrug. "I am certain if you linger here long enough she will show up. Though she might be more willing to work with you if she knows I have confided in you. While she is a fan of gossip, she knows to keep her mouth shut about sensitive family matters."
Try as he might to keep things light, this whole conversation has an undeniable weight to it. It makes him almost miss that very first encounter with Caedes when they could take their job a little less seriously. Racing up that tree feels less like a memory and more like a dream these days.
He shakes his head. "There is no reason for me to withhold details from you at this point. What you already know is enough to be problematic if the wrong people hear about it."
Really, if Caedes had any motivation to, the changeling could easily sabotage Zarius' whole operation, his life's work, and just his life in general with all the inside knowledge he does have. Sure, he doesn't know everything, but he knows plenty which could be used as leverage if given any reason to do so. The same could be said about what Caedes has told Zarius though, and that is very important for keeping their working relationship functional. They could float together, or sink together. At least, that's how it is supposed to work. Emotions tend to complicate that delicate balance.
Zarius shifts his weight a bit while under Caedes' gaze. He's not a man who often feels vulnerable or cornered, and even now he's not certain that those words properly describe how he is currently feeling. Honestly, he's just tired, and it shows.
"There are a number of...quirks associated with this thing," he starts, carefully considering which bits of information are most important for the changeling to know. "Voices in my head, this heat that radiates off me, the blue fire, and the smoke," he explains as he gestures to his throat. "I believe it to act out of self-preservation, which has in a way extended to protecting me as its host. It tends to go on the offensive when I am put on the defensive. When I am injured or in severe danger, that is when it tends to flare up."
He pauses for a moment, going over all the previous incidents in his mind to the best that his memory will allow before strategizing possible ways they could have been avoided. This was all speculation and theoretical, but it wasn't exactly something they could safely predict, practice, or guarantee success with.
"As far as what to do, removing threats or removing myself from the dangerous situation should work in theory. If it does managed to take over, I would suggest resorting to restraint as necessary. Given my lapse in memory of most of the incidents, I believe it can more freely take over my body when I am unconscious, so avoid knocking me out if possible. If all else fails, wait it out. It seems to lack the means to maintain its control for extended amounts of time."
So far, that final statement has held water, but for how long it would stay that way is uncertain. This thing has been gaining power and become more and more of a pain to deal with, which means that there is a risk that at some point it will be able to hold on for longer, and maybe even indefinitely. At that point, their options would be extremely limited. There may even only be one unavoidable outcome.
It's not something he wants to think about and definitely something he doesn't want to say aloud. But for everyone's sake, his family, his allies, everything he's worked for, and even Caedes, he forces the words out.
"If none of that works...do whatever is necessary to stop it."