[ She says, knowing the power of her own blood magic. Her tone, teasingly, suggests: "of an enemy" but it is more than that. She is Praesi, and paranoia is in their bones, their very blood. She was of the first betrayal, and it was no small thing, to ask for enough biological material to see her, watch her, or kill her, with enough power.
It is an extension of trust, even for an ally, and not one that she would give readily. ]
May I watch it, at least? I do not enjoy pieces leaving my sight.
[ Paranoid.
She plucks a small, fine hair from her head, and held it up. ]
Lest your wards be destroyed when I step in next.
[ Because she would test their power with hers, and see which came out the victor.
The loser, presumably, would be the Gardens themselves. ]
[ a dumb little science joke, given what dust is made of. ]
That really is a thing, though, isn't it? Luckily for you, I have no interest in making love potions.
[ because that's what usually happens in movies?? ]
In any case, to alleviate your concerns, the piece is less important than what it tells me. Souls are all a little different, which affects the body, but it's very subtle.
[ the kind of thing you'd only pick up on when you've been in contact with enough individual souls to notice a difference. all unique snowflakes impacted (literally) by their experiences and in some cases, other souls. ]
The easy way would be to use some physical signature that's uniquely yours, but that's actually not very secure. What if someone hijacked your body or something? We had to stop using biometrics because it's too easy to grow identical body parts.
[ it could happen. ]
I figure this is much less invasive than asking to examine your soul, at least.
You're welcome to put them to the test later, if you like; if they're unravelled that easily, they aren't good enough.
[ She laughed. ] I sear every surface multiple times a day. There is a ward I have, that carefully scours anything I touch periodically.
[ Praesi paranoia was legendary after all. Multiple moving parts, scaffolding of paranoid caution to protect against subtle knives launched from behind while one smiled at their opponents at the front. ]
Though I appreciate the caution. My soul is not...kind to interference.
[ The girl had made a phylactery at 13 years old, and used sait phylactery to extend her existence after her heart was ripped out. The girl whom had placed it in a new, regrown body, and continued her life. Her soul was, perhaps, not as finely crafted as John's โ she did not have ten-thousand years of experience, merely twenty or so โ but it was still constructed in such a way. ]
One of these days, I should like to see what Wards we could craft together. My sorcery and yours.
Perhaps we'll find something worthwhile of the task eventually.
[ john is careful, but that is thorough even by his standards โ he'd been joking, after all. still, he gets it; she came from a place where she had competition. different methods for a different game. john had only needed to bury his secrets. ]
I'm sure I could've managed with little fuss, but Shards complicate things more than I like.
[ which is to say the risk of any contact with someone else's soul becoming a two-way exchange of information is more than he's willing to take without a very good reason. ]
I'd be interested in answering that question myself. [ he imagines a joint effort in that area would result in something horrible (affectionate). ] If you come across something suitable, let me know.
Bored? Never. Even if I get to the bottom of the essential problem with this place, there's a whole other set of questions that could stand to be answered.
[ but first, john needed to know what the factions weren't telling them because that's a problem that is considerably more dire and time-sensitive than the things he's merely curious about for curiosity's sake. ]
Don't forget you get more bang for your buck if any deaths are involved. Dissipation counts. It's one way to brute force the interference problem.
[ external thanergy to boost the efficacy of his theorems because his Shard marinating in Zenith energy seems to dampen what he's able to draw on internally. Meridian had felt like trying to pull thanergy out of something too rich in thanergy to be effective. either way, it's a headache. ]
I'm also sure no one else will appreciate it. [ except maybe bondrewd. ] But, I'm sure that won't discourage you.
No, they do not. You saw how they protested when we were curing the Blight, and that was their very lives on the line.
[ No, she does not think most will be ok with it, but between John and Bondrewd, she knew she had good company between the two of them. ]
And... no it certainly will not discourage me. I have been using blood sacrifice since I was but a girl. If I had qualms with it, I would not have been able to stomach the very food we ate.
[ Catherine, the Warden, had hated it though. Mass ritual bloodletting was certainly off the table these days. At least non-consensual. If some wanted to give their lives for the cause, though... ]
Although, for now, we have the wards, hm? Would you like me to let you get back to work?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ thinking ahead is how he stayed one step ahead of his enemies for a very long time. ]
I'll need material, by the way. Something of you.
[ john knows he should elaborate, but it takes a moment sometimes to circle around to definitions for things he doesn't usually need to define. ]
I'm going to be setting up more elaborate wards internally. I'll need the material of anyone who intends to come here so they'll recognise you.
[ she can probably use her imagination for what would happen to people who aren't recognised because it's nothing good. ]
no subject
Quite the ask.
[ She says, knowing the power of her own blood magic. Her tone, teasingly, suggests: "of an enemy" but it is more than that. She is Praesi, and paranoia is in their bones, their very blood. She was of the first betrayal, and it was no small thing, to ask for enough biological material to see her, watch her, or kill her, with enough power.
It is an extension of trust, even for an ally, and not one that she would give readily. ]
May I watch it, at least? I do not enjoy pieces leaving my sight.
[ Paranoid.
She plucks a small, fine hair from her head, and held it up. ]
Lest your wards be destroyed when I step in next.
[ Because she would test their power with hers, and see which came out the victor.
The loser, presumably, would be the Gardens themselves. ]
no subject
[ a dumb little science joke, given what dust is made of. ]
That really is a thing, though, isn't it? Luckily for you, I have no interest in making love potions.
[ because that's what usually happens in movies?? ]
In any case, to alleviate your concerns, the piece is less important than what it tells me. Souls are all a little different, which affects the body, but it's very subtle.
[ the kind of thing you'd only pick up on when you've been in contact with enough individual souls to notice a difference. all unique snowflakes impacted (literally) by their experiences and in some cases, other souls. ]
The easy way would be to use some physical signature that's uniquely yours, but that's actually not very secure. What if someone hijacked your body or something? We had to stop using biometrics because it's too easy to grow identical body parts.
[ it could happen. ]
I figure this is much less invasive than asking to examine your soul, at least.
You're welcome to put them to the test later, if you like; if they're unravelled that easily, they aren't good enough.
no subject
[ Praesi paranoia was legendary after all. Multiple moving parts, scaffolding of paranoid caution to protect against subtle knives launched from behind while one smiled at their opponents at the front. ]
Though I appreciate the caution. My soul is not...kind to interference.
[ The girl had made a phylactery at 13 years old, and used sait phylactery to extend her existence after her heart was ripped out. The girl whom had placed it in a new, regrown body, and continued her life. Her soul was, perhaps, not as finely crafted as John's โ she did not have ten-thousand years of experience, merely twenty or so โ but it was still constructed in such a way. ]
One of these days, I should like to see what Wards we could craft together. My sorcery and yours.
Perhaps we'll find something worthwhile of the task eventually.
no subject
[ john is careful, but that is thorough even by his standards โ he'd been joking, after all. still, he gets it; she came from a place where she had competition. different methods for a different game. john had only needed to bury his secrets. ]
I'm sure I could've managed with little fuss, but Shards complicate things more than I like.
[ which is to say the risk of any contact with someone else's soul becoming a two-way exchange of information is more than he's willing to take without a very good reason. ]
I'd be interested in answering that question myself. [ he imagines a joint effort in that area would result in something horrible (affectionate). ] If you come across something suitable, let me know.
no subject
[ She said, with a smile. ]
Your magic and mine are different enough that we may find ways to compliment each other, and use our workings in tandem.
It is something I'm interested in. To use them together in concert to do something great.
[ A smile that was a touch wry. It was almost... almost the power of friendship, though she's not cheesy enough to say it. Here. Now. ]
Between this, the shards... we have enough subjects that I do not think we will become bored, thankfully.
no subject
[ but first, john needed to know what the factions weren't telling them because that's a problem that is considerably more dire and time-sensitive than the things he's merely curious about for curiosity's sake. ]
Don't forget you get more bang for your buck if any deaths are involved. Dissipation counts. It's one way to brute force the interference problem.
[ external thanergy to boost the efficacy of his theorems because his Shard marinating in Zenith energy seems to dampen what he's able to draw on internally. Meridian had felt like trying to pull thanergy out of something too rich in thanergy to be effective. either way, it's a headache. ]
I'm also sure no one else will appreciate it. [ except maybe bondrewd. ] But, I'm sure that won't discourage you.
no subject
No, they do not. You saw how they protested when we were curing the Blight, and that was their very lives on the line.
[ No, she does not think most will be ok with it, but between John and Bondrewd, she knew she had good company between the two of them. ]
And... no it certainly will not discourage me. I have been using blood sacrifice since I was but a girl. If I had qualms with it, I would not have been able to stomach the very food we ate.
[ Catherine, the Warden, had hated it though. Mass ritual bloodletting was certainly off the table these days. At least non-consensual. If some wanted to give their lives for the cause, though... ]
Although, for now, we have the wards, hm? Would you like me to let you get back to work?