Chasing the tail of Dogma

[sarcastass]

Who: Szelhamos and Solas
What: Szel manages to stumble into a nice little metaphysical space and decides to Flip This House.
Where: "Fayren" but mostly within a dream thanks Solas
Warnings: Depictions of gross demon faces and spiders and shit, you know. The usual.

See, he didn't go 'wandering' today with anything really in mind. It was taxing, staying crammed into such a small shape. Into such a confined shape. He liked to stretch his legs every now and again.

All eight of them.

Now, granted, this wasn't something he'd be doing if he was visible. Normally, excursions with this much of his real shape exposed were regulated to library time only, deep within the fortress in his subgate where no one who cared about this shit would be able to find him.

Wandering open 'spaces' like the one he'd just discovered though, were a different story.

There was a very good chance the massive spider had no ability to maintain a more acceptable shape in here.

The lack of laws here, specifically the laws of physics, didn't really seem to impede him at all, the massive creature easily maneuvering up, down, over and around every flavor of obstacle he came across, apparently perfectly capable of establishing at least some form of order, if only around his own person.

The grinding, painful, rusty ticking of clockwork gears followed him, echoing from the massive, degrading gear set upon his back, behind his head like a tarnished halo. Six smouldering, twitching and broken wings lit the area like a torch around him, not that he necessarily needed it.

Midge, the massive flickering roach that he was, could see just fine without the light, perched comfortably on the demons shoulder, his saucer sized gold and red eyes locked on the path before them obediently.

The upper half of an emaciated seraph, fused painfully to the bristling body of a horrifically large brown recluse, an uncomfortable mash of bird, human, arachnid and machine, he'd at least... fit in with the uncomfortable surroundings.

"This was not here before." The insect on his shoulder, his tone demure and lisping, pointed out rather obviously. It was hard to tell if the expression on Szel's face was a smile or just dismissive, slashed at either cheek as it was, but the answer seemed neutral, if not curious enough.

"All the more reason to look at it. It'd just be a shame if it meant anything terrible for Genessia, right?"

JUST AWFUL, he sounds so CONCERNED.

Comments

[notea]

[Solas doesn't seem very amused by the jokes, and the way he speaks but doesn't move is just a little erh, alarming. Unnerving? He assumes, however that Midge may be serving as some sort of companion. The motion all with midge, the talking with the big hulking thing.]

I would have had a hard time believing it, had you tried. It's my turn to ask a question, if you don't mind.

Who, or what, are you?

[sarcastass]

[Szel thinks he's funny, that's all that matters here.]

If I had a better face on, I bet I could convince you pretty well.

[The burning wings shift, scattering oddly clinking feathers here and there as they break free of charred, delicate flesh. More would replace them in time, they're all essentially useless so he isn't bothered by their loss as he turns to face him proper.

It's obvious at least, why he might not have found looking at Solas a priority: The creature's eyes are hidden by a filthy cloth, wrapped tightly around them like a blindfold.]

Well which is it? Who or what?

[notea]

I have my doubts.

[he's not 100% certain, but appearances aren't EVERYTHING, afterall.]

Who and what. I should have clarified. My apologies. [He does not sound apologetic.]

[sarcastass]

I'm sure you do, but trust me, that doesn't change anything.

[Szel's pretty certain he could hack it at acting genuine if he looked nicer, it's worked on other people before!]

Nice sincerity. Since we're being so polite-

[One exceptionally sharp fingered hand gestures towards himself, all six ruined wings flaring]

Szelhamos. Demon. Something tells me half of this isn't a surprise.

[notea]

[He does not like you Szel.]

I've not heard that name before. What corruption of spirit are you? [It's probably the most rude question he could ask. Especially considering he has a feeling this particular demon doesn't hail from Thedas at all, but Genessia. The question remains how exactly he found is way through the veil.]

[sarcastass]

[Congrats, neither does anyone else, unless you're insane. The spider moves, palps churning, as the question elicits a short laugh from that mangled mouth. It's never more obvious as he starts moving closer that the state of the demons face causes him to drool, pitch black, tainted fluids and poisonous spittle occasionally running like translucent stalactites from the slashed corners of that fanged maw.]

You're lucky I like education.

All demons, from my home, are fallen angels. If you're aware of what angels are, of course, this should answer the question well enough.

[notea]

Well enough, I suppose. I've had enough time to pick up a book or two. [he can hazard a guess. At the same time though he's keeping a healthy distance. There's no trust here.]

This is not, however, a home for you, Demon. I would suggest you limit your time in the Fade.

[sarcastass]

[Hey, that's fine with him.]

I'm not going to live in here, it's not my fault someone opened the door, I just walked through it.

[He's definitely not powerful enough to get in here without someone else acting as a doorman.]

If you don't want demons in your dream-space, close the door behind you.

[notea]

Ah, if only it were that simple. You must have fallen asleep somewhere where the veil was thin.

[Definitely not his fault. Then again, it might be his fault that the Veil and the Fade is here at all.]

Are you always this contrary?

[sarcastass]

[Well. It's not unlike him to take naps, he pretty much sleeps like a goddamn koala.]

No.

[He said, contrarily]

Normally, I'm much more polite, just not with people that refer to me with the term 'corruption spirit'.

[notea]

Corruption of spirit. You'll have to forgive me for my assumptions as demons where I am from are simply that. A spirit gone wrong due to being forced to act outside their nature.

Not an insult, a question of origin.

[you sassy 8 legged creepazoid.]

[sarcastass]

[Things that hit too close to home so now we're going to act like twice as much of a dick.png]

'Corruption' kind of sounds like an insult, I'm not going to lie here. What if I was always a giant spider? What if I was born like this?

It's awfully presumptuous of you.

[notea]

[Hm.]

Were that true I doubt we'd be having this particular conversation. For a demon you're proving somewhat easy to read the more we converse.

[sarcastass]

We've been talking for less than ten minutes and you've already started to figure me out huh?

Are you going to share what connections you've made with the rest of us?

[notea]

Yes, it hasn't been very hard. You could have made it more challenging.

[sass for sass.]

What would you like to know? Perhaps I'll deign to answer it.

[sarcastass]

[fight me you eggy little motherfucker]

Considering I think you're bluffing? Yes.

Prove me wrong.

[notea]

I wasn't wrong about what I'd said before, for one. You'd mentioned angels and demons, I imagine the correlation is somewhat similar. Secondly I imagine it's something you're sensitive about. It certainly seems to be something you find posturing helps.

You're not the first I've met with a personality full of barbs meant to deter those from the more vulnerable parts further inside.

[like at all. Thedas is full of them apparently]

[sarcastass]

I am not posturing.

[but u r tho]

Have you considered the possibility that maybe I just have a terrible personality because I have a terrible personality?

[notea]

That would be an insult to your intelligence, wouldn't it? To go through the whole of this branch of conversation without cause or reason.

[either he's right or you're stupid. pick.]

[sarcastass]

[... That's not fair. You can't do that. This is bullshit, this argument is bullshit FUCK YOU.

All six mutilated, burning wings spread out, the demon either not feeling it, or not caring when the obvious sound of splintering bone and crisply tearing flesh sounds from the movement, filthy, poisonous blood spattering onto the ground.

So we've gone from verbal posturing to physical! Much akin to either the spider part of him was, or the bird the other part appeared to be.

Despite this, no attempt to actually attack was made even as the forelimbs of the spider reared up menacingly.]

Where do you even get off insulting me? I was minding my own business up until you showed up.

[THAT'S RIGHT THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT AND HE DOESN'T HAVE TO ANSWER ANYTHING.]