[Ford makes a face. Does being murdered put you more on no-titles terms with someone or less so? He has no idea what the etiquette rules for this are.]
Horseriver, then.
I wanted to speak to to you about what you did to me, and the effect it had on Bill Cipher. First, I'd appreciate it if you refrained from any further attempts to use me as a magical conduit -- it's very inconvenient, not to mention personally unpleasant -- but second, what exactly was the nature of the curse?
[Ah, now he has some vague idea of who called him. Very vague. He's basically forgotten him even as he was in the middle of his working. But he doesn't have any reason not to explain, and he likes talking about magic.]
It was not a curse, that is a different magic. It was a spell of... empathy. Demons cannot feel as humans can, but they gain their shape through their possession. Such an event leaves an opening in the soul, even if the demon is banished, through such ties, a demon can be granted some of the... gifts of humanity. For a short time.
[Oooh, that one stings. Which, conveniently, proves the point beyond question. Ow.]
I can say with confidence that I do.
[A breath, blown out, and a moment of thought.]
That explains why he was so insistent. If I had done half the things he's responsible for and experienced remorse for all of it at once, the guilt would be excruiciating.
[And that's only what he knows about. Ford's sure there are plenty more atrocities Bill has committed over the years that have faded into obscurity, Bill himself the only one alive to remember them.
...he hopes Bill felt at least a little bit bad about faking the moon landing. It's not the most important thing, of course; the personal suffering he and his family experienced at Bill's hands and the destruction of entire dimensions absolutely take precedence, but still. It could have been on the list. The long, long list.]
[...a sigh. That tracks with his experiences so far. Killing Bill and getting dragged here, being released from the deal and still being a viable conduit for the empathy spell...
Deciding to see Bill dead or graduated before he goes home, and risking all else to ensure it happens.
It sure feels like there's no escape.]
You don't happen to know a spell that will kill him permanently, do you?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 04:40 pm (UTC)Excuse me, Mr. Horseriver. I have a few things I'd like to ask you.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 04:44 pm (UTC)Just Horseriver. Unless you would like to add 'Lord' or 'Earl'.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 04:51 pm (UTC)Horseriver, then.
I wanted to speak to to you about what you did to me, and the effect it had on Bill Cipher. First, I'd appreciate it if you refrained from any further attempts to use me as a magical conduit -- it's very inconvenient, not to mention personally unpleasant -- but second, what exactly was the nature of the curse?
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 04:56 pm (UTC)It was not a curse, that is a different magic. It was a spell of... empathy. Demons cannot feel as humans can, but they gain their shape through their possession. Such an event leaves an opening in the soul, even if the demon is banished, through such ties, a demon can be granted some of the... gifts of humanity. For a short time.
Re: [Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 05:26 pm (UTC)...and ends up miffed anyway.]
You gave Bill my conscience?!
[That belongs to him! Come on! It might be painful sometimes and he might not always listen to it but it's still Ford's!]
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 05:32 pm (UTC)[He considers a moment.]
I had to work on trust that you had one to mimic.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 06:41 pm (UTC)I can say with confidence that I do.
[A breath, blown out, and a moment of thought.]
That explains why he was so insistent. If I had done half the things he's responsible for and experienced remorse for all of it at once, the guilt would be excruiciating.
[And that's only what he knows about. Ford's sure there are plenty more atrocities Bill has committed over the years that have faded into obscurity, Bill himself the only one alive to remember them.
...he hopes Bill felt at least a little bit bad about faking the moon landing. It's not the most important thing, of course; the personal suffering he and his family experienced at Bill's hands and the destruction of entire dimensions absolutely take precedence, but still. It could have been on the list. The long, long list.]
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 06:53 pm (UTC)[Which is an agreement, of sorts. He doesn't put much store in them, but for a demon, it seemed a good enough revenge.]
Yes, and he would not have had the practice humans have at ignoring and justifying the actions that should cause them guilt.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 07:11 pm (UTC)[Ford could deal with having less conscience right about now.]
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 07:25 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 09:34 pm (UTC)Damn it all.]
Well, thank you for your time.
...
...be warned, if you try anything like that again, I will be ready for you.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 09:42 pm (UTC)Do as you will. Tell your demon not to speak on my family, and I will have no reason to try.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 10:00 pm (UTC)And hey -- he's not my demon. He is a demon that I was involved with, thought I'd killed, and can't seem to get away from!
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 10:09 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 10:47 pm (UTC)Deciding to see Bill dead or graduated before he goes home, and risking all else to ensure it happens.
It sure feels like there's no escape.]
You don't happen to know a spell that will kill him permanently, do you?
[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-24 11:08 pm (UTC)[Voice]
Date: 2018-07-26 06:28 pm (UTC)Ah, well. I expected as much.
[Voice]
Date: 2018-08-07 04:59 am (UTC)In any case, good luck. [He even means it.]
[Voice]
Date: 2018-08-07 06:47 pm (UTC)[He'll keep his eyes open for any self-identified saints. It's a long shot, but something to keep in mind.]