[And Shadow Milk likely would have told him he was splitting hairs over semantics! And possibly found some way to make the argument as infuriating as possible, so really, it's good Salt didn't pursue.]
Pal, just wait until you meet the two-story-tall skin deer!
[Of course that comment strikes him silent for a moment. Haha, silent-]
[A grin appears on his face, but there is something unpleasant about it. A sort of roiling anger that fuels into what was once an unchecked madness. After a moment he sighs, leans his chin into his hand, tilting his head.]
You're tongue's still as sharp as your sword, I see! I'll have you know, that comparing me to that classless upstart is like comparing your horse to a wooden plaything. No creativity! No originality! This Fool's dominion was once Creation and Knowledge and that is a crumbling insult.
[There is much more to this than what he is saying, obviously, but this is what's most believable to Salt, he thinks, so it is what he will say.]
[For a long time, the Salt of Solidtary had prided himself on being able to match wits with the Fount of Knowledge. Some part of that competition still lingered within his soul, Silent Salt suspected. And thus far, he has managed to keep up just as before.
But then Shadow Milk goes and throws a curveball like that.]
The... what?
[He's barely used to the concept of skin, now you're telling me there's a mound of it walking around? He supposes it's only payback for his own, similar barb. A pity he could not have maintained the upper hand.]
Because your creativity and originality have boded well for us in the past. [He's just saying, maybe things would be worse if they were dealing with a creature with Shadow Milk's flavor of unhinged.] I will warn you not to bring Nox Black Salt into these matters, however.
[His tone turns a little drier, a touch more chiding. Leave his innocent baby out of this.]
All that said, perhaps I am grateful that thing is not of the same caliber as you are. Loathsome though you turned out to be, your ingenuity may yet prove to be our saving grace.
[Oh how he dearly hopes one of the Beholders growing around town catch the moment Salt meets Moder.]
One of the guardians of this place! You'll know her when you see her!
[And he will explain nothing else. Sorry Salt, but he will not be defeated so easily. He's been here for months.]
[It's kind of a backhanded compliment, but Shadow Milk laughs all the same. Perhaps it's only truly backhanded for the person he is now, verses the one who would have reveled in being called Loathsome. Now it's a strange mixed feeling. Yeah, he is loathsome, but then he thinks about the few specific people who would take umbridge with him calling himself that and it leaves a sour taste in the back of his throat.]
[The mask slips a moment and he looks a little far away. It's back quickly enough, and he grins like the Shadow Milk Salt is familiar with.]
It may already have! When I fought the Forest first hand, that I was able to cause it pain in a way that mattered was pretty novel! I found a weakness in exchange for my untimely demise. You're very welcome!
[Judging by the way Silent Salt's head tilts, and the way the plume of his helm seems to perk up, he his both curious and vaguely intimidated by this mysterious guardian. He makes a mental note to seek her out. Surely a creature of such height would not be easy to miss!
As it is, it's strange to see the blink-and-you'd-miss-it sort of expression that Shadow Milk wears. Were they any type of close, the friends they perhaps used to be, he might have asked after it. As it is, Silent Salt only tucks the reaction away for the time being. Ever more things to ponder.
For now:]
Would you care to elaborate upon that weakness? Or is this another card you will choose to hold close to your chest until an opportune moment?
[Yes, he will have himself a little laugh when he meets her.]
[As for the information he is oh-so-carefully dangling in front of Salt like a carrot on a string he hums like he's thinking about it.]
I could of course, but the fact of the matter it's already been shared with the Grove and thus! It does me no good at all for you to be in the dark. How lucky for you!
[He taps his staff on the ground and in his hand pops a little paper stage! How quaint! little paper puppets of Himself and Suri appear on the stage. Suri's puppet looks appropriate stupid looking because someone is Petty. Look at how handsome the Shadow Milk puppet is. Anyway, they will begin to move as he talks.]
When I challenged the Forest, I did not do so without a plan. The thing about this place is that its chock full of magical leylines. I've been mapping them for some time. I know you're not exactly a mage or anything so I'll try to keep this simple. The Entity that's controlling the forest would need to be anchored down in order for it to subsume it in the parasitic way it does. I had a theory that it would need to do so at points of high concentrated leylines. So! With some guesswork I figured out more or less where these points would be.
[The paper dolls fight a bit, but then the Shadow Milk paper doll binds down the Suri doll and then casts a little paper fireball. Which then goes right into one of his little paper other-realm portals. The Suri doll starts to burn.]
So! I dropped a bunch of fire spells on those parts of the forest! Oh, to be right! Hahahaha, what a feeling! Of course for my insolence, I paid the price.
[The Suri doll, singed, begins turning little Paper Shadow Milk into swiss cheese. The stage vanishes in a puff.]
[On the one hand, the former Lord Commander can certainly appreciate the thought that went into Shadow Milk's plan, and the tactical advantage that it may supply in the future. Not that it was of any particular surprise to him? The Fount had been the singlemost intelligent Cookie that Salt had ever known.
But on the other, Silent Salt has led his knights in many skirmishes. He alone had stood against Shadow Milk's machinations before. And so...]
There is one small flaw. Now that you have acknowledged these gaps, I suspect they will be shored up in the future. It may not be able to fully divest itself of such weaknesses, but there are ways to defend against them. We cannot expect the same tack to work the same again.
[Already, though, Silent Salt is running through ways to adapt the effort into what he knows. The idea of using the binding spell comes to mind, but he dares not bring that up.]
[He flaps his hand dismissively, because obviously he has already considered that.]
Yes, yes, I am sure once it was finished throwing a tantrum it went and made those seals much more robust. But, what you say is true, a weakness is a weakness, and I highly doubt it will find a way to fully shed one so glaring as that.
[He holds up a finger.]
BUT, more impooooortantly! Should the forest spend so much time being concerned over that exposed weakness, that leaves it room to expose others that may not have been so obvious! Perhaps an even more egregious weakness is open to us now, and we simply need to find it.
[Silent Salt remains unfazed by the flapping and rambling. This was to be expected. Knowledge was surely exploring every tactic and avenue, after all.]
And so our eyes should turn to exposing those new gaps. [His head angles expectantly.] I trust you have an idea of where we should look already?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 05:36 am (UTC)Pal, just wait until you meet the two-story-tall skin deer!
[Of course that comment strikes him silent for a moment. Haha, silent-]
[A grin appears on his face, but there is something unpleasant about it. A sort of roiling anger that fuels into what was once an unchecked madness. After a moment he sighs, leans his chin into his hand, tilting his head.]
You're tongue's still as sharp as your sword, I see! I'll have you know, that comparing me to that classless upstart is like comparing your horse to a wooden plaything. No creativity! No originality! This Fool's dominion was once Creation and Knowledge and that is a crumbling insult.
[There is much more to this than what he is saying, obviously, but this is what's most believable to Salt, he thinks, so it is what he will say.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 05:59 am (UTC)But then Shadow Milk goes and throws a curveball like that.]
The... what?
[He's barely used to the concept of skin, now you're telling me there's a mound of it walking around? He supposes it's only payback for his own, similar barb. A pity he could not have maintained the upper hand.]
Because your creativity and originality have boded well for us in the past. [He's just saying, maybe things would be worse if they were dealing with a creature with Shadow Milk's flavor of unhinged.] I will warn you not to bring Nox Black Salt into these matters, however.
[His tone turns a little drier, a touch more chiding. Leave his innocent baby out of this.]
All that said, perhaps I am grateful that thing is not of the same caliber as you are. Loathsome though you turned out to be, your ingenuity may yet prove to be our saving grace.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 10:39 am (UTC)One of the guardians of this place! You'll know her when you see her!
[And he will explain nothing else. Sorry Salt, but he will not be defeated so easily. He's been here for months.]
[It's kind of a backhanded compliment, but Shadow Milk laughs all the same. Perhaps it's only truly backhanded for the person he is now, verses the one who would have reveled in being called Loathsome. Now it's a strange mixed feeling. Yeah, he is loathsome, but then he thinks about the few specific people who would take umbridge with him calling himself that and it leaves a sour taste in the back of his throat.]
[The mask slips a moment and he looks a little far away. It's back quickly enough, and he grins like the Shadow Milk Salt is familiar with.]
It may already have! When I fought the Forest first hand, that I was able to cause it pain in a way that mattered was pretty novel! I found a weakness in exchange for my untimely demise. You're very welcome!
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 09:32 pm (UTC)As it is, it's strange to see the blink-and-you'd-miss-it sort of expression that Shadow Milk wears. Were they any type of close, the friends they perhaps used to be, he might have asked after it. As it is, Silent Salt only tucks the reaction away for the time being. Ever more things to ponder.
For now:]
Would you care to elaborate upon that weakness? Or is this another card you will choose to hold close to your chest until an opportune moment?
no subject
Date: 2025-11-21 07:05 am (UTC)[As for the information he is oh-so-carefully dangling in front of Salt like a carrot on a string he hums like he's thinking about it.]
I could of course, but the fact of the matter it's already been shared with the Grove and thus! It does me no good at all for you to be in the dark. How lucky for you!
[He taps his staff on the ground and in his hand pops a little paper stage! How quaint! little paper puppets of Himself and Suri appear on the stage. Suri's puppet looks appropriate stupid looking because someone is Petty. Look at how handsome the Shadow Milk puppet is. Anyway, they will begin to move as he talks.]
When I challenged the Forest, I did not do so without a plan. The thing about this place is that its chock full of magical leylines. I've been mapping them for some time. I know you're not exactly a mage or anything so I'll try to keep this simple. The Entity that's controlling the forest would need to be anchored down in order for it to subsume it in the parasitic way it does. I had a theory that it would need to do so at points of high concentrated leylines. So! With some guesswork I figured out more or less where these points would be.
[The paper dolls fight a bit, but then the Shadow Milk paper doll binds down the Suri doll and then casts a little paper fireball. Which then goes right into one of his little paper other-realm portals. The Suri doll starts to burn.]
So! I dropped a bunch of fire spells on those parts of the forest! Oh, to be right! Hahahaha, what a feeling! Of course for my insolence, I paid the price.
[The Suri doll, singed, begins turning little Paper Shadow Milk into swiss cheese. The stage vanishes in a puff.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-21 10:24 pm (UTC)But on the other, Silent Salt has led his knights in many skirmishes. He alone had stood against Shadow Milk's machinations before. And so...]
There is one small flaw. Now that you have acknowledged these gaps, I suspect they will be shored up in the future. It may not be able to fully divest itself of such weaknesses, but there are ways to defend against them. We cannot expect the same tack to work the same again.
[Already, though, Silent Salt is running through ways to adapt the effort into what he knows. The idea of using the binding spell comes to mind, but he dares not bring that up.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-22 05:57 am (UTC)Yes, yes, I am sure once it was finished throwing a tantrum it went and made those seals much more robust. But, what you say is true, a weakness is a weakness, and I highly doubt it will find a way to fully shed one so glaring as that.
[He holds up a finger.]
BUT, more impooooortantly! Should the forest spend so much time being concerned over that exposed weakness, that leaves it room to expose others that may not have been so obvious! Perhaps an even more egregious weakness is open to us now, and we simply need to find it.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-22 06:05 am (UTC)And so our eyes should turn to exposing those new gaps. [His head angles expectantly.] I trust you have an idea of where we should look already?