aionlogs | [open] some Kenoma come up to Godsblood the other day...

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[open] some Kenoma come up to Godsblood the other day...

WHO: Amos, Gen, Eustace, Childe, any Pleroma
WHAT: Amos wants a gun, Eustace wants to make a portal, and in order to make it happen they go to...
WHERE: Godsblood.
WHEN: Towards the end of Visoseri/start of Soviseri
WARNINGS: None, unless you count bullying of various Pleroma; will add as necessary

The content of this entry is intended to be an OOC explanation of what's going on to keep everyone up to speed; any characters who may be in Godsblood during this time period are free to top level or tag out. This is not an event and simply a unique instance that some characters are kinda sorta technically in enemy territory, which opens itself up to thread opportunities that would not otherwise be possible.

Basically: four Kenoma are journeying up to Godsblood, albeit not all together and through different means.

Amos and Gen will be arriving via a boat directly from Achamoth, and accordingly, will be outed as Kenoma Aions right from the get-go — the populace should know who they are, and word of their arrival would likely get around. Amos is there because he wants to build a higher quality gun than what they have in Achamoth and Godsblood is the place to do it; Gen is there to serve as backup/moral support/because they're friends, okay. Story plotting link here for more details.

Eustace and Childe will be sneaking in via carriage from the Artisan shrine/a portal and will therefore not be known as Kenoma Aions upon entry to Godsblood — unless there are characters there who already know who they are, that is. Eustace is setting up a portal to facilitate travel between Achamoth and Godsblood. This is not public knowledge and non-Kenoma Aions/NPCs are unlikely to know about this. Story plotting link here for more details.

The mods have also provided some guidelines for how interactions could go between characters so that any Pleroma wouldn't necessarily have to out themselves as Aions when it comes to interacting with Amos or Gen, who are publicly declared as such. Highlighting what was said further down in Amos' plotting comment:

It wouldn't be unreasonable for a visiting Aion to be chatting up people within Godsblood so sharing a meal ... wouldn't be a dead give away, but it might tie them to the Aions on the rumor network if they do it in public. Whether they are just strangers Gen and Amos are dining with or whether they are connected to Achamoth won't be clear, but it would definitely have implications ... It's definitely a risk, at any rate.

As for meeting in a busy street or a public park the connection is still possible but a lot less likely, since the odds of them chatting up some rando in the park is a lot more likely than sitting down for dinner with them. It'd also be a lot more obvious if someone was spying on them, unlike a closed environment like a pub or eatery, so that'd probably be the safest option without going somewhere deserted or private.

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[Yuya was super prepared to just run some easy errands around town for jools, maybe buy himself an ice cream cone with it... and then he sees Amos. And Amos sees him and Yuya just freezes up like a deer in headlights. Oh. Oh boy.

Somehow it just totally escaped him that the Regent technically controls Godsblood and thus, the Kenoma could get here too. He's still grappling with that when Amos starts asking him questions and he almost misses them completely.]

It's... uh. It's fine. [He squeaks. Is he about to have his cover blown??]

[ It's contradictory to what he'd told him before. The last time they were both in their right minds.

But Amos figures he's safe here. He's not going to do anything stupid like he'd been afraid of before, when he'd warned Yuya to stay away, because he can't. Not somewhere so public, not somewhere he's technically not welcome, not somewhere where he'd have to make the first move.

... And he does want to know if he's doing well. Yuya being okay is important, even if he's on the wrong side. He just hopes there'll be time yet to fix that, but in the meantime... ]

Fine.

[ He says it with an air of skepticism, like, That's all? Really? It doesn't sound great, but Yuya's also pretty clearly kinda freaked out here, so uh. That's on him, actually, and Amos looks down at his feet, sighing at himself. ]

You sure it's the right place for you? If it's only fine.

[ As things stand, yes, they're on a crowded street, and yes, the occasional passerby is shooting them some looks because of who he is, but. It's nothing. He has the power to stop anyone for a talk whenever he wants, right? So it's... this is okay.

But Amos doesn't want to fuck with that environment that's keeping him from doing something stupid to Yuya, so he knows he has to be careful about not blowing it. For either of them. That, or... Yuya could just come back with him to Achamoth. That's always gonna be an option. Wouldn't be an issue there at all. ]

Yeah, it's fine. I'm sure. [It comes out hurriedly, looking around. Ultimately, that they're out in public in the middle of the city and Amos isn't immediately jumping to grab him are the only things that give Yuya enough security that... he doesn't need to run. Despite how out of touch he was in Venera, he does remember everything including Amos under the same effect, talking about their friends.

He shuffles closer, holding a hand up as he lowers his voice with the reduced distance. So someone doesn't overhear.] What are you doing here?

[ He'd really rather not think about Venera.

What they could be, two members of the same legacy, with the same values, just with the both of them on the right side.

It's not going to happen today, so... no.

Though he does blink in surprise when Yuya actually comes closer to him, and he really doesn't know how to feel about that. But then his voice comes out hushed, and, yeah, okay. That makes enough sense. Amos looks down at him; lowers his voice a little in turn. ]

Just working on something. Really didn't know I'd find you here. [ Or that he'd find any Pleroma here. That's been a really interesting development, albeit not one he's been focusing on. ] This, uh... how long you been living here? Since...?

[ Since he'd escaped. Which, back then, is exactly what Amos had wanted for Yuya. Now, those feelings are much, much, much more conflicted — but it's as much a genuine question as it is him searching for answers. ]

[... He can't tell Amos about Greentruth. About the resistance. About any of it. He wasn't quite prepared to lie, though, but even a terrible lie will protect them more than the truth. He just... also hates having to do that to someone he actually cares about.

But he can't tell Amos anything.]

... Mm. We found a way here... after getting out of that cave. [He rubs the back of his neck.] You know we're not really safe no matter where we go, so... please don't say anything.

[He claps his hands together, looking earnest. Come on, Amos. How could you say no to that face.]

[ Yuya, please, he's already weak when it comes to you.

Though his desperation throws Amos, hitting him with a one-two — one, he wasn't thinking of saying anything to begin with (at least not until he got on the boat to go back to Achamoth); and two, he doesn't even think to question that there's anywhere else the Pleroma could be living. Godsblood's plenty big, and just far enough away from Achamoth that it makes perfect sense for them to congregate here. There's no further scent for him to pick up.

When he gets his wits back about him, he sighs, glancing around the street they're on. It's almost busy enough that they can be lost in the crowd, off to the side where nobody can really hear them. They're okay right now, at least, though this is the first time Amos wishes he maybe hadn't made his arrival so public.

First things first: ] Got nobody to say anything to.

[ First things first, don't make the kid worry. He's not here to out him, god damn. Although... And this is where Amos' voice goes quieter. Softer. It's not pleading, because he already knows the answer, but... ]

You know there is somewhere you'll be safe, though. If you come back with me. You don't gotta worry about any of this.

[ It's just one small tradeoff. If he can at least make Yuya think about it... that's probably the best he can hope for while he's here. It'll have to be enough. ]

[Yuya's shoulders ease in relief. He was very worried about being outed, so Amos' willingness to keep it secret... means a lot.

Then he follows it up with an offer they both know Yuya has to refuse. His expression twists wryly.]

Sorry. [He lowers his hands. It's a no.] As long as I can just look normal, it's okay. You know, I used to live in a city like this. Except more... modern?

[With cars. Microwaves. Tangible holograms.] Me and my friends would break watermelons on the beach during the summer.

Yeah?

[ He remembers them. Yuya's friends.

Amos heaves a low exhale, taking a glance around. It's a street, lined with people. Shops. There are other places of work not too far away; other guilds, though the Machining Guild is the one they're closest to, for reasons that are probably only obvious to Amos. ]

Me too. By the water and everything. Spent a lot of time by the docks, though we were mostly just watching ships take off. [ Him and Erich. And... rocket ships, not the kind that work on the water, but... close enough.

A beat, and, ] I do like this place. Makes me think of what home should've been like for me.

[ And maybe this can be... kind of a replacement. Maybe.

He looks back down at Yuya. ]

You know, if looking normal isn't enough for you. If something ever goes wrong. All you gotta do is ask, and I'll come help.

[ Though their definitions of help are probably wildly different, aren't they. And not like Yuya wouldn't have fellow Pleroma to call on. But. If things do go that far south. If he needs somewhere more stable to live. Any, all of that... The offer's very real. ]

[Their ideas of help are probably very different.

But still.] Thanks, Amos.

[He'll try not to need. Not just Amos' help but--he's always had to rely on other people looking after him. It's... still a work in progress, to not need it as much.]

... So are you sightseeing while you're here?

[ There's something so unsatisfying about how that has to be enough, but... it does. Nothing he can do about things here without wildly fucking them up.

Oh well.

He inclines his chin slightly in thought at the question. Sightseeing really isn't his game, but he likes the city, he likes Yuya... ]

Not really. Why, you got any recommendations? I got time. Can always just say I asked a local to show me around.

[ Is this. Is this bonding, but like, actual bonding, when neither of them is suffering on a cavern floor or high out of their minds with Innocence.

... Could be nice, for once. ]

Well, I was going to get ice cream. [He still wants ice cream...] You can take a boat through the canals to get around instead of walking, it's really cool! Like Venice, you know?

[Does Amos know what Venice is? City of romance? Or was that somewhere else...]

[ Venice earns a blank stare... at least for a few seconds, before Amos' eyes light up in what he hopes is a proper recollection. ]

That was like... shit... a beach, right? [ Does he have the right thing?? ] Or was that the spaghetti place...

[ ... Really, he's doing pretty well for someone who never deviated from the general northeastern coastal area of what had once been the United States during his time on Earth. Not like he needed to learn geography or anything back then either, so.

Eh, fuck it, it's not important. Amos brushes off his uncertainty with ease, falling into something friendlier. Like. The kid said he was going to get ice cream. How do you not be friendly when that's brought up. ]

Were you gonna take a boat to get some, then? [ A moment of hesitation, a pause, and: ] I can buy. If you want.

[ Buying ice cream for a Pleroma was, at no point, something he expected he'd ever do, but... it's Yuya. ]

[Does Venice have a beach? It's make sense, Yuya only knows about the canals. Neither of them are worldly enough for this.]

Would you? [Yuya should probably insist it's not necessary... but he only makes a meager allowance running odd jobs for jools, and maybe being able to save those would be good.]

The boat that way goes down to the market and there's a shop everyone says is really good. [He points to the side.] It'll be my first time trying it.

[ First time earns a little flicker of empathy there. ]

Shit, I almost never got ice cream back home. I'd've probably killed for some.

[ Does he mean that literally... haha... maybe... But it's delivered in a friendly manner, because now he wants ice cream, too, and he's got enough money to spare. ]

Yeah, shit, c'mon. Let's go. You're giving me a tour, and I'm repaying you for your help. [ It's both a cover story and also literally what they're actually doing. He tilts his head in the boat's direction, lead the way. ]

[That's... probably just a turn of phrase. Probably.

Anyway, the best cover stories are true, so Yuya doesn't have to try and keep his excuse straight. He gestures for Amos to follow as he takes lead, to the west to get to the canal dock.] I don't have a watch, but we're probably in time for the next boat that goes to the market?

That way. [He points.]

[ He thinks he sees a boat coming up along the canal as Yuya points, so their timing's probably as good as possible.

Amos' smile is real as he walks alongside Yuya. Gives a friendly wave to the guy at the boat's helm as they approach. He really, actually, is just some guy in this moment — one with a young tour guide, money to spare, and a slowly-building craving for ice cream.

The gawking's easy for him to ignore. When the boat gets moving, Amos turns back to Yuya, a genuine fascination in his voice as he speaks up. ]

I've never seen boats used like this before. That's really just a normal thing here, huh?

[ But also — hey, thanks for helping him out. Amos is perfectly content to make sure everyone around them knows the situation, that Yuya really is a regular citizen of Godsblood. Just a friendly and resourceful one to have attracted an Aion requesting his services, but it could happen to anyone, couldn't it? Sure, why not. ]

Yeah, it's pretty cool right? [He raises the hand, waving to the driver of the boat as it's pulling in. Hopefully, Yuya's tendency to run little jobs for jools under the table means people won't think twice about a scrappy looking teenager with an Aion.

Well, at least won't look twice at Yuya. At the boat comes to a stop, Yuya waits for those getting off the boat to clear before he hops on and takes a seat near the back.]

[ He's been getting looks ever since he stepped off the boat from Achamoth, and they haven't subsided. They're probably never going to, either, so it's a good thing he really doesn't care.

He can just address Yuya perfectly comfortably, and if anyone wants to stare or listen in... good for them, basically. Unless someone gives him a reason to start shit, he'll just let it all roll off his back; thankfully, pretty much everyone seems to know better than to start shit with an Aion. So it's with ease Amos follows Yuya to the back, takes the seat next to him. ]

Yeah. [ It's genuinely cool; the more he thinks about it as the boat gets underway, the more he loves it. ] Having it built into the city like this... I would've loved this.

[ An almost wistful sigh as he looks out at the water, at the streets it comes right up against. ]

Kinda wish I was from here.

[... Yuya can't, in good conscious, encourage Amos to make a home here. Not when it's a place for so many Pleroma, already living precariously trying to keep their status and allegiance a secret.

His glaze flickers down, sadly, before he looks up to point at one of the towering structures.] That's one of the guilds. It's the... the... Woodworking guild I think? They do some art but also lots of stuff with the boats. Some of them have really cool carvings. And that...

[If Amos allows it, Yuya will fill the ride with a decent tour. A little broad, but he'll point out guilds and temples and shops he's familiar with, and share some of the popular lore about Godsblood's development, as they do love their history.]

[ That sadness is missed on him, Amos more preoccupied with the idea of water roadways. There's just something so practical about them he can't help but admire... And then Yuya's literally playing tour guide, and he settles right into his seat, his real role in this excursion. He looks out at everything Yuya points out, most of the time with genuine interest. (Every now and then he has to feign it, because it's just not his speed... art, really, okay, sure.)

The history's actually kinda interesting though. Not even in a I'll need to know this for later way, but more like... fuck, he really likes this place. ]

They really just made some of the boats into permanent structures, huh? I mean, I grew up by the water, but we never would've had that. Would love to take a look at how they did that sometime.

[ ... He is a mechanic, worked under engineers. It kinda is actually a professional curiosity for him as he looks at the latest thing Yuya's pointed out, interest clear in his gaze. He's still looking forward to the ice cream, but the journey's just as good as the destination, turns out. ]

Oh, yeah. [Yuya didn't grow up with anything like that either. But he's supposed to be a local right now, so he bites his tongue. Maybe later.]

Yeah, it's really cool to climb up the stairs and get on the decks. [The decks you're supposed to get on, anyway.] When you can see out over everything, it's great.

[The boat slowly comes to a stop, and Yuya stands up--though he isn't in a rush to get off before the other people do.] It's not far from here, the ice cream shop.

[ Amos really hasn't tried going anywhere that'd give him a good view of Godsblood, of its surrounding area. The mountains are really the only thing that stand out to him here as different from Baltimore; that'd emphasize it. Maybe one day, with enough downtime.

So probably not, but it's nice to think about. Still, he gives Yuya an amiable little smile all the same.

And stands up alongside him once Amos realizes they're here. It'd been a nice ride, and he's content to be the last ones off, as well. Not like they're in a rush. Not like he's got anywhere he desperately needs to be. Not like he's too good to not wait for others first. And when it's clear it's their turn, Amos heads off the boat, back to solid ground.

Fuck, that was nice. He really could get used to something like that. ]

Awesome. [ He nods at Yuya, happy as ever to be doing this; ready for him to lead the tourist again. ] You got any favourites?

[Yuya takes the lead once they're on stable ground, putting a hand to his chin in exaggerated thought as he hums.] Hmm... I like strawberry. And brown sugar, and chocolate... and birthday cake!

[Has Horos invented birthday cake yet? He'll have to look for that.] Most shops like this has monthly flavors, too.

What kind of things do they do for monthly stuff?

[ His interest is up there as he follows alongside Yuya. ]

Didn't get the chance for a whole lot of flavours when I did get to have ice cream. I stuck with chocolate most of the time.

... Think rocky road would be my favourite, though.

[ Pay no mind to the small noise his stomach makes, it really has been a long time since he's gotten to have ice cream. ]

It's summer, right? Almost fall. It could be something really fruity, or maybe something like rocky road but... more like s'mores? You've had that, right?

[Yuya doesn't think hard about what Amos' terrible childhood might have deprived him from, and assumes he's right. This is not the time for sad thoughts.] But they'd do really wild things in--[Wait. Not Japan. He can't say he's from Japan.] In, uh, this other shop I know. Like pickle.

[open] some Kenoma come up to Godsblood the other day...

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