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

[baltimores]

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.

Comments

rand's icon is absolutely sending me oh my god

[epiprocta]

[ The pause doesn't go unnoticed. Gen raises an eyebrow in response, giving a lopsided smirk before he shakes one candy out from the package onto Rand's palm. And there it sits, looking perfectly harmless -- it looks a bit like a marble, a colorful orb of shiny, hardened sugar. ]

Don't worry, it's only a mild poison.

[ A low laugh before Gen casually dispenses one for himself, popping it into his mouth. The candy clicks against his teeth as he tilts his head towards one of the marketplaces behind him. ]

-- I'm just messing with you. I bought it from one of the stalls over there.

[ He tilts his head towards one of the marketplaces behind him; if Rand's familiar with it at all, he'll know there's a long-standing candy stall at the corner that does, indeed, sell these sorts of sweets.

Shitty joke delivered, Gen pockets the package once more as he trains his gaze ahead once more. ]

I'm from somewhere pretty deep inland. [ It's a good thing Rand isn't probing for information about Achamoth, because Gen isn't about to give any. He's already being on his best behavior, and that care extends to watching what he says. So he sticks to talking about his hometown back home -- a place that no longer matters in the context of Horos. ] Mostly farmlands. Some mountains, but nothing as big as the ones around here, and no docks. Nowhere this busy, either ... it was quiet. Heard this isn't even the busiest this place gets, but still felt strange at first, stepping out onto the streets here.

puts a hand over the timestamps

[dragonmount]

[ he wasn't honestly going to not eat the candy after accepting it — gen really didn't seem to care either way if he said yes or no, it's not like he couldn't have refused — but it's possible he moves a little slowly in putting it into his mouth. so the joke catches him by surprise, earning a wry eyebrow raise, and he puts it in his own mouth.

he is being ridiculous. he's seen its like around the city, though he's never had any before, and what exactly does he think gen is going to do? actually poison him? there's probably something to be said about a learned instinct not to accept something theoretically edible from kenoma aions, but gen hasn't indicated whether or not he even realizes rand is a pleroma aion.

(there's a pleasantly surprised eyebrow raise as the taste of the candy settles on his tongue. no peddler would ever bring something like this to a place as small and out of the way as two rivers.)

he directs them to take a turn, brings them to a staircase carved into the rock face. ]

I know what you mean, [ he admits slowly, as they climb. ] I grew up in a farming village up in the mountains.

[ it's not a dangerous truth to tell. like gen, he doesn't see much harm in talking about his hometown, so far removed from horos. and the description is vague enough not to definitively mark him as not a local. ]

The noise used to keep me up half the nights, the first week or two I was here.

[ two boys with legs as long as theirs can make short work of the staircase, probably; so it's not long before they emerge upon a scenic overlook, a shaded area with benches for sitting and a safety railing surrounding the perimeter. beyond, there's a fair view of the city and ocean spread beneath them.

it's not hard to imagine why a boy from the mountains would know, or frequent, a spot like this. ]

[epiprocta]

[ He smiles wanly to himself as he listens to Rand speak -- wondering how the other would react to the bustle of Achamoth, especially the areas around the Citadel, if the noise of this place was enough to keep him up at nights. But he keeps that thought to himself. After all, no need to give away any more information than absolutely necessary, right? ]

Yeah, I get what you're saying. [ Hands returns to his pockets, Gen follows behind Rand taking the steps two at a time with zero effort. (A Godsblood citizen of more modest height gawps at the two ludicrously tall lads gliding past them with mild shock.) ] Sure takes a little while to get used to all that noise and activity, doesn't it ... Not that I hadn't heard about big cities, but actually seeing a place that could hold that many people was startling. My first day, I spent far too long just staring out over the streets, at all the people.

[ Even if he's being a little vague and lying by omission, that doesn't mean everything he's saying is untrue. The bustle of Achamoth truly had startled him that first evening, and even now, he's unnerved by the sheer density of the crowd if he ever stops and thinks about that city. And ... it's admittedly nice, being able to talk about this shit with someone without having to think too hard about what he's saying.

As they reach the top of the staircase, Gen gives a small noise of intrigue before swiftly stepping past Rand towards the safety railing. It really is a good spot that Rand's led him to. Leaning against the railing, it feels like he's able to see much further than he should be able to, across the busy streets and shimmering water below.

Gen's silent for a moment or two, genuinely admiring the landscape before them. And when he speaks again, his tone of voice is a little more genial -- genuinely pleased by this experience. ]

... you got a favorite spot you can point out from here?

[ Does Rand consider it an underhanded attempt from a Kenoma, trying to dig up information? It sure sounds like it, doesn't it. But at least for now, Gen has no such intentions in mind. ]

[dragonmount]

[ he watches gen as he speaks. vagueness and lying by omission are not only understandable but expected, in this conversation. they aren't friends. they aren't even allies. there's no reason for gen to be honest with him. that fact that he is, in any sense, doesn't go unappreciated. in fact...despite himself, he smiles, just briefly. because: ]

I did the same thing.

[ and it is nice to be able to admit that to someone, to be given an admission like that. he spends a lot of time around people much more used to city living, and it's...easy to feel like a clueless country bumpkin. he doesn't mind. he chose this; he could up and move to greentruth tomorrow if he wanted, and he probably should (he'll consider later) after running into both (hahahahaha, just the two, right) kenoma aions visiting godsblood. living in the trees is strange, but closer in some ways to what he knows. he could let himself stay somewhere more familiar. he just doesn't.

(alas, the city slicker of probable normal height doesn't even register in his mind. 🤷‍♂️ get taller or get noticed.)

in contrast to gen, he moves slower to the railing. not for any particular reason than he knows this view and doesn't need to hurry over. there's a fleeting, petty thought that, well, clearly gen isn't hesitant to turn his back on rand either. rightfully so, of course, right now. but you know.

and to be fair: when he reaches the railing, rests his arms against it, and looks to gen...the sincere pleasure is noticeable. it's possible that gen is just a really good liar, (haha) but this doesn't feel faked. he looks back out to the city sprawled out below, the glittering ocean, mulling over his answer. he stirs after a moment, pointing to a stretch of road by one of the ubiquitous shrines in this city. ]

There's a restaurant down there, The Salty Wench. It doesn't look like much, but you'll find some of the best seafood in the city there.

[ don't tell eleanor he said that. but this is, actually, a completely good faith recommendation. ]

[epiprocta]

The Salty Wench? [ He gives a brief, dry laugh at that. ] The hell kind of name is that? What happened to normal names like 'The Fish House,' or something.

[ Sorry-not-sorry Rand, it's just in his nature to be a little snide and mean at all times if possible. At least that comment's chased closely by a small smirk as he leans over to follow the line of Rand's arm with his gaze, squinting at the area the other's indicating to and committing it to memory. ]

Over there, huh. ... alright. I'll check it out.

[ Not even a word of thanks from this ungrateful little shit. Gen just nods as he pulls away from the railing with the scuff of bootsoles against the dirt. But as he slowly meanders his way around the railing to take another look at the scenery that spreads out below them, then circles back around, he gives Rand a tilt of the head to gesture they should leave.

'They.' Not that he's just departing by himself. ]

C'mon, let me buy you a drink or something on the way outta here.

[ He won't say that it's in thanks, because he doesn't do that mushy shit with strangers. But his offer pretty much expresses the sentiment without words. Not that Gen's usually inclined to be so friendly, but it really does put him in a good mood to get to have some semblance of a 'normal' conversation with someone who isn't obviously cowed by him. He's only human, after all; it gets exhausting constantly ignoring the way people in Godsblood treat him with trepidation and distaste.

So just for these few moments, he'll let himself continue to pretend he doesn't know Rand is his enemy. ]

slaps a bow down

[dragonmount]

I wish I knew.

[ snide as gen's reaction may be, it's not like rand didn't have the same thought. he is, point of fact, a boy barely out of his teens he did not start out able to report that restaurant's name with a straight face. honestly: he'd thought it was a joke, the first time he got this particular tip. but the food is great, and he's found himself returning now and again. he's not totally sure the owners will love a kenoma aion visiting their establishment, but he doubts they'd turn down the jools either.

so he nods when gen promises to visit the place. and normally — see, normally, he might ask tell me what you thought of it. if this were ernesto, or abel, or akua, he would. but even without the true sight afforded at tier 2, rand still knows what he's looking at: an enemy, if one a little younger, if one with whom he has a tacit truce in this moment. they may never get to talk peacefully again. but for now, on the surface, they're little more than two young men talking about a seaside city that's strange to both of them.

so maybe that's why, even though he pauses at gen's offer, it's not long before he nods. he can hear the thanks for what it is. and the truth is, this conversation really is the most normal he's felt since moiraine vanished. since he woke in horos. since he left everyone he's ever loved in service of some vast destiny.

he pushes himself off the railing, smiling faintly, and goes to follow gen back into the city. ]