aionlogs | (open) like rolling waves

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(open) like rolling waves

WHO: Barnaby, Ciel, way too many kids... and you?
WHAT: Special beach episode!
WHERE: The seaside just south of Achamoth.
WHEN: 21 Visoseri.
WARNINGS: THIS IS A CHILD FRIENDLY SPACE. except there are spiders

With things as difficult as they were in Venera, and wanting to keep his mind occupied beyond the grind of training or research, Barnaby had begun to spend a lot of his free time volunteering to help the orphans in the Citadel. It was the closest thing to his life back home that he had here, even if he's still a stranger to the kids here, and they to him, he still sympathised with them and wanted to help improve their circumstances. He'd wondered if there was something he could do to help expand their horizons even a little bit, with Achamoth largely being unsuited for young children, and so he sought permission from the Regent to take them out of the city for the day on a trip.

Their destination isn't far: the beach directly south of the city. While he initially floats the idea to Ciel, who has been helping with the organising and preparations, he'll offer for other Aions to come along if he happens to bump into them. Provided, of course, they're on their best behaviour and willing to ensure the children don't come to any harm, as per the Regent's strict orders.

1. TRAVELLING TO THE BEACH (cw: spiders)

Although the beach isn't far from the city, and close enough that the trip can be made on foot, there's one particular hazard on the way: giant spiders. The group have to cross a small woodland before they can reach the cliffside route that will take them down to the beach, and Barnaby pauses at the edge of the woods, spotting white silk webbing strung between entire trees, more than capable of snaring unsuspecting travellers not paying close attention to where they're walking.

The spiders themselves are nowhere to be seen... yet, and a lot of them have been dealt with in the days leading up to the trip. But it was impossible to eradicate all of them, and the forest canopy overhead is thick and ripe for ambushes, if they're not careful, so Barnaby addresses the group.

"If anyone who can fight is willing to volunteer to scout ahead, please take the lead. I suggest you take someone else and go as a pair."

Barnaby would go himself, but he'd much rather stay and keep an eye on the children. You're up, team.

2. THE BEACH

Once they're safely on the other side, a rocky cliffside path leads down to a private beach. The beach itself is fully secure, as Ciel, Barnaby and Eustace had worked to ensure it was safe in the days running up to the trip. For anyone who arrives early with the group, Barnaby will be giving swimming lessons to those who don't know how to swim, and for most of the rest of the day, will be keeping an eye out from a lifeguard tower they'd had an Achamite workman construct a few days before.

There's enough of a breeze and the waves are choppy enough that you can try your hand at surfing, if you don't mind the old-fashioned surfboards on offer. For those who don't like the water but don't want to just bask in the sun all day, there are buckets and spades for building sandcastles (sand Citadels...?) and balls for playing ball games, either in or out of the water. Food, snacks and refreshments are provided for the children throughout the day, courtesy of Ciel.

3. EVENING

The children are allowed to stay long enough to watch the sunset, before they pack up and head off with Barnaby and Ciel for the evening. For anyone who chooses to stay well into dusk or longer, there are dry branches and driftwood piles suitable for starting a bonfire. If you want peace and quiet by the sea, or to crack open the booze properly now the kids are gone, this is the best time of night for it.

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[ He nods; it really was honest work. Between being someone malleable enough to drag off into the ocean and yet still with a commanding and knowledgeable enough presence to be able to take charge when it comes to sandcastle production, Amos has just kinda lucked into being a decent supervisory presence. Call it a happy side effect he honestly hadn't considered (and still isn't. This is all just kinda happening to him).

He watches as the girl scurries off to get more sand, just happy to see it looks like she's fitting in in her own way; looks back over at Liem when he answers him. Down at the sand, and he joins him in patting it down. Starting to build a base. ]

What'd you do for work? [ Just an honest question, since he'd brought it up.

And, with a more thoughtful look crossing his face... ] Though, y'know, even if this place isn't your scene, I bet she's happy you're here, [ a little nod out to the girl, collecting more sand, ] so you made a good choice today.

[Although Liem still doesn't understand what about him made this girl gravitate to his side, he is quietly pleased that he's able to help her enjoy this excursion a little more. Even just sitting here on the sun-soaked beach to work on this sand castle is making him feel a little uneasy; he can't imagine stripping to fewer layers and actually going into the water. But this quiet level of activity seems enough for her, so perhaps a more low-key experience is what she wanted.]

I only came along to help chaperone. [He shrugs helplessly.] I wasn't expecting to attract any hangers-on, but… she does seem content.

[He admits this with a hint of bafflement, but nonetheless, a pleased smile hovers at the corners of his mouth. When the girl returns with more sand, she seems happily focused on her current mission. She lingers only long enough to make sure he's patting the base down right before she leaves to find more material.]

I'm a priest of Abadar's faith. I spent most of my career travelling to offer my services to those in less well-tended parts of my country.

[ There's a small smile on Amos' face as he looks back up at Liem at the idea of only wanting to chaperone. That's good enough, really. Anything to help the kids is good, even if he'd only intended for his part to be small.

His smile broadens at Liem's own. ]

I didn't think any of them were gonna take to me. I mean, I was hoping I'd get to help, but didn't think I'd end up being this involved. I don't hate it.

[ ... He kinda loves it, actually. Amos' expression is more muted when he looks up at the girl's return, but he's happy to just keep helping out here without a word to her, and the occasional glance at the rest of the castle to make sure it's actually being fortified and not getting overrun with water.

Not yet, at least, so Liem ends up with most of his attention again. ]

Can't say I've ever heard of that one. [ Though absolutely nothing about him should indicate any hint of religion. Or lack thereof. Like even agnosticism hasn't been a consideration for him; the topic simply hasn't broached Amos' life at all. ] Sounds like a good thing to do, though. Looking after others who might need it. Kinda like us here right now.

[ Faith and helping kids have a good time at the beach — it's kind of the same thing in a way, isn't it? Or at least to Amos it seems like it. ]

[The set of Liem’s shoulders relaxes slightly when Amos admits to not having expected his own role in their trip either. There’s a kind of comradeship in their mutual inexperience, even if Amos seems to have unexpectedly attracted an entire construction crew rather than a single introvert.]

I don’t expect anyone here would have.

[There’s a hint of resignation buried in his conversational tone. He’s becoming better at thinking of his home as a place he can never return to, but accepting that no one here has ever heard of it before is more of a challenge. He’s never had to shoulder so much grief all on his own before, and still has trouble facing it head on.

It’s easier for now to stay in the present as much as he can.]

The aim of my church was more to empower others to look after themselves and each other, but the two things aren’t so different. Take the castle we’re building.

[As the pile of damp sand grows larger, the base begins to take on a more deliberate shape. Liem gestures to the larger structure nearby with his shovel.]

Great works can’t be made with the knowledge and labours of one person. The work needs to be designed by an architect; labour must be delegated to artisans and builders; materials must be gathered and supplied. The project requires tools and infrastructure at every step.

For all of those things, you need people. People who must be cared for from childhood, protected, educated. And sometimes… taken to the beach.

[ He gets that resignation, actually. Wouldn't have thought it would resonate with him, but... yeah. When you lose your people. Your life. Amos is fine with how things are now, but considering how he spent most of his life in space, which is a non-starter for seemingly every person he's met on Horos... yeah.

The metaphor is a much easier topic, it's true; one that elicits a smile from Amos by its end. ]

That's right. Maybe you can find your church here again. I mean, not the same way, but... shit, I dunno. Just by sharing things like that. There's gotta be an audience, right? Seems like one of those universal things.

[ If he's receptive, then surely there are other people out there who will be. He looks at the base they've got going, starts smoothing it out a bit with the backside of his shovel. It's still a blank canvas. Won't be for long. ]

It's not that hard to find your place here, I don't think. No matter where we came from. Some things just translate over.

[Liem's hands linger wistfully about the base of sand slowly taking shape between the two of them, guiding it with shovel and fingers and palm towards a recognizable shape. Although his efforts don't waver, his thoughts are distracted by Amos's suggestion. His isolation in this alien world makes it an achingly tempting idea—but he's still not convinced that Amos is right.]

Achamoth's people seem happy with their own faith.

[This isn't to say that the people of any city could all be the same—not even a city as tucked under the Regent's thumb as this one. But Liem has his doubts that the local powers would welcome the intrusion of a foreign faith among their flocks, even if that faith was introduced by one of the Regent's aions. And in its original form, as it was taught at his own church, Abadar's faith might even seem heretical to those joyously awaiting the end of existence. It might seem too close to the ideals of some of the Legacies, those that strive toward change in a world that is ultimately meant to crumble to nothing.

Besides, Liem was never much of a preacher. The services he offered to his countrymen back home tended to be of a much more practical sort. He has no wish to lead a congregation of his own; he just misses the one he used to be part of.]

You are right, though. The world may be different, but people here seem much the same. Everyone needs something to believe in.

[ Wherever he's gone, Amos has done a pretty good job of sidestepping everything that comes with religion. So the idea that maybe this isn't that easy of a solve for Liem earns a small, thoughtful frown, as he continues working at the tower's base. 'course it couldn't be done just like that. If it could, Liem probably would've done it already. Just another reminder that for as easy as Amos had ultimately found it to adapt, there are a lot more who find it much harder.

He perks back up at the idea he could be right in any way, though. ]

Yeah. Maybe there's something else you could do. Even if it's not like before, if it's something you're good at... We all gotta be here for some reason, I figure. [ It's the only reason someone like him would have survived the destruction of his universe, and not somebody better, somebody smarter who could have added more. ] There's probably something you're good at that's gonna help us. If you've got a way with words, or helping people believe, or whatever... something like that.

[ There's something you're good at that's gonna help end this iteration of reality. Except coming from Amos, he really does mean it as an encouraging statement. Just brainstorming a way to make Liem feel like he's a part of this, is all — helping one girl have a good day at the beach is important, but it's gotta be more than that, too. And he wants all of the Kenoma to know they belong, all of the Pleroma to know that they fucked up and are missing something by not being among them, so... let's get you there, buddy. ]

[The idea that Liem must have some specific reason to be here, assisting the Kenoma in his own way, makes a small frown crease his brow above the dark glass of his lenses. He focuses his attention on patting down another bucketful of wet sand, tamping and smoothing it into a more uniform shape, but his thoughts are still on what Amos said. After a while of this, he speaks quietly.]

I don’t disagree. I think there must be some cosmic design at play, beyond even that of the Regent.

[He’s heard that the Regent was the one who plucked each of them from their respective worlds, and that they have intimate knowledge of each aion they’ve chosen. There must be a reason that the Regent chose to bring him here, at the very least. But while the Regent is now Liem’s patron, they aren’t his god. He wouldn’t have accepted the Kenoma’s design simply because the Regent wanted him to.]

I just don’t know where I fit into it. Being in the Regent’s service is… very different from what I did in my homeland.

[And yet, it’s not different at all. The war threatening on the horizon; the need for not just soldiers, but agents willing and able eliminate unorthodox threats for the sake of order, for the sake of authority… those things are almost exactly the same. The difference lies in his own reluctance to commit to violence for a cause he doesn’t fully understand.]

But this… This is something simple. Straightforward.

[Doing something nice for children with no families of their own—children who are like he’d been, since the day he was kicked out of his uncle’s tenement flat. They still need care while the apocalypse looms, and he happens to have quite a bit of free time these days. It simply makes sense.]

[ He pauses from his own shaping of the tower to really look at Liem as he muses. As he works his way through all of this. As he tries to discern what his place must be.

Not like Amos is entirely certain of his. Not like he's the kind of person to offer a pep talk, or at least not a terribly effective one. He's more of a frontline guy, better in moments of action than downtime, for as much as a number of the kids have taken to him. For as straightforward as give them a good day at the beach is.

But he can try. ]

I think most of it's still pretty straightforward. [ He resumes his work then, moving up higher along the tower, creating something uniform. Ensuring that the sand at the base has something to support above it. ] Not like there was anyone like the Regent back where I was from. Or magic. Or demigods, or the idea we could change reality, or any of it. It's only been a couple months longer for me than it has been for you, but all of this is still pretty foreign to me. I think I get it, though. You got someone trying to do the right thing... someone better than any of us, so that's who you follow, right?

[ It isn't even worth entertaining the idea that there's some other force out there beyond the Regent and their influence. Amos looks back at Liem, earnestness written across his face. A lot of Horos is still weird to him, but this — this is something he knows. ]

Doesn't get much more straightforward than that.

[Liem listens silently as Amos talks, keeping his hands occupied with the mundane task of shaping the sand in front of him. He says it’s straightforward—and the way he speaks about their situation here, it certainly sounds that way. Choose someone worthy to follow, and accept their guidance. In a very real way, it’s exactly what Liem has spent almost his entire life doing.

Perhaps that’s why everything is suddenly so complicated now that he’s here. What is he meant to do when the being who has offered him direction is different in almost every way from the one to whom he’d already given a century of service? Despite his belief in the grim truth that the Kenoma had shown him, he doesn’t know how he can fully trust the Regent’s promises of a better world when the one they currently hold sway over stinks so cloyingly of rot.]

How do you determine who that person is?

[He pauses his work, looking up to peer at Amos from beneath the wide brim of his hat. His expression is gravely intent.]

How do you judge that this person is better than you, or anyone else?

[ Those questions give Amos pause. His hands slow as he thinks over how to answer them — nobody usually asks him that kind of thing; they just go along with what he says, either because he's right or because they're aware he isn't the kind of person who can offer a whole lot beyond that — before stopping entirely. He sets his shovel down next to him, lets his hands rest at his sides as he gives Liem his full attention. ]

I'm not exactly a good person, so most people are better than me. [ Just a fact of life, and one he's made peace with a long time ago. It's delivered plainly as he continues; there's no room for self-depreciation or arguing there. ] The Regent just... I dunno, they get it. They're older than all of us. They've experienced more; they know more.

[ He'd had an objection, once; the Regent had cut it down so swiftly and thoroughly that Amos realized he had no room to argue. And then he'd been told to trust in the Regent's experience, so. He is. ]

And besides, it's not like they want to go on a killing spree and leave it at that. Everything's so life can be better. They know how bad things can get. [ I know how bad things can get. ] Wanting to put an end to that, so that nobody has to suffer ever again... I didn't even think it was possible. Never occurred to me. To know that I have the chance to help is...

[ He's at a loss for words there, in awe of the possibilities. After a second he comes back down to earth, back to Liem. ]

That's the most righteous thing anyone can do, right? And they gave that to me. Why wouldn't I follow someone like that?

[It's not clear whether Liem finds what he was hoping for in Amos's explanation. He listens attentively, pausing his work on the tower for a moment as the other man speaks. And when he's finished, he nods slowly in response—but the gesture is more simple acknowledgement than true agreement.

At the very least, he's convinced of Amos's faith. His words ring with it, regardless of his unfamiliarity with faith in more structured religious contexts. But whether or not Liem is ready to find that conviction for himself is far less certain.]

I think I understand.

[He hasn't met the Regent himself, but everyone who has described them to him has spoken of their uncanny familiarity, their intimate knowledge of those in their service. Maybe if he'd met them himself, he might even agree with Amos already. As things are now, he can still imagine how such a being might be a lifeline to someone drifting after the destruction of their home.]

Truth be told, I still feel like I'm just here because I have nowhere else to go. I felt like that for years when I was still an acolyte, too.

[It's unpleasantly nostalgic, lingering on the fringes of a righteous cause without any idea of how he's meant to fit into it. Enduring the shame and uncertainty of his own lack of conformity, his inability to grasp the perfection of the Greater Plan. He doesn't relish the feeling.]

[ Any uncertainty Liem may be feeling skips over Amos. He might catch a glancing blow of it, but for the most part, Amos is content with what he gets from him. Offers something of a smile, small and barely there but there all the same, in support. ]

Ah, you'll get there. [ He picks his shovel back up, goes back to poking around a little at solidifying things, though he does pause to look back up at Liem. ] I got lucky. I always needed someone back home to show me the way; here, the Regent was just... there, as soon as I got the Kenoma in me. That's all I really needed.

[ But he knows he isn't most people; knows that things that can come so simply to him sometimes can't for others. So. ]

Anything I can do to help, just let me know. But what we're doing here — [ on the beach, now; in general — ] is good. You'll probably find your place sooner rather than later.

[ Whenever the next thing comes along, probably. There's a casual confidence to his belief in Liem here — they're all working towards one thing, so they'll all find their role in achieving it. ]

[Although Liem has told Amos things in this conversation that he hasn't shared with anyone else in Horos, he's still kept some things deliberately to himself. A more suspicious person would likely wonder how deep his reservations ran, whether his reluctance to trust in the Regent heralded other, more outright seditious sentiments. Amos hasn't made that sort of impression on him, but his loyalty to the Regent is steadfast enough that he doesn't want to risk revealing anything that might force his hand.

So he offers him a grateful nod; despite the conspicuous divide he perceives between them, the reassurance Amos offers still lends him some measure of comfort. But he lets the subject drop there, returning his attention to the slowly growing castle tower for the time being. He offers the same courteous response that he's given to scores of people in his life without ever intending on following up on it.]

I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. I appreciate it.

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(open) like rolling waves

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