EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)

[aionmods]

Sovereign Citizens

GODSBLOOD

At the height of the Sovereign's moon, Vaeka Lovenskol's execution is announced. Outside of the City Hall, a dignitary of Achamoth is flanked by an entourage of Kenoma, reading the words of Regent from an unfurled letter: Vaeka stands accused to conspiring against the Regent and abetting the fugitive menace known as the Pleroma. Though the details are not made public, rumors spread quickly, some far more wild than the actual truth. The full truth, after all, is something only the Regent's agents and the Pleroma themselves know, and even to them the manner of her exposure is unclear.

Though losing a proud daughter of an influential family, there seems to be little that the people of Godsblood can do besides accept it. After all, they are still a city of the Regent's empire, and for all the freedom they've enjoyed, there are limits. If she was truly aiding the Pleroma, the sworn enemies of the Regent - and in an organized manner, if the rumors are to be believed - can they truly object? Or would challenging the Regent's claim simply invite more death?

As with many things, the families of Godsblood are torn. Tensions are thick for the five days leading up to Vaeka's appointed execution by hanging, with everyone having an opinion and few wanting to go on record talking about it too loudly. As such, the people's frustrations come out in other ways. Bloodites are uncharacteristically unfriendly to strangers in this time, keeping to their own and treating everyone else with overt skepticism.

Those that have arrived as part of the Regent's official envoy, or seen guarding Vaeka, will receive a particularly icy reception. No longer are the Kenoma curious wanderers on personal business. Now, they are here as the hands of the Regent; few of the Godsblood citizens are foolish enough to challenge them outright, but they are ever an honest people.

Early on, the Kenoma and the rest of the Achamite contingent sent with them will be able to take over a jail in downtown Godsblood to hold Vaeka until her execution, clearing out all other Bloodite prisoners and employees in the meantime. This means they have a relatively secure position to guard their prisoner from, which is a good thing; after all, the Regent did outright invite the Pleroma to stop them, and Pleroma are nothing if not stubborn.

EXECUTION DAY

After five agonizing days of waiting and several high visible conflicts between the Pleroma and Kenoma, finally the hour of Vaeka's execution arrives. A gallows is set outside of City Hall, ready to welcome its newest victim, and a massive crowd has gathered in an spirit of anxious anticipation. Some worry that violence may break out in the streets, even without the Pleroma's agitation, but gradually the minutes tick by and the gallows remain empty.

First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?

As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.

The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Godsblood?
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.

Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.

Comments

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka's imagination is indeed running wild with that. She is an inherently curious person and seeing every corner of Horos, no matter how dangerous, would be very nice, wouldn't it? To see all those masks and veils in person... ]

It sounds like they're treating you well, then. That is good!

[ Though she has to wonder if it's by design. Is everyone in Achamoth a true believer in the Regent's cause? ]

Mmm...yes, the people here prefer their freedom over subjugation. I get the impression there hasn't been an Aion presence here in a long time.

[ Misa is certainly a friendly sort, but what she represents despite her amicable personality...that must be hard for her. ]

Does it bother you at all? The way people see you here.

[dragonmount]

[ the very first thing moiraine ever taught him in horos was that he could not under any circumstances let the enemy take him.

he'd learned that in his waking moments. he's since met people who had less violent awakenings on that same day he'd arrived, but it's always been firm in his mind. the kenoma serve the Dark. his power and destiny cannot be allowed to be theirs. if they have the upper hand they will not give him any choice in the matter. recent events haven't given him any reason to believe otherwise. nothing about meeting more of them (or the regent) has lessened his bone-deep horror at the idea of being taken to achamoth.

so it's as he promised amos, maybe a full day ago now: if he really is to be taken there, he'll fight every step of the way. he'll take every window of opportunity to get free or die trying. either is better than the alternative. he might not have canniness or experience (or sense), but he has stubbornness in spades.

there isn't much time to process the correction in name, or the way her bleeding slows, or the implications of that freezing detachment he can feel from her. how many times has he felt the connection of shared legacy? he's talked to dokja recently, been around abel enough times.

there isn't much time at all. he's taken maybe two steps by the time ciel is in front of him, much too fast, and by then his world has exploded into pain. he doesn't fall, but he does stumble until his back hits the wall, hands rising to his face. when he lashes out this time, it's blindly, a wave of fire cascading from his fingertips. ]

[inutilis]

[ --Misa...

the abrupt pressure as she folds her arms around him, all but burying herself into his chest in seek of comfort and reassurance takes him by surprise. it breaks his heart and warms it in equal measure, and Abel finds himself gently enveloping her much smaller frame in an almost protective embrace in return, softly and loosely smoothing fingers through her hair. she has been left wanting, left lonely. he can feel that ache as if it were his own.

and what she says next does little to dissuade him of the notion that something inside of her has been thoroughly broken for a long, long time. the hole that had been dug out of her in the face of her loss had been deepened into a cavernous maw, and the only thing that filled it was the purpose he sees shining in her eyes as she draws back from him--

justice; fairness. 'kindness' in a world that is bereft of the suffering she endured. how can he argue that such a place would be wonderful...? it is something he had yearned for a long... long time, yet something he believed completely out of reach. if the Regent had come to him and made him the offer the Kenoma whispered in Abel's ear back then...

he doesn't think he would have been able to deny it.

and Misa had not denied it for that very same reason, now.

Abel looks... grim. he permits her to withdraw just a bit, but his hand inevitably ends up trailing from her hair to her cheek, cradling it to ensure their eyes meet; there is a grief for her pain lingering amongst a somberness that is uncharacteristic of him. what she's said has struck a chord, and it isn't a happy one. ]

Wanting that sort of world... it isn't wrong, Misa.

[ it never was. from that day in the cavern to this one where they stand together, side-by-side as "enemies," that hasn't changed for him. ]

But what you would sacrifice in the name of achieving it... what you would lose of yourself in the process-- what it asks of you...

...You've lost enough. I don't want to see you lose anything else so precious.

[inutilis]

[ Abel's footsteps are light as he can make them as he's chivvied inside, quietly thanking his host for seeing him in - and it's only a few beats later that the priest is poking his head in through the doorway to the cozy lounge area where Syr has taken refuge. ]

--Ah! There you are...

[ the tall and lanky fellow has brought some sort of gift, it seems; there's a bag under one arm as he comes to sit in one of the armchairs opposite the couch, plunking the parcel down on the little tabletop between them. ]

I thought you might be a bit under the weather, so I brought soup~! ...You like soup, don't you, Mr. Syrlya? Please say yes, or I'm afraid I'm going to have to step back out again.

[aquaveiled]

[ Taking a nap? Well...one would assume they would be taking it more seriously but honestly Himeka understands the desire to power nap between missions, so no shame there.

Akua's proposition, however, gets her to raise one brow and then the other. ]

...An animal?

[ She give that due consideration, tilting her head this way and that as a variety of different scenarios run through her head. A dodo going wild, a Namazu being a menace, a very hairy yak shedding all over them... ]

They wouldn't be expecting that, I'd say. Though I didn't bring any fish we could fling at them...

[dragonmount]

[ well, at least amos burton thinks it's good that he's shaken after taking a life. thank the light for that.

though shaken (or fucked up) might not be the word right now. or maybe it is. he feels so much like nothing, that upswell of fear and horror and anger congealing back into numbness, distance from the situation at hand. he'll find his way back to rage sooner than the rest, but crushing resignation is an older friend. he'd had people to put on a brave face for the last time, but his current company is little better than being alone. ]

I can handle whatever I need to.

[ is more weary than defiant. the last few months of his life have been a game of leapfrog from the last unbearable circumstance to the next. either he'll hit his limit eventually or stop feeling anything at all. regardless, he finds that he isn't interested in talking about the particulars of what happened. or talking, really, at all. ]

[chronosynthesis]

[Ah. As Abel sits opposite to him Syrlya falls back against the couc. He gives the package a stick look but otherwise keeps polite focus on Abel himself.]

Soup is fine, thank you. [He doesn't move to claim it just yet.] Have they made any announcement in regards to Vaeka's canceled execution?

[aionpcs]

Vaeka's eyes widen at the conjuration and a new burst of panic sends her heart racing. If knives don't scare her, dangerous magic gets a visceral reaction. She closes her eyes as the combination of flame and metal begins to make its mark on her skin, sharp and sudden.

She hisses, instinctively trying to jerk her hand back and away from her aggressor. But forces her eyes back open.

"I don't remember...and even if I did, I'd never tell. Not to one of the Regent's lapdogs."

[lifespanned]

[ How would Light feel that she was doing all this for him? Truthfully, the thought has never occurred to her until this very moment. He'd never been pleased whenever she took the innocent lives of others for his sake, nor can she remember any single time that he's approved of her going out on her own for him. Her eyes look up and away after he says all that, as if considering something deeply for herself.

No, she settles on, eventually. It doesn't matter what Light makes of it. She'll do what she thinks is best for him, and for his sake, the way she sees it should be done alone. She doesn't need the input of anyone else. And more importantly, there's no one, and no thing in the world more important than Light. ]

Oh, well, that's too bad...

[ Misa sighs, sounding truly and wholly disappointed, though more like she didn't win a claw game prize rather than she failed to agree on the morality of trashing the lives of innocents with a prisoner of war. Her eyes return to him, and she stretches out her legs idly, not taking offense to his answer in any visible way. ]

I was kinda hoping.... well, if you came to our side, we might be friends. Since you understand Misa's heart. [ But he's made his position on the matter quite clear, and she's not really the type to go trying to claw and beg others to come to the Kenoma. If he's sure in what he's saying, then she'll no longer feel guilt or hesitation for what comes to him— because, as she's just reaffirmed to herself, even the people she can be friendly with may need to be collateral damage in her quest to save the person she loves most. ] I guess you might be coming there whether you like it or not. To be honest, I don't really know what will happen to you.

[ Would that be a comfort to him? She wonders belatedly if the other Kenoma have been threatening him with anything, trying to make his potential dragging to Achamoth more intimidating to break his morale. But Misa just didn't think ahead that far at first, and thus blurted out her ignorance unrestrained. ]

[lifespanned]

[ She gives him a look that can only read as comically suspicious, folding her arms tightly across her chest in a show of pure disapproval. ]

Hmmm........ okay, but you seriously need to watch it. You're gonna get yourself hurt out here.

[ Does she believe for a second he's just "wondering what's going on?" No, not at all. But she can act like it. She gets the sense Johnny wouldn't suspect she's up to anything either, and if playing the clueless card will do her any favors here, she'll certainly play it. ]

In fact, you're lucky you ran into me. [ Into poor, defenseless Misa. Just like him, it's in her favor to play down her own capability. ] Anyone else would've attacked you first. Just saying!

[inutilis]

[ once Syr does decide to open the package, he'll find a bowl of hearty lentil soup from one of the local restaurants along with some freshly baked bread for dipping; nothing hits the spot quite like comfort food when one is recovering, right? ]

No... right now, there's rumors flying about what has caused the delay-- but the Achamoth dignitary has been notedly absent from the whole song and dance. I think it might be a good idea if you were to lay low for a few days, keep out of sight if you can-- if not head back to Greentruth and try to recuperate there. If there's any chance someone saw you as part of Vaeka's escape, it might cause a bit of trouble for our kind hosts.

[ and he's sure the Resistance members here in Godsblood are already tense after one of their own had nearly lost her head. ]

...How are you feeling? Are you holding up alright?

[chronosynthesis]

[Hm. So they're not saying anything and hoping people's curiosity will blow over? Vaeka's disappearance must look bad on the Regent if they can't even spin a story about her escape.

Then his expression twitches into a frown.] I am aware of what an anomaly I am in this place even on a quiet day. I won't be caught anywhere I don't intend to be seen.

[vapour]

This is laughable. Each answer she gives is more and more pathetic. From his corner in the shadows he remains up against the wall, arms folded as his coat rests over his shoulders and his mask adorns his face. They don't trust me could have gone her way even if it's hard to imagine anyone willing to suffer for the sake of those who don't trust her, but then she has to say she forgets who it is that don't trust her. If Childe had his way, she'd already be dead. She's completely useless, as far as he's concerned.

Before Emet-Selch can respond (and he's sure the other would not respond kindly to being called a lapdog), he lets out a low whistle. "Can't believe that you really think not saying anything is going to make a difference, girlie! Don't you get it? You got ratted out by someone you trusted. More than just your name got back to the Regent already. That's why you're already on the chopping block."

He doesn't actually know any of that, of course, but he's an excellent liar when it matters.

Moving from his position he approaches both of them, his eyes fixed on the girl. For better or for worse he doesn't continue towards her, however, coming to put a hand on the other Kenoma's shoulder and lean in, but not before directly shooting one last comment Vaeka's way for her to think on. "—that or you're a shitty member of the resistance for getting caught so easy and are doing them a service getting yourself executed. Take your pick, I'm not fussy on the narrative~."

His voice lowers as he leans his head in to be level with the Emet-Selch's now. His voice is a murmur, above a whisper but not with interest in letting any other party hear it. "You sure you want to do this? She's not worth it— and we have no bargaining chip to dangle in front of her; not even a false hope with the Regent already decided on her execution. Even if you get something out of her, it'll be a lie, and we don't have enough time to make her regret lying about it."

Still no one likes being called a lapdog, even if Childe is well used to being called one. He'd understand if the older man wanted to retaliate.

He says a little louder for Vaeka to hear with a light shrug as he stands back up.

"I mean, I could suffocate her without even having to touch her, as an alternative. No need to be messy and leave evidence on her, right?"

He's not really interested, but he'll fuck with Vaeka's head all he likes.

[lifespanned]

[ Perhaps unsurprisingly, his reaction perks her up quite a bit. As does his request to hear about her beloved. So even someone as powerful and out of reach as Emet-Selch has someone he loves that he's fighting for, huh? She gets the sense it's someone (or several someones) who have been lost, based on his wording, and she understands that feeling of longing, wishing to see someone again just once. Their worlds allegedly being destroyed aside, the newly rekindled grieving of her parents has brought those feelings to light again - knowing that he, too, has a drive similar to her own makes him seem all that more, well, down to Earth, to her, and her very pleased expression shows it. ]

I knew you were a big softie underneath that scary teacher act. [ With a wink and a playful gotcha-esque snap and point, she leans on the table with her elbow to prop her face up. ] You'll see them again when we win. Though I wouldn't say no to hearing about them...

[ And she speaks of the certainty of the Regent's eventual win like it's nothing - just pure fact to her. ]

But if you want to know about my Light, he's my boyfriend! He's smart, cool, handsome... and super serious. They say he's the top student at his university.

[galdorleod]

You know I can't.

[ Howl's mental voice is soft, disappointed. He takes no pleasure in what they're about to do. He'd hoped, over the past several weeks, that maybe the next time he saw Dextera he could convince him to come to Achamoth. Hoped to... save him, essentially, from the fighting that would someday come. But that day is now and there is only one acceptable course of action now.

Two black taloned feet hit the ground with a whumpf as Howl's weight lands in the gravel of the alleyway. The wizard is covered from head to toe in black feathers, and his proportions are lengthened in such a way that he has a vaguely unnerving appearance — torso too long, head too small, enormous wings oversized for his thickly-coated body. He sets his empty blue eyes on his friend and has no smile to offer. His hands are at his sides, and somewhere within the jungle of feathers, his Shard is back in place. ]

I can overlook your presence if you leave now.

[wolof]

[ Her eyes tracked his motions, the way he looked like a man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, or the weight of...something, perhaps. ]

There were some...willing to listen, I think. Emet-Selch seemed...amenable? Or at least did not directly attack me last time we were here in Venera. [ It helps, of course, that Akua is not the type that would burst forth with righteous fury, either. ] There was a girl as well...Misa? She seemed... interested in exchanging ideas. She didn't attack on sight.

I think there are more, too. Although... even the Regent was willing to talk, although I suspect they were more keen on selling their vision, than exchanging ideas.

[wolof]

[ Akua's form was smaller, and far slower than How's was. A matching, smaller ink blot of night in the sky next to his much deadlier frame, she'd suspected that she would be in trouble, but she hadn't expected him to be able to fly, or at least fly that fast.

Last time she'd taken this form in battle, she'd been a shade -- dead to all but the soul forced into her foe's mantle -- but she had to be careful this time, and the aion -- man -- creature was following her fast, and she couldn't cast like this, not without a significant dip in her capability.

So she did what any self-respecting Praesi would do. She did the unexpected.

His Talon's reached for her, and Akua let the form slip from her body, that black swan seemed to grow, dark feathers turned to browned skin, her body grew, neck shortened, and she turned mid-air with a swipe of her hand to raise a small, very weak shield -- but enough to turn the blow of his Talons away. ]

Hello there, dear.

[ As if she were at a party, and not about to plummet to the ground. She appraised the man-bird with golden eyes, before she made her decision. Her fingers move, like she's about to pull something from the ground, and it's a gust of wind, hard enough to catch her aloft, and possibly make him waver in the air, before she tipped her body, and let it fall to the ground. She transformed back into a bird, if only to catch the wind, and land safely. ]

[gravings]

[ The cracking of thunder on a dry day is more than enough cause for alarm in Gray's book. To her, it dredges up memories of battle and assassination, and the unlikely pull of dark clouds to a single spot in the near distance screams of magic. After a moment of hestiation, she makes a decision and strikes out from the roof of the prison.

She flies as well as anyone could while bound to the earth, her cloak snapping as she skips across rooftops to the site of the lightning. It isn't a minute until she finds a bloody scene below: an Achamite man (dead) on the floor, Amos with a different man slung over his shoulders, all of them stroked with red. And Father Abel, who made such an impression on her months ago — though now he's stiff, taking an intentional, threat-laced step toward Amos.

Gray lands on light feet, skidding to a stop between both men. There's warning in her eyes as she straightens to face Abel, shoulders squared. Though she thinks fondly of him, she can't allow harm (or at least, more of it) to come to one of her companions right in front of her. ]

Mr. Amos... are you alright?

[ Seeing as how she doesn't have the full story here, it's up to Amos to put some color on the situation for her. In the meantime, she watches Abel with bright vigilance, prepared to respond if he continues to advance. ]

[wolof]

Well, just because I think the tactic is sound, doesn't mean I'm keen on destroying all of existence.

[ She shrugged, a casual gesture -- far too casual for talking to the "enemy", perhaps, but she clearly didn't mind the Kenoma. ]

After all, what good is in a world where there's nobody to subjugate, or control, or terrorize?

[ She thought of Kairos, in this moment, and Misa is left with the faint impression of amusement, at something far off and distant -- long gone, whether or not her world was destroyed. ]

Himeka Sui | Wanderer | Pleroma

[aquaveiled]

[ ooc; Closed prompts below! If you'd like me to set something up that we haven't plotted just give me a ping on the discord or on my plurk at doggystyle ]

[wolof]

Hm, I wasn't thinking fish...

[ She smiled, and ducked her head, slightly, almost demure. ]

You know, I found out recently... I can turn into a swan.

Imagine the surprise when he's got a bird biting at his clothing? Can you imagine?

And perhaps I'll be able to pilfer... that nice little ring of keys on his belt.

[gravings]

[ Gray's first impression of Misa was that she was "normal": social, likable, breezing through life. In many ways, those things still seem true, but now there's another ingredient to her personality creeping through. It's hard to put a name to it, but there's a hint of incongruency to her that reminds Gray of the peculiar magi of the Clock Tower. Valuing things beyond comprehension, throwing away things that most human beings cherish, living on a different wavelength and just happening to intersect with average people as a matter of chance. ]

I think that's brave of you... but, um, please don't give your life up too easily. I think everyone would be upset if you died.

[ She just feels like maybe she should say that for the record... ]

Abel, Ciel, & Emet-Selch - Day 9

[aquaveiled]

[ It hasn't been necessarily quiet in Godsblood since Vaeka's execution was successfully stayed thanks to the combined efforts of their comrades, but it does feel like they have a moment to breathe. A few calming breaths before the next inevitable gasp as the Regent made their own thoughts and feelings on the situation known. It's only a matter of time.

Though some of the other Pleroma opted to travel to Venera and see how things were faring there, Abel and Himeka opted to stay behind. Connecting with and relocating other Resistance members has been on their to-do list, as has been trying to find out just how Vaeka's own involvement was outed in the first place. No such luck thus far and then have naught to show for their efforts other than a few annoyed tavern patrons and equally confused tavern owners.

The docks are a decent ways away from the main hub of the city, giving them a little room and space from the last scene they had incidentally caused. Himeka sighs as they step down onto one of the lower docks, hopping a bit as she takes off her shoes as she walks. ]

Well, I feel like they won't be expecting to see your "two-timing mug" around here for a while.

[ A beat as she looks up at Abel a little sheepishly. ]

Do you think the accent was too much?

[baltimores]

[ His body jerks when he hears Abel calling his name, a stutter-stop before he straightens almost mechanically. He looks back over his shoulder at Abel, regarding him with something almost wild in his eyes, the whites of them on full display. The only emotion that comes to him naturally is anger, and though it feels like a lot of it has been sapped from him it's still there.

He could comply. Drop Rand right to the ground and turn on Abel, take two Pleroma back with him. Amos' mind races as it works to reboot itself properly, trying to analyze the situation: he's got time, because in all likelihood Abel won't strike first. He has felt Abel's anger firsthand, so he needs to take him seriously. And he doesn't yet know the damage to his hands — just that they hurt like hell, and he is definitely losing blood from what he can identify now as literally grabbing a sword — and they're his primary weapons.

He's probably fucked if he goes for Abel too, but he has to try. It's just as he reaches that decision — just as he's about to drop Rand's deadweight like a sack of potatoes — that Gray is suddenly there, and oh, thank fuck. He has no idea what she can do, but the fact that she got there as quick as she did bodes well.

Amos doesn't take his eyes off Abel as he answers her. ]

Not exactly. Think I hit my limit with this one. [ A slight shrug of his shoulder indicating Rand. There's an edge to his voice, tense and filled with pain. ] Think you can handle him?

[ Because he likes Abel. Or maybe liked would be the better word; he's not sure now, because there's only one reason Abel would be around here, and it's a reason that puts them directly at odds.

He's gotta be dealt with, and as much as Amos doesn't like it, it might have to fall to Gray. ]

[baltimores]

[ He recognizes that look. Has lived with it most of his life. Made him perfectly adaptable to taking the lives of others with no real damage to his own psyche, because what was even left over to damage.

Shit, Rand would be so much better with him. ]

Sure you can. That's how I got the drop on you.

[ The sarcasm isn't so much malicious as pointing out a neutral fact. He'd seen Rand in a state of vulnerability and took advantage of it. And he'd do it again, and would expect anyone on his side to do the same.

He should go; he isn't sure if he can pull himself back up just yet, so all he's got under the exhaustion is kindness, the only way he knows how. ]

Look, I know you don't want to hear it, but you'll be better off when we get back to Achamoth. They'll [ the Regent ] probably help you [ finally give you the Kenoma ]. And then you'll be [ on my side ] prepared. It'll be for the best. You'll see.