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

open to PLEROMA, days 1-5

[lifespanned]

[ Coming upon the building the Kenoma are shacked up in, one thing will be obvious; at least two of them are almost constantly keeping watch. The most frequent of lookouts are Misa and Howl; the latter in a monstrous bird form and intermittently flying about the area, and the former on his back, looking in all directions. However, even when it seems the pair are not together, it's not a guarantee that Misa's eyes are not watching. In fact, any Pleromas who come within a certain (very wide) radius of the jail, even when such a visible search is not being conducted, may eventually feel a prodding at their shard... a communion request. Should they decide to pick up, Misa's voice will come out clear over the line: ]

Hey, I can see you there.

[ She'll then go on to give a brief description of the Pleroma in question's surroundings, and the clothes they're wearing— something along the lines of with the white shirt, inbetween those two buildings with the round windows. Perhaps the character is just scouting out the situation, or perhaps they're moving supplies, setting up something, it could be anything. If she knows the character's name, she'll go as far as to refer to them as that.

It may occur to some that it's not natural to be spotted from this distance away from the building— though Misa speaks as if it's the easiest thing in the world. As for where she is, in the very, very far distance, she's hidden behind some roofing, only the very top of her head peeking out. ]

Run along, and I won't tell anybody, okay?

[ On the earlier days, she'll leave things there with a warning, though will stay on the line in case the Pleroma has anything to say. On later days, she's incredibly likely to skip the warning before beginning her attack. Any incoming Pleromas on those days will first feel a stiffening of the tips of their fingers— upon inspection, their hand will be turning to stone.

It's not as if she's static, though— Pleromas may also be able to catch her clearly from her perch at specific moments - when she switches hiding spots on the roof, or when she hops off from Howl's back after a patrol. Occasionally, she's alone up there, and is forced to pace the perimeter of the roof by herself to keep a wide eye on things. Though these moments are far and few between, openings do exist. ]

Early Days, before he is a bad dog

[goldendeceiver]

[ While Ernesto is usually careful to only remove his shard when he's somewhere private and can't be seen, and certainly isn't wont to do it in front of people who have taken swings at his allies in the past, these are unusual circumstances. The funny thing is that in order to take the "call", he does duck behind a building out of sight, not to avoid being seen by Misa, but to avoid being seen by any Godsblood native who might be just close enough to spot a man digging a rock out of his back.

It's an unintentional thing, but it does come with the bonus of his shard's location staying hidden...

From Misa specifically. A couple of other Kenoma already know where it is.

Either way, he'll stay quiet for a few seconds after Misa makes it clear just how thoroughly she clocked him from where he was scoping the situation out, though the vibe she'll get from shard feedback is more curious and surprised than anything. ]

You've got sharper eyes than I realized, Miss Misa.

[lifespanned]

There's a lot of things you don't know about Misa, Ernesto.

[ She sing songs, nearly teasing. With him out of her sight, she returns to scanning her eyes around the perimeter, vigilant about looking for threats. Everyone's counting on her, of course. Though if there's anything she believes she can do, it's talk on the phone at the same time as doing other things. Just like old times. From where she's laying hidden, she kicks her feet back and forth, holding her shard tight within the clasp of her hand. ]

Here because of the Regent, are you?

[ That's the obvious answer. Everyone in Godsblood is aware of the Kenoma's presence at this point, and she really doubts he's here just to have a look, after everything she heard at the peace talks, and finding out that he'd attuned more with the Pleroma. Still, he's staying on the line and not immediately closing the connection (not that it'd have that big of an effect, since they're still from the same Legacy), so she figures he must be curious about something. And she's nothing if not chatty. ]

[goldendeceiver]

Oh? Care to enlighten me about some of them?

[ His tone is light and teasing, but he doubts that Misa is going to actually give up vital information about herself. She's bubbly and friendly enough, but he's been pretty quickly getting the sense there is more to her than meets the eye.

Sure would be nice to have a full list of powers they're working against though, wouldn't it?

As for the question, his responding laugh is amused, like the two of them are just having a fun little conversation instead of standing on opposite sides while someone's life hangs in the balance. ]

I guess you could say that. They really rolled out the welcome carpet for my team, didn't they? It'd feel kind of rude to not at least stop by and say hi.

[ Ernesto was pretty directly invited to prove that the Pleroma weren't powerless here, though hiding behind a building and having a conversation from a distance while making little progress on his rescue attempt? He's not feeling particularly powerful right now. ]

Nice of them to send such welcoming company though. What made you decide to come to this fine city in particular?

[ Godsblood wasn't the only city on the Regent's chopping block, after all. ]

[lifespanned]

It was more of an assignment, really.

[ The Regent picking and choosing which Aions to go where, probably with some chess-like machinations in mind. She doesn't question it much, and truth be told, she thinks the Kenoma Aions picked to be here are some of the most loyal and strong— fit to be sent to a mission that was nearly guaranteed to turn to outright fighting. ]

But I would've chosen to come here, anyway. I support what the Regent said, you know? It's my chance to help them.

[ There is truly no reason in letting her alignment with the Regent stay vague anymore, given the Regent's address, and how she knows for herself that Ernesto has attuned higher with the Pleroma. He'll find out about her own attunement soon enough, if he didn't already catch a peek at the peace talks. She's not ashamed of it, and granted, there's no use in playing stupid at a point like this in their operation... doing so would actually only do harm to her credibility down the line, if she flip flops around too much. Better to stay steady. ]

That's why I can't let you come any closer, okay? I don't want you to get hurt by anybody here.

[ She says, genuinely, as if she's just looking out for him by keeping him away. That's the way she sees it, anyway— if the Pleroma just keep their heads down, they can probably avoid the Regent's might, an opinion of hers that has only grown stronger after watching them so easily wipe the floor with a few of the outraged Pleroma. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ While Ernesto has always been pretty good about keeping his tones and expressions friendly or neutral as needed, one of the biggest stumbling blocks he's found in this world has been the way long distance communication works. You can fake a chipper tone over the phone, and admittedly you can fake one over the shards as well.

But that welling feeling of disgust at the mention of supporting the Regent? Well, that's a little harder to help.

Sorry, Misa. He'll at least politely not comment about that loud and clear emotional feedback she just got, and he'll do a good job of whisking away that feeling as he breezily moves on in the conversation. ]

I'll be honest, I don't really want to get into any fights with you either.

[ At least there's nothing suggesting he's lying. ]

But there is someone that might still get hurt in all of this even if none of us duke it out.

[ Which is all to say, her words sound disingenuous to him. ]

[lifespanned]

[ Perhaps because of their shared Legacy, she feels that shock of disgust more potently than she might've with communion with anyone else. To bury the emotion so quickly, she can recognize it's something he'd rather not show so openly to her. Oh, so that's how he really feels...?

She's always gotten the sense that Ernesto takes this all quite seriously, despite his affable surface personality. The peace talks had only confirmed that, when paired with his tight lips and evasive attitude, visible since the Lover's shrine. Misa lets a contemplative silence fill the air, kicking her feet back and forth from where she's laying. ]

To change the world, there must be sacrifices, right?

[ It's that simple to her - a very black and white view of the matter at hand. To kill an important member of the resistance is the lesser of two evils - the alternative would be, what... that the Regent cracks down on all of Godsblood? On all of Venera? To her, those in Venera being targeted, and even Vaeka herself don't register as "innocents," which drains any of the lasting (very small) reservations she might've had.

To get to the end goal of changing the world, there would always be people who needed to be killed to get taken out of the way— that's something she accepted long before she ever set foot on the soils of Horos. ]

This way, the least amount of people will get hurt. I believe that. It'd be nice if there were an easier way, but...

[ If Vaeka is executed.... yes, she's certain it'll be for the better. Not just for the Kenoma, but for everyone in the continent. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ It is, and maybe it would have been smarter to play the long game, but it took Ernesto years to really master the art of deception and lies; learning to stomp down on his very emotions is a new challenge he still hasn't fully grasped.

But maybe, just maybe... being more honest here isn't necessarily a bad thing. He doesn't think he's going to win Misa over to his point of view, especially when she's already admitted to supporting the Regent on this one, but trying to connect with her over this isn't going to hurt his cause, right?

He'll be slashing any connection to ribbons later on, but he's no seer, and isn't aware of that fact yet. ]

You know? I used to think that way too.

[ Well, not exactly the same way Misa sees things. Ernesto has always seen things in shades of gray, rather than staunch black and white, but the need for sacrifices to achieve something greater? Sure. It's just that he didn't ever have that strong conviction that it was the morally just thing the way that Misa does. ]

But I don't think that's actually true at this point. It's the quicker and more brutal way for sure, but it's definitely not the only option you can pick.

[lifespanned]

[ "Used to?" That piques her curiosity, a strong note of interest running like a shock through their connection. She can't help but be more and more questioning about Ernesto's efforts in his home world, ever since learning about his situation. She's sure he has the same questions about her— after all, why would a relatively normal teenage idol be so at ease with all this? It's far more difficult to rationalize it to people who aren't familiar with the political state of her world... ]

Oh? Then what do you suggest? Since you're so sure.

[ She's careful to keep a challenge out of her voice— leaving only a genuine sense of wonder. She really wants to know. Not that she thinks it'll sway her opinion, honestly, but it'd be nice to hear from a Pleroma themself what the ideal solution would be, if not this. ]

Later Days, as discussed.

[superbshot]

[Ernesto had warned her just how dangerous Misa could be, and it was quite evident that Howl was also a problem even without a warning, so she'd done her best to prepare with her friends. Anxiety over getting this right boiled inside her, the pressure of being the signal to begin the attack weighing heavily on her shoulders, but this was necessary. The Regent had been quite right...she would do what she would do...and that meant being the trigger-woman.

From her perch well away from the prison building, a position Ernesto had mapped out for her, she settled back to wait for the moment. She had no idea what the range was on her target's talent, so she'd made certain to stay as far back as possible, near the absolute limit of her own rifle's range. Any further and she'd have to take into account the wind, so this would have to do.

She wouldn't miss, she was certain of that, that doubtful notion swallowed. Her doubts were mostly on where to aim. Should she try and kill the girl, or should she disable her? Tactics dictated a killshot, but Misa was clearly young, a teenager by the description...and that clinched it for Caitlyn. For now, disabling. The priority was on keeping her busy and sowing confusion among the enemy. With a nod to Akua, Caitlyn inhaled, the barrel tracking the pacing girl to the perimeter of the roof...

A crack sounded, the shot ripping through the air, aimed right at Misa's left thigh. Not waiting for a response from her target, Cait was already moving, chambering a second round and slipping towards another spot of cover.]

[lifespanned]

[ After days of relative silence, aside from the now-and-then scuffle, it's the sound the startles her more at first.

But before she can even process what's happening, she's on the ground, inhaling a deep and loud gasp - instinctively, her hands go to clutch at her leg, eyes going wide, nails digging deep into her own skin. Only belatedly does she feel the ripping, piercing, searing pain there, made more severe by the hot pulses of blood pouring from the wound. All things considered, it's as the enemy side has surmised— she's young, a teenager, a mostly normal person by all accounts. She's not used to the battlefield, much less any injuries much worse than a bruise one might get from tripping on the curb or standing up near a coffee table too quickly. Almost instantly, she's forcibly shoved far out of her element.

Perhaps that's why the sharp, guttural cry of pain from her is so loud, so pronounced, as she lays low on the roof - only managing to cast her sight in the direction the shot had come from several seconds after. The short debate she has with Howl about what to do is rushed, and he takes off, selflessly, before she can think up a better plan.

Her first thought is to get off the roof - to get to lower ground where there may be more places and angles to hide in, with the outlay of buildings around them. It's getting there that's a problem, one she truly feels the weight of as she tries to drag herself to the fire escape that leads down the side of the building, all the while assuming that each second is her last before she's hit with something else. In the end, she more limps and clangs down each flight than climbs down, hissing all the while, and no doubt making the bleeding in her leg more severe. But if there's one thing she has over her companions, it's a complete and utter willingness to take this mission to death. She'll push herself as far as she has to, through tears and sweat and blood all the same.

When she finally makes it down to ground level, she nestles herself first behind the corner of the jail itself, more out of necessity than any strategic need— she simply can't bear the strain to move anymore for a moment. But she takes this time to flick her eyes to where Howl has flown off, and then, to the general direction of where the shot had come from. It'd all happened so fast, she hadn't gotten a good look of the exact location. Even if she'd seen a glimpse of movement, she has no way of knowing from exactly where. Impulsively, and with no other way to detect where her enemy is, she shouts, into the silence from her makeshift barricade, her voice highly strained and shrill from the pain: ]

What the hell was that for?! I didn't do anything to you!!

[superbshot]

[Caitlyn wasn't exactly proud of the shot, of hearing that scream of pain, but she had expected it. Misa wasn't the first person she had shot, and she wasn't going to be the last, just out of sheer necessity. From her new spot, crouched low to peer out over the gap between them, she watched the girl drag herself down the fire escape, but doesn't take a second shot. There wasn't a clear way to manage it with the degree of precision she'd prefer, and killing someone with an accidental ricochet off metal and stone wasn't on her agenda for the day.

Eyes narrowed, Caitlyn shifts her position slightly, making certain that she can get a sense of where her opponent had set up once she reached the ground. Howl's flight and Akua's attack barely registered, her focus was on Misa, an all consuming need to be aware of her target's position and keep well out of sight.

The shrill little cry of protest was an obvious ploy to someone as cynical as a police detective. She was trying to bait out a response and give those dangerous eyes a target, or so Caitlyn was forced to assume. She set her jaw grimly, letting the rifle barrel rest against the barrels she was crouched behind, and reached for her shard. That deserved a response, but she wasn't stupid. Giving away her position would mean opening herself up to attack, and she was willing to bet that the Pleroma who'd undoubtedly come to carry her away wouldn't merely be satisfied with simple injuries.

So Misa will feel the telltale buzzing of a communion, and if she's willing to accept it she'll hear an unfamiliar voice with a posh, almost British accent. It's all voice, no image, and there is a calm but firm edge to the voice.]

Trying to get me to give away my position won't work. I've been made aware just how dangerous you are. If you really need to ask why I shot you, then you shouldn't be here, girl.

[lifespanned]

'Girl?!'

[ Is this really what she should be fixating on, at this moment? Probably not, but she can't help but feel (perhaps immaturely) offended at being talked to in such a way, her outburst coming out through the connection before she can stop it. Her bloody hand goes tighter around her shard, and honestly, the sheer feeling of frustration helps in distracting her from the pain still tearing through her left leg. In contrast to Caitlyn's calm, Misa's hot irritation bleeds through nice and clear over their mental connection, and most prominently, in her tight voice.

If she can set the pain aside, she can think about this rationally. Or, as rationally as she can manage. What the girl says isn't lost on her— that she knows about the nature of Misa's ability, and of course isn't going to fall for any silly tricks, like the good-old-fashioned waterworks. Better to know all this at the beginning, annoying as this communion call is. Rash as her question had been, it's as Caitlyn says— they both know why the other is here, and why each is attacking.

This must all be part of some larger plan - designed to get herself and Howl out of the way, she realizes. For a brief moment, she wonders if she shouldn't have just retreated back into the building, in attempt to help fend off the Pleromas who are very likely storming the castle at this very moment. But... she has to trust that those inside are strong enough to handle this on their own. She'd likely only get in their way. She needs to focus on helping Howl.... ]

Fine then, I'll find you myself. If you thought I'd give up after one dirty trick, you've got another thing coming, lady!

[ Shortly before the message even finishes coming over communion, there'll be a real sound of glass shattering— which comes from Misa throwing a heavy stone into a low, squared window of an adjacent building to the prison, which sits a short diagonal distance away from the corner she's currently hiding behind. As the prison sits in the dead center of the downtown Godsblood, there are plenty of buildings to slip into and between, which she's sure her enemy is using as an advantage, herself. With all the adrenaline and blind courage Misa can muster, she makes a bolt for the cover of that second building, keeping her hands over her head and trying to keep her figure as small as possible as she makes for the opening in the window. ]

[superbshot]

[Caitlyn could almost laugh. Almost, if the situation weren't so very intense. This girl is extremely childish, and it shows in her approach to all this. Complaining less about being shot and more about being called a girl? Was it some sort of game to her? Of course, that led to darker thoughts, the brief amusement vanishing in the face of a slew of facts learned that helped her understand her foe. She was young, she was insecure, she was hotblooded, and she was used to fighting dirty...but not used to really fighting at all. She likely had something to prove to her fellows, too, but that thought was mere speculation that Caitlyn filed away.

Other questions sprang to mind, too. Did Vaeka's life amount to anything to Misa at all, or was she just an opportunity for furthering some other goal? Did she really understand that she was in mortal danger? Was she committed to the cause that far? All of those and more swirled through Caitlyn's mental calculations, as was her nature as a detective.

Her attention darted towards the sound of shattering glass and the footfalls of Misa's feet. There's no clear shot, so she doesn't attempt it, the raised walkway around the building she's currently on mostly obscuring the girl as she makes her dash and heads for cover.

Noting the location, Caitlyn keeps low, sliding further down to try and get a better angle while Misa ducks inside. Firing wildly into the building was a poor idea, and it could cost her quite a bit, giving her away or even causing the collateral damage she was trying to avoid. No, for now she was content to wait for the younger woman to try something.]

You're more than welcome to try. You'll find I'm rather elusive, and I'm a cop. I've seen many, many dirty tricks. You wouldn't be the first to try one.

If you walk away, I'll let you go without another shot. I would rather not take lethal action, if I can avoid it.

[lifespanned]

[ And that, she supposes, is what sets them apart. Had she been in her shoes, she wouldn't have ever offered the enemy such a mercy. It makes sense— she's police, after all. After the rashness of her first outburst, Misa (barely) manages to bite her tongue this time, restraining herself from not only rising to the challenge, but also from saying something like yeah, well, I work with cops too! So what!

After she struggles to get within the building - a two story school house - she makes quick work of ransacking the place for a few items she has in mind. Cloth, and string, primarily. It'll be a big gamble, trying to challenge someone with such precision and such a powerful ranged weapon, but she finds she has little choice, and thus focuses on formulating a plan to deduce the other's location. Moving into a second building has moved her range of sight forward by some distance, so Misa is betting everything on being able to launch a counter-attack - and she's nothing if not reckless and willing to endure some pain for the sake of a mission. Slowly, very slowly, she drags herself up the short flight of stairs and to the opposite end of the building, where the majority of the windows are. In the midst of doing so: ]

If you're a cop, shouldn't you want to make the world a better place? That's the reason I'm in the Kenoma, you know. A lot of us are here because of that. That's not something I can walk away from.

[ And just as her message finishes, she purposefully lets the back of her shoulder come into sight at the very bottom of one of the windows she's hiding herself between, resting her back against the interior wall of the school. To an outside perspective, it may seem as though she simply doesn't notice a part of herself is visible - she is rather inexperienced at this kind of thing, after all. But in the moment, it's intentional - a potential sacrifice for the sake of a clue, one she's willing to give up if a chance comes out of it. ]

[superbshot]

[Caitlyn watches the building, shifting slightly back and forth, trying to decide if she should move for a better angle or not. Ultimately she decides, for the moment, to remain. Her goal is to occupy Misa, and for the moment she seems like she's in a safe enough spot that she doesn't need to risk being seen.

The question intrigues her far more than the exposed shoulder, though, unfortunately for Misa's plan. Or possibly fortunately, depending on how she feels about getting shot.]

I swore an oath to protect and serve. If I'm helping to hurt people like the Regent did in that cave, or to destroy the cosmos, I'm breaking my oath. That means something to me, girl. I respect the conviction the Kenoma have, but I cannot accept the method, nor the endgoal.

[All true, of course. She does respect some of the Kenoma. Ciel, Barnaby, even this girl to some extent.]

You truly believe, then?

[lifespanned]

[ In a way, she's glad the shot doesn't come immediately— it gives her some time to calm her nerves. And, more importantly, to dress her existing wound, with the supplies she's collected (only belatedly does she realize that she should've done this first, before making herself a target a second time.) She does the best (messy) job she can while managing her shard in her hand, though Caitlyn may sense that she is distracted before she responds again. ]

Of course I do. The world is corrupt... but I want it to be just and kind. In the world I come from, people get away with all kinds of terrible things. I've seen it for myself... someone has to do something about it. It can be remade into something kinder.

[ Even at the cost of the lives of others, even if it takes great sacrifice. She could bear that burden, and bear the weight of blood on her hands. Yes, destroying the universe was a stepping stone to get there. But her eyes remain firmly fixed on the ends, not the means. With a wince, she tightens the last knot around her leg, hands becoming sticky with drying blood. Her tone comes off stubborn when it goes through their connection once more, her head turning just to the right to peer out the window with her peripheral. ]

So maybe it's fine to you, but I don't want to go back to the way things were.

day 1

[wolof]

[ Akua's hesitant, at first, but she pulls her shard free from beneath the panel in her dress -- something she'd made custom today, and held it in her hand.

She's clearly been watching, and Akua does not hide. She hadn't even made the effort. ]

You're sweet.

[ She replied, her tone not mocking, but the sound of someone who isn't taking it too seriously. ]

So, [ she said, her shard still in hand, when she sat on the edge of a building, and looked down at the Kenoma compound. Catherine would be proud of her, for the casual way she sat. Too bad she didn't have a dragonbone pipe in hand, to complete the picture, ] They must hold you in high regard, to have you watching this without a partner.

[lifespanned]

Oh, you really think so? That'd be awesome if it were true.

[ But one gets the sense she doesn't actually know how much her allies value her as an asset. Sure, they're letting her out here, but that is probably due to her own insistence in her talents as it is their doubt that she would be useful in fighting inside. Either way, it doesn't bother her. So long as she's being of some use, she's happy. ]

You must be pretty tough yourself, sitting like that over there. Hee hee.

[ She offers, teasingly, still watching the woman. Honestly, she's a little charmed by her decision to keep sitting there. ]

[wolof]

[ Akua hid her laugh with a hand, and crossed her legs. ]

If there's one thing we Villains know, it's how to take a beating, and how to have a presence in the face of danger.

[ Did she sound proud, when she used that word?

She did. Akua was proud of the Role she played, and of being one of Below's finest. ]

Besides, you're not going to lash out just because someone's enjoying a little sun, are you?

[lifespanned]

[ Misa smiles to herself, sinking a little bit more below her cover, so that she may rest her cheek on some of the shingles that make up the roof. Funny, she sort of likes this lady's attitude, though she has to wonder if this is meant as some kind of distraction - her eyes scan about the perimeter once more, checking on Howl who seems to be doing just fine, as well. ]

Well, when you put it that way, I guess not.

[ She responds in good cheer. It's better for her that way, too - not lashing out just yet. The more days she can go without using her ability, the better for their strategy. ]

I guess I thought... well, I thought people on your side would be charging up to us right away. After everything with the Regent, you know. But you seem so relaxed, I'm a bit surprised.

[wolof]

Mm, some of them are a touch...foolhardy, aren't they?

[ She asked, her golden eyes scanned the building, looking for the girl whose voice she could hear, but she didn't spot her. No matter. Akua's fingers moved, and she cast a small shield. Just in case.

She was confident, but she was not a mad Dread Emperor, so confident that she didn't watch her back. ]

No, when I come, you will know. Beyond simply talking, I mean. [ It's said with all of the confidence of Praes. Akua was high born, why would she not be confident. ] I don't begrudge what the Regent does, you know. It's clever, taking out the head of the resistance. If it were me, I'd have done the same.

[lifespanned]

Oh, you don't?

[ Faint curiosity comes over clear in their connection, evident more so in the slightly ditzy way she says it. She can't help herself— she really hadn't expected a Pleroma to say such a thing.

She'd like it if she could say, wow, you're pretty smart! Great minds think alike, though Misa holds back, thinking it's probably a bad idea to reveal to the enemy how eager she would have been to put the very same plan into motion - how she had put similar plans into motion in the past. Still, her respect for the other grows. ]

How come you're on that side, then? If you're not totally against them...?

[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. ]

[lifespanned]

[ They're pretty surprising words to hear from a Pleroma— and Misa's mind wanders back to her very brief self-description of "Villain." Is it just destroying the world that keeps her from the Kenoma, then? Not so much the political subjugation? It's a curious thought, as is the other woman's amusement. Curious enough that her head pops up a little further into view to get a better look at her. ]

I guess they don't really want to do all that? [ ...Maybe? She's never gotten the impression that the Regent is looking to terrorize others - rather than they have to do it out of necessity. And they seem to make an effort to only go after those who are deserving. ] Or, only temporarily, until our goals are met...

[ She wonders aloud through their connection, truly having no sure understanding of why the Regent goes about things the way they do— she assumes it's all far above her head, anyway. ]

Are you trying to say you'd rather rule the world as is?