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

[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!

[comelately]

[ they will both continue to fake it until the situation demands otherwise, it seems... ]

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'd make 'em regret it.

[ he doesn't really want to let anyone see his Stand before he needs to use it, but if someone came out swinging, he wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in them. Or fingernail, as the case may be. Johnny shakes his head, dismissing the topic, and fixes Misa with a somewhat conspiratorial stare. ]

Misa, you wanna tell me what the hell's going on over there with you Kenoma? First there was that creepy meeting, and now you wanna execute people in the street...

[lifespanned]

[ Oh, so is Johnny kinda tough? is what she finds herself thinking. She got the sense he was just a normal person, but that makes her question him...

Luckily, she doesn't have much time to dwell on what sort of superpowers he might be hiding, because he goes ahead and asks her a very loaded question about the Kenoma. Good as it is to act stupid and clueless, she does need to be very careful about what she says here - or at least try to be very careful. Especially since he just said he'd make any of the Kenoma regret it if they became a threat to him.... and she's not dumb enough to think she can face off against Johnny by herself, useful as her powers have become over the last few weeks. ]

What do you mean, "what's going on?" Do you mean what the Kenoma think about it?

[ Her question is innocent and earnest sounding, wondering if he's simply expressing a disbelief that the Kenoma would go along with the Regent's orders. In which case, she could enlighten him... or rather, she probably would've dumbly and very bluntly enlightened him already, if he hadn't just insinuated he would attack hostile enemies. Whew, that was a close one. ]

[comelately]

[ to be fair, his threat was a purely defensive one; unless Misa pulls out a sword and starts going after him, he has no intentions of fighting her or any of the Kenoma, especially not right now. He'll cross that bridge when he gets there. Mentioning that he was even capable of defending himself may have been a bit cavalier, but Johnny's pride got the better of him, as it often does -- he hates it when people see him as helpless, and having a cute girl think of him that way is worse still.

Not that he's thinking about it much. As things stand, he doesn't see her as a threat. Not a physical one, anyway. Her non-answer is a little troubling... ]

There's no way you all really think this is a good idea.

[ He hopes. ]

[lifespanned]

[ Her brows knit, folding her hands against her chest. Not out of nervousness— it's really more her trying to get her arms in front of her body in a way that looks natural. In the case he reacts negatively to what she's about to say. At the very least, when she speaks, it's genuinely— she doesn't hold back out of fear of being judged by him, even if she remains cautious about how to get away if an altercation breaks out. ]

Why not? Less people will make themselves into targets this way... if everything goes through.

[ If Vaeka is killed, if the people in Venera are punished, Misa is sure that the people in Horos will take that as a big don't step out of line sign. It'll make the Regent target them less. The most efficient way to turn the tide and to keep the path clear of obstacles is to make those that don't support you keep their heads down in fear— it's not the prettiest way to go about things, but it is the way that she's tried before.

Is it really so unbelievable that some of the Kenoma would come to that conclusion? Vaeka was a member of the resistance. The Pleroma are their enemies. Ditzy and fun as she likes to act, she always keeps that fact at the forefront of her mind. ]

I don't think it's that strange that some of us think it's a useful strategy. Since it's about more than Godsblood.... it's about all of Horos.

[comelately]

[ he supposes this was inevitable. Johnny still doesn't feel strongly about this conflict - it's not his war - but he thinks killing a woman in public to send a message is pretty objectionable, and Misa evidently doesn't. Her tone isn't one of placation, nor of someone who's been convinced that this is the only option: it's matter-of-fact. Like this is a good idea. ]

Are you serious...? She's gonna die. I'm not a politician, but no way that's a good way to keep the peace...

[ but he doesn't want to discuss what's right or wrong, really. Wouldn't it be hypocritical of him to protest too much when he's killed several people standing in his way, too? He could say it was in self-defense, but he's sure the Regent could, too. Johnny's brow furrows, expression a bit deflated. ]

... You should at least get out of the city. You shouldn't see someone dying. [ local man still has no clue ] Plus, it's probably going to get dangerous around here.

[lifespanned]

[ Truthfully, she can appreciate Johnny's concern for her even when she blatantly just agreed with something he clearly isn't on board with, and it does encourage her to believe that perhaps things won't turn sour with him right away. And she has more to say about Vaeka, too, but it's preferable for her in the long run if Johnny wants to drop the subject and not argue about it - so she lets him move on. ]

You're sweet, Johnny, but...

[ Her voice softens, wavers, looking at him intently. What can she say to him? I've seen people die before? Or that she simply wasn't worried about the danger, because this was a cause she was willing to die for? Neither seem like things that seem helpful in conveying how she actually feels in the moment— just because she's seen people die before, that she isn't afraid of the danger, doesn't mean she's particularly well suited to the situation they've found themselves in. Even still: ]

I'm not leaving. This is too important to me... and I want to help the other Kenoma, whatever way I can. You feel the same about the Pleroma, don't you?

[ She asks, innocently, though her brow remains furrowed, still uncertain as to how this is going to play out. ]

[comelately]

[ at that, he looks more dubious - not because of Misa's apparent dedication to the cause, as he can imagine plenty of reasons one might want to change their world, but because of the question she asked him. ]

Not really.

[ cold, but true. Two months have passed, and he feels the same: this isn't his fight. These aren't his people. He's not heartless - he doesn't want to see them hurt, he doesn't want to see people executed - but he's not staking his life on this cause. He joined the Pleroma because he wanted to save Gyro. As time passes, the likelihood of that happening - of that even being possible - seems to diminish.

But being a Kenoma would be killing him outright. Wouldn't it? ]

I don't think that girl should die... and if you guys win, then I lose the only things that matter to me. Fighting's the only option.

[lifespanned]

Oh, yeah?

[ "The only things that matter to him?" Things (or people) from his home planet, she must assume, though as their last conversation in Venera had touched upon, it's very unclear whether or not everything is still there, and Misa's higher attunement with the Kenoma leads her to believe it isn't. At the Regent's address, they'd also only tried to hammer home that they destroyed everything that had been there before. ]

The only thing that mattered to me was someone from my Earth. If you win, then I feel like I'm losing him. I believe this is my only way to get him back. If that's the kind of thing you're fighting for, trying to save someone or something from your world... I don't know if the Pleroma is the way to get it.

[ And that's her honest opinion, an opinion which she has shared with multiple Pleroma at this point. She really only says it on whim based on his lack of an indication that he's close with the Pleroma— maybe that's because he doesn't agree so much with their ideals, or isn't "alike" to them? Maybe they're similar somehow, and for a brief moment, they can understand each other. She doesn't know. But she does know she can't best him in a fight (probably?), since he believes that's the only option - so her only option is to say what has caused a reaction in that side in the past. ]

[comelately]

[ Johnny had a feeling this type of reply was incoming, and he has nothing to counter it with - not facts, and not his own beliefs, either. ]

... I don't know, either, Misa.

[ he shakes his head, somber. ]

We want the same thing, but neither side can give us a straight answer on how to get it. Maybe we're all just getting played for fools.

[ it feels that way to him, most days; the Pleroma, at least, don't have an obvious figure benefiting from his subservience, nor obvious victims of their ambitions, and that's why he stays. On the other hand, the Pleroma doesn't seem to have any way to change things, either. If they succeed, kill the Regent, whatever, then what's actually going to happen? What will change for them? There's nobody from this world he's met other than the Regent who has the power to shape their lives. ]

[lifespanned]

[ At that, she shrugs. ]

I guess? But I feel like if we're not, then I'd rather be on this side in the end... since I have no clue what the Pleroma can even do to change things.

[ Because if they aren't being played for fools, then the world really is gone, and the only way to restore even some parts of it would be to be with the Kenoma. Still, she does acknowledge that they only have the Regent's word. Frankly, she doesn't see a need to question them, or perhaps, allowing herself to question them too much would be too dangerous of a road to start down on. ]

Anyways, you're really here to get Vaeka out, aren't you? I'm not that stupid, dummy. [ There's no way he isn't... she'd have to be a fool to think otherwise. ] I'll give you a hint and tell you it'd be really dumb to linger around here for much longer.

[ As for the reason why, she leaves that vague - though her tone seems more grave than she typically allows. It's mostly her trying to be serious in telling him the level of danger out here, out of, you know, not wanting to see him mauled to death by the powerful Howl, at least not until he actually causes a problem for them all. The other small part is... something of a threat, a subtle way to communicate to the other side that there really are some formidable people in the prison. She doesn't doubt the Pleroma have their own trump cards, but she's sure intel on who is inside the prison is rather scarce for their side, so it's in her favor to speak of her allies with confidence.

Sure, they're supposed to be capturing as many of the Pleroma as they can, but it'd be plain stupid to start an altercation with Johnny here on the outskirts of the building while she's alone, so she might as well try to scare him off. ]

[comelately]

[ he certainly looks troubled at her words, which is a likely indication that she's hit the mark. His thoughts are much the same as hers - the only difference is that he doesn't trust the Regent, and meeting them only worsened his opinion. Still, she's right. Johnny knows what he's fighting against, but what he's actually fighting for remains frustratingly vague.

For the first time in a while, the question of whether or not he made the right decision floats in his mind. But it's too late to start doubting himself, isn't it? ]

... I know you're not. You can't think that I'm stupid enough to try anything by myself. I wasn't gonna stick around.

[ he kind of wants to talk to her more - this isn't satisfying, this not knowing, and the two of them have enough in common that it feels like they should be able to reach some kind of understanding, especially since their goals are, apparently, similar. Once again, this stupid alien war is just getting in the way. That said, he doesn't need Misa to tell him that hanging around outside a key enemy outpost is dangerous. With a sigh, he sits his hands on the outer rims of his chair's wheels, rolling back a little. ]

You be careful. [ a beat. ] ... If I find out anything useful about this mess we're in, I'll tell you.

[ even if they're on opposite sides - he doesn't care that much. They both just have people they want to save, right? That's what matters. ]