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

[vapour]

... Yeah, kinda when it's Eastern all by itself. If I give you jools will you go get something to properly balance your breakfast once you're done hanging around here?

[ Childe's assuming he's snooping around in some manner and therefore won't accept if he offers to take Johnny to get a more complete breakfast. There's just something about people not having enough food that really bothers him, and it doesn't matter who they are (well unless he really despises someone, but that's not the case here.) ]

eastern bread

[comelately]

[ ok, that makes Johnny stare at him like he's grown another head. ]

You're seriously giving me money just because you don't like my bread? [ or maybe he looks that pathetic to this guy...? Bitterly, Johnny thinks that could be a real possibility, considering how he must appear right now - a vagrant in patchy clothes, eating bread in a wheelchair... ] I don't need handouts.

[ pride drives him to say that, but airy pockets drive him to continue. ]

What's your angle?

LMAO SHIT omg

[vapour]

A "handout," huh? [ Childe hasn't heard that word in a long time, but honestly this is also for his own benefit as much as the other guy's. ]

My angle is if you're not eating a balanced meal, you can't be in top shape for a battle. And since we're on different sides, battle will happen one day. I definitely want to fight you only when you're at your best. [ ...actually, it's mostly just when you come from fantasy!Russia two things tend to bother you: seeing someone slowly freeze to death and lacking nutrients to deal with the frigid cold. Still, that while fighting thing is a great bonus to going to. ]

I mean, I give Ryu money every time I see him... granted I don't know if he just loses it or something.

[ okay, maybe a different subject and he can circle back to this towards the end. He can understand someone thinking it's a handout, although he's admittedly so used to being used by Certain People as a human wallet, so it wasn't something that crossed his mind by default. ]

Well, anyway. I won't badger you over it... But, in exchange, I will badger you over what skills you have that I assume you're using to check this place out. There's no way you picked this spot to just eat some bread this morning and hang around.

[comelately]

[ as Childe goes on and on, Johnny's expression only becomes more pinched and skeptical. First off, he wants to give him food because he wants to fight him at full power...? What an idiot, he thinks. This isn't a game. That kind of attitude will just get him killed. And he barely knows Ryunosuke, but now he's thinking someone should tell the guy to be more careful about who he hangs out with.

Worst of all, he thinks Johnny's going to tell him what his abilities are. At that, Johnny scoffs, sitting back in his wheelchair and crossing his non-bread-holding arm over his chest. ]

I'm not doing anything. I'm just eating breakfast.

[ and that's all!! ]

I'm definitely not gonna have an honorable duel with you or whatever, either. You singling me out because I look like an easy target?

[ okay, he hates it when people treat him like The Guy In The Wheelchair, but in this moment, it feels like a solid defense. ]

[vapour]

[ Childe laughs out loud at that accusation, waving it off like it's nothing.. ]

Oh, you've got it all wrong. I don't bother with easy targets. If I did, you would already know plenty about me because I would have bullied at least half the Pleroma by now. Fighting strong people at their full power is the only way to get stronger. If you win all the time because you're picking easy targets, you'll stagnate and then get picked off eventually by someone else.

[ there's a small tilt to his head now as if it dawns on him. ] Huh ... Hold up, are you suggesting you're an easy target because of your wheelchair? That's pretty fucked up.

[comelately]

[ this is his first run-in with an "i want to be the strongest" type, and he does not understand it one bit, which is deeply evident in his judgmental expression. When Johnny fights, it's because he's trying not to get killed. This guy is definitely a Kenoma. A weird one, too.

The wheelchair comment gets him to raise an eyebrow. ]

It's true, isn't it? [ sorry, he's ableist against himself. ] If you're looking for the biggest, baddest guy on the block, I think you better keep looking.

[vapour]

. . .

...Yeaaahhh, it's really not. If you're refusing to fight me, then there's no reason for me to take interest in fighting you until the Regent gives me no choice. Even then, though, that has absolutely nothing to do with you being disadvantaged. I don't know you at all, maybe you've trained harder than anyone else to make up for lack of ability to use your legs as you normally could. That would mean you're even stronger than what the result is because you overcame that obstacle.

Can't believe the Pleroma let you get away with thinking like that, though. That's a yikes to me... eh, anyway, I'm going to get breakfast. I'll see you when I get back since you don't wanna come.

[ Childe goes from looking slightly perplexed to shrugging in loss before deciding it's time to go find food himself. It's too early for full on bullying levels of encouragement, apparently. ]

[comelately]

[ okay, third point about Childe: he likes talking. A lot. Johnny is getting the impression Childe absolutely would have carried on conversation from the rooftop if Johnny hadn't said anything. And then, just like that, Childe's apparently done talking, leaving Johnny sitting there bamboozled. ]

Uh. Okay? Knock yourself out.

[ what a weirdo... obviously, Johnny's not going to stop him, even if he's confused by this whole interaction. Depending on how long Childe takes eating breakfast - and if he does come back, as he says - he'll find Johnny still hanging around the area, although he's finished his bread now and is sitting in the shade with a notebook and pen. If not, Johnny will just go about his day and forget about this until tonight when he remembers this incredibly odd Kenoma encounter. ]

[vapour]

[ yeah no, you shoddy ableist, he's coming back. Thought you could get away from him, did you?

When Childe returns he's in good spirits and also going to come and flop down right next to Johnny in his little shade box area along with a small bag. It's then that he proceeds to pull out wrapped items, particularly breakfast sandwiches. Apparently someone doesn't listen when he thinks he's right. ]

Are you vegetarian? I got you a vegetarian breakfast burrito if you are, instead of the regular egg, meat, and cheese on a bagel. But I got you one of those, too, if you aren't. And don't say you had breakfast already, it's practically lunch time by now.

[ it's really not even close.

also, hi, he's extra nosey so while he's attempting to shove unwanted food on Johnny, he's also going try and peek at his notebook. ]

You like to write or?

[comelately]

[ it's very obvious that Johnny didn't actually think Childe would come back - there's a brief look of disbelief on his face that quickly settles into a resting scowl. This is suspicious, now. Maybe the Kenoma saw him lurking around and thought he was suspicious, after all; it sure feels like this guy is trying to keep tabs on him.

He flips his little scratchpad closed almost immediately, sticking it into a pocket somewhere on his person. No snooping! ]

-- Hey, back off! Why are you bugging me again? You got a problem?

[ he doesn't even know what a burrito is, first of all?! he does accept the breakfast bagel pressed upon him, however, though he doesn't even look down or acknowledge it while doing so. a man has needs... ]

Or maybe you're trying to make me swallow that black stuff you guys are so crazy about.

[vapour]

I'm bugging you because you're still here. That either means you're up to no good or lonely~.

[ make no mistake, Childe's out to kill Johnny, of course.

















WITH KINDNESS BITCH.

What.
Will.
Johnny.
Do? ]

Huh? You really think I'd waste perfectly good food when I could just shove it down your throat??

[comelately]

[ with that wording, it sounds like he might still be literally killing him. Johnny's hand freezes, sandwich still in its grip, as his expression changes from bewildered to bewildered-but-also-very-suspicious. ]

Yeah, I'd like to see you fuckin' try.

[ he's sniffing the sandwich warily, as if he'd somehow be able to suss out the presence of poison and/or Kenoma goo in it. ]

You're already wasting it on me, anyway. You're a freak, aren't you? I can tell. And you're probably gonna take that as a compliment.

[vapour]

It's not wasted unless you decide to waste it by throwing it away!

[ Childe's voice raises, the playfullness and the obnoxious tone and behavior dissipating as if they never had been there. Childe isn't looking at Johnny now, just starting down at the bag b he had in his lap. His tone is demanding that he be listened to, an authoritative no nonsense command from someone who controls armies and expects not bullshit. ]

No matter who you are, what side you take, what you believe in, even how you treat other people will ever dictate that you somehow deserve more or less than the food you need to thrive. I'm not wasting anything on you. No one around me goes without the same quality and quantity of food I eat. Because making sure people are fed is always the right thing to do. You don't let people starve or even go hungry unless you are starving yourself. Got it?

[ picking something out of the bag, Childe unwraps what is seen to be a literally identical breakfast item that he just gave Johnny. No better ingredients, no bigger or more indulgent in any way; they are exactly the same.

Right before the Kenoma aion goes to take a bite of his own, though he speaks up again, this time his nose lifted indignantly as he still refuses to look at Johnny for saying such stupid garbage. It's different, though, than second ago. He sounds a little miffed but it's back to having some emotion in it speaking normally without any sort of commanding tone— basically back to being a pushy freak or whatever. He's calmed down despite it seeming the opposite. ]

For the record, Kenoma essence isn't able to mixed into food. It's not soluble in any way, so there's no way to conceal it in cooking or baking unless you don't check your food visually before eating it. If you can't see it on the food then it's not there.

We don't exactly enjoy doing things the hard way when it comes to you guys. There's a reason we tend to shove it down your throat: it's because we have no easier way to do it.

And, I'm not really sure if being called a freak by you is a compliment or not unless you explain what you mean by it. So, what is it? I'm crazy, I'm stupid, I'm a monster, I'm too nice, I'm a manipulator, I'm treating an enemy like a basic human being when he doesn't even bother to treat himself as one?

Hmph, don't sling shit without making your point clear or it might not stick like you want it to.

[ bites passively aggressively into his breakfast because he's rambled way way more than necessary. ]