EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

[aionmods]

Sovereign Citizens

VENERA

In contrast the Aion's last visit, they now arrive in Venera on a completely average day... or so it seems. Unlike Godsblood, Venera has been given no warning as to what's about to befall it; the Kenoma are simply authorized to arrive and begin their bloody work without fanfare. Even their entourage of Achamite soldier don't stick out that much; in the time since the plague left, the city has refilled with occupying forces. Notably, the Hylician ones seem to be keeping out of the way, almost as if they've heard some things and would rather not be involved too closely in what's to come.

As opposed to the ghost town it was during the plague, Venera is now reasonably active, with most attending to their usual business. Shops are open, and its people are withdrawn but superficially friendly when meeting strangers. Initially, the targets of the Kenoma hit list will have no way of knowing what's coming for them, but after the first couple attacks word will begin to spread. Those that have recently been engaging in seditious behavior will become harder to find, leaving their usual homes and workplaces to stay elsewhere, and making other attempts to escape the Regent's attention.

Once those alerts have been raised, the Kenoma will have to engage in more detective work to find their targets, questioning other Venerans and seeking out fugitives in the homes of their family and friends. In the meantime, some of those who believe they are in danger may become desperately enough to seek out the Pleroma directly, imploring them for aid. Unfortunately, seeking out one sect may just as easily draw the attention of the other. Most uninvolved Venerans will be too terrified to intervene one way or another, reluctant to aid in the persecution of their neighbors but fearful of consequences. If your Aion travels openly, it will take some effort to pin them down long enough to hold a conversation.

SEEDS OF DESPAIR

Several days into the culling of Venera, the Aions will have witnessed the city gradually withdraw into itself. The streets become vacant as more and more people decide it isn't worth the risk to be seen outside, abandoning work and play alike to hide out in their homes, refusing to answer their doors to all except the most desperate pleading. Those that can't avoid their daily obligations are quiet and morose, trying their best to remain unseen and unremarked upon.

If your character has been observed as a Kenoma, either now or in their previous visits to the city, the citizens will look upon them as if they are the messengers of death. If you are seen as a Pleroma, they will resist your gaze, as if fearing your presence alone might leave them marked. In rarer cases, you will see those with stronger spirits, with glares of hatred or determination. They are powerless now, but seeds have been sewn, and whether they are the seeds of despair or of action are yet unclear.

By the time the Kenoma's hit list has been fully addressed, several have been killed and several more have been rushed from their homes to flee the city entirely. There have been holes left in the tapestry of the community they were once part of. One way or another, their absence will be felt keenly by those they left behind.

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Venera?
Estinien has plans to get an early start for the Pleroma by teleporting to the Lover's shrine and flying somewhere closer to set up a portal from the ocean caves near the Godsblood Lodestone to a spot of farmland closer to Venera. Paul will be setting up a portal directly from Achamoth to one of the Achamite outposts in Venera.

How much force can the Kenoma use while interrogating Venerans?
While they are generally not permitted to kill Venerans who haven't tried to physically fight them, they will be permitted to apply both physical and mental pressure upon those that refuse to provide them with information regarding the whereabouts of their targets. This duress should be proportional to the resistance the Veneran is offering. The Regent is not inviting them to terrorize Venera on a level to a level they cannot reasonably blaim themselves for.

Comments

[affal]

( it's a very human reflex, to want to paint someone with such a broad brush. mortals liked to believe in neat, tidy, well-packaged contrivances like that — contrivances such as the strength of the heart, the purity of the soul, the guidance of the spirit. morality. justice. karma. it's not as though makoto is a stranger to any of this. when he had been human, terrified of the desires rooting themselves deeply in his psyche and desperate for anything that might resemble an answer, he had searched through plenty of books on history, law, philosophy, and religion just as much as he had attempted to sate his macabre fixation with those on killers and cannibals. part of him had thought that the perceived failing within himself was something that he could fix, that he could cure, if only he could unlock the right way to contextualize it.

it had been a fool's errand. the more he learned, the more entrenched his hopelessness became. he became painfully aware of what people would think of him in a social context, how the law would judge him in a criminal one, and how God would never offer the same sort of redemption to someone like him as he might offer to anyone else. he had grown resentful from that realization. it had been enough to cause him to turn to books of the occult, to activate a summoning circle drawn on the floor of his bedroom with blood and call J to him, knowing he would end up taking his life.

losing his mortality, losing his humanity, and living among demons does much to change one's perspective. he no longer believes in those absolutes that had seemed so prevalent back on earth. as he sees it now, individuals act according to the laws under which they are constrained; they are subject only to these and their own desires. whether the words or actions done to satisfy those desires were just or immoral or not was simply an image imposed from an outside perspective.

there's a part of him that wants to impress that upon ryu. he isn't sure why. perhaps it's because on some level he can sense the indecision still rattling around inside of him. it gives him much more leeway than someone willing to close themselves off for good to him.

his reply is as swift and unerring as the swing of a hammer, the words dry and measured, ) Your friend stabbed me through the chest and left me to die.

( his expression contorts, brow drawing together and lips pursing ever-so-slightly. he... looks like he's pouting, seemingly offended. ) I do not act without reason. I'm not some sort of rabid dog.

( ironic fast-forward to one week from now when he is very much like a rabid dog )

[locumstudentesquire]

[Ryunosuke's steps falter a moment, a clear look of surprise on his face as he stares back at M.]

I... I hadn't heard about that...

[He'll admit that freely, looking somewhat apologetic as he does. Of course, he has no doubt that there is, presumably, even more to the story that he hasn't yet heard... Estinien's side of this supposed stabbing incident being the biggest blank spot. But hearing this does add at least some context to his understanding of what happened that day, here in Venera.

Ryunosuke's not sure if that really exonerates or excuses M's actions, though. Even if Estinien had been violent towards him for absolutely no reason. He just doesn't feel that eye for an eye is a good philosophy to navigate the world with...

He's going to be very, very careful about making any final calls either way, because this is new information that complicate matters....

He starts to walk again, even though he's no longer sure of where he's going; he obviously can't head to his original destination, with so many lives at stake it's far too dangerous to risk leading the Kenoma there... He'll just have to wander until he can lose him.]

I'll admit: I wasn't sure what drove you to do that, and out of fairness I tried to withhold personal judgement until I could hear both sides... I even wondered if perhaps the Contagion may have been responsible to some degree. It seemed to have a markedly worse effect on some Aions over others.

[Again, no True Sight, so he can't actually be sure what Legacy M falls under, but it hadn't escaped his notice that there were some variations in symptoms going around.]

[affal]

( makoto shrugs, the gesture jarringly casual given the severe timbre of their conversation. ) It was during the time when the newcomers were arriving to the Shrines. Still, for obvious reasons I can't say it endeared me to the man.

( it was an understatement, but it was at least an understatement delivered glibly. it hadn't been his first meeting with the dragoon after all — he had paid him a visit in the Throne Room, ostensibly to attempt to convert him to the Kenoma just as he recently had been, but really he had ended up more like an errant schoolchild poking and prodding at a caged zoo animal to see what sort of reactions he might get. so it's not as though estinien diving first and asking questions later at the shrine of the sovereign was completely unfounded (especially given who he was talking to), but it was just enough so that makoto felt more than justified in feeling like he had an axe to grind. but at this point that axe had been successfully ground, so...? the opinion is certainly not shared, but for the time being his blood has cooled on the matter.

he doesn't expect it to exonerate him. really, if it did, he would question ryu's faculties. estinien was a friend and ally of his, and regardless of his past actions, he should hold it against makoto that he had been so cruel and callous (even if the murder hadn't exactly "stuck"). but it was worthwhile context, and he felt like it needed to be said, less so to paint him as sympathetic and more to at least reinforce that he's not unreasonable.

he arches one eyebrow as ryu continues. )

Really...? ( that whole scenario had been a furious blur to makoto; if he remembers that ryu was there (which he probably doesn't), he doesn't remember much about him because he hadn't been like himeka, bearing down with murderous intent. ) That's very level-headed of you. I wish more of your allies shared such sentiments, but, ( and here he chuckles and smiles brightly, as if they were comparing and contrasting past schoolyard hijinks instead of what they spoke about now, ) honestly, it would probably be worse off for your cause if they did.

( he wastes little time before continuing. )

I'm not trying to paint myself as blameless in your eyes, Naruhodo-san. Go on and hate me, if that makes it easier for you. ( he waves his hand, a dismissive gesture. ) I just don't want you to mistake me for someone who acts without reason.

GAA1 case 2 spoilers (Srry 4 wait I had to rly think this one thru haha)

[locumstudentesquire]

[Would it be worse for the Pleroma's cause? Maybe... Ryunosuke isn't going to try and pretend that his way of viewing things is at all suitable for a situation of war, much as he might wish otherwise. It's probably for the best that Makoto bulldozes past that point; it spares Ryunosuke from having to fight off the temptation to point out that BOTH sides might be better off, if they avoided resorting to violence.

He glances over at M again, and for a flash, his gaze far more sharp and steadfast than it has been this whole conversation so far. It's hard for him to sort through his feelings about this-- with the pressures of blending in, and the threat of a Kenoma being right there; it's hard to listen to his gut when his gut is trying to lead him through three different stressful problems at once. But. As far as M and Estinien are concerned, he's starting to realize that he's reaching a conclusion.

He's remembering back to that day now... The harrowing bleed of emotion that came off of the two men in those final moments. Estinien had been utterly helpless, defenseless, completely immobile. And M...

Ryunosuke suppresses a shiver.]

...It's not easier. Hating someone, I mean. At least, I don't find it to be, personally...

[There's nothing that sounds sanctimonious in his assertion; he just sounds tired. There were plenty of people back in his own world that he could justifiably loathe for their wrongdoings, and for their slights against him and his friends. On the Burya, he'd gone into that investigation fully prepared to hate whoever had taken Kazuma from him with all his heart. The worst possible result of that search would have been failure, of course; the real killer getting away, leaving the blame resting solely on Ryunosuke's shoulders... But in some ways, what actually happened was the next worst thing. The truth of the incident had denied him the villain he was hoping for.

Instead of murder: manslaughter. Instead of an assassin, a frightened teenage girl. Kazuma's death was a stupid, pointless accident. Ryunosuke hasn't forgiven her; he doesn't think he'll ever be able to. But he also couldn't bring himself to hate her. Not then, not now. And somehow that hurts even worse... Hate would be easier to cope with... But it just doesn't come naturally to him.

This... Debacle, between M and Estinien, is inverse from the Burya in some ways. Ryunosuke had held back his judgement, tried to be reasonable in his read on the situation in the absence of a full understanding of what M's motives were; perhaps even well beyond what most would consider reasonable for a man who's so adamantly against killing. But with Estinien's revival, the death hadn't 'stuck' so to speak, and there'd been little reason or opportunity for Ryunosuke to increase his understanding of what had happened during the months that followed. But now that he has an explanation straight from the horse's mouth...

There's no mystery to M's motives anymore. Estinien had left M for dead, and Ryunosuke can't say he approves of that, but the cruelty M had displayed in his retaliation goes far beyond being a rational response. He claims he doesn't act without reason, and fair enough, but what if Ryunosuke finds his reasoning wanting?

He lets out a shaky breath, trying to recenter his thoughts.]

...You said you didn't approach with the intent of harming me, well... Why have you approached me, then? Surely it isn't just because you wanted me to hear out your side of that incident...

it's not like i've ever let a tag get old or anything

[affal]

( it was a bit of a moot point, isn't it? the Pleroma Aions have the ability to make that choice for themselves without consequence — or, at least, without direct consequence. they might eventually have to face complications from their own lack of involvement in the conflict, but their lack of clear central leadership meant that they neither had the carrot or the stick to "motivate" them. it wasn't necessarily a secret that makoto's wariness of falling short of the Regent's expectations has motivated him to act when he might have otherwise chosen not to, falling more often on the side of saving his own skin than risking pain and worse for others. what he had done to estinien was personal, yes, but he would also claim it was tactical. he found a powerful enemy combatant in a compromised state, and he had hoped to take his shard back to achamoth in order to remove a powerful piece from the playing board. given his "fortune" in arriving to the scene so early, his failure to do anything at all might have been called into question. and so for that reason, and several others, he had done as he'd done.

perhaps he should have been confused by that answer, but he's not. makoto had been dashed against the rocky shore of one of the lowest parts of his life (lives, plural) when J had taken him into his arms, murmuring that he could hate him if it made it easier for him to live with a pain that he couldn't escape. and so he had. and he still does — he hates the man with an intensity that felt corrosive, like it ate away at everything else that comprised him as a person until there was nothing left but that wroth fury. but... he knows that's not necessarily the case. things are rarely so simple. it would be so much easier to simply hate him, to sever all emotional ties and work on the single axis of his revenge, but...

yes, as ryunosuke says. perhaps it's easy in concept, but not in practice. is it the presence of a contradiction or the absence of one?

tragically... he seems to be a good person. makoto's not necessarily a good judge for such a character. no one around him in life had ever seemed particular virtuous, and the humans that had summoned him for a contract had often been desperate souls, lashing out from anger or fear or despair. on the other hand, any demon in hell that entertained notions of soft-heartedness often found themselves toppled to the bottom of the food chain, impoverished, taken advantage of, or worse. makoto himself and orchestrated a handful of falls for such creatures himself.

for a demon like makoto, how does he weigh the positive human standards that ryu seems to show? it's hard to say.

unfortunately for ryunosuke, it just makes him kind of interesting to him, in a science experiment sort of way. )

It's a sign of strength, in my opinion. Many take the easy way out.

( including makoto himself. )

Hm... Why indeed. ( but why did he come to speak with him? it had been that line of interest, of seeing a familiar face but applied to a dramatically different context. was it to intimidate him? to let him know that while in the streets of venera, he was swimming with sharks? it's hard for him to say. it had largely been a whim, though one that had vague architectural supports to it. ) Is curiosity a bad reason to give? I doubt this will be the last time our paths cross. I suppose I'd like to know what I might expect from you.

( it's a boldly truthful answer, but... well, he seems the brutally honest type. so he replies in kind. )

With our powers combined maybe we'll finish this thread by... October :')

[locumstudentesquire]

[Curiosity is a concerning reason to give, if only because Ryunosuke isn't... Really used to being the focus of such sentiments; he can hold a crowd's attention, to be sure, but he's not used to keeping it and having people hold any interest in him once the show is over.

Makoto has the 'brutally honest' assessment dead on, though. Ryunosuke considers that admission for a moment, his brow furrowing.]

...Are you asking me a question, then? Or have you drawn your own conclusion already, based on this conversation?

i think we can go ahead and wrap this one up... and focus more on our current one!

[affal]

( there are only a few scores of Aions upon the surface of horos, ryu — is it so strange that makoto would want to have as clear a picture of as many of them as he could, to judge their capabilities and their limits, where he could imagine a problem looming in wait or safely sign away someone as a known quantity. with so many variables, the equations that the interactions of Aions could pose were complex ones indeed; as far as he is concerned, he is gathering as much data as he possibly can.

so, will he pose another question, or has he finished with him for now? )

Ah, I wonder.

( the real answer is... for the moment, neither. makoto picks up his pace, wheeling around of ryu to stop him in his tracks; the two young men are roughly equivalent in height, but the demon bares down on ryu for a moment — for such a slight frame, the demon seems adept at increasing the size of his presence, seeking to force ryu to stop in his tracks. when faced with such a turn, one which could release or go violent in any instant, what would he do?

that's what he wants to see. and the second he sees it — his sudden intensity and animosity evaporates like morning dew under the intensifying glare of the sun. he smiles, and he says, ) I think I have more than satisfied my curiosity. Thank you, Naruhodo-san.

( he turns on his heel and starts to leave, to disappear as readily as he appeared in the first place. )

Until next we meet.

Sounds good to me!

[locumstudentesquire]

[It is strange! Because Ryunosuke kind of still sees himself as... Just a guy. It's still rather hard to include 'Aion' as a part of his self-image.

...Maybe he is on the verge of seeing himself as something more, though, because when M wheels in front of him... He looks startled, for the briefest of moments. Alarmed, even... That nervous wide-eyed stare that is sort of his trademark makes a brief appearance.

But it's short lived, and though he's clearly tense, he doesn't cower. No, he stands his ground; even tries to match M's energy, picking up on the subtle body language of... Hm. 'intimidation' isn't exactly the right word for what M is doing, but Ryunosuke isn't sure what other name to give it. It's just a gut feeling he has, that the demon is doing something to increase the pressure of the situation, without actually making any visible moves... So Ryunosuke responds by refusing to back down, with his stiff backed posture befitting a soldier, chest puffed out a bit, his brows furrowing as he fixes the other man with a hard stare. Not quite a challenge, but not a surrender either.

...And then the Kenoma abruptly turns to leave.]

Ah--

[He's gone before Ryunosuke can string together the words for an appropriate goodbye, leaving him with nothing but a vaguely ominous feeling for company.

Disquieted, he walks on, making sure to take extra care this time to watch for additional Kenoma.]