Entry tags:
- !event,
- #innocence,
- archduke j: visionary,
- barnaby brooks jr: lover,
- estinien wyrmblood: firebrand,
- eustace: firebrand,
- father paul hill: martyr,
- kaeya alberich: lover,
- kim dokja: martyr,
- kim kitsuragi: martyr,
- liem talbott: champion,
- majorita: firebrand,
- makoto ("m"): firebrand,
- meteion: innocent,
- ryunosuke naruhodo: champion,
- tartaglia (childe): firebrand,
- yuya sakaki: lover
EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)
Sovereign Citizens
VENERA

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 Shops are open, and its people are withdrawn but superficially friendly when meeting strangers.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.
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.
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.
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He's gaining ground on her all the while, and once he's within a closer distance, he aims a punch at her stomach, aiming to slam her back into the wall and wind her, if the impact doesn't knock her out entirely.
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Barnaby.
Whether he manages to dodge or not, the narwhal made of water shatters upon impact with the ground and causes a momentary but rather fierce imitation of a deluge before draining itself out— Majorita herself will be untouched by it, however (and so will the Veneran if they are in range.) It won't kill Barnaby if he fails to dodge it, but it will hurt quite a bit if he took the full force of the attack. Without a word, Childe appears as if formed from the very water the whale left behind, an elaborately formed bow made of the same element. Childe's expression is blank, but his lifeless eyes eeriely watch and judge this...no longer ally. He doesn't trust a single one of the Kenoma, and Barnaby has successfully proved he was right to do so.
"The only thing worse than a traitor is a traitor that turncoats as underhandedly as you just did." The normally happy and joyful personality is nowhere to be seen now, and while his words suggest as if he may feel something about Barnaby's actions, nothing in his body language or expression show a thing. There's nothing human about his behavior, either, in its mechanical rigidity as he continues to stare the other down.
"Why, exactly, are you two fighting here?" He noticed the Veneran, but he isn't fully aware of what transpired and since Venera was not his original mission he's not up to speed. At the very least Childe seems willing to hear whatever reasoning Barnaby has for his actions before deciding to further attack.
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The hit strikes her light body so hard she's actually lifted off the ground by it before she crumples to her knees with a whimper. Her pride was hit at least as hard as her body. She'd said so much, shown so much disdain and made obvious threats. And here she was, dismantled in an instant.
Pain and shame force her gaze to the street beneath her, but snaps up quickly at the sound of...a whale? Her eyes go wide as she sees something that just shouldn't be happening. "N...no..." She's about to be crushed to death. She's about to be crushed to death by a traitor. Who knows what will happen to her shard after that? But the attack never comes. Instead she hears a familiar voice. One missing its normal joviality. It might be a little eerie if she didn't have so much else on her mind. "...betrayed us....interfering with my task...." She does her best to explain, but she's short on breath for obvious reasons.
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Momentarily stunned, he forces himself to sit up, coughing after swallowing a mouthful of water. His glasses were swept away somewhere nearby in the impact, but it doesn't matter with his powers enhancing his sight still, glowing eyes falling on Childe.
"Me, underhanded?" he coughs again, using the wall to brace himself as he gets to his feet. "You're the ones dragging innocent people from their homes. Is the Regent really so weak that they have to resort to this?"
He doesn't actually care about debating. Mentally, he's stalling for time and weighing his options. Can he grab the Veneran and make a run for it, or would it risk putting the man in the firing line of more of the two Kenomas' ranged attacks?
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"For starters, the Regent's bar of conduct is in the fucking ground right now, in case you didn't notice. But, hm... they're innocent, huh? So the Regent just has you picking random people in Venera to get a sham trial and then executed as an example? Innocent isn't the same as helpless, but you're definitely the hero type that would easily confuse the two. So... you'll have to be more specific."
Childe shifts his attention from Barnaby to the Veneran. "Well? Are you innocent or guilty of the crimes the Regent claims you are?"
The Veneran looks ready to shit himself if he hasn't already, and Childe just isn't in the mood to bully him if he doesn't answer quickly. His gaze turns back to Barnaby once more, regardless, looking incredibly unimpressed.
"'Tch, you know what... Just take him and get the hell out of my sight. And here's a tip to go with that: do everything in your power to join the Pleroma. I don't even know why you accepted the Kenoma in the first place, but what's done is done. What's waiting for you back in Acamoth won't be kind if I'm right in what I think they'll do with you."
It's not a threat, it's a sincere warning. He's already been suspicious about what happened to Howl, even moreso now after several days in Godsblood. Even as he speaks, however, he dismisses keeping an eye on Barnaby to instead approach Majorita, coming to crouch down in front of her. Moving a hand off of his bow to settle on her head comfortingly, his voice becomes a lot gentler, like an older sibling coming to pick up their younger sibling who's been bullied. "...Hm, You're in not so great shape. Sorry, Rita, but you're gonna have to accept you lost this round, yeah?"
He pats her head consolingly, however, and his tone is soothing in an attempt to comfort her into agreeing with him. "I'm not sure what you and the others did to set Barnaby off, but I know you can get carried away sometimes. So, let's just call it quits for now and get you looked at, okay? You won't get in trouble for it, and it'll give you both a chance to calm down. You can always have a rematch."
Childe really doesn't want to play mediator between these two so separating them is best. He already saw they had not had the greatest chemistry before this with their exchange in the mindscape the Regent brought them to, but now... what a headache. While he could reasonably just kill Barnaby and the Veneran since the other can't even bother to justify himself beyond making a comparison with the Regent of all people... well... he believes in fair sport. Barnaby clearly won against Rita, so there no reason to deny him what he "earned."
Despite how it may seem, he's truly only here to protect the smaller Kenoma herself. If the Veneran is actually guilty, it won't be hard to round them up later.
If they're really innocent?
Well, that's just another piece of the puzzle to solve concerning the Regent and if they deserve continued loyalty or not.
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Or at least that was his plan. It isn't even two steps into his flight that he trips, falling flat on his face. A few moments after his rough landing he finally manages to force a word out ".W..wha...what?" He attempts to stand, but seems entirely unable to do so, as if his arms and legs simply seemed unable to hold him up. He does not stop trying, but it is obvious it isn't simply clumsiness that is holding him back. Eventually, he stops struggling, laying in place, the fright causing his body to tremble visibly.
He is not the only one trembling, however. A lot of emotions were storming through Majorita's head, and not one of them was positive. So lost in them that she barely acknowledges the conversation between Barnaby and Childe. When she hears footsteps approaching her, she doesn't look towards their source. The voice changes to a soothing, caring voice, the voice she was so used to hearing from this man she wasn't sure what to make of. Even then, the demon refuses to acknowledge him. It isn't until that hand finally touches her head that she speaks. Its a little voice, a weak voice, devoid of the normal scorn and pride she peppered her speech with. "Fine. I....I lost."
With her head downcast, it might be tough for Barbaby to see, but a smile slowly creeps onto her face, and her voice reclaims its normal bluster. "I lost the fight. But, its not over. Didn't you NOTICE?! Its TOO LATE to save him. I've already put my curse on him! Did you think the fool just forgot how to walk on his own? Did you HONESTLY think I've let you get the best of me? You can try to carry him away, but don't you DARE look down on me, you hear me? It doesn't matter how far you go, there's NOWHERE you can hide him from me. NOWHERE! You got that, traitor? Nothing you're doing here matters! You could take him to the damn ends of Horos, I'll still find him!"
She acts confident, but its obvious the rant took a bit out of her. She was still winded from being used as a punching bag, and despite her braggart attitude it was obvious she was in no condition to actually carry out any threats. It was the angry flailing of a wounded child who was unused to loss and nothing more.
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So he doesn't dignify Childe with an answer, except to look to the rebel as he struggles to stand, and falls to the ground. He runs to him and gathers him up in his arms, concern written across his expression. Maybe Majorita really had cursed him and that's part of why he's struggling to move, but if that's the case, he has no way of telling.
"We'll find a way to break the curse. Don't worry," Barnaby says to him softly, and gets to his feet. He gives the two Kenoma a sharp look to ensure they're not showing any signs of getting ready to attack again, but doesn't dignify them with any further conversation. Then he takes a running jump for the nearest building, using his powers to easily clear its height to the roof, and make a getaway. If nothing else, he'll be content with slowing Majorita down, and that buys him more time to save this rebel's life.
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Turning back to Majorita, Childe to turns to offer her a piggyback ride. "Up you go, I guess. I'll take you to someone who can patch you up, but you might as well explain to me what is going on along the way. I'm just here on a stroll while off duty in Godsblood."
There's nothing else to really say on the matter. Talking about traitors is a waste of time and he's already babying her enough as it is but doesn't want her to feel like a total child. These things happen to other people, too, of course. It just extra sucks when it happens to yourself.
"Are you supposed to be killing your targets?"
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It says a great deal about her mental state that she doesn't even complain about the offer, and moves to climb up onto Childe's back. There's a wince as she moves. Apparently she'd twisted an ankle as well and not even realized it in all the pain and anger. Her weight could probably barely be felt at all when she's lifted off the ground. She's so light its very obvious she could have been hurt a lot worse if Barnaby had made a legitimate attempt on her life.
"The curse isn't fatal. All its doing is making his limbs feel really heavy to him. Its actually going to just wear off on its own anyway, not that I wanted that garbage to know that. He'll probably feel really damn special when he finds a way to 'cure' him, though. So no, I am not supposed to kill them. Not unless they are found guilty of their accusations at least. But considering where those accusations come from, they are obviously not innocent. The Regent wants to do things a certain way though, so I'll play my part.
As for why that traitor went after me? I called him out on his soft heart the last time we were in this city. I don't think he was very fond of that."
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He chuckles at her explanation. "Well... You aren't wrong. Although I'm surprised he would take offense to that...? I guess I don't know him very well. But the way, who's here that I can take you to to patch you up?"
Despite chatting with her openly, he is on high alert, his eyes darting around for any signs of locals that might be snooping because they don't know how to quell their insatiable curiosity. He'd prefer he not be seen by too many and established as an aion. Luckily the area Barnaby and Majorita were fighting in seemed mostly deserted. Nevertheless, he doesn't even want other aions knowing what he's capable and not capable of until absolutely necessary. Once the enemy knows everything you can do, there's no element of surprise anymore. He's got plenty more than a few tricks in his hand, but reserving each one the next he can doesn't hurt at all.
"Can you actually track people with that curse before it wears off or were you just bluffing on that, too?"
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"Someone put out a communion message offering healing. Its not someone I've ever met personally, but I've seen them around Achamoth so they PROBABLY aren't also a traitor." She chuckles softly. "And no, I can't do that. But I want that piece of trash to think he needs to do something about it to keep his little rebel safe. I want him worrying constantly, wondering what is going to happen to him when /I/ am the one that catches HIM by surprise." In other words, she was just being spiteful.
There's a few moments of silence from the girl. When she speaks again, she sounds just a tiny bit more calm. Maybe she feels a little bit safer now? "..This is the second time this happened. Being carried around this city by you. I think I hate this city. I'd burn it to the ground if I knew the Regent wouldn't kill me for it."
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There's a light smile as he listens to Rita talk, glad she's got the energy to complain and even switch between being riled to eventually calmimg down. It's a good thing as it means she's not suffering anything dire injury-wise. "Well, I'm pretty sure even if they're a traitor, they'd still heal you. The Pleroma are pretty good at wanting to be heroes and convert us. The ones that aren't are no better than we are in tactics, so there's nothing worthwhile to gain from them. Letting the ones go that want to be heroes and convert us you do pretty easily unless the Regent directly orders no Pleroma must be allowed to retreat. They'll always be useful to you in some way. The others, though... they really don't deserve to live any more than they think we do."
He's pretty sure Barnaby is one of the former who just happens to be strong, and he honestly feels he makes a far better Pleroma hero than some of the actual Pleroma. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell right now, and in the middle of an emotionally charged situation, things aren't always how they seem. Even so, he can't exactly discuss in full how good a fit Barnaby probably would be as a Pleroma with a fellow Kenoma, either.
He keeps that to himself.
Rita, he has realized, has never been subject to things that would make her understand the world any other way than she sees currently them. Although she could easily be completely and unapologetically a villain with a full spectrum of excellences, it usually doesn't work like that. She's far older than he is, but he's pretty sure her mind has never fully evolved past being a kid beyond whatever evil deeds she's done back home. That's not quite the same as maturing. So, he feels a tiny bit protective of her because of that, as well, even if he doesn't know the full truth of her past and situation. Then again, none of the aions know each other like that except maybe Himeka and her friends from her world.
Childe personally wouldn't have it any other way, but he knows many would disagree.
"Ahaha! Understandable, but last time wasn't your fault at all. This time it was a tiny bit your fault," he teases. Childe shifts his hold on her just a little so he can prop her up in case she's sunken a little down his back from the movements of the walk.
"Any idea how the others are doing with the Regent's orders?"
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It, of course, stemmed from a complete lack of positive emotion in her life. Years upon years of being treated as if her life did not matter twisted her into valuing it more then anything in the world. Why should she even care if someone else had to die to save her life? If it was a dozen lives, she wouldn't even consider it a sacrifice. The only thing that kept her from going wild is fear of retribution from the Regent. Power was to be feared, because power could take away what she selfishly valued the most: herself.
That is why she followed the Regent's commands but didn't care if the man she had bee after was innocent or not. She didn't care about his 'crimes'. He was just a prize to improve the Regent's opinion of her. Without the order to bring the target to trial, there would never have been a chance to save him to begin with. She was loyal, fiercely so, and it was obvious when she spoke.
"Convert? Have any of them tried to 'convert' you? What a stupid idea. I'd gladly accept healing from one of them, though. It'd make the expression on their face so much better when I turned the power they gave me against them. I will never 'convert'. It would make me as bad a traitor as that fool who attacked me. Besides, I believe what we are doing is right." A short pause. "If the world was fine as it was, someone like me wouldn't even exist."
With only one good arm to cling with, the shifting did help her out a little. "My fault? I..whatever. I guess I was too focused on the rebel and didn't notice. That fool would have never hurt me otherwise. But I have no clue how the others are doing, I've been mostly sticking to myself. Its almost annoying how easy it is to convince people into talking. I really feel like I am not being taken seriously sometimes. But I guess it did make it easy on me."
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Besides, Childe doesn't think they can actually revert get away from the Regent even if they wanted to
He nods at her spoken thoughts. "These days I've had a lot of time to think. Us being in the wrong is too easy of a solution. These people should have been able to resolve it on their own if it were that straightforward. The Regent has given this world plenty of chances to turn things around on its own, anyway, considering he hasn't ended it, yet."
With a small hum, Childe grinds even though she can't see it. "I'm glad you exist. The Kenoma may see many traitors in the long run, but the core of us won't go anywhere."
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"Of course we're not wrong. The Pleroma are traitorous rebels that aren't interested in making a better world. I could never be that big of a fool. Besides, we're showing the Venerans MERCY. Don't they understand that? The Regent only demanded a few examples, not every single person who has ever said or done anything against their reign. The ones who weren't selected get to go on with their lives after we leave, and now they know the price of their treachery." She speaks so coldly about how little the lives of the 'rebels' matter. It was unlikely she would feel the same if she was asked to give her own life.
That life was all she had. And its one that isn't used to having its existence appreciated. She was honestly unsure how to feel about what was likely just an offhanded remark. Positive emotions are so rare in her life that negativity instantly starts fighting back when a tiny bit of happiness tries to creep into her mind.
"That is the first time anyone has ever told me anything like that." Her voice is controlled, neutral as she can make it. There is a little hint of emotion, like she is trying to sound annoyed and utterly failing at it. There was just a tiny bit of her that felt ever so slightly flattered. "But you probably shouldn't be. All I am good for is hurting people. And sometimes I am not even good at that."