aionlogs | EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

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EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

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 Shops are open, and its people are withdrawn but superficially friendly when meeting strangers.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.

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[Although Liem is the one who pulled back, he feels a pang of disappointment when Matt loosens the arm around his waist. He searches his face for a sign that he was right to stop—for relief, maybe, or awkwardness. But the twitch of his lips just seems amused, and his hazel eyes are untroubled.

Quietly, Liem lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He tips his cheek ever so slightly toward the brush of Matt's fingers, his lashes dipping slightly as his touch traces the shell of his ear.]

Hm.

[He turns the compliment over in his mind, not entirely sure how ideal an impression that is for him to be making when they're ostensibly here on a mission. But he lets his hand settle back on Matt's chest as he leans closer once more to brush their noses together. He shifts slightly nearer to skim the tip of his nose along the scar on his cheek.]

I promise I'm not usually like this when I'm working.

[ Matt sighs softly when Liem exhales, when his lashes dip under his touch. It's lovely, watching himself have this effect on a person. It sparks an insistent warmth in his belly, familiar and hungry.

Then Liem shifts forward, tip of his nose tracing the scar that Matt likes to imagine most people can't even see, and ... the contact isn't bad. It's just intimate. Startlingly so, for such a simple touch. Matt's next exhalation comes out shaky, his own lashes trembling. Then he chuckles. ]

Damn, [ he breathes. ] I wish you were, it'd make work a lot more exciting.

[ Matt tips his head to kiss him again. His hand slides into Liem's hair, curling around the nape of his neck, and for a moment, he hesitates. Then he shifts away from the wall, lets himself sink down--onto the roof, onto his back--and uses his grip to urge Liem down with him. On top of him, if he's willing to follow. ]

[Liem pauses where he is, lingering just a hair away from nuzzling Matt's cheek, when his touch is greeted with that unsteady breath. Fascination tugs his eyes to the flutter of his lashes, to the soft curve of his mouth. And makes him wonder what Matt would do if he brushed that same spot with his lips.

Matt's reply earns a raised eyebrow. He can't imagine a lot of work getting done in those circumstances—much like how they aren't getting any work done at the present moment. But considering the work they're meant to be doing, he can't find it in him to be especially bothered.

When Matt kisses him again, hand sliding into his hair, he makes a soft, pleased sound against his mouth. And with only the smallest of surprised hesitations when he sinks down onto the roof, he lets him pull him down with him, dragging his hand down his chest, his flank, his hip as he shifts on top of him, sliding one leg between Matt's with a small, satisfied hum.

He feels wonderfully warm beneath him, and his mouth is so inviting. Liem doesn't hesitate at all to accept its invitation and kiss him again.]

[ Liem comes along with him so beautifully, and he sounds so sweet. Matt's fingers knead into the muscle at the nape of Liem's neck, his lips parting for him as they kiss. His legs part too, just enough to admit Liem's thigh. Matt squirms pleasantly underneath him. It's thrilling to feel Liem's weight bearing him down, to arch his back just enough that every inch of contact between them articulates itself. Matt has only one false start, when his left arm moves to wrap itself around Liem's waist. It's second nature to him to scrub his free hand up a partner's back, fingers and palm mapping the muscle there--

But of course, he can't do that now.

Matt pulls his arm back down to his side. He'll leave it for the time being. He redirects his attention to Liem's mouth: catching his lip in his teeth, smudging kisses from the corner of his mouth down to his jaw. Matt nuzzles from there into the crook of his neck, where he leaves a sucking kiss. ]

[As Liem finds Matt’s mouth again in a slow, exploratory kiss, he shivers lightly, eyelids trembling, at the gentle pressure of fingers at the back of his neck. The arch of Matt’s body beneath his own beckons him, urging a brief squirm as he seeks the best way to fit against him. His hand slides from his hip down to his thigh, hitching it up to pull him flush against his hips.

The aborted movement of Matt’s arm sliding around his waist earns a brief skip in attention, a small “hm?” murmured against his mouth when he lets the arm fall away. But he’s too absorbed in their kisses to be completely distracted, especially when Matt’s lips wander down to his jaw. Liem sighs, tipping his head aside to invite him along the curve of his neck—and squirms again with a helpless flutter of breath as he sucks a dark bruise into the skin there.]

[ Matt really likes it when Liem grabs his thigh. His hips press up to meet Liem's, a soft but ecstatic sigh slipping out as his fingertips dig into the back of Liem's neck. They've only just started, so he's not too excited yet, but the push and slide of their hips feels amazing. Like a promise of more, more, more to come.

Matt pulls back slightly to survey his handiwork on Liem's neck. He notes the bruise with satisfaction, nuzzling into the spot. ]

Left a mark, [ he murmurs, lips moving against Liem's ear. His tongue flicks over the lobe; his teeth close on it in a slow drag. ] You can get me back if you want ... 'sonly fair.

[Matt's mouth feels so good on his neck. Liem has always loved attention there, more than almost any other place on his body—which seems only reasonable, given the places his own wandering mouth prefers to linger—and the attention there now sets his liquor-muddled head spinning. His lashes flutter as Matt finally pulls away, pleasure shivering over his skin when he nuzzles the damp mark.

And his eyes open again in surprise at the murmur by his ear.]

Really?

[Pleasure colours the word, drawing it out. Even when he's not intending to use them, he can't blame anyone who prefers not to have his fangs next to their neck.

He tips his head so he can look coyly back down at Matt.]

Where would you like it?

[ Matt pulls back far enough to grin up at him, near a beam. In the face of Liem's shifting expressions--first as pleased and startled as if he's just won a fabulous prize, then almost secretive--he can't help the crooked curl tugging at his own lips. His head falls back (gently) to the rooftop, lashes lidding in satisfaction. ]

On my thigh, [ he murmurs, a tease, and gives another push of his hips for emphasis. He grins at Liem quickly. ] But ... here.

[ Matt's shard is embedded into the left side of his neck. He lets his head turn to the other side, cheek brushing the rooftop, and arches his neck to bare the right side of his throat. Matt trails the tip of one finger down the line of muscle there, ending at the join of neck and shoulder, then lets his fingernail graze back up. ]

This is good too.

[Liem’s eyebrows make a break for his hairline as Matt gives him that provocative, long-lidded look to accompany his suggestion. The slightly incredulous expression he adopts in response suggests a pet owner regarding a naughty cat—one that’s being extra adorable to deflect from some act of household destruction. Liem has always been rather ambivalent about pets in general, and doesn’t tend to be swayed by their cuteness.

But if the intrigued glitter in his eyes is anything to go by, the same can’t be said about his feelings on the man underneath him.]

You minx, [he observes reprovingly, dipping his head to nip lightly at the line of Matt’s jaw. His hand scrubs slow, gentle circles over his thigh as he nuzzles along his neck in search of a home for his kiss.] I didn’t know I was in such shameless company.

[And, pausing his wanderings, Liem slides the tip of his tongue over Matt’s throat before sucking a kiss into the flesh there.]

[ Matt meets Liem's scandalized expression with a sweet smile of his own. He can't help wanting to play with him like this--his reactions are incredible, and Matt senses Liem doesn't totally mind being teased.

That reverie dissipates into a stunned laugh at the word minx, bright and tossed back to the sky. (Luckily, the market below is noisy enough that they don't draw attention--and even if they did, they're both too low to the rooftop to be spotted easily.) Matt's been called a lot of names in his time, some of which he even likes. But he's never been called a minx. ]

Oh, [ he sighs, thigh shifting under Liem's hand. His neck arches luxuriantly at the touch of his mouth, and he shoots Liem a breathless grin. ] That's me. Shame holds you back.

[ Matt says oh again, sharper this time, as Liem starts to kiss his neck in earnest. His hips roll against Liem's, seeking more of that addictive contact; his fingers curl over Liem's shoulder, then fist into the fabric of his shirt. ]

[Liem hadn't necessarily been expecting a laugh in response to his gentle admonishment. The bright sound flies into the air like a flock of colourful birds, tempting a smile from him as he nuzzles into Matt's neck. A soft, wanting sound escapes him, muffled by warm skin, at the roll of hips beneath his, and he rocks down against him to chase it. A long moment later, he pulls back from his kiss just enough to murmur against Matt's neck.]

Mm… It's doing a poor job of it right now.

[Usually shame holds Liem back quite effectively, but opportunities like this one present themselves to him so rarely. Now that he's already slipped into a moment's indulgence, he may as well properly enjoy it. He'll be berating himself later either way.

So he lingers at Matt's throat, sliding up to press another, softer kiss just beneath the line of his jaw. Then he draws back to finally admire the sanguine mark he's made.]

That looks so good on you…

[ This is one of Matt's favorite sensations in the universe: hips grinding against his while someone does things to his neck. Kissing, sucking, biting--he isn't picky as long as it makes his skin feel electric and hot, and Liem is doing an enviable job. Matt's hips squirm against him with fresh urgency.

Liem makes to pull back, and Matt loosens his hold just enough to allow it (though not enough to let go of his shirt). When Liem speaks--when he looks down at him in that arresting way--Matt breathes another rapt sigh. He wishes keenly that he could be touching more of him, and the urge comes out in a lowering of his lashes, a dip of his chin, and an earnest murmur: ]

Thank you for giving it to me.

[ Liem's sitting on him, so he probably can't help noticing exactly how much Matt liked getting that mark. Still, he feels the need to put words around it, to make a show of deference--even submission, if Liem likes. ]

[Although they know each other only through certain narrow avenues, in many ways not especially well, Matt seems to have a knack for finding Liem's buttons and getting his curious kitten paws all over them. Liem pulls back from him flushed, beguiled by the look he aims from beneath lowered lashes, hopelessly preoccupied by the growing excitement he feels pressed against his thigh. Desire makes his heart thump hard against his ribs. His lips part as his eyes flick wider, and he—

Can't help but want to dip back down to lick at the mark on his neck; to kiss his throat again and coax more of that hot, eager urgency from him; to find out what it would take to make him moan—or beg. He can't help wanting to hear his name on Matt's lips. He can't help wanting to use his teeth.

He glances away, unwilling to see his own naked appetite reflected in Matt's eyes, and swallows to unstick the breath that suddenly jumps into his throat.]

… Your arm. Is it uncomfortable to use it? Or touch it?

[ Their eyes meet, the contact searing. Matt's breathless as he waits for how Liem will answer him, what words those temptingly parted lips will form next. The moment stretches between them, Matt's blood pounding in his ears--

And Liem looks away.

... Huh. Matt thought that was about to go differently. Liem's signals now seem unambiguous--the change of focus, the change of subject--but Matt's brain can't help replaying the moments that came just before. The way he looked at him.

There's a beat before he replies. ]

It's okay. [ Liem is unlikely to believe "it doesn't hurt" at this point, but the liquor has taken the edge off marvelously. ] I wouldn't want to put weight on it or anything, but I think a little's okay at the elbow ...

Here.

[ Matt lifts the stump of his left wrist, wrapped in dark bandages, and presents his left arm for Liem's perusal. He's a bit hesitant, a little wary, but Liem asked: Liem can probably handle the answer. ]

You want to touch, and I'll tell you if it feels okay?

[ It's phrased as a question, but Matt sees himself as presenting a route forward, and he sounds that way. There's almost a soothing tone to his voice. ]

[Liem doesn’t look back at Matt until he speaks again—until he’s confident that his unfairly-inviting look has shifted into something less dangerous. He slows his breathing in an effort to combat the eager thudding of his heart. When he meets his eyes again, his expression is slightly sheepish.

Though his look both softens and steadies when Matt offers him his cloth-wrapped arm.]

Oh… Please do.

[Even with the invitation, he hesitates at first to touch it. The offer can’t erase his suspicion that he’ll inadvertently make the limb feel worse, regardless of his best intentions. For a moment he just looks, using his eyes to map the way muscle and bone terminates abruptly at the site of his missing hand.

But he does reach for the arm then, his fingers alighting first over Matt’s elbow, and skimming slowly along skin and then black cloth as he moves down his wrist. He stops before he reaches the stump itself, instead pausing his fingertips as gently as moths’ wings on the bandaged section just before his wrist bone. And he looks back down to meet his eyes.]

How’s this?

[ Matt's own feelings of uncertainty begin to melt away, starting as Liem looks at him. There's an intelligence behind that look, a careful weighing--and when Liem begins to touch his left arm, that's careful too. Part of Matt half-expected that it would hurt, the way it's hurt sometimes when his retainer bumps him the wrong way, and he'd have to try to manage the fact. Instead, it's just ... a lot. Surprisingly a lot. ]

That's good.

[ Murmured. After a long beat, Matt looks up to find Liem looking down at him. He exhales on a soft sigh, urging ease through his limbs--from his lungs through his veins, out to the tips of his fingers and blunt throb of his stump. ]

You're gentle, [ he adds, softer. Barely above a whisper. ] I like it.

[ No intentional provocation this time. Just the facts: Liem is gentle. Matt likes it. ]

[There have been many occasions in Liem’s life when by necessity, despite his own wants, he had to be cold, had to be hard and cruel and uncaring. And there have been occasions when he chose to be cautious, when he strove to do no harm—only for those in his life to question or even criticize him for holding back. For offering care and consideration when what they wanted was passion and warmth.

He has so rarely ever found himself to simply be enough, but Matt looks up at him with a kind of wary softness, he feels like in this instance at least, he has done the right thing. His fingers stroke the underside of his wrist, where his pulse beats beneath the sheath of bandages, and close loosely around it in a cool, pallid bracelet. Carefully, he coaxes the arm aside, back down to the roof beside his head.

And he leans down, gently, to find his lips again.]

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EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (VENERA)

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