[CLOSED]

[aionpcs]

WHO: Makoto and an Abyssal Tear in Reality (The Regent)
WHAT: The Regent has saved Makoto from the clutches of the Innocence entity, but at what cost?
WHERE: The Void
WHEN: Day 9 of Sovereign Citizens
WARNINGS: N/A

As the gate closes, Makoto will find himself awash in a bitter sea. It is empty and a cacophony all at once, a deep pit of howling disappointment, regret, and futility. Like the shattered remains of untold souls, only their despairs remaining, he is hounded by a multitude and is painfully alone all the same. Life has no place here. Not even the life of a Kenoma.

So, perhaps it isn't surprising when his first bit of company comes in a familiar yet undefined form, swathed in robes made of the same blackness that surrounds them. He can tell it's the Regent, even if he won't be certain how. Is he truly seeing anything at all, or is it a trick of the mind, trying to make sense of the immaterial?

"I don't often bring my Kenoma here," they comment, an ease to their observation despite the intensity of the scene Makoto was pulled from. "Not when they are still so new."

Comments

[affal]

There are some that might be tempted to rest on their laurels, once they were properly presented with them. But the only thing Makoto has seen complacency earn demons is embarrassment as smarter, more ambitious, and more driven demons sweep them off of their perches, either forcing them into ignoble dead-ends or even to their own extinguishment. If he feels the Regent’s eye on him, he will feel even more pressure to do everything he possibly can.

He dips his head. “I’ll do everything in my power.”

His power — what little there was, now bolstered considerably by what the Regent had instilled in him. The thought of it causes a riot of nerves to seize up in his stomach; it’s hard to parse at first, but the closest thing it reminds him of is how he felt when he was still human, so fearful of what he might be forced to do should his compulsions overwhelm his self-control (and self-loathing). But this is different still, just as he’s different still: more like the sudden realization of a new capability and the sudden responsibility and expectation that came with it. Judiciousness has never been Makoto’s strong suit, not in the heat of the moment when his blood boils and races blindly through his veins, even when his own safety is on the line — by this point, with his track record, that might be obvious. But rather than a strength stolen or personally discovered, this was one willingly given… He doesn’t want to misuse or squander it.

“Yes, Your Excellency. I will keep your warning in mind.” A brief pause. “I feel like I understand that about the Kenoma now, more than ever.” Memories of what he saw and what he felt in the Void press into the space behind his eyelids every time he blinks. He tries to ignore the thought, forcing himself to his feet; it’s not a very graceful movement, as all of the injuries and events of the last several hours now catch up with him now.

“If there’s nothing else you would tell me… I would ask for your leave.”

With his head bowed somewhat, he can see that he’s left the floor a bloody whorl beneath his feet. He frowns, after a moment adding, “And my apologies for bleeding on the floor.”

[aionpcs]

"You may have it," the say. "And no need. I am quite accustomed to it."

Makoto will be free to rest up and seek medical attention from the Citadel's healers. Further words don't seem necessary.