EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

[aionmods]

Achamoth

A DEITY'S WELCOME

After only a day or two on the river, the newly christened Kenoma will arrive in the city of Achamoth. The architecture is the more striking things about it, as if its skyline has been built up and constantly improved over many centuries. It's clear from even the riverside view that there is an artistic tendency towards building humanoid shapes into the supports and detailing of structures here, creating the strange effect of placing hundreds of silhouettes in your peripheral vision. If you ask the sailors why its like that, they will simply say it's the way its always been. Any metaphorical seed was planted long before anyone here was born.

The Citadel can be seen even from the entrance of the city, a towering spiral that looms over the rest of the land around it, lit from within by various magical energies. That's your destination, you are told. Soon, you will be passed into the care of the Citadel's staff, and will be sure to meet with city's elites not long after.

They aren't wrong. When you show up at the port closest to the Citadel, the street are always lined with people waiting to greet you. It's easy to recognize now how diverse the population of Horos can be, with many of those waiting showing off unusual heights, colors, and appendages, though appearances that are typically 'human' are still the most common. Most of them wear dark outfits with a gothic flare, with mask-like facial adornments apparently being fashionable. They cheer and chant as you come down from the boat, tossing flower petals and small gemstones onto the path you walk upon. This continues all the way to the Citadel.

Once you are inside, up winding paths of stairs, you will be shown to your new quarters to rest. You're each assigned a lavish bedroom with servants stopping by ever so often, offering to bring you food, clothing, or other items of comfort. There are a variety of soaps in your room's private bath. You are told that if you take a liking to any individual servant that you may claim them as your permanent retainer, though you are not required to. Their dispositions range from euphoric to be serving you to quiet and shy, but there is a notable lack of resentment.

After about a day of rest, you will be brought an official invitation by one of the servants. Apparently, the Regent has requested your presence for supper that evening. It is not optional.

THE FEAST

A few hours before suppertime, one of the servants will arrive to take you 'clothes shopping' for something appropriately formal to wears for your meeting with the Regent. In practice, this means taking you to one of several changing rooms filled with costly formal wear. The styles and sizes are diverse, which makes sense when you are informed that they are a collection of offerings from local weavers and seamstresses, some of which have been waiting for an owner for quite some time. From an Earthly point of view, there is a wide spectrum of cultural aesthetics, though most of them lean towards the same dark colors and gothic sensibilities that you saw the citizens of Achamoth wearing. Headpieces and artistic masks are plentiful, but not mandatory though the servant will tell you they are in vogue. A servant will be able to make alterations to your clothing with magic to achieve a proper fit.

After that, you have a couple more hours to prepare before you are invited to a lounge-like area for pre-meal drinks. You can get almost any kind of cocktail you can imagine, including some you can't, and will be allowed to chat each other up for about an hour before the feast begins. Some small appetizers are available, and soft, rhythmic music plays in the background. If you look for her, Xishen is present as well, dressed in a black evening gown with golden accents that flicker like stars in the night sky, her long hair pinned up into a messy bun and decorated with hair-sticks. As usual, she seems to be avoiding company for the moment, though she is keeping an eye on everyone. Perhaps she's counting heads to make sure there are no stragglers.

When the time arrives, two huge doors are opened, leading you into a room that looks like a mixture of a dining room and a cathedral. Ahead of you, three long takes are connected together in the shape of a triangle, with a large throne positioned at the point furthest into the room; it is presently empty. You'll be instructed to take a seat, basking in the multicolored flames of the candles and torches lighting the room. As you find your places, all seats will be filled except for the throne up front, with Xishen at its side. All you can do now is await your host.

[Mealtime interactions with the Regent can be threaded here. They will arrive right after the first course has been served.]

EXPLORATION

Having survived supper with the Regent, the next few weeks are essentially yours to plan. Though the Regent indicates that there is work for you to do on the Horizon, for now your orders are to simply rest and prepare. You'll have access to the Citadel's armory to acquire any basic armor or weaponry you could need; though none of what's on offer seems to be enchanted, it is undoubtedly the work of a master. Clothing is much the same as it was for the formal wear you picked out, though you will find there are more practical offerings available as well. If you don't find anything to your tastes, you are also welcome to go out on the town with a generous allowance from the Regent's own coffers.

Clothing isn't the only thing you can get out in the city, though. While there are material goods of many kinds available, the most tempting thing for many residents is the raw hedonism of the city's entertainment district. It has just about anything you could imagine, from day spas to gambling to brothels, and none of it is contained by the burden of law. Any Achamite entertainment seen as too intense to face daylight would certainly not be for the faint of heart.

The locals haven't had enough time to recognize the city's new Aions on sight, but if they see your shard or or any other sign of your status, you are bound to attract a lot of attention. You're a celebrity in these streets, and while it can get you plenty of favors or even unsolicited offerings, it can also be quite overwhelming. In many cases, Achamite's religious fervor exceeds their survival instinct, at least in terms of the ones most likely to bother you. They will back off if threatened by you, but they will take politeness as an invitation to continue.

When leaving the Citadel, a servant will usually try to accompany you, though they will stay behind if you order them to do so. They insist that it will be easier for you to get around with a dedicated guide, but in the end you're the one in charge.

QUESTIONS

How does my character picking a retainer work?
All Kenoma are offered the opportunity to take on an NPC retainer after arriving at the Citadel. This retainer will be an NPC created and played by you. They will be available day and night to attend to your character's needs. These servants understand the Regent largely from a religious perspective and will not have any outspoken anti-Regent sentiments, though they may or may not be nervous about their new master. Generally speaking, though, this is in a new job jitters sort of way, as working in the Citadel is considered to be a job of great cultural and religious significance. They want to do a good job! You are free to develop your retainer's personality and relationship with your character. If your character (or you) are not interested in having a personal retainer, they will instead be served by a rotation of unattached servants.

How much money are Kenomas given for shopping?
They will be given an emerald's worth in jools, which is 1000 units. This is about how much a minimum wage worker makes in two months. They will continue receiving spending money on a monthly basis, though the Citadel itself will take care of all of their needs. On an OOC level its safe to say that average city expenditures will be covered by the money they are given, though they are welcome to invest that money in making more money if they have to skills to do so.

What sorts of things are there in the entertainment district? Is anything illegal?
Almost everything is legal in Achamoth when it comes to entertainment, and there is not much government oversight in the way anything is run. This means that most 'entertainment' you can imagine is both present and largely unregulated, and it doesn't need to be underground on account of how permissive Achamite law is. Brothels, drugs, and even bloodsport are all fair game... technically, participants in brothels and bloodsports must be willing but that 'consent' can be pretty nebulous. 'Extreme' bloodsport is generally hush hush (those that are particularly graphic and unpleasant, or basically torture) and behind closed doors mostly just to avoid causing a fuss.

The one thing there is official rulings on, straight from the Regent, is the enforcement of 'age of consent' and laws against child abuse. Children are generally not allowed to participate in those skeevier activities and there is a cultural expectation for people to raise their children properly, though this still goes wrong fairly frequently. It's just one of the things that is actually punished. Adults, however, have fewer innate protections.

Comments

[epiprocta]

[ Gen raises an eyebrow at that, because if he had a nickel for each time he's run into a girl here who's involved with the fashion celebrity life, he'd have two nickels, etc. And also, he vaguely wonders what the hell kind of creepy perv they're about to meet if he's decided to kidnap(?) eyecandy models as well as people to fight for him.

Ugh, whatever. Like anything here makes sense anyway. ]

... yeah, guess they're kinda different.

[ Not that he knows a lot about meet and greets; he's never been that into the fashion or celebrities. But he can't anything so pedestrian comes even close to the creepy vibes here. There's the quiet grind of metal as the lighter's wheel completes another slow rotation under his thumb as Gen continues surveying their surroundings -- before suddenly looking back to her, as if realizing something. ]

Wait, what'd you do, then? During that fight. That creepy bi -- woman made it sound like we were required to get our hands dirty.

[ And the way Gen looks Lottie over makes it clear he doesn't see her as much of a fighter. ]

[oomfies]

[ Hmm. Well, that answer is easy: nothing. Mainly? Dissociate. Hide in a corner somewhere and then panic and cry by herself. Predictably, this is not what Lottie says at all. She doesn't even fault him for staring at her like that (wouldn't be the first!). ]

Oh, you know.. I just bandaged up some needy people after everything.

[ Vague, but still generally answering his question to the best of her ability. There's no way, even in this little corner they have for themselves, is she going to out herself for not knowing how to be useful in this world. ]

I think she's just trying to get used to being overwhelmed by our presence. [ Clearly, this is Lottie trying to be nice. It is an extremely weird attempt at "nice", but it comes off less condescending than it should, considering her choice of words. She gestures towards all the other people in the room, ] I mean, we're kind of a big deal here..

[epiprocta]

[ ........... right, so she was probably useless. Sorry Lottie, can't just sneak that by his judgemental ass. Especially when she says something nice about Xishen afterwards, and his expression promptly wrinkles with disdain. ]

Did you already forget about all that shit that happened in the cave before the fight? That ritual? Getting used to us, my ass. I don't trust that woman any further than I could throw her.

[ His voice had risen a notch during that irate comment, and when Gen notices a passing server giving him a wide-eyed, nervous stare, he hurriedly clears his throat and ducks his head. Leans back against the wall, stowing his lighter away once more and stuffing his hands in his pockets. ]

... 'big deal' is one way of putting it. Creeped me the fuck out, all that cheering when we first got here. Doesn't feel right.

[ It's only after the words leave his mouth that he realizes Lottie might have different feelings on the matter if she's the type to be invited to meet-and-greets, and he glances at her just to gauge her reaction. ]

[oomfies]

[ Yup! She sure did! Lottie stares at him and goes, 'oh', before remembering yeah.. Those things sure did happen. Some were traumatic.

(No wonder she didn't even bother to commit it to memory!)

Still, she understands entirely where he's coming from - she's just not so committed to expressing her slights about it in public. Which is why she makes sure to laugh at his comment about Xishen, trying her best to put on the blogger smile and look like 1) either he said something hilarious or 2) he's definitely joking and, really, just a hater! Another server, the second that passes by, seems to just be curious by the interaction instead of shocked. She's turns a little closer towards him and proceeds to frown, ]

Obviously. [ She hides her snort behind her glass of water, for once actually taking a sip. ] I'm getting cult-y vibes. Plus, some of the rocks kinda hurt when I stepped on them..

[epiprocta]

[ Sorry Lottie, for all her hard work trying to smooth over that graceless comment of his, she's repaid with Gen giving her a scathing Look. Because if the worst she experienced was some unpleasant rocks to step on, she really got it off easy in that cave, didn't she.

... whatever. Everyone's weird here. He gets it.

Gen graciously decides to refrain from saying anything shitty about her for now, instead raising a hand to scuff a hand through his hair -- his usual nervous tic -- before stopping himself. Instead stiffly lowering his hand and tugging restlessly at the neck of his clothes as he nods. ]

Yeah, cult shit, you could say. [ Practically whispering with how close together they're standing by this point. ] ... cornering people, making'em think they have a choice before letting'em live the high life for a moment. It's classic yakuza techniques, too. Not like I disagree with everything these people've been saying, but ... creeps me out.

[oomfies]

[ There's a long, awkward, pause after Gen finishes speaking. ]

I'm sorry but, did you say yakuza?

[ This is not said with any sort of disdain or shock, but asked with a little bit of cringe™ thrown in there. Is this guy just a nerd who's obsessed with the culture or like, you know?? ]

..How do you even know what is a 'classic' yakuza technique??

[epiprocta]

[ Gen jerks back to shoot Lottie a low-key offended look.

Oh he hears that cringe. He's a teenager, of course he hears that cringe. And while he normally avoids outright talking about this shit -- he can't just leave the impression that he's some sort of cringy poser, can he. (The alcohol might have loosened his tongue a touch.) ]

My family works with that kinda business.

[ Not said with any pride per se, but it said too bluntly to be a bluff. Probably. ]

[oomfies]

[ Huh.. Interesting. Lottie still doesn't really believe him, but also she thinks lying about being part of the yakuza sure seems like a weird thing to do all considering. She takes a sip of her water, ]

I thought they aren't as big anymore?

[ That's at least what her grandma told her!! ]

[epiprocta]

[ He just barely refrains from rolling his eyes, but the look on his face makes it clear he thinks that's a stupid question. ]

On a large scale, sure. But people who work those kinds of businesses are always gonna be out there.

[ Pause. ]

Where're you from, anyway. [ Since she's clearly not Japanese. But probably from some version of earth, if she's familiar with 'yakuza.' ] Bet wherever it is, it has its own dangerous shit. Just a matter of whether you pay attention to it or not.

[oomfies]

[ There's a long pause as she eyes him down, wondering just how old he is to respond like this to a fairly harmless question. ]

..Why are you so judgmental?

[ She settles on, barely biting but firm enough to let him know she's still taking this a little personally. Even if he is right, she doesn't particularly pay attention to the news unless it involves her (this includes murders, which, have happened regrettably - Lottie refuses to go to court again!). ]

It's not like I was invalidating your family's work or anything.. It's just what I heard! It's not like I live in Japan all year.

[epiprocta]

[ He ignores the bit about him being judgmental, though he doesn't deny it, either. (Sorry Lottie, he's a male teenager, which means he's really a member of the most judgmental and insufferable demographic in existence.) ]

Not like I care about validating my family's work. [ Lottie's response does seem to have dampened the edge to his words though, and he huffs quietly as he looks away. ] It's just a stupid question. Unless you're a cop or something, for most people it won't matter if they're 'not as big' or whatever. They'll still target who they target, regardless of how 'big' they are.

[ Pause. ]

Why d'you sound so calm about this shit, anyway. Most people at least start backing off.

[ She's not actually a cop, is she. ]

[oomfies]

[ All Lottie effectively hears is 'blah blah BIG blah blah'. She's tuned out pretty much the majority of what he's saying, as she's already got a much shorter answer from him less than a few moments ago. But at his question about her being calm, she inhales sharply.

Instinctually, she wants to reply with, 'I'm sorry, but I have bigger things to worry about. Like being a rock, now? And being in an entirely different universe with magic and weirdos??' But she reasons with herself (this is difficult to do) to not be explosive. Still, she snaps back - ]

What does yakuza or cops or whatever matter now? Look around where we are. Literally, the least of our concerns!

1/2

[epiprocta]

[ That snapped remark is enough to earn the attention of a passing server, who looks over with a start. And while Gen's silent at first, only giving the server a stony stare until they take the hint and go back to their work, there's irritation clear in the narrow of his eyes and the haughty tilt of his head when he looks back to Lottie. ]

Yeah, you're right. Guess we should be talking about something else, instead. So how many people're you willing to kill for the Regent, huh?

[ Even rendered low, the deadpan of his voice has a harder edge to it; he leans in closer to stare at Lottie down the slope of his nose. ]

Or you the type to want to take'em in alive? Maybe that's preferable. 'Cause then breaking'em's not your responsibility any more, yeah? But you'll still gotta bring'em in somehow. You wanna be a honeypot instead? Just backstab'em while they're distracted by your cutesy model shtick? You excited to see how they look when you hand'em over to the people here, huh?

[epiprocta]

[ He'd growled that tirade in a single breathless burst, looming closer over her the entire while, but Gen huffs afterward and abruptly pulls back. Crosses his arms as he stares back over their opulent surroundings. ]

... I just know to stick to what I know, unless I don't have a choice. Your choice if you think you're too good for that.

[ Read: 'I'm trying to distract myself from reality for now. Maybe you should too.' ]

[oomfies]

[ Her first response to having someone invade her space is to raise a hand to shove him away. Lottie only gets as far as raising her hand until her ears are forced to pick up his tone, and she realizes she can't tear her eyes away from his, for some strange reason. She thinks it's because things like this don't happen often - maybe with her sisters or a sickeningly sort of bitter with Caroline - but his irritation is so palpable it makes her mad.

Frankly, by the end of it, and when he draws away, she barely digested anything of what he said. It's clear in the way she's looking at him, but not quite looking at him. Really, just the intensity of his tone and his harsh he was. Even when he calms down, Lottie fails to really pick up on his (strange, wordily worded) threat that he doesn't particularly want to talk about the topic she chose. The only thing she really decipher is that this guy is the last person she wants to be near, that he's an annoying man, and she thinks her eyes are watering. Are there flowers in here? Is this because her heart's picking up and she doesn't like being yelled at?

She shoves her water into the hands of a nearby waiter, who rushes to pick it up. All she can think about is, is that what everyone thinks she is? Some type of hot freak ready to cause chaos like this guy? Who smokes cigarettes inside and doesn't even care about the smell?? ]

Have fun at dinner.

[ Is all she says, choosing to separate herself, walk out of the waiting room to blow her nose, before she says anything scathing that might bite her in the ass later. ]