aionlogs | EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

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EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... Mm, I have.

[ It's not technically true, but didn't he attend to his Shizun's needs as faithfully as any romantic partner? Even if it was never reciprocated? Binghe decides it counts.

He pauses, though, curious. ]

Is it for... someone who's here?

Haha, I wish. It'd be awesome if he was here.

[ ...Would it?? Would anyone sane want their loved one wrapped up in some strange galactic battle for the cosmos? Clearly, she's not thinking about it that way - she just wants her boyfriend to be here so she can be near him. Simple as that. ]

In the meantime, I thought it'd be nice to get him something from somewhere he's never heard about. He's bound to find that interesting. You know, you should do the same thing! [ She nudges him with an elbow, already bringing her eyes back to the wares in front of them both. ] It'd be a really impressive gift.

[ Binghe sure doesn't see anything wrong with that statement! After all, do they even know the worlds they came from are still there? They don't. If you can't keep your love interest where you can see them there's no way to make sure they're alive and still paying attention to you. It just makes sense! ]

Ah. [ He looks away, studying some of the trinkets on offer. ] No, I don't think he'd appreciate it.

[ He frowns slightly. ]

What is he like? Your... Is he your husband, or are you courting?

Heh. He's not my husband— yet. But he said he'll love me forever... so I'm sure we'll get married one day!

[ There's a mischievous note to her smile, and despite the obvious corniness to the phrase, it's clear in her expression and words that she fully believes it. ]

But how come they wouldn't appreciate it? Did you guys break up...?

Mm, something like that.

[ He looks at her, his frown deepening. ]

You can't trust people when they say things like that. That they'll always be there for you, or care about you, or whatever.

What? Why not?

[ ... 100% genuine question here, without an ounce of irony. She really is that gullible, it seems. In fact, in her mind, she's thinking his take on the matter has more to do with his (tragic) breakup than how things really are in the world. ]

[ He studies her face. She's really serious... Well, if someone had told him something like this a few years ago, he would have told them that might be true about most people, but they hadn't met his Shizun. But...

He shakes his head. ]

Think about it. Does he know everything about you? Can you know for certain that whatever you do in the future, whatever he finds out about you, he'll always accept all of it?

Even the kindest people in the world can change their minds.

[ She tilts her head, thinking it over for a few beats. Then, sincerely: ]

...But I don't care about that.

[ Her words are stubborn and naive, and she doesn't budge from her stance. ]

I'm irreplaceable to him... and that's enough.

[ Ack... well, she shouldn't elaborate on that too far, she reminds herself belatedly. It's hard to explain to someone without mentioning all the Death Note business. If Light continued to find her useful, then he'd stay by her side forever, she's sure. And if the moment came that he found her to be a burden, she already gave him the A-OK to kill her off. In a way, she does know for certain how things will end between them, if they ever do. ]

And anyway, he does know everything about me, I'll have you know. Everything important! There's no evil secret that would turn him away from me, if that's what you're wondering.

[ He smiles bitterly. ]

I thought I was irreplaceable once. Even if you truly believe no one else can do what you do for him... You can't really know that for sure.

[ If he knew it worked like that because Misa's bf is just, like, evil, Binghe would be SO jealous :/ ]

Says you. You don't know what you're talking about!

[ She crosses her arms petulantly, pouting, every part of her screaming I'm getting defensive. Then, she twists her lips into something more cruel. ]

I get that you're sad over your breakup, but it's not very nice to rain on other people's parades, you know! Didn't anyone ever teach you that?

[ Binghe scowls. It's a bit of a pouty scowl.

It's true that if someone had tried to tell him this when he was younger, nothing they could possibly have told him would have persuaded him. He realises that, and he realises that as such trying to convince Misa is pointless. But how much she's reminding him of his own younger self just makes him annoyed with her. He was an idiot then, to trust anyone!

He crosses his own arms. ]

What my mother taught me was that you'll only be hurt if you take things like that for granted. I should have taken that lesson to heart sooner.

Hmph. I don't take Light for granted! He's more important than the world to me!

[ Her scowl goes just as pouty as his, shoulders tensing up as she hugs herself tighter with her crossed arms. ]

I'll die before I let anyone else replace me in his heart. So I don't have anything to worry about, get it?

[ She's being...... serious.... the comment lacks the comical tone a line like that might take in fiction. ]

[ His frown deepens. ]

And what if he lets you die, then?

Then I'd die for him. I'd be happy to!

[ Her words come out blunt, firm. ]

I'd die for him at any time... and he already knows that. So, bleh.

[ And then she sticks out her tongue at him, with all the maturity of a five year old. ]

[ Bristling: ] And what if he was the one to kill you?

[ Of course he has no idea that this is well within what Misa considers an acceptable outcome. ]

Then he would probably have a reason to.

[ She crosses her arms, defiantly, visually not disturbed by the concept of dying at the hands of her boyfriend. ]

[ Binghe's eyes widen. He looks indignant. Maybe a little haunted. ]

And you would... accept that? Whatever the reason was?

Why wouldn't I? You should trust your own soulmate.

[ She remains firm, not perturbed by negative reaction. It's now become less about defending her position and more about an haughty attempt to shut him down for ever trying to push doubt onto her. ]

Not that he'd ever do anything like that, [ she looks off to the side. ] But my Light is someone who's really smart and always thinks everything through. If it ever came down to it, I would trust that he'd thought about it.

[ Sticking her nose up, she pushes the trinkets she'd bought into her purse, her frown deepening. ]

I guess you've just never loved anyone like that.

[ He takes a step towards her, aggravated. ]

You don't know what you're talking about. My teacher was one of the wisest and most knowledgeable immortal cultivators in all the righteous sects. I--

[ He cuts himself off, clenching his jaw. He doesn't want to talk about that. It doesn't matter any more if everything is gone. BUT. Misa INSULTED HIS SHIZUN? ]

[ Oh, looks like she hit a nerve. Instead of getting intimidated by him taking a step towards her, she instead feels pettily, maliciously vindicated that his feelings are hurt. There's a nasty edge to the smirk she dons, and she doesn't move an inch from where she is, standing her ground. It's not often that she feels so directly mean-spirited, but she just can't stand someone undermining Light. ]

Oh, but, I do know what I'm talking about. If your teacher is so wise and knowledgeable, then what does that mean if they broke up with you?

[ Doesn't that mean they thought it through and decided it was for the best? This guy is talking down to her over breaking up with someone like that? It's so funny that she could laugh. In fact, she does, a little. ]

[ His eyes flash in indignation. The urge to explain further is almost overwhelming; he fights to hold himself back. ]

This lowly one very well understands his worthlessness. However -- when a man's actions contradict each other so profoundly -- I cannot believe even you would be able to simply accept it!

[ His continued frustration with the situation only fuels her haughtiness— she waves a hand in a dismissive gesture. ]

I told you. You wouldn't get it. If you love someone as much as I do, then it would be obvious.

[ Only someone with a similar level of devotion to her could understand feeling this way... in her mind. Sometimes, there are people you would do anything for. That you would die for, no matter the circumstances. If he can't understand that, then his love must be inferior to her own— that has to be it. ]

No. Blindly agreeing to everything -- not wanting even to try to understand him? That would not be love! If you were really in love you wouldn't accept that so easily!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT #2: HEARTS LIKE YOURS (ACHAMOTH)

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oh my god. im so sorry about my smalls on that last tag. i didnt even notice

YOURE TOTALLY FINE

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