aionlogs | EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

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EVENT #3: THE COST OF INNOCENCE

The Cost of Innocence

INVESTIGATION

As the Aions arrive in Venera, they will find the natural beauty of the city in sharp contrast to its uncomfortable aura. Though the sun still shines and flowers still bloom in a place filled with physical vibrancy and life, the air itself is impossibly still, as if wind no longer blows. You can taste the stagnancy of it when you breathe, and the pleasant sights only make that feeling of absence more haunting. The streets are mostly empty, with most of the city's residents hiding away in their homes, fearing the touch of whatever illness has caused this. That is, all the citizens besides those most affected, who wander the streets in a lifeless and painless daze.

Normally, Venera would be occupied by both Hylician and Achamite soldiers, but it quickly becomes apparent that both have abandoned the city, only guarding its furthest outskirts. Their reasons vary: the Achamite soldiers seem to take religious objection to the feeling of the city, believing it to be some trickery of the Innocent, while the Hylicians simply see it as a plague they have no interest in catching or spreading. Because of this, it will be easy for Aions of both sects to explore with little pushback from any form of law enforcement. The Kenoma will be directed into the city with warnings about the potential physical and spiritual danger while Pleroma will be able to sneak in mostly unbothered. After all, no one is eager to follow you.

Most shops and businesses are currently closed, though some uninfected individuals still nervously keep watch over their workplaces, fearing potential looting. It's difficult, but not impossible, to find people to talk to, and while the most plentiful wanderers are the infected, the reactions from those with their minds still intact will vary. Some will be eager to speak to anyone who looks like they're trying to do something about their situation, desperate for any source of outside help. If revealed you are an Aion, this may either entice them even further or cause them to retreat, as if fearing that you are somehow to blame for their plight. For those that are enticed, it will become clear that they hold onto faith that Aions are in Horos to save them, and will tell these new arrivals whatever they can without discriminating between sects.

The base level information that can be found is thus: the infection began at the same levels it has been in the rest of Horos, only for the numbers of the afflicted to rapidly accelerate upon the coming of the Innocent's Moon. Some see it as a form of divine punishment for their cooperation with the Regent, while the less cooperative citizens see it as a malady brought about by the Aions themselves, their only hope being that they will be able to clean up the mess they made. Some citizen have managed to corral their inflicted loves ones into their rooms and will be willing to introduce you; most of these individuals are past the point of conversation, and seem fully lost to whatever fantasy world they are experiencing. They are disinterested in eating or drinking and it seems like, without help, they are destined for a slow death of starvation and atrophy. That is, if their apathetic state doesn't result in a severe accident, as it has in many cases already.

Any other clues will take more dogged investigation. It will be a day or so after the majority of Aions have arrived in the city that the first signs of their own infections become clear.

HEAVENLY BODIES

The first to feel its effects will be the Innocents, Lovers, and Celebrants; like a voice has fully awakening to them, whispering of how their touch can be the cure to the others' pain. It bids them to take their fellow Aions into their loving embrace, to share this gift, as only suffering lies ahead. It expresses without words that it will be a shield for their Aion kindred, and that those that accept will become their outstretched hands to a cosmos that craves peace. Any form of physical contact with those three Legacies will either introduce or rapidly accelerate the infections experienced by the others, this effect only becoming more intense if the wielder intentionally forces the power of this strange entity into their victims.

Even without that accelerating touch, however, other Aions are not necessarily safe; the infection will still seep in, albeit more slowly. All Aions may experience a growing feeling of connection to the infected Venerans, as if the energy within them is being drawn into their their own bodies. As the Aion's symptoms worsen, the the ones suffered by the Venerans will gradually lessen, though not go away entirely. It seems that the Aions soaking up this strange power is enough to take the edge off of what is happening to the citizens: but at what cost?

Various symptoms will manifest in afflicted Aions with outcomes far more diverse and devastating than what the Veneran civilians have experienced. Visionaries, Firebrands, and Artisans will suffer the most catastrophic symptoms, the clash between their spiritual natures and that of the Innocence being the most extreme. This malady is characterized by its innate desire to quell its victims of their resistance, smothering them in artificial peace, even if it has to deprive them of their bodies and minds to do so.

It is not without treatment, however. It will gradually become apparent that feelings of intense suffering or upset are capable of purging the infection, that clash with painful reality seeming to wake them up from their trance and reduce or eliminate physical symptoms. The more intense the distress, the more effective it will be. Fortunately, this heightening of Aion spiritual energy has the added consequence of making empathic communion connections far more acute. Instead of just transmitting and receiving emotions and thoughts, Aions will find themselves more easily able to enter the delusions and memories of their kindred, drawing them out and manipulating them for this purpose. The catch is that they will only be able to access what is on the surface of the other Aion's mind.

When an infection is reduced or expelled this way, the energy causing it seems to be dispelled from the city, lowering the intensity of its ambient effects. While similar can be done to Veneran citizens to help treat them, the energy will not leave, and will either go into the Aion casting it out or return to the nebulous source of Innocence and eventually infect someone else. Something about going through the Aions specifically seems to act as a filter, as unpleasant of a way as it is to help.

IN THE SILENCE

For those unlucky enough to develop complete, or near complete, infections (IE. a full Innocence petrification) a presence will awaken within them regardless of their Legacy. It will urge them to join with it, to embrace the peace it offers, and to become the extensions of their will in this ravaged world. With an infection of this intensity, there will be little they can do but to hear its call. What exactly this would ultimately entail is unclear, but there is the sense that his entity is looking to join with you on a spiritual level. If your character becomes infected to this degree please let us know under the Committed Actions toplevel below along with the context of that transformation and whether or not they are being cured from it. You may receive some additional information in return!

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Venera?
The quickest travel paths are for Kenoma to take a boat from Achamoth, which will take about a day, and for Pleroma to teleport to the Celebrant's shrine and take either a carriage or river boat to the city (there are offshoot rivers not marked on the setting map). The riverboats would be the faster option option of the two, and would also take about a day. The carriages/delivery carts would be slower and take a couple days, but have relay access to horses and therefore could keep going overnight. Characters with flight are also able to use that, though flying right into the city might cause a bit of spectacle. Then again, none of the local law enforcement is eager to chase you at the moment.

Are Veneran civilians experiencing the same symptoms as the Aions?
Veneran civilians are only experiencing apathy/loss of self/daydreaming and maybe the loss of pigments/color for advanced cases. The more body horror orientated effects are Aion only and are being caused by their body's spiritual makeup.

Can 'cured' Aions be reinfected?
Yes! Even if cured or treated, symptoms can return or worsen again. This will keep happening until the build up of Innocence energy in Venera is entirely expunged, at which point the illness will fade away across the continent. Whether or not the Aions mere presence will be enough to trigger that is yet unknown, but it does seem to be helping lessen the effects suffered by the civilians, at least.

How long does the infection period last in Aions?
Chronologically, we are considering the infection period of the plot to last 2-3 days.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ she's clued in to one of his weakest spots without a doubt; Abel is indeed a sucker for a good dose of physical affection, especially with fond company (of which Misa certainly applies). there's no need to feign contentment here as they amble along the stagnant streets of Venera, far too quiet for any city of this magnitude to be; it is a rather surreal backdrop to an otherwise pleasant reunion thus far... ]

Ha-- he's a discerning fellow, you know? Much as I hate to say it, with things as they are... I suppose it makes sense he would-be mum! [ Abel might pick and choose what he divulges as well, but it's likely he will be more forthcoming and open than his dear dog-eared friend. ] Things have been-- ah. Interesting... a bit hard to put into words, and I don't mean that in some attempt to be vague or anything, Miss Misa-- it's... It's really the sort of thing where I don't really know where to start, you know?

[ their separation after the cavern had led from one oddity to the next, and trying to get acclimated in a foreign world had with no resources to their name was absolutely a work in progress. ]

We're making due, at least. It's a bit messy, but we're finding our way... and I hope that outside of nice accommodations, you've been treated kindly and things are going well for you, too...?

[ his concern isn't for the lavish life of an Aion of Achamoth... but rather the person who had seen her delivered there in the first place. the Regent... what is Misa's day-to-day like beneath them? ]

[ Misa takes his words in with genuine interest— it doesn't feel like she's heard an honest thing about the Pleroma in all the days she spent here in Venera. Which, as he says, is to be expected. But Abel's words, vague as they are, come from an actual place of truth - it's an indication that things for the Pleroma aren't nearly as organized as they are for the Kenoma. All this time, she'd imagined they would've all been banded together in some similar way... ]

Oh, yeah, I've been treated really kindly! A lot better than a bunch of the Kenoma, just saying.

[ There's a bit of prideful humor there - she's clearly very confident of her standing in Achamoth, and comfortable with where her life is at present. She's never once been admonished by them, and if Xishen is to be believed, then she's about to get a GOOD JOB for organizing the welcome of the new Kenoma. In every sense of her being, she seems like she has not a thing to worry about. ]

I mean, you must have talked to other Kenoma, since you know about the Citadel...? Did you think things wouldn't be going well for me?

Edited 2022-05-23 09:02 (UTC)

[ that Misa has been treated well is a relief; that she has fared better than some of the other Kenoma isn't entirely surprising considering his meeting with Emet-Selch, but... it still makes that little niggle of worry in his gut harder to ignore. the Regent's standards are an unknown to him; could this person turn on her? on any of them if they don't live up to expectations? what those expectations are... it's a complete mystery to any of the Pleroma. he wonders if the Kenoma, too, know what the Regent truly wants of them.

but his smile remains where it is and he nods along, feigning he's unbothered by this Worrying Information, tucking it away for later. ]

Well, admittedly... what I heard wasn't much-- just that it was rather lavish and excruciatingly wonderful, as far as accommodations were concerned... um, and something about a dinner? [ it really sounds like he knows more than he does, not that he's aware it was more than a meal-- ] But it's hard for me to imagine that any man or woman worth their salt would find you anything but charming, of course~! A fool wouldn't prize Miss Misa's company, so there really wasn't any doubt in my mind, you know...

Aw, you're such a sweetie, Abel. [ She gives his arm an affectionate squeeze. ] I wish everyone in the Kenoma was as nice as you are.

[ It's a small airheaded little comment, but it does speak to the fact that she sees herself as inherently different from the rest of her newfound kin. Her appraisal of the majority of her comrades is that they're all a bunch of either way-too-serious, fun hating, or somewhat wishy-washy jerks. There are few, if any, of the Kenoma that enable her in such a straightforward way, and in return, her affection for the other only grows. ]

I mean, the Regent appreciates my efforts, but mostly everyone else, all they do is complain even when I do something nice for them. I guess that makes them all fools, doesn't it?

Edited 2022-05-24 01:29 (UTC)

[ ah... those little comments really are adding up, and Abel gives a soft, quizzical (and mildly troubled) blink at that offhandedly remark.

but then Misa is smoothly moving on, and Abel is forced to move right along with her. (oh, dear; he really is developing a Fear here...) ]

Is that so...? Goodness; I see I'm going to have to prepare some lectures at this rate! Mm, this simply won't do. Not giving my Miss Misa the appreciation she deserves...?! Deplorable.

[ he's pulling a face, shaking his head as if this is some true and unconscionable travesty. FOR SHAME, PEOPLE. ]

You'll have to give me a list of those I need to set straight~! Hmph. The hall of some people, unbelievable...

[ Misa snickers. Chatting with Abel truly is the best. It's no fun having no one that'll play along with her in Achamoth. And distantly, she really, really wishes things could be this way all the time, that she could find some way to bring him to the city, and they could team up and make all of the Kenoma put up with their combined antics. Real as that desire is, coexisting with it is an acceptance that she can play like this safely for a time, a limited time. A time that will come to an end, likely brutally and harshly.

For the time being, it's fine with her to play at being friends. In the long run, it won't make a difference to her. So why not have fun while she can? ]

How about starting with that stuffy Eustace? I've had enough of him acting so annoyed with me. You should teach him a lesson!

[ And why would she say this? Because she thinks it'd simply be funny for Eustace to get annoyed in the future by Abel. And according to Gen's account, he instigated a fight at her party, after she spent so much time on it? This is what he deserves? And she conveniently forgot that he was actually nice to her at the end of the party?

That, and she doesn't actually want Abel to go after some of the harsher critics she's come across - some of the Kenoma, she can sense, look down on her condescendingly, and not in the 'exasperated annoyance' way. Probably better to keep things all fun and games and jokes, keep up the façade that this all some lighthearted game to her. ]

[ thank goodness he isn't a mind reader, because girl.......... he will cry, ]

Eustace? [ he isn't familiar with the name because NO ONE likes INTRODUCING THEMSELVES to a certain priest??? this is an injustice, but if this is the way Abel learns his dog-eared stoic 'friend's' name? that seems fitting, surely that would stick all the harder in Eustace's craw and delight Misa, too. ] Um-- who is that, exactly? I'm sorry, but I'm really terrible with names in the first place-- and there were quite a few people who rudely refused introductions, if you could believe it...

[ like who would do that?? miscreants. horrible. ]

Oh! He's this grumpy looking guy, with these black pointy dog ears. His hair is white and covers one of his eyes. I'd say he's tall, too, but I think you're taller than mostly everyone, huh? Either way, you can't miss him.

[ These are Eustace's defining traits to her... She rattles off his physical description quick as can be, apparently not thinking about how giving out the identities of her fellow Kenoma could be a problem? It's probably fine. Makes sense that Eustace doesn't introduce himself to Pleromas, but why does it matter that much? Surely there's someone on that side that knows him? She's not gonna worry about it. ]

--Oh! Oh, oh, I know just who you're talking about!

[ the grumpy dog-eared man...!! Abel is nodding along at this sudden revelation; that is one face that now has a name attached; ty for your service lil Misa... bless. mwah. she's flawless. ]

And now that you mention it, he does take himself entirely too seriously, doesn't he? He's always like--

[ Abel's pulling a faux serious, sober expression, a flat affect crossing over his face. ]

I'm dark and brooding despite my charming dog ears. --Ah, wait, this is already inaccurate... I don't think he'd even say as much aloud at one time without combusting internally.

[ Misa bursts out into genuine laughter at Abel's impression, something more boisterous and sudden than her typical brand of cutesy giggles. ]

No, exactly! He's really just like that. Always frowning or scolding me somehow...

[ She releases one of her arms from hugging his, but only to clap her hands together at his very accurate portrayal of Kenoma's premier dogboy. ]

People like that, it's like they want to stay mad, right? I bet there's a Eustace on your team, too.

[ o-oh, he's getting a standing ovation... Abel is coloring a bit and allowing himself to preen a moment, the momentary Stoic look completely disappearing from whence it came into the void, ]

Oh, yes, absolutely~! --Ah, Miss MISA. Miss Misa, that reminds me!! Goodness, do I have a story for you! But-- listen, we need to have a snack and a good spot of tea if we're going to dish all the delicious details befitting of this reunion, right?! --Come with me!

[ and without further ado, Abel is unceremoniously grasping Misa by the hand and beginning to tug her off toward an Unknown and Mysterious destination!! gasp, ]

Oh, yay, let's go!

[ She agrees readily, clasping onto his hand tight as he pulls her along. Abel seems innocent, so she's pretty sure he's being honest about tugging her to go have food, and not into like.... a Kenoma wrangling trap. Plus, how can she not be interested in hearing hot goss from the Pleroma side??? ]

But nothing too fancy, okay? I don't have very much money...

What...? Are you saying you're broke?!

[ he's shooting her an incredulous look over his shoulder as he continues pulling her along; w-what, no way, is she trying to pull the wool over his eyes?! he thought the Kenoma had a pretty sweet deal under the Regent's wing, but maybe he was wrong... ]

O-oh, well, in that case I suppose it will simply have to be my treat-- um, as long as we can find somewhere still open, that is... And in my price range... Jools do not grow on trees, you know, and some of us have to arduously slave for a living, it's terrible!! I'm not cut out for this kind of manual labor, you know...?!

[ She just can't help but laugh more when she's around him. Abel is so cute and animated, that there's hardly a moment whenever he pauses from talking that she isn't idly giggling, unable to contain it. ]

I guess you guys don't have someone to give you an allowance, huh? Poor Abel...

[ And she plays up just How Very Sad it is by saturating her words with a saccharine sympathy, because poor Abel, poor, poor Abel, having to do some manual labor. She relates! ]

I promise I won't buy anything expensive, so you don't have to slave away. We can even share something. [ Despite the fact that the jools she does have probably equal his, and she is not bringing that up or offering to pay for half.... it's wrong to steal from him, but also, what if she gets in trouble for feeding the enemy side?? She suddenly points out some shop a ways away that actually has someone standing in front of it for a change. ] There! There's someone who's open! Yoo-hoo, excuse us!!

No, not even a stipend or salary or-- ah--

[ god, she is feeding directly into his Woe-Is-Me melodrama, and boy does he love her for that, nodding his head along in the UTMOST pitiful ascertain his life is just so hard?? so hard. she must get it, mmhm. she just Understands what it's like out here when you just want to get paid and not have to like, work? disgusting.

but the sight of a shopkeep who hasn't yet completely closed up and said Bye, Felicia to their Aion interlopers is like striking the jackpot - and Abel is immediately following up on Misa's enthusiasm-- ]

--Please! Please, would you be kind enough to-- yes, I'm just going to help myself in here for a bit, I promise we'll be out of your hair in no time-- I have jools, of course, and perhaps you need some help in the back, miss? We're in desperate need of some nourishment, and surely you'd be kind enough to offer succor to two pitiable souls...? Did I mention your hair is lovely today~?

[ yes, he is just muscling his way through the door before it can be closed on him rather shamelessly; the shopkeep is looking at this man like she might be considering getting her broom and thwacking him with it, but...

after heaving a heavy sigh, she moves aside and ushers them in.

what a convenient surprise that this is, as it turns out... a bakery!! Abel is holding the door open with a flourishing bow, as if rolling out the red carpet for his companion. ]

Ah~! Miss Misa, after you, if you'd be so kind. Please. I insist. Ladies first, chivalry is not dead, I assure you.

[ This poor shopkeep, having to deal with not one but two nosy types barging in like this. Misa has the tact to give a small half-bow and a friendly wave to the woman, ushering herself in with a wink in Abel's direction at his comment. It's the smell that clues her in to the shop's nature first, and, ah— ]

Oh, a bakery!

[ Curiously, she ambles on over to some of the displayed loaves, looking back over her shoulder once to Abel himself - though, when she speaks again, she keeps her face turned away. Whether she likes it or not— it does draw forward the memory of the cavern, much as she's kept herself from thinking about it these last few months. Her chatty way of joking has less effort behind it as a result: ]

This is good stuff for sharing. Lucky us, huh? Maybe I should try to guess what kind of breads Abel likes...

[ And while she doesn't acknowledge the parallel outright, there's a barely noticeable dip in her excitement and merriment, her brighter nature dimmed as though a light. ]

[ Abel carries right along as if oblivious of Misa's more demure response; he's chattering with the shopkeep as they head a bit deeper toward the back. apparently, she is heading behind the counter to go and fetch something for him; he waits until she disappears behind the doorway leading to the kitchens before turning to his blonde-haired companion, leaning over her shoulder to admire the wares on display in the cases. ]

Ah, hey, Miss Misa... did you know that legend tells of an amazing, ethereal and extremely handsome creature known only to the locals as... the Bread Fairy? Shh, shh, you didn't hear this from me-- but supposedly he's a rather big deal around these parts. They say if you touch your nose three times and go, "kyaa~!" in a cute voice, something magical and delicious may be granted to you...

[ Now it's her turn to look faintly surprised, because she hadn't been expecting him to bring that up at all. And in such a fun and light manner, too. From time to time, she's thought about everything she'd said to Abel before parting ways, before the teleportation spell, unable to forget how steadfast his attitude had been, his concern, his care. It's very foreign to her, in a way. And it continues to be foreign here, too, especially after spending months around people that are so unlike the both of them.

There's a beat where she just stares at him, so unlike how she might immediately play along, and unwillingly, there's a slight clench in her chest, a feeling eerily sentimental. ]

[ The smile she breaks out into is small at first, her fingers tapping at her chin. ]

Ehe... is that true?

[ It's obviously not, and inwardly, she's thinking - Abel likes this kind of fanservice? Or probably more likely, he's just joking around? In either case, it's funny, and adorable, and not creepy despite the fact that she doesn't have a clue how old Abel is. He's simply not like the many, many company executives or directors who have asked her to do similar things, so it doesn't bother her - she's only surprised he's able to feel this lighthearted about everything...

Her smile broadens, donning a cutesy affectation as if it comes as naturally to her as breathing. She's an idol through and through. ]

In that case, one, two, three—

[ She taps her nose with the point of her index finger three times just as instructed, then gives her best, picturesque smile: ]

Kyaaaa! How's that?

[ sh...

she--

...she actually did it.

it should be obvious that he was expecting to be told off or laughed away and swatted like he's an idiot or a weirdo; that is the kind of response he'd get in these situations, you know?? a great deal of his closest friends at home would rather kick him in the ass (affectionately) than humor his shenanigans, after all, no matter how much they were Ride or Die and all that. one does not HUMOR Abel Nightroad.

but Misa--

Misa...

blessed, perfect Misa...

he is melting. he is melting, his insides slowly but surely becoming the consistency of liquid goop that is singularly smitten for this girl (in the way a man feels the incessant need to take one under his wing, to keep them safe, with paternal fondness)...... ]

Y-you... you really did it...

[ he sure did just whisper that aloud, frozen, touched, MOVED, and apparently experiencing some kind of fatal shutdown error-- ]

[ Luckily, a career in doing such cutesy acts means she feels no embarrassment at doing it, nor at his stunned reaction. It's all very natural, the way she breezily laughs, folds her hands behind her back, studies him curiously. ]

Well, of course I did. I saw how much you get cheered up by this kind of thing before... are cute girls your type or something, Abel?

[ A cheeky tease, while she rocks back and forth on her heels. It's simply adorable watching him, and moreover, Misa gets a sense of satisfaction whenever she feels she can get someone wrapped around her finger. In an innocent, fun-having sense, of course. Her charms don't work so well on the people she spends the most time around now, she can't help herself. ]

[ wh

what haha imagine being weak to cute girls?? imagine?? his face is such an impressive shade of tomato red as he laughs - laughs, a little too boisterously, a little too raucously to be believable - and waves his hand in fervent dismissal, ]

--Please~! P-please, it isn't anything like that at all, of course-- I was simply swept away in the magical charm of your cuteness, that's all~! Any man with a pulse would fall victim, you know?! It's only natural...

[ oh thank God; he's saved from further embarrassment by the re-appearance of the shopkeep from the back room; she has a parcel in hand, and is looking at him as if she very much expects him to take it and Get Out. so he's digging into his pocket, jools clinking from the small pouch he has tucked away; an exchange is made, and something that smells quite delicious - wafting the scent of freshly baked bread - might escape as he pulls it across the counter victoriously. ]

Come! Come, let's get out of this good woman's hair, shall we~?

[ So cute girls are his type... noted. Mercifully, she refrains from teasing him anymore, though she does cover her mouth to try to stifle her laughing from seeing how beet red he is. While no more verbal attacks come out, it seems she's not done encroaching on his physical space to pester him, as she immediately leans over into him to try to get a peek inside the parcel. ]

Okay, okay, fine. But let's hurry, I want to eat some already, it smells good. [ It sounds like it's time for her to latch back on so she can drag him around some more?? So she does just that, linking her arm with his and giving a firm tug towards the direction of the door. ] Thanks, lady!

[ When she's done waving with her free hand and blowing a kiss to the shop owner, she turns back to him, to say more earnestly: ]

And thanks a bunch to you too, Abel. You're a lifesaver!

[ he's holding the bag away at such a position that Misa can't get any sneak peeks inside - obnoxiously, at that!! you know, just to make sure she knows he is doing this intentionally. ]

Please, this is the LEAST I can do in my high-profile and extremely important role as Bread Fairy, Miss Misa...!

[ --oh, they're back out the door, aren't they? he will give the shopkeep a little smile over his shoulder (but the woman is already rolling her eyes again and attempting to shut the door behind them and swing the "closed" sign over it), all too happy to let Misa drag him wherever her heart may desire. ]

H-hey, do you know a good spot to eat this? --And we really do need to talk, okay? Find somewhere nice-- somewhere nice, mm~?

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kween,,, he will die for her. goodbye

and i, me, will die for abel... goodbye

no........... jams, don't leave us for the undeserving...

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