aionlogs | [Closed] June Catch-All

It's really a trio of city boys they've formed up as here. The thing Ryunosuke isn't used to is the pressure of having to hide his identity, but he's fine for right now, at least. Being in the company of two other people who know what's up.

"I was surprised to hear you two hadn't met before," he notes, glancing between the both of them. "Cid's a brilliant inventor. I thought he might find some, uh, inspiration, getting out and around the city."

Ernesto certainly recognizes the man, even if they haven't had the chance to speak yet. He's made it a point to memorize the faces of his fellow Pleroma, and the ones that arrived with him in particular are hard to forget.

"Nice to formally meet you, Señor."

As he saunters over towards the two men, his smile is relaxed and easy. There aren't people standing close enough to really be listening in on their conversation, but Ernesto still lowers his own voice to make himself harder to hear, despite still maintaining a casual look and tone. It might be a little worrisome that he's speaking out in the open this way, but he's found that trying hard to have a covert conversation tends to come across more suspicious.

"Our original group split apart pretty quickly after we escaped the Regent's men, and I've mostly stuck to the city since then."

He stops a few feet in front of the other two now, smile brightening.

"But from what I understand, you won't find a better city than Horos to take inspiration from. Though first..."

And here, Ernesto indicates to the bar he'd been leaning against.

"Should we start with something to eat and drink. I can get a better idea of what part of the cities you'll want to see the most. Besides the obvious for an inventor, of course."

By the looks of things, Cid has plenty of experience in talking in a less-than-covert way while still not drawing attention to himself.

By his expression, it makes sense to him that they would attempt to divide their forces a bit— after all, otherwise they could very well lose out on noticing important matters, and Godsblood currently is the closest the Resistance has to an ally. "Food and drink sounds perfectly fine to me." Both because it helps him observe the locals for a little while, and also because he assumes there's far more variety in food here than there is in Greentruth.

"I do know there's plenty of interest here, of course."

"Oh! Y-yes, that works for me as well," Ryunosuke agrees, smiling amicably. Truthfully, he hasn't got the jools to pay for any restaurant food. But. It's fine, he'll just... Not... Order anything... :')

While inside they lay everything out. A general sweep of the city seems to be in order but the main points of interest seem to be the Machining Guild (whether they actually go in or not being another matter), and City Hall. Of course, it's up to Ernesto to pick the route and the order, being the local expert and all.

It's nice to meet a fellow who knows how to play this game. Between Ernesto and Cid they might even be able to cover up for Ryunosuke's more honest nature. Certainly a nice meal (in which Ernesto can and will slip Ryu some food that he'll foot the bill for, having a little stash of money he's held onto from trading spices Himeka gets him from Greentruth) gives them a good chance to get their bearings and come up with a decent cover should anyone decide to stop them and ask them what they're doing.

It's also pretty decent fuel to get them going, since they'll be hoofing it quite a bit today. City Hall is up first, being closer to the center of the city, and easier to reach from their current destination. Besides that, as they approach he'll confess to another reason he brought them here first.

"I figured in all likelihood we'll be spending more time at the guild. There's not a lot of influential people you're actually going to meet out on the steps here as it is."

With someone who knows the layout, he's optimistic they won't stick out more than they should. Cid, at least, knows the appropriate level of on-edge. There's also the advantage that Ernesto actually knows his way around the city. "Aye, yes. I've heard a little bit about the guild."

Though Cid has been focused on helping the people of Greentruth, the idea of going to a city with advanced technology was going to eventually become too big of an opportunity to ignore. "I've been wondering how similar to Eorzea Horos is. If there's a marked difference between the different cities."

Though there are some pretty severe differences, too. Not that he'd be saying anything aloud and in public. "Do you know aught about the technologies Godsblood specializes in?"

Ryunosuke's attention is more on their surroundings, as he has little to add to the topic of technology, but he does chime in helpfully: "I told Cid a bit about those merchant fellows you asked me to assist before; it seems he has some significant expertise in working with the sort of technology they were helping to supply the parts for."

As the three of the chat, Ernesto keeps them moving around city hall. There is no reason to stand still for too long, and they'll draw less attention if they don't loiter too long in places that aren't really designed for loitering.

"Mm, things are a little old fashioned here compared to what I'm used to, but I've most noticed a lot of steam powered things for the most part. You do have the ocean too, so I'm sure there must be some water turbines as well, though I haven't really gone out of my way to look for any."

"Steam, huh?" Cid frowns. "I'll admit, I've never heard of steam-powered technology." It doesn't sound like the most practical to him, but perhaps the people of Godsblood have found a way to use it efficiently. "Where I'm from, machines are almost exclusively powered by ceruleum or aspected crystals. Often both."

Though the phrase 'aspected crystals' might sound like complete gibberish, 'ceruleum' does sound a bit like 'petroleum', which might lend a hint to the sort of fuel Cid has knowledge of.

As they circle the city hall, Ryunosuke is scarcely listening anymore; at this point he's taken notice of the intricate murals and carvings adoring the outside of the building.

They seem... Pristine. Either new or just very well maintained. Ryu half turns to get the attention of his companions, trying to wave them both over but addressing Ernesto in particular.

"Mr. Ernesto... Are you familiar with the this artwork here?"

Ironically enough, the crystal part doesn't throw Ernesto for nearly as much of a loop as it probably should. His own world doesn't use petroleum, but minerals used as a power source? That's another matter.

"Mm, most tech in my world uses a substance known as originium to run, but it doesn't seem like it exists in this one."

For the best too. As useful as it is as an energy source, it also comes with some really nasty drawbacks.

Not necessarily a conversation he wants to have while they're trying to have a nice tour though, so he doesn't expand on that fact for now. Instead, he'll move over to where Ryunosuke is trying to herd them.

"Ah... not particularly. I've passed by it before, but never paid it a ton of attention."

The walls covering City Hall are packed tight with drawings, symbolizing the history of the city. Many of them seem to refer to some kind of war, with various Legacies rendered symbolically, wielding strange looking objects as they battle each other. The most prominent designs feature Godsblood itself, and it isn't until they circle around to the more infrequently viewed backside of the building that Ryunosuke will notice a few things that remind him of a different city.

Mostly importantly, he will pick out what appear to be drawings of a few notable structures in Venera: famous pieces of street art and particularly ambitious examples of architecture. The city scene is surrounded by what appears to be a fleet of Godblood's ships. Floating above the skyline, there is a singular individual rendered in abstract, depicted as artistic flowing lines rather than any particular gender of species. The only thing clear about them as an entity is that they are in a state of distress, a black arrow piercing through their chest.

Around them is a smattering of sharp cracked lines, in visual opposition to the flowing design of the being itself, as if indicating something breaking.

Cid doesn't know the first thing about art, but the strangely rendered figure is what his eyes are drawn to after a long moment of taking in the airships. "Do you suppose this is supposed to represent a historical event as well?"

He might not notice the similarities between the image and Venera, but that person's distress is far too notable for him to believe it's supposed to be depicting a metaphor. They certainly look like they're in agony, even as abstractly represented as they are. "It looks like it's supposed to represent a death, to me."

"...It's Helico."

Ryunosuke says it softly, his eyes still fixed on the depiction of that tragic scene. Maybe he doesn't have any proof that's who it is, but with everything he's managed to learn so far, he feels pretty confident in his assessment.

"...Venera's former patron," he adds by way of explanation, glancing at his companions. "An Aion of the Artisan legacy. I'm told they were... Assassinated. By the Kenoma. Several decades ago, mind you..."

He reaches out to lightly brush his fingers over the surface of the mural, almost as though he's hoping that touch might provide him with an even deeper understanding... If only that abstracted figure could reach back to him, to tell him more of what lead to all this.

"I'd heard their death lead to the last great escalation of the war, but... For the incident to be depicted all the way out here in Godsblood..."

His attention drifts to the fleet depicted around the scene. Tehri had said the cities were mostly Pleroma aligned at that time... Had Godsblood sent reinforcements by sea to help defend their ally from Achamoth, perhaps?

Ernesto's mouth feels dry as he looks at the intentionally rendered cracks around the figure, tearing his gaze off the painting to look at Ryunosuke give his history lesson, and humming in agreement. He'd learned some about the patron Aion when traveling with Kaeya around Venera. They'd initially been looking for an origin to the strange disease that was affecting people there when they'd stumbled over the story and taken interest in it, but...

"Godsblood's made no bones about not loving being under the Regent's thumb. Even if they're technically still one of the cities that pay their dues, it makes sense they'd be a final holdout, and even have been there to help some of the other cities up until the end."

Cid's hand goes to the rendering of Helico, his mouth dry as well. An Artisan... they'd been like him, then. He doesn't know about the Kenoma side, but he's the only Artisan among the Pleroma. "We have to help the Venerans," he says quietly. How, he doesn't know.

He's no fool; they'll be risking the same fate as Helico if they're caught. Or worse. "I'm certain the other cities were similarly crushed by the Regent." How the Pleroma will find the means to confront them, Cid doesn't know. The situation is not one they'll be turning the tides on anytime soon, but he doesn't plan on giving up. "I suppose the people of Godsblood created this mural to remind themselves of everything that has happened, all that they're up against."

Ryunosuke glances at Cid in surprise when he expresses a desire to help the Venerans, a soft smile spreading across his face. He feels exactly the same way, and nods in agreement with the sentiment. The look fades quickly though, once his attention goes back to the desperate scene depicted in the mural.

"Venera fell to the Regent not long after Helico did... And now most of the people there don't even remember their former patron's name. It's... It's horrible, honestly. And it's all because the Regent had them entirely wiped from the public record. I had to ask our, ah, eldest friend back in Greentruth, to find out more about them."

His description of the Regent's actions is said with particular disgust; HE makes no bones about how he feels about misinformation, and oppression, and name sullying. Sighing, his eyes flick to the Bloodite fleet included in the scene; the one that, if he remembers correctly from what Tehri had told him, should have been allied with Venera around the time of the incident.

"...They're all frightened, and hopeless. I think... They'll need to be shown that they won't be alone, before they'd be willing to try standing up once again."

Ernesto has been standing quietly as he observes the mural, trying to decide just how much importance to give the fact that the people of Godsblood have decided to maintain this particular bit of their history. The Bloodites will bristle faster than the rest of the Regent's subjects.

But at the end of the day, they're still their subjects.

"It might take more than just that..."

He glances at Ryunosuke first, before looking to Cid.

"Things are tense, and information isn't exactly freely allowed to flow, but it's not like your average person living their day to day life is in any kind of immediate danger that would make them want to take up arms."

He wishes he could agree with Ryunosuke, but he's already shaking his head before the other man even finishes speaking. "I agree with Ernesto." Though Himeka had been able to inspire rebellion in two provinces, that had been under incredible circumstances.

And the people of Horos are living under very different circumstances than the peoples of Ala Mhigo and Doma.

"If we're to win over the people of Venera, we'll need to make miraculously enormous strides in their city." It's not impossible, but people are understandably prone to doing whatever they can to survive even when living under totalitarian regimes. "And even then, the reality is that most are not the sort to take up arms, and we cannot fault them for that."

To even have the citizens openly defy the Regent is like to put them all in very real danger, after all.

Ryunosuke flushes and kind of withers, just eeeever so slightly in embarrassment.

"I... It's not as if I was suggesting we literally go down there and inspire the whole city into revolution through positive thinking or something," he grumbles. Sheesh, you guys.

Ah well. Shake it off, Ryunosuke. He huffs out a breath, straightening up again.

"They will be in imminent danger, though, if the Regent has their way... Everyone in Horos will be. Do you think they understand that? Not just in Venera, but here, and elsewhere... Do they really know what's at stake?"

As much as it sucks to be a realist sometimes, it's all Ernesto can do but solemnly nod a couple of times while Cid expands on his thoughts. It takes a long time to brew a rebellion, and you need to work hard in order to win people's loyalty.

And even when you do, most people aren't looking to put themselves in immediate danger, though he can appreciate Ryunosuke's point.

"I get the sense that this whole thing has been going on so long that the people probably don't think the Regent is that close to ending things like that."

He gestures to the mural to silently illustrate his point.

Cid nods in agreement. "In my world, the Ascians had goals not unlike the Regent, and they'd been working towards it for twelve thousand years— though admittedly, they were secretive, and hadn't made their goals common knowledge to the masses. Even if they had, the sheer amount of time involved would render that knowledge lost within a generation or two."

But, of course, by the usage of past tense something important can be gleaned from what he's saying: the Ascians are all dead. "Just as the people of my world didn't know the apocalyptic Calamities were deliberately triggered, I doubt anyone going about their day-to-day lives would consider that the Regent is actively seeking to destabilize what's let of the world."

After all, the events on the mural depict something that occurred a century ago.

Ryunosuke makes a frustrated noise. It all makes sense, he hears what they're both saying. But where does that leave them, then?

"There must be some way we can convince them," he says helplessly. "Not just in Venera, but in Godsblood as well. Though it baffles me that safeguarding the future of their own kin and country isn't motivation enough for them to act... They think they won't be around to see it happen, therefore it doesn't affect them? Is that the idea?"

That's so... Wrong!

That 'twelve thousand years' earns an impressed, low whistle from Ernesto. Some people really know how to play the long game, even if that game isn't worth playing in the first place. The Regent's game and the goal of all of the Kenoma? That definitely isn't worth working towards in Ernesto's opinion, but despite how doom and gloom he and Cid might sound right now, there's apparently enough optimism left in Ernesto that he thinks current existence is still worth saving.

"Something like that. Most people aren't thinking about what seems like years off in the future when they have worries that will impact their lives tomorrow or the day after that."

He glances at Ryunosuke now, giving him an easy-going smile.

"It doesn't mean there aren't ways to convince people the threat matters to those tomorrows and those days after that though, but it'll take some work."

Cid glances at Ernesto for a moment after he adds his thoughts, before he turns his attention fully back to Ryunosuke. "The entire known world now knows of the Ascians." He hopes the implications are obvious: they will have the chance to let the people of Horos know the truth.

"We must needs find a way to convince them of the truth, it'll be the only way we have any chance of convincing those who would otherwise refuse to take up arms."

They still won't get everyone to fight, but there's more to a rebellion than the amount of freedom fighters. "Unfortunately, knowing what we must do and how to do it are two completely different things."

[Closed] June Catch-All

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