Pleroma: Memory/Voice

[locumstudentesquire]

[OOC: this goes out to all Pleroma, a couple of hours after the vision in the skies over Venera mentioned in the wrap up post for Event 3 comes and goes.]

[There's a chance that Ryunosuke's voice may be familiar to you, even if you haven't spoken to him at length. If you attended the mingle party in Greentruth or were present at the Lodestone when the new arrivals started filtering in at the start of the month, there's a decent chance he has at least introduced himself to you. In any case, he identifies himself again now.]

Um... This is Naruhodo speaking. I hope you all can hear me... I. I'm afraid I have some bad news to share.

[There's a pause before he continues; this is obviously pretty difficult for him to relay. Champion legacy Pleroma in particular will get a strong sense of his feelings throughout this message, from his anger and grief to his overwhelming sense of helplessness and guilt. He's trying very hard to reign in his emotions, but this is clearly something he is feeling a Lot of Things about.]

Some hours ago, Ser Estinien Wyrmblood was... Struck down, by one of the Kenoma. I'm told there is a chance he may be revived; his shard was unharmed in the attack and was retrieved by one of our own, and is being attended to now.

...I wish that was all there was to say, but. His... destruction... It triggered something that I think we should all be made aware of. The violence deeply disturbed an entity who we believe to be the thing responsible for the contagion we've been investigating. It appeared before several of us who were present at the time and... Frankly, I don't know what it did to the Kenoma responsible, but it seemed to strike him down in retaliation. Ah... It may be easier if I just show you.

[Images come through the connection now, shown through what is presumably Ryunosuke's own point of view. There's no sound included with this memory, like he was too overwhelmed by what he was seeing at the time to register the noises around him, but it starts with a view of the sky above Venera: a difficult to perceive mass of wings, a creature that somehow manages to appear to be both impossibly high above the buildings and far, far too close to the Aions for comfort.

The "camera" shifts down then, over to the Kenoma known as "M"-- though he may be difficult to identify, given the way the contagion has ravaged him. He seems to be shouting defiantly at the entity, face turned upwards, while two of his comrades, Kaeya and Eustace, stand nearby. A third Kenoma, Luo Binghe, can be seen watching from further away, lurking in the near distance. Ryu's focus isn't on them, though; it's on M. One moment he's shouting, then the next, there's a blinding flash of light from the sky. When it clears, M has collapsed to the ground; dead or unconscious, it's not immediately clear.

The image goes hazy, and transitions to what is presumably a few minutes later. The angle has changed, the POV far lower, as if Ryunosuke was flat on the ground at the time. He's now looking at Abel Nightroad, who holds Estinien's shard in his hands. But it's not really just him standing there. There is a mass of angelic wings visible behind him, and most terrifying of all, a pair of ghostly arms that appear to be reaching through him to try and hold Estinien's shard. Himeka Sui and Alphinaud Leveilleur run into frame, one after the other, to place their hands on the shard as well. They both appear to be speaking to the entity, but Ryunosuke has opted not to include their words out of respect for their privacy.

Sound only comes in after that: What is apparently the voice of the entity, addressing the lot of them.]

"Keep your promise... Your word... Live this truth... Or when my time comes again... I will reign... Reign eternal... I will see it done."

[Ryunosuke's vision jolts; something has appeared on one of his hands, which he lifts to investigate. A faintly glowing mark has appeared there, which those well informed about the Legacies may recognize as the mark of the Innocent. When he looks up again, the entity is vanishing, leaving the group of Pleroma behind to look on in awe.

The image stops. Ryunosuke's voice comes back in; he sounds exhausted from having to relive all of that.]

If you have questions-- as I'm sure you do, I certainly would-- I can do my best to answer them.

And... Hopefully I still have some of your attention, there's one other thing I need to say that's very important. Yuya Sakaki, he... Seems to have succumbed, to the illness. Turned completely to stone. I don't even know if he can still be saved. I hope he can. I wanted to help him, to gather assistance to see if we could cure him but-- I wound up afflicted for a time as well. And then all that happened, and now... Now I'm not even in Venera anymore. Please, if you can... See if you can help him. He should be easy to find. He's certainly not going anywhere.

[One last image comes through: the area where one may find Yuya's petrified form. He can only hope someone will recognize it and go to investigate.]

Comments

[youngprodigy]

Oh, seven hells.

[That's it, that's all he says for a long moment, because that was a lot of information at once, and a lot of horrible imagery.]

I'm afraid I'm no longer in Venera, and cannot help Yuya, but if there's aught I can do for Estinien...

[....]

Though I was merely the one operating the machinery to allow her to get close to them, Himeka and I have experience with beings similar to whatever that entity was.

[locumstudentesquire]

You do!?

[That's... Startling information.]

I'm... Not sure about Ser Estinien, you would do best to reach out to Ms. Himeka regarding that. Though she may be difficult to contact; she went along to the shrine of the Firebrand to try and revive him.

Can you tell me more about those creatures you mentioned?

[youngprodigy]

...I don't think I could go there safely on my own.

[He'll have to hope for the best. But given everything that's happened in their own world, he's confident if anyone could revive Estinien, it'll be Himeka.

But as for the entity...]

Aye, I do. They're called primals.

The easiest way to explain them would be "gods created by people". They tend to be incomprehensibly powerful, and have the ability to bend those who don't have a natural shield against their aether being corrupted to their will. It's called "tempering", and until incredibly recently it was a fate worse than death.

Himeka is one of the few that could kill one without that risk, but I've no idea if the Blessing of Light protects her here.

It doesn't explain how I was able to have that corruption expelled from me, however. I have no such protection.

[locumstudentesquire]

[ Ryunosuke doesn't say anything right away; instead, there's just feelings. Confusion, alarm...

After a moment he says, somewhat apologetically: ]

Cid... The more I hear about your world, the more grateful I become that my own world was so devoid of such magic.

[ It's meant to be a joke; an ironic one at that, considering THIS world seems to be full of EXACTLY that kind of magic. ]

On the other hand, you seem far better prepared to deal with these matters than I am... I do wonder if this entity was manufactured by people... But how would one even tell?

[sageguidance]

All we can do now is leave Estinien in her capable hands. Abel will be accompanying her, so she will not be travelling alone.

[youngprodigy]

Aye.

Naught else we can do.

[He still hates it, though.]

[sageguidance]

[ hard same. ]

... In due time, he shall return to us. I know not where this knowledge of the shards come from, but I can only pray 'tis true.

[emblazer]

[ Psychic messages are still taking some time to get used to, but he recognizes Kaeya and Eustace from the Regent's side well enough. The rest is harder to decipher... His focus eventually lands on what looks to be a winged creature. ]

...S-so that monster started it all? Is it still in Venera?

[locumstudentesquire]

To be honest, I'm not sure. I think it would be safest to assume that it is, though.

[emblazer]

I could go double-check and look for your friend while I'm at it. If we're not extra certain, it could re-awaken to cause more trouble the moment the last of us leave the city.

[ He doesn't want to take his chances and leave the Venerans at risk again. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Shit....

Shit.

There's a lot he's thinking, and a lot he wants to ask, but this probably isn't the best time for it. Ernesto isn't exactly in great shape right now considering his own recent poor choices.

There's a feeling of weariness just oozing through the communion connection, before Ernesto finally musters up the ability to ask anything at all. ]

I'm still in Venera. Where exactly is Yuya?

[locumstudentesquire]

[Ryunosuke does his best to explain where Yuya is located, given his own knowledge of the city. Then he hesitantly adds:]

I know it's probably not my place to say, but if you do go, please, be careful... There are likely to be Kenoma about the place still.

[And you sound pretty spent, friend.]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Ernesto's responding laugh sounds pretty forced. ]

I appreciate the warning. I'll do my best to avoid them if I can.

[ Considering all three of the ones Ryunosuke showed in his vision as having a hand in what happened to Estinien, are three that Ernesto had managed to have pretty civil interactions with in the past...

You know, minus the one time Eustace stabbed him. ]

[passio]

[ it’s a mess, involving all sorts of people that dextera cares about even if he shouldn’t. the guilt squirms in his stomach that he hadn’t been there to stop it all—but it’s doubtful that he could have done anything, really.

he had been focused on keeping himself safe, and it seems his instincts were correct. ]

How is M?

[ dextera is pleroma-aligned, but he has feelings… though considering the entirety of the explanation, those feelings may be somewhat misplaced. ]

[locumstudentesquire]

[Given the complex emotions palpable in the connection, and the fact that he bothered to ask for him by name, Ryunosuke can conclude that Dextera is genuinely worried about the guy. Which... Is a little complicated for him to grapple with. He doesn't exactly want M dead but he's also not feeling particularly favorable towards him right now, for obvious reasons!

He really doesn't have it in him to be cruel or spiteful in his reply, though. Dextera is showing concern for another human (???) so he makes a valiant attempt to be respectful of that by answering honestly:]

I'd hesitate to say well, but he was at the very least alive, from what I could overhear. The other Kenoma present in the memory I shared saw to it that he was removed from the scene. What became of him after that, I can only guess... I'd say it's likely they've taken him back to Achamoth for healing.

['Which is more than he deserves', is what he wants to add, but again: He's trying VERY hard to be respectful of his fellow Pleroma's feelings :/]

[passio]

[ there are other things to parse out and deal with on his own time, including the fact that someone died and the result was an unholy abomination, but this is the first thing that’s come to him, and it’s harder to hold back when they’re speaking through their minds. ]

That’s good.

[ there’s no voice, but the relief is still somehow palpable, as if it’s vibrating through the words themselves. it takes dextera a moment to think of what to say next, as if he’s searching for words that don’t seem callous to the people harmed on their side of things. makoto probably had no justifiable reason to do what he did, and dextera can’t defend him in that regard, but… ]

It’s better if no more people get hurt than those already injured. Even our enemies.

[snakeandfangs]

[ thankfully, he doesn't have to respond with his voice per se. incredible. ]

Ryunosuke! Hello! I'm glad you're okay.

[ well. he assumes he's okay, but. ]

Can you tell me... do you think it seemed angry? Upset at all?

[locumstudentesquire]

[Hahahhah, well! He's, alive?? Which is more than he can say for some people!]

Toge? Gosh am I glad to hear from you, I take it that means you're alright as well then...

[He hesitates, thinking over the question and trying to recall what he'd heard and felt from the entity at the time.]

I'm not so certain about anger but... Upset? Yes. Incredibly so, I dare say.

[It had screamed in all of their heads. Horribly. That's part of why he'd left the sound out of his memory.]

[snakeandfangs]

[ alive is a good thing. a very good thing. ]

I'm... better.

[ a pang of regret, a moment of silence. of some mourning. ]

It was upset with us as well. Myself and two others, both of which were identified as being allied with the Regent.

[comelately]

[ firstly: this whole communion thing is still fucking weird, and he doesn't like having someone else able to just reach into his head like this, especially after how sick he just was - now it has him nervous, a feeling that persists for a minute even after Naruhodo introduces himself.

Secondly... ]

What the hell was that thing? An angel?

[ it looks like Gray was right about the root cause of the whole thing being supernatural, but he didn't expect to actually see ... whatever that was. Stands are one thing; that was more like when he'd catch glimpses of the Saint. ]

[locumstudentesquire]

[It is weird! He feels you on that, bro!

Normally he'd try to be reassuring about the nerves, but Ryunosuke has had such a goddamn day, all he can really convey right now is exhaustion.]

It... Didn't exactly introduce itself, so I can't really say for sure, but. It seems to be some kind of spiritual entity related to the Legacy of the Innocent.

[He pauses, then adds:]

Aren't angels usually just... Regular looking humans in flowing robes? That have only one set of bird wings on their back? Like a tengu?

[comelately]

[ in other words: who knows what it is, but it might as well be an angel, if what the locals have said about the Legacy shrines is true. It's hardly his first brush with the mythological made flesh. Unfortunately, it turns out it does not get any easier or less daunting with exposure. ]

A what? [ ten goo?? Johnny is briefly confused, but then just continues anyway. ] No - well, sometimes, but usually when they show up in the Bible, they aren't described that way. They've got tons of wings and eyes, and you can't really look at them directly...

[ the comparison to what was seen is rather obvious. ]

The people here used to worship the "Legacy" things like gods, right? If that really was the "Innocent," then it sure looked like one.

[chronosynthesis]

I suppose we took for granted that being faced with another threat would have really resulted in the ceasefire. [Yeah, this is why he didn't want to be super visible to them.]

This promise that was made--is it magically bound?

Private

[locumstudentesquire]

[He switches to Private Brainwaves for this, because despite the fact that he'd accidentally let the mark be visible in the memory he'd shared, he's not ACTUALLY keen on broadcasting the fact that he has it.

The private response comes through tinged with wry, grim amusement.]

I WOULD say that I'm not sure how I would even tell if a promise was of the magical sort, but the glowing brand upon my person is pretty difficult to ignore.

[Like, even with his fairly limited knowledge of magic...]

Private from here on out

[chronosynthesis]

That does sound pretty magical. [Could be bad for Ryunosuke, could be bad for all of them if he can't keep it.] Just what promise did you make?