KENOMA // voice+memory

[devilmancrybaby]

[ This takes place the evening after the first event described in the Event Wrap Up post, the entity having withdrawn its influence from Venera.

Binghe is in a bit of a bad mood, having had to haul Makoto's unconscious body out of the street when he would have preferred to drop him in the ocean, and as things are currently he can't really be bothered to pretend that he's not. There's some attempt to be polite, but mostly he sounds kind of tired and cranky. ]

My apologies for the interruption. I am Luo Binghe. No doubt many of you have heard at least a little of what has happened lately in Venera. I was there for the event at the heart of it, so I thought perhaps it would be of some use to share a few of the details.

I am sure it will not come as any great shock to learn it seems to have been the fault of that dog Estinien Wyrmblood. The spirit that seems to have been responsible for what has been happening was so angered by his death that it appeared to smite anyone who tried to keep it from... I don't know, I think it wanted his shard. I don't know what it would have done with it. Kept him as a pet, perhaps, in one of its illusions.

If I am honest, whatever this thing was it seemed rather simple, like the ghost of a child, but it clearly possessed immense power. The Aions of Pleroma who were there, their unconvincing promises about—taking care of him in its stead, that kind of thing. That was enough to convince it to retreat.

I think it did something to them, though. I'll show you.

[ He shares his memory of this moment, when the mass of wings demanded that those gathered keep their promise, grasping onto those closest to it with its ethereal hands.

The image fades and Binghe's voice resumes: ]

So the problem has been solved, but only temporarily. The spirit was not destroyed, and it seems if these Aions fail to fulfil its whims it may return with something worse. It might not be so easy to persuade next time.

Comments

[galdorleod]

[ Howl has been paying careful attention to this conversation, the presence of his mind being noticeable to anyone paying attention, but this is the point where he feels compelled to actually pipe in. ]

You can't rely on an Aion having the same abilities and limitations from encounter to encounter.

[ Both Kaeya and Barnaby were new, fresh Aions at the time Howl learned that lesson. He isn't in a hurry to retell it if he doesn't have to. ]

[lachtara]

Yes, overly gracious in some cases.

[ It's said with a sigh. He's certainly not beyond complaining about the mentality of the citizens of the city. ]

Be that as it may, you are no longer a retainer. You are an Aion. Be sure no one tries to treat you otherwise.

[devilmancrybaby]

It's true. All the same, even with improved abilities, some people's demeanours simply make them easier to subdue.

[hundredpower]

And the strongest powers on Horos won't make up for a lack of experience in battle. Increased powers are an obstacle, but not an insurmountable one.

[galdorleod]

[ Howl's mild annoyance in response to the last two comments comes through just before he responds. ]

Kaeya specifically said that the two Aions he was thinking of have no means to fight back. Defenseless, in other words.

What I'm trying to say is that you can't rely on that to be the case the next time we see them.

And I don't think it's wise to assume we know all there is to know about their "demeanors" or "lack of experience" either.

[ How well do any of us know any of the Pleroma, much less the newest ones? ]

[hundredpower]

I appreciate your concerns. But while I can't speak for Kaeya, I'm used to dealing with unknowns, or going on assumptions, in my line of work.

An abundance of caution is helpful, but sometimes acting quickly is better than worrying about having all the necessary intelligence to plan things to the letter. We can't predict everything, but it shouldn't stop us from taking action. This entire plan is premised on an experiment to begin with, after all.

[the very smart and well-thought out plan of 'barnaby wants to kick god™']

[galdorleod]

You're right... assuming any of this is as urgent as you're treating it.

[ in any event, Howl certainly isn't going to stop any sort of plan they may come up with. But he remembers being like this, being a fresh new Aion with big plans. He can't help but feel anxious about the way they're talking about all this. ]

[devilmancrybaby]

Surely, if we ought to be concerned about new abilities, it would be best to act as quickly as possible, to reduce the chance anything like that will present a problem?

[hundredpower]

Yes. Besides which, anyone who has had dealings with this Estinien Wyrmblood will be able to attest to its urgency better than I could. If he's as ruthless as Eustace said, it could only take one more conflict for him to be endangered enough for that being to return to 'save' him.

Whether it happens sooner or later, it's like a ticking time bomb. I'm open to debate, but I'd prefer it to be dealt with sooner.

[galdorleod]

[ Howl's extensive dealings with Estinien don't provide that much extra persuasion. It's the execution of this plan that concerns him, not whether the goals are worthwhile. ]

The fact that the creature could take Estinien out for us — along with the rest of those affected — makes this the opposite of urgent.

But, please, if you and the others feel the risk is worth the reward, by all means. I'm certainly not telling you not to.

[gravings]

Um... what does that entail, exactly? Being treated like an Aion, I mean.

[ Has she been violating Aion protocol without realizing it? She decides not to mention that she's been trying to conceal her Aion status in public as much as possible. ]

[lachtara]

An Aion is an important person of power and of responsibility. Others should treat you with the regard befitting your station.

[subsist]

I could say the same to you. It's fortunate that the entity this time around wasn't interested in harming you, but who can say if that will hold true for others?

[ if there will even be a next time, that is... ]

Do be careful, Gray.

[subsist]

Your warning is duly noted, Howl. I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

As it is my proposal, I wouldn't want others to risk themselves for it.

[ uncharacteristic of him given his usual mindset, but there are too many unknowns in this equation. better to figure out the logistics with as few variables as possible so he's crazy enough to attempt this on his own. ]

better late than never i hope ....

[semicharmed]

[ Well.

This mental missive is ... it's a rich text, that's for sure. Especially with the additional perspective the others bring to the story. Matt spends a little while digesting all the new information before he attempts a reply. ]

Thank you for sharing all this, [ he begins.

He's going to have to ask Abel if Estinien's okay. Not that Matt knows anything about him apart from his violent reputation, and he knows intellectually that Estinien should be okay if his shard remained intact. ]

Pardon me if this has already been like, brought up--maybe I'm osmosing it from someone else--but if this entity was an aspect of the Innocent Legacy, or identified itself as such ... does that mean there might be more like it?

[tohell]

Take a lesson from your basic run-of-the-mill polytheistic religion. Where there's one "godly" manifestation of something- seasons, months, etcetera, there's always more.

[ The subtle undercurrent of forced cheer flickering through Communion, providing the candy-coating for a decidedly less pleasant mood, is likely some indication that J is being intentionally facetious here. ]

If it's any consolation for the dreadful idea that Sky Mommy's siblings are lurking out there, I have a tasty little anecdote that might lighten up that thought.

[semicharmed]

[ Oh hey, it's J! Nice to see a familiar face inside the walls of his skull. Even if Matt is kind of constitutionally incapable of seeing any pantheon as "run of the mill."

He gets a bit of a sense of an emotional candy shell through the connection, but he doesn't particularly question it. Things have been exceptionally chaotic lately, even amid the background radiation of their circumstances, so Matt doesn't blame anyone for feeling less than pleasant. ]

When you put it that way, sounds like time to buy a desk calendar.

But ah, tasty anecdotes sound promising. By all means, feed me.

[ ... Oh God, that was stupid. That was the worst! Did that make it out of his brain?

Red-hot embarrassment spikes in Matt's mindscape, briefly flooding the connection before he gets a handle on it. ]

[devilmancrybaby]

It might be possible, certainly. Perhaps we should be aware that such things could exist, but until we see more than one, can we anticipate what to expect from a different Legacy?

[gravings]

[ Gray is thoroughly tired of special regard... but she understands that her esteem as an Aion is the same as the esteem of her Aion peers. If she has to act the part of a dignified idol for their sake, then she will. ]

... Okay.

[ She can't quite keep the weariness out of that thought, but she'll do her best. ]

Were you an important person in your homeworld too, Mr. Emet-Selch?

[gravings]

I will.

[ He doesn't need to tell her twice. She'll be the last person to take an overpowered spirit lightly. With that confident (for her) reassurance, she signs off of their mindlink to go... get reinfected with Innocence plague, probably. ]

[semicharmed]

[ That's a good question. And a tough one to answer, especially as a bunch of outsiders to the culture. ]

You said it wanted Estinien's shard, [ comes Matt's mental voice, with an impression of carefully guarding his words to make sure only the right ones get through. ] Maybe that's what we can expect. That these entities will try to latch onto us because we're Aions. That happened on my world sometimes, though like, on a way smaller scale--spirits being drawn to people with power.

[devilmancrybaby]

Ah, I must have explained poorly. To my understanding this creature wanted to claim him only because of its displeasure at his suffering and death. We have no means of knowing if it would not have reacted in the same way, if one of us had tortured an ordinary person suffering under its curse instead of an Aion.

[lifespanned]

Oh, so it was something like that.

[ Not being able to hold back love? Not understanding another's needs? And hurting people unintentionally due to it? She wouldn't know a thing about that. ]

Good thing it didn't cause too much trouble for you, right? Sounds to me like it's really easy to upset.

[lachtara]

I was, yes.

[ No point in trying to dull that point with humility. ]

Which counts for naught here, other than providing me with a keen understanding of the responsibility we have.

[gravings]

[ misa has never committed a misdeed in her life ]

It didn't intend us any harm, no... I was surprised to hear that it attacked other people. I wonder if it was especially fond of the Pleroma Aion who was killed.

[ ... ]

But, um, I think I'd be upset too if I saw a dog being attacked.

[ Even if it was an opposing Aion....... ]