aionchat | PLEROMA | A HELPFUL PSA

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PLEROMA | A HELPFUL PSA

[Estinien's presence will finally surface in the Pleroma's communion space, a few days after the time of his death. There is a sense of deep sullenness and seething anger in the message he imparts, like a storm on the horizon.]

For those concerned, the reports were true. If our Shards are spared, our bodies can be resurrected... just as mine has been.

[There's still a weariness to his spirit after the fact, but his anger is driving him forward regardless. While he had initially planned to leave it at that, a courtesy to those that may wonder, a disturbing conversation with one of the Kenoma has gifted him with some more forceful words to impart.]

As it stands, I can see little virtue in leaving the bodies of the Kenoma unscathed. If they can be defeated, if their Shards can be claimed... you would do well to take the opportunity while you can. They will not show you the same mercy in return, and the fate you face at their hands is far worse than anything we could offer them.

The time for hesitation has passed.

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[ Ernesto's a little slow to respond. As useful as shard communication can be, it comes with some major drawbacks, and one is the very faint impression of guilt that comes leaking across their connection, despite his best effort to tamp it down. ]

It's a relief to have you back with us, Ser Estinien.

[ That seems prudent to say before anything else.

And now comes for the even less fun part of the conversation, accompanied by an audible intake of air. ]

I guess we'll have to start brainstorming ideas of what to do with those shards once we get them. If their bodies are going to be rebuilt eventually, we probably need a plan for how to deal with that.

[Estinien has similar issues - despite being an honest man, he is far more reserved in person, and communion gives details of his reactions away that he wouldn't have made a show of otherwise. Case and point: he feels Ernesto faint impression of guilt, and his own confusion and uncertainty comes through.

He appreciates the greeting, all the same. It's more of a relief than he might have expected. Especially when Ernesto is apparently willing to hear him out.]

...Aye. I know not how long a Shard would take to rebuild without the aid of a shrine, but there needs to be a way to keep them guarded. Either to keep them at bay indefinitely, or to find some other means of containment that would be more amenable to communication.

The trouble is that, with their Shards, and in their bodies, they would simply be able to teleport away if not stopped.

[He started this discussion with a lot more brimstone in his heart, but as people are genuinely listening to him... he's finding himself much more capable of discussing the concepts reasonably.

[ Ernesto is happy to let that confusion be, without addressing his own guilty feelings here. If he can, maybe he'll find the time to apologize for the likely infection he passed on to Estinien the last time the two of them met, but it's not a conversation he wants to have like this. ]

Ha... that's really going to make this tricky, huh? The option of continuing to break down their bodies as they rebuild leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth too, if I'm being honest. It might work in a pinch if we end up having some shards in our hands before we come up with something more permanent though.

[ Another sigh. God what a mess... ]

Wonder if any of our magical types have the ability to build some kind of magical prison they can't easily slip out of?

[Having now seen how the Kenoma manage their prisoners, thanks to Howl, he has some ideas on what the most practical ways of keeping an Aion captive are. They are far from kind, however.]

Mayhap so... or mayhap one of us could learn such a ritual. There must be some way that Tehri's people handled this in the past.

I've... now witnessed the Kenoma's approach to these things, and it is certainly effective. They forcibly remove the Shards from their captives, keeping them out of reach... both depriving them of their powers and causing significant discomfort in so doing.

Por Dios... That's a hell of a way to do it, but it's not surprising given what we've seen of their methods.

[ Can a shudder be felt through communion? Well, if it can then Estinien can definitely pick up that vibe from Ernesto right now, if not the discomfort at least is pretty apparent. ]

This is tacky of me to ask, so you can ignore if you want, but... Just how uncomfortable is it to be stuck like that?

...

[Estinien is actually a bit traumatized by it, so there's a tenseness in his presence that follows, like he's trying to think of how to put it without getting himself worked about it.]

...There... are factors that... I could not say if they would be typical, or if they were the result of the circumstances in which I fell.

I was aware, in a way. Aware of my suffering, and aware of my confinement. I had no full sense of time, but I was aware it was passing. I could not have guessed how long it had been by the time I emerged... neither long nor short.

Fuck...

[ And that guilt is coming out again, not quite as well restrained this time.

He's quiet for a moment, before continuing. ]

I'm sorry.

[ For something specific, or just because Estinien suffered through that he's not about to clarify. He's quick to try and push the conversation forward though to avoid addressing that. ]

It doesn't exactly make a guy feel good about potentially putting someone else through that, though I guess that's all the more reason to think up a solution for how to keep the Kenoma without having to keep them as shards.

[Part of Estinien angrily feels as if causing the Kenoma discomfort shouldn't be their concern, but he knows deep down that torturing them with isolation would achieve nothing... at least for the ones that could be saved.

Beyond that, though, Estinien doesn't know what to do with someone feeling guilty for his plight. He seems to note it, but isn't quite sure what to say. Maybe that would be a conversation best had in private. Ernesto may feel vague inklings of him pushing it aside for such an occasion.]

Aye... or, at least, to... find some way that the passage of time in that state could be made less abrasive. I...

[He hesitates for a moment. It's sort of private, but at the same time, he feels like people should know.]

I could feel the presence of those that held my Shard... almost as if they were with me. I could not speak to them, but...

[Himeka had been there for him, and it had saved him from being driven mad with the Innocence's presence in his shard.]

The Shard is much more sensitive, when exposed like that. Being in the presence of that beast in Venera... the 'Innocence'... it has caused some complications, I fear.

[ Contemplative silence follows that confession. They can't exactly have someone afford to cradle the shards like babies the entire time they have them, but it's good to know. Besides, if the wrong person holds onto a shard he has to wonder if that wouldn't worsen the experience rather than alleviate the distress.

These aren't questions he's comfortable tossing Estinien's way though, especially since he's been pushing the man to talk more about this than Estinien likely wants to. The feelings about all of this must still be raw and fresh, and even if they do need some plan going forward...

Well, Ernesto did already say this line of questioning was tacky of him, right?

Besides, there's something else in all of this personal talk that Ernesto picks up on, and finds very worrying. ]

"Complications"...?

[ He hesitates, trying to figure out how he wants to ask his question. ]

Did it do something to you that we should be worried about?

[ Ryunosuke had shown them the events of the attack, but there was no sound that came with it. It made the situation strange and confusion to watch, and meant there were a lot of gaps in his understanding of it. ]

[Estinien doesn't consider himself a man easily disturbed, but this whole situation has been admittedly getting to him. Maybe it's because it's so familiar, and because he's seen so many men fall to similar ends. He'd always considered the Scions so fortunate, to have never lost one of their own to such a fate... and now...]

When I was reborn, I was... physically changed. Not as severely as when the disease had overwhelmed me, but yet...

[It's extremely noticeable, and he'd been avoiding Greentruth's core settlement for that reason.]

...There's a phenomenon in my homeland called 'Tempering'... it comes about when a god-like creature called a Primal bathes a mortal in its power, changing their aether to match its own. In the past, this meant certain death. The Tempering would suppress their sense of self, robbing them of their will and replacing it with that of the Primal that corrupted them, sometimes going on to mutate their physical bodies...

I've never experienced it myself, but I've heard accounts...

[He hates to admit this. Part of him want to dismiss it completely, comforting himself with the fact that he had control of his faculties. He couldn't be corrupted that way. But yet...]

Shortly after my body was destroyed, I could... feel the creature's power washing over me. Wave after wave, I felt, searing my spirit with its presence, to the point I felt like all I was might be burnt away...

[His worries become clear, for a moment. Some part of him is afraid, as much as he tries not to let it steer him.]

My mind is my own, as far as I can comprehend... but yet... it felt much like what I'd always imagined Tempering would. Its presence lingered the entire time I Was locked within my Shard, smothering me...

[ There's no hiding the sense of unease that Ernesto is radiating from his end. Tempering in and of itself sounds too much like what the Kenoma already managed to do to so many people, but the fact that there are so many other forces out there that they'll have to contend with in order to keep themselves... themselves...

No, what Estinien is describing right now sounds even worse than what the Kenoma has done to people. As warped as it seems to make people, there's some degree of choice still there, and certainly full control of their bodies still, even if it makes some uncomfortable alterations in a person's way of thinking.

And who the hell knows how many other forces are out there that this world happens to have tucked away?

It's not a particularly comforting thought, and the fact that Estinien is making it clear that he wasn't able to completely bounce back from whatever it was this thing did to him makes Enresto feel a little queasy. The sense of guilt spikes again alongside his unease. ]

And now? Do you still feel like it's doing that to you?

[Unease is only natural. Estinien is uneasy too, thinking about this, and a big part of that is not knowing the answer to Ernesto's question.]

... I no longer feel it's presence so strongly. My body, however... I was reborn changed. As if the illness still held me in it's grasp.

[ There's hesitation on Ernesto's part as he tries to figure out the best way to tactfully ask about these changes, before deciding he's already been prying a little too much in this conversation. Might as well go for broke... ]

There were a few people went through... which ones stuck...?

[ Things like Ernesto's faded color is unnerving, but livable, but if Estinien's body is fragile and breakable the way some people's bodies were while sick, well...

He's not entirely sure what they'll do for him then. ]

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coerthantorment - 2022-06-04 03:10 (UTC) - Expand

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goldendeceiver - 2022-06-07 01:37 (UTC) - Expand

( yuuta has been keeping himself apprised of the situation, the knowledge that one of the Pleroma Aions had both fallen and then miraculously returned to life tangling up in his chest like twine around a wheel. for a while he doesn't reply because he feels he doesn't have much need to. he doesn't disagree with estinien — knowing that killing one of the other Aions doesn't kill them permanently is a relief, but also...

it poses a problem. a big problem. so if they do manage to kill one of them and recover their shards, do they keep them in that state for as long as possible? it seems cruel, especially with how estinien describes being like that. very nearly just as cruel as being kept as a captive? it's a thorny issue with no answer, and one he's been thinking on a lot lately, but —

well, he sifts ernesto's thoughts here out of all of the discussion being had, and he realizes... hey! that's kind of something he can do? )

Um... Hi again, Ernesto! And Mr. Estinien, sir... We haven't met, but I'm Yuuta Okkotsu.

I'm kind of embarrassed not to have brought this up earlier, but I can do something that might help. Most jujutsu sorcerers know how to create something we call a "curtain"... It's basically a barrier which we can create. We can create special rules for it, too. Its strength kind of depends on how selective those rules are, but... if I created a curtain to keep just one person in, it would be a pretty powerful barrier.

But there's a catch. Or a few of them, actually. If the barrier is just preventing one person — or a few people, I guess, from getting out, it means basically anyone else can get in really easily. That can disrupt it. Also... I'd basically have to be there all the time keeping it up, and if I ran out of energy, it'd go away.

( there are techniques to imbue a curtain into an object, like a stake driven into the ground, but yuuta had never learned those himself. really, the only barrier technique he's used before is for his domain expansion, but he's pretty sure he can do this, at least. )

I know it's not really a perfect solution to any of this... Really, I'm not sure how I feel about holding anyone here against their will regardless of whether or not they're a shard, especially if we can't convince them to join us. But, if it could help for at least a little while, I'd be willing to do it.

Well met, Yuuta.

[He listens intently to Yuuta's explanation of his ability, weighing its apparent downsides. There is a sense of appreciation for Yuuta's offer, regardless. Having some of the new arrivals step forward in such a way is heartening.]

I see. 'Twould not do for a long term solution, but it could certainly help in a pinch. How long can you uphold it without strain?

[He won't comment on Yuuta saying that he doesn't like the idea of imprisonment quite yet. If he's willing to help, that's enough for now.]

Um... I'm not entirely sure! I've never tried before.

( maintaining curtains was typically a window's job; most of yuuta's experience with barrier techniques was using them in conjunction with his cursed technique when using domain expansion. but he knows the basic rules to it, and they're not all that hard to put up on their own. he tries to estimate. )

Probably as long as I can stay awake...? Unless the person I'm keeping inside of it is really strong and trying to break free. Then it would only last as long as my cursed energy does, but... I couldn't really forecast how long I could keep it up unless I got a feel for it.

Regardless, it's not something that would only work for keeping someone captive! I can keep other people out of a place for a certain amount of time, for example. Just thought it might be useful to bring up.

[ Well shit, Yuuta? Casters can do all sorts of wild things where Ernesto is from, but this is a new one for him. The fact that people can in theory enter the barrier easily isn't the biggest problem though, because they could eliminate that problem by taking turns with guard duty. The real issue comes with the fact that if it only lasts as long as Yuuta can hold it up, then...

He hums thoughtfully as he mulls this one over. He doesn't know enough about how this curtain apparently works, but... ]

It could be a temporary holding measure if nothing else. And it might give us a chance to talk to them peacefully, and see if we can't work out something with them.

[ A pause, before he laughs awkwardly. ]

Though after breaking them down into a shard first, they might not be willing to talk. It's still worth a try though.

[ There's something important to address first in all of this. ]

How long are you able to keep the barrier up?

( it's not really worth learning too much about how it works. cursed techniques can get really stupidly complex for no reason... )

Yeah... It probably won't work for anything long-term, but if there's ever an area we want to keep some people in or keep some people from getting into, I'm your guy.

( he thinks a moment. )

It's hard to say... Most of the time when I've used this technique, it wasn't for very long. I can probably maintain it as long as I have the cursed energy to and keep awake?

[ Not that Ernesto wouldn't give it a go if someone tried to explain it to him, but too much jargon might make it hard to follow.

There's a thoughtful pause (literally the feeling of thinking, shard communication sure is something) as Ernesto starts to come up with ways this could be used though. ]

Well, it's easy enough to take a guess at how long the second part would last, but how long does it usually take for you to run out of cursed energy?

[ He has absolutely no idea what cursed energy is, and it doesn't sound great, but he's rolling with it for now. ]

Well, if the person inside isn't actively trying to escape, maybe forever? A curtain isn't a very taxing technique... There are people who aren't even full-fledged sorcerers who can put them up. I probably naturally regain cursed energy faster than it uses it up... That, and I just have a lot of it... haha...

( one can basically feel the words tingeing with sheepishness, a roundabout sort of humility. )

But if they're attacking the barrier and trying to get out, I have to spend more energy to keep it up. If they're really strong... I don't know. I really can't say without sensing how much they're forcing me to use. But it's definitely possible they could break their way out with a lot of force and effort.

[ Is... is having cursed energy something to be proud of? Ernesto really needs to figure out the details of what cursed energy is at some point. ]

So our time limit is on a case by case basis, huh?

[ And considering some of the Kenoma apparently were hiding tricks up their sleeves that they didn't know about at first... ]

Not a bad card to have up our sleeve in a pinch, though we'll still need a more permanent solution if we want to keep someone around long enough to try and talk them out of running back to the Regent.

( all people have cursed energy, ernesto! it's just a byproduct of human emotion. it's just that only a few people have enough of it to see curses and use cursed techniques, and there's no one who can even compare to how much yuuta has. )

Yes... Sadly.

( they would probably need to figure out some other long-term (semi-long term? how long exactly are they planning on keeping anyone here against their will?) solution to the issue of having captives one day, but... he figures there's at least one other thing he can mention. )

Just to mention it, though... I can change the rules of a curtain. It doesn't necessarily need to keep people in. I can also make it so that it keeps certain people out. So I guess it's even more case-by-case since it can be changed based on the situation? If you guys ever find a reason to keep those Kenoma guys out of a certain area for a while in addition to keeping them penned up somewhere... I can see what I can do.

[ Oh... Oh!

Well now that certainly changes some things. ]

You know, Yuuta... even though I hate to say it, I think we might just have a use for that at some point. I was asking about the duration, but now I have to wonder... just how big can this curtain of yours get?

Oh?

( he probably shouldn't be so surprised, though. if he thought about it long enough, he'd be able to think of plenty of locations they would want to keep the Kenoma out of for periods of time. )

Hm... I guess I've never tried to see how large an area I can cover. I've seen a curse user put a curtain down over my school's entire campus, and it's pretty huge. And even less accomplished sorcerers can put curtains down over single buildings.

So we might have to experiment to see what I can do? If I had to guess, the bigger a curtain I put down, the faster it's gonna drain my energy.

[ Well that's unfortunate, but at the same time-- ]

Makes sense. Guess we'll have to start testing your limits then.

[ Though it might not be in their best interest to freak people in Greentruth out by having Yuuta test his abilities out there, even if that's the area that Ernesto's hoping to be able to protect if things get really bad, and they get discovered. ]

You're still out in the forest, right? There's plenty of space there to give it a try.

PLEROMA | A HELPFUL PSA

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quietly threadjacking into here if thats ok...

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