to the pleroma (text)

[passio]

[ it’s not an intentional attempt at anonymity. dextera just has no experience with this kind of broad communication, and to him, there’s little point in introducing himself anyway. those who have met him may be able to recognize the emotional “signature” attached to the words newly displayed in their minds, and may be able even to attach the soft sound of his breath or the perpetually-uncertain expression he wears to the message he knows is about to be contentious.

but, it’s been bothering him since the events in venera. perhaps the seed was planted even before that, from his very first experience with the kenoma and having the pleroma overtake it to save him in the end. ]

Are we wrong?

[ it’s… actually not what he wanted to open with, but the panic of broadcasting a message so publicly has him blurting things out even through what should be the most temperate of mediums. ]

The Regent said it was the Pleroma that caused the disease in Venera. That force wanted us to live forever in delusion. I don’t want to destroy the world. I don’t want to make a new one either. I was happy there. I would have been happy there.

The distilled Kenoma tried to manipulate our thoughts. Didn’t you all feel that power when we escaped? The Hope that allowed us to fight? Are we still being manipulated?

Comments

[youngprodigy]

Maybe we're being manipulated, maybe not.

But I know one thing: there's someone I want to get back to, and if the Regent gets their way, I'll never see him again.

[Dextra will be able to feel how ambivalent Cid is about everything. Their worlds could very well already be gone.]

I know little about tempering save for the fact that those that become tempered are slavishly devoted to whatever does the tempering. It has to do with the body becoming out of balance; aether of too much of one element can have catastrophic results. They'll end up doing things they'd never do in their right minds.

[Though he doesn't elaborate, the sharp sadness that comes from him makes it very obvious he's talking from personal experience.]

Those of us who are Pleroma... well, we're naught but people who refused the Kenoma's desire to see everything ended. The fact that we can even have this conversation means I don't think we're being manipulated.

[passio]

[ many people have suggested the same, and with each one, the sentiment more properly sinks in. dextera is able to ask these questions at all, and even if they cause him pain to consider, it’s a pain of conflict with his own ideology and morals—it’s not the pleroma, as far as he can tell, dissuading him from wondering.

it takes him some time, but soon: ]

Maybe as long as we have a goal, that’s enough. It’s an end. It’s a reason to stay ourselves.

[youngprodigy]

Aye, I believe so.

[Strongly, even.]

The Kenoma as a group are consumed with bringing about the end of everything. I don't think the Pleroma will ever be so united; we're like to actually come to conflict.

But we do have a common goal we can agree on: stopping the Regent.

[passio]

[ it frightens dextera to have it acknowledged they are only united in their common enemy, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. each person is allowed their individual approach, without suppressing any other person for the sake of uniformity.

…or so he’d like to think, optimistically. ]

But maybe it wouldn’t be bad to have a leader. Just someone we can turn to. Not like the Regent.

[youngprodigy]

Well, I wouldn’t be opposed to that, but I’m not sure how we’d go about it.

Tehri would probably be the best choice just from seniority alone. But I’ve never spoken with her and don’t know if she’d want even more responsibility.

[passio]

I don’t know her either. I’ve only seen her from a distance.

[ he says this with some guilt, as if only now realizing how much he’s separated himself from everyone’s hard work. ]

It’s something to think about for the future.

[youngprodigy]

I'll admit I wasn't certain what to make of her, after the Aion we met in the cave.

[There's no guilt on his end, but he completely understands where Dextra is coming from.]

But she does know more than any of us.