aionchat | Pleroma Only

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Pleroma Only

Hello.

[ The voice is clear, and despite the fact that she's rarely spoken through communion, surprisingly clear, and with no lack of authority to her tone. ]

I have discovered that there are some among us who have come into some sort of magic, or abilities, since arriving. Some even have a gift from before they arrived, that has thus gone unutilitzed. [ Rand. ]

If we are to be at war -- to win against a foe with greater resources than we have, then we should utilize every advantage possible. I know I've spoken to others here, who have a great deal of competency with the arcane. I believe it would be best, if we pooled our resources, to teach those among us who are not so practiced. Whether it is powers granted in this realm, or... [ said with a bit of a laugh: ] simply magic, there are methods to make them simpler to call, or with practice, they can take less effort to use.

While I'm no professional instructor, I have advised others on the use of magic when they were new to workings before, and any sufficiently trained magister can instruct another on at least the basics, and I think we should do so before we find ourselves on the field again. Even if you are practiced with your gift, I am sure there is worth in working together, to learn how our respective talents can work together, before we allow each other to be exposed, or even worse: injured or killed.

[ A pause. ]

Consider this a...statement of intent, if you will. I normally favor staying in Godsblood, but given the...volatile nature of unpracticed magic, I think I will find myself an appropriately sized clearing near Greentruth, if others wish to join me. A scant few days of instruction, if you will. I do not think it will be hard to find, if you are in the vicinity in the next few days. If others are willing, perhaps it will be of use, to make this regular for practice.

[ ooc; I'll be intending to put up something of a loose open log for magic-based folks to collaborate/help out any characters who are just coming into new powers, want practice or instruction, or just want to strategize with magic-related combat in general later this week! ]

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Immediately it is, then. Especially before I make the...rather long trek to Greentruth. [ Through the portal. ]

Hopefully you know of a good place? I'll bring the bottle.

Ah... yes! Yes of course, I know just the spot we can go...

[ o-oh she really agreed...? he was half-expecting her to push it off, honestly - but he's all too merrily taking advantage of the opportunity. ]

Do you mind a bit of a walk? --I promise, it'll be worth the trek!

A walk? Well, as long as it's not the distance that requires horseback, I should think that I can manage it.

[ Too bad, Abel, she thinks you're a little silly, but adorable. You're stuck with her. ]

Good... --Good, then! Consider it settled. I think you'll enjoy it, Miss Akua.

Would you meet me by the canal - by that tavern that has the quaint sheep sign? Do you know the one?

Oh yes, I've been there a time or two.

I'll be happy to join you. This afternoon?

Oh, but I wouldn't miss it for the world...

This afternoon it is~! I'll see you there, mm? --I'll bring along something to go with the wine, alright?

That sounds lovely.

I'll see you this afternoon, then.

[ and, true to his word - Abel will be waiting by the canal halfway down the block from the aforementioned tavern, legs dangling over the edge as he watches the 'traffic' in the water. this part of the city is always bustling; it's an excellent spot for people-watching and passing away the idle afternoon hours should one be so inclined!

but today, he is a man on a mission. a mission to meet a particular golden-eyed woman and share a drink, even; one cannot be swept up in frivolities... whenever she makes her approach, Abel will straighten his posture-- tilting to give her an amiable wave as he climbs to his feet to greet her. ]

[ As much as Akua liked cities, she disliked working for something as basic as food and shelter. She's managed to do enough odd jobs here and there to acquire jools to make do, but never in her life had she ever done what could be considered the "bare minimum" before arriving here.

As it is, Akua is dressed in similar plain clothes that many others were -- she'd managed a rather nicely dyed shirt, with a small heart sewn into the lapel. She has a bag with her -- and the nicest bottle of wine that their meager scrapings can put together. She approached with a small wave, to match his, when she approached. ]

Hopefully, I didn't keep you waiting.

Not at all...! I was in the area already, and I quite like to sit here every now and then, so...

[ it reminds him a bit of home - the canals and the bustle of the heart of the city, after all. Abel is stepping aside and gesturing for her to follow his lead. ]

If you'd be so kind-- I'll take you to one of my favorite spots here in Godsblood, mm? Not too much of a trek, I promise!

[ She lifted an eyebrow. By this point, she'd done quite a bit to hide the ashy look to one side of her, although her hand peeking out of her sleeve certainly still looked gray and withered, slightly. ]

I'm perfectly capable of walking, don't you worry.

I've been on campaign for some time now, that's mostly walking.

[ Mind, most of that time, Akua had been little more than a spirit made flesh, or she'd ridden a flying fortress into battle. ]

[ ah, yes, nothing worrisome about dragging a woman whose body appears half-dead about. nothing at all!! silly him.

but Abel (politely) refrains from voicing certain concerns aloud, instead offering her his elbow like a dignified gentleman. ...or one who has been well-trained by company who is much more aristocratically inclined than he is. ]

Ah... a campaign, mm? [ considering the glimpse he'd had into her life, her world... hm. ] Do you mind me asking what sort of campaign?

[ Akua took his arm, and patted his arm in response, a light smile on her face. Her steps had evened out in the days after she'd arrived. The Dead King's spell would never fade entirely, but perhaps Masego's healing had done better than they'd thought.

Or perhaps her own perceptions of her injuries had changed, with the time since she'd been her, and her new Aion frame. ]

The types that involve war. [ She said, simply. ] We were marching on Keter, the home of the Dead King -- we even just killed him...

[ A beat, then. ]

Permanently, I might add. He was already dead. [ She paused, considering. ] I don't suppose you've experienced wars like that yourself, have you?

[ the importance of self-perception cannot be overstated for those of newly reborn Aion bodies, it seems; it is still a concept Abel is getting used to himself, but... if it has afforded Akua any measure of comfort? he'll absolutely take it. ]

Killing the 'Dead King...' That sounds-- impressive? [ perhaps he's missing the context for her accomplishment, but it DOES sound impressive! ] I get the feeling that was no easy feat, no matter how easy you say it...

[ Akua...

that question has him sending her a side-long glance, has a brief hesitation settling over him-- before he inevitably nods his head with a faint sink of his shoulders. ]

War seems to be one constant among all worlds, unfortunately. --Though I'm afraid I can't claim any grand exploits such as Dead King-slaying, I'm sorry to say...

Hm, neither can I. [ She said, with a small, reassuring smile. ]

Neshamah had put me out of commission through most of his fight with the Woe, I'm afraid. [ A gesture, then, toward her hand, withered. ]

My dear friend Masego was the one who ultimately ensured he wouldn't return. [ By grasping his godhead turned flesh, and consuming it.

Akua of course, was not ignorant, she saw the slump of Abel's shoulders, the way he looked...uncomfortable. She wondered, perhaps, if he invested so much in their worlds, what they had been like, to avoid talking about his own. She patted his hand, reassuring. ]

Regardless, while most worlds have wars, they have joys, and triumphs as well, hm?

Of course... and it sounds like whatever you had been involved in-- maybe you had struck a decisive blow? One for the betterment of your world?

[ it's hard, of course, to imagine the grand scheme of her world when he feels like he grasps so little of the nuance-- but this much is a hopeful shot in the dark. had her wartime campaign been coming to an end? ]

If it's still there... I think it would have.

[ It's hard to say, without knowing what will happen beyond that. She knew for a fact, of course, that her decision had been right. She'd felt it, when Cat stabbed her, the Name blossoming and settling underneath her skin, just like the Bard's own had shifted alongside hers, to allow two to share as Intercessor.

But had it been enough? There were plenty more threats to be had. Would there be peace? After all was said and done? ]

I hate to use trite words like hope, but... I do have it. I do wish I'd been able to see, what we would have made from the ashes of Neshamah's defeat, though.

[ 'if it's still there.'

that's right; not all so thoroughly believe in the preservation of their worlds. Abel gives this a meager nod of his head, shifting the weight of the bag beneath his arm not occupied with escorting certain Villainesses. ]

Maybe you still can.

[ maybe she will return to her world. maybe she can gaze upon the aftermath of her victory. maybe after they have managed to find their way back to where they belong, she'll return an even further changed woman. he wonders if she would like such a thing. ]

Perhaps. I...like to think that perhaps I can return to Creation at some point, but...

[ But... there is still a note of that despair, in her tone. It's muted, but present. Who is to say, that Coredelia Hasenbach had not brought the might of the Angels down upon them? How could she have known, when the dead still continued to shuffle forward, still left with the impression of their King's last edict.

All in all, Akua had been brought here during the worst time possible, for her to believe such things.

She smiled, reassuring, her thoughts dour when she thought of Calernia as always. ]

Don't worry. I like to think of it's possible existence as a potential pleasant surprise, rather than a guarantee. That's all.

...Being pragmatic, I see. Then-- suppose I will simply have to continue being the hopeful idealist for the both of us. Surely you won't mind much, will you...? If I keep the hope alive, trite or otherwise?

[ and while he says it, it might be apparent that he is hoping for far more than the fate of the home she might return to one day. it hasn't escaped his notice - the hint of something rueful, something shadowed, in her eyes when she speaks of this... of matters of 'home.'

maybe it isn't just her world she questions will be there should she go back. ]

Hopeful optimist as always, I notice.

[ Her tone, however, implies that she'll allow him the optimism. It's almost charming, in a way. All of the hopefulness of a Hero, without the baggage that so often came with them. Too few were willing to work with them, and the gains they'd made with the Heroes had been hard won through death and defeats aplenty.

Akua had no idea of the irony, but...

She wondered if this is how a Hero should have been, had they no Providence to perpetually tip the scales in their favor. Magnanimous, willing to see the big picture...

Well, perhaps that would be something for the new age, that the Tyrant had cursed into being with his death. ]

Not that I mind. There needs to be some... hope to compromise the despair, isn't there? [ A touch of a smile, again. Perhaps that hit a touch too close to home, given their Aion status. ] I do see that the possibility is... that it is there to manipulate us. In fact, I would bet on it.

[ Abel's path leads them away from the canals and toward an incline; they're heading upward toward an elevated overlook, it seems - one of his favorite spots in Godsblood. ]

...It's a concern you're not alone in having.

[ being manipulated by the forces that be is hardly outlandish, and almost a guarantee. while Abel, admittedly, feels a close connection and warmth where the Pleroma is concerned... he also knows how the most innocuous and mundane, the seemingly harmless might have something darker and insidious lurking beneath. he cannot trust that he is not being inherently swayed, influenced by the budding strength of that warmth inside of him. ]

What do you think about all of it? The Pleroma... the Kenoma... even-- the simple fact we're here. Our 'rebirths' seem to come in cycles, but... the origins of it all... they're much harder to find the root of, and no one is overeager to talk about any of it.

[ he keeps his voice low when they pass by others; some discretion is required considering the subject matter, of course. ]

[ Akua nodded at the statement, and her eyes moved to track the movement of others, followed them as they walked past, her own steps showed only the slightest of slowing when she ascended the hill. Her self-perception had healed much of the... issues from the Dead King's power, as an aion, but there was still some lingering in there. ]

I've tried myself, and... there's been little. I asked countless people, but none seemed...interested in sharing. [ Another group passed, and she paused, until they passed by. ]

Most of the... patterns here are eerily similar to my world. While the concept of Pleroma and Kenoma are new, I can't say that two polarized forces is something I'm not... unused to, and what we believe in is... [ She paused, considering. ] It's familiar.

I just wish people were more willing to share what they knew. It may seem like a terrible history to them, but there are strands here that could be picked up, and traced. We could find the origin, or perhaps even the circumstances that led to this.

I think reticence does more harm than good, when it comes to this.

[ the forces of Pleroma and Kenoma resembling something close to familiarity for Akua is definitely interesting; the curiosity piques in his eyes as he watches her while they ascend. ]

You're quite right... it is decidedly frustrating, mm. I understand the subject must be rather taboo and it seems like much of history has been obscured-- and willfully, at that. It isn't that I don't grasp it must be difficult with things being as they are, but...

[ But... ]

There are surely scholars who have cataloged things over the course of time's passing. I was thinking; maybe a trip to the Seeker's Shrine to consult those who seem to live there might be worth it one of these days. If anyone might be attached to the treasure of knowledge... it'd be them, you think? Or they might know who has the answers we're looking for.

[ It has a certain amount of logic, doesn't it? ]

I should think if anyone did, it would be the Seekers. At the very least, they might be able to point us in the right direction, if they don't have any answers.

[ She paused, considering. ]

If we had time, we could perhaps put things together. We could ask enough people, or win over their trust, and do all of those grand, wonderful things that would lead us to having the right answers, but...

But waiting for that leaves us with little time to do much else. It feels as if the Kenoma know enough that they hold many of the cards, and without the right knowledge about the history here, we're bound to get wrapped up into some problems simply because of that. It's easy to misstep, or find the same patterns accidentally, and when it's to our disadvantage, even more so.

[ Considering the world Akua was from, it should be unsurprising, that one could be undone by a pattern without even realizing it. ]

I had thought to perhaps learn more about the more well off families by perhaps... getting to know them a bit better, and maybe learn about their histories that way, but... the Seekers may be a better, and more reliable, place to start.

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