HAYAME ➳ PLEROMA (VOICE)

[warmare]

[One member of Pleroma has intentionally avoided Communion for months, but now... perhaps it can actually be of use. Now, she actually requires something that she cannot accomplish through strength or stubbornness alone, so-

A hard, cold voice barely comes through, mixed with an inexperienced jumble of vague (violent, dark) images until the words solidify as:]

Who amongst you has the ability to write?

I require a posting for the Achamite heads.

[OOC: please be warned there will be (cw: beheading) in this post]

Comments

[emblazer]

Isn't that a bit too cruel? Even if they were our enemies, they should be buried properly. You don't want to incur the wrath of vengeful spirits.

[ Or vengeful family members and compatriots. ]

I imagine the Regent would only increase his hostility towards us if he caught wind of it, too.

[warmare]

"Too cruel"?

[Her inexperience with controlling herself over this medium shows- there is a disconnect in her voice, overlaid with a chaotic jumble of dark images and thoughts.]

You think it too cruel to take the heads of those who serve the man who claims to have destroyed our worlds?

[emblazer]

No, but I do think it's cruel to display them. You've had your revenge already, and killing them –punishing them further– it won't bring us home any quicker.

[ He also has his doubts on their worlds being destroyed if Lumine was able to return. ]

[warmare]

[She's had her revenge already? A surge of dark, deep anger undercuts her words, the connection growing hot and agitated.]

I won't have had my revenge until it's the Regent's head that's been removed from their neck.

You would kill them and treat them as honorable opponents? Bury the heads as if they were warriors? I won't allow it.

If they are dogs of the Regent, the only good they'll serve is as warning to the rest.

[emblazer]

Not all of them. Some are– were my friends and people from my world. Allies to my own allies and soldiers carrying out their duty. If you answer cruelty with cruelty, you'll become no different than the Regent.

[ He doesn't want to see anyone else go down that path and start delighting in slaughter. ]

[warmare]

That is the Kenoma. Their heads are useless, I will take their shards instead. I have already been bound by my word on this. As for duty... warriors will always answer for their masters. That is the way of war.

[His "friends"... Hah.]

I will always be better than the Regent.

[emblazer]

You won't if you kill all those who disagree with you. My lord always stressed diplomacy over violence. Rather than kill and target his enemies, he found a way to manipulate and benefit from them.

[ He wishes Ayato was here to negotiate this point better, but Thoma has to think of how he'd handle a situation this precarious. ]

There are families who'd want to bury their loved ones, aren't there? I still don't condone using the dead to make a point, but we can trade their remains for something to bolster our own army.

[warmare]

You seem to be disagreeing with me, and yet somehow you still live.

[Distaste is beginning to be obvious in the empathic reflection of emotions through communion, however. Proudly claiming his lord manipulated people rather than kill them honorably?]

If these dogs have families they can reclaim the heads once they've been suitably exposed. The soul is in there, it should be enough to comfort them.

[emblazer]

It's all right to disagree with people at times. Would you really take my life for offering a more sympathetic alternative?

[ He has a good feeling his head is going to end up hung up next... ]

I fought against them myself, but I'm no soldier like you. I haven't lost the ability to show my enemies mercy.

[warmare]

I would not. So do not even begin to compare me to the Regent again, or I will see my honor answered for.

[that's not head worthy, but]

Mercy is for the weak or those so powerful they need not fear being seen as weak.

I am neither.

[emblazer]

I am far from the strongest, that's true, but threats and intimidation only sow more discord. I don't think this is a war we can win with brute force, especially since we lack the army, supplies, and funds.

[ He's already anxious about how the Regent will retaliate after finding out only a handful of rebels were actually executed. ]

[warmare]

You want to win it by talking?

[Did he not see how the Regent "talked"?]

[emblazer]

Negotiation rather than talking, if possible. Venera has proven it's not the only region that has defectors and people willing to go against the Regent. If we bolster our numbers, we'd have a better shot, you know?

[ It'd be less hazardous than angering the Regent even further so his hunt on their heads only intensifies. ]

[warmare]

And then what? You will convince more rebel human sorts to join you, and that will make the Regent give in?

Did you even see the same scene at his speech that I did?

[emblazer]

It will if we overpower his forces and corner him. I don't see him coming out to fight us directly any time soon and leaving himself open for assassination, so we'd have to cut him off from his allies and resources as much as possible.

[ Otherwise, they'd be fighting a losing battle. Even if he understands her anger, he knows mindlessly provoking him is the worst possible strategy they can take at this moment. ]

[warmare]

And you genuinely think that you can do this? Somehow raise an army large enough to overpower a man who controls shadows and rips us from our bodies as he pleases?

[He'd made Estinien, Rand, others... into puppets on shadow sticks with a flick of his goddamned wrist.

Does this man realize how insane he sounds now?]

[emblazer]

How many people can he control at once? There's got to be a limit to his power. Otherwise, we've already lost.

[ But he's sure the Regent has to have a weakness hidden somewhere. More bodies would help them figure it out and exploit it faster. ]

[warmare]

Does he not control the whole city of Achamoth? Do his people not place their boots on the neck of Venera, too?

That isn't enough people for you?

[emblazer]

Of course not. Not if they're willing to rebel and stand up against corruption. There are other Aions in Achamoth we can talk into joining us too. Would you let them or have you already decided recruitment isn't worth the trouble?

[warmare]

What a hopeful fool you are.

The so-called rebels are already vastly outnumbered, hiding in a forest and in the shadows of Godsblood, and you think a few more aions will turn the tide?

Enjoy your efforts while you remain positive.

[emblazer]

Well, what do you think we should do? I'm open to suggestions, you know? If we follow your plan and display the defeated as war trophies, what's the next step?

[warmare]

[What did she suggest?]

Stop bothering with trying to change hearts and minds and just focus on actually exterminating the enemy, slow and careful if need be until they send out the ones who acually need to die.

[emblazer]

That's still going to be difficult when they outnumber and outpower us. I got taken out pretty badly because my world is a little behind on technology.

[ It turns out it's really hard to outrun bullets... ]

[warmare]

That's why I said "slow and careful".

[It requires more planning.

... She doesn't wanna talk about bullets, though.]

[emblazer]

I still don't think putting their severed heads up would count well towards either slow and careful, but maybe we can compromise?

How about putting up one head, and the rest get sent back to Achamoth in bags? They can do what they need to with them over there, and we'd still send them a similar message if we dropped them off at their gates.

[ He's trying his best to find a solution he's somewhat morally okay with, but even one head is going to needle at Thoma's strong moral fiber. ]