PLEROMA | FRIENDS LOST (END OF SOVISERI)

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien can be felt in the communion space, after having essentially gone missing during the final days of the mission. He's only just now returning to Greentruth in the company of friends. The tone of his psychic transmission is fraught with sorrow and anger in kind.]

Himeka and Abel have been taken by the Kenoma. They... are the Regent's prisoners.

[His presence becomes distant for a few beats after, like he has to steady himself.]

The creature of Innocence we found in Venera... its hold on me is far greater than I ever realized. I was drawn into a battle with the Kenoma, in the defense of other Pleroma, and when I found myself outnumbered and trapped... it came to my aid. Yet, 'twas at a cost I would not have willingly paid.

Angered by their broken "promise", it lashed out at those that bore its mark. 'Twas this moment of weakness that allowed them to be captured. It struck Ryunosuke and Alphinaud as well... Ryunosuke is safe. Alphinaud... has vanished somewhere I cannot reach.

[He's doing his best to give an objective account, something he became skilled in doing as a soldier. It's clear how much this is weighing on him, though.]

The... creature has been attempting to enthrall me. To change my body and steal my memories... it told me that Alphinaud was 'among the light', and that he had no further need for me. That Himeka and Abel had chosen to suffer in this world. I...

[And finally, the anger takes precedent, a fire wrought with misery.]

I will take them back. No matter what it demands of me. I... will bring them home.

Comments

[hippocarnival]

[No.

It's hard to overstate how obvious Himeka and Abel's absence has been. And it's been harder and hard tp not worry about what could have happened that resulted in them being so silent and unseen after... whatever happened in Godsblood. But he isn't prepared to have the worst confirmed by Estinien.

It's too hard to find words in the start of his response, fumbling to even get his thoughts straight as fear and alarm crowd his head and filter through the connection.] Abel and Himeka are...

Where were they taken? Achamoth?

[coerthantorment]

I know naught for certain... but 'tis the only outcome I can imagine.

[He tries to keep himself steady, but his heart continues to sink.]

We know what the Regent intended for those of us that chose the Pleroma.

[dragonmount]

[ the reverb of anger in this particular connection.

living with ernesto means that he isn't hearing this information for the first time. but it's still new, and it's still dreadful. ]

You won't be alone in bringing them back.

[ it's as much a promise in the general sense as the personal. of course, abel and himeka are so loved by so many people. hard to imagine many, any, would be willing to let this be. but also: he, himself is ready to do what it takes to have them brought to safety, to settle this score. ]

[coerthantorment]

[There is a silent kind of acceptance on Estinien's side of thing, followed by tentative gratefulness. He didn't think the rest of the Pleroma would forsake them, but it's different to hear it for certain.]

To penetrate the defenses of the Citadel... I know not where to begin. I went hunting for a Kenoma I could question on its interior... and I found one, in a sense.

Meteion has changed her colours.

[youngprodigy]

[Gods dammit. He hadn't been sure what to make of the fact that Himeka hadn't returned, and the dread coming from him is obvious.

At Innocence, at the fact that one of his dearest friends was captured, at the fact that Alphinaud is gone, at his own helplessness...]

....If we destroy it, are we handing this world to the Regent? Must we slay both of them...? It seems no matter what the star, Primals drain the land and its peoples.

[He'll not bother trying to talk Estinien out of it, but his uncertainty is obvious.]

How will you get there?

[coerthantorment]

...

[The comparison is terrifying - that he might be caught in the thrall of a primal. He's been afraid of the possibility for so long now, and for it to be realized...]

If it is as our world... there were souls that... they could make use of a primal's power...

[He tries to remember Ysayle, but the image doesn't form properly. The knowledge of this phenomenon comes cruelly detached from the woman herself. There is only a feeling of absence.]

[wolof]

[ A ripple of something... violent. The losses seemed to keep stacking up. They may have been victorious in some ways, but Akua was aware that there was a price to be had for that. ]

Do you have a plan yet?

[ No personal anecdotes here. Of course, Akua was...close to the both of them, hence the thread of violence, hotter than a flame and quick to lash out, but no, she wouldn't do so yet. They were friends, but that only meant they had to prioritize getting them out of there -- but not without a plan. ]

[coerthantorment]

I do not.

[He won't even pretend he does - or rather, he won't refuse the notion that one would be useful. He only knows that, even if he doesn't come up with any ideas, he's going to smash himself against the rocks rather than do nothing.]

I... to be effective is of more value than my pride. If there is anything... anything you can do...

[salvageable]

[ Well, this is some shitty, awful news. Dokja's normally not one to deal with Communions if he can help it, but in this case, he can't help it. ]

I'll go with you.

[ He owes both Abel and Himeka a great deal. They reached out to him and showed him a kindness that was more than what he deserved, and to hear that both of them were captured is making him sick to his stomach.

But there's just one more thing. If the plan is to step foot into Achamoth in a rescue attempt, then... ]

About this creature. What if it shows up again? If you can't control it, there's no telling what might happen the next time you're cornered.

[coerthantorment]

...

[He's thankful to Dokja for saying so, and it comes across clearly. It doesn't quite hide the almost maddening helplessness and rage that fuels his next statement, though.]

If the creature need consume me to defeat the Regent, to bring them back... so be it.

[Pure, furious desperation is speaking now.]

Let me die on its altar. I care not.

[chronosynthesis]

[...

He and Abel had impressed upon each other the need to be careful. They should have kept closer tabs on each other. Perhaps someone else would have gotten there sooner, had they known a little sooner than asking for rumors around docks.

Quietly, almost to himself:] So that's the nature of the promise they made.

[Great, so they really have two of these mad, godly powers to contend with.] Their lives are not only on your shoulders, Estinien.

[So, he hopes he isn't planning to go without the rest of them.] That entity... does it speak to you now?

[coerthantorment]

I...

[He has to pause to think on it, lost in the terrible idea that it might be affecting his thoughts on some level he doesn't understand.]

Nay... I do not hear it. I had gone to its shrine in hope of appeasing it, to ask for its succor... it only took the opportunity to ensnare me in its power. To make the place my prison.

If Hayame and Ryunosuke had not come to my aid I would be there still.

[passio]

[ dextera had been so absorbed in his own problems. it’s not the first time his selfishness had completely blot out the world around him, and he’s horribly guilty with the realization.

the sickness tinges even his response, despite his best attempt to keep it to himself to avoid rattling estinien further. ]

…I’ll help. I’ll fight.

[ he hasn’t been the most proactive about the inevitable violence of the divide between their sects and surely estinien knows that, but this is one of the few things that will bring him to the necessary battle. ]

[coerthantorment]

[For some reason hearing Dextera say this, who he remembered being so unsure, heartens him a little. Surely, if they could all fight for anything, it would be Himeka and Abel, ones that had been so kind to so many.]

If the Pleroma are all of one mind... then mayhap it can truly be done.

[locumstudentesquire]

[Ryunosuke isn't chiming in, but he is listening. Even if he doesn't speak, his presence can still be felt. A soft murmur in the background.

It speaks only of an immense sense guilt; a sensation which he's trying and failing to rein in entirely.]

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien understands that guilt, because he feels it also. He can't help but think that if maybe he had done something different, this could have all been avoided.

If he was feeling more confident, he might say that there was no point in dwelling on the past. As it is, though, he can only offer his sympathy.]

[superbshot]

Bloody hell. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

[Caitlyn's voice takes on a resigned sort of resolve, her entire being at once feeling energized and drained.]

You're certainly not doing this alone, Estinien. When you've got a plan, keep me informed.

[And...]

...You need to be careful with the entity. Surely I don't need to tell you that, but it sounds like you're playing with fire.

[coerthantorment]

[He does know, and it comes across silently. It's less about whether or not it's fire, and more about whether he's ready and willing to set himself ablaze to see this done.]

When I was cornered by the Kenoma, I feared for a moment it might be my end. In response... the creature overtook me, taking me as its vessel, body and soul.

It dispensed the Kenoma trivially, with power I barely understand... if it could be utilized, even briefly...

[He's willing to do it, and he's willing to pay for it.]

[emblazer]

I don't think you're in the best state to help them. What if you wind up captured while enthralled or lash out again?

[ It's too much of a risk, even when he knows Estinien wants to help. ]

There has to be a way to seal it or get it to reject you as a host.

[ This is far from his area of expertise, so he's a little at a loss about what to do. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Thoma is one of the very few that actually saw what became of him when the entity took over, and so he has to take his words with some amount of weight. Even so...]

We haven't the time, Thoma. Every day is another day they are within the Regent clutches, another day that might steal them from us forever.

I won't allow it.

[comelately]

Himeka and Abel? Shit...

[ he can only imagine what's being done to them there. No, he doesn't even want to imagine it. ]

There's no sense in charging over there without a plan, especially if you got that creepy Innocence thing trying to hold your soul hostage. You'll just end up a prisoner, too. [ a beat. ] We need some inside knowledge.

[coerthantorment]

[He will not argue with the inherent shit-ness of the situation. For a moment there is just quiet assent.]

I'd one former Kenoma who has offered her services that way. Though more could be of value.

[dragon_rider]

[ That's not good. The initial reaction is an obvious one, one met with anger, irritation, a touch of despair. That's not good is an understatement - Has been one since they've arrived and only getting hauntingly worse and worse as time went on.

What comes through isn't anger or frustration from Hiccup, but understanding. He knows how desperately Estinein wants to go for it. At heart, Hiccup is a Viking. He understands that even if it doesn't make logical sense - even if it's dangerous - that's just an occupational hazard. Bringing home their own is the thing that matters most. He thinks of Alphinaud, and their planning, and closes his heart around it.

'Home,' it's to each other first. But still, even as easily as his heart races forward Hiccup is still Hiccup - They need some kind of plan. ]

So we gather what we can and leave. Soon. But we still - [ Still need something more tangible than reacting emotionally. For a moment, he thinks that the only rational answer is to have Estinein stay behind. It's a fleeting thought, one passed on and dismissed in the same thought: Estinein is a warrior, he has that spirit. He's loyal. There's no way he'd be willing to go for that: ] - We'll have to hope that all of us, together, can keep you protected enough it doesn't feel like you're in danger.

[ Which is asking a lot and he's dubious that's possible - Estinein is who he is. And yet, it's the best thing he can think of. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Hiccup is right about that much. With the way that Estinien is, staying away from the fight completely is largely out of the question. He seems uneasy at Hiccup's idea, and supplies with some amount of hesitance:]

I had thought to call upon its powers willfully. If it so desperately wants me alive... surely it would protect me in the heart of Achamoth.

[He's not completely insisting but he does think it might be the best chance they have.]

[warmare]

[Hayame does at least manage a cursory attempt at trying to lurk in the communion space that Estinien fills with information, the call to action… but she had barely managed her own request to the ether, and this one is far more charged than hers had been.

She retreats all too soon from the flares of anger and despair and hope and dedication and worry and strife.

But Estinien remains because… of course he does. And it is not her place to say a thing, he is a man grown, a warrior, but eventually… seeing what she perceives to be strain on his features, above the shard in his hand beside her.]

Estinien.

[She raises her head from the robotic movement of waxing her bowstring to try and call his attention back.]

now I can finally do this

[coerthantorment]

[This is difficult. He hadn't wanted to be the one who delivered this news, as much as he felt it was his duty. Everyone is being very compassionate. Practical. Smarter than he is, maybe. Yet, he is leaving this discussion feeling more trapped than before.

It's the weight of other's hopes, he thinks. He's backed down from his wilder statements by now, tempered by the reasoning of his fellow Pleroma. Even so, he isn't sure how to secure this victory for them. How could they succeed at raiding Achamoth without losing more than they sought to regain?

The numbers just don't work in their favor. He can't imagine getting in and out without even more casualties, if they can reach the Regent's prisoners at all. He had thought that perhaps the entity could be compelled to aid them, but if not, what can he do? He had staked his own hope on a ludicrous fantasy, and now...

Suddenly, he hears Hayame speak. He slowly disengages, the focus returning to his eyes as they shift to meet hers.]

What is it?

[deushexmachina]

What are you looking for? In terms of auxiliary. [He clears his throat, the ache of loss familiar and dreadful,] I'd like to help in whatever way possible.

[coerthantorment]

...If one were able to infiltrate in advance... mayhap...

[It seems crazy, but if they had eyes in the city, would it help?]

It seems that the Pleroma have the will to fight, but little direction...