(Kenoma.) after the 6th of Firaseri. (cw: beheadings)

[vapour]

[ in the communion space, the Kenoma will feel Childe's presence along with a really obnoxious slurping sound, the exact kind you get when sipping out of a straw and the drink has reached near empty. A momentary flash of Hayame-chan's Beautiful Achamite Head Trio display is flashed as a memory along with a heavy sense of puzzlement over the effort keeping these heads clean and tidy. ]

Wow. Can any of you tell me more about this Pleroma called 'Hayame?' [ he sounds curious more than anything. In fact he finds this all amusing because it's just so... pointlessly grotesque and yet... there's some strange sense of dedication and care to the display.

He laughs now, deciding he finds it actually really funny and entertaining as the wide scope of their enemies starts to show itself.

He wonders if the other Pleroma tried to persuade Hayame not to do this but weren't successful? Or did they not care ... the latter doesn't sound quite right for a good chunk of the Pleroma at least, especially of the first wave arrivals.

It's be interesting to look into. ]

I'm very interested to hear from you if you can.

Comments

[oomfies]

you can say that 1) without talking down to me + being condescending? and 2) w/o sharing your "experience" onto everyone's brain FIRST

try acting like an adult sometime! thanks

1/2

[vapour]

Your second point is fair, so I'm sorry. [ its kind and sincere sounding, like he definitely doesn't want her to be angry with him. However... ]

...But your first? ...Well, if you're so sure that's what I was doing, I might as well avoid making you a liar, hm?

2/2

[vapour]

[ his kindness and cheerfulness drains completely, leaving a firm, apathetic but entirely derisive farewell. ] I thought you were actually grossed out because of people being dead, but looks like I expected way too much from the likes of you.

I'll make a deal with you, though. I'll be an adult when you stop being a selfish nasty little bitch.

Bye, Lottie.

[ now he's being condescending. Happy? ]

[vapour]

...Oh, Greentruth. I see.

[ it's a place? So this is the name of a place they're actually hiding in? Thanks for the tip, Liem. ]

As for Hayame ... I want her because she's a warrior and she's asking for a fight. I'm looking for someone that is worthwhile with supposed honor that knows how to fight and lives for it.

[oomfies]

k

[galdorleod]

[ yeah, they do have kids in their ranks, and you send them the same thing...!! Howl sighs and somehow finds the strength to let it go. ]

...That level of cruelty is unprecedented from any of the Pleroma, as far as I know. They have plenty of violent warriors on their side, but this?

[ Howl doesn't believe for a second that Childe really cares about those soldiers' families, although he doesn't say as much. Better to focus on the problem instead. ]

Certainly not a persuasive way of convincing the locals that the Pleroma are here to deliver them from cruelty. Perhaps she acted alone?

[sterngaze]

I will be honest: I don't like the idea of leveraging her honour in order to ambush her under false pretenses. Even if she were to be claimed for our sect, I'm sure she would harbour a grudge over such a deception.

But I agree that I would much rather have her as an ally than as an enemy, so I will still help you confront her.

[vapour]

Bold of you to assume it's an ambush.

I want you tell her I want to fight her one on one.

[vapour]

Yeah, most likely. Not sure why they thought it was better to let her do this than stop her, though. Maybe they were too busy with us to bother. Still, they did leave it up which doesn't send the most positive of messages.

Then again, maybe the civilians are blind enough to think so long as it's the Regent's forces, anything is acceptable. Which just... heh, reinforces why this world needs to be purged.

[sterngaze]

It was the verbiage "lure her out" that gave me that impression.

[It's pretty evocative!]

She will doubtless be making her way here soon enough with the rest of the Pleroma. I expect you'll have a chance to fight her then.

[vapour]

Yeah. We'll see. You said she used glamours, so ...

[galdorleod]

Is it fair to assume they "let her" do such a thing, as opposed to her acting alone? The Pleroma are less organized than we are. I doubt she asked everyone's permissions before committing such an act.

[ The Pleroma definitely have their own diversity of opinions on how to resist the Regent and the Kenoma Aions. There simply isn't anyone among them akin to the Regent who keeps the metaphorical boat steered on the right course. Speaking of which... ]

You sound like you've grown a bit more committed to our cause than the last time we spoke, Childe. [ and yes, he will comment on this aloud in a public conversation, where everyone can hear. Surely the Harbinger can handle it. ]

[sterngaze]

The glamour I saw her use didn't alter her face, or her stature. I'm not sure if this is because she felt it was beneath her to change her features in a more thorough way, or if doing so was simply beyond her, but that may still be the case.

Even if it is not—listen for the sound of hooves. The glamour is only a visual effect, so it doesn't actually change her body, nor hide the sound of her motion.

[vapour]

Not sure, I guess it could be either. [ since he's completely unaware someone else wrote the sign for her. ] Either way, that sort of stuff usually looks bad on all of them not just her.

[ there's a pause at Howl's call out, but hey that's pretty first of Howl, so Childe just might be impressed. He wants to laugh, but... the stuff isn't very laughable to him even as an individual who lives for battle and the subsequent violence. ]

Yeah. I got a few hard truths shown to me. This thing with Hayame just hammers it home even further.

[vapour]

Got it.

But maybe the best thing to do is just hang around you more since she'll be looking for you, right?

sometimes when you're a miserable evil demon you gotta bully people into gay chicken to vent.

[tohell]

[ Going in that hard to make a pretty direct invitation only to suddenly retract it? If Childe thinks J doesn't notice that jarringly abrupt mood shift, he'd be wrong about that. No amount of deflection can sweep under the rug someone dialing down their interest from 60 to 0 that fast.

Due to his very nature as a creature that has spent hundreds of years profiting from the suffering of mortals, J's focus is immediately drawn to whatever Childe's deal is. For J, teasing him about this is much more entertaining than gossiping about Ms. Ornamental Head Arranger. And while he's not particularly looking to backslide into old professions, Childe doesn't need to know that. Or anything else beyond the vague sense of J's delight that seeps in through communion. It's a fact that doesn't prohibit him from weaponizing the notion, either. If only to pester someone for a little sport. ]

Now, now. Don't jump to conclusions. [ Bored and with time to kill, J could do this all day. And he's downright chipper about it, too. ] As if I'd be so rude as to turn down such a generous offer, after you've confirmed your willingness to oblige!

And seeing as how we haven't had the scintillating experience of meeting one-on-one, there's no way of telling if sparks will fly or not until that happens. [ Sweating yet, Childe? Now who's the one who shouldn't start things they aren't willing to follow through on? ]

Shall I name a time and place, so that we can find out?

[sterngaze]

[On the one hand, it isn’t as though Liem is planning on broadcasting his location when the Pleroma do finally show up to assault the Citadel. On the other hand, Hayame has done her best to memorize his scent, and there is every possibility she might track him down just by smell once she gets within any decent radius.]

You're probably correct. I'm not intending to make myself an obvious target, but with her sense of smell, she may very well track me down regardless.

[vapour]

Oh...you aren't?

[ there's a chuckle. ] Haha, no problem. I think we can still make it work just fine. [he's not responsible if he ties you to a post out on the field for Hayame to find, Liem, just a friendly heads up. ]

1/2

[vapour]

[ Hm.





Super Red Flags swinging in the air right now. ]

can't be helped! 2/2

[vapour]

—Yeah, your move.


[ well that sure got blurted out. either childe's

a) calling bluff
b) doesn't care
c) can't stand to lose at gay chicken
d) ????
e) all of the above

or:

f) [ REDACTED ]

Now that he thinks about it though, he's not even sure who this guy is? Considering he doesn't know anything about him, it wasn't the best idea to go head to head, but the other's in the same boat, anyway, right?

eh... it can wait once they get face to face. ]

[sterngaze]

[Okay... Why does that simple statement seem so ominous...]

I'll make sure to keep in contact, so we can coordinate when the Pleroma do make their move.

[zauneyete]

I am sure that next time, we will have the opportunity to retaliate for these heads.

Besides, with time, we'll have the opportunity to get... creative.

[ A snort. ]

I'm sure Estinien will bring allies. I can't imagine he would be foolish enough to walk through the doors as bold as can be.

[ Not after last time is on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn't say it. ]

[tohell]

I can already tell your enthusiasm over this quaint little meet-up of ours is absolutely off the charts.

[ Childe, is that any way to respond to someone suffering through this Gay Chicken Fake Date with you??? The demon could quite nearly find it in himself to feel offended if his fellow Kenoma wasn't so perplexingly tense about an arrangement he essentially initiated. (Which J has no compunctions about ditching once he's tormented this man enough.) ]

Well, since you're clearly not having any sudden second thoughts- [ Don't mind him, J's just going to subtly insinuate the reverse and subtly needle you about that, Childe. ] Why don't we make it this evening?

Unless you have any pressing issues that need your immediate and undivided attention? [ He's giving you an out, buddy. If you want to tuck tail and run, now's the time! ]

[galdorleod]

Hard truths? Is that so. Like what?

[ Howl wouldn't be surprised if Childe refuses to answer, but there's no harm in asking to see what he says. ]

[affal]

I wish you success, then.

Ah... No, I fear our paths will probably cross on their own accord at some point. Please, I encourage you to blaze your own trail with the centaur woman.

( or do them all a favor and bring her shard back to achamoth. )