[Kenoma] Discussion

[lachtara]

( 🟣 - Emet, 🔵 - Ciel )

Good Evening.

There are some within our ranks who we have not had the pleasure of meeting. I am Emet-Selch. Ciel and I serve as tacticians and teachers to the Kenoma.

I function as acting counsel for devising strategies. Additionally, some of you may find yourself in possession of new magical abilities that you did not have before. I am available to assist you with honing your newfound magical skills. To those of you who find yourself injured, I can provide my magic to heal your wounds so that you may be hale and whole once more.

[ He sighs. My, is this a mouthful. ]

My name is Ciel. I am versed in martial arts and am proficient with most types of weaponry. There are various means of developing melee combat prowess across Achamoth, but if you would like personalized instructions at any level, please contact me and we’ll arrange for a schedule. I can also perform magical healing along with Father Paul.

Unfortunately, We do not have much time for pleasantries. The Pleroma will soon be at our doorstep. Their goal is to retrieve their allies who remain captive inside our walls, and our goal is to lure them deep within the Citadel where we may enact our own plans. You will be provided assignments once it is closer to the promised hour. Prepare in your own way meanwhile; The Citadel is host to all manners of weaponry and the army's training grounds.

[ It’s kept a little vague and unspecific. Though they do intend to give adequate information, there is also no question that they have had traitors in their midst as of late. Everything will be doled out with due caution. Although, there will be a silent message sent to each person asking them to respond with some information of their abilities. ]

We are at war, bloodshed is inevitable. We will be attacked soon, and we must defend our keep. Consider this communion address a formal hub for discussion and organization of the battle to come. We will begin with information sharing of the Pleroma: knowing their names, appearances, and capabilities will better prepare us in dealing with them in combat. Aions may develop new abilities at any time, however; intel from the mission in Venera and Godsblood may very well be outdated by now, so do not assume anything we go over in this address as the extent of what they can do. Anything you may have witnessed at the shrines can be helpful, including other newcomers you may have met that did not return to Achamoth..

To the third wave of newly awoken Aions, it is regrettable that we cannot welcome you better, you’ve unfortunately arrived at a tumultuous time on Horos. If this is all too much for any reason, that’s fine. Contact me privately, and we can at least arrange for you to be somewhere safe during this. To those used to wielding great power, please get some practice in and verify your new limits. Becoming an Aion may have weakened you, do not let that catch you off-guard on the battlefield.

To those who are new, introduce yourselves and ask any questions you have. We will answer your questions as best we can, and I encourage our fellow Kenoma to chime in where they may. Do try to keep your questions interesting enough to be worth reading.

Comments

[sterngaze]

[As Liem talks to Carmine, sipping at his tea and waiting for her to finish her breakfast, he can’t help but pay a little closer attention to her, drawn in by something about her demeanour. It seems painted-on somehow, the movements of her body and face just slightly out-of-tune with the quiet rhythm of her pulse, and with the scent that wafts his way when she moves.

It doesn’t necessarily need to mean anything; she’s probably tired and ill-at-ease and trying not to show it. But he files the information away nonetheless.]

By some people’s reckoning, [he allows, to answer her question. He’s rarely had occasion to appreciate the things he makes, but he’s received compliments on his cooking a time or two before.

When she pauses, he fills the brief silence with a raise of an eyebrow.]

Then the next time I cook something, perhaps I’ll ask for your opinion. Just to be sure.

[regressor]

[She moves clumsily, carefully spooning polite little bites of oatmeal into her mouth with her broken fingers held awkwardly stiff and splinted away from the handle of the utensil. It works, though, she's almost done... and there's quite a few empty plates at her place at the table.

His answer is one that might deserve a laugh. She tries to remember how she'd laughed at Hei, in that grimy safehouse... but it's a bit difficult to make that more convincing. She'll practice it more first.

Instead, she moves her shoulders as if she was amused, a silent chuckle.]

What do you like to cook... ? I'll trade you, of course... to be fair, but I'm much better at baking than cooking.

[Better at taking orders and following directions than being creative or inventive... ? Something like that.]

I'd love to be shown the kitchens as part of the tour, if you don't mind... That, and any other place here you think is worth knowing.

[sterngaze]

[The collection of dishes on the table makes Liem wonder what kind of situation Carmine came from, to be so cruelly undernourished. It's difficult even at the best of times for him to put on any weight, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her appetite. Perhaps she was ill in her last life, or imprisoned, or simply living through a famine. Hopefully the Citadel will prove a kinder home than whatever place she knew before.]

I usually bake, these days. Pies were very popular where I lived before, and they keep well besides.

[He prefers to cook foods that won't need to be eaten as soon as they're done, considering that he rarely has the desire or the ability to eat any significant portion of what he ends up making. Sipping again at his tea, he shifts to lean shortly back in his seat, considering her question.]

There's a library, if you've an interest in learning more about the Regent and their endeavours. I can show you the training facilities as well; group training is held there most days, but the equipment is available at other times as well.

But given our current location, it certainly makes sense to start with the kitchens regardless.

[regressor]

Pies...

[In a strange way... Havoc was grateful for the time she'd spent as a Regressor, even if it had left her body in this state. Her act was far more convincing with five years of emotion-tinted memories to draw from... even if, looking back on them now, it is more like viewing a movie about a different woman entirely, rather than being able to connect to it as herself. The brain of a Contractor simply did not understand why she had felt that way or done those things...

But it can recreate the movement of the muscles, the tone of voice. Mostly.]

I do miss cheese pies...

[If that kind of thing was popular with the people here, she could always use it to ingratiate herself... But, first things first. She finishes off her oatmeal and sets the bowl down atop a cleaned plate, beginning to slowly stack the dishes with her unbroken hand in preparation for taking them back to the kitchens, their first stop. Sensible choice. Supposedly there were servants here, but it wouldn't do to act as if she were callous or used to such things...]

A library sounds nice... and training grounds...

[She hums quietly, as if unsure, as she stops collecting dishes to look at her own hands, her thin arms.]

... I suppose if this is a war... I'll need to get back in shape, won't I?

[As if that was a somewhat sad, but understandably necessary thing.]

[sterngaze]

[Liem finishes off the last of his tea as Carmine begins laboriously to stack her gathered dishes. Without any other obvious signs of injury aside from her fingers, he attributes her painstaking pace to her attenuated condition, and wonders how long it will take for her to recover her energy. After all, she’s right; although the Regent’s aions are more than simple soldiers, she’ll need to improve her physical condition to serve competently.]

Your wellness is a priority, [he confirms.] If you have health needs beyond food, rest, and exercise, I can show you to the infirmary as well.

[There is a slight note of distaste in his voice as he makes this offer; although he mostly masks his discomfort, this is not a place he relishes going. Nonetheless, if Carmine has some ongoing condition that is contributing to her poor health, he would be remiss not to account for it in his role as guide.]

There are also a couple of other aions here who might be able to heal your fingers with magic, if you meet them in person. Emet-Selch is one. Father Paul is another.

[Taking one last long sip, he finishes the remainder of his tea and gestures at her collection of dishes.]

I can carry those, if you’re ready to go.

[regressor]

[... The infirmary.

It's something to seize upon, even though she depicts something in his voice that could be anything from dislike to simply absent-mindedness. It is difficult to tell, on occasion, even with her recent memories to draw upon... So for now, she simply files that possibility away in the back of her mind, along with a million other scenarios and facts that she has picked up on since she woke up in a cave of crystal. It could be useful. Most things could be.]

Emet-Selch... Father Paul...

[So she stacks the last of the dishes, murmuring the names beneath her breath as if memorizing them... and he offers to take them (her aim), which means she smiles again, the tug of muscles in the corner of her lips that does seem a little rusty... but capable of warmth. Capable.]

Ah... Thank you. Yes, I'm ready.

[She carefully, if not slightly awkwardly, scoots out from her chair, slowly easing to her feet. If there was an infirmary...]

... About the infirmary.

[She looks around the room, at the very... She would describe it as something that looked like it belonged in a sci-fi or fantasy movie. It was almost the same for this man, with his pointed ears and somewhat unnaturally pale skin. Still, it was worth the attempt-]

I used to need blood transfusions...

[She looks at his face for any signs of recognition, if he was familiar with the concept.]

Someone told me that the crystal shards in us are... us now... So am I still going to need those? Do they even have them here... ?

[sterngaze]

[Getting to his feet, Liem balances his mug atop the stack of dishes before lifting the entire collection. He isn't motivated entirely by kindness, or even simple manners; they'll move more quickly and with less chance of accidents if he doesn't leave the carrying to her. For him the task is trivially easy, so it just makes sense for him to be the one to take care of it.]

Blood transfusions?

[He frowns slightly, thinking hard as he turns and begins to lead them back toward the kitchens. He can't recall hearing anything about such a treatment since his arrival, but that doesn't mean it isn't available. His only experience with serious treatment here was done while he was unconscious, and followed up by days of mind-altering isolation, so he doesn't have an especially clear idea of what kind of aid he was given before being dragged before the Regent.]

I don't know if the healers here can do such things, but you are correct; you can think of the shard you bear as your core. If your body is destroyed, your shard will form a new one in time, as long as it is kept whole.

[He's less sure about the answer to her other question.]

I can't say whether you will continue to need blood, now that you're here. You may find that you don't, but you should seek the opinion of a healer. I don't know if aions can be ill in the traditional sense, as that is not my area of experience.

[regressor]

[In response to a reaction that seemed to indicate that he might not be familiar with what the term meant, (and she'd considered that possible, in this place that seemed to belong to the realm of cinema and novel), the woman introducing herself as Carmine tries to helpfully supply,]

It's, ah... when your body needs healthier blood... and so the doctors give you blood that's been donated by other people, directly into your veins?

[Perhaps he did need the explanation as simple as that, considering he was saying "healers" and not "doctors" or "nurses". She would find out- it was vital to her survival going forward that she ascertain that.

When he speaks of the shards, she lets her had drift to her chest, hovering over the center of her chest as if that was where her shard was, when in actuality it was embedded in the hollow of her throat beneath her high-necked shirt. If it was that valuable, the last thing she's going to do is let anyone see where it was (who hadn't already, when she had been a foolish Regressor).]

I'll have to ask these healers, then... the oldest aions here now came a few months ago, right? Surely they know by now...

[If the "sick" were cursed through their transformation into aions in this new and distant world...]

If you don't mind showing me there last... ?

[After all... She wouldn't be so rude as to take up his time while she discussed such a private thing with Achamoth's healers...]

[sterngaze]

Certainly.

[Liem leads them across the dining hall at an easy pace, conscious of the smaller woman's frail condition. If she seems to be struggling at all, he's ready to pause or slow his pace accordingly, but for now he simply walks as they continue to talk.]

I've been here for about three months, but I haven't had cause to spend much time in the infirmary.

[In fact, he'd managed to avoid it entirely until his last mission in Venera, after which he assumes he was dragged there for at least a cursory visit before being dosed and thrown in the dungeons. The scar on his throat, already just a clean, dark line, was certainly too dire a couple weeks earlier to leave completely untended. But fortunately for him, he didn't have to suffer that treatment while conscious.]

There have been aions here for much longer than just the past few months, though. The infirmary staff should have the experience necessary to answer your questions.

/gently wraps up in favor of eVenT???

[regressor]

[Though Carmine does her best to maintain a steady pace, there are occasional breaks in her stride, as if she's just... tired. Just very tired. But she seems to appreciate the consideration.]

That's a nice record so far... I hope you keep it up.

[The picture she's been painted by some other members of the sect she's spoke to so far had included quite a bit of vioence and grapples for power... so technically, it did seem notable he had supposedly not been injured enough to need those services in that many months' time. Or perhaps the others had been exaggerating. She didn't yet know who was more accurate in their representation of this world, it would need to come with her own observations, in time.]

I'll ask them.

[The infirmary staff should at least be able to tell her what equipment there was available in this place. If there was anything like a phlebotomy kit, or if such technology was beyond the level of this world's advancement. But until then...

She puts a smile on her face again.]

After the rest of the tour.

[One in which she will strike the delicate balance between "capable of casual small talk" and "a coworker wishing to do their job well". Between the kitchens, the library, and the training ground, she shares just a bit about herself as it comes to be relevant commentary. She liked to bake sweetbreads, a recipe she learned from a woman she stayed with when she first fell ill. She liked a book called Family Happiness, but she doubts they have it in this library. She used to be much more physically fit, it's been five years or so since she was, though, she'll have to try and get back in shape if they expect all of the Kenoma to do their part.

And by the end of things, when he leaves her at the entrance to the infirmary... she seems just a bit more invigorated than before, as if having blossomed under his instructions.

Certainly enough to thank him for the tour, and to promise she'll do something for him in return. As for when she'll get that chance, well... that depends on their enemies.]