[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 Aions may develop new abilities at any time, however; intel from the mission in Venera and Godsblood may very well be outdated by now, so do not assume anything we go over in this address as the extent of what they can do.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

[fallingsand]

[ Sure, Ciel said to contact her directly to opt out of being on the front lines somewhere, but communion is so painfully new to Bruno that his first clumsy attempt at replying — apart from that earlier to Atsumu, telling him not to swear — isn't even remotely targeted.

It also carries entirely unmuted emotion with it: distress against a consistent drone of nervousness. ]

Uh, I get... I get this is a war and all but I'm really only good at avoiding danger, not. Not running towards it.

[ aka he can't fight. Bench him, coach, he'll get in the way. ]

[affal]

My dear man, please take this from someone who had not so much as thrown a punch before arriving here:

Learn. Either that, or find some other way to make yourself or your skills useful. We cannot afford dead weight.

[fallingsand]

Yeah, trust me, learning to throw a punch won't actually help me a whole lot if folks are throwing lightning or making earthquakes or whatever else. I'll... I'll think of something else.

[affal]

I think you'd be surprised.

( sometimes it just takes being willing to do what must be done. )

There are many different types of abilities that might manifest themselves as time goes on. Focus your thoughts on how you might best aid or augment others, and we will see what comes out of it.

This having been said, learning some manner of self-defense, no matter how minor, should not be avoided. Should you come across a Pleroma Aion in a combat situation, it would be foolish to hope they might just let you go.

[expiera]

[That's definitely another beacon for "distressed normie" if she ever saw one. How many did they nab this round? This is honestly sad... bad... sbad... She does genuinely feel for them, but there's no changing the reality they're facing.

Regardless, the woman's voice that was stern and business-like before has clearly changed, to something much more friendly and gentle as she addresses this newbie personally.]

That's okay. Not everyone here is good at fighting, some end up developing supportive abilities instead. What's your name?

[Let's start this one step at a time.]

[fallingsand]

[ Not quite a "normie" but certainly not a "fighty", either. At least Ciel's response is somewhat gentler than the previous fellow's. Of course, that does little to abate the nervousness.

That, sadly, is liable to always be in any communication from poor Bruno. ]

Oh. Um, I'm Bruno. Bruno Madrigal.

[expiera]

[In hindsight that sort of power is just the worst of every world, misery vision is probably worse than having no powers at all... 😔]

It's nice to meet you despite the circumstances, Bruno. As Aions can develop new abilities based on self-perception, we can very much help you with that, too. May I ask you what you're good at, Bruno? Or something you enjoy doing?

[lachtara]

Even those who have no talent in combat may have talents that lie elsewhere.

[ Maybe this is something that still may be used. ]

There is no value in throwing the untrained to the wolves. We can seek shelter for you during the confrontation, but you must learn to defend yourself in the future. The Pleroma will not grant you Clemency.

[fallingsand]

Well, yeah, I'm not... probably not totally talentless...

[ Of course, he's failing to mention his actual talent at all here. It just isn't combat-related, unfortunately. ]

Everyone sure is making them sound like they're the stab first, ask questions later sorta folks. Is that really... how it is? All of them?

[lachtara]

Every Pleroma will be different, just as every person is different. The question you should be asking is: Are you willing to gamble your life on which is willing to reason with you and which is willing to take your life? There is no way to know the difference for sure.

[gravings]

[ A girl's voice floats in gently as if to spiritually pat him on the back. ]

I don't know if there's really anywhere to run to as an Aion. But, um, it's okay if this seems overwhelming. I'm sure there's some way you can help without fighting.

[fallingsand]

[ There's faint surprise to hear someone who sounds this young. Then again, Atsumu is young, too. How many kids are here? ]

I dunno, I'm pretty good at running. [ Ha ha, okay, that doesn't help. ] Though, yeah. There'll be... something I can do. Maybe. We'll see?

[gravings]

... Maybe... when the fighting starts, if it gets too dangerous for the people of the city, you can help them run with you.

[ There's no telling what the scale of the fighting will be like, after all. She doesn't think the Pleroma will aim for wide-scale damage, but sometimes things just get out of hand. ]

[regressor]

I tried running once…

I’m not sure it’s going to work this time either.

But good luck.

[fallingsand]

Thanks...?

[ Or was that a sarcastic "good luck"? Bruno wasn't sure. ]

Wh-what were you running from? Before?

[regressor]

[It doesn’t sound sarcastic, at least? Just quiet.]

Ah… from “war”, is I guess the easiest way to say it.

From fighting.

[zauneyete]

[ Nope. ]

I think you'll find that many of us came from worlds, or places, where we didn't fight.

[ It's him, the guy who brought you here! ]

I, for one, know little more than back-alley brawls. Yet recently, I was involved in a fight that involved what I could only call an overwhelmingly strong being.

[fallingsand]

[ This guy. He recognizes Silco immediately and there's a series of loud, unwieldy, conflicted emotions already tied to this jerk. A spark of anger is the first one — he just left him down there — followed by fear, more nervousness, almost like a mental cringe, away from him.

Technically, Silco never really lied to him. His discontentment has little to do with becoming a part of the Kenoma but rather the loss that preceded it.

Ultimately, it all settles on uncertainty. He'll let sense win out for now. He can't be mad at him. He's trying really hard not to be mad at him. ]

What, so. Did you win? Against the strong. Thing?

[zauneyete]

Me?

[ A scoff. ]

I'm an old man. I'm hardly going to be winning any battles. [ The punctuated 'b' emphasizes it. ]

If you encounter it, as someone without powers, you'll likely have about as much success as I would with a one on one battle. Personally, I'd rather do what I'm good at, but you'll have little choice to fight or not fight, eventually.

[ A pause. ] Despite what they say -- you will have to participate, lest you draw the Regent's ire.

[lifespanned]

Oh, how are you good at avoiding it, though...? That must take some kind of skill.

[ A skill that might be helpful to them all? Maybe? She sounds genuinely curious, rather than condescending. ]

[fallingsand]

How good am I at running away?

[ Really? Uh. Good question? ]

Wellll, I hid in a village for, like, a whole decade, and no one ever caught or found me, but I'm not sure that's a skill so much as... not... wanting to confront people...

[vapour]

Running is as good a start as any.

What else can you do?

[fallingsand]

What, physically?

Running is pretty easy. I'm used to climbing things fast and getting through small spaces. Hiding. Just... not being seen. I don't think that'd be useful for anything other than getting away from a fight, though?

[uproared]

So you're a coward. [ Tiredly: ] Why are there so many of your ilk? This is a war, not a picnic.

[fallingsand]

[ Initially? He wants to snap back, how he never asked to end up here when his world died, but what would that even do, apart from start a pointless argument? So, it's merely with great resignation that he... simply agrees. ]

Yeah. I know I am... I don't know what else I can do to... to help, so...