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 Aions may develop new abilities at any time, however; intel from the mission in Venera and Godsblood may very well be outdated by now, so do not assume anything we go over in this address as the extent of what they can do.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

[lachtara]

A demon? [ He shrugs. Of course. ] My, what an eclectic assortment of individuals we have here.

If your talents truly lie in the physical, then seek out Ciel. She may help you test your abilities to the fullest.

[cutlery]

[ Brightly, ] Oh, to say the very least. I have not encountered a more eclectic group in all my years, and I have not met all that many.

[ And there's even a bit of a laugh that comes with it, but he moves on easily. If it's not questioned or challenged further, he doesn't see much of a need to elaborate. ]

I shall, in that case. I am happy to lend my aid, naturally, but it would be quite inconvenient to discover an arbitrary limit while engaged.

[lachtara]

Yes, I can't imagine that working in your favor.

[ A pause, Then: ]

Is 'long life' also among your abilities? We've precious few within the Kenoma that have claimed to live for centuries.

[cutlery]

Really?

[ He surprise is genuine, but it comes with a thoughtful noise before he continues. ]

It is indeed. I have lived thousands of years. Long enough that I truly do not know how long. Tracking the passage of time simply was not of interest to my kind. We only began to do so once humanity started to do so with any consistency. [ a shrug ] I may have been alive for a few thousand years, or it may be a geological age.

[lachtara]

One tends to lose track after so much time passes, regardless of intentions.

[cutlery]

Oh, certainly. Tracking the passage of time to such minutia is a mortal phenomenon, in my experience.

[ There's another shrug, but this one is definitely more emotional than literal ]

But I suppose on a related point, should there be need of human history, I also am not inconvenienced by faulty memory. Most of it will be quite irrelevant except to other Aions, circumstances as they are, but the way things are named here is quite familiar to me, for example. Kenoma, pleroma, Æon—they are words of a long dead philosopher whose works were considered heresies and destroyed. There is similarity enough in their concepts that it certainly caught my attention.

[lachtara]

Perhaps you would care to elaborate on the topic in the future? Philosopher's quintessential longwindedness aside, it is always intriguing to hear about supposed "heresy".

[cutlery]

At any time. I had something of a vested interest in learning quite a bit about religion, so I took up quite a lot of reading when I could... Though the actual heresy itself is not that interesting, I must say. In short, it was a disagreement on a technical matter of one its key figures. To be honest, I think destroying everything related was a bit of an overreaction.

[lachtara]

Isn't it always. [ Sigh.. ] How disappointing. They always preface dull content with truly enticing words, don't they?

[cutlery]

Oh, quite. It is why I tend to be quite a voracious reader when I visited! I learned rather quickly that there is no guarantee that any work would survive until my next summoning, especially anything of a controversial nature... Ah, well. I suppose it mattered little, in the end.

[ what with the universe getting destroyed and all, but whatever ]

[lachtara]

We have a library in the Citadel if you feel like satisfying that voracity for knowledge. It could make for a sufficient starting point to learn about your new surroundings.

[ "Starting point", given everything there is tailored to the Regent's favor. ]

[cutlery]

[ oh the delight is immediate. this nerd... ]

Yes, that would be perfect, in fact. I do not require sleep or sustenance, so I was hoping that there would be a library or something of the sort to occupy my time... And so of course, if there is ever need for work to be done, please, do not hesitate to ask or to point someone my way. I rather dislike being idle.

[lachtara]

[ Oh, that is dangerous to tell someone whose wellbeing has relied on retainers. ]

What kind of work, praytell?

[cutlery]

[ His answer is bright, but also completely serious, somehow. ]

Oh, a great many things. I have served as everything from an royal advisor to a spy and assassin to most recently, a butler for a noble household that also somewhat included the duties of the previous two. If it is not something I know how to do, then I will learn it. My work came at an extraordinarily high price, so as a result, I feel it is part of my principles to provide excellence in all that I do.

If you would like specifics, I can give a summary of what I performed for my former master. His needs were certainly quite diverse, so it provides an adequate summary. It may be somewhat long, however.

[lachtara]

Indulge me.

sighs heavily

[cutlery]

My duties included providing primary care to the young master, tending to the matters of his day to day from meals to bathing. Overseeing the household staff of his manor, understanding and applying the butler's principles of being anticipatory, friendly not familiar, privacy and confidentiality, invisible and available. Answering the telephone, receiving guests at the door and supervising their reception. Managing the household budgets and inventory supplies. Scheduling and overseeing vendors of contracted services. Collecting and collating information, including the infiltration of otherwise inaccesible areas or extraction of information from people through whatever means were most efficient. Neutralization of any threats to the young master's life and preparation of assassination of notable figures when necessary.

[ ...Some of these things are not like the other, and yet he continues without missing a beat. ]

Offering a high standard of social etiquette and formal service, planning and organizing parties and events, including overseeing and participating in proper table settings and entertainment preparations as well as performance, if no suitable performer existed. Serving and preparing meals and drinks and performs wait services related thereto, since the household chef was not be allowed near food because of his tendencies to use a flamethrower or the like rather than the oven. Performance of housekeeping duties duties since the maid was particularly clumsy and was too likely to break everything she touched. And finally, maintenance of the manor's gardens and grounds, since the gardener could only manage the most minor tasks of gardening before he inevitably kills them.

[ look they may be turbo dead but he still has to complain about how much his coworkers sucked, he's petty ]

[regression]

Use less words.

[ You're clogging his mindspace. ]

SIGHS MORE HEAVILY

[cutlery]

Ah, of course.

[ He sure doesn't seem offended! Wow! ]

I am simply one hell of a butler.

[vapour]

[ impressed whistle; less so for what he heard (because he tuned it out at word 27,) and moreso for noticing YJH mad about hearing it. ]

[cutlery]

[ Well!! He is going to take it as praise! Because he refuses to perceive any other possibility! ]

Thank you very much. It is quite a lot, I know, so my apologies for speaking so at length.

[lachtara]

[ The way Emet-Selch begins to zone out halfway through all this, His eyes glazing over at the sheer length of it, could make one thankful that their faces can't be seen. This reminds him of his ruling days when those who had something to prove would do their best to win him over with long drawn-out speeches of their successes.

Gods, he wishes the droning words in his mind would stop. And then he blinks, at attention when the words finally do stop. Finally. Ah, peace.

So he responds flatly: ]

Indulge me with a small list next time.

[ He continues a little less flatly. ]

However, I'm sure we can find a plethora of things for you to do that will best utilize your skills. [ Humorously: ] I'm sure you would be appalled to know how many of our fellow Kenoma lack the knowledge of how to use flatware.

[cutlery]

[ You said indulge!! So he did!! Gosh!! But, no, it's a response he's well used to after serving the young master, so his response is simple. ]

Understood.

[ And so, more importantly, ]

...Well. It is always a bit surprising, but not unheard of. If my fellow Aions are in need of etiquette lessons, I can certainly provide, though I will be the first to say I am a strict teacher.

[subsist]

[ unlike everyone so far, here's kaeya who appears to appreciate the very thorough list. he can only hope sebastian sees and hears him clap because of how amazed he is. ]

You're a man of many talents, Sebastian. I look forward to seeing you in action.

[ that is: he can't wait to popcorn. ]

[cutlery]

[ thank you, sebastiankaeya, at least someone appreciates it! ]

Thank you very much. I hope it does not sound too braggadocious of me to list so many things, but, well... I have had much time to learn, and I am not so inconvenienced by failings of memory. I do hope to live up to your expectations.

[devilmancrybaby]

[ Binghe is unable to completely conceal a surge of petulant, competitive resentment in response to this. ]