leicesters: (112)
Claude von Riegan ([personal profile] leicesters) wrote in [community profile] kenoscomm2024-03-08 01:40 pm

LOCKED TO MERIDIAN

[Claude's communion prescence has always been like a summer breeze; warm, easygoing, albeit difficult to read before it moves on. Now it has more of a brittle, bitter quality, like a looming dust-cloud he has to hold at a distance. There's no going back from this point when he knows things will only escalate from here, and so now seems like an important time to address his fellow Meri.]

The fight for the next Oracle will be on us soon. The Tribune may have been slain, but he entrusted the future of the worlds to us. Though he won't be able to help us see this through, we can still fight for him, and all the others we've lost along the way. We can fight for Springstar... and we can fight for Quetzalcoatl.

[There's a brief pause on this point. Her death deserves respect and acknowledgement, and she may not be the last to meet such a fate before the fighting is over.]

...We'll fight for your homes, too. After all, our worlds aren't that different, right? They might be flawed in their own ways, and there might even be some of you who would rather stay here when this is done. But every world and the life on it is precious, and it beats whatever phony world Yima and her followers come up with.

Speaking of Yima: I've discussed this with a few people already, but I suspect she's still alive. When the Blight almost destroyed Kenos, somehow she was still around. When I asked her about it, she said she wasn't bound by time like a normal person is. She can exist in different times and different places simultaneously; I don't know how it works, but maybe she even foresaw this attempt on her life before it even happened.

That said, it's just speculation, so we might as well play dumb and behave towards Zenith as if we're convinced she's dead for now. It'll be easier for us that way.

[Others have probably arrived at a similar conclusion, perhaps people among Zenith's ranks too, but it bears saying, particularly for those newly arrived to the conflict.]

Anyway, enough about her -- how about we use this opportunity for a little strategy get-together? We have a few new faces around, so feel free to introduce yourself and your capabilities.

For those of us who have been around longer, feel free to toss in an introduction too. More importantly, share what you know about Zenith and its current capabilities, in combat or otherwise. Any insight into their current thinking would be useful right now, too. What's their morale like? We know by now that some of them really hate our guts, and I wonder how much their desire for revenge is going to play into the next battle...

[He sounds casual, almost flippant, but there's a serious point in there he's sure he doesn't need to overstate: the more loyal Zenites are going to have some serious motivation in the next battle to get back at them, whether they believe Yima is gone or not.]

Let's not let our own judgement be clouded by revenge, even if we've sustained losses. We need to go into this with a clear head, looking toward the future.

Oh-- on that note, Hayame wants to speak with some of you about some further strategising either before or after the Oracle. Sorry that's a little vague, but I'm sure she'll talk to you about it properly when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on one thing at a time.
wolfish: (mull)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-09 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
Needed to win a couple of games. I went with others, so as long as any of us came out on top, one of us would get what we were after.

[ They'd done rather well at undermining other competitors, all things considered. ]

Since we were successful, just a matter of waiting for a meeting with the guy currently holding that research. We jumped through his hoops, but I imagine he's a busy man.
hauntedking: (22)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-09 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
What exactly will you be getting out of this? And how useful do you think it will prove to be?
wolfish: (look)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-09 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
That research, if all goes as agreed. Naturally I'm wary, but that information could give us something to go on that we don't have.

[ They know precious little. ]

That researcher was apparently on about cycles and the like, and they must have figured out something about this place. Why silence them, otherwise?
hauntedking: (05)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-09 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
And if they didn't fear the answers or knowledge he had... no, there's something to this. We just need to figure out what.
wolfish: (mull)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-10 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
Right... My little foray with the others was to get our hands on it. We did our part, so it's just a waiting game at the moment.

[ He's quiet for a few moments, followed by the impression of a sigh. ]

Can't say I'm fond of those, especially given the present state of affairs, but here we are.
hauntedking: (26)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-10 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
It can be very hard to just wait... but sometimes it's what's necessary.

[ He sighs. ]

But that's our lot, I suppose.
wolfish: (sigh)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-10 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
True enough. It'll be worth it if we learn something useful, at least.

[ He does want to believe they will. ]
hauntedking: (02)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-10 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
Then I wish you all the luck in the world.
wolfish: (look)

[personal profile] wolfish 2024-03-10 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I make my own luck... But coming from you, I'll take it.

[ He's quiet for a spell, then adds something Dimitri likely is already aware of. Still, sometimes it's good to state things. ]

Of course, I'll keep you apprised when I have results.
hauntedking: (17)

[personal profile] hauntedking 2024-03-10 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
Very well. I'll be waiting.