aionlogs | EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE (PT 2)

The Empty Throne Pt 2

ESCAPE

As more and more of the prisoners awaken to the Pleroma's power, it soon becomes clear that conflict is inevitable. Strength that was locked away blossoms once again, and simply waiting is no longer an option; those that remain in the cavern have made their choice, and they will not be kept there so easily.

By means that may not be immediately apparent, the Pleroma have found themselves able to cast a spell that will ensure their freedom... but only if they can last the half hour it may take to complete. Whatever this power, Xishen, the Aion orchestrator of the Kenoma's ritual, seems able to sense it. As it begins, she will appear at each of the Kenoma's sides.

"The Pleroma has taken hold of them," she says. "Stop them now, or when you see them again, it will be as your mortal enemies. If you believe in the Kenoma's promise, take a stand. The Regent is watching."

For those that heed her, it will not be hard to find the congregation of Pleroma, the first seeds of their teleportation magic taking form. What's more, the fires of their hope have been stoked by this new chance at survival, granted them a surge of energy born of the Pleroma, compensating for the poor state of their bodies. The tension comes to a head, between those that would follow the Regent's path towards a better universe, and those that would seize the wild power of the Pleroma to escape.

Whatever violence ensues, eventually it will come to an end. Despite the Kenoma's efforts, the teleportation spell will come to fruition, enveloping the Pleroma in a sea of light and warmth. The Kenoma can only watch as fractals of blinding color whisk the Pleroma away.

VALLEY OF INNOCENCE

You will find yourself at the Shrine of the Innocent, surrounded by a valley of flourishing wildflowers. As you step from the shade of the monument, you will find your arrived here just in time to enjoy a warm spring spring morning, the sound of birds and gentle breezes tickling your ears. The sun slowly drifts past the horizon, its rays reaching out to you, as if in comfort. The air itself is alight with a strange aura of peace, as if committing violence here would be a sacrilege. There are no man made structures as far as your eyes can see.

Flowers of all shapes and sizes can be found here, and so can fresh water and various fruits and berries. All of them are safe to eat, and seemingly grow in abundance. There are animals here as well, all the common types one would expect from a place like Earth, with the occasional odd addition. While you can try to hunt them, you will find yourself unable to follow through on any attempts to hurt the creatures here. In turn, they regard you as familiar, and will fearlessly wander close as they inspect these new arrivals. In the distance, you may even catch sight of what appears to be a unicorn, only for its ephemeral shape to disappear from sight just as quickly.

The Pleroma will find safety and comfort here for a time, before they recover enough to travel onward. At some point during the afternoon of the first day, they may spot the occasional humanoid figure moving in the distance; when attempting to move in their direction, they will find an assortment of clothing set out across the grass as if in offering. It will come in many sizes but in mostly plain colors, fitting a general aesthetic of 'things a fantasy peasant might wear'. There will also be some blankets, wrapped cheese, jams, jerky, and bread left alongside them.

While there are trees and brush enough to find shelter, the Pleroma will find they hardly need to while resting here. The weather will be picturesque, a comfortable temperature even at night, and there will be no disruptive rain or aggressive wind. Of course, nothing lasts forever, and even though there could stay here for days, what if the Regent's forces are on their way? Once again, they must find the strength to carry on.

THE TRIWATER

As the Pleroma vanish, those claimed by the Kenoma are left in the darkness of the throne room. The Hylician soldiers are clearly agitated by the fighting, but Xishen herself seems unflustered. She will only sigh before quietly coming to the aid of any Kenoma that still need it, providing some light healing magics and explaining that their work here is over. With the Pleroma gone, all that's left to do is to return to Achamoth.

Things move quickly from there. The camp grounds are packed up, and soon enough the Kenoma will be ushered towards the river at the edge of the forest, to board a particularly large river vessel. As the Hylician soldiers prepare to go their separate ways, you will be told that you are to take the Triwater river to the capital city of Achamoth, where you will finally meet your new master, the Regent. The vessel is big enough for all of you, and it will set off the moment everyone is boarded. Suddenly, the world of entrapment and ruins you've been living in since your arrival will be left behind, leaving you to ponder the nature of your future.

The boat itself is well equipped and comfortable for what it is. A variety of colorful hammocks are hung in the lower decks and are open to be claimed for the journey back, which will take a day or two. The Kenoma will be offered a change of clothes of a similar style to what they already have if necessary, and there are plenty of blankets and cushions available to make life in the hold more comfortable. There are dice available for games of chance as well as some mystifying decks of cards that seems to have twelve suits with five cards each, themed around the Legacies. The twelfth suit is for the Regent.

Though the sailors controlling the vessel will mostly keep to themselves and leave the Kenoma alone, one of them will occasionally play harp music on the deck. Though they probably don't actually need help running the ship, they will let the Kenoma help them with chores and ship running tasks if they are so inclined; generally speaking, these sailors just seem like normal people, albeit a bit shy of their passengers. If you're polite to them, they may even gives you a river tour of Horos. On this ride alone, you'll get to see several magnificent bridges spanning the Triwater's width. At night, you are treated to a clear spring sky filled with stars.

As you make it closer to Achamoth, you'll notice the landscape shift, becoming mountainous and dotted with more and more military watch posts. The land becomes increasingly lifeless in a way that's hard to put your finger on, nature giving way to man-made creations of impressive architectural prowess. Soon, you will meet the person behind it all.

QUESTIONS

Can my Kenoma character fight against other Kenoma and/or help the Pleroma?
Yes, though if you do this you must describe what your character has done in a reply to the "Committed Actions" top-level below. This way, the mods can be aware of what happened and have your character treated accordingly. They are unlikely to receive immediate consequences if they don't hurt their fellow Kenoma, but their choices will follow them into Achamoth. If a Kenoma vs Kenoma conflict escalates into serious violence (attempted or successful) committed by the Kenoma rebel, Xishen will intervene and consequences will happen immediately which may restrict their actions until the next event post.

Can our characters leave the valley?
They can, yes, but really this event is just meant to cover the day or two they spend recovering before finding a more permanent place to go. You are free to have your character investigate the valley and probe the spaces beyond it, but please save any plans for large scale travel to the next event, which will be happening on April 2nd. The game will move into a 1:1 time ratio as of then.

Can our characters leave the boat?
Technically yes, but any Kenoma who wander too far will get in trouble. You are expected to report to the Regent, and behaving as if you are considering doing otherwise will not make an good impression.

Does the hope-based Pleroma boost last into the valley?
The boost to Pleroma characters will fade shortly after arriving in the valley, like coming down from a high. They'll have to recover the normal way from there.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Disappointment is right, though their reasons for feeling disappointed are different. While Ernesto doesn't judge Eustace at all for his choice to join the Kenoma, it's a little different when that choice goes so far as to hunt down those who continued to resist. A decision doesn't stop with just one choice made, and Eustace could still opt not to go after them right now...

But he isn't. Weirdly enough, Ernesto does understand why Eustace is saying what he is right now, but it doesn't make it any more pleasant. Just as unpleasant for both of them is the way that Ernesto's foot slides back to put himself into a more defensive stance.

He doesn't like his odds here, but he doesn't exactly have much room for flight, and he's not about to surrender. ]

I haven't yet, and the offer being made hasn't gotten any more appealing since it was first made.

[ He takes a deep breath, eyes still on the daggers. ]

If you're willing to put those down for a second, I'd be happy to lie to your boss and say you fought valiantly to bring us all back.

[ Assuming he ever had a chance to talk to Eustace's boss. If he has his way, he won't. ]

[ It would be nice if that's all it would take, an easy white lie passed back and forth between the two parties. But he's spent long enough at the beck and call of the Society to know that reality doesn't work that way. Even if he isn't reprimanded right away for letting the rest of the prisoners escape, there's way it won't leave a stain on his record later that might be near impossible to erase later.

He can't afford that right now. ]

They won't believe that.

[ For some reason, as he says it he knows it to be true, despite knowing nothing about this mysterious figure that's supposedly handing out orders. There's a cold certainty at the back of his mind and fueling his motions. One hand lifts to carefully point the dagger at Ernesto, the tip of the blade glintly dully. ]

Anything else you have to say?

[ This is the end of their dicussion, as far as he's concerned. ]

[ No, they likely wouldn't, even if Ernesto did actually keep good on the word to tell that lie. It seemed like a stretch that he was going to talk his man out of it anyway, because there wasn't much in the way of hesitation when he approached him in the first place. Some among the Kenoma seem a little uncertain about attacking those still in the cavern trying to escape.

But there's a big difference between not looking thrilled about what you're tasked with doing, and being unwilling to do it. There's a grim sort of certainty on Eustace's face as he lifts up that danger, and it makes Ernesto's breath catch nervously in his throat.

Not exactly the time to joke, but he still manages an easy smile as he slides back a half-step, trying to gauge the situation better. ]

It doesn't seem like you'll listen even if I do. No chance you'd lend me a knife for the sake of good sportsmanship either, is there?

[ It might be a joke, but Eustace takes the suggestion suprisingly seriously, weighing the pros and cons of lending out one of his weapons - that he'd technically borrowed himself - to someone who's supposed to be the enemy. As much as he's used to pressing every advantage he can get, being on an uneven playing field in a situation like this doesn't sit well with him. But then again, who's to say things are uneven right now? He doesn't know what this other man is capable of, or what secrets might lie behind that easy smile. For all he knows, there might be a fountain of magic talent waiting to be tapped into that could take him out in one strike.

He can't afford to make that mistake right now. ]

Sorry. I can't do that.

[ If he was sure that Ernesto had nothing else up his sleeve, he'd consider it. But as it is, there are simply too many unknowns, the greatest of which is how long it'll take for the ritual to be completed. He can't afford to waste more time.

He meets Ernesto's eyes one last time, gaze full of regret, before lunging forward, daggers pointed forward. Talking time's over now. ]

[ Eustace will be glad to know that Ernesto isn't hiding some great magic up his sleeve, as much as he wishes he was right now. The only thing he has going for him is some proficiency in weapons, and unsurprisingly Eustace is denying him the chance to show that off.

His smile is tense at the refusal, and he braces himself as he readies for that inevitable attack.

The lunge is the most obvious for something like daggers too, and fortunately it's also theoretically the easiest to dodge, because a person's body can only come at him so fast. The problem is that something being the "easiest" to dodge and a person's speed having "limits" in theory really doesn't mean much in practice. Eustace lunges, and Ernesto has a split second to try and pivot his body out of the way, barely swinging around to avoid getting stabbed.

He's steady on his feet as he backs up out of range of any backslash that Eustace might try. ]

So what's the plan? If you can't make us join, then you'll kill us?

[ If Eustace were the easily offended type, he'd be offended at the assumption that he'd head straight for murder if things don't work out. But given the situation at hand, he can't blame the other man for thinking so, seriously or otherwise. All of this has been a shitshow from the very beginning and it's not unreasonable to think it'll end a shitshow when all's said and done. Things are already a mess around them, fights breaking out left and right. He can only hope things will end quickly, even if he knows in his heart that's unlikely to be the case.

Ernesto dodges out of the way and Eustace pivots on his heel to follow, the hand with the dagger arcing out at chest level. He can feel his joints and muscles settling back into familiar motions, and he lets muscle memory take over as he continues his forward push, ever watchful of the terrain surrounding them and the bodies behind him and to his left. It wouldn't do to misstep now and accidentally ram into someone else on accident.

The question's a valid one but he doesn't answer, mostly because he's never been the type to waste words during battle. But hey, if Ernesto wants to take the silence as an affirmative that's his prerogative. ]

[ It's a little hard to take the silence as anything else when a man is brandishing a dagger at you. While Eustace might have superb aim, and an interest in making his strike non-lethal, Ernesto doesn't know that. All he sees is a man coming at him with a weapon that has the potential to be deadly.

The regret that he happened to come across this particular opponent when he's at a weapon based disadvantage is pretty heavy right now. As much as he wants to slip away right now though, the ritual is still going on. He can't exactly bail now and let Eustace move on to a potentially more vulnerable target who is focusing on casting.

Besides, if there's one thing that Ernesto is surprisingly good at, it's taking hits. He lets out a huff of surprised laughter as he keeps moving back at a slow enough pace to not really be making a proper retreat, but quick enough to try and stay out of immediate striking range. ]

Guess that answers that.

[ Congrats Ernesto for having a high HP pool to soak hits with....

Not that Eustace is thinking about such a thing right now, mind wholly focused on the opponent in front of him. His eyes and ears are on full alert, scanning for any imbalance in Ernesto's posture, any slowed movements that might indicate an old wound never fully healed or a preference for one side or another.

Another stab of regret sinks into his heart as Ernesto breathes out his reply, but he makes no move to correct the presumption. It might not even be wholly wrong in the end; just because there'd been no kill command given now doesn't mean there won't be one later. Could he kill this man if ordered to by a person he's never met?

Instead of dwelling on the answer, he follows Ernesto's movements, matching them pace for pace. Instead of swinging out with his arm again this time, he pivots and kicks out a leg with the intent of sweeping Ernesto (unromantically) off his feet. ]

[ In many ways Ernesto was one of the luckier ones to have fought in the True Bolivarian army, because he managed to spend his time there without receiving any debilitating injury that would give Eustace that chance he's looking for. He's had his fair share of wounds in his lifetime, and a plethora of small scars here and there to show for it, but nothing particularly serious.

It means that Eustace isn't going to get that lucky break in Ernesto's movement he hopes for. Hell, if anything he's ducking and dodging in a way that suggests he's not as unaccustomed to this as his reluctance to fight might suggest.

But he's not some kind of infallible fighting god, and a smart and well timed move can get him even if he doesn't want it to. The kick takes him down, and all Ernesto has time to do is start to roll as he falls, landing with a harsh grunt on his shoulder, instead of cracking his head on the cavern floor. ]

[ In some ways, it's better to know that Ernesto has some measure of skill on the battlefield, though such a thing should have been obvious from their talk weeks ago. Even if it increases the amount of time he'll have to fight, the thought of having to take on an untrained civilian fills him with no small amount of distaste. At least the two of them are on a more level playing field this way.

Not that he enjoys going after Ernesto either, but presumably the man can take more of a beating if push comes to shove. He'd better be able to, his tumble towards the ground looking none too pleasant even if he's already rolling to minimize the damage done. But Eustace isn't about to waste this possible opening, already following behind as he tilts his body downwards, hands outstretched as he tries to grab at the flimsy white fabric of Ernesto's clothes in order to roll him onto his back. ]

[ More level, though it's hard to really call this even. Only one of them is armed, and only one of them has had any chance at real food and rest in the past few weeks. That Ernesto has managed to avoid the business end of one of Eustace's daggers so far is no small feat.

He's wondering how long that is going to last as Eustace has him in a vulnerable position now. Gritting his teeth, Ernesto forces himself to roll forward even as Eustace grabs onto his gown. It's the fact that it is such flimsy fabric that saves him this time, because the cheap stuff gives way, ripping off in Eustace's hands as Ernesto manages to turn over onto his stomach. It's not much better of a position to be in, but it lets him get a knee under himself, to quickly bring himself up into a kneeling position at least.

Shame about how much of his back is exposed now, but he'll deal with running around naked in freedom if they can just get the hell out of this mess. ]

[ If only Dokja were here to see two attractive dogmen slowly lose bits and pieces of their clothing as they tussle on the ground. But then again, he'll be here soon enough regardless...

His plan to pin Ernesto down on the ground now tossed out the window, Eustace settles for lunging forward again, arms outstretched in a tackle as the pieces of fabric in his hands flutter haphazardly to the ground, grimy white a stark contrast against slate grey stone. If he can use his body weight to knock Ernesto over and catch him in a firm grip, maybe he can knock him unconscious against the ground without having to resort to further violence.

The less blood shed over all of this, the better. ]

[ He's missing the best part of the action though. Alas.

Especially because this time Eustace manages what he was going for. Ernesto didn't have time to get back to his feet fully before Eustace tossed himself at him. Unfortunate for Eustace, he's not so caught off guard by the sudden attack that he isn't able to retaliate.

As he's falling back towards the ground, he makes his own move to grab onto his fellow furry, trying to keep Eustace from being able to get a good lock on his arms. He plans to fight tooth and nail to the end if he has to, but he's absolutely not spending another second longer in this cavern than he absolutely has to. ]

[ He can feel the adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream as they both topple to the ground, hands wrapped around each other as they ~~battle for dominance~~ fight for control in this hectic situation. A messy free-for-all isn't what he he had in mind for this, but it makes sense as the most logical outcome given the desperation dogging the heels of everyone trying to escape. No matter; he can still fight well enough with his bare hands.

His bare hands and the lone dagger he still has, threatening to clatter out of his hands as it slams into the ground. The lack of a free hand is frustrating, but better that than relinquishiing it only for it to fall into Ernesto's hands. Besides, he's worked under worse conditions.

The two of them roll together on the ground, a mess of limbs, and Ernesto ends up with a good enough grip on Eustace that there's little the latter can do with his single free hand. Time for a slight change of plans then; if he can't use his hands then he'll settle for his legs, drawing his right leg in before shoving it out towards the other man's midsection. At the same time, he tightens his grip on whatever part of Ernesto he's got grabbed and tries to slam his head into Ernesto's. ]

[ This kind of messy, desperate fighting might be fine for Eustace, but it really has Ernesto out of his element. He's not a barehanded fighter by any stretch, and the last time he had such a brutish brawl was probably back when he was still a teenager.

The only advantage he has here is that one of Eustace's hands is preoccupied by trying to hold onto that dagger, and even that doesn't feel like much of an advantage when Eustace could turn that dagger on him at any moment.

Funny that the dagger wasn't the thing that Ernesto should have been trying to keep his eye on though. The dull crack that resounds through the air as two skulls collide somehow registers a half a second before the bloom of pain that spreads through his entire skull. That actually manages to pull a startled yelp from Ernesto that has him writhing wildly to get out of Eustace's grasp now, but he's pinned by the leg on his midsection.

The gravity of this situation is really starting to hit now, and Ernesto tries to swallow down a rising panic as the world around him seems to split into a fuzzy doubled version of itself, and nausea rolls in his stomach. He can't tell if that blow was hard enough to actually give him a concussion, but he does know that he's not going to be able to tolerate much more of that, especially given the rough treatment that Gen put his face through earlier.

So in a panic, Ernesto twists to the side and goes for Eustace's arm with the only weapon he has on hand: a set of teeth that are just a smidgen bigger and sharper than what most people have going for them. He's not proud of literally resorting to the dog tactic of fighting, but he might actually die here if he doesn't start playing dirty.

The problem of course is that his new double vision is really fucking up his depth perception, and his ability to properly locate what he's trying to chomp down on. ]

[ Desperate times call for desperate measures and both of them are surely beginning to slip into that mindset now, though maybe moreso Ernesto than Eustace. Life and death battles are the norm for Eustace, and he doesn't hesitate in using whatever advantage afforded to him in the heat of the moment, whether it be a fistful of dirt or the unfortunate use of his own head as a blunt force weapon.

Of course it's not ideal, and his own head is ringing after the force of impact, pain radiating through his skull. He can only hope Ernesto is worse off than he is, because he's going to need a second or three to reorient himself as he fights past the pain and tries to plan his next move. What he doesn't plan for is a new flare of pain as teeth sink into the soft flesh of his forearm.

A sharp hiss of pain escapes clenched teeth and reflexively he yanks his arm back, grip on Ernesto loosening completely as his attention drops to his arm for an immediate assessment of the damage done.

Go buddy, this is your opening. ]

[ That's all Ernesto needs to roll over onto his knees, and start to scramble away. If he was the type to have a little more shame, he might feel embarrassed about how pathetic he looks right now; his face is a mess from where Gen laid into him earlier, and his already dirty and worn gown is now close to being in tatters thanks to Eustace.

He's certainly not proud of what he had to sink to in order to make that break, but pride tends to fuck people over more often than not, and Ernesto has no real use for it.

It takes him just a couple feet of crawling away to regain his footing, and to stumble back into an upright position. There aren't many places to run in this cavern, but he can still find some cover, or maybe toss himself into the thick of someone else's battle in order to shake off this weapon's nut for a moment.

His brain still feels scrambled from the force of Eustace's headbutt, so plans are coming out a little half formed as he opts to run in a random direction for now. Best to put distance between himself and that dagger, and figure out the details later. ]

[ By the time Eustace has successfully managed to slot all his own brain cells back together, Ernesto is already up on his feet, movements unsteady as he does his best to get the hell out of dodge. Unfortunately for him, Eustace has always been closer to a hunting hound than a nice friendly family dog, and he is not about to let his prey escape so easily.

Given the headstart and the absolute chaos now going down in the cavern, he opts for the path of least resistance. Which is to say, his fingers are tightening around his dagger and the muscles in his arm tensing as he calculates the distance between him and Ernesto's retreating figure before sharply throwing his knife in one swift movement. The dagger goes sailing through the air, hurtling in a straight path towards Ernesto's turned back. The aim's not perfect though, his head still pounding and Ernesto's path through the cavern unpredictable, so who knows where it'll end up? ~~We do, we know.~~

Sorry, no distance between Ernesto and that dagger today. :( ]

[ A lot can be said about Ernesto's resilience. He's taken more than his fair share of lumps to last a lifetime, and always managed to bounce back from it. He spent several years in the army reserves when he was still nothing more than a kid, and managed to walk away completely intact with only a few pretty minor scars to show for it. He lived through the boat he was on being blow to pieces, and this was after having been beaten unconscious with concussive force just a little bit before that.

But resilience has limits, and while Ernesto will recover from a flying dagger plunging deep into the back of his right shoulder, it's not going to be an immediate thing. In fact, in the immediate he's hitting the ground with a resounding thud, as the force of the blow mixed with the bloom of pain radiating from his now bleeding shoulder causes him to misstep.

He can add a skinned knee, hand, and chin to the list of injuries that Ernesto has caused him. That chin in particular is tender from where Gen kneed him earlier this very day, and it all culminates in a whirl of pain that has Ernesto gasping for breath.

Here's hoping for his sake that someone heard him fall, because he's not going to yell or carry on now that he's on the ground. Besides a whimper that really resembles the wounded dog he is, he's actually pretty quite considering the weapon sticking out of his body right now. ]

[ What the fuck goes on, gang??

It's a chaotic mess inside the cave, and Dokja is surely a part of it. He's gone through his own few rounds in the thick of all the fighting, only extricating himself now that he needs a moment to recover from the injuries he's sustained as he leans heavily against a nearby wall. His stamina's not great to begin with, and after weeks of poor sleep and insufficient meals, he's really starting to feel it in the pull and strain of every single movement he makes.

But there's no rest to be had. As soon as Dokja hears the loud thud of someone falling, he turns his head to look and spots a familiar figure on the ground. He doesn't think anything of it at first, plenty of people are getting knocked around, but then he spots the dagger protruding from Ernesto and that gets him moving.

He's overworked Way of the Wind at this point, but he finds that he doesn't care as he summons what strength he has left to dash to Ernesto's side in the blink of an eye, skidding to a halt and immediately crouching down to anxiously hover his hands over the prone body. It's not a fatal injury, bless up, but what the hell. ]

Ernesto! Hey, say something. Tell me you're okay.

[ While he talks to try and get Ernesto to respond, his gaze turns to follow what must have been the dagger's trajectory, landing on Eustace not far in the distance. Dokja's eyes go wide in realization, and something unpleasant and bitter uncurls in his chest. Seriously...? ]

[ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sorry, bro.

For a moment, Eustace wonders if he's given himself a concussion by using his head as a battering ram. One moment there's just Ernesto crumpled on the ground, and in the space of time it takes him to blink, there's a second figure crouching next to him. Surely no one can move that fast?

But maybe that's not so strange given the circumstances. A poison that can amplify the darkest thoughts inside a person, the hushed beginnings - middles, now - of a teleportation spell, the sheer amount of magical energy being flung across the cavern left and right....a bit of speed is nothing in comparison to all that.

Still, it's an unwelcome surprise as he bends down to retrieve his other fallen dagger, grimacing as several jolts of pain ricochet through his body. They're not enough to stop him from walking towards the pair, steps slow but resolute. ]

Get out of the way.

[ He really doesn't wanna fight you, bro? But a job's a job. ]

[ Considering that Ernesto's attention is a little split right now, he also has no idea where the hell Dokja just came from, but he's not about to question it. Maybe Dokja was a lot closer than he realized. It's not something he's giving a lot of thought right now as he struggles to think past the pain, and about the only other thing he's able to focus on is the fact that Eustace is now moving towards them again.

He has no idea what the regent has in store for him if he's caught, but he sure as hell doesn't want to be Eustace's prisoner after the fight they've had. He wheezes out a laugh that turns into something that sounds just a little too much like sob as he tries and fails to hoist himself back up. ]

Okay might be a bit of a stretch right now.

[ At least he can still talk and joke, but that's about the extent of it. The poor attempt at a smile drops immediately, as his ears pin back with the sound of Eustace's approach. ]

Mr. Dokja...

[ He looks up at Dokja with unguarded anxiety. The decent thing to do would be to warn the other man to run right now, but he can't bring himself to actually ask for that when he's genuinely afraid of what happens if Eustace gets hands back on him. ]

[ It doesn't have to be like this, bro. :/

Dokja's expression darkens when he sees Eustace retrieve yet another dagger (really??) from the ground, taking notice of the way the other man grimaces when he bends down. So, the pair of them have been at it for a while, then? That works in Dokja's favor since he also feels like shit. ]

Ask nicely and I might.

[ No, he won't, in the same way he'd told Eustace to tell him to shut up just to pointedly ignore the demand. He fights the urge to look back down at hearing Ernesto's anxious response, wanting to keep his eyes trained on his advancing opponent, but he does reach down to gently brush the tips of his fingers in what he hopes is a reassuring manner against the injured man's arm.

He's not going anywhere, and he pushes himself back up to his feet, swaying slightly as he shifts most of his weight to one leg, the other showing the beginnings of a large bruise at the side of his knee. ]

[ At least they both know that Dokja won't simply do as asked no matter how nicely he phrases it. Which is fine; Eustace was never planning on asking nicely at all. If asking nicely worked, none of them would be in this mess and he wouldn't be thumbing blood off a cut on his lip.

He doesn't really want to fight yet another person he knows; even if he dislikes Dokja, he has no interest in killing the man (or even punching him to a pulp a la Gen). But he also can't remember the last time he was able to do anything he wanted since arriving in this cursed land, and so it's with a small sigh that he tightens his grip around his dagger and takes another step forward, noting the other man's posture and the way he favors one leg.

It would be more pragmatic to wait and see what Dokja does, to get a feel of what the other man is capable of. But he's tired of fighting and ready to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible, so he pushes forward into a lunge instead, dagger held low by his hip but ready to strike at any moment. ]

[ Don't make me read "even if he dislikes Dokja" what the heck.

They can both be reluctant about fighting each other, Dokja's own heart not really in it as he charges forward to meet Eustace at the halfway point. He doesn't activate Way of the Wind this time, now feeling the effects of pushing it to its limits in the creak of his bones and the burning of his muscles, but he's still surprisingly quick for someone who looks like he's never seen a day of exercise in his life.

Right now, his priority is to keep Eustace and Ernesto separated. Maybe also disarm Eustace? There's certainly an attempt when Dokja closes the distance, one hand outstretched to grab the front of Eustace's shirt as he uses his running momentum to shove forward with, once again!, a surprising amount of strength to try and topple the man on his back while he reaches down toward the hand holding the dagger to keep it from getting near.

Let them hold hands for a moment. ]

no worries, I would not have managed a tag back yesterday anyway

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

i guess they're facing each other now

😳

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject