aionlogs | EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE

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EVENT #1: THE EMPTY THRONE

The Empty Throne

DESCENT

Nearly two weeks after being dragged from shrine caverns, you hear along the grapevine that the "the throne room is complete." It doesn't take long to figure out what that means; the ritual grounds that you have been hearing mention of are finally prepared, and it's only a short while before you are once again being gathered together for travel. As a small mercy, at least this time the journey is short.

Through a passage that has been blocked by a gathering of soldiers for the entire length of your stay, a stairway is revealed to you. It leads deep into the ruins, through unfamiliar structures and into the bowels of the earth. Though your feel your are mostly going downward, the walk is still long on account of how many stairs their are, and the soldiers escorting you are restless. They are now being led by the stray, mask wearing Achamites that have been accompanying the group till now, silently observing. Whatever place this is, it seems that they now hold court.

Funneled into the chambers below, you are greeted by a massive, domed enclosure of stone. Positioned around its circular radius are twelve thrones in various states of disrepair, sized as if meant to seat giants. The backs of these thrones all differ slightly in design, though most have great cleaves of stone broken loose from their architecture, as if subjected to some great cataclysm. Each is engraved with a sigil, though some have been obscured by the destruction wrought. The throne closest to the entrance has been almost entirely demolished, making it impossible to glean much about.

The dome's ceiling appears to be hundreds of feet tall at its apex, its smooth surface disrupted by stalactites that puncture through its form like teeth. As a result, many chunks of the original structure seem to have cracked and collapsed in to the floor below. When examined closely, these fragments of the domed ceiling seem to be made of a material strangely reflective in quality, though caked in many years of dirt and grime. If large enough sections are cleaned, patterns may emerge, revealing designs that look almost like star maps. The floor beneath your feet as a similar, but subtly different quality, covered in wreckage and ruin but can be cleaned to reveal complex patterns of intersecting lines.

A careful eye will indicate that these lines all lead towards the center of the room - the one space that has been cleared and scrubbed prior to your arrival. Here, the lines converge, with carefully preserved marking in the stone that bely increasing levels of runic complexity the closer you look. This is where the ritual will be held, you are told.

THE RITUAL

There is not much time to regain your bearings before you are being shuffled forth towards the ritual space; no, all the waiting has already been done. Under the command of the smaller group of Achamites, the Hylicians will make heavy use of the whips in leading everyone to their places along the rune-inscribed circle. Before that, however, small cuts will be made to each prisoner with an athame, either on their hand or arm. With a sharp, burning sensation in the afflicted skin, these cuts will spread into wounds reflecting the image of one of the eleven sigils displayed on the thrones encircling the group, and matching the shrine they were originally pulled from.

With this accomplished, they can finally be taken into the circle. With a design comprised of four triangles overlapping, the design of an open eye carved at its center, all prisoners will be led to separates points on its design where the lines cross. Seemingly arranged by their shrine sigil to be closest to whatever throne represents them, they will be brought to their designated positions one by one. Any attempts to flee or disrupt the process will be dealt with swiftly and harshly, exacerbated by the increasing levels of paranoia and fear in the soldiers themselves. Whatever is being done here, they don't seem happy to involved with it either.

When everyone is in place, the seeming master of ceremonies will finally emerge. A dark haired woman will appear from the shadows, motes of golden light fluttering about her otherwise darkness-clad visage. Moving towards the center of the circle, she will stand over the marking of the eye and begin working her magicks. As if on cue, the soldiers will withdraw any remaining whips and scurry to the outside of the circle, only for new bonds of ethereal energy to lash out of the ritual circle itself, binding each and every prisoner and dragging them down to their knees. Among the soldiers, you can hear mutterings identifying this woman as "the Aion."

"Come," she says to the coterie of robed Achamites, who will approach the circle with an assortment of vials collected into cases. There is enough for each prisoner to be given a drink, and so they will; a vial of abyssal liquid will be forced into each one of your throats, no matter how uncomfortably it must be done. While no less ruthless, the Achamites have a different way about them as they work, forcing themselves upon you with a strange familiarity that feels more akin to a mother forcing their child to take medicine than the suspicious hostility of the soldiers. As the foul liquid touches your tongue, it takes on a consistency almost like a living thing, crawling down your throat even if you refuse to swallow, all while the Achamites stroke your hair and make saccharine assurances.

Once all the prisoners have been fed their vial, the Achamamites too will retreat from the circle - all except for one. Joining 'the Aion' at the center, the two of them will begin enacting a planned ceremony of sorts, that culminates in the following scene:

The Achamite kneels before the Aion, lifting their masked face to meet their dark gaze. They speak, in practiced tones.

"To the Kenoma my body, to the Kenoma my soul."

In response, the Aion holds the Achamite's face between their hands in almost a loving gesture. She speaks softly:

"By the blood of the Martyr, I accept your sacrifice."

From the Aion's hands a darkness spreads across the Achamite's body, as if they are melting and dissolving on a cellular level. She kneels along with them, cradling them as their body breaks down, pooling in a void-black liquid around their knees. It drains into the lines of the ritual circle, surging out towards the prisoners.

Within moments, the ritual is complete.

KENOMA SICKNESS

As this dark power surges throughout the ritual circle, you will find yourself almost consumed by the tide. Whatever foul creation you were forced to swallow wakes within your chest, and you can feel it move within your veins, inside you lungs, behind your eyes. As quickly as it begins, the flood of darkness washes over you, but not without leaving you stained.

Something has changed in its wake. As you return to your senses, you will notice the magical bonds of the circle have fallen away, leaving you free to move; for once, the soldiers will not move to lead or restrain you. Instead, the Hylicians warily back away from the ritual space, retreating towards the only path upwards, where they form a defensive line. The Achamites that linger make a series of ritual gestures, praying in voices too soft to hear. The Aion woman stands in the center, her hands blackened with residue from the person you just watched fall to pieces in her arms.

"You will be given time to find your truth," she says. "Use it well."

As you recover from the experience enough to stand, she and her Achamite entourage are already retreating to join the Hylician guard. Gradually, your situation will become clear: they intend to keep your trapped down here. However, it will not be the same as when you waited before. Instead, the soldiers simply intend to block your only exit out, and otherwise leave you free to roam the full diameter of the throne room, seemingly free to do whatever you want as long as it isn't trying to break free of the cavern's confines. Each day, they will offer to their prisoners a limit supply of food, water, and firewood, but nothing more. Beyond that, you only have your increasingly dirty white robes and the same bedrolls as before.

❖ COMMUNION
The first change you will experience is an itching darkness in your mind, like a psychic wound that is becoming infected. The sort of thoughts you would normally try to force down become increasingly hard to resist; despair, hatred, and fear will plague you, and requiring great feats of will to silence even temporarily. Phantoms of the things you'd rather forget will become a constant companion, all while a presence seems to whisper: when you accept your fate, the pain will stop.

Worse than this, the darkness of your mind may not remain private. As if awakened by the ritual, your empathetic sense has become impossibly strong, to the point that you feel the broadcasted emotions and thoughts of others, and in turn, your darkest thoughts will be psychically projected to others with a volume proportional to the intensity with which you feel them. This effect is most potent between those sharing Legacy, with the capacity for their identities to become momentarily confused. In all cases, this connection may bleed into your dreams, or manifest as hallucinations.

❖ TRANSFORMATION
Yet, your mind is not the only thing that ails. In proportion to the strength of your emotions, your body may begin changing to match your state of mind. Physical transformations akin to those mentioned here will begin to manifest, themed to your inner suffering and the most negative aspects of your self conception. These alterations may shift from moment to moment, depending on the turbulence of your emotional state. They may or may not be painful.

❖ AFFLICTION
Along with the above effects, characters may also experience various more mundane ailments; essentially anything traditionally associated with illness could fit. Weakness, nausea, body aches, and chills are all common options. Along with this, void-black ooze may start to trickle from virtually any orifice. While it may stain clothing and skin, the material itself will dissipate after a few minutes in a manner reminiscent of ectoplasm. This effect may also appear around your Shard, as if the stone itself has begun to bleed.

RESISTANCE

Even as the Kenoma threatens to overwhelm you, you still have the power to fight. Though it may be a grueling war of attrition, you can force back its advances with sufficient will to survive and resist the darkness. Of course, your captors are not going to make this easy for you. Those that fight hard enough to expel the Kenoma from their bodies and spirits will take at least a week to do so, and for that duration they will be trapped within this chilly cavern, haunted by their worst thoughts and emotions.

The bedrolls barely strand up against the cold, your clothing doesn't at all, and to be comfortable you'll require fire. Yet, there is a limited amount provided to you, along with food and water, and the soldiers do not seem to be making any effort to distribute it evenly. Achieving basic warmth and sustenance may become a battle against your fellow inmates, all while you struggle against the enemy infecting your body. Cracks in the dome of the cavern lead into some smaller caverns and crevasses in the stone that can offer some privacy or protection, but the more splintered the group becomes the less the supplies will hold up. Fortunately for you, neither the cold nor starvation will kill you, but it will make you suffer.

Yet, you may still persevere. As you fight back the Kenoma, something else will be cultivated in its place. Bit by bit, a comforting and warm presence will grow within you, gradually disrupting the maladies afflicting your body and mind. Your faith and perseverance has been rewarded with an attunement to the Pleroma, the Kenoma's cosmological opposite; given enough time, the Kenoma will be forced from your being entirely, in the form of void-black sludge. Only then will your power begin to shine through, the abilities of your past life slowly returning.

You must keep your guard. With or without otherworldly power, escape will be a struggle.

ACCEPTANCE

Or, you may choose the easy option. Maybe the Kenoma resonates with your history and emotions in a way that makes it seem like it isn't the enemy. Maybe the depths of your despair are too deep to escape. Maybe your simply lack the strength to fight. Whatever the reason, sooner or later, the Kenoma claims you. The more you let it in, the less it feels like a poison and the more it feels like strength. The darkness settles comfortably into the cracks and holes of your spirit, and you awaken to its power. You feel the change viscerally.

This world is not good enough, a voice seems to speak through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.

Whatever effects you were suffering from the Kenoma's presence will fade away, and in its place, you will feel your endurance bolstered. The clarity is stark in comparison to the mire you were trapped in before. As the other prisoners suffer around you, the Aion woman from before and an accompaniment of a couple Hylician soldiers will approach you among the ruins, as if summoned straight to your location. She looks you over, her dark eyes impassive, and then asks:

"Did you feel it?"

She doesn't actually wait for an answer, your expression alone enough to assure her. She'll tell the soldiers that you are free to go, and that you are to be given a share of their food and a change of clothes. She'll escort you out of cavern and towards the upper ruins, where the soldiers and Achamites have set up camp. This feels natural to you, somehow, like you and her are on the same wavelength in a way that is hard to comprehend. She is like you, you sense. That dark power is within her as well.

She doesn't linger with you for long, but she will see that you are on your way before heading back to the caverns. She'll say that the voice you heard, that promise, was the Regent, the ruler of this land. They spoke of a power that could birth a new, better universe, and they weren't misleading you. It's within their reach, closer than ever, and if you help them achieve it you will be rewarded lavishly. For now, you are free to regain your strength while the others make their choices. She only asks that you stay in the area and be ready to join the Regent in Achamoth when all is prepared.

If you're prone to boredom, though, she will mention that you'd really be doing the prisoners a favor by convincing them to accept the Kenoma like you did. You could convince them with words, or by making their situations so unbearable they won't have a choice but to break. However you'd like. It won't be worse than what's coming for them if they carry on this way.

When she parts ways with you, you are left to your own devices. Somehow, you feel inclined to cooperate. After all, the Regent did have a point.

QUESTIONS

Are the involuntary transformations during the Kenoma sickness period temporary afflictions or permanent ones?
By default they are temporary, but characters can also keep a couple keepsake changes if you'd like! An Aion's physical appearance is something that is generally in flux, and so even if you keep something from this event, you can always alter it later.

What kind of supplies are going to be distributed to those who accept Kenoma and leave the caverns?
They'll be given food, water, and clothing. They'll be given more/better rations than they were as prisoners, but it's still the sort of food that is limited by the fact that they are out here on a mission. The soldiers will have some fresh meat from prey they've been hunting in the forest, and will generally be having a lot of stew-based food going. There are actual spices in it, though, so that's cool. This is all set up where the Hylicians are camping.

As for clothes, they will get a fresh set (including boots or shoes) and some soap to clean themselves up in the nearby creeks and ponds. Hylici has an aesthetic that leans towards ancient Greek/Roman, so while they won't have anything fancy with them, you are free to assume they are able to acquire anything in that general ballpark. They do also have pants, though. While it is now spring and Horos has a generally temperate climate, it can be chilly at night.

Will Pleroma attuned be able to escape once they've regained their powers?
Yes, they will be allowed to escape at that point, and a second log will be going up to cover that part of the event. This log should generally cover up until shortly after Pleroma start ejecting the Kenoma's influence. Characters are permitted to escape by their own power if they somehow devise a plan to do so, but as we know the Pleromas are at a significant disadvantage in this situation, some characters who have fought against the Kenoma particularly valiantly will be given some magical assistance to help the survivors escape.

Will the Kenomas be able to try to stop them?
Yes! The second log will be set up to contain some PVP, though given the Pleromas do need to escape, we ask that you play nice. There will be a battle, but it will be structured in the context of the Pleromas having to hold off the Kenomas long enough to escape, so it will be relatively brief.

Can we speak to "the Aion"?
Yes, she will be around for the full length of the event. All characters will have the chance to find her watching over the group whether they are Kenomas or soon to be Pleromas. She will not be that talkative, though, so anyone tagging her will have to lead the conversation. She will not make small talk. Martyrs will recognize her as one of them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ oh... oh, this is a nice consolation prize and he will treasure it, and Abel is watching those ears perking up in quiet admiration........

god. god, is this how people feel around the Duchess of Moldova with her cat obsession?? --he needs to get it together. clearing his throat again and composing himself, some-- ]

Oh-- um, yes! That's right. My world is called 'Earth,' and the country I had just been traveling from was Albion. I was returning to the Vatican in Rome-- have you heard of any of these, Mr. Tequila?

[ considering the cities Ernesto had named weren't familiar, he's guessing no, but-- these are so popular in his world it would be impossible not to know them by name. one way to really cement it! ]

[ This budding friendship is going to prove a rough one on Abel, given Abel's growing weakness to those ears. He's lucky that Ernesto isn't (usually) the kind of person to manipulate others for his own gain.

... Just for other people's gain.

It's probably also lucky it seems like he'll be pulling through for team Pleroma.

The ears relax now as he considers the names, shaking his head just slightly. ]

Can't say that I have, no. Not that I expected to, but I guess it's nice to have the confirmation still.

[ imagine of Ernesto had gone Kenoma and he were Abel's mortal weakness..... bullied by manipulative puppy ears.... truly a dark timeline has been avoided,

the priest doesn't realize how lucky he is, but he's enjoying a lighter topic of conversation-- one that's also quite curious. ]

Ah... that's-- still, admittedly, a little hard to wrap my head around. I mean-- obvious as it might be by looking at you that you don't exactly fit in where I'm from, imagining we're from two entirely different worlds still is a bit surreal, don't you think so Mr. Tequila...?

[ Obviously the worst possible ending imaginable.

Though no, in the end he's not that much of a boon to whatever side he ends up on. Still, with a ragtag team fighting against the end of existence as everyone knows it, maybe it's nice to have whatever numbers you can gain.

The questions that Abel is asking right now are fair, but... ]

I've heard about things like this happening before. It's not like I experienced it myself before now, but there are a few people in my organization that apparently came from another world. I don't know them personally though, so maybe it still is a little strange.

[ Ernesto lets out a soft laugh here. ]

But I guess I was at least aware of the possibility. It didn't make it any easier to adjust when it happened to me though.

[ oh, well, that... that is definitely interesting! so Ernesto has at least warmed to the idea before being dropped here, suppose that makes it at least mildly easier to swallow. still, it's a lot for anyone-- softened up or otherwise. ]

Is it-- strange, to you? To think if we were to go back home right now, Mr. Tequila, we might just... never see one another again? Like this were all some very surreal dream?

[ 'going home' being quite a complicated subject, considering that whole bit about their worlds being gone, but... Abel is still firmly and stubbornly refusing to believe it possible. he wonders what his dog-eared friend here thinks on the subject, though. ]

[ Warmed is a pretty strong word, but if nothing else the whole concept doesn't seem impossible to him. When he first woke up in that crystal it felt like a dream, but reality came on pretty cold and quick for him.

The question takes him by surprise though. At first he assumed Abel was going to ask him if it wasn't strange to him that he was here, even knowing that multiples words exist, but instead that curve ball is thrown. It actually gives Ernesto a moment of pause as he considers it. ]

I haven't given it a lot of thought yet. It's kind of hard to consider that far into the future right now, but I guess that would be the end goal we're all hoping for, right?

[ Because he's on the same team as Abel with this one. A world disappearing in seconds seems so improbable to him, and that he would be the sole survivor of it seems even more unlikely. ]

Maybe it would feel strange, but so has everything about this experience.

[ he nods his head to that; everything has been A Lot, hasn't it? there hasn't been a single thing that has felt normal or routine since waking up in that crystal cocoon what feels like far longer ago than it should. this has been a long-- long-- few weeks for all involved.

that thought has something vaguely pensive crossing his features, and he studies his dirtied fingertips absently as they fiddle with the fabric of his sleeve. ]

Is there someone you hope to get back to? Is it... alright, if I ask?

[ What an interesting thing to jump to. It's enough to make Ernesto pause, head cocked slightly to the side as he looks at Abel. It feels like the kind of question someone asks, because they might have a specific someone on their mind.

As for Ernesto though... ]

No one in particular, so I don't really mind the question. I have friends and family that I hope are doing well, the same as most people though.

[ He hesitates before turning that question around. ]

Is there someone you're hoping to see again soon, Father?

[ no one in particular, hm... Abel wonders quietly at that for a moment, before he offers a little smile and nods his head. ]

Yes... well-- yes, and no? I mean, there are a few people that I'm a little eager to see safe and sound after all of this, you know? I do quite a bit of traveling, so being far from home isn't unusual for me! It's just... ah. Usually, my travels don't take me to other worlds, and people don't go and tell me everything's been destroyed while I'm away-- which is very rude, if you ask me.

[ though he makes light of it, that is quite a heavy topic -- and even if Abel cannot allow himself to believe the validity in the destruction of their worlds, well... he has to admit it has him yearning to see his loved ones again. ]

Maybe I'm feeling oddly homesick...? Do you ever feel that way when you're abroad, Mr. Tequila?

[ It's a fair thing to wonder about, but it's not untrue. Ernesto's family situation is a bit complicated, and he's always been the type to have a ton of friends, but no one best friend.

It'd probably help if he actually opened up to people instead of hiding everything behind a smile, but... ehhhh.

There's a brief flattening of the ol' ears at the mention of destroyed worlds, but Ernesto doesn't comment on it further. Rude would really be an understatement for it if it were true.

The ears stay pinned back at the next question, because it's honestly just as heavy for him. ]

To be honest, until recently I had never left my country before. I'd lived in different parts of it, but I had never been abroad.

[ Though, he should probably clarify... ]

I left the city I was living in before I came here though. After losing my old job, I took a new one that finally took me out of my country.

[ There's a strange look on his face as he trails off, an expression that's difficult to really read. ]

In that country a civil war has been going on since before I was even born. Things aren't exactly great, so I'm not sure if homesick is the right word for it.

[ He pulls one knee up towards his chest, crossing his ankle over his other leg to use it to cover what a pantsless robe won't. ]

There are things in it that I want to see again though.

I see...

[ Abel is quiet while watching Ernesto give his answer; piece by piece, bit by bit, he is absorbing all these parts of the puzzle that make up his dog-eared friend here. civil unrest; a man who has done little traveling, but has the characteristics about him that suggests he's not been sheltered nor lived a quiet, uneventful life. smiles that both conceal and protect; coping mechanisms developed to shield and hide Ernesto from those around him.

... ]

Will you tell me about some of them...? Something you'd like to go back and see again. --Or somewhere you'd take me, if I could come with you.

[ He drums his finger on top of his bent knee now, smiling down at the floor as he considers that question. ]

Sometimes I think the only thing worth seeing would be the city of Dossoles.

[ The city he voluntarily left. The city that was (usually) spared the ravages of the war that burned at the rest of the country.

And also the city he voluntarily left after he tried to destroy it, but that's a story for another time (or another person). ]

But it has been a long time since I saw the place I lived as a child... I wonder if it still exists.

[ Whole towns could disappear in an instant when armies moved through them.

It kind of makes it funny that he's so hard pressed to believe the same thing could happen to a planet. ]

My world isn't one worth visiting though, Father. There are a lot of other problems outside of my country. You're probably better off returning to your own if you get the chance.

[ the victims of war are far reaching and all-encompassing. it leaves very little untouched; Abel finds his eyes trailing between his feet as he listens to Ernesto beside him. ]

No world is perfect, I'm gathering. They're much like people, right? Maybe there's some beauty to be found in their flaws, too.

[ 'perfection' is unattainable, and even if it were - would they be happy in such a place?

but a peaceful world, one where its people have found a way to co-exist without violence, without war, that... that truly would be nice, wouldn't it? ]

I'd like to see it. The places you've been... Dossoles... places you haven't gone yet, too? Maybe we could go together, one day. If all of us can gather here, then-- it isn't entirely beyond the realm of possibility, right?

[ It certainly would be, and also seems beyond anything that Ernesto could possibly imagine. Even beyond the conflict that happened in his home country, the disasters and disease that plagues his world makes it a difficult place for anyone to find that peace and happiness.

Some people manage it eventually, but most of them had to suffer in some pretty big ways at some point. His time spent deeply embroiled in the politics of Dossoles taught him that much.

Things haven't been looking much better in this world either, but it does make him curious. He already wanted to see how things might be handled in other nations in his own world. Maybe other planets managed to handle things a lot more competently than they in his own. ]

You want to come see my world that bad?

[ He sighs as he closes his eyes, head dropping forward a little. ]

I guess I can't argue with that kind of insistence. I promise if we manage to make it out of this mess, I'll personally give you a tour of as much of my world as you can stomach.

[ oh... well! it's hard not to see how pleased Abel looks at that response-- because the smile at his lips brightens all the way to his eyes at Ernesto's would-be promise. (that's right, it's a PROMSIE now, even if those words were never said!!) ]

--Really~! Well, then... I have all the more reason to make sure the both of us get through all this nonsense, hm? I have a tour to look forward to~!

[ and despite the grim nature of Ernesto's explanation of things... he really does seem earnestly excited for one reason or another. who knows why, maybe it's best not to think too hard about the ~~thots~~thoughts of idiots, huh. ]

Then, it'll only be fair if I return the favor...! --I could take you on a nice vacation, Mr. Tequila~! We'll just have to escape the ever-present and iron grip of my boss, but-- that's fine, if you make puppy eyes at her, I bet she'll give us some time for traveling!! Oh, or maybe I can tell her it's work related...? Hm, hm, I need to start constructing our cover story now.

[ A promise it is then. Ernesto honestly does enjoy playing tour guide, so it doesn't put him out that much. He's not taking Abel that seriously in all of this, but the hypothetical is a lot more fun than the reality they're currently facing.

And if Abel wants to indulge his furry kink a little in dreaming of visiting Ernesto's world, then so be it. ]

You think I can be that convincing, huh? You might be overestimating my skill.

[ Or willingness to beg cutely for things. He's happy enough to make deals, but puppy eyes... Hmm... That's a different matter. ]

If you're taking me on a vacation, I hope that means you plan to pay for it all, Father. I can't say I'm a wealthy man.

[ maybe there's some tiny part of him that might hope such a thing would come to pass, but... well, idealistic as Abel is, he isn't ~~completely~~ delusional. just returning home seems like it will be a task in and of itself; being able to travel with his newfound friends... it would be nice, right? but it's little more than a daydream at the end of the day.

a pleasant one. and they deserve pleasant things, right now, so sue him. he's thinking about it. ]

What, are you telling me you wouldn't do it for the sake of our vacation...?! Come on, what kind of wingman are you?! [ 'vacation wingman' is that a thing, guess it is now ] --and what do you MEAN I have to pay for it?! Don't you know priests must vow to poverty, Mr. Tequila...?! I am a starving man worked to the bone on a pittance!! A pittance!! Please, y... you are going to help pull your own weight or we aren't going anywhere!

[ yeah that's right, Ernesto has to WORK for this vacation, apparently!!! ]

[ At the very least it lets Ernesto talk about something that isn't his sad life. He's relieved for that if nothing else. ]

Am I acting as your wingman with your boss now too? Is that allowed for a priest, Father?

[ Look, Abel picked the term first. This is on him.

He'll sigh, playing up the theatrics himself now, as if he's really put upon by this. Playing a fool is something he's not bad at either though, and since both of them are doing it for the sake of levity right now, it feels kind of nice to fall into this old role. ]

You promise to sweep me off my feet and take me on a vacation, and now you're making me pay for it, huh? This doesn't seem like much of a deal for me.

[ w-wingman for his boss... that sounds wrong in so very many ways, and Abel briefly chokes on whatever idiocy was about to leave his mouth, some heat creeping into his face alongside a hearty dose of Fluster. ]

--P... please~!! Don't go insinuating those kind of things, alright?! Miss Caterina i-is--

[ --considered one of the most beautiful women in all of Rome, yes, but she's also Abel's Little Girl..... look it's complicated and they don't need to talk about it, ]

Listen. Listen, Mr. Tequila - we need to clear the air right here and now. I am an impoverished, barely paid, overworked, underappreciated, malnourish and unconventionally unlucky man, and I am not exaggerating ANY of those facts in the least!! Taking you on a vacation with me means that we have to work at this together. To-geth-er, alright?! There's no way around it, so... so simply accept your fate! We're going to have to rub our noggins together to get this thing done, but I assure you-- you will NOT want to miss out on relaxing upon Barcelona's golden sands by the ocean, or perhaps taking a delightful tour of the markets in Carthago, or-- or!! Getting to enjoy Carnivale~? Yes, that's to say nothing of how lovely it is up in, say, Prague come winter time when done up for the holidays...! Do any of these sound like life experiences you're prepared to throw away, because I think not!!

[ Hot bosses are things, Abel. He wouldn't judge. His old boss was hot.

He'd never, ever in a million years make a move on her, because she scares him. But she was hot.

But fine, beyond laughing at the flustering, and a little more at the giant rant that Abel manages to embark on immediately after, Ernesto won't comment more on the issue of setting Abel up with his boss.

That laughter is also probably a strange thing right now. He's laughed several times in conversations with people in this cavern already, but it has always been a subdued and often slightly bitter sounding thing. This is a real laugh that bounces a little off of the walls around them.

Finally the laughter quiets down, and he'll lift a hand up to place it on Abel's shoulder, patting it a few times as if trying to calm him down. ]

I don't know what most of that means, but I get it. It sounds like I'll be footing most of this bill in the end, huh?

[ STOP his boss isn't hot... okay she is but he doesn't think of her like that?? cease immediately,

.....ah. hot scary bosses are a thing, huh-- poor Ernesto.

h-hey, you know... the sound of that laughter is practically medicinal for how nice it is to hear, and Abel can't help it if some of the exaggerated bluster fades, an irresistible creep of a smile at his lips. ]

W-well~! Well, I suppose as long as you understand where we stand, Mr. Tequila...!

[ yes, that's right. come to Abel's world where he will definitely take his dog-eared friend on a relaxing vacation that definitely won't end with one or both of them being maimed by vampires and/or arrested by local military police in [insert name of lovely vacation destination here]. it's fine and would be perfectly nice and nothing bad would happen at all, ]

...I'll do my best to pull my own financial weight, of course. Of course! ...But yes, you will be footing the majority of the bill, I'm afraid. --Ah, do you even use the dinar where you're from...? Hm, the logistics of this are becoming complicated.

[ Ernesto would like to meet Abel's extremely hot boss.

Maybe sometime during this trip they're planning and are definitely going to take, though Ernesto is also going to ruin the mood a little here. ]

Is there any point in worrying about the logistics?

[ Considering this whole thing will never happen in reality, as nice as it all hypothetically sounds. He doesn't say that much, but the implication is there as he lets his hand drop off of Abel's shoulder now.

Though in a minor effort to keep it from getting too gloomy, he does at least throw the priest a bone here. ]

It's more pleasant to talk about the fun parts of a trip anyway.

[ ow... OW, Ernesto, OW? Abel looks a little put-out for a second, before he heaves a (mostly) melodramatic sigh, deflating to lean into his arms where they rest on his knees. ]

...Well. Then, in that case...

[ hmph. hmPH, FINE!! fine. if that's how it's going to be, suppose he'll play along. ]

Do you prefer warm climates, or something colder? Winter or summer? This is very important for vacation planning, you know.

[ Sorry Abel, but too much realism for something that will never happen seems a little pointless. Also if Ernesto is going to pretend and fantasize here, he's not sure how much of that time he wants to spend on budgeting. ]

Warm for sure. I've always been more of a summer guy.

[ If feels weird for someone to not be able to just take a look at him and know that, but the clothing they've been giving here really doesn't allow him to give off the vibe. ]

Don't tell me you prefer the cold? I might have to send you off on that trip on your own if so.

[ so sad, stripped of Ernesto's cute summery getup... a true tragedy among many in the Suffer Cave. woe.....

Abel shakes his head at that, though-- waving his hand in quick dismissal. ]

--No no, actually, I quite like warm summers~! The beach is my favorite destination for vacationing, though admittedly... I also quite like the coziness of of wintertime-- especially around the holidays? Ah. But, I suppose holidays might be entirely different where we're from-- do you celebrate Christmas and the like?

[ this conversation is just Abel repeatedly derailing them both over and over again isn't it ]

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