cancry | Avaritia Arrival Log

Then she smiles.

"Ah, I understand now. Welcome to Avaritia, Executor."

[ Bingo.

He smiles back wryly, before moving an arm over his chest and doing a half bow. He’s still got his manners after all... though a closer look will reveal his wings have gone tense and risen slightly like a beast’s hackles. ]

A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Authority. Or would you prefer I call you something else?

Greta is fine. I don't think we have to be formal with each other at this point.

[ Curiously, considering how... well, everything went with Esme last time you all confronted an Authority, there doesn't seem to be any hostility at play here.

For now. ]

Am I right to assume the companion you spoke of is a fellow Executor of yours?

[ Oh he should. Probably give a name as well. Except it would likely not be too smart to just give his current name to a possible enemy (no matter how fine she seems now) and he’s not even thinking of keeping his current name much longer anyway. So he thinks quickly—

And finds himself thinking of Patroclus.

“—the man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life...” ]

...Achilles.

[ ...Wait actually he... likes how that one sounds? Huh. ]

And they are entirely unrelated. [ not.... exactly a lie?? ] It is just me tonight, so I hope the disadvantage I am putting myself in right now makes it clear I mean no harm.

...Of course, not that I could do much of anything anyway.

Edited 2021-03-07 18:37 (UTC)

Oh, certainly. I don't mean any offense to your abilities as an Executor, Achilles, but... well, if you've managed to make your way down here from the upper layers, you already have some idea as to what disadvantages you've placed yourself under.

[ She's not being hostile but she definitely has some 'has never been punched in the face and you can tell' energy going on. ]

But you must have approached me for some reason.

What, it can’t just be because you’re a lovely young lady?

[ He laughs a little but it’s clearly half hearted. Man, did he know someone like this when he was alive? It’s a little familiar. ]

All jokes aside though, I was honestly just trying to get a handle on this whole “masked guest” situation. I simply began to get a hunch while talking to you and decided to take the risk and see how you’d react.

[ Again, it’s not a lie but there’s no way he’s telling her he had a literal list of potential suspects. ]

Let me ask you: do you know what it is we’re really aiming to do? Invidia’s Authority said a “little birdie” told her and considering you already know what I am I would imagine you’ve also received similar information?

Edited 2021-03-07 19:17 (UTC)

If it's anything, I would imagine you're aiming to repair the Cogs on the lowest level. That would allow us all to pass on and leave Purgatory behind.

Am I correct?

Yes, that’s right. In order to let reincarnation happen again.

So all we actually need is to be able to pass through Avaritia and onto the next layer. That’s it. You wouldn’t have to give up your authority - you just need to let us pass.

[ Greta nods to herself. ]

I see. That's a very reasonable request.

[ She smiles at him. ]

I refuse.

[ He sighs. Well no one can say he didn’t try. ]

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy...

May I at least ask why?

[ He has a feeling it’ll be much the same as Esme but he wants to hear regardless, since he struggled to fully understand Esme’s stance (even when the others did). ]

Edited 2021-03-07 20:11 (UTC)

Because your plan is to unclog the stoppage preventing us from passing on – or so you say. And I'm afraid I have every intention of remaining here.

[ She smiles at him and spread her hands gesturing to the theater – and everything outside of it as well. ]

Why would I want to leave such a wonderful place?

[ So much the same as Esme then.

He regards her carefully for a moment, before crossing his arms and tilting his head, eyes on the rest of the crowd. The rest of this “wonderful place”. ]

Is it so wonderful, though? I wonder about that...

[ He looks back at her. ]

You know that staying here too long eventually turns you into a monster, don’t you? And I mean that literally, not figuratively.

[ Is the one telling these authorities this conveniently leaving that information out or do they all just not care? He could either at this point.

Later on he might wonder why “monster” came so easily out of his mouth instead of “revenant” and why all this makes him so uneasy. ]

So you say. [ I probably don't need to tell you that her tone at this point is verging on condescending, but just in case... ] The ones who lose themselves to Purgatory might turn, but I know very well who I am. I don't intend to lose anything ever again, so your concerns are appreciated, if unnecessary.

[ Oh honey. Two can play that condescending game.

He smiles again, but this time it’s full of barely hidden contempt. ]

Oh, do not be mistaken. You’re not the one I’m concerned for. You clearly have none for your fellow specter after all, so I won’t waste mine on a selfish child.

[ Normally he would never say anything like that to someone so much younger than him but his demeanour has completely shifted. The affable and fatherly gentleman he presents himself as most of the time has given way to the kind of... thing he used to be. The ancient being he saw in his memories, the monster who had to learn to be human, the false deity who functioned much like a guard dog protecting his herd and smiting any threats. He talks as that person now, the beast he was, not as the Beast he became.

Again: you wanna do the condescending game? Let’s go kid, he remembers being old as clay now. ]

You’ll have to forgive me though for failing to understand why you would even want any of... this. [ He mimics her actions earlier, gesturing around the theatre. ] As an old man with a few thousand years under his belt, staying stagnant in a place like this forever sounds like an absolute hell, so to speak.

[ At least with it being just him right now he can speak more frankly about this sort of stuff. ]

[ Greta doesn't respond right away but behind her glasses, her eyebrows raise and the lenses flash in the light just for a second, rendering them opaque. She's still smiling, somehow even smugger now than she was before. ]

I'm afraid if you don't see the appeal, then I would never be able to explain it to you. But this place holds a great deal of importance to me and I don't intend to lose it, Executor.

Perhaps another few thousand years here will change your mind?

[ Beast’s own smile drops into a glare. He knows she’s goading him and trying to get under his skin, but the ease of which she throws out the number like it’s nothing bothers him. The idea of that much time in purgatory really doesn’t phase her. It’s kind of disturbing to him.

Mortals are so fucking weird, man. ]

You really do mean to stay forever then.

[ A great deal of importance, huh... he wonders what kind of story there is here, if it’s anything like what Esme’s turned out to be. But he gets the feeling this is as much as he’s going to find out for now. He doesn’t know when the others are going to come back and he would rather not expose them as well.

...That and he can feel his own temper getting the better of him the longer he talks to her. ]

Well, I highly doubt my mind would ever change and I certainly don’t intend to find out. So then I suppose we really will have to butt heads, won’t we? A shame, honestly. I know the majority of us would rather talk things out than fight when it comes down to it.

[ He thinks back to how Mona felt after the first confrontation with Esme... and feels like he should probably apologize to her later when he tells everyone about this. ]

Edited (Didn’t like some sentence structure) 2021-03-08 18:07 (UTC)

I see. It looks as though we're at an impasse. If that's how you feel then I won't waste any more breath trying to convince you. But if you truly wish for us to 'butt heads' as you say...

[ Greta flashes him an unpleasant smile. ]

I'd like to see you try.

[ His own bitchface smile is back as well. ]

Oh we will. Until then, I shall take my leave and let you enjoy the show.

[ “Show” here having a double meaning. ]

Have a pleasant evening, Lady Greta.

[ He’s going to try and take his leave now, unless she has anything else to do or say? ]

Edited 2021-03-08 19:04 (UTC)

[ Nope! He's free to tap out and head to their seats if he likes. ]

[ Okay cool so... as soon as he’s far enough away from her and blended back into the crowd he takes his phone out— oh.

Okay well. Good for him he DEFINITELY forgot to shut the recording off before. Technical incompetence coming in handy!

He stops the recording finally and makes a note to share this with everyone else later (hopefully the audio isn’t too fucked but whatever this is roleplay, we’ll do whatever’s most convenient). For now though he very quickly goes to message Chiron and the kids, hoping that they at least have their phones on vibrate or something. ]

The Authority is here.

[ That’s all he says before starting to head to his seat. It’s all he really needs to say. He’s not going to bombard them with notif sounds until they respond or he sees them in person. ]

[Oh ho ho! So Beast was successful on his hunt~ Chiron doesn't text a response; if Some Shit goes down, he'll know and go to the rescue. As it is, he returns to the seating, a few casino chips richer, and gives Beast a mild wave of greeting.]

This bit of theater is entertaining, though I have to wonder if your guest is in on it as well. That dastardly rapscallion certainly hasn't pulled anything off alone~

[ Beast just barely raises his arm to wave back. He has his cheek propped up on his other hand and his leg is jittering at a mile a minute. He’s clearly a bit agitated and riled up after that encounter. Now that he’s had a moment to actually sit and stew on what happened the full weight of his actions and their conversation has caught up with him and left him with his feathers all ruffled.

Even as Chiron joins him he finds himself making a quick look around to make sure he isn’t being watched. Probably just paranoia considering how smug she was, but after Esme’s little poison attempt he’s not taking any chances with these Authorities. ]

I wouldn’t be surprised if she were. She seemed just as convinced that the whole thing was part of the show... like she was having a personal chuckle over it all.

Someone's helping the dear thing write their menacing speeches. There's a dressing room, however rushed and stashed away. Some who run this place are seeming to be involved, but...I can't say I see how it fits together. Deliberately inviting the richer of everyone to get them talking... Merely to drum up admission, mayhap?

[He settles in with a sigh, patting Beast's bouncing leg.] And what was she like, hm? As fake as Esme?

[ The pat gets his leg to chill out at least. He sighs as well and realizes in that moment that the tension he’d been holding in his wings since she called him Executor had only just now released. ]

No, not that bad thankfully - though I am unsure how much of her true colours I saw just then. She didn’t seem as hostile either, but she was somehow even more infuriatingly smug.

...What she has most in common with Esme though is a staunch refusal to let us pass through here.

Hm, hardly a surprise. She'll put up a fight, unfortunately. But now we've a little better idea of how to go about it rather than gun for a fight right off the bat.

[........Hm. He glances...around...]

I suppose the children are still trying to catch our mystery figure.

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ok im switching to action tags bc it makes my brain hurt less

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