[CW: There’s a million terrible things that can happen; the thread starts out with casual and enabled anti-Semitism and probably just gets worse from there.]

They were at a ritzy hotel lobby, where one of Chris’ other friends were staying – and it was clear that all three men had arrived there well before the time Darius had been given. There was a cheery glow to their faces, and the bartender looked about ready to have them leave three drinks ago.

“Your murderous god will forgive you for another Bloody Mary,” Chris teased a curly-haired man who wrinkled his nose but smiled.

“The point was to make us drink less,” the curly-haired man retorted, but reached immediately for the glass as it was refilled by the red-eyed bartender.

“You said there would be women!” grumbled the third friend, who looked the same age as them. “I’m starting to think you two repel women.”

“It’s against-” Chris started, and the curly haired man joined in with an amused look, “my religion.”

Chris pulled out a cross from his collar – which he had never worn around Darius.

There was a seat open next to Chris.