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+---- Thread: quit wasting the sunlight (/showthread.php?tid=10796)
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quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-03-2025
Flora stepped into the Levinsward feeling a touch uneasy, her breath visible in the cool spring air despite Flowerbirth’s promise of renewal. Clad in a long, fitted charcoal coat trimmed with subtle silver embroidery—an echo of the stormy skies above—she tugs her scarf tighter around her neck. Every gust of wind sent a shiver along her spine as dark, heavy clouds churned overhead, the distant rumble of thunder punctuating the silence. Occasional flashes of lightning reveal a landscape both harsh and strangely beautiful, though the queen isn't at all drawn in by the majesty of this place.
Flora pauses near a lone, twisted oak—a silent survivor of the Levinsward’s relentless assault—her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of Asta. It had been the butcher's idea to meet out here, and had the queen not had complete faith in her friend (and the knowledge that with her compads in her pocket she could escape in a heartbeat if she ever needed to), she might feel a twinge of suspicion or fear given the accusations Maea had accused him of. After all, what better way to make sure his secret never saw the light of day than to invite Flora to a secluded location in order to ensure her silence?
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-03-2025
He isn’t one that typically likes to be late, but he’d not accounted for the way his shoulder isn’t completely healed and the exhaustion that set in from attempting to make the trek as a fyrhund. As such, when Flora looks next, it’ll be a fyrhund’s limping approach, until he’s close enough to shift back into himself, righting his clothes with that sharp grin of greeting.
He’d chosen it originally because it would be faster, so now as he approaches her it’s with a slower gait, but one accompanied with the threaded cane in his hand. He leans on it a touch more as he reaches her, purposefully stepping into the wind that’s picked up to keep it from hitting her. “[say]Apologies for my timing, Flora darling. I had hoped my shoulder would be more improved than it is.[/say]” He extends his elbow for her to take should she wish to. “[say]Shall we?[/say]” The Sparksbird Nest was in the distance, along the barren scarred earth, giving them enough time to talk without prying ears.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-06-2025
Flora’s eyes widen dramatically as the fyrhund comes bounding toward her, a quick, lively gasp leaving her lips. She’s pretty sure—like, ninety-five percent sure—it’s Asta beneath all that terrifying black fur, because who else would it be, right?
But then she notices the limp, and all her playful amusement fizzles straight into alarm. Her chest tightens and before she knows it, she’s jogging forward, gold bangles chiming anxiously around her wrists. [say]"Hey, what happened to you?"[/say] The queen’s voice pitches upward, equal parts concern and exasperation as she stops at his side, bright curls bouncing with the abrupt halt. [say]"Please tell me that you and Danta just got a bit too lively with one another and that you didn’t get yourself hurt on that job I sent you two out on..?"[/say] Her eyes flicker pointedly down to his cane, mouth twisting into a worried little pout. Thunder murmurs somewhere overhead, and Flora can’t help but tug anxiously at the hem of her scarf.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-07-2025
She jogs forward to meet him by the time he’s shifted back, and initially he goes to shrug off the question – but the curiosity in her gaze and the way she stops at his side and her voice pitches upwards, he realizes he can’t get away with lying to her. He’d done that more than enough in the turbulent past between them. “[say]Mm, I wish I could.[/say]” He admits, flashing her an apologetic smile before he shakes his head.
“[say]I am fine, darling, and it is being healed, I simply pushed it too far.[/say]” He can’t even make the joke of you should’ve seen the other guy because he got off totally free and unharmed for the most part. Just… Robbed, but alas. “[say]It was that job, yes, but again it is fine and I am fine.[/say]” There’s no limp at least, just a sore shoulder that no longer affected how he walked. But as she scans the cane, she’ll notice it isn’t an ordinary cane, with the colorful flecks of different blades slotted together perfectly to make it a sharp, shiny bladed cane he uses without truly requiring it to move.
But gods, it really added a certain spark to his attire. "[say]Let's get out from under the storm, mm?[/say]" He asks, starting to move and show her the path toward the Sparkbird's Nest.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-07-2025
Flora’s pout only deepens as she absorbs his explanation, lips pressing together skeptically even as relief visibly softens her eyes. [say]"Ugh, I'm so sorry."[/say] Reaching up with a waggle of her fingers as if to direct the butcher's attention to her rings, implying that she was doing more than just giving him an affectionate squeeze, Flora let her fingers brush softly against the material hiding his wounded shoulder. The healing ring on her finger had been given to her by the fae in an attempt to hurry her and Jack out of the Greatwood, but it had come in quite handy since then.
Fluttering her dark lashes imploringly up at him as she lets her hand drop back toward her side, Flora hums a touch skeptically under her breath. [say]"You’d tell me if you needed more than rest and some healing magic, right?"[/say] She wanted to believe he would, but instinct and no small amount of experience suggested he'd waltz himself into an early grave rather than inconveniencing her or admitting to being in pain.
[say]"The Spark Bird is the one that used to protect the Grounds, right?"[/say] Tucking herself at his side, she lets the butcher lead the way, finding herself far less inclined to flinch at every flash of lightning with Asta next to her.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-08-2025
“[say]Don’t be, darling.[/say]” The butcher immediately says, almost ready to wave her off when he feels the healing magic work to lessen the deep ache in the muscle and bone while he fully distracts himself with the jewelry along her fingertips so as to not sigh in the relief it bolsters. It’s reflected in the dark honey of his gaze, though, as it flits up to her face and is markedly softer, his smile gentle and adoring.
As for whether or not he would tell her if he needed more than rest and healing magic, he nods, trying to be as trusting as he can be with her. “[say]I would, yes. And thank you, darling.[/say]” He murmurs, stretching out his shoulder briefly and happy to see it feels leagues better than it had after he’d over done it by running on the shoulder for far longer than he should have (which he knew better than to do, but alas here we are).
He keeps her close as she tucks in at his side, projecting as much warmth as he can seeing as Flowerbirth was not exactly warm, and as they trek the path toward the Inn, he nods to her question. “[say]Yes. From what I could gather from the tomes of the Atheneum, it was the zappy mythical creature that could ward away the dreaded LongNight Monsters when the Voice was active.[/say]” Granted, there wasn’t that much information of what happened after – likely because the war had been recent, but he hadn’t dwelled on it for too long to find out anyway.
“[say]Given that the monsters are no longer around, I did not research more into it.[/say]” He admits with a small snort – refraining from tacking on the fact that there were still monsters of a sort – mind flitting to the Family and himself in the occasional turn – he imagines that isn’t overwhelmingly new to her, given Maea’s announcement and her asking to meet anyway.
So he settles in for the walk and a likely uncomfortable but honest conversation he had eluded to when they’d dated but never quite fully admitted.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-08-2025
Flora’s lips quirk in soft amusement at his quick dismissal of her apology, but she says nothing, just quietly noting the relief that flickers briefly across his face when her magic settles into the muscle. At least something good had come out of dying and winding up in the Greatwood with a cranky captain Jack.
Her expression turns thoughtful, brow pinching slightly as she considers his explanation about the Sparkbird and the monsters. [say]"Well, maybe that means some new creature will come and save us from our new set of monsters"[/say] she murmurs dryly.
Her gaze flickers sideways toward him, catching on his carefully neutral expression, the way he carries himself as though bracing for something. Flora sighs softly, letting the silence linger for a heartbeat or two before she gently nudges his good arm with her own, glancing down briefly as her voice grows quieter, more hesitant. [say]"Look, Asta,"[/say] she starts gently, her eyes fixed thoughtfully on the ground ahead. Wanting to tear off the bandaid before they reached the Inn and prying ears, the queen was nevertheless a touch unsure about how to bring it about. [say]"About Maea, and all that stuff she said..."[/say] Flora shrugs delicately, brows furrowing softly as she tries to piece the words together, careful not to tread too roughly on sensitive ground. [say]"Whatever you do in your spare time really isn’t my business, but even if it was.."[/say] Glancing up at him, the Doubletake's lips pull down, though her expression is one of unfettered affection despite the appearance of a frown.
[say]"..I still wouldn't care."[/say] Raising her brows she offers him a tentative smile, not quite knowing how to say that she wasn't at all bothered without also making it sound as though her opinion of him ought to bother him in the slightest.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-09-2025
Aaaaand here it comes.
The butcher is silent while Flora speaks, a touch uncharacteristically slow — because despite her own internal thoughts on the matter, he does care a surprising amount about what she thinks of him. And when she looks at him, he obliges her by tilting his horned head to meet her part way, his honey dark gaze scanning her face for any signs of a lie. But Danta had suggested to just be honest, and she doesn’t seem to care one way or another, so he takes a deep breath.
“[say]I figured the context might allocate room for it to make more sense, seeing as it is not something I advertise.[/say]” He begins, letting his lips quirk into the ghost of a smile. And truly, he kept it under such wraps that the select few knew – and so long as no one was overtly stalking him during extenuating circumstances, it was likely they’d never know. Which is precisely why he hadn’t told Flora earlier, even when they had been dating. “[say]I told you that I was from Halo, yes?[/say]” He pauses here, the Inn in sight but far enough that the lightning hopefully wouldn’t reach this far, but far enough that prying ears could not hear. “[say]I do not know how much you know of its history,[/say]” because Whitebrim had been eradicated, as far as he’d heard, “[say]however, I am from Whitebrim, centuries ago just before the fall of our separated clans.[/say]” Here, he flashes her a slightly easier, somber smile, knowing it didn’t fully explain everything but it was a start.
“[say]I left when there was nothing left to go back to, but seeing as it was all I knew, I did not realize at the time how others would my preferences. For me, it was simply how it was. I did learn quickly, when I had been starving and became sloppy.[/say]” He pauses as if to say I know, who would think I could be so careless? “[say]I was captured, tortured, and dragged to the Climb for my sins, which is how I received all these fetching scars.[/say]” Gesturing with his bad arm to his chest, he knows she’d know the ones. It might also click about the gore crow fear. “[say]Ancients found me and brought me to Dygra who saved me. And She did not care that I was privy to it, and neither did most of the other Ancients at the time. Yet, I am well aware of just how unappealing it can be for the majority here and now, and so I keep it quiet. I vowed to Danta that I would not make any scenes or make it known. And I have done well, aside from the encounter with Maea, whom I told to remain in the Dusklight and who slunk around and followed me anyway and did not like what she saw.[/say]” His tone takes on a grating, almost annoyed flourish before he sighs and focuses back on Flora, hesitating in case she has any questions.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-09-2025
Flora keeps quiet, her usual bright, animated expressions dimming into something quieter, steadier, as Asta speaks. The way he tells it—so matter-of-fact, so resigned—it sits uneasily in her chest, but she doesn’t interrupt. She just listens, watches the way his shoulders hold tension like he’s bracing for something, watches the way his gaze flickers when he talks about what was done to him, what he became, what he lost.
She exhales slowly, rolling her lips together, wishing she could just climb up him like a tree and wrap her arms around him.
[say]"Well,"[/say] she says finally, her voice lighter than the conversation warrants, but gentle, not dismissive. [say]"At the very least, Maea being a self-righteous pain in the ass is a timeless truth, so there's that."[/say]
Flora glances up at him, searching Asta's face, before nudging him lightly with her elbow—not just playful, but grounding, a way to pull him back from whatever old ghosts still have their claws in him. [say]"Asta,"[/say] she murmurs, quieter now, something more thoughtful beneath the usual teasing cadence of her voice. She wants to tell him that she's sorry it all happened to him, but gods even just thinking the words feels woefully lacking; wants to tell him that he didn't deserve a damned thing that had happened to him, but surely he knew even if he might not always believe it. [say]"I really like who you are now,"[/say] she says simply, watching him carefully, giving him space to react or deflect however he needs to. [say]"And honestly?"[/say] She tilts her head. [say]"If Dygra saved you, then it isn't for Maea or anyone else to judge you about the things you do. Not when they have no idea what it's like to go through what you did and come out the other side."[/say]
She lets the words settle, gives him a moment to breathe, before sighing, her gaze flicking back toward the path ahead. [say]"But, seriously,"[/say] she huffs, rolling her shoulders, [say]"—fuck Maea. Imagine if she put as much effort into not being a huge bitch as she does being a pain in everyone's ass."[/say] There was no reason for the ancient to have said a damn thing about cannibalism other than to try and stir shit up.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-09-2025
Snorting, in spite of all the truth to the few words to leave Flora, feeling a touch more at ease with how well she does take it. The tension loosens in waves as she nudges him, grounding him as he gives her his full attention now, his smile a touch easier, only to have it bloom with more of himself with the sharp smile on display. And perhaps that makes sense, too, why his teeth have been sharpened as such. “[say]Thank you, darling.[/say]” He murmurs softly, reaching for her hand to give a light squeeze.
“[say]Mm, the irony is that I was helping her.[/say]” His dramatics return to being on full display, the roll of his eyes, the angle of his head, the brief sigh that passes his lips. “[say]She just did not approve of my choice of punishment, despite having been the subject of the man’s ire that night.[/say]” It’s almost said in a sing song-y tone – clear that Asta hadn’t minded tearing the man apart piece by piece if it meant preventing him from preying on anyone else in the future.
“[say]Oh, and later…[/say]” He leans in toward her, craning low enough that the words are just between them, in a movement that appears affectionate despite it being all to share gossip. “[say]She suggested that perhaps I ought to send criminals through the portal to the Climb and abandon them there.[/say]” Just like what happened to him as punishment.
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-09-2025
[say]"Which, if she'd stayed where she was told instead of following you like some school girl with a crush, she'd never have even known about."[/say] Flora adds, rolling her eyes so hard it's a miracle they don't fall right out of her skull. Standing onto her toes and clinging to his arm as if to ensure she didn't miss a single word, what she imagines will be something amusing turns out to be one of the most heinous things he's said yet.
[say]"What?!"[/say] There was something particularly vile about suggesting that kind of punishment—as if weaponizing Asta's past against him—only for her to end up taking advantage of the butcher's situation and beating the shit out of him instead, from what Flora remembered. [say]"That's got to be one of the the most fucked up things I've ever heard of."[/say]
Falling back to her heels and settling her arm comfortably against Asta's once more, the queen shakes her head. [say]"You know, for someone who hates everything about you apparently, she sure does spend a lot of time thinking about you,"[/say] Flora muses, her tone mock-thoughtful as she begins walking forward. [say]"Like, there was literally no need for her to mention a damn thing about it me."[/say] Then, because she can’t help herself, she leans in once more, matching the btucher's earlier conspiratorial tone. [say]"Gods, Asta, do you think she has a crush on you?"[/say] She grins wickedly, clearly entertained by the idea—because really, what other explanation could there be for her being so absolutely insufferable and yet constantly on the butcher's ass?
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-09-2025
That’s exactly the crux of the issue, isn’t it? That if she had only stayed when she’d been told to, then she’d be none the wiser to the preferences of the butcher, and the Grounds would be down one repeat offender. But, things hadn’t played out that way, and as Flora registers the suggestion the butcher recalled from Maea’s lips, he leans back a touch with a low hum of a chuckle and a nod.
He's gotten past the audacity of it now to find it rather amusing, to be honest. “[say]It is, isn’t it?[/say]” The butcher’s accented voice drawls, ever the air of a gossip hen as Flora settles back onto her heals and her arm settles around his once more, he pats her hand with the amusement still flickering in the honey dark of his eyes. “[say]I am sure she simply wanted someone to commiserate with over her own opinions. Though why she would ever mention it to you is baffling.[/say]” Rolling his own eyes hard enough that they also might fall out of his head, he focuses back on her as she leans in and his grin sharpens.
He doesn’t mean to bark the laugh in their close proximity, but he can’t help it. “[say]What is there not to like?[/say]” He boasts playfully, his tail flickering in his amusement behind him – because obviously there was one very important thing not to like that she’s managed to somehow make her entire personality. “[say]I may be a monster, but I am a gentleman.[/say]” He laments in a dramatic groan shortly after. “[say]I was the Butcher of Whitebrim centuries ago, but even I did not harbor the hold of the public then as much as she makes it seem as though I do.[/say]”
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Flora - 03-10-2025
[say]"Gods, right? And like, for all she knows, you and I might still be a thing."[/say] Or maybe a weird thrupple with Danta, but it certainly wasn't as though Maea had ever known the finer points of what had gone on with the three, so to so boldly try and wedge herself between them was more than a reach.
Flora snickers, tipping her head back as Asta’s laughter barks out beside her, the sound sharp and delightfully wicked in the dim evening air. Gods, she really had missed him. [say]"I mean, right?"[/say] she drawls, grinning impishly as she squeezes his arm for emphasis. [say]"You’re a real catch, Asta. Handsome, well-dressed, an excellent conversationalist—"[/say] Her lashes flutter dramatically, mock-swooning against his shoulder, only it isn't even all feigned. Flora really had had a crush on the butcher, so it certainly wasn't hard to sing his praises. [say]"Besides, we all have our little quirks, mm?"[/say]
Still, as they continue walking, the playful edge in Flora’s voice softens just a touch, her smirk settling into something quieter, more thoughtful. [say]"You joke, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s trying to use you to make herself feel better about her own shit,"[/say] she muses, tilting her head up to glance at him properly. [say]"Like, if she can point at you and scream ‘Monster! Horrible! Unacceptable!’ then maybe she doesn’t have to look too hard at whatever’s lurking in her own shadow."[/say]
RE: quit wasting the sunlight - Astaroth - 03-10-2025
“[say]Ha, can you imagine?[/say]” He hums at the thought, the amusement brightening his gaze and keeping that easier smile tugged along his face. The irony is that if they still were and they had been going for this long, the butcher would have told Flora already.
So, it’s that hilarious thought that flickers through his mind as she squeezes his arm and then begins to compliment him — something that bolsters his insufferable ego, but he pats her hand in response and flashes her a grateful grin. “[say]You are too kind.[/say]” He murmurs softly, stepping a little closer as they walk, letting her tuck into his side a bit more.
Flora’s point is one that Asta already knows to be true, so it’s with no qualms that he tilts his horned head back toward her. “[say]Oh, most definitely. She told me as much the last time we spoke. She’s terrified of becoming me, yet she has proven to be quite the different breed.[/say]” She couldn’t be the kind of monster the butcher was, regardless of her fears. If anything, she’d become something worse.
At least there was an end to the suffering the butcher inflicted.
“[say]I hear she wishes to apologize to me for what happened. I think I am of the mindset to continue letting her stew over it.[/say]” He shrugs casually, reaching the door of the infamous Sparkbird’s Nest, opening the door for her to enter first before he follows.