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+---- Thread: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust (/showthread.php?tid=9876)
[RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
[say]"So essentially, you'll be able to do whatever you want in the room, but everyone walks out unscathed at the end,"[/say] Danta is explaining as they step through the portal and into the Burrows, glancing back for Astaroth and shifting the satchel he's brought over his shoulder. [say]"I imagine even death won't matter, once you drag the body back over the threshold."[/say] It's a dark subject of conversation to say the least, and the Maverick sounds utterly delighted about the idea as he turns to direct them towards The Mountain's Roar.
Has a large part of his consideration been the butcher at his heels? Perhaps - but he'll never tell. For today he's in high spirits, savouring the heat of the rock beneath his feet, boots crunching on rubble and bone. Dressed in a mix of leather and lace today, with kohl smudged around his eyes and tiny garnets studded through the eclectic braids in his fair hair, Danta is arguably more put together than he has been in some time - not that anyone but Asta is in a position to appreciate it, given how empty The Climb is these days.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
It is a dark subject, but Astaroth seems all the more excited for it. “[say]Truly?[/say]” He asks on an air of a breath, like he’s been holding it to hear the surmise of what exactly the rage room would eventually be capable of. It’s almost as good of a distraction as how beautiful Danta is right this second as they turn toward the Mountain’s Roar. Gaze following the path they take and drifting back to see the light glint from the garnets, stepping up so that his shoulder might brush against Danta’s own on occasion, the butcher appreciates everything that Danta has done so far. “[say]So, potentially, we could kill each other and walk away from it?[/say]” He teases lightly, even if his mind drifts to the other potential options that ward him away from indulging entirely in Dygra’s name.
You bet he’d be willing to try that, too.
Anyway, the butcher walks along with Danta, carrying his own satchel of supplies, dressed down in a white shirt with arm cuffs to keep the sleeves up despite how they’re rolled, tucked neatly into black pants with black wingtip shoes that make less sound than Danta’s boots do as they crunch over the rubble and bone. Decorated suspenders with designs running up and down the flat portions of the material settle on his shoulders and run down his body, but there are no chains to be found.
No, if they’re going to Mountain’s Roar, Astaroth has been there before. He knows how much blood is there, and he’d be lying if he didn’t wish to take a swim – which is why, in a strange turn of events, the butcher is dressed markedly less formal than usual, to the point that Danta and he look about on par with one another. "[say]How would you feel about a swim once we're done?[/say]"
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
[say]"I wouldn't lie about something like this,"[/say] Danta says with a bounce of his eyebrows at the taller man, his gaze bright with a mix of mischief and excitement for this latest addition to the Grounds. In other words, yes, truly. [say]"We could indeed. We could kill, maim, fight, and anything that happens to us is wiped clean as soon as we step - or are dragged - back out of the room."[/say] He's never seen it done, never even imagined it could be done, in truth, and that they're working to make it a reality has something close to dark laughter clenching in his chest.
Bumping his shoulder companionably back against Asta's as they walk, his eyes stray every now and then to the patterns embroidered into the suspenders the other man wears, to his somewhat dressed-down appearance (though to anyone else, he'd naturally still be considered overdressed for anything but a formal dinner), and it's only as his question hits the air that Danta realises why. [say]"You want to go swimming, in a blood filled waterfall?"[/say] He inquires with a tilt of his head, his fanged grin slowly spreading across his face.
[say]"Obviously that sounds like a fine idea,"[/say] he drawls, almost ashamed that he hadn't thought of it to begin with. Ducking under an outcrop of rock and turning a corner in the Burrows to hear a telltale rush of water, Danta picks up his pace that they might soon come upon the Mountain's Roar again. The place always makes him want to scream at the top of his lungs, if for no other reason than the sound would be entirely swallowed by the drum of water into the pools below.
Inhaling the rusty scent of blood on the air and following it in the same way one might trail into a bakery after the scent of freshly baked bread, Danta's long, bejewelled fingers dance along the dark rock walls. [say]"Is that what you've got in your satchel? Your bikini?"[/say] he wonders teasingly.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
It’s true, the Maverick wouldn’t lie about something like that – which means that the next words that fall from his lips have an almost hungry grin blossoming across his face. “[say]Beautiful.[/say]” Astaroth purrs on a dark hum of a heavier accented voice. But then, Danta is bumping his shoulder back against his and he tilts his head toward the blonde as they continue to walk, unaware of the glances made toward the suspenders he wears despite how his eyes keep drifting back to try and meet those electric blues surrounded by kohl.
“[say]Of course I do, darling.[/say]” Astaroth says without a heartbeat of a second passing to question it. He’d been in it before not that long ago, as a lial, but this time something tells him he might prefer the feel of the thick liquid against his skin, staining and blooming dried patchworks of iron into the olive tones of his body.
His steps pick up the pace too, as it turns out, ducking lower than Danta to try and avoid the outcrop as well, turning the corner toward the water as the scent and the echoed thunder of the waterfall nearly drowns out their voices initially before he focuses on listening to hear Danta’s crooning voice. “[say]Towels, Danta.[/say]” He says with a roll of his eyes, playfully exasperated as he steps forward toward it, already lowering the bag from his shoulder to start to drop the suspenders so that they hang around his waist, getting more and more comfortable as he takes a long, deep inhale of the scent. As he does so and walks a small fraction ahead of Danta, there’s the glint of something in his back pocket, a bulge of sorts that shouldn’t be there. “[say]I was here not that long ago, bathing in my lial shift. I wish to feel it again.[/say]” He seems extra excited with how his tail wags, like a child seeing the Christmas tree and the presents beneath it on Christmas morning.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
[say]"ToWeLs, DaNTa,"[/say] the Maverick echoes petulantly, though the sharpness of his grin gives him away; in truth, he's just disappointed that he doesn't get to see Astaroth in some shimmering bikini from his time spent in Torchline. Alas, maybe some other day. (In his dreams, he knows). Allowing the butcher to step out in front as the Mountain's Roar opens up before them, all crimson mist rising from a ruby pool and powerful, iron tinged water plunging from such a height that Danta can barely see the top, the Maverick pauses so he can kneel and rummage in his own satchel.
They are here for a reason, after all, and he's not sure how much water they're expected to collect, so he's brought a couple of large canteens so that they can make the most of what they do bring back. As he straightens, the canteens tucked under one arm, it's to find Asta standing before the waterfall, his suspenders dropped around his waist, casual and powerful in a way he hasn't seen from the other man since before Deepfrost.
Slinking closer, it's only once he's almost pressed up against the butcher's back that he realises there's something in his back pocket what does it have in its POCKETSES and he's momentarily distracted as he expertly slips the item out for a quick examination.
Mothman scales?
With a crooked smile, Danta absolutely palms the scales into one of his own pockets, fully planning to play a game of oh, Dygra, no, have you lost something? Let me help you find it! in the near future. For right now, though, he leans his chin over Asta's shoulder and shoves one of the canteens beneath the butcher's arm. [say]"That's right - I'd forgotten you found that shift again,"[/say] he trills, playfully pulling Asta's tail before escaping to go and collect his water.
Danta has stolen:
Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
MothMan Scales | Incredibly lightweight but strong scales that can be crafted by a god into armour or a shield.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
“[say]Towels. Danta.[/say]” He reiterates, flashing a smirk over his shoulder briefly before he notices the Maverick has sunk down to rummage in his bag and Astaroth steps forward toward the edge, letting the crimson mist caress him, letting the iron invade his senses, letting it soak through each and every portion of him that seems out of sorts so that it might be the glue to piece him back together.
And it works, even as he feels the warmth of Danta’s approach, too far focused on the blood falling from the waterfall and the press of the Maverick’s warm body behind him, he’s entirely distracted enough that he doesn’t notice the mothman scales leave his pocket. What he does notice, is the man’s chin resting over his shoulder, a momentary second that has him tilting his head in against the blonde, soaking in his scent amongst the blood and relaxing all the more for it, even as he’s handed the canteen and his tail is tugged.
Which, results in the quick whip of it as it zips through the air with a zwing sound in the hopes of smacking Danta on his departure, only to fail. “[say]I did. I did not realize how much I missed it.[/say]”
And rather than wait to get into the water, the butcher watches as he goes to collect the canteen of blood from the edge, turning instead to set his bag down and strip down, folding his clothes nicely beside it before he collects the canteen once more and promptly dives right in, settling in deep enough that the water laps against his scarred chest, he holds the canteen below the surface until the air bubbles have left, cradling it close before capping it off.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
Laughing his victory as he manages to slink out of the way of the whipcrack of Asta's tail, Danta soon busies himself in filling his canteen, too focused on the task to realise what the butcher is up to until the splash of water reaches his ears. Glancing up and fully expecting to see that Asta has fallen in rather than having purposely decided to enter the pool, for a second the Maverick isn't sure what he's seeing, and when he does realise, he's heedless to stop the smile that curls across his lips.
[say]"Enjoying yourself?"[/say] he drawls, capping off his own canteen and withdrawing so he might set it down by his satchel, before spending a few moments unlacing his boots. [say]"I'm starting to think you came here just for the waterfall, rather than the glorious task our goddess set for us."[/say] Slipping out of his clothes as he speaks, by this point Danta doesn't bother to fold the garments on purpose, instead leaving them where they fall so he can prowl around the edge of the pool where Asta lounges in the water.
[say]"I remember when this place would be full of Ancients,"[/say] he says, crouching at the water's edge, his tail curling up as he peers into the crimson depths. [say]"I, of course, was rarely permitted to do something so frivolous."[/say] In truth he imagines Morax would be worried he'd try to gorge himself on the blood from the waterfall, but it might have been nice to partake even once.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
“[say]I absolutely am.[/say]” Comes the soft hum of Astaroth’s voice, capping the canteen off and simply sitting there to enjoy it a few moments longer before he has to set the canteen back toward where they would remember to take it. He sounds so much more at peace, his tone softer and almost sleepy, before his dark gaze finds Danta starting to remove his own clothes. “[say]She would prefer us enjoy both, wouldn’t you agree?[/say]” He asks, raising a dark brow and unabashedly watching as the Maverick prowls around the edge, taking in each and every curve and sharp jut of his body, the scars that remain along pale skin.
It isn’t until Danta’s crouching that Astaroth moves, wading closer to the edge to set the canteen down where it wouldn’t be lost, before he’s standing before the Maverick, dripping blood from each of the recesses each of his own scars has trapped. “[say]I remember you were forced to sit there and watch.[/say]” Astaroth says with a hum of sadness in his tone, reaching out with bloodied hands to tug him up and toward him, marring that pristine skin with handprints of scarlet.
Starting to walk Danta back into the water with him, Astaroth’s grin returns, the sharpness invading the haze of content he feels. “[say]Fuck them and fuck that.[/say]" A drop of venom in his voice at odds with the relaxed state of his shoulders and body. "[say]Come. Be frivolous with me.[/say]” This is softer, a hint of a plea in the tone of his voice he doesn’t shy away from for once, not as his olive skin, dyed red by the blood, makes it seems as if he’s been reborn.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
[say]"Touche,"[/say] Danta says, because of course their dark lady would want them to embrace whatever whims seized them moment by moment. And if those whims currently involve slipping into a bloody pool and acting as though the world outside The Mountain's Roar doesn't exist? Well, so be it; at least they'd had the sense to fill their canteens beforehand, so the bulk of the real work can be considered done.
Reaching out to set the container back a few feet as Asta places it out of the water - just in case one of them (Danta) accidentally knocks it back into the pool, the Maverick scrunches his nose and offers the other man a smirk. [say]"Listen, someone had to sit and look menacing and on guard for Morax while everyone else went off to act ridiculous,"[/say] he quips, as if it had been a privilege to sit and let his mouth water for hours.
Scarlet hands reach out to drag him into the pool at that point, of course, and though Danta tries to scrabble to stop from falling, Asta has the better of him, and he's soon painted in crimson rivulets as the other man walks them back, the tips of his hair ruddy and dripping. [say]"I could not agree more,"[/say] he drawls in response to the series of fucks that leave the butcher's lips, and though he'd argue that the other man also doesn't know how to be frivolous, clearly Asta is already proving him wrong.
And so, with a scoff and a splash of crimson water directed to the other man, Danta soon disappears into the depths, aiming to try and grab Astaroth's ankle to pull him down as well.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
“[say]Yes well, we all know Morax hated fun.[/say]” He drawls with a hint of annoyance breaking through the façade. But it doesn’t last as Danta tries to scrabble away from falling – though Astaroth holds onto him with a grip that keeps him upright, despite the slick texture of the blood he mars the other man’s skin with. Walked back enough to fully drench them now, his own hair is dripping with copper, his grin returning tenfold as the Maverick agrees.
Now, when he’d said frivolous, he certainly wasn’t expecting this despite how he should have been, so when Danta splashes him, it coats his face and he barks out a laugh that nearly echoes amongst the roar of the waterfall behind him, swiping at his eyes right after, Danta succeeds in tugging him under the water, too – which thankfully he’d gotten a breath full of air beforehand, because he plunges down into the water and kicks at Danta’s grip to get him to loosen it. Twisting in his grip, he aims to try and playfully elbow him in the side before he rises for a breath of air.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-03-2024
More than content not to dwell on the past now that he's allowed some fun himself, Asta won't be able to see the grin on Danta's face beneath the surface of the pool, but it's there all the same, even as the butcher tries to kick free of his grip. He allows it in the end, not because he wants to give the other man a break but because he's been elbowed viciously in the side, forced to swim away himself and surface for a deep breath of air.
Swiping the blood out of his eyes and fully planning on not having to suffer the consequences of his actions, the Maverick is already swimming towards the roar of water and the sheet of crimson pouring down from the waterfall. He doesn't know how he plans to get behind it, but he does, and once there he'll be in a perfect position for some frivolous plotting of his own.
[say]"You know,"[/say] he calls over his shoulder, [say]"I'm not sure your towels are going to be able to do much for the state of us."[/say]
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-03-2024
Allowed or not, Astaroth won’t find himself complaining as he surges for air, shaking out his hair that’s definitely no longer slicked back and perfect but instead sticking up in random directions and half plastered to his face as he tries to wipe away the blood from his eyes in turn. Rubbing at them briefly, he opens his dark gaze to find Danta gone, and in a moment of confusion and panic starts to try and peer into the thick water to see if he’s somehow gotten himself trapped.
Only to hear his voice and see movement over by the waterfall which is out of place amongst the rushing water, and it has him diving back in to swim over toward it. Rising once more and pulling himself up on a rock like some blood soaked merman, Astaroth tries to push his hair back out of his face, slicking it back as rivers of red run down his body onto the rock below, splashed over and over again by the crimson wave that continues to fall above them. “[say]Oh, they certainly won’t![/say]” He calls back, realizing Danta has vanished behind the curtain of water and red, and he’s in a perfect radius of receiving anything the Maverick would like to do, based off of where his voice had come from.
Gladly accepting any frivolities, Astaroth simply leans back on an elbow on the flat rock, dripping all over it and looking all the more like he might be getting ready to settle into a
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Dantalion - 08-04-2024
[say]"Oh nooooo,"[/say] Danta complains, of the truly awful solution to their bloody situation. Bathing in hot fire or soaking in the hotsprings after this? What a crying shame.
Able to see Asta haul himself up onto a rock, Danta is soon sequestered behind a curtain of roaring crimson, and for a moment the Maverick's senses are flooded by the majesty of the waterfall, the tang of iron on the air and the rumble of the water filling his bones. By the time he comes back to himself, a quick peek is enough to see the butcher very comfortable indeed, giving Danta the opportunity for some sneaking.
Thus, with any luck the other man won't realise that he's slipped back into the water and around the rock he's relaxing on, allowing the Maverick to clamber up in an effort to get behind him and take him by surprise. He chooses, of course, to do this by appearing quite suddenly over Asta, dripping crimson and with a fanged grin as bright and fiendish as any Ancient enjoying themselves. [say]"Hey,"[/say] he greets, and promptly tries to shove and/or wrestle him back into the water.
RE: [RQ] and the rest is rust and stardust - Astaroth - 08-04-2024
Not that he would complain about the fire or the hot springs – though the hot springs would likely be busier than just stepping out and engulfing themselves in flame. At this point, funnily enough, Astaroth cares far little for how he’s perceived. Especially, seeing as he’s made himself quite comfortable on that flattened rock, still dripping and painted red and looking all the more at peace for it.
For the moment, because no – he does not hear Danta’s approach, lulled into a comfort by the roar of the water and the iron tang in the air, arms behind his head and eyes focusing half on the ceiling and the stalagmites of volcanic rock above them when suddenly it’s replaced by an equally drenched Dantalion, of which the grin is enough to spell trouble. Brows lift, a “[say]Hell—[/say]” Hello that’s promptly cut off as he is shoved enough to try and scrabble at Danta as he falls into the water with a splash! trying desperately to blindly try to find the Maverick.