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+---- Thread: [SE] I walk my days on a wire (/showthread.php?tid=9889)
[SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
[say]"I've heard some people say that apparently these seeds are MaGicAL."[/say] Danta wiggles his fingers, which is likely more than enough to give his opinion on the matter. [say]"Still, if they come from some random tree that pops up in the desert, who knows? Maybe there's something to it."[/say] Either way, some of those in the Grounds have been planting them out here on the islands - a space arguably as close to the tainted Greatwood as can be without actually setting foot in it.
Still, the Maverick can see the soft, violet hue on the horizon, even over the shield of trees, and he glances about before dropping to his knees in what he evidently considers a suitable space. Setting his bag beside him, he draws out a little trowel (snagged from cart on the way out here, truthfully) and begins to dig in the soft earth. By the time he's finished, there will be dirt on the knees of his wine dark pants and the cuffs of his white shirt, but maybe it will just make him look woodsy.
[say]"So tell me,"[/say] he trills as he works, flashing a fanged grin at the other man, [say]"how was your latest adventure in Torchline?"[/say]
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
“[say]I have also heard that rumor.[/say]” Astaroth hums, flashing an easy grin toward Danta as the two of them find the perfect space to plant Danta’s seed. It isn’t too far from where he’d planted his and Thalassa’s, and his gaze is distracted as he peers into the distance with dark eyes, reflecting a touch of the violet hue that paints the sky in watercolor washes. “[say]I am keen on not getting my hopes up.[/say]” A soft snort leaves him before he crouches beside Danta as he works, tilting his attention back toward the Maverick.
Already he’s thinking of ways to get rid of the dirt stains in the clothing, how Danta might look in some warm flannel to make him appear even woodsier, in comparison to the ease of finery the butcher is currently wearing. Slate trousers paired with an equally dark slate shirt, wrapped in a golden vest. It’s clear he isn’t dressed for messy work.
Caught off guard for a moment by the fanged grin, Astaroth’s smile widens slightly but part of it seems a touch distracted while he thinks back on it. “[say]It was good. Flora brought me to her favorite boutique. I should have a few pieces arriving at the Dusklight soon.[/say]” He specifically doesn’t say whether they are for himself or the Maverick, but his lips quirk a bit more amused at the idea.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
[say]"Neither am I,"[/say] Danta agrees, though his opinion is directed down into the soft earth as Asta continues to gaze out at the horizon and the purple hue to the skies beyond. [say]"But at least if I do this, I can say I did my part."[/say] His part in what he doesn't exactly know, but Caido has a habit of going all kumbaya sometimes, and if they all plant a seed, maybe a magical forest will climb out of the ground and eradicate all their problems.
Weirder things have happened.
While Asta worries about dirt and decides not to get his hands muddy, Danta finishes his little hole and digs around in his bag for the seed pod, plucking it out and dropping it into the spot he's created. Using his bare fingers to push the earth back over it, he pats at the freshly dug mound and sits back, satisfied. Well, apart from water, but the rain will do that right?
[say]"How exciting,"[/say] he says dryly, a smirk curling across his lips to hear of the butcher's escapades. [say]"I can't wait to see the additions to your wardrobe."[/say] He almost flicks some mud at Asta for the hell of it. Almost.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
“[say]That is precisely why I also did it.[/say]” Astaroth hums with a soft chuckle, shrugging a shoulder. Unsure of how many people have in fact planted seeds in varying places, he doesn’t know what would come of them. Perhaps they’d bind together in some terrible treent to be a savior for them all?
He doesn’t dwell on the what ifs, though, figuring that anything was better than nothing at this point — and he’s got a whole lot of nothing for the void infected beasts. Especially given the wicker woman fiasco not that long ago and his uselessness.
Focusing back on Danta for a moment as he sits back, the grin sharpens a little with the comment, before he rises and offers a hand for the Maverick to stand with him. “[say]Alas they are not for me.[/say]” He teases, raising a brow coyly.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
Danta watches his little planted seed for a second as if expecting it to spring up at any point, before scoffing and shaking his head, figuring he ought to have known better. He wipes his hands on the tops of his pants - just in time for Asta to offer him a hand up, as it so happens, and so his fingers are at least partially clean as he rises back to his feet. [say]"Is that so?"[/say] He drawls with a raise of his eyebrows, intrigued but knowing better than to pester the other man for details he knows he isn't going to give.
[say]"How kind of you to think about me on your date,"[/say] he adds, glancing around as if there might be more to do here, before finding precisely nothing and quickly packing away his bag once more. Hefting it over his shoulder, he begins to lead the way back towards the Bone Bridges, side by side with the butcher. [say]"And for not disappearing for days afterwards this time,"[/say] he adds softly, almost under his breath, and there's as much amusement there as sincerity.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
“[say]It is so.[/say]” The butcher flashes a wider smile, helping Danta to his feet before he straightens up fully himself, adjusting his golden vest and the slate collar, buttoned up to the top with a tie in the center. “[say]Mm, of course I think of you.[/say]” He does not elaborate, he barely knows how his words might be construed in the first place.
Was it that Danta had orchestrated the first one, and with the second being more of a proof of life for the butcher based off of the first one, or was it because some subconscious part of him truly did never stop thinking of the Theocrat?
He’s not one to say.
“[say]You are very welcome, darling.[/say]” For returning back quickly, right on time, making sure he wasn’t the cause of a potential spiral. “[say]I do worry I may be getting into something I am not aptly prepared for.[/say]” And the worry that Flora would be changing parts of herself to please him, which does bring a fair amount of concern to the butcher’s mind each time.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
It does cause a soft raise of an eyebrow, for the words of course I think of you to be swiftly followed by Astaroth's admission that he doesn't know what he's getting himself into, and Danta has to take a moment or two to understand his meaning, his footsteps slow and easy as they stroll through the grasses and avoid the muddier patches to get back onto the trail.
[say]"Why, is Flora not good company? Because if that is the case, I refuse to believe you for a start,"[/say] he says, keeping his tone casual enough, but he does very much enjoy Flora's brand of chaos. And she had saved Asta's life, after all.
More than glad to find some steadier ground, Danta wrinkles his nose up at the clouds starting to blow in overhead, hoping they might avoid the worst of any random Flowerbirth showers, already scouting for somewhere they might stop for a bit on the way home. [say]"Should have gotten a horse as a companion,"[/say] he scoffs, shaking his head. Or some kind of sentient umbrella.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
Here’s the thing, Astaroth for all of his dress smarts, is oblivious to any feelings other than survival, bloodlust, and anger. Attraction is attraction, and oftentimes he doesn’t delve further than simply that’s lovely. Love? That’s a whole ballgame that doesn’t exist in the horned head of the butcher. So when it comes to the question Danta poses while they walk, he tilts his head a little, squinting down the path they take.
“[say]She is great company.[/say]” He says in a tone that matches ’on the contrary’. “[say]But I worry that I will not know the point of when it becomes serious, does that make sense?[/say]” It probably doesn’t, and the butcher is just naming out things that he should have seen a mile away. (Refer back to the obliviousness).
Looking over at Danta with a snort and turning partially toward him, the cool breeze blowing across them and ruffling his kempt hair, blowing it over one shoulder. “[say]Would you attach a stable to the Dusklight?[/say]” Comes the playful tease.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
Danta doesn't expect the butcher's words to hit the way they do. His breath halts in his chest, in fact, and he has to turn his head full to the breeze to force an exhale and to keep his expression from betraying him, though he can hardly make sense of it himself. Forcing something like neutral curiosity, he clears his throat and nods back to the other man as they approach the nearest bridge, bleached and stark on the otherwise green and fragrant landscape. [say]"I didn't realise you felt that way about her,"[/say] he says. [say]"Good for you."[/say]
Shoving his hands deeply into his pockets as if to keep them from causing mischief, Danta steps up onto the bridge with his tail swishing low at his heels. [say]"I am hardly one to provide dating advice,"[/say] he continues, glancing over his shoulder to appear casual about it all, just in time for the breeze to blow Asta's dark hair off his neck, revealing an even darker tell-tale mark that the Maverick pointedly did not put there himself.
[say]"Perhaps Charlie will be able to give you some ideas?"[/say]
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
The bone that makes up the bridges to get here comes into view, sun bleached and bright against the greenery that surrounds it, and it distracts him enough to not look at Danta while he tries to filter his words. He doesn’t get past the point of his lips parting, to hear him suggest if Charlie had advice for it, which — not noticing the way he seems far more reserved than normal. “[say]She certainly does not know. I suggested she might ask our tailor out on a date and she asked me questions.[/say]” He says with a huff of a laugh.
It does with the wind, though, and he reaches up to try and brush his hair back behind his horns. “[say]What I mean is that while she is lovely, I worry that she is wanting to change herself to suit me, and I do not know how to tell her that I do not want that?[/say]” It feels terrible to say, but it’s true. “[say]The first date was a bargain for help with the wicker woman, and yet the second one was me attempting to make sure all was right when I nearly tore her shoulder on the first one.[/say]” Sighing and stepping onto the bone bridge to guide the way, hoping that perhaps there’s an inn nearby they might be able to snatch before the rain sets in, the butcher — careless of the mark that’s visible — glances back toward Danta with a raised brow, his tail waving slowly in his contemplation. “[say]I think she is seeking true romance and I will be unable to provide that.[/say]”
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
[say]"Likely the same questions I would be asking at the prospect of a date,"[/say] Danta points out, trying desperately to draw the line of I am not the right person to ask about this, and for more than because he's never been on a date or had that sort of relationship with anyone. Clenching his hands in his pockets and frowning out over the Bone Bridges as he starts to follow after Asta, he shrugs a bit stiffly as the butcher continues to expand on it all.
[say]"Sounds like you just need to sit down and have a conversation about where you want your relationship to go,"[/say] he says politely enough, missing the massive neon you don't say? sign that ought to be flashing above his head. Instead, spotting a small cluster of buildings just beyond the bridges as they near the other side, he picks up his pace a bit.
[say]"If nothing else, at least the chemistry seems to be there,"[/say] he says, gesturing vaguely towards the butcher's neck before he passes him, hopping across a bit of rubble and back onto solid land.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
Sighing, because the fact was that Danta didn’t know and Charlie didn’t know, Astaroth also doesn’t know, so the neon sign that should be beaming him in his dark eyes seems to be simply nothing more than a white flashing light. Instead of commenting, though, he continues — head ducking in a little as Danta suggests talking it out — “[say]I should.[/say]” He says with yet another sigh, before he spots the buildings in the distance too.
Looking over toward the Maverick as he gestures toward his neck, it seems to remind him, and he reaches up to press against the skin beneath his neck, feeling the soreness settled in from the past few days since the last date. “[say]Mm, something like that.[/say]” He drawls, a slight flare of annoyance in his tone and the way his tail starts to whip at the spaded tip.
Their chemistry felt one sided at the moment. And something tells him it would be one sided the entirety of it. She hardly knew anything about him, not like the Maverick knew him. A kept secret he keeps closer to his chest these days, of preferences and what he truly is and where he really came from, how he really got those scars.
The buildings come closer and he can see the Inn off toward the edge, a charming little space with the title of Blackburn Ridge Inn, and he turns to Danta again after their moment of silence, the sky blotted out quicker now by clouds that look as if they might bring rain. “[say]Should we procure a room?[/say]” There’s a slight emphasis on a room. One room for the two of them.
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Dantalion - 08-06-2024
The world seems darker than it did five minutes ago given the rainclouds mottling overhead, and if Danta could spell pathetic fallacy or if he knew what it meant, he'd have laughed out loud. Alas, all he can do is hunch his shoulders in a bit as the first fat droplets of rain begin to fall, as the inn appears in the distance and his pace picks up to reach it before they get too wet. Inhaling deeply and forcing the breath out once more, the Maverick is in the process of giving himself a good mental shake before the butcher just behind him asks his question.
[say]"Are you sure that's wise, given your situation with Flora?"[/say] he asks with an honest raise of his eyebrows, because at no point has Asta clarified that he is not going to be pursuing a relationship with the Doubletake. [say]"I know a lot of people can be open with things like that, from what I've seen in the Dusklight, but on the off chance Flora isn't, I don't want her to drop a goddess on my head for sharing a room with you."[/say]
RE: [SE] I walk my days on a wire - Astaroth - 08-06-2024
Rain begins to fall, ruining the prior fact that he’d tried to keep his hair mostly back and out of the way, ruining any hold it might have as some stick to the prongs of his horns and a lock falls into his face as their pace picks up speed – rain droplets darkening teardrop shapes into his golden vest and turning the slate of his shirt black along his shoulders, adding to the annoyed flick of his tail.
Under the cover of the Inn, the butcher’s gaze flickers back toward the blonde, glancing beneath the piece of hair that has fallen with a pinch of his brow. On his end, he hadn’t thought it was that serious, that just because they went on two dates did not mean he was not allowed to do whatever it was he wanted to do – likewise, he wouldn’t expect Flora to hold back on anything she wished to do.
So he shakes his head, because nowhere had they actually made things official in terms of his recollection. “[say]That has not been a subject of our time together.[/say]” He admits, a long way of saying I don’t know, Danta. “[say]But nothing has been made official, thankfully, so as far as I am concerned she can do whatever she wishes and I shall do the same.[/say]” And I don't want to sleep alone tonight, he almost adds on but thinks better of it last second. Instead, he reaches for the door handle and steps to the side so that Danta could enter first, a gentleman despite his annoyance.