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I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
“[say]How beautifully macabre.[/say]” The butcher purrs as they arrive to the Hanging Tree. His honey gaze bright as he takes in the menacing tree, the ropes swinging in the wind, the bones and skeletons that linger in pieces among the large roots of the tree. The scent of sticky, old blood clings in the humid air, lit by the golden sun that’s just crested past the afternoon.
He has brought an extra pair of clothes, the bag left on the edge of the swamp and out of the way, the boots the butcher wears more akin to rubber boots than anything intricately made, but the butcher seems to not care much about keeping his appearance perfectly normal in favor for this.
Mud and swamp water squelch as he steps into it, turning so that he faces Danta and reaches up with both hands to pull him in with him, delight clearly writ on his features. “[say]Do you feel it in the air, darling?[/say]” He asks in a soft, mischievous hum, as if acknowledging it would make the oppressing feeling disappear.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
[say]"I feel something in the air,"[/say] Danta says with a furrowed brow and a scrunch of his nose, though the expression is half-hearted at best as Asta turns in place to grasp at him and ferry him closer. His smile threatens to break through every second, especially as his own rubber boots are grasped and fused into place by the sucking mud. With a muffled fwop, the Maverick is left standing on one leg, his boot still in the mud behind him.
[say]"Oh wow,"[/say] he says, blinking at Asta as if to ask whether he's also seeing this. [say]"I hate it."[/say]
Chuckling and trying to fish his foot back into the boot - holding onto the butcher for balance, of course - Danta spends a couple of seconds freeing himself before clambering up onto a mossy tump out of the water. [say]"I can see why people didn't want to be around here much, even with this charming landmark."[/say]
Peering up at the skeletal tree, all ragged rope and weeping red sap, the Maverick shrugs and takes a small hatchet from his belt. [say]"Welp, time to hack some bits off it."[/say]
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
“[say]It’s lovely.[/say]” He hums, at odds with Danta’s furrowed brow as he ferries him closer, only for the suction to completely steal his boot. It takes everything for the butcher to not laugh so vibrantly - letting it melt into the smile on his face instead, his voice definitely betraying the amusement lingering in him. “[say]That is what happens when you stand in place for too long, love.[/say]” He touts playfully - because he knows that while Danta gets his boot back on his foot, it’ll definitely mean that Asta sinks in enough that both his boots will require freedom.
He is happy to help him get it back on, though, and when he gets onto the stump and free from the quicksand the mud has become, the butcher’s balance is thrown off as he tries to wiggle his feet enough to get some air beneath the soles of his feet so that it might free him, too. His tail flicks behind him and with a few yanks, he manages to get the boots free.
At the cost of his balance, of course, falling back against the roots to climb up on to join the Maverick, his back and arms already dark with muck. “[say]It would be perfect if there was a bridge.[/say]” He hums, though the grin on his face in spite of the mud is still vibrant, as if it was still wonderful as is (even without a bridge). And while Danta starts to hack pieces off, the butcher drifts around it almost reverently, fingers splaying along the trunk of the tree to pull away the blood red sap between his fingers, purely delighted. “[say]How can I help, darling?[/say]” He asks, hand still outstretched against the bark away from where Danta’s preparing to hack at it, looking back at his lover with bright eyes.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
[say]"Remind me never to stay in one place for too long while we're out here,"[/say] Danta quips, especially as Asta does just that and gets himself cemented in the muck for a few hilarious moments. Like his lover, though, Danta does his best not to laugh, biting the inside of his cheek as the butcher flails and finally gets himself upright beside him, clearing his throat before he speaks again.
[say]"I think having a bridge would be too easy. This seems like the sort of place that wants to make you work for what you've got, and wants to make you suffer if you fuck up. Which... yeah, I can stand behind that."[/say] Chuckling and finding a few steady places to hunker down, Danta braces a hand against some of the more spindly roots and begins to hack away a section with quick strokes.
He snatches glances at Asta every now and then as he patrols the tree trunk, sampling the crimson sap and appearing, for all intents and purposes, in his element. [say]"If you could keep an eye out for ghosts and ghouls, that would be delightful. Are you sure you weren't destined to become a bog creature?"[/say]
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
“[say]I will try.[/say]” He says, distracted as he gets himself free of the mud, but not any less delighted by the result. In fact, as he peers around the trunk and drags his fingers along, collecting crimson on his spindly fingers, he turns back to Danta as he begins to hack away at the tree. “[say]Mm, well, perhaps we have surpassed the test?[/say]” He grins at the idea, before he returns to Danta’s side, standing on a few of the roots that are large enough to keep him from sinking into the muck.
He crouches beside him, fingers painted red and hair a bit messy from where he’d fallen backwards, but for the life of him finds he doesn’t care. (He will when they depart, but for now? This is perfect.) “[say]Perhaps I was.[/say]” He muses, doing his diligence in scouting for ghosts and ghouls and beasts of the deep dark mud.
His tail flicks as he considers it, turning his attention back toward Danta briefly with that same too sharp grin. “[say]It is not that different from the deepest snows I have endured. Perhaps I have already done my time as a snowbank creature.[/say]” It’s a dramatic drawl, one that’s equally as playful as everything else has been before.
“[say]Besides, I do not believe I could ever go back to such isolation after enduring such pleasant attention in the years since.[/say]” A nod to Danta for that one, because while Asta had always loved the attention he received, it was different when there was love and affection within. And he’d realized after so many years of living in his isolation, that it was more of a prison of his own making.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
[say]"Mm, I would like to think we have, otherwise I have a feeling the swamp is going to be quite angry about what I'm doing here,"[/say] Danta says, flashing Asta a smirk with his face speckled with crimson from the sap. It splatters further with every strike of the hatchet until, at last, the Maverick frees a suitable piece of root from the Hanging Tree and tucks it away in the satchel slung over his shoulder.
Sweeping hair now streaked with sticky crimson out of his face, he sits back on his heels and offers a sunny smile to his lover. [say]"Never mind the isolation - imagine having to relocate your entire wardrobe here and keep it clean. I hate to say it, Asta, but not many swamp creatures dress quite so impeccably as you. You'd hate it after a week."[/say]
Chuckling and carefully rising to his feet, he reaches out an easy hand to offer to help the other man get up, peering towards the skeletal branches overhead. [say]"How many people do you think were killed here?"[/say]
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
Well, luckily for them, the swamp is not angry. If anything, it seems quiet and without any of the lingering ghosts that the fog that creeps in might suggest are on its tail. Relatively silent aside from the Maverick’s hacking and the hum of their voices, the butcher’s scouting becomes clearly very distracted by the crimson splattering his lover’s face. It isn’t exactly blood, but the idea of it was good enough. Red was a beautiful color on his Theocrat, whether worn in cloth or splattering blood-like stains.
Distracted as he is by his appearance, the butcher’s answer comes belatedly and with a low hum of “[say]That could be true.[/say]” No way of knowing, and certainly not willing to find out, the butcher gladly takes Danta’s hand when offered to rise back to his full height - but he drifts closer, looping his arms around the blonde’s middle and pulling him into a hug to press a gentle kiss to his temple.
Pulling away to drift closer and inspect the skulls lingering at the base, intermixed with the roots. “[say]At least four.[/say]” He says, throwing a wink over his shoulder to his lover as he points to the pile of exactly four skulls. It’s perfect timing, though, as one begins to move.
Asta’s attention is immediately back on it with a huff of a laugh, watching the penolaeth slink back in further to the pile of bones, its eight black legs gleaming sharply as it aims to tuck them back in, quietly watchful for any interruptions. Luckily for it, though, the butcher doesn’t intend on stealing its skull shell, even if the urge flares under his skin. “[say]Gods, even the creatures have adapted. That is incredible.[/say]” Which definitely meant more than four murders here, if an entire ecosystem has evolved to accommodate it. And, as if in response to that, the call of a few gore crows in the distance echo through the swamp.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
Noticing that Asta is distracted but not so much that he's the cause of it, only as he draws the butcher upright and finds himself suddenly in his arms does Danta realise that the swamp has his lover a little bit lovestruck. [say]"Oh, I have a feeling it's a great many more than four."[/say] Chuckling and leaning into the warm kiss pressed to his temple, the Maverick tips his head back to peer at the old ropes threading the branches. [say]"People don't give this much myth and legend to only a handful of deaths."[/say]
Letting Asta go to investigate the score marks in the trunk of the tree, only at the soft clink of bones does he follow the other man's gaze, eyebrows raising as he prowls up to join him. [say]"That is delightful,"[/say] he purrs, an arm looping casually around his lover's waist and his eyes positively lighting up at the call of gore crows overhead. [say]"Gods, it has everything. Alright, boot eating aside, I'm very impressed by this place. I wonder if anywhere will have any books on the legends about it."[/say]
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
It was definitely a great many more than four, but the butcher isn’t in a state of mind to count all the ropes and skulls littered about. If anything, he’s soaking it in, memorizing it, almost as if he can warp portions of it into his Haunt. It’s calculating and adoring, but it’s nothing compared to the warmth of his lover’s arm as he wraps it around his waist. The butcher’s tail slips around Danta’s leg, tight and comfortable to connect them as Asta leaves the wiggling skull alone (despite very much wanting to do the opposite).
“[say]It does. I can see why our Lady has told you to come here.[/say]” The dread, the crows, the skull crabs, and the bark that leaks blood red? He turns away from the crab to give Danta all of his attention, the crows that have called earlier begin to move closer - perching in the branches above them, one clinging to the rope that free hangs. Asta’s attention flits up to them briefly, silently grateful for the bracelet around his wrist, before he’s reaching up to smear some of the sticky red sap away from the hollows of his cheek. “[say]Thank you for indulging me. I can peruse the Greatwood’s library to see if there’s any notes about anything there?[/say]” As if reminded away from the beauty of the tree they stand under, the butcher’s smile brightens a touch.
“[say]Oh, and because I have been delightfully distracted, I did not tell you that we successfully cleansed the desert.[/say]” And he hadn’t come home with a single scratch. For once.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
[say]"Mm, as can I,"[/say] Danta agrees with a slow nod. [say]"This was the one thing she asked that I couldn't quite figure out, but now it makes complete sense."[/say] Grinning and leaning into the warmth of Asta's side and the pressure of his tail winding around his leg, the Maverick scopes out the pile of assorted bones further and leans down to pluck up the skull of what looks like it was once a corvid of some kind. Not large enough for a gore crow, but a raven perhaps.
[say]"Here,"[/say] he offers, holding out the skull for the butcher to slip into his pocket just as the other man's clever fingers swipe some of the red from his cheeks. [say]"A souvenir, to remind you of one of our best dates yet."[/say] Grinning and following Asta's gaze up to the gore crows, Danta can't help the way his smile softens into something more comfortable and familiar. It has been a boon in more ways than one to have the bracelet snug on his lover's wrist; he doesn't have to hide his affinity with the corvids any longer.
But then Asta is changing the subject, and the Maverick gazes up at him with raised brows. [say]"You never said you were going to try to cleanse the desert in the first place,"[/say] he drawls, and already his eyes are flicking over the butcher with the sort of practice and care that suggests he's looking for injuries.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
It does make sense, and the butcher is clearly quite pleased about the entirety of this outing, even as he’s forced to part partially with Danta so that he can snag the skull he’s found. Peering at it as he lifts it up and offers it to him, the butcher takes it into his hand to inspect it further, his shark-tooth grin brightening further until it seems like his cheeks might ache. “[say]I know precisely what to do with this.[/say]” He hums, slipping it away to allow both of his hands to fuss over the red on Danta’s face and the strands of blonde that are looser than the others, fluttering lightly in the breeze.
He tucks it back and away, thumb grazing his jaw gently while he switches the subject, his smile shifting toward apologetic as he nods. “[say]I know. I am sorry. It was… spontaneous.[/say]” He admits with a shake of his head. But he lets Danta look for a few seconds before he’s cupping his jaw, angling him up for a short and gentle kiss. “[say]I am completely unharmed, however. Not a single scratch.[/say]” A darker tan amongst his already deeper skin tone, but one that the butcher wears perfectly.
And hopefully, given the state of him coming back perfectly in one piece, without a single hair out of line, was enough for the Maverick to not be too upset about his lack of communication.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
Hearing the butcher, and subconsciously looking forward to what the corvid skull might become, Danta is nevertheless quite focused on his examination, though Asta would have likely expected as much by now. And he appreciates the other man giving him the time and space to do it, such that when he's finally directed up and into a kiss, the Maverick goes willingly.
[say]"I did not imagine you as being quite so spontaneous. I must be rubbing off on you,"[/say] he mumbles against his lips, taking a deep breath and letting it out again to allow Asta to continue his fuss. [say]"I'm glad you're alright. I would have gone too, you know, but I get it, if you wanted to let loose."[/say]
With his Haunt, he means. They haven't spoken much about that night since their agreement to go slow, and while Danta is able to tolerate Asta's mischievous shadows now, and he no longer asks him to check rooms before they walk inside, it's not the same as being able to full be, and the Maverick knows it.
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Astaroth - 06-16-2025
“[say]Mm, you have been. In more ways than just that, darling.[/say]” Comes the soft hum, the shared breath, withdrawing only slightly to continue fussing over the state of his hair and the sticky red crimson sap that clings to his lover’s pale face. His fingers are determined, focused, until they falter with Danta’s comment — struck with the reversal of their positions. Where once, Danta had to hide the corvid within his skin, such is that the butcher has to hide the nightmares within his own.
He’s silent for a few moments as he contemplates just how to answer, his fingers slowing in the way they thread through golden strands, his dark gaze focused yet somehow glazed in a way that seems to suggest he isn’t fully there. At least until he speaks. “[say]I did not fully let loose, but it was enough. Do not worry, my sweet crow.[/say]” His smile is softer, leaning forward to press his forehead against Danta’s and close his eyes, indulging in the moment for a few long moments (if partially to ensure in his delight that he hasn’t let some of his shadows loose with his lack of attention to it).
RE: I sink to let you breathe - Dantalion - 06-16-2025
[say]"Oh, I am well aware of that. I was trying not to be so crass for once,"[/say] Danta says smugly, though the moment grows more serious than he had anticipated. He remains still under Asta's ministrations, allowing him to fuss the crimson from his cheeks and out of his hair as best he can, his arms winding loosely around the butcher's waist. As he feels the other man falter, as his expression grows somewhat far away, the Maverick does his best to give him the space to work through his thoughts.
[say]"Good. I'm glad,"[/say] he says warmly, only after Asta has confirmed that he was able to let loose on his power enough to sate the chaos that runs through both of their veins, if not in very different shapes. Leaning up and closing his eyes as he feels the other man lean in, it's with a soft sigh and a crooked smile that he hears the new nickname fall from Asta's lips.
Only as something screeches in the distance does the Maverick realise that they are, in fact, still standing in a real spooky part of the swamp, and he scoffs out a quiet laugh as he steps back a fraction. [say]"Shall we enjoy the rest of the sights while we make our way back out? I think I have everything I need here."[/say]