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+---- Thread: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head (/showthread.php?tid=11935)
and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 08-21-2025
[say]"…which is why I appreciate this so much,"[/say] Flora is saying, her curls spilling forward as she leans over the table, shoulders curled into the slouch of a black sweater that hangs off one side to bare the golden gleam of jewellery against her collarbone. A half-drained glass of wine perches dangerously near the scatter of paper, wire, and bright scraps of fabric, the table looking more like an artist’s cluttered altar than anything properly civilised. [say]"Especially since you and Danta already came to help with the actual building of my house."[/say] Her grin twists crooked as she snips a length of twine, the sound of it sharp in the low light. [say]"Now I’ve roped you into my quest too. Talk about owing you one."[/say]
Boots crossed neatly beneath the booth, she settles back against the worn leather, wine glass caught between her fingers, and casts the butcher a look that’s equal parts grateful and teasing. Asta’s presence beside her is steady, like the heat of a hearth fire—undeniable, companionable, warming her as much as the wine does.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 08-21-2025
He’s just lowering the glass of a dark red wine, reminiscent of blood that has stained the edges of his lips a touch before his tongue sweeps out across it as a precursor to the smile he shoots her way. “[say]Well, darling, it is a powerful place to be in. Having powerful people owe you, that is.[/say]” He boasts, spinning the wine glass on the flat end a bit for the added flair before he hums a soft laugh. He relaxes against the seat, dressed in not much more than a nice pair of dark pants and a nice emerald silken shirt, buttoned only halfway.
“[say]Did you have a preference for the design and material? I can be quite crafty with wood and bone.[/say]” As he’s sure she knows, but there’s a spark of amusement and mischief that flickers in his face before he’s setting the wine glass down and shifting his position, removing a few different blades that seem to come out of nowhere to set on the table. Each harbors their own certain blades for whichever use case they’re for, and he turns more fully toward her, his face taking on a playful dramatic seriousness. “[say]What kind of spirits are we crafting for? We do not wish to offend, after all.[/say]”
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 08-21-2025
Flora wrinkles her nose at him in a way that lands somewhere between fond and exasperated, curls bouncing as she shakes her head. [say]"Please. You’re plenty powerful enough without adding me into the mix,"[/say] she says, laughter lilting around the rim of her wineglass before she tips it for another sip. [say]"Though,"[/say] her grin tilts as she lowers it again, eyes catching on his with deliberate sparkle, [say]"I’d be utterly delighted if you ever did decide to call this in. Just to see what you’d do with it."[/say] Asta asked so little of her, after all.
Her gaze flickers to the blades he’s set out, to the poised sharpness of his theatrics, and she hums her approval as she nods. [say]"Wood and bone sounds perfect,"[/say] she agrees, though her tone carries the weight of knowing he'd make something remarkable out of napkins if that was all he had. For her own part, she tugs a small mirror across the pile of fabric and scraps, laying it flat between two swatches of soft cloth. The hammer nearby looks far less delicate, but she braces her breath anyway, curls falling forward as she lifts it and brings it down. The mirror shatters in muffled cracks beneath the cloth, fragments straining against the fabric that holds them together, glittering with edges like captured starlight.
As for what sorts of spirits, her voice dips softer, shoulders lifting in a shrug. [say]"I asked Ludo if it knew of any that might want to haunt my new house. It didn’t seem opposed."[/say] A smile ghosts shy at the corners of her mouth, equal parts playful and earnest. [say]"And honestly, with how big the place is, it might be nice to have some company. Just to make it feel less empty when everyone isn’t over and it’s just me and Spice rattling around inside."[/say]
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 08-22-2025
The butcher laughs a warm, deep sound wrapped in the velvet of the wine they’ve been sipping on, spinning the glass when she catches his gaze with that brilliant sparkle within them. It mirrors the warm onyx abyss of his own, silent for a moment as if debating whether or not he should really count them up to see what kind of gaudy, audacious thing he could cash in with the deal. “[say]It is a good thing I have time to think on it, then.[/say]” His nose wrinkles a fraction with the affectionate shark tooth grin shot her way before he’s brandishing the variety of knives with the options he lists out.
Of course, if she did only have paper he could absolutely make it work. But if they wanted it to sparkle and shine they’d have to do a bit more work for it. And luckily for her, Torchline doesn’t lack in bone nor wood to be utilized for such endeavors. He plucks the sharper knife for the bone, reaching over to the small satchel sat beside them to withdraw a few long bones from it (as if he’d been hoping she’d agree to the more macabre things he got up to in his spare time), and looks over at her when the mirror shatters beneath the cloth.
Delighted for the small bit of chaos, the butcher’s laugh rumbles through him before he tries to take on a serious look toward her. “[say]That is at least seven years of bad luck, I believe.[/say]” He murmurs in a quiet comment, plucking what appears to be femur from a canine — leaving three in the mix, as if he’d thought they’d make a perfect frame — and shaves off the shiny glint of the bone before he’s replacing the blade with a small, thin charcoal to mark the design in.
“[say]Ooh, I see. So it is a mystery box of spirits, then?[/say]” At least it wouldn’t be boring, right? Never knowing which one you would get on the day to day. Looking up at Flora briefly, the way the lantern light flickers against the gold of her hair and the shine of her eyes, the butcher starts to mark in her silhouette in the center of an oval frame, like a cameo to be surrounded by a variety of her favorite things.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 08-25-2025
Flora wrinkles her nose and laughs softly at his superstition, the sound sliding into something warm and teasing. [say]"Seven years?"[/say] she echoes under her breath, rolling her eyes toward him with exasperated affection. [say]"Feels like I’ve already got an open tab of bad luck running, so what’s a little more?"[/say]
She peels the cloth back to reveal the shattered mirror, the jagged edges catching light like shards of frozen water. Careful fingers begin tying lengths of string to each piece, steady despite the wine humming warm in her veins. [say]"My nonna always said mirrors were the easiest place for spirits to slip into,"[/say] she explains quietly, as if sharing a secret meant to stay between them. [say]"Like they’re already half in the other world. You just give them a way through."[/say]
Lifting one larger shard, Flora tilts it in her hand until her reflection is swallowed up in the angled light, using it to glance behind her. Her head tips thoughtfully to the side, curls shifting with the motion. Nothing lingers in the glass but her own hair and the glow of lantern-light, and she grins before stringing it onto the growing lantern, the shards rattling faintly like chimes.
Her hum is answer enough to his question at first, low and content, before words follow. [say]"My brother and I are going to fly up into the Cordillera,"[/say] she says, voice softening despite her excitement. [say]"There’s supposed to be a shrine for Mort and Ludo at the top. Figured it might earn me a few brownie points."[/say] She shrugs, though the smile on her face says she means it. [say]"Either way, it’ll be worth it."[/say]
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 08-25-2025
“[say]Mm, funny. That is essentially what I told Danta when we debated shattering all of our mirrors.[/say]” They hadn’t, but it wasn’t because he would be staring down the barrel of twenty eight years of bad luck. Instead, he works on marking the charcoal lines into the ivory of the bone, gaze flitting from her to his task and back and forth when the mirror shards are revealed.
The answer is one that’s surprisingly charming, though, as the butcher has always been a fan of the macabre. So it’s with a twist of his smile that’s more fond than it is sharp that the butcher nods along with her meaning. “[say]That makes a surprising amount of sense, truthfully.[/say]” He hums, tucking that tidbit of information away for later. A just in case he ever needed a way to bring the spirits out into the open.
Once he’s carved her silhouette and the small frame in with the charcoal, the butcher moves onto the surrounding portion of bone. Adding a whirling tree above the frame and below the mark of the ocean and seashells and starfish. And once he’s done with that, he’s plucking the sharpest bone knife - small and meant for carving out the fletches of ivory in order to be precise. “[say]Oh?[/say]” Flitting his gaze up to her and smiling a bit wider, his tail flicks contently (and perhaps a touch more excited for her to have that opportunity). “[say]That sounds quite lovely, darling. Will you both take the Sugar Tide?[/say]” Easily offering her a way to indulge in her excitement for however long she wishes, the butcher will sit there and carve this portion of bone until it’s a beautiful rendition of Flora’s silhouette amongst a few of the things that remind him of her.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 08-29-2025
Flora chuckles, tilting her head just enough to shoot him a smirk that glitters sharper than the mirror shards scattered across the table. [say]"What, were you jealous of the mirrors for catching Danta’s reflection? Or was it the other way around?"[/say] she teases, wrinkling her nose at him in open affection, the jab sweetened by the grin that follows. [say]"Either way, I can't say I blame you."[/say]
Her laughter softens into a knowing little hum as Asta agrees with the lore, her curls bouncing with the nod she gives back. [say]"You’d have liked Vai, I think,"[/say] she says after a sip of her wine, her tone slipping into something fonder. [say]"She never wasted words, always had the best teas, and she could stare straight through you if you tried to lie. Very no-nonsense."[/say]
When she leans in and finally takes a proper look at what he’s been working on, her breath catches, sharp with surprise, before tumbling into laughter. [say]"Gods, Asta,"[/say] she gushes, eyes wide and delighted. [say]"You’ve made me look far too good. The spirits are never going to believe that’s supposed to be me."[/say] Still grinning, she shakes her head, curls falling forward as if she might hide from the flattery, though her cheeks warm visibly at the care etched into bone.
At the mention of her trip, she nods, lips curving slyly. [say]"Mhhm. Don’t tell Mateo,"[/say] she stage-whispers, leaning conspiratorially toward him, [say]"but I think I’m better at flying the Sugartide than he is at flying La Verbena."[/say] A glint of amusement sparks in her aqua eyes as she settles back again, tugging another thread through a shard of mirror. [say]"Anyways, how are things with you? Still feeling the season?"[/say]
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 08-31-2025
The low rumble of a laugh leaves him, one that’s warm and full of mischief as he looks up from the shards of mirrors to her gaze. “[say]Mm, it was more in the case of whether or not we got too rowdy.[/say]” The butcher’s brows bounce playfully, his sharp grin turning more mischievous for the answer.
When it comes to Vai, however, the butcher listens with apt appreciation for someone that he likely would have had incredible conversations with. His smile tilts up, hidden behind the glass of wine he mirrors her in taking a sip from. “[say]I would have loved to see her in action.[/say]” Drawing quiet, he continues to carve the bone portions for the structure of the lantern.
“[say]Oh hush, darling. You look this good all of the time.[/say]” He hums to her, flashing a shark tooth grin. “[say]They will have zero problems believing it is you.[/say]” He draws quiet, continuing to etch in the finer details. He glances up when she speaks about the trip, leaning in toward her as she leans toward him, his gaze flicking up to her face as he takes a pause in the carving.
His chuckle leaves him, the smile stretching across his face as he drops his voice to match her conspiratory whisper. “[say]Oh, I have no doubt.[/say]” It’s clear to say her secret is safe with him. Though it helps that he hasn’t met Mateo enough to judge, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s Flora’s friend and in all honesty he would always take her side.
As for himself, the quiet groan escapes him, laughing a warm sound as he shakes his head and let the mask drop so that she can see the warring mix of exhaustion and energy thrumming through him. “[say]Gods, Flora. It has somehow gotten worse? Though I have been attributing it to the adrenaline wearing off and the exhaustion sinking in. I am hoping it will end soon.[/say]” He sighs softly, a shard of bone flicking off in the process into the air across the table.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 09-01-2025
Flora flashes him back the sharpest grin she can muster, laughter tumbling out bright and quick. [say]"Ooooh,"[/say] she says, drawing it out with faux scandal, [say]"then maybe you and Danta ought to have swapped to those little plastic mirrors they give children"[/say] The tease is airy, affectionate, her brows arched as though she’s trying not to picture the Gentleman Butcher peering into a toy-store mirror.
His compliment, though, earns a coy laugh that she doesn’t even bother selling properly; feigned modesty isn’t her strong suit. [say]"You're far too sweet,"[/say] she murmurs, her grin softening into something that lands closer to gratitude than teasing. She tilts her head as if to scold him for it, but the sparkle in her eyes gives her away.
When his mask slips, though, when the lines deepen around his dark eyes and that smile drops away so much faster than she would like, her laughter ebbs. Flora wrinkles her nose softly, lips twitching as if she wants to say something clever and can’t quite find the shape of it. There’s nothing helpful she can offer—no charm to soothe the weight of another set of instincts clawing through his ribs. So instead she just looks at him, openly, affection threaded through every glance, every curve of her smile.
Her fingers find her wine glass, idly turning the stem between her rings as her gaze drifts down. [say]"Maybe..."[/say] she begins carefully, almost like she’s testing the thought aloud, [say]"before next Leafchange, Dygra could add another charm to your bracelet."[/say] She flicks her gaze up toward his wrist, then back down into the garnet pool of her wine.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 09-02-2025
“[say]Now that is an idea.[/say]” The butcher drawls with all of his playful accented tones – though the brief mental image of peering at themselves in plastic mirrors feels more like a funhouse than it does anything particularly useful, perhaps it would make for an amusing prank. So eh files the idea away for later, working efficiently despite the conversation to continue carving these sections of bones.
He catches her glance when she seems like she might be ramping up to rebuke his claim when he spots the sparkle to her eyes. He simply flashes her a knowing grin back – temporary as he lets his mask start to fall to tell her the truth. He does look tired, like he’s been at war with himself (he has been). It was one thing to have his traditional, usual possessiveness that geared him to start the fight and ask questions later.
It was another to be a cannibal who has had to learn that there’s a time and place for his preferences. Fortunately, he has an insane amount of selfawareness when it came to it, which is the only reason he hasn’t decided to hunt the Hollowed Grounds. Yet, anyway.
Her voice distracts him from those paths, though, and as he sets down the completed portion of this side of the frame, he plucks the next one up – adding in clouds and sun rays beating down on a forest (his best rendition of the Greatwood where she’s told him she’d grown up), following her line of sight to the bracelet on his arm. “[say]Mm, perhaps. Or, perhaps it makes up for the rest of the year? Though Danta does not seem to mind either way. I do think he is exhausted as well.[/say]” He pauses in his carving to shrug his shoulder slightly, looking back over to her with a warm smile.
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Flora - 09-04-2025
Flora laughs, the sound bright and bubbling up from her chest until it spills across the cluttered table of lantern scraps and wine. [say]"Gods, when Danta told me how much quality time you two were spending together,"[/say] she says, drawing out the words with deliberate scandal, [say]"I just rolled my eyes. Even when he threatened to curse me with a partner who behaved the same."[/say] Her grin is wicked, but there’s fondness threaded right through the edges of it. [say]"It's always nice to be wanted, after all."[/say]
She leans back in the booth, curls spilling across her shoulder as she tips her wine toward him in a little salute. [say]"And at least now you know, right? Next year, you can just stock up on high-protein foods so the two of you don’t end up as exhausted."[/say] Her brows bounce as she flashes him a grin sharp enough to rival his own. [say]"Plenty of fuel for all that stamina."[/say]
Flora tips her glass back for one last sip before setting it down among the clutter, her gaze sweeping over the mess of fabric, bone, shards, and string they’ve turned into something far more beautiful. A satisfied sigh curls out of her, shoulders softening as she takes it all in. [say]"Look at us,"[/say] she murmurs, lips tugging into a grin that lights bright against the lantern glow. [say]"Who knew we’d make such a good crafting team?"[/say]
Turning her smile on him, eyes glinting with both mischief and gratitude, she leans her chin into her palm. [say]"Thanks for helping with this, Asta. Truly. I’ll treasure these little lanterns just as much as I hope the spirits will."[/say]
RE: and that's why he's spinning 'round in my head - Astaroth - 09-12-2025
He laughs softly to hear that Danta had told her about their quality time – the threat of a curse sharpening his crooked grin. "[say]Mm, well, I do think he would combust if it were all year. That, and I feel as though I’m running a risk of pulling a muscle somewhere.[/say]" But where, he’s not sure. It changes day by day. She is right, though, that it is nice to be wanted. And for that, Asta’s smile softens a touch. It’s paired with the snort of high protein options for food, even if this season makes him far keener on the human variety (despite how good he’s been, unfortunately). “[say]Perhaps so.[/say]” Only next year would be able to tell, he supposes. At least it wouldn’t be a surprise, thankfully. He takes a moment away from his carvings to down the rest of his wine, lips staining slightly with the deep red hue of it before he sits back to admire the work they’ve done as they piece it all together. A lantern settled perfectly in between spiritual and mischief, decked with the glittering shards of mirrors and the beautiful portraits of pieces that scream Flora. “[say]You are welcome, darling. I am happy to help.[/say]” And if she’d liked his bone renditions for the lanterns, perhaps it gives him an idea of what to do for a gift for her next. All of those thoughts he keeps behind his sharp teeth, though, flashing her his shark tooth smile as he shifts to nudge her gently with his elbow, dark honey eyes sparking with playful mischief. “[say]Now, might it be too much trouble to see if you have something sweet you may be willing to share?[/say]” Bouncing his brow playfully, Asta starts to rise from the booth, offering his arm out for her to take to enjoy the rest of the evening.
- FIN