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what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
“[say]I believe the Temple should be a perfect place for the shrine.[/say]” Astaroth says casually, dark gaze flitting over toward the Maverick as they make their way into the dark, glassy cavern of the Obsidian Cathedral. “[say]It would make for a wonderful surprise for our dearest Charlie, wouldn’t you agree?[/say]” Soaking up the warmth of the Climb to sate bones made cold by the snows in the Grounds, the butcher fully intends on getting as much heat here as he physically can before they make their return.
At least this is just the start, though, still requiring a chunk of obsidian on this trek. First things first, though, the offering given to their beloved Dygra, concealed in the dark leather bag Astaroth carries along with them, paving the way down the glassy walkway between the pews like a devilish nun to the basin in the center.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
[say]"You know, that is exactly what I was thinking,"[/say] Danta croons his agreement as they saunter through the glossy black expanse of the obsidian cathedral. [say]"You should keep it a secret from her for as long as you can. Just stand back when you tell her,"[/say] he advises with a smirk. Whether because Charlie sets off fireworks as part of her celebratory glee or because she literally tries to climb the butcher... well, Asta can surely see that either is possible.
Rolling his shoulders and basking in the warmth of home, as Asta makes a beeline for the offering bowl, the Maverick contents himself for a few minutes by strolling through the pews, fingers dancing across a few of them as if feeling for old graffiti, or names long gone.
[say]"Go on then,"[/say] he announces once his curiosity has been sated, and he nods at the other man. [say]"Are you going to tell me what's in the bag, or am I going to have to start guessing?"[/say]
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
Chuckling deeply, Asta inclines his head over his shoulder toward Danta with his agreement. “[say]Most certainly.[/say]” The eruption of excitement from Charlie is one he’s sure he’ll hear for weeks to come. “[say]I will shout it across the room.[/say]” Jesting, Asta continues his little war path straight for the altar, grinning in light of the idea that bounces through his head. He imagines regardless of the distance, Charlie will undoubtedly find herself clinging to him.
And he wouldn’t even begin to complain about it once he saw the look on her face.
Adjusting the bag, Asta dips his hand in to procure the biggest offering, turning to look back over at Danta with an amused and still sharp grin. “[say]You may guess.[/say]” He teases with a bounce of his brow, hand still dipped in the bag as if expectant for the guess before revealing it.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
[say]"Or perhaps delivery via origami,"[/say] Danta suggests, mimicking someone throwing a paper aeroplane (IDK what they'd call them in Caido ok). Meandering closer to the altar once Asta has arrived there, the Maverick eventually does join him, gazing down at the leather bag and the hand that disappears inside it. Narrowing his eyes for a moment and muttering a, [say]"May I?"[/say] it's clear that he's very intrigued - and he thinks he has an idea anyway.
[say]"Is it the heart from some creature?"[/say] he wonders with dark glee glittering in his eyes. [say]"Oh, or some bone creation that you've made for Dygra?"[/say] Bouncing his eyebrows, he's not done. [say]"Wait, no - it's a painting done in your own blood."[/say] He can't even blame this on hanging around Charlie too much - Danta has always been this way.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
Snorting in response to the gesture the Maverick makes, Astaroth is in surprisingly good spirits today as he makes his way toward the altar, playfully rolling his eyes at the display before he settles and allows Danta to guess, his grin sharpening and widening ever so slightly. Dark eyes focus on him as he approaches closer, and it isn’t until he’s done with all three guesses does the butcher reveal his favored trinket.
“[say]Well, look at you.[/say]” He praises in a playful tone. “[say]It is almost like you know me.[/say]” Pulling out the gift as he does, it is a combination of two of the guesses. Carefully unwrapping it, there’s almost a nest of sorts, crafted by a variety of very human like bones, decorated in the colorful plumage of ramphire feathers, and nestled within — a bloody, no longer beating, heart of a creature recently captured.
Carefully placing it amongst the offerings of the shrine, Astaroth bows his head before glancing back at Danta. “[say]Two out of three, darling.[/say]”
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
Letting a hand flutter to his chest and feeling smug at the praise - obviously - Danta nonetheless gets over himself enough to wait for Asta's big reveal. And whatever else people have to say about the butcher at his side, Asta has a crafty and artistic streak a mile long; something the Maverick commits even further to memory at the sight of the heart nest. [say]"A beautiful addition to the shrine,"[/say] he says, bowing his head respectfully as the other man places it down.
[say]"I prefer to keep my offerings simple."[/say] Reaching into his pocket, Danta pulls out some kindling brought from the Grounds, setting it down in the obsidian basin. Then, drawing the knife from his boot, he cuts a small but deep line across the back of his hand, squeezing a stream of dark blood atop the twigs and dry material. Only once that is done does he allow his fire magic to ignite it all, bathing them in the ruddy glow of flames and burning blood.
[say]"Nothing beats the old ways, mm?"[/say]
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
“[say]I agree.[/say]” Asta says with all the confidence in the world that it was a beautiful addition. He steps back and sets the bag aside, drawing up next to the Maverick now as he adds his own addition. Humming a note of agreement when he mentions keeping offerings simple, it’s with dark eyes of admiration that he watches the display take place, even as the tinge of iron paints the air an achingly familiar scent. It doesn’t last, not as the flame is created, crackling into the twigs and blood.
It draws Asta’s attention back toward the Maverick, alone with nothing but themselves and Dygra’s shrine, allowing the butcher the comfort of reaching up to brush his hand gently against the open wound to the back of Danta’s hand, helping to clean up a bit of the blood before he cocks his head a little. “[say]It is always in style.[/say]” He hums, confident and content, before he lifts his finger to his lips and flashes a wink as he licks the blood off. “[say]I had plenty of time to go a bit… over the top, I suppose.[/say]” You know, in his isolation but not quite to Danta’s slave isolation.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
[say]"Timeless, I think they call it."[/say] Danta smirks, raising an eyebrow but nevertheless offering out his hand for the butcher to have a taste, before he licks the rest of the blood away and leaves it to freely bleed and heal in its own time. The kindling, meanwhile, burns bright and higher than it really has a right to (thank you magic) and it's only once Danta is satisfied that he lets it slowly smoulder out.
[say]"Mm, that's true,"[/say] he agrees with the other man's view of things. [say]"I guarantee you had more to work with than I did."[/say] Perhaps Danta's offerings would have been more than blood and kindling if he'd been afforded such materials.
Clearly unbothered by it, he grins and steps back away from the basin, nodding at the pews he'd been standing by earlier. [say]"Do you remember when this place was still pristine? I swear I chipped my name into one of these."[/say]
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
“[say]Timeless.[/say]” The butcher purrs his agreement, a smirk blossoming slightly as his dark gaze flits between the warm fire and the addition of iron on his tongue, before Danta finishes cleaning up the wound himself, letting it clot naturally. Astaroth, meanwhile, closes up his bag and slips it back onto his arm for easy holding, casting a glance back toward the altar and the now smoldering flames, before he peers out at the rows of pews, in complete disarray from how they had once been.
Humming a soft note, Asta nods his head. “[say]I did.[/say]” Time and materials snatched from his treks, littering his space with multitudes of trinkets. Perhaps that’s why he enjoys gifting these days — he’d had too many to count before he’d fallen asleep.
At the mention of names etched into the stone, though, Astaroth starts to follow Danta like the shadow he is. “[say]I do. It’s a shame what the centuries have done.[/say]” He muses, stepping past Asta toward his favored pew, running his fingers along the edge of the back that had fallen. “[say]Mine was etched into the seat in front of mine.[/say]” He pauses as if to think, counting the rows back before he finds his usual space, setting the bag on it to drop to his knees to see if it remained in the bottom of the pew in front of him.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
[say]"Edmund - one of the new Ancients - talked about making this place back into something again, once. I wonder how it's going."[/say] He'd done a few things, if Danta remembers correctly, but the young man seemed to have settled into life in the Hollowed Grounds as of late. (Danta isn't complaining for obvious reasons).
[say]"Much as I know this is Dygra's home, though..."[/say] Scowling and continuing to walk as Asta pauses at his seat, he shakes his head. [say]"The change was necessary. I like to think she'd approve."[/say]
Finding his own seat - tucked at the back, of course, so it would be easy to haul him away once any rites or rituals had finished - Danta sits himself down and grins into his lap. [say]"Yeah, there it is."[/say] It's not really writing per say, but the marks in the obsidian beneath him are recognisable enough.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
“[say]Is that so?[/say]” He asks curiously, head tilting as he scans the rows for his usual seat — trying to see if he’d interacted with an Ancient named Edmund before, and when nothing comes to mind he simply passes it off with a slight shrug. “[say]I have not met him.[/say]” Which is his way of saying he has zero clue how well it’s going, if he hadn’t known it was there to begin with.
Nevertheless, the butcher finds his seat and drops to his knees, running his hand along the base to try and feel the inscription of his name. “[say]I think she would as well.[/say]” He muses, frowning as he reaches in a bit further only to hear Danta’s voice rumble out that he’d found his name. Perking up, and all Danta would see initially would be his horned head pop up from behind a pew, he squints over at the Maverick before drawing himself up. “[say]I think I can feel an A, but perhaps the rest is gone forever.[/say]” A small frown accompanies it, but he wanders closer to Danta’s to see the marks left behind of his time there.
“[say]What did you write?[/say]”
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
[say]"I think perhaps he's decided the Grounds are easier to live in."[/say] Danta smirks. [say]"But then once the portal here is finished, there's nothing stopping us trying to do some good to this place, I suppose."[/say] He just can't say he'd be all too keen to be a part of it. Then again, with a ray of sunshine priestess and a man tall enough to literally strongarm him anywhere, maybe he'll suck it up.
Laughing to see Asta pop up like some demonic ferret, Danta slides along his pew a little so the inscription is more visible. [say]"The 'A's are the most important part of your name,"[/say] he points out reasonably. [say]"Otherwise you'd just be called stroth."[/say]
As for what he's written, the Maverick frowns and shrugs his shoulders. [say]"Morax's old sigil,"[/say] he says. [say]"It was as good as my name back then."[/say]
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Astaroth - 06-18-2024
Agreeing easily, Asta nods in response to the suggestion that once the portal is done there might be more time to focus on making the cathedral back to its once beautiful status. As it stands, he imagines with Charlie there it would be leagues better than it had been once upon a time, back when they had been a part of it.
Chuckling deeply at the notion that A was the most important part of his name, Astaroth slips over to Danta’s pew and leans in to inspect the mark, only to scrunch up his nose immensely with a look of gross. “[say]Ew.[/say]” He says short and bluntly. “[say]Please never call me that again.[/say]” He admits with a soft laugh, settling into the pew beside Danta once he learns of the inscription.
The answer doesn’t make him feel any better, and it’s with a click of his tongue that he leans forward to draw the knife from his boot and hand it to Danta with a brush of his shoulder against the blonde’s. “[say]That won’t do.[/say]” He hums, casting his dark gaze over to Danta expectantly.
RE: what a lovely way to burn - Dantalion - 06-18-2024
Danta can also imagine the sort of influence Charlie would have over a space like this. He envisions plush furs, firepits, banners - maybe even an A-board with a schedule of activities on it, if he's being honest. Still smiling at the notion, the Maverick glances up just as Asta appears, and he barks out a laugh to hear the other man's opinion of his brand new nickname. [say]"It's even worse if you imagine it with a lisp."[/say] He grins.
Dropping his gaze to the sigil and raising an eyebrow to feel the other man's shoulder bump against his own, Danta grin melts into a soft, dark smile as he realises what Asta is getting at. [say]"It won't, will it?"[/say] he echoes, accepting the knife and shifting, at first, to chip a jagged, diagonal line through the sigil to get rid of it.
Once done, he slips from the pew so he can kneel before it and concentrate, brow furrowed thoughtfully as he chips away at the gemstone to form his name. Not his full name, either. Just Danta.
[say]"There."[/say]