you can hear 'em like a ghost

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"A high priestess?" Danta hazards with a bounce of his eyebrows, and he leads them this time to one of the tables where they might ogle at the booths opposite (some covered, others not so much). Raising a hand for one of the waitresses to fetch them a couple more drinks, only then does the Maverick settle in to listen properly, crossing his long legs and leaning an elbow on the table.

"You said that before - the Ghost Moon," he interjects with a snap of his fingers. "When does that happen? Or does it change? We had a Blood Moon Festival here a couple of years ago, and that sounds a little familiar." If not the tamest version of what Charlie was likely used to, anyway. "You could definitely feel Dygra's presence as a part of it."

Sighing as she explains - games and blood orgies and prizes and hunts? count Danta in - the Maverick seems rather put out not only that they don't have the same level of worship here and now, but that it was somewhat lacking even when he'd been at large in the Climb. "It sounds divine," he complains, nodding to the waitress as she delivers their drinks. "I wonder if you might be able to start doing something similar at the Temple."

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

i can make the badguys good for a weekend

"That better not be a short joke." Charlie warns with a wag of her finger before breaking out into a wide grin and slipping into the booth at Danta's side. Glancing around with reservation at the various pairings around them—some merely there for a drink, others a good deal more—Charlie sighed happily before turning back to the Maverick.

"Oh! A Ghost Moon only happens every few years or so, so it's a really big deal. It's when the moon goes in front of the sun, and it makes a perfect ring around it." Charlie explains knowledgable. "But there are other types too. Ramblers Moons happen pretty often, a few times a year. It's like a Ghost Moon, but it isn't a complete one. Almost like the way the moon isn't quite complete a few days before a full moon." Pausing for a moment, Charlie suddenly turns toward the blonde. "Is that what you call a blood moon? The moon is red, because not all of it is blocked so a little light shines on it." The eagerness to hear that perhaps not all of the old ways had been lost, as almost palpable in her voice, and indeed if Danta hadn't been such a gentleman, he might literally have been able to see the way her heart was pounding.

"Thank you!" Charlie called after their waitress, momentarily distracted and wanting to make up for it. "Mmm, I'd love to! I wonder if I'll be able to determine when the next Ramblers—err, Blood—Moon is going to be. Is anyone around here good with that sort of thing?" Maybe in this fancy new world they just had gadgets that told them.

.

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Ugh, it wasn't, but now I feel like I've really missed a trick." Danta groans, tipping his glass to her as if in apology - for the lack of intentionality in his joke, of course - before taking a welcome sip. Ah, but then they're on to Ghost Moons and Ramblers Moons and the Maverick has never in his life been remotely interested in the moon until right this second. And of course, yes, he's far too gentlemanly to be staring directly at her tits.

Definitely hasn't been doing that on and off all night.

"I suppose it must be," he says of the Blood Moon they'd celebrated some seasons back, and he shakes his head helplessly when it comes to determining anything at all about the lunar cycle. Ah! But somewhere else might be able to assist. "There's some huge telescope up at Stormbreak," he says. "I bet you could find information about the stars and the moon there. And, you know, probably from some Safrin follower or another."

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

i can make the badguys good for a weekend

"You learn something new every day." Charlie said with a grin, crinkling her nose and giving his leg a nudge beneath the table.

"A brothel, a hot spring, and a giant telescope? Guess I know where I'm off to next." Maybe if she could find Mateo, Painter, Stormbreak, he could even act her as her tour guide. Mention of Safrin has the blonde rolling her eyes and leaning back against the richly padded cousins. "Is that phony still around? Ugh." Pursing her lips enough to have little lines appearing by the sides of her mouth, Charlie can only reach for her drink and help herself to a long sip of it.

"Is there anywhere around here I can...you know, brush up on everything that's happened? I'm not normally one for always having my face in a book, but I also hate to waste everyone's time with my questions. Not when we could be doing much more interesting things, instead."

.

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Luckily for you, we have our very own skyport here now, so you can hop to and from Stormbreak as you please," Danta says with an indulgent smile. Not that he'll be doing the same, not in Deepfrost; the floating city is blustery enough without the addition of hail, snow and other assorted tempests. And while he barks a laugh to hear Safrin called a phony, he doesn't care enough for the lady of the stars to do anything more than agree, instead joining Chalie in another long sip of his drink.

"Mm, there's a library," he says, setting down his glass. "It's called the Atheneum - it's just a short walk from the Temple; you might find enough information there to get the basics. Other than that, I suppose you could ask Maea. She's a loreseeker." He wiggles his fingers as if he's just said the pale woman is a psychic.

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

i can make the badguys good for a weekend

"Really? That's amazing! And it can go anywhere?" Not that Charlie had any sort of conception of what anywhere might entail these days, but certainly if she could go to Torchline or Stormbreak, that seemed good enough for the time being.

"A loreseeker?" The same sounded precisely like the sort of antiquated term which fit into Charlie's world such that she nodded with eager understanding. "Sure, will do!" Little did she know she'd be meeting with the woman sooner than she thought, naked and bathed in blood.

With the next few days planned out—finding a tailor, doing some research, potentially heading to Stormbreak to find Mateo—Charlie felt as though already the pieces of her new life were slipping into place. Of course she assumed some chaotic wind would scatter them sooner or later, but still, it was nice to have an idea of things.

"Well I think I'm going to go poke around room 39." The blonde says with a double bounce of her eyebrows.

.

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Anywhere there's a skyport, I think. And they hover at the Climb to pick up passengers sometimes, as you've already seen. Just don't go to Halo, or we'll be finding you as a statue in another half a century," Danta advises - and it's about the only advice he's any good at giving, in truth.

Nodding the affirmative - a loreseeker indeed - the Maverick is almost glad when Charlie merely offers a nod and a promise to follow up, because gods if he'd be useless at explaining anything about anything when it comes to what Maea actually does in her spare time. Something something books and shit, right?

Anyway.

Taking another generous drink of his booze while Charlie Charlies, he can't help but let out a dark little laugh at her announcement. "The milkmaid room? Don't let me stop you from a good time. I've heard that if you ring the cowbell, things get very exciting." Grinning to her, Danta clinks his glass against hers a final time, before leaving her to her own filthy devices.

It's as good a welcome home as he can imagine.

~FIN

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!