[RQ] doing something unholy

all you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach

"So that was unexpected." Danta's laughter is still a little breathless as they head past the Everlasting Bonfire and down the main street towards the Temple, the Maverick turning the collar of his coat up against the Leafchange chill. "I've never been to a baby shower before at all, let alone one where the baby attended it." Still, he seems chipper enough for all the labouring that had taken place, and the stars glittering overhead appear to be cheerfully welcoming Charlie's new baby as well.

If he appears to be rushing at all, it's merely because he'd snuck out with Flora during the chaos so they could take care of this quest business. The sooner they get back to the Dusklight, the less likely it is that Asta will realise he's gone, and the better everyone's nights will be. "Thanks for this, by the way. I don't have bloodboon or any healing items, so I appreciate it."

Up ahead the fountain glints, jagged and almost sinister before the Temple and blacker than black against the darkness. Only the unicorns milling nearby give it any semblance of tranquility, and even then, it's a stretch. "Here we are!"

Dantalion

don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash

flora

Flora exhales like she’s only just remembered how, the sound a little unsteady as she turns a wide-eyed look on the Maverick before it breaks into a disbelieving laugh that slips out brighter than she probably intends. "Not that I was ever, like, super keen on having kids before," she admits, her mouth pulling into something halfway between a grin and a wince, her nose scrunching as if the memory of the whole ordeal is still clinging to her skin, "but...I don’t know, I feel like I’m rethinking it altogether now." There'd been so much blood and fire.

She drags a hand back through her curls as they walk. "Oh, for sure," she adds easily, the edge of that earlier squeamishness smoothing into something more practical as she gestures faintly with one hand. "And I’ve got some of Torchline’s healing water on me too that you can use."

Her attention shifts ahead as the fountain comes fully into view, all jagged edges and dark chains cutting against the night. Flora slows just a fraction, her brows lifting as she takes it in, lips parting in a small, incredulous huff of laughter. "Well, that looks..." She tilts her head, considering, the corner of her mouth tugging upward despite herself. "Honestly, exactly how I expected it to." She glances sidelong, then back at the blackened water, fingers flexing once at her side. "So I just...touch it, or..?"

let me taste your silhouette

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

all you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach

Flora laughs and Danta is quick to join her; he might not have been scarred by the event in the way she is (not owning a uterus has its advantages in such visceral situations, as it happens), but it will certainly be one of the Dusklight's more memorable occasions. "Listen, by the time we get back everything should at least look like a party again," he says. Hopefully. "Are you and Kai staying there? I can make sure you get one of the best rooms to make up for it if so."

Drawing to a halt beside the fountain as it leers over them, he brightens further to hear about the healing water as well as her ring, not to mention her opinion of their latest, soon-to-be Dygra blessed creation. "I am glad to hear it," he purrs, igniting a few motes of fire in the air around them so it's a little easier to see what she's doing. "I think so, yeah. Touch it, wave your hands around it like you're doing something pure, tell it that it's pretty? I reckon that should be enough."

Dantalion

don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash

flora

"We are," Flora says easily, the answer quick and bright as she nudges him with her shoulder. "That'd be great, thanks. I have a feeling Kai will have a good number of big feelings he wants to talk about after all of this, so a comfy bed is a must."

She slips her hand into her bag as she speaks, drawing out the bottle of Torchline water and offering it to Danta. His explanation earns a quiet laugh under her breath, her eyes flicking up toward the flickering motes of fire before settling on the fountain again, something playful sharpening through her expression as she rolls her shoulders back as if preparing for a performance no one asked for. "Right. Obviously," she murmurs, already stepping forward.

Flora lifts her hands with exaggerated care, fingers splayed like she’s about to conduct an orchestra rather than touch something that looks like it belongs in a nightmare, her movements slow and deliberate in a way that’s just a little too theatrical to be sincere. She leans in, tilting her head, studying the jagged edges as if she might flatter them into cooperation before letting her fingertips brush against the dark surface. "There we go," she says lightly, her tone turning honey-sweet and entirely unserious. "You’re very pretty, aren’t you? So sharp. So.. pointy. Love that for you."

let me taste your silhouette

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

all you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach

"Oh, we love some big feelings," Danta says, having to bite back his smile at least until Flora has been kind enough to bless their new fountain with her healing prowess. "Kai seems like the type to want a bunch of little versions of himself running around," he says offhandedly. "So if you're not into the idea of what Charlie just did, I bet Frey or Dygra could make it so he's the one who has to do all the heavy lifting."

All is fair in love and pregnancy, or so the saying probably goes.

Accepting the water and stepping back so Flora can begin, he nods his sage approval at her theatrics and drama in the face of the nightmare they're going to sip wine from one day, uncorking the bottle as he watches. "She's going to give us some kind of red wine," he says, flouncing around the fountain to do his part and sprinkling the water on it as he goes. "Ask Asta if you want to know the specifics. All I know is it's red."

Dantalion

don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash

flora

Flora snickers under her breath, the sound quick and knowing as she flicks him a look that says she’s already three steps ahead of whatever he thinks he’s being subtle about. "I know, I know," she says, waving a hand as if to brush it off, though her grin gives her away entirely. "Kai normally has such normal, perfectly reasonable feelings about things. This will be a real shock to the system." Her eyes roll, but there’s nothing sharp in it, just that familiar, fond exasperation that lingers like warmth under her skin.

At Danta's suggestion, though, she actually stops, her jaw dropping open as she turns fully toward him, scandalized and delighted all at once. "Shut up, that’s such a good idea." The words tumble out fast, her brows lifting as she laughs, already shaking her head like she can’t believe she didn’t think of it first. "All I came up with was asking Safrin to make it so the baby never cried, but honestly.. not being pregnant at all sounds incredible."

She huffs out a breath, still smiling, before her attention hooks back onto the fountain as he speaks again, her brow arching slightly at his vague explanation. "Some kind of red wine?" she echoes, the skepticism threading easily through her tone, like she’s half-expecting the answer to be something far less charming than he’s making it sound. (Because rn it sounds like blood). His explanation of Asta merely being the one to ask will have her ahhhhhhhing understandingly

Her hand drifts back to the fountain, fingers brushing along one of its jagged edges in a slow, almost thoughtful motion against a rather phallic jut of obsidian that leans just a touch too suggestive to be entirely innocent. "I bet you’re going to taste delicious, whatever kind of wine you are."

let me taste your silhouette

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

all you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach

"Well," Danta says with a smirk as he sprinkles some healing water high up over the arched chainwork on the fountain, "our rooms are all very soundproof, so whatever feelings he has, however big they are and whatever he decides to do about them, you should have privacy. Unless of course you want people to hear - then fling open the door and windows and have at it." Winking at her through the fountain, he steps back and circles around a little more, as if to decide whether they have adequately purified it.

Blinking at the sudden shocked delight on Flora's face, whilst Danta is always willing to take credit for something, he does like to have context if possible, and his laughter echoes across the square as he realises what seed he's planted in her mind. "If anyone can do it, the gods can," he says with a shrug. "Or there's that... is it the baby garden people were talking about?" He'd stopped listening when he realised the children weren't being grown to eat, truthfully.

"Delicious and good at making sure we don't all die," he adds with a wink to Flora's explanation, shaking the last of the healing water out and stepping back, satisfied. "There. I think that should do it, right?"

Dantalion

don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash

flora

Flora’s laugh slips out warm and easy, her eyes catching Danta's as she returns the wink. The mention of the baby garden has her reacting immediately, her head shaking before he’s even finished the thought, curls bouncing with the quick refusal. "No, no. My dads literally just used that, and not only did it give them twins, it sounded like an absolute nightmare trying to keep all the cows away." Her nose wrinkles, the image clearly not helping the pitch. "I'd rather the stretch marks than deal with livestock management."

She hums under her breath as he finishes up, her gaze dragging back over the fountain as though she’s trying to decide whether it looks any less threatening now that they’ve enthusiastically complimented it. "Mmm. Not dying is very important," she agrees.

Tilting her head, Flora gives the whole thing one last scrutinizing look, lips pursing slightly before she lifts a shoulder in a small shrug. "I think so? I can always send you more water, too." Her hand drifts out once more, brushing lightly against the edge in a final, almost affectionate pass. "You’re a very, very good fountain," she tells it, voice softening into something teasingly sincere. "I can’t wait to drink from you."

Then she glances back to Danta, brows lifting just slightly, already half-turning away as her grin returns. "Shall we? Before anyone notices we’re gone?"

let me taste your silhouette

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

all you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach

"Cows?" Danta's eyes don't not light up at that, but clearly there's more to this baby garden than he's been led to believe, and he holds up his hands with a laugh as if to tell Flora to forget he ever mentioned it. "You mean you'd rather Kai gets stretchmarks," he corrects, because there's no reason to disregard the literal babydaddy of it all if it's an option.

With his hands on his hips as he steps back to look at the fountain properly, clearly it doesn't matter to Danta whether it looks more or less threatening than before - it's still going to do the job and it still reflects his dark goddess in a way that can only be ominous and delightful. "I will never say no to more water. I can't send you healing wine back yet, but I'll send you plenty of actual wine," he suggests, grinning.

The reminder that they need to be back before their absence has been noticed has the Maverick nodding decisively, springing back beside Flora and offering his arm as he leads them away from the fountain. "Let's. With any luck the cleaning crew will have finished mopping the floors by the time we get back."

~FIN

Dantalion

don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash