[RQ] shoulda just called him whiskey

charlie

It was uncharacteristically warm for late Leafchange, a day that made the Temple’s spires shimmer as if trying to pretend they were still in Longheat's gentle embrace. Atop the tallest peak of the roof, a black dragon sprawled, massive wings half-furled in a lazy stretch. Her claws—long and curved like sickles—dug into the ancient stone as if testing whether the Temple could hold her weight. It could, but only just. In this body, anyway.

All around her, bright-red blood trickled in thin rivulets, painting the roof tiles a shockingly vibrant hue. Charlie had dragged up a small collection of unfortunate creatures: two luxere and a handful of goats, each now spread out like grisly confetti. The odd warmth coaxed the blood into a sort of glossy paint that gleamed under the midday sun, an offering to Dygra more gaudy and beautiful than any stained-glass window could hope to be.

Shifting her bulk, the dragon’s ruby horns glinted mischievously, as if winking at the world below. Her tongue, dark and forked, flicked over her teeth with a sound that might have been a purr—or a stifled giggle, if dragons ever giggled. A low rumble bubbled in her throat, a playful greeting to the passersby who dared glance upward. Yet there was something oddly jaunty about the way she settled in, as though this violent display was more of a dramatic flourish than a dire threat.

The Temple’s gargoyles, carved and earnest, looked like stiff old neighbours too nervous to complain. The dragon gave them a teasing swipe of her tail’s spade-tip, as if daring them to comment on her décor. A sudden breeze made her wings ripple, and for a moment, the scene looked almost festive—if one squinted just right.

so hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

sleep don't visit, so i choke on sun // and the days blur into one

It’s the last thing he expects to find when he slinks toward the Temple. It’s early, enough that the sun beats down on the Inner Quarter and the Temple in a radiating display. A ribbon tied (or retied somewhere) around his wrist and a note in hand. After leaving the Dusklight, the instruction had been to go and visit the Temple – and luckily for him, he’s managed to get enough sleep to feel somewhat human, and nothing so far to set him off back into that panicked husk he was in.

So imagine his surprise when he looks up and sees the rivets of blood pouring from the roof of the temple and the black dragon that sits atop it, thriving with a multitude of food. He reaches out initially with his attuned bond, shouting up internally toward her without receiving a single thing back. And then, because the Flood is not used to the Ancients and what shifts they might have, doesn’t think that this is one of them, and simply assumes some random dragon has invaded the Inner Quarter.

And yet, somehow, people aren’t surprised as they mill about below with him?

All in all, it’s confusing, but he can rectify it – setting the note down by the entrance of the Temple, leaving the little red bow on his wrist because it would be there when he shifted back, and steps back far enough to shift into his own black draconic shift – smart enough to know that the roof of the building wouldn’t handle both of them.

Scarred wings flare out as Sunjata debates his next move, imagining that if it were a wild dragon, Danta would likely prefer they be deterred. He knows he would, should the roles be reversed, so with a powerful beat of his wings, the larger black dragon takes to the skies, cresting past the side of the Temple before he draws higher as if luring the other into a game of chase.

and the backs of my eyes hum with things i've never done

SUNJATA

charlie

Had Charlie known that the soon-to-become-dragon walking below had spent the night in Danta and Asta's den—in their bed in fact—she would have swan-dived from her perch without a second thought. It would make sense that Frey's demigod would be the one to infiltrate the Butcher's space, but knowing what she did of the other man, to say that Charlie was fascinated was an understatement. Or, would be, had she known that's what transpired.

Instead, as Sunjata rose into the sky in a scaled form strikingly akin to her own, the petite priestess needed no invitation to give playful chase. Spreading her wings wide, though this shift was newer than some of her other forms, it fit her like a perfectly tailored glove: savage might woven into bright-eyed enthusiasm that hugged her curves in all the best ways.

With a flick of her tail the priestess put on a burst of speed. Twisting her neck, her jaws part in order to allow a playful roar to sing out toward the other dragon, before Charlie angles her body to try and slam into Sunjata's. It's perhaps a bit awkward given the way their wings are placed and how they need to keep moving, but as the priestess hasn't had much experience with other dragons while in this form, she thinks she's owed a mulligan or two. Regardless, she snaps her teeth toward her larger counterpart before letting her wings draw against her sleek black body in an effort to drop out and away from any retaliation.

so hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

sleep don't visit, so i choke on sun // and the days blur into one

She’d very likely find out the second she had a chance to read the note Danta had sent him with – but as it stands, it sits along the Temple’s entrance, tucked into a space where the wind can’t blow it away and man soon becomes dragon right after. He takes to the skies, zipping by the dragon on the rooftop, and he’s infinitely pleased with the way his game had taken root. The smaller dragon follows, zipping into the air with him above the Inner Quarter, catching up to him with ease.

And something already seems a bit off – because, in his experience at least – dragons didn’t tend to be this playful. The roar is met with a grumbling one of his own back, a playful push to test the waters right before she slams into his body and his wings stutter as they try to keep him afloat. A few heavy pushes and he’s brought back up again, a spark of lightning crackling along his sharp teeth in this form, though he certainly doesn’t aim it at her.

In fact, it was as close to a laugh as he could manage in this shift. And so, as he does go to offer his retaliation in the form of tilting his flight path to cross into hers, she tucks her wings in and drops and Sunjata finds himself gliding into open air before he follows suit. His wings tuck in, body falling as if aiming to land on top of her – dark claws extended out to snag against sleek scales.

and the backs of my eyes hum with things i've never done

SUNJATA

charlie

A part of Charlie’s newly awakened draconic mind wanted to lash out at the crackling electricity that made the air practically vibrate around her, muscles tensing in anticipation of a spark. Meanwhile, the girl part of her lit up like a firework display, endlessly intrigued by what else her counterpart might do (and gods, if she only knew who it was inside of that body). Both impulses, however, had to wait—one miscalculation and their game of chase might be cut short by one of them crashing into a building.

Tilting her scaled head just so, Charlie glimpsed Sunjata’s hulking form blotting out the sun above. Rather than duck away, she arched her long spine upward like a housecat expecting a scritch, and his claws—though far more serious than any playful pat—raked harmlessly across her scales without actually tearing any free. Unable to purr or roll her tongue, Charlie opted instead for a glinting, toothy grin before banking sharply; folding her wings in, she aimed for a small copse of trees where she'd seen luxere grazing earlier that morning. Whether or not he felt like hunting (she'd already satisfied her bloodlust that morning but would be more than happy to keep him company while he did), the priestess let out a roar of satisfaction once they'd left the more populated portion of the city.

so hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

sleep don't visit, so i choke on sun // and the days blur into one

It’s not at all what he’s expecting, once again. But it becomes more like an aerial tango than it does a wild dragon feeling threatened. A game, it seems, and he’s the unknowing participant alongside a person within that sleek, menacing shift.It’s the realization that hits him when his claws scrape against sleek scales, like the worlds best back scratcher before the dragon is banking beneath him, glinting pale sharp teeth in a playful chase.

His steel gaze can see where she’s aiming, though, and his shift betrays him with the thundering rumble of desire for such a thing (when was the last time he ate?) So he banks with her, giving into those instincts, and rather than continue the game of chase or tag with the fellow dragon, Sunjata finds himself snarling a crackling electric growl of his own. He descends, drawn to the light of the luxere, and before they have a chance to split like rats, Sunjata’s wing swings out, cracking into a tree that cuts off the escape path for the deer that remain.

And with an appreciative flick of his tail, the Flood lands roughly into the clearing, one clawed hand slamming into the side of the stag he’d snatched as he tears into it, content to snatch a meal now that he realizes the dragon accompanying him was someone. He still finds it odd that his attuned bond goes nowhere but to a blank wall. All are thoughts mulled over as he tears into the luxere.

and the backs of my eyes hum with things i've never done

SUNJATA

charlie

Ever one to appreciate a good bit of violence, though Charlie isn't in any position to properly show her approval, the growl that sings out from her parted jaws is as close to a cheer as the priestess can get right now. Later she'll be sure to tell him—whoever it is—that seeing him thwack a tree in half not just as a display of sheer power but to stop his prey from fleeing had not only been hot but inspiring as well; for the moment, Charlie flies in a lazy circle, parting her jaws and breathing a blast of crimson fire at the remaining luxere. She hadn't yet scared anything to death and while today wouldn't be the day, there was no harm in trying.

Glancing over her shoulder just in time to see Sunjata's jaws tear into his prey's ribcage, the priestess growls under her breath before her blue eyes shift animatedly to the side. With a playful snarl, the dragon turns, gliding toward the ground, only to tear out a small bush with her back feet. Swooping back toward Sunjata, Charlie lands, dropping the bush first and then setting herself down behind it. Exhaling a small puff of smoke, the ancient tucks her wings against her body and lowers her head, before nudging the bush forward and waggling her tail like some gargantuan puppy edging a toy forward to be played with.

Only instead of a toy Charlie was offering up a bush. A bush of dark red berries that smelled both sweet and rich at the same time.

The type of berries that one might add to venison.

so hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

SUNJATA

the flood

'cause my life is like a bedroom door
don't lead me in when you feel low

It’s fire at the opposing side to Sunjata’s electricity – not that he was going to complain, of course. It was nice to see what other kinds of dragons there were (and to pointedly not think about void dragons or the dragon that Jigano had been that had paralyzed him ages ago). Fire was normal. Fire was easy. Fire could be controlled with his mastery over water, but it would require shifting back for it.

Which he isn’t wholly opposed to later – right now he’s a bit invested in tearing out the doe’s ribcage and all the goodies within it, fully giving over into his draconic shift. He comes out of it when he spots the smaller dragon tearing out a berry bush, one that’s rolled toward him like a tangleweed on the wind. He straightens, inspecting it, leaning forward to let a forked tongue clean some of the blood around his jaw before he plucks a berry from the branch to test it. Rumbling his agreement, Sunjata decides now is potentially as good a time as ever to shift into mostly himself so he could at least talk.

So he does, knelt at the side of the doe. The large black and scarred dragon becomes an equally scarred man with the black, scarred draconic wings – face half carved and splattered with blood, one arm covered in lightning strike scars, crisscrossing his skin while the other tattooed with waves down to the wrist. A wrist that’s got a bright red bow on it. Earrings glint from how he moves his head, one that dangles with feathers while the other a curved C of gold. He looks back up to the dragon as he goes to stand, conjuring a gleaming bubble of water that he washes and rinses his bloodied hands in before he flashes the dragon a wink. “You’ve got good taste.” He calls out over toward her, stepping over the luxere with a rustling of his wings to pluck a few berries from the torn out bush, inspecting them better.

'cause i might make a move

charlie

Waiting to see how her offering would be accepted, Charlie's eyes were just as bright and expressive as a dragon as they were normally, such that this close up, lack of a bond or not, Sunjata would be a fool to think her anything but human inside of the sleek black body she wore. And, given what happened next, he clearly wasn't.

As Sunjata began to shift, Charlie straightened up, keenly taking note of his scars, tattoos, and his impressively tall frame. Clearly, this was the Flood, a fact that made her dragon-lips curl into a toothy grin. In a shimmer of magic, she changed back into her petite self; the only evidence linking her to the formidable creature whose place she was standing in, was the same vivid-blue gaze and an irrepressibly sunny smile. Gone was the sinuous length of obsidian scales; in its place stood a small, curvaceous priestess who looked far too dainty to have so recently drenched a rooftop in fresh blood.

"Why thank you!" Charlie trills brightly, animatedly bouncing her dark brows in Sunjata's direction. "I'm all for eating things raw, but there's no need to leave out the seasoning." Dressed in a black gown that hugged all of her curves, while the priestess might have looked a touch dressed up, for those who knew her, casual sultry elegance was what she was most comfortable in.

"I'm Charlie." The blonde offers, flashing the flood a fanged smile that has the corners of her eyes crinkling. "I'm one of the priestesses of that Temple you found me by." She adds, just in case he was wondering what she'd been doing decorating its rooftop with the innards of half a dozen animals.

Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

SUNJATA

the flood

'cause my life is like a bedroom door
don't lead me in when you feel low

He’d guessed right – because dragon becomes someone, and that someone being a very lovely woman. He doesn’t expect her to be the very one he was supposed to seek out, though, that’s simply just a boon. So when she flashes him a sunny smile and accepts his compliment, the Flood simply flashes her a crooked one back. The ruby horns as they glint in the light suddenly make a lot of sense to him, though, and with it he can’t help the soft chuckle that escapes him as he inclines his head in agreement. “Just makes it better, doesn’t it?” He tacks on, though he’d be lying if he wasn’t a touch distracted by her casual attire.

And once again, another spark of understanding sparks to life in Sunjata’s mind – a distraction, as Danta had mentioned, temporary or not, but something to keep his mind off of the fact he’s still awaiting the return of letters and the fact half of the world outside of the inner quarter had far too many eyes and tentacles for his liking. And the fact that he’d lost his fiancée and was anxiously awaiting some semblance of information back about her whereabouts.

“Ah, you’re just the one I was looking for actually.” His wings rustle as he tucks them in tight and steps closer to her, within a distance enough to be friendly rather than formal. “I’m Sunjata, by the way. Danta sent me. Though I uh, left the note he sent me with at the Temple, but..” Shaking his head a little with a huff, he lets his steel gaze land on her, masked over the desperation of trying to not come off as broody as he is. “We could go back, if you didn’t want to stay out here?” Is he rambling? A touch, yeah. But it’s been a while since he’s done anything like this, with those that didn’t know each and every dark pit of his mistakes and transgressions.

He doesn't know what all the stories have said, either.

'cause i might make a move

charlie

"I think so. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for just digging in, but..." Charlie gives her shoulders a bouncy shrug. "Variety is the spice of life, or something like that." Which the priestess took to mean that adding a few berries between mouthfuls of luxere was a good thing.

"Oh?" If Charlie's eyes narrow it's only in an effort to consider the Flood anew; to see if there was any obvious reason he'd be looking for her. Of course, she could hope it was because he wanted to pray to Dygra—or even better, to convert—but if he'd been sent by Danta the possibilities were nearly endless. Tipping her chin up slightly if only to keep his steel gaze in her line of sight lest she be left staring at one of the waves that curled around his abdomen, the heart-shaped spade of Charlie's tail flicks lazily around her ankles as she considers what Danta's note might have said.

"Sure, if you want." Charlie's instant agreement is the sort which might become infectious if one weren't careful, though given the way something terribly heavy seemed to cling to Sunata despite the obvious strength he possessed, the priestess didn't think he was at risk. Not yet, anyway.

"I can show you the rage room we're working on!" Bouncing her eyebrows, the blonde flashes the Flood a sunny smile. "You wanna fly us back? Walking with you is going to be a nightmare for us both." Snickering, much fun as their height difference might be for other things when it came to walking it was sure to have the Flood growing frustrated at the priestess's short steps, and likewise Charlie was going to have to hustle in a way her heels and dress simply weren't designed to do.

Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

SUNJATA

the flood

'cause my life is like a bedroom door
don't lead me in when you feel low

It was the variety of life, apparently – though Sunjata was never one to eat things raw unless he was in shift. So, he regards her as she regards him – like a puzzle to be figured out, even if Sunjata knew the latter half of the equation. “At least the note’ll make sense, then.” His smile remains crooked and playful, because she doesn’t need to know the difficulties he’s going through. He can pretend to be fine for however long it takes. Her instant agreement certainly adds to the relieving of some amount of tension in his broad, tattooed shoulders.

“The rage room? What’s that about?” He asks, taking a moment to conjure more glittering water to swipe at his face, trying to clean up as much blood as he can from lingering on his skin, especially if they’re to be so close as she reads the line of thought he also is currently having. He doesn’t want to have to walk back and run the risk of stumbling into something he doesn’t want to see – and seeing as he can look at her without shying away, it’s best to stick with those you know.

Or something to that matter.

His wings flare out, catching in the sun to reveal the veins that run through each scarred one. “Yeah, I don’t mind.” He says with a soft chuckle, leaving the remnants of the luxere behind for the crows and other beasts that would pilfer through it so that he can officially step into her space to pick her up into his arms – intending to make the short trip back to the Temple without the full amount of his draconic shift.

Once she’s settled, a soft little “ready?” is what’s uttered before the Flood takes to the skies – each and every scar on display in this close proximity, along with the scent magic from Frey in full effect. It luckily isn’t a super long trek – it hadn’t taken that long for them to get to the clearing anyway, so as he lands with her in his arms before the Temple, he leans over to set her down on the top of the stairs leading up to the Temple, leaving them eye level. It's here that the envelope Danta had written sits beside the door - tucked underneath one of the decor items so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind.

'cause i might make a move

charlie

“Oh my gosh, you're going to LOVE IT.” Charlie exclaims without a moment’s hesitation, her bright voice practically humming with excitement as if she knew Sunjata well enough already to both know what he would and wouldn't enjoy. "We're making a room where...well, it's like time doesn't exist, so nothing that happens inside is permanent." Waggling her eyebrows and giving the Flood a few seconds for his mind to come up with its own interpretations of what that might mean, Charlie continues. "So we put all sorts of fun things inside like glass to smash or alcohol to drink, some handcuffs and whips and things too..and.." With a casual shrug, she adds: "..knives and stuff." Because for as initially gruesome as it might seem to offer implements of torture and violence, who hadn't fantasized about carving someone up before?

Inhaling deeply as Sunjata moves into her space, Charlie relaxes her body as she raises her arms to make it easier for him to lift her. "You smell amazing!" She purrs, utterly delighted before wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso. They hardly even reached all the way around such was the difference in their heights and builds, not that any part of her was complaining. If anything, Charlie leans in closer, drawn like a bee to a flower by the scent of him, not minding at all the few sprays of blood he hadn't been able to wash away with his magic.

The flight back was relatively short, and as they touched down at the Temple steps, Charlie is able to appreciate the flecks of colour in the Flood's gray eyes in the few moments that they were eye to eye. "Thank you," the priestess purrs delightedly, her nails softly scratching against the muscles of his shoulders and arms as she withdraws and settles her weight onto her feet. Noticing the envelope tucked beneath a bit of statuary—Danta’s note, no doubt—Charlie spins with a flick of her tail to retrieve it. Her blue eyes scan the words written there, and while Sunjata hadn't been sent to the Temple in order to convert to Dygraism, that certainly didn't mean they couldn't have some fun.

"Come on, it's this way." Back on solid ground and with the home court advantage, as it was, Charlie led the Flood into the temple with a gratuitous sway in her hips that the movement of her tail only contributed to. "When was the last time you were here?" She wonders conversationally as she leads him through the foyer of the Temple and back toward where she, Danta, and Asta had set up the Rage Room only a few days prior.

Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

SUNJATA

the flood

'cause my life is like a bedroom door
don't lead me in when you feel low

His imagination does run wild with it – and a part of him wonders if it’s just a Grounds thing with making random rooms do a variety of the impossible (reminiscent of the Ascended room from way back when). But, pushing those and the simultaneously sad thoughts it reminds him of, to the side, the Flood flashes her an easy smile with a soft laugh. “Huh. That’s pretty cool.” And it would be, if he wasn’t sure what exactly everyone was getting up to in it.

Sounds like murders, though. Not that he can say anything, given the whole fact that he was also a murderer. Just… In most cases, he didn’t want those people to make a reappearance.

Anyway, an accented laugh leaves him to hear her purr as she tries her best to wrap around him. She feels like nothing in his arms as he lifts her and takes to the skies, murmuring a soft thanks against the wind as he dives toward the Temple, keeping her tucked into his arms as easily as ever. When they land and her thanks is aired, Sunjata tucks his wings in, flashing a crooked smile made all the more so with the scar that trails up his cheek, before he’s nodding. “You’re welcome.”

She finds the note with ease, and Sunjata (unknowing what it says and finding he doesn’t really care), takes the few steps up the Temple’s steps to the entrance at her beckoning, wings vanishing and leaving just the Flood himself in all of his Frey-designed glory. He watches her step in, the way her tail accentuates her curves, before he finds his attention flitting away to the inside of the Temple – so much different than it had been when he’d last been in here.

“Gods, it’s been… Probably at least four years?” His nose wrinkles with the memory, stepping through the foyer to the back, following at her heels. “Maybe longer.” It was hard to say. “Looks way different, though.” Not that he’s complaining, either. It wasn’t his land, and he certainly didn’t miss the statues to Safrin that had lingered in the midst of this Temple. To see it all entirely Dygra, though, was a unique surprise – realizing how very little he knew about their goddess. “Do you live here? As the priestess, I mean.” He asks, his voice a touch distracted.

'cause i might make a move