better run fast as you can

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

”Nothing.” She says and he immediately thinks it to be a lie. She’ll have learned something, though what it is might not be fully aware to her yet. Just as Astaroth’s had not been immediately obvious, not until he’d been rescued by Dygra and the expanse of the world and other customs that weren’t that of the cannibal clan he’d grown up with had been better understood.

So while it wasn’t a minor mistake, neither was his. He’d devoured someone and got caught for it. And he’d paid dearly. Very nearly with his life. And for her? He’d saved her. The least he can do is listen to how it happened if that’s what she wants to share. To understand it better, and perhaps if she didn’t see the lesson therein, perhaps he could for her.

His tail flicks against his heels as he plucks a petal from the rose but waits for her to ignite hers and tell her story, feeling the velveteen petal between his ashen fingertips. “I see.” He murmurs when she tells him that she needed a distraction, when she didn’t think she’d be a target for the Family, the butcher finds that to be a rather optimistic outlook. Because from where he was standing, it seemed the Family was more inclined to take whomever they could for sheer volume of Friends of the Family, while the demigods had been entirely for political purposes.

Her petal erupts in flame and she retreats to grab a glass and pour it with whatever open bottle she has and he nods, flashing her a small smile when she says friends excluded, more than happy to be included in the shit taste in men portion of her explanation.

“I would say that you did find trouble. But for what it’s worth, I do understand to an extent.” He shrugs a shoulder, lighting his petal between his fingers and lets it smolder with precise control so it doesn’t catch immediately. “I believe the lesson is to see if your lovers harbor ulterior motives.” Raising a brow with a touch of amusement, he lets it fall with a soft sigh. “I would still consider it a mistake, however. Just as my mistake was believing the rest of Caido worked as my clan did. I learned the hard way that not everyone was privy to eating their own.” The sharp smile he sends her way is one that’s both honest as it is amused. “And while I very nearly paid for my mistake with my life, I did learn to be more cautious.” Not that he wants to detract from her story. But the butcher can empathize.

He steps closer to her, finally letting the petal erupt fully until it’s gone in a plume of ash. “I am sorry, too, that you had to experience it. I suppose you will now also have to live with the curse of seeing the void’s true face?” He’d heard of the side effects from Flora, at least. And if Thalassa didn't know that before it had occurred, at the very least she might not be surprised to see it in the faces of those previously infected and the void that still continued to rampage out in the wild.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

She expects anger or disgust, but only finds understanding in Asta's eyes. It deflates the guilt, pulling it from her grasp and leaving her with his compassion that sits awkwardly in her chest. From anyone else, she would question the sincerity or motives, wondering what angle he's playing. But Asta has never lied to her, and his outside perspective isn't something she can argue with when she's always been overly critical. 

Watching his petal begin to smolder, Thal laughs a little sharply. "Doesn't everyone have ulterior motives?" Her head shakes, scattering shadows across her face. "No. I think the point is that I should leave things at one night. Anything more just invites problems and overfamiliarity." Keep it simple like she used to. Even names might be too much. And forget vulnerability. That's a word she'd like to torch then sink into the deepest depths of the oceans. 

As for his own experiences, she pushes off from the counter, a quiet intensity about her. "You didn't deserve to nearly die because of it." Thal snags another glass, pouring a generous portion and offering him the glass. A real smile appears on her face this time, crooked and trademarked with her sharp confidence. "But I'm selfish, and glad it brought you here." To this time. To her. She would never wish for him to go through such a trauma again, but she wouldn't change his past. It makes him who he is, and she rather likes Asta in all of his jagged edges. Maybe she'd feel the same one day.

Stepping forward to take another petal, her movement stutters with the reminder of what it means to be cured. She clenches her jaw, eyes narrowing at the thought of what horrors she'd now be privy to, plucking a dull piece of red from the Rose. "I suppose I will..." Sighing loudly, she doesn't hesitate this time as she lets it go up in smoke. "Another gift to thank Pierce for." And hopefully the last.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

It helps that the butcher doesn’t have an angle when it comes to Thalassa, other than people he deems perfect to keep in his corner if anything ever went wrong. For now, though, he steps into that role of being a good friend. One he intends to continue to do. Even when she questions if everyone has ulterior motives, the butcher hums a soft laugh and shakes his head. “You are right.” He starts, mischief flooding his gaze. “My ulterior motive is that I never have to sleep in a cold bed ever again.” So saying, he plucks another petal from the dwindling stash remaining on the rose and sets it ablaze.

It's easier to joke about having someone to warm ones bed than it was to admit that he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

Her intensity over his near death experience has him smiling a bit brighter, shrugging a shoulder. It was centuries ago (even if it felt like it had only been about a decade or two), allowing him to meet her smile with a shark tooth one of his own. “I am also glad it brought me here, truthfully.” To think that his life could have been so short, without all of these experiences to die with? Sounded absolutely dreadful.

She takes another petal and the butcher holds it out for her to take as he asks her of the void’s true face, sighing lightly as he agrees. “Yes. Another gift to punish him for if he ever returns.” He says confidently, letting the anger of Pierce and what he'd done to her burn through him rather than any anger at her.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

Her eyes roll at his extremely nefarious motive - quite certain Danta means more to him than just a heating source - but a smirk remains glued to her lips. "That's what fireplaces are for - and they don't manipulate or say cruel things." She says it with a light playfulness, but there's too much weight for her words, too much history, too much hurt that she pushes deep down with a shrug as she pours herself another glass. "Sounds like a better deal to me." Although, as the nights get colder and the silence creeps in, Thal might have difficulty admitting that the lifeless flickering of light is strong enough to stand against the heartless chill or the emboldened shadows seeking their own companionship.

Until then, Thal stands by her words, grateful at least to have Asta as a friend during her affliction, to be able to share in her anger after it all. If only they could direct it at Pierce and his bulging muscles. She plucks another petal at the thought, tearing it in half before lighting each on fire. "Too bad he sounded fairly certain they weren't coming back. I had some gifts of my own in mind." Her venomous tone suggests that one of them might be an unmedicated castration with a rusty, serrated knife, and she's quite disappointed that he'll never get a chance to receive the thoughtful gesture. 

Pouring herself some more alcohol - it had been unsurprisingly bourbon - Thal nods her head at the dull Rose that has become a stump with a single red appendage waving like a flag of surrender. "The honor of the last petal is yours. It's the least I can offer for all your hard work these last few months." Her smile is easy and the sentiment sincere, knowing she's only added to his difficulties this season.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

Her light playfulness is met with a warm and low chuckle – allowing her the jest despite knowing how it cut deeper. “That is true. Though, I suppose, a fireplace does not talk back.” He muses thoughtfully, horned head tilting enough to allow strands of his raven black hair to slip and get caught on the protruding horn. “Though, perhaps enchanted fireplaces could exist.” He doesn’t know if it’s a reality, but given the nature of their joking and her preference to fireplaces in lieu of people that could manipulate her, maybe an enchanted fireplace would be up the alley of options.

He does seem a little too interested when she tells him that he sounded certain they weren’t coming back – and for that the butcher exhales a soft sigh of relief, hidden behind the sharp smile aimed her way. “Well, I suppose your next few bloodlust hunts shall be quite interesting. Imagining his face on everything you tear up.” He’d love to be there to see it, too. The spray of blood and fiery passion in the air as some poor creature is utterly destroyed sounded delightful.

She pours herself some more alcohol and the butcher peers down at the limp, sad looking rose still in his hand with one singular petal sticking out when she makes her offer. “Mm, how about a hunt later as well?” He asks, raising his brow as he decides against setting the singular petal aflame, instead allowing his hand to suddenly spark with it and light the entire flower up in a haze of blue, white, and orange sparks.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

At the thought of an enchanted fireplace, Thal glances towards her own, annoyed at the idea of someone invading her space and never leaving. Her nose wrinkles as she shakes her head. "I doubt it. I can't imagine it's something people want." To have a living flame moan and groan about not getting enough firewood or - gods forbid - attention. It sounds worse than having a child. She would prefer hell. 

Thal doesn't miss the relief in his eyes, the sigh sounding louder in the quiet space. Her own emotions are mixed, wanting desperately to hurt Pierce in all the ways he hurt her, but knowing that she would probably die in the process - knowing she would rather die than go through it all again. And yet she can't hide the itch of violence and bloodlust, her grin sharper with the knowledge that he can't touch her anymore. "Don't look too upset about it." Her chuckle is dark and smoky like danger on the horizon, glad he can share in her hatred. "Maybe I'll close my eyes and just rip away." If she thinks really hard about it, she just might be able to feel Pierce's skin beneath her fangs.

She can't stop the following laugh that bursts forth, surprised that he has the gall to bargain for his reward but not bothered in the slightest by his request. "Absolutely. I'll take you hunting whenever and wherever you want for the next year." It still doesn't feel like enough, and she makes note to avoid racking up more of a debt, even if he doesn't consider it as such. "If all goes well, maybe Danta could join, too." There's the unspoken fear of what she'd do if things don't go well, but she'll worry about that more when Asta isn't here.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

He chuckles as she shakes her head, her nose wrinkling with the idea of enchanted fireplaces. “Mm, perhaps it is not everyone’s cup of tea.” He drawls, though he thinks it could be relatively amusing. He’s already daydreaming about the odd and unique conversations one might have with a sentient fireplace.

It doesn’t last long, though, able to shift gears and flash her the semblance of relief that pours through him. “Oh I am positively distraught.” He whines with a playful tone, smirking slightly as he shakes his head, drawing silent just in time to hear her laugh. It shouldn’t be too surprising he’d look to take it to his advantage – after all, that was entirely how the butcher had gotten her name in the first place. He was a man that loved his deals and bargains.

So, as she makes the suggestion that if things go well with Danta that he could join in too, the butcher is quite pleased about the result. “Then it sounds like a deal, wouldn't you say?” Flashing her a wink, Asta’s warm and accented chuckle punctuates the sentence.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

Content to let people have all the nasty tea and sentient fireplaces they'd like, Thal gives Asta another teasing grin at his sarcasm. "I can tell." Maybe it's his extra high whine or the sharp peeking of fangs that gives away his distress, but she'll just have to support him through this difficult time. 

It shouldn't surprise her - and it really doesn't - that he resorts to deals and agreements, fondly recalling their first few meetings that had sparked their friendship. It brings a smile to her face, sharp with amusement. "I think it does." At least this time she trusts him enough not to ask for unreasonable favors or force her into something she might hate doing, but she still finds it ironic, raising an eyebrow as she asks, "Anything else that I owe you?" It's a playful accusation, not actually expecting him to answer despite the nagging need to repay him with more than just a simple hunt. She's quite confident that she'll never be able to do enough, but it's worth a try, especially if it involves blood and guts.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

The whine breaks into a small and gentle chuckle, warm and content to have Thalassa back to her usual self. Even if the season was dragging on him, at least he’d managed to get this done before it got worse for her.

So he relaxes further, letting the dramatics melt away as she agrees that it sounded like a deal – his grin turning sharper and positively pleased as she asks her question. There’s a short shake of his horned head, the way his hand lifts to brush off any lint (there or invisible) on his shoulder and arm. “I believe we are quite settled, actually.” Not to say he wouldn’t take her up on another deal later, but he can meet her playful accusation with one of his own.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

Setting her empty glass on the counter next to Asta's full one, Thal pushes off of it, a smirk on her lips like she's just conned someone out of their precious goods. "Perfect. I'd hate to be in debt to the Butcher, again." Her tone suggests that she really wouldn't mind, although one might argue that there are no debts between friends. Despite recent events and her unease with trust, he's had too many opportunities to exploit her, leaving her unable to believe he would ever cash in on something she wouldn't do otherwise. 

Flicking her tail, she turns to the chest that's full of everything she'd shoved inside - including her fears and traumas - so that she could run away. The thought pains her, a stubbornness rising as she refuses to hide anymore. "Now that I'm feeling much better, I think some unpacking is in order." She grabs a pile of clothes, tossing them unceremoniously on her bed to reveal the bone chime beneath. Grinning, she lifts it out to show Asta then carries it carefully towards the door. Without caring for the rain or lightning just beyond, she opens the door and looks to the raft above, protected from the weather by a lip of roof tiles. "And I think this will look great right here." Still, she looks to him for approval - and possible assitance - her eyebrow raised in question.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

“Oh come now, it cannot be that bad.” He teases with a flick of his tail and a knowing grin. It could, and often was that bad, even though Thalassa had never really been there to see him at his true worst. Either way, he lets the question hang in the air and punctuates it with a soft laugh, witnessing her stubbornness return, the fire boiling in her blood. It was great to see the old Thal, and it settles some yawning pit in his stomach that had been proof what he’d done was well worth whatever trouble it had put him in.

He is, however, surprised to see that she’s staying and not taking off in the morning – while the only glimpse of it is revealed in the raise of his brow and the twitch of his smile. And before he even has a chance to answer, she’s snagging the bone chime she’d placed in her trunk to go and hang it – the door opening with a quiet screech that sounds like nothing compared to the storms raging outside.

He drifts closer to the door as she figures out the best space for it, to which the butcher ducks as he slips out and peers up into the rafters, protected from the worst of it but enough for the wind to catch it and let it chime. “Oh this could be quite perfect, actually.” He hums, reaching for it should she hand it over to him, tugging a portion of a metal hook loose to slip the chime onto and slip back into the roof tiles to put it up. “What do you think, darling?” He asks, stepping to the side to let her see.

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

Unwilling to give him an answer about the suffering of his debtors, Thal smirks and gives a playful shrug of her shoulders before setting into motion her change of plans. It may have surprised Asta, but with the clearing of her mind, the emptiness of her apartment no longer feels like a physical representation of the gaping hollowness that had plagued her, and the thought of returning to civilization excites her rather than filling her with dread. The trip that had been meant to give her space and distance to breathe is pointless now - something the crew will be rejoicing in. 

So she goes about preparing to stay, waiting patiently for Asta to join her just outside the door with chime in hand. She does hand it over, offering it delicately on a finger for him to take then watching as he raises it up to the rafters. The ivory bones clack against each other, ringing a musical sound that intertwines with the soft pad of rain and the rumbling of thunder to complete the symphony of her home. A content smile passes over her features like a shadow before she's looking up at him again, a teasing grin returning to her face. "I think you're still obnoxiously tall," there's a flash of amusement in the brightness of her eyes that warms to something more sincere as she finishes, "but you did a great job." The softness of her expression says the rest, a depth of gratitude far greater than just the chime that hangs above them.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago

// he's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise //

“Ack.” The butcher drawls, shooting her an amused grin as he dips back into the warmth of the home. “If I were not obnoxiously tall then we would have endured the embarrassment of finding a step stool.” He points out, his grin twisting to something of amusement and a little lopsided as warmth blooms around them more with the comfort of the interior of her home.

But he takes the appreciation for what it is – even when she’s essentially talking shit. He snorts, glancing around the room one more time before he clasps his arms behind his back, tail weaving easily behind him as he takes in the chest she’d been unpacking. “Now, where else may I lend my obnoxiously tall assistance?”

Astaroth

// a smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye //

Thalassa

Slipping back into the sanctuary of her home, Thal is forever grateful for the warmth it provides, although she hadn't noticed the cold with the furnace of a man next to her. The prospect of using a 'step stool' - which she doesn't own, for the record - has her grin sharpening a touch, a blink of innocence and sweetness. "And any witnesses would have been killed to save my reputation." The Blood Captain might not be a well-known name, but people would still be baffled to see her stooping to the point of using a step stool. 

Thal breezes past him to study the room herself, hands on her hips in quiet assessment. She hadn't gotten far enough into her packing for it to be so much of an inconvenience, but she's willing to make an excuse to keep Asta a little longer, to bask in the feeling of being her again. Flicking him a sharp grin and a directing hand, she walks towards the chest, very much expecting to be followed. "You hand me things and I'll put them away. You can tell me all about how you found the Rose while you're at it - along with any important information I missed." Things he might not have told Infected Thal.

Don't ask questions you don't wanna know
Learned my lesson way too long ago