[Training] Jigsaw, I got 'em puzzled, got 'em a bit lost

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

"AAAAAAAY, DEE DAWG!" Kaisel shouts out, jumping up with a frantic wave in an effort to be seen above a small crowd. He's just spied the Maverick, exactly who he's come here to see, but it's only through the brief gap between a throng of hungry people. They're swarming the newest stand in town evidently, which is peddling chicken nuggets wrapped within mozzarella sticks. The cheese pull is insane, according to Penny who's in line and chatting with Laura about the whole thing.

Muttering some excuse mes and pardon mes and let me just squeeze right past yas, Kaisel wriggles free of the crowd. His flip flops slap loudly over the square as he chases after Danta, a large object in his pants swaying noticeably with the hurried stride, despite staying tucked within his navy basketball shorts. He waves again, arm already boasting a nice tan, although the shoulders that peek out from his burnt orange tank top are spouting a red hue that speaks to his failure to use sunscreen today. The shirt bears a faded image of Remi's face, three in fact, each facing different directions, a moon in one corner. His backpack, as always, is snug on his back.

"Hey, Danta! Can I steal you for a minute?" he wonders as he draws closer, sweat already beading on his brow as the midday streaks on overhead in full force.

---

Quest: complete a thread injuring someone with his chakram, ensuring the weapon is stained with their blood.

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

"Mmph?" Danta turns at the sound of a moniker he's growing slowly accustomed to, the Maverick having just threaded out of the crowd swarming the new nugget-mozzarella stand. He hasn't opted to partake this time other than asking for a sample of their hot sauce and a popsicle stick, and it's this that's poking from his lips as he turns on heel to try and find Kaisel.

Longheat always treats Danta well (honestly, it's a surprise he and Asta haven't fled to Torchline yet for their annual vacation) and his tan is getting there even with the Grounds falling short when it comes to true tropical weather. Lowering his little pot of hot sauce to reveal his own tank top - loose around the arms, black and decorated with a large yellow X beneath which is stamped the word IRRITANT - he spots the soldier a moment later with a broad, fanged grin around his popsicle stick.

"You can," he trills. "Are you stealing me anywhere nice? And will we be back by dinner? Only Asta and I have reservations at a cocktail bar and we should send him a hostage note if I'm going to be late."

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

Clopping to a stop before Danta with a hint of commanded habit, Kaisel's arms loop through his backpack straps and tug it forward. The pack jostles behind him as it rises higher, releasing trapped heat between his shoulders, the relief brief as more immediately regathers. His thumbs remain hooked in the straps, arms hanging there in a vision of boyhood. His features rise, the crest before a laugh breaks free, easy and winding at the Maverick's questions. "You're funny Danta," he fires back without answer, one arm loosing, his pointer finger extending to shake out at the ancient for added effect. "And impeccably dressed, as always."

Stepping in beside the man, his loose arm goes to settle at Danta's shoulders, head tipping in after a brief glance around. No familiar flash of blonde to make him do a doubletake, so they should be in the clear. "Two things," he says with his other hand lifting up two fingers, so that they don't lose count. "First, will you help me with Flora's birthday gift?" His head lifts up again, porpoising above the crowd for a moment, even leaning onto his tip toes. Only when the coast is decidedly clear does he reach into the hefty sag at his pants, withdrawing a glass orb. It catches the blaze of the sun with a bright reflection, angling a small spotlight along the street. In his best impersonation of Jareth, Kaisel holds it up between their faces, fingers clutching it tight. "It's a secret," he whispers loudly.

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

Arching an eyebrow as Kaisel comes clopping to a stop that has Danta vaguely wanting to salute, he nibbles thoughtfully against his popsicle stick and grins again to hear he's both hilarious and fashionable. "And you're a sweetheart for noticing," he purrs, jostled a bit by the soldier's arm around his shoulder but far from minding the unexpected touch.

"Did you try the cheese nugget things?" he starts to ask, gesturing with his pot of hot sauce, before suddenly it's getting very suspicious-seeming and the Maverick all but lights up at the prospect of secrets. "Hm? Of course I will. What did you have in m-- holy shit I thought those were your balls." The exclamation blurts out as Kai removes not a badly swollen scrotum from his pocket (ugh??) but a glass orb.

"And what... am I meant to do with it?" he asks, voice pitched to a similarly theatrical whisper.

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

Although cheesy nuggets would ordinarily be a topic to focus on, the importance of what’s in his pants is far greater and runs away with him completely. All the innate mystique of the moment, an inevitable outcome whenever a crystal ball is in hand, disperses in an instant. Danta’s sudden crow and the unexpected swerve towards a very different sort of ball(s) ripples through Kaisel. He blinks, just for a moment, before a laugh breaks out with all the grace of a belch.

The effort of the laugh makes him lean in deeper onto Danta for the moment, shaking his head around his grin. ”OH, no, only on testes day do they get that swoll.” He leans so far into the joke it threatens to topple over into believability. Despite what he says, he does not weight train his nutsack.

Flapping away the distraction of size with his hand lifting along Danta’s shoulders, Kaisel thrusts the orb towards him. ”So, this baby can store memories, and then you can watch ‘em back later. I’m going to all of Flora’s friends and family, collecting their favorite memory with her, or of her, so that she always has the best highlights to look at whenever she’s feeling low.” The result of a photoalbum and a box of dead wife home videos having a baby. ”As far as I know, you just need to hold it, think of the memory, and it’ll create it in the orb.”

---

If you have a thread the memory is from, please link it on the bottom of your post!

Everkeep | a handheld glass globe that can hold memories to be replayed later and include sight and sound.
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: (None)

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

"An honest mistake," Danta croons his apology, a hand fluttering to his chest even as he tries and fails to cage in his own laughter, and he straightens up just in time for the glass orb to be thrust at him expectantly. "Oh, I see," he says, clearly approving of it, and he takes the glass into his hands to hold it up as if he might see some other memories swimming around in there. "You're sickeningly thoughtful, do you know that Kai?" he says, before falling quiet to think.

And think some more.

Eventually Danta settles on a memory between himself and the Doubletake, feeling warmed by it as the recollection spills forth - a shared moment before Dygra's altar, her lips kissing the blood from his own as an offering to his dark lady.

It's interrupted, however, by another memory of Flora, this one older and much less safe for work by far. It's heat and crackling pleasure, it's her vixen's eyes in the reflection of a mirror, it's him begging her for release.

Scoffing to himself, Danta hands the orb back. "Well, that is what it is," he announces. "I hope she enjoys it."

---

Danta tries to give a memory of he and Flora at Dygra's shrine - [SE] by faith, not by sight

...but it morphs into a different one halfway, where he introduced her to pegging. meet me in the middle

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

Admittedly, Kaisel has full intentions not to watch the memories put into the gift for Flora. However, Danta is the first to actually use it, Kaisel himself not having yet decided what he wants to put inside it. Therefore, he can’t entirely keep the creep of curiosity at bay, especially when it seems like nothing is happening for a moment, and when Danta doesn’t seem inclined to make the moment private. ”Is it not wor—” he begins to say with a frown, about to reach back and reclaim the orb and give it a shake or a slap to jostle it into order, arm falling away back to his own side as he peers over at the object.

He freezes the moment the images and voices spring to life in the curved reflection, delight rising to see it in action. That moment is short lived. The familiar shrine rises up amid fire and blood, and a kiss. His features slowly lower, mouth falling, throat drying. Well, what’s one kiss between old friends, right? Right?! "Uuuuh?" he manages, eyes narrowing.

That same sentiment doesn’t exactly extend to, well what’s one pegging between friends? Like watching a horrible tragedy he can’t look away from, his gaze remains transfixed, sharpening with acute displeasure. It’s not that they don’t all have pasts of some kind or another, and it’s not like the fact his cousin and her had been a thing haven’t already made this messy, but this is her friend. Her friend, who she still meets up with all the time. Her friend, who she offered go naked in her hot tub with her. Her friend, who despite being in a relationship, gets hallpasses. Her friend, who of all his best memories of or with Flora, selected that.

Silently, Kaisel swipes the orb back, stuffing it into the backpack he swings off his shoulders. He exchanges it for his chakram, pulling the weapon effortlessly out of the bottomless bag. ”Second,” Kaisel says through his teeth, referencing the count he hasn’t lost track of. ”Wanna fight?” He glances up from his crouch over the bag, rising and straightening with weapon in hand. Every part of him’s grown taut, and he’s half a mind to just leap forward and drive this blade at Danta regardless of the Maverick’s answer, but he holds, waiting for the permission that will make this all cleaner.

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

"Oop--" Having to juggle the orb as Kai swipes it back mid-handoff, as if worried it will fall and shatter (are magic orbs susceptible to that sort of thing?), Danta lets his hands fall back to his sides and raises his eyebrows at the discomfort visibily prickling in the soldier's expression. "Did I not do it right?" Evidently he's not expected what seems suspiciously like insecurity from a man who is laissez-faire enough to wear three of Remi's faces on a t-shirt.

Then Kai is asking to fight, though, and Danta's eyes light up in dark glee. "Fuck yeah," he says immediately, and even though they're right in the middle of the Inner Quarter, he lets a ring of fire light up around them to ward off any tourists or other civilians from getting in the way. (The fact that they skirt around the ring with only mild interest is testament to the regularity of this sort of thing).

"But only if you tell me what's got the stick up your ass. C'mon - sharing is caring." Raising his fists with embers sparking at his heels as he steps back, Danta's stance screams self-taught street thug rather than anything disciplined, but that doesn't mean he's any less enthusiastic for it.

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

Stiff shoulders and a laugh that’s more like a tire leaking air quickly is his only immediate response to did I not do it right? Objectively, Danta had done it correctly, exactly as requested and needed. Subjectively, bruh, sybau.

The quick acceptance and enthusiasm of his offer tilts a smile back onto Kaisel’s features, though it lacks any of its prior reach into his gaze. The very one that remains rigidly affixed to the Maverick now, unblinking as he imagines a few scenarios for how he might begin. The eruption of a flaming border around them draws his attention, assessing their designated ring before it pinpoints the ancient again. ”Oh, so you do know a thing or two about boundaries? Shit, coulda fooled me!”

The false ease of his voice cuts out into a sharp line of expression as he swings into his own fighting stance. He slides into a well-practiced and ready balance in his legs, hands drawing up close and tight to his face for blocking, angling the chakram out like a mild shield. ”A lot less than having Flora up your ass, isn’t it?” he calls out just before slinging his chakram towards Danta’s legs, hurling it like any pro frisbee player. He springs into motion behind it, aiming to close the distance between them Danta just placed.

---

1/4 throws chakram at Danta’s legs and runs in behind it

Leviathan Chakram | An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

"I'm sensing some tension between us, Kaisel," Danta says with a catlike smile, and whilst his confusion is genuine, the other man's reaction is familiar enough to previous sulking occasions that he starts to put two and two together quite quickly. "Look, I didn't know you were gonna be staring at the orb the entire time I was remembering. Don't be so nosy and you won't hurt your own feelings," he says.

The chakram lances out, then, and Danta is forced to concentrate a little more, feet tucking up like he's playing a particularly dangerous game of jumprope. He clears it, luckily, but he doesn't clear the soldier barrelling in behind it, and Kai tackles him to the ground hard enough to send pain vibrating up the length of his spine. "A lot less, yeah," he agrees as he struggles to get an arm free. "I feel like you've not tried it though, huh? You're missing out."

Twisting, he throws out a fist to swing it at the other man's jaw, hoping to use the momentum to get free from beneath him at the same time.

---

1/4 Danta gets tackled to the ground and tries to punch Kai in the face!

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

The rebuttal of, well it’s your fault for catching me, lands about as well as one might expect. Danta’s blase attitude about intimacy with Flora only incites Kaisel further, sharpening the tight burn in his chest. The heat of it is blinding even, tackling into Danta without much thought beyond hurt.

The force of it is immediately satisfying, but his hands scrabble for purchase beyond what he’s got, mindless in their pursuit as Danta only feeds further into the flame with a blatant agreement. No denial or remorse or explanation that might balance the moment, just open acceptance of the event, like it’s expected. "Your happiest memory is being fucked by her!?"

Grunting through the tussle, Kai rears up, trying to cock back a punch to throw at Danta’s smile, but not before Danta’s fist connects under his jaw. The impact rattles his teeth together, tongue clipped with the abruptness and the overall force throws him off balance from the squirming ancient.

He staggers back to his feet, spitting blood to the side while his hand opens for the return of the chakram. ”You want to fuck her again, don’t you?” He glares from under the messy mop of his hair, trying to straighten as he hurls the chakram towards Danta’s arm this time.

---

2/4

Gets uppercut by Danta and staggers off him. Throws the chakram at his arm.

Leviathan Chakram | An unbreakable chakram created from the scale of a leviathan by the Voice. With razor-sharp edges, this discus will always return to the hand of whoever throws it, and will always do so without injuring the hands of the thrower.
Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded | Cost: Action

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

open hand or closed fist would be fine

"Being fucked by her was a happy side effect!" Danta scoffs, trying and failing not to laugh a little, though the sound hisses into a wince as his knuckles connect with Kai's chin. Still, it gets the soldier off him and the Maverick is able to roll and spring back to his feet with the same agility, panting lightly and shaking out his hand. "My happiest memory is seeing her go from nervous and uncertain to... well, you saw."

Cocking another unapologetic smile, this time he's not quite fast enough to avoid the chakram, and it opens a shallow cut against his bare arm as he twists away, a wound that's left bleeding sluggishly as he rounds back again towards Kai. Fire bursts into life at his call for it, though he's forced to pause, dumbstruck, at the question thrown towards him.

"Obviously, yes?" he says. "I'm not fucking blind, Kaisel. That doesn't mean I'd try it unless Flora was interested, though." Now he does hurl the fire, sending it arcing towards the other man's shoulder. "Hells, I'd fuck you if you weren't so uptight about it."

---

2/4 Danta gets a cut on his arm and throws a ball of fire at Kai's shoulder.

Dantalion

the blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

If I asked would you come and fight with me?

He doesn’t even know what to do with the latest excuse. He simmers in the confusion of how something can feel both weirdly wholesome and like the worst lie he’s ever heard. It short-circuits him for a moment, leaving him standing there, gawking, after throwing the chakram. He struggles to place the idea that all Danta had cared about was guiding her and oops, sex as a byproduct! ”You can’t be serious,” he scoffs with a deep set frown.

The chakram’s victory does not bring him any relief, and he’ll only later be dully aware that the weapon he needed marked by the blood of someone else has done just that. For now, he’s trying to ease the pull inside his body that’s suddenly made every tendon feel too tight. Figuring more blood could be the answer, Kaisel steps further to the side, trying to bait the return of the chakram’s sling in striking into Danta’s shoulder from behind. Unfortunately, trying to angle it just so keeps him in line with the fire that gets directed his way. It’s quick, flaring out with the promise of pain, but Kaisel pushes his luck even further, waiting for the arc of his own assault.

”Aha!” he crows, as if he’s just trapped Danta with the admittance. He slings an arm out, pointing as if he’s caught the Maverick red-handed. It all adds up to dipping into a dodge too late, and immediately Kaisel has to clap his point over his other arm, snuffing out the clinging flame that bites into his fabric. Smoke curls up acrid and dark, perfectly matching the way his features tug back at Danta’s words. ”What!?” he chokes out, because now this has swing wildly off base what he thought.

His scalp prickles, a dry, ”me!?” coming out with all the flabbergasted honesty of never considering a man’s interest in him. He physically reels back, only recovering mildly as he stammers out, ”but you have Astaroth! You love him, I thought. Why the fuck would you be with anyone else, even if they were iNtErEsTeD?”

---

3/4
Tries to hit the back of Danta's shoulder by angling the chakram's return path. Fails to completely dodge the fire and gets burned on his shoulder.

I think you upped your count somehow and your next post would be 3/4?

Kaisel

It's not just our moment, it's our destiny

// too many war wounds and not enough wars //

"Can't I?" Danta asks with a frown that seems honestly confused. "My friend came to me needing help with something she was nervous about, and she ended up being very competent at--"

Cut off by the chakram arcing back through the air behind him, the Maverick grunts in pain as it slices across his shoulder and forces him to drop into a crouch, lips pulled back in a snarl of surprise. "That thing comes back?" It's unclear whether he's impressed or incredulous about this turn of events, and the reality probably sits square in the middle.

Glaring around in case of any other death frisbees before he straightens up again, Danta takes a few more cautious steps around Kaisel, trying to decide whether to try and tackle him or to go another route. Of all the theatrics and violence tossed around thus far, though, clearly the one thing he hasn't been expecting is for Kai to be shocked that he's considered a fuckable specimen in the theocrat's eyes.

"I mean, duh," he starts, before the rest of the soldier's reeling commentary breaks through. "I... Kai, do you think love and sex are the same thing?" The laughter is all in his voice now, Danta almost casually lashing out towards the other man with a whipcrack of flame. "I own a brothel," he reminds him. "Who I love has nothing to do with what turns me on."

Don't get him wrong, Asta ticks every box going when it comes to those things, but unless it's Leafchange, his lover is much more conservative when it comes to his libido.

---

3/4 Danta gets whacked by the chakram on the way back and makes a whip of fire to lash it at Kai.

u right I am a dumb <3

Dantalion

// too few rounds in the ring and not enough settled scores //