[PQ] out with the old, in with the oldest

// with our one foot in the grave //

Snorting as he works with the flame to their chimed agreements, the thought of it being a mural of sorts of their Ancient family alongside Dygra seemed like a much better alternative than had settled in the Climb back when Danta and he were around, and he flashes everyone that shame sharp toothed grin of agreement. Only, not particularly enjoying the idea of himself in the nude, painted along the wall – perhaps something he and Maea have in common.

“The most fun I’ve had in some time.” He agrees to Charlie, smirking slightly as they begin to be herded over to the statues, collecting the hammer on the way. He chooses the Voice’s statue, squinting at it in confusion before he belatedly answers Charlie’s question. “There is, I can show you their shop later if you’d like? There is also something I have been meaning to talk to you about.” He calls over his shoulder toward the priestess while Danta whacks away at the statue of Vi, before he brings up his hammer to start demolishing the Voice’s statue, imagining that Maea may join him in the endeavor if the recent show attacking the painting of her was any indicator.

---

Asta starts demoing the Voice’s statue!

Astaroth

// while the other one's kicking its way right down to hell //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Looking up at Charlie, the salt-haired girl smiled widely, looking more than a little drunk on the mayhem she was part of wreaking. Eyes glistening over being included in the our, in the {i]family{i}, she nodded. [say}"It feels good," she confessed in a hasty return whisper, sheepish as if caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
With the paintings reduced to ashes, next came statues. Maea brought a swarm of fiery butterflies along, for no reason other than because she liked playing with her magic. "You mean that person who made the busty lady outside the Dusklight?" she wondered, looking at Danta.

Guiding her fiery creations to settle on the statue of the Voice while Asta set the sledgehammer to it, Maea increased the volume and heat until the statue began to blacken and crack. Glaring at the youthful perfection of the face, all the anguish and fear and insecurities of her past came bubbling up to the surface. It did indeed feel good, this; cathartic, like lancing a boil left to fester for far too long.
"I really hated that bitch," she told her friends. "I tried to be grateful that she brought me back to life, but you know what? Fuck that. Fuck her. The only good she ever did was wake Dygra and that's it!" She bared her fangs at the statue in a feral hiss.

---

Maea uses Mastered Fire on the statue of the Voice

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

i can make the badguys good for a weekend

"I meant you could be in the nude." Charlie corrects, beaming affectionately at Danta. Like in BG3 when you can get the carnival people to make Astarion a statue to keep at camp. "If you think you could sit still long enough for someone to do your portrait, that is. If not, it might have to be more...abstract?"

Licking her lips, perhaps just to moisten them or perhaps in anticipation of whatever Asta might have to talk to her about, Charlie hummed a chipper note of agreement as she bobbed her head. "Sounds splendid. You always know the best places." For reading, for footwear, for cannibalism..

More than a little delighted to see Maea so wonderfully feral with her feelings, the priestess cackled happily before lending her own voice to echo the loreseeker's: "Fuck that, fuck her!"

Using her own fire magic, Charlie targetted all the bundles of flowers that wreathed the base of the statues. They'd all long since dried such that as soon as her flames touched them, they burned bright and hot before disappearing down into nothing more than specks of soot. "This feels so much better already." The blonde says on the heels of a sigh. Interlacing her fingers together before tucking them beneath her chin, Charlie danced across the room utterly delighted by the destruction of the statues.

"I was telling Maea about this before, but I thought maybe we could have different places of worship inside the Temple. You know, since people worship in different ways?" Looking first at Danta for his approval as their leader, Charlie's eyes next moved to Asta. She hadn't figured out entirely what types of things he'd be interested in, in terms of pleasure, but maybe they could expand on it when they went to see the sculptor. "Maybe some gems from the climb and a dagger to prick your finger on at the entrance, and then..." Grinning, Charlie shrugged suggestively. "Deeper and darker the farther in you go."

And, if Danta agreed, then Charlie would need somewhere to start planning.

"We're done with what I had in mind for today, buuut if anyone wants to help, I could use a hand cleaning out this old room?"

---

Go home, OR help Charlie clean out one of the rooms to use as an office!

.

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Down it went in a pile of rubble, and with nothing left to burn, her flames went out. Breathing heavily from the ire she'd let out, it took her a moment to calm down. Listening to the banter between the others helped; she didn't need to be part of the conversation to enjoy it. Simply being there was enough - present, participating, pleased to see them all so at ease.

"I'll help you," Maea offered when given the choice to be done or keep working. Feeling better than she had in a while, she was loathe to leave already. Even if the fun part of the renovation was over she enjoyed spending time with Charlie, whose bright nature more than made up for the tedium of cleaning.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

// you've got a passion in those eyes //

"Well of course me in the nude," Danta says with a grin, "I just meant for any of the other portraits." Either way, regardless of how many paintings there end up being, the Maverick's is certainly guaranteed to end up being eye catching one way or another. "And I can sit still for as long as you need, provided there is adequate entertainment."

Tipping Charlie a wink and stepping back as the destruction of the statues is complete - more or less, anyway, but Danta doesn't think many people will care about the rubble leftover, and it can be removed whenever - he glances towards the priestess at her suggestion. With eyes darkly glittering and an expression of clear appoval on his face, he inclines his head yes.

"I can't think of a better use for the place," he agrees. "There is already an infirmary, too, should anything go awry." And in the meantime, he doesn't see anything wrong with helping her set up her office, even if the idea of Charlie in such a space is as foreign a concept as it is for him to have an office.

But anyway. "Just tell me where you need me," he purrs.

---

Danta approves of the Temple and agrees to help with Charlie's office!

Dantalion

// so aim it straight and true //

// with our one foot in the grave //

Eager to see Maea’s feral shift against the Voice, Astaroth works with her to demolish the Voice’s statue, leaving whatever painted nudity scene Charlie and Danta are talking about to themselves. At least until he’s brought up and he flashes Charlie a sharp and bright grin with a nod. “You flatter me, darling.”

The statue is destroyed shortly after, his silken shirt coated with a sheen of dust he doesn’t seem to mind much about as he turns to listen to the next option, of different ways to worship — and when the priestesses eyes land on him, he knows what she means. He isn’t much for the sexual type of worship (even if Danta had been changing that as of late, and sharing the bloodlust burden with others has sparked something new within him), so he inclines his head slightly in a quiet understanding. “Different sections are a brilliant idea.” He agrees on the heels of Danta’s words, before bowing his head just enough to agree with Maea and Danta once again.

“It appears as though you have all of us to help.” He flashes that sharp grin again, ready to be put wherever she needed him.

---

Asta will stay to help!

Astaroth

// while the other one's kicking its way right down to hell //

i can make the badguys good for a weekend

"Awww, you're all the best!" Charlie croons, utterly delighted. Skipping her way towards one of the rooms, the little ancient nudges it with her shoulder until the frame began to cough up dust before opening. Within was an entirely dull room; there were bookcases covered in cobwebs, an old drafting table, a rug that had seen (and smelled) better days covering the floor, and a small shrine that appeared to denote Safrin (if the marble tits were anything to go by).

Peering inside, Charlie sent a few orbs of fire in first to illuminate the sconces on the wall before planting her hands on her hips. "Yep! I think this will work!" Really she only needed it for supplies, so the fact that it was entirely without character (or windows, can you say fire hazard) didn't bother the blonde at all.

"I say we just haul everything out. That way I can start fresh and clean." Turning over her shoulder, she flashed the trio behind her an appreciative and sunny smile.

"No need to be neat about it, either." She added with a wink.

---

Lets just clear the room out!

.

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Maea was just as pleased as Charlie to see the men agree to stay and help as well. Smiling widely - probably the most enthusiastic she'd ever been at the idea of cleaning, let's be real - she brushed a light hand against Charlie's shoulder as they went to have a look at the room; får more at ease than usual, her personal bubble not nearly as  wide as normal.

"Oh, that rug has got to go," she said, wrinkling her nose. Loathe to even touch it, Maea just set it on fire; it would be far easier to sleep out ashes than carry all of that. Turning to the shelves next, she found them light enough to wrangle on her own. Starting to haul one towards the door, Maea was at least glad there was no books left in it; the would be hard pressed to let those be disposed of.

---

Maea sets fire to the filthy rug, then starts hauling the bookshelf out of the room.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

// you've got a passion in those eyes //

"We are, aren't we," Danta purrs, never one to shy away from being called the best, even if it's said as a group compliment. Peering over Charlie's shoulder at the entirely drab and dirty looking room, he can't help but wrinkle his nose at first. "You're sure you want this one?" he murmurs. "I'm sure there are other, better rooms to u-- oh look, tits."

Surprising no one, it's the little shrine that draws Danta's attention, and he's already picking up the titty statuette to take it outside and drop it cheerfully to the ground where it smashes. In his wake, the rest of the shrine begins to burn. Hooray, cleaning!

---

Danta deals with the shrine.

Dantalion

// so aim it straight and true //

// with our one foot in the grave //

Flashing a bright grin toward Charlie and a hummed note of agreement when Danta chimes his own. The grin is only somewhat tempered by the time they reach this portion of the temple. Taking in everything, the butcher is the last to enter, seeing as Maea takes the rug and Danta picks the statue, he squints at the cobwebs all around.

Stealing a bit of the flame from the sconces Charlie has lit, Astaroth lets it swirl around his fingers before he lets it run along the cobwebs hanging from one corner of the room to the other, watching it burn away into nothing before he starts to haul out the drafting table by first breaking it down into pieces, removing the legs first.

---

Astaroth uses some fire magic to get rid of the cobwebs and starts hauling out the drafting table!

Astaroth

// while the other one's kicking its way right down to hell //