cover me in kerosene

charlie

"I bet you could get the best tan lines." She purrs emphatically, flashing the botanist a fanged smile in the moonlight as she imagines having the outlines of pale scales stretching up her body. "Ooooooooh, yes please! I bet we can even get things to share, and then we can swap outfits halfway through the night." Sort of like they were now, but with (presumably) less pain involved.

Watching the botanist contort himself into her shoes with an appreciative grin, as he straightens Charlie fits herself against his side both to emphasize how tall he now was and to subtly aid his balance should he need it.

"I don't know much about the stars, but given how long I've been asleep, even I can see that they've changed and I thought it might be fun to properly look at them." The priestess explains as they saunter, her blue eyes wide from eagerness as much as the snapdragon that has Mateo's curls seeming to snake from his head like twisting serpents.

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

"You absolutely can," Mateo assures Charlie with a smile sliced through with moonlight as he turns his head. "I can attest to it." It's true that Stormbreak doesn't have the same intensity of heat that bathes Torchline during the Longheat months, but that doesn't mean one can't get a very decent tan in the right places. (Fishnets or no fishnets). "It is a deal, bella. And it has been some time since I introduced some new pieces to my wardrobe. You are welcome to borrow those as well, of course."

With Charlie snug against his side as they begin to strut walk towards the hill where he knows the Spyglass will eventually come upon them, they leave the throngs of people in the Silk Houses behind, and are soon wandering the dark veins of the city's sidestreets. "I quite enjoy stargazing myself," he informs her, whether or not it's true. "Not as much as botany, but there are some interesting constellations up there. My nonna would tell stories about them, though I do not know how true they are."

charlie

"You know my name is Charlie, right?" The priestess says gently as he refers to her as bella. It was no problem if he'd forgotten; Charlie was rather good with names but she knew the same certainly wasn't true for others and she had no problem reminding him. "Maybe one day we can have magic wardrobes that connect, so we can always share!" She gushes, and while her imagination initially conjures the opening of a closet filled with Mateo's things interpreted with her own, the snapdragon quickly sees the little blonde folding herself through a hanger in order for the botanist to slip into her like a dress from his side of the world.

She certainly didn't hate the idea of it.

"Do you?" Having to resist the urge not to reach up to pet the snakes coiling from his head, the blonde nods as if she understands, before her expression suddenly crinkles. "What's a nonna?"

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

Mateo responds to her question with a musical laugh, and they weave somewhat to the side with the force that he squeezes her against him. "Of course I do," he tells her, and actually means it. "It is a term of endearment. Bella, it means beautiful. I think it suits you quite well, do you not agree?" Grinning hard enough to show his dimples and then some, the botanist tries to correct their trajectory and return them to the incline towards the Spyglass.

"Oh, now that sounds wonderful," he agrees of her wardrobe idea; quite why Mateo had never thought of it before he does not know. Perhaps they can even invite Flora to partake in the sharing as well. (Listen, he's allowed to have fashion envy of his sister, look at her).

The street finally seems to even out, more empty than any other as the great observatory looms overhead. "Nonna? She... mm, she was my father's mother," Mateo explains. "She was a very magical lady. I think you would have liked her."

charlie

Not minding at all being fit so completely against Mateo's side, the only reason for Charlie's wriggles are so that she could continue to peep up at him rather than being buried in his armpit. "Oh!" Blushing affectionately, she offers the botanist a bright fanged smile. "It suits you then, too." She purrs brightly.

"Purrfetta!" The little ancient laughs; they can connect closets all across Caido if it's what he wants. No doubt that sort of chaos would be something Dygra would happily endorse if Charlie was able to go to shrines.

As they walk, Charlie has to take exaggerated steps to keep Mateo's sandals on her feet such that she's a touch breathless as they make their way toward the top of the incline. 'Oh, like an eldmother.' The priestess hums, nodding her understanding. "She sounds wonderful. Did you have very long with her before she went to Mort?"

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

"You are too kind," Mateo purrs right back at Charlie, though he is trying to concentrate more on keeping in a straight line as they head for the Spyglass. When the streets finally open into a moonlit square and the stars sprawl overhead, the botanist is about as done with the petite Ancient's footwear as she had been, though he is of course more than happy to pad towards the observatory barefoot. And so, leaving Charlie in his sandals, he unclasps the boots and opts to hold them in one hand, dropping considerably in height to stand back beside her.

"An eldmother?" He grins, quite enjoying the term, and nods his confirmation. "She really was. She told the best stories, and taught me about plants, and her cooking..." He mimes a chef's kiss, as if to demonstrate. "I have her finger bones here, see." Tugging at the netting of his shirt to let Charlie see the bleached bone necklace he wears, he has a feeling she will appreciate it in the way it's intended. "I had long enough with her to wish that I could have had more," he explains softly. If he had been very young, that would have been better in some ways.

charlie

"No youuuu." She sings delightedly up at him, parting only to allow him to remove her footwear. "Here, we can share." Tossing her foot in order to remove one sandal, Charlie nudges it in front of one of Mateo's fishnetted feet with a grin before she slides her arm back around his hips.

"Mhmm. Only for us, you didn't have to be related. That sort of stuff wasn't as important, because once you were in the clan, you were family." Too hedonistic to have family structures hold up the way they seemingly did now, children were raised communally. Peering up at him every other step with bright interest, Charlie moaned a delighted sound as he mentioned her cooking. "Ooooooooooooooh!" Looking up at the bones, the priestess gasps her approval before sliding her own fingers between the digits as if to shake Vai's hand.

"Time always feels short, no matter how much you have." It was like entropy that way, constantly losing itself, becoming less, running out. Giving the botanist a little squeeze, Charlie beams reassuringly up at him. "You'll see her again." She says confidently. "And all this time you've spent away from her will just mean that you will have the best stories and wonderful new recipes to share with her, mm?"

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

"Ah - thank you!" Grinning despite the fact that it makes very little difference to wear only one of his sandals, Mateo nonetheless accepts her offer to share (since that seems very much in the spirit of the evening's conversation) and slows his steps, not jus tto slip his foot back into his sandal, but to also give Charlie time to examine his nonna's gift around his neck. "That does sound nice," he agrees of the Ancient's prior 'family', grinning as she shakes Vai's hand, more or less.

"She was a great healer," he explains, "and the bones still possess some of her magic - so do let me know if you are in need of anything like that." Winking and straightening up, of course the botanist tucks her right back against his side as they head for the (currently closed) double doors into the Spyglass.

He draws strangely quiet as she speaks, then, about time, and Vai, and seeing her again, Mateo surprising himself by feeling his eyes prickle, and when he speaks it's through a voice whose accent has grown thicker. "That is right, I will," he says, almost making it sound like a vow. Then, clearing his throat and gesturing ahead of them, he reaches out to unceremoniously pound on the doors. "Good evening!" he calls. "May we see the stars?"

charlie

"I absolutely will!" The ancient agrees, her tail wagging in a way much more canine than feline given its speed and enthusiasm. "Maybe one day you can show me all your tricks and I can show you all of mine." She hums, bouncing her dark eyebrows at him.

Neither minding nor drawing attention to the sudden emotional quality of his voice, though having to listen a bit harder to pick out the familiar words between the musical syllables, Charlie nods determinedly as if she might seal the vow on his behalf.

Despite the way the pounding of his fist seemed to roar through the silence around them (though that might just have been the snapdragon heightening the way she heard things), Charlie just bounced from foot to foot, growing an inch and then losing it as she shifted on and off her sandal.

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

"All my tricks?" Mateo grins, leaning in to leave a quick smooch against her temple. "It's a deal. Here's one of them now." Winking and turning to face the doors, one of them cracks open ever so slightly (and it's through a much smaller door built into the larger one), revealing a stern-faced scholar who seems to bristle with something tired and resigned at the sight of the botanist. What follows is a quick conversation during which Charlie might identify sentences from the scholar about the lateness of the hour, and others from Mateo about having a vested interest in the constellations, and that his fathers would appreciate it greatly, before they are reluctantly granted entry.

"Grazie mille," Mateo trills and guides Charlie into the Spyglass, where all is quiet and tranquil, and only those scholars granted access out of hours can be seen wandering around. "We need to go up to the observation deck," he whispers. "You will be able to see all of the stars, and right across Stormbreak. On clear days you can see all of Caido from up there."

charlie

Rolling her tongue in order to purr up at him, the blonde tilts her head slightly. "It's a date." She corrects as he smooches her temple before turning attentively towards the door with her eyebrows raised expectantly. Unsure if there was going to be fireworks aimed at the door, invisibility employed or something else wildly theatrical, that it's a silver tongue Mateo utilizes has Charlie wanting to applaud loudly from behind him. She doesn't (but she will later). Not

"Gratseeh Millie." The priestess repeats, unsure if this was a common expression around Stormbreak but wanting to err on the side of politeness just in case, she bounced in after the botanist trying (and failing) to contain her enthusiasm. "This is amazing!" Charlie whispered, though even her hushed voice carried through the near-silent space causing a few scholars to look up and scowl. Waving warmly in their direction, she tilts her head back toward the domed ceiling. "All the way up there?"

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

With a date planned, entrance gained to the Spyglass and one sandal between them, Mateo can already say it has been quite a good night. And despite Charlie's hushed (not) amazement and the disapproving glances from the scholar, he nods enthusiastically in return, following her gaze up to the dome high above. "Yes," he whispers. "But we do not need to walk." Gesturing to a glass elevator and ushering her towards it, Mateo has never questioned the magic at work to get it to move so swiftly and smoothly to the observation deck.

And so he merely slips inside, drawing Charlie with him, and cranks the lever to the floor he wants. They rise promptly into the air, the scholars and shelves and books all shrinking away to nothing, until soon enough the very top of the Spyglass is opening to them. Up here it's understandably chilly, a strong wind blowing, but the sky is cloudless and the stars shine by the dozen down onto them.

charlie

Rather blankly, Charlie looks from the elevator back to the botanist, her head tilting ever so slightly to the side in an obvious ??. She follows him willingly enough, though as he moves the lever and the elevator begins to move, she utters a small scream in the back of her throat before reaching roughly to grasp onto Mateo. Quickly it becomes obvious that the glass wasn't simply going to give out, and though the blonde breathes a sigh of relief she doesn't part from the botanist until they're all the way at the top and the elevator ceases to move.

"What was that?" (What is that?) She wonders, stepping out and giving the elevator a skeptical glance before realizing just how high up they actually were. "Mateo! Look!" Pointing out as if he might somehow have been ignorant of where he'd taken her, Charlie glances at him over her shoulder all bright blue eyes and happily waggling tail.

"Come, come. I can keep us warm." She sings, reaching for his hand to lead him towards whatever portion of the observation deck offered the largest view of the sky. Shrugging out of the botanist's jacket, Charlie folds it into a pillow large enough for the pair of them to use, before dropping to her knees and giving his hand a playful tug for him to follow.

I'm up in flames if you wanna
cover me in kerosene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

champagne, cocaine, gasoline; and most things in between

"An elevator," Mateo trills as they step out of the contraption and onto the observation deck, more than content to keep Charlie glued to his side as she peers around at it. "It can take people up or down much faster than stairs. There are stairs as well, of course, but I thought we would prefer not to hurt our feet even more." Especially given that they are wearing one sandle apiece.

Grinning up at the wide expanse of twinkling stars and letting the petite Ancient go so she can twirl and observe and enjoy herself, he trails at her heels to wherever she chooses to sit. Only once his coat has been spread out for them does Mateo sink down beside her, setting her boots to one side and leaning back on his hands. "Ah, look - a shooting star." He points; there are dozens, if one is quiet and watches for a few moments, blanketing across the sky.

"In there," he points behind them to the interior of the dome, "is the real Spyglass. It can see anywhere in Caido, or so they say."