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Character of the Season
Once known as the Butcher of Whitebrim, there is no question that Astaroth casts an intimidating silhouette. Tall, domineering and dangerous, if looks could kill you'd be dead already, but to get up close and personal with the Grounds' resident cannibal tells a much different story. Dripping with charm and clad in only the finest attire, Asta is a gentleman monster, as polite as they come and committed to his new role as security for the Dusklight. Be careful of that smile, though - those teeth are sharp.
Congratulations, Asta!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
It’s still quite dark out, thanks to LongNight, and with it the cold continues to creep in. But despite everything, Astaroth is warmed by the question he has poised on the tip of his tongue, and helped by the fire that he keeps close to his chest on the trek to the Temple.
Pushing through the doors and promptly closing it behind him, shaking out any of the snow that may have stuck to his clothes, he relishes in the warmth already emitting from the Temple as he goes to speak. “Charlie, my dear, do you have a moment to spare?” He asks, drifting in deeper and allowing his dark eyes to adjust to the light within as well as any decor she may have added since the last time Astaroth had been here.
He waits patiently, pulling his gloves off and folding them slightly, sticking them into the pocket of his coat.
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
With a whimsical wall of flame following everywhere she went, it wasn't hard to spot the Temple's pint-sized priestess even as she wandered through the empty halls. Thanks in large part to the Butcher, the Temple was wonderfully empty of any indications that it had once been used for worship which allowed the blonde's imagination to run wild.
"For you?" Knowing the sound of Asta's voice, as Charlie spun on her heel to face him, her face was already beaming with joy. "Always!" Had she anything in her hands she might have immediately dropped them in favour of giving the Butcher the entirety of her attention.
Dressed in leather pants (from what animal one might wonder) and a white blouse, the priestess let the flames around her move to encapsulate them both. The Temple was warm of course, but what ancient didn't enjoy being hot ?
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
The grin broadens at her answer, finally finding the short priestess and immediately drifting over toward her with the easy encouragement offered by the swaths of fire she offers. It’s relieving in the face of the cold of LongNight and Deepfrost in turn, but he harbors no thought beyond that as he reaches for her arm, bending toward her to greet her properly, lips pressing a soft kiss to the back of her hand. “I had an idea.” He starts to say, withdrawing and offering her that same sharp grin.
“I have been speaking with Dygra and I am making her a new shrine. Closer than the Black Lake.” Cocking his head and squinting enough to let the lines of his crows feet darken with the flickering flame, he pauses obviously for dramatic effect. “I was thinking we could put it here, but despite you being our priestess I did want to confirm that it was okay with you.” A perfect spot for the perfect priestess he’s ever met in his lifetime. A certain closeness with their goddess that he thinks she will be all too excited for.
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
Wiggling her fingers delightedly within his own, Charlie's tail flits adoringly back and forth as his lips brush against her palm. "Always the gentleman." She purrs, before her head tilts adorably to the side and she peers eagerly up at him with her big blue eyes.
Gasp! Charlie's expression seems to say as Asta mentions having spoken to Dygra about a new shrine; her eyes widen a fraction and her lips part. Had he still been holding her hand, the Butcher very likely would have felt her pulse quicken as well.
"Here?!" The blonde's eyes are now comically large, shimmering as if someone had animated stars in the blue of her irises. "Here!!!!!!!!!!" No doubt Asta would be able to hear the excited punctuation following the word as her voice echoed around the Temple.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Leaping forward, she'd have jumped into his arms if she could have, but instead settled for wrapping hers around his midsection, her hands impossibly far away from each other on either side of him.
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
“Always, my dear.” Astaroth hums quite pleased, and were he attuned with the capability of preening, he might have just sprouted flowers to do just that. As it stands, though, perhaps Danta was right in the fact he should have shouted it across the room to her with how the excitement begins to bloom – the wide bright eyes, the peal of agreement after confirmation, bringing a chuckle from his throat as he nods.
He does notice how she leaps forward, but given their height difference, she settles for wrapping her arms around his middle and Astaroth bends a fraction to fully pick her up into his arms as if confirming that it was exactly the place she wished to be for the moment. “Very good.” He begins with another soft chuckle, flashing her a bright and sharp grin. “I have already left offerings at her current shrines. However, we must consecrate the ground in a way our dear Dygra would approve, as well as sate our bloodlust enough to saturate the ground.” His voice drops to a conspirator’s purr, his dark gaze focusing on her face. “I’m sure you have plenty of brilliant ideas in that beautiful head of yours?”
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
"Mmmmmmmm!" Charlie hums, her delight radiating off of her like comically drawn sun rays as she (tries) to wrap her legs around him for balance. Luckily she doesn't weigh much, certainly 100lbs give or take wasn't anything to a man like Asta, but nor did her legs have any hope of fairing better than her arms had. "I'd kiss you if I weren't wearing lipstick, you know." She says with a laugh; cheeks made red with lipstick, she knew, was not the addition Asta would likely have picked out for himself.
Listening to the requirements, Charlie tucks her chin in slightly as the lashing of her tail slows that she might given him her unwavering focus. "Sounds like a regular old Tuesday night, to me." She whispers right back as her fingernails tickle up the back of his neck and into his hair. Careful not to ruffle it, instead she combs it meticulously into place as she considers.
"Would you be against these being group activities?"
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
He does help to balance her as much as he can, though it mostly ends up with him holding her up eye to eye, warm arms wrapped around her to keep her pressed tight against his chest so as to not drop her. A deep chuckle radiates from his chest as he grins that sharp toothed smile down at her and cocks his head. “I do appreciate the idea, nonetheless.” He assures her.
The butcher’s own tail waves with content as she whispers back to him, her hand trailing up the back of his neck – and in much opposition of what Danta typically does to ruin it, he could practically purr with the sensation of her fingernails combing through it to keep it precisely perfect just as it had been when he’d left the Dusklight to head straight here. “I believe that Dygra may prefer them to be group activities.” He bounces a brow somewhat playfully. “And while it is not my cup of tea, I am willing to try for her.” Which was honestly asking a lot from him, but it proves just how devoted to their goddess he is.
And perhaps he might learn a thing or two about himself, just as he had with the Ancient in his arms when he'd learned how much he did in fact enjoy the thrill of the hunt with her company.
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
Crinkling her nose affectionately, it really does take a good deal of willpower not to press her lips to the tip of her nose, but somehow she manages.
Flashing the Butcher a fanged smile to hear him affirm what she was already fairly certain about, as he leaves the door open the teensiest crack, the little ancient can't help but try to slip her tail inside to keep it from closing. "Speaking of tea.." She bounces her eyebrows slyly at him. "What kind of tea do you like, darling?" Charlie, of course, couldn't mimic the darkly sensual way that particular word rolled off of Asta's tongue, but she did her best. "You know, just in case someone was thinking of the sort of tea-room that a man with your tastes might like to find himself in?"
The question was one born out of a desire to please rather than to pry; Charlie wanted nothing more than to create a place of worship within the Temple wherein the Butcher might find an acceptable sort of release. There would be times it simply wasn't practical to, for instance, hope to stumble upon a wagon train just rolling through. Or when a certain devilishly tall blonde was otherwise occupied.
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
His own brows raise at her question, a playful twist to his lips blooming from the original grin. He’s had quite a variety, and yet when he thinks back on his favorites, he all but inclines his head a fraction in a nod – so as to not disturb her hand in his hair, a comforting touch much to his surprise. Perhaps he has been touch starved for quite some time, to feel both so out of place and yet perfectly where he needs to be at the same time. “Mm, dark chocolate and peppermint.” He pauses to huff a soft little laugh. “But, if you are intending to spoil me, cherry is also a wonderful choice. I happen to have quite a sweet tooth.”
He doesn’t truly anticipate her creating a room for him to be utmost comfortable, but the idea of it is charming in and of itself, and a part of him does anticipate the opportunity it may present if he truly isn’t up to delving into other aspects their goddess enjoyed.
“Do you happen to have a favorite, my dear? Or are your tastes for other things?” He asks, already mulling about ideas for gifts (once again, his love language is giving gifts, regardless if anyone else appreciated them).
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
It's difficult to know if he's continuing her own metaphor or trying to difuse it; either way, Charlie notes every word with a flick of her tail as her nails continue to etch out lines in his dark hair that her thumbs smooth away. "Nothing would make me happier than spoiling you." The priestess purrs. If what Asta wanted at the end of the day was a room where he could indulge his palette in other ways, Charlie certainly wouldn't begrudge him his cravings.
"Before just now I wouldn't have even known peppermint and chocolate was a type of tea." Charlie whispers as if it was some heretical secret. "Before, it was all just herbs and berries, and largely just ones you could find in the Climb or that came from travelling merchants." Certainly nothing so exotic as cherry.
"Definitely chocolate." Charlie says, nibbling at her lower lip as if able to taste the phantom sweetness of it. "I quite like daggers too, and anything that sparkles."
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
“Is that so, darling?” Comes that playful hum, giving her a gentle squeeze of gratitude for her agreement – and an internal part of him far too excited to see what she comes up with, having the utmost belief in her that she will create something wholly perfect. As for the mixture of teas, he knows exactly what she means. Peppermint had been at least become more available in the places he’d visited before he’d become Ancient. The minty taste warming through even the chilliest cold that encompassed him.
Letting another little chuckle escape him, he nods to her whispered secret, making a slight little gesture with his hand between them as if he’s crossing his heart to keep such a thing perfectly quiet. “It is divine. There is a tea shop down the street that has the best blend.” He informs her equally as quiet – though only truly having noticed the variety the shop had when Danta had bought him his beloved red tea set.
Opportunity glitters in his gaze as she informs him of all her favorite gifts, and the grin shifts from something sly to something bright again – ticking away those options in the back of his mind to gift her when the timing was right. For now, though, he is empty handed in terms of gifts, despite his arms being quite full of her still in his arms. “You are a woman after my own heart.” He drawls in terms of daggers, letting another chuckle escape him.
they say I did something bad, so why's it feel so good?
"It is." Charlie sings right back. Her fingers move down the column of his neck and toward the muscles just behind his ears; the ones normally made tight by those who poured over books (or bodies) and were often ignored in lieu of larger and more obviously stiff muscles. (wink).
"Will you take me sometime?" She could go alone of course, but where was the fun in that? As they got to know each other, if it wasn't obviously already, Asta would learn that Charlie almost always preferred to be in the company of others. "Then you can make sure I don't miss out on anything." Her dark eyebrows bounce beneath the line of her bangs before she giggles in such a way that has the entirety of her small frame vibrating with delight.
"Am I?" She wonders coyly. "You do seem like the type to like sparkly things." The priestess jokes with a sunny grin.
Much as she enjoyed being in Asta's arms and letting her her nails ghost against him, her fingers gave the classic flutter flutter against his shoulders to indicate a change in his focus, before she leg her legs loosen from around his waist that he might set her down. "Too much heat and your shirt will wrinkle." She chuckled slyly, before turning her attention to the Temple at large.
"Did you have anywhere in mind, for the shrine?"
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
The second her fingers dip to those long forgotten muscles, a stream of tension that has lingered in Astaroth’s face seems to demolish completely, even in lieu of his carefreeness. If he could purr like a cat, he would be right this second. Instead, his tail simply waves in lazy paths behind him as he enjoys the sensation for all Charlie offers.
“I wouldn’t dream of missing it, darling.” The butcher reassures her with a bright and sharp smile to match, already planning out a variety of new blends for her to try, wondering if perhaps her very own tea set would be a decent gift, when she mentions liking sparkly things and how he also seems the type.
He tries desperately to not think about Danta’s rainbow hued horns in the sunlight with that particular comment.
Nor can he deny it with the grin flashed her way. “I certainly do.” Meaning the decorate bands that occasionally adorn his horns or the chains added to his suit vests to give it an extra spark, of course. Definitely not anything Maverick related.
He feels her anticipation, though, and he releases her back down to steady ground (even if a part of him mourns the massage), and tears his attention away from her to drift further into the temple as if scouting out a great location as he does straighten out any potential options of his shirt wrinkling. “I don’t mind that too much.” He hums at first, flashing her an amused grin. “However, beyond the temple itself, I was hoping perhaps you had a location in mind within it where you may prefer it to be. I don’t wish to take over a portion if you intended to have other uses for it.”
Glancing at one of the closed off rooms he’s definitely daydreaming about an actual tea lounge and not like a sex dungeon (as oblivious as he is), he turns his dark gaze back to her, awaiting her insight.
