[ME] blood and chocolate

JACK

Having turned his attention from Astaroth and Flora when it appears that nothing further than present-giving is happening, one might have expected it to be a surprise when the Doubletake suddenly saunters into view and into his lap. Instead, Jack's arm curls around her waist as if it has always belonged there, his fingers lightly strumming against her hip in a gesture that might be seen as casually possessive (and is intended to be perceived as such).

Tearing his eyes away from a table across the room and tilting his head up towards her, he offers her a dark little smile and leans in a fraction, as if he's sharing a secret. Which he is, of course, but their current posture suggests it's something far more salacious than the birthday boy's feelings. "He's flustered as all hell an' wants to crawl into a dark hole somewhere," he informs her smoothly, purposely not looking towards the butcher. "Hates surprises about as much as I do, I reckon. Holdin' it together well though, I'll give him that."

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

\\ Get my pretty name out of your mouth \\

Astaroth's admission has her sharing in his quiet laugh, hers twisting between them like a babbling brook. "I get it. My crew quickly learned not to ask about mine." Mostly because she doesn't remember it, but also because she doesn't want to encourage things like 'surprise parties.' Any questions regarding her birthday earned a few extra hours of kitchen duty, or swabbing the deck in the rain. 

As for age, Thal hasn't heard exactly how old he is, but his accent alone speaks of generational gaps that she finds extremely intriguing despite his obvious dislike. Her eyebrow raises in a silent tease that says, "Because you are," but out of courtesy for the birthday boy, she doesn't say it aloud. Although there's no mistaking the sharpness of her grin or the glint in her eyes. 

The expression softens for a moment, a genuine smile on her face only for him. "Wouldn't have missed it." If only to see him out of his element, caught by surprise for once. But also because she's actually come to like the man. Not that everyone else needs to know that. She winks playfully, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen from her updo. "I heard there'd be free alcohol." For emphasis, she takes another large swig of her drink as she glances around, her lip coming up in a disgusted sneer. "Although I didn't realize there'd be so few singles. Is there no one to dance with?" Between possessive movement and goo-goo eyes, she doesn't see much room for snagging partners, and what good is a party without dancing?

One such half of a couple approaches, and Thal schools her expression into something somewhat friendly. She reaches out a hand to Isla, offering a fanged grin with it. "Thalassa."

Thalassa

Astaroth

i think i'm the devil in disguise, here's my state of mind

Snorting to hear her qualms about how many couples were here, the butcher rolls his eyes playfully. “If you want to dance, I am more than happy to provide.” He hums with a playful glimmer of mischief in his gaze. He might be taken, but that didn’t mean that he was incapable of joining her on a dance floor.

Plus, it helps that Danta isn’t much of a dancer himself.

Ah, but then Isla approaches, and his smile is bright and wide as he looks toward her – letting the alcohol do wonders to numb the sensation of overwhelm that the surprise party had sparked. Turning toward her, the butcher hums a soft and accented. “Thank you, Isla. It is wonderful to see you again, as always.” He murmurs before she introduces herself to Thalassa and they get their greetings in.

give me destruction, tell me i'm scrumptious
i'm a fucking delight

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

With one eye on his beau and how he's coping with all of the attention and the rest of him focused on the party, it's of little surprise that things soon take a turn towards the chaotic. Asta is a child of Dygra, after all. And between the music, dancing and endless, endless liquor, Danta is determined to let everyone else in attendance know what it means to bask in her dark presence, even if it's only for a single night.

Whether Ancient or otherwise, attendees are offered - and encouraged - to stay the night at the Dusklight, with as many bodies warming their beds as they like. As for Danta, he's drunk enough to have to crawl up to his own rooms on his hands and knees, but in his defence, he's pretty sure that's how Asta likes him anyway.

~FIN

Dantalion

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