i hate it here

flora

Flora sweeps through the streets toward the Dusklight, her mood hovering somewhere between stormy and petulant—basically the emotional equivalent of the Ground's recent weather. The argument with Jack still gnaws at the edges of her thoughts, souring her expression beneath the hood of her lightweight cloak. She adjusts the soft, pastel-pink fabric irritably, tugging it tighter around herself as if the cool, damp air is a personal affront. Her boot heels click against the damp cobblestones, punctuating her internal monologue of frustration, and her curls bounce wildly despite her attempts at a neat braid. It’s almost sunset, and the sky blushes with soft pinks and purples that Flora, in her current mood, absolutely refuses to appreciate.

With a steadying sigh—one that is half annoyance and half anticipation of unloading all this drama on poor, unsuspecting Danta—Flora pushes open the door and steps into the warm glow of the Dusklight, her expression already settling into a practiced mixture of queenly poise and mildly irritated impatience. "Dantaaaaa?" she calls out, voice honeyed but edged with a telltale note of please come fix my life before I scream.

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"Floraaaaaa," Danta croons back at the queen from his usual place seated on the countertop of the Dusklight bar, one leg propped on his knee at the ankle, a cigarette between his fingers sending curls of fragrant smoke up into the rafters. Around them the brothel is abuzz with the usual pleasures of the early evening, and patrons enjoy a mix of food, drink and each other while a musician strums a slow and easy tune on a guitar nearby.

"What a fetching cloak," he continues, putting out his cigarette and reaching instead for the small amount of whiskey left in his glass, smoothly knocking it back before slipping down off the counter to greet her properly. The Maverick is dressed tonight in a sage green shirt and dark pants complemented by a pair of suspenders embroidered with silver thread, and he holds out a hand as bedecked with rings as the Doubletake's own fingers to welcome her to the bar.

"Is it a cocktail night? Or something quite a bit stronger?" he wonders.

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

Flora’s carefully maintained pout instantly softens into something brighter, more relieved, as Danta slips down to greet her. Honestly, just hearing him drag out her name like that—like she's simultaneously a queen and his favorite kitten—makes half her troubles evaporate on the spot. "Oh you,” Flora purrs, a grin slipping effortlessly onto her lips as she flips one edge of her cloak dramatically. Her aqua eyes catch the low, golden lamplight, playful and conspiratorial, adoring the Maverick for his compliments.

Her gaze flickers over to his empty glass and back, one perfectly arched eyebrow raised in playful judgment. She shifts her weight, settling into the space with a casual ease despite her lingering irritation. "Please, as if you have to ask," she teases, rolling her eyes lightly as she loosens her cloak, letting it drape stylishly around her shoulders. "Whiskey, neat—and maybe, like, generously poured? Today’s already been a whole thing."

Flora sighs theatrically, curls bouncing as she shakes her head, before leaning in conspiratorially. "Have you and Asta ever like...been talking and suddenly it's a fight and you didn't even realize it was?"

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"It's only polite to ask," Danta purrs, helping her to get settled at her seat before the bar before he leans in to deliver a kiss to her cheek and joins her. "That's what I'm told, anyway. I've at least learned a few manners since opening this place." And a certain gentleman butcher has probably helped out with that too. "Ah, one of those days? Say no more." Gesturing to the barman, he delivers them a bottle of some good Halovian whiskey and two frosted glasses, leaving it up to them to decide their measures.

Danta decides that triples are a good start, sliding Flora's glass across to her just as she leans in, and he scoffs out a laugh. "Not recently," he says, "but yes. Granted, I usually make sure he damn well knows if there's a fight coming. I think I greeted him by slapping him across the face, once." Smirking at the memory as if it's something to regard rather fondly now, he gestures for Flora to continue.

"I take it that's part of how your day is going?"

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

If Flora's cheeks flush at the brush of the Maverick's lips against her cheek, it's probably just a trick of the light and not because of the way her mind instantly supplies her with the memory of the last time his lips had brushed against her skin and all that had transpired following it.

"Gods, at least you’re upfront about it," she sighs, tossing her curls back dramatically as she wraps slender fingers around the generously poured whiskey. If Jack wasn't a telepath Flora would be tempted to think that he'd probably prefer the direct approach too, but given what he was, he was barred from such reasonable excuses like, I'm not a mindreader, Flora. "Sometimes I just feel like he doesn't care, you know? Like he's just going to do what he's going to do and that's that." Which, to be fair, she had known about him from the start. She was the fool for thinking that him falling in love with her would make him more caring rather than simply more dangerous.

She rolls her eyes and takes a slow sip, savoring the rich burn as it slides down her throat, already chasing away some of the day's irritation. "Then there's the whole Maea of it all, up and deciding she's going to move to Torchline but not before taking a few parting shots at you and Asta," she adds dryly, setting the glass down with an emphatic clink. Her gaze flashes back to Danta, eyes bright but edged with frustration. "So yeah, it’s definitely been one of those days." She pauses, swirling the amber liquid thoughtfully, before giving him a sly, teasing smile. "Although, a slap across the face does sound pretty satisfying right now. You think Asta would mind if I borrowed your move?"

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"We're far too stupid to be anything but upfront, at least when we're angry," Danta says in defence of Flora being indirect, grinning and clinking his glass against hers before taking a long sip for himself. He's having a rather wonderful night, in truth, but if Flora is commiserating then Danta would be a bad friend if he didn't join her, no? "I think Asta sulked once, perhaps? And then he ended up getting real drunk and we sorted everything out anyway."

That memory is less fond, but either way, things had ended up fine, so he lets it go pretty easily. "Mm, well, he seems the type to do double down if you tell him not to do something," he says of Jack with a raise of his brows, as if to suggest that perhaps it's more because Flora disapproves than a desire to actually do the thing. "I take our good captain doesn't know you've come here to shittalk him? Not that I'll tell, of course." Danta winks.

Ah, but then there's the Maea of it all, the Maverick grumbling and rolling his eyes before shooting back the rest of his drink. "Apologies to have allowed her to become Torchline's burden. I do wonder what she was trying to instigate with those parting shots, though. A war between us?" He tilts his head and smirks, silently asking whether that's something Flora has in mind.

"You can have that move for free, providing it isn't Asta you plan to use it on," he adds with a laugh. "He said he was going to see you. I hope you enjoyed yourselves."

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

Flora chuckles brightly at the mental image of Asta sulking; it’s honestly too absurd not to. Her amusement fades quickly enough, replaced by a frustrated huff at Danta’s comment about Jack. "You know, I always thought he was smarter than that," she says sharply, rolling her eyes. "Too calculating, too clever for something as stupid as just...doing the opposite to spite me." Apparently not, though. She shrugs helplessly, fingers tightening around her glass. "But no, he doesn't know. Or at least, I told him I was headed north, but I doubt he cares." Her voice dips slightly, not quite hiding the hurt lurking beneath her bravado. "I mean, he didn’t even care that we fucked and worse, didn’t even seem interested in finding out exactly what new skills I picked up from you." Which, you know, had been the whole point and had left Flora feeling silly and a bit robbed for having sent the Maverick out afterward rather than taking him up on his offer.

Flora pauses for a moment before quickly taking another generous sip from her glass. She grimaces slightly—whether from the whiskey or the memory of Maea is anyone’s guess. (It's both). "Gods, I really can't stand her. I was ready to tell her that actually we'd started implementing cannibalism too just to fuck with her." The memory of her stroll through the Levinsward with Asta has a smile returning to the queen's lips as she nods. "Yeah, he explained a bit about it, not that I care one way or the other—" Hastily said, Flora raises her eyebrows at Danta in an effort to emphasize how little the knowledge had upset her. "It does explain a thing or two though, I will say," she adds with a crooked smile.

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"Flora, when will you learn to stop being surprised by how stupid men can be?" Danta asks with a wickedly amused smile, pouring himself a smaller measure of whiskey and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't care how clever your beau is, I guarantee that testosterone makes more of his decisions than even he cares to admit." As a slave to it himself, the Maverick ought to know, though perhaps if he knew the truth about the good captain, he'd reconsider the words.

He does raise his eyebrows as Flora continues, however, spaded tail swishing lazily at his heels. "Well that won't do. Have you tried parading around in front of him with your toy all locked and loaded?" he asks with a fiendish grin, before the expression softens. "I don't reckon you should be angry for him not being upset about us, though. It's a delicate line, this stuff. As someone in love with a particularly jealous man, I promise it could be worse."

Snorting at the Doubletake's idea, he lets jewelled fingers dance around the edge of his glass. "Well, I'm glad. I'd hate to lose you as a friend over something like this. Something rare, I might add, that almost exclusively applies to our mutual monster." He winks. "If you do have any other questions, though, I'll do my best to answer."

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

Flora huffs softly into her glass, unable to completely hide the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. "Honestly, it's like the smarter they are, the stupider they act," she mutters, shaking her head. "But you’re probably right—maybe it’s my fault for expecting him to act like a rational human being instead of a..." she pauses dramatically, waving her glass in emphasis, "...whatever he actually is." Was there a word for being a disgrunted, contrary, telepathic, giant baby of a man?

His next suggestion draws a startled laugh from her lips, a faint blush warming her cheeks despite herself. "Oh, gods," Flora groans lightly, pressing her free hand to her forehead with exaggerated exasperation. "Don't tempt me—I haven't, but maybe I should. At least then I'd know for sure if it's me he's bored with, or just the whole..." She trails off, waving a hand vaguely, "...everything."

She softens visibly at Danta’s words, nodding thoughtfully as her gaze shifts to the amber liquid swirling gently in her glass. "And I know," she admits quietly. "I'd hate it if he said it was fine and then was prickly about it, but..I dunno." Her shoulders rise and fall in a dull shrug. It was probably just her daddy-issues talking, but she'd much rather Jack be jealous than indifferent.

Her smile eases into something more genuine at Danta's reassurance, her posture relaxing noticeably as she leans in to brush her shoulder against his. "Please, after everything we've all been through, it'll take more than a few unfounded rumours to change that." And, as far as she was concerned, should anyone ask or should Maea bring it up again, that's all she'd ever allow it to be. Just a nothing rumour perpetuated by a lonely and annoying troublemaker.

"How are things with Asta?"

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"Like a man," Danta corrects for her - like a rational human being instead of a man. And it's an easy thing to do, when he isn't aware that Jack likely counts as something much more contrary and cerebral than that. "Either way, hopefully some distance and time is enough for him to start properly pining for you as he should," he adds unaware of course of the literal star fuckery he's doing instead.

Raising his eyebrows and sipping at his drink, the Maverick sits up on his stool and pauses only as the bartender sets a tray of fruit and cheeses and honey before them, in case they feel like snacking while getting wasted. "Flora, as if anyone could get bored with you," he objects. "And if he does, I happen to know there's a big cannon installed on top of the Spire, here. I'll shoot him with it for you."

Snorting and shaking his head, he reaches out to grab an apple slice drizzled with honey. "Your understanding and discretion are appreciated," he says warmly, nudging her back with his shoulder. As for how he and the butcher are getting on, Danta's expression softens and he smiles around his apple slice.

"Good," he says honestly, licking the honey from his thumb before his hand strays to his right forearm and his brow furrows a little. "We have our ups and downs, granted. But... good, overall."

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

Flora’s smile brightens with genuine amusement at the mental image of Jack being blasted by a cannon, and she lifts her glass to Danta in a playful toast. "Honestly, that’s the kind of support I’m looking for," she declares brightly. "Although, gods, knowing Jack, he'd just catch the cannonball mid-air or something equally obnoxious and smug." Her eyes roll dramatically—though beneath the humour there's still a flicker of genuine frustration at how stubbornly complicated everything with Jack seems to remain.

She leans comfortably into the Maverick’s shoulder, feeling some of her tension ease away beneath the warmth of the whiskey and his reassuring presence. "Anyway, I'm counting on the whole distance-makes-the-heart-grow-fonder thing," Flora sighs theatrically, not to know that her boyfriend was balls-deep in a goddess. "If that doesn’t work, I suppose I will have to resort to parading around naked with that strap-on just to get a rise out of him—literally."

Reaching forward, she snags an apple slice dripping with honey, taking a thoughtful bite as she listens to Danta talk about Asta. "I'm glad to hear that. I was just telling him that...y'know, for how rocky all of this started, I'm glad things worked out the way they did and we can all be friends now." Friends who apparently could fuck one another and potentially eat people, but honestly, that all sounded par for the course.

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"What good am I as a fellow leader of a region if I can't offer you support in your time of need?" Danta says with a theatric raise of his glass in return. "Granted, it's a lot easier because I like you and we're friends, but still. I'll turn your captain into a toasted marshmallow if he ever fucks you off too much, just say the word." Never mind the telepathy he doesn't know about, or the quite significant amount of mageglass Jack now has equipped.

The smile that curls across Danta's lips at the mental image of Flora parading around, naked but for her equipment, is nothing short of lascivious, and he feels quite entitled to it, given that he's seen the real and glorious thing for himself. "Listen, if that doesn't have him running to you, I am always up to give you more practice, hmm?" Winking and setting his glass down, he hums his agreement at the way everything has panned out between all of them.

Granted, for a moment he does seem a little pensive, as if he's on the verge of saying something, but he dismisses it in lieu of snagging another slice of apple. "So," he says, "shall I set you up with one of our finest suites for the evening? I assume you're planning to stay the night."

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //

flora

Flora catches the way Danta’s expression shifts into something deliciously wicked, and despite herself, she blushes vividly, her grin tilting into a playful smirk. "Careful," she warns teasingly, popping the last bit of honey-drizzled apple slice into her mouth, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I might just take you up on that, and then we'd both have grumpy boyfriends to deal with."

She laughs softly, shaking her head at herself before sighing dramatically. "Honestly, though, the support is very appreciated. Her smile turns a bit gentler then, sincere warmth briefly replacing the playful bravado. As a strangely thick beat of silence stretches between them, Flora's brows flinch inward ever so slightly. Rather than saying anything, she merely leans her shoulder against Danta's again before nodding suggestively toward both of their (emptying) glasses.

At the mention of the suite, Flora nods appreciatively. "Yes please," she purrs lightly before draining the rest of her drink. "Besides, I’d much rather be here, drinking and talking cannons and questionable life choices with you, than back home dealing with…everything." Maybe not the best thing to admit as a fellow leader, but whatever.

Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

// sun comin' up on a dream come around //

"Oh?" Danta laughs, the sound low and wicked as his smile had been. "We can't be having that. Might be that I just have to invite Asta along. Not as though we haven't all seen all of each other, mm?" He winks. "That's if your boyfriend isn't still acting a fool, of course." Still, those thoughts are steamy enough all on their own to have Danta remembering he owns a brothel and can easily act on such whims, and he clears his throat and turns his attention back to their emptying glasses and apple slices.

"Any time. You've been more than supportive of us, and you deserve every bit of happiness you can squeeze out of the world." Refilling their whisky, Danta is already feeling quite wonderfully warm and fuzzy, leaning an elbow against the bar and groaning his agreement at the everything that comes part of being a leader. "You're telling me," he grumbles. "I thought I was going to be able to stay out of all this Family bullshit, but if they've started leaving me love notes in the form of dead Ancients, consider the message received."

Dantalion

// one hundred years from the empire now //