that's what I tell him

flora

Flora stands outside the Dusklight, blinking against the overly cheerful sunlight as it filters through the early-morning haze. Gods, mornings after whiskey-and-gossip nights with Danta always leave her head feeling vaguely like cotton candy—fluffy, fragile, and liable to dissolve at any second.

With a playful sigh (more exasperation than real regret), Flora smooths her hair back—because, of course, she'd fallen asleep without braiding it—and gathers it loosely over one shoulder, curls still tousled from sleep. She glances over her shoulder as the Maverick emerges behind her, lips quirking into a fond, sleepy smirk. "Gods, remind me to never let you pour again," she teases warmly, stepping forward to tuck herself against his side in a lazy hug. She doesn't mean it of course, and at 22 the queen is more than capable of drinking her way through a bottle and dancing until the wee hours of the morning.

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"You asked me to be liberal, if memory serves," Danta drawls, though in truth memory doesn't serve him all that well this morning, and at 37 he's far less capable of keeping up with Flora, though it doesn't stop him one bit. It does explain the sunglasses he wears to ward against even the palest rays of sunlight, though a bag slung over one shoulder and his arm slipping around Flora.

"C'mon. If I'm gonna die today, I at least want to be in a hotspring," he continues, ferrying them away towards the colossal bonfire in the middle of the main square of the Inner Quarter. "I trust you slept well, at least?" he says through a yawn he hides behind the back of his hand. Dressed in a loose linen shirt and a pair of wine red yoga pants, Danta looks more like he runs some wellness cult than the Hollowed Grounds, but listen. You get what you get, okay?

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

Flora laughs lightly, leaning comfortably against Danta’s side as she eyes his sunglasses with a grin that's half-amused, half-sympathetic."I did do that, didn't I?" She confirms with a snicker as she slips her arm around his waist.

Her aqua gaze flicks over his outfit, one eyebrow quirking upward in playful approval. "I feel underdressed," she sighs theatrically, glancing down at her more practical sweater and scarf. "Next time, give a girl some warning—I'd have brought my matching set. We'd look great leading a MLM scheme yoga retreat or whatever it is you're trying to pull off."

Rather than mentioning that she would have had a good sleep (the beds were always to die for, and the sheets—!), had she not been over analyzing basically every moment of her relationship with Jack since it had started, the queen merely nods before gesturing grandly toward the towering bonfire ahead. "Alright, let's see this famous fire magic at work. I've got a hangover to soak away and at least a dozen questionable life choices to reconsider."

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Mmhm," Danta agrees emphatically - yes, Flora, you did do that. Still, he can't hold it against her since he had drank everything he'd poured for himself, the Maverick falling into an easy pace as they approach the bonfire. "Mm? I didn't realise you needed warning for hotsprings attire," he teases with a fanged grin, releasing her as they arrive so he can better part the flames for her to step through the portal.

"And the only thing I'll be trying to pull off are these clothes, once we get there." Rubbing his hands together, it's with a bounce of his eyebrows behind his sunglasses that Danta effortlessly manipulates the bonfire to allow the Doubletake safe if not toasty access to the portal to The Climb, and he gestures for her to go first. "Far be it for me to stop you from your relaxation and regrets." He winks.

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

Flora flashes Danta an exaggeratedly scandalized look, hand pressed dramatically to her chest as if shocked. "I know we only came up with this plan last night, but I'm sure I could have borrowed something to match." Her lips quirk into a mischievous smirk as she watches him part the flames, unable to deny that there's something genuinely impressive about the way he manipulates the fire.

She steps toward the newly formed gap in the bonfire, a wave of heat washing a touch uncomfortably across her face as she glances back at him over one shoulder, blue eyes glittering with playful challenge. "I'll hold you to that," she purrs, of would or wouldn't be pulled off in the hot springs. For her part she'd had to borrow something from one of Danta's workers, and while it wasn't her normal vibe, she didn't mind terribly.

With a final, dramatic flip of her hair and a wink tossed his way, Flora strides confidently (but quickly) through the portal.

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Well if it's any consolation, I'm sure we'll match perfectly well once we're at Frey's Breath." In attire if not in style, since Danta very much doubts that Flora's bikini is decorated with little chompy sharks like his own are. But she'll discover that shortly. "I'd hate to disappoint you," he fires back with a mischievous wink, waiting for her to step through the portal before he follows suit, releasing his hold on his fire magic once they're through and the familiar stifling heat of The Burrows surrounds them.

"Gods, that's better," he purrs, rolling his shoulders as if to let his body get as much of the heat as possible, before he offers her his arm and begins to walk the now-familiar route towards the hotsprings. Around them the tunnels are quiet, tranquil almost, and Danta removes his sunglasses to tuck them into the pocket of his shirt. "It almost feels too quiet after the Inner Quarter, no?" He smirks.

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

Flora exhales sharply as the portal deposits them in The Climb, the oppressive heat pressing against her skin like a thick, living thing. "Gods," she mutters, fanning herself dramatically before pulling her scarf free and draping it over her arm. "It feels like we're in the middle of LongHeat all of a sudden."

When Danta offers his arm, she loops hers through without hesitation, settling easily against his side as they start along the winding path toward Frey’s Breath. The tunnels stretch out before them, flickering with dim, golden light from cracks in the cavern walls, the hushed silence pressing in after the chaos of the Inner Quarter. Danta’s remark earns a soft, knowing chuckle, and she glances up at him, blue eyes gleaming in the low light. "I know, right?" she hums, voice teasing but fond. "I feel like we’re doing something illegal just by existing here."

She lets the silence stretch for a few moments, the rhythm of their footsteps blending into the distant drip of water against stone. Then, with a playful bump of her shoulder against his, she quirks a brow and smirks. "Sooooooooooo wanna hear some gossip?"

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Mm, it does. I don't miss The Climb for much, but the heat is something I could always use more of," Danta says, his voice low and indulgent as they pass through the craggy tunnels and soft werelight. "And it's a good thing that I quite enjoy doing illegal things then, isn't it?" Grinning, he's more than comfortable to walk arm in arm with Flora towards the hotsprings and some well-deserved relaxation - especially if there's gossip going.

"Flora," he chides her, as if she's been holding out on him all this time. "Obviously yes I want to hear it." Ducking under a low ledge, he straightens and ushers them around a corner to where the Burrows open out and steam begins to curl at their feet, heralding their imminent arrival at Frey's Breath. "Even better if it's about someone I don't like."

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

ignoring timelines because w/e Flora laughs, the sound bright and delightedly wicked as she lets herself be guided through the craggy tunnels by Danta’s side. The closer they get to the hazy steam curling around their ankles, the more the oppressive heat begins to settle into her skin, and honestly? It’s kind of nice. A little unbearable, sure, but in a way that promises indulgence rather than suffering, all the moreso when she was able to shed 99% of what she was wearing.

"Gods, you’re the worst," she teases, though her grin betrays how much she means the best instead. "I love that about you."

She shifts, slipping her arm more comfortably through his, matching his lazy pace as she leans in conspiratorially. "I wish I had that kind of gossip, but alas." Still, she did think that what she had to say was something the Maverick would find amusing. "So you remember that queen who was taken by the Family a while ago? Sohalia? Well," the queen grins. "She's one of my closest friends, and if you've ever spoken to her, you know she's about as adorably restrained and chaste when it comes to certain things."

Those things of course being sex.

"Anyways, despite having basically been about to marry some guy a few years ago, she'd never sealed the deal." Wiping a bead of sweat that threatened to drip into her eyes, Flora glances up at Danta over one shoulder, smiling wickedly. "Until literally last week when she loses her virginity to some guy she'd literally just met, right out in public." Tilting back her head, Flora cackles affectionately. "Gods, she wasn't so sure about it in the end, but I couldn't have been more proud of her."

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

And you love it, Danta might have fired back, but Flora beats him to it with her follow up. So instead he merely offers her a cheerful grin and a nudge of his shoulder, before they're prowling further into The Climb and the soft lap and drip of water begins to fill the air around them. "I can't say I've had the pleasure," he says, of meeting Sohalia properly, but that absolutely doesn't take away from his being invested in Flora's story.

"How unfortunate for her," he quips - being restrained and chaste sounds incredibly boring, in his opinion. "Not that I suppose I can say much. Asta might as well have been a virgin when I first got my paws all over him," he adds with a wicked laugh of his own, slowing their steps as the deep, steaming pools of the hotsprings begin to appear around them.

Expecting Flora's story to end with and then she kissed with tongue rather than hearing that Sohalia had fucked a perfect stranger in a public place, and his eyes widen with delight. "Well that's one way to shed your inhibitions," he agrees with a scoff. "Good for her. Let her know my doors are always open if she'd like to continue to broaden her horizons."

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

Flora snorts, throwing Danta an exaggeratedly scandalized look before grinning wickedly. "Is it horrible of me to not want to pass along the message? I'm not sure I can stand the thought of widening the circle we already share." Between Asta and Danta having fucking her mom and Sunjata, the degrees of separation between who they'd each been with was now basically at 0 (which was as much Sunjata's fault as it was Danta's).

The heat is instant and overwhelming, curling thickly around her as they approach the water’s edge. Flora sighs, half from relief, half from sheer indulgence, and reaches up to gather her curls into a loose, lazy twist at the back of her head. "But honestly, right? I was so proud. One moment she’s swearing she’s the type who has to be in love, and the next she’s spontaneously combusting all over some hot unicorn attuned man in the middle of the Rainbow Road."

Flora laughs, slipping her arm free from Danta’s to hook her fingers beneath the sweater she'd borrowed, revealing the scandalously small bikini beneath. In fact, it wasn't even a bikini but just part of some elaborate costume she'd borrowed from one of the girls at the dusk light. Made entirely of shimmering gold coins, it was waterproof if only because there wasn't anything more than a few scraps of string holding it all together.

She tosses her things carelessly onto a nearby rock, stretching luxuriously as she turns her gaze to the bubbling pools, the steam curling thickly in the dim cavern light. "I'm both as surprised as I'm not to hear that about Asta, though," she purrs.

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Not horrible. Selfish," Danta hisses, his blue eyes dancing with playful outrage, before he waves a hand at her and releases her that she might peel off her sweater and the rest of her clothes. "All jokes aside, though, I merely intended to offer the Dusklight for your friend to get more practice. Or at least to give her a room to fuck in, rather than getting it on with an audience. Though maybe that's her thing?" He waggles his eyebrows.

Eyeing Flora and her excuse for a bikini with blatant approval, Danta lets out a low whistle as he unbuttons his shirt. "Now who ought to have given a heads up?" he wants to know. "I could've worn something just like that." Sighing and wriggling out of his shirt and pants, the Maverick is left wearing nothing more than his (rather fetching, in his opinion) pair of shark swimming shorts, and a strip of dark silk tied neatly around his right forearm.

"Mm, I suppose you don't really get much of an opportunity to practice when you eat all your bedmates," he agrees about Asta with a scoff, easing himself into the hot water and instantly relaxing back against the stone.

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

flora

Flora smirks, letting out a low, throaty chuckle as she steps toward the water’s edge, the glow of the steam catching on the golden shimmer of her makeshift bikini. "Guess I'm selfish then," the queen purrs wickedly, not that she really has any reason to be. With Jack being such a, you guessed it, jackass lately there'd likely never be another occasion for she and the Maverick to get cozy again, but surely she could always keep that particular door unlocked, even if it wasn't open.

Preening beneath his gaze, Flora lifts herself onto the ball of one foot to offer the Maverick a slow twirl before eyeing the silk band around his arm as much as his choice in swimwear. "You know, I should’ve guessed. You seem to have a thing for predators" she teases, nodding toward the cartoonish little sharks decorating his shorts before glancing back to the band. "What's that? Going to anchor yourself to the side so you don't drift away?"

Shaking her head as she wades into the water, Flora exhales in pleased relief, the heat working its way into her muscles almost instantly. She tips her head back, letting the weight of the steam settle against her skin, before turning a wicked grin back toward Danta. "Honestly, that explains so much about him," she sighs, aqua eyes flickering with amusement. "But, you know, eating all your lovers does make things less complicated. No awkward morning after, no expectations, no running into them in inconvenient places…" She tilts her head, feigning thoughtfulness. "Honestly? He might be onto something."

I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Dantalion

how the fuck am I supposed to know

"Good for you. Nothing wrong with being selfish in my book," Danta drawls, arching back against the hot plane of stone he's found and drawing up his glamour with an imperceptible shiver so he can settle more comfortably, sweeping his fair hair back out of his face. Eyeing her through the steam as she offers him a marvellous 360 view of her 'bikini', the gold coins shimmering effortlessly in the low light, he scoffs out a laugh and glances down at the sharks just about visible beneath the water. "What can I say? Predators are more interesting, don't you think?"

As for the silk tied around his arm, that has the Maverick's smile fading to an expression that comes close to shame, but not quite. "Just some of those ups and downs I mentioned last night," he says, his voice softly echoing as Flora slips into the water to join him. "I don't know how much Asta has told you about how he came to The Climb, but suffice to say it's left its mark. He has nightmares. Sometimes he acts out in his sleep. I accidentally got in the way a few weeks ago." And the scar the butcher's teeth has left behind is more mauling than love bite. "He feels guilty enough without having to see it. And frankly I don't like looking at it either."

Still, the idea of going praying mantis on one's lovers isn't without its amusement, and a new smile kicks up at the corners of Danta's mouth. "Imagine how empty the world would be if I ate all of my lovers, though," he protests.

if we're in love or if we're in pain?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!