[PQ] A little of this, a little of that

After leaving Torchline and speaking to Sunjata, and idea had come to Edmund. The Climb was Mother Dygra's now that she was awake. At least, it should be. And that should be known. He'd manage to convince a merchant leaving Torchlien to sell some supplies to him and now it was time to begin. He'd thought long and hard of just what to do. Maybe some decoration at the entrance to the Climb? But there wasn't any true entrance. As he'd lugged the supplies in, it'd dawned on him. An arch, standing proud just before one entered the chamber where the Obsidian Cathedral lay. Setting out the supplies, stone, mortar, and a few other things, Edmund took out a piece of paper and began to sketch out a design for the arch. This is an open PQ to build an arch right before the opening into the chamber that houses the Obsidian Cathedral. An arch dedicated and decorated for Dygra. Please post your characters arriving. 1. Edmund 2. Dantalion 3. Zefira Edmund the prince of torchline

Dantalion

but you can't be free

"Well would you look at that." Danta's crooning voice comes from somewhere behind Edmund; after his little jaunt down to Torchline, of course he's come back home to cause trouble have a rest. Perched cross-legged on a nearby slab of obsidian, his tail lashing a slow and lazy sweep behind him, he tilts his head at the young Ancient. "A little baby construction worker."

Baring his teeth in a fanged grin, he leans an arm on one of his bent knees and tilts his head. "I'm not so sure the cathedral needs much building though, little worker. It's already finished." Rolling to stand, Danta has discarded his rags in favour of some of Torchline's wares, which suit him beautifully, if he does say so himself. His pride and joy has been the long coat he's found, all ruddy, reddish leather and shiny buckles. Shirtless beneath it, he's like some curious vagrant as he invades Edmund's personal space to gaze over his shoulder.

"An arch? What is it for?"

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

"Mornin', sugar," a low, throaty voice drawled out from the shadows, aimed at Dantalion. "And you brought me breakfast, how sweet!" The voice belonged to a tall, muscular woman walking barefoot from one of the tunnels that led to Frey's Breath. Water still steamed from her bronze skin but her hair was already twisted back up and held in an artfully loose coil by a pair of sharp metal hair sticks.

A towel was wrapped around her torso, theoretically protecting her modesty down to mid-thigh but she wasn't in any hurry to change into the clothes that swung nonchalantly from the string bag dangling from her fingertips.

Sizing the two males up, she stalked towards them with a feline grace that had more to do with a tigress than a lady. "Bit skinny for my tastes, though," she purred a pout, looking Edmund up and down with frank appraisal - and finding him lacking. "Couldn't you have found something with a bit more meat on its bones?"

As she finished her circuit of the boys she stopped behind Danta and leaned over his shoulder in turn, pressing against him with a fine lack of interest in personal space or boundaries in order to look at Edmund's sketch. "Hmm? What's this?"

Edmund whirled around with a hiss. A hiss that died when his eyes glanced up to see horns atop the stranger's head. The young Ancient's aggression quickly melted into friendly curiosity as he eyed Dantalion. "Hi!" His brow pinched into a small scowl at the 'baby' comment, but he was happy to share and defend his idea with a fellow Ancient. The first fellow Ancient he'd ever met. "It's not for the Cathedral. That's in there." He pointed towards where the entrance lay. It was within sight but still a good walk. Before he could add more, @Zefire emerged. Her words made him bristle slightly with unease, but he continued his explanation when she too eyed his sketch. He pointed at the paper as he spoke, "All fortresses and castles have gates, right? The more intimidating, the better. The Cathedral is the closest thing to being Mother's castle. I thought putting a metaphorical warning sign before anyone reaches it was fitting." Edmund sent the two a bloodthirsty grin over his shoulder, "Doesn't an arch made of volcanic stone and bone, and then covered in blood, seem fitting? We could even write something along the top." Such bloodlust was still new to him, but he was learning to accept it. It was a part of him now. Growing animated, Edmund gestured to the area around them, "I've got some base stone and mortar, but I need to collect more things. I need bones and volcanic stones to start. I also need to start mixing the mortar." He eyed his fellow Ancients hopefully, "Would you help me? Please?" ~ Round 1! No post order. Choose a task and get started. Edmund will take what's left. 1. Collect bones from nearby skeletons (or make a skeleton if you want.) 2. Collect volcanic stone. 3. Mix up the mortar so it can be used. Edmund the prince of torchline

Dantalion

but you can't be free

"I am aware," Danta purrs, of where the cathedral is - it was his altar of worship long before Edmund was a twinkle in his great-grandfather's eye, after all. He parts his lips to give his opinion (why?) of the whole archway business when a familiar crooning voice reaches his ears, and he flashes a fanged smile over his shoulder at Zefira, happily sandwiched between the two Ancients.

"Now, now. We do not eat the young blood - life isn't so dire yet, is it?" He raises his eyebrows at her, his tone teasing. "Anyway, the fellow wants to create a tribute for our mother - and that is never something to discourage." Speaking of which, Danta thoroughly enjoys the idea of collecting up bones, and so - clapping Edmund on the shoulders and peeling himself away from his little sandwich - he goes to start looking.

What he's doing should be obvious by the way he starts hefting around the ribcage of what likely used to be a fyrhund, but fuck if he's let them know.

---

Danta tells nobody, but he does start to collect bones!

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

"Not even a snack? Surely he wouldn't miss a hand... or at least a few fingers?" she pouted at Danta before dropping a fanged nibble at the place where his neck and shoulder met. The older man's silver tongue brought up a convincing argument before she could get further distracted and she sighed theatrically and leaned back.

"The entire Climb is Dygra's fortress, cub. But since I'm bored at the moment..." With a rolling shrug that threatened the security of the towel she stood back and let Danta scamper off to start his scavenging. With a stretch of powerful muscles beneath silky skin the cloth did come loose and begin to slip, but her form was already shifting, her colors swapping as black fur rippled up from beneath copper skin, and the black stripes tattooed in it began to glow red-hot and run, dripping molten copper at her feet. Er, paws.

A massive female molten tiger in her prime padded off to swipe a contemptuous paw at a stalagmite, knocking it loose so she could bat it back towards Edmund before going in hunt of more stones to send skittering back his way.

And if some of them knocked into the little lad, well... Oops?

---

Zef turns into a tiger and ambles off to knock rocks back towards Edmund!

Maybe the whole arch was unnecessary to the older Ancients, but Edmund was determined to see it done. "Of course, it is." He shot back at Zefira, somewhat unnerved by her apparent desire to eat him. "But somehow nearly all of Caido has forgotten that. I want to start reminding them." It had been centuries since Dygra was last awake, and before now most of the people Edmund knows had never heard her name much less understood her dominion of the Climb. When Dantalion walks away, Edmund is sure that the other Ancient is out. But when he clearly starts collecting bones, the younger Ancient grins. Meanwhile Dantalion has decent success. He collects a suitable number of bones of various creatures within the climb, even a few complete skulls! The prize one however is a black dragon's skull. That will do nicely. Zefira has even greater success. Her tiger form ensures that no stone poses a chance against her hefty paws. They go flying with full force, landing in a surprisingly neat pile near Edmund. They've got plenty of stone to work with now. Edmund gets to work mixing up the mortar without issue and with little time, the whole group is ready to keep going. "Thank you!" Edmund grins at his fellow Ancient, pleased at their cooperation. "Now it's time to start building!" ~ Round 2! No post order. Whatever task is left, Edmund will take. Two people to stack stone and mortar to create the main structure of the arch. One to attach bones wherever needed/wanted with the mortar. Edmund the prince of torchline

Dantalion

but you can't be free

"Ooh, he's amibitious. I could get to like that," Danta remarks, though it's mostly to himself as he collects up the bones and hefts them back towards Edmund. He's obviously not as impressive as Zefira, though, what with the big tiger paws and the destruction of volcanic rock; Danta reminds himself to preen for her later, so she doesn't forget how beautiful and powerful he is.

In the meantime, it's apparently time to build. Nudging the bits of skeleton he's collected with a bare toe, the Ancient flashes a grin to Zef and gestures to it. "Would you handle my bones with care while I erect these rocks?" he asks, wondering if he could fit any more innuendo into the sentence (probably, but he's just warming up).

With that suggestion cast out, Danta begins to stack the stone and mortar to construct the archway. It will be organic and rugged and chaotic, and that, he thinks, is how their mother would like it.

---

Danta starts to stack stone and mortar to make the arch!

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

"Hmmm," was all she purred in response to Edmund's fluff and vinegar, unimpressed but not having anything more entertaining at the moment then needling the new blood. Besides, the wanton destruction his little project entailed was fun enough as they got underway, her tail twitching at Danta's aside.

When it seemed they had enough debris to begin, she shifted back into a form with more convenient opposable thumbs and dusted the pumice from her hands, unconcerned with her nudity. Dantalion's offer brought a throaty chuckle from her as she looked him over. "Aren't I always careful, sugar?" she purred. He was still in one piece, after all. "Though I have to admit, these are larger than the ones you usually give me." With a wicked grin she sauntered over to her bag of clothing and pulled on leather pants and a vest to protect her more delicate bits while they played with sharp toys. She didn't dally too long, however, before returning to push Danta's bones into the convenient holes left in the construction project.

---

Zef puts bones into holes!

Dantalion apparently can not erect rocks well. Not in the least. They fall and tumble over each other due to lack of mortar or stick so tightly together that no one could ever hope to penetrate their holes. While Zefira might have been disappointed, she knows exactly what she's doing. With careful placement even Dantalion's sloppy holes end up working more or less. And with Edmund thankfully stacking stone and mortar as well, they get the job done. The main strucuture of the arch is made, standing proud in all its naked glory. Though the youngest Ancient's cheeks were oddly flushed from the number of innuendo's flying around, his still innocent mind struggling amusement and embarrassment. In the end, it isn't perfect, but it works. It's chaotic and raw and barely being held together but if that doesn't reflect the arch's creators, I don't know what does. The stones form the base structure, with jagged claws and jaws sticking out in an intimidating display of violence and chaos. So maybe it is perfect in its own way. Letting out a slight cough, Edmund eyes the arch before glancing at his fellow Ancients. "I uh..I think it's time we kill things. How about we all kill something, bring it here, and bleed it all over the arch?" The more blood they drenched the structure in, the better. ~ Round 3! Go kill something and bring it back to bleed all over the arch! No post order. Edmund the prince of torchline

Dantalion

but you can't be free

Were Danta the type of man to care more about accomplishing a task than making filthy jokes, perhaps he'd have been a bit disappointed with his efforts. As it stands, though, he's too busy watching Zefira tragically clothe herself, flashing a predatory grin her way for her trouble. "No," he tells her bluntly, "and it is very much a turn on. And they aren't larger, it's just your hands have gotten smaller with old age."

Ahem. Anyway. Finishing his disastrous contribution to the archway, Danta's all ears when it comes to the next part. "Now you're talking," he purrs to Edmund, promptly prowling away into the boiling landscape.

It isn't long before he returns, dragging with him the body of a Blind Swamp Rat, picked off from its fellows and maimed before being dispatched. "Do we get to eat it afterwards?" he asks conversationally. "After the bleeding, I mean."

---

Danta kills a Blind Swamp Rat!

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

"Hmm." Despite his contradiction, Zef looked positively pleased at the flattery - right up until he turned his verbal fangs on her and she flashed him a sharp grin that was as much threat as amusement. "Bold words, sugartits," she purred. "I'll certainly remember them the next time I have some tender part of you in these little ol' hands of mine." Promises, promises...

But despite how bad Danta turned out to be at getting things up, their busy little baby bee managed to supplement his efforts and erect a fitting tribute. Zefira wasn't displeased with the final result, standing back to look it over critically and making some last adjustments. After pounding a few more bones into Danta's holes even she nodded with satisfaction and waited to see what Edmund would suggest next.

"Blood? Is that all?" For a long moment the brightly predatory way she looked at Edmund might have given away the train of her thought. Someone here had plenty of blood just lying around... But she laughed, deep and bright, and before the echoes had died away she had shifted into her tiger form again and flowed out to the hunt.

She returned a little while after Danta, thick neck muscles bunched beneath her obsidian fur as she dragged a modest rock slider, perhaps eight feet long and still feebly twitching, into the chamber. She settled beneath the arch and began to messily disembowel it like a house cat playing with a tube toy, making sure most of the blood spray was directed up at their little construction as large claws gleefully shredded the serpent.

---

Zef kills a rock slider!

"Of course!" Edmund eagerly replies to Dantalion's question. Who was he to deny his fellow Ancients the chance to satisfy their bloodlust? As long as the blood spilled on the stone, the rest was up for grabs. Yet once more Zefira hints at eating him and the youngest Ancient bares his fangs in defiance, embarrassment forgotten. "Not me." He'd be lying if he said he wasn't scared of her, but the tiger beneath his skin is too aggravated to give into the emotion. Then it's time to hunt and the Ancients separate. Perhaps it should have been expected, but things go off the rails. Ancients and blood? Well, who would have guessed. Dantalion catches his rat, but promptly swallows it whole before even bringing it to the arch. Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps just hunger. Regardless, the man has no offering when he returns to the others. Zefira fairs a bit better. Barely. She kills her rock slider successfully, but the kill is sloppy. The creature bleeds out before she can get it back to the arch. Edmund fairs no better, the juvenile lial he kills also bleeds out before he returns. As they all return, the Edmund grimaces. "I think we need to try again. Might as well eat these now since we can't use them." ~ Round 3.5 Feel free to eat the lial and rock slider then kill something again and bring it back to bleed. No post order. Edmund the prince of torchline

Dantalion

but you can't be free

Listen, okay, a man's gotta eat. And given that Danta is covered in rat blood when he returns (he's licking it from his fingers), there's always the chance he can rub himself all over Zefira's bones to coat the archway crimson, right? Right, Edmund? No? Ugh, fine.

"You enjoy yourselves," he drawls, waving a hand at the lial and the rock slider, before prowling away to try and find something else to kill. This time he finds himself on an outcrop of rock overlooking a pack of fyrhunds, and it's only at the opportune moment that he flings himself into the fray.

No molten tiger is Danta, and so he relies on his own wiles to get the job done; hopefully this time he'll have something more to show for it when he returns.

---

Danta heads out again and targets a fyrhund this time!

'cause I'm selfish, I'm obscene

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!