little birds tell me

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

Let it never be said that Danta does not listen. At least partially. With one ear. To every other word.

His original plan for the Hollowed Grounds has been scuppered, and the Maverick descends into the warm depths of the shrine in the Black Lake with intention, but not on a fiery portal home.

No, there are shenanigans afoot, and apparently that requires a shifting of priorities.

"Dark lady," he purrs, the words slightly muffled by the removal of his shirt, the Ancient sinking to his knees before the cluster of crystals. "Things have certainly taken a turn for the chaotic."

Dropping the garment to the stone, Danta removes a slender knife from his boot and opens a slender line of crimson across his chest, over his heart.

"All is as it should be," he continues, knowing better than to assume this new introduction of entropy into the world will be treated with anything other than delight.

"I have heard, however, that people are becoming infected by our new neighbours. I would rather like my blood to remain yours alone. And so I ask," he murmurs, pressing his hand to the blood on his chest, and then to the crystals glittering within the shrine, "might you grant some protection to the Inner Quarter against these creatures?"

---

Danta is requesting an RQ for a barrier around the Inner Quarter to protect against the void creatures!

Dantalion

Dygra

The gems pulse within the crevice, stained and dripping with lifeblood, and for a second or two Dantalion might envision a pale hand, or perhaps a glittering and bejewelled tentacle, all rock and ruby in the darkness. But then, of course, that's gone, replaced with Dygra's usual low and sultry purr.

"I would not see my children tainted by these new arrivals," she agrees in a whisper like rough honey. "As delightful as it is to watch them scheme and work." Humming a sound that Danta will feel vibrate in his very bones, Dygra considers his request.

"Very well. Rae has something similar in the workings for Torchline. I am sure they won't mind if we flatter them by imitation..."

---

Tasks. There is no time limit. There are currently 7 active Grounders. This means 4 unique characters have to participate. Characters can participate more than once. Dantalion must participate in at least 2 threads.

1. A thread of at least 3 Grounders gathering stones from the shores of the Black Lake
2. A PQ placing those stones all around the borders of the Inner Quarter. Must have 8 rounds.
3. A thread with at least 1 Grounder, capturing a void Flora or Fauna from every major region (SB, TL, H, HG, GW, KE), kept alive and brought at the time of turn-in.

Table coding by Sky <3

I used to hold your haunted neck; I know I'll miss you if I close my eyes

Danta feels his goddess's presence wash through his very bones, as though she's a tuning fork and he is powerless to do more than vibrate along her frequency. A soft smile touches his lips, and he bows his head in reverence and agreement both. "Thank you," he purrs. "We will ensure this is done in good time. Be well, Dygra."

She will be - he knows it as much as any other Ancient - but it's still polite to wish her the best, he thinks. Lingering for a while longer in the presence of the glistening rubies, long after the deity's presence fades, Danta eventually rises to his feet and begins to make his way out of the shrine. So much to do, and all that.

~FIN

Dantalion