[SE] cut from marble

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Hands gone numb with cold struggled to push open the door to the Dusklight. What had been roses on Maea's cheeks were fading into something resembling marble, as though the flesh and blood of her body was only skin deep. It had never been so pleasant to step inside; warm air fragrant with incense of cinnamon and clove closed around her like an embrace, and beneath the murmur of the constant clientele a half-familiar piece of music wound through the establishment.

"I never thought I would say this about the place, but it feels good to be back," she admitted as the held the door for Asta. "Is that a good thing, or should I start to worry?" Brothels generally didn't mean good things for women, and it was not a setting she was too familiar with.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

The holes in his shirt does little to keep Astaroth from retaining any warmth – as such, with the matchbook Danta had so graciously gifted him, he lights a match, feeling the warmth of it at his fingertips before he realizes he’s slowly getting some strength back. As such, he finds with the tiny little matchstick, he can make the flame grow a little bit bigger – held in a warm halo around his midsection to keep some warmth.

Either way, he follows her in, breathing in the scent with a sigh of relief. “Comfort is comfort, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.” He drawls as he slips into the Dusklight behind her, extinguishing the little flame and tucking the matchbook back into his pocket. “Though, between you and I, brothels aren’t exactly my… preference of places to live.” He chuckles a little, making the path to the bar.

As usual, the patrons look up, scanning his towering form – surprised to see that he isn’t just Danta’s shadow today, but as he scans the crowd and walks closer to the bar with the click of his cane to give him away, well, there’s no trouble to be found here, which lets the tension in his shoulders relax a little. “Darling Danta showed me this wonderful mulled wine, would you like one?” Dark eyes glance back toward her, that grin still remaining as he already goes to order one for himself from the current bartender.

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

"Mh, not sure I entirely agree there, but as far as warmth goes I am not complaining." Tugging off her gloves with a smile, the petite woman followed Asta towards the bar. Melting snow dripped from the hem of her dark skirt and from the pale hair that hung heavy about her thin shoulders. She could feel eyes on her, lingering and curious; she had been walking in and out of Danta's office for a season now, but only rarely lingered for drinks and never let herself be persuaded into anything more intimate. It made her an enigma, a mystery some itched to unveil - though given her apparent closeness with the owner, and in this case the bouncer, none were likely to make a move. Maea appreciated the hesitation.

"Please, that sounds good," she said, accepting the offer with a nod towards the bartender to make one for her as well. Turning towards her company, she leaned back against the counter. "So you are staying here then? If you wanted something else I'm sure it could be arranged. There's always been plenty of houses in the Domiciles, especially if you don't mind a bit of work."

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

“As far as warmth, nothing beats the Climb for us.” Astaroth teases her lightly, but concedes the point, ensuring as they walk through toward the bar that nobody would try to make a move or do anything. His looks, as always, worked like a charm – though he supposes the out of character ragged appearance also lends a hand in helping. Either way, he stands by the bar, hooking the cane on the edge of the counter as the drinks are made and he starts to fruitlessly try and put himself together again.

Hands lift to brush his hair back, utilizing the melted snow now to try and hook it around his horns before it dries so that it might stay out of the way better, his dark gaze slides toward her again with a grin and low chuckle. While the thought of his own space was nice, it was too close to the solitude of the Climb he’d endured – and after Danta’s endless pushiness in convincing him (and succeeding) that being in a space amongst others was far more comfortable than being all alone, Asta had come to realize it as well.

That and it helps when the owner’s body heat rivals his own, with the roaring fireplace to make the bed essentially an inferno. As much as he’s loathed to admit it, he would miss it. “I have a deal with Danta that he supplies me with a room in exchange for security for here.” He offers by means of explanation as their drinks arrive and he offers a nod and a thank you of gratitude as he hands her the first and takes the other, sipping from it lightly to ward away the chill in his bones. “And truthfully, the amount of people flocking to and fro is nice to witness and be a part of.” Shrugging, he turns his attention toward her, leaning on an arm on the bar. “Where are you staying?”

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Letting her gaze drift over the milling throng of people and the shadowed silhouettes in booths and among tables, Maea supposed it could be nice, if one enjoyed company. "As long as you're comfortable, that's all that matters," she conceded with a light shrug. She accepted the drink from Asta's hand. "Thank you. I'm sharing a house with another woman, just outside the city. It's a bit of a walk, but I like the quiet."

Wrapping her fingers around the mug, she took a sip and hummed with pleasure as the heated wine flooded her mouth with delicious warmth. What would have been scalding to most was only pleasant to her, and it was only fear of getting drunk that kept her from downing the contents in one go. "You were right, this is delicious." Climbing onto a stool, she made herself comfortable. "Would you tell me more about the Climb? I've only visited it once or twice - a friend asked me to look for something there but I don't really know where to even start."

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

“Far more comfortable now that Danta isn’t sending workers to my room night after night.” He teases with a low chuckle – a clear indicator that sex wasn’t something he was interested in very often if at all, which might resonate somewhat with her when it came to the fact they both were standing and enjoying drinks in a brothel. But that’s beside the point.  Instead, he nods to her information of her own lodging, and flashes her a smile of understanding. “Ah, I enjoy a good walk as well.” He muses, before taking another sip of the wine, tail flicking contently behind him like a sunbathing cat.

The grin broadens at the comment, though, his sweet tooth in full force with her agreement – something he’ll have to tell Dantalion of. That, and perhaps to send a few more bottles of it to his room. Anyway, he remains standing while she settles on the seat and he places his mug down as he starts to inspect his shirt now that he feels a bit more warm – fingers tracing over burnt holes in the cloth as he starts to answer her question. “Of course, darling, what would you like to know?” It was a broad topic, and he wants to make sure that he isn’t just overloading her with information. “What is it your friend is seeking?” His dark gaze lifts toward her as he starts to unbutton the shirt, fully intending to slide it off as he internally chides himself for not keeping extras around that weren’t in his room.

Either way, everyone here except for Maea had seen his scars before, and frankly he has very little to hide when it comes to it.

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Look at that, they had at least one more thing in common. They were in grave danger of becoming friends at this rate - perish the thought. Maea gaped, scandalized at the tidbit of Danta's tactics in making the man feel 'well cared for' – "He did not!" she exclaimed over the rim of her mug. "See, there's why I only stayed one night. I'm sure he means well, but that must have been annoying." Still, her mouth twitched under the strain of keeping a straight face; if it wasn't her, it was admittedly a bit funny.

Considering what she wanted to know, she realized that Asta was undressing and hastily looked away, ears turning red. "Uh, well... they're looking for a rare flower. It's supposed to heal unusual illnesses. In the past it was found by Frey's Breath - I assume that's in the Climb?" Logically it should be. Clearing her throat, Maea glanced at the tall man, only to tear her eyes away again immediately.
"Look, if you want to go change... I wouldn't mind waiting. Or coming along. Or... something." But that right there? It was a bit distracting.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

“He was so disappointed when I kept turning them away that he brought me wine as an apology.” Astaroth hums with a laugh, before he nods in a dramatic flair of amusement to hear her say she’d stayed one night. He assumes that she might have dealt with the same fate, too, had she stayed there longer. Or perhaps it was entirely one sided from Dantalion, getting back at him for the things they did in the Climb to one another.

Ah well, he can think on it later as he mulls over her question and notices her attention shift – finding it a small amount amusing given that they’re in a brothel and he’s positive he’s seen Dantalion do so much worse on a particular booth’s table in the corner over there. But, he doesn’t shrug it off completely, just unbuttoning it. “You’re welcome to come with.” He offers as he mulls over the question, nodding to the bartender to keep their drinks precisely where they were because he’s sure they’d be back (along with the cane), and he starts to walk – assuming she’s following him through the halls to a room marked with a deep red curve over the door.

“Mm, yes, Frey’s Breath is in the Climb.” He muses, unlocking the door to slip inside and holding it open for her to join him. Inside, his room is relatively bare aside from little trinkets of his travels collected on shelving, and a wardrobe of quite fine clothing. The bed is put together and the fireplace rages warmth throughout as he drifts in further and keeps his back to her as he shrugs out of the shirt. If she were to look, she’d spy the deep carves of scars along his shoulders and down along his back and hips, disappearing under the waistband of his pants, all down his arms to his elbows. “Perchance you’re looking for Rae’s Lillies? They were quite rare back then, I imagine they may still be.” Casting a glance over his shoulder toward her as he folds the ruined shirt to set in a pile of what appears to be lost causes, Astaroth starts to head toward his wardrobe, picking through the hangers thoughtfully.

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Laughing softly, partly in surprise that Danta would apologize about anything, she missed the quick look he gave her. "Who knew he had it in him. If you ask anyone outside of the Grounds, Danta is as uncaring and unconcerned as they come. It doesn't rhyme with what he's doing though, does it."

Keeping her own drink in hand, Maea slipped from the chair and trailed after Asta towards his room. She felt more than a little awkward to be entering his private quarters, especially as he was changing. But if he wasn't uncomfortable, it felt rude to make a big deal out of it.

"Mhm, that's the one." Maea went to stand before the fireplace, enjoying the heat rolling off it. "It could be useful, if it works on the Void infected. I figure it wouldn't hurt to at least look for it."

She tried her best to keep her eyes to herself. But even in her periphery it was impossible to entirely ignore the broad back that was turned her way, or indeed the scars knitting across it. Curiosity made her wonder what had caused them; but she did recall what he had told her before, about being pecked by crows. If so, it was not a matter she wished to drag up again. And it wasn't her business, anyway.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

Asta chuckles with Maea’s surmise of everyone else’s opinions outside of the Grounds, and he inclines his head as he guides them back toward his room, thoughts mulling about in his head. “Danta is a bit like… A pistachio, I suppose. Hard on the outside with a sliver of the inside viewable.” It’s an odd comment, even as he says it, to compare the Maverick to a nut of all things, but here they are. “People tend to show they care in a variety of ways. He’s been taking great care of us, has he not?” Flashing her a grin over his shoulder as he slips out of his shirt, before the rest of their conversation shifts toward lilies to cure rare diseases.

As such, Asta’s tongue clicks as he sifts through the myriad of silk shirts, deciding to settle on a dark green one this time, at odds with the reds he typically wore. It mattered little though, as it covers the scars and he rolls the sleeves up, buttoning it and tucking the shirt tail into his pants, he promptly looks like the perfect gentleman once more – at least, mostly. “It’s certainly worth a shot, I would think.” He agrees.

Sidling up beside Maea in front of the fire, he plucks a comb from the top of the mantle – and given his height, peers into the small mirror placed there, combing the dark locks back to keep them in place and make himself look like he’d not just been sparring in the snow, he casts a sharp grin down toward her. “I think you bruised my chest.” He says with a chuckle of teasing.

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

"Mhm, he has." It would have been easy for the Maverick to leave her in the woods, as a foil for moss and birds. Easy to dismiss her request for something meaningful to do, and more than understandable if the mishap with the arrow cost her every sliver of trust. But no. Every step of the way Maea had been treated as someone who mattered and whose requests weren't burdensome or even all that strange. And like a night blooming flower she was opening up in response to that kindness, however slowly.

Ruminiscing as she watched the fire flicker and dance within the heart, she wondered to herself if it was a good idea to let these people into her life. They seemed so different from her, with values and tolerances she did not possess. Looking up when Asta sidled in beside her, rubbing his chest and teasing like they weren't strangers at all, that dizzying sensation of living someone else's life struck her hard, and not for the first time.
"My bad," she replied, her voice softening despite the playful glitter in his eyes. "I'm so used to be the underdog in spars that I forget to take it easy."

The green shirt in contrast to the generally red color scheme of the room made him look festive. Like the touch of mistletoe added to the bar and tables, only larger - less subtle and more imposing by far.
"Would you be interested in coming along?" she asked, surprising herself with the offer. "To the Climb, I mean."

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

The second Asta had woken up had been a whirlwind himself, as well. From the old traditions of loathing and despising the Maverick, literal enemies at each other’s throats to now sharing the warmth the bed and Ancients have to offer one another, with some semblance of friendship amongst the chaos. It was only one more thing that the butcher had to come to terms with, having very much been in Maea’s shoes with the solitary lifestyle.

Regardless, his chuckle remains even as he adjusts his shirt and spots a little trinket on the mantle he’s been meaning to put up. “You never need to take it easy with me.” Even if it hurt – well, he’s used to it. “I have quite a high pain tolerance.” Evident by the scarring on his torso and the rest of him, deadened nerves by hardened skin. “I hope I did not bruise you either. I made sure not to bite too hard.” The sharp grin is offered easily, the truth of his words evident in how he dips his chin a little and collects the trinket.

It’s a windchime – the very same that Danta had gifted him. Along with it, a little glass lantern – not unlike the festival of lights, only not decorated to remember a lost loved one. Simply just a light source to add to his door, now that the warmth, the green of his shirt, and the comfort of the cloved mulled wine is settling in him.

Surprised by the offer, Maea will find Astaroth’s smile widen before he turns to her with both lantern and windchime in hand, dipping his head to her in agreement. “It would be my pleasure to accompany you.” And now that she knows just how he reacts with the gore crows, perhaps there’ll be no surprises if the beasts make an appearance. That, or Asta will have a true reason to let out his fyrhund’s pent up aggression under guise of stress. “Inform me of when and we can make the trek. For now, though, would you like to help me decorate my door? It seems far less festive than the rest of the Dusklight.”

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //

Maea

I feel it in the wind, my dear
The sun is gonna reappear

Raising a pale brow, Maea turned a bit more fully towards her host. "Yeah? That is reassuring... just hope you won't regret saying that." Touching pale fingers to her throat, she found a few sore spots. Only slightly red for now, she hoped they wouldn't be too visible - The placement on her neck would make it look suspiciously like hickeys."Not too bad. I'll live, probably." Her smile was a bit lopsided.

When his smile widened, apparently genuinely happy to be invited, Maea felt a bit less apprehensive to have said anything. She watched curiously how he plucked items off the mantlepiece, and nodded amiably her agreement. To both requests. "I'll let you know when," she promised. "And sure. What do you want me to do?" Emptying her mug she set it aside, freeing her hands up to aid in whatever way he required.

Good days are gonna come along
Hold on, hold on!

Astaroth

// a beast in the business of selling forgiveness //

His grin seems to say ”I guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we?” before he concedes the point with a hum of a laugh. He watches her poke and prod the potential bruises and he shrugs lightly with a glint of amusement in his gaze. “Good.” He hums to her lopsided smile, as he collects the decor from the mantle and turns away from the roaring fireplace.

“I purchased this wind chime in Torchline. I thought perhaps we could hang it in the hall along with these little lanterns.” Handing her the windchime, sure that she could do the unique placement in the door frame that would make it a bit more festive. He guides her out of the room and starts to pick a place for the small lanterns, harboring candles that he utilizes the matchbook once more that Danta had gifted him.

But, for the practice, rather than lighting from the match stick, he uses his newly found magic to swirl it from the match over and into the lantern with a relieving smile.

// dead eyes on a treacherous grin //