#effigy of flames: hu tao

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ cont. from here: [x]

Ohhhh she was most assuredly nervous for the entire affair, but this wasn’t about her...this was to be the most momentous day in the funeral director’s life after all - she wasn’t going to allow her own anxiety upset that for her; though she did have some concerns, of course; after all, the event wasn’t that long from now...it felt a bit last minute to get fitted for a dress.

“W-will there be enough time, Miss Hu Tao? I mean, somehow I don’t feel like my Wangsheng uniform would be appropriate, and between the funeral and wedding flowers, I’m wondering if there will be enough to allot for a seamstress.”

She idly toyed with the plum blossoms in her fingers before forcing them to still, “I’d rather not be a blemish on the otherwise beautiful day and would like to at least attempt to dress myself appropriately.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ cont. from here: [x]

“Certainly - give me just a moment.” she walked back out of the space and retrieved the requested item, nose crinkling at the texture as she returned to the funeral director’s bedroom, placing the jar into her awaiting hands, “So far, everything us running smoothly - no purifications on the schedule til later this week so I’m overseeing preparations for today’s proceedings with Mr. Zhongli attending to the funerary rites.”

She took a seat on the edge of the bed, “How are you holding up? I know you dislike being down for any extended period of time, so in that same vein, don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything you need to be more comfortable or to entertain yourself.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: “Is that… a dead body?”

A light click of her tongue, the man bound in thick, ropy vines thrashing about feebly as she stepped aside to allow the funeral director to get a better look at him, “No...otherwise I would have slapped his corpse - I caught him trying to break the locks on the viewing room, and thought you may want to have a bit of a chat with him about disturbing your valued clientele.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

[1] @offirebutterflies [2] @viisiond​

She knew the funeral director was going to be irritated, if not angry with her, but it was what needed to be done...especially if the woman’s ankle truly had been broken - at least she had managed to come to an agreement with the serpent adeptus in regards to the cost of the treatment and house call to Wangsheng.

“Miss Hu Tao? I’m back...” she paused to allow the doctor in, “...I know you said not to bring you to Baizhu, but you never said I couldn’t bring him to you - I’ll be covering the majority of the fees, so...if nothing else, may I ask for civility? ...please?”

[mcuntainbcrn]

“Miss Hu Tao, I believe that falls outside the parameters of his duties as a consultant for Wangsheng.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said:  :💖

“Cute? Mm...I suppose your cheerful disposition and enthusiasm towards your craft is rather endearing.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: [ braid ] for your muse to braid mine’s hair - Hu Tao braiding Maggie's hair

She sat on the floor, leaning back against the woman’s mattress, her entire body relaxed at the attention to her head, an occasional apology tumbling from her lips at the chaotic state of her hair - even when tended to regularly, it was seemingly nigh impossible to fully get it under control; if there ever was an off button for her, Hu Tao has inadvertently found it.

A light twitch as the funeral director’s fingers encountered another knot, “Sorry...you don’t need to go to too much trouble.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies said: About Hu Tao :3c

"Miss Hu Tao? She's a rather enigmatic soul, that's for sure - but the most notable thing about her is her heart; she can be kind beyond measure and as cruel as the flames in a crematorium should you stoke her ire.

That said, she's someone I truly do value, who has managed to worm her way into my heart and made herself a comfortable nest there; I would gladly guard her with my life for all that she's done for me."

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: [ help ] bc you already know she needs help walking with her injury for a while.

She had to give it to the funeral director - she certainly was the stubborn sort, noting the way she limped along the path, a sigh leaving her as the woman’s injured leg wobbled dangerously under her weight, quickly closing the gap and shifting the woman’s weight to press against her side, steadying her gait with an arm wound around her waist.

“...don’t overdo it - that ankle still isn’t a hundred percent.” she gave Hu Tao a rather pointed look, “...and weren’t you the one who was hemming and hawing about these purification rituals and their need of being performed perfectly?”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: 🤗 - draws my muse in for a hug

Oh she did not like this, not one bit - holding her hand was one thing, but this? The way her body responded to the embrace, feeling like all of her strength was fading away, eyes beginning to sting the longer the funeral director remained close, voice leaving her in a barely audible whimper.

“Let go, please.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: Boss Battle :) and Reverse Boss Battle!

Boss Battle

Reverse Boss Battle

[mcuntainbcrn]

@offirebutterflies​ said: “This is the witching hour~" And Hu Tao LOVES it.

Perhaps she should consider leaving the area - it appeared as though the woman frequented it regularly...and now that she was familiar with her energy, it was easier for her to sniff her out.

“...good evening to you too, Miss.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

offirebutterflies​:

“Yeah~… You’re pretty lucky no one saw! There would have been a lot of questions otherwise…” That’s an understatement. She hums softly. “I will work on getting you an appropriate catalyst so that you can blend in better. It should only take me a few days… so in the meantime, please be careful.”

Hu Tao tilts her head at her words, the smile on her face growing. The director cannot help but laugh. “Haha~! Of course he did.” She’s not surprised in the slightest. If anything, she sounds… amused. “Sorry, I should have also warned you about him. Nothing gets past Zhongli. Either way… there’s nothing you need to be concerned about regarding him. He is my closest confidant and someone I trust more than anyone else. I trust with my very life.” He’s cautious, deliberate… He’d do anything for her. And she, him.

“He’s in this business with me since he, too, knows the value of confidentiality. Your secret is safe with the both of us. But… I do caution you with others in the Parlor. Save for myself and Zhongli… I cannot vouch for anyone else on this particular matter. So do be wary.”

“Mm - thank you...I really do appreciate all of the effort you’ve afforded me, and I’ll be certain that the time you’ve bestowed upon me wasn’t wasted.” the question was on the tip of her tongue - what on earth was a catalyst? She was certain she could figure out a way to utilize such a thing and make it a bit more convincing if she knew precisely what she was setting herself up for; maybe a bit more digging through the library would be in order when she was finished up with work for the day.

When it came to the subject of the consultant, her anxiousness was far more subtle - it was strange how at ease she felt around him, and that it was that sense of calm itself that set off her nerves - she barely knew the man and there was no reasonable explanation she’d come to to rationalize why she did, “I’ll take your word for it - you’ve certainly known him far longer than I, after all.”

A sigh escaped her, “Well, as I’ve told Mr. Zhongli, and will also relay to yourself, generally, I don’t set so much as a toe outside that room while I’m working, and until quite recently the only visitor I’ve accepted is yourself...I intend to keep it that way; the fewer who know of me, the safer everyone will be.”

[mcuntainbcrn]

offirebutterflies​:

He’s sweating. Good. She likes making people who deserve it sweat. Her eyes twinkle, the mischievous smirk not once fading from her face. “Ah, but how would you know, hmmm~? Are you also one whos speaks with Those Who No Longer Speak, such as myself?” A rhetorical question. There are VERY few who can do so – her included in that limited number.

Even as Maggie summons another plant, her gaze not once falters from the intruder. So this person is alone… perfect.

Hu Tao tilts her head, still smiling as she gets close to his face. “… tell me. Have you ever thought about how you would die~? What about what your burial would be like? Would you like to be eaten alive by plants? Perhaps a cremation?” She grins, her eyes glittering. “Those are my specialty. But I can do others, as well. Ocean burial? Cave burial? Being abandoned in Jueyun Karst to face the wrath of the Adepti? Oh! Perhaps being launched into the sky with a crossbow! That could be fun~!”

“Please. Tell me what your last wishes are and I will follow them to the letter.”

“W-wait - you’re not seri-YEEP!” one corolla darted forward, dangerously close, it’s maw open wide and dripping that corrosive sap, all the while emitting a rather alluring aroma that appeared to make the bound man second guess himself and lean that much closer towards the carnivorous plant, as though mesmerized by it, compelled by it.

“I can assure you - we take our work quite seriously...do you have any words of parting you wish to impart before you begin your next journey, sir?” an index finger toyed idly with her hair as the vines that bound him began to sway the captive to and fro, starting him from the reverie induced by the pheromones the gargantuan Venus Flytrap produced and making him begin to scream incoherently...for a moment anyway.

A broad leaf covered in viscous nectar covered his mouth, muting him, hand freeing itself from her hair to lick away a drop of the substance, “Oh do be quiet - it’s rude to disturb the dead and living alike, and both are sleeping presently...just be glad I chose something sweet over my preferred type.” as if to punctuate the statement, another thick drop of corrosive secretion hit the ground from the maw of the giant flora under her swap, another plume of acrid smoke issuing from the soil.

“Though I suppose like this he won’t be able to speak his final wishes...what a pity.”