Collab post with @Dane & @Noob5674: Grae's encounter with Anya Dragvern.Anya had Grae’s chin, raised a tad bit to her level as they locked eyes. An undulating set of passion, gazed upon like a Kaleidoscope’s allure. “Come.”
She paused, immediately twisting & turning while subliminally sending mixed signals as she played with the short hem of her skirt.
“Bluegraver. Like what you see?” Behind Anya is the Tavern and a quick spawn into the lobby of collections.
A collection of alchemic and demonic objects, too many to name, and too many to see.
She’d get a playful whistle at the sight. “Wooow, seems someone’s got quite the hobby?” His eyes look around, not quite glances, but never lingering.
He’s… definitely not paying attention to what she’s showing off. Not any more than he has to, at least, as his focus remains leveled at her.
Playful he may be, she’s seen enough in his eyes, and there’s no mistaking the steady calm behind his frivolous attitude. That and Mizore have long since exposed how tough a nut Grae is to crack.
Arius smirked and thought of Mizore deep within. Having said that, the Sparda, from the seed of Jordan are just too thick in the head to even notice. Change of tactics.
“Hayley serves nice drinks. This Földahtler has such a nice kick to it. That said, you're quite the rare visitor in this Tavern, welcome to Fenix Tear’s Fiore Base. Bluegraver.”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “At least it's not Agria. Do whatever you want, it's on the house, Sterling.” She prepares red phoenix lasagna, it's a lasagna dish with one flavor stack after another and refills itself.
Földahtler is a dry-aged cyanide honey grape ale beer.
“Make yourself at home. And don't mind me, just because I'm wearing a bunny suit, doesn't mean I will entertain you.” Hayley said.
“Anya is one of our peers here, you met her once with Lady Sangreveld, a year ago in that Bullet Drake, Dark Guild Bounty. Don't go slacking off, Sterling. I'm still part of this Quest. But for what's worth, this side of the Tavern has lots to tell. Where's the rest?”
Hayley wondered.
She sighed in disappointment.
“You got them lost, didn't you?”
“They got lost on their own.” There was no hesitation as he took a seat. “Sora’s vehicle sickness landed her in a barrel rolling downhill; everyone else went after her, and I certainly wasn’t gonna go to that side of town without permission.”
Still, Anya would see Grae give Hayley a very shiny puppy-eyed look. The Heartfeelia would already have seen it before.
Don’t be fooled into thinking she caught his eye where Anya didn’t; Grae doesn’t hide where his interest lies, and when it comes to enjoying himself, that’s ranked first…
So that’s all just the usual silent “can I have a drink?” kid look. “Blink Blink.” That one’s spoken.
Hayley genuinely smiled.
“Fine. The usual tick.” Hayley then prepared raw and cold goat milk that never loses its coldness.
“Lux et Veritas. Sterling. You know the drill, when it's always you and me, I can't lie and neither can you.”
Light & Truth: Lux et Veritas, Hayley's celestial potion that makes people tell the truth.
For that matter, it's only between them while Anya is exempted.
“Glad all that teasing from Mizore taught you something. Lady Sangreveld’s tavern is quite the sobriety for the drunk. Whatever is said in this bar, stays in this bar, and you know that.”
“I got you the blue banana cakes, your favorite. I'm not gonna lie, I could learn some slacking for a while from you, but hearing Ifrit’s sermon can be annoying.” Hayley said.
Anya coughed.
“Let's enjoy company for the time being, Celestial Girl & Bluegraver. So chillax, we are in a VIP chamber after all. Feel free to touch anything and try not to bleed, I can be a little wild if you do.” Anya’s fangs protruding.
“There will be an auction later tonight, perhaps a little bidding to gamble would be fun, if it suits you.” Anya said.
“A hobbyist gamble. Someone out there who have Mard Geer’s Black Rose, which is worth a fortune, while they may take interest in other things like this black book over here. So Bluegraver, I heard you're quite the enthusiast in wicked objects, find anything you want to do?”
Another whistle from the Bluegraver behind a milk froth mustache. For once, his attention’s caught, but whether he’s hooked…
“Both are fairly tempting bids. You're lucky this isn’t my mission; otherwise I wouldn’t be here with money to spare.” And plenty at that, given they could’ve given Voss this mission at any time.
“But my plans were still to make it look like it was mine, at least from Everlue’s perspective. And while I certainly see a fine auction to gamble and a fine lady to do-” He winks at Anya, as expected of the
Blueballer Bluegraver.
“-still gotta ask for formalities: will he be there too?”
“This has nothing to do with Voss Agria’s Quest, at least on a surface level. Everlue on the other hand, is a collector you see, so he will be here tonight.
But for you, it's not about the money, it's about contracts.
Then again those two things might overlap.
He is after something I have, you see, one that can turn darkness to light and light to darkness.
Have you ever heard, the tragedy of Raja Roubaul?”
Hayley sighed. “This is nerd talk, I will leave you two alone, just tell me if you need refills.”
“Bye bye, Hayley!” He waves her off before Grae’s attention returns to Anya with one eye closed. “As for them…can’t say I’ve been a fan of hearing others’ tragedies, so no.”
“I thought so. It's not an independent guild nor a light guild’s tale to tell. It's a dark guild & Black Mages story.
Raja Robaul was the chief of the Nirvit Tribe, 1400 years ago.
So versed in Cursia and Spiria, Robaul The Wise, influenced ethernano and opened lost stargates to different worlds; he even stopped people from dying.”
“Mmm.” She still has his attention, even if the tale is quite the long-ago kind to be telling. “Well, hardly sounds like a tragedy just yet, so I presume that chief overstepped his good intentions?”
Anya smiled.
“The gateway to hell is paved with good intentions, my dear. He became so fixated with godhood and granted vampirism by turning what's dark to light and light to dark; he actually doesn't mind sharing. In fact, he shared too much.
Those he loved and became Vampires, only ended up divided; they ended up killing each other until Roubaul was left without a member of his family.
Fortunately, he remarried, but more tragedy came. His own son, Argus Vortigan of the Tartaria Kingdom, grew up a tyrant and split the continent into two, Tartaria and Sparda.
Ironic, isn't it? Roubaul wished for Harmony yet it was the Inverse of his fortunes.
His bloodline is a house so divided that the Great Tyrant, Argus Vortigan, was upstaged by his nephew, Arius Vortigan and took the throne for himself. Instead of Arius letting Adam Vortigan, his father, rule the throne and reunite Sparda and Tartaria, he disowned his own father and put him on ice.
Roubaul can share his gifts, but those who reap them are cursed.
He spent his eternity in exile at Hadal.”
There’d be a pause of silence to let the tragedy settle, not from the gravitas inherent to the tale, but just a moment of respect for those passing.
“The history of Sparda huh…Sounds like you’ve got more vested interest there than even my own family bothers out of formality.” For some, such interest would be suspicious. It would invite pressing further, seeking what it means by force.
Grae sees a tad beyond. Nobody reminisces like this unless it's personal, and for a personal tale… “A pity for the grandfather who needed a tyrant to right his good wrongs.” He raises his glass of milk to a toast.
“History of Vortigan. Funny how you should say that, but you and I are kindred spirits, Grae.” She finally uses his name.
“Don't worry, I'm not some elitist idiot, who would be so fixated on our clan's history.”
Anya wiped the milk stains on Grae’s lips, closer than ever.
“You're a fun company to be with, Grae.”
She hugged him tenderly with no malice.
“As a Vampire, I can smell the Sparda line in you, and as a Vortigan, it seems that our bloodlines draw us, I was expecting hate but you're a good listener.”
Her hugs became tighter and her chest against his face. A hug reciprocated, as he hugs back.
Not even flustered by the rather promiscuous position his height places him as his head tilts upwards and their eyes make contact.
“Most tend to expect hate from the Bluegraver, but few remember how Sterlings are.” And a cheeky grin pops on his face. “We’re simply greedy little birds who seek all. And to want all, we have to be able to love all.” She feels him squeeze the hug tighter as his head is raised.
And the same look he gave Hayley earlier aimed straight at her.
In a distant echo of time, a tryst of lightning and thunder applauded.
And so from a certain point of view, they connected. He could feel her soft lips, and she could taste milk on his. And that’s a moment where she’d notice the oddity.
Because she had wiped the milk from his lips already.
Open eyes would show the cheeky truth, as she stares down Grae’s forehead with two fingers in peace with her lips placed upon. And that grin is no doubt the same Mizore has retold about the missed potential of the Blueballer. “Ehe~”
The pupils of Anya dilated as it slitted of their situationship.
“Interesting.” She licked her fingers, which were dipped with milk, yet somehow there was blood. Anya sucked the blood mixed with milk.
“Your blood is tasty, as a reward. Take three items that you'd like in this collection. They say you slack, but I don't see it that way, you're merely building Voss Agria to be his own man- such a good senpai you are.”
“An older brother of a guild has to take care of his siblings after all.” There’d be a chuckle as Grae wiggles out of the embrace.
He wouldn’t even need to ask for details, as he picks the rose and the book with light skips in his gait. Two items picked in seconds before he spun on one foot back to Anya.
“I think these two fit me well enough. As for my third pick…” One arm would bend behind his back before that grin came back and the two fingers she kissed were raised in front of his lips.
“Think you can make it more tales like Nirvit?” And the unspoken pair with that item are the moments they shared just seconds ago.
“I don't mind at all. In time, you will. For now, we will enjoy. Consider this a fourth offer.” Anya used a globe tarot card and showed Grae the true humanoid image of the planet Eden.
She wouldn’t hear a reply. She wouldn’t need to.
After all, all Grae gave back to that offer was a grin, different from the playful one teasing her. Nor was it filled with any kind of lust one would be familiar with at a bar.
If there was anything more damning of cementing that joke title of Blueballer Mizore gave him, it’s that honest smile of a boy in love.
And the insatiable temptation to claim it for oneself instead.
