dreamingflowers

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: The Tipsy Tavern
Interactions: Aiko @Citrusarms
Ambiance: Tipsy Tavern

Aiko's compliment managed a half smile from her. Nur ordered a Riverfruit slush with extra strawberries. The incubus excused himself and Nur shrugged, not even looking at him, or saying a word. She took a small bite of the pink ice, this time making sure not to eat too much at once. It was nice and sweet, she could tell they used forest strawberries. Nur stabbed the shaved ice with her spoon, feeling sad, bored and annoyed. Feelings she didn't feel often with good reason. It brought out the worse in her and her insecurities had free reign.

She cupped her face in her hand, leaning on the bar. Someone passed her by, snapping her out of her reverie. Nur turned to Aiko looking for the reason why he was disturbing her perfectly solitary pity party. Before she could protest he was off again and Nur had to resist the urge to tug on one of his tails. He left her with a slightly awkward and nervous elven guy. The succubus rolled her eyes and folded one leg over the other, turning her body slightly to the elf.
"Hi..." Her lack of enthusiasm was evident.

"Hey, I'm Arod, it...it means brown in Elvish" The elf didn't really know what to say, this was the first time he was trying something like this. He struggled to make eye contact with the succubus, searching for her face. When finally turned her snakelike gaze towards him he swallowed hard and smiled.

"Why? You're blonde..." Nur simply said, returning her attention to her drink. She picked up a slice of strawberry and popped into her mouth. The juice trailed across her lips and she used her forked tongue to get every drop. Arod realized he was staring, so he took a sip of his drink and cleared his throat. There was a moment of silence while he thought of what to say next. This was harder than he thought. He figured she would at least be open to this, that's what her friend made him believe. Hopefully Vena had more success with the incubus. Knowing her she probably did, she was always better at that stuff anyway.

He decided a compliment would be a good way to start. Every girl liked to be called pretty, what could go wrong there?
"You're I mean, I like your dress, it looks great with your eyes"
"Green is my favorite color, what is yours?"
He fumbled with his words and talked a little too fast. Arod scratched the back of his head and bit his lip. The elf started to feel like he was in over his head.

Nur sighed dramatically. This had gone on long enough.
"I know what you're doing, but it's not working" This was the way it always started. They were actually the worse kind, the ones who acted nice. They would lead her on, but in the end they all wanted the same thing from her, nothing more. They always had someone to return to.

"What's her name?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder to the female half of the couple.
Arod hesitated, not sure where this was going. What did she want with Vera?
"Vena.." He answered, just loud enough for the both of them to hear.

Nur scoffed at the name and smirked finding the irony of the situation incredibly amusing.
"Vena means friend in your language, so.....she is your friend?" Nur asked, her attention now fully on Arod.
The elf looked away feeling embarrassed.
"Well I mean she's....we're" He didn't have time to finish his sentence before Nur cut him off.

"Let me share something with you" She made sure he was looking at her before she continued. This was a piece of wisdom any man should know.
"You're not in love with Vena"
"If you were, you wouldn't be here"
"I know why you agreed to this, I mean it's exciting right? Being with a succubus, the most desired creatures in Avalia."

She took a pause to breath and control her emotions. There was a lot of pent up frustration behind her words. Nur moved her hair over her shoulder and reached to back of her neck. Her fingers brushed over the trail of scales and she pulled one off, winching. It felt similar to pulling out a hair. Nur slapped it onto the bar right in front of Arod.
"That's what you want right? Proof, to show your friends you survived a night with me"
"Well there you have it"

Arod sucked in his breath. This was tougher than any battle he'd ever fought before. He felt bad for her, clearly there was something bothering her. He had no idea what it was and he wasn't going to force her to do anything, that wouldn't be fun for either of them. He stepped off his stool and closed the distance between them. He put a hand on her shoulder, looking at her beautiful face.

Nur avoided his gaze and scowled. She was angry.
"Don't touch me"
He hesitated. In the end the need to know what was bothering her was stronger than the fear for her anger. That and the effects of the drink were giving him courage. Arod didn't like seeing women upset, it was his weakness. He held both of her shoulders making her look at him.
Wait I just want to
The succubus grabbed his wrist.
"I said n..."

The both gasped. The air rippled and both Arod's and Nur's pupils dilated, turning their eyes black. A surge of pheromones slammed into the elf. He stumbled back, releasing Nur. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she breathed heavily, holding onto the bar. What just happened? Her power was acting on its own. She looked up at Arod, feeling faint. The elf was covering his mouth, he was trying to not to throw up. Oh no.....

A wave of bile worked itself up into his body and he forced it out onto the floor. Nur quickly got off of her stool and stepped back away from him, lifting up her dress so it wouldn't become stained. That's when she saw her left foot. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The skin had become wrinkled, riddled with age spots and darkened veins. The scale she'd left for Arod had turned into a small pile of dust on the wooden bar. This time it her who covered her mouth, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She was going to be sick.

Immediately she covered it with the bottom of her dress, pretending it wasn't there. She could feel herself starting to panic. A hot flash ran through her body and suddenly the sounds around her became louder, nearly unbearable. Nur looked around her, a tortured expression on her otherwise beautiful face. She had to get out of here. The woman pushed past everyone on her way to the exit of the Tipsy Tavern. She rushed out into the fresh night air of River Port.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: The Tipsy Tavern
Interactions: Aiko @Citrusarms
Ambiance: Tipsy Tavern

Nur let herself be dragged into the Tipsy Tavern by Aiko. He talked a sweet deal but it fell on deaf ears. Her spirit was defeated. She couldn't even make someone buy her a flower. If this fluke was an indication of the future state of her powers she was screwed. Nur felt the insecurity creep up on her. The succubus examined her shape for any signs of accelerated aging. She ran her hands over her chest and arms, tracing her alabaster skin. Nur lifted up part of her dress, to look at her legs. It drew the attention of two men seated close to the entrance of the bar. The rustle of fabric got them all riled up and they whistled into her direction. She blatantly ignored them. Nur sighed in relief to find that her beauty hadn't been altered any further.

Honestly all she really wanted right now was a drink. She would see if she was up to Aiko's plan after that. He was surprisingly kind for an incubus. That little mishap with her powers, he'd probably seen it. He didn't say anything about it, pretending it hadn't happened. Even going as far as to declare her the winner of the competition she no longer wanted to partake in. It was rare to meet someone of her kin who didn't want to backstab her in any way shape or form.

Nur tried to muster up a smile and get rid of the sour expression on her face, but failed miserably. She decided to trust Aiko, at least for this evening. The succubus leaned her head against his arm and let out a wary sigh.
"Can you please get me a drink? Because I'm all out of juice" Literally, she didn't want to risk any further abuse of her power. Her coin purse was sleeping back home. She wasn't in the mood to chat up any of the drunken men in the tavern, it was too much effort.
With a mighty incubus at her side she luckily didn't have to.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Seaside park
Interactions: Aiko @Citrusarms
Ambiance: Lady of the night

"Awfully dry, I haven't been this thirsty in weeks" She joked in an exaggerated tone. Her brows furrowed together for a minute, before catching on to what Aiko meant. Nur smiled to herself. There had been countless times she'd used her persuasion on women, not to outright seduce them, but rather to calm their jealousy. It had gotten her out of many awkward situations.

"Men are indeed my poison of choice"

"I was actually attempting to go for a quiet walk" Hearing herself say the words out loud sounded even more ridiculous. Where was the fun in that? The succubus laughed at herself. Who was she kidding? The whole notion was very amusing to Nur. She started to think of something fun she could do with her nocturnal companion. She touched her lip, thinking out loud.
"Actually who am I kidding, that is boring"
"I know what we can do...." She turned to Aiko with a mischievous smirk on her face, not immediately divulging her plans to the incubus. Nur let go of his arm and walked a little faster, heading out of the park into the main streets of the port town. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Aiko was following along.

"Come on! I'm not giving you a head start" She was still confident she could win this little game, but she was at a disadvantage with her weakened powers. Aiko didn't need to know that however. She breathed in a deep breath, feeling excited at what was going to happen. Her gaze prowled the streets, emerald eyes hunting for potential prey. She locked on to a familiar face, the fish demi-human bartender she'd met earlier today. Let's see if he would give her something more than a Riverfruit slush. Chills ran down her arms, this was going to be too good!

"Do you see that man over there?" Nur said quietly to Aiko, nodding to the bartender standing at a flower stand. He was trying to decide which ones to get.
"Let's make this a little competition and make him buy something you want"
She stepped forward, ready to cross the street.
"Of course since I'm a lady I will go first" Nur explained with a smirk.

The succubus slithered over to the flower stand. She greeted the stand owner with a friendly smile and browsed the flowers on offer, occasionally casting a sideway glance at the fish-demi human. Nur picked up a pink rose, inhaling the scent with a pleased sigh. The bartender didn't seem to be able to decide, and the stand owner wasn't particularly helpful, barely looking up from the bouquet he was making. The bartender scratched the back of his head, a tortured look on his face.

"I think you should go with pink, it's not as serious as the red rose, or as innocent as the white one"
Nur suggested wanting to appear helpful. She took his left hand and placed her rose into it. Nur held onto his hand for a little while, looking up at him.
"My advice isn't free though" A cheeky little smile crept up her lips. The air between them started to ripple, and the pupils of the fish demi-human dilated. The man blinked a few times, staring at Nur strangly, before turning around and paying for the flower, as if nothing had happened.

Nur scowled, trying to hide her displeasure. Of course this had to happen now, just perfect!
Frustrated with her malfunctioning powers she didn't feel like competing anymore. She returned to Aiko's side with a sour expression on her face.
"Your turn..." Her tone was deadpan, she was clearly annoyed.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Seaside park
Interactions: Aiko @Citrusarms
Ambiance: Lady of the night

Nur listened to his reasons for leaving Cocytus which sounded oddly similar to hers. He was of the rare breed who willingly escaped the snake pits. It immediately made her like him more. She looked at him again when he leaned in to touch her hair, studying his face. His features were on the softer side, while recognizably masculine, beautiful at the same time. Nur accepted his embrace, snaking her arm around his, allowing him to lead her down a path away from her former benefactor. Even though she left the demon city because of her own kind, she was still happy to see one here. One wasn't that big of a deal, problems started to arise when there were too many predators and not enough prey. With the current state of her powers Nur wouldn't even be able to survive in Cocytus.

"You know how the city gets, I was tired of the backstabbing." The memories of living in Cocytus flashed before her and she wondered why she hadn't left sooner. She wanted to see if he had a sense of humor and tried for a laugh. A cheeky smile was on her face the entire time she was talking.
"But when I showed up here everyone was so nice, the men bought me drinks and offered me a place to sleep." She feigned surprise, as if this was the first time such a thing had happened to her, like she had no experience with men whatsoever.
"This town welcomed me with open arms and pulled down pants"

The tone of her voice and the choice of words made it clear she wasn't being serious. She tried very hard not to laugh at her own joke, because she needed to keep a straight face to pull it off.
"I'm Nur by the way, the pleasure is entirely yours"

Nur glanced over her shoulder, looking at his fluffy tail. She brushed her fingers through it gently.
"You probably use this to pass for a demi-human all the time, right?"
That would be a neat trick to have, though she could pass for an elf, if she really tried. But who even wanted to be associated with those haughty beings anyway? Haughty but attractive, a very annoying combination.

Nightland

Mia stared through the window of the police car, a blank expression on her face, her thoughts a million miles away. So much had happened, in such a short amount of time. She completely understood why Emily and Valerian went back home. That would have been her first instinct too, but she wanted to help in any way she could. Doctor Stanton deserved to leave this world with dignity and respect. She imagined the sooner the police business was taken care of the quicker funeral arrangements could be made. It was all so surreal. There was so much she didn't understand. Who was the strange man, asking to speak to Serena and Russel? How did he know who they were? He showed up right after the tragedy happened, almost as if he knew to be there. It frightened her, that's why she didn't want Keandre to go near him. There was something about him, sinister and dark. It wasn't the typical anxiety and slight hint of fear she felt around every stranger, before knowing them. This was the kind of disturbed soul she would imagine housed itself in a killer, or rapist. A darkness that didn't belong in normal people.

The memory of him made her shiver uncomfortably. It wasn't particularly warm inside the vehicle either. Taken out of her thoughts she became aware of the way her body was pushed up against Cole, who was sitting next to her. She attempted to create some more distance, crossing her legs and inching closer to the door, despite there being barely any space to move. If she could melt into the door she would have. On the outside however it didn't look like much was happening. The same neutral expression stayed on her face. It was too cold to open a window, but it might have helped with the slight feeling of nausea in her stomach.

She took out her phone from her bag to check the time. Mia had no idea how long they would be at the station, if it took longer than the therapy session which was possible, she needed a new cover story. She decided to text one of her closest friends, Deva wouldn't ask a whole string of questions. Long as she knew Mia wasn't in any danger she was fine with it.

"Hey Dev, I'm not at therapy tonight, something happened to Doctor Stanton and I have to go tot he police station with the group. I don't know when I'll be done. You know what to say to my mom and dad if they call. xxx Mia"

Nightland

I was planning to write something today, but I didn't manage it. Tomorrow I'll write up something!

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Seaside park
Interactions: Aiko @Citrusarms
Ambiance: Lady of the night

Nur watched someone approach Haldir, still staying safely in the shade of a great birch tree. A red leaf fell down onto her head, and she brushed it away impatiently, keeping her eye on the exchange a few feet away. Nur could only make out partial features of the man who was talking to Haldir. He was wearing a wrapped style garment, with rich folds of white and grey, hints of red peaking from underneath. She spotted a tail, and ears peeking out from his hair. At first she suspected him to be a demi-human, only what he did next made her think otherwise. He seemed to use some sort of persuasion on Haldir. Nur relaxed realizing what was going on. This was a trick not many in Avalia could accomplish, one she knew intimately.

With the commander out of sight, Nur slid out of her hiding place, to welcome her savior.
"The dark elf?"

She brushed the dirt off of her dress and fixed the position of the shawl around her shoulders. Nur turned to the man with a sly smile on her face.

"Well you know how men are, they think "no" means "yes" and "get lost" means "take me I'm yours"
At the last part of her sentence Nur leaned into him dramatically, as if to emphasize her statement. She stared into his face, realizing she was acting quite ridiculously. What else was new?
She returned a normal distance between them, smiling at what had just happened.
"Don't worry about it, clearly you are the exception"

Nur glanced around warily before asking a question of her own. The park was still quiet, save for the two demons.
"So what brings an incubus to River port?"
She wanted to know what her potential competition might be up to.

Nightland

I need a little bit more time, but my post will probably be mostly introspection too.

Avalia

Nur and Darius

Time: Night
Location: River Port, multiple locations
Interactions: Darius @FunnyGuy and Nur @Dreamingflowers
Ambiance: Lady of the night

---

Darius kept up his warm yet smug smile before presenting his hand to her.

"Darius the Daring thinks that is a wonderful idea!" And though he was playing around a bit, his statement was honest. He had been walking around town for the majority of the day. Come to think of it, he had gotten a lot of mileage today. "Allow me to escort you to my luxurious abode."

"Mmh..." Nur mused, taking his hand, a thoughtful look on her face.
"Luxurious you say? I will just have to see"

They took a more quiet route bordering the Seaside park. After a short walk they reached a residential area. The houses in River Port reflected the character of the town. Most were made of bricks, with wooden rooftops, painted in calming hues of blue and green. At first Nur didn't care much for the town. It was a nice change of pace to the larger cities she was accustomed to. It had its own kind of charm, something about it reminded her of the past, but she couldn't put her finger on it. It was a strange feeling, like a faded memory.

They approached a neighborhood which bordered a stretch of land. Rows of thin wooden structures supported the creeping stems of beans, underneath these poles, green sprouts of several root vegetables popped up. Most farmers had already retired to their homes for the day, two of them were fixing up a scarecrow.

"Almost there." Darius commented as lead the way. His crimson eyes focused on the black gated entrance to where he and Aklenroth had stayed. While Darius had been out gallivanting in River Port, Aklenroth made arrangements to secure a comfortable and secure property for a short period of time. The home was a comfortable and well-kept, three-bedroom, two-story home. Out front in front of the gate was a bed of white petaled flowers that looked far better in the moonlight than during the day.

"Here we are!" Darius announced with a slight squeeze of Nur's hand.

When the two reached the gate, Darius held it open for Nur to enter the property first. A brick garden path would guide her up to stone steps and to the front door with Darius trailing behind.

Nur loved being treated like a princess. The house looked adorable, she took in all of the details while she walked up the steps to the front door. It was built next to or maybe even around a neighboring tree. The succubus admired the white blooms bordering the entrance. She picked one, gently lifting the stem until it snapped. Nur looked at it more closely, inhaling the scent. It wasn't particularly strong or recognizable, yet still pleasant. She tucked the flower behind her ear.

"Let's go inside" She said with a cheerful smile, and in turn Darius guided Nur into the home. Placing a hand on a panel on the wall caused the light to illuminate throughout the first story of the home. He did the same as the two made their way up the stairs and to the bedroom furthest from the stairwell. As Darius illuminated the room, it was easy to tell it was not quite lived in yet. The covers on the bed were ruffled, the only sign that someone actually resided in the room.

"Not my typical room, but this isn't half bad, right?" He said as he removed his backpack and set it down near the foot of the bed.

Nur let her eyes wander around the room. It looked very cosy, all the usual necessities were there. Besides it was either this or go back to Haldir, so being picky wasn't on the menu. Even if things were a little plain, Darius's company would make up for it.

"It's cute..."

She walked from one end of the room to the other, opening the door to the bathroom and such, so she knew where everything was situated. The bathtub would certainly be graced with her presence later tonight. She wanted to wash off the fishy aroma which had undoubtedly caught in her hair or clothes, or worse still, both. With one last longing stare at the marble tub she returned to the bedroom. Darius had taken off his backpack.

What if she helped him some more?

The succubus swayed over to his side and took his hand again, pulling him towards the bed. She was careful not to tug on him too hard, he was a little drunk after all and not that steady on his feet. Nur sat down on the bed, tapping the place next to her.

"Want to relax a little bit?" She said, a cheeky smile on her lips. Nur took off her sandals and crawled onto the bed, sitting on her knees, waiting for Darius who met her gaze with a smile.

"Of course." He moved toward the bed with her, but stopped abruptly as he noticed the weight around his waist. The belt. He chuckled at himself briefly as he removed the leather utility belt and set it on top of the backpack. He was careful not to set it down on his instrument instead which he had removed while Nur was taking a short tour of the room. "Okay now I'm mostly ready." He sat down and started to remove his boots so he could enjoy the comfort of the bed. "There." He said as he freed himself from the boots and scooted back further onto the bed. There was a short moment of silence as he stared into her eyes.

Nur stared back into his red eyes, trying to see into the soul of their owner. He didn't have the familiar hazed look of desire she saw often. If anything he looked a little tired. They had done a lot though. He was probably out and about even before they met this afternoon. Not everyone slept in as late as she did. She got even closer to him, leaving only a pillow sitting between them.

"Are you enjoying the view?" She turned her head to the side with a smile, raising her brows, as if she was saying. Well, are you?

Nur's closeness seemed to pull at him to close the rest of the gap between them. This type of attraction was nothing new to Darius. If he was going to do anything, now was the moment... a moment to indulge.

"How could I not?" He said softly as he leaned in towards her. On course, he let his eyes slowly shut as his lips reached hers. Nur's eyes fluttered closed, feeling his lips touch hers. Her insides tingled and she kissed him back sweetly. She pushed him back gently without breaking their kiss, laying him down on the mattress. Reluctantly she stole away from his lips, keeping her face inches away from his.
"I think you should get some sleep" She whispered, their noses touching. Nur kissed his forehead and moved away from him. She spread out the blanket over his tall frame and fluffed his pillow.

A few minutes later....

Nur breathed in the night air, spreading out her arms and looking up at the moon. She felt great, invigorated. Things were working out perfectly. She had escaped Haldir, found a lead on the rebellion and had a new place to sleep, all in just half a day. If thing kept going like this, she would be in Alkenroth´s library in no time at all. She would find out how to get fix her condition and everything would go back to normal. The succubus made her way back into the port town.

Whatever should I do now?

The night was still young and full of possibility. Let's see here. She'd spent amas which hadn't been hers, played with men who weren't hers and went to places she wasn't supposed to. All things considered she had worked really hard today, maybe a quiet stroll couldn't hurt. Just a calm and uneventful walk through the town. The park would be the perfect place to start. She'd walked past it a couple of times, but hadn't paid much attention to it. It was the kind of place where lovers would steal away into the shadows for a hidden kiss. Her natural habitat.

Nur went down one of the trails into the park, enjoying the greenery around her. She followed the winding path, but after a while she began to be disappointed. There were barely any people out and about. Her lips pursed together in a annoyed pout. A flash of black shining armor caught in the corner of her eye. She held in her breath, and looked up at his face. Dark eyes, stalked the streets. It was Haldir.

She was about ready to pull out her precious hair in annoyance. The dark elf hadn't spotted her yet, and she took to the trees, hiding in the shadows. He was edging closer to the park. Nur lowered herself to the ground, feeling annoyed rather than scared. That all changed when she saw him heading straight to her hiding spot. The succubus covered her mouth, to silence the sound of her breathing. The dark elf stood still in contemplation, it looked like he was smelling something. Nur's eyes widened when she realized what it could be, the rose perfume Darius gifted her!

One day her vanity was going to get her killed. To her surprise he walked up to a rose bush, probably thinking the scent came from the blushed evening blooms. While she was on her knees she took the opportunity to thank the gods for this odd stroke of luck.

Nightland

I'll post today ^.^