[IC] Avalia

[Tae]

Time: Evening
Location: The Pretty Flower, River Kingdom
Interactions: @princess Helio
New Outfit: Outfit

---

Azriel had agreed to meet Helio at The Pretty Flower that evening, but she’d decided after the events earlier that she first wanted to bathe. She knew Helio likely wouldn’t mind the blood and gore that was all over her, but she wasn’t fond of constantly living in that. So she’d gone to take a bath at the bath house, spending the rest of the day there relaxing. Now she was heading towards the meeting spot, smelling like jasmine, something she wasn’t entirely fond of. Why would anyone want to smell so frilly and sweet? Damn those fairies for adding jasmine oil to her bath. She’d also allowed them to do something with her hair and, after quite a while, she had some pretty and pristine updo. It wasn’t long after she left that Azriel immediately pulled parts of it out and messed it up. Now it looked nothing like it had, being quite messy.

She swaggered through the doors of The Pretty Flower, watching people eying her. She ignored them, however, as her eyes locked on the form of Helio and she grinned. What havok would they wreak tonight, she wondered? As she approached she only heard the last thing he said, having no idea what had occurred moments before. ”Ah so you like it strong and bitter? Well that’s intriguing.” She teased him as she leaned against the bar next to him. ”I’ll have the same as your king.” She said to the girl running the bar.

”Well what do we have planned for tonight other than potentially getting completely wasted and doing things others might regret? I’m ready to have some fun and take my mind off of things.” She gave him a coy grin before grabbing the drink that had been set before her and going to take a sip.

[Alivefalling]

Time: night
Location: River Port
Interactions: @Helo@Tae@Potter

“You as well Cade.” She replied. Ezeri looked toward the battlefield one last time and found Anzu dead lying on the ground, his body blackened from the flames. He must have been killed in the smoke while she couldn’t hear or give orders. Her heart stopped a moment and she moved to his side. Kneeling down beside her fallen friend, she quickly took off the remaining cloth of her cape and wrapped him inside.

‘ You have fought well little guy, I will avenge you Anzu.’She thought to herself.

Ezeri was quiet on the way into River Port eventually finding the healing center. Once they had been admitted. She wanted to take him home and was distraught in her situation being stuck here. She quietly told the others that she’d catch up with them and urged them to go on to the healing center.

She left to bury him in a hand dug grave on the edge of town, sending him off with some final words.

Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the healing center and decided to wait outside until they were healed and safe. They were presumably inside since the unicorn was outside of the healing center all alone. Mel had been on Ezeri’s shoulder the whole time and had not said a word; his silence was louder than anything she had ever heard. The two had lost a dear friend and ally. She walked over to the unicorn releasing the bond that tied the two together. “Thank you, for everything.” she said before the unicorn walked off calmly back to the forest from which it had come from.

[dreamingflowers]

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.

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Night
Location: Darius and Vaeril's Pad to Swim Suit Shop
Interaction:
Mentions: @princess Malachi

"Can't sleep now." Darius grumbled as he rolled out of bed with his portable solar box in hand. He had managed to make an account on the device and also browsed the database some. He had looked up River Port, and learned a few things about the town, like it being the tenth port established and how the town held many stores and attractions for its small size. He took a look at his timeteller and shrugged. The night is still young and I might as well hit all the other places I missed. The spa and bathhouse seem like good ideas.

Once dressed, Darius headed back into town, guided by the light of the lamp posts along the way. He noticed many were decorated with flower vines, something his keen eye noticed. Despite his attention to detail, nothing else came from it. Knowing Avalia, it was likely a fairy attempting to pretty up the place. He winced for a moment as he thought of Risa. She still haunted him, which he hadn't fully forgiven Malgormuun for. He understood why the demon made him experience Risa in that way. If Darius saw Risa as a monster, she would be easier to kill, and to Malgormuun, her death meant the end for the rebellion.

Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, Aklenroth decided against the assassination of Risa Millina. It freed both Darius and Malgormuun of the burden. Daka was surely his next destination once he found Myra. He was sure she might find him first with her sharp senses… The possibility where he might never see her again was pushed to the very back of his mind. It made him feel too guilty. The world she knew was not the one he brought her to. With so many people, the buildings, the clothes, the dancing, and… the danger.

His eyes hung low as he walked across the town square a fast walking blonde elf caused him to take a slight sidestep out of the way. He turned to look back briefly but continued as he was sure he wasn't paying too much attention to where he was walking.

Continuing, he stopped at the swimsuit shop. Why not see what they had to offer? He might even get to swim tomorrow morning. He entered the shop

[princess]

Time: Evening
Location:Port 10; Beach
Interaction: @Alivefalling@FunnyGuy@Potter@Helo@13org@baraquiel
Outfit:What she's wearing
Inventory:Bag for her belongings(It's along her belt behind her cape and not a backpack). Inside that bag: ama pouch, small water flask, plant seed pouch, small bag of berries, small flowery perfume, small knife, thin nightgown, and Risa has transferred some of her hygienic supplies into small, portable bottles: hair and teeth cleansers, hair softener and armpit fragrance.

Risa was quiet as Lucia spoke, meeting her gaze. She seemed to be a passionate woman and didn't doubt she meant her words. She simply nodded to her question, allowing her to continue to speak. Lucia's story felt so similar to her own. Her expression faltered for a moment, a wave of sadness washing over her. She was quiet for a good twenty seconds as her thoughts traversed in multiple directions. Finally, she took Lucia's hand and patted her palm comfortingly. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I understand how heavy that is to carry and move forward with. It's very brave of you."

Her gaze moved to Elrond as she put two and two together from a combination of their statements. She had been about to speak to him when Valaeon called to others. Glancing over, she noticed two others had joined. She wasn't sure who they were or where they had even come from. One of them seemed to be a creature of some sort; perhaps a demon. Risa was a bit uneasy about that idea, but she decided not to judge based on looks. She was adorable, but she'd be wary in case.

Risa waved to the two newcomers with a smile but ultimately let Valaeon and Valamiir deal with them, turning back to Elrond. She wanted to make sure he was okay, though she was sure Lucia seemed to be a sweet elf. Her voice was only loud enough for Lucia and Elrond to hear as she addressed him, "I just want you to know that if you don't want to be in the war, that is okay. We will protect you until we can get you home. Please don't let anyone make you feel forced into this. However, if you want to help, I will devote my life to keeping you safe throughout the duration."

[FunnyGuy]

Time: Night
Location: River Port
Interaction:
Wear & Equipment: Outfit, Time Teller, Portable Solar Box (PSB), Cold Ring, fingerless Channeling Gloves (black), Water Flask, Large Backpack, Utility Belt

Darius was hoping for something more from the swimsuit shop, but men's swimsuits probably had a limit to how diverse they could be, even in a magical fantasy world. He purchased a pair of black swim trunks from the petite, blonde fairy shopkeeper. He paid 10 amas for his purchase and left the store with a wave. She was friendly, and maybe he would have stayed to chat some, but Darius had other shops to get to.

As he exited, his eyes landed on the blacksmith establishment. Darius figured weapons and armor were a good investment, and he had the amas to spare. He rolled up the swim trunks and placed them into his backpack before heading across the way.

As he entered the second store, he immediately felt the heat coming from the forge and feasted eyes on the many weapons and armor on display within. Darius had never seen anything like it and wondered about where to even start. The closest thing he had ever seen on Earth was the firearms section in a pawn shop or a Walmart.

"Sick…" He commented quietly before looking at the backs of the customers ahead of him. An elf, a demi-human, and an orc… ...walk into a forge… Darius almost chuckled at the potential start to a joke and instead smiled to himself. The three customers engaged the female blacksmith, who barely noticed him. When she did however, she took a moment to greet him.

[princess]

"Name's Tanila. Look at what I got."

Blacksmith Selection

[CitrusArms]

Aiko Yume

Time: Evening
Location: River Port, Seaside Park
Interactions: Nur @dreamingflowers

The woman was confident and charismatic. It was no small wonder; when she leaned into him, he felt the all-too-familiar influence of another succubus. Well, calling himself a succubus right now was perhaps a little strange. Anyway, the woman. Absently, he put his hands lightly on her when she leaned into him, one on her hip and the other taking her hand. He offered a soft smile as she pulled herself away again, "yes, I think I know exactly what you mean. Brutes, aren't they?"

Aiko resisted the urge to enter the spiral of a succubus and an incubus hitting on each other. He preferred to play things a little slower than that, anyway, so the other taking distance again suited him just fine.

Ooh, I'm the exception alright. This succubus had no idea, but there wasn't reason to bring it up, really. Not at the moment.

What were they doing out here? "Ooh, the usual. Mountain's too crowded, folks out this way are beautiful. The peace and quiet is nice, too." He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I could ask you the same thing, my sweet." He offered her an arm and would walk her into the park, the other direction than where the dark elf had gone. "Shall we? Before someone decides he wants to turn around."

[dreamingflowers]

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.

[CitrusArms]

Aiko Yume

Time: Evening
Location: River Port, Seaside Park
Interactions: Nur @dreamingflowers

He'd had a brief stay on the mountain, at his mother's insistence. Something about being a real demon or other, but he has his suspicions his mother had wanted a distraction. Such upsetting thoughts aside, his present company was much more charming. He cracked a grin at her mention of drinks and a place to sleep, knowing very well why. He chuckled as she finished joke, enjoying the dissonance between the punch line and her tone, "hahaha, yes, dropped trousers are a frequent, aren't they."

"Aiko, and you stole the words right from my mouth."

Oh, yes, they should get along wonderfully. There was one question, but that was a bridge to cross when it became relevant.

A hand running through his fur drew his attention. The fluffy appendage lifted into her hand slightly at the touch, and his posture straightened slightly, but he tried to not give away how much he enjoyed fingers through his fur just yet. "Oh, constantly. They just assume, it's easy." A sly grin curled his lips, "almost like they want to believe me."

"So what were you doing, before I found you hiding? Looking for a snack? It's a little dry this evening," Aiko cast his gaze through their surroundings. They were the only ones present, save for a shape or two in the distance, "only one thing on the menu, for you?" She'd mentioned men lavishing attention on her, but that could easily just be the banter. His own "menu" was a little different, too.

[dreamingflowers]

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.

[Potter]

nvm

[CitrusArms]

Oops

[CitrusArms]

Aiko Yume

Time: Evening
Location: River Port, Seaside Park
Interactions:@dreamingflowers Nur

A succubus? On a quiet walk through the park in the evening, with nary a ulterior motive? And he's actually a beastkin. "That does sound boring, you kidder. I would offer to slake your thirst for the evening, but... well." They both knew why that wouldn't work. If they were to do anything together, it would just be for fun, or because one of them was particularly well fed. Or affection, but that fit under the umbrella of "fun", if you asked him.

Men were her poison of choice, as she put it. Made sense, that's how most succubus felt. At any rate, he didn't really think she was lying. It was odd, though. "Must have some things on your mind, if there's any truth to that."

Ah, but his wonderful new companion wanted to play a game! A game attuned to their kind. "I like your games, Nur." He watched the succubus cross the street and claim her turn, closing in slowly after her.

She seemed... Irritated, when she came to meet him again. He saw her powers at work, but something had seemed, off. Her foul mood only proved that. "Hmm?" He placed his hands gently on her, one at her hip and the other cupping her face. She'd won her round, at least, so, "excellent work. But, you know, I think I've got a fun game we can play together. Let's make sure his offering goes well, and then I'll tell you about my idea." It didn't seem like she really wanted to play this game, anymore. Something had upset her. Perhaps she was in need of a snack, after all.

He approached the barkeep, smiling, "excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear, you're presenting this to someone special?" He'd gathered a complimentary suggestion while Nur had taken her turn. A fern and honeysuckle. "If you put these flowers together, I think it might send the kind of message you're looking for."

He arranged them carefully in the man's hand, relaxing the barkeep to make him now suggestible. The ferns were set as a frame to a pink rose surrounded by the small blooms of honeysuckle. "There, that looks good, doesn't it? Ask a fairy to freshen up the honeysuckle before you present it. It's delicious."

He sent the man off and didn't bother to see if he bought the flowers and ferns he suggested or not. He slinked an arm around Nur and started them toward a nearby tavern, "hopefully his evening goes well. I think we did some good work, there, don't you think?" He was completely ignoring the competition, "oh, that's another idea. We could make sure his night ends well. But we're not some cherubs, the idea I was going to tell you..."

He chuckled devilishly, a grin he couldn't contain curling his lips, "why don't we see if we can rope a couple into something fun? Or maybe a small group... I wonder how big of a party we could put together?" It sounded like a fun thing to do occasionally. That was one thing he missed about the mountain, things weren't so... Uptight. One extreme or the other, was it?

[dreamingflowers]

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.

[CitrusArms]

Aiko Yume

Time: Evening
Location: River Port, Tipsy Tavern
Interactions: @dreamingflowers Nur

His delightful new friend, so spirited and playful just moments before, was so defeated now. It was difficult to behold, such a beautiful thing so down on herself. Aiko let Nur sit first, placing himself next to her and watching her fuss, oh, it was heartbreaking. He glanced at the cat callers, usually a good thing to find for their kind but now was the wrong moment. "Darling, you're gorgeous. Anyone who couldn't appreciate that is blind."

She didn't want to play right now, her game, his game, anything. She was checking herself over as though she were worried she'd fall apart. Poor dear. She asked him for a drink and he smiled warmly, "we'll get you fixed right up, Nur." He flagged the barkeep down and set a bit of money on the counter, "whatever the lady wants, and I'll take the same."

Now, this was a trick to pull, here. There were, he could see, a few couples at the bar. Ah, but which one? Hmm... He'd have to get closer to get a read on them. "One moment." He rose and crossed behind the bar, brushing his tails against the couples as he passed them, on his way to the restroom.

He hid himself in the stall in the restroom and got comfy, before focusing his mind. He projected himself out to listen, for a moment, to the minds he'd just touched. The first couple... No, the guy was into it but the woman wasn't. The second couple was, he realized, a couple of gay dudes. Great for him, but not for Nur. The third, however, seemed more open to the suggestion. It might take a bit of doing, but it was worth a shot to convince them.

He washed his hands and stepped back into the main room, stepping up to the couple in question and lightly touching their shoulders, grazing their necks with his thumb, "excuse me, this may be sudden, my dear friend and I were wondering if you'd like to go on a double date with us?"

They hesitated for a moment, looked at each other. Each seeing the other so relaxed, they agreed.

Aiko led the couple back to Nur's seat at the bar, letting the male sit next to his friend, "they were interested in a double date with us, isn't that wonderful?"

[Potter]

Darius & Shade

Location: Blacksmith > Shakey Dock

---

The tall red-haired elf woman stared down at the weapons intensely. She ignored the shopkeeper and picked up a few weapons. What would be best for the Little Phoenix? She turned to find Rocco and Katanna belligerently arguing over the melee weapons and smirked. The two were into weaponry and had been looking forward to coming here. Shade, being the merciful woman, had agreed to come. They needed more supplies anyways.

”Rocco does not like the spear. Rocco prefers club or dagger.” Rocco argued vehemently as he stared down at her. Katanna sighed as her ears twitched with annoyance. She shook her head at him as she began to pick up bows and examine them closely. Rocco scowled at her when she did not reply immediately.

”Rocco, you can’t just club people to death at long range.” She scowled at him and began turning the spear in her hand. ”You’ll exhaust yourself like -”

”Rocco does not talk about it!” The orc whirled around to face Katanna who raised her eyebrows. He calmed down, seeing her expression. He didn’t want to pick a fight or stand out.

Shade turned to glare at their raised voices and the two immediately hushed up and continued to shop. Next, they noticed a male with dark skin and red eyes. Shade watched him with curiosity. She vaguely remembered him from the ball and he had pledged his support to Risa. How interesting…. ”Hello there,” She greeted Darius.

"Sup… Oh and don't mind me, I'm not entirely sure about what I want." He smiled warmly at the three and figured could maybe add something to the conversation. Plus, he hadn't spoken to an orc since leaving Skar. "I guess if he has a good defense too, range won't matter, right? Winning doesn't always mean beating someone down. Sometimes it's about who is left to keep fighting on the battlefield… at least I think." Darius spoke with little confidence as he scratched the back of his neck. "Name's Darius by the way."

Shade listened to Darius speak with fascination. An interesting concept, she thought. ”My friend Kat here is pretty good at offense actually and Rocco is defense.” Darius looked between the two, noting what made sense to him. This woman made it seem as if they had fought together often enough to have a good system going for them.

Shade smiled at Katanna and walked over to pat her on the back, to which the feline withheld a scowl and forced a smile. They both understood what she needed from them. ”Rocco is a preferable weapons man. I appreciate that. Gotta defend yourself somehow. Orcs are rather interesting aren't they?” Rocco nodded silently, unwilling to reply and offset Shade’s mood and kept to himself.

"Yeah orcs are pretty incredible when it comes to fighting." He commented, eyeing Rocco again. They were so huge.

”What brings you here today?” She began to buy items, such as a whip and shield. The shield looked big enough for her little Phoenix.

"To this forge or the port?" Darius cleverly asked, but he also didn't want to give her answer she didn't want. Shade didn’t bother to reply yet.

Katanna and Rocco continued to shop, although they paid attention to Darius. ”You know, that was a nice concept by the way.” Katanna told Darius with a smirk as she eyed a long sword. She picked it up to examine and glanced at him. ”Know how to swordfight?” She grinned as she turned it over a few times and decided to buy the sword.

"Not really. I just know you stick them with the pointy end." He chuckled. "I don't even know which weapon would be best for me… Maybe you can help? You all seem pretty skilled." He said as he stepped in a spot between the three, and closer to Shade. A faint demonic scent reached the keen senses of Shade and Katanna.

The woman turned to stare at Darius with a coy grin. Kat was eyeing him now, her curiosity piqued. ”Well,” Shade smiled at him and began to buy quivers of arrows and bolts and mulled it over. ”Kat here can help you with that.” Shade fell silent to allow Katanna to take over, and she quickly turned to face him.

”Are you an offensive or defensive fighter?” Katanna inquired while beginning to stuff weapons and other items into her backpack. She also slid the sword into a sheath on her back.

"Uhhh…" He didn't know what he was. Thinking back to his only two real fights, he just did whatever he could.

”Do you have any magic? You can embed your weapons with your magic depending on what it is.” His eyes widened as he wasn't sure how to answer initially.

"Yeah I do actually, but not something to add to a weapon. It's actually the reason why I'm here in the first place. I need some steel, but a weapon easy to pick up on so I can fight off any bandits on the road, you know." He bullshitted with a smile while hoping his explanation would suffice. "I'm strong… almost as strong as an orc. Maybe a...uhh." Darius stopped speaking abruptly as he made an uncomfortable face towards the ground.

Shade watched as Rocco came down the aisle way to stare down at Darius after his response. ”Darius.” What a strange name… ”Spear good. Rocco does not like spear, but Kat uses it. Enchant it so it comes back to you. No run or seek to find it. Bow good for long range to scare off bandits. Rocco prefers clubs or warhammer. Not strong enough for most.” Katanna looked over with approval at him and nodded. He continued speaking while also making purchases of various weapons and armor, ”Dagger good for close range. Stab in eyes. No vision, no fight.” Darius nodded, but smiled as he looked up again. Malgormuun did not like the weapons here, more so, the smith.

"Now you've given me more options, big guy. Hmm…But, I think you've helped me figure out that I'm not ready to choose a weapon yet… I guess I'll just stick to using my good ol' magic. Thanks though. Like really. I could have spent cash on something useless." He smiled.

Rocco nodded to Darius and paid for his weapons without conversing more. Katanna and Shade had already finished and were waiting for him. He joined them and looked over as Shade began to speak. ”Nice to meet you, Darius. Good luck with your magic.” She waved to him and exited the shop with Katanna and Rocco following behind. His explanation was interesting. The ability to speak without giving everything away was a gift that so few possessed. Most people rambled on for ages and she hated it. Shade gestured to the duo and they strode down the street, making sure to stay out of other people’s ways. With Rocco, that wasn't a difficult task to accomplish. The fear of Rocco from the Riverport citizens was delightful.

"Hey, wait up! I never got your name! And I just have to buy you three drinks after pretty much doing me a solid. I insist " Darius took Shade's hand in his with a big cheesy smile. He also did not find it quite safe to travel alone at night, and these three seemed okay, plus they could fight.

Shade paused when Darius’ voice reached her ears. Eyebrows raised, the Elven woman turned to face him. His words made her smirk, despite her irritation. Why did he follow them? Didn’t he have friends? He looked like a lost puppy. A stray dog….

Katanna and Rocco shared a look, though they remained silent. ”Sure Darius. That would be great. The Shakey Dock is a great place for drinks. You shouldn’t travel alone especially if you’re worried about bandits.” She moved to the side to allow him to walk with them. ”Now that we’re out of the shop, I have a few questions.” She paused which allowed a trio of frightened elves to pass by. Shade eyed them, then turned to Darius. They weren’t her little Phoenix. ”Why are you in River Port, Darius?”

"Looking for a friend. A short white-skinned demon girl, with a long tail. Her name's Myra. What about you three? I have a guess it's for the r-word." Darius' tone was less chipper than before.

Shade listened to him and became thoughtful. ”I haven’t seen her, sorry; although I will keep a lookout for her. I’m sorry to hear you were separated from your friend. My name is Leia, and this is Katanna and Rocco.” Shade paused, glancing sideways at Kat and Rocco who both nodded eagerly. Then, as Darius spoke of the ‘r-word’, excitement rushed through her as she studied him. The frown. Oh, what a great night it was becoming…

”We are here to find our friend, but we didn’t catch her name because the demon came out and separated us. Brown hair, green eyes, and had a dress and mask adorned with flames. A sweetheart, and also…” Shade lowered her voice for only their group to hear. color=FF8C00]”...a human. You can understand our concern for her, I hope. We want to save her from the rebellion if she’s involved in it.”

"Save her? I… I haven't seen a girl like that, but…" His expression became cold, not masking how truly felt. "If she's involved in the rebellion, there's no use in saving her. You gonna drag her away or something?" Darius chuckled as he jested to lift his own mood.

Shade watched his coldness with curiosity and smiled. ”No, we want to keep her safe and see if she wants to go home. Nobody should die for a war they don’t believe in, humans especially.” She paused glancing at him. ”Not fond of it, huh?”

"Not in the slightest, but other people should be free to do what he wants. They want to stay, let them stay. They just can't cry and complain when they wind up in dire straits. Fuck 'em, I say." His words were icy, making Shade grin. What a fascinating young man, or so he seemed by his appearance. Pointed ears, red eyes; they could have been color changers, but the way he spoke on weapons and magic wasn’t familiar like her kin.

As the group finally arrived at the Shakey Dock, Darius proceeded to order drinks while Shade nudged Katanna and Rocco forward to sit down at a table. "Four siren kisses for the group!" Darius ordered the strongest drink as a courtesy. When then shots came by, they each grabbed one which prompted Darius to make a quick toast. "To a good night for Darius, Kat, Rocco, and Leia." Shade smiled as she drowned her shot and looked at Darius.

She grinned at him and rested her head on her folded hands. Katanna and Rocco both took their shots as well, only becoming a bit dazed. Fortunately, they all had a high tolerance so it wouldn’t make them loopy. They both remained silent, but occasionally nodded and smiled at Darius; or tried to, at least.

”Thank you Darius. I appreciate it.” Shade then added, ”And to more good nights in the future.” She paused as a waiter walked by and then leaned in to whisper for only them to hear, ”And the end of the rebellion.”

"I think I could agree to every bit of that!" Darius returned a smile as he immediately felt the effects of the Siren Kiss. "Whoa! This drink hits!"

Shade laughed and watched him. ”Are you okay?” She glanced at Rocco and Katanna who were quiet. She nodded to them, and the two ordered food the next time the waiter came around. After he left, a gleam entered her eyes and she turned back to Darius. ”Think you’re done for the night, lightweight?” Shade jokingly nudged his arm. ”I didn’t know demons were such softies.”

He snickered. "And I thought all elves were assholes." He laughed. "Cut me some… slack."

Shade started to laugh, but it quickly fell when he spoke next. Frozen, she raised her eyebrows and then took a deep breath to collect herself. ”What…” Rocco began to say when Katanna kicked him under the table. He growled, but didn’t continue speaking. The two shared a glance and they fell silent.

Finally, Shade collected herself enough to smirk and let out a hearty laugh. ”A playful demon, huh? I like your spunk.” She watched as the waiter delivered their food. She grinned as she began to munch on the food and gestured for the others to dive in. Rocco and Katanna didn’t need any encouragement and began to eat quickly. ”My treat for your treat.”

He grinned as kept his crimson eyes on her despite reaching for some food. "Then another treat maybe?" He said flirting before giggling.

Shade stared at him and started to laugh. Was he serious? Katana and Rocco choked on their drinks and stared with shock. She watched as Katanna took a napkin to clean herself up and also gave one to Rocco to help. Shade leaned in towards Darius with a grin. ”Maybe I ought to get to know you better. After all, all the good things in life aren’t free.” She pulled away after saying it with her own flirtatious smile.

Darius narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Ok. Deal." He said confidently. "Know me better… Leia."

Shade rested her chin back onto her folded hands with a coy grin. ”A deal for me as well.”

[dreamingflowers]

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.

[CitrusArms]

Aiko Yume

Time: Evening
Location: River Port, Tipsy Tavern
Interactions: @dreamingflowers Nur

"Oop-" before Aiko could have a seat, he found himself dragged away by the more mischievous companion Arod had been with. This was unexpected, and not to his plan. Would Nur be alright? She could take care of herself, surely, but this set-up... What he saw at the flower shop concerned him. But, well, if he made a fuss now, he'd ruin the whole plot. He managed to grab his drink, at least. Mmm~, something with strawberries! Nur had great taste.

"You've, left your date with mine." No beating around the bush, he felt a bit of pressure to get back to Nur. He'd dumped a situation in her lap and fled. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been a concern, but... Again, the flower shop.

"Arod is a nice guy, but he's so timid. He won't even try to make a move. It's frustrating... I'm Vena."

"Vena." Aiko repeated the name, slowly, letting it hang in the air. Before Vena could take him any further, he tugged her back into him and leaned himself against a post. He spun her about gracefully and put her back to his chest, one arm lazily draped over her shoulder as he sipped from the other. "If you want him to be more forward, you've gotta let him know. He's not psychic. Look at that oaf, your oaf. He's even being a prude with a succubus." He could tell from here. Ooh, poor, repressed soul.

"The first thing you two did when I approached you with my offer was look at each other, right? Maybe he's too innocent, but, well... It falls to you to spoil him, then, doesn't it? We'll help, if you like, but- oh." Ah, young love. Nur, for her part, seemed to be having a rough time. This wasn't how he planned to do this, he was supposed to be at her side. She pulled a scale from her neck and slapped it down.

"Things don't seem to be going well. Let's get back-" Nur's power flared too strong. He could tell from here. Arod physically reeling back was another big tell, Aiko began to extricate himself to go to Nur's aid. "I need to take care of her. You might take him to a room, yes? One way or the other."

He could smell the bile before it came. He couldn't reach them before Nur fled, but he was right behind her. He draped the outer layer from his garb over her frame, lightly laying his hands on her shoulders. "Nur. I'm sorry, that didn't go the way I planned. I can't help but feel responsible, it was my idea that went awry." He stood beside her and looked her over. She looked awful. Well, she was still stunning, but she seemed... Tired.

"We can call it an evening, if you like. I'm staying with someone, but it's normal for me to have... Guests. The owner has a lot of nightmares, and I help them with that." He hesitated, looking her over once more, "Nur. Your scale disintegrated. Do you, need a meal?"

[Helo]

Time: Evening
Location: River Port-Beach
Interactions: Lucia@Potter, Valamiir@Alivefalling, Valaeon@FunnyGuy, Risa@princess, Sakura@baraquiel, Myra@13org

Leon kept up his best impression of a man who was intimidating as two newcomers approached, although the much larger dragonborns seemed to have the bodyguard posture down perfectly. He watched, studying how they approached and talked to the newcomers, deciding this would be a useful persona to have. If he was to be involved in some high fantasy rebellion against a dark and evil overlord, he at least wanted to be able to look intimidating. The newcomers didn’t look all that dangerous, at least when standing near the two dragonborns who loomed over them, but he still hung back with Lucia and Risa. If they were a threat, it wasn’t like there was much he could do if the two dragons couldn’t handle them. His ability to incite a refreshing breeze or float lightweight objects wasn’t all that threatening. Leon was a level one noob who was somehow spawned in right before a final boss battle. He had to at least appear dangerous or he was going to end up dead and there would be no respawns.

“And what if I don’t want to go home?” Leon asked once Risa had finished speaking. “I know it’s not exactly a utopia here, but it still beats my home by a landslide and Earth wasn’t exactly short on people who wanted me dead either. Being here has already extended my life, so I don’t mind risking it for a revolution. We have a saying in my world, those who stand for nothing, fall for anything. I’d like to stand for this, for freedom. Feels like a better use of my extra time than anything else I could come up with. But don’t feel like you need to protect me, I doubt I’m going to be all that important to your cause, but I’ll do whatever I can.” He spoke honestly and in a hushed tone so others couldn’t overhear them. He was still hopeful that loyalty to the revolution, if he lived through it, would be enough that he’d be allowed to stay here. Though if he was just going to be sent back home it wouldn’t really change his answer. Lucia was the best friend he’d had in a long time, so if she was in, he was as well.

---

Time: Evening
Location: River Port-Healing Center
Interactions: Belle@Potter, Malachi@princess

Valok followed the instructions given by Malachi once he returned. Having grown up in overcrowded barracks, he lacked any concerns for privacy or modesty and simply stripped down and redressed in the new clothes without giving it a thought. His old clothes were torn and bloodied from battle and he would likely not wear them again, but he folded them up neatly anyhow. The new clothes fit just fine, and he held his head up a little higher, a little prouder, now that he had been given a new uniform from his commander. He eyed the strange food Malachi had brought them as well and wondered why one would need to eat a ‘treat’ before one ate an ‘actual meal.’ Perhaps this was a strange light elf custom, so he heeded Malachi’s warning to not get anything sticky, and carefully picked up the blas bun and took a bite.

“Thank you, this is good.” Valok managed a polite half-truth after he had managed to finish the first bite. The clothes were good, they fit fine and felt brand new, were simple and practical and he liked them. The snack, however, wasn’t good, but at the very least it was food and he was hungry.

The blas bun was overly sticky and sickeningly sweet. The pastry’s texture was soft and squishy like it was some sort of pillowy bread sponge used to soak up all the excess sugar in River Port. He tried holding it as gingerly as possible but every time he bit into the bun, honey seemed to ooze from it, contaminating his fingers further with the viscous sweetness. As strange and unpleasant as the food was, he ate it anyway because it had been given to him, he had been asked to do so, and because it was a poor choice to waste food. He tried to keep his expression neutral as he ate the bun, not wanting to offend Malachi, but even so his lip curled away from the food every time he bit into it. This at least helped to keep the sugar ooze from infecting his face as well as his hands. Once he had finished the snack he cleaned the residue from his hands.

Belle on the other hand seemed to enjoy the snack but had decided the clothing had needed work. She had returned from where ever she had gone with the dress noticeable altered. It was strange to him that she had simply altered the uniform given by Malachi without asking, but then again the rebellion seemed to run differently than the dark elf army did, and he understood little about humans. He had meant to ask why she had laughed at him when he had asked the fairies for water. It hadn’t seemed humorous to him but maybe it was funny to humans. He would have to ask later, for now, he stood quiet and alert awaiting commands from Malachi.