[Nexus]The Dancing Fox Inn IV: Strangely, More Wolves Than Foxes

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Nixa's no longer crying. All her emotions are again behind a mask set up by memories of Draaxar. She likes it there by the window. Likes the breeze in her hair. Likes the feeling of freedom she has before she must have the band put on her. Oh, and she's also not thrilled about being called 'girl'.

No. No further elaboration required. Just that simple, emotionless word. No, she's not quite ready yet. Ask me as a person, as myself and I'll come.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

With a dark growl brewing in his chest, Saer didn't move, didn't look, but his voice dropped an octave. "Girl, I will not play your games. If you do not come here now, I will finish what I started with your hair in the alley. And if you continue to act like a child, I will surely come up with harsher punishments, up to and including the use of that word on the paper you scribbled for me!" His voice never grew to a yell, but the words grew more clipped and angry as he continued. He'd gone through too much today, all of it for her. He was not in the mood to play games.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Nixa was every bit as tired, but she was also tired of the way he was treating her.

They aren't games! She really was shouting. I'm not a child, they aren't games, and I will come without the need of threats if you just call me 'Nixa' or 'Vivilandra' dammit! You don't need the Word! You just need to treat me as a person and I will respond!

As she had whipped around, the hair was behind her, and she was not ready to lose any more of it ((besides, there's a no fighting rule in the DFI, so it's not like he could burn it off anyways)).

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

That growl turned into an exasperated snarl as the demon rose to his feet and finally turned towards her. "In case you hadn't noticed, Princess, that was exactly what I tried doing earlier." He took a step towards her, his voice rising to yelling, as hers, as he continued. "As it appears to have escaped your recollection, allow me to remind you that you were the one who asked for this, who gave me conditions, all of which I have fulfilled to the letter!" Another step, and he was looking down at her, he growled, and it filled the room. His icy blue eyes were not cold in the least, though he did find it in him to control his voice to below a yell, though it sounded no less dangerous. "So, I would thank you to get off your high horse, to stop pouting, to do as you agreed, and go stand next to the fireplace. Now."

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Trying to keep calm, Nixa keeps her stony face still until after he's finished. Then, quietly and slowly, she rises and walks past him to the fireplace. Why not? Ether way she'd get the mark, and at least this way she'll also keep her hair when all this is said and done.

Draaxar had only ever gotten this mad at her once. And that had resulted in permanent scarring. Sooo maybe it was best not to continue irritating him and chalk this up as a failure to basic human/drow rights.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

If Saer was the type to pray, he might have raised his eyes to the ceiling and said a silent one of thanks in that moment for her cooperation. As it was, he simply let out a breath with a slow blink and visibly relaxed as she moved past him to the fireplace.

He turned around after she'd already made it to the fireplace and went over to stand beside her. He stood closer to the fireplace than her, so much that the flames reached up and licked at his bare stomach where he still left the shirt undone. He reached up his free hand to beside her face, let out a soft sigh, then lowered his hand and spoke quietly. "Move your hair aside, please."

Whether she acknowledged it -and he somewhat doubted she did- or not, he was doing as she had (to put a very kind word to it) requested. He wasn't touching her. Nor had he since she told him not to. He couldn't guarantee that would hold, but for now, he was trying to compromise.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's Room]

Nixa hadn't noticed that he wasn't touching her, but she was glad to hear the 'please'. With a thin smile and a small nod to show him that she approved, she reaches back with a claw, drawing the hair away from her face, and ties it up. Her pointed ears now show better than they have yet. They seem almost wickedly sharp.

Well Saer may not be the praying type, but Nixa looses a quiet prayer to Andaress and a silent plea to Draaxar.

Will it hurt, Draaxar? She asks quietly. She didn't really mean to ask it, but the memory playing in her mind made the question sort of slip out. She wasn't even concerned about it, so it sounds like an random murmur.

Will it hurt Draaxar?
That all depends, Child, on how you perceive pain.
I don't understand.
You don't need to understand, Child. You have the dragon blood. Pain should not be a concern of yours.
It won't be, Draaxar.

Nevermind, just hurry up and get on with it, she says, shoving the memory aside, and quickly trying to cover up her mistake.

[kitcatk8]

((Bedtime for me now. Nunite!))

[Saer's Room]

That smile, however small it was, made even more of his anger melt away. He watched the way her claws pulled that hair back expertly, followed the curve of her ear with his eyes, then back down and to her bare throat.

On the glinting piece of silver in his hand, her name was inscribed in elegant cursive, a perfect scoring in the metal. Simply, 'Nixa'. Metaphysically, he gently pulled on the flames at his stomach such that they licked stronger against him, melting with his flesh. The shirt nor the slacks caught any part of the blaze. His skin was a greater attractant than cloth ever could be. He used that energy to direct into the metal band and began to slowly bend it, raising it up to her neck. He was molding it to be a perfect, comfortable fit, not yet putting it around her throat fully. Then she asked her quiet question.

Saer blinked and lowered the silver band. Then she covered it up with cursory words. The demon's eyes narrowed a bit in thought, and his voice was quiet as her whispered question had been previously. "The mark will not hurt, no. But it was not me you were asking, was it?" The question was rhetorical, but his next one wasn't. "Why did you choose to come with me if you miss him so?" There was no emotion to the question, though the way it was worded might seem like there should be. But this demon didn't mince words. He asked exactly what he meant to ask because he wished to know the answer.

[orb_of_blood]

Saer's room

Nixa sighs gently and considers the question. There were several answers. Because I am curious. Because I am bored of running exactly the same errands for Draaxar over and over for so many years. Because he was almost at the end of what he could teach me, and you could teach me much more. Because... she pauses.

Because Saer seemed to know her. He seemed to understand her, appreciate some of what she knows and does. He's a challenge, and he'd be annoying as hell, but still, he was... oh, the word is eluding her. Exciting? Yes, that's right. Ever since the accident, Draaxar had been extraordinarily gentle with her. Calm, patient, kind. While she misses it, will most likely miss it for a long time, she supposed she was bored of it by now and wanted something different in her life.

She wanted Saer.

And Nixa strives to get what she wants.

Unless you're reconsidering, I still want the mark.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

((Good morning!))

Saer watched her intently as she answered, and listened especially hard when she got to that last 'Because'. By the expression on her face, he could tell there was more she was thinking on saying, but something in her kept it back. And well he could guess the kind of information she would want to keep from him at this juncture. He'd seen the small glances she'd given him every now and then. Most especially, he remembered that blush from far earlier.

She all but confirmed these things when she finished her statement of wanting his mark on her. Although, he'd already known it.

He answered her quietly. "I've never reconsidered. Not since the moment I saw you." While on other lips it might have sounded like a sweet sentiment, on his, it sounded possessive and dangerous just this side of frightening. And it was true. Since he'd met her, he kept trying to find a reason not to claim her. While she'd certainly given him several considerations, she hadn't told him a good enough one.

He lifted the band up next to her neck. When they'd started talking, the fire had died down at his side, only passively reaching up to the open skin of his stomach and chest. As he concentrated again, it began its more powerful flow into his flesh. He got the band to the point where it was almost ready to be slid around her neck before he sealed it in the back. Here, he paused once more and darted his gaze from the silver up to her eyes. "I'll need to touch you." He wasn't asking. But he was warning her. Because one of her statements from earlier was contradicting the one she'd just made. Still, he waited for her answer before continuing. Was he being...considerate...? The look in his eyes certainly didn't look 'considerate'.

[orb_of_blood]

Saer's Room
((Good... well it's odd to be saying good morning as it's 8:30pm over here... Eh, I'm gonna leave it at: hello again!))

Nixa makes an irritated hmmm. She's not keen on it, mostly as she's still ashamed from being beaten in the fight and irritated at his coaxing the Word from her. Still, it was required so... fine, go ahead.

That he knew the Word scared her more than she'd like to admit. She feared it, ever since the day Draaxar had bound her to it. He'd assured her he'd never use it, but something tells her Saer would if prompted. But that's not the only thing worrying her...

You will teach me, won't you? Nixa's concerned that the moment she has the mark, he will begin to ignore her or the like. That would be terrible as she left her mentor for him...

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

The look the demon gave her in answer to her question was eloquent. But he answered her quietly anyway. "I suspect you'll learn things from me you didn't know you didn't know." There were a million things left unsaid in that simple phrase, all of them highly suggestive. He could have made the most jaded prostitutes blush when he tried.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Well, Nixa doesn't hear anything suggestive. her mind was already off on the 'magical teachings' side of things, so that's the context of how she hears the answer, and she sighs with relief. Oh good. You had me worried there for a moment. Thought you might ignore me once I was yours. No, Nixa's still not really aware. For all her intelligence, she could be a right fool at times, or maybe it was something more along the lines of possessing selective hearing. At any rate, she's impatient for the demon to finish placing the band.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

Curiouser and curiouser. The demon's lip corner turned up a bit when she answered. He didn't doubt his powers of innuendo. But he was learning quite a bit about exactly how limited her experience must have been with men.

This...was going to be fun.

With a slight incline of his head that was meant to be a nod, Saer slid the half-circle of the band around her neck. Still, he hadn't touched her as he'd said he would need to.

He slid it perfectly around her throat, being careful of the fit, of her comfort. He'd made many, many of these.

Without touching flesh to hers, he pulled more from the flames, and melted the ends of the bands together behind her throat. They glowed red-hot for a moment as they melded, and in that same instant, more magical words inscribed themselves, glowing red, below her name. Small but present, 'Property of Lord Saer Akore'.

As the final word wrote itself, that was when the knowledge usually started to settle in to his girls. It wasn't a weight, it wasn't a spell, but it was an awareness. If the mark worked on her as it worked on everyone else, she would know, beyond a doubt, beyond anything, that she belonged to him. It didn't instill loyalty. It didn't take away her free will. But she wouldn't be able to lie to herself about it. She wasn't allowed denial. He owned her, beyond reason, beyond faith, beyond all else. She was his. It was a lot to press onto the mind, and as a side effect of such knowledge, there came the sudden faintness.

He had made certain she knew he would have to touch her, not to place the mark, but to catch her as she would likely sway and begin to collapse to the ground from weariness, as if she'd been awake without stop for days.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

To Nixa's credit, she manages to keep the odd sensation at bay. She has to close her eyes for a moment and reach out for something to steady herself, most likely placing a hand on Saer for a moment, and oh Andaress is she tired, but once she steadies herself she remains standing.

The awareness works on Nixa, but not quite to the extent it should have. She knows she belongs to Saer now. But still she thinks of Draaxar in that moment, of his loving gaze...

I think... I think I should like to sleep for a bit before anything else happens, she says, eyes wide. Yet she still doesn't sway.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

As she reached to steady herself, Saer offered his arm so she could use it for stability, and her palm ended up on his forearm where the cuffs of the shirt were still open. He watched her carefully to see if she would need any more support, but she was strong.

To her words, he simply offered that single nod once more, and, if she needed, he allowed her to continue to use his arm as he led her over to the bed.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]
((Last post, then I'm going to sleep. Goodnight!))

Nixa didn't need the support, though her walk was very slow, halting. Still she makes it to the bed without collapsing,and lies down. She gives Saer a tender smile. Obviously the exhaustion has caused her mask to drop. This smile is sweet, unhindered by judgment or thought. It's a true smile, sweet and kind.

Then she's asleep almost immediately, her hot skin beginning to burn the bed already. Her head spreads out in a white halo as she shifts slightly, making her look almost angelic as she slips away into peaceful rest - rest which would probably be hindered by awful images were she not so thoroughly exhausted.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's room]
((Last post, then I'm going to sleep. Goodnight!))

Nixa didn't need the support, though her walk was very slow, halting. Still she makes it to the bed without collapsing,and lies down. She gives Saer a tender smile. Obviously the exhaustion has caused her mask to drop. This smile is sweet, unhindered by judgment or thought. It's a true smile, sweet and kind.

Then she's asleep almost immediately, her hot skin beginning to burn the bed already. Her head spreads out in a white halo as she shifts slightly, making her look almost angelic as she slips away into peaceful rest - rest which would probably be hindered by awful images were she not so thoroughly exhausted.

[Saer's Room]

((Sleep well! We're about to hit a matinee movie. lol))

Saer sat at the edge of the bed as she lay down, and to that smile, it caused his brow to quirk and a half-smile, mostly of amusement, to slide past his own defenses. He shook his head as she drifted off to sleep, reached out a hand and pulled one of her hair strands from her forehead, tucking it gently back. "Sleep well, Darkling." The words were quiet and deep, like a cat's purr.

He watched her for a few moments more, and his hand idly traced her name, very lightly, along the collar at her throat once as he considered the bed. The owners wouldn't be too happy about that, but he had plenty of resources to pay them. Though it wouldn't be a bad idea to go about fire-proofing his house. The thought made him smirk a bit more at the irony. He didn't consider he'd ever have a girl living with him whose skin ran hotter than his. Though, the blood seemed to be the same. It was just his flesh shielded it better. He never realized before how thankful he should have been for that.

Luckily, the Nexus had everything he might need. He just had to go out and find it.

He didn't know how long she'd be asleep, nor how long he'd be out. Though, she had expressed some concern to his leaving her (he hadn't quite figured that one out, either. She was a puzzle sometimes). He went to the desk and wrote a short note for her, placing it where she was sure to see it, then he finished buttoning up his shirt and lacing his boots before departing ((to Outside)).

'Order yourself something to eat. I'll be back soon. -S'

[Mee]

Since Naku isn't going to be better and he after all needs this job Fade's shadow slides away to her body. The shadow changes his shape to a female human and when close to Naku tries to study her body. The study is a magical search which should tell Fade how her body structure is build from black and white mana. Black stands for undead parts while the white mana stands for life.
If that works the shadow will cast a spell with the same mix of white and black mana, which should heal her slightly.

I did miss this, sorry.

So!
Mostly? Mostly she'd be white, utterly and completely.

But the heal?
Does nothing.
Though it doesn't hurt, either.

[Zefir]

Well that's all that Fade can do filling her body with the energy. And it didn't work ... hmm maybe now is the time to burn down the cropse? Fade really things about that option, as suddendly the door opens and a random NC enters followed by a bussines card flying in the wind.

Fade picks up the card reads it and then goes over to Songdancer.

"Here! Seems that is for you."

Holding out the card for him. This card isn't related to nakus health.

[Mindfreak]

Jamil: We're going to need a car. My van is out front, so we should be fine. I need to clear it out, so two people need to grab that thing and follow me.

"Two people? Ha!"
He will try to telekinetically lift Naku's body and stretcher up.
"I'm a unicorn pony silly! Telekinesis is my best skill!"

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

He'd been gone for several hours. And at least an hour more than he had anticipated.

Whether Nixa was awake or not, he opened the door with a brisk, irritated motion, and had to fight to keep from slamming it behind him.

He didn't look to see if she was awake. Didn't look to see what she had been up to since he'd been gone. Instead, he threw the ruined shirt against the nearest wall, and he went to the bathroom.

And drew himself a bath.

Again.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Nixa was still asleep when he entered. Dragons from her planet tend to sleep for weeks, and the dragon blood in her means she's out for longer than the average person, but the sound of running water means she opens her eyes a little.

...ouch. She had a horrible crick in her neck, and when she raised a few probing fingers to the metal band she remembered what had happened and let her hand drop. Oh yeah. First day with a new master.

She rose, stretched, wondered briefly how obsessed Saer was with hygiene as he'd taken a shower not a few hours ago, and reached into her bag once again. Time for some work.

When Saer finishes and comes back out, he'll find the room in shambles. Spread out across the floor are many differents herbs, bones, plants, powders and most importantly stacks and stacks of books. In the middle of the room is a sheet with a star drawn onto it. Reagants are placed within the star at specific points, a folded red silk belt is in the middle, and Nixa kneels in front of it, placing reagents, reading from a draconic book, and chanting quietly.

No, chanting isn't the right word. She sings to the material softly. The words are pretty incomprehensible, but the soft singing seems to make the material glow and change colors over and over, twisting into different shapes as well.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

((Last one for me. It's bedtime in the past.))

It was a familiar scene -Saer walking out of the bathroom, one towel around his waist, another used to dry his hair-, up until he saw the various bits and bobs scattered about his room.

He stared for one second, two, rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, sighed, and then went to the wardrobe. He didn't disturb whatever it was she was currently working on, but as for the other things, the books, the herbs, the bones, he walked right through the middle of them and paid little attention to what might get knocked over or pushed aside. He pulled open the wardrobe with a sharp gesture, and his voice was equally clipped. "Finish whatever it is you're doing and pack up. We're leaving within the hour."

Grabbing his usual garb, he went back through the various things she'd spread out on the floor and to the bed. He threw the towel off which was about his waist and proceeded, for the third time that day, to put some damned clothes on.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]
((G'night! ))

Nixa can't speak or the enchantment will be broken, but she finishes up soon anyways. With a flash of light the essence of the reagents is sucked into the belt, leaving it glowing bright purple. It's an odd color, but it will go away soon and then the enchantment will be truly useful.

As for the other reagents, she begins to sweep them back into her bag of holding, sighing when Saer knocked over a pile of books.

Where are we going? She asks, examining the belt in her hands before stuffing it too into the bag. Again she does not watch Saer as he changes.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

((I slept in...way too much.))

The slacks were first. "My Nexus home would be the plan." He said it cynically while he shoved his arms through a shirt, like he anticipated some sort of obstacle to keep them from reaching it. Clearly, he was not in the best of moods. "And when we get there, I'll show you to your room, assuming the furniture has arrived by now, and then --" He stopped mid-sentence and mid-buttoning of his shirt. He appeared to consider something, like he was trying to decide if it were a good idea or a bad one, amusing or disastrous.

He slowly resumed buttoning the shirt, finishing the sentence without having made up his mind. "...And then we shall see."

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]
((Good morning!))

Nixa stands as he dresses, and crosses the room to the torn shirt. She studies it. It's clear from the burn marks, tears and blood who he had met when he was out. She doesn't comment on it, but quietly places the shirt back. Eh, she could probably fix it if she wanted to. It's just burnt, torn and blood-stained. She'd repaired worse.

She knows he probably wants her to ask, but why not? She was curious anyways. We shall see what?

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

Actually, he hadn't meant for her to ask. It was his way of meandering around that particular train of thought. When she did ask, however, he was rolling up his dress-shirt sleeves to the elbow. He'd left the collar undone. Comfort was more important today than formal. He glanced up at her before turning his attention to the other cuff. "Then we shall see where the day leads."

He finished with the sleeve and opened the door leading to the hallway, gesturing, Ladies first.

[orb_of_blood]

[Saer's room]

Nixa rolls her eyes, and her answer is very sarcastic. Well, I can't exactly lead when I don't know where we're going, can I?

Yuck, haughty answers. That probably means that either waking her up so early was not a good idea, that she's still preoccupied with other thoughts, or that she's irritated that he doesn't tell her anything. AT this stage it's probably all three.

[kitcatk8]

[Saer's Room]

Saer had been trying mightily, up until this point, to keep his temper in check. He was angry at other things, and, until 2 seconds ago, not at her.

But she knew exactly which buttons to push to make herself a target. Those icy blue eyes were so very cold as he stepped lazily away from the door and to her. And when he reached her, he kept going. Slowly. If she didn't back up, he'd be stepping right into her and pushing her physically with his body.

He continued until her hips backed into the desk, or whatever other surface she happened to be aimed for, and then he reached up and tucked one finger under her jaw, his thumb at her chin. It was a deceptively soft touch, and she could pull away if she chose. Though she probably wouldn't have have too far to go.

His voice was quiet and dangerous in it's simmering anger. "You would do well not to turn your nose up at my politeness, Princess. Nor does it behoove you to forget that I am now well and truly your lord. Now would be a good time to remind yourself of that whenever you address me. Am I clear?"