A Deal With The Devil (Cards_of_Fate)

[Bubbles]

The heat of the day had died considerably as Luna walked slowly down the street. There were many more people here than there were a few hours before. But it wasn't a normal crowd that one would see in a market. Instead of hagglers and customers and what have you, there were just people moving quickly back and forth. Sellers were closing up their stalls and taking in their wares for the night ahead. Men and women were darting into their homes or down opposite streets, with those left heading to the taverns. Sad, really. The night breeze was a welcome relief. She could smell the salt of the sea, the fragrance of the flowers, and the grease from the food being made in the tavern nearest to her. It was... peaceful.

Luna continued down the street. She was still disguised as a fair elven maiden. Long golden locks and beautiful emerald eyes that twinkled ever so slightly in the dim light. She turned left. Now, where was that little nook she'd managed to rent for a few evenings? she was sure it was around here somewhere...

[Cards of Fate]

The moon had just begun to rise in the night sky when the messengers came to find Vincent Cain in his study. Several large tomes stood stacked ten high and three across as the scholar poured over technical drawings and ancient elven tomes alike. The intrusion was a well needed break from hours of studying, granting the scholar’s sapphire eyes reprieve from straining at faded texts and scribbles.

“Yes?” The words left his lips as he glanced up at the man standing in his doorway.

“Sir, the protective charms we’ve set have been breached…” The man announced warily. “The target has been marked, but none of the proper agents to handle the issue are currently in town…sir!”

Vincent paused for a moment, cracking his neck as he rose from his chair. “I’ll handle it…” he grunted while stretching. “Lord knows it’s been forever and a day since I’ve seen any actual action.”

…

The charm was a simple one really. It had a set parameter of what was allowed into the town, and anything else was marked. It was so simple, and so low in power that even the most experienced of magicians would blunder through it unnoticed. Once activated, the mark would leave a faint magical residue behind the target, allowing anyone who knew what they were looking for to follow it as some sort of snail trail.

Whoever had set off the trap certainly didn’t seem to be in any rush. They seemed to be milling about the town, almost as if they were site seeing. Finally, he seemed to catch the “fresh” trail and followed it deeper into the town towards the residential district. The cool night breeze seemed to blow the city lanterns ever so gently filling the air with a simple clinking noise. After several minutes of following a his trail, Vincent found his mark; a seemingly beautiful elven woman walking down the street towards an apartment of sorts. Confused, the scholar watched closely opting to observe his target before engaging.

[Bubbles]

Luna continued looking for her small apartment. Hmmm... They all looked alike. Blasted mortals and their incessant need for repetitive construction! She gently put a finger to her bottom lip in thought. And then, her ears heard something. Breathing.... She caught the scent of.... A human. She could feel their eyes on her. Now, what would they be doing, following a woman all alone at night? Luna smirked slightly at the possibilities. She maintained the premise that she hadn't noticed however, and kept her back to them.

[Cards of Fate]

Vincent watched as the woman seemingly searched for her residence, unaware that the current block they were in was slotted specifically for dock workers. He raised an eyebrow and began to softly mutter several simple incantations under his breath. While he was not exactly a magician, he knew enough theory to pull off the most minor of spells. Slowly he rattled off several minor detection spells in some attempt to identify exactly what he was dealing with here. After a moment one of the spells seemed to ping, identifying her as not native to the Althanian plane of existence.

“Interesting…” the scholar mused to himself. He took a moment and straightened his posture, slowly approaching the woman, his footsteps echoing in the silence of the night. They were much too far from the taverns and plazas for anyone to hear them, which might have server Vince well If this confrontation were to turn ugly.

“Excuse me miss? Are you lost?” he asked in the most charming voice he could muster.

[Bubbles]

Slowly, Luna turned to look at the human. A male.... And a cute one at that. She smiled a bit.

"Yes, I believe so. I recently rented an apartment somewhere in this general area. But I'm having difficulty remembering exactly where..."

Her voice was soft and light. It sounded as innocent as could be.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar raised an eyebrow at the woman’s statement. “Oh, so you’re new around here? You must be, you’re in the wrong part of town. Only the dockworkers for the RRC live over here. Do you happen to know what your building number was?” The scholar asked. He closed the gap between them and offered the woman a cheerful smile. “My name’s Vince by the way, might I have the pleasure of knowing yours?” he asked cocking his head slightly to the side.

‘This…is interesting…’ The scholar mused internally. ‘Let’s see where this goes, we may have a false alarm on our hands’

[Bubbles]

Such a darling smile. His eyes even crinkled on the edges. She loved that... Luna smiled a bit more brightly in return.

"It's nice to meet you, Vince. I am Serenae. As for my number I believe I was.... 137?"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar bowed slightly, “pleasure to meet you ma’am. I do happen to know where that is and it’s just a couple of blocks away. May I have the pleasure of showing you the way?” he asked offering her an arm. Perhaps it was her pretty face, or that…wonderful smell she seemed to have about her, but something had Vincent’s guard down. Maybe it was a lack of sleep, but it seemed fate had drawn him out to do a simple good deed for the night.

After all, it had been a while since he had gone and helped the world with its little problems. Maybe the goddess of fate Jormill had sent the scholar out on an errand to remind him that there are always easier, smaller problems he can address to help make the world a better place…

[Bubbles]

"Really? Are you certain? I don't wish to be a bother..."

Luna gently slid her arm into his. It appeared that her pheromones were beginning to take effect. That was nice. She hadn't eaten in a few weeks. Maybe she could have bit of a snack before going to sleep this evening...

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar bid the woman forward, walking in a bit of a leisurely pace. It was a nice night, and Serenae was quite beautiful. Vince was sure that the gentlemen back at the warehouse wouldn’t need him back soon. Even if they did, they could always reach Vince on their mental communications network. A cool breeze danced down the road, playing with the woman’s golden hair.

“So, are you just returning to Raiaera since the end of the corpse war?” The scholar asked curiously. “From what I gather, a lot of elves fled the land when Xem’zund attacked? Or were you born elsewhere and you’ve decided now would be a good time to visit your ancestral homeland?” The questions were innocent enough, but Vince was trying to get a feel for this woman. If he could get her to slip up, he might figure out her motives for being here.

[Bubbles]

"This is my first time here, actually. I've spent most of my life in Salvar. My mother often told me of her home, and I've been anxious to visit for years now. But when the war broke out, I was afraid that would never happen. It's nice to know that I received at least one chance to come. After all, it's dreadfully cold at home. But it's so warm here..."

Luna chatted happily as her current persona. Nothing about her story seemed false or questionable. It was very thoroughly thought out. She'd made certain not to leave a single detail unattended.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar listened intently as she spoke, turning every detail over in his head. Satisfied he shot her a smile, “What a wonderful time to visit! A lot of people are filled with hope recently. The guys in charge here are working really hard to rebuild the country!” he chuckled and guided her around a corner at the end of the street. “Just a few more blocks this way…” the scholar noted pointing with his free arm to a distant sign. “We’ll take a right there and them it should be two or three buildings down…”

With that they began walking again. “I personally came here when the government tried to purge the Red Forest of some witch’s curse. Bloody nasty business that was, I was just a common soldier and I barely got out with my skin still attached.” The scholar shrugged. “After the heroes did their thing, I followed the money here, now I’m a bit of a blacksmith.” The scholar mimed striking an anvil with his free hand. “Tough work but the coin is alright…” he paused for a moment.

“What do you do for a living miss?”

[Bubbles]

Luna smiled, listening to Vince speak. Such a cute personality. Oh, and what a wonderful voice! Simply delectable~.

"I've been doing my best to start a small flower shop, actually. Right now, all I can afford is a stall. But business is fair. You should come by tomorrow. Perhaps purchase some bluebells to brighten up your smithy a bit?"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar smiled at the woman’s offer. “What a wonderful idea! The town seems some dreary, maybe we need a little more color to brighten things up! We use to have a similar flower back home where I’m from, called bluebonnets. They were really famous, and a lot of artists would travel to my town to paint portraits of them!” He chuckled a bit as the continued walking. “My only fear is my smithy would be too hot for them, and they’d wilt within a day…” The two continued to walk, their turn growing ever closer.

[Bubbles]

"So long as you kept them in cool water, and in the coolest place you can find, they'll last three days to a week. And I can always provide replacements."

Luna looked around a bit. She began making mental notes of where they were going, memorizing the buildings they passed. She didn't feel like getting lost any more than she already had.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar nodded for a moment, as if her comment had not crossed his mind before. “I see, I guess that would help them for sure.” He gave her arm a gentle squeeze, “And it’ll give me a reason to see such a beautiful woman more often!” he teased. The turned a corner, and Vince found his eyes scanning the building numbers. Building one thirty seven was about six houses down, giving them plenty of time to finish their conversation.

“I will have to make a point of dropping by your stall on the way to work tomorrow. Where would I find it?” he asked.

[Bubbles]

Luna made sure to blush slightly at the gentle teasing.

"You remember where the butcher's shop is? The one on the southern end of the market? I'll be right outside it. It's not the best place, but I provide Mr. Harfell with peonies in exchange for a nice bit of sandwich meat for lunch."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar nodded as the woman explained where her shop was, internally grimacing as she mentioned the butcher. Just a year earlier a madman had inhabited that shop, killing people and grinding them into mincemeat pies and serving them to the few residents of the town. He’d still be at it had he and his friend Joseph not come to the rescue. “Okay, I do know where that is. It’s right next to the Aces High bar, my boss likes to drink there after work…” the scholar mused. By the time he was done, they had arrived at her door. He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Her enchanting aroma practically begged him to stay.

“Well…here we are!”

[Bubbles]

Luna looked at the door a moment. Her twinkling emerald eyes shifted to his a moment. Once she started looking into his eyes, it would be as if time slowed about them. The green would be so deep... So enthralling... So wonderful...

"... Would it be alright for you to come inside a moment?~"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar had begun to take a step away before her eyes caught his, and he hovered mid-step. Something was wrong, he could feel a foreboding tingling trail down his spine as she spoke, inviting him in. ‘I think someone might be in the house and she’s scared…’ he mused to himself. Normally he didn’t do this sort of thing, but something about this entire situation seemed to be off. Fate was telling him something, but what?

“Sure…” he droned cocking his head to one side. “I guess I don’t see a problem with that. I can’t let a woman enter a building alone without making sure it’s safe.”

[Bubbles]

"Thank you~...."

Luna opened the door, letting him in. The apartment was dark, and small. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary for the most part. She closed the door behind them, going over to the small table and lighting the meager candlestick located in the center of it.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar glanced around, checking each shadow for some lurking figure or potential baddy. His entire body was tense, something seemed so…off. In the back of his mind he could feel the cards of fate whispering softly in his ear, the words indecipherable but menacing. He walked to the end of the room and glanced around for something, anything, taking his eyes off of the woman behind him.

“Well…as far as I can tell everything looks safe to me…” The scholar mused as he turned around. He debated leaving, but his feet didn’t seem to want to move towards the door for some reason. Maybe there was something else the woman needed…

[Bubbles]

Luna's eyelids drooped down a bit. She locked her gaze with Vince's once more. The feeling that planted his feet to the floor would grow a bit more intense as she did this. Slowly, she walked closer to him.

"You're the first man I've met here that doesn't seem to have any sort of insidious motive.... I feel safe, even though I've only just met you..."

Gently, her hands came to rest on his chest.

"I didn't want you to leave before I could thank you....~"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar hesitated for a moment. Suddenly every fiber of his being felt like it was being dragged down and heavy. Her touch was like bliss as she came close to him, her eyes locked in his. “I mean…I guess I can stay for a bit…” the words barely seemed to make it from his lips. He could feel the magic she was using to enchant him slowing his mind. He had to resist, but part of him secretly wanted to play along. He’d never received this sort of attention before, and he needed to know what she was up to. There was no turning back now, the enchantment had marked her and he NEEDED to know her intent. After all, he was positive he could take control of the situation at any given time if need be…

[Bubbles]

Her hands slid up his chest, coming to rest on the back of his neck. Her face came within inches of his own.

"I'd like that...~"

Her breath would tickle his bottom lip slightly. She came closer, and closer... Finally, their lips met. It was a soft kiss. Gentle and slow.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar hesitated as her lips met his, a spark traveled between them for a brief moment. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest loudly, how couldn’t it? This was only his second kiss ever, and the first one didn’t even really count because it was with Rayleigh while he was giving her CPR. He paused for a moment, thinking of the mechanic, what would she think of this situation he’d gotten himself into? The thought lingered for a moment before the woman’s pheromones washed over him once again. Of course she wouldn’t care, it’s not like they were a thing, or if they were she’d never even hinted at such feelings. He found his arms moving on their own, wrapping around her hips pulling her ever so closer.

‘Something is wrong’ he found himself thinking. Maybe it was the nerves kicking in, he wasn’t used to…this. But the whispers seemed to be growing louder as he pulled her closer to him, her bosom pressing into his chest.

[Bubbles]

Good... Vince was responding rather well. She didn't want to take him just yet, however. He was such a sweet boy, after all. For tonight, she'd only feed a small bit. Her own arms came to gently wrap about him as well. She broke away for a brief moment to give him a chance to take in a breath. Then, she came back for a second kiss. This one was longer, and deeper than before. Her lips gently coaxed his to open.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar barely had a chance to take a breath before her lips were on his once more, this time she was going for a bit more it seemed. This was an entirely new ordeal for the scholar however, so he simply yielded to her urges as his hands slid to her thighs and he scooped her into his arms, lifting her from the ground. He took a slight step back and leveraged himself against the back wall of the room as he held the woman gently, following her lead.

‘This is…different…’ The scholar mused, her aroma washing over him. The whispers grew slowly louder and louder with each passing moment, but Vince could barely hear them over the ordeal at hand.

[Bubbles]

She could feel the conflict in his emotions. But she could also sense his desire beginning to outweigh everything else. Her legs slid up a bit, hugging to his waist as he held her off the ground. Her hands came around, trailing up his neck to cup his face. Luna kissed him more fervently, pressing herself ever closer to him.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar felt her legs hook around his waist, pulling them closer and closet still until he was all but sure she’d closed the entire gap between them. He could feel their kiss gaining momentum, he could hear the cards grow louder and louder.

‘DANGER’ the word cracked through his mind like lightning. Suddenly the spell was broken, and the scholar’s eyes snapped wide awake. He was being played, seduced. The bliss of her touch was agony to break, but he pulled her mouth from hers, feigning to take a breath. He needed to figure out her game, what she was up to quickly. He did his best to hold his composure, his face still carrying the façade of being entranced.

“Why…” he panted, “…don’t we continue this on that bed over there?” he asked motioning with his eyes to the lone piece of furniture tucked in the corner.

[Bubbles]

Luna's breath was a tiny bit heavy as Vince pulled back. She could feel the snap in his emotions. He'd started coming to his senses. A pity... But he seemed willing to continue nonetheless. How could she resist?

"Of course..."

She breathed. Her lips still brushed against his slightly as they moved.

[Cards of Fate]

Each step seemed heavier than the last as he strode over to the bed, its mattress simply stuffed with straw, barely covered in a rough cotton blanket. Her kisses resumed each one trailing lightning down his spine. Her breath was sweet venom, clouding his mind with every kiss. Finally he stood over the bed, gently lowering her onto it and climbing over her. It dawned on him that he didn’t really have a plan at this point. He had no clue if she was simply an enchantress, or some form of demon. She could have literally anything up her sleeve, but Vince had a few tricks as well. He broke their kiss for a moment and took a deep breath. Within an instant his hands moved like lightning, one snatching her arms and pinning them over her head, the other snapped drawing a dagger from a cloud of teal sparks and pressed it against her throat. His legs snapped to hers, pinning them against the bed and preventing her from gaining any leverage. When it was all said and done he simply managed a grin.

“Bet you weren’t expecting me to break that spell eh?” he asked raising an eyebrow. “Now talk before I slit your throat. Who or what are you, and why are you here?”

[Bubbles]

Luna let out a small gasp of surprise. Her eyes widened, looking up at Vince innocently for about a minute or so. Then, a smirk crept across her face. As it did, her hair seemed to grow outward, changing from gold and wavy to a vibrant and silken rose red. Her eyes shimmered, changing from emerald to a glittering violet-magenta. Two dark horns seemed to just appear from nothing atop her head. Finally, her ears became human-like, shedding the elvish points that had been donning.

"My my... And here I thought I was going to take the top~"

She cooed teasingly.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar rolled his eyes a little bit at the joke, removing the dagger from her throat and returning it to the void from where it came. He took a moment to look over this new form and harrumphed a bit.

“A succubus?” he mused aloud. “And here I thought I was just so fucking handsome you wanted to fuck me…” he scowled taking a moment to ponder his next move. “Alright, now that we’ve got that out of the way, talk. Why are you here?” he wasn’t quite sure if he was going to get any information out of her, but he could at least try. If worst came to worst he would kill her and be on with his night…

[Bubbles]

"Why does me being a Succubus mean that I don't find you irresistible? Do you honestly think you'd even be here if I didn't wish to make love to you?~"

Luna countered. A long, thin, red-scaled tail seemed to slither out from behind her. It gently coiled around his torso, the end coming up to brush against his cheek slightly.

[Cards of Fate]

Vince eyed eye warily as he grasped her tail with his free hand, running this thumb over the tip slightly. The scales were somewhat coarse, yet smooth at the same time. He scowled as he glared down at her. “The question at hand, and why not give me your real name while we’re at it.” He gave her wrists a bit of a test squeeze, crushing them ever so slightly with his momentous amount of strength.

“I can sit here until the sun rises hun, but you only have so much time before I just decide to open that pretty throat of yours and call it a night. It’s clear you’re up to no good, so I wouldn’t even feel the slightest bit guilty".

[Bubbles]

"Mmmmh~..."

Luna let out a little moan, blushing. The pain from her wrists mixed with his fingers rubbing the tip of her tail was wonderful...

"Up to no good? And just how exactly am I up to no good? After all, here you are, a stranger, pinning a defenseless girl against her own bed and threatening to kill her. I've done no wrong. Nor have I brought you or anyone else to harm. You should at least gather evidence to back your claims before you go and accuse an innocent party of a crime."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar rolled his eyes as the woman groaned. Of course she was going to make this sexual. There wasn’t a god damn thing he could do that wouldn’t turn her on apparently. It of course didn’t help his situation downstairs either, but he wasn’t going to be bringing that up anytime soon. He dug his knees into her lower abdomen, forcing some of the air from her lungs as he sat back on his legs to keep hers pinned. She was just going to argue circles around him, so it was clear he was going to need to perhaps give up some ground in order to make more.

“Let’s back up a bit. I remember reading somewhere that Succubi feed on mortals via sexual encounters. Was that what this was? Were you trying to feed on me?”

[Bubbles]

Luna sucked in a breath. It felt a bit nice.... But it wasn't as comfortable as it could be. Her jeweled eyes rolled slightly.

"Ah, yes. I'm a Succubus, therefor I'm after the precious soul of any mortal who dares cross my path. You know, just because I'm not human doesn't mean I'm hellbent on killing and causing mayhem."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar paused for a moment, after all, she had a point. He pondered what to do for a moment; perhaps he was going about this the wrong way. He thought back to what his old mentor Tob- he stopped the train of thought, banishing the bastard from his mind. ‘Motherfucker would just take the hit and fuck the woman,’ he mused internally. He thought about Leona Stevvains, or Alyssa Snow. They would tell him to try a new perspective, to try and see things from her point of view.

“Alright, let’s say you have a point there. Just because you’re a demon doesn’t mean you’re evil. But tell me, what would have happened if we continued? What would have happened if you’d preyed on me? Hm?” He cocked his head to one side, raising and eyebrow at her.

[Bubbles]

Luna cocked a brow in return, grinning mischievously.

"You're a virgin, are you not?~"

The end of her tail flicked back and forth slowly.

"If we were to continue, I would do everything in my power to ensure that this is the most glorious night of your existence...~"

She purred. Her eyes glittered, seeming to glow slightly from within.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar sighed; somehow these sorts of demons had a sixth sense for this sort of thing. He crushed her hands a little tighter, gritting his teeth.

“Let’s fast forward pest the sex for a moment. What happens? Do you steal my soul? Or just some of my lifespan? Explain to me how all this works so I can judge if you’re safe to allow in the town of not.” He had half a mind to simply bind her and throw her in the town dungeon, but she’d only enjoy that. He was trying his hardest to give her a fair shake, but she was simply being difficult for the sake of being difficult.

[Bubbles]

She moaned quietly again, the blush growing slightly.

"In making you a man, I would only have taken a half of a year from your life. I don't take souls. I was only planning to snack a little... And let you experience something new and wonderful~"

[Cards of Fate]

Finally the scholar was getting somewhere. He adjusted his weight a little bit, to make both himself and her slightly more comfortable whilst they continued to talk. He still had her pinned, but it would be a little less painful.

“There we go, how hard was that?” He asked grinning. “So you took life essence from people. Do you usually only take half a year, or can you take more? What about less? Is it possible for you to have sex without feeding?” He bombarded her with an array of questions, at the end he paused for a moment. “And maybe if you’re good and answer all of my questions…I just might take you up on that offer.” The scholar was more or less immortal, half a year off of infinity was still infinity.

[Bubbles]

"My typical diet is three years. But I can take more, or none, if I so choose..."

Luna bit her bottom lip a little, grinning.

"You know, interrogations always seem to be more eventful with torture involved...~"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar chewed on his lips as he processed the information she’d just given him. He debated her words carefully, turning them over and over in his head before speaking again.

“So you want me to make it hurt, huh?” He teased squeezing her wrists once more. He didn’t want to admit it, but her moans were pretty arousing, and being in charge was giving him a power trip. He ran his thumb over the tip of her tail teasingly. “Tell me your name, next.” He commanded, giving the tip of her tail a slight squeeze.

[Bubbles]

"Hmmmmmhhh~..... Luna... My name is Luna....~"

She moaned again. The end of her tail wrapped around his thumb almost lovingly.

[Cards of Fate]

He chuckled slightly as she whimpered beneath him. He’s long since cleared her fog from his brain, but what was left was slightly scary. It was Vince, completely in control, tormenting this poor creature. Sure, she was being a pain in the ass, but he was enjoying it a little too much for his taste. The scholar pondered what he should do with her for a moment, she seemed dangerous, but he got the feeling he could reason with her to an extent. The whispering of the cards returned to his ears, and suddenly the scholar knew this was still no ordinary chance encounter.

“How about we make a deal…” he mused as he leaned forward, his lips a few inches from hers.

[Bubbles]

"A deeaal?~..."

Luna purred. Mmmmm... She enjoyed how suddenly this boy had taken control. It was sexy... The dominance she felt ringing through Vince's mind only solidified her thoughts on the matter. She wiggled a bit beneath him, as if in anticipation.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar paused for a moment, making the woman hang on his every word. “I’m not going to kill you, in fact I think you might have some skills I need in the future.” He grinned, and let his words sink in. “I’ll let you get your evening meal from me tonight; you can even take a full three years. In exchange, I will mark everyone who works for me. You will only be able to feed on them once while you’re here, and you can only take half a year when you do so. If you ever need a fix, you can come to me and eat your fill. In exchange for me graciously allowing you to stay in this town and feed on my flock, you will do jobs for me. When I ask you to do something, you do it.” He tightened his grip around her wrists.

“When you feed from me you drop the bullshit. None of the hypnosis or pheromones. I will provide you a better place of residence, and any money you may need to do whatever you want to do, and live the type of life you want. If you cross me, I will kill you. Are we clear?” His eyes glared daggers down at the woman. He was the Emperor, he was in charge, she would step in line.

[Bubbles]

Luna giggled, her voice melodic.

"So basically... I'm your whore. And if I say no, I get to see what the inside of a buried coffin looks like?~"

She giggled some more.

"Such a funny child you are~"

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar scowled and clenched her tail in a vice like grip. “I would have phrased it differently. When you walk into my town you walk the line I set for you. In exchange for doing some other work for me, I give you all the wealth you need to do whatever or whoever you want.” He grew tired of waiting, he was trying to figure out something where he wasn’t letting her walk free to menace his town, but to keep her illusion of freedom intact. “I couldn’t give less of a damn what you do outside this town…”

[Bubbles]

Luna tensed a bit from the constriction on her tail. Her smile didn't fade, however.

"And so, in exchange for everything I could I ever want, I have to become your servant? Because serving you is better than going on a rampage. You know, because I'm a demon and that's all I wish to do."

She laughed again.

"It is endlessly amusing how you think that makes anything better..... But I do enjoy some luxuries of this plane....."

Luna bit her lip in thought.

"I will make such a deal with you. So long as you remember that I am not your toy. And also, please don't thrust me into your dull political affairs. I will be of no use to you there..."

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar simply smiled and released her hands, and lessened his grip on her tail. “I won’t have you moving directly in terms of politics, I may just need you to get some secrets for me in any way you can…” he rolled off of her abdomen and shot her a warning glare not to try anything. “The rules of the contract are strict for a reason, a healthy amount of distrust goes a long way when you do the type of shit I do every day. If you earn my trust, we’ll talk about relaxing your terms.” He simply stretched his arms for a moment, preparing for the task to come. “Now then, do you have any questions before we seal the deal? Or do I need to pin you down again?”

[Bubbles]

"Just one...."

Luna suddenly grabbed Vince by the wrist. In a blur of movement, he was now suddenly pinned beneath her. She smiled seductively down at him.

"Do you think you can maintain your need for control when in a bed with me?~"

She showed her teeth. They were sharp and perfectly white.

[Cards of Fate]

The scholar simply grinned and in another blur of motion they had rolled onto the floor with him on top of her, pinning her down once more. “They don’t call me The Emperor for no reason…” he cooed into her ear as he pinned both of her hands above her head. His lips found hers for a moment, and he could feel the sweet sensation of her pheromones trying to cloud his mind. They heightened his senses, but now he was ready for them, and able to actively fight them in order to maintain control. His hands found their way to her bosom, and suddenly a light burning sensation seared across her flesh. Right on her chest a simple blank card with a question mark seemed to brand itself on her. Grinning the scholar pulled from their embrace and ruffled her hair.

"On second though, I think I'll wait for our first time together...save it for my chambers back at the base." He left her with one last kiss and rose to his feet. "May fate smile on you Luna, you'll be hearing from me again soon." A portal of teal energy erupted in her living-room, and the scholar passed through, disappearing into thin air.

[Bubbles]

Luna was a bit... Well... Surprised. Had she just been indoctrinated into something? It felt like it... And what was this God-awful tattoo he'd placed on her? It was dreadfully distracting from her cleavage. She sat up, looking down at the mark Vince had made.

An odd boy. Truly unique for this plane... She smiled.

"This is going to be so much fun~..."

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

As discussed with Cards of Fate, the rewards for this thread have been calculated on a word-count basis that has been split evenly between the two authors.

The rewards are as follows:

Bubbles receives 485 EXP and 70 GP

Cards of Fate receives 750 EXP and 85 GP (due to an additional 20% GP per thread)

Congratulations!

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards have been added!