Slip It In For A Slipper
Great Blue Lake, Vorland, 1439 ATC
A handsome bearded bartender, a short orange haired woman, and a tall succubus stood at the shores of the lake, the sun reflecting off it's surface, acold fall breeze flowing through the wind, through the trees, the man's black, messy hair flowing in the wind.
''Alright, Nadine, I want you to hand my friend Ceirra there your slipper, boot whatever.'' he clasped his hands together.
"And then I want you, Legs, to toss it was far as you can.''
Venser spun around and raised a finger.
"And then I shall demonstrate that I will dive any deph for Nadine, my peach! Swim any length!''
''And this is how Slip It In For A Slipper is played? Oh Ven, you strumpet..." The leggy succubus commented as Venser began removing the top of his tunic, revealing his barreled chest and broad shoulders.
''Yup! Any questions, anyone? Yes? Yes I am... There's more to come...''
Venser's friend was his close lover, Cierra Dusk. She had long, straight black hair and glowing orange eyes. The succubus was all titty, six feet tall, a nice bouncy ass. Her name was Ceirra Dusk, and she had a bad habit of stumbling into places she ought not to. She was dressed to emphasize that beauty. Her amazingly long legs, were exposed as she wore a short black dress fhat went a little above her knees.
The two just stared, Ceirra just smiled and gave Nadine a nod.
Nadine was NOT happy about this, and found it pointless compared to her own work with Luektorem artifacts. But groaned. Might as well get this over with.
"It doesn't work this way you know..."
She had taken off her slipper and handed it to Ceirra, who grabbed it and hocked it as hard as she possibly could. It sailed to a few points in the center, and the orange eyed succubus stood up straight and smiled proud, looking down to them both.
"Show her how devoted you are, Ven. Without magic or anything."
"Argh." Nadine sighed and sat down.
No magic. Deep water. Reach it to the center of the lake as fast as he could. Venser tore off his pants as well leaving him wearing nothing but a leather thong before the orange haired artificer he stretched out his lean muscular body and popped a few of his joints, loosening up his arms as he looked back to her with a smile.
''I shall be back in no time, my ginger muffin. And prove my glove for you!"
"Love." Ceirra corrected with a laugh.
"Right, love!"
After stretching for a little more under a minute, he ran to the lake, arms at his side, then dove, extended his arms and shot into the water like a missile, before breaking the water a few seconds later and paddling as hard as he could away from the shore.
Nadine's yellow golden eyes watched. She had half a mind to get up and leave him. Shallow acts like this wouldnt earn her love.
She was not a trophy or a prize.
All in all though it was funny to watch and got her mind off the more important issue of cracking her artifact's secrets.
Venser was gone for longer than five minutes, his arms digging into the cold blue waters of the lake, he was panting heavily inbetween strokes, his head spun. But he did not stop, slow, sure.
''Think... Here...''
He stopped and floated in the water for a few seconds before putting all his weight into his lower body, flipping over and swimming down to the bottom of the lake. His head pusled even more as he swam down and down, his neck pained. He waved his hand in front of him and his mark flashed greenish white. everything turned a brighter blue, the fish and other living things in the lake were surrounded by a yellow aura, while rocks and other objects were green.
There!
He grabbed her slipper and quickly swam up, feeling disoriented. He swam as fast as he could to the surface, he felt himself getting weaker. The water around him turning purple, every shade of purple with an occasional flash of white. His chest felt like it was going to burst.
''Mhm! Mhm!''
He broke the surface of the water, letting out a loud gasp. Not done yet. He used the last of his strength to swim back to Nadine and his succubus friend, pushing it as he felt several of his muscles tear. He let out several coughs standing up on the black sands of the lake, before falling to one knee.
''Your slipper, my juicy pear...''
He said leaning forward and extending it. He let out a hoarse, pained cough.
''Now extend that nice, supple leg of yours...''
The tall succubus beside Nadine waggled one of her own, long legs and let out a quiet chuckle.
Nadine just stared at him... then began laughing. Loudly.
"You are hilarious, but that was also really stupid of you."
The short artificer woman would humor him and hold out her leg. She wore pants under the loose fitting dress anyway.
Venser chuckled softly for a few seconds before letting out several more oxygen deprived, hoarse coughs.
''My- ACKHAK! Hows this for- Ack! Mhm..."
He put the torn slipper back on Nadine's small foot and then flopped over, breathing heavily while holding his stomach, closing his eyes, he said.
''Gimme a few minutes and we'll go back to the tavern... Come...'' The handsome bearded bartender patted the spot beside him in the sand as he sat there in nothing but his leather thong.
''We can chat in the meantime... I'm... What's the word?'' He snapped his fingers a few times.
''The R word... Uhhh... Ceirra?"
"Ravage her?"
Nadine sighed, rubbing her temples and walked over, awkwardly due to her wet shoe.
"So, what exactly was the point of this ritual?" Nadine asked. Did he actually beleive that would work?
''Reminiscing! There it is! I was born near the ocean ya know... Pantia' capital city... I taught myself how to swim... I loved to swim as a child... Ohh...''
He let out a sigh and went still for a few moments.
"Hey, Venser. I'll leave you two alone. See you guys back at the tavern!" The orange eyed succubus said simply giving a wave, before wandering off towards the forest. And the two waved back. Ceirra Dusk gave them a wink.
"See you soon Legs! Ahem, so Nadine... A question for a question.''
Venser opened his serpent like eyes and looked up to her.
''And an answer for an answer. Did you do much swimming when you were young? Ooh...! Yeah that's the power of love!"
"No. I never could." Nadine sat and stared at the lake.
"The surface was gone before I was born. And I didn't have the chance to travel to the lake filled islands as a kid."
Shrug.
"Its no big deal though." Nadine never would get to swim back home, nor did she have the time.
"Why do you ask that?"
''Oh, I'm sorry to hear that... But, Vorland... Laguna must be better right? Like, what was your childhood like, Nadine? Since we are getting to know each other.''
"Studying. Lots of procedures in case of an emergency. I wasn't even sure if I would live this long. The wars been going on for all my life. Its kind of become my life you know."
The short woman with the orange bobcut pulled her knees close and stared over the water.
"And it will be until we manage to pull through or I am eventually killed... Or turned into one of those porcelain monsters... We have to figure them out first. Destroy them."
That's no life at all. Being born into a world of war and letting it be all you know.''
Venser said sitting up to look at Nadine. ''But you had no choice. I know. But how does it feel?'' Before she could respond to him he hopped to his feet, kneeling beside her.
''Even in times like that, happiness, joy, fun has to be expereinces. So, why don't you let me throw a party for you? Please... You needn't stress and worry about if tomorrow will come. Take your mind off it for a night and it'll do you good. Think about it... You're safe here. And you've got to enjoy everything while it lasts."
The handsome bearded man got up.
''This looks like a job, for Venser, God of Revels!'' He then began to do The Stanky Leg in front of Nadine, the sickest of all dance moves, before disappearing in a puff of thick red smoke and reappearing wearing a stout helmet with lobed sides and a green colored plume on top, obviously a Pryldahnian soldier's helmet but a green plume was not heard of.
It looked ridiculous.
"Terrible. I'm not even good at it." She teared up and only managed to snort a bit in response to the party.
But a small smile appeared on Nadine's face.
Not a yes but it was surely close enough. His reappearence in nothing but a thong and a ridiculous mohawked helmet had her going that weird sob/snort laugh combo. She looked horribly stupid and she knew it. That only made it worse.
"Not good a thinking? My dear, you are brilliant.''
He bent down to speak to her again, adjusting the plumed helmet on his head. All he needed was a red cape and he'd look way better.
''You've just gotta know when to switch off and enjoy life when you're not at home fighting...'' He smiled when she did and placed a finger under her chin, propping her face up to look at him.
''Not tomorrow, not today, but soon. A night of revals. Please... Let me show you something that's not war, or study, or impending death or anything having to do with the Luektorem..."
"Fine. I will let you treat me to a party. And I can... Try, to enjoy myself."
Nelu said finally being able to calm down and wiped her face on the edge of her dress.
"But please wear some pants!" Nadine began laughing again. Shaky, but she seemed to be calming down.
''I'll start planning immedietly! And I shall spare no expense!'' Venser said removing his helmet, setting the green mohawked metal helmet on her head. Laughing a bit as he slipped his baggy red pants back on, patting her shoulder and walking off.
"See ya back at the tavern my sweet!"
Nadine blinked as the helmet fell over her eyes and she stood up, taking it and holding it to her chest, watching him walk away.
"Okay then Venser... Ugh... Why is he trying so hard?"
She wasnt sure how this would go. Or how the Artificer's Guild would feel about it. She hadn't seen Myron in a few days, come to think of it, as he was working on his own project and had traveled east to the frontier, to the town of Woodstrum to inquire about Kundalandian ruins, and anything that directly connected to the Porcelain Proxy that was the Luektorem.