Daughters of the Dark

rp blog for a pair of drow mages written by Mids Follows back as banana-werewolf

[aamusedly]

"Thank you, I'm quite good at that." Well, until push came to shove-- but they weren't there yet.

Really his greater fear now was the Academy he worked for; probation was a first for him, and it threatened the security he'd clawed his way up the ladder for. Thankfully the board of magi didn't seem to consider him a drow conspiracy as much as they simply wanted to avoid bad press if others thought he might.

Selfish, but such was what Elezar was used to. He looked about to answer before a waitress came by, and with a charming smile and a couple coins Elezar came away with a thin bottle of mead. He was pouring himself a small glass, but not after offering it to the two ladies-- a drow custom it seemed he couldn't erase.

"Your name is one of the reasons I am here, Lady Earawen," Elezar began as he took a healthy sip of his drink. Anything to soothe the nerves of the last few days. "I did some research-- you're an adventurer of much renown. But born on the surface, yes?"

His eyes turned to Liriel. "But I will assume by your surname, you were not."

[magesofmystra]

"I'm flattered." The smaller drow nodded after shaking her head at the offer. Elezar looked like he needed all the soothing he could get considering the situation. "North of here in the Mere of Dead Men." There wasn't much need to hide where she came from. Anybody who had looked into her would find out fairly quickly considering her exploits in Neverwinter.

She added dryly a beat later. "I'm enough of a surfacer to warrant a pause before someone puts an arrow through me."

Liriel, however accepted with a gracious nod although she still left the majority to the wizard. "I was from Menzoberranzan." She confirmed although in a low voice as to avoid being overheard by anybody but her table companions. The Underdark wasn't exactly a place surfacers liked to remember. "You weren't born on the surface either, were you?"

[aamusedly]

"From the city watch, I've only heard silence. They're keeping a close eye with the amount of guards posted around the Academy, but they haven't made any move to speak with me," his eyelids lowered, and his lips pursed in a tight frown. "...Admittedly, I'm not overeager to try and reason with them. I'm hoping time will just... cool them off. But..."

He was doing a good job of keeping the bitterness out of his tone, but there were marginal traces still there: Elezar Krem was an expert liar, but he not when it came to hiding his feelings. "Well, the Academy isn't particularly happy. They've put me on probation."

[magesofmystra]

“Should you be talking with us if that’s the case?” Liriel asked, an eyebrow rising. Guilt was a foreign feeling but she was familiar enough at least to put a name to it. If she destroyed this young mage’s life because of her actions…well, it was an uncomfortable thought. “I don’t imagine that being seen talking to another pair of drow would help your case.”

Earawen glanced at the other woman, her expression faintly contemplative. “We haven’t heard anything from the guard either.” She turned her attention back to Elezar. “Enough people know my name to at least give me a chance to talk before dismissing me entirely.” This was stated in a matter of fact tone rather than with anything resembling arrogance. Most, however, expected her to be bigger once they actually met her. “I have to say that your tactic of just keeping your head down is better than any attempt to reason with them. Sooner or later something else will come up and demand their attention.”

[magesofmystra]

Being only four feet tall Earawen is generally too small to ride a full sized horse. When she does ride, she has a pony.

[aamusedly]

A mage like Elezar stood fairly out of place at a grounded adventurer's tavern like the one Liriel was staying at. He was prim and proper, from the fold of his coat lapels to the shine of his boots to the perfect manicure of his nails. It might've helped if he looked any bit confident when he stepped inside, but the drow looked like a particularly uncomfortable shadow as he slipped through the door and made his way to Liriel and Earawen's table.

He provided a short bow of his head, and again quite visibly bit back a burning comment about how he didn't have much choice. "Well... I believe following up was in order. I'm glad to see you both well and... not incarcerated."

His nails danced on the table for a moment nervously. "I was hoping we might talk again."

[magesofmystra]

Liriel watched him approach noting how nervous he was. Then again she had only seen him anxious but she had chalked it up to being in a jail cell. Perhaps it was just his natural state of being. Not that she could blame him considering all the perils that lay in front of any surface drow. "Take a seat. We're listening." She indicated the chair opposite her at the table.

"I'm afraid we can't provide more luxurious accommodations." Earawen stated dryly. She had seen him check himself from saying something and could imagine it was anything but polite. Not that it would have bothered her much. She probably had heard worse. "Have you had better luck convincing the authority to not take things out of your hide?"

"We haven't heard any word yet here."

[aamusedly]

Elezar listened with an expression both sour and pensive, but he seemed more interested in getting out of his cell than anything else. He hadn't been in a prison cell in a very long time, and the memories were hardly fond.

Once freed, he smoothed out his robes, gave a short bow to Liriel, and turned to Earawen. "Thank you for your timely intervention," he said quietly, "now I'd really like to take a bath. I will, uh..."

"I'll see you... later." The slight flicker in his eyes said he was hoping not to. But either way, he bounded off in a hurried step, staving off his growing panic.

[magesofmystra]

Earawen gave him a hint of a smile before he fled, not really counting on seeing him again. Granted she had only come to pull Liriel out of trouble and considered the Baenre the one that owed her for her effort. Although if she hadn’t been in the city at the time she probably wouldn’t have bothered. It wasn’t as if the humans would have held off their execution long enough for Earawen to get there anyway.

“Come on.” She finally said turning to head off up the street. Most inns wouldn’t tolerate even surface drow staying but there was at least one and that’s where she led her companion.

“Am I allowed to take a bath?” Liriel asked archly, an eyebrow raised at her much smaller ‘supervisor’.

“So long as you don’t run off. I’ll let the authorities chase you if that happens.”

“I’m not a child, Earawen.” Liriel frowned.

“No, just trouble.”

The drow wizardess shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect. I’ll be back.”

True to her word she returned sometime later and the pair were left to wait until the authorities made up their minds about what to do with the drow offenders or if Elezar managed to talk his way out of the trouble. Perhaps both.

After the second day Earawen spotted the wizard, almost surprised to see him again. Given the way he had left them, she had fully expected him to wash his hands of the two women. “I’d have thought that you’d have had enough of us, master mage.

[aamusedly]

A soured part of the wizard couldn't find it in himself to be grateful-- he hadn't done anything wrong, and yet his bad luck had drawn him into this situation anyway. A biting comment was stowed behind a taut frown, his long fingers white-knuckling on his knees for a moment.

"If we get out of here with our heads still attached, I can work on getting charges dropped," he murmured. "The last thing I need is bad press."

Elezar got stiffly to his feet, his hands already wringing. "So, can we go?"

[magesofmystra]

"The last thing you needed was to run into her." Earawen waved at the drow princess. "Trouble clings to her like white cat hair to black fabric."

Liriel chose to not protest the claims as they were entirely true. Of course half the time she got herself into that trouble in the first place rather than it finding her but either way it was only semantics. Instead she watched as the door to their cell was opened and uncharacteristically chose to let Elezar out first.

Ignoring the hostile looks that the guards sent their way, they were escorted out of the prison and onto the darkened streets. Earawen looked up at Elezar. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on both of you but honestly the only one I plan on keeping a leash on is Liriel until this is all taken care of. I'm sure you can manage yourself." Her voice turned dry. "I know how eager most people are to be under the supervision of a stranger and a drow."

Liriel tossed her tangled hair over her shoulder. "He is a citizen here. He's not likely to run away."

"If I thought he was I'd have left both of you in that cell. I should have left you. You'd deserve it." Bright blue eyes returned to him. "We're going to be staying at the inn just down the street. I managed to talk the authorities down to an undetermined fine but that's as far as they were willing to go for me."

"I have admitted that it was me who attacked him," Liriel put in. "He shouldn't be subjected to anything at all."

Earawen shrugged. "The magistrates don't care. You know that."

"Hope springs eternal, I suppose."

[aamusedly]

It had been a miserable evening, to say the least. Elezar didn't fit well in a cell considering his tastes in comfort, and he was certainly in a sour mood all things considered. Still, to be polite to a Baenre princess was too ingrained in him to reject entirely, so the wizard elected to say nothing at all after a while. He sat instead, cross-legged, waiting for...

Another drow. Elezar's face visibly fell-- he should've expected this, but he'd really had enough of his own kind by now.

It took him a few long moments to gather himself to respond, and again that ingrained fear of being rude surfaced. "...Greetings, Miss. I... take it you're our lawyer?"

[magesofmystra]

"Sort of." Earawen shrugged. "Not by trade but I have a few contacts I've managed to use to negotiate on your behalf." She regarded him carefully having noted his response to seeing her. Probably despairing over the fact that the only aid to come to the rescue was another dark elf. She didn't blame him in the slightest.

"Elezar, this is Earawen Farlong." Liriel spoke up figuring that if the wizard was originally from the Underdark he'd know that the smaller drow's name was definitely not of drowish origin. "Earawen, Elezar Krem."

Moving on after a nod of greeting, the sorceress continued "I can't promise that I can arrange to get you off without charge. But at least you won't be headed to the gallows or be used as kindling."

"That's a relief."

"You owe me, Liriel. This favor you asked isn't easy."

[magesofmystra]

@aamusedly for Elezar

Liriel and Elezar had been awaiting what was likely going to be a very swift execution when it was inexplicably delayed. Night had fallen by the time the door to the prison cell was opened and the warden escorted a much smaller figure in.

That figure turned out to be a particularly small drow, one that Liriel had gambled on arriving.

"I see you've dragged some other innocent victim into your schemes again, Liriel." Earawen placed a hand on her hip, looking over the pair.

"It was a case of mistaken identity on my part." Liriel explained. "And unfortunately the guards were more alert than I expected."

"You should know better by now. Honestly if it wasn't for the execution order I wouldn't have bothered to come." Maybe. A stint in prison wouldn't likely teach the drow princess much given how lenient they were by Underdark standards. So she turned to Elezar. "Hello."

[aamusedly]

"She? Don't tell me you're one of those warlock types." It wasn't spoken with derision so much as it was of caution; a scholar of the otherworldly knew better than most to fear it.

The wizard was interrupted by a creak of the door leading down to their holding cell. He went rigid as a tree, shoulders squared and jaw lifted like he suddenly remembered the posture of a diplomat. But it was no jailor or magistrate that found them, but instead a wrinkled and decrepit old man-- some sort of warden, no doubt one who enjoyed his job too much.

"So it's true," the old wretch croaked with a grin no moment short of sinister, "they 'ave caught some pointy-eared dark ones. Haven't seen your kind before-- wanted to take an eyefull for m'self before they crack you's open."

Elezar's lips could've vanished with how much they thinned from the tension. At least he caught his voice a second later. "Good Sir, I assure you, neither of us are what you may think. I myself live here, I am under the employ of--"

"Yeah... yeah, they ain't gonna hear that."

"What?"

"S'far as the Magisters are concerned, drow, you two outstayed your welcome... scrappin' in the streets. They're sharpening the axe for the two of you's as we speak." His smile was gap-toothed and hungry as he glanced to Liriel. "I think they're plannin' on a taxidermist for you, dark lady. Aye, no use lettin' you go to waste--"

"There is a due process," Elezar hissed, growing desperate. "I pay my damned taxes, Iblith, now let us at least get a fair trial--"

The jailor was already turning to sneak back out, laughing trailing him. Elezar's hands moved up to cup his face to smother a groan. "If I die here, so help me..."

[magesofmystra]

Her presence here and now had been due to a series of poor decisions but devoting herself to a devil or other alien being was not in that list. She knew better than to commit to a pact that she didn't understand all the terms of. Becoming an acolyte of Lloth was enough. She didn't have time to reassure her companion of the fact before their cell was invaded.

Their jailor could have been easily overpowered even without her magic but he was wise enough to not come near. Eyebrows rose at the pronouncement of her impending fate. Execution wasn't all that unexpected given the general and usually justified opinion of the drow, but the latter was one she hadn't heard before. "That's a new one." She commented, shoving any and all unease behind the mask she had spent years cultivating.

Liriel was moving around the cell as soon as the door creaked shut. "I wouldn't start writing your death speech yet." She pointed out, frowning as she inspected every seeming weakness. "At least not until you see the ax. It wouldn't be the first time that a jailor wanted to scare his captives out of perverted amusement." Even the surface had their sadists although few could compete with those of the drow.

"And in answer to your earlier question, the one I would call on if I could is mortal enough. No needing to make a pact with something otherworldly required." No weaknesses yet in their cell, and no one yet approaching it either from what Liriel could hear.

Not that she expected to. Drow were always to be treated with the utmost caution. And she didn't really want to escape. That usually caused more problems than it solved. But it was better than certain death. "I don't intend on surviving this long only to be killed by surfacers."

[magesofmystra]

[magesofmystra]

Having no knowledge of her birth parents other than the fact that her mother was killed in a surface raid and have no particular interest in finding out anything about them, Earawen has no idea how she ended up so small.

There is one advantage to her appearance, however, and that is that she doesn't look much like a threat to most people. It tends to let her travel the Sword Coast unmolested by honest folk.

Those with already ill intent regret it when they determine her as an easy target. She has no hesitation in dealing out death if it means protecting herself or those with her.

[magesofmystra]

League of Legends, PVRIS - Burn It All Down (Lyrics)

[aamusedly]

The name Baenre hit Elezar like a splash of cold water. It was hard for any Lolth-born drow to miss the ruling family of Menzoberranzan, neighboring city to his home though it was.

Sill, aside from a widening of the eyes gone in a flash, Elezar kept his expression fairly neutral-- it was best to glaze over it and pretend he didn't know who he was shaking hands with. "I... suppose I am too. My name is Elezar Krem."

A name only the more tuned-in might recognize; a lower ranking house of Ched Nasad, rendered as politically irrelevant as the rest of the city that had fallen into the Abyss. "It is... good to know neither of us swear any loyalty to the Spider Queen. But that is only one predicament avoided."

Red eyes cast around them, the jail cell pressing in. "I suppose they'll have to try and hear us out... eventually..."

[magesofmystra]

She had caught just a glimpse of surprise in his eyes before it was gone, making her wonder if she had seen it at all. Although even if he knew her family name it was unlikely he knew hers specifically. The Baenre House was large and her inclusion in it was unorthodox among their typically matriarchal society.

Elezar's surname was just as drowish as her own rather than surface born but she couldn't say she recognized it. The names of the Houses outside of her homecity she probably hadn't paid enough attention to during her education. Magic and having fun had always been more interesting than political machinations that didn't affect her directly.

Liriel nodded, her fingers of one hand tapping a silent beat against her forearm. She longed for a bath but that likely wasn't in the cards today; a bath and a brush for her tangled hair. She might as well wish for a feast of only the best foods and wine while she was at it and a divan to recline on while. "I... might be able to call in a favor if they refuse to listen. If they give us that chance to send a message to anyone, that is." Highly unlikely but she could dream.

"She usually manages to make herself be heard if she decides it's worth her while."

[aamusedly]

Elezar watched her speculatively, analyzing every movement as only a paranoid drow could. If she was in a similar boat to him, all the more reason for her to empathize.

A hand raised, and he began to slowly fidget with one of the braces on his wrist, tugging it up and back into place snugly. "...You thought I was after you," the wizard finally said, this time in a softer, easier tone. It bordered on empathetic. "Too much of a coincidence to see another drow on your heels in a city like this."

And the hand he was fidgeting with finally extended. Resentful as he was, despite the pout on his face, Elezar knew when to fold his cards and move on. "What's your name?"

[magesofmystra]

"Liriel Baenre." She wasn't inclined to follow the way of her family but she wasn't ashamed of the power her bloodline gave her. Not that she counted on him knowing the name, especially being a surface drow. All the better, honestly. Her golden gaze returned to him the smile becoming a bit more genuine and even a touch flirtatious. It was just in her nature.

"Yours?" It wouldn't be a bad thing to know who she was sharing the cell with. Or attempt to be friendly now that she estimated that the threat from him was over. Now she needed to worry about extricating herself from this situation as well as Elezar. She might have to call in a favor. She had to debate if it was going to be worth the price.

"I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances." She needed to work on her immediate reactions to seeing any drow on the surface that wasn't among the moon dancers. Old habits died hard. If you struck first your enemy couldn't get the advantage of you. She needed to remind herself that she was no longer in the Underdark until those instincts faded.

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

(  various  non - halloween  themed  dialogue  prompts  for  all  your  slashers,  final  girls,  and  other  horrors  beyond  your  comprehension.  trigger  warning  for  dark  themes.  feel  free  to  edit  as  you  seem  fit.  ) 

❛ it’s the silence that scares me. ❜

❛ i’m every nightmare you ever had. ❜

❛ i want to see your true face. ❜

❛ one way or another, you’re going to die tonight. ❜

❛ just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not already here. ❜

❛ by the time anyone finds your body, they won’t be able to identify it. ❜

❛ you’re playing a dangerous game here, girl. ❜

❛ i’m playing the villain, just like you wanted. ❜

❛ i won’t give up on you, i know you’re worth it! ❜

❛ scream all you want. no one will hear you. ❜

❛ what are you going to do to me? ❜

❛ there you are, my darling! ❜

❛ i knew you would come back to me. ❜

❛ don’t you want to be consumed by what loves you? ❜

❛ i’m going to send you back to hell where you came from! ❜

❛ you can’t keep me here forever! ❜

❛ how are you still alive? i killed you! ❜

❛ sometimes human spaces make inhuman monsters. ❜

❛ please. why don’t you just let me go? ❜

❛ this missing poster has your face on it. ❜

❛ that wasn’t so bad, was it? ❜

❛ what’s wrong, you don’t trust me? ❜

❛ i know a lot about you. more than you think. ❜

❛ you want me to shut him up for you? ❜

❛ we could have been beautiful together. ❜

❛ when you think you’re alone, someone watches. ❜

❛ rest while you can, because i will hunt you and eat you whole. ❜

❛ what you want is very wrong. ❜

❛ you look so pretty all tied up like this. ❜

❛ what, you like to watch? you goddamn sicko. ❜

❛ god isn’t here. god doesn’t even know about this place. ❜

❛ there is something at work in my soul which i do not understand. ❜

❛ i am the devil, and i am here to do the devil’s work. ❜

❛ you know what they say, an eye for an eye. ❜

❛ why don’t you scream for me? ❜

❛ are you… smelling me? ❜

❛ we’re going to die out here. ❜

❛ i’m not afraid of anything. not anymore. ❜

❛ we will be what everyone wants to be. perfect. ❜

❛ no offense, but i think you might be just a little too crazy for me. ❜

❛ we all go a little mad sometimes. ❜

❛ the harder i try to escape, the further i get into this awful place. ❜

❛ this was not how it was supposed to go! ❜

❛ this is the end of your little game. i win. ❜

❛ don’t leave me! i can’t be alone! ❜

❛ no one is coming for you. ❜

❛ you hide. and i’ll try to find you. sound fun? ❜

❛ fuck this place. seriously, just fuck this place. ❜

❛ what’s the matter, honey? you’ve barely touched your dinner. ❜

❛ don’t be afraid. dying is much easier than living. ❜

❛ i won’t let them kill you. i won’t let them even touch you. ❜

❛ let’s get you some clothes before i get too turned on. ❜

❛ you weren’t putting that tongue to use anyway. ❜

❛ shall i drink your blood fresh, or slice your neck and spill it out first? ❜

❛ dying keeps moving lower on the list of worst things that could happen to me. ❜

[magesofmystra]

@aamusedly

[aamusedly]

Elezar's brow furrowed. His expression read tightly, defensively, practiced in trying to look less flustered than he was.

It was usually easier to do, as he wasn't usually trapped in a jail cell.

Both hands settled on his hips. He had a knife tucked into his belt, but clearly it wouldn't do much good against someone more trained in close-quarters-combat. He kept his hand close to it regardless.

But Liriel's confession had Elezar glancing outside of their cage, then back to her. His head tilted speculatively. "...Seldarine, then? One of Eilestraee's moon-dancers, or what?"

His chin lifted indignantly, but he took a steadying breath. "Not many of our kind willingly apologize."

[magesofmystra]

She kept her distance, or at least as much distance as she could, from him; both out of a sense of self preservation as well as being seen as less of a threat. Yes, she could defend herself but why invite more trouble? "Not many of our kind can claim being a respected citizen of a surface city either." She pointed out with a hint of a smile.

"I'm more used to seeing pitchforks and torches after me regardless of my vow to the Lady of Mystery." She examined the hall just outside of the bars that held them. Two guards in sight but no doubt there were more where she couldn't see them.

"But I apologize because I made the mistake." Her lips turned up in a bit of a rueful smile. "I have learned in recent years that generally I need to make up for those."