#nervaquad

You decide to talk to the siren next to you.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye. His features are striking; pale skin, sharp jaw, fluffy blonde hair, no visible flaws...then again, that was to be expected of a siren. He noticed your stare and glanced up at you from his drink, shooting you a dazzling smile. You felt your face flush as you smiled shyly in response. He took another sip before fully turned towards you on his stool. 

“Hey there. It’s not polite to stare without talking to someone.” he teased, smirking slightly. You chuckled nervously and shrugged slightly. 

“Sorry, sorry. I’m (Name), just moved here.” 

“Ah. Explains why I don’t remember you. I’m Kalus.” he said, nodding. He rested his arm against the bar, giving you an expectant look. Confused, you raised an eyebrow at him. He chuckled softly and shook his head.

“Nothing. Most humans have some weird reaction to me being...you know. A siren.” he explained, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. You hummed in acknowledgement. That was fair. Humans tended to be weird about sirens, as if they expected to somehow be dragged underwater by one whenever they were encountered. Even though half the time, sirens were just trying to live their own lives. You nodded slightly, smiling slightly. 

“I get that. You’re just another person, so unless you give me a reason to be a dick, I won’t treat you like you’re trying to kill me.” you joked, grinning. He brightened up, chuckling quietly at your joke. Tension diffused, crisis averted! The two of you talked more throughout the life, mostly about the differences in how you grew up. Apparently, beyond growing up in a siren colony, Kalus had grown up in a rich family. As a result, he grew up trying to break any rule he could without getting in serious trouble. 

“Definitely kept the troublemaker side of my personality. Oh, my mom was so angry when I said I was moving on land.” he said, laughing loudly at his memory. You snorted into your drink, amused by his antics. He was definitely not someone you were used it. Kalus seemed like a quiet, handsome loner, but now that he was talking he seemed like a loud, handsome social butterfly. He calmed down from his laughing fit and smiled softly at you, his eyes softening. 

“It’s been fun talking to you. It’s interesting to hear about someone growing up somewhat...normal. I love my friends, but most of us grew up in...strange circumstances.” Kalus said quietly, leaning in so you could still hear him. You flushed slightly and nervously smiled, fidgeting your fingers slightly. 

“No problem. I’d love to talk to you again...” you responded shyly. He grinned wide and nodded, setting his fourth empty glass down on the bar. You chuckled and waved to him as you stood.  “I’m going to call it a night. I’ll...meet you here tomorrow?” you asked hopefully. Kalus hummed softly and nodded, waiting for a moment before waving back to you. 

Dusting your shirt off, you took a final look in the mirror, adjusting your hat a bit before taking a deep breath. Sure, you looked fine, but did you look good? First dates were pretty important, after all. Seripha had asked to take you on a date the week prior, and you had happily agreed, eager to spend more time with the werewolf. She had told you very little, only to dress for a day outside. Hearing a knock on the door, you smiled softly and rushed to the door, taking a deep breath before opening the dark oak to reveal Seripha. 

“Hey, ready to go?” 

She was dressed in her usual plaid button-up, pale, ripped jeans, and dark work boots. The one seemingly out-of-place thing about her was the make up on her face. She noticed your stare and flushes slightly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. 

“Bun insisted they do my make up...I don’t know, I feel like I look ridiculous.” She explained, looking away from you. You chuckled softly and pat her shoulder, stepping out and closing the door behind you. 

“I think you look good! The soft brown really fits I think.” You said, taking her hand loosely so she could pull away if she wanted. Seripha smiled back and squeezed you hand, leading you down the path from your house to the nearby road. You noticed she had a basket in her other hand and grinned; must be a picnic date based on where she was leading you too. You made small talk, with Seripha telling you about her pack’s recent antics, and you explaining work’s newest changes. She snorted with laughter as you finished a story, her eyes sparkling with warmth. Stopping in her place, she smiled and gestured to the area around the two of you. Looking around, you gasped softly; Seripha had lead you to a wide open field full of clover and wildflowers. Seripha bit her lip and watched for your reaction. 

“I know it’s nothing crazy but...it was nice out and I figured this wouldn’t be too much pressure on you or anything.” She explained nervously, looking away from you and setting the basket down. Taking out the blanket, she began to set up the area. You chuckled and helped her adjust the sheet before sitting next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leaning into her. Seripha smiled and opened the basket fully. She had brought a wide array of smaller foods with her; pulling out a few, you could see she had included lots of bread and meat, but had also brought vegetables and sweet spreads. She flushed slightly and explained that she didn’t know your favorite food. You laughed it off and reassured her it was ok, reaching to try some of the sweetbread. Munching on the different foods, you and Seripha talked between bites. Occasionally, you would catch her looking at you out of the corner of her eye, You smiled and rested your head on her shoulder, looking up at her. She chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around your waist. The two of you stayed like that for a bit, admiring the nature around you. 

Hours had passed and dusk was falling, the sky turning from a soft blue to a deep purple, oranges and yellows streaking through the leftover blue. Seripha started to clean up after the two of you, arguing when you tried to help her. After a few minutes, the two of you made your way back towards the town. Seripha squeezed your hand in hers, walking you all the way to your door before letting go. 

“Thank you for coming with me.” “Thanks for setting this up! Really, it was super fun.” You said, smiling and leaning in to kiss her cheek. Seripha’s face turned bright red, and she stuttered out a soft good night, turning to leave. Once she reached the gate of your yard, she glanced back. You grinned and waved at her, chuckling at her quick wave. “Seripha! I’m gonna plan our date next time.” You yelled to her, grinning when she gave you a thumbs up, hiding her face in her other hand. Laughing softly, you walked back inside. You grinned to yourself, doing a quick fist-pump in celebration. 

You decided to talk to the vampire.

You grabbed your drink and nervously approached the lone figure, still sitting in the corner. He glanced up at you, raising an eyebrow as you sat down across from him. You smiled at him slightly. 

“I’m (Name)! You looked lonely and I have no friends here so I figured I’d introduce myself!” You said cheerfully, keeping your voice soft. You figured he wouldn’t appreciate such a cheerful greeting if it was yelled at him. All your ‘context clues’ were telling you he was more a fan of the quiet. 

“Welcome to Nervaquad. My name is Uni.” he said just as quietly. He took another small sip from his wine glass, not meeting your gaze. You took a drink from your own glass, trying to think of something to talk about. Tapping your nails against the table, you looked the vampire in front of you over again. He didn’t seem like anyone special upon first glance. Dark clothing, pointed ears, piercing red eyes behind small square lenses...

“Huh, I didn’t know vampires could need glasses.” you said without thinking, freezing when you realized what you had said. You immediately started apologizing, only to hear Uni snort softly. He laughed quietly, blinking and looking back at you. Well, at least he wasn’t mad? 

“Most don’t. I only need them because I don’t usually feed off other sentient beings. Messes my eyesight up a but, so now I have these.” he said, gesturing up to his glasses. You nodded in understanding. You’d heard of “ethical vampires”, who didn’t feed off people. It was good to know you wouldn’t have to worry about anyone trying to suck your blood. For the time being, anyway. 

You asked a few more questions about the different types of vampires. Apparently there were many subgroups of vampires, ‘ethical vampires’ being an umbrella term rather than a specific one. Uni explained some of the differences and elaborated on his personal stances on each one. It was kind of nice to hear someone talk so passionately about something you had never thought about before. Eventually, the two of you were shooed outside by Rosalia, who was trying to clean up.

Outside the tavern, you chuckled and checked the time on your watch, making a concerned face at the hour. It was pretty late and you still had important stuff to find tomorrow. Noticing your concern, Uni chuckled. 

“You should probably head home. Talking to you wasn’t awful, so if you need a friend, I’m here.” he said, smiling slightly. You grinned and nodded, giving him a friendly wave before heading back towards your house. Smiling softly to yourself, you thought back on your conversation. 

You decide to continue talking to Roselia.

The mothman quickly gets back to you after helping the Siren, smiling bright. 

“So how are you enjoying the town so far?” she asked excitedly. You shrug and take another sip of your drink. 

“So far so good. Really, I just got settled in...thanks for the instructions, by the way.” you said, smiling slightly. Roselia nodded and beamed at you. 

“Great! Glad I could help! If you every need anything, let me know!” She said, still beaming. You nodded and continued to drink, asking her a bit about the town. She answered each question happily, talking about her favorite parts and people she had met. Roselia’s eyes were sparkling with happiness; she seemed eager to share everything she could with you. 

“You really love it here, huh?” you teased, chuckling softly. She froze a bit at your comment, her antenna drooping slightly. You glanced at her after she didn’t answer right away, seeing her downtrodden expression. Panicking a bit, you tried to reassure her you weren’t trying to mock her. She nodded slightly, seeming to take your word for it. 

“Sorry, I...know it’s probably not interesting to hear about some town you just moved to...” she said quietly, turning her attention to the dirty glasses from other patrons. You frowned slightly, watching her. Sure, you didn’t need to know that there was an amazing reading spot in the third alley down from the market, but it showed how much she really loved the town she lived in. 

“Hey, sorry I really didn’t mean for it to come off that way. I think the love you have for this place is really cute!” you said nervously, smiling at her. She glanced up at you, blinking slightly and processing your compliment. She flushed slightly and smiled again, cleaning the glasses with more enthusiasm than before.

“Oh! Well, thank you. If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from anyway?”

You hummed quietly and tapped your chin, debating. You told her a little bit about your town. You had grown up there but decided to leave home for personal reasons. Really, you had wanted a fresh start and Nervaquad was rumored to be good for those. Roselia nodded in understanding, taking in everything you said. 

“Ah, well, we definitely try not to judge anyone’s past here! In fact, I think you’ll fit right in here.” she said, smiling at you as she set down the last clean glass. You felt a slight fluttering in your chest as she smiled at you. Flushing slightly, you nodded and thanked her. 

“It’s no problem! We’re getting a bit close to closing, but I hope you come back soon..?” she said, looking up at you with hopeful eyes. Smiling slightly, you nodded and stood. You gave her a wave and turned to leave, looking back one more time. Roselia was talking excitedly to the owner she had pointed out earlier, her smile wide. 

You decided to approach the werewolf next to you. 

You took a deep breath and nervously turned to her, putting on what you hoped was a friendly smile. She glanced at you out of the corner of her eye before turned to greet you. 

“Hello. You’re new in town, right?” she asked, her voice surprisingly soft. You nodded and introduced yourself, explaining that you had recently moved into a house in the middle of the town. She listened closely, smiling softly and nodding her head as you continued. She slowly drank from her glass before deciding to introduce herself as well. 

“I’m Seripha. Part of our local pack, if you couldn’t tell. Those two idiots in the corner are my packmates.” she said, gesturing to the two werewolves in the corner. She chuckled softly at their loud antics, their arguing seeming to reach a peak. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to you, smiling wider. You returned the smile, taking another sip of your drink. 

“If you need anyone to show you around, let me know. I know every street, store, house, and corner of this town.” Seripha said, resting her arm on the bar. Her eyes seemed to focus on you, dark brown orbs seemingly warmed by the candlelight. You swallowed slightly, noticing the slightly predatory gleam in her eye as she watched you closely. 

“Sure, beats getting lost all the time. Plus, having a cute guide like yourself would make it worth my while for sure.” you answered, smirking slightly at the flush on her face. She mumbled a bit before she responded, rubbing the back of her neck somewhat nervously. She exhaled through her nose, eyes lighting up again as they met yours. 

“Glad it’s worth your time.” she joked, finishing her drink and placing the empty glass on the counter for Roselia to pick up. You nodded and continued to talk, asking about her pack. She explained that they didn’t have a typical pack hierarchy, but that she had been handed the leadership simply for being around the longest. 

“It can be rewarding as hell, but damn if it isn’t bloody frustrating.” she explained, glancing at her packmates as if for emphasis. Chuckling, you nodded in understanding. 

“Seems like it, to be sure.” 

She sighed and nodded, her eyes softening a bit as she turned back to you.

“It’s worth it.” 

As the night went on, you found out even more about her. Seripha lead all the hunts for her pack, but her younger packmate Nite took the hunts more seriously than she did. She liked to write and flushed when you asked for samples, mumbling about them ‘not being any good’. Roselia eventually had to tell you two that the tavern was closing for the night. You blinked in surprise, shocked you had really stayed out so late. Seipha chuckled and nodded to Roselia, leaving her payment on the counter and standing. She seemed to be waiting for you to follow her. 

Leaving your own money on the bar, you stood and followed her to the door, holding it open for her. She thanked you and smiled. You followed her out, feeling the cool night air hit your skin, sending shivers up your spine. Seripha glanced at you and pulled off her thick jacket, offering it to you. 

“Are you sure? I think my house is closer than yours, so I should be fine...” you asked uncertainly. She shrugs and offers it to you anyway. “I’m also warmer anyway. It’s a wolf thing. Plus, this will give me an excuse to see you again.” she said teasingly, though her cheeks reddened at the end. You chuckled and took the jacket, shrugging it on. 

“Of course. You still owe me that tour anyway!” 

She laughed and nodded, promising she’d see you later as she left, waving at you from the end of the block before turning and disappearing into the night. You smiled softly as you watched her go, her jacket warming you up instantly. Maybe the feeling of a new start helped warm you as well. 

The Batsy Tavern was a ‘central hub’ for the happenings in Nervaquad. Patrons came from all walks of life; a passionate Mothman musician from Kentworth, a cheerful Human farmer who lived just outside the town, or a quiet Birdfolk visiting town for the night could all be found drinking and eating in harmony. You had recently moved to the small town, and were still getting a lay for the land when you stumbled across the tavern. It gave off a warm, welcoming vibe when you first encountered it. Roselia, one of the barmaids, had greeted you kindly, recognizing you as a new face. She gave you a run-down of the area and had helped you find your way home from there. You had decided to return a few days later to thank her, and to grab a few drinks if possible.

Pushing the cherry wood door in, you smiled softly and looked around. As per the last time you had been there, the tavern was dimly-lit and inviting, hosting many recognizable people you had met as you were familiarizing yourself with the town. Three werewolves, all from the same pack, were huddled in the corner booth, seemingly arguing over something. On your right, a lone vampire sat as far away from the door as possible, sipping a glass of wine. Nearby, a siren sat with two humans, deep in conversation. At the bar, the town’s Witch seemed to be conversing with the Ahool owner of the tavern while Roselia was wiping down the counter. Looking up, her wide red eyes met yours and she smiled, waving a bit as you closed the door behind you. Walking up to the bar, you greeted Roselia quietly. 

“Hey stranger, glad to see you back!” she joked, offering you another small smile. You nodded and ordered your drink of choice, taking a sip after she offered it. She watched closely for your reaction. 

“Awesome job, Roselia.” You said, smiling at her and continuing to drink. She grinned wide and her antenna perked up, face flushing slightly. You chuckled softly and turned a bit on your bar stool. Looking over the tavern again, it seemed most of the groups had somewhat dispersed. The siren was now at the bar to your right. The female werewolf was walking over towards you, sliding onto the stool next to you. She nodded to you, requesting a shot from Roselia, who eagerly got to making it. The alchemists seemed to be at the same table still, and the two werewolves that didn’t follow the woman next to you were still arguing. Now would be a good time to make friends, maybe. 

You decided to...

...continue to talk to Roselina.

...talk to the werewolf next to you. 

...talk to the siren next to you.

...approach the witch further down the bar.

...approach the ahool tavern owner.

You decided to approach the witch further down the bar. 

You glanced at Rosalia before taking your drink and moving down the bar, sitting down next to the witch. They glanced at you, still mid conversation with the ahool. She noticed their eyes wardering and chuckled softly, ruffling their hair and moving away from the bar. The with rolled their eyes and huffed, pouting slightly. You smiled and nodded to them, setting your drink on the bar. 

“Hey. You’re Bun right? Rosalia mentioned you...”

They grinned at you, nodding their head and fixing their hat back on their head. 

“Yep! That’s me! You’re (Name) then, Rosalia and Hazel mentioned you. Hazel is one of the owners, by the way.” they said, adding the last part after noticing your look of confusion. You ‘ah’ed and nodded, smiling and offering your hand for them to shake. They grinned wider and eagerly shook your hand. You smiled and pulled your hand back, resting it around your glass. The hummed softly and took a drink from their own glass. Their glass was definitely weird looking...it looked less like a glass and more like...

“Is...is that a potion bottle...?” you asked nervously, concerned that they were drinking something dangerous. They grinned and nodded, sipping from the potion bottle again. You watched quietly, swallowing as they continued to drink from it. Noticing your concerned stare, they laughed slightly and put the bottle down.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t an actual potion! I just use my own glasses for...personal reasons.” they explained, glancing away at the end part. The explanation seemed intentionally vague, so you decided not to pry. You did, however, think to keep that information in the back of your mind. Just in case. The witch seemed fun to talk to, though, so you continued to converse. The two of you talked about a lot of stuff, mostly the town and your childhood. You chuckled every time Bun made a dumb plant joke, which was pretty frequently. Smiling softly, you glanced around after a while to notice that most of the other patrons had left. Looking back to Bun, you noticed them starting to stand. 

“Sorry to run out, but it’s a bit of a walk back to my place. I’ll see you around though! Oh, and if you need any weird magic stuff, just ask Rosalia for directions to my place!” They said, adjusting their witch hat again and heading out the door into the night. You watched them leave and smiled softly to yourself, finishing your drink. You and Rosalia shared a look and she grinned at you. 

You decided to approach the ahool tavern owner. 

Grabbing your glass, you slid further down the bar, next to the witch. The witch gave you a knowing look and grinned at the owner, tipping their hat teasingly and walking off. The ahool rolled her eyes and grumbled before turning to you, putting on a smile. 

“Evening. Nice to see you again.” she said formally. You chuckled and nodded to her, returning the polite smile with your own. Rosalia had mentioned that she was a bit hard to get to know, but it was worth a shot. 

“That’s me! I’m (Name), nice to meet you!” “Mm. Rosalia mentioned that. I’m Hazel.” she said, wiping down the bar around you. You smiled slightly. At least she told you her name...

You continued to try and talk to her, mostly getting one or two word responses while she worked. After a bit, you looked over to Rosalia for help. She smiled and gave you a thumbs up, encouraging you to keep trying. You nodded and gave her a thumbs up back. Maybe you just needed to try talking about something else.

“I’ve never been in a tavern like this before. Well, I’ve been in taverns, just not one with the same ‘vibe’ as this one.” you explained, nervously stuttering out the second bit. Hazel paused her cleaning and looked up finally, meeting your eyes with her piercing black ones. You shivered slightly; it kind of felt like she was looking into your soul as she studied you. Almost as if she was trying to read your mind or something. 

“...I wanted it to have a sort of warmth, I guess. I need to keep the lights low so I don’t hurt my eyes too much. So, candles were the first thing we thought of. Everything else just sort of...fell into place.” she said slowly, finally putting her cleaning rag down and leaning against the bar. She continued to quietly talk about the tavern, from the name (which Kinder had suggested as a joke, but it had stuck) to the decor (Rosalia and she had picked it out and Owin, an artificer, had built it for them). It was interesting to hear how she had built the tavern from the ground up and how it ended up finding a comfortable spot in the hearts of the townspeople. What felt like mere minutes passed before Rosalia came by and whispered something to Hazel. Whatever it was made Hazel’s cheeks flush slightly, hard to see under her fur but definitely there. 

“Ah..I lost track of time. It’s closing so...I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked nervously, glancing from the bar to your face repeatedly. You smiled brightly and nodded eagerly. She had asked you to come back! That meant you somehow managed to make a good  impression on her. She smiled slightly and started to clean again, waving to you as you left, closing the door behind you. Once outside, you grinned and fist pumped to the sky. Success! As you walked home, you couldn’t control your wide grin.