They first met on a cold and dreary night, just as the sun began to fade behind the spires and habitation blocks of Mira, a district within the sprawling metropolis of Voxsturm. The sky was a smoldering curtain of gray blocking out most of the suns trailing light. The smell of tar, ash, brimstone, and gun powder were ripe in the air, and it mixed with the rank smell of far too many people cramped in too dense a space. Even in a sparse avenue away from the worst of the packed streets, the stale odor of the city was ripe.
Acid rain drizzled from the overhead shroud, creating a glowing haze around the neon holographic lights of the city and stinging the pavement of its streets. While the air was cold, the wind was warm, a bad sign for worse weather to come. Thunder rumbled in the skies above and vibrated the earth beneath one's feet.
Overall, it was just another day in Voxsturm.
The massive city was surrounded by curtain walls of steel and shielded by the enchanting aura of the Majari. Looking upward, one would see the sky ablaze with the brilliance of countless magical wards, intricately layered in an impossibly flawless spectral design, shielding Voxsturm from the fiercest winds and the wrath of greater storms. Wrapped in this mystical confinement, the city was bathed in an amber haze of light pollution, draping everything in an unsettling, otherworldly glow. The rain glimmered with an orange hue as it bounced off the streets, leaving behind a sizzling mist of steam that rose and thickened into a heavy, mysterious fog.
Yet, despite this, the young boy walking on the sidewalk wasn't perturbed by the state of the city, or the rain soaking his trousers. He walked home from school, avoiding all the usual streets his mother warned him about, and was quick on his feet.
Trash bins were fuming, surrounded by packs of homeless. Humans, elves, and wolfkin were amongst the most populated in Mira, although there were plenty of Lamia and Vinids around as well.
One person caught the kids eye, a lone shadow wearing a baggy collection of unfashionable clothes hiding from a distance. The boy moved faster, avoiding the onlookers stare, until coming around the corner and within sight of his small two story dwelling.
Theo Serrano should've just gone home, yet despite the dangers, the boy felt steered by some unseen hand of fate toward a tiny alley close by instead. He wasn't sure what it was about the cardboard box cramped alongside the wall that caught his attention, and yet his curiosity demanded investigation.
It was just barely sheltered from the rain, although some of its exterior had grown soggy. What made it stick out was the small pink dandelion stickers decorating the sides and corners of the box as if its owner desperately tried to make it their own. He had no idea how long the box had been there, whether for a couple days or merely a couple hours, but Theo suspected he would've noticed it sooner had it been there for a while.
He turned away from the path to his home and stepped toward the alleyway. What drew his interest even further was the tiny lashing shadow poking out from the corner of the box. As he got closer, he could hear the sound of whimpering coming from inside.
Theo knelt, then shifted to his knees, ignoring the puddle of water soaking through his trousers, and gently opened the cardboard box. He immediately noticed a pair of eyes looking back at him; they were a set of bright yellow orbs peering through the gloom. The girl was a tiny thing with scrawny limbs and brittle horns. She had a thin whiplash tail, its arrow shaped tip further confirmation that it belonged to a female. It was poised ready to strike at him.
Theo was instinctively frightened at first, but he couldn't help but get lost in her eyes. They were not the eyes of some devil, but of a frightened girl. Her dark black hair was coated in dirt, and her pink skin was covered in grime. Her clothes were little better than a set of garbage bags glued together.
"Hey, are you ok?" Theo asked without fear. He never understood why so many people feared Redevers, which were simply a sub-species of Cubi with pink or reddish skin. There was nothing scary about her, in fact, he felt nothing but sympathy for the scrawny creature hiding in the cardboard box.
Theo reached out, and didn't jerk back when her tail poked him hard in the palm of his hand. Some people made outrageous claims about how Succubi tails were poisonous, but he knew better. Those were just stories made to scare little kids away from Cubi districts. He grimaced, noticing a small trickle of blood where she cut him, but it was hardly more than a scrape.
"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you." The girls tail fidgeted upon hearing his words. She seemed agitated, but also remorseful. There was a mix of fright and cautious curiosity behind her eyes. Slowly, her tail limped lazily to the ground. Theo could see the girls limbs were visibly shaking. She was too weak to strike him again. She seemed to weak to even move.
Theo inched closer towards her, not wanting to scare her away. As he entered the box, Theo gasped in shock to see just how skinny she was. The girl was no older than himself, and only an inch or two shorter, but her limbs looked like twigs that could be brushed away from the smallest gust of wind. A tear stroked down her pale cheeks, and she nearly fell into a seizure when Theo placed a hand upon her shoulder.
"Let me take you inside, you shouldn't be out here all alone," Theo spoke softly.
Her face shifted, not enough to show a smile, but there was a sense of relief which was quickly replaced by a look of fear and apprehension. It took some time, but his words seemed to get through. The Redever girl didn't say a word; whether she could speak his language, Theo didn't know for sure, but he got the impression she understood him well enough. Once she was out of the box, he draped his coat over her shoulders, and then helped lead her to safety. His home was just around the corner, but given how weak she was, it took him several minutes just to get her to the front door.
He was tempted to just carry her, but was nervous that he would only scare her if he tried. The girl thrashed at first against his attempts to help her walk down the alley. Her legs simply didn't have the strength to make the journey alone, making Theo wonder if she had anything to eat in days. Once she realized where he was leading her, she quit her resistance, although she clearly felt uncomfortable.
He was extremely careful bringing her inside; if his mother found out he brought a Succubi, let alone a Redever, home with him she would lose her mind. While not understanding her reasoning, Theo wasn't about to risk his mothers wrath over something he didn't understand. He certainly wasn't about to leave a poor girl out on the street either.
No sooner had he brought her inside did he notice all the blemishes, scratches, and cuts on her shoulders and down her back. Some of the marks looked infected, and he could only imagine the misery she must have been going through.
Hoping to relieve her from some of the pain, Theo wanted to help her into a bath but felt incredibly awkward about it. He certainly didn't want to be considered a sleezebag. So instead, Theo first brought her to the kitchen to find her something to eat. Then, when her stomach was filled, the girl's disposition changed. She no longer shook with anxiety but instead seemed to finally relax a little bit. Before he could lead her to the bathroom, Theo noticed her attention was stolen by the small platter of desert treats hidden on the kitchen counter. No doubt his mother thought she was being clever, trying to hide the fresh baked cookies behind the cutlery, and guarded by boxes of gram crackers, his least favorite snack.
The girl's tail practically shot up, a sign Theo interpreted as joy, and her eyes glared at the glass container with wonder.
"Would you like a cookie?" Theo asked.
The girl made a hiccup sound, then looked over to him. She pointed toward the glass cylinder of cookies, her eyes darting back and forth.
"I'll take that as a yes?" For some reason his cheeks felt warm.
Theo reached past the gram crackers and moved the small container. He lifted the lid and was welcomed by the smell of fresh dough and melted chocolate.
The girl was salivating as he grabbed a few of the delicious cookies and happily accepted one without hesitation. That was the first time Theo ever saw her smile. She slowly brought it to her lips. A single nibble was all it took, and a look of serenity washed over her face.
"Want another?" Theo asked her, knowing full well the answer.
She practically squealed with joy when given another, and Theo knew she would eat the entire container if she could.
Once they had their fill, Theo helped show her to the bathroom. He was thankful that she knew how the bathtub worked and let her wash herself in peace. He kept watch outside in the hall for his mother who hadn't come home yet. Thankfully the girl finished quickly, and he made sure to have some clothes laid out in preparation for her. Theo didn't have a lot to offer, other than a large sweater and some sweat pants. He made sure to cut a small slip in the rear seam of the pants for her tail.
She didn't like the towels in the bathroom, and Theo couldn't blame her. They were military issued and kind of scratchy against the skin. They certainly weren't soft. The girl was happy to find he had some clothes ready for her, and she changed into them quickly while Theo went back to the kitchen for more snacks.
Wearing his old clothes, Theo noticed how the girl clung to her new garments as if they were prized possessions. While the sweater looked absolutely ridiculous over her slender frame, and the sweat pants were far too baggy, she seemed to love the feel of real fabric over her skin.
Theo made sure to make a mental note to throw away the disgusting trash bags she had been wearing before.
"Thank you." It was the first time he actually heard her voice. It surprised him, sounding so sweet and clear. The hints of an accent made her sound exotic, especially with how she enunciated her y's.
"What's your name?" Theo asked.
The girl looked down, not comfortable to provide him with an answer. Her tail wouldn't stop fidgeting.
"Never mind, you don't have to tell me, not if you don't want too." Theo sighed, and was relieved to see her tail settling.
Her shoulders drooped down, and the girl looked around his room. She studied the posters on his wall, which was a mix of band and movie posters, and then looked at the clutter of books on his desk. She was even more fascinated by the collection of video tapes stacked next to his video monitor. One thing stuck out to her, a small obsidian rock acting as a paper weight. She felt something odd about that stone, almost afraid to look at it.
"I… Don't have a name," the girl finally broke the silence.
"What!" Theo spread his arms wide in shock. "But everyone has a name! And I heard Redevers have long, and sometimes poetic ones."
She suddenly seemed extraordinarily uncomfortable, looking down at the floor with her tail laying flat.
Theo watched her, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "I know!" He jumped up. "How about I give you a new name?"
The girl looked up at him, her tail twitched.
"How about…" Theo leaned back. "I know! How about Lorelei, like the succubus queen in the stories?"
The girl cocked her head to the side. She hummed to herself, then slowly said the name, as if testing what it sounded like. The succubus then curled up in a ball, clearly trying to hide her emotions, albeit poorly.
The sound of the front door opening stole Theo's attention. He made sure his own bedroom door was closed and locked beforehand, but knew it wouldn't be long before his mother checked on him.
Theo wished he had a spare mattress, or at least some padded comforters for Lorelei to lay on, but knew it was better for her to stay out of sight and out of mind.
He quickly set up a small collection of blankets and pillows underneath his bed frame, and made sure his own comforter covered over the side of the bed so that no one would see her unless they purposefully lifted up the blanket flap. "You're welcome to stay here tonight, you just have to be quiet. If my mom finds out you're, she'll go crazy."
Lorelei smiled, the second time he had seen such a beautiful sight, and her eyes seemed brighter, her skin a little less pale.
"Ok," She nodded, still holding herself tight.
Lorelei slowly repositioned herself, then crawled under the bed. Theo made sure her tail was well hidden as she laid her head on the pillow. Her bright yellow eyes watched him cover the entrance with the comforter, and she clutched onto the blankets for some time before feeling safe enough to fall asleep.
After Theo left to greet his mom, he returned to his room and pretended to be studying until he was sure his mom had retired for the night. Then he quietly gathered some things for his newfound friend. He made sure to get her a full bottle of water, and some additional food. Sliding them under his bed, he was happy to see she had already fallen asleep and hoped to learn all about her tomorrow.
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The following day came and went like a flash, and Theo found the entire ordeal of hiding Lorelei from his mother's all-seeing eyes as a fun and exciting experience. They spent the day conversing for hours. While she spoke little, Theo felt free to tell her about everything she noticed in his room. He told her about his talents with shadow magic, and how excited he was to learn that one of the Majari must've chosen him! Theo also told her about the books she was looking at on his desk, the movie posters on his wall, and even about his favorite vid shows.
She seemed fascinated by it all and especially liked the illustrated books he had collected. Anything with dandelions she seemed especially fond of, and Theo made sure she had an abundance of things to read while hiding under his bed.
Just seeing her smile, fawning over all the colorful illustrations, was enough to make his heart melt.
Over the coming days and weeks, Theo did his best to keep her safe. Little by little she spoke more and was fascinated about the human world around her. In his naiveté, Theo believed he could continue to protect her forever.
Sadly, it was only a matter of time before she was discovered, and Theo had to watch as the badges dragged her away, scared and crying. He never forgave himself for failing her and would never stop worrying about what ultimately happened to her.
He relived that night every day, until they met again, ten years later.