The Thoughts and Reveries of an Elven Mistress - Ellavyra Di'makiirah

[Avela]

Injustice

Stepping into private quarters of the Silver Aster after at the end of another night, the elven woman softly closes and locks the door behind her. As she turns from the door, her relaxed smile fades as the solitude of the room sets in, dropping into a cold stare at the wall across from her.

How. Dare. They.

First, they try to line their grubby pockets with her earnings and expect her to stand idly by, cowering in fear like a whimpering fool... and now this? They already crossed the line before, now they are too far gone to forgive.

The cold stare remains as she performs her nightly ritual before reverie. While she cleans up, she replays the events she's witnessed up to thus far in her mind. As she brushes and treats her long raven hair with various oils, she indulges in daydreams of setting their businesses on fire, watching in satisfaction as the flames claim their pathetic properties. Massaging lotion into her skin, she fantasies about taking their every coin until they are left with nothing... a proper recompense for everything they've done.

As she lays herself down on the sheets to enter reverie, she reminds herself that while it is nice to fantasize about these things, she must be far more careful in reality. They are powerful, wealthy. There is nothing she can do to affect them in any meaningful way...


Yet.

[Edited to add title]

[Avela]

The Hunt

What a beautiful day.

The spring in the air has been quickly fading into summer breezes throughout Western Barovia, blooming with new life for days now. The incessant rain in the mornings is ever present as it is every summer and spring, but when the dark clouds part for the day at last, one is able to truly appreciate the forests which reside outside the grey city. To travel through its foliage during the daylight hours feels peaceful and refreshing—to bask in the sudden radiance after being wrapped up inside their oppressive grey sky.

Not to mention, it is the perfect opportunity to hunt for herbs.

The forest floor crunches softly beneath the sun elf's shoes as she strides into the Southern Forest, quickly veering off the trail and into the woods until it disappears behind her. Soon, Ellavyra softly smiles as she paces forward towards the secluded corners of the forests. She knows where to look for the herbs she seeks.

In such a calm environment for the elf, the solitude and gentle breezes lull her thoughts to wander beyond the simple search for herbs. Quite a lot has happened in the past few weeks and she has scarcely the time to consider it all. The Romulichs, the cultists... her clients...

The sun elf kneels down as she finds her first herb of the day- simple woundwart. Not the most valuable of herbs, but useful in it's own right. Her delicate fingers grasp around the reddish orange flora and picks the most useful parts of the plant, neatly tucking her findings away in an herbalist pouch. As she moves on, so does her mind onto an ever present quandary in her mind...

How would her proud sun elven parents feel about everything she is doing within the Mists to get by? Her work at the Silver Aster would make sense, she thinks. She is using her abilities to her benefit and there for is profiting from such- a very reasonable course of action in a land where she is not fully welcomed in. But how would they feel if they knew who she was spending her time with and all the things they do within it? Sure, there have been some kindred, but they are far and few in between the human men... not to mention... him...

Her parents would -definitely- disapprove of him.

Ellavyra comes upon a bloodberry bush, kneeling down to collect the best parts with a careful touch as her mind continues to wander a series of contemplative thoughts. Where does she go from here? She has already received a couple of offers to be "bought out" completely, to be taken care of fully by a single client. Perhaps the parties weren't that serious about such offers, perhaps performative flattery on their part... but what if it was serious? Should she take it?

The pros and cons pop up one by one as she plucks each berry from the bush. On one hand, her needs would be met, financial and otherwise, and she would be free to pursue other avenues of escaping this prison of the Mists. Not to mention no longer needing to worry about her own reputation within Vallaki, playing nice with the prejudice locals who see her as nothing more than a pair of pointed ears. Pft, the fools...

The sun elf rises up to continue her search through the woods and proceeds further into the cool green shade.

Ignoring the obvious fact she would not be able to work with her other clients, or the Silver Aster as that in itself a possible problem, there are other possible factors to consider. The coin would not be -all- hers, for instance. Sure, the initial payment would be hers and once stored safely away would be difficult getting back... but after that? What if there is a falling out? Sure, she likes both fine, and they get along now... but Ellavyra knows better than to underestimate the fickle nature of adoration, especially of human lovers.

And even if she had assurance it would work out, which would she choose? Both are suitable partners, from what she can tell so far... one she has known longer than the other for sure, and developed more of a bond with... but what if the other is better suited to her needs? Neither of them are really... reputable people, one less so than the other,  but still possessing their own ways of living which would see them as attractive suitors regardless. One thing for certain...

If she chooses one, she cannot go back to the other.

The elf pauses in her strides, a contemplative sigh escaping her lips. This is not the time for such musings... as much as she would like to take initiative now, take that one step closer to security, that one step closer to home. It is not time yet. More things are to come no doubt before such decisions are to be made... perhaps it will be made for her in just a matter of time. Until then, she will enjoy what- and who -she has now.

She resumes her walk, continuing the hunt.


[Edited to add title]

[Avela]

Adoration

A dark sky filled with glistening stars hang over Degannwy as the last peaks of sunlight has sunk down past the land. A blanket of moonlight drapes itself over the rooftops where the elven woman stands, bathing in the soothing yet bright glow. A faint breeze whips through her hair and plays with her dress as she absentmindedly stares upwards at the luminescent orbs in the sky. Their gentle light, the solitude of the night, allow Ellavyra's mind to unfocus and freely wander for the first time in what seems like days...

A soft sigh breathes past her crimson lips.

The first thought her mind comes across in the path of its wanderings is of her stay here in the Mists thus far. Even though recently she has been quite idle, it seems as though so much has happened in her time here overall... This prison has many strange phenomena- from monsters to magic, from the land itself to the people who are forced to inhabit it...

Yes... the people...

Such strange people that have came into her life. Not bad strange, at least not all... just... strange...

Starting with that garda...

First he blatantly stares at her without shame in the Outskirts for minutes on end. Then, sometime later, he asks her to dinner, all nervous and choked up. And then, after all that... he finds another to stare at.

Which is fine. He seems nice enough, far more pleasant than the most of the other members of the garda... but Ellavyra knew there was no way they would end up as anything more than pleasant acquaintances. They are able to interact nicely enough on occasion, but their personalities do not compliment one another... that and his Barovian nature would almost certainly clash with her elvish heritage in the least pleasing ways... in her mind, such a coupling would never work even in the most casual of circumstances.

But why keep staring if she is not what he wants?

In the past he has suggested of talking to her in casual circumstances more often... but if that is all he wishes, why not simply approach her? If he expects her to come up to him just because he lets his eyes linger on her form a little too long he is sadly mistaken- if he cannot be bothered to speak of what he wants, she will not be bothered to come up and ask. She is intelligent, she is not telepathic- and she will not attempt to be such for someone who plays such coy games.

The slightest irritated "tsk" comes from the elven woman. He will grow bored of her soon enough and move on, she is certain of it.

Light eyes glance from star to star, watching as they glitter with warmth and life, staring down at the bitter contrast of cold dormancy below. It would be wiser to find rest in these late hours of the night though she instead finds herself entranced by the peaceful beauty of the starry sky, content on letting her mind wander from face to face of those she has gotten to intimately know... faces which claim to adore her.

To... love her... or so some say...

...What does love mean to humans, she wonders in her quiet musings. Surely a couple of months is far too soon to claim such to feel such a thing, it seems absolutely baffling to her a mortal could form such an attachment so quickly- even the short lived humans. They certainly seem to care, and their affections are not wasted upon her- to an extent, she has tender feelings to return, albeit it not as strong... though she cannot help but wonder with how quickly such flames of passion were born, how long until they burn out?

Ellavyra tilts her head to the side in gentle contemplation. Is love in this prison doomed to be fleeting and fiery... that such proclamations are only infatuation disguised with self lies and pretty illusions? Or is there something deeper to their yearning... that maybe true desires are bubbling underneath the surface, waiting to bloom? Something slow but solid like a seed waiting patiently for the roots to form...?

If that is the case, her circumstances may soon be more complicated than she anticipated...

The elven woman drags her head back and forth in a faintest of head shakes. It doesn't matter.

One's true nature is hard to discern sometimes, she muses... for those around them as well as themself. It could be they truly do not know. These proclamations may lead to little more than warm delight in intimate settings for a time until one day such embraces part for good, leaving each on their merry way. No complications, simply appreciation, enjoying the company of the other for as long as they may have it...

Fine by her.

A soft gust of wind breeze across her skin to shake her from her daydream. The night grows cold, and it is time for her rest... whatever comes of these musing will make itself known soon enough.

For now, it is better to simply rest.