Searching for leads on the disappearance of the previous goddess of Death, Dalanesca, had hit a bit of a snag. Icarus had exhausted all of his common resources into the investigation and come to his next logical conclusion. If anyone had information on her, it would be the goddess that replaced her, the recently ascended Serafina. Upon shifting his priorities, it hadn’t taken Icarus long to ascertain some information about her.

As it happened, the goddess owned a bar and brothel in the city of Vilpamolan. In all his time in Canelux, he had essentially avoided the place as he felt it was likely too complicated a venture without rubbing someone the wrong way. He kept to himself, but in a city with multiple municipal districts, it was easy to find oneself on the wrong side of town or in violation of some random ordnance. Alas, he had no further recourse and recalled seeing her previously at Raith’s ascension celebration. If nothing else, he at least knew what she looked like, though he had no idea what sort of personality she possessed given the short time he had been in her presence previously.

In his travel to the city, Icarus had chosen to forego his mask for a change. He wasn’t really hiding his youthful face and his overall appearance would blend in better if he didn’t wear a conspicuous mask. Most wouldn’t be keen enough to discern he was the “Voidwalker” they had shared a battlefield with during the recent crisis. Even if they were, he’d demonstrated his abilities enough that a common thug or soldier wouldn’t want to test their luck.

Once using his gate travel to come within a short distance of the city, he walked the rest of the way, paying the small of toll of a few silvers to enter the city. He continued through the streets, avoiding merchants peddling wares either stolen, plundered from graves, or otherwise “found”. When he found his destination, it was early evening, just after the sun had gone down. Even before entering the door, he could hear the raucous revelry that awaited within. 

From her private quarters above the brothel, Serafina could hear that the bar downstairs would be lacking spare space this evening. The sheer volume of the patrons reveling in their drink and their women was clearly audible upstairs, intermingled with the pleasure-filled sounds of those who had found themselves in private rooms. The Second Circle was in the throes of a successful evening.

Spread out on the table in front of her were many pieces of parchment with numbers and various transaction entries. Jasuin, one of the bartenders that had been working for her for quite some time, had been assisting her in keeping track of the day to day operations of the business venture. Since her ascension, she had less free time for the business, but she still wanted it run successfully. A strange thing for a god to run a business, but she wasn’t about to give up the only thing she loved.

After a few minutes, she set down the quill she had been holding and pushed her chair away from the table One of the parchments was just not making sense, and she was going to have to check into the notes that had been made. Most likely, it had been an error, but she would want to find out regardless. She snatched the particular parchment up from the surface of the table and made her way out of the room and down to the crowded bar.

The establishment was such a beautiful place compared to the majority of run down hovels in Vilpamolan. Even though she knew every single inch of its layout, she still revelled in its splendor. She was certainly proud of it, and that was why she still paid such close attention to the details of the business.

When she was satisfied with the appearance of the main area of the bar, she walked up to the counter where Jasuin had just finished serving a few gentleman - they seemed to part almost automatically for her as she approached. Jasuin looked at her, awaiting her order. ”Whiskey, tonight, love, and I’ll take it neat,” she said, sliding smoothly onto the cushioned bar stool in front of her. ”Could you take a look at these?” she asked him after a moment when he had come back with her requested beverage. Jasuin nodded and she turned the papers sideways, the pair taking a look at them. After a few minutes of discussion, Jasuin had realized that he had mistaken one of the numbers. When it had been fixed, it all made sense and it was as if it had never happened. Serafina rolled up the parchment and had Jasuin tuck it away behind the counter, where it could be put with the rest of the ledgers later.

She turned to survey the area, her glass of whiskey in hand. She was perched upon the barstool with her back to the bar counter, her gaze passing over everyone. She wasn’t really observing them or watching them, just seeing - the goddess was allowing herself to relax, sipping on her whiskey. There was an unspoken rule in The Second Circle: you could approach the goddess and speak to her, but you could not make a scene out of it. This kept the worshippers at bay, keeping them to traveling to the Hall of Indulgence rather than upsetting the atmosphere she had so carefully crafted in the bar.

Upon entering The Second Circle, as he read from the sign, Icarus found the one he’d come to see descending the stairs from above. Serafina still had all the appearance of a concerned owner with parchment in hand, as though she wasn’t quite happy with a figure or business report. His initial belief was confirmed as she approached a bartender and began discussing something regarding the parchment. Given how most seemed to ignore her, it made sense that she was not to be bothered despite her attractiveness.

He still had to take a chance, so, at the bare minimum, he would order himself a drink from beside her. She likely wouldn’t recall him given he was a less than important person from a party a short time ago. Alas, it was one of the blessings of being a hermit that rarely has anything to do with the gods. He stayed out of their way and he never had to find himself drawn into matters that didn’t concern him. It also made him less likely to anger them, so that was a bonus, in his mind.

”Glass of whiskey, and if you have ice, I’ll pay extra since it isn’t the easiest to maintain,” he requested, offering the price the bartender gave him for the drink. Whiskey was a sipping liquor, after all, and the great challenge of it was cooling it without diluting it with water as the ice melted. It made it more refreshing as time passed until it reached that critical point where it no longer held its flavor. Taking a sip, he turned his head toward Serafina, still leaning over the counter and sitting down beside her.

”Fine establishment. I wager no one is foolish enough to step out of line. I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Icarus, and if memory serves, I arrived at Lord Raith’s party just before Angela and you. Lady Serafina, correct?” he asked, casually striking up conversation while maintaining an air of respect in his words. It wasn’t often a mortal spoke to a god and it required a measure of discipline to approach them without running the risk of being considered an eyesore.

Serafina glanced idly to her side as a patron took the empty barstool beside her. It was not unusual for someone to sit beside her when she was down in the common area of the bar, so she took no real notice. The event in itself was rather unremarkable. However, she did turn her head towards him and give him her attention as he chose to speak to her. She tilted her head at him for a brief moment, squinting her eyes slightly as though she were trying to recall him. Nothing came to mind, but it was not all that unusual. It was much more common for someone who was not a god to remember being in the presence of one, rather than vice versa.

She tipped her glass of whiskey towards him slightly in acknowledgement. ”Right you’d be,” she said, before taking another sip. The crimson paint upon her lips left a print upon the edge of the glass, and she set it down on the counter gently as she turned her body so that she was facing him. ”I can’t say as though you look familiar to me, which is… unfortunate, she continued, her eyes scanning his body up and down. ”We must not have interacted at all, or I’m sure I would remember you,” she added, a gleam of something dark in her eyes for the briefest of moments. ”Regardless, it’s a pleasure, I’m sure,” she said, offering her hand to Icarus in a rather informal matter.

”Now, you made your way in here and sat down right beside me, before addressing me directly. That tells me one of two things - either you are very, very stupid - which I would wager to say is not the case, as you seem to know who I am,” she began, retrieving her glass off the counter and taking another sip, holding it out slightly afterward. ”Or, you were looking for me for a reason. You took the easy way, trying to find me here, rather than venturing to Inferos - or perhaps it was just your lucky day,” she said, tilting her head slightly as though she were trying to get a read on him.

”Either way, it’s your lucky day, I suppose. You’ve caught me in a good mood! So tell me, Icarus.” she said, drawing out the syllables in his name and leaning towards him slightly with a glint of curiosity now in her gaze. ”What is it that you came looking for?” she asked. ”You’re… handsome, but I don’t suppose that you came looking for fun - I am not getting that sense from you. I am guessing you came for one of two things - either revenge, or information… so which is it?” she asked, a slight smirk stretching her lips.

Serafina made Icarus chuckle as she mentioned she would likely have remembered him if they had interacted previously. Truthfully, he rather preferred it that way. If it took him approaching a god directly and referencing some function or incident to spark any recollection, he was living according to his own plan. It seemed those destined to live long amongst mortals were those unencumbered by affiliations with gods.

”Of course, madam,” he said as he took her hand and lightly pressed his lips. For her informal mannerism, he responded in a formal manner. Though deific persons may neglect formalities with mortals, to commit the opposite could be akin to a suicidal gesture if one were to end up out of favor. As she assessed the situation and what brought him here, Icarus nodded along. 

”Alas, had I not found you, I was prepared to wait a few days before taking that particular risk. Suffice to say, I lucked out in a few ways,” he explained, taking another sip of his drink. As he enjoyed the heat blending with the chill, he turned around in his seat to rest his back against the bar. ”Even an appraisal from a goddess, wow,” he added with a grin and a minor emphasis to the last word.

”Well, you’ve astutely figured my intent. A friend of mine, your predecessor, vanished without a trace before I could visit her and see just how her life had caused her to spiral into her current state.” he explained as he recalled his journey to Dalanesca’s realm to no avail. ”After exhausting all resources to that end, I concluded that if there is an individual with some possible answer or even a hint to that end, it would be her successor. So, naturally, I came to visit a delightful goddess that could rip me in half with one hand. Solid decision, all things considered,” he finished and downed the last of his glass following his statement.

”That does, however, create a situation. I avoid gods as a survival instinct, but I know that if you have that information, all the cards are in your hand so I need an offering of some sort. So, given that, what would you require in exchange for consuming your time and fulfilling my request?” he asked, finally locking eyes directly with her. He’d heard she was capable of bewitching people and wanted to avoid making direct eye contact in the event that was a trigger for the ability. Still, he had already walked directly into the lion’s den, or perhaps the wolf’s den, and she truly held all the cards, even if he didn’t want to accept it.

Serafina raised a single eyebrow slightly as Icarus pressed his lips to the back of her hand in a proper greeting fit for someone of her status. For him to have responded in such a manner after the way she had so nonchalantly offered her hand to him spoke volumes. Icarus seemed to know that informality was still to be met with formality whilst under unfamiliar circumstances. While her ascended status was still rather new, she was now learning that there were certain types of mortals when it came to interaction with the gods. One type would be fervently overformal, bowing unnecessarily and overusing honorifics. These were typically the kinds of mortals who feared the gods, and wanted to stay in the gods’ favor. Mortals such as these were generally the ones who deeply involved themselves in the gods, becoming parts of their clergy and devoting much of their time to worship them. The other type of mortals were those who chose to keep themselves out of the affairs of the divine, and a multitude of reasons seemed to support their decisions to do so. Some simply did not choose to believe that the gods existed, while others believed they were better off staying as far away from such powerful beings as they could.

From the way Icarus spoke of his intentions of coming to speak with her, she came to the conclusion that he did not necessarily fall into either of those categories. While it didn’t seem that he was impatiently wishing to have his life intertwined with those of the immortals, it did seem that he had a history with at least one of them. Serafina found this rather intriguing.

She took a rather large drink of her whiskey when Icarus mentioned Dalanesca, who had previously held the mantle of death before Serafina had, draining her glass at nearly the same time that he had. With a motion of her hand she gestured for Jasuin and pointed at her glass, and within moments he had brought a bottle over and set it down in between the two of them. Serafina uncorked the bottle, pouring more of the amber liquid into Icarus’s glass before filling her own. ”So you knew Dalanesca?” she asked, ”Only had the pleasure of actually meeting her once, and let me tell you, she was… something else,” she said with a bit of a smirk. The meeting between the two had come long before Dalanesca’s possession by Azhizheth, ”Never really been terrified of many people in my life, but she was one of them,” she added with a laugh, before raising her glass once more as if in salute before taking another drink and setting it down upon the counter.

The comment Icarus made regarding ripping him in two caused a melodic laugh to escape Serafina’s crimson lips. ”Oh, believe me, were I to do something to you with my hands, ripping you in two would be towards the bottom of that list.” The deviant glint flickered in her eyes once more, as was her nature, but she continued speaking as though she had not just offered him a forthright innuendo.

”You seem to be well aware of the risk you take in asking for something from me, and almost as though you are prepared for whatever it will take,” she surmised, tilting her head to one side. She turned her body so that she faced him as he leaned back against the bar. ”Once again, I think you’re just having a streak of luck. It just so happens I am in a rather good mood today, having resolved a few issues… And you are a refreshing change from those who have been coming to see counsel with me as of late,” she said. She caught his gaze as he made eye contact with her, feeling no urge to press her influence upon him. ”I’ll tell you everything I know about Dalanesca and what happened to her, if you’ll keep company with me tonight - and no, not that kind of company,” she added. ”I know I carry a reputation, but The Temptress will be taking the sidelines tonight,” she added. She was well aware that she was known for her charm among other things, and the ability to talk people into acting on their desires and indulgences - but that wasn’t what she was after this time. It seemed the goddess truly just wanted someone to have a conversation with - the softer side of her that was not seen on the public front all too often. ”Ask me what you will of Dalanesca, but all I ask is that in return you stick around for a bit, have a few drinks with me, and share some idle conversation. You’ll be free to leave essentially whenever you’d like. You have my word,” she said, and it was clear that for all she was known for, she felt that her words held weight. ”It’s not too often anyone just comes here looking for information. It’s refreshing. Usually they want to bring someone back from Inferos or find out how to host a successful orgy with the most beautiful women in the world. No one ever just wants to talk.” She frowned slightly, her demeanor having become rather sullen for a moment, before she pepped right back up into her sultry and flirtatious attitude. ”What do you say, Icarus? Do we have a deal?” she asked.

Icarus raised his glass with a simple: ”Cheers,” as Serafina refilled it before sipping it and placing it back down on the counter. It took him back quite a way down memory lane to recall Dalanesca and the few interactions they had. ”It’s funny to mention now, but I had met her once in the old world before The Fall. I happened to come across her before she ascended and she seemed to be contemplating changing up the whole ‘slashy-stabby assassination’ lifestyle,” he paused as he recalled their minor adventure.

He had been defending a merchant that had information he required and had been targeted by less than reputable rivals. They had sent Dalanesca to liquidate their problem, which had put them at crossed paths. Over the course of a week, Icarus defended the merchant without further interference and discussed her possible career change with her. He had meant to check on her for quite a long time, but he was technically dead, so he’d hoped she would forgive his delay. ”I hadn’t been able to visit since her ascent, and by the time I could, she had vanished without a trace,” he explained.

Icarus almost couldn’t suppress a laugh when Serafina joked how ripping him in two was a lower priority. It almost became a chuckle as he thought of her probably doing something insane like putting a leash on him and having him run around with some sort of a weird hat or a gag of sorts. It was just, to him, how her eyes seemed to minutely brighten for a second, the minor changes of body language and the like.

”I can assure you I have no inclination toward those carnal passions that often drive the lives and deaths of others. Far too many poor decisions across history to merely satisfy one’s lust. Well then,” he began as he raised his glass slightly with a hint of a toast. ”To good fortune and a fair hostess. I accept your offer, graciously.”

As he took a drink, he thought of just how long it had been since he’d gone to any pub or tavern. If memory served, the last time involved him falling backward and pulling a man’s face down into a table. Funny thing, memory; it always seemed to pop in from even the furthest tangent under the proper circumstances. ”Now then, shall we play a game to pass the time? Let’s take turns asking questions. You can ask first,” he suggested, thinking of a means to keep them both in good spirits as they continued to drink.

Serafina remained rather quiet as Icarus recounted his history with Dalanesca in a brief manner. When he had finished that portion, she was not sure if she should divulge what she did know or not - but perhaps she would be sharing that information later on into the evening. ”Yes, her departure from Revaliir wasn’t… pleasant, from what I understand - but we’ll cover that later, I suppose,” she added. They were off to a good start with their conversation and she didn’t want to divert into unpleasant territory just yet. Instead, she focused on his assurance that he was not there for what most came for.

”Almost a disappointment, if you ask me. You look like you would be quite a bit of fun,” she said. The wink she added as punctuation at the end of her sentence only served to indicate that she was perhaps making a quip, though it was uncertain as to whether or not there was a hint of seriousness masked along with the joke. Regardless, she raised her glass to meet his toast and took a drink.

His suggestion of a game of sorts intrigued her. She pushed aside the slit on the side of her skirt, revealing a small vial attached to a garter on her upper thigh. She released it from its fasteners, bringing it to the table and shaking a few droplets of its contents into her cup. After tucking it away, she took a quick drink. ”Can’t get even the slightest bit drunk without spiking my own alcohol,” she said with a laugh without being asked what she had done. The vial contained a special concoction of enchanted blood that allowed her to feel the effects of mortal drinks. She had heard tell that Angela was able to concoct liquors that were able to get a god intoxicated, but she wasn’t a party to that yet.

”Any question?” she said and tilted her head to the side as though she were thinking rather hard about what she was going to ask him. ”What I’d like to know is how you’re able to so easily resist my charms,” she said. ”I mean, I could exert my will rather easily and get what I wanted, but I’m not planning on doing that to you,” she reaffirmed. ”Thing is, most men and even some women who get within feet of me can’t help but make an attempt to act on their urges, or at least make them known,” she added. ”So what is so special about you that you aren’t like the rest of them?” she asked, out of sheer curiosity. She wasn’t upset in the slightest, nor was she planning on working her wiles on him. She got a sense that there was more to Icarus than he let on, and she was bound and determined to figure that out - all while keeping her end of the bargain and giving him whatever answers it was that he was seeking, at least in regards to Dalanesca. If anything else came up, she would just have to make a decision on whether or not to divulge that information to him. She was sure he wasn’t going to inquire about the former goddess right off the bat, and she was intrigued as to what his first choice of question would be after he answered hers.

Even in the light mood of the conversation and the alcoholic beverages of the evening, Icarus’ mind always remained sharp. He held firmly onto the subtle clue Serafina had dropped indicating she did, in fact, have the information he sought. Curious… is she not even within the confines of the realm or the Void? he thought, pondering her words referring to a departure from the world. He chuckled as she teased him with a wink. ”Disappointing as it may be, I’m only a mortal and don’t possess a constitution nor appetite to sate a goddess,” he retorted with his nearly boyish laugh.

He didn’t pay much mind as Serafina spiked her own drink. That thought returned immediately to divine constitutions and he almost felt it a pity the chosen had to find a means of working around some of the simple pleasures of life. Even before she asked, he steeled himself to answer a difficult question. Unsurprisingly, he found it immediately dredging up a past he felt pained to recall.

”Well, for starters, I’m simply terrified of complex relations with the Tree’s chosen. Next, although you are rightfully beautiful, as a mortal, my time for romance is perhaps come and gone. You know how some say they would die for someone? I literally did, and what was the worst of it? She killed herself after I died, meaning my entire journey out of Hell was a waste of time. Still, I have to say that no one will compare to my Lucia,” he explained, drinking the rest if his glass while pouring once more and offering to fill Serafina’s.

”My turn now… hm… how do you find the whole divinity thing? Is it attractive to you or could you just descend tomorrow and not care?” Icarus asked, looking out toward the bar and brothel. ”After all, you run what I can see as a successful business with spirits and all manner of pleasures. Most would be content for several lifetimes to say the same.”

Laughing quietly, Serafina looked rather amused at Icarus and his declaration that a mere mortal such as himself would be unable to satiate an immortal such as herself. ”Oh, come now, you cannot possibly know whether or not that’s the case, you’ve yet to even try!” she quipped. Truth be told, he was probably right - though Serafina would be able to content herself with endeavors involving mortals, since her ascension is had most certainly been less satisfying than previously - though perhaps, she thought, she was choosing the wrong mortals. It made no difference at this point, as her current intention with Icarus was not to bed him, but to make conversation with him.

The tone of their conversation became a bit more serious as Icarus began to answer her first question. She couldn’t say that she blamed him for wanting to stay out of the affairs of those who were divine such as she. Things always seemed to be so much more complicated with the gods than with mortals. However it still did not give an answer as to how he was so easily able to resist her charms. As a general rule, even those with incredibly high constitution found the goddess to be desirable - such was her nature. And of course, if she were to exert her will, it was all over - though she had not chosen to do that in this particular situation. When Icarus explained further, delving into his past, his death, his resurrection, and the tragedy that had ensued involving the lost love. That would desensitize even the weakest of beings from feelings of intimacy, of course.

The story struck a chord with the goddess, and she felt a brief wave of sadness, which made itself present on her face for the briefest of moments. She was remembering Xerxez - beyond Nemesis, Xerxez had been the only man she had ever allowed herself to love. It hadn’t started that way, of course, but over time it had grown into that and Serafina had been truly happy with him. When he disappeared without a trace, she was certain he had just gone off on a hunting binge and that he would return soon… but that had never happened.

Serafina cleared her throat as Icarus finished speaking as though she were pulling herself out of the memories she had delved into. In answer to his offer to refill her glass, she pushed it slightly towards him, pulling it back towards herself and taking a drink almost immediately. ”Suffice to say you’ve got your reasons, then, I suppose,” she said, her demeanor shifting back to the sultry and flirty manner she usually carried almost as if a switch had been flipped. ”Though I’ve got to say, had you been in my Hell… I don’t know that I would have allowed you to escape,” she added, that dark glint flickering in her eyes once more - it was almost as though the goddess could not help herself from making these comments.

When it became Icarus’s turn to ask a question, the goddess tilted her head thoughtfully to one side as she decided the manner which was best to answer him. ”I suppose I haven’t put too much thought into that,” she replied, and it was clear by the tone of her voice that she was being entirely truthful. ”I mean, even before my ascension I was a rather powerful being as it was. I daresay there were times I felt like a god,” she continued. ”But now… now there are no consequences for my actions, for the most part,” she said, that dark glint coming back to her eyes. ”Now, I can do anything that I want… have anything that I want, or anyone, for that matter really,” she added. ”But I suppose, were I to lose my divinity, it would not be the end for me,” she said. ”I would still be able to live a satisfying life, I think,” she concluded.

With contemplative silence, she took another drink. ”I suppose it’s my turn, then,” she said, rubbing her hands together. ”What to ask, what to ask,” she contemplated out loud. ”I know! If you could have any single thing in the world, barring bringing someone back from the dead or a full blown massacre… what would you want? And why?” she asked, leaning towards him slightly with a grin on her face, clearly interested in his answer.