NOVEL NEXT 191
Chapter 191 : Perpetual Twilight (1)
“Are you ready yet?” Katrin asked.
“Almost.” was the reply from Agni.
“Hurry up! We’re going to be late, and I don’t want to miss it!” Katrin exclaimed as she stood in the doorway of their shared room.
“Yes, Agni hurry up.” Shula added, a smirk plastered across her face. Her tone suggested that she was merely parroting to get under Agni’s skin. This didn’t bother the succubus, however. There was a certain energy to the day, one that could not be denied. It was the air of excitement, and though Agni normally liked to play it cool she couldn’t help but feel swept up in the moment.
For the past four days the entire continent of Adventia had been preparing for one of four major annual holidays -- the Equinox Festival. The town seemed completely transformed by the collective efforts of every chapel within. More than anything, the mood closely matched a holiday Agni had long since outgrown in her past life -- halloween.
It seemed as if the world itself bent to the will of the Equinox Festival, or as others called it the Twilight Festival. This was because, for the period of an entire calendar month the time of day would be perpetual twilight. This was an occurrence that, if Agni had not seen it for herself, she would have never believed possible.
The town was draped in a gothic persona to fit the occasion. Black, purples and oranges were the theme, along with pointed edges and sharp fonts to accentuate nearly everything and every one. And her roommates were no exception. Shula looked particularly stunning dressed as a goth loli. Her dress was black and white with frills near the edges and sleeveless no less. Shula’s outfit was accentuated by dark eye makeup and two toned black and pink lipstick.
Katrin on the other hand resembled Elvira, Queen of the darkness. The dark makeup and her brunette hair gave her a particular allure. The form fitting black dress with tattered edges also lent a certain...appeal.
Katrin completed the outfit with elbow length, black silk gloves and several faux star tattoos which looked more like tears than tats along her left cheek. Agni on the other hand was beginning to regret her choice of outfit -- not that she had a say in it.
“You will wear this, and do so proudly. It’s part of your training.” These were Galina’s words as she thrust a particular outfit at the succubus. Upon seeing it Agni’s expression soured, but it was Zura’s chuckle which rubbed her the wrong way.
“It’s not funny! I can’t wear something like this! It’s--”
“What? Sexy? Revealing?” Zura replied, cutting off the succubus’ train of thought at the time.
Agni shook her head back to dispel the thoughts as she sighed.
“Agni! Hurry up! We’re going to be late!” Katrin shouted again.
“Okay!” Agni replied, partially exasperated.
*It’s too late now. Ugh. They waited til the day before to spring this on me.* She inwardly grumbled. After a few more minutes (about 15), several more shouts and a ton of taunting from Shula, Agni was ready to make her appearance.
She stepped out of the nearby bathroom, her face somewhat blush as she did so.
“Well?” She asked with a flourish of her hands. She twirled around so that Katrin and Shula could get a good look -- not that there was much to see.
Katrin gasped, placing her hand against her chest while Shula smiled broadly and held up a sign of approval.
“Agni, are you sure you want to go out in that? I could never wear something that...revealing.” Katrin asked.
“Do you not like it?” Agni questioned, her confidence shrinking by the moment.
“No, I love it. It looks great on you. It’s just..I’ve never seen you wear something like that before.” Katrin said as she took a step forward, placing her hands against the meager fabric of Agni’s outfit. The outfit, if it could even be called that, consisted of roughly three parts. The top was form fitting and skin tight, a sort of stretching leather which clung to her neck like a turtleneck. This transitioned into a large heart shaped opening along the front which revealed a great deal of Agni’s cleavage. It was sleeveless, black and shiny to the eye. It also came with a pair of fingerless gloves which extended to just below the elbow.
The second part, the bottoms were little more than bikini bottoms made from the same material, with a matching heart shaped metal ring at the front. The final component of the outfit was a pair of kneehigh black boots, complimented by a pair of heart garters.
“Now all you need is a scythe. Then it would be perfect.” Shula said as she walked over and smacked Agni on her left ass cheek.
“Mmm mm mm, jelly.” She added, before offering Agni a wink. The succubus realized it was her familiar’s way of offering her a vote of confidence. She wasn’t so sure about the jelly comment though...
“M-my ass isn’t that fat.” she remarked. On the other hand Katrin was busy “fingering” the material with which the outfit was made.
“What is this? It’s like leather but..not. How is it so stretchy? And soft at the same time.”
Agni could feel Katrin’s touch through the fabric as well. Truth be told, Agni thought the same. The outfit felt amazingly good against her skin, soft and form fitting but not constricting. In terms of comfort, the outfit was at least an eight.
“This is definitely enchanted, but there are so many enchantments on this I can’t identify them all.” Katrin said, suddenly snapping Agni’s attention back to the current moment. Katrin’s eyes were aglow with magic, a sign that she was using her own unique skill as a Scribe to analyze the outfit.
“How could you afford something like this?” Katrin asked next, her mouth gaping slightly as she was drawn into a sense of envy.
“Zura gave it to me. It’s training. Why? Do you not like it?” Agni asked nervously. She wasn’t quite sure why she felt so pressed to win approval over her outfit, but it was a pressing need. And her most recent training was simply to act in the moment. Thus she’d been endeavoring to give it a serious try.
“I love it. I.. I want one. I want to be able to make one.” Katrin said, finally releasing her grip on the cloth. Her eyes met Agni’s as she gave the succubus her seal of approval. The sense of relief Agni felt was both welcoming and strange. She still felt a bit nervous to go out in public, not because of the nudity but rather the outfit itself.
As strange as it sounded, she never once thought of herself as sexy -- or attractive. This was uncharted territory for her, but a necessary step for growth. At least according to Zura and Galina. Agni steadied her breathing, taking several deep breaths to calm the swirling sense of nervous excitement which fluttered about in her chest. The trio then stepped out to head to their destination -- the Equinox Festival of Grenvale.
