Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

The streets of Syux were quiet as Melisa made her way to Javir's manor.

She could've gone back to her dorm, sure, but after spending all day practicing her speech, she needed something familiar.

[The only feedback I've gotten on my speech has come from Raven and, although I adore her, she's definitely not the best frame of reference for whether or not I made something good... It was still fun, though.]

The night air was cool against her skin - [oooh~ my nips are perking up] - so she hugged herself. She hadn't bothered changing after classes. Too many buttons, too little patience with all this on her mind. So, she was walking in her academy uniform.

[Need some family time,] she thought, yawning. [Even if half my family is probably balls deep in someone right now. I dunno, maybe I'll have Hazel tell me what she thinks about the speech, if the little ball of energy is still awake.]

The manor came into view, its windows letting light spill out from the spirit crystals behind them. Some things never changed. Like how coming here always felt like coming home, even if she technically lived at the academy now.

[Wonder if Mom and Dad are still up? Or if they're... up in a different way. Gods know I've walked in on enough of that.]

She knocked.

"It's open!" She heard Melistair say.

[Okay dad. You're not even gonna check who it is? I might need to scold you for that.]

She pushed open the door, immediately hit by the familiar scent of home. Old books, cooking spices, and... well, just a hint of sex. Because this was still her family, after all.

She only found Melistair sprawled on the couch, reading what looked like construction plans, his purple skin practically glowing in the lamplight.

"Hey, Dad!"

That scolding faded from her mind.

"Melisa?" He looked up, smiling that warm smile that always made her feel safe. "This is a surprise. Thought you'd be busy preparing for tomorrow's big speech about how nim aren't murderous psychopaths."

"I am," she flopped down next to him, kicking off her shoes. "That's kind of why I'm here. Where's Mom? I need all the feedback I can get."

"Out with Kimiko. Again." He shook his head fondly, setting aside his papers. "Second day in a row now. You know how those two get when they're together."

Melisa looked away.

[Oh, I can imagine exactly what they're doing. Or who they're doing. Both? Probably both. According to Isabella, those "tea parties" of Kimiko's tend to get pretty wild.]

"Those 'tea parties' of hers still going strong, huh?"

"Your mother came home walking funny yesterday, so I'd say yes, she's probably having lots of fun with her sister. Could barely get up the stairs, actually."

"DAD!" Melisa laughed. "Too much!"

"What? You started it!" He laughed as well, patting the space on the couch next to her.

Melisa felt some of her tension ease. This was what she needed. Just normal family stuff. Well, normal for them anyway.

"So," she pulled out her notes as she sat down, the paper slightly crumpled from being stuffed in her bag. "Want to hear what I'm going to say tomorrow? I've been working on it all day, but Raven's feedback was... She tried her best."

"Alright, hit me," Melistair settled back, looking amused. "Though please tell me it's not too long. Remember that one lesson you gave mom and me a few years back?"

"That was ONE TIME!"

"You talked for an hour about proper magical safety procedures. Hazel fell asleep."

"THERE WERE IMPORTANT POINTS TO MAKE! And she was just resting her eyes!"

She cleared her throat, straightening up and trying to look professional. Which was hard when your dad was clearly trying not to laugh at you.

"It's just a few minutes, I promise. Basically just talking about how nim aren't just victims or villains anymore. How we can be more, do more. You know, inspirational stuff without being too... preachy?"

"Sounds good," Melistair nodded. "Though maybe leave out the part about 'doing more' given your reputation."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Melisa, sweetie, you end up on the papers every other weekend. At this point, people are probably hoping you start doing a lot less."

[... Well, when he puts it like that...]

"Fiiiine," she sighed, leaning against his shoulder like she used to when she was little. "I guess I'll throw in a, 'don't worry, I'm not gonna start anything soon' or something."

"That's the spirit."

"Alright," Melisa cleared her throat, trying to channel her inner proper lady. Which was harder than it sounded, considering her "inner proper lady" was usually too busy thinking about tits. "Here goes."

The lamplight flickered as she started reading, her voice steady despite her nerves. The speech wasn't particularly long – she'd learned her lesson about lengthy presentations after that one time Isabella started an orgy during her safety lecture.

[Please don't let this sound as stupid out loud as it does in my head. Though honestly, anything's better than Raven's suggestions. 'Just threaten to kill anyone who disagrees' isn't exactly the diplomatic approach I'm going for.]

As she read about unity and progress and all that fancy political stuff she'd been practicing, she watched her father's expression. He looked... proud? Concerned? Constipated? His purple features were doing something interesting, anyway.

[Hard to tell with dad sometimes. Though that might just be gas. Or he's thinking about Mom. Actually, don't want to think about that right now.]

When she finished, Melistair was quiet for a moment. The silence stretched just long enough to make Melisa consider Plan B: Running away to become a traveling bard.

"That was... actually really good, sweetheart."

"Really?" Melisa perked up, her tail swishing happily behind her. "You think it'll delay my next nim beating by at least two weeks? Maybe even three if I do the thing where I get all teary-eyed?"

"Melisa!"

"What? I'm trying to be optimistic here! Besides, getting beaten up is basically my brand now. Isabella's even taking bets on where the next attack will happen."

But something in her father's expression made her pause. There was a heaviness there she wasn't used to seeing, like he was carrying around something bigger than just construction plans.

[Uh oh. I know that look. That's his 'we need to have a serious talk' look. Last time I saw that look, he tried to give me The Talk. Which was hilarious considering I'd already done half the things he was warning me about.]

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Melistair sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I... saw something the other day. At the bar. Some nim were..." He trailed off, his shoulders tense.

"Were what? Having an orgy? Because that's pretty normal for nim bars-"

"Beating a human noble. And nobody... nobody seemed to think anything was wrong with it. Like it was just... Tuesday."

[Oh. Oh shit.]

"Dad, that's-"

Before Melisa could respond, a knock at the door interrupted them. Well, less of a knock and more of a... graceless thump followed by some very familiar giggling.

[Three guesses who that is, and the first two don't count. Actually, the third one probably doesn't count either considering Mom's the only one who giggles like that.]

Sure enough, when Melistair opened the door, there was Margaret, swaying slightly and absolutely reeking of Kimiko's favorite perfume. And other things Melisa tried very hard not to think about, even though the evidence was literally dripping down her mother's thighs.

"Heeeey~" Margaret slurred, practically falling into Melistair's arms. Her dress was on backwards and there was a suspicious purple mark on her neck. "Miss me? Because I sure missed this~"

Her hand wandered south, making Melistair jump.

[Oh gods, Mom's drunk-horny again. Though with Mom, that's like saying water is wet.]

"I should... probably get her upstairs," Melistair said, trying to keep Margaret's wandering hands somewhat decent while she did her best to undo his pants right there in the doorway.

"Sure, sure," Melisa grinned, already backing away. "Go give me another sister. I could use the backup!"

"MELISA!"

Melisa just stuck her tongue out at him, still smiling.

Margaret giggled, having successfully unbuttoned half of Melistair's shirt.

"She's not wrong~ Now take me upstairs and remind me why I married you~"

[Annnd that's my cue to leave before this gets any more scarring. Though knowing this family, I'll probably walk in on them tomorrow morning anyway.]

"Night Dad! Night Mom! Try not to wake up Hazel! Or break anything this time!"

As she headed out, she could hear her mother's drunken giggling turn into something... decidedly less family-friendly. The thumping started before she even reached the front gate.

[Some things really never change,] she thought, heading back into the night. [Though maybe that's not always a bad thing. Even if I'm definitely going to need therapy someday.]

The serious conversation with her father would have to wait. Right now, he had his hands full.

Literally.

And from the sounds coming from upstairs, he'd have them full all night.

[... I should probably warn Hazel to wear earplugs tonight.]