At the Monster Lord's Castle during the holiday, many residents were moving out of their comfort zone. Others took the opportunity to show off some hidden depths, such as one elder succubus.

A long term resident who had been around long enough to see the birth of the Fifteenth, the purple skinned black winged woman was wearing an apron as she cheerfully stocked the shelves of the recently installed bar. Beverage serving ran in her family all the way back to Remina, and she was eager to finally put those skills to the test after years of wandering around the halls, waiting for something interesting to happen or for the hero of the week to aggro her mid stride like the sub boss she was.

The Elder Succubus's bar was in a room full of tables and thus provided the perfect environment for drinks to be served. The room itself was once a place where strategies would be discussed in times of war.

It also had some nearby bedrooms adjacent to it for anyone who was feeling tipsy and in need of imtimacy, of which there was a robust supply.

Soon enough more then a few people were passed out when drinks were served in earnest.

Half an hour passed.

A group of imps lay piled on top of each other in one corner in seeming confusion at their state. At "their" table, a succubus in a soothsayer outfit and hat was casually pouring Gnome Ale into her hats mouth, the fungal creature's "Tongue" sticking out as it eagerly lapped the stuff up.

A kitsune with red fur that she recognized as Yao's younger sister had fallen asleep curled around an ant girl on top of a table in the right mid corner. A vampire and an muscly elf brawler were trying to dance (Read: Trying) on the left, clearly inebriated while several members from each species "cheered" them on, eager to see what would happen.

Noises of a certain frequency made it clear that the bedrooms had been eagerly occupied.

"Not my problem." Elder thought to herself, jiggling a pair of coins in a bowl beneath her bar.

Taking a brief moment to observe customers, she was interrupted when a figure seated themselves at a stool and slammed a hand on the table with a gruff command of "I want to speed through this day. Give me the strongest fucking thing you have here."

It was another succubus, one with blue eyes and purple hair that went as far as a shoulders. There was notable scar over her left eye, and when she realized the Elder was staring she brushed one of her bangs over the eye. Her horns were curved like a rams, but lacked ridges. She was wearing a purple, regal looking cape over a black bodice.

The tapping of her fingers on the bar along with the creased grimace on her face made it clear that the newcomer was really insistent on that drinked.

Quickly preparing to gather said strong beverage, a bottle of Black Fateburn, the Elder quickly jumped up when she finally recognized the other succubus. "Is that you Slattern?! Oh my, you've aged gracefully!" she said, making small talk.

Slattern quickly responded with a grumble as she planted her face into the wooden table as she stool creaked below her. Elder frowned as she began pouring the drink.

"Bad day? Did you come here to see your daughter?"

Slattern grimaced, trying to pull her cape over her head as the elf and vampire fell on a table, breaking it. She seemed to not enjoy being recognized, nor did she enjoy the mention of her daughter's very existence. "We aren't on good terms."

Elder watched as Slattern began rapidly gulping down the drink. She was quite familiar with her old acquaintances daughter herself. Did she know of her recent exploits? "I see...are you aware of how far she advanced since the fight for the throne a few years back? I heard she went through the battle without a scratch even if an Alipheese still won as usual-"

Slattern actually seemed to growl as she slammed the glass down, cracks in the wood as more then a few heads were turned.

"Heavenly Knight of Wind or whatever the Delph she calls herself these days," she gestured with a scowl, "-she still finds new ways to disappoint me."

"Refill..." she groaned with a slump in her seat. "That bad, huh? You two still talk?" Elder softly spoke, trying to lighten the mood. Slattern rested her chin on the palm of her hand with a grimace. "Ever since I retired, she visits every once in awhile. She's probably nostalgic about the place where we grew up in. Nothing I really care to mention happens." She sighed, as if hating the fact she had to talk as she gestured around the bar room.

"This damn holiday...I don't even want to be at this waste of our Lord's treasury. I only came here to retrieve something that was taken from me by-" she paused when the Baa! of a goat echoed alongside the sound of a familiar high voice shouting "This is where I live-"

The second she heard the voice, Elder was interrupted by a crunching noise as the wooden edge of the bar cracked under the pressure of a now scowling Slattern's hand.

Elder, reading the mood, figured it out. "Oh. The goat is yours, isn't it?"

Nodding as she seethed, Slattern stood up, drink forgotten. Audibly growling, she stalked out the room, nearly bowling over a kitsune and nekomata as she headed straight for where she had heard the noise. "About time, I'm going to give her a piece of her mind knight or not-"

She was promptly interrupted when chaos erupted.

"Dad! No-"

And then the flesh biting flesh and a startled cry of "GET IT OFF!" Before a torrent of smoke blasted out of the doors to the throne room and combat zone that had been turned into impromptu living rooms.

Slattern dropped to the ground, her hair and robes still being whipped up by the explosions aftermath. After managing to avoid a flaming bowl of Octo Soup, She shakily got up and pressed her back up to a wall near the door to avoid any new projectiles, her hair and clothes nonetheless dishelved.

In the smoke, sizzling fires and crackling ice could be heard along with shouts of pain, anger, and surprise.

Multiple monsters and their few human relatives ran out, coughing but alive. Slattern ignored them, having a far bigger concern.

From the smoke, she heard someone yell "Got it!" then from surprised yelp of "No wait that's my tail-" in a tone that sounded suspiciously like her daughter. Judging by the following shout "Wait look out- and the sound of stone grinding and scraping, a pillar had also fallen on someone.

Damnit Alma, I look away for five minutes and this happens.

Sure enough, the other source of her ire leapt out of the smoke on all four hooves.

The goat's white fur was singed with fallen ash, but it was still alive as it clopped down the hall, BAAING! all the way. Slattern grimaced and ran forwards to grab it, only for the thing to hop out of the way.

Eyebrow twitching, the power of elemental wind howled around Slattern as her black wings expanded from her back.

This was going to take awhile.

I would have never brought that damn goat home that night twenty six years ago. she thought in annoyance as the chase began in earnest, shouts of surprise as the goat clopped a merry path of chaos ahead.

If I knew what would have happened nine months later.

Damn you and your adaptive genes, Minagi!