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It’s a new day. The sun is shining, birds are singing and two grown people are shouting high to the heavens like a couple of angry cats. One a pale elf calm collected vampire is throwing wicked tongued barbs at another tall female elf that could snap him in two if she so wished. Both are dangerous in very different areas yet it seems the shorter vampire elf is winning.
The yelling from the two companions had gotten worse over the last few days since the incident at the Creche. Tempers were high after the collapse of the building and the unfortunate incident of Astarion, the vampire, being buried under the building. Astarion was not willing to let it go.
Wyll rubs his eyes as he steps out from his tent due to the commotion. “So how long has this been going on?” He asks towards Karlach who has rekindled the fire for breakfast.
“Since the morning,” she says, hand burning through the wood in the pit making the fire rise. “Don’t know what the issue is over now. They’ve already hashed out about him dying under the building again .”
“Poor Durge bet she doesn’t know how to out maneuver Astarion.” Wyll sighs as their voices continue to rise. He looks over his shoulder and sees Lazel sharpening her blades while Gale has yet to make an appearance. “Gale can sleep through anything.”
Karlach laughs. “Well lucky him. Poor Shadowheart had to walk off earlier. Something about how their bitching is not productive to the suffering she faces with Lady Shar. I think Astarion needs to watch himself around Durge though she can run circles around him.”
“With a sword I agree but with barbed words she is lacking.”
A high pitched cry has both their heads turning at the arguing before they shrug it off. Durge must have got a good word in. Karlach wishes they would just get it all out in one go and stop dragging it.
“Well if Astarion keeps it up he won’t have a tongue left to use. So that won’t be much of an issue will it.” Karlach says as she places the pot of water over the fire to cook.
Three Days Earlier
Durge needs to talk to Astarion has to. Ever since the collapse of the building she has felt the distance between them increasing. She has looked at it from all angles and knows he must still be mad at her for it. He has brought it up after every time they camp or rest. She doesn’t know what else she can do at this point. She did bring him back from the dead, and she wanted to but… She shakes her head best not to think of that image, not when she has to prepare herself to apologize once again for her misgivings.
She walks slowly over towards his tent clenching her hands at her side. She shouldn’t be feeling so terrified? No, that isn’t the right word. She is not sure there is even a word for this feeling of anticipation, worry, disgust, sadness that has rolled all into one feeling that won’t leave her. She stands in front of Astarion making her presence known as she shuffles her feet to make noise that she is coming. He is such a skittish little thing. The slightest sound of approach always has him on edge.
Astarion’s ears twitch as he turns to look at her eyebrow raised. He doesn’t have time to speak before Durge interrupts him.
“I’m sorry.” Durge says looking down at Astarion.
“For what darling,” he asks, placing the book in his hand on the ground. “You already apologized for dropping a building on me so what else could you possibly be apologizing for?”
“I…well I am sorry about the building again,” she mumbles, picking the skin on her hands. “I really thought you could stand the light. Wasn’t planning on it all collapsing either,” she mumbles looking at him as he crosses his arms. Shit he still looks mad.
“Yes well you've said as much so what else are you apologizing for,” he clips out. “I don’t have all day to waste with–”
“I felt it again,” she says quietly. “That urge I told you about.”
She feels shame cover her body as she fidgets with her hands. Astarion had been the only one she had told about her “urges” that had increased ever since escaping the mindflayer ship. It’s not like the others didn’t know she felt these urges or that she had no control over them. Since the unfortunate death at camp they had been on guard around her. She doesn’t blame them for it either. How can you trust someone who has urges of killing and no memory of it? It terrifies her, she must have been cursed before encountering the mindflayer ship.
“So you wanted to kill me?” Astarion asks slowly.
“No of course not!” She shouts before lowering her voice. “I…your corpse was pretty. I just wished I could have caused your death more intimately. The blood cooling from under the stones bones and muscles splashed from your body like spoiled fruit. I wanted to cause it to see your death and make it mine. I wanted to own that part of you…and again your corpse was pretty,” she blushes imagining the scene over again. Astarion wouldn’t die by her hand; she just wants to make him look beautiful.
“My broken bones and guts spewed around was attractive to you?” He squawks, raising his hands in the air.
“Very.” She says softly before her eyes widen. “But I don’t want you dead, I just…I don’t know. I felt that and wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have such thoughts but they’re getting worse. I could, I used to visualize it easily with enemies but that was more creating art not creating beauty. I don’t want to hurt you, I just find you more attractive when…”
“When I’m dying?” He huffs.
She shakes her head, “A little? Blood looks very pretty on you and I want to cause it. And I shouldn’t be saying that to you. Not with everything you’ve had to endure. I feel terrible thinking about it and…”
“Gods what are you some type of Paladin? Thinking bad things doesn’t make you evil, actions do. I think of killing Gale often but you don’t see me losing any sleep over it. Now is that really all?” He sighs, waving his hands dismissively.
“But what if it stops just being a thought? What if I,” Durge freezes. She doesn't even want to think about what could happen. If she thinks it, it may eventually become true.
“Darling I have full belief you can suppress these little urges of yours but if you are really concerned why not find other ways to make me bloody?” He grins looking up at her. “I’m sure you can think of something.”
“Other ways? Like using a different weapon?”
“Exactly there’s nothing sharper than one’s own tongue to cut someone down from a simple phrase.” He shrugs, “why not give it a try.”
“Oh…hmm so I could say I want to dig my hands through your guts and pull your spine through the hole so you’d never be able to move again?”
Durge looks at Astarion wanting to know if that was acceptable. It was one of her thoughts she had of him ever since his death at the Creche. She wouldn’t make it messy of course. She’d arrange every organ in its proper place. Clean the exposed bone of his spine so the white could shine through the blood and viscera. She would make him look gorgeous.
“Yes exactly though you do want to build up to it darling. A little foreplay can go a long way.” He teases. “And will you stop fidgeting,” he scoffs, grabbing her hands. “Really darling these are just thoughts you have not actions you will take right?”
“Of course not…I just would want to make you as beautiful in death as you are in life,” she says bluntly.
Astarion pauses at that phrasing chuckling, “hmm sounds like another over the top romantic line that I would use.”
Durge smiles before thinking of another phrase. “So would foreplay be like I can’t tell the difference between your hair and the underbelly of an owl bear?”
“Rude but you are getting better,” he says, removing his hands from hers. “If you wish you can practice and see if it helps with these thoughts of yours.”
“I’ll try.” She nods her head. “How will you know I’m just practicing and not really meaning those words? Can I just tell you before?”
Astarion laughs. “Darling, are you worried about hurting my feelings? I can assure you I have none.”
“Yes.” She says looking into his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Astarion is taken back by her words. She did not wish to hurt him? But isn’t she having thoughts of causing him pain, torture, dismemberment? How does she hope to accomplish not hurting his feelings? Not that he has any but if he did.
“Though you would like to see me covered in my own blood?” He asks her slowly.
“Blood makes you look pretty,” she smiles down at him. “Hmm it’s like a part of you but not really. You’re a vampire you will always crave blood so when you are covered in it or in gore you look happy. The blood in your hair or on your face makes you look beautiful.”
“Well,” he says, a little loss. “I guess I’ll let that stew for a bit show how that exactly works.”
Durge doesn’t have a way with words but the visual is something he would need to think on. Gods this might be why she is such a hard nut to crack. He had been wooing her as if she was some common girl in Baldur's Gate and not some bloodplay freak. It’s frankly terrifying how she can be so vicious and bloodthirsty but at the same time blushes as if she has never received a compliment. This mark is becoming harder and harder to pin.
Present Time
“Really dear I’ve heard worse, are you really trying? Or does that peanut size brain of yours only rotate in the wrong direction,” Astarion smirks looking down at his hand nonchalant.
“Better a peanut than just a patch of goofy hair where brains should be,” Durge replies instantly. Brains are too much like soggy undercooked bacon. Astarion looks better with the floof in his hair than brains. Plus brains make her think too much of the tadpole in her head that could turn her into a mindflayer.
“Darling the nut inside that shell you call a brain has enough room in it that it will never touch the shell’s edge.” He teases. This is too easy, then again he was a magistrate before his entrapment. It’s fun to get under people’s skin and know which buttons to push to get them going as it were.
“I could crack your shell. Open you up and let the birds feast on your innards.” She says grinning at him.
He would look so beautiful, ribs cracked open innards spilling from the wound. His heart unbeating. She would look into his eyes as they began to fade, eventually drying as he took his last breath. Though vampires are known for healing quickly. He may just be suffering until she stabbed his heart. She wouldn’t want him to suffer long. She’d make it quick before arranging his body in her vision.
“That’s terrible darling I had no idea you wanted to give the animals in the woods indigestion. Not to mention I hardly have enough meat on my body to offer a meal.” Astarion laughs.
“You have enough meat. Most of it just hangs near your rear. If we ever get strapped for food I could eat your ass for days.” She answers him bluntly before feeling the tips of her ears heat.
Astarion grins and pounces on the opportunity. “Days? Are you sure,” he drawls out slowly, making Durge gulp. “Hmm it just would be a small slice. Wouldn’t you want to eat something else?” He blinks his eyes at her as anything but innocently.
Durge flushes and laughs nervously. “…what else would I eat? Your brain is non existent and would hold no calories, your innards have been fed to the birds. That leaves only the rear that could be boiled or simmered in stew to become soft and supple.” She feels her eyes roaming to his backside.
Astarion clears his throat in her direction. This is becoming too easy to get her riled up over a few choice words. “Darling there are other areas you could feast on.”
Durge blinks thinking a moment before her face turns completely red. “I think it would be too chewy like eating an ear lobe.” She nearly whispers, too embarrassed to even think or imagine what Astarion may look like. She must have looked strange or was too quiet as Astarion began to speak.
“Wait, are you seriously thinking about eating it?!” He shouts at her, shocked. “That item is not on the menu! Not in that way gods!”
“No because it would taste like an earlobe,” she yells back at him. “Earlobes are too chewy and difficult to swallow and they have no flavor. And that would be…well it’d be, fuck.” She says covering her face.
Astarion snorts, “yes well that is one of the duties of having a cock my dear, to fuck.” He smirks watching her become even more flustered. “Really this is what gets under your skin talking about sex?”
“I don’t know just when you do it or imagining…” she lets out an undignified groan as Astarion basks in getting under her skin.
“Really if all I have to do is talk about sex to get you this way, well that seems too easy,” he laughs at her discomfort. “Though it is strange that you can talk about all sorts of eviscerations and ways to kill someone, this is the one thing that annoys you.”
“It’s not annoying just embarrassing talking about it,” with you she adds silently.
He rolls his eyes. “Ugh fine. Alright we’ll get back to insults later but you have eaten an earlobe…why?”
“I was hungry. There was nothing left to eat. The rest of the body was too butchered to get any decent meat from it. Plus they were skin and bones.” She says as if that is answer enough.
“When did this happen? You could have just walked to a tavern or a shop?”
“Oh it was the woods. Someone…someone was teaching me to fight to kill. I don’t remember their faces but I remember that a goblin got hold of them and injured them…I don’t remember much else except being given an earlobe to eat. It was cold but not winter yet. Snow hadn’t fallen but water was starting to ice and thaw by noon,” she pauses trying to see if she can push her memories into remembering anything else about that memory. Nothing comes up. She sighs, “So I wouldn’t recommend earlobes too chewy.”
“I’ll take your advice. Though I do have to disagree about an earlobe’s taste.” He comments, reeling her in slowly.
“You’ve had them before?”
“A few times every now and then,” he answers grinning.
“How can you stand to eat them?”
“Well I wouldn’t call it eating more like a nibble,” he says before pulling her head down before nibbling on her elongated ear.
Durge loses control feeling her face turning red as Astarion pulls back with a wicked grin on his face. “Delicious.”
“I want to squeeze your throat so hard your eyes pop out of your eye sockets. Then I’m going to leave so many bloody marks no one will be able to close the wound quick enough to stop the blood from flowing out of every orifice of your body.”
“Hmm sounds like a feast. Shall we?” He says holding his hand out to her. She feels heat coming off her face and grunts before grabbing hold of his hand.
“So are they flirting? Or are they threatening one another?" Wyll asks lost as the two disappear into the woods.
“Eh who cares maybe they’ll quiet down after fucking a bit yeah. Though I don’t know if I’m going to prefer their weird verbal matches over their fucking noise. Depends how noisy they’ll get.”
“Well, are you going to find out?” Wyll teases.
“Oh gods no! I like being able to sleep at night thanks. Sides I don’t think Fangs or Durge would like the interruption.”