Log; Complete

[kievduchess.livejournal.com]

When; October 15th
Rating; PG-13 for naked
Characters; Astaroth {kievduchess} & Greed {so_very_greedy}
Summary; A mistake of names allows Astaroth the chance to subtly interrogate Greed about Radu Barvon, though, as usual, he has other motives. In addition, the Thirst beings to manifest.
Log;

Greed excitedly went about making the last preparations before his date's arrival. If royalty was coming over, he was going to have to be even more careful about the cleaning. After a discrete check of the hardwood floors, he took some of the cushions outside for a beating, then finished the plates and restocked the refrigerator, taking note to leave out anything he'd need.

He stretched out for a moment, put a few bottles on ice and placed them into a rolling cart. On the top level he had a small selection of italian foods, on the middle was french onion soup and house salad, and on the bottom level was assorted pastries.

"This should cover enough bases," he huffed to himself, wheeling the cart to the springs entrance and leaving it. He raced back down the hallway and out the massive temple doors, sitting down on the steps. He could already detect the light footsteps in the distance, signaling her approach.

>>>

She moved like nobility, steps assured and confidant, an expression on her face that read privilege, that spoke to what treatment she expected to receive, and that she would get it, too. It was not stretch of words that Astaroth Aslan was a beautiful woman, with long ivory hair over her shoulders and then that one streak of red at her forelock. Her eyes were a startling golden bass, her skin smooth, tall and slender, with impressive curves.

She had come in her uniform, it was only proper attire for now, the gold and proper turn out of cuffs and lace, of jewelry and the tall boots, clicking on the floor leading up to the temple. The spear at her hip, always, and a packet of hemoglobin capsules in her waist pocket, though she had abandoned the chest plate of her armor, the low cut of her fitted coat and the short hem of the skirt making for an attractive figure.

And Astaroth was relying on that, had observed this thing and knew he was fond of women, the act of womanizing, and if she was going to plumb any useful information out of him, then she would play the woman, would resist unsheathing her spear and instead try diplomacy, in this veiled way, walking up the steps with a casual flick of her long hair, her eyes settling on the Homunculus, and though a smile graced her lips, her mind yelled friend to a traitor.

>>>

He grinned as she came into his line of sight, his mouth a perfectly interlocked maw of sharp, even teeth.

"Yo, Duchesss Asta! Over here!" he yelled to her, his voice booming out over the path to the steps, "I've been waitin' for ya'! Glad to know you found the place."

With a few hop-skips, he was a little way down the path and just in front of her. He kneeled before her, replicating what he had always seen people do in movies for royalty. He didn't know what she was up to, but it was doubtful he would've cared.

"Need any help with something?"

>>>

“No, I do not.” Astaroth replied smoothly, chin high, proud, perhaps too proud. She looked down at him and kept her face impassive.

“You may rise, I am not royalty, such fealty is not needed.” She expected bows from lesser nobles, but abject kneeling was something she did not see. That was what she had done, before the Empress, it seemed so long ago now.

Looking about the Temple grounds, she nodded slightly. She had been here before, but it did not hurt to act impressed.

“You run a beautiful bathhouse.” She murmured in appreciation, and that, for truth, she was grateful for. The baths in the apartments were far too small.

>>>

"I believe a beautiful woman should be afforded proper respect, Duchess," he said, rising and turning to head back up the steps, "Follow me, please."

He soon led her to the front of the building and through the door, kicking off his shoes and setting his sunglasses aside.

"Please remove your shoes upon entry, as we have to keep the floors clean around here. I get yelled at by the others, otherwise."

As he walked just ahead of her down the hallways, he picked up the dinner cart and took dragged it with them. They soon reached a steamed over sliding glass door. As Greed reached out to open it, a dense steam cloud billowed into the interior of the hallway.

"The changing area is over there," he pointed to a side room, "Feel free to grab a towel after removing your clothing, then grab a towel and head out here. I'll go set up the food."

>>>

Take her shoes off there? What an odd custom, and one that was most inconvenient. Astaroth hid her eyes rolling when she bent, undoing the few laces at the top of her thigh high boots, slowly removing them and placing them at the entrance where instructed, padding after him barefoot. She smoothed her hair as she walked, her mind in turmoil, though her face was schooled carefully.

This man, he was a friend to the Baron of Luxor, to the traitor, the bastard who had killed her- Killed The Empress. And he would pay, no matter how Astaroth had to inconvenience herself.

She went where he instructed, calmly unclasped the many snaps and buttons of her uniform and removed it, laying it aside for now, though her spear went with her always, without shame walking back towards the steam and into the hot springs area. Bathing in the Empire was not as shameful affair, nor the body, and she had no qualms about her state of undress, sliding into the hot water with a soft sigh, hands occupied in typing up long ivory strands, sharp eyes calculating, watching.

>>>

Greed hauled out a floating tabletop with a small chain under it. He placed it into the water, anchoring it to the bottom, then slid into the steaming waters.

If there was one thing that could be said about the homunculus, it was that he was straight forward. He didn't even try to hide that his eyes were tracing her body, slit pupils analyzing every bit of her being. His vision flitted between her and the food he was setting out, until he had placed the last plate down.

"I see that you guys don't mind bein' nude," he grinned, placing down two bottles of red wine and sake, "A people after my own heart. Shame I can't visit that world."

He shifted the anchor closer to her, moving the floating table until they both could easily reach what they wanted, then moved up alongside of her.

"So, Asta, what's up? Why the change of heart? Way I recall, ya' didn't like the company I keep."

>>>

“Bathing is bathing.” Astaroth reached for a glass and poured wine, only a bare little, into it, reaching behind her to come back with a small tablet, dropping the hemoglobin into the liquid and waiting for it to dissolve before taking a drink. It was one of the last she had, but… she was hungry. The noble was not about to ask the judgmental Terrans, the ones who called her vampire, about hemoglobin capsules. No, the rest would go to the young Count of Memphis. … She could control herself.

“It took me some time to acclimate to this place.” That, at least was true, and she paused to take a sip of her drink. “Once my anger cooled… I realized how foolish I had been.” No, she had not. “The Baron of Luxor is from before my time, he is no traitor.” Still a traitor. “And I realized I had only done damage, accusing you, as well as he, as I had.”

>>>

"Well, I understand blamin' him. The few members of his little posse I have met, I don't like. They creep me the hell out, quite frankly. I just get along with him, even if we constantly argue. I don't really get his hard on for hating normal humans," he shrugged, twirling some pasta on his fork, "Just doesn't make much sense."

Yep, she was nobility, all right. Kind of reminded him of the boy. Prim and proper, of a somewhat regal bearing, and completely aloof. Well, no matter. Even the strongest wall of ice had to melt at some temperature. He just had to keep pouring on the heat.

"But aside from all that, what's your relation to the little kid? Radu's little buddy."

>>>

There.

“… They do?” Astaroth calmly sipped her wine, and if she were aware that, when she moved or spoke, her breasts lifted from the water, or she crossed or uncrossed her legs, she did not show it. “The one I have met, Dietrich von Lohengrin, seemed very polite.” Elaborate, you oaf, her mind screamed.

“The Count of Memphis?” There was no reason for her to lie about that.

“He is a charge in my care, by order of the Empress I am to protect him, and the Terran Vatican’s messenger to the Empire.”

>>>

"Yeah, but Deitrich has Radu under his thumb. He resurrected the poor guy using some means or other and now has him under his control. The guy has the ability to control peoples bodies, somehow. I forget if I was ever told how. Radu is just misguided horribly. Deitrich is petty bastard, that much I can guarantee," he spat, taking a sip of sake and leaning back, "Son of a bitch won't even fight me, like I want."

Greed shifted the table slightly, to better cover his unmentionable bits. Steam or no steam, the last thing he needed right now was his date seeing that her body was "raising his spirits" in more ways than one. This proved to be an ill-fated decision, as he bumped against the underside of the table when he attempted to move a bit closer to her.

"Ah! Ow..." he grunted under his breath, "O-okay. Just makin' sure there wasn't some kind of marriage arrangement between you two or somethin'."

He neglected to go into what he thought of the Count's attitude to him and others who were perceived as Terrans, as it might cause her to jump to his defense.

>>>

“A marriage- No, no, the Count of Memphis’ grandmother is the Duchess of Moldova, they’re far above my station…” Astaroth went on before she paused, golden eyes widening slowly.

“… You mean to say, Radu Barvon is dead?” Now that… Her partner had said, told her the Baron of Luxor had died, and yet, then he had disappeared before she could ask how, if he were dead, he had just walked into the court and declared the Count of Memphis a traitor. The Duchess sat up abruptly, her grip on her glass almost enough to shatter the glass.

“Did he die here? Someone killed him?” If he was dead, it was a blessing, and yet, to be robbed of being able to do it herself…

>>>

"I've never liked class systems myself. It just needless division, in my opinion. Most guys low on the totem pole don't like the guys at the top. It's human nature to envy those in a position of power."

He took a sip of sake and continued, "I don't know all the details, but he died and was resurrected by Deitrich, then died AGAIN. So I guess he really has nothin' to return to if he leaves this place. Where ever your species go when they die, I guess."

As he spoke, he began to slide even closer to her, stopping less than a foot from her body.

"Ya' look kinda' tense, Duchess. You okay? Maybe ya' need a mild shoulder massage?"

>>>

“… We return to the earth.” Astaroth answered somewhat hollowly. If he was dead… what if he were beyond her time, as Abel was? He claimed to be before, but… that had to be a lie if he had died again… Dietrich was a member of the Orden, Abel had said, and they had dark motives, as backed up also by the Vatican Cardinal, and yet…

“No, no, that’s quite alright.” She rolled her shoulders, completely at ease with the fact that he was close to her, she felt no shame in her body or his, they were simply bodies, and she was used to bathing with both males and females in the Empire.

“The class divisions are for the best.” The Duchess spoke distractedly as she tried to understand how Radu Barvon could be dead, and yet… when he had kissed her, hadn’t he seemed somewhat cold? She had been too furious to pay that much attention, but…

“We, the nobles, rule the Methuselah, and protect the Empire Terrans, in turn. We are able to cohabitate in this way.”

>>>

"And you're tellin' me there's no corruption or nepotism? No favoritism shown to family of the top brass? No way I believe all of that," he snickered, devouring the last of his meal ravenously, "It's an age old story, really. High class almost always treats low class like non-entities."

A question had been eating at Greed since he had heard of Methuselah. Now was as good a time as any to do so.

"How old can your kind get to be, anyway? I can't tell at all how old you guys are by your looks."

"Oh yeah, and why so interested in Radu, eh? He's gone, anyway. Deceased. His heart doesn't beat, his skin has no warmth, he can't reach your world ever again. Trust me, he's not much of a threat."

>>>

“Because, in my time, he is still a traitor, though this one is not.” No, this one was, she was sure of it now… she had to keep him away from Ion Fortuna, from anyone she cared about.

… He had killed the Empress, and-

“The oldest of our kind are around three hundred years old.” Astaroth set down her drained cup of wine, sated for the time being on the hemoglobin in the capsule she had dissolved, the last she would allow herself until she could come up with some other way…

“Our Empress, however, before…” Her voice quieted immediately and she let his other insults slide in the purpose of diplomacy. “… Before she was killed, was hundreds of years older than that. She is- She was eternal.” Astaroth reached up to undo her hair, let the long ivory strands cascade into the water, soothing the one red lock from her face.
>>>
Greed listened intently, actually managing to keep his eyes off her body as she spoke. So it appeared they weren't eternal, like true vampires usually claimed to be. Why was true eternal life so hard to find?

"I see...Ya' really seem to respect her, then. I guess I can appreciate that," he said, pushing the table farther away, "I have a lot of respect for my creator, even if we didn't always get along."

He pointed to her glass.

"I guess you used one of those capsule blood thingies that Radu talked about? Ya' don't have to, ya' know. I've got more than enough blood in me," he purred, turning to face her and moving forward, "Care to taste?"

>>>

“Yes, the hemo-“ Astaroth broke off, looking to him in something that looked like horror.

“You… you’re offering me your- Only the most uncivilized Methuselah would drink from-“ Her eyes were pinned, though, on his jugular. She could see the blood pulsing in the veins there, the artery, and the hemoglobin in that blood would sate her, could possibly prevent the Thirst-

Briefly, it seemed her eyes flashed a deeper gold, the pupils dilating into slits and back so fast it was easy to miss, her lips drawing back to reveal fangs without her even being aware of it, watching the crimson lifeblood pulse beneath his skin.

>>>

He grinned and leaned in closer, his voice a low growl rumbling up from deep within his chest.

"You seem a little taken aback, Duchess. What's the matter? Never taken straight from the tap, before? How do ya' know how bad it is if you've never tried before, eh?"

While Greed didn't really need his organs or his circulatory system, they continued to function as most vestigial organs do, the blood rising to the surface due to his excited state.

"It doesn't matter how much you take, Asta. You can't kill a homunculus like that. Go on, certainly a sip won't hurt, right?"

>>>

“I-“ It was tempting, right there, and she was still hungry, hadn’t been consuming Water of Life every day, telling Ion Fortuna she already had when in reality she was giving what they had left to him instead, that one capsule wasn’t filling, truly, and…

“You-“ The slit appeared again, she leaned forward, mouth open, tongue lapping at her teeth, sharp fangs meant to pierce and just as it seemed she might, approached and leaned against him, felt the pulse beneath his skin, she recoiled in horror, hand clapped over her mouth.

“I’m not hungry.” She hurridly got out, squelching the hunger in her, the lust for blood, for what was in his blood, denying it.

I can last. I don’t need to feed. I’m fine. I can handle this.

>>>

Greed jumped out of the water and landed directly in front of her path of egress. He crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow, sharp teeth gleaming brightly in a smug smile.

"What's the matter, Duchess? You seemed so hungry just a moment ago. Surely there's nothin' wrong with it, so what's the problem? Those pills won't last forever, and what then? I suggest you get used to taking blood if you wanna' survive here."

He moved in closer to her craning his head enough to expose his jugular artery.

"Come on, ya' KNOW you want to. I promise I won't bite back TOO hard. What exactly are you afraid of? Pride? There's no one here but you and me."

>>>

“I don’t want to-“ She tried to be calm, she didn’t want to seem too angry, too desperate, she needed this man to believe her, to give her information about Radu Barvon, about Dietrich von Lohengrin, everything he knew about that traitor, though she’d already gotten the gem.

Radu Barvon was dead.

“I won’t sink to… feeding off Terrans or anything of the sort-“ Astaroth hated him in that moment, truly did, that he would offer her this when she was weak. No, she was Strong, she didn’t need it, didn’t, didn’t, didn’t-

Slowly, she stopped trembling and flushing in anger, arms tight by her side, standing to her full height as well to emphasize that she could be that close to his blood and still be fine, be proud, for she was too proud, skin wet with water from the spring, hair damp and clinging to her form, standing only slightly taller than the other man.

“Please cease trying to make me lower myself to such behavior.” She had almost forgotten to say please.

>>>

Greed stepped back for a moment and put his finger under his chin, studying her for at a distance. She had guts, he had to admit. He liked that kind of determination in people.

"Okay, so maybe your urge to control yourself is stronger than I thought. Impressive, Duchess!" he exclaimed, clapping loudly. He approached her again and stepped a foot from her.

"In that case, howsabout we try another "lower behavior". I've been attracted to you since the moment you entered my line of sight, Asta. Or does the empire have prudish attitudes on sex?"

He took a step toward her, his eyes beginning to flicker to a more feral state, the slits narrowing as he focused her on.

"I mean, it can't possibly be that bad in such a progressive land, right?"

>>>

“…” Astaroth blinked.

He couldn’t possibly be propositioning her-

There was courtship involved, relationships and attraction, and-

“… You want to have sex?” She repeated blankly, trying to keep the chill, the disgust from her voice, keeping it calm and level, though her first reaction was to flush with fury and slap him across the face.

The Empire did not have any such strict laws, no, the birthrate among them was so low that having lovers, even many lovers, rarely resorted in pregnancy, let alone marriage, considering how long their lives were, and Astaroth was no prude, but-

Friend to a traitor.

>>>

He nodded cheerfully and moved toward her again.

"Yup! I mean, ya' wouldn't even have to worry about anything! I can't sire children, I can't carry disease, and I can guarantee that I'm really good at it, so there's no foreseeable problems!"

Greed was becoming more excitable at the prospect of sex, with every passing moment. He was self-assured that he wouldn't be turned down. After all, they had come this far, hadn't they?

"So come on, Duchess, let's have a little fun. I'll bet I can get you climbin' the walls within an hour," he huffed, his voice taking on a deeper, almost bestial tone.

>>>

“I…” It was taking all of her effort not to reach for her spear. Don’t kill it, don’t kill it, calm, Astaroth, calm. She almost wish she’d drank from him instead now. You need him as an ally, to betray Radu Barvon.

“I am afraid, Greed, that I must decline.” His crude words disgusted her, the bestial tone to his voice. While she, too, could be crude, could be prone to rage and, by her very nature susceptible to a bestial lust for blood, she rejected it with all her might, cultured and proud, and above all else, noble.

“As the Duchess of Kiev, while it is my prerogative which lovers I take, I must be careful in tying myself in such manner to people, and while I do not doubt your aptitude-“ She stifled the urge to grimace, to recoil, standing calmly and unabashed before him. “I cannot wantonly take a lover so early here. Do you understand?”

>>>

Greed stopped as if someone has shot him with a riot gun, his blood quickly settling again. What the hell was this broad doing? Was she playing with him, or what?

"...Look chick, are you just fuckin' around with me, or what? What the hell do you want? Stop sendin' out signals if you don't wanna' go all the way!" he growled, stomping the newly tiled floor hard enough to put a hole in it.

"Tch. This is the problem with high status chicks. They can't let go. I should have fuckin' listened to Deitrich."

>>>

“… Sending signals?” Astaroth tossed her hair over the side of her shoulders, heedless of bare body and sat down again once he moved and she did not have to stand up to him, calmly reaching for a towel and running it up her neck, wiping the sweat from the steam.

“I apologize if I have, but I was unaware.” Honestly, she sort of was. But she was glad he was not entirely insistent, having to use her spear would have been terribly bad for diplomatic relations.

She was quite sure of that, however unfortunate that was.

>>>

"Ya' didn't answer my other questions," he said, leaning against a far wall and glowering at her, "Are you just fuckin' around here, or what? I don't like bein' strung along. If ya' can't take a lover so early, then when?" he huffed, emphasizing by smashing his fist through a stone pillar.

>>>

“To take a lover I do not know intimately, in mind, not just body, would be to cheat myself.” She did believe that, truly, lowing her head to calmly bathe, lithe limbs and soft curves with hard muscle.

“While the Empire has no laws against such things like the Terran countries, marriages and monogamy, we still do not, as all, lay wanton with our affections. Because we live so long, in the same place, it is truly foolishness to offend and potentially drive off others of our kind. You understand?” It was hard for Astaroth to be patient, but…

To kill the one who had killed her Empress, she could be patient.

>>>

Greed slipped back to the water and picked up the floating tabletop, putting the plates back onto the cart and slipping the table behind a banister.

"I don't get that at all, so I won't pretend I do," he grumbled, sitting on the edge of the pool, "This is a hell of a disappointing night. I feel like I've been made a fool of."

>>>

“I assure you, that was not my intention.” She managed to calm herself fully, to relax again and bathe as she intended, sighing and leaning back against the tiles, managing a smile in his direction though she did not want to smile at the friend of a traitor, standing up and retying up her hair, going for her towel.

“Besides, I like to think my company is enough to sate, hmm?”

>>>

Greed said nothing, soaking his head in the pool. Company and companionship was satisfactory, when it was actually sincere. He pulled his head out of the water again and leaned back in the pool.

"Whatever. You already know the way out when you're finished soaking. I'll go find a partner who actually enjoys bein' here."

His patience with this arrogant, haughty women was growing extremely thin. He certainly wouldn't indulge such ridiculous words again.

>>>

“Very well, Greed.” Astaroth calmly dried herself, towling long hair and casually redressing. What to say, what to say…

“I wish you well in your search for a more amenable partner.” What a thing to say. Astaroth waited until she had left the temple to smirk.

Radu Barvon was dead.