Neria Surana had never wished her hearing was worse than she did in this moment.
The sly tone of his voice was impossible to ignore, the confident way in which he spoke and the accent he held holding her attention even when he was not speaking to her.
Zevran Arainai was becoming the bane of her existence-Neria could feel the heat gathering beneath the collar of her robes and puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
Undeterred or perhaps oblivious-her companions continued on with their conversation behind her.
"In Antiva, women are accustomed to being showered with the praise they deserve. Men should worship you at your feet as you pass." Zevran smiled in an endearing manner towards Morrigan. Who merely rolled her eyes.
"They don't find that incredibly annoying?" The swamp witches chin lifted as she peered down her nose at the assassin, yellow eyes gleaming.
"They are goddesses receiving their subjects, just as you should be. Whatever would be annoying about that?" He tilted his head to the side, smirking at her.
Morrigan scoffed. " I have no wish to be placed upon a pedestal."
" But you deserve no less! You should be admired by painters, copied by sculptors, exalted by poets! Surely you know that yours is a beauty so exotic it-it would turn the eye of the Maker Himself!"
Morrigan hesitated-her voice revealing uncertainty "Well, I suppose I..."
"By the Maker! You were right! You win, I guess." Alistair's voice rudely cut in-not allowing Morrigan to finish her thought.
Zevran let out a chuckle at Morrigan's shocked expression. "Thank you, ser. I expect payment forthwith. " He winked at the swamp witch even as he spoke and Morrigan glared-her face turning cold.
"I hate you all." She informed them darkly-picking up the pace and moving to walk alongside the quiet mage leader.
Neria held back a pleased smirk-realizing it hadn't been a serious attempt at flirting. She wiped the expression clean as Morrigan kept pace with her.
"How can you stand him?" The witch snapped at her friend.
Neria blinked wide blue eyes at the woman-confusion evident. " I...sorry?"
"Zevran" Morrigan clarified impatiently. " He is nothing but a dog drooling over any piece of meat within sight."
"I don't think he's that bad..." Neria murmurred softly, keeping her eyes on the road. They had been walking without any incidents for hours to catch back up with the others at camp.
"Of course you don't-you gaze at him like Sten does cookies." Morrigan snapped. She waved her hands in exasperation. " I've had enough." she walked ahead of even Neria-rapidly putting distance between herself and the group.
Neria ducked her head to let the colour of her cheeks fade.
But..Morrigan wasn't wrong was she? Zevran was very attractive-even by elven standards. He flirted with her often...but he did so with the others almost as much.
Every time he spoke suggestively her face turned to the colour of a tomato-she knew she shouldn't be so irritated by his similar behaviour towards the others...jealousy was unbecoming and it wasn't as if her and Zevran were actually an item.
She didn't mind the idea of it...but.
Why would he want someone like her?
Leliana and Morigan were both slim and beautiful-Morrigan was exotic and Leliana held a warmth that could not be matched by another.
Next to them-she was a chubby circle mage who was slowly gaining muscle and not losing any of the fat...
Her stomach wasn't flat-her face was too round, her eyes too wide.
Back at the circle, her friend Gwen would call her curvaceous and beautiful, but standing next to all the others Neria still knew she was out of place. Elves were meant to be slender...she wasn't huge but...she was a few pounds over average that was for sure.
She sighed-the noise carrying louder than she wished it had.
"Chin up Neria, Morrigan is just being as cheerful as she always is." Alistair's voice was mocking-the words dripping with sarcasm.
"My dear woman, such an expression should not be placed on a face so lovely, don't let the witches behaviour worry your little head, she'll blow off some steam kill some Darkspawn and all will be well, yes?" Zevran winked at her as she looked at him and her tongue seemed to twist into knots at such a simple gesture.
"O-of c-course Zev." She stuttered, before physically biting down on her tongue to prevent more treacherous stumbling words from escaping the confines of her mouth and mind.
Stupid stupid stupid!
Zevran gave a light tsk. "Still a lovely voice despite your stumbling my dear, don't hold back on my account."
Neria felt the heat spreading to her ears and merely cleared her throat, speeding up her pace. " Come on, we are...losing the light."
They all knew she was lying...