Of rings, apples and other incidents
A fresh autumn breeze made Livia's open hair rise almost majestically up into the sky, while her facial expression reflected disgruntled perplexity. The smell of old fish, coming from the docks, was subliminal in the air and made the young woman wrinkle her nose discontentedly, causing isolated small folds to briefly appear on the bridge of her nose. The first merchants had already taken all the necessary precautions for the stand construction and began to advertise their goods with loud voices and excessive movements.
Lost in thoughts, Livia strolled across the market place and let her eyes wander listlessly over the goods on offer. Dettlaff had not come to her the previous night and even this morning he was nowhere to be found. Did he hate this city with its inhabitants so much that he couldn't even stand it in their common abode? Was she completely powerless in this situation and forced to take on the role of a silent observer? The approaches during their journey together suddenly seemed obsolete and relegated to the background. Was that what she wanted? Is that what he wanted? Is that what they wanted? Was there even a they?
With a loud sigh, she puffed the air out of her nose and disinterestedly examined the oversized potatoes. The alchemist blinked a few times before she inspected the shabby wooden box with the huge potatoes more closely. Each of the potatoes on display was bigger than her fist. A side glance at the rest of the assortment made Livia pause.
"Welcome beautiful lady! Here you will find the biggest and most beautiful fruits and vegetables of Novigrad! I give you my word!" Maybe Dandelion hadn't written only untruths in his books. "You're not from here, are you? Please accept this apple as a gift. If you like it, I look forward to doing business with you in the future."
Puzzled by the retailer's both courteous and pushy manner, Livia, with a nod and a restrained "Thank you", accepted the fruit and prepared to disappear into the darkness of the next possible alley as quickly as possible.
"This is not possible." Her words were little more than a whisper as she gazed at the burgundy red fruit with wide-open eyes. Without giving it a second thought, she took a hearty bite of the fruit. As the sweet fruit juice flowed out and moistened her tongue, a pleasurable moaning escaped her, while her closed eyelids visibly relaxed. Leaning her back against a wall of a house overgrown with ivy, the young alchemist stood on the narrow, dirty street surrounded by dilapidated buildings and enjoyed the most exquisite fruit of her life. Scattered drops of the fruit juice ran down her narrow wrist, leaving a shimmering trace, while Livia euphorically devoured the apple in a downright indecent manner. In her mind she decided to buy more apples from this merchant on the way back and to present them to Dettlaff in case he was to be found in their home.
Satisfied, she licked off her fingers while she continued to follow the straight course of the alley. The brief thought of Dettlaff had spoiled her good mood and made her look dejected again. When she wanted to wipe her hands clean on her trousers, she stroked over a well-known object that was in her trouser pocket. The sphera sensum appeared in a grey shade and made Livia frown thoughtfully.
"Young lady! What a beautiful piece of jewellery you hold in your hands! A word! Come here."
Guilty, the addressed person flinched when she realized that a stranger had become aware of the sphere. With the sphere firmly enclosed in her hand she approached the man and noticed that he was a blacksmith. A hulking, sweaty dwarf with small eyes, full beard and lots of dark hair on his exposed, muscular forearms, to be more precise.
"Hey there. You seem to care about your jewelry, don't you?"
Hesitantly, the blond-haired woman nodded, before carefully replying, "Yes. It's very important to me, which is why I always carry it with me."
"Ha!" The dwarf clapped his hands enthusiastically several times and grinned at her with his crooked teeth. "I may not look like it, but I'm a master jeweler and craftsman. No offense, but you are in danger of losing your treasure. Thieves and other scoundrels stroll through the alleys and grab the pockets of passers-by. I could put the sphere in a ring. That way, you could look at it at any time and not have to worry about falling out of your pocket or even getting stolen!"
An unpleasant heat spread to the alchemist's cheeks as she blinked and with a nervous movement pushed isolated strands of hair behind her conspicuously reddened ear. "A ring?" With consternation, she realized already during the pronunciation that her voice pitch was 2 octaves higher than usual. The impish mischief literally shot out of the dwarf's eyes, who immediately noticed that the opportunity for easy money had come. "A ring, of course! Let every man in Novigrad see that you are spoken for!"
Livia's eyes now resembled those of a frightened deer. Her heart was pounding almost painfully against her chest, while she weighed the pros and cons and finally, for lack of counter-arguments, nodded in agreement with the blacksmith. "Okay. A ring."
Reluctantly, she handed the dwarf the sphere. The craftsman went to work immediately and took the measurements of the jewel. For a brief moment, the young woman turned away and looked to the alley she had come from. She could hardly wait to return to the market place and buy a large supply of apples for home. Just the thought of the sweet fruity taste made her mouth water. The dwarf's restrained clearing of his throat made her return to reality with a jerk. Her facial features derailed in confusion as the dwarf proudly held the finished ring out to her.
"Wha...?" Suspiciously she accepted the ring and examined it from all sides. "How can you have completed the ring in such a short time. Besides, you haven't measured any of my fingers. What shall I do if it does not fit?"
"Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffff!" The addressed person waved off with an almost pejorative gesture and obviously had to suppress a loud laughter. Annoyed, Livia furrowed her forehead before she put the jewelry on her left ring finger and was astonished to find that it fitted perfectly. She shook her head in disbelief. "How is this possible? In such a short time and... it fits... Can you perform magic?"
With his fleshy fingers he twirled his fluffy beard while he looked contented. "That, young lady, is called skill. I am glad you have requested my services."
"How much are you getting for this stunning work?"
The dwarf's eyes contracted as he continued to stroke the greasy hair of his beard. "Nothing."
"Eh?" An awkward silence fell between the two of them, and it was only after a while that Livia realized she was looking down at the dwarf with her mouth wide open. "I mean... huh?!" Uncertainly she blinked a few times and looked at the striking ring on her left hand.
"Think of it as a giveaway. We dwarves don't do anything for free. You'll come back to see me, and then the bill will follow."
"Oh... okay." The dwarf's last statement sounded almost like a threat and made the alchemist audibly swallow. "You're sure there's no charge?" " Livia, back off before I change my mind!"
Frightened by the unexpected exclamation, the addressed woman turned away and covered the short distance to the market place as quickly as possible and with big steps. Halfway along the way, however, she paused in her movement and looked around suspiciously at the smithy. Had the blacksmith just mentioned her name? Impossible, she must have misheard. But what was the point of these selfless offers? The same applied to the fruit and vegetable merchant. Was it possible that the inhabitants of Novigrad were indeed as obliging as the books of Dandelion described in detail? Perhaps her first impression did this city injustice and it was indeed a truly glorious metropolis. A cosmopolitan city that has no equal! Curiosity flared up in the alchemist and spurred her on to continue exploring the city. The countless letters from the concerned citizen, which were scattered in almost every street and alleyway, the blonde-haired woman diligently ignored.
With a candied apple in her hand, she stepped hopping onto the forecourt of her house. Livia could not describe it with rational thoughts, but she knew that Dettlaff would be at home waiting for her. Just as she approached the massive entrance door, she paused slightly, panting, looked at the new ring and realized that the sphera sensum had now taken on a bright, light color.
Looking back, a lot had happened since that day in Oreton. Her relationship with Dettlaff could not be described in words, but on top of that, she herself could not estimate the intensity. Physically they didn't get closer to each other except for falling asleep together in the evening and during the day the vampire didn't behave much different than usual. Yet in moments like these she knew she would meet him. A further change also took place with her body. A welcome change, as the alchemist admitted to herself. The painful buzzing in her head had disappeared for the time being. Undecided whether this fact was worth mentioning, she kept it quiet for the time being and wanted to discuss it with Regis at the academy.
With narrowed eyes, her gaze wandered from the ring to her bust. Was she wrong or did the short-sleeved linen shirt treacherously stretch in the upper part of her body? She glanced around briefly to make sure no one could see what followed and grabbed her soft breast with her free hand. "It must be the fresh city air!"
With an overjoyed smile she stepped inside and immediately spotted the vampire at the dinner table. "Dettlaff! Look what I brought you!" Surprised, the vampire looked at the candied apple, which Livia presented to him with the sweetest smile. "You will love it! Taste it for yourself!"
Livia stared at Dettlaff, who closed his eyes and opened his mouth slightly with an implied smile. Her heart stopped for a few beats when she understood what he was getting at. Shyly, she approached the man. Dettlaff must have liked her gesture with the sugar doll in Oreton, but was it right to repeat it? The sharp tips of his teeth gleamed almost seductively and nipped in the bud any thought of pressing the apple into Dettlaff's large hand.
She moved even closer to him and her gaze continued to rest rigidly on the prominent part of his mouth as a choked scream emanated from her. Dettlaff easily enclosed her narrow wrist and bridged the last distance to the apple. As he bit the sweet flesh with relish, he looked up at Livia and pierced her with his ice-blue eyes, causing her cheeks to burn. Unable to react to Dettlaff's behavior in any way, she stared down at him with her mouth slightly open, which seemed to amuse her counterpart. His soft, deep voice broke the silence like lightning and caused the young woman pleasant goose bumps all over her body. "We should share this apple, don't you think Livia?" Before she could reply, he changed the angle of her hand and licked the melted sugar from her soft skin with the tip of his tongue, almost agonizingly slowly, never interrupting the eye contact. The affected area of her skin felt scorching hot, with Dettlaff's breathing further intensifying the effect and causing her neck hair to stand up.
Time seemed to have stood still and the moment consisted solely of her and Dettlaff, who continued to pattern her intensely with his light blue eyes. He too seemed to lose himself in her emerald green eyes and paused briefly in his movement. When her legs seemed to give out, the vampire pulled the petite woman onto his lap at an unexpected speed, while he continued to grasp her waist with one hand and her wrist with the other.
The alchemist's body seemed petrified as it dawned on her what an intimate position they were in, and she wanted to end this mishap as quickly as possible by beginning to coil herself off him.
"Not yet!" Dettlaff's second arm now also embraced her waist and pressed her body closer to his, while he pressed his head against her irregularly rising and falling chest. But before she could respond, the vampire continued in a trembling voice, "Please, accept me." His fingers pierced her sides almost painfully.
The previous closer physical contact with men disgusted Livia to her very core, but the closeness of this man made her forget all the past events. She was almost ashamed of the frivolous thought that she liked being desired in this way by a being. Reminding herself to calm down, she closed her eyes and ran her trembling fingers of her free hand through his raven-black hair. The individual strands of hair felt silky soft as she traced the contours of the curls at a slow pace, picking up the familiar scent of tonka beans with each breath.
"Dettlaff." She paused in her movement and noticed that the vampire's posture was stiffening even more. Gently, Livia bent down to his ear and whispered in a slightly frail voice, "I accept you."
The alchemist heard her steady heartbeat roar relentlessly in her ears as the vampire detached himself from her and looked up at her with a searching expression. His arms pressed even harder against her body so that Livia believed she was almost one with the vampire.
Cool soft lips nestled against hers barely noticeably and waited hesitantly for a response. Overwhelmed by the feeling of unity, Livia did not dare to move at first, before she tenderly returned the kiss. Eyes dreamily closed, Livia surrendered to the new unknown emotions, which caused endless butterflies in her stomach. Dettlaff's touches were extremely reserved and yet decisive at the same time. One of his large hands ran into her wavy, open hair, while his pointed nails gently stroked her scalp and let her exhale comfortably. A soft impact on the well-kept floorboard revealed that the young woman had completely forgotten and dropped the candied apple.
As she carefully separated herself from the kiss, she looked into a pair of light blue eyes, which almost looked adoringly at her. "Dettlaff..." His hands moved to her bottom, lifted her up with almost frightening ease and set her down on the edge of the table. Shortly after that they stroked unerringly upwards and gently embraced her face before Dettlaff started a deep kiss. Without thinking, her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and pressed him closer to her to intensify the kiss. In Oreton, she had already accidentally touched his lips with her finger, but in this kiss they felt much softer and more inviting. The mixture of sweet apple on his lips and the exotic smell of tonka beans that seemed to envelop her were clouding her mind.
Livia emitted a surprised moan as the vampire's tongue explored her lower lip, leaving a pleasant coolness as one of his hands slowly slid down and possessively embraced her breast.
The young woman sucked in the air and suddenly interrupted the kiss. "Dettlaff! That's too much..."
"You said that you accept me." Lurking like a predator, the vampire's gaze lingered on her as he waited for the Alchemist to respond. She blinked briefly several times and was about to give a defensive response when Dettlaff's hand descended from her chest to her lower body and stopped just above her intimate area. "Why do you lie to yourself. Livia, i can smell and feel your lust."
Livia looked with horror into the eyes of the vampire and groaned loudly as she pressed her abdomen against his hand. "Dettlaff!" Her breath came out intermittently. "Stop trying to control my emotions."
Smiling, the black-haired man bare his threatening fangs before he continued in a played innocent tone of voice: "I had already explained to you that I can only intensify your feelings a little. Is it wrong to feel physical pleasure for your partner?"
Livia closed her eyes and tried to regain control of her mind before doing something she would regret in hindsight. "No... is it ni..., ah!" Dettlaff bit tenderly through the thin linen fabric of her blouse and touched the sensitive skin of her breast with his pointed fangs. Gasping, Livia now supported herself with her hands on the table to keep her balance when Dettlaff's hands cut through the disturbing fabric with a skillful movement. Exposed to Dettlaff, the young woman thought she had to disappear somewhere else out of shame, while the sudden cold on her skin made the already existing goose bumps even worse. The thought of vanishing was suddenly interrupted, when she felt the now familiar cool lips on one of her nipples and her abdomen contracted in treacherous and joyful excitement. To suppress another moan, she bit her own finger. Her defensive behavior, moreover, seemed to only encourage the vampire to go further. He encircled her nipple with the tip of his tongue, which contracted irritably, only to finally suck on it and bite tenderly. He grasped the other breast with his hand and stroked the erected nipple with his thumb.
The overwhelming stimulus satiation was too much for the young woman. She moaned almost pleadingly and let herself fall backwards onto the table while her hair curled around her. "Dettlaff!" A deep growl escaped him before he continued to move his tongue down her body and caress her navel with occasional kisses.
His fingers wandered along her thighs before stopping for a moment just before her intimate area. Livia still had her pants on, but the feeling of being touched by Dettlaff was overwhelming.
Begging and with eyes twisted with lust, she threw her head back as his fingers stroked over her center of desire. The vampire's iris turned white and his voice had now taken on an eerie and bestial undertone. "You accept me, Livia, am I right?"
Uncertain about the unexpected change in the atmosphere, Livia opened her eyes and saw a monstrosity in front of her, which seemed to emanate directly from a nightmare. Saliva dripped from the beast's mouth and wet her breasts as the eyeless face slowly approached her. Countless extremities emanated from the beast's torso and occupied the entire room. Huge fangs gleamed from the monster's smile as it slowly but steadily approached Livia. He wanted to kiss her and pick up where Dettlaff had left off shortly before. Livia wanted to scream, but the fear of death closed her throat and so she had no choice but to cry with eyes wide open in terror.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" With a panicky outcry, Livia sat up in her imposing canopy bed and gasped for breath. The room was spinning around her and she felt sick, but there was no time to recover. She heard the frantic cries of a child's voice in the background and reluctantly turned in the supposed direction from which the shouts were coming.
Dettlaff had taken on his vampiric form and with his paw pressed a child who was beating around the floor, while the sharp tips of his claws left striking notches in the wooden floor.
"Dettlaff!"