Luastra fought the urge in her blood as she felt the pounding thrum through her head. Sceleritas had been a little too close when they had taken a wrong turn, and she cleared his head from his shoulders with a swipe from her blade. She breathed as the urge waned slightly, but she was in danger. The sun would be up soon, and she couldn't black out in the sewers. She couldn't trust her urge to find its way back to the temple nor to wander harmlessly in the undercity.

It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she had no choice. She had to return home and beg Astarion for help. She could explain her predicament later in further detail. As the blood started to creep back into her vision, she quickly retraced her steps towards the Upper City. If she timed it right, she would be able to get back onto the streets just before sunrise.

Like a sewer rat, Luastra scuttled out of the manhole and dashed into the house. She had half a mind to smash a window before reminding herself that Astarion wouldn't appreciate a broken home. He was a magistrate after all. With as much care as she could muster, she unlocked the windows and slid into his study. With a loud thud, she laid on the ground as she focused. She inhaled, smelling the notes of bergamot and whiskey of his cologne.

"Astarion," she garbled as she tried to get to her feet. She wanted to call out to him for help, but her voice sounded haunting and otherworldly. The urge was getting closer. She tried again. "Astarion!"

"Luastra?" a familiar voice answered from above. He had been in his room, most likely trancing when she had rudely woken him up. She heard his quick footsteps down the stairs before he appeared in the doorway in his dressing robe. "What in the nine hells happened to you?"

"I couldn't sate the urge, 'Star," Luastra groaned, finding it difficult to stand. She knelt next to the desk as she used her arms to pull herself up. "I need you to restrain me. I'm begging you, or everything we've planned will be for not."

"What are you talking about?" Astarion replied as he started towards her. She groaned, resting her head on the desktop. She had precious moments left before her blood took over.

"The urge is a curse. If I don't kill, the urge takes over and gets the job done," Luastra panted, her eyes squeezed shut. "My Father still has use for you, so he won't kill you, but that won't stop me from killing the neighbors or anyone passing by the house in the next few minutes. You have to restrain me until the worst of the storm passes. Once it does, I can sate the urge normally again."

"I see your point," Astarion relented as he glanced around the room. Without another option, he grabbed the tie to his robe and pulled it off, revealing his nightclothes underneath. He quickly walked behind Luastra and tied her hands together. He debated momentarily how tight he wanted the bonds before utilizing his vampiric strength in the ties. Luastra groaned at the restraint, but she didn't verbally complain about the predicament.

"Thank you," she hissed.

Once Astarion finished the knot, he let go, letting her fall to the floor. Her breathing was rapid as her skin was slick with sweat. He took a few steps back, rather curious to see what this urge was. She had explained a bit about it at dinner, but he hadn't expected this. The whites of her eyes turned a deep blood red as the purple irises were swallowed up by her pupils. Her desperate grimace was replaced by a manic grin. Her eyes darted up to him.

"Luastra?" he asked, concerned about her change in demeanor. The drow cackled before thrashing in the bonds.

"What a pretty little corpse you'll make, elf. I wonder what your bones will sound like when I break and bash them," she pondered before chittering shrilly. Astarion winced. The voice was reminiscent of Luastra's, but it held a different cadence. "She likes you, you know. Your death will be all the sweeter for it."

"Who are you?" Astarion demanded, wondering if Luastra was possessed by some demon.

"I am who she was born to be, carrion fodder. She was bred to be Bhaal's favored killer, murdering in the night in his name, bathing Baldur's Gate in blood. Soon, she'll bathe all of Toril in the entrails of its inhabitants," the drow laughed, squirming around violently. Astarion watched as he covered his mouth. In all of his research, he had never come across Bhaal instilling anything like an urge in his children. This was a new tactic and not one he enjoyed.

"And yet she keeps you at bay."

"For now. I get stronger with every kill, and she knows that. She tries everything, I know. I can see it in her mind as she hopes that I will be satisfied. My hunger only grows after each murder, and yet, I will take over if she does not kill."

"Quite a paradox."

"Father is nothing if not clever."

"Father as in Bhaal," Astarion surmised. The drow grinned widely at the god's name before wildly nodding her head.

"Father will bless me once she does as she's told. We'll be whole, as we are meant to be," she informed. Astarion hummed before leaning against the far wall. "And then, oh then, we will arrange your carcass so prettily on the wall, like a painting."

"You flatter me," Astarion deflected, placing a hand to his chest. She began to thrash again as she laughed.

"I'll splatter you more if you release me, elf. Splatter your blood all over your well kept home," she cackled, twisting her spine in an effort to sit up. Astarion tried not to roll his eyes at the terrible joke.

"Unfortunately, I quite like my blood where it is, thank you. I also enjoy having my body intact, so there will be no flaying or splitting," he informed plainly. The drow groaned loudly as she banged her head forcefully on the floor. Astarion straightened as he scented blood coming from her scalp. She had hit the floor quite hard.

"You're no fun!" she shrieked before she hit her head again, staring at him.

"Stop that," he stated through his teeth. This had gone on long enough if this urge was going to self-destruct. The urge laughed before banging her head again. Astarion stalked forward as she bit at him, chuckling through her teeth.

"Elf loves a Bhaalspawn! Elf loves a Bhaalspawn!" the urge taunted between attempted bites. Astarion narrowed his eyes before he was able to find an opening to grab her. He sat behind her and wrapped his arm around her head, locking it in place. She shrieked again, struggling to get out of the new restraint.

"Lu, I know you're in there," Astarion murmured, wrapping his legs around her torso as she started to thrash again. He held her tight, trying to keep her from harming herself. Next time, they would hunt together, and they would stop this from happening. If the urge did reveal its ugly head again, then he would tie her to her bed and use a silence spell scroll. Her shrieks were giving him a headache. "Please, Lu, I need you to get control back."

"Your precious Lu isn't home right now," the drow sang before she tried to slip out of his grasp again.

"Lu, find your way back home," Astarion called, his voice strained as he held her still. The drow thrashed again, but the effort started to wane. He closed his eyes as he whispered encouragingly to Luastra in her ear.

Soon, the movement stopped all together and he opened his eyes. He could see the rise and fall of her chest as she caught her breath. Astarion looked over his arm to check her eyes to see the red and black had faded back to white and purple. Her eyes were wide as they darted around the room before finding his.

"Hello again, darling," Astarion sighed, slowly releasing her in case the urge was playing tricks. Luastra slumped against him as she breathed. Carefully, he untied her wrists and sat her up, leaning her against the desk.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears streaked down her face. Astarion reached up and wiped her cheeks. Luastra just stared at him as she cried, careful not to make a sound. He smiled, shaking his head.

"That urge is something else," he admitted, unsure of what exactly he had gotten himself into. That was more intense than he had expected, but it had intrigued him. "We're you conscious during any of it?"

"Unfortunately. It's like watching through someone else's eyes. I can see, but I can't move, say, or do anything. I can scream in my mind, but that's it," Luastra answered with shaky breath. "I didn't like how close you got."

"I think you'll find that I can take care of myself, darling," Astarion reassured, stroking her cheek. Luastra stared at him, keeping her face neutral.

She had expected Astarion to throw her out of his house, or maybe attack her when she was restrained when she came back to herself. Maybe even call the Fist, even though he said that wasn't his thing at dinner. Instead, he sat with her and made sure that she was okay. She wasn't, and he had soothed her. Not only that, but he had also called to her when the urge was at its worst. The urge usually took much more time with her body, but Astarion had encouraged her to find her inner strength to push down the evil.

Luastra glanced between his two crimson eyes as he stared at her, waiting for him to say anything. She was still expecting the worst, because how could she expect to stay after threatening to nail his corpse to the wall like a painting? Astarion sighed, shaking his head.

"How long before the urge gets bad again?" he asked.

Luastra's brows pushed together in confusion to his question. She opened her mouth a few times, thinking about the question and its absurdity. How could she give an answer when the answer was for her to get the hells out? Of course, she didn't want to leave unless he demanded for her to leave.

"A day or two, I suppose. I haven't restrained the urge successfully in a while," Luastra replied after a few tries. Astarion nodded as the gears turned in his head. He wondered just how far he could push his luck. He needed to keep Luastra's true identity away from Cazador anyway, so what if he had a little blood from her victims? He had never had blood from thinking creatures, and they always smelled delectable. Plus, revealing his own identity would explain a few of his reasons.

"I think it's time we have a good heart to heart," Astarion suggested with a smile, getting to his feet. Luastra's heart dropped as she used the desk to balance herself.

"If you want me to leave-"

"I don't, so stop saying that. I'm going to explain why I am the way that I am," Astarion informed sternly, tapping the spot between her brows. She blinked at him as he smirked down at her. "I want to show you something."

Luastra wandered with him up to the second floor, slightly confused with what was going on. She hoped that he wasn't some weird creep that got off on blood or violence. While she was forced to maim and murder, she didn't find pleasure in it. Not like that, at least. He led her into the bathroom, having her step in first. She hesitated a moment before she entered, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. She turned as he stood in the doorway, and she bit her lip. Luastra couldn't think of a time she had ever seen Astarion nervous before. He was certainly nervous now.

"I promise to keep an open mind," Luastra informed, hoping that was the right thing to say. Astarion smirked, his nerves calmed slightly. She still didn't understand exactly what he was doing, but she waited anyway. Eventually, he stepped into the bathroom with her, and she waited for the big reveal. She stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"Oh, for the love of-" Astarion nearly growled before he grabbed her shoulder and turned her to the mirror.

Luastra's face paled as she saw herself in the mirror. And only herself in the mirror. She glanced between him and his missing reflection in disbelief, almost wondering if it was a funhouse trick. Although, the more she thought about it, the more things started to piece together. Why he didn't eat. Why he was very concerned a tenday ago when she returned covered in blood. She should have guessed since he had red eyes, but she assumed with his white hair that he was albino. He had walked with her in the sunlight many times, after all.

"You're a vampire," she remarked, feeling stupid the moment the words fell out of her mouth. Astarion chuckled and bowed sarcastically. "But you've gone out in the sun, I've been with you."

"This ring negates that little curse," he explained, showing a silver ring on his forefinger. Luastra stared at it in awe as Astarion smiled. Of course, he was lying as it was the golden one on his pinky on his opposite hand, but she didn't need to know that. The last thing he needed was a quick slight of hand and he would burn to a crisp.

"That's why you've been so open-minded about me," Luastra replied as he nodded.

"While I admit our circumstances are different, we are cut from the same cloth, I would like to think. Which is why I was going to see if I could join you on your next hunt. Having an ally could be useful to track down and corner your prey," Astarion suggested. Luastra stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. No one had ever asked to join her, and she couldn't quite tell if it was morbid or sweet. She decided it was a little bit of both.

"I would be honored," she smiled as she nodded. "Although, I do make a point to try to grab thieves and criminals if I can. I can't change who I am, but I would like to think I'm not a monster."

"Then we will catch the criminals and do the Fists' job for them," Astarion vowed as he took her hand and held it to his chest. She chuckled, stepping closer to him. "It sounds like you had a busy night though."

"You don't know the half of it," she grumbled, closing her eyes in a pout. She had completely forgotten about her little plane hopping adventure with Gortash. Astarion laughed, kissing her hand.

"I do have to go into the office today to do a few things, so go rest, and you can tell me everything when you wake up," Astarion suggested. Luastra sighed before she nodded. "And then we can plan for a hunt together."

"Sounds like it'll be our third date," she teased.

"I told you there would be many to come, didn't I? Now, I have to get ready for work," he informed, leading her back to her bedroom. She sighed dramatically with a smile before turning to him. "Otherwise, we won't have the money for a lavish wedding."

"The lavish part was your idea."

"And it's a great idea. Besides, it's only until this afternoon, and then I'll make my way back. It's just a couple forms to sign and file away."

"Your job sounds awfully boring."

"Ah, but you haven't heard all the juicy gossip around the office," Astarion pointed out. Luastra's ears perked up, realizing that he had been holding out on her.

"How long have I stayed here? And not once have you told me a lick of anything interesting about your job," she scoffed playfully. "I demand you come home with three bits of juicy gossip for your poor housewife to listen to."

"My dear, I have no housewife."

"Fiancée, then."

"Neither of us have proposed."

"Then your scandalous mistress of the house demands four pieces of gossip before you come home tonight," Luastra replied, doing her best not to laugh. Astarion crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"Scandalous mistress?"

"Of the house," Luastra finished with a smile. "I am unwed and unbetrothed, and yet I live in a bachelor's house. Oh, I can hear the tabloid reporters now."

"I'll tell them all about how you broke in and now won't leave," Astarion teased. She shrugged, gesturing to the house.

"Can you blame me? Plus, you keep saying you won't kick me out, so here I'll stay," Luastra informed with a grin.

"Alright, then I will return with three-"

"Four."

"Four pieces of gossip from the office while I'm there, and then we can go over what happened last night. We'll have dinner, or I guess you'll have dinner, and I'll have wine. Once we go hunting, then I'll have my dinner," Astarion chuckled, letting his arms fall to his sides. Luastra watched him for a moment before kissing his cheek. "What was that for?"

"It felt right," Luastra smiled before she bade him a good day. Astarion watched as she closed the door.

He touched his cheek, surprised by the sudden gesture of kindness. Even though her urge had tried to kill him not twenty minutes before and he had revealed his true nature, she felt comfortable enough to get close to him even with his fangs. Hells, she trusted him enough to ask him for help and to restrain her when she was at her lowest. Astarion grinned, realizing that his plan was working.