#mor gifs the handmaiden

[liyazaki]

THE HANDMAIDEN (2016) | directed by Park Chan-wook

[shitwillnotbegiven]

WHAT ELAIN "NEEDED" WAS UNDERSTANDING, NOT SUNSHINE

In Chapter 32 of Acowar, we have the scene where Azriel finds out that Elain is a seer :

Lucien murmured to me, eye still fixed on Elain, “Should we—does she need …?”

“She doesn’t need anything,” Azriel answered without so much as looking at Lucien.

Elain was staring at the spymaster now—unblinkingly.

“We’re the ones who need …” Azriel trailed off. “A seer,” he said, more to himself than us. “The Cauldron made you a seer.”

Right after that, in chapter 33, Feyre notices that Elain sounds "normal" again because she finally understands what is happening to her :

Elain turned to Mor, who was now gaping at my sister from her spot beside her on the couch. “Is that what this is?”

And the words, the tone … they were so normal-sounding that my chest tightened.

Mor’s gaze darted across my sister’s face, as if weighing the words, the question, the truth or lie within.

Mor at last blinked, mouth parting. Like that magic of hers had at last solved some puzzle. Slowly, clearly, she nodded.

The clear explanation that what Elain needed was understanding :

“You stole from the Cauldron,” I said to Nesta, who seemed ready to jump between all of us and Elain. “But what if the Cauldron gave something to Elain?”

Nesta’s face drained of color. “What?”

Equally ashen, Lucien seemed inclined to echo Nesta’s hoarse question.

But Azriel nodded. “You knew,” he said to Elain. “About the young queen turning into a crone.”

Elain blinked and blinked, eyes clearing again. As if the understanding, our understanding … it freed her from whatever murky realm she’d been in.

A little bit later, in chapter 40, we see that Elain is getting better and that she started spending time with Nuala & Cerridwen in the kitchen :

Elain stood between Nuala and Cerridwen at the long worktable. All three of them covered in flour. Some sort of doughy mess on the surface before them.

The two handmaiden-spies instantly bowed to Rhys, and Elain—

There was a slight sparkle in her brown eyes.

As if she’d been enjoying herself with them.

Nuala swallowed hard. “The lady said she was hungry, so we went to make her something. But—she said she wanted to learn how, so …” Hands wreathed in shadows lifted in a helpless gesture, flour drifting off them like veils of snow. “We’re making bread.”

Elain was glancing between all of us, and as her eyes began to shutter, I gave her a broad smile and said, “I hope it’ll be done soon—I’m starved.”

Elain offered a faint smile in return and nodded.

She was hungry. She was … doing something. Learning something.

And then Rhys explains to Feyre that she is feeling the same way he felt when she was getting better in Acomaf :

I put a hand on my chest, leaning against the wood panels of the stair wall. Rhys’s hand covered my own a heartbeat later.

“That was what I felt,” he said, “when I saw you smile that night we dined along the Sidra.”

I leaned forward, resting my brow against his chest, right over his heart. “She still has a long way to go.”

“We all do.”

Bonus :

ELRIEL X ROWAELIN PARALLEL 🥰

Elriel 🥀🦇

It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not … Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed.

Rowaelin 🦅❤️‍🔥

“The male I fell in love with was you. It was you, who knew pain as I did, and who walked with me through it, back to the light. Maeve didn’t understand that. That even if she could create that perfect world, it wouldn’t be you with me. And I’d never trade that, trade this. Not for anything.”

Rowaelin 🦅❤️‍🔥

Aelin, who had known suffering as he did. Who had been shown peaceful lives and still chosen him, exactly as he was, for what they had both endured.

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 Falling Stardust: Chapter Seven

Falling Stardust: You, an innocent and naive fallen star, tumble out of Morpheus’s cloak and get wrapped up in his possessive and dark love.

Warnings: Morpheus Manipulation, Naive Reader, Gaslighting.

To Note: Dark!Morpheus x FemStar!Reader (Reader is Named Astra).

Word Count: ~2.0k

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You appeared in The Dreaming in a violent swirl of sand, and Morpheus was immediately directing you through the palace. He was angry. You could tell that much. Your feet scrambled to keep up with his long strides and he pulled you through hallway after hallway, the walls twisting and curving in a shifting labyrinth until you had no idea where you were. The frequency of dreams and handmaidens you passed decreased until the halls were empty. It was just you and Morpheus.

“Mor— Morpheus,” You rasped out, adrenaline and fear still coursing through your body. “Where are we going?” The Endless didn’t answer you, his thoughts consuming his full attention. You were getting curious, too curious for his liking, and with the ability to transport yourself to the Waking World, your freedom was a liability to Morpheus. If he let this continue any longer, he was going to lose you to others. No one was going to take you away from him, not even yourself. Ever. So Morpheus had made up his mind.

He had tip toed around you for months, letting you become accustomed to The Dreaming. Letting you get used to your new body, used to living in a physical body. It had taken great restraint on Morpheus’s part to not sweep you into his arms and steal you away from the eyes of his people. He longed for intimacy and the arms of a lover, and you were just perfect for the job. As a fallen star, a fallen star from his own coat, no one was more perfect to be Morpheus queen and wife. You were beautiful, kind, his people already loved you… and your youth meant that Morpheus needed to protect you. What better way to do that than by making you his queen?

“Morpheus!” You cried out, tears slipping from the edges of your lashes. He paused in step at your distressed cry and swirled around, taking your other hand and pulling you against him. His bright eyes, almost entirely silver now, bore down into yours. Your lip trembled as you struggled to find words. Without your precious coat that Morpheus had made just for you, you were feeling overwhelmed, cold, and had no security blanket.  “I— why am I feeling so scared right now? It won’t go away,” You quivered, trembling in place and rubbing your arms. You could swear that you could still feel the touches scratching at your skin. “Off,” You whispered, your eyes dropping to your arms as your started scratching at your flesh. “I want their touch off.”

Morpheus grasped your wrists, halting your attempts to claw at your skin. Surely you would hurt yourself, but he wasn’t going to leave you feeling so defiled. Even if he had been the one to influence the mortal men.

“Astra, my star, do not cause ruin to such delicate flesh,” Morpheus softly warned you, his hold on your wrists tightening as your hands jerked within his grasp. Your eyes, now filled with panic, raised to his.

“Then make it go away!” You nearly shouted back, tears slipping free from your lashes and dripping down your face. They fell to the marble floor below with soft clinks. “They took my coat and now I don’t—“ You broke off with a soft sob, heartbroken that you had lost such a precious gift, had lost something that sheltered you when you needed it most. Something flickered within Morpheus’s eyes, and moments later he was sweeping you off your feet, resuming his fast pace through the palace. In all his attempts at calming you down, he had overlooked the fact that the mortals had ripped your jacket from your body and torn your silver tunic. Their hands had soiled your clothing and he wanted it off you as soon as possible. He also needed to cleanse your skin of their touch.

That nasty feeling that you wanted to claw from your skin persisted as Morpheus carried you through unknown halls and rooms. It all swirled together after a few dizzying moments. Your heart was beating so fast you could hear it in your ears. Was that normal? Certainly not since it made you feel very uptight and uncomfortable. You just wanted these strange feelings to stop and to feel comfort again. When you whimpered softly, Morpheus’s grasp on your body tightened in repugnancy. That would be the last time any mortal had the opportunity to put their hands on you, let alone their physical eyes. You were carried into a lavish bathhouse and Morpheus allowed your feet to drop to the bathhouse floor.

Wobbling and tripping over your feet, you fell into Morpheus’s chest with a small gasp. Before you even had the chance to look up into his face, he was ripping at your clothing. Your tunic was all too easily torn from your body and flung far from you, and the moment Morpheus’s hands touched your jeans, they evaporated. You squealed as cold air hit your skin.

“Morpheus,” You whimpered, your mind wondering what he was doing. His eyes glowed with mercury rage as he settled a hand on your hip and cupped your cheek with the other.

“It is my fault that you have been poisoned by mortal man,” Morpheus growled, his hands tearing your final clothing from your body leaving you bare and shivering. “I must expunge all that might taint you, my star, until you no longer feel any touch but mine.”

You flinched and hugged yourself, guilt filling your body.

“I am the one at fault, Morpheus.” You softly protested, your lip wobbling as you huddled in place. “You told me not to go there, but I did anyway. I didn’t listen to you.” Tears were now dripping from your eyes and you reached up to push your palm against your eyes. “You told me of the dangers and I ignored you.”

Your words pleased Morpheus, but he was still very unhappy that the mortal men’s touch lingered upon your skin. As precious as humankind was, they did not deserve the pleasure of touching a star, let alone you. So whisking his clothing away, Morpheus wrapped his arms around your body and lifted your naked body into his arms.

“Worry not, my star, I shall purge their touch from your flesh.” You didn’t know what to think as you were carried into the grand and spacious bath, but his assurance that he was going to help you was what your mind chose to focus on and you clung to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. Morpheus entered the bath and settled you on a ledge, conjuring a cloth to gently scrub away the lingering touch of mortal man. You huddled against him as he vigorously cleansed your body. While Morpheus was determined to rid you of their touch, he was nothing but gentle with you. Biting your lip, you looked down at your silver lined skin.

“I’m sorry,” You whispered, fresh tears gathering at your lashes. Morpheus glanced up at you, continuing to scrub your precious skin free of the Waking World. He could see the wisps of mortal touch upon your beautiful body. You were on the verge of bursting into tears with watery eyes and wobbling lips… Morpheus could even see the trembles in your muscles beneath your beautiful skin. He hated that you were in such distress but secretly wished to indulge on your fear because it meant that you would seek him for comfort. That need for him was like a drug that Morpheus could never have enough of. He lifted a hand and caressed your jaw.

“Don’t apologize, my star,” Morpheus told you, reassurance within his eyes. You still felt guilty. “I told you of the danger but did not give example or reason. Allow me to apologize, Astra.” Your eyelashes fluttered in confusion, for why did he of all creatures need to apologize for what you had done. But you didn’t have a chance to reconcile your confusion for it only grew when Morpheus’s hand slipped behind your neck. He pulled your face to his and pressed his lips upon yours once more. You froze and let out a small noise of surprise. “Forgive me,” Morpheus uttered against your lips. He pressed his lips against yours once more, “Forgive me,” This continued with his lips pressing against yours over and over, each one deeper than the last. “Forgive me, my beautiful Astra.”

You were quickly overwhelmed by what you felt, by how your lips tingled and twitched. Certainly from the way Morpheus was pressing his lips against yours and teasing your mouth to part. One shuddering breath from you gave Morpheus the chance to slip his way past your parted lips. One of your palms ended up pressing against his shoulder as his tongue pressed against yours. This was different from when he had first kissed you. This was far more intimate and you still didn’t understand why he was doing such a thing to you.

His mouth parted yours with a little nip to your lower lip that caused your breath to hitch in your throat. Then Morpheus began pressing his lips at the corner of your mouth, along your jaw, even on the tender skin beneath the sharp bone that carved your face just right. You let out a soft moan, surprising yourself with the noise and jerking in place with a gasp. Morpheus stilled your jerk, maintaining the closeness of your naked bodies. He hushed you and brushed damp hair away from your face.

“Morpheus, I don’t understand—“ You were cut off by him pressing his thumb against your lower lip. “I don’t understand what this means or why you place your lips on mine.” Morpheus found your complete and utter innocence adorable and only spurred his desire for you. His fingers ran over your hair and then down your bare back.

“I only wish to bestow upon you the reverence and ardor I hold for you, my star,” Morpheus purred against your neck. “I feel for you with my entirety and it is my only wish that you should stay by my side where I can protect you from those that wish you harm. Do you not care for me?”

“What? Of course I care for you are—“ You were cut off once more when Morpheus placed his lips upon yours once more. It was only briefly, but he kept them close.

“Then why do you push me away, my star? Your efforts wound me terribly.” Your eyes widened and Morpheus, knowing clear well that you would be upset by his words, watched in appeasement as you scrambled to reassure him that you didn’t mean to hurt him.

“I would never wish to hurt you, Morpheus,” You told him, raising a hand to press your palm against his face. “Tell me what I must do to alleviate your pain and hurt.”

“Stay with me, promise me that you will never leave my side, that you will never run from me. I will be inconsolable should anything ever happen to you.” Morpheus murmured to you, his eyes shining with what you thought to be sadness or despair. You didn’t like seeing that within his eyes and pressed forwards, wrapping your arms around him and hugging the Endless. Morpheus was quick to return your embrace, basking in the feeling of your body pressed against his. Perhaps it was cruel of him to prey upon your innocence and ignorance of his intentions… but Morpheus was determined to keep you safe and he would do anything to have your love and adoration, your kisses and physical body. To have unconditional love that would never stray from his side.

“I won’t go anywhere,” You promised, having no idea what you were promising to him in that moment. “I— I won’t leave you, Morpheus. I promise.” The muscles beneath your arms relaxed and Morpheus nuzzled his face into your neck. It made you happy to know that Morpheus was happier now. Fingers brushed through your stardust hair and trailed down the silver lines from your shoulders to your arms.

“I wish I could spent eternity with you, my Astra, but I must return to my duties.” Morpheus softly admitted, repeatedly stroking your arm. “I won’t be but a few hours, you and I have much to discuss and it is time that I fulfilled my promise to you.” You wanted to whimper at his words, but you knew that whatever he wished to converse with you, was inevitable. So with great reluctance at departing from his comforting embrace, and secretly his as as well, you detached yourself from Morpheus and wrapped your arms around your knees instead. Morpheus detested leaving you, it was clear that you were still upset, but he had other business to attend to… then he would finally indulge in what he desired.

Date Published: 3/1/23

Last Edit: 4/4/23

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