#ship: cage and songbird

[travelbystarlight]

How long | Did we lie in the soil | With our arms and legs tangled up | Like the weeds and the branches of the trees | That bound our souls and legs to the ground below

[sekaithemystic]

run away with me [chapter 1]

or as known as the songv roadtrip fic that was supposed to be a oneshot but my hands slipped and now it's going to be insane

ao3 link

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

The room was as cramped as V expected, but she still couldn't help a sigh from escaping her lips. At least the bed looked decent, and she immediately threw herself upon it, unconcerned about everything else. 

Well, maybe one thing—one person, more specifically.

“Jeez, here I thought I was tired.” So Mi put their backpack against the wall, and V didn't have to flop on her back to know she was wearing that teasing smile that never failed to make her heart race. 

“Have 'ever driven this far,” the mercenary replied, finally finding the strength to sit up. Song came to settle down on the foot of the bed, so she scooted lower until their shoulders bumped against each other. “And you kept pointing the wrong way.”

“How am I supposed to know that they hadn't updated the map of this area for years?” So Mi jabbed her elbow at V's side, and the younger woman cackled, hands moving to defend herself from the upcoming assault.

It had been a crazy idea. Let's drive across the country to New York! But then V realized she wouldn't mind spending the last few months of her life visiting that forgotten part of So Mi, and So Mi started talking about places she used to frequent, then before any of them could have a second thought, they were already three hundred miles away from Night City.

So here they were, sprawling across the bed in a motel out of nowhere, tired and dust-covered after a long day on the road.

“Come on, let’s take a shower before you fall asleep.” So Mi pulled her up by the arms, metal fingers curling around her wrist. V grumbled in protest but followed her nonetheless. The bathroom was, surprisingly, clean and neatly organized, not like there was much to begin with. The mercenary went for the water tap and twisted it counterclockwise until her grip was met with resistance. It was rather cold for an evening bath, but whatever, she supposed, before turning around to face So Mi.

A naked So Mi, more specifically.

She had shed the Samurai t-shirt she hastily took from V’s wardrobe before they left, leaving her bare skin on display, even though V doubted much of it was actual skin anyway. The last thought was drowned away by a wave of embarrassment and self-consciousness on the fact that this was the first time she saw the netrunner unclothed, and as if to make the matter worse, she was staring at the woman quite impolitely.

Um. Shit. Fuck.

In a rather clumsy attempt to hide the rising heat on her cheeks, she pinned her gaze on the tiled floor, one hand covering her burning face. Above her, a laugh rang out, so full of teasing that it only intensified whatever emotion she was feeling right now. Right, she was a full-fledged, soon-to-be 24 years old, who had been through enough shits to be called a legend in Night City, and she was also blushing like a maiden.

“Full of surprise, aren’t you?” said the reason V couldn’t even look up, the echo of her chuckles lingering by her reddened ears. “Come on, what’s there to be so embarrassed about? I’m sure you have had your own fair share of experience before.”

Song wasn’t wrong about that, but it was not like she could mutter back a response when she was still too busy to calm her racing heart down. She didn't understand why she was acting like this, either; but before any more questions could take place, So Mi's hands came to rest on her waist, urging her to undress as well. Mindlessly, with her head bowed, she complied, fingers sluggishly popping button after button of her drenched shirt, revealing the sports bra under. V could feel Song's gaze lingering on her exposed skin, admiring the well-defined muscles and hard edges, and goosebumps broke out on her arms, a chill threatening to rush down her spine. Her hands moved up to push the fabric away and smooth over her shoulders, toying with the cotton straps. Those mechanical fingers that were meant to type on the keyboard endlessly did a wonderful job of evoking nerve-wracking sensations inside her, and had her brain been a computer, it would have been fried long ago. Her arms suddenly wrapped around V's neck, forcing her to look So Mi in the eyes.

“You are beautiful.” Words left her mouth even before she could comprehend it. So many times, and the woman had always left her starstruck by her beauty like in their very first meeting. Could it be possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again?

“I know,” So Mi answered with a raised eyebrow as if it was obvious for V to be smitten. “But that bath is calling to us, so take those pants off, V.”

Reluctantly tearing herself away from the warm embrace, the younger woman unbuckled her belt, pulling both her jeans and underwear down until they pooled around her ankles. The tub managed to fit both of them, somehow, not that V complained. She still found it rather awkward to look at So Mi, instead opting for a blank spot on the wall. For a good moment, there was no sound, save for running water and the hum of the air conditioner. The peacefulness overwhelmed her senses, to the point she almost forgot that she would die, soon.

Yes, she had six months left, six months before her body failed and dragged her to the grave. The selfish part of her demanded an explanation on why she was wasting her time out here, trying to please someone whom she had to sacrifice her own chance of living for, but the selfless one—the stupid one really, found it rather comforting that she was able to show kindness, even when the world was ending for her. Then it led to another question: should she break the news to So Mi?

“What’s on your mind?” Brown eyes met hers in the dim light of the bathroom, full of worry and concern, and V knew the woman would only blame herself if she got a grasp on her situation. She had just escaped years of burdens, years of guilt; there was no way V could do this to her.

Or at least, the “good” part of her advised so.

“Just… thinking.” V swiped her hair back, feeling water trickling down the back of her neck. “A lot’s been happening and I haven’t had time to actually sit down and think about them, suppose.” Especially the part where I am dying and I’m not sure how to deal with that.

“You want to talk about it?” The offer was sincere, even without So Mi’s consciousness lingering inside her. How much should she talk without being too tightlipped or oversharing?

“Johnny and I, we parted on bad terms.” Bad terms was an understatement—she couldn’t recall their last talk without remembering that one last disgusted look he threw at her. More than just disgust, anger, disappointment, and betrayal were burning in his eyes, all at the same time. “I’m not sure how to deal with the knowledge that I failed him.”

“Because you trusted Arasaka?” inquired So Mi, and she nodded solemnly. “There are always strings attached when you run with corporations, we both know that,” V winced at the absolute fact that she knew but ignored all the time, “but in the end, it comes back to you: how do you feel about your choice?”

Like shit, she was tempted to answer so; however, she thought back to her options, of how most of those would have her putting her friends and acquaintances in danger. What were the chances that Panam couldn’t walk out of Arasaka Tower alive? Or Rogue? Or herself? 

Or that one person she had promised to protect with her whole life, a long time ago?

“I think I chose right,” V admitted with a sigh. So Mi smiled then, fingers twirling a strand of her pink hair; it had grown longer since the last time they saw each other.

“There you have it.” She reached over to lay her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “Right doesn’t always feel good, but at least it’s your choice, not his, not a choice you made under his influence, either.”

But sometimes she wished he would have made that choice, instead of her. It was always easier to follow others than to follow her own way, or maybe she couldn’t escape her nature in the end.

The bath had turned cold by the time they left it, but something warm burned inside V’s chest; a tiny fire, made by So Mi, started its new life here and now, right at this moment.

.

“Turn that valve, and check if there is any soot inside.” Her father’s voice was rather static through the phone speaker, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise at all, considering how bad the signal was.

“Yeah, there is a little stuck in here,” replied V, stealing a glance at the pixelated image of the older man on the screen So Mi was holding. “Do I clean it?”

She dreaded the idea of their car breaking down in the middle of nowhere, but now that it came true, there wasn’t much she could do aside from hoping that her amateur mechanics skill would be enough to get them to the nearest garage. Her father turned to speak with someone else, likely one of his apprentices, before directing his attention back to her.

“Grab a napkin and use your finger. Something’s wrong with the fuel pipe probably, so this is just a temporary solution for now.” That made both of them wince; whatever happened with the car sounded critical and beyond their ability. Funny how defeated Night City’s rising mercenary and one of the world’s best netrunners were at doing such mundane work. “I should have taken a look at your vehicle by myself hadn’t my headache persisted. Told those kids they still had a lot to learn, and apparently I was right.” He huffed, and V could imagine those young mechanics sweating nervously while thinking of the upcoming berate.

“Well, it’s fine really. We’ll manage.” Even she didn’t believe her own words, but whatever to keep her father’s worry at bay. So Mi chimed in, a polite smile that would absolutely charm him plastering on her face.

“You already help us more than we can ask for.” It was impossible to read his expression with how bad the video quality was, but V assured herself that Song’s words probably had an effect on him somehow.

“Remember to call your mom later before you turn in for the night,” he reminded her, before hanging up, leaving both women heaving a sigh. 

“Here to hope that heaven will bestow a lifesaver upon us,” V grunted and So Mi cackled, handing her a dry towel to clean her oil-covered hands.

Twenty-three miles later, with the clock barely hit eleven in the morning, they spotted what must have been a dozen pickup trucks and cars heading their way. So Mi shifted nervously in her seat, and V couldn’t help but mirror her action. Best case, it was just a normal nomad group; worst case, the Raffen Shiv had decided that they were the latest target, and the obvious solution was to fight their way out.

But that symbol on the flying flag tugged at the back of her hazy mind, a familiarity she couldn’t place. Something started with A, a place that had accepted her to be one of them.

“Pan!” V leaned out of the window, screaming at the top of her lungs. Poor So Mi was probably startled by the sudden reaction, but she would apologize later; right now, her eyes were squinting to catch sight of that figure returning her gesture. Unsurprisingly, she heard a response, the sound almost lost in the wind and sand of the desert.

“V you bastard!” Panam laughed, or cursed, or whatsoever, and her car skidded to a stop right next to theirs. She looked the same as V last saw her, with even more energy than usual. “What the Hell are you doing out there? Thought you and your city girl ass would never set foot out here?” 

“Road trip,” the mercenary replied, motioning at So Mi awkwardly sitting next to her. “Panam, So Mi. So Mi, Panam, as known as the most natural asshole of Badlands.” 

“That’s no way to refer to a lady, you rat!” She swatted at her shoulder, though that grin didn’t look like it would disappear any time soon. “Come, we are setting up camp soon. You and your friend should join us.”

“Not gonna say no to that,” V chuckled, waving at Mitch approaching them, “especially since we need a good mechanic to take a look at my car.”

Later, when they were following the Aldecaldos across the desert, So Mi finally spoke up, her gaze setting firmly on the younger woman as if she couldn’t believe whatever just unfolded in front of her.

“Interesting friends you have.” V only laughed at that, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. “How did you end up being friends with a nomad group?” 

“Come on, I’ve done wilder things, and you never ask about them.” The pout elicited a smile from So Mi, who nudged at her teasingly in order to coax the story out of her, and it was not like she could deny the older woman if such a thing was possible in the first place. “I did what I’m best at: getting between family drama and, well, you know the rest.”

This time, it was So Mi who pouted at the vague answer; now that V had seen how cute she was, she felt like she should do this more often. Still, she offered an apologetic shrug, one hand scratching at her sweating nape.

“To be honest, a lot of my memories were jumbled as an effect of the Relic.” Her gaze softened at that, and V couldn’t help the sudden warmth rising in her chest. “So if you want the whole thing, it’s better to ask Panam, really.”

“So you had to go through it too.” A shiver.

“Not as bad as you.” She thought back to So Mi’s words in Dogtown. A snowflake lands on my glove. I can calculate its unique fractal structure, but what did my mom’s voice sound like? “It’s like, someone goes inside my home and puts everything in the wrong cabinets, instead of taking them away. And now I have to reorganize the whole thing.” If I can live until then.

“So listening to others should help you?” V twisted her lips in thoughts, before giving a firm nod.

“I guess? Only one way to find out.” Before she could return her full attention to driving, So Mi laid a hand on her arm, fingers curling around her wrist. Their eyes met, and she gulped, not sure what to expect at this moment.

“Just know that I’ll help you however I can, I promise.”

[peechinu]

idk about you lucy gray but I get bad vibes from this guy

[babybells123]

Hi!! I saw a post you wrote about Sansa and thought you'd be a good person to ask about fic recommendations, if you wouldn't mind. I'm not looking for any particular ship, and I don't even need her to have a protagonist role, I'm just looking for any fics where she has some decent characterization and growth.

I hope you have a nice day!!

Hi there !

So I read Jon x Sansa fics mostly (I’m not really into multi-shipping for Sansa !!) but I’ll source some of my favourite ones :) Sansa is often very well written /characterised in these fics so hopefully that’s a breath of fresh air 🦋(and I don’t want to be biased here but Jonsa fans tend to have a really great grasp on Sansa’s character that is apparent through how she’s portrayed)

Beneath my bones - undercovercaptain - this a gorgeous fic that stays very true to book!sansa.

By firelight - undercovercaptain - my heart gushes so much over this one. I’ve read it a few times.

No more scars - orangeflavour - another one with great character development & characterisation. (There is a second part to this fic as well).

Who am I ? - ALCzysz17 - grapples with Sansa’a identity issues in the Vale.

Build a ladder to the stars - vixleonard

A caged songbird - bikadoo

From Instep to heel - orangeflavour - (fav fanfic ever written tbh).

The place you call home - honey_wheeler

^ those are just off of the top of my head, but most if it is book!canon and/or canon divergence - though there are some fantastic show canon fics out there as well. I apologise if Jonsa just isn’t your cup of tea, but from my experience in the sansa fandom - the *other* popular sansa ship is s*nsan, which I’ll admit I used to read when I was a young teenager - but I’ve never quite liked how sansa is portrayed in those fics.) so yeah if you’re looking for good characterisation and such , I’ll always recommend anything Jonsa related , though I’ve heard sansa & margaery have some good fics as well :)

Hope this helped xx 🦋

[richincolor]

New Releases - Week of June 25, 2024

We have four books that we're watching for this week. This week will bring us a romance and a whole lot of fantasy. 

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron Bloomsbury YA

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

Crashing Into You by Rocky Callen Henry Holt & Co.

In this fiercely moving YA romance novel, Leti Rivera’s love of street racing is put to the test when tragedy strikes her family and threatens to tear her apart from the boy she’s falling for.

Seventeen-year-old Leti Rivera dreams of becoming a famous female street racer. Her brother taught her how to drive so fast that nothing can catch her.

But when Jacob Fleckenstein crashes into her life, Leti starts to think that running isn’t always the answer. Together, inside her car, they both feel like they’re flying, and Jacob’s gentleness and honesty threaten Leti’s vow to keep her heart tight in her fist and her grief locked away.

Yet after tragedy strikes following a race, Leti blames herself and swears an oath, a juramento, to give up driving. But will she be able to keep her promise when racing could be the very thing that saves Jacob . . . and herself? Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Atypical and I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim Nancy Paulsen Books

After her sister Lasya’s sudden death, Kajal vows to do whatever it takes to bring her back. No cost is too great, even if it means preventing Lasya’s soul from joining the cycle of reincarnation. But as Kajal prepares for the resurrection, her sister’s trapped soul warps into a bhuta—a violent, wraith-like spirit hell-bent on murdering those who wronged it in life. With each kill, the bhuta becomes stronger and fiercer, and Kajal’s chances of resurrecting Lasya with her soul intact grow slimmer.

Blamed for Lasya’s rampage and condemned as a witch, Kajal is locked away with little hope of escape. That is, until two strangers who label themselves rebels arrive and offer to free her. The catch: She must resurrect the kingdom’s fallen crown prince, aiding their coup to overthrow the usurper who sits the throne. Desperate to return to Lasya’s body, Kajal rushes to revive the crown prince . . . only to discover that she’s resurrected another boy entirely.

All her life, Kajal has trusted no one but her sister. But with Lasya dead and rebels ready to turn her over to the usurper’s ruthless soldiers, Kajal is forced to work with the boy she mistakenly revived. Together, they must find the crown prince before the rebels discover her mistake, or the bhuta finally turns its murderous fury on the person truly responsible for Lasya’s death: Kajal.

Children of Anguish and Anarchy (Legacy of Orïsha #3) by Tomi Adeyemi Henry Holt & Co.

New allies rise. The Blood Moon nears. Zélie faces her final enemy. The king who hunts her heart.

When Zelie seized the royal palace that fateful night, she thought her battles had come to an end. The monarchy had finally fallen. The maji had risen again. Zélie never expected to find herself locked in a cage and trapped on a foreign ship. Now warriors with iron skulls traffic her and her people across the seas, far from their homeland.

Then everything changes when Zélie meets King Baldyr, her true captor, the ruler of the Skulls, and the man who has ravaged entire civilizations to find her. Baldyr’s quest to harness Zélie’s strength sends Zélie, Amari, and Tzain searching for allies in unknown lands.

But as Baldyr closes in, catastrophe charges Orïsha’s shores. It will take everything Zélie has to face her final enemy and save her people before the Skulls annihilate them for good.

[daughter-of-melpomene]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆… 𝐌𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈 𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊

❝ In what she considered to be the ultimate, terrible tribute to her name, Lark had been living most of her life like a bird in a cage. First, her cage had been the mansion in Albatross Town in which she had lived as a child, alongside her parents, the town’s governors, who upon realizing their daughter’s natural talent for singing had trotted her out to perform in front of their fellow government officials from the time she was as young as seven. Then, after her parents had passed away from illness when she was still young, her cage had transformed into the embrace of World Government officials, who, remembering her from those parties in her childhood home, had thrust a guitar into her hands and forced her to travel around all four Blues, singing hollow songs about how good and just the World Government and the Marines were for crowds of the Marines themselves.

And even more than she hated being trotted around the world like a show pony at the Government’s whim, Lark hated the music she was forced to perform - and how she was kept from even learning about the music that truly interested her. From the time she was very young, just starting out in her role as the World Government’s little songstress, Lark had been fascinated with the songs pirates sang, the odes to the horizon and life on the high Blues that they would sing on their ships and in taverns when the moon was high in the sky. She ached to hear all of the pirate songs that had ever existed, to fill the songwriting notebooks she kept in secret with their notes and lyrics and perhaps even write one of her own. But since her Government handlers had always kept such a close watch on her, steering her away from any music that was not her approved setlist for performances, she was forced to constantly escape for a few hours whenever she could and fill her notebooks with whatever scraps of songs she could overhear spilling from pubs or could persuade a sailor to sing for her and kept those scribbled words close to her heart, longing for the day when she could burst out of her cage and finally submerge herself in the music she truly wanted to sing.

Finally, after so many years of waiting and wanting and playing the part of the World Government’s little songbird no matter how much she hated it, Lark was given her opportunity for freedom in the form of Monkey D. Luffy and his newfound, ragtag little crew of pirate hopefuls. After seeing one of Lark’s shows and somehow seeing through her public persona to the desperate trapped bird she was underneath, Luffy had approached her with an offer to run away and join his little crew, an offer which Lark could not do anything but accept. Snatching her chance to escape and holding on tight, Lark had sailed away with the Straw Hat crew carrying nothing but her guitar, a few of her favorite dresses, and her beloved notebooks, more than ready to sail the open water and be exposed to the songs she had been longing to hear for so long.

But, of course, the World Government is not willing to let their prized bird fly free for too long, and in addition to evading angry fishmen, keeping their swordsman from dying after he picks a fight he has no chance of winning, and trying to keep a terrifying clown from sending them to their deaths, the Straw Hats must also deal with the threat of a determined Marine Admiral who wants to arrest their captain and has received orders to bring Lark back to his employers. But what everyone who has ever kept Lark captive has failed to realize is that she is much stronger and more determined than she seems - and if she, her newfound friends, and the charming chef who lost his heart to her the first time he heard her sing have anything to say about it, this songbird will be dead before she will be forced into a cage again. ❞

One Piece Taglist: @auxiliarydetective, @starcrossedjedis, @xoteajays, @oneirataxia-girl, @supermarine-silvally.

General Taglist: @hiddenqveendom, @foxesandmagic, @artemisocs, @reyofluke-ocs, @endless-oc-creations, @stanshollaand, @ginevrastilinski-ocs, @luucypevensie, @ginger-grimm, @arrthurpendragon, @fakedatings, @impales, @claryxjackson, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @eddysocs, @lucys-chen, @ocappreciationtag.

[euphoniumpets]

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM | CHAPTER FIVE

Prompt: ''As long as I can rememer, I've been protecting Alina, it's always Alina who I will protect,'' You told him, looking at Nikolai. ''But who will protect you?''

Warnings: Violence, blood and gore.

Please don’t plagiarize my work - I spend a lot of my time writing, copying and pasting destroys that. 

Pairing: Nikolai Lantsov x Starkov! Reader

Taglist: @lyria-skyfall @khaleesihavilliard @shine101 @waddlingwanderer @clqudias @ducks118 @xceafh @peakyispunk @wilmasvensson @parbatai-winchester @priincehoseok @riot-in-my-soul @feyredarling92 @vendy021 @ssprayberrythings @goldenpoison @shine101 @lili-of-the-dream @xushisuxi @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @jennylil @themermaidscales82

A/N: hi! sorry for being late with this chapter. I was unmotivational for a while to write this one out but it is out! The taglist is closed at the moment since many ppl are requesting for being on the taglist, but make sure to check on the series masterlist to see if any updates!

old masterlist | navi | new masterlist

prologue - one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - eleven - epilogue

‘’My jaw feels much better now, thanks for asking,’’ You heard him speak as you rode your horse first in line. You hadn’t uttered a word since you learned Sturmhond was Nikolai Lantsov. ‘’You can tell everyone a Volcra punched you,’’ You remarked and kept your gaze on the road with your jaw tight. ‘’Be the least of the lies you’ve told,’’ You responded with bitterness. 

‘’I thought we had the beginnings of a beautiful friendship,’’ Nikolai replied and you scoffed. ‘’Friends don’t hide who they are from each other, so much for trust, you were talking about,’’ You remarked and rolled your eyes. ‘’You make it sound so simple,’’ He said. ‘’You do what you have to protect the people you love, I thought you would understand that,’’ Nikolai replied. 

‘’Since I expect you have some experience with that,’’ 

‘’My reasons were the same, as Nikolai Lantsov, royal spare to the throne, there was nothing I could do for the people I love, people of my impoverished war-ravaged country, Sturmhond, on the other hand-’’

‘’Was a pirate,’’ You cut him off. ‘’A privateer, how many times do I-’’

‘’How is that any more helpful than a prince?’’ You scoffed and looked at him before turning on the road. ‘’A prince is a songbird in a golden cage, and a privateer has the freedom to cultivate alliances, develop technologies, gather intelligence, would you have gotten on my ship if I was flying the Lantsov flag?’’ He asked you and you paused for a second. 

He had a point. ‘’I might have set it on fire,’’ You remarked as you heard him chuckle. ‘’Exactly,’’ He replied as you looked at him. ‘’And I needed to find your sister, the country needed her, but you would have only trusted Sturmhond,’’ He told you. ‘’Now, we tried once before,’’ He replied and you looked at him with a frown. 

‘’Sturmhond,’’ He explained. ‘’Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly that we tried it before,’’ You murmured and he chuckled. 

‘’Me, we were, I was responsible for hiring Kaz Brekker and his crows,’’ He informed and you looked at him with disbelief. ‘’That was you?’’ You exclaimed and he nodded. You scoffed. ‘’I suppose you’re responsible for the Fjerdan bounty as well?’’ You asked him and tilted your head. 

‘’No, that is very real,’’ He revealed. ‘’As is my brother’s use of First Army against Grisha, that will stop now that we’re here, I promise,’’ He told you. ‘’Welcome to the Spinning Wheel, my inventions workshop,’’ He spoke. ‘’It’s become something of a refuge for Grisha,’’ Nikolai introduced as you saw a building before you. 

You smiled when you saw a familiar figure approaching you. Nadia. You remembered her when you and Alina arrived at the little palace and you were glad to see her alive. ‘’Nadia!’’ You exclaimed with a grin as you jumped down from your horse. 

Alina jumped down as well as you approached the girl and embraced her. ‘’Alina, Y/N,’’ she grinned. ‘’Saints, so glad that the two of you survived,’’ She replied with relief. ‘’How are you?’’ 

‘’Much better when you are here,’’ She spoke. ‘’Fedyor, Genya, so many others haven’t been accounted for,’’ You frowned. ‘’I was hoping that the two of you might have some answers,’’ She asked with hope. ‘’I’m afraid not, but we will,’’ You assured her. 

-

‘’My brother and I heard Nikolai had this space,’’ Nadia informed as she led you through the Spinning Wheel. ‘’A Grisha sanctuary,’’ She explained. ‘’It’s been a saving grace for so many,’’ She told you as you looked around. ‘’My brother, Adrik, wouldn’t believe that you and I were friends, happy?’’ Nadia said as she saw her brother standing next to her. You smiled and shook your head. 

‘’It’s an honor to meet you,’’ Adrik replied, looking at Alina and greeting her. ‘’And, it’s an honor to meet your sister,’’ Adrik said and looked at you. ‘’My sister’s still a liar, just not about this,’’ Adrik responded and looked at Nadia. You chuckled as Nadia playfully nudged him. ‘’So many Grisha outside the Little Palace,’’ Alina said. 

‘’The First Army raided the little palace,’’

‘’Who else made it here?’’ Alina asked her. ‘’You might not like the answer,’’ Nadia spoke and you looked at her with a frown. ‘’What do you mean?’’ You asked as she looked at you. 

-

‘’You came back,’’ Zoya spoke as you and Alina were upstairs and saw Zoya approaching the two of you. ‘’Zoya,’’ You commented with a small smile. ‘’I said we would,’’ Alina remarked. ‘’Your family in Novokribirsk, did you find them?’’ You asked her as you saw her expression change. 

‘’I wouldn’t be here if I did,’’ She responded. ‘’I’m sorry-’’

‘’Saints, Y/N, why are you apologizing for something you’re not responsible for?’’ She asked and you looked at her. ‘’We know how it feels to lose someone you love,’’ You spoke softly and she returned it. You placed your hands on her shoulder for comfort. ‘’We all know grief,’’ Zoya muttered. 

‘’But that guilt, he instilled it in you to make you weak, but you’re the Sun Summoner, you can’t afford weakness,’’ Zoya said and looked at Alina. ‘’Is that why you were cruel to me at Little Palace?’’ Alina questioned and crossed her arms. You chuckled. ‘’Trying to toughen me up?’’ Alina questioned. 

‘’No,’’ Zoya replied and sighed with a smile. ‘’That was jealousy, but also, I underestimated you,’’ She admitted. ‘’I won’t do that again,’’ She promised. ‘’Is this an apology?’’ You teased her and she didn’t say anything. ‘’Ravka’s on the verge of collapse, more Grisha are killed by the day, you don’t need hollow apologies, you need alliances,’’ Zoya explained. ‘’I’m here to offer you mine,’’ She responded. You and Alina exchanged a look. ‘’Clearly, you need all the help you can get,’’ Zoya said, winking her eye and leaving. 

-

‘’We’ve received accounts on the First Army units found massacred, here, here, and here,’’ Nikolai replied as he pointed at the map. He had gathered you, Alina, and Mal in the map room. ‘’

‘’Too far to be Shu incursions,’’ Mal said, narrowing his eyes and you nodded. ‘’Or Fjerdans,’’ You muttered. ‘’There’s good evidence these units were holding Grisha captive, some reports say soldiers were mutilated,’’ Nikolai informed and met your eyes. ‘’Some cut in half,’’ He replied. 

‘’It’s Kirigan, isn’t it?’’ Alina questioned when she noticed your gaze. ‘’We haven’t been able to find his base camp-’’

‘’No way he survived the Fold,’’ Mal interrupted. ‘’He survived it before,’’ You said and looked at Mal with a concerned gaze. ‘’Besides, he’s the only one who can do that cut,’’ You added. ‘’Baghra yes, but this is him,’’ Alina commented and you nodded. ‘’If he’s alive, word will reach him about your attempt in the Fold,’’ Nikolai said and looked at Alina. 

‘’Attempt,’’ Alina muttered. ‘’No disrespect meant,’’ Nikolai replied and you looked at him. ‘’No, you’re right,’’ Alina replied. ‘’That’s what it was, an attempt,’’ Alina said. ‘’You both saw my light, strong and angry and dangerously off-kilter,’’ Alina told you and you looked at her with sadness. ‘’I can train to master what I have, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough,’’ 

‘’We need to find the third amplifier,’’ Mal replied. 

‘’The firebird,’’ Nikolai agreed and nodded his head and you stiffened at the mention of the Firebird. ‘’The more we search for it, we are at the mercy of your protection in this country,’’ Alina said and looked at Nikolai. Nikolai glanced at his right side and noticed that you’ve been awfully quiet ever since they mentioned the Firebird. He wanted to ask why but let go of it.

‘’Well, until then, a proposal,’’ Nikola responded and all of you looked at him. You arched an eyebrow and crossed your arms above your chest. ‘’We can try to stop this country from falling apart and tell the Fjerdans to shove their bounty up their ass in the process,’’

‘’How do you propose we do that? Sobachka?’’ You mocked him as he gave you a look in response. ‘’I bring you under the wing of the Royal Family, my name becomes a shelter to you and your sister, and a banner under which we can enact change,’’ He answered and looked at you and Alina. 

‘’Your name?’’ You questioned before you and Alina met each other’s gazes. 

‘’Wait, you can’t be serious,’’ You said. ‘’This is a proposal, proposal,’’ Alina replied. ‘’You’re suggesting marriage,’’ You snarled and glared at him. ‘’You honestly would believe that I would accept marriage to you?’’ You exclaimed. ‘’Oh please, am I really that bad, sweetheart?’’ Nikolai mocked you making you scoff at his remark. 

‘’Besides, I’m not proposing a love match,’’ Nikolai said before his expression turned into a serious one. ‘’Just a political alliance of Grisha and otkazat’sya,’’ Nikolai replied. ‘’If you’re married to me, your sister will be protected under my name,’’ Nikolai told you. 

‘’Well, that’s what just what royal marriages are, aren’t they? Strategy,’’ Mal questioned and you looked at him with disbelief. You thought that Mal would agree with you on this one. ‘’Precisely,’’ Nikolai replied. 

‘’Maybe we never get to marriage,’’ Nikolai said and looked at you. ‘’An engagement signals a strong commitment to cooperation and it will allow us to enact meaningful for Grisha and Ravka,’’ Nikolai informed. You shook your head and scoffed. 

‘’You know that I will never agree on this,’’ You told him and glared. ‘’I know, but do this for your sister, I know how much you are capable of saving her and Mal,’’ Nikolai begged you. ‘’I understand if you decline, but I hope you weigh the options and consider the benefits,’’ Nikolai said. You looked at him before he spared a glance at you before leaving the three alone. 

Nobody said for a few seconds. ‘’He’s completely insane,’’ You exclaimed and looked at Mal and Alina. ‘’Marriage? Like I’m some kind of a pawn?’’ 

‘’I’m surprised he walked out of here without you breaking his nose,’’ Mal replied and you scoffed. ‘’Believe me, I wanted to but it took every power of mine to not punch him again,’’ You scowled and crossed your arms. ‘’He’s right, you know,’’ Alina said and you looked at her with a surprised expression. 

‘’What?’’

‘’Listen, I know how much you dislike him, but this could be our chance to take down Kirigian,’’

‘’By making me married to him?’’ You exclaimed. ‘’Alina, this is insane-’’

‘’I know, but just please, consider it,’’ Alina begged you. You scoffed before letting out a sigh. You knew that you would do anything to save her and Mal, even if it includes to marry your worst enemy.

-

please comment down below what you thought of this chapter! remember, reblogging always helps!

[thus-spoke-lo]

Also the Yukuta Kine'mon wears showin off his tits and thighs all the time hgggnn

Also the perverted thing is so !!!! Pls elaborate Im begging Im so fucking down bad for him and theres nothing on him.

anon, I joke about this in tags a lot but I literally had to get up and take a walk halfway through writing this. Thank you for encouraging Kin’emon thots 🙏

CW: NSFW/minors DNI; size kink; fem reader

Kin’emon watches you from the other side of the deck, riddled with lurid fascination, as you hum to yourself while hanging laundry, moving back and forth from your basket to the line with a graceful ease that he finds strangely alluring. He places a wide hand on his chest and tries to steady his heavy breaths, not wanting to give away his position; he was already barely hidden by the staircase, the ship scarcely able to shield his impressive height. He didn’t mean to look—at least that’s what he tells himself, anyway, as he bites his lower lip, his eyes rapidly moving over your barely-clothed form. He didn’t mean to find himself pressed against the wall, his face burning, desire roiling in his core, while you stood on your tiptoes to pin laundry to the line. And he certainly didn’t mean for his heart to beat like the wings of a caged songbird at the sight of your t-shirt inching up to reveal the tantalizing curve of the small of your back, your shorts just barely covering the round of your ass.

Kin’emon knows his feelings are improper, tells himself that he’s above his impure thoughts of you; yet his hand drifts down, almost of its own accord, and reaches under his yukata, feeling how hard you’ve made him with your temptations. He hisses through his teeth as he slowly starts to palm his impressive length, visions of you hovering over him—your knees on either side of his face, shins resting on his broad shoulders, his massive hands gripping your ass as you ride his eager mouth and coat his beard in your sweet juices.

“Oh Kin’emon!” His eyes widen as he hears you call in a teasing, sing-song voice. “Can you come help me?”

“Oh! Why certainly!” he responds little too eagerly and a little too loudly, quickly rearranging himself. “You were in luck, I have only just arrived here on the deck in the last few moments!”

“Gosh, what good timing you have,” you yell back. He’s far too busy trying to calm his pulsing cock to notice the mischievous grin that you’re sporting.

He crosses the deck to you, his walk stilted as he tries to contain himself, already feeling the heat of yearning at the sight of you starting to overtake him again.

“It’s just so hard for me to reach the top of the line,” you whine sweetly, holding up a pair of your shorts. “Can you hang these for me?”

“Why of course, what an easy task.” He readily accepts them from you and pins them up, trying not to admire the garment and wonder how you’d look in it. He steadies his breathing and stills his mind as he goes about pinning up item after item, almost finding a quiet mediation in the act that distracts him from his unclean thoughts of you.

He glances over as you bend to pick up another item from your basket; you linger for a moment, the underside of your ass cheeks on full display as they peek out of the bottom of your shorts. Kin’emon stifles a gasp, noticing how the fabric clings to your body, and he nearly chokes on his tongue when he sees the faint outline of your pussy lips through the thin material.

You stand up, grinning from ear to ear, and hand him a pair of your panties. “Mind hanging these up, too?”

“You—you cease this behavior immediately!” His voice quavers with barely-suppressed lust, his face turning redder with every word.

“What behavior?” You cock your head and pout, knitting your eyebrows together in faux confusion. “Do you mean the laundry?”

“You know what I am referring to, you temptress!” His breaths become unsteady as you move towards him, your hand on your hip, legs fully on display as you stride slowly. “You are being unreasonably forward!”

“I’m being forward?”

“Indeed,” he gulped, his hands shaking too much to hold onto the delicate garment in his hand, and he feels the air shift as they drift to the ground. “You are being highly vulgar in your actions!”

“Huh. You don’t say?” you murmur as you stand on your tiptoes, engulfed by his towering form. You place your hand on his bare chest, gently running your fingers down, down, down his body until your palm lands on the massive, twitching hardness under his robes and you feel him pulse in your hand. “Maybe I’m being a little out of line, but I’d say this feels pretty vulgar to me.”

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Character Profile [Part Two]

[Part One]

Fighting Style:

Does your OC have any special powers/skills? How did they gain them?

Ava can emit a highly enhanced scream of high amplitude. She unknowingly inherited it from her mother, who is from Orderrealm.  

Describe their fighting style. Do they practice a specific style of martial arts? Or do they rely on magic/their powers?

She is skilled in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, though while she is with the Lin Kuei, she learns some techniques in Shotokan Karate. She has an incredible amount of agility, flexibility, and acrobatic prowess, utilizing her voice to stun her enemies. 

What weapons does your OC use, and how proficient are they? Who taught them? How did they learn?

She does not use a weapon.

How quick are they to fight? Are they aggressive, or do they prefer to talk things out?

If she can talk an enemy out of a fight, she will, unless they hurt or endanger someone close to her, then the gloves are off and she is raring to go.

What is their last resort? (Think of an all-out attack that would be used only if there were no other option.)

Ava can emit a scream so loud that it vibrates certain materials causing them to shatter or disintegrate. Her scream can even outright kill a person by rupturing internal organs. She would rather not risk such an attack, because she has no control over the range or destructive power, risking the lives of friends or innocents in the process. 

Appearance:

Describe or draw their outfit/armor.

The uniform she wears while with the Lin Kuei consists of a burgundy colored tabard with black harem pants that she tucks into knee-high boots. She wears simple gauntlets with fingerless gloves and a white sash around her waist. The mask made for her is detachable, a special voice-altering device that uses several plates to resonate her voice. It takes two forms; the first is a simple appearance with a burgundy grill screen in the center where her mouth is, then when in the second form, the plates open, giving it a more jagged appearance.  

Make a mood board for your OC.

Does your OC wear any jewelry? What is its significance?

She wears a necklace with a square-shaped pendant attached to it. The pendant has a square gem in the center that is medium blue with hints of purple. It was passed down to her by her mother, who wore it as a brooch during her time with the Seidan Guard. 

What physical characteristics make them stand out from the other fighters?

Ava has two tattoos; the first is a songbird with music notes on her upper back near her right shoulder, and the second is a steampunk clock surrounded by lilies on the left side of her chest. Her hair is also thick and often frizzes easily. 

Does your OC have a particular style? Why?

Anything comfortable. Ava loves to wear T-shirts and jean shorts, though sometimes she will wear leggings or a cute dress. She tends to get cold easily, so she will carry a hoodie or a light coat with her. 

Relationships:

Do you ship your OC with anyone - canon or otherwise? If so, tell us about their relationship!

Ava is shipped with Bi-Han. If any trope could describe them, it would be sunshine/moody. She is an extremely outspoken woman and kind to everyone. When she first met Bi-Han, she tried hard to be respectful to him, smiling at or greeting him, but he either ignored or ‘mean mugged’ her. Then he became her temporary teacher and Ava learned quickly that he brought out the worst in her. That's not to say she wasn't a good student; she learned quickly despite having to adjust to living in Arctika - having her phone and headphones confiscated by him. 

For whatever reason, the two eventually developed a relationship. 

Does your OC have any friends? How did they meet?

She has more acquaintances than friends, despite her demeanor. All the friends in school she made fell out after high school. The person she is closest to, however, is Johnny Cage. They met at his mansion a short time after Liu Kang recruited her and hit it off well. Ava had never seen any of his movies due to her upbringing, but he quickly rectified that. She became a hardcore Cage fan after that and even agreed to cameo and provide her vocal talents to his upcoming franchise as a director.  

What is their family situation? Are they close? Are they still alive?

While she does not see her parents often, she calls them whenever she can check in. Ava and her father, Lee, are close, despite him not being around much. She and her mother, however, had a few disagreements when she got older, leading to a tense relationship. She felt chained down by her mother, but she did not hate her. 

Do they have any pets? Tell us how they came to be!

Unfortunately, she does not have any pets. She adores crocodiles, however, and despite her love for them, she knows she can't domesticate one.

Do they worship any god in particular? Elder God, Titan, One-Being, or otherwise?

Ava is not the religious type. Her father was brought up Christian and her mother claimed to have no religious views, so none ever stuck with her. She is respectful and open to other's views, however. Even with the existence of Titans and Elder Gods, she does not worship them.

[fragmentedink]

Ship: Bożechna + Dakarai, The Caged Songbird Queen and the Leader of the Hunt

Bożechna laid out across the chaise with her arm thrown across her eyes. Perhaps it was the dreary weather that made her ache more than usual. Or perhaps it was the long droning meetings she was forced to attend with the various lords and ladies of the land.

Either way, it led her to retire to her rooms, limbs heavy and mind splitting with thunderclap. She had ordered the maids to remove unnecessary lighting and to return with cooling rags to help ease the pain.

The door pushed open without so much as a knock, but Bożechna said, “Leave them on the table and go. I wish to remain alone.”

“Well I wish to remain with one of my dearest friends,” replied a male voice.

Despite the pain, her lips curled up. “Your insolence is unappreciated, Dakarai.”

“I will add that to the growing list of grievances to report to my father from your highness.”

The scent of rain and old books clung to his clothes. She could easily smell it as he knelt beside her. “May I?"

She lifted her hand, eyes still closed, only for her dearest friend to place a cooling rag across her eyes and temples.

The next hour was filled with blissful silence, merely the only sounds were from the book Dakarai was likely reading and the changing of cooling rags to her face.

just a lil scene that came to me that I wanted to share <3

@achaotichuman @autumnruby @sonics-atelier

[travelbystarlight]

Kinda fucked up I can't romance him when they literally look at each other like that.

[sekaithemystic]

like new york city, i never sleep

[yanderes-galore]

I'm the anon who requested yandere Vox with singer! Darling and OH MY GOD. I EXPECTED IT TO BE GOOD BUT TO BE THAT GOOD??? THANK YOUU THAT REALLY HIT THE SPOT <333

I especially love this little detail of Vox calling his darling "songbird"!!! How ironic that he makes his darling live like a bird in a gilded cage hehe.

Oh, and Vox using darling's desire to become famous against her is tragic. The horror of your dream becoming your downfall. Even when that dream comes true, it's in the worst way possible and not like you wanted at all.

Everyone around darling assumes she's incredibly happy being in relationship with Vox and she doesn't even have the choice to disagree. She has to lie and keep up the image of a perfect little singer while Vox is having the time of his life.

On a sillier note, I bet Vox would stalk "Vox x Darling" (Staticsong?) tag on social medias.

and he would definitely throw a fit if Alastor called his darling's songs or voice mediocre.

tbh singer darling is kind of perfect for Vox. She entertains him AND she makes money. It's a win-win.

THE FACT THEY HAVE A SHIP NAME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, OMFG-

Yes, I'm so happy you enjoyed! It was fun to write and I'm happy it was fun to read, too!

[lost-technology]

The Ballad of Rem Saverem So, brainstorming a bit with @somereaderinblue I got a fanfic idea about Vash hanging out in a bar somewhere and learning that it is not just he and Nai who know something about Rem! The idea for this is that someone's ancestor was on Ship 5 and was one of the lucky few who was ushered into an evac-shuttle and was among the survivors who saw the ship's navigator yelling at them to go and holding her post, and it's a story kept by this one little town out in the middle of nowhere. People there think it's just a legend, after all, what could one person have even done in something as horrible as the Big Fall? But they do like the story. So, for if I do this fic eventually, I wrote out this song that Vash hears a balladeer singing in a saloon that absolutely leaves him a blubbering mess and bothering said balladeer to no end after his set. Since I am not a songwriter and cannot come with an original song to save my life, I ganked the tune / meter from The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird as preformed by Rachel Zeigler from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. (No knowledge of the movie necessary to appreciate the song, but if you're interested, it's a revenge-song a character sings for her ex-boyfriend to hear). So, the Rem-version, sung as only Noman's Landers can: Before we began we fell down on the planet Before we woke up we were spent to the sands Through rough times and roughshod we kept on, goddamit Stubborn and cussin' as we settled the lands We started with dreams in ancient space, lonely Exiled from Earth to explore what was new The Keeper kept watch, awake one and only Her life was given for me and for you Remember her name, the brave Rem Saverem She who went back, destined to die The Great Fleet's error would have left us all condemned If she hadn't run back to be scattered to sky She ran through the flames and let loose the cages She sent out the signal and held fast to her post She stayed behind hopeless through hellfire's rages And out in the long run is forgotten by most But we'll not forget you, brave Rem Saverem It was not for nothing you died It may be to the hard sands we've been condemned But we stand here still as you were scattered to sky.

[hexedmaiden]

Dom’s DinCobb Fic Rec List (2022)

Welcome to my now annual DinCobb round-up!

Where I collect my favorite DinCobb fics of the year into one massive post to share with y’all!! When I did this for the first time last year we had hit 700 fics in the ao3 tag and now we’re just over 1k. Outstanding! I wanna thank all of the writers we have in our little corner of the fandom who are so incredible and amazing. Thank you or keeping our ship alive and thriving ❤️ Please know that if your fic didn’t end up on my personal favorite list it doesn’t mean you’re not amazing. We all have different tastes and art in all its forms is subjective. 

(Be sure to check out last years Dom’s DinCobb Fic Rec List (2021) too!)

Now on with the DinCobb fics of 2022! (under the cut)

General

Scavenger by godtier1 (5.8k)

Teen

Solar flare by vannral (2.9k)

Bright Eyes and A Big Heart by DucksFan1015 (14.4k)

Sweet like strawberry by soft_witch (4k)

At 39,000 Feet by Angelwins13 (1.1k)

Seasons change when I just give it time by chasingkerouac (52.3k)

Melodies for No One by godtier1 (9k)

Upstairs, Downstairs by harrylee94 (22.4k)

Mature

Songbird in a Gilded Cage by PolygamousSquamous (9.1k)

Pray for Warmth and Green Paper by Chromat1cs (2k)

Killing Vanth by michaelfalls (89k)

somewhere only we know by smilecapsules (9.2k)

Undone Cowboy by Chromat1cs (4.1k)

It would feel like this by nightwideopen (1.2k)

The First Time by Angelwings13 (57.8k)

Carbon Black by Chromat1cs (11.2k)

Shrouded by soft_witch (5.5k)

No Happier Season by CatalpaWaltz (3.9k)

Secretary by soft_witch (759)

E

there's a place for you here by kappa77 (72.3k)

The ground you walk on by soft_witch (1.7k)

Skip Distance by Chromat1cs (4k)

When I Was With You by DucksFan1015 (20.5k)

Take My Revolution by soft_witch (34k)

the trail of red between us by TheEarlGreyAlpha (10.9k)

Buen Chico by MayhemHeart (2.9k)

Dear Marshal by Chromat1cs (6.6k)

Sweet Comings by MayhemHeart (9.3k)

The night is young by QuickSilverFox3 (1.5k)

Waste not by soft_witch (4.4k)

A Love Like This by multifandomhoodies (3.8k)

Rabbit heart by soft_witch (3.8k)

#TheFoxandTheHound by MayhemHeart (7k)

Book Club by Purplesauris (4.9k)

Chew You Up (and Spit You Out) by cajynn (3.5k)

Silver Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair by Pameluke (8.3k)

Afternoon by valonqarth (1.5k)

Heavy With Gray Crochet by Chromat1cs (5k)

Take A Moment by multifandomhoodies (2.1k)

Eleven ways Cobb Vanth thought he was going to die (and how he didn’t actually die) by robotboy (22.6k)

An Accident Waiting To Happen by thegingerbatch (26.4k)

The action or process of defining by MayhemHeart (5.1k)

Upon Silent Tethers by spicymage (3.8k)

Stairway Dressings by StressedWriterTM (3.3k)

Must Be Nice Where Lovers Go by StressedWriterTM (46k)

Unrated

The price of admission by nightwideopen (4k)

In Calm or Stormy Weather by harrylee94 (39.9k)

[anoras]

rating: explicit words: 3145 ship: tav (sonnet)/enver gortash warnings: choking, general nastiness and manipulation

They had met frequently in the weeks since she had accepted his proposition.  The first time for a quite legitimate discussion of business and expectations, and the rest to - and it amused her to think of it this way - discuss details in a more intimate setting.  It had been a tenday since she had last spoken to him, however; not even a note sent by courier left her hands to fly in his direction.

There wouldn't have been much to tell as it was, not until now, at least, but there was a part of her that was almost giddy at the idea that her silence might have irritated him.  Anticipation often added to the act, she had long since learned.

Slipping into the private upstairs quarters of the fortress as the evening bells of the city began to toll, she made her way quickly down the hall.  There were only Steel Watch stationed up here; silent sentinels evenly spaced along the walls.  They ignored her.

She was welcome; she was expected.

Pulling the key from where she had tucked the chain into her dress, she unlocked the door and allowed it to swing open.

"You're late."  He didn't even look up from the parchment in front of him, instead finishing whatever he was writing with a quick flick of the quill.

"I wasn't aware we had set a time." She stepped into the room, letting the door shut behind her with a rather final click.  It was as well-appointed as she remembered; plush, velvet upholstery, gilded mahogany furniture, and an intricately tufted rug set up over the shining wood floors.  The opposite wall was set with wide windows, and there was a door to the left that she knew led to a bedroom.  Gortash was sat at a fine, but practical desk, and she watched as he sifted pounce onto the paper to dry the ink before folding it and sealing it with wax.  He didn’t speak, and neither did she.

It was a long while before he spoke again, long enough for Sonnet to begin picking at a nail, a vague sense of boredom and annoyance permeating her body.  She could almost sense his displeasure.

“A tenday, Songbird?  You might make a man assume you've flown away." He stalked toward her, a cat slinking silently across a rooftop.  She should put a bell on him so the birds know when to flee.

But she let him catch her anyway - a snap-crunch of jaws, a flurry of feathers - her back pressed against the door, his fingers on her jaw, tilting her chin up to look at him.  Still, she smiled, meeting his eyes with a cool calm. "I was busy.  I have other obligations, you know."

"More important than the ones I set?"

"These were the ones you set." She slid from his grasp, ducking beneath his arm to prance her way further into the room.  Her tail swished behind her, almost beckoning. "I've been somewhat of a detective, lately," She said, "Working to hunt down our mutual adversary, stopping a killer from terrorizing your city..." She could feel him following behind her, just far enough that she couldn't flick him with her tail, though close enough that she could sense his eyes raking across her flesh.  It burned.  It was pleasing.

"They could write a novel about it." With a wry laugh, she turned and sank onto the couch, an arm thrown idly over the back.

"All that and not even a note." His mouth was set in a frown, though his eyes seemed to gleam with something not quite playful, but not quite angry, either.  She smiled.

"It must have slipped my mind."

He stepped toward her; two quick, even strides that set him directly in front of her, caging her in. "Then find a way to keep it fresh," He hissed.

"Well, I'm here now, am I not?" Reaching out, she took his hand - the gauntleted one, all glittering metal and sharp points - and brought it up to her face, resting her cheek against his palm. "Or do you not trust that I'll always fly back to your hand?"

His fingers twitched against her cheek, as if caught somewhere between the desire to caress, and to claw. "Damnable whore." The words came from between gritted teeth, bitten out beneath eyes that burned into her own.

"Keep speaking like that and I might believe you've grown fond of me."  Laughter played upon her tongue, eyes half lidded and cheek still pressed against his palm.  She allowed herself a moment, letting her eyes flutter closed and a pleased hum escape her lips as she leaned into the manufactured caress. "Do go on."

His thumb traced her cheekbone, the gauntlet's claw drawing a precarious line beneath her eye. "I should clip your wings.”  She could feel him lean close, the scent of his cologne filling her lungs; bergamot and musk, spice, and the lightest hint of florals.  Intoxicating. “Perhaps then you wouldn’t stray so far.”

“You would keep me a bird in a cage?” She purred, “Would you feed me from your hand, too?  Make me your little pet whore you let play at Empress?” She tightened her grip on his hand, where she still held it against her cheek, her nails digging into his wrist, “Tell me how beautiful my prison will be, once I’ve snatched up Orin’s Netherstone and made you a god.”

He chuckled, a low, mirthless sound. “You’ll rule at my side, divine power at your fingertips.” She felt his breath on her neck, his lips warm and surprisingly soft where they pressed against the thin skin of her throat.

"At my fingertips, but just out of reach?  Come now, you can do better than that," She released his hand, though he kept it cupped against her cheek, her arms finding their way to wind around his neck. "I know my Lord doesn't like to share.  You would rather put shackles round my wrists and keep me locked in here for your pleasure, wouldn't you?  Tie me up so I can’t fly away?”  She was baiting him, poking at his weak spots, needling his desires; there were cracks in his armor, and all of them were visible to her, she merely had to drive the knife in. “Keep me hidden from the world so I only have eyes for you?”

His hand slid down, resting like a warning where his lips had only just been. “Be careful of what you’re offering, Songbird,” He murmured, his fingers twitching against her neck, as if he itched to choke the promises from her.

She ignored the weight of his hand, the press of it against her throat, as she pressed herself against him, pulling him close.  The words spilled from her lips, a bitter cruelty lacing the whisper; a knife driven into soft flesh, "And if I denied you?  Would you do it anyway?  If I cried and begged and pleaded for my freedom, how much pleasure would you take from my conquering?" 

His grip tightened, the gauntlet digging into her flesh, cutting off her breath.  A laugh, aborted at its source, bubbled up from her throat in a ragged gasp, her eyes wild, teeth bared in a grin.  He pushed her from him with the hand around her neck, just far enough to meet her eyes - to watch her struggle.

The breaths she took were short and useless, her heartbeat thudding in her ears.  He knew too well what he was doing, with his fingers pressing into her jugular; it wouldn't matter how many breaths she took when none of it reached her brain.  His hand was a trap snapped shut around her neck, and she was the beast stuck in it.  Caught and at his mercy.  Black specks gathered in the corners of her vision, the smile on her lips grew wider.

He released her.

Panting, a choked cough rising from her throat, she fell back against the cushions. "Did I strike a nerve?" Her cheeks flushed, she looked up at him through half closed eyes.  There was want there, desire, horrible and viscous, dripping from them both like blood from a wound.  Do it, hurt me!

Instead, he kissed her, all teeth and tongue and hands that grasped her so tightly they bruised.  She let him do it, or rather, could not stop him even if she tried.  Instinct told her to push him away, to squirm and scramble and claw; as a rule, she hated being kissed, hated the feeling of another's mouth on hers.  Too intimate, too much like love.  Yet, if he were to stop she thought she might weep.

She didn't love him, gods no, but she needed him; needed him like the sweetest fruit needed to be consumed, wanted him like flesh wanted the knife.

He pulled back, leaving her bereft, and for a moment she thought to chase him, to drag him back to her unwilling lips.  Their ragged breaths beat in time, furious, desperate. "Damnable woman," His forehead rested against hers, hot breath a caress against her mouth as he spoke. "Whore.  Fiend.  Detestable thing.  Swear that you belong to me."

Softly, her voice a whisper, a plea, an admittance, "I swear it."

With one hand gripping the back of her neck, and the other around her arm, he yanked her up and off the couch.  She stumbled against him, scrabbling and scrambling for purchase, some kind of stability as he manhandled her.  With frightening ease, he pulled her along with him as he crossed the room, as if she were nothing, some weightless, malleable thing to be moved about as he pleased.

He stopped once they crossed the threshold to the bedroom, at last giving her a moment to steady herself, to breathe.  She was ready, then, when he kissed her once more.  It was just as forceful, just as rough as before, but there was something else there as well; not tenderness, not exactly, but it was present in the way he held her head in his hands, his thumb tracing her cheek.

There was no discussion between them when they parted, there rarely was.  He took from her what he pleased, used her as he desired; her presence was an invitation, that she kept coming back, implicit consent.

She knew the score.  She enjoyed it.

Her dress fell in a silken heap about her ankles, and she stepped out of it as he pressed her backwards, hands at her hips, her waist, trailing up her spine.  He followed her down when the backs of her legs hit the bed, bending her backward over the fine velvet coverlet, his body caging her atop the plush bedclothes, hands at her wrists.  She wriggled, experimentally, the faintest hint of a smirk trying desperately to twitch at the corners of her mouth.  Within his dark eyes, she could see his pupils blown wide, sharp shards of obsidian beneath his heavy brow.  Muscles worked beneath his skin, his jaw clenched, teeth undoubtedly bared behind his lips.

She wanted to kiss him.  She wanted him to flip her over and take her from behind so that she wouldn’t have to look at him and think about why he suddenly seemed a great deal more to her than a means to an end.

Instead, he released her, and stepped back.  She watched him disrobe, shifting to lay fully on the bed, resting on her side, head on her crossed arms.  Her tail twitched, swaying slightly from side to side, brushing over the soft velvet.  He was always so precise when he disrobed, so careful as he placed each article in a tidy pile, no matter how quickly he did so.  It would be charming, she thought, had he been anyone else.

When he returned to her, it was as quick and precise as he did anything; his body above her supine form, a knee parting her thighs, fingers delving between her folds, spreading her open.  She let out a soft moan as he crooked two fingers inside her, hitting a particularly sensitive spot.  He continued for a few moments longer, fingers pumping in and out, before he pulled them from her and, without giving her even a moment to lament the loss, thrust himself into her to the hilt.

A sigh escaped her, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as she enjoyed the feeling of sudden fullness before she adjusted.  She could feel his eyes on her, though her own were closed.  He always seemed to like watching her, to see her face as he fucked her; the way her brow would knit when she was close, the burgundy flush in her cheeks, her lips parted in a sigh or keening cry.  Perhaps he enjoyed seeing the ways he could make her come undone; one more piece of her that he could claim.

She felt, rather than saw, his head fall against her shoulder, his stubble scraping the soft skin there as he nipped at the exposed flesh.  Teeth and lips left a trail of love bites across her neck, an amethyst collar against the already tender flesh.  She whined, gasped, pleased sounds escaping her with every thrust of his hips, every bite he left on her skin.

Her hands found their way into his hair, tugging at it, her nails scraping against his scalp as she pulled him up to face her.

The kiss was rough, almost angry, offered up with teeth and tongue and open mouth.  Hot breath mixed, wet and ragged, between them.  His eyes found hers, and for a moment, he seemed to contemplate something, before - whip-quick and well-practiced - he rolled them over.

She lay flat against him, his hand on her hip, the other flat against her back, and his cock still hilted inside her.  It gave her a moment to breathe - a split second of parsing the new position - before she rose, pushing herself up with her hands on his chest.  She liked being on top, preferred it really; she had learned early on that she liked the sense of control it gave her, the way she felt she could command the situation with a roll of her hips.  It wasn’t real control, not really - and she knew that - but it was enough.

Her hips moved, rising and falling in a smooth rhythm as she rode him.  His face betrayed little, but his hands dug into her hips, hard enough to bruise, pressing into the flesh of her hips and thighs with a greedy desperation, as if he was trying to hold himself back from wresting control from her once more - to lay her out flat on her back again, and use her until she broke.

She stilled above him, hips now moving only in slow rolls, barely lifting from where they joined.  A just penance, she thought, watching frustration flash, dark and fleeting, across Gortash's face.  She looked at him, gazing down with a softly imperious air, watching the way he almost seemed to twitch, breath wanting to catch in his throat with every cruel roll of her hips.  Her hand found its way to his jaw, grasping it as he often did to her, her nails digging in ever so slightly.  A smile twitched across her mouth, she leaned in.

Her voice was a whisper, a fleeting song, as she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Enver,” She paused, intrigued by the way his name felt in her mouth.  She had never used it. "I promised that you would have me," She murmured, "Now swear to me the same." She pulled back, enough so that she could look at him, her cold fire eyes meeting his.  A scowl of frustration, brows knit and mouth downturned, wrote itself across her face at the sight of his smile, sardonic, teasing.

Her nails - claws, a shrike's talons - dug into his flesh until blood welled like rubies along his jaw, and his smile turned to a grim frown.

"Don't mock," She hissed, hating the note that entered her voice, the faint plea, choked desperation, the hungry, frightened girl she used to be clawing at the walls she built.  Let me out, let me in, let me be something to you.

"I offer you the world, and still you ask for more."

"You would do the same, were you in my position."

A snarl left him, a furious, animalistic sound; the anger of a kicked dog, of someone who refused to admit when they were beaten.  His fingers tangled in her hair, dragging her back as he flipped them, sending her sprawling across the sheets, his body caging her, enveloping her.

He held fast to her hair, yanking her head back to expose the still-tender skin of her throat, as if he were a hunter preparing to slit the throat of a kill.  A whimper escaped her, her eyes watered.  All she could feel was the weight of him, on her, around her; the heft of his limbs, the breadth of his torso above her, his cock, still wet from her cunt, resting on her belly.

Her breaths came sharp and shallow, panic coursing like poison through her veins.  She had flown too close, singing her pretty little words, and fallen into an open, bloody, maw; and worst of all, she had been right.

He slammed into her with a violence usually reserved for a knife in the gut.  His hands in her hair, at her throat, grasping at her body, her breasts.  She cried out, her nails carving red welts across his back.  There was a wretched pleasure to it, in the violent, arrhythmic thrusts that somehow still seemed to hit each spot that made her scream.

"You are nothing to me," His breath was ragged, each word punctuated with another violent thrust. "Nothing but a rotten whore."

"Liar."  It was little more than a whisper, but still it seemed to snap something within them both.  Her orgasm crashed around her ears, whiting out her vision, lips parted in a keening cry.  With a quiet groan and a final thrust, more decisive than violent, he spilled himself inside her.

Arms like a steel trap pulled her tight against him, holding her pressed to his chest.  She clung to him in turn as their ragged breathing evened out, and she felt him soften inside her.  Slowly, she shifted, her tail moving to curl around him, embracing him, clinging to him in quiet, horrible, desperation.

She felt his breath on her cheek before he spoke, the words a half-bitten whisper, as if he struggled to force them from between his teeth. "Sweet Songbird, my sweet, wretched dove.  Say my name again, my girl."

"Enver."

He sighed against her cheek. “There.  Look what you’ve done to me,” He murmured, “Look what you’ve done.”