#two wooden armoires

[kalliforniaa]

Home Office in Atlanta Home office library idea with a medium-sized transitional freestanding desk, a medium-tone wood floor, and gray walls.

[lovelyyellowdress]

Library Atlanta

Example of a mid-sized trendy freestanding desk medium tone wood floor home office library design with gray walls and no fireplace

[poison-into-positivity]

I don’t buy for a second that Ed and Stede ever actually became innkeepers.

I think the attempt was made, at first. I think they patched the hole(s) in the roof. I think they replaced the wooden planks that had started to rot and made a sturdier foundation without the funky smell. I think they got some furniture; a bed, a table and chairs, a bathtub, a stove of questionable quality. I think they set everything up for their first room and decided for the time being, we can just live here in this space we’ve created. And we’ll get around to furnishing the other rooms when we get to it.

And then I think they decided to get some nicer things for the inn, too. They wanted their guests to be surrounded by fine things, after all. They got some red silk curtains. A few potted plants. A settee. The largest bookshelf that they could carry back with them. An antique armoire that Stede saw once and talked about for days, until Ed went and bought it for him.

I think the furniture started to fill up all of the space from wall to wall, and I think they both slowly came to the realization that they wouldn’t possibly be able to squeeze another room in there.

I think that, almost without realizing it, they’d built a house for two. A home for two. And actually, maybe that was enough.

[azsazz]

Bloody Knuckles and the Songs of Death (Part 5)

Azriel x Reader

Summary: Reader is everything that Azriel is not. Opposite feelings but equal death in the end.

AKA: Half a rewrite of chapters 43-47 of ACOWAR where reader is now there as part of the Autumn Court, excited to meet Azriel. The other half are my own ideas.

Warnings: Major themes of death and torture, ACOWAR spoilers (previous parts), blood, gore, mentions of abuse, (eventual) smut.

Word Count: 1,796

(Part One) (Part Two) (Part 3) (Part 4)

Notes: I forgot how much I bloody love this one 😉

_________________________________________

The alliance doesn’t start well.

Without your ability to assure the others that Beron will come around and join their forces, your word means nothing to the rest of the High Lords.

You’re shown to a room for the night, and are left alone. There’s a platter of food to graze from, sitting on the table. It’s filled with luscious looking fruits and hearty meats to match. There’s a shining bottle of Dawn’s finest wine and a pair of glasses sitting next to the silver platter, as if it were more than just you alone tonight in this larger than large suite.

It’s all well and fine for you, though, because you are finally away from the clutches of Beron. 

As if he knows that you’re thinking of him, the hatred for the male that’s kept you prisoner for so many years, the bargain mark on your forearm begins burning in reminder. You tug up the sleeve of your deep chocolate leathers with a hiss, watching as the palm shaped burn mark flushes red with heat.

Beron always likes to assure his bargains with a handprint. You’ve seen enough of them to go around, even if the High Lord commanded to mark you in a place that could be easily concealed. Backs of necks, biceps, even the occasional palm print across a cheek are all of the marks you’ve seen made by the Autumn Lord.

Gritting your teeth, you snag the bottle and a couple of berries, eating them from your palm as you stride for the armoire. Slugging the bottle on one of the sweater-lined shelves, you strip the clothes from your body, breathing in a sigh of relief from the constricting leather. Your arm still burns with the remnants of your master’s reminder, as it always does, and you hope that the drink and the cool breeze of Dawn will sate your warm skin.

It’s not the burn you yearn for, that heat of a body beneath you while you wring their life in your hands.

The whisper of silk slides graciously across your skin, smooth and soft as you slip the nightdress over your head. The creamy lavender color matches the skies, you notice as you snag the bottle of wine by the neck and move towards the balcony. 

Stuffing the rest of the berries in your mouth, you shove through the heavy wooden doors, pausing on the threshold as the dawn breeze blows the hair back from your face, caressing your hot cheeks.

You don’t know how you’re to convince the other High Lord’s that Beron will join their ranks, don’t know how Eris will convince his father of doing the same. They’re weary of you, that much is obvious, left behind in the wake of the royal family's disappearance like a stray pet.

They don’t know how true that statement is, you think as you glare down at the mark adorning your otherwise unmarked skin. 

The cork of the wine pops with an ease that settles you some. You could only wish that it were the cracking of bones splitting through flesh, hot blood seeping between your fingertips, down your throat like you crave. Your body thrums with need, death calling to you like a lost lover.

You choke down a sip of the wine, hardly tasting it as you shove the thoughts from your mind. There was a reason Beron had enslaved you to him, trapped you beneath his will, because of your powers, your bloodthirsty nature. You sought blood and despair, missed the way it coats the back of your throat, embedding itself into the prints of your fingers and beneath the curve of your nails, the scent clinging to your body for days. 

You itch.

The alcohol is a comforting burn as it goes down, warming your belly, but it will only continue to ignite that yearning within you. 

There’s no chance to slip from the palace, lure someone into your bed, a peregryn perhaps. Surely one missing from this luxurious court would not be missed, or maybe, at the very least, they’d let you cut them open for a taste.

You won’t even kill them, you don’t think, wanting only to bathe in the feeling of a soul on the cusp of death, clinging desperately to life, teetering on that oh-so fine line. It’s the final moments that you crave. The threat of death that makes you feel alive.

You sigh, rubbing your eyes with your fists furiously, as if you’re trying to erase the thoughts from your mind. Your power roils, trying to slip out on the breeze that drifts by, but you lock it down tight, shoving the bottle to your lips again as you greedily drink it back.

“Careful now,” a voice startles from behind and you choke. “That bottle was sent for two.” Deep red wine spills from your chin as you whirl around, searching for the voice.

But there is only darkness…that is, until it shifts, the gravelly voice ripping through the silent night like a death knell. One that makes your spirit stir.

You’re entranced by the way Azriel emerges, as if made from the shadows themselves. His skin gleams beneath the rising moon and his golden eyes glow with fire in the dark. Night-blessed, you realize as he steps closer, darkness sliding from his skin as if he controls its icy tendrils himself.

“What are you doing here, shadowsinger?” you ask, keeping your voice level as you swipe the drink off your chin with your arm. Some has splashed down your front, making you look freckled with blood, the way it coats your lavender gown. You catch him staring.

He doesn’t know why he’s here. He can tell himself it’s to spy for Rhysand all he wants but he knows it’s not true. He’s intrigued by you, wants to know more about your power and how you’d so easily stopped him from snapping Eris’ neck. How you’d slipped past his guard with no resistance and why your eyes lit up at the sight of his blood.

Azriel is drawn in a way that he can’t stop. Like blood to a heart or the sun to the moon. It’s dangerous, him being here, but he can hardly control his feet as they move closer to you, his body aches to be in your presence.

“What are you?” he asks, forcing himself to halt a few feet away from you. His wings are pulled taut behind his back, claws curved inward and backlit by the moon. They make him look like a prince of Hel, horned and handsome beyond belief.

You eye him wearily, even if you do have to crane your neck back so high it hurts to look up at his towering figure. You clench the bottle of wine tighter in your hands so they don’t reach out for him, to wipe that still gleaming bead of blood from his split lip. 

“There is no name for what I am,” you answer simply, “And if there is, it isn’t one I have heard in a long time.”

The corner of his mouth pulls down in a frown and you watch eagerly as the wounded skin tugs. You don’t realize you’re licking your lips until his golden gaze flickers down to watch the motion.

You stifle the burning sensation creeping up your cheeks, taking another swig of the wine to wet your suddenly dry mouth.

He moves a step closer, and you follow in response. You can’t stop staring at each other, only a breath away from each other now, drawn together by an unknown force, cold and warm death meeting again after so long apart.

“Where did he find you?” he wonders, voice a whisper of shadow, as if he had not meant to speak it aloud.

“You think that the Night Court is the only court that holds a prison?” You purr, taking his hand in yours. Azriel does not pull away, if only because he understands how easily you can slip into his mind and wreck him…more than you already are, at least.

His heart aches in his chest but he likes it. Likes the way you caress his scars, looking at them as if they aren’t something to be embarrassed about. Your fingers are warm, and they feel delicious against his own, cold skin. He can see the way that your eyes light with fire as you stare at his torn knuckles and his throat bobs when you fix your gaze on his from lowered lashes, your pink tongue poking out to lap tentatively at his split skin.

It’s difficult not to react to the shiver that crawls down his spine.

Your hand around the neck of the bottle loosens as the taste of him bursts across your tongue. It’s shadowy freshness coats your mouth, awakens your soul as you swallow it down. His reflexes are quick, snatching up the bottle before it crashes to the ground. He necks the bottle back and you watch the bob of his throat as he drinks, a long line of red slowly dribbling down the tan skin of his neck. You shove closer to him. You want to lick it from his throat.

Your power flares, reaching out to him on a sharp exhale. There is no holding it back.

“Deep beneath the oldest oak in Autumn, buried beneath centuries of roots and earth, there is a prison,” your voice is soft, caressing his wet skin, and his breath is trapped in his throat. His fingers don’t twitch to reach for Truth-Teller, instead he wants to reach out, brush the hair from your face, slide his hand behind your neck, and tug you into him roughly, pressing your burning body flush to his night-cold one.

“I saw the way you looked,” he says hoarsely, as if he’s straining to keep whatever darkness lurks within him, clawing its way out to you, at bay. “When Feyre held Beron hostage with her power. That look in your eyes…you’re no longer a prisoner beneath the Oaks, but prisoner to him now, aren’t you?”

You swallow roughly. A curt nod is all you can muster in response.

“You want him dead?” Azriel asks, golden eyes pinning you beneath his stare.

“Yes,” you admit, voice so quiet as if the wind itself will carry your admission all the way to Autumn.

The sweep of his feathery hair brushes your brow as he leans in. Your heart leaps in your chest as if trying to rip its way out of your body to meet his as he lowers himself flush, hot against your frozen body.

His answer is a promise of death, tingling against your lips as he draws himself down to you.

“So be it.”

[so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed]

saw some things on the other side [61K, Larry, M]

Louis can vaguely hear the grandfather clock chime downstairs, signalling the start of the ghost hour, and a shiver runs up his spine as he pushes the door open.

Part of him expects it to be jammed like before, but instead it swings open easily, and for a moment Louis’ eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness. Holding up his phone with shaky hands, he shines the flashlight over the furniture in the room, the curtains that in the daylight had looked so vibrant.

They look tattered now, hanging limply from the rod. The wooden armoire and the bed are ornate and beautiful still, but even from the doorway Louis can see a thick layer of dust, undisturbed for what has been probably the better part of a century.

Louis isn’t sure whether he feels relieved or disappointed, but he definitely feels unsettled. Because this room is what he’d expected to find this afternoon, and yet he can still see the boy he’d met then so clearly now, even when the room looks different from the way it had back then. He doesn’t even have to close his eyes to envision the way it had looked earlier today, and surely it can’t have been a dream, right? Had he gone into this room, expecting to find something more than just dust and forgotten furniture, and had his dream made up for the disappointing ending to a mystery that had only existed in his head?

When Louis moves into the mansion he’s inherited from his great grandfather, he has a plan that consists of three things. One, he’s going to finish writing the next novel in his series. Two, he’s finally going to get over his ex-fiancé. And three, while battling writer’s block and having to resist the urge to kill off the main character in his books – the hot detective based on his ex-fiancé – he’s going to restore the mansion to its former glory.

Unfortunately, Louis’ plan doesn’t take into account the fact that instead of writing murder mysteries, he will find himself in one.

Written for the @onedirectionbigbang with art by the amazing @monpetithl

Read it now on AO3!

[carcarcraziiv2]

The Woman with the Pink Hair (Parts 10, 11, 12, and 13 (final))

HERE ARE THE LAST PARTS FOR THE WOMAN WITH THE PINK HAIR! I Sincerely hope you enjoyed <3. I have already started the next story in the series (oooo). Lmk if you wanna see it! <3

This is a Vi x Fem! Reader fanfiction.

Please note that this is the first piece I wrote after a HEFTY (I mean years long) hiatus from writing.

P.S. Lowkey I KNOW there's a bunch of shit I could fix in here to make it better due to my practice over the past year or so, but I just… I'm so lazy rn LOL. Anyhoooooo….

ALSO- here are the TW for you lovelies! (This is for the WHOLE SERIES)-

Violence, mental illness, oral sex, dominant tendencies, torture, kidnapping, plotting?… lowkey there's probably more but you should get the gist here, AS ALWAYS ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK ILY<3

READ PART ONE, TWO, AND THREE HERE->

https://www.tumblr.com/carcarcraziiv2/737189248110821376/the-woman-with-the-pink-hair-p-1-2-3?source=share

READ PART FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX HERE->

https://www.tumblr.com/carcarcraziiv2/738139002294747136/the-woman-with-the-pink-hair-p-4-5-6?source=share

READ PART SEVEN, EIGHT, AND NINE HERE-> https://www.tumblr.com/carcarcraziiv2/739738198020964352/the-woman-with-the-pink-hair-part-7-8-9?source=share

~~

PART TEN - Vi

 "What the hell...?", Vi said lightly, scanning the top deck of the ship she just boarded after returning from her confrontation with Kench. She was not in the mood for anything but a drink and to cuddle up with (y/n). Her stomach plummeted when she saw the small pool of blood a few feet away.

    Blind panic fills her soul, and she bolts for the stairs. Please don't be gone. Please don't be gone. She thinks to herself, silently pleading to the Gods she wasn't even sure exists. Basically jumping down the small flight of stairs into the cabin of the ship, she notices it is in disarray. The dark wooden table was flipped, and glass was shattered all over the floor. There was a trail of water from the top deck, down the stairs, leading directly to a dead stop in front of the room the two lovers were occupying.

   "Fuck, no no no!" Vi yelled, running down the hallway, and bursting into the room. The armoire was open, but there was no (y/n). "Fuck!" Her hands reached up to her hair, pulling as she fell to her knees. Her shoulders slumped, and she lowered her head and began to cry.

    After a few minutes of sobbing, Vi slowly crept up onto her feet again. No emotion on her face, her eyes glazed and icy cold. She walked over to the chest at the end of the bed and pulled it open. Inside were two large fighting gauntlets. She hadn't used them since all of the bullshit with Jayce. 

    There is no better time than the present, and she was prepared to destroy anyone in her path to finding (y/n). 

--- 🖤🖤🖤 ---

    "Please! Please! I'll do anything, just don-" Crack.

    The sickening crunch that resounded through the dark rocky cavern made you shiver. Prior to what you assumed to have been the untimely death of some other prisoner down here, the voice had sounded like a young woman, much like yourself. 

    You did not move as you waited to hear anymore sounds, shuffling, or wet slapping footsteps. Waiting nearly 20 minutes, you finally let out a gasp of breath, and crawled back to your corner where a useless excuse for a bed lay on the floor. It was nothing but a long, dirty piece of fabric. At one point, you were sure, it had been padded. 

   The cell was entirely uncomfortable, and you were sure you had been there for at least a week at this point. You prayed, which you never ever did, for someone to rescue you. The things that you and Vi shared for some reason did not fully convince you that she would want to go through the trouble of rescuing you. Hell, you didn't hardly know anything about her.

   Over the days that you had spent here, they had been sending in plates of slop, you weren't entirely certain of its origin, that smelled like absolute ass. The first few days you refused to eat, and Tahm personally came to inform you that if you didn't eat, he would either kill you or let you starve to death. You were sure no matter what you did, you had a death sentence over your head, but due to fear and your hunger you decided after the third day to finally just eat it. After today's food was delivered, a few hours after the confrontation down the hall, you heard those wet sloppy footsteps approaching the iron gate of your cell. 

    As the steps approached, you quickly scurried to the very most corner of the room, drawing your knees to your chin as you awaited and prayed that the beat would continue past. To your dismay, the large shadow enunciated by the faint candlelight in the hall stopped right before your door. 

    "(Y/N), I have some questions for you. Do you wish to comply, or are you going to make me force them from you?" The long-winded question reverberated through your body, making you tense up and tingles run down your spine. 

   You stayed silent. If there was anything you would do, talking would not be one of them.

   The creature let out a defeated sigh, and you held still, not wanting to react. Even as a tear began to fall down your face and the creature wabbled inside, and engulfed you in the rancid large mouth, you still did not struggle. 

    Mind blank, the only thought in your head was how easy it would be to break you. You had the pain tolerance of a baby and were terrified of what he might do. 

   As Tahm Kench walked, you sloshed around in the small space you were in. You could feel his long tongue wrapped around you like a rope holding you tight. Although slick and slimy, it did not budge when you dared to fidget ever so slightly. You simply squeezed your eyes shut, and forced the rising bile back down your throat as the journey quickly came to a stop. 

   He spit you out, and again you landed on a hard floor. Before you had the opportunity to take in your surroundings, two gruff pairs of hands were dragging you off the ground and sitting you onto a lone chair. Looking around, your eyes straining from the brightness, you realized that the sun was shining through a broken window to the left. In fact, it appeared that you were being kept underneath a large, abandoned boating house. 

  You were quickly snapped out of your realization when the monster began to speak..

   "Tell me, (y/n), how do you know Vi?"

   Silence.

   He let out a soft chuckle, and leaned closer to you, the motion looking hard due to the bulkiness of his body.

   "I will give you one more chance, child. How do you know Vi?" 

    Remaining silent once more, you conjured the spit in your mouth and spewed it directly into the monster's face. He took a moment to wipe the spit off of his face. Turning around, his chubby arms resting at his side, he looked over at one of his minions and nodded slightly before continuing his venture to the other side of the room. 

    Panic blossomed as you noticed what one of them was holding. In its green, wet hand you saw the sheen of a blade. You leaned as far away as you could as the creature approached you slowly, as if it was enjoying your fear. It leaned in, its face mere inches from your own, it raised the knife and pressed it to your cheek, snickering. It began to slowly press in, when you let out a sharp hiss.

    "She's my girlfriend," You said quickly, silently cursing yourself for breaking so quickly. As you realized the shit you were in, you prayed that he would not ask any in depth questions that you didn't know the answer to. You knew they wouldn't believe you. 

   Tahm turned back towards you, a long smile spreading on it's face.

   "Good," He said, and you felt he wasn't simply talking about your answer, but more so the ability to break you. 

PART ELEVEN- Unleashed

 Getting thrown back into your cell, you were wholly torn apart. The evil menace that had captured you picked you up, crumpled you in his palms, and threw you onto the ground. Entirely spent, you could not sleep, not while you knew that those demons were wandering the halls and rooms above you thinking you are hiding some important information from them. 

    You aren't.

    You hadn't a speck of knowledge aside from the things that you and Vi had shared. Kisses, long gazes, conversations about both of your childhoods. You realized, in that moment, that you didn't even know what her favorite color was. What kind of food she liked to eat or where she liked to go to get away from it all. 

    You decided that when - if - you got out of this hell hole, you were going to make a point of learning all of those things.

    Sighing, you wince as you roll over on the decrepit pad on the floor. Your ribs were bruised, at the least, if not having a few broken. Every breath you took caused a sharp lingering pain to blossom in your torso. There were small lashes on your arms, your face, and you were sticky from the sweat and blood covering your skin. As you laid there, tears falling at their own will down your cheek and onto the mattress, you prayed once more for your savior to find you.

--- 🖤🖤🖤---

---         VI         ---   

    "Tell me where the hell she is, I don't want this to be harder than it needs to be, Illaoi. Please, please just tell me," Vi seethed, her fists where clenched inside the large foreboding gauntlets.  Her heart was racing and breaking beneath her white tank top, her thick arms straining with the stress coursing through her veins. 

    Before her, Illaoi sat in an old brown leather chair, her legs spread and her forearms resting on her knees. Her fists were held together, acting as a podium in which she rest her sodden and tired face. 

    "Vi, I don't know where he keeps them. I only know where his base is. I am telling you this because I have been bound to that monster for far too long, and I, too, want to get my revenge. But please, you must call down. He has cronies all over the town, some who may be lingering these very halls. Their hearing is keen and sharp, and they will do anything in their power to protect their boss."

    "Do you think I give a single shit about that? Take me to his base," Vi spat, her body unflinching as she gave Illaoi the option, no, the order to take her where she needed to go. She would break through every god damn house in Bilgewater if it meant finding (y/n).

    "Vi, I ca-,"

    Vi slammed her fist against the wall, making the house shake. Dust fluttered off of the shelves and ceiling, littering Vi's shoulders and arms like sad rain.

    "Take. Me. There. Now." She said calmly, but her calm demeanor only hid the wrath behind her eyes so much. Illaoi sighed, standing. She was a tall, muscular woman, and her admitting defeat was anything but that. She was willing to fight for what she believed in, even if that meant risking her life. Vi was proud of her for that and vowed silently to forever be in her favor.

     After the woman collected her items and put on a few scraps of leather and gold armor on her arms and chest, they left the small apartment that Illaoi must have called home. Vi had located it after cornering Captain Fortune in a pub a few streets down.

    It had been 5 days since Vi last saw (y/n), and she didn't dare think about the possibilities of torture, of death, that have been plaguing her little love. She seethed, gritting her teeth and choking down the lump in her throat. She would not cry, not here, not now. Not while she needs to be strong.

    Illaoi led her down a few wary streets, venturing down a few blocks from where they started. They ended up at some old rotting docks, the boards broken and falling into the stinking sea beneath them.  

    "That boat house, down at the end. That is where Kench and his men do their biddings. I will not proceed, but I will be here, waiting. Yell if you need me, and I will come to you. I will help you, for the sake of defeating Kench."

    Vi merely nodded, her fists clenching within her gauntlets as she strode towards the decrepit building. The place smelled this shit, like him, and she was not happy about the concept that (y/n) may be here somewhere. 

    The thought rattled her, that she could be a mere few feet away and Vi wouldn't even know. She silently begged the gods that she was here, simply so that she could rescue her as soon as possible.

    Approaching the large rusted doors, Vi didn't care about silently entering. She slammed through them with her gauntlets, making the whole building shake as the door shattered in front of her. She stomped in, over the broken wooden splinters littering the floor. Across the warn concrete floor, there was a table of cronies playing cards and shooting shit with each other. They all looked up in unison, gaping at Vi before everything broke into chaos. 

    Two of them approached her, unsheathing sharp twisting blades and stalking in her direction. Vi cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders, and snarled as she began stalking towards her. 

    The one on the right lashed out, and she quickly parried it by bringing her massive metal fists up and smashing it against its body, making it fly to the wall beside them. It slunk to the ground, grunting with no appearance that it was going to stand. The second one ran at her, and she turned 45 degrees to her right, launching her fist into the creature's face. A sick crunching sound reverberated through the building, and it fell to the ground before her. 

    It held its nose and whimpered slightly as Vi lent down to grasp its dirty hole ridden shirt. She lifted it, her face a mere inches from her own.

    "Where is she?" She snarled.

    "I don't know who you're talking about," the creature snickered back. She could tell it was lying and that made her even more feral.

    "I will cut out your tongues and feed them to your cowering brothers," she threatened, pointing at the two others who were running towards a door in the back of the building. 

    A door she hadn't noticed before. A door she was sure led to the very captor she was looking for. 

    She shoved the monster to the ground, and it grunted on impact as she raised her fist again and punched his face into the ground. When she stood, the creature did not stir. She wasn't sure if it was dead or not, but she didn't care. The other that she had fought was still on the other side of the huge room, its body slouched against the base of the wall.

   Quiet, almost silent screams echoed below Vi's feet.

   She's here. She's here. She's here.

    Vi stormed towards the back of the room, slamming into the door. Those fuckers locked it, she thought. She didn't hesitate for a second as she brought back her fist and slammed it into the iron door. It didn't move but a smidge, and so she hit it again, and again. Finally, the bolts broke from their spots and the door shot open, not falling off of its hinges. A musty, sodden smell drifted up the stone stairs that Vi stood atop of. 

    Another scream echoed through the chambers below, this time much louder than before. She could hear shuffling, and the sounds of grunting as she assumed whoever was screaming was being dragged away.

    She cascaded down the steps, now more alert to her senses as the darkness encompassed her being. She wanted to be quiet enough so that they didn't know exactly where she was. They already knew she was here.

    She listened for more sounds, more grunting, more anything. Silence ensued, so she began walking down the dimly lit hallway. She noticed immediately the small iron gated rooms surrounding her. Each had a small sad bed on the floor. Some, there were bones and blood, others were empty. She reached the end of the stretch where another hallway collided with this one, making a T shape. The very last room she peered into before veering down to the left caused her to stop in her tracks.

    There, in the middle of the room, as if left as a sign for her and her alone was her jacket. Her dark red jacket she took from one of the first people she encountered in Zaun after getting out of prison.

     She was here. Vi could hardly hold back the vomit that threatened to rise in her throat, as she scanned the little stone room. From top to bottom, she could sense that she had been kept in here. Various plates were strewn across the room, rotting food sat on a few of the plates and she grimaced at the thought of (y/n) being forced to eat that trash. Gods know what it was.

    Right before she went to continue on her hunt, she heard another blood curdling scream, before a familiar voice yelled-

    "Vi? Vi! Please, anyo-," a grunt sounded from that voice, as if being punched in the stomach to quiet her pleas. White hot rage flooded Vi at the thought of someone touching and hurting her girl. Hers. 

    She zig zagged through a few more halls, before descending a small staircase and bursting through a door that she could hear a ruckus coming out of. The sounds; crying, cursing, and heavy breathing. Vi had to momentarily shield her eyes as brightness flooded her vision. As they adjusted, she took in her surroundings quickly. 

    There, in the middle of the room, bound to a chair and gagged, was a beaten and bloody (y/n). Her eyes widened at the sight of Vi, and she whimpered, pulling lightly at her restraints. Vi started towards her, her only inclination to free her immediately. At her first step, she heard (y/n) yelling through the gag, her eyes widening and her head shaking vigorously. Vi took another step, and (y/n) closed her eyes and screamed into the gag. Only then did Vi realize there was a crony behind her, using her as a meat shield with a knife to her back. 

    "Well, well, well," a familiar voice boomed. Vi didn't flinch as Tahm Kench emerged from a shadowed room to the far right that she hadn't noticed before. "It's a pleasure, as always, Vi."

    "Free her, Kench. Now." Vi ordered. It merely offered a chuckle in response.

    "For a price, child. Everything comes with a price."

     "What do you want?" Vi pleaded. She did not plan to go through with anything, other than to get (y/n) as far away from here as possible.

     "Your girlfriend here told me a lot about you. About your connections to the one they call Jinx?" Panic flooded her momentarily, and she glanced at (y/n) who only sobbed, her head sagged to her chest. She knew (y/n) was strong and must have endured a lot to say anything. "Although, she wouldn't tell us anything else. About your dealings in Piltover. Pity, if she had cooperated, I would have offered her a clean, easy death. But they never do, do they Vi?"

     She shuttered at the thought and burst out of her stance towards kench. She stopped dead in her tracks when 10 other creatures came out of the shadows. Fuck, she thought. She knew Kench could, and would fight too, but she didn't know his moves, what to expect. Thinking for a moment, she knew what she had to do.

    She leaned back her head, and as loud as humanly possible she yelled, "ILLAOI!"

    A quiet tense aura shifted the place, each of the creatures looking back and forth at one another. A minute passed before Vi cursed again, and a few of them laughed. 

    "Illaoi? That is how you found us, huh?" Tahm smirked, a hint of distaste lingering in his tone. "She wouldn't dare come down here and face me, not for the like of you."

     Just as he finished his sentence, Vi felt the heavy presence of Illaoi's spiritual bonds to the Kraken. The air shifted into a heavy, haunting, foreboding feeling. She turned around, just in time to see the massive woman breach the threshold of the room. She glowed slightly, Vi realized then, and her power was emanating through her and rippling through her room. 

    Illaoi did not hesitate as she approached Kench. All of his cronies seemed to cower in her powerful presence. 

    "Release the girl, Kench," She stated plainly. 

    "You do not understand what you are doing, woman," Tahm said, sounding slightly afraid. Even the great demon cowered in her presence. Vi made note not to fuck with Illaoi. 

     "I suppose you are going to do this the hard way," She mocked. She must have been closer than I thought. Suddenly, all around the room, large green spirit like tentacles rose from the floor, flapping mindlessly left and right. Illaoi glanced back at Vi, "Take her, and come help me kill these scum." 

    Vi did not hesitate as roaring combat erupted around her. Her primary focus was (y/n). She stormed over to her, immediately ripping the binds of the gag off of her face. She threw it to the floor and leaned down, making quick work of the bindings around her arms and legs. (y/n) quietly sobbed and looked up through her wet, blood-matted hair at Vi.

--- 🖤🖤🖤---

(Y/N)

    You couldn't stop crying. Not now, not here. Not while Vi knelt in front of you looking entirely panicked and you couldn't move an inch. Every part of your body ached, and you felt weak from blood loss. You didn't flinch, though, as Vi delicately looped one arm under your legs and the other around your back and carried you towards the stairs. She set you down, on the steps, far enough away to keep you safe, but close enough to be able to monitor you. 

   "I've got you, baby. I've got you," She brushed a hand lightly over your bruised face, and you winced from her touch. The color drained from her face, and she looked utterly defeated as she stood. "I have to help Illaoi, don't move." You almost, almost, laughed at that. As if you could move if you wanted to. You were so weak, so frail. 

    Maybe she would teach you how to fight, when this was all over with. You watched her as she turned her back to you, descending the few steps she had gone up. You could see through the doorway the hell that had broken lose. Illaoi had made quick work of the monsters that worked for Kench, the tentacles becoming solid and slamming into them, crushing the majority under their weight. Blood splattered the walls, screeches echoed until all was silent. The only remaining contender was Kench. 

    Before you, Illaoi shot out what appeared to be a tentacle, much smaller than all the others, towards kench. Before it could reach him, a giant hole summoned below the monster, and he jumped into it. You gasped, then grimaced from that pain it caused your body. Suddenly, you heard a wet thud from above you. 

    You didn't dare look behind you, you knew who it was already.

    "You have caused me quite a bit of trouble, child," he said, his stubby arms wrapping around you. You let out a scream, guttural and otherworldly, as you grabbed the knife that was still attached to your thigh. It had gone unnoticed, or more likely, they hadn't bothered to care simply because you were a weak little human. 

    Slashing backwards, pure adrenaline made the pain subside slightly as your blade coursed through the thick skin of Tahms face. He let out a disgusting screech, dropping you. Your body rolled aimlessly down the stairs, and you could feel a snap as your arm landed beneath you. You let out a scream and saw Vi and Illaoi running towards you. Through your tears, and the encroaching darkness that was shrouding your vision, you noticed that Tahm was no longer at the top of the stairs.

    Before you lost consciousness, you saw the woman fall to her knees beside you, carefully adjusting your body and arm. Relentless pain tugged at your sanity.

    "(Y/N), baby, I've got you. I've got you. Let's go home." you heard her voice say faintly. Her tear ridden and bloody face was the last thing you saw before you lost consciousness. 

PART TWELVE- Encouragement

  Your eyes flutter open, and for a moment you are flustered. You do not recognize your surroundings, and you scramble up against the headboard of the large bed you realize you rest upon. Panting, you clutch the covers to your chest, your clean chest. After a moment, you also notice the pain.

    You yell out in pain, and quickly clamp a hand over your mouth.  Before the panic could set in, the door at the furthest left-hand corner of the room swings open. 

    At the threshold, Vi stares at you with wide eyes, panting as if she had sprinted to the room. For a brief moment, you were in shock. Vi let out a soft sigh of relief as she began walking over to you.

    You did not mean to, but you shrank from her. The experiences of the last week were still haunting your very being. She stopped in her tracks.

    "Baby, you're at my house. You're safe now," Vi said in a cool tone. Her hand was put up out in front of her as if to further reassure your safety with her gesture. It didn't take more than a second for tears to begin falling down your cheeks, cascading down your neck and onto your chest under the shirt you wore. 

    As Vi walked to the bed and sat on the edge, she placed a hand on your knee. You did not flinch away from her touch as you did when she was walking toward you. Instead, you let your head fall back against the headboard and let out a pitiful sigh through your sobs.

    "It hurts, Vi," was all you could muster. You hated sounding so pathetic, but the state your body was in was not one to argue. Vi nodded, and reached her hand up to your face, caressing it far more gently than she ever had before. In that moment, the only thing you could think of to say was, "What is your favorite color?"

    She looked slightly taken aback, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "It's red."

    You smiled slightly.

    "What is your favorite food?"

    "Um... don't make fun of me, but bar food?" she laughed, lowering her head in embarrassment. 

     "Where do you...escape to?" you said lightly, your gaze landing on her own piercing one. You twiddled your thumbs as she looked at you as if studying what she was seeing. She looked away, out the square window that, to your surprise, had sunlight seeping through. 

     "I used to leave for stretches of time after getting out of prison. Usually for odd jobs here and there." She looked back at you before she continued. "There is this place here in Piltover, where the trees surround a small lake close to the border of the undercity." She swallowed. "When I got out, I had... a relationship with an officer of one of the Council leader's daughters. They hated me, thought I was scum of the earth.

    I would leave Cait's house and wander the streets as if I knew where I was going. No matter where I went, people gave me dirty looks. They knew who I was. What I was. But when I found that place where the grass was green and the only noise was birds chirping and leaves rustling in the trees, I knew I had found my safe space.

    That was, of course, until I met you."

     You could feel your chest tightening, your heart aching for the harsh treatment she had received from people that didn't know her just because of where she came from. Where you both came from. 

    "When I met you, it felt like something clicked inside of me. Like a missing puzzle piece had gone into place. Even when I was throwing a fit in that alley way unsure of who you were. When I looked into your eyes in that moment, it felt like we were meant to be there. I was supposed to meet you. Every time thereafter that I saw you and you laughed, I felt that same feeling as I had at the lake. I felt safe."

     Tears that had dried on your face became wet again as new ones began tumbling down your cheeks. "Vi..." you whimpered; your mouth downturned in a far too dramatic that's so sweet type of look. "I feel the same way about you, too." You tried pushing off the headboard but hissed in a breath as a shooting pain traveled through your torso. Your arm, luckily, had been put back into place as you were unconscious. It no longer hurt aside from minor aching.

    Vi stood, and leaned over you so that her shadow covered your famished frame. Bending her neck, she raised her hand and lifted your chin ever so slightly with a single finger. Her lips pressed against yours so gently. It was as if she was ensuring that she would not break you. 

    "I am going to go downstairs and grab you something for the pain. You have two options, a remedy from a medic or booze."

    You let out a slight chuckle, and replied, "I think it would be smart to take a remedy this time."

    After a few minutes of observing the room you were in while she fetched the pain reliever, you came to the conclusion that this was her space. Her familiar (now quite destroyed) red jacket was thrown over the back of a black chair in the corner of the room. You could see spools of white wrapping on a desk that rested in front of a large rounded window, looking over what you presumed to be the city.

    "Here you go," Vi said, startling you slightly as she re-entered the room with food and a small bottle of red liquid. "This does not taste or smell great, please don't smell it like you smelt the shit on the ship." She sat beside you once again, popping open the small vile and handing it over to you. You hesitated, almost smelling it before reaching your other hand up and plugging your nose. Throwing your head back as you drank, you sank it back like a shot of whiskey. "Good girl." was all she said in response. You melted at her praise, feeling heat rise to your cheeks. She snickered, no doubt noticing your reaction.

    "Patience, baby. Once your better I am never letting you leave my room."

    "Promises, promises," was all you said in reply as a sly smile spread across your face.

PART THIRTEEN (FINAL)- Peace

- Spicy -    

It has been a few weeks since your expenditure with Tahm Kench. Vi had not lied for the most part, she had not let you leave her side even once after having rescued you. No matter where you went or what you did, she was with you.

    "(Y/N)," Vi said, lying next to you on her large bed. She lay on her side, resting her head on a hand and twirling absentmindedly fiddling with a piece of your hair with the other. "You feelin' okay today?"

     You nodded in response, turning your head away from your book to peer down at her. "Yeah of course babe, why?"

      "After everything, I just want to make sure you're okay. Like... mentally?" She gazed at you with concern lingering on her face, but as if she was trying to hide it. 

    �� Contemplating for a moment, you weren't entirely sure. You were certainly glad to be here, but it felt so sudden. Like all of these things had happened so out of the blue. The momentum of your life had been completely overturned, and the experiences of the last few months had certainly changed the way you think about things.

    "Honestly... I don't know. I am not scared, but I am not at peace. Do you know what I mean?" You looked at Vi as you talked with your hands. She nodded knowingly in response. "I am just glad I am out of that place, and we don't have anything to worry about. Plus, I feel a lot better physically which definitely helps."

    "Good. Do you want to go to that place I told you about? By the lake?" 

     You recalled the place that Vi had told you about being her hide-away location. Her peace. 

    "I would love that." You replied with a smile.

--- 🖤🖤🖤 ---

     Vi had given you a light sweater to wear, as spring had just arrived and although it was warmer than during the winter the wind was still crisp as it ran across your skin. 

    Walking through the streets of Piltover, you didn't care to look back at the gawkers and whisperers. You held Vi's hand in yours and felt like the most powerful woman in the world standing next to her. She did not look anywhere aside from ahead, and occasionally over at you to give a faint smile. 

    Approaching the end of a neighborhood road, the sidewalk curved around with a tall fence guarding from what lay beyond- the forest. You looked over at Vi and raised a brow.

    "Am I supposed to climb that?"

    She laughed, "My love, there are some obstacles you must overcome before you get to where you want to be."

    Although she was right, you still let out a prominent sigh and rolled your eyes to the heavens. She laughed again, bright and vibrant sounds radiating through your skin and bones. You approached the fence, using your fingers and boots to push you up, up, up and over the top. You took a moment at the top, looking over the small road you had come from. No one was watching, and you were thankful that no one was going to see you struggle with such a simple physical activity.

     "You ever going to come down?" Vi urged, shocking you from your revery. 

     "If I fall, will you catch me?" You said in response, nervous flutters racing through your chest. It was ridiculous, as it was only a few feet off of the ground. It felt like a hundred.

     "Always." She responded, looking you dead in the eyes. You sighed again, slowly turning your body and descending the opposing side of the fence. Once you nearly reached the bottom, you jumped off the last ten inches and turned to face Vi.

    "You have got to help me get into shape, honestly," You smiled, huffing out breaths. 

     After a tad bit of banter, the two of you continued walking. A thick line of trees sat ahead of you, a sweet whisper of pine lingering in the air. Vi released your hand and began walking forward, beckoning you to follow. You stepped in line behind her as she pushed branches aside and followed a path only known to her.

     "Here it is," Vi said, holding back another branch and stepping back as if revealing the area to you. You stepped forward, gawking at your surroundings as Vi stepped up behind you. 

     "Oh my Gods, its..." You started. You couldn't even find the words. A small meadow filled with Lavender, Honeysuckle, Tulips, and various other flowers rest in front of you. The breeze made gorgeous floral scents waft over to you, instantly relaxing your mind and muscles. A few feet ahead, you could see a round pond littered with lily pads. Across from the pond, the trees finished the circle encompassing the area. It really was a secluded paradise.

    "I know, right?" Vi smiled, looking longingly at what lay ahead. She grabbed your hand gently and pulled you with her as she began walking. "Over here there is a perfect place to lay down and look at the stars at night, if you want to stay long enough to do that."

    You nodded sheepishly, feeling honored to be taken to her sacred place. As you reached the flat plane of grass that looked almost manicured compared to the rest of the space, she sat down. Gently she tugged your hand to follow suit.

   Sitting in silence, you rested your head on her shoulder and looked across the water. It was crazy that all of these things had happened in the span of a few months. Meeting Vi, meeting her sister Jinx, getting kidnapped and tortured... All to lead to this place, next to this woman, who you could not deny you were falling undeniably in love with.

   "What are you thinking about, sweet stuff?" Vi murmurs, looking over at you with her head tilted as she lifts your chin with a finger. Your gaze meets hers and you take in her beauty. The small scar that sits on her pink lips, the jewelry in her nose. Her hardened eyes softening only for you. 

    "I think..." You start, pausing to suck in a shaky breath, "I think I'm in love with you, Vi."

     She looks taken aback, her eyebrows raising, and she blinks a few times. You feel heat rise to your cheeks before she smiles sweetly at you. Relief floods you when she responds.

     "I think, sweet stuff, that I may just love you, too." Her hand moves to your cheek, cupping your face. You lean into it, closing your eyes for a moment and inhaling deeply. When you open them, you meet her gaze. Her eyes have heated, lids lowering. As she gazes and you through her lashes, she runs her teeth over her bottom lip. "You know... I think you feel better enough that we can consummate our love... the good ol' fashioned way." She sniggers, raising a brow and tilting her head the other way. 

     "I suppose there is," You reply, trying to sound sultry even though you have no idea what you're doing.

    She giggles at your attempt, leaning in close. Your foreheads touch, and for a moment the two of you just sit there basking in each other's presence. You can feel her eyes on your lips, and instinctively you lick them. She lets out a small growl, moving her hand to the base of your neck and pulling you in. Her lips brush yours slightly, and a sigh escapes you. As your lips part, she enters you with her tongue. The two of you kissing passionately, she slowly lays you backward on the grass you sat upon. 

    Vi wants to cater to you, to love you. She wants you to feel special, but you can tell that there is something else urging her to go faster. She is ravenous to taste you, it seems, as she quickly trails down your body and pulls the pants down that you are wearing. You nearly reach down to cover yourself, but she snaps her gaze up to your own with an intensity so fierce you can't help but feel obliged to let her move forward. 

    Leaning your head back on the grass, your breathing intensifies as you feel her breath brush against your bare skin. The feeling of being out in the open, in the wild, is exhilarating. You had never experienced anything like this, and you are more than happy to be doing it with her. 

    Deep in thought, you intake a sharp breath of air as you feel her flat tongue lick you from your opening up to your clit. The world slows, but she speeds up. Your eyes roll back into your head as you reach out a hand a clasp her hair. She lets out a satisfied groan.

    "Fuck, baby. You look so fucking hot when I am pleasing you," Vi says quickly, returning to what she was doing. You feel one of her hands travel down your side, past your thigh and to your center. She pauses briefly as she adjusts herself and inserts a finger into you. Vi curves it up, flicking that spot perfectly, making little breathy moans escape your lips as she continues licking and worshipping your clit. 

    "Vi... Vi I'm gonna...", you start to say, and she looks up at you, breathing against your pussy only to pause for a moment.

     "Look at me while you cum, Princess," She urges, returning to that spot. You look down at her, and as she consumes you, you see her eyes meet your own, and you explode into a million pieces. You can't help it, falling back and bucking your hips against her face. She doesn't stop savoring the moment, until you use the hand that was once clenched in her hair to gently stop her.

    She smiles, a feline smile as she retreats from your throbbing pussy. You're panting heavily, and she crawls up your body. You think she is going to kiss you, but she brings the hand that she was fingerbanging you with to your mouth. You reach out your tongue and suck your juices off of her finger, and watch as she inhales and closes her eyes. 

    Using all of the strength you can muster, you grab her wrist and pull her to the side. As she falls over, you giggle maniacally and crawl on top of her. She laughs out loud as if shocked you got the upper hand for even just a moment. 

     "Now, Vi, let me return the favor? This love... it isn't one sided." Before she can open her mouth to protest, you lean down and kiss her long and hard, letting your right-hand trail down her neck, her breasts, until it brushes over a nipple. She gasps, and you can't help but marvel in the fact that she is sitting here beneath you. Vi looks so stunning, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Her blue eyes are hooded, never leaving your own.

     You lean down, unzipping her jacket as you go. You let it fall to the sides of her torso, and slowly caress her bare stomach underneath her white tank top. You pull it up and up until her chest is exposed to you. You had often wondered what she would look like here, as you hadn't gotten the opportunity to see yet. But she was perfect. Her breasts were not big but not small, cute little pink buds were hard as the breeze and most certainly her arousal enticed them. You bit your lip, before leaning down and taking one into your mouth. Swirling around it, sucking, and releasing it with a pop. You turned your attention to the other and did the same thing. 

    After you were satisfied that she was feeling positively enchanted, you trailed soft kisses down her stomach, stopping at the hem of her pants. You hooked a finger in one of the belt loops and looked up at her expectant gaze. In this moment, you recalled the first time she did this to you.

    "Is this okay?" You smiled, and she smiled back. She must have also remembered what she said to you that night on the ship.

     "More than okay, Sweet stuff," she said, no louder than a whisper. 

    You took no time in removing her bottoms, her panties, and marveling at her beautiful pussy. She was so wet, glistening. The thought that you were what caused her intense arousal made you proud. You had no mercy in your fucking her. The love flowed through you and your tongue against her clit until she was crying out your name. You had never heard her sound like that before, so sensual, so free.

    After you were finished, you both got your clothes back on. Vi rested her head on an arm as her back pressed against the grass, and you climbed up and onto her chest. Mainly, the two of you were looking at the stars.

    "I guess we get to look at the stars, after all," She smiled, and you glanced at her in awe.

    "If it's with you, I will do anything." You shifted onto your stomach, resting your chin on her chest so your face was directed at her. "Because after everything we have been through, I have come to realize that you're my escape, too. You're my home."

     Vi stretched down, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. You rose up slightly, to accommodate the space between the two of you and shared a pleasant, soft and loving kiss.

    You realized, in that moment under the stars, that there was nothing you would ever change about the past. And that the future, no matter what it could bring, would always be better than it could of been before if you were with her.

    Your home. 

------  🖤🖤🖤 ------      THE END      ------ 🖤🖤🖤 ------

[phantomcurtaincall]

closed started with @oughtabeinpxctures

There was a heavy dampness in the air when they started.

The warehouse was an unsuspecting place for them to practice; it was a distillery after all. It smelled heavily of iron and burned barrels, even up to the second floor where they cleared out a large area for their work. One wall was lined with storage of various aromatics, vegetables, and bones. Another with beds, vanities, and armoires-- a communal space.

On the wooden floor, a circle of chalk was drawn with inscriptions and swirls inside. Around it sat several people; both men and women, old and young, and appearing from different trades. Yet, in this moment they were one. Each had an artefact of their own with them and a glass of dark wine.

They whispered, worried, amongst themselves--

«How are we doing this again?» «What do we say?» «Who starts?»

Questions are answered and a hush falls over the dim, candle-lit room; their eyes look to glow against the flames. One set of hands falls in the circle, then two more, then around to the final pair to close the gap and close the circuit. Anxiety fills the room, the desperation is tangible, the wait to see if their prayer will go unacknowledged by another god fills them with fear--

Until the air seems to snap and the smell of rain fills the room.

[dawnholde-if]

(Belated) Snippet Sunday

You wake with a start to unfamiliar walls and scratchy sheets. A flickering candle by your bedside casts dancing shadows on the faded wallpaper. The bed you’re lying on creaks as you sit up to better take in your surroundings.

The room you’re currently in is square. The floor is wooden, and as you swing your legs over the side of your bed, your feet are met with a plush rug. Your bed is in the opposite corner from the door, and in the corner across, there’s a tall armoire where two versions of a brand-new uniform hang, one design with pants, the other with skirts. Next to the armoire sits a trunk, wooden and adorned with dark metal. The padlock is ornate, bearing the seal of the Monarch of Sparia.

Your homeland... but not anymore.

[zannesgender]

Hey. I don't really post much here bc I don't have much to say. I tried writing a short story as a kink shit post the other day and I liked how it turned out. This place is better for that sort of longer form text, so I'm gonna stick it up here as well. Disclaimers: I am not a writer, I do not have a zombie kink, this is a story I wrote about zombie sex.

You throw your shoulder into the front door, splintering the frame as you collapse into the threshold. She stumbles over your body, unshouldering her rifle and placing it on the dusty floor. She regains her footing and hastily helps you to your feet. You shut the door as best you can and assess this new interior. As you both frantically dart your eyes across the room, you simultaneously settle on a tall, wooden armoire, drawers stripped and cabinets bare, but solid. Each claiming a side, you move the furniture in front of the door. You next grab the nearby loveseat and move that into position as well. Exhausted, you each fall onto the loveseat to catch your breath and think. You unholster your handgun and rest it on your lap. You know instinctually that the rest of the house has not been secured, like a subconscious knot of anxiety that cannot be released until you do the work. But just a minute, fuck, you just need one god damn minute.

“We need to sweep,” she says, shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her.

“What the fuck was that? The way was supposed to be clear. Patrols have had it clean for over a month.”

“Must have been a breach. Closest settlement from their direction would be Lynchburg. Not that we would have heard shit from them, not after Carrigan started heading the board. Fucking fragile little assholes.” You nod your head, those residual slugs of the American prepper community can’t ever seem to learn a god damn thing.

“We need to get word back to Carrigan or Summerton will be blindsided by nightfall. And God knows how many caravans will get caught up in it.”

“How the fuck do you expect to do that? Closest comm station is two miles through a swarm of three hundred fucking zombies. Next one is twenty miles west.”

“We dump our packs and haul ass. We still have 6 hours of daylight.” You’re pretty beat, but a little rest and you know you can pace yourself out in time. It’s not even a marathon, and you’ve done those in half the time, back before the world began.

“Maybe, but I need a bit. Let’s sweep this house real quick.” She gets up from her seat slowly and retrieves her rifle from the floor, slinging it back over her shoulder, and slides out her sidearm. “I got point.” You usually take point, but you’re not gonna argue. Besides, this house looks like it’s been swept and scavenged a dozen times over the years. You’re not expecting any surprises.

You sweep through every corner of the three-bedroom rancher with little incident. You have to shift some kitchen furniture around to secure the back door, which was previously kicked in. It’s long-since been picked-over of anything useful, and you end your survey lying down on a California king four-poster bed in the primary bedroom. The knot of anxiety finally loosens as you sink into the mattress. She leans her rifle against the empty nightstand and joins you, sitting a bit too rigidly on the side of the bed, staring into her open pack on the floor. She gives a deep sigh and pulls out her loop of rope. “Babe, I’m gonna need you to do something for me. I don’t have much time, and definitely not enough for you to melt down.”

Your body tenses, a numbness surges through your limbs and your stomach sinks. “What are you talking about?” you quiver, but you already know exactly what she’s talking about. “How? We got away. Are you sure it’s not just a scratch?” Then you notice the wet spot on her black cotton t-shirt. She pulls off the shirt, revealing an open wound, no longer bleeding, but dry and necrotic at the margins.

“Yeah, I’m sure. And I’m gonna need you one last time.” She uses her knife to section out four lengths of rope. “Make it tight. Make it hurt.” She gives you the ropes and begins to undress.

You’re still trying to process the reality of it all. You recall that night, around the bonfire, passing around a jar of Trudy’s jet fuel and unwinding with the camp. Troy asked the group how they’d go out if they got bit, the sort of gallows question you ask people grown hard and cold to this world. “If I’ve got my side-arm. Y’all just leave me to myself,” Marcus said, poking a stick into the fire. Your arms were wrapped around your girl to keep her warm, to smell her hair, a mix of salt and dirt and smoke and that sweetness underneath it all that never faded. She spoke next in a slurred but sultry voice, “Babe, if I get bit, I want you to just tie me down and fuck me to death.” Troy spit his drink up into the bonfire, igniting in a whoosh as the group joined in laughter. “I can do that for you,” you said, “but then I’m gonna have to get going,” and you kiss the top of her head and smirk at the laughing circle of your fire-lit family.

She smiles up at you, her eyes slow-blinking you like a soothed cat. Your eyes sting from trying to hold back the tears, but your fingers know these ropes, and work the knots unthinkingly as they’ve done a thousand times before. First the hands, then the feet. You’re careful to anchor the hands low on the posters to ensure as little movement as possible after she… after it’s done. You straddle her, admiring every curve of her as if it’s the last time, your penis pressed against hers. Your hands trace up and down her sides and around her breasts as you feel her grow against you, her nipples hardening at your touch. You lean forward and down and kiss her, delicately at first, caressing her face and neck and sliding your hands down the length of her slender, firm, tethered arms flexing against their restraints. You pull back just enough to whisper, “I fucking love you.”

She smiles and whispers back, “Then fuck me ‘til I’m gone, and maybe a bit more if you want.” Her smile breaks into a grin and you kiss her hard, hungrily, your tongue exploring every familiar contour of her soft mouth. After applying some of Trudy’s lubricating gel from the pack, you enter her slowly, gently. Her eager hole accepts you readily and you become one for the last time. Your mind swims, trying to take in every last detail as her breath quickens and her chest rises and falls, shimmering and perfect. When you feel her moment approach, you reach down and take her swollen dick in your hand as you quicken your thrusts into her. Her breaths turn to moans and squeaking pleas of “Yes, fuck yes.” Her back arches as you thrust deep inside and her light spurt of crystal ejaculate stretches thinly across your hand and into her navel. Her back falls into the mattress and she breathes deep and slow. You lean forwards to kiss her, but her hips buck and her head turns away to the side. Then she exhales deeply and is still, silent, perfect.

Alone, but still inside of her, you allow your tears to come. Streaming, shrieking tears mark this final shattering of your world. Every day that has ever mattered started with you waking up in hell next to the most beautiful creature you could have ever imagined. Every struggle you’ve faced in the blistering sun and choking dirt you conquered with ease knowing every night you would get to hold her and feel her drift into sleep. You had everything this morning and you knew to savour every moment of it. Now, at the end of it all, you regret nothing. You’ve decided you don’t want to run anymore.

You grab the loop of rope and cut four measures for yourself. You’re not sure if you’re too cowardly to continue or brave enough to accept your end. In this lonely, abandoned home, those words lose all meaning. They are standards and concepts rendered meaningless in a world that has shrunk to the size of a California king. You start with your legs, and finish tying up your right hand with a firm jerk of your head. As the last end of rope drops from your jaw, you feel the body stir underneath you. You barely pull out of range before the head snaps towards you hissing and lurching for a bite of you.

The shock sets your heart pounding again, and you watch as the head weaves back and forth, mouth grasping desperately at you, shoulders struggling against the restraint. You breathe deeply, exhaling as you move close, enjoining your mouth to what remains of the world. You feel the teeth sink into your tongue as your mouths fill with blood. You pull back and moan as you slip inside of the writhing beast for the first time. You drink the blood and feel the poison burn down your throat. Beneath you, the creature gnaws at the meat it has been fed. Your arousal overcomes you and you begin thrusting ever more voraciously. Every moment of her reels through your mind as you close your eyes and fall into your needed rhythm. The surge of ecstasy engulfs you, your mind burns with pleasure as your body shudders one final gasping time. Your head falls on the creature’s chest as your awareness fades and spreads thin across eternity. It does not try to bite you, for you are one now.

[grae-98]

Treatment

Chapter 4: Visiting Strangers

Set between 1880-1890, You have been feeling and acting off. After visiting the doctor's he sends you off to stay in Pelican Town where you are set to receive treatment for your condition. Upon arrival you learn the doctor administering these treatments is better than you think.

Harvey/ unnamed afab!reader

2nd pov

I stopped keeping track of word count. About 3k

trigger warnings: reader is diagnosed with hysteria, mentions of depression, cheating/ adultery, doctor/ patient relationship, mentions of infertility

smut tags: fingering, cunnilingus, grinding, piv, heavy smut

notes: i do have this posted on ao3 if you'd prefer to read it there.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

Correspondence with the lawyer was easy. You wrote to him explaining that you would be interested in receiving his services. You provided details of your marriage with your husband and explained that you weren’t entirely sure what sort of service he may be able to provide. Only a week later when you got your letter setting up a time for him to visit you. He is to visit Pelican Town on the second Monday after the start of winter. He explained that he would review the information you provided him and would retain more after your meeting. The start of winter was only one week away, and you needed to find something to bide your time while you wait for your meeting with him.

As the early setting sun had long since passed. The golden light fallen behind the trees making for you to light your lamps. Sitting at the small dark wooden desk with the letter still in your hand you hear a knock at the door.

‘Must be time for bed.’ You thought to yourself.

A quiet voice spoke, “Ma’am, may I come in?”

“Yes, Haley please do.” You spoke as you do your same evening ritual. You stood from the desk and made your way closer to the open area of the room. Old floorboards creaking under each step. Turning your back towards Haley she began to unlace your ties.

“I wish to speak to you for a moment.” She said after helping you remove the boning from your torso. She turned to rest the blasted thing in the armoire.

“Yes, of course is there anything I may help you with?” Following the typical routine, you sat on the stool that faced the mirror. Haley removed each hair pin allowing your hair to fall in sections to your back.

“I find myself in an odd predicament. I took your advice and I have been looking for happiness. My sister insisted upon it actually.” She spoke with trepidation as though she feared how you would react.

“Very good! I am glad to hear that, most truly.” As she brushes out your hair you could hear the stress in her voice before she began to speak again.

 “I am to think that I may have to leave your employ.” So softly and with anxiety.

“Oh, Haley! What wonderful news, are you to be married already?” You turn to face her completely. You find her standing before you with a great smile etched into her fair cheeks. Her golden hair was tied meticulously while yours laid loosely around your neck and shoulders.

“Not yet, but soon. I was told by some others that he intends to propose in the coming week.” You stand, taking her hands and leading her to your bed for you both to sit.

“You will have to let me know when your wedding will be. I do hope you will allow me to attend.”

“Of course, I will have it no other way!” You both proceed to giggle like children as she tells you of her soon to be intended.

Two days have passed since your conversation with Haley, and you found yourself thinking while staring blankly at the books page in front of you. Eyes scanning the same paragraph repeatedly while you are unable to retain the words. Sighing you close the book unable to keep your thoughts quiet. You make your way over to the bookshelf slotting the novel back into its place. Slowly meandering back to the spot you were previously seated.

You spoke to yourself inside your head as though you were making conversation with yourself.

‘I do not know what to expect from this lawyer. I do not know if he can help me. Help me with what exactly? That is part of what I do not know. I still have yet to hear from my husband it’s almost like he is glad that I am gone. I did come here so quickly. The house hadn’t even been properly aired out yet before coming. It is odd how quickly he agreed that I should come away from him. I should have fought to stay, shouldn’t I? But then how will have you have met Harvey?’ Thoughts proceeded to be consumed by him, groaning you lay your hand to your forehead in hopes to stave off the coming headache.

“Ma’am?” One of the boys asked. Startled from your thoughts you jumped. You hadn’t even heard him enter.

“Yes?” You spoke breathlessly.

“There is someone here to see you.”

“Oh!” You stand. Running your hands down the front your dress. Walking over to the door you are greeted by a stranger. His brown hair and hazel eyes took you aback as you weren’t expecting company.

“Good day.” You spoke politely.

The gentleman removed his hat before he entered your home and was standing in your foyer looking around pleasantly. Mildly annoyed you cleared your throat, and it brought his attention back to you.

“Ah, yes. Good day. I am to assume you are the lady of the house.” He speaks matter-of-factly.

“I am, but I am sorry to inform you we are not entertaining solicitors presently.”

The man chuckles, “I am no solicitor ma’am. I have been sent her on behalf of Mr. Acunin.” The name catches your attention, and you offer a little more warmth to your voice compared to previously.

“I see, please do come in.” You motion for him to follow you before asking one of the boys to bring tea. After making the short walk to the drawing room you ask for him to sit in which he obliges.

“You said you’ve come on behalf of my lawyer?” You ask without spending time on pleasantries.

“I am.” He nods his head in agreement.

“I was not expecting Mr. Acunin until the beginning of the week after next.”

“Yes, and you still shall. I was sent here to get confirmation to begin my investigation.” Your brows pulled together at his statement as he took a drink of his newly poured tea.

“Investigation into what?” He set his cup gently onto the saucer placed on the table.

“Your husband, ma’am.”

“What of my husband? Who exactly are you?” Mild hostility entered your voice as you spoke.

“Pardon my brashness, I was hired my Mr. Acunin as a private detective for the case against your husband.” He shakes his head as a way to clear it.

“My deepest apologies sir, but I do not understand. What case against my husband?”

“I would imagine should it be for your divorce.” Shock filled your mind. A thousand thoughts running through like they were running a race.

“Divorce?” You ask shakily.

“Yes, I was under the impression you were to be filing for divorce should your husband be caught in extra marital affairs. That was Mr. Acunin informed me of. I just need your approval to begin the investigation.”

“What exactly would you be doing? Thought that the private detectives worked with the police in some cases.” Still on edge you respond as levelly as you can.

“In some cases, yes but not always. What I will do is follow your husband for around for a week, take note of his day-to-day involvements, search for any documents that might have been filed that pertain to you, and report all of my findings to Mr. Acunin.”

“I see.” You speak plainly.

“Ma’am, Dr. Harvey is here.” You turn to see Harvey standing in the threshold between the hallway and the drawing room with a look of surprise on his face.

“Oh my, look. Most days I am here to my lonesome and today I have received two visitors. Doctor Harvey I will be with you in a moment.” He nods, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

The private detective spoke once more, “I shall be gone soon, I just need your verbal and written consent if you please.”

You turn to look at him once more. Smile slowly dropping from your face as you do. The man eyes you and then the doctor before pulling a leather satchel loose. Riffling through papers before pulling them out followed by a fountain pen. Uncapping the pen and setting it next to the papers, you lift them to scan over what you will be signing.

Leaning over the table you sign your name and offer him the consent he was waiting for. “You may follow him, but please use your discretion. I would not like to see this come back to me.” He nods in understanding before blowing on the page and filing it back into his bag.

“Good day Ma’am.”

“And to you sir.” He is met at the door by one of the boys to open it for him. You watch as he leaves through the door and rush to the window to see him walk down the path to the edge of the property. Harvey still standing at the door captures your attention. He motions to you to follow him, and you do. Walking at similar pace to him he opens your bedroom door for you. Haley must have already lit the fireplace long ago because the warm air feels much different than that of just outside of it.

Looking over to Harvey he is removing his shoes and his vest coat. All part of the typical routine of your treatments. With no causing for alarm, you approached him after he stood up straight. Locking your arms around his waist, laying your head against his chest content just to hear his heart beating. You can hear the rumble in his voice as he began to speak, “Would you like to share who that was?”

“I will, soon. This is something too new that I do not wish to share until I have more information first. I will Harvey, I promise.” He places his hands on your shoulders to draw you from him.

“Why do I have the feeling that you are hiding something from me?” Looking over your face Harvey tilts your chin up to him.

“I have no reason to hide anything from you nor do I.” You remove your arms from him while lowering your jaw. Your voice temporarily filled with defensiveness.

“While I do not doubt that this all feels very secretive. Is he the reason you spoke with Robin several weeks ago?”

“Yes, he is part of the reason. You must trust that I will tell you more in the future. This may be something of benefit to us. I would like to not get both of our hopes high for us to be disappointed.” You place the extra emphasis on ‘us’ for Harvey to understand.

“I will trust you, my love. If this involves the two of us I will take you for your word and wait.” You smile brightly at him. Moving to embrace him once again he meets you half way. Tilting your chin up once more he leans down to match your height. Running the tip of his nose against your own he speaks in a whisper.

“Aside from your visitor, how do you fare today?” You look up to his eyes and his eyes find yours. Giving him another smile he mimics you again. The creases of his eyes are deeper than you’ve ever notice and there are trace freckles that are left behind from summer. You can see every pore, every crevice, every line.

“I missed you.” You spoke against his lips.

“You say that each time we meet.” He smiles as he bushes against your lips.

“I say it because it is true.” You press your parted lips lightly against his before pulling away again. “I say it, because it is easier to say than; my heart aches for you every moment that you are not nearest my side.” Harvey kisses you this time with only little more force.

“What else does it mean?” He says after pulling away again.

“It means that I feel like I am most comfortable laying in your arms. That I think about you most constantly. I think about your laugh, your blasted laugh makes me feel whole. I think of your hair, your nose, your voice, how you would respond if you were around me.” You kiss him, your eyes fluttering closed when you don’t break apart immediately. His hand finds your cheek as he rubs a thumb over your lip once you part. Eyes still closed; you press a kiss to the pad of his thumb before you speak again.

“And what is worst of all is that I torture myself over you. A beautiful kind of torture.”

“What kind of torture is that?”

“I like to imagine what it would be like to wake up with you in the morning. To kiss you as the break of dawn falls through our open window.” You place your palm against the center of Harvey’s chest. Feeling his pulse much greater than it was just minutes before.

“Our?” Harvey speaks softly.

“Our.” You repeat back. “I imagine you coming home from your clinic and I am here to greet you. I imagine that neither of us must be lonely. I feel whole with you.”

“You imagine us to have a home together?”

“But I wish for nothing more than to turn back the hands of time.”

“Do you wish us to never have met to save you from this torture?” His eyes look like glass from his statement.

“No, I wish to go back and marry you instead.”

“Marry me?” He speaks like this is the first time someone has admitted their love for him. You caress the cheek of him that is opposite of yours. You pull him in for your lips to graze tenderly.

“I wish that more than anything in the world.” You feel as though you could explode as Harvey drags you in so tightly. Pouring each emotion into you. This kiss was passionate and full of longing. You felt a sense of love that is deeper than any kiss shared previously.

Moving at a languid pace towards the bed he lays you down against the pillows. Although you’ve had your treatments twice a week for around four weeks now all your treatments are the proper conduct. Only the one time had you two lain together. It could be suspected that Harvey did not wish to be seen other than a gentleman or that perhaps he did not wish to take advantage of a situation.

Your dress feels tight against the belly and the bust as he lays you down.

“Harvey, I need you to unlace me first.” He helps pull you back up.

“Of course.” He speaks into your neck after he removes the jacket that is part of your dress. After making a show of loosening the strings of your corset he helps remove the bustle and petticoat from your skirts. Leaving you with little clothing you find yourself once again on your bed. This time with Harvey’s hands running the course along your body.

“You have gained some weight, my dove. It suits you well. You must have gained the appetite after starting treatment.” He spoke into the flesh of your thigh as he kissed his way up your leg.

“I suppose I have. Someone has been depleting my energy all these months.”

“And I will continue.” He laughed against you. Tongue dipping between your folds, both of you moaning. He remembered to remove his spectacles before descending this time, you watched as he placed them next to your head.

It had been two weeks since he has tasted you and he performs like he never had. Your hands tangled in his hair as his tongue slips from you and offers suckles against your clit. Crying out for him he offers his fingers to massage your breast. Occasionally twisting over a sensitive nipple, you moan his name.

Minutes pass as your heaving chest meets his hand while his mouth continues to lave against you. Legs now wrapped around his head Harvey’s fingers finally enter you. Feeling starved of his affection you ask him to kiss you. Letting your legs fall he moves up your body to kiss your lips once again.

“My darling, do you want it inside you again?”

“Please, Harvey more than anything.” He kisses you again before removing his bottoms completely. With no extra begging he proceeds to line himself with your entrance. Harvey pushes himself in just past the tip while groaning in satisfaction.

“As many times as I feel you with my hands you feel so much greater like this.” He speaks into your ear as he bottoms himself out inside of you. The walls of your sex feel so much more tender than usual. You place a hand on his backside to keep him from moving.

“Wait a moment. Let me enjoy the feeling of you and I connected.” Harvey stills completely while holding himself above you. Lowering himself to kiss your lips once again he speaks, “My heart, I love you the most of anything in this world.”

“I know Harvey. I feel the same, it is wonderful to be loved.” Your eyes well when his hips began to pull themselves back. A slow and precise tempo. This kept on for what felt like nearly 20 minutes in your mind, but in reality you knew it couldn’t have been that long before you asked for more.

Harvey seems to give you anything you ask for. His hips gain much momentum, skin began to slap and fluids flowed freely. Harvey sat up straight while delving into you to allow for faster thrusts. You could feel your end coming close, and it seems so could he. Pushing into you with great force he felt you tighten around him like a clamp. Crying in pleasure you raked your nails up his arms. Moaning as you reached you end Harvey quickly removed himself to relatch his mouth to your sex.

Not fully through your orgasm yet you feel his tongue flatten against you before retreating into his mouth. Cleaning you of all your liquids he proceeds to make you contract around his tongue once more.

“Oh Gods, Harvey!” You yell to him in a whispered hush. He smiles from down below while coming back up for air.

“You can give me one more.” He says to you. He has a look in his eye like he’s crazed. Before you can even respond he grabs your legs by the calves and pushes them to bend by your shoulder. After nearly folding you in half he takes himself in his hand once more and wipes it along your swollen folds. Moaning in a mix of pleasure and protest he pushes himself in.

Like the wind was knocked from your lungs your throat made a strange garble. He has never felt so deep within you and every wild thrust he pushed into you had you moaning wantonly into the had he placed onto your mouth not long ago. The other one of his hands left the back of your thigh to roughly stroke your clit.

“I want you to do that thing again.” Harvey was out of breath and was having trouble communicating while trying to focus his thrusts. You motioned a weak nod as you tightened against him on purpose. Throwing his head back in response he moves his right hand from your mouth to wipe his brow of sweat, left hand still focused on playing your venus like an instrument.

Harvey’s thrusts began to become shallower in hopes to stroke the place he has found many times with his fingers. Finally hitting the mark, you opened your mouth in a silent scream. You felt the fluid release from your body and trickle down your backside. Each thrust from the man above you were infinitely louder. Pleased with your reaction his hips resumed their rough course, bumbling into you with bruising pace. Your nails now like claws in his skin as he fucked you into your own mattress. Crying actual tears, you released again, more fluid dripping over your body. This didn’t seem to relent his pace at all, he continued undisturbed in his want to melt your brain.

“Harvey!” You hiccupped through cries. He looked down to you, eyes widening before he smiled an evil grin.

“Almost done, love.” He spoke as if he was telling the truth. I would be another two minutes before he released you from your position after his completion. Groaning above you hilt buried as deep as he could muster while slowly rocking himself into you. Your walls milking him with hunger. The loud pop as he pulled himself completely from you sounded in your ears.

Harvey leaned over you to place a soft kiss upon your lips and you returned the sentiment breathlessly. He stood from the bed to walk to the water basin near your vanity to dip a thin cloth. Walking over he soothed your abused sex with featherlight strokes against you. Your attempts to stand after were met with legs unable to hold your weight. You laughed when he handed you his arm to keep you steady. Looking up to Harvey you could see the sparkle in his eye as he smiled down to you.

_

The next week that passed by felt like an instant. Days bled together and offered little solace to your turbulent mind. Haley came in to dress you, then undress you twice a day, every day as per usual. Eat, read, play piano, read more, eat, do needle work, Harvey visit, eat again, write letters that go unanswered, sleep, repeat. The simplicity of a day it was. Although it was just biding time before you wait for your guest.

It was the second Monday after the start of winter that he did arrive. Coming in by train you offered one of your men to retrieve him from the platform. As soon as he arrived in your home, he greeted you kindly with a charming smile.

‘This is the man Robin recommended?’ You thought to yourself. You offered him to sit with you and poured the customary cup of tea. He explained several topics to you most of which had to do with the following.

“Solely based from the information I obtained through your letters I am to understand that perhaps your greatest option is divorce.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Divorce, madame. It is when you to become.” You cut him off to respond to him.

“Sir, I very well know what divorce is. I do not believe that I have the grounds to do so. My husband has never so much as laid a finger upon me, nor does he have any gambling problems. I have no reason to suspect that he has been unfaithful to me in our marriage… unless of course he is recently taken my absence as an invitation to do so.”

“Do you believe that while you are away there may be a chance he could try and do so?”

“Seeing as he allowed an imbecilic excuse for a doctor to taint his mind into thinking that I am affected by Briquets. I would say there may be a slight possibility, yes.”

“I see, I understand that you are seeing the local doctor here, is that correct?”

‘What does he mean by seeing?’ You think to yourself in a panic.

“I am, yes.” You respond while Mr. Acunin nods his head.

“I should need to speak with him to find how you are mentally. From our conversation here you seem sound, but I would like to speak with him myself.”

“I see, Doctor Harvey has been nothing but pleasant since the moment I arrived. You should like him greatly.”

“Should I?” He flashes a smile at you and you offer a polite nod in response. Taking a sip from your cup and looking out towards the window.

“There is a major option when it comes to your divorce. You said you have not had contact with your husband nearing a year now, is that true?”

“Yes, despite my best efforts I have not heard anything from him since before I arrived here. He had not even spoken to me before I had left for nearly a week.”

“When did you arrive in Pelican Town?”

“The beginning of spring this same year. I began my treatments nearly a year ago and they were only supposed to last 14 weeks. My husband was supposed to come to speak to the doctor to reevaluate my prognosis.”

“So, your husband is also neglecting your medical treatments as well?”

“That it seems.”

“I see. You met with my associate last week, and I will come see you again when he has found something that we might have of use. When I call upon you again, please have the doctor here as well. I would like him to make statement.” Mr. Acunin began to stand from the couch and gather his things.

“Yes, very good. I will see to it. It was a pleasure Mr. Acunin.”

You began walking him to the door before you spoke.

“Before you go. How exactly did you meet my good friend Robin?”

“Ah, her father was a friend of my father. That is all.” And with that he walked out of the door.

You wonder what kind of news he will bring you when he returns next.

[kpforpresident]

Ch 6 preview- To Be Alone With You

thanks for being patient with me kids- coming soon to an A03 near you x

///

Time passes differently on the ground than it does in space. 

Clarke wakes one morning after two months in Polis to find sunlight pouring through the windows that face out to the market, laughter floating on a honeysuckle breeze as children skip through the town square on their way to lessons. 

Clarke flops back into bed with a smile on her face as she shuts her eyes to filter through the noises of the city, pressing sleepy fingers into the light fur under her hips as she breathes in slowly, the birdsong a beautiful harmony to the lively sound of the people making their way through their daily routines. 

Clarkes pads her way over to the washing bowl that sits upon a slightly wobbly wooden armoire, dousing her face with water before she quickly rubs a towel over her skin. Still sleepy-eyed and clumsy, Clarke makes her way over to the balcony, throwing open the doors with a hand as she moves forward to let the breeze caress her face. Clarke stands in the doorway and stretches her hands overhead, rolling out the muscles as she revels in the slightly chilly air that rises to meet her, fog rolling off the trees in the distance.  

Clarke throws on a dark blue tunic and leather leggings before strapping a dagger to her waist, checking her hair in the cracked glass that hangs beside her water bowl before heading out of the door. Cadoc smoothly pushes off the wall beside her door to fall in step a heartbeat behind her, as he has every morning since Skaikru had officially joined the coalition. Lexa had insisted, steadfastly refusing to hear Clarke’s complaints that having a guard shadowing her put more of a target on her back. 

Clarke passes Lyria in the hallway as she heads for the staircase, who appears to have been coming up to Clarke’s room with a tray stacked high with sliced and whole fruit in various shapes and colors, complemented with a stack of toast and several pastries that glistened with a honey coating, nuts studded into their brown surfaces.

 Lyria exasperatedly wags a chastising finger at Clarke, thick red braids swinging through the air as she plants her free hand on her waist and cocks a hip, resting the large silver platter against her side. Madi hovers around her back, shooting a shy and tentative grin towards Clarke as she clutches a battered tin mug in her hands. Clarke sheepishly smiles at Madi, rubbing a hand on her neck as she halts her momentum momentarily. 

“Hei, Lyria and Madi,” Clarke says brightly, stumbling slightly on the Trig intonation before foraging onwards. One reason she had agreed to stay in Polis was to learn the language. So she was trying to intersperse it into her daily vernacular, much to the unbridled joy of the grounders around her. 

It had absolutely nothing to do with how Lexa’s eyes would light up when she stumbled through a phrase entirely in trig, or wished her a pleasant evening in Lexa’s mother tongue. 

Not at all.

///

[dumfanting]

25 Days of Life Day: Hot cocoa and fireside cuddles with Din and Grogu

Prompt response for @kaminocasey

I’ve actually never written anything related to The Mandalorian before, but I think I’ve done alright.

—

“Geez, it’s really coming down out there,” you mumble to yourself, sitting in a window seat of the small cabin you’d convinced Din to let you all stay in for a few days, Grogu in your lap. He makes a concerned cooing sound and looks up at you for a moment before leaning closer to the window. “He’ll be okay buddy, he’s got all that Beskar,” you say. You think for a moment. “Tell you what, let’s get a fire started up before he gets here, just in case he is cold, yeah?” you say. The kid looks back up at you and burbles happily, raising his arms so you’d pick him up. You do with a soft smile and stand, holding him close to your chest.

After a few minutes, you’ve managed to start a fire and keep it in the fireplace where it should be, warming the small room significantly. You set Grogu down onto the floor and ask him if he can find some blankets for you all while you make hot cocoa in the nearby kitchen. He tilts his head slightly, then closes his eyes, and a nearby armoire opens up, quilts and fleece throws spilling out of it. You giggle as you pick him up again. “I keep forgetting you can do that,” you say, and he also giggles at you.

A few more minutes pass, and the two of you are seated comfortably in a makeshift nest of cushions and blankets non the floor near the fireplace. The stillness of the scene is abruptly interrupted when the door leading outside swings open and Din, with a good dusting of snow on his helmet and shoulders, stumbles inside. Grogu squeals as the Mandalorian walks further into the room, stomping snow off of his boots. “Hey buddy,” he says as he brushes off his shoulders. “You two look comfortable.” Grogu squeals again and looks back at you with a grin.

“It’s a good thing you had this already planned,” Din says as he starts to strip off the snow-dampened layers he’s wearing. “The heater went out in the ship again.” You, with the kid in your arms again, stand and approach him, smiling softly. “Grogu and I made sure to warm up the place before you got here,” you say, carefully holding a hand to the side of Dins helmet, ignoring the chill of the cold metal. “Why don’t you take a quick shower upstairs, we’ll wait for you back here.” Din nods and briefly presses his helmeted forehead to your bare one before ruffling the top of Grogus head and moving up the creaking wooden stairs.

When he returns about ten minutes later, he finds the two of you wrapped up in the nest on the floor. Grogu is asleep in your lap, and there’s a tray nearby with two steaming mugs and a small pile of marshmallows on it. You hear the stairs creak and turn towards the sound, smiling softly at Din again and scooting over to make room for him on the floor. He plops down next to you with a groan, waking the kid, who reaches for him. You hand the child over, then tell Din that one of those mugs is for him. He cocks his head at you, Beskar helmet reflecting the firelight, and you chuckle. “I know, but I think this’ll work,” you say, shifting a little and pulling a length of heavy, dark canvas out of your pocket. You carefully wrap it around your eyes and tie it off, blindfolding yourself pretty effectively.

“If you insist,” Din says. Shortly, you hear the hiss of his helmet being taken off, and a light thud when he sets it aside. Without thinking, you move to hand him a mug, but he gently grips your wrist, stopping you. You remember the blindfold and pull your hand back. You can hear the tray scrape across the floor, then the soft sound of Din taking a few small sips of his cocoa. “This is new,” he says, and you look at where you think his voice came from and smiled softly at him. “It’s a tradition on my planet, whenever it gets cold like this,” you say. Din takes another sip and sighs. “Well I like it. Though I think he likes the marshmallows more,” he says, referring to Grogu, who makes a pleased chirping sound, slightly muffled by what you can only assume is a mouthful of the marshmallows.

Din wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you a little closer to him, then pecks your temple. “You were right, this is a lot better than sleeping in the Razor Crest,” he says softly. You sigh in agreement and lean back into his shoulder a little. There’s suddenly a very small hand placing something into yours, and you give the object a slight squeeze. Grogu was insisting you have a few marshmallows too, it seemed. You pop it into your mouth and smile when the child slaps another one into your hand. You could get used to this.

[lunarsimmer]

[Begin Image Description:

Image 1: A room with peachy pink walls, with a pink and white neon lotus blossom sign over a pink and gold curved desk with a matching chair in front, to the left is a pink and white single bed with a matching pink and white side table and two silver picture frames over top of the bed

Image 2: Another angle of the same peachy pink room showing a pink and white armoire on the far right wall next to a pink mirror and a pile of clothes, on the far back wall is a pink and white egg chair

Image 3: A room with dark navy blue walls, on the left wall is a black desk with shelving with a black office chair in front of it and on the front wall is a black, grey and white bed with a purple pillow and a wooden headboard with a poster of a plumbob and a tiny blue character.

Image 4: Another angle of the room, showing two brown and black metal bookcases against a wall.

Image 5: A dark grey and light grey gradient banner with the words Stone Legacy on the left with a swirly heart inside a house above it and the words gen 1 on the right with a swirly heart inside a house above it

End Image Description]

Also forgot that with the new baby, the girls were moved into the basement and here are their (again, pretty bare) new rooms!

Beginning / Previous / Next

[subiysu-chan]

Description de la cuisine Sanson...

Dans la première armoire de la cuisine était fièrement rangés cinq gobelets en faïence et quatre coupes à vin de verre et cinq autres en sapin. Il y avait aussi dix-huits petits ballons en faïence, peint aux mêmes motifs floraux bleus que les gobelets et placés sur la même étagère, donnant à voire ainsi une magnifique collection de vaisselle pour boire. Le goût de la maison pour le vin n'était pas ainsi rendu dicret. Sur une autre, se trouvait une dizaine de soucoupes, dont deux placés verticalement pour pouvoir plus aisément en admirer les motifs à branches de tilleuil. Il y avait aussi quatorze tasses de matériaux et de motifs identiques, trois autres en bois et un plateau en argent, qui s'accordait aux petites tasses de thé qui ornaient le rebords de la cheminé du grenier. Dans la seconde étaient rangés une salière en faïence à motifs floraux bleus, un moutardier aux motifs semblables, seizes couteaux de table en étain, seizes fourchettes à deux dents du même matériel, six cuillères à thé, dix cuillères à soupes, huits assiettes aux mêmes motifs que la salière, une théière à motifs de branche de tilleuil. Il y avait plus discrètement rangés des bols en bois assez usés, visiblement servant à apprendre à de jeunes enfants à se tenir à table. La table de la salle à manger était grande, assez pour accomoder dix convives, et il y avait aussi aussi une table pour six, assez basses, spécialement conçues et acheter pour y assoire de petits enfants. Il y avait aussi un secrétaire pour les jours où le nombre de convive était trop important. Cependant, la cuisine avait aussi une table pour deux personnes, et celle du commun des domestiques pouvait accomoder facilement huits personnes. Le grenier comportait une petite table pour quatre, et le salon pour une personne. À tous les repas, jours gras ou jours maigre, il y avait toujours de la tisane, du cidre et du vin, mais jamais de café contrairement aux autres familles bourgeoises. Les jours gras, étaient servis du porc ou du pigeon, les jours maigres des pois, des lentilles, parfois des écrevisses ou du poisson.

In English:

In the first cupboard in the kitchen were proudly stored five earthenware goblets and four glass wine cups and five others made of fir. There were also eighteen small earthenware shot glasses, painted in the same blue floral designs as the goblets and placed on the same shelf, giving one a magnificent collection of drinking ware. The house's taste for wine was not thus made discreet. On another, there were around ten saucers, two of which were placed vertically to be able to more easily admire the patterns of linden branches. There were also fourteen cups of identical materials and designs, three others made of wood, and a silver tray, which matched the small teacups that adorned the ledge of the attic chimney. In the second were stored an earthenware salt shaker with blue floral patterns, a mustard pot with similar patterns, sixteen pewter table knives, sixteen two-pronged forks of the same material, six teaspoons, ten tablespoons, eight plates with the same motifs such as the salt shaker, a teapot with linden branch motifs. There were more discreetly stored quite worn wooden bowls, obviously used to teach young children to behave at the table. The dining room table was large, enough to accommodate ten guests, and there was also a table for six, quite low, specially designed and purchased to seat small children. There was also a secretary for days when the number of guests was too large. However, the kitchen also had a table for two people, and the servants' common table could easily accommodate eight people. The attic had a small table for four, and the living room for one. At all meals, fat days or lean days, there was always herbal tea, cider and wine, but never coffee unlike other bourgeois families. On fat days pork or pigeon were served, on lean days peas, lentils, sometimes crayfish or fish.

[so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed]

SAW SOME THINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE

Larry, 61K

Louis can vaguely hear the grandfather clock chime downstairs, signalling the start of the ghost hour, and a shiver runs up his spine as he pushes the door open.

Part of him expects it to be jammed like before, but instead it swings open easily, and for a moment Louis’ eyes struggle to adjust to the darkness. Holding up his phone with shaky hands, he shines the flashlight over the furniture in the room, the curtains that in the daylight had looked so vibrant.

They look tattered now, hanging limply from the rod. The wooden armoire and the bed are ornate and beautiful still, but even from the doorway Louis can see a thick layer of dust, undisturbed for what has been probably the better part of a century.

Louis isn’t sure whether he feels relieved or disappointed, but he definitely feels unsettled. Because this room is what he’d expected to find this afternoon, and yet he can still see the boy he’d met then so clearly now, even when the room looks different from the way it had back then. He doesn’t even have to close his eyes to envision the way it had looked earlier today, and surely it can’t have been a dream, right? Had he gone into this room, expecting to find something more than just dust and forgotten furniture, and had his dream made up for the disappointing ending to a mystery that had only existed in his head?

When Louis moves into the mansion he’s inherited from his great grandfather, he has a plan that consists of three things. One, he’s going to finish writing the next novel in his series. Two, he’s finally going to get over his ex-fiancé. And three, while battling writer’s block and having to resist the urge to kill off the main character in his books – the hot detective based on his ex-fiancé – he’s going to restore the mansion to its former glory.

Unfortunately, Louis’ plan doesn’t take into account the fact that instead of writing murder mysteries, he will find himself in one.

Coming April 19th to the @onedirectionbigbang with art by the amazing @monpetithl. Subscribe here to be notified when it posts.

Fic available now! Click here!

[pangolinheart]

To illustrate my point...

Some other inn rooms around Eorzea, for comparison:

The Hourglass (located in the Quicksand) in Ul'dah

A little dim with the shutters drawn, maybe, but other than that a fairly standard, well-kept inn room. You have some lovely rugs to brighten the place up, a bookshelf (stocked with books, which is a little weird for a hotel, but I suppose it's like a little library if you didn't bring your own book to read!) There's a writing desk and a nice armoire (on the right, not pictured). There's even a little potted plant!

The Roost (located in the Carline Canopy) in Gridania

Very nice hardwood! Some elegant drapes. A writing desk under the window. A fluffy looking bed. The main attraction seems to be that every room comes with a fountain, decorated with fresh flowers (it is Gridania, after all.) Probably a very relaxing sound to fall asleep to, unless you're the type that can't sleep with any noise whatsoever.

The Mizzenmast (located in the Drowning Wench) in Limsa Lominsa

The same white stone walls and floors that comprise most of Limsa Lominsa. The rough stone ceiling and the dark woodwork add a bit of character and keep it from looking too stark. Most of the standard previously mentioned amenities - decent bed, writing desk, etc. These rooms seem to have a lot of shelving for some reason, complete with ladders (to reach the top drawers?). I'm not sure why a single person would need that much shelf space for a temporary stay but maybe it's just part of the aesthetic. I'm not really sure what the small wooden inclusion on the right side is. It kind of looks like a door, though one only suited for small children and Lalafels. I'm not sure why it's there but I'm not going to think too hard about it.

(Kugane and The Crystarium also have inn rooms which I won't include here for the sake of brevity, but suffice to say they are of an equal or greater caliber than the above.

Now compare:

Cloud Nine (in The Forgotten Knight) in Ishgard:

Well, it's not that much darker than the other rooms. You can already see from the door though that multiple floorboards appear to be loos (watch your toes when you're stumbling around at night!)

Is this some sort of rug? Or a very large stain on the floor? Let's say rug. Made from what? There's no way to know!

(Don't mind Fripon in the foreground - he's helping) There's a fireplace, which is appropriate given the climate. Unlike most of the other inn rooms, which are lit by lamps of various kinds, this room is lit mostly by candlelight (one of the candles above the fireplace appears to be burnt down to nothing and hasn't been replaced.) You can see a few empty bottles littering the mantle and floor and a sack that probably contains... something. Does it come with the room? Did someone leave it here? These are questions that we will likely never know the answer to.

.... More empty bottles which presumably, at one point, contained various forms of alcohol. Either the last tenant was on a serious bender or the room was last cleared out at least 5 guests ago. In this picture alone you can count 17 empty bottles. Also more sacks. Sandbags? Or are these rooms also being used for haphazard storage?

There are also bars on the windows. I will (charitably) presume that these are to reinforce them against dragon attacks.

The bed comes pre-stained. Delightful! (In addition to empty bottles, there also seems to be a length of rope halfway under the bed. A standard inn-room amenity, clearly. I bet it's never been used to commit any crimes!

Even Cloud Nine won't deny you a writing desk. Like Ul'dah, they even provide you with some reading materials! Sadly there are only two choices, and half of the pages of one are littered all over the floor.(Though you can't see them here, there are also more burlap sacks stored under the desk.)

I would lastly like to point out that this room has not one but THREE doors (excepting the entrance) leading to adjoining rooms! Not entirely uncommon - sometimes inns and hotels provide adjoining rooms for large groups of friends or families with children. I'm somewhat skeptical, however, that anyone frequenting Cloud Nine is in the company of children. Or has a large group of friends. I would make sure those are all locked before you go to bed. Presumably foreseeing the needs of their guests, someone has already helpfully pushed the glamour dresser in front of one of them.

There you have it! The inn rooms of Eorzea! Now you know where to stay on your next vacation! Or your next self-destructive drinking binge!

I've always genuinely loved how aggressively shitty the inn rooms in Ishgard are compared to any other inn in the game.