#( m!a. ➛ 『 eternal despair 』 )

[sinful-mind-joyful-thoughts]

𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝟑𝟔𝟎 | 2

part 1 - Tinder

screencaps and gifs: Pinterest

Pairing: dark!Joel Miller x Fem!reader

Warnings/tags: MDNI 18+, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, NON CON, DUB CON, Drinking, food, flirting, DRUGGING, KIDNAPPING, talks of true crime, Degradation, Praise, Humiliation, fear, panic, anxiety, spiting, oral M, cum play, Blowjob, throat fucking, threats, Physical Violence, Bondage (rope), THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME

Summary: A Tinder date goes very, very wrong, but you always consider yourself prepared for such situations. or so you think

WC: 2.8K

For notifications follow - @sinful-mind-joyful-fics

A/n: I tried to step out of my comfort zone a little with this. It's based on a post I saw while doom-scrolling on this app from @blondwhowrites. She had this amazing post about wanting to see more readers who fight and don't stop. They don't lose hope, they go into survival mode, and I just hope I do this idea somewhat justice. AND IT GETS JUICY in this part....

The pounding in your head was relentless, each beat echoing like a drum inside your skull. As your vision slowly cleared, the dim light seared your eyes, intensifying the headache. You lay on a small, dirty mattress, the only things in sight were two small windows letting in weak slivers of daylight, a door, and a set of stairs leading down. You were still in your dress and heels from the night before, the fabric now wrinkled and uncomfortable against your skin.

Panic surged through you, your mind racing. You forced yourself to breathe, reminding yourself that you knew how to handle this. Jess had your location; if you were missing for more than a day, she would report it.

“Stay calm,” you whispered to yourself, your voice trembling. 

You took a deep breath, focusing on the small details around you. The room was sparse, but there had to be something you could use. You scanned the area methodically, trying to ignore the fear clawing at your throat.

Your phone. You needed your phone. You patted your dress, but there were no pockets. Joel must have taken it. You closed your eyes, fighting the wave of despair. Jess had your location. She’d check Life360 and see something was wrong.

“Think,” you told yourself, trying to stay rational. Joel had been careful, but he must have made a mistake. You just had to find it.

You stood up slowly, your head spinning slightly as you did. The tightness of your dress and the ache in your feet from the heels added to your discomfort. You staggered to the door, pressing your ear against the wood. Silence. You tried the handle, but it was locked.

The stairs then. You moved cautiously, your heels making faint clicking sounds on the cold floor. You reached the top of the stairs, glancing down. The faint light from below suggested another room, but you had no idea what awaited you.

Taking another deep breath, you started to descend. Each step felt like an eternity, the fear of making noise almost paralyzing you. When you reached the bottom, you paused, listening. Nothing. You tried the handle, but it was locked. Frustration bubbled up, but you pushed it down. You couldn’t afford to lose control.

Returning to the main room, you approached the other door. You turned the handle cautiously and pushed it open, revealing a small bathroom. It was just as dingy as the main room, with cracked tiles and a grimy mirror. There was nothing here that could help you escape.

Desperation creeping in, you began searching the shelves and every nook and cranny. Dusty and neglected, they offered little hope. Finally, on one of the shelves, you found an old can of beans. It wasn’t much, but it was something. You hid it carefully in the folds of the mattress, just in case.

“Okay,” you muttered to yourself, trying to stay calm. “Think. What next?”

Your mind raced as you reviewed everything you knew about the room. The small windows were too high and narrow to climb through. The locked door at the top of the stairs was your best bet, but you needed a way to get through it.

You took another deep breath, forcing yourself to stay calm. Jess had your location. She would check in on you. You had to hold on to that hope.

Footsteps echoed from below, growing louder. Joel was coming. You quickly lay back down on the mattress, feigning unconsciousness, your heart pounding.

The door creaked open, and Joel’s shadow fell over you. You kept your breathing steady, hoping he wouldn’t notice the slight tremor in your hands.

“Just checking on you,” he murmured, his voice soft. “We’ll talk more when you wake up.”

You heard the door close, and his footsteps recede. You opened your eyes, staring up at the ceiling. You had to find a way out. Jess was counting on you. You were counting on you.

“Stay strong,” you whispered to yourself. “Stay smart.”

Hours passed as you combed through every inch of the small room, searching for any flaw, any potential escape route. The old can of beans hidden in the folds of the mattress was your only find. It was growing darker, and your hope felt as dim as the room around you. The sting of despair lingered, but you fought it off, knowing you had to stay strong.

The only light came from the windows, now dark with the encroaching night. You noticed a string hanging from the ceiling, where a light bulb should have been. It dangled uselessly, a stark reminder of your isolation.

The silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps below. Joel was coming back. You quickly resumed your position on the mattress, trying to appear exhausted and disoriented. The door creaked open, and Joel entered, carrying a tray of food.

“Thought you might be hungry,” he said, setting the tray down on a small table.

You forced a weak smile, sitting up slowly. “Thanks.”

Joel watched you with an unsettling intensity as you picked at the food. You needed to keep him talking, to gather more information. “Joel, why are you doing this?”

He smiled, a chillingly calm expression. “I just want us to get to know each other better. Away from all the distractions.”

“By locking me up?” you challenged, your voice trembling.

“You’ll understand in time,” he said, ignoring your question. “Are you feeling better?”

You nodded, though your mind was racing. “I’m just a bit dizzy still.”

“Good,” he replied, his eyes never leaving yours. “Get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

As he turned to leave, you mustered the courage to ask, “What if I need something? There’s no light in here.”

Joel paused, glancing at the dangling string. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

The door closed behind him, and you were alone again. You waited, listening to his footsteps fade away before you sprang into action. You grabbed the can of beans from its hiding spot and approached the string. It was a flimsy hope, but perhaps it could be used in some way.

The night stretched on, each minute feeling like an hour. But you remained vigilant, your true crime instincts sharpening with every passing moment. You would find a way out. You had to.

Eventually, exhaustion overpowered your fear. Clutching the can of beans tightly, you lay down on the mattress, forcing yourself to rest. Your eyes grew heavy, and despite your best efforts, sleep claimed you.

You awoke to the feeling of hands on your wrists. Panic shot through you as you realized Joel was there, his grip firm and unyielding. You tried to pull away, but your limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative.

"Shh," Joel murmured, his voice unsettlingly calm. "Just a precaution."

You glanced around frantically, your heart racing. Joel was binding your wrists together with a length of rope. The realization hit you like a cold wave: you were trapped, and he was making sure you couldn’t escape.

“What are you doing?” you demanded, your voice shaking.

“Making sure you don’t hurt yourself,” Joel replied, his tone eerily soothing. “You seemed restless in your sleep.”

“I won’t try anything,” you pleaded, struggling against the bonds. “Just let me go.”

Joel’s eyes met yours, and you saw a flicker of something dark in his gaze. “I can’t do that. Not yet.”

You fought harder, but Joel’s grip was strong. He finished tying your wrists and then moved to your ankles, securing them with the same methodical care. Fear bubbled up inside you, threatening to spill over.

“Please, Joel,” you begged, your voice breaking. “You don’t have to do this.”

Joel stepped inside, holding a light bulb in his hand. He dangled it in front of you, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “I brought you something,” he said, his voice dripping with mock kindness. “But you’ll have to earn it.”

You glared at him, your anger simmering beneath the surface. “What do you want from me?”

Joel knelt down beside you, his gaze intense. “I want your cooperation,” he said softly. “You need to show me that I can trust you. That you’re willing to play by my rules.”

“What rules?” you demanded, your voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance.

He leaned closer, his face inches from yours. “Simple ones. Behave. Don’t try to escape. And, most importantly, tell me everything I want to know.”

Your heart pounded in your chest as you realized what he was asking. He wanted information—about you, your life, your vulnerabilities. He wanted control.

“Why should I trust you?” you spat, trying to keep your voice steady.

Joel’s smile widened. “Because if you don’t, things will get much worse for you. But if you cooperate, I’ll make sure you’re comfortable. Like giving you this light bulb, for example.”

You swallowed hard, the enormity of your situation crashing down on you. You had to play along, at least for now. You had to buy yourself time.

“Okay,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper. “What do you want to know?”

“It’s not what I want to know per se, it’s what I want you to do in this moment,” Joel said, his voice chillingly calm.

You stared at him, fear and defiance battling for control. “What do you mean?”

Joel’s smile widened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair from your face. His touch was gentle, almost tender, but it sent a shiver of revulsion down your spine. “I want you to relax,” he said, his fingers trailing down to play with the ends of your hair. “I want you to be... cooperative.”

You jerked your head away, trying to pull back from his touch. “Get away from me,” you spat, your voice trembling with anger and fear.

Joel’s grip tightened, and he yanked you closer, his eyes darkening. “You don’t have a choice,” he hissed, his voice low and menacing. “It’s this or death. Do you understand?”

Your heart pounded in your chest, terror flooding your veins. You struggled against him, but his strength was overwhelming. “I won’t do anything for you,” you said, your voice barely more than a whisper.

Joel’s expression hardened, and he pushed you back onto the mattress, pinning you down with a frightening ease. “You will,” he said, his face inches from yours. “You will, or I will make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?”

You fought back, trying to twist away from him, but he held you fast. Panic surged through you, and you bit back a scream. “Please, don’t do this,” you pleaded, tears welling in your eyes. “Just let me go.”

Joel’s grip tightened, and he leaned in closer, his breath hot against your face. “You have no idea how much worse things can get,” he whispered, his tone icy. “You will do what I say, or you will suffer.”

Tears streamed down your face as you realized the hopelessness of your situation. You were trapped, and there was no way out. Jess had your location, but would it be enough? Would she find you in time?

Joel released you slightly, still keeping a firm grip on your wrists. “Now,” he said, his voice softer but no less menacing, “are you going to be a good girl and cooperate, or do I need to show you what happens when you disobey?”

You swallowed hard, the weight of his threat crushing your spirit. “Okay,” you whispered, your voice breaking. “I’ll cooperate.”

Joel’s smile returned, and he released your wrists and undid the binding, sitting back on his heels. “Good,” he said, his tone almost cheerful. “That’s a good start. Now, let’s get you a bit more comfortable.”

He stood up and walked to the door, leaving you trembling on the mattress. You watched him, your mind racing with thoughts of escape, but the reality of your situation kept you paralyzed with fear.

Joel returned a moment later, holding the light bulb. He approached the dangling string and screwed the bulb into the socket. The room was suddenly bathed in harsh light, revealing the true extent of its dinginess.

“There,” Joel said, turning to face you. “That’s better, isn’t it?” He walked over to you, his presence looming ominously. “Now say thank you or I’ll leave you in the dark with the mice.”

You stayed on the mattress, savoring the small distance between you. “Thank-” Joel cut you off.

“No, no. Thank me properly,” he said, a sick grin spreading across his face. You wanted to smack it off, to fight back, but you knew it would only make things worse. “Crawl to me,” he commanded.

The words made your cheeks flush with humiliation. Your mind raced. If you wanted to escape, you needed to gain his trust. But was his trust worth your dignity? You hesitated, the internal conflict paralyzing you.

Joel's grin faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. “Do it,” he growled, a dangerous edge to his voice. “Or I’ll make sure you regret it.”

You took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of anger and humiliation. “I can’t crawl with my legs bound,” you said, your voice dripping with sarcasm. “Unless you want me to flop around like a fish.”

Joel’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but he knelt down and untied your ankles. “There,” he said, standing back up. “Now, crawl.”

Tears pricked your eyes as you slowly shifted onto your hands and knees. The dirty floor scraped against your skin, and every inch you moved felt like a mile. You could feel Joel’s gaze burning into you, his satisfaction palpable.

You reached him, your head bowed, heart pounding in your chest. “Thank you,” you whispered, your voice barely audible.

Joel chuckled, a dark, humorless sound. “Good girl,” he said, reaching down to stroke your hair. You flinched at his touch, but forced yourself to stay still. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

You bit back the bile rising in your throat, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you break down. “What do you want from me?” you asked, your voice shaking.

Joel moved his hands to his belt, his eyes darkening with sinister intent. "I think you know what I want you and those pretty little lips to do," he whispered, his hand caressing your face. He finished unbuckling his belt, and as his pants fell to the floor with a thud, you flinched involuntarily. "Pull down my boxers," he ordered, taunting you as if you were a child.

You swallowed your pride, your mind racing with strategies to fight back. As you lowered his boxers, he taunted you further, waving his length near your face. Instinctively, you reached out with your hand, but he grabbed your hair roughly, yanking your head back. "I didn’t ask for your hands," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "I asked you to suck my dick."

Before you could react, he spat on you, his warm saliva trickling down your face. You opened your mouth to protest, but he shoved his length into your mouth forcefully, leaving you no time to prepare. The size of him stretched your mouth painfully, making you feel as if you might rip apart.

"This can’t be over soon enough," you thought, struggling against the overwhelming violation. But to your horror, you felt a strange sensation growing between your legs. His cock was hard, the taste of his precum salty on your tongue.

“Look at me,” he demanded. You resisted, focusing instead on his messy brown hair. You felt a wave of disgust at yourself for even noticing such a detail. This wasn’t the man you met on Tinder; this was a psychopath.

He gripped your head with both hands, forcing himself deeper into your throat. "That's it," he groaned, thrusting shallowly. The sound of your gagging and choking filled the room. "I don’t care if you fucking choke to death. Your throat feels like heaven."

As he continued, your mind raced for a plan. You took breaths through your nose, waiting for the perfect moment to make him pay for his actions. Just as you prepared to bite down, he thrust deeply one last time, and you felt a hot, steamy rope of his cum hit the back of your throat, its salty taste overwhelming.

Joel roughly pushed you away, pulling up his pants as you fell back, coughing and choking, your throat raw and dry. He walked over, fixing his belt. “See, it wasn’t that hard now, was it?” he sneered.

Before you could respond, he left the room, the only comfort in the dark basement now the solitary light bulb. You lay there, trembling with rage and humiliation, vowing silently that you would find a way to escape and make him pay for every moment of torment.

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: time travel AU

I'm finally getting around to recommending some good Sakura-centric time travel fics! There are plenty of them out there and they can be kind repetitive, but I always eat them up. Typically speaking, I really don't care much for the whole introduction bit at the start where it's the actual process of her being sent back... So just make it past there before you decide whether or not to continue!!! Also, I'm starting to think this list is getting kinda long, so maybe I'll do a second one?

I've been dying to post some of these fics in a list, so please enjoy!

Started: 2024.08.16

Last Updated: 2024.08.26

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this list, it is this fic right here. I kid you not, Sakura is one of the best fics I have ever read. I have never felt so gutted, so heartbroken, so giddy, so stressed, all from one work. It's a masterpiece all while being criminally underrated. The characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. You feel for the characters and the relationships formed along the way are truly great. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

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The Misadventures of Kakashi and the Girl From No Where - Goldfishlover73 || ao3 || kakasaku || M || time travel AU || complete

When a girl called Sakura seemingly falls in the sky, Kakashi is skeptical. Far more skeptical than the rest of Team Minato are. War is approaching quickly and this strange girl is leaving more questions than answers in her wake, Kakashi must decide where his trust and loyalties lie in a constantly changing world.

Told in the perspective of Kakashi in his youth! Really interesting take and I love how strong Sakura is in this in addition to the fact that we get to see a different side of Kakashi that we aren't used to.

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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. Whilst masquerading as her younger self, she poses as an unofficial ANBU to stay anonymous in her efforts of changing the shinobi world for the better.

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Tourniquet - lilac haze || ffn || T || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

She was his tourniquet. She stopped the bleeding, she stopped his bleeding. She stopped his pain, his despair, his loneliness. She was the first face he saw. She was the first person he trusted. She was the first person to keep his secret. She was his tourniquet. He did not love her. He only loved the idea of her. SakuraXMinato. Time-Travel Fic. Alt. Universe

I quite honestly think this is a hidden gem amongst time travel AUs since I never see people recommending it, but Touriquet is so good! What's interesting here is that it isn't Sakura that's playing with time, but rather Minato. The night of the Nine-Tails attack, rather than dying, he is sent to the future where post-war Sakura is the one to find him and keep the former Hokage alive. It's a delicate situation and one which is kept a secret from many, but through Minato's depression and difficulties with his new life, Sakura becomes a close confident.

Same author as Sakura! I gotta read more of their works

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Armour-Sleeved Single Hit - thatdamnuchiha || ao3 || T || madasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Sasuke always told Sakura she was weak. Even after she trained with Tsunade for years he only had eyes for Naruto whom he considered strong. She would forever be invisible to him no matter how many mountains she toppled. Being a member of Team Seven despite Sasuke’s refusal to acknowledge her meant she got herself into her fair share of sticky situations. Getting stuck a hundred odd years in the past had to take the cake though. But she was just a weak little girl and compared to the shinobi of old she’d be ridiculously pathetic. Sasuke had said she was weak to him – a modern day shinobi who hadn’t been forced into battle after battle like they did in the Warring Clans Era. Obviously she’d be nothing more than a spec of dirt in the eyes of the Founders.

Sakura manages to find herself in founding-era Konoha! While trying to prove that medical ninja are capable fighters she unknowingly gains the affection of Madara Uchiha. After all, the Uchiha find beauty in strength. Super cute read!

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here are the fruits of your labor (would you like a cherry on top?) - snickiebear || ao3 || M || shisaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Shisui smiles and it is unlike any smile she has seen before. She cannot remember the last time she had seen a smile. 

Sakura manages to fix everything and now tries to live her life in a past she doesn't know. Shisui is the first to find her and the two of them form a close relationship that continues through her journey of recovery.

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The Moon Knows Best - darth_healer || ao3 || E || madasaku || time travel AU || complete

The Moon has played a cruel trick on Madara. He's still home, but it's not the same. Instead of a tranquil forest, there's a colorful vibrant village. Instead of the cliffside he knows so well, it's a collection of Senju faces, one of which belongs to his good friend Hashirama. And instead of Hashirama, Madara is saddled with a very interesting, pink-haired girl. MadaSaku in which young Madara goes forward through time.

Madara finds himself far into the future where the first to stumble upon him is Sakura. He's such a brat, but his and Sakura's interactions are rather entertaining.

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In the Magic Hour - summersirius || ao3 || E || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura

A sharingan mishap lands Sakura in the past where she drops down in front of team Minato. With her hope of returning to the present time dwindling, Sakura excepts her new life and tries to make the best of the situation and the new bonds that come with it. The dynamic between Sakura and the older generation is quite refreshing and her mentor relationship with the former team 7 is great.

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Stumble - writer168 || ao3/ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || complete

Sakura wanted to die.Sasori was fine with staying dead.But it seemed fate had other plans for them, because when they both wake up younger with blood pulsing through their veins, they had to remember how to live again.Time Travel AU

Sasori and Sakura are both sent back in time and they try to make a difference in their respective villages. Told in the perspective of both characters, but primarily Sakura. She ends up forming a pretty sweet bond with Ibiki and Genma (which I love) and they help her through some things. Sakura has a rough time

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A Twist in Time - wolf08 || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

With Konoha on the verge of destruction, Sakura is sent on a last-resort mission to save her world by travelling to the past. Join her in coping with her old body's shortcomings, testing the natural laws of time, falling in love all over again, and rediscovering who she is.

With Sakura frustrated at being back to where she started in her becoming of a shinobi, she begins to train with Sasuke. This time around in her life, her relationship with her brooding teammate isn't so strained. Pretty cute read imo

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Return & Rehash - SpaceNugget11 || ffn || sasusaku || M || time travel AU || incomplete

"You," Sakura snarled with bared teeth. Sasuke gagged for air, clutching at her forearm, but she only pressed harder into him. Her green eyes crackled, and she wished she could burn him alive with the heat of her anger.

Sasuke and Sakura certainly did not end in their last life on goods terms and it is prevalent from the moment Sakura awakens and attacks her teammate.

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An Inch of Gold - KuriQuinn || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she's a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series]

Sarada lands herself back in time all while crashing into another team 7 mission gone wrong. An Inch of Gold is in multiple perspectives, but they're all done quite well. Sasuke and Sakura are obviously rather flustered by the situation and the fact they have to deal with it in front of the team makes it quite entertaining.

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These Eyes of Mine (I Can See) - tsukuyue || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

They've lost. Naruto was dead, killed at Kaguya’s hands. Along with him died any illusions of hope that they could win. They couldn’t win, but perhaps they wouldn’t need to. In attempts to stop the Fourth Shinobi War from ever occuring, Sakura is sent back in time to the moment of her birth. Protecting the people she cared about would be much easier if she knew all the facts. OR Where Sakura can see the dead, and Danzō deserves to die.

I'll be honest, I can't remember much, but I do remember that it was really good! I believe a large focus is the Uchiha massacre.

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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

If you love Shisui then you'll definitely like Trials of Change. Him and Sakura form the most wholesome friendship ever and try their best in taking down ROOT. A huge cast is present here and the whole thing is just great. It seems as if everyone has some character development lmao.

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Time Flies Like An Arrow - Katlou303 || ao3 || gen || K || time travel AU || complete

Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's four years old having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.

I always like the ones where Sakura isn't fully aware she time travelled. I find it interesting in this fic to see how oblivious Sakura is to her situation, she's a four year old in mind and body. However, she still feels the need to make a difference in the lives of the people around her.

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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Sakura decides that her first order of business after traveling back in time is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

Update: just found out it was recently completed!!

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Q: Do you guys like my little comments? If you look at my other lists you'll probably notice that I tend to reuse some of what I say (bc I'm lazy), but for the most part I try to add something new whenever I put a fic on a list. I know that descriptions aren't always very helpful, so I like to put a little something for y'all to get a better idea of what to expect!

Send me recs if you have any!!!

[aziraphales-library]

Hi! I'm looking for fics set in ancient history, preferably including extensive descriptions of the ancient cultures. I don't mind NSFW, but mainly I'm looking for a good story and interesting plot. The longer the fic, the better!

If it helps, I really enjoyed "Do You Know What Eternity Is?" by Elderly_Worm and the "Mistakes Were Made" series by eag

Thanks! 💕

Hello. You can check our #through the ages tag for fics. Here are some more to add that feature different cultures...

Camel-travel star-gazing by Sad_Wet_Bretzel (G)

Crowley had tilted his head back. His eyes were still covered by dark lenses and Aziraphale wished he would just take them off. It was night, and the nearest human was twenty metres away, their back turned to them. “See that one?” the demon said suddenly, pointing eastward. “S’ one of my favourites.” or Aziraphale and Crowley are assigned to the same caravan, travelling from the Ghana Empire to the Mediterranean Sea across the Saharan plains. The perfect cover to innocently spend time together.

some chocolate to sweeten the deal by Enelica, sevdrag (G)

“Heathens.” Crowley snorts. “Did you know they’ve already discovered four of the planets? Lot of work went into those, let me tell you, and these clever bastards have spotted four of them already. Britannia should weep.” Aziraphale’s smile softens in pleasure. The angel’s too soft over humanity, and unfortunately, it’s one of the things Crowley likes best about him. “Did you know they’re only eight hundred and ninety years off calculating when the earth began?” The angel glances away, and Crowley has to cover a sharp breath at Aziraphale’s profile, pale and happy. “That’s the closest anyone’s gotten, I believe.” (Written for the Days Of Their Lives zine with incredible art by Enelica!)

we'll get there fast, and then we'll take it slow by in_deepest_blue (T)

"Hurry over like a horse, but take your time like an ox laden with treasures." One summer in late 19th-century Japan, Aziraphale learns about a fascinating tradition during Obon, the festival to honor the deceased, which reminds him of his hopes for a future with Crowley. A look into four different stages in Aziraphale and Crowley's relationship, all set in Japan during different seasons and time periods.

A Juhannus Night's Dream by kittygirl2210 (G)

Aziraphale is sent up to Finland to bless a Midsummer festival, Crowley goes with her on her own "assignment". The pair thus get roped into helping with the celebrations. Aziraphale and Crowley are fem presenting in this, and it takes place between Edinburgh and St. James' Park! (Note: contains some Finnish Fem!Aziracrow art!)

The snake of healing by Sad_Wet_Bretzel (G)

Aziraphale stared at Crowley, who stared back. The angel looked the same, if a little travel worn. His river coloured eyes crinkled slightly at the sides as he took in his friend’s appearance. Crowley tightened her trembling fists, nails digging into the skin. or After a particularly nasty punishment from Hell, Crowley retreats in the Chicama Valley and becomes an artisan. Aziraphale comes to find her.

Mistakes Were Made: The Book of Crowley by eag (M)

Based on the biblical Book of Tobit from the Apocrypha. Ephesus, 400 B.C. Commanded away from Aziraphale's side by an infernal master, Crowley is forced to use his time-stopping powers for Asmodeus' dirty work while Aziraphale is left wondering why Crowley has disappeared. As Crowley sinks ever deeper into despair, Aziraphale is sent on a journey accompanying a human from Nineveh to Ecbatana. Of course, mistakes were made...

- Mod D

[doumadono]

Hejka, my beautiful friend 🧡. It's been a while. I would like to place an emergency request. I am going to be alone and away from my family for a few months and am very scared. Could I ask you to write me a story on how Kokushibo is my guardian demon? Maybe a little fluff? You know how much I love my imaginary man. Please take your time as this is something I will be experiencing over the course of tge the entire summer and autumn. Thank you 💞💞💞

Unexpected light - Kokushibo x Reader

A/N: please forgive me it took so long to complete your request! I'm really sorry to hear that you're feeling scared about being away from your family. It's completely normal to feel this way, but remember that you are stronger than you think. This time apart can also be an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. Stay connected with your loved ones through calls and messages, and try to find things that bring you comfort and joy. We're all here cheering you on! #silnekobietyrządzą

EMERGENCY REQS - PART 2

The forest loomed around you, its dense canopy blocking out the moonlight and leaving you in near-total darkness. You stumbled over roots and rocks, your breath coming in ragged gasps as panic gripped you. The reality of being separated from your family for months had begun to sink in, and the weight of that loneliness pressed heavily on your shoulders. That was why you decided to take a night stroll in the woods — it had provided you with a great deal of solace in the past.

You had heard tales of the demons that haunted these woods, terrifying creatures that preyed on the unwary. You hoped against hope that you wouldn’t encounter one, but deep down, you knew the odds weren’t in your favor that night. As the night grew colder, you found a small clearing and sank to the ground, hugging your knees to your chest. Tears stung your eyes as you thought of your family, wishing more than anything to be with them again.

A sudden rustle in the bushes snapped you out of your thoughts. You scrambled to your feet, your heart pounding in your chest.

From the shadows emerged a figure, tall and imposing, with six glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

Your blood ran cold as you recognized him: it was Kokushibo, Upper Moon One, the most feared of the Twelve Kizuki.

You took a step back, but there was nowhere to run.

He moved with a grace that belied his size, closing the distance between you in an instant. His eyes bore into yours, and you felt like a mouse caught in the gaze of a hawk. "You should not be here," he said, his voice a deep, resonant growl. "Humans who wander into these woods seldom leave."

Your knees threatened to buckle, but you forced yourself to stand tall. "I… I have nowhere else to go," you stammered, tears slipping down your cheeks. "I'm alone. My family is far away, and I… I don't know what to do."

Kokushibo regarded you for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. "Why should I spare you, mortal?" he asked, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.

You swallowed hard, the reality of your situation crashing down on you. "I wish to be reunited with my family," you admitted, your voice trembling. "If you have any mercy, just let me go, demon."

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Mercy is not something I am known for," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But there is something intriguing about your spirit. A determination, even in the face of fear."

You couldn't fathom why he would care about such a thing, but you clung to his words like a lifeline. "Please," you whispered.

Kokushibo's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as he continued to study you. The silence stretched, each second feeling like an eternity, until finally, he spoke again. "Speak, then. Tell me of these struggles that weigh upon your spirit. Don't try to fool me, I can sense all of your despair."

The unexpected invitation made you gasp, but the sheer intensity of his gaze compelled you to respond. "I’ve been separated from my family," you began, your voice trembling but gaining strength as you continued. "I was forced to leave them behind, and I don’t know how long I’ll be alone. It's… it's been overwhelming, trying to survive each day, not knowing if I’ll ever see them again."

There was a subtle shift in his stance, a slight softening of the harsh lines of his face.

You took a deep breath, the words flowing more freely now. "I feel like I’m constantly fighting against despair. The loneliness, the fear — it’s like a heavy weight that never goes away. I wander these woods, hoping for a miracle, for some idea that would fall on me and help me to find my family again. But every day, it feels like that hope slips further away."

You glanced up at him, expecting indifference or even mockery, but his expression remained inscrutable, his eyes fixed on you. "I don’t know why I’m telling you this, demon," you admitted, almost to yourself. "Maybe because you're the first being I've encountered in so long who hasn’t tried to kill me immediately."

A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched Kokushibo's lips. "A low bar, but one I have surpassed nonetheless," he murmured, his tone holding a hint of dry amusement.

You found yourself returning his almost-smile, a spark of something like relief flickering within you. "I guess so," you said softly.

Kokushibo shifted his gaze to the moonlit forest around you, his voice thoughtful when he spoke again. "Humans often cling to hope, even when it seems futile. It is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness."

You nodded, understanding his words. "Hope is all I have left," you said quietly. "Even if it feels like it’s slipping away every single day."

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence of the forest wrapping around you like a shroud.

Then Kokushibo turned his gaze back to you, his eyes reflecting the pale moonlight. "Your spirit, your determination, is intriguing," he repeated. "It reminds me of… what I once was, before I became this."

You blinked in surprise, not expecting such a revelation from a demon as powerful and feared as Kokushibo. "What do you mean?"

His expression darkened slightly, shadows crossing his face. "There was a time when I was human, like you. I had dreams, struggles, hopes. But those days are long past, buried under centuries of darkness and blood."

A shiver ran down your spine at his words, but you couldn’t help but feel a strange connection forming between you. "Is that why you’ve spared me? Because I remind you of who you once were?"

Kokushibo's gaze grew distant, as if he were looking through you into a past only he could see. "Perhaps," he said finally, his voice a mere whisper. "Or perhaps it is simply because your spirit intrigues me in a way I have not felt in a very long time."

You took a step closer, the fear that had initially gripped you slowly giving way to a cautious curiosity. "Thank you," you uttered, sincerity lacing your words. "For sparing me. For listening."

Kokushibo nodded slightly, the movement almost imperceptible. "Do not mistake my actions for kindness, mortal. I am a demon, bound by my nature. But I will allow you to continue your journey, for now. Leave now, if you value your life. And never come back here again."

As you turned to leave, a sudden impulse made you stop and look back at him. "Demon," you began hesitantly, "do you ever wish for something more than this existence? Beyond the darkness and the hunger?"

His many eyes widened slightly, as if taken aback by your question. For a moment, he seemed almost human, a flicker of something unspoken passing across his features. "Wishes are for the living," he said finally, his voice tinged with an emotion you couldn't quite identify. "For those who have hope. The night is long, but it will pass, mortal. And when it does, you will be one step closer to finding your way."

With that, he turned away, his form blending into the shadows. You watched him go, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Fear, relief perhaps.

The journey back home passed quickly as your heart beat faster within your chest. You still felt the adrenaline rush, but simultaneously, for no particular reason, you felt a sense of hope. You would find your family again. You would survive this separation, no matter how long it took. And you would remember that even in the darkest of places, there could be moments of unexpected light.

[slowd1ving]

LAMENT OF OUROBOROS . 　⁺ MASTERLIST

"Forsaken is he who disregards the warnings of a wise man. Hark! gather round—for this is the ode of the seventh prince of Metis. Let this elegy be your lesson: a final cautionary tale of a cursed prince forgotten in even the annals of history. Hubris blinded seventh prince Veritas Ratio, and for that he paid a bitter price. Sit, bear witness to the truths spun by the Moirai—lest you too would like to partake in his tragic fate." • . * cursed prince ratio + alchemist m reader possibly my magnum opus (not just because I finally figured out how to do the gradient thing :3) rough design for minoan fashion ratio here map for key regions (very rough, done on mspaint but whatever) warnings: video game violence, death? kind of? tyranny (are we surprised), male-coded reader (or at least the in-game avatar is)

HONKAI STAR RAIL MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST ・゜・NAVIGATION

✦ I. PRINCE OF ARROGANCE, PRIDE HAS A HEAVY PRICE;

→ Where it all begins. The venerable Sophos Nous leaves the prince with eight words, and the youth decides his destiny over them.

"His fate was sealed the moment he could taste choleric resentment on his tongue, followed shortly by spite: for spite is the desire to thwart. The path he instinctually set out on—to seek knowledge about the abuses of wisdom in the palace—was one that would only end in despair. "

✦ II. COME HITHER, CURSE WHERE HE LIES.

→ Where it all ends. The prince's scheme germinates, flourishes and withers as quietly as he.

"This was the tale of the seventh prince; an elegy hidden from the footnotes of history. Within the game Lament of Ouroboros, his sorrows were summarised thusly:

A strangely warm vein of ore. 

Hero, come here when dusk kisses the edge of the Borderlands. As your palm brushes against the rock, you may be able to feel the pulse of a slumbering prince. 

Three sentences were all that was afforded to the disgraced prince, forgotten to all but the Moirai."

✦ III. OH, HOW TRAGIC IS HE;

→ You are luckier than he is. You are unluckier than he is. For though your end is painful and futile, there is no lingering in limbo for the rest of your eternity.

"It was an accident. 

“I’m sorry. Ah, shit—” Something wet splashed your cheek, followed by a fumbling hand that tried to brush it away but only succeeded in smearing the thin liquid across your face awkwardly. “Don’t— fuck, I’ll stay with you, alright?” 

Fingers wrapped around your own, flesh against bone. Pulsing life alongside a silent end. 

The last thing on your lips was an apology, in the form of a salty tear dripping from above."

✦ IV. WEEP FOR HIM, I BID OF THEE.

→ tba.

✦ V. HE IS THE MOST PITIFUL OF MEN;

→ tba.

✦ VI. FOR NONE SHED TEARS FOR THE FORSAKEN.

→ tba.

[silkoodles]

I didn't get to make R&M ocs back when it was a thing cause i didn't watch the show at the same time so i'm doing it now.

Deaf Morty was born deaf and his Rick became deaf after an accident. They live on the citadel cause their original dimension was fucked over. They both know sign but after the accident that became how they primarily communicate. Rick is better at reading lips and talking still so he cloaks his hearing aid so he doesn't get shit from other Ricks.

Eternal Winter Rick and Morticia come from a dimension where Earth was thrown into an eternal winter. It's a sore subject because it may or may not have been caused by them. On top of that, this dimension's Beth and Jerry died in a ice related car crash when the girls were young. Rick stayed to raise them and helped rebuild society out of guilt and despair but Morticia does her best to shoulder some of the pain while trying make the best of it. They have a pretty good relationship compared to other Ricks and Mortys. Morticia's a year and a half older than the regular Mortys she meets at the citadel so she tries to act as a big sister to them when shes there.

[love-and-monsters]

The Ship and the Alien

5,486 words, GN reader X M alien.

Humanity sends the last of their species in hibernation pods to the stars. When you wake up an unknown amount of time later, you are on a different ship. Surrounded by aliens.

Content warnings: mentions of death and discussions of medical procedures and illness.

The Ship never had a name. People tried to give it one quite a lot. There was a naming contest first, which was a bad idea. You’d think the bigwigs would learn not to give this kind of power to the internet, but it never seems to occur to them until the two top names are ‘SaveyMcSaviorface’ and ‘The Biggest Dick Ever’ and they have to scrap the whole thing. ‘Eden’ was an idea they tossed around, but there were people who said it wasn’t inclusive of other religions and a bunch of Christians who didn’t believe in the concept at all who were pissed about the connotations of the name, so that didn’t work. ‘Destiny’ was another idea, as were ‘Eternal’ and ‘Onward.’ In the end, by the time anyone had even started to come to a conclusion on the name, everyone had started getting used to calling it ‘The Ship’ and no one was willing to change that for whatever sappy shit they engraved on the side.

Maybe they did eventually name it. I don’t know. I don’t know if it mattered, really. Anybody aboard The Ship wasn’t going to be calling it anything on account of being in stasis, and anybody outside The Ship wasn’t going to be calling it anything on account of being dead very soon. So. The Ship was a fine name to me.

The Ship was not actually one ship, at the time- it was technically seven ships, six stationed on different continents and one stationed at the north pole. They were designed to all lock together in one massive structure, but to be able to function independently, in case of a system failure. There were redundancies, ways to transfer assets between different ships if necessary, and about a billion other things that I never understood, but were probably very important for a metal tube hurtling through space. In all honesty, I didn’t pay much attention to its construction. Crushing despair combined with a vicious fight for survival every day takes precedence, you know.

You don’t know how you ended up on The Ship. You know the basics- engineers, designers, and construction workers all got immediate entry. That took up a few thousand slots. Then were the ‘important people,’ the sorts you would want if you were setting up a colony. Doctors, agriculturalists, building designers, all the big thinkers who can make sure that things run smoothly and work like they’re supposed to. Quite a few military members as well. After that, there was some debate as to who else could come on. Limited number of slots, after all. You heard a lot of very right people tried to pay their way on the ship, but it didn’t work so well. Money’s useless to anyone on the ship, and will be useless to anyone left on Earth. Some people traded favors and influence to secure their spots, but a decent chunk of people couldn’t do that and had to subject themselves to the same system as everyone else.

The way they picked candidates for the civilian slots on the ship was the same way anyone picks anything they want to be at least somewhat random: they made a computer do it. All civilians who put their names in a hat, basically, and the computer system drew them. No one could accuse it of cheating, because it was a computer. Well, people could, and they did, but the idea was that at least less people would accuse it of being impartial than if a human picked.

You were one of the picks. Placed into section 3, chamber 2, pod 3247. You didn’t tell anyone- you’d been asked not to, out of fear of retaliation from those who hadn’t been picked. You just left the shelter you’d been living in and headed to the launch site.

There was a brief physical, involving being stripped, shoved onto and into a ton of machinery, drinking some kind of gross shit that purged your body of what felt like everything you’d ever eaten, getting your head shaved, and an IV port implanted into your arm. You saw other people on occasion, going through the same thing before they were whisked away again. There were no opportunities to talk. Everything was brutally efficient.

You were allowed to sleep for a few hours on a hospital-style cot. You ended up just lying there and staring up at the ceiling. There were other people there, also trying to sleep and failing, but nobody talked. Everyone just waited.

In the morning, you were all herded into the body of the ship. It was massive, bigger than any building you’d ever been in, and still quite cramped when you walked into it. The room was cylindrical, with pods lining the whole thing. The walls rotated, allowing the pods to be lowered to the ground, people to be strapped in and put to sleep, then rotated up to the ceiling, ferris-wheel-style.

You were toward the back, so you got a good view of the people in front of you being placed into the pods, injected with the combination of fluids that would knock them out, hooked into the machinery, and then sent into ‘hibernation mode.’ On your turn, you were pushed into the pod, the fluid-filled bags that supported your body adjusting automatically. The fluid was administered through your IV port and the chill of it made your eyelids droop almost immediately. Your eyelids drooped. The world grew colder and colder as the pod lid closed round you and you were left in the pitch blackness of the pod. You couldn’t tell the difference between your eyes being closed and open, but you must have closed them at some point, because you did drift into the dreamless hibernation of spaceflight.

It wasn’t quite like falling asleep. It was more like closing your eyes for a couple seconds and suddenly everything felt like garbage. Your muscles cramped, your mouth was dry as a bone, your arm throbbed where the IV port had been attached, and your eyes couldn’t open. You coughed furiously as soon as you took your first breath.

The air that touched your skin was horribly cold, but your body couldn’t shiver. Despite having basically nothing in your stomach, your body kept trying to retch. Your limbs were locked up, barely able to move from the slightly-uncomfortable position you’d been forced into in the pod.

Something touched your arm and you screamed. Or tried to- your lungs forced the air out with a sound more like a grating huff. The touch was warm, blazing against your bare skin, and even the texture of it was unbearable. Being without sensation for so long seemed to have magnified your senses a thousandfold.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before moving became tolerable. You tried to open your eyes a few times, but even once you could physically do so, the room was too bright to look at. You flopped helplessly on your back, squeaking and complaining whenever you were touched.

As your brain grew used to processing sensory input once more, you got better at figuring out what was happening to you. You were lying in some sort of thick liquid, with your head supported so your face was free of it. The thing that kept touching you was alive, presumably, because it was moving. It felt like you were being gently massaged. Kind of the massage used to help encourage blood flow in a limb.

You tried your eyes again. They cracked open, just barely. The light wasn’t so bad this time. Not good, but not bad, either. It stung. You could see someone, probably a person, moving around you, although you could barely even make out the silhouette. It was mostly a blur.

The massage was nice. It was sort of a more pleasant awakening than you thought you’d have. They’d briefed you on the awakening procedures- the pods would gradually warm up so you woke up slowly before ejecting everyone all at once. No one should be awake to care for you.  Maybe something had gone wrong? But not so wrong that you’d died, so it couldn’t be something you needed to worry about too much.

You took your time to come back to yourself, slowly warming up to your body again. It still felt like you’d spent a week and a half completely sick with the flu, but you were otherwise not so bad.

The room was slowly drifting into focus around you. It was actually quite dim, you realized. There were a couple of pale blue lights set into the ceiling far above you providing illumination for the whole room, so everything was dark and shadowy. There was still the silhouette moving around you, but they were sort of dark and it was hard to make anything out about them.

The silhouette moved closer, still backlit too much to make out features. There was something slightly off about the shape of it, with the head and the shoulders or something, but maybe that was some weird eye effect of the hibernation. Hallucinations sometimes happened after hibernation, they’d said. Nothing to worry about.

And then the silhouette spoke. At least, you thought it was speaking. It wasn’t using words, though. It made a low, sort of thrumming noise with the occasional pop or creak. They weren’t quite noises a human could make, or at least, not without great effort.

You froze. That was… weird. More hallucinations, maybe? Had the hibernation fucked with your brain so bad you’d forgotten how words worked? That wasn’t good- maybe that’s why you were getting woken up separately?

Before you had a moment to ponder that any longer, there was a mechanical click and a voice, sort of neutral and male, said… something. You still couldn’t understand what it was saying, but there was some confirmation that it was, actually, saying something because you recognized the language: Chinese.

There was a pause. The mechanical click repeated, and then the voice spoke again, in English. “Are you conscious and able to respond? Please raise an arm if you can understand what I’m saying to you.”

You raised your arm automatically, though it was a struggle to lift it out of the thick substance you were submerged in. The thrumming and popping noise started up again, followed quickly by a mechanical click and a voice in English. It reminded you of when they dubbed over someone on the news while they were still talking. “Please remain calm. You suffered some injuries to your extremities, as well as hibernation sickness. We’re attempting to stabilize you, but you’re in a delicate condition.”

You tried to talk, but your mouth was so dry your tongue was trying to glue itself to the roof of your mouth. If the person was bothered by that, they didn’t show it. They moved closer to your head, walking alongside the tub you were resting in. Your eyes tracked them. They were moving weirdly. Were they hurt, maybe? Alarm bells kept going off in your head, the uncanny sense that something was wrong, but nothing in your conscious brain could put together what it was.

The person moved so they were in one of the brighter section of the room. You could see more than just their vague shape. Your heart stopped.

They were not a person.

That was why their shape was wrong. You could see their torso, from their head to nearly their waist, and it was human only in the vaguest of shapes. Sort of a vaguely oval head, with a sort of human-like face, except it was flatter, with pointed, almost horse-like ears. Their eyes were a little deeper-set and rounder. Their coloration reminded you of a Doberman, almost, with black across the top of their face and a paler color underneath. Their torso was longer and more slender than a human’s with narrower, more sloped shoulders and long arms that folded up close to their chest. They made a sort of humming or purring noise as they leaned over you.

You struggled to sit up or scramble away, but you couldn’t move much. You couldn’t even scream, just sort of moan helplessly. One of your legs managed to kick out sideways and connect with the side of the tank. It wasn’t much of a hit, but that, combined with you straining the rest of your pathetic muscles to get away from the thing next to you, meant that you partially slid off whatever was keeping your head supported and your face went under the water.

It was thicker than water, but not by too much, so your head slid under it with disconcerting slowness. It was then that you discovered another disadvantage of your weak muscles- the substance was just thick enough to make moving through it, even just enough to lift your head out of the water, impossible.

You thrashed, but not really, since you couldn’t move. There was only about two seconds of panic, though, before hands locked around you and pulled your head out back out. You sputtered as the hands placed your head back on the little platform.

“Stay still.” Something was beeping frantically in the background, and you could both hear and see the creature shifting around to check on some machines. “The fluid is warming you back to proper temperature. You need to remain still and calm to avoid going into shock.”

There was no way you were not going into shock. But you’d used up all your energy in your near-drowning, so you couldn’t do much but lie there. The creature seemed to relax.

“I understand that you’re frightened. I promise, I’m trying to help you.” When you didn’t move, just watched them, they relaxed further. “Remain still. I will conclude the treatment.”

They fussed around for a little while longer, checking on whatever monitors were giving readouts for your condition. You weren’t sure what indicated that your treatment was over, since you didn’t feel much better, but eventually, they pressed a button somewhere and the fluid drained out of the tub. It was cold after the fluid was gone, and you were completely nude and shivering, resting on some pads at the bottom of the tub. The creature, thankfully, offered you warm cloths that you could bury yourself underneath.

Before you could even properly enjoy the warmth, there was the sound of footsteps approaching. A lot of footsteps. Summoning all your strength, you heaved yourself up and looked over the edge of the tub.

There were more of them. Only three, not including your creature, which didn’t seem to match up with the amount of footsteps you’d heard. And then you looked down a little more and realized why.

They were centaurs.

Sort of- their limbs weren’t hooved, and they weren’t really like paws, either. A bit more like bird talons, if birds rested mostly on their fingertips. Talontips. Whatever. They walked with their torsos bent further forward than centaurs, too, and they had long tails. A couple of them had horns, pointing back off their heads. They were wearing clothes that were relatively close-fitting, like most spacesuits you’d seen.

The one in front, with the largest horns and a sort of fancy marker around its neck, stepped froward. “On behalf of the First Branch of the Agrenier, we would like to officially greet your species. And offer our condolences.” This one also had their words picked up by the machine and recited in a language you could understand, though the voice the machine used was different, a little more feminine. Maybe this one was a woman?

The blankets hadn’t really calmed your shivering, but you managed to speak in a semi-steady voice. “Condolences?”

She scuffed one of her forelimbs, her ears lowering to the sides of her head. “Your ship was found drifting, nearly without power. There was some sort of error with major mechanical functions in the ship, which caused serious damage to the inner workings. Upon investigation of the craft, we discovered several hibernation pods, the vast majority of which were damaged.” She paused, still tapping a forelimb against the ground. “Two contained living members of your species, but you were the only one to survive the initial reawakening process. You have our deepest condolences.”             You opened your mouth, but you couldn’t think of anything to say. Your brain struggled to process anything. Two pods with living people. Only one survived the reawakening. That was- that had to be you, right? You were- the only-

Dimly, you were aware of the robot speaking again. It seemed to be rapidly switching between two agitated voices. People were having an argument, maybe? You didn’t care. You buried yourself under the blankets and hid in the warm cocoon until everything was dark and floaty and your brain didn’t have any thoughts in it at all.

Someone tried to tug the blanket away. You weren’t sure how long it had been, but it was quieter and your limbs were stiff from being in the same position. You tried to keep the blanket over your body, but there was another firm tug and you lost your grip. Your muscles were pathetic. And, as embarrassing as it was, you couldn’t help but crying out when the blanket was taken away. It was the one thing you had in the world and you couldn’t even hold onto it.

“I’m sorry.” The other voice, the one from your centaur, came again from the robot. It did a very good job at adding emotion to the voices- it sounded anguished. “You’re overheating, I need to take it, but I’m sorry.” You curled up on the bottom of the tub, unmoving. The centaur patted your head. It was a small gesture, but you leaned into it. What else did you have?

The centaur patted your head a few more times before moving on. “I know you’re probably scared, but we’re not going to hurt you. I’m going to help you. Your hibernation pod was the least damaged of all of them, but it still had some minor malfunctions. It was hard to wake you up, and you’re not going to be all there for a little while.”

You racked your brains. It was easier to think about facts. When you’d gotten on the ship, there had been a big disclaimer about the dangers of hibernation pods. They were designed to keep a human in a state of suspended animation, with body functions slowed down to the bare minimum. The upper estimate was that it could keep a human asleep and alive for over half a million years. Not that anyone had ever tested them before you. But they were also risky- even minor malfunctions could lead to an early awakening, damage to the body, or the hibernation process just killing a person outright. Even when they’d gone over that part, though, no one had left. Why would they? Between a one hundred percent chance of death and a twenty percent chance, who would take the former?

So the malfunction had probably been in the sleep-wake system, the part that regulated how the machine knocked people out and woke them back up. It was supposed to run through a wakeup cycle on its own when the main computer signaled it was time, but if that system failed, it could be manually activated, and if the waking system failed entirely, there were ways to safely bring a person out of the hibernation without machine intervention. They were always riskier, though, and even if everything was done perfectly, it didn’t guarantee a successful revival.

That must have been what happened to the other person, the one in the other surviving pod. They’d tried to wake them up and…

Nope. Focus on facts. You took a deep breath. “What happened to the ship?”

“We boarded and searched it, and transferred the central computer system over to ours, as well as the supplies we could budget the space for,” the centaur said. “I’m afraid I don’t know any more specifics than that. I’m sorry.”

“How was it damaged? You said it was damaged.”

“An impact, I think?”

“That doesn’t make any sense. The ship was designed with rotator shields and plating and redundancies to keep everything secure. It was safe. It couldn’t be-” You paused. “How many people were on the ship?”

The centaur paused, then turned to one of the machines and tapped something in. “About 45,000 hibernation pods were recorded to be on the ship.”

That was too few for the main ship, but it had been designed with redundancies. If the impact had left a portion of the ship crippled, it was designed to eject the damaged portion and continue on without it.

Which meant your portion had been spit out and left to drift while the rest of the ship continued on toward its destination.

So everyone on the ship wasn’t dead. They were just continuing on to their destination. Without you.

That should make you feel better, right? That they weren’t dead? But you just felt very, very… lonely.

“I’m sorry about your fellow passengers,” the centaur said. He was leaning over the edge of the tub, sort of draped over it so he was resting his arm and his chin there. “For now, you should rest.” He glanced toward the door and his lips lifted into a bared-teeth expression. “Before our first officer comes back.”

He lifted your arm and slipped a tube into the shunt. It took only a few minutes before liquid sleep was coursing through your veins and you fell into a deep sleep.

The awakenings happened on a more or less regular schedule, at least from what you would tell. Often they would happen in that warm bath again, with your centaur rubbing your limbs to encourage bloodflow. Sometimes there was the other centaur there as well, the female one. You were pretty sure she and your centaur didn’t get along. The robot didn’t often translate for their conversations, but they had the tenor of arguments, and your centaur was always huffy and quiet after speaking with her. You ended up keeping time by the awakenings.

After two awakenings, your centaur gave you food. It was all prepackaged meal sludge, which was designed for people who had awoken from hibernation recently, and it made your stomach cramp, but you ate it. After four awakenings, the cramps stopped and you could move on to a combination of meal sludge and broth. Whenever you could, you engaged your centaur in conversation.

“How’d you know what medicines and foods to use?” you asked as he pulled the line administering some sort of medication out of your arm and closed the shunt.

“We transferred the existing data of your ship’s computer over to ours. I’m using your ship’s guide, translated into our own language, and improvising with our own equipment where yours was damaged- the hibernation pod you’ve been staying in is one of ours.”

“It seems too small to fit you,” you said. You weren’t a small person- you were actually pretty average- but the pod was only a bit too big for you to comfortably rest in. The centaurs were bigger than you by a pretty big margin, even your centaur, and he seemed to be the smallest one you’d seen so far.

“Oh, yes, that one’s for children.”

“You put children in hibernation?” You tried not to make the statement accusatory, but it came out like that anyway. There had been no children on The Ship, for multiple reasons. First was practicality- having a population that could breed and work right away upon making planetfall was paramount, and children wouldn’t be able to do either. The second was that no one knew how hibernation pods would affect children. Would it damage their bodies? Their ability to age properly? Hibernation had only been tested on adults- it was hard to convince people to put children in pods that might kill or cripple them, even when the same people had no issue with adults, especially prisoner populations.

Your centaur seemed unbothered. “For medical purposes. That’s what hibernation pods are used for. Slowing the spread of disease until the person can receive medical attention. It’s highly risky to use hibernation pods for long term space travel.” His ears flicked. “Though under your circumstances, I can’t say I can judge you.”

Ah. If they had the computer’s logs, they all knew what’s happening to Earth. What had probably already happened. The planet had a scant few years left by the time The Ship left, and if you’d traveled far enough to come across real aliens, then you’d been traveling for a while.

The centaur walked around the pod as the entire thing shifted from a horizontal position to a nearly vertical one. “I’m going to unlock the restraints,” he said. There was a faint click and the straps that were holding you in place retracted.

Your legs wobbled. It took all your strength to keep your body upright. It was a strain to stand, to walk, even to sit up sometimes. But your centaur insisted on making you move around.

“Hands in mine,” he said, extending his arms. You placed your hands in his and stepped out of the pod. He supported most of your weight with barely a tremble as you took a few shaky steps. His hands enveloped yours, though that was partially because of their strange shape. Unlike human hands, his were six-fingered and bilaterally symmetrical, with four ‘fingers’ and two ‘thumbs, both of which were positioned closer toward the wrist and pointed further backward than human thumbs. Despite their alien shape, holding his hands felt remarkably similar to just holding a human hand. It was a comfort.

Just as you were completing your second circuit of the room, your legs trembling like a baby deer’s, the door opened. Your centaur glanced up and his ears lowered instantly. The centaur that walked in was the first officer, the female that you’d seen when you’d first awoken.

“Officer,” your centaur said. The machine that translated everything was apparently quite accurate with tone, so you could tell that he was being both polite and annoyed. “Good to see you.” He was not happy about seeing her. “I am in the middle of something, so if this is not a pressing issue, perhaps we could continue this at a later date?” Please, please fuck off.

The veneer of politeness he was using didn’t let her be outright annoyed, but the machine’s tone when it spoke for her suggested she wasn’t very happy either. “It concerns our guest,” she said, turning her gaze to you. “And it is somewhat pressing.”

Your centaur shuffled his back legs and swung his tail. “Very well. Let’s get you back to the pod.” He ignored her, focusing his gaze on you as he assisted you back to the pod. You let out a sigh of relief as soon as you were in it. Your centaur rotated the pod back into the horizontal position and started to fill it with the thick fluid that let you float comfortably.

The first officer approached, claws clicking softly against the floor as she did so. “The human will want to be awake for this,” she said. “It’s important.”

Your centaur huffed a bit, but he didn’t move to put the sleeping drugs back in your system and just folded his arms up to his chest, in a way reminiscent of a praying mantis, and waited for her to speak.

She cleared her throat and turned her gaze to you. “We’re coming across one of our stations. You will be placed on a shuttle to the station, and then sent on another ship back to Tenso-bara.”

You blinked. What was Tenso-bara?

“In my opinion, that’s not a good idea,” your centaur said. His ears were still flattened, his lips curling back from his teeth just a little. “The hibernation causes weakness and sickness, so it may not be a good idea for travel at this point in the-”

“We are not going to come across another station for several-” The translation stuttered here, blocking the word out. “And we are not in compliance with the endangered species accords. We’re required to send endangered species to occupied worlds that hold to the accords for proper categorization and preservation.”

“Those accords aren’t for fellow intelligent species!” your centaur huffed.

“They were initially designed for non-sapient life, yes, but they do not exclude sapient species. Given what we know, we may be sheparding the last member of the human species.”

“There might be others!” you said. The first officer paused, her gaze going piercing-sharp. “The Ship was designed to separate damaged segments to protect the undamaged parts. The part of the ship I was on was only a small portion of the full thing! There are probably others!”

The first officer paused. “How many others?”

“Um. I think there were around two hundred and fifty thousand. Maybe as many as three hundred thousand? I’m not sure- they were trying to add additional pods at the end, but I was put to sleep before that happened.”

“But there is no guarantee that these other people did survive. Nor do you have any idea where the ship is now.” The first officer’s voice wasn’t cold or cruel, but it wasn’t gentle, either. You drooped a little.

“No. There might be information on the computer about where we were when the impact happened, but if it’s not there, then I don’t know where the ship could be.”

“Then I apologize, but unless we have other living members of the species or some confirmation that the others are alive, then you are under the accords and cannot stay on this ship. It is required for you to be returned to a planet.” She stamped her two front feet in a motion you assumed was like a shrug. “There is nothing I can do.”

“If that’s the case, then I want to make a request,” your centaur said. He stepped forward, practically shielding you from the first officer. “I would like to request a transfer.”

The first officer swung her tail back and forth across the floor, making a soft schff, schff, schff sound. “You wish to go with the human.”             Your centaur’s ears twitched and he rubbed his wrists together. Maybe he was embarrassed at having been so obvious. “Ah, well. Yes. I think it would be a good idea to stay, since I’m already aware of the medical conditions and-”

The first officer stomped one of her feet firmly against the ground. “I will submit the request. But I cannot guarantee it will be approved.” She turned back to you, expression neutral. That you could tell, anyway. Their faces didn’t seem as expressive as a human’s. Or maybe you just couldn’t understand their expressions as well. “You will be transferred in two days.”

Without another word, she left the room. Your centaur made a noise somewhere between a relieved sigh and an irritated huff. Then he turned back toward you. “I apologize about her.”

“What was she talking about?” you asked. He picked up an IV line of sleeping meds and for a moment you thought that he was going to knock you out so he wouldn’t have to answer your questions. But he just fiddled with it for a moment before speaking.

“There are many species in the known universe, and the gradual colonization of these planets has left many of these species  in critical danger, which led to environmental accords. Severely endangered species have laws regarding their transport in space and species in critical danger need to be taken to preserves in order to breed them back to proper levels. Or just keep them until their species naturally goes extinct. Whichever.”

“I’m going to be put on a nature preserve?” you said, trying to sit up. Your centaur immediately tried to usher you to lie back down.

“Probably not for long. I’m sure they’ll work to give you freedom and self-determination and all that. We’re just… required to follow regulations.” He rubbed his wrists together again. “I do want to advocate for you, though, hence why I elected to come with you. And to give you medical care.” He made a series of thumping noises in rapid succession, which the robot apparently interpreted as laughing. “I didn’t get my xenobiologist degree just to hand a medically delicate specimen over to some idiot government worker.” His voice got softer as he continued. “You’re going to be okay.”

It was comforting to hear that reassurance. He slipped the line into the shunt in your arm and you closed your eyes, feeling an unusually peaceful sleep drift over you.

Part 2 here.

[acetone4veins]

Quotes + Mean Girls

associating angsty quotes (and some fluffy ones) to mean girls characters and dynamics, this is definitely longer than it should be and will probably be part 1 of many but anyways. lmk which were your favorites and which ones ruined you :) also shoutout to the cautionary tale discord who saw some of these already and ramble about these characters with me <3

posting under the cut so i don't clog anyone's feeds

Regina

"what a terrible thing to wound someone you really care for - and to do it so unconsciously."

Haruki Murakami

"and when nobody wakes you up in the morning, and when nobody waits for you at night, and when you can do whatever you want. what do you call it, freedom or loneliness?"

Charles Bukowski

"i am changing. i am trying to be better. it is slow; it is rough; it is repetitive, but i swear i am."

Abdulsamad S. M.

"i did not like to be touched, but it was a strange dislike. i did not like to be touched because i craved it too much. i wanted to be held very tight so i would not break."

Marya Hornbacher

"i was not a loveable child, and i'd grown into a deeply unlovable adult. draw a picture of my soul, and it'd be a scribble with fangs."

Gillian Flynn

"if only my heart were as cold as i pretend it is, maybe i could get over this."

Jessica Katoff

"i wasn't beautiful anymore. now i looked like what i was, a raw wound."

Janet Fitch

"i'm restless and harsh and despairing. although i do have love inside me. i just don't know how to use love. sometimes it tears at my flesh, like barbs."

Clarice Lispector

"i did not mean to be cruel. i swear i am good, i am good, i am kind. i have love inside me. some place far far away."

unknown

Cady

"how much can you change and get away with it, before you turn into someone else, before its some kind of murder?"

Richard Siken

"your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing."

Dyodor Dosteovsky

"what and how much had i lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what i myself wished to do?"

Ralph Ellison

"my god, my god, whose performance am i watching? how many people am i? who am i? what is this space between myself and myself?"

Fernando Pessoa

"it was good for a while, being empty. i didn't hurt anymore. but as time went on, it was like i could hear myself from far away, begging for permission to come back."

Myra McEntire

"is it better to out-monster the monster or to be quietly devoured?"

Friedrich Nietzsche

"who's the real you? the person who did something awful, or the one who's horrified by the awful thing you did? is one part of you allowed to forgive the other?"

Rebecca Stead

"you're a mess of good intentions gone wrong. you strike a match on yourself to keep others warm, and now the whole goddamn world's on fire. you try to put it out, and you try so hard. the dam breaks, and the waters of your sorrow pour free. you are sorry; so very, very sorrow - and you will drown everyone to prove it."

unknown

Janis

"there are times when i am convinced i am unfit for any human relationship."

Franz Kafka

"i am eternally, devastatingly romantic, and i thought people would see it because 'romantic' doesn't mean 'sugary'. it's dark and tormented - the furor of passion, the despair of an idealism that you cannot attain."

Catherine Breillat

"but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself."

Kate Chopin

"there were two reasons i was scared to let people in; the damage they could do, and the damage they could find."

Chris McGeown

"perhaps its good for one to suffer. can an artist do anything if he's happy? would he ever want to do anything? what is art, after all, but a protest against the horrible inclemency of life?"

Aldous Huxley

Gretchen

"i want so obviously, so desperately to be loved, and to be capable of love."

Sylvia Plath

"she wanted to say 'don't leave me', but she couldn't do it, not again. she was so tired of begging people to love her."

Kristin Hannah

"he is charmingly telling me how much he does not love me...and i, - listening to him carefully, - am approving it."

Marina Tsvetaeva

"she's gonna forever say 'i got this' even with tears in her eyes."

unknown

"still there is this terrible desire to be loved. still, there is this horror at being left behind."

Michael Cunningham

"can you understand me? someone, somewhere, can you understand me a little, love me a little?"

Sylvia Plath

"i am trying to make myself digestible. i am trying to make myself easy to love."

I.B. Vyache

"do you think it is possible that some people are born to give more love than they will ever get back in return?"

Tyler Knott Gregson

Karen

"the sensitive suffer more; but they love more, and dream more."

Augusto Cury

"a lot of people tell me i'm a bit dreamy. but i like the idea of that. of being somewhere else."

Alam

"you cannot make everyone think and feel as deeply as you do. this is your tragedy, because you understand them but they do not understand you."

Daniel Saint

Regina and Janis

"the bear loved the deer, it was obvious. it ripped the deer's throat out, and then licked the dying deer with the most passionate affection. i thought of you and me."

David Cronenberg

"can you hate someone for what they have done, but still love them for whom they had been?"

Jodi Picoult

"love isn't soft, like those poets say. love has teeth which bite and the wounds never close."

Stephen King

"i love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul."

Pablo Neruda

"they will hook me up to a polygraph and ask me if i love you and i will say no but the needle will jump and sputter exactly how you laugh."

unknown

"there's a sickening feeling of familiarity, when the wrong person knows you too well and you know them too well. and they weren't always the wrong person."

unknown

"we don't mean to hurt each other, but we do. and perhaps no matter how right we are for each other, we'll always be a little wrong."

Beau Taplin

Regina and Cady

"i am intense darkness and you are a golden sunrise."

Arijit Singh and Pritam

"even before you touched me, i belonged to you; all you had to do was look at me."

unknown

"whether you come as a lover or an executioner, i am ready to receive you."

Agustin Gomez-Arcos

"for the longest time, i saw myself as a bad person. you don't know how much it meant to me when you looked at me and could see the good."

unknown

"but i have seen the best of you and the worst of you, and i choose both."

Sarah Kay

"i promised myself i would never fall in love with you. but it was 4 am, and we were laughing way too hard, and i felt happy for the first time in a long time, and i knew i was screwed."

unknown

Gretchen and Karen

"i would rather be with you - even the you that you seem to think is diminished - than with anyone else in the world."

Jojo Moyes

"it hurts, he realizes, to love someone who can't love themselves. like watching a work of art set itself on fire."

unknown

"how amazing it is to find someone who wants to hear about all the things that go on in your head."

Nina LaCour

"come love, make me better than i was. come teach me a kinder way to say my own name."

Andrea Gibson

"i wanted you to see a mess and still find me worthy of love, to tell me that you could still love me anyway."

Georges Bataille

"sometimes, love is as simple as watching the moon and sometimes its as difficult as counting the stars. but i love doing both for you."

unknown

Janis and Damian

"you may be born into a family, but you walk into friendships. some you'll discover you should put behind you. others are worth every risk."

Adam Silvera

Regina and Gretchen

"but i am very homesick for arms that have never held me."

unknown

"i burned so long so quiet you must have wondered if i loved you back. i did, i did, i do."

Annelyse Gelman

"so i wait for you like a lonely house till you will see me again and live in me. till then my windows ache."

Pablo Neruda

"how do you tell someone that the reason you're sad is because you love them?"

unknown

[sunspearesque]

‘Tis You, My Great Love

Summary: I've been betrothed to fear since the mists of memory, “the bride of despair,” they named me. And there, by the shore, you found me… sorrow veiling my face, and wounds blooming like tulips in my hands. But lo, you, my great love, now stand, lifting the veil and bidding my fears depart with each tender kiss. “Stay,” I say, “stay for all eternity.”

A/N: hello hello beautiful friends!!! i wrote this piece while feeling extremely sentimental and sappy after a conversation about motherhood with my best friend.. i was contemplating motherhood, marriage, and intimacy in general, but then tried to imagine how that would translate to Nala's and Oberyn's relationship.. so, this fic is mainly fluff with a sprinkle of smut :3 and lots of poetic dreams… hope you enjoy it! <3

Pairing: Oberyn Martell × OFC from WoV

Rating: E (18+ only)

Content: established relationship (marriage); talks of motherhood; fear of loss and abandonment; fear of motherhood; talks of dreams; pregnancy; childbirth; fluff on steroids with a sprinkle of smut; dad!oberyn (my favorite oberyn to write); brief p in v sex; oral (m!receiving); breeding kink

WC: 2.6K

Read on AO3 • moodboard

“Love me so strongly that the echoes come to me here, at night, in the hours of insomnia, where I am waiting for you. I kiss you, I kiss you madly.” — Albert Camus to Maria Casares, Correspondence, January 9, 1950

His breath, slow and warm, caressed her neck as he nestled closer. His arms, like bands of fire, encircled her soft belly. With a grip as tight as the grasp of a man fearing the loss of paradise slipping through his fingers, he held her close, as if she might vanish like the elusive dream of Eden he chased in his sleep. Just when he thought he could taste its waters, they turned to fire, scorching his throat and consuming him in flames, jolting him awake from his slumber. Yet now, she mused, he sleeps peacefully.

She traced her finger over the scar adorning his shoulder, much like the marks she bore on her own body from bearing their son—for when love leaves its mark upon us, not even the shadow of fear can erase it.

Her fingers deftly threaded through his raven locks, prompting a soft hum from him as she pressed a tender kiss upon his brow. Never before had she known such serenity, as sleep gently stole her away in his arms.

—

The sun, basking in its warm and inviting glow, reached its luminous tendrils into the chambers of their castle. The soft sounds of nature at dawn whispered promises of new beginnings. These beginnings ushered in healing and prosperity to souls who had yearned for the clasp of death for so long, forgetting how to revel in life's joys and surrender to its tender embrace.

Life in Dorne, akin to a nurturing mother, a goddess, a woman… the dunes of sand beneath their calloused feet, and the blazing sun in the sky, stood as an impregnable fortress of strength akin to Nymeria, their burning star. She was the mother of both land and people, her warmth forging indomitable resolve within her children. She is the sun—their sun blazing fiercely, instilling in them an unyielding grit against any rival, yet within their hearts lay a gentle warmth that embraced love as steadfastly as a sacred oath.

And like the sun and the earth and Nymeria, Nala harbored the urges of motherhood within her, which was a concept that she held in reverence, yet it also stirred a deep sense of dread within her. She longed for the life burgeoning deep inside of her, for a part of herself to wander this realm and embrace life under her vigilant care and unwavering devotion. However, she couldn't shake the haunting memory of how motherhood had claimed her own mother's life, how she harbored guilt for the tragic fate her mother endured.

If only I hadn't been, she might have fled the castle and escaped her dire end...

This lingering wound within her soul was the sole reason she had shunned the idea of bearing children until she met him.

He, adorned in all his splendor, tended to her wounded soul the very instant he professed his love to her, at a time when he himself was most in need of solace. This bastion of a man, generous, gracious, and gallant, freely bestowed his love, protection, and tenderness, even amidst the shadows of his wrath and vengeance.

For you, my great love, I ache with an unbearable keenness, feeling the wounds within me slowly mend, sewn shut with the thread of your love—a needle of devotion stitching together my injured being. Though painful, it is an insatiable need, a piercing sting I have yearned for throughout the passing years. It closes the chasm within me, that gaping void where the winds of despair and sorrow once freely roamed, leaving me as naught but a specter, undeserving of love, joy, or autonomy.

Your love, my great love, is what ignited within me a hunger for life after an endless fast of fear—fear of loss and abandonment. Your love bestowed upon me the strength to embrace love once more, despite the inevitable sacrifices. Did you know that you visited me in my dreams? You kissed me with such tenderness and held me close. “I was adrift,” I told you, my voice laden with fear, “take me..” I whispered, “Take me with you.”

When she pledged herself to him in marriage, she knew she needed to fear no one beneath the gaze of Gods and men. With him by her side, no rivals could breach her defenses; even in death, his spirit would haunt any who dared to harm her through all Seven Hells and beyond.

You told me once, do you recall? As we strolled the shores, my steps were heavy with dread or joy, or perhaps it was the dread of the joy that awaited me. I struggle to remember the last time genuine happiness graced my soul before that day. When the sweet taste of happiness touched my sorrow-laden lips, I froze in place, wary that this cruel existence might snatch it away, as it so often does.

You whispered to me, my great love, your love with such fervor, you told me how it frightened you, unable to resist the pull of our inevitable fate. “How could I?” you pondered, “You are inescapable.” You told me that sorrow is the price of love; to shun one is to forsake the other. Yet, you vowed not to evade me, you kissed me and swore to me that you would not allow my love to elude your grasp.

You told me how I melt into your dreams, whisking you away in my embrace mere seconds before the phantom hands could encircle your throat. Those same hands, which once tormented you each night, wrenching you from slumber, now find themselves impotent against your newfound peace. You impute to me your salvation, though I doubted my own. You rekindled a dormant tenderness within me, long thought doused by the harshness of life. ‘tis you, my great love, who rescued me… It was not I who saved you, but you who saved me.

She recalled a day they spent amidst the Water Gardens, a few moons past:

Reclining upon the grass, the soothing melody of a nearby water fountain lulled her into a serene state of repose. The laughter of Dorea and Loreza filled her ears, joyfully engaged in play with their father. Nala shut her eyes, savoring this heartening moment with those she holds most dear.

“W–Wait, papa, wait,” Dorea uttered between pants, attempting to conceal her sweet giggles. “I heard Arianne say that you engage in battles,” she inquired, her small hand resting on her waist as she sought to extract the truth from him.

“Yes, I do,” Oberyn replied, seated on the grass, attempting to catch his breath after chasing them all morning. “Why would Arianne tell you that?” He narrowed his eyes at his daughter, intrigued by the smirk that widened before Loreza jumped on his back, encircling his neck and hanging from it, ambushing him. “Papa, fight!”

Nala opened her eyes to witness the victorious father, besieged by little hands and tiny feet, playfully striking his stomach and chest, surrounded by laughter that compelled him to yield, lying flat on his back.

Dorea brandished a stick of wood, pointing it at his face, and murmured, “Surrender!” with a broad, toothy grin. Loreza, seizing the opportunity, delivered a playful punch to his soft middle. “I surrender, my lady, I surrender!” he exclaimed with feigned fear and defeat, eliciting more giggles from Loreza. “Have mercy on this old man, my lady, please!” he continued, jesting while maintaining his scared demeanor.

“Loreza,” Dorea commanded with a stern expression, feigning seriousness, “this soldier will join our army,” attempting a deep, authoritative voice. At that moment, Oberyn stealthily swept them both from their feet and hoisted them onto his shoulders, prompting a chorus of screams and laughter. “You shall never trust your enemy, girls,” he declared, his voice playfully admonishing.

Her faith in his paternal prowess never wavered, evidenced by his eight resilient daughters. He showered them with love and fierceness to such an extent that Nala's own heart ached with longing to bear his child—a primal yearning that twisted within her.

Each time he lay with her, she offered fervent prayers to the Gods, beseeching them, “Grant this union fruitfulness, let it take, let life flourish abundantly within me.”

When the soft stirrings of life within her ignited a radiant glow from deep within, his love grew even more tender, gentle, and expansive; even greater than the swell of her stomach. She marveled at the dichotomy of this fierce and dreaded man seeping such tenderness. How could hands, once stained with the blood of his foes and weathered by battle, now caress her with such delicate care, as if she were the most delicate of petals?

“Tell me,” he panted as he thrust into her, “Tell me how much you love me, Nala.”

“I do,” she said, her words strained with pleasure, melding into a moan, “I do, my viper, I adore you.”

As she entered the throes of labor, he sat steadfastly behind her, his legs parted to rest on her sides supporting her back against his chest, his words of praise gently murmured into her ear. Amidst his curses at the Gods, he avidly wished to shoulder her pain, to bear it in her stead. 

When they were greeted by the piercing cries of the fruit of their love—a child, glorious and perfect in every way, red and squealing, a reflection of his father in demeanor, soul, and visage—she cradled him in her arms, while Oberyn enveloped them both in his protective embrace.

Their eyes locked upon the tiny, fragile form before them, and as a rare tear escaped his forbearing facade, she reached out to brush it from his cheek. With a tender whisper, she said, “Look, my love, he bears your likeness.”

She reclined upon her side, nursing their son at her breast, nestled between herself and Oberyn. His gaze lingered upon the tender scene, his eyes laden with unspoken emotions that he dared not voice, lest tears betray him.

Do you remember, my great love? Do you remember how the fear wilted, its head bowed in shame? The fear that once gripped me, releasing my hand as it gazed upon you with eyes filled with dread.

“Fret not,” you whispered to me while I sat in sorrow by your side. Though you lay in a deep slumber for days, your voice broke through the darkness just when I feared I might never hear it again. When all semblance of peace metamorphosed into a looming specter, jeering at me, taunting my joy and desperation. “Oh, you naive child,” it sneered with a voice steeped in bitterness. “I am no child,” I retorted, yet I felt the weight of my old fears returning. “You never learn,” it spat, before your voice shielded me from impending despair. You whispered, “Fret not,” and I believed you, my great love, as I always do.

And now look... Look at him... How can one lay bare their heart to the world, a heart with little hands and tiny feet, and not fret?

—

Gently opening her eyes, she sensed the chill of the empty space beside her—a void she cursed and despised. Rising slowly from her slumber, she beheld him: bare-chested, glorious, as beautiful as a man can be, cradling their son in his arms.

Their embrace enveloped them in warmth, their skins melding as one, while the soft cooing of their child resonated faintly in the chamber's silence. Amidst the peaceful atmosphere, punctuated only by the hushed footsteps of her husband and the tender sounds of their boy, her heart pounded within her chest like a Sand Steed galloping across the Dornish plains, threatening to burst forth. The love she felt surged within her, surpassing all expectations, growing fiercer, more profound—unbearable. It was a love that dissolved her fears like the northern snows beneath the scorching sun.

In the treasured instants shared with his children, Oberyn found solace in moments where the chaos of the world faded into oblivion. Each time they gathered around him, their youthful spirits ignited a spark of joy within him, particularly in those tender early years when they sought refuge in their father's arms. Yet, amidst this warmth, a pang of sorrow lingered as he gazed upon his son, his thoughts drifting to memories of his nephew Aegon, the son of his sweet sister Elia.

He couldn't help but imagine how Aegon might have flourished had fate been kinder to him or his sister or their mother. A gentle touch from Nala drew him back from his sorrowful reverie, and as he turned to meet her tender smile, he leaned in to press a soft kiss upon her lips, mindful not to disturb the slumbering child cradled in his embrace.

“Why did you not awaken me, my love?” Nala murmured, her gaze tenderly fixed upon their son.

“I wished for you to rest,” he replied softly, his eyes warm as they met hers, before he moved to lay their child gently in his crib, nestling him into the plush bedding.

Returning to their bed, he settled himself against the sturdy wooden frame, patting the mattress beside him, inviting her to join him. She approached, crawling between his legs, prompting a raised brow and a smirk from him. “And what might you be doing?” he inquired.

“I long to savor you,” she declared simply, positioned between his spread legs and deftly undoing his breeches.

“And your wounds, my love?” he gently reminded her. “You are not fully healed yet.”

“This will be my remedy,” she replied, her voice hoarse and tinged with sleep and yearning, almost on the edge of a whine.

She felt his cock swell and throb in her grasp, searing and already slick with desire. With gentle strokes of her hand, she evoked muffled groans from him, meeting his gaze as she whispered, “I love you beyond reckoning…”

Lowering her head to his glistening tip, she teased the slit with tiny licks, relishing every drop of his precum. His head fell back, a deep moan escaping his lips before she buried him in her mouth.

She swallowed him deeper and deeper until he was fully sheathed within her throat, his leg jerked beside her as she moved him in and out of her wet and wanting mouth. A low hum accompanied her fervent ministrations, her hand tenderly caressing his soft belly, a part of him she had adored over the years.

Pulling him from her drooling mouth to catch her breath, she panted between words, “If not for my wounds, I would not have wasted your seed anywhere but deep within my cunt,” she licked his sensitive tip, and he whimpered quietly, “taking me day and night… today and tomorrow and the day after, and spilling your seed within me over and over ‘til it takes,” she confessed before taking him again, squeezing him within her tight throat, his primal groans filling the air and filling her with an immense sense of pride at her actions.

She swallowed around him once, then twice, until she felt his warm, salty cum spurt into her eager throat, eliciting a guttural growl from him as he filled her up and came down from his climax. She withdrew his softened cock from her mouth, gathering the seeping cum from the corners of her lips before eagerly sucking her digit clean. Crawling up to lie atop him, she rested her head upon his heaving chest, pressing kisses to his golden skin. He enveloped her in his arms, holding her tightly, yearning to merge with her until they became one.

You, my great love, ‘tis you who will always reign until the end of times, in every lifetime, in every plane of existence.

[bakuliwrites]

Video Game Fanfiction Table of Contents

Disclaimer: 18+, Minors DNI!!!!!!

Baldur's Gate 3

Just to Be Held (M): Astarion x Tav, His shoulders slump as he releases a heavy sigh. He’s been worn down by your patience, worn down by years of keeping everything to himself. Here you are, offering up companionship without any expectation. Here you are, sitting in front of him, telling him that you actually, for some gods’ forsaken reason, like spending time with him and you’re not expecting any sort of compensation from him. So why is he trying so desperately to push you away? Astarion and Tav share a quiet, peaceful moment together along their journey. Astarion learns that he is valued and loved. Tumblr, AO3

The Elder Scrolls

Devotion (18+): Cicero x Listener, He worships her, every piece of her. All of his Listener must be worshipped, as ordained. Cicero, sweet Cicero, eager to please. Eager to serve. His lips on hers, his hands roving, searching, exploring. Venerating. He dies inside her, and it is glorious. He would die a thousand times in her, as many times as she wanted. Immolating in her light over and over and over again. Cicero is unsure of this new Listener, but his feelings are muddled and confusing. What will happen when the Listener is forced to choose to take or spare his life? Tumblr, AO3.

Legend of Zelda

Ebb and Flow (18+): Prince Sidon x Reader, “I will not accept that all we’re meant to be are star-crossed lovers,” Sidon states passionately, his tone filled with a steady resolve, “I cannot accept it. Was it not here that I pledged myself to you? And you to me? Was it not here that we promised our hearts to one another? Aren’t we more than just crossing tides?” Sidon is given earth shattering news. His duty as a Zora Prince outweighs all else. But how can he accept that when his love for you is so deep? Tumblr, AO3.

Stardew Valley

Love Letters (18+): Elliott x Reader, My Muse! You inspire in me such vivid dreams that when I wake to find my bed empty, I despair! I ache for you, body and soul. How I long to return to you, scoop you up in my arms, and ravish you from evening until dawn (Beyond dawn! For dawn does not limit my undying love, my eternal passion for you). Though weary from this whirlwind tour, I am never too weary to show you the depths of my adoration for you. I will return to you early next week, and I am beside myself with excitement. Elliott returns home from his book tour and the Farmer has a sultry surprise for him. Tumblr, AO3.

Dark Souls

Lunar Halo (18+): Gwyndolin x OC, Gods do not require witnesses. So in the sanctity of the Holy Church of Anor Londo, Gwyndolin weds a mortal woman, a marriage that takes place with sightless statues and eyeless stained glass figures for guests. Veiled by cloth woven of moonlight, Gwyndolin guides his Beloved Star to the altar. Her robes are redolent of the night that enshrouds the earth, glimmering diamonds and sweeping swathes of indigo pooling around her feet as she glides up the aisle. Iridescent moonstone enamels her hand and with the promise of fealty, of love for eternity, the Dark Sun is wed. And a mortal has been anointed his wife. A tale of how the Dark Sun came to love a woman born of the Dark Soul. AO3

Fire Emblem

Restless (18+): Xander x F!Reader, As leader of the combined Hoshidan and Nohrian armies, you find yourself growing restless one night, plagued with troubling thoughts. You decide some fresh air and quiet reflection under the stars might do you some good; but, you run into Xander, also lost in thought, and decide to spend some time together. AO3

Slip Away (18+): Xander x Gender-Neutral Reader, Xander finds himself unable to unwind at his birthday party, until a certain someone whisks him away. Tumblr, AO3

To Walk a Path of Light (M): Jeritza von Hrym x GN!Byleth, Jeritza’s desire for Byleth was sparked long before the goddess had even conceived of either of their forms. Their fates have always been intertwined... Long after the war has ended, Jeritza seeks out a familiar face, while the Death Knight seeks a battle. Tumblr, AO3

Gentle (18+): Jeritza Von Hrym x OC, "She is soft. And in her softness, she dissolves whatever sharpness, whatever edge I have. In perfumed sheets and gilded sunlight, I am, for a moment, vulnerable. My gentility clambers out from where it's been buried deep for so many years. The Death Knight dies in her embrace, and from him blooms a new creature." Jeritza finds himself drawn to one of Garreg Mach's newest professors. Tumblr: Chapter 1, AO3

[xenoblade-chronicles-brackets]

The entry list is complete

I said that I might have a hard time finding 40 entries with which to pad myself. Well, as it turns out, once I started, I had a hard time stopping, and had to restrain myself to not overshoot the 256.

So on top of the 216 user submitted tracks, I also have 40 of my own submissions. The bracket will be seeded on YouTube views, but I will however default to seeding my 40 submissions lower than your 216 user submissions.

Actual bracket (hopefully) soon to come.

User submitted tracks

46:ri-9

A Faint Hope

A Formidable Enemy

A Friend on My Mind

A Life Become Distant

A Life Overflowing

A Life Sent On

A Life Sent On (Flutes)

A Life Woven Together

A Moment of Eternity

A nopon’s life

A Step Away

A Tragic Decision

aBOreSSs

After Despair and Hope(Final Boss Theme)

Agniratha (Day)

Agniratha (Night) (XC1)

Agnus Battle

Agnus Castle Day

agnus colony (night)

Alcamoth, Imperial Capital (Night)

An Obstacle in Our Path (XC1)

At Our Life's End

Battle In The Skies Above

Battle on the Seas

Battle!! - Torna

Battle!! (xenoblade 2)

Battlefield ~ The Scramble of Life

Beyond the Sky

Beyond the Sky (acoustic arrangement) XC1 FC

Bionis Shoulder

Bionis’ Awakening

Black Tar

Blade~Those Who Know Fear

Brilliant Wings

Bringer of Chaos! Ultimate (XC2)

By My Side

Carrying the Weight of Life

cent-omnia region (day)

Central Factory - Xenoblade Chronicles DE

Chain Attack!

City Day

Colony 6 - Future

Colony 9 (Day)

Colony 9 (Night)

Contrition

Converging Emotions

Counterattack

Crisis

Death Match With Torna

Desolation

Don't Worry

Drifting Soul

Drifting Soul(Instrumental)

Driver VS

Elysium In The Dream

Elysium, In the Blue Sky

Engage the Enemy

Eryth Sea (Day)

Eryth Sea (Night)

Erythia Sea Day

Ever Come to an End

Everyday Life (XC1)

Face

Feelings Risen to the Sky

Feelings Upon This Melody

Field Kaijou

Fogbeasts (Future Connected)

Forest of the Nopon (Day)

Forest of the Nopon (Night)

Four-limbed Titan - Gormott

Friendship

Frontier Village (Day)

frontier village (Night)

Future Awaits

Gaur Plain (Day)

Gaur Plain (Night)

Gramps (Fonsett Village) Night/Day XC2

Great Cotte Falls (Day)

Great Cotte Falls (Night)

Homecoming

Hometown (Day)

Hometown (night)

hope for the future

How the Future Endures

Impending Crisis

In the forest (XZ ver,)

In the Refugee Camp

Incoming! (XC2)

Iris Network

Irregular Bound

Jump Towards the Morning Sun

Kaleidoscopic Core

Keves Battle

Kingdom of Uraya

Land of Morytha

Lasaria Woodland-Day

Life's Fading Flame ~ Holding These Thoughts

Loneliness

Lost Days of Warmth

Majesty

Malevolent Hollow

Manon

Mechanical Rhythm

Mechonis Field

melancholia

Melia ~ Ancient Memories

Memories

Millick Meadows (Day)

MNN + @0 (both halfs)

Mobius Battle M

Moebius Battle

Mor Ardain - Roaming the Wastes

New Battle!!!

Nia ~ Towards the Heavens

NLA Shigai

no3=NO.EX01

no4=D91M

no6=LP

no9=MONOX

Noah and N (Phase 1)

Noah and N (Phase 2)

Oblivia

off seer crys

off seer mio

off seer miyabi

off seer noah

Off-Seer - Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Once We Part Ways

One Last You

Origin Ascending

Origin Battle

Our Eternal Land

Our Paths May Never Cross

Over Despair and Animus

Over the Sinful Entreaty

Parting

Past From Far Distance

Praetor Amalthus- The Acting God

Prologue A

Prologue B

Rage, Darkness of the Heart

raTEoREkiSImeAra

Redeem The Future

Regret

Reminiscence

ribbi flats (day)

Riki the Legendary Heropon

Riki’s Kindness

Roar from Beyond

Satorl Marsh (Night)

Shadow of the Lowlands

Shining Aspiration ~ Inherited Melody

Ship In A Stormy Sea

Shulk and Fiora

So nah, so fern

Soldier's Paean

Something's Beginning to Move

Sorrow

Still, Move Forward

Suffocating Reverberation

Syra Hovering Reefs Day

Tactical Action

Tantal (Day)

Tantal (Night)

Tephra Cave

The Awakening (XC2)

The Battle is Upon Us

The Beginning of Our Memory

The Bereaved and Those Left Behind

the bereaved and those left behind (ver. 2)

The Decision

The End Lies Ahead

The Fallen Land

The False Queens

The God Slaying Sword

The Great Sea Stirs

The key we've lost

The Monado Awakens

The Power of Jin

The Tomorrow With You

the way (xenoblade x)

Theme X

Thoughts Enshrined

Time to Fight (Bionis' Shoulder)

Time to Fight!

Torigoth/Night

Uncontrollable

Unfinsihed Business

Urgency

Valak Mountain (Day)

valak mountain (Night)

Walking With You

Wanted Nia

Where it All Began - Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Where We Belong

Where We Used To Be

White All Around Us

Wir Fleigen

Words That Never Reached You

Xenoblade Chronicles Main Theme

yesterdale (night)

You Will Know Our Names

You Will Know Our Names (Finale)

You Will Recall Our Names

Young Warriors

Your Voice

Z10 Briefing

z15f20i12e09l14d (first half, aka Celica's theme)

z15f20i12e09l14d (Second half, aka Divine Roost)

z15f20i12e09l14d (Vocal Stem)

z29ba2t0t1l301e17 (z29 battle)

Z30 Free Battle

z37b20a13t01t08le

Z39 B Comical

Zanza the Divine

My own additions

Argentum (Day)

Argentum (Night)

Auresco, Royal Capital

Bionis' Interior (Pulse)

Bionis' Shoulder (Night)

Black Mountains

Cent-Omnia Region (Night)

Cliffs of Morytha

Colony 6 - Ether Mine

Crossing Swords

Enemies Closing In

Eye of Shining Justice

Fonsa Myma (Night)

Galahad Fortress

Gormott (Night)

Gormotti Forest

Gran Dell (Night)

Hidden Machina Village

Hope

Immediate Threat

Kingdom of Torna (Night)

Kingdom of Uraya (Night)

Leftheria Archipelago (Day)

Leftheria Archipelago (Night)

Omens of Life

Prison Island

Song of Giga Rosa

Spirit Crucible Elpys

Sword Valley (Night)

Tension

The Abandoned City

The Fallen Land (Night)

The Towering Yggdrasil

Towering Shadow

Ultimate Enemy

Urayan Tunnels

Visions of the Future

Yesterdale (Day)

Yggdrasil

You Will Know Our Names Finale (Climax)

[pininghermit]

Founder of Death, Keeper of Life

Pairing: Alucard x M. Reader

Summary: You looked at the spiked corpses in front of you with a spark of fury in your eyes. How dare someone disrespect death in this manner? Who dared to do so?

AN: idk what i'm doing. I haven't written in a while so a rough start.

What ailment made the God of death bawl like a child? What grief has lingered in his heart like an unplucked thorn?

Dressed in fleeting black robes, the creator of death was a solemn existence. Untouched by the misery yet bound by a sorrow unknown to any.

You looked at the spiked corpses in front of you with a spark of fury in your eyes. How dare someone disrespect death in this manner? Who dared to do so?

Cupping the decaying faces crawling with maggots you pulse your energy into the remaining pieces of flesh. In blink of an eye both the corpses are gone. Guided to your court where afterlife would be granted to them.

Surrounded by the stench of rot, urine, and blood you stare at the castle. Burdened by the air of unrest everything surrounding it felt heavy with despair.

Untouched by the grime surrounding you, your gown trails behind you as you step into the castle. Dracula was dead. You had seen to it years ago.

Could it be him? Son of Dracula. Could there be even a slightest chance of him being the one?

Perhaps years of ruling death had caught up. Made you into a weakling blinded by false hopes.

The one you looked for was gone. And you were the reason. You, the God of Death, had killed him with your own two hands. You had dimmed his life with your powers. Carried his cooling body to your halls and disintegrated his soul into the empty world.

Made him into the world. Started the cycle of life with your only lover.

Long ago when the world was young. The God of Death did not exist. The purpose and knowledge existed but not the way to get to that purpose.

In a world where you were next to him. Maybe it was what humans now know as living in bliss.

You knew him from your first moment. He was next to you in the void of nothingness. Your companion. His existence was the catalyst for your path as a deity.

He existed for you to understand love, understand loving, and for you to grapple with grief that you would bring to million others.

And so it came to be.

To initiate the cycle of life and death, the God of Death was tasked to sacrifice his joy. To pay for the grief of infinite, who would die, the God of Death was tasked to bear the grief unbound by the world.

So, the God gathered his lover in his arms and kissed him. Caressed his hair and memorized every pore of his existence in his heart. Cupped his face and with a dimming heart watched his joy leave him.

The precious soul of his beloved was broken into infinite pieces, blended into the world of living where the God of Death could not venture. Broken into pieces he could not combine even with his divinity.

Doomed to be separated for eternity, the God of Death came to be at the price of his heart.

But that tale belongs to a past long gone. Times have changed.

Surely your impulse of wandering in an unkempt mess of a castle was purely to punish the mortal who had dared to disrespect death in his own little graveyard.

A racing heart, irrational hopes were just a figment of your imagination you had come to live with.

Encased with a heavy silence, the castle rings with the echoing hoots of a wayward owl.

Would you remember him after years of separation. He won't look the same either way. The soul would be incomplete. Fates would never allow it.

All the excuses of your conscience fail to stop you. Your heart has already sensed him. A part of what you once remembers. Incomplete but yours.

Perched on a creaking chair he stares back at you. Alucard son of Dracula, as many know him as.

They look nothing alike. The past trapped in your soul seems to have been erased to have rewritten by him. The one you find most familiar in the wide world of your creation.

[theodorequartz]

Oh? What's this? Double upload? 🫣 @alexy2000

Undertale x Nezuko Male Reader

Part 6: POV'S

Toriel's POV:

M/n...

An interesting child he is...

The first time I met him, he looked at me as if he's seeing someone else. I get that a lot. I use to see other fallen children as my own. A replacement for what I have lost. As cruel as that may seem, it's the only way I keep myself stable in this lonely little home.

He didn't look fearful the first time he saw me, unlike the other children that's fallen down.

Maybe it's because he's much older than the rest of them?

...Or is it something else?

I guided him to the ruins, thought him how to solve the puzzles. He was very enthusiastic about it. Everytime his eyes sparkle and he hops from his place out of the sheer excitement of solving a puzzle made me chuckle fondly.

He seems to struggle to form words, which made me worry a lot.

His eyes were very unique. I've never seen such a beautiful (e/c) before. I've never seen anyone with that shade of eye color, wether it'd be monsters or the fallen children.

He's such a happy youth.

But I know better.

I know better that behind those joyful eyes were hidden grief and sorrow... loneliness and longing.

I've hidden those myself.

It made me feel more connected with him than most of the fallen children.

Knowing that he long's for something too.

When his eyes met mine, I knew he saw all I was hiding. All the pain, all the regrets, the fears... The loneliness.

When I held his hand to guide him on another puzzle that seems to dangerous for him, I heard him humming.

It was such a soft and gentle melody. It was filled with love.

I think he didn't realize he was humming, because he looked at me with questioning eyes as I stopped to embrace the melody in my soul.

We both spent time together and got close instantly.

Until he asked to leave...

It pained me.

Knowing that another one wants to leave as well.

We fought.

Like the other children, we fought.

The fight felt like eternity as begin to hesitate to attack him.

I don't want him to get hurt. I don't want him to die. Please.

You'll be safe here.

You'll be safe...

You'll be...

...

It hurts...

But...

For his sake...

I'll put everything aside-

" Tori!"

My eyes widened as I look back.

It was a simple smile and a wave...

Yet his eyes...

It came like waves.

All the emotions held at once.

It came crashing to my soul.

He looked so broken....

Like a tiny prick of a needle would be able to shatter him to pieces....

He was so hurt...

Pain... Loneliness... Anger... Despair... Grief...

She felt it all at once..

He looked lost...

Like all his purpose has left him. There's nothing for him to do anymore. He's not needed anyone...

Or rather, he doesn't know what to do... He lost the people who gave him purpose....

Yet despite all of it...

He's still smiling .

How does he do it...?

" Mama!"

I felt the tears forming in my eyes.

And with a final wave, he walked away.

I fell on my knees.

I cried.

For the first time in a long while, I cried.

I let everything out.

How can he still smile so freely?

How can his eyes still shine so brightly?

How can he be so strong...?

.

.

.

.

.

Flowey's POV:

He's interesting alright..

He was so curious.

It was really cute to be honest.

I've never seen a human act so strangely before.

And his eyes.

Were they beautiful...

It might just be because I've never seen such unique eye color before, but I think there's something more to it.

Speaking of unique, his soul...

It was a bright color of pink.

I've never seen a pink soul before, nor was I aware of it's existence.

It was glowing bright and glistening, like a gem.

It almost distracted me from my goal.

Yes. My goal.

To get a soul. A soul powerful enough to rewind everything. To get my old body back....To get my brother back....

Yet ....

Those eyes ...

And his gentle touch...

Don't look at me like that. Don't smile at me like that. What's with you? Why do you-?

" It's....okay.......you..r...o..kay..."

" It's okay... Asriel..."

... Don't say it... that way.... please...

You don't know... You.. don't have any idea...!

You .....

.

.

.

.

.

Sans POV:

Is this him?

Is this the kid the lady behind the door asked me to protect..?

He isn't so much of a kid tho.

He's probably at his early 20's.

22 if I had to guess.

And honestly? I don't think he really needs protecting.

The way he runs around the snow is pretty fast. I'm sure he can dodge quick.

Oh. And he's strong.

I choked on my ketchup when I watched him pick up that heavy ass tree trunk I put in there with my magic.

Holy stars.

I quickly hid tho. I don't want to ruin my perfect introduction.

Heh.

...

" Human. Don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand."

Holy crap. This guy's cute.

And his eyes. Wow. I've never seen-

* pat * pat

Oh.. that actually feels nice. It's warm. So.. warm. I could just slee-

I blinked away the sleepiness I felt.

What was that?

That sudden...power...

It boosted my magic. I felt more energized than ever.

Did he..?

... Heh.

Yeah. Pretty sure this guy's not human but eh..

I don't really care. As long as he doesn't cause harm to my brother and everyone else in here. We're good.

Besides, human or not, he's still pretty cute.

Especially when he was pouting when I tried to tell Pap's about his location.

Now that I think about it, I didn't get his name.

" Oh, I didn't catch your name. "

He looked at me and smiled brightly.

" M/n! "

His voice was... It's so...

There's just something in it.

Something I can't quite grasp.

But even so, it sent shivers deep into my soul.

" Nice to meet ya, M/n."

.

.

.

.

.

Napstablook:

He was very kind.

He didn't mind my stuttering.

And he called me cute...

I think he didn't realize it tho..

His smile was so bright.

Am I even worthy to see such a smile?

It was very pure and bright. It made me very flustered.

I showed him a trick.

He loved it! He even clapped for me enthusiastically!

I blushed bright.

Sadly, I only get to talk to him for a while. We have to go our separate ways.

Hopefully we see each other again.

...

Oh no!

I never got to ask his name!

[eri-pl]

Tuor (and Maeglin!) - Turin paralells

Long and chaotic. @lanthanum12 you may want to read, there'll be some talk of Maeglin and the girls*.

\* since -el is a feminine ending in Sindarin, I decided to agree with you: Anguirel and Anglachel are ladies.

So I was watching the brilliant Czech CoH musical. (marred with a ton of YT ads but anyway). And it starts with a scene, which either they brilliantly invented, or it's from a source I don't know:

Huor and Hurin, in Gondolin, see a falling star (the one which later would be forged into A&A) and Hurin makes a wish: he would like to have a brave son and for an elven maiden to fall in love with said son. Huor says he'd rather not know the fate and shape his life himself than wish upon a star.

This wish is brilliant, because they both do get it. Both. (IIRC there was even more in the musical, and all of it was things they later both achieve)

Edit: it's not canon-compatibile, timeline fails. Eol made the swords before FA 400 and Hurin was born FA 441. :(

And this got me thinking about the parallels between Turin and Tuor, and I feel that the best parallel is when we add Maeglin to the mix. Like, Maeglin got some of the strands of fate that were meant for Tuor? Sorry for the chaos.

So

The naming convention, obviously. Turin son of Hurin. Tuor son of Huor. (Seriously, what were they thinking?..)

Huor and Hurin are brothers and do some of Tolkien's brotherly motifs. Huor dies heroically in the battle, Hurin lives long in despair (like M&M). Hurin is older and is tied to defiance and despair. Huor is younger and is tied to hope (like the other M&M -- Manwe and Melkor).

Tuor gets all the good things in the story, and becomes an Elf. Turin gets all the bad things (due partially to his life choices, but it still counts). But in some early more Norse-like versions, becomes a Vala. Somehow. (I'm not a fan of this obviously, but it adds to the parallels)

Tuor is chosen by fate Ulmo. Turin tries to fight against fate and it goes badly. Also, he's cursed by fate Morgoth.

Tuor leads (via his son) to the War of Wrath, and Turin, erm... I really don't like this concept, but it is there. So allegedly Turin&Anglachel get to perma-kill Morgoth.

(Hmmm... what if Tuor took Anguirel from Maeglin during the fighting, and later gave it to Earendil and it played a part in the War of Wrath?)

Tuor marries an Elf. Turin almost marries an elf, which would allegedly end his fate-related problems, but he doesn't. Tuor's future elf wife is flirted with by Maeglin, who later gets captured into Angband. Turin's elf almost-wife is earlier bethroted to Gwindor, who is captured into Angband.

Now Maeglin:

Turin's mother is Morwen, the stern Dark Maiden (this is what "Morwen" means). Maeglin's father is Eol, the stern Dark Elf.

Maeglin loses both parents and is raised in Gondolin. Turin loses his father and is sent away from his mother and is raised in Doriath. Both are very loved by the king of their city.

Maeglin wields Anguirel (Iron of the Eternal Star? Iron of the Hot Star?), Turin wields Anglachel (Iron of the star of Leaping Flame). (Also, Elves are eternam and humans are more like leaping flame)

Maeglin betrays Gondolin and leads to its fall. Turin tries to help Nargathrond and leads to its fall.

Maeglin's father dies by a fall and later Maeglin does too. Turin leads to Saeros's death by a fall and later his sister-wife dies by a fall too.

Maeglin wants to marry his cousin. Turin marries his sister.

(Also, for a Maeglin-Tuor: both are orphaned early.)

There would probably be much more parallels if I knew CoH better. :(

PS: The orthography and sule / silme post is being written, but I got distracted, sorry.

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

kdnfb's Ten Years of Fancition Mania

Featuring: Lay Me Down, Let Me Dream

Summary: Katniss and Peeta share a bond so strong, even death cannot defy it. When tragedy threatens to separate them forever, Peeta risks his soul to save Katniss from an eternity of despair. Inspired by the book, What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson and the movie by the same name, starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Annabella Sciorra. Written for Prompts in Panem, Real or Not Real: Everlark Dreamscape Week, Spring 2015

Rating: M for Major Character Deaths, Minor Character Deaths, Suicide, Afterlife, Heaven, Hell, Reincarnation (Literally Everybody Dies)...

A/N: First of all, I co-wrote this story with titaniasfic what feels like forever and an age ago. Second of all, we mean those warning tags. This story is not for the faint of heart. That being said, Lay Me Down, Let Me Dream holds a special place in my heart as the first multichapter story I finished, and a lot of that is due to my co-author. We both brought our betas at the time on board to help with the project, edited each other's work and found a kind of synergy in creation that I can't even imagine recreating, and we pushed each other to get through to the end, which wasn't an easy feat.

Somewhere in the middle of writing LMD, I was in an awful car wreck, which... if you know the plot, you know why that's ironic and a little disturbing. My car was totaled, the entire front end scattered in pieces across the road, and I spent a couple weeks high on pain meds and muscle relaxers. My back was left in bad shape, until a different injury years later got me into physical therapy and they somehow managed to deal with the damage from both. And after the accident, there were still about three chapters to write (I think. I can't be sure. See the note about being high on pain meds and muscle relaxers).

Still, even with that, and everything else the two of us had going on in life, somehow we planned, wrote, and finished the entire story in roughly a month. Five chapters in five days, one on the makeup day, and the final chapter shortly thereafter. AND I still to this day think this is some of my strongest Everlark writing.

Banner at the top was made for Lay Me Down, Let Me Dream by the insanely talented and lovely @akai-echo. And yes, LMD is a soulmates au. So if you're brave enough to try it...

Lay Me Down, Let Me Dream on AO3

<3 kdnfb

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The Sharmat's Lovers (Dagoth Ur/female Nerevarine/Indoril Nerevar)

Author's Note: This is just an excuse for pure unadulterated filth. Sex, oral, fingering, M/M/F, Nerevar has both sets of plumbing because idk

All Voryn's dreams are coming true ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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It was something that took time to get used to, this strange trio that they had formed.

Sadara had hoped when she was brought back in her ghostly form and restored from her ashes, had seen that hope perish when Vivec returned Nerevar's bones, and had it rise again after a lengthy argument in which she and Nerevar had both stated that the other deserved Voryn more.

And Voryn, oddly, had come up with just the thing to settle the argument.

"Why should I not have both of you? I have two hands, after all."

It had been an odd thought that neither she nor Nerevar had even considered. Each of them had replied, "Why should you want ME when you could have her (or him)?"

And though she had never considered such a thing before Sadara found herself quite pleased with the outcome. She was free to dally with Nerevar, and he with Voryn, and with much discussion they had all grown to rely on the bond between the three of them. After such time in solitude and despair it was wonderful to be so surrounded with love.

Voryn did as he had always done. Nerevar conferred with Gilvoth as to the defense of the place (and of all of the Red Mountain region), and she...well, she tended the home, as she'd wished to for such a long time. It was comforting for her to look after such things, to direct the servants, to see that guests had all they needed. It was wonderful not to have to really worry any longer about things like food, security, or--

"The lady is alone. I believe she was told to avoid this." Nerevar's voice echoed slightly in the large room.

There was, she was sure, no safer woman in all Morrowind than her. No woman better taken care of, fussed over, tended to, doted on.

"The lady was going to have a bath and then a nap," Sadara replied. "Sometimes she thinks her loves worry too much."

"And I think you do not worry enough."

"I spent eighteen years worrying...forgive me for not--"

"I know, dearest. Apologies...given what I witnessed not only in my life but in yours as well...I find it is hard to lay down that anxiety. Every day I expect to wake up and find that all this bliss is nothing more than a cruel illusion."

Nerevar's affection was similar to Voryn's, but where the latter tended to be more silent and grabby in his affection, Nerevar was more inclined to speak his mind and lay his anxieties out. It was a regular habit for some one of them to have a day like this, and for one of the others to comfort and be comforted in turn.

(Nerevar had written a 'holy text' lingering on the subject of loss, the fear of it, and the absolute necessity of enjoying your loved ones as much as possible - for one day, it finished, you may lose them. They were eternal, the people were not.)

"As do I," she replied, relaxing as Nerevar's arms slipped around her. "On the worst days, I simply hunker down and...wait for the feeling to pass."

"Is that why you've hidden yourself from us?"

"You've both been busy today, and it's not as if I can't tend things in relative solitude. We've no guests, and..." she paused slightly at the feel of a kiss in her hair. "...I wish not to burden either of you."

"If there is anything I regret," Nerevar said suddenly, "It is that Voryn got to be the one to deal with Azura. She has been a blight on all of us...whispering poison in our ears, telling us we are nothing without her. Blaming us for every failure in her plan."

"I think I was the main cause of that first failure," Sadara gave a slight laugh. "When I drank that brandy, and..."

"And kissed Voryn. You did what I never had the courage to do."

"Courage had nothing to do with it. I was drunk. I was attempting to tell him that you'd always thought about him in a sexual way, and...being drunk, didn't have the words for it. So I kissed him..."

"And once kissed, the dam of our love burst free."

"You seem to take a more romantic view of the...event, but we weren't of a mind to think too much on that at the time. At least, I wasn't. 'Fucking me like a madman not five feet away from the heart' is how I might put it."

"Quite a colorful way to put it, but having watched it, perhaps you're right. But regardless. It was that kiss, that fucking, that has saved Morrowind. At least if Vehk is telling the truth...the tale he wove is a strange one."

"You were spying--filthy mer! And could we not speak of Vivec right now?" Sadara squirmed, and managed to turn herself around. "Talk of quite literally anything else."

There was a pause--and then they both laughed.

But a moment later Nerevar looked down at her upturned face, and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. The second he parted with her for air she said, "You're as eager as Voryn, aren't you?"

"He wasn't the only one to finally have a drink of the 'waters of relief,'" Nerevar said, "More than four thousand years. Surrounded by beauty, yet unable to touch it. He was imprisoned in a desert and I in an ocean. Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink."

"Then drink," Sadara replied--and this time she was the one to kiss him.

There was a growl, and a moment later Nerevar's hands came up, practically tearing at her robe. The next parting had her giving a laugh.

"You and Voryn are determined to ruin my wardrobe, aren't you? At this rate I'll have to go about in a loincloth like he does..."

"That and the golden adornments...ah, how often we both think of it...but Voryn, well...if he had his way we'd both dress that way. Such filthy dreams our lord has..."

"Easy access," Sadara got out after another kiss. "That's all he wants out of our wardrobe--"

By this point Nerevar had backed her against her bed, and a second later was lifting her onto it. When she lifted her skirts there was another growl.

"I know what you want," she whispered, "You want to make sure I'm good and loud so he'll hear us. So he'll catch us."

No answer. Nerevar didn't even bother fully disrobing, choosing instead to lower his armor-leather pants just enough to free his cock.

"Oh, the things Lord Dagoth would do if he caught us..."

It was so easy to get Nerevar going, so very, very easy. All she had to do was show her eagerness, mention Voryn and the prospect of being caught, and her warlike love would be hard as a rock and ready to go.

Again the press of Nerevar's lips, and the feel of his cock against her soaked center.

(She hardly bothered with underwear at this juncture, Nerevar and Voryn both had a habit of being too impatient to pull them off and often resorted to simply tearing them to shreds.)

"Go on," she whispered, too wet to wait any longer, "Either fuck me or--"

Nerevar cut her off with a swift thrust that buried him fully inside her. He gave a gasp against her lips, and a groan when he pulled back to thrust again. She crossed her legs behind him, ensuring he couldn't fully withdraw.

She tugged at the belt of her robe, knowing he would do it himself if she didn't do it for him. His hands moved up instantly, opening and pushing it back, exposing her entirely.

"Nothing beneath this robe," Sadara grinned, "How does that make you feel?"

"And I thought I was the tease of this little group," Nerevar groaned against her neck. "You--"

"Me," she laughed and pulled him into a kiss.

Nerevar's thrusts alone would have been enough to do the job for her--simply the feeling of his rapid movements, being filled and spread, over and over. But it was not his way, to leave a thing well enough alone, to settle. So when his next thrust had her falling back, he reached down to stroke over her clit.

"You want to be heard, don't you?" he turned it on her, pressing down with such precision that Sadara was keening almost instantly. "Oh, you do, you--"

A hard thrust, a press down. A moan echoed from her lips that was absolutely pornographic.

"Let him hear us, all the way in the Heart Chamber," Nerevar's teasing went on, his hand still moving, "The louder you are, the faster he comes, and the sooner my poor needy incarnate gets what she really wants."

"N...Neverar," Sadara groaned, "How many--times--do I have to tell you that--I DO want you? Do I have to scream it for you to finally understand?"

His name was a prayer on her lips, as much as Voryn's was at other times, and every time she called it, it was louder--louder--!

She fell apart beneath him, around him, riding out the heated waves as long as possible before letting the warm afterglow rise to drown her.

"On the bed," she gestured vaguely, "I know you're not done yet."

"Voryn is right. You are a greedy thing."

Really she was, but the tease and denial made this game of theirs more interesting. Some one or other of them was always teasing, taking it in turns so no one felt too much was expected.

"Not greedy, only eager. But if you don't want to silence me, I could simply leave...collect my things, have a bath...and leave you to be satisfied in other ways."

That lit a fire under him. Nerevar moved onto the bed once he'd shed his clothes, and lay back, making sure he was comfortable. His cock stood firmly at attention, and she moved up, kneeling before it (and him, really).

She lavished it with her tongue, caressed the underside of the head, licked a stripe from the base to the tip...and then against a background of soft moans Nerevar was obviously trying to muffle, her hand's movement went unnoticed. He certainly noticed it when she traced the dampened slit of his cunt, though.

"Sadara--"

She didn't usually press for this--he preferred only letting Voryn touch him there. Not out of some shyness, but he did so love to be bred, and that wasn't something she could do.

"I can stop if you want me to," she replied, stroking briefly at his cock, "But I have one of these too, and...I'd like to see that what I know can...help you too."

"I'm sure it can't be very--"

"I can make you scream," she grinned, and gave the most seductive expression she could manage. "And Voryn really WILL hear us. Because what makes him come running faster than hearing you in need?"

"The both of us, but--" Nerevar had one golden arm up and over his eyes now. "Go ahead, you've made me wait long enough as it is."

Sadara smirked, slowly easing two fingers inside that soaked center. "Hot," she said, "And very wet. You're as eager as I am, aren't you?"

Any reply or retort Nerevar might have made was silenced when Sadara lowered her head, took his cock into her mouth completely, and at the same time buried her fingers in his cunt knuckle deep.

All that passed his lips was a strangled moan.

Not so chatty now, are you? she thought.

As big a game as he talked, he was so easy to reduce to this point. It was so easy to touch him in just the right ways and render him functionally mute.

His hand at the back of her head, the sudden grip of his fingers in her hair, and another groan as he started to buck against her head. Sadara went slack, letting him do it, letting him him have the control he so desperately seemed to crave.

Nerevar seemed to be saying something, but Sadara couldn't bring herself to care what it was. The feeling of his cock in her mouth, the slight saltiness of his pre, the stutter in his hips when her fingers pushed deep enough for her thumb to grind over his clit...

...it consumed her.

There was a high-pitched cry, a last buck of Nerevar's hips--and a shudder as his cock pulsed and filled her mouth. She swallowed down his seed quickly, spilling only a drop--a drop she wiped from her lips as she moved back up.

Her smirk was triumphant...until she felt a pair of hands at her waist.

"I see," came the sudden sound of Voryn's strained voice, "That I cannot leave the two of you alone for any amount of time without returning to a scene of utter debauchery."

Nerevar gestured and gave his reply in an airy voice. "You needed further proof after the last few times?"

Voryn's trimmed claws pricked at the soft skin on Sadara's waist, and she pressed back a bit, hoping to get things moving.

"Tell me, which of us did you hear?"

"Nerevar. Why?"

"We had a bit of a bet going..." Sadara glanced up at Nerevar. "And it looks like I won. I wonder if our dear Nerevar will have anything to say to that. Perhaps he'll just remain silent?"

"Perhaps he'll want to punish you for being so smug." The hands at her waist were caressing now, never going very far, but stoking the flames from her last peak. "Will you, Nerevar? Or will we let this little defiance go?"

"I think not." Nerevar lifted Sadara's chin, and gave a smirk of his own. That was his hortator voice, the one she'd ALSO come to love. Voryn had his thunderous tone of mock-anger, and Nerevar had this. "Voryn, I think we need to remind her not to lord things over those above her. To be a graceful winner...or loser, as it were."

He lay back again, and pulled her forward to lay atop him. His arms quickly moved tight around her, leaving her in just the right position to hear his whisper in her ear.

"Now, my dear, it is time for you to serve. Our lord has had a very stressful day, and he requires a means of...relief."

Oh, to be held like this, to be between them. This, this was heaven, and she needed no other. If it was a dream, all she wished was for it never to end.

"Then," she gave in a slightly edged tone, "Stop playing around and let me--"

"Such bossiness from an outlander...this will not stand. Voryn?"

The thrust that came next was completely unexpected, and had her whole body tense from the sudden intrusion and spread. Either that was part of a game the two others had already devised, or Voryn was skipping a few steps first. But then again, he'd never been a patient mer.

Sadara tried to stifle the moan that the movement forced from her throat, but it passed her lips anyway, and left her clenching at Nerevar's shoulders. "Gods..."

Nerevar tutted at her. "How many times do we have to remind you? There is only one god here, and you serve at his pleasure. You're only lucky he's eager to be relieved, or he would have spent time making you fall apart..."

Another thrust, another outcry--and then a steady jarring of her body as Voryn wordlessly started a brutal pace.

She couldn't speak, could barely think. Her pleasure rose in sharp spikes, each time she was stretched and spread around Voryn's cock. There was nothing of coherent thought at this point, only the eager insistent movement of his hips against hers and the ecstasy that followed.

"We're being so good to you," Nerevar said, drawing her into a brief kiss. "Poor, needy thing...do you know what I've noticed?"

"Wh...wh...oh!..."

"That you have all the same little weak points that I do." he smirked once more, and raised her just enough to start nipping love bites into the soft skin of her neck. The moan that followed had him grinning further, and he dragged his tongue over and around the same spots. "Oh, what a discovery..."

"Nerevar--" Voryn groaned and moved down, pressing Sadara down and leaving him face to face with Nerevar.

"What would my lord have of me, hm?"

(Here Sadara found herself, pressed between two men, two men she'd come to love at different points. One cock inside her, another beneath her and weeping pre onto her belly, and she had never felt so well satisfied as she did right then.)

"If you keep calling him your....oh, gods...your lord, you'll just hurry him into...mmm..."

"Oh no, no, no..." Nerevar laughed, and in a suddenly much darker and more alluring tone, added, "If I wanted to do that..."

A momentary stop, a further press--she couldn't exactly see what was going on, but from the sound of it, Nerevar had finally locked lips with Voryn.

The pleasurable movements slowed as her two loves kissed, but didn't stop entirely. But it left her more coherent than the savage pace from earlier.

"And you say what we were doing BEFORE was pure debauchery..." She could think of no more filthy thing that what was happening right now.

How long they stayed like this, none of them would be quite sure. Hands and mouths and teeth and tongues, stroking, caressing, kissing, loving. By the time Sadara felt her second peak approaching she was sure they'd never be able to top this moment. That nothing could ever be as enjoyable, as warm, as satisfying.

The end nearly leaped into her throat on a deep thrust, and she groaned right into Nerevar's ear.

"Harder," Nerevar suddenly demanded, "It was me that drew you in here, but it'll be her that actually screams tonight."

"Please," she called out, "Please, I'm so close..."

"Let her have it, Voryn," Nerevar said, "All of it. Her end, yours..."

And then a thrust that tore a genuine if well pleased scream from Sadara's lips.

"Are we going to let her take any story back to her forsaken outlander home that does not ensure your reputation?"

Closer, and closer still now.

"Or do you not want her every vein to thrum with desire because of you, o god of the mountain?"

Her eyes were clamped shut, so she didn't see which of them grabbed at her breasts, or her waist, or tilted her head to give them better access to her neck.

It didn't matter.

"Go on," she heard Nerevar whisper in her ear, "Come for us. Come for us."

The first wave of orgasm rose, and crashed on a final thrust from Voryn. Flame burst beneath her skin and spread in pure wildfire through the rest of her body--she screamed out her pleasure into the pillow beneath Nerevar's head. Then, finally, she relaxed.

A final thrust, and Voryn was pulsing and spilling inside her.

They lay there like that a minute or two, relaxing, breathing, recovering, really.

Not until they'd separated from one another and come back together--Sadara was kept pressed between them as they all lay down. Exhausted, but replete.

"If this is a dream I pray I never wake."

"No dreams," Voryn said.

"All of it, every bit...is real." Nerevar added that, and joined his free hand with Voryn's, which lay on Sadara's hip. "And we will NEVER be parted again."