#night of the raven dawn of the dove

[alkiores]

Book cover for the russian edition of «Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove» by Rati Mehrotra✨

#book covers #book illustration #digital art #illustration #digital arwork #artists on tumblr #Rati Mehrotra #night of the raven dawn of the dove #my art

[book-blogandquotes]

"One of the problems with human men is how little they last, like dry leaves going up in flames. A woman is like a candle; she can burn all night long."

Rati Mehrotra, Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove

#Quote #Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove #Rati Mehrotra #WOMEN

[just-a-bookish-reader]

November 20, 2022 - Book Haul

I'm trying to post daily! So here's an update on yesterday's bookish things. I met up with a friend at a local bookstore which god I love them so much more than Barnes and Noble. (Both the friend and the local bookstore) Anyway, who's ready for a haul?!

"A stunning new work of historical fantasy, J. M. Miro's Ordinary Monsters introduces readers to the dark, labyrinthe world of The Talents England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a lifetime of brutality, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When two grizzled detectives are recruited to escort them north to safety, they are forced to confront the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.

What follows is a journey from the gaslit streets of London, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh, where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. Here, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of the force that is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.

With lush prose, mesmerizing world-building, and a gripping plot, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it."

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(sorry for the horrible quality I'm trying to use the actual covers I have)

"The award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post makes her adult debut with this highly imaginative and original horror-comedy centered around a cursed New England boarding school for girls—a wickedly whimsical celebration of the art of storytelling, sapphic love, and the rebellious female spirit

Our story begins in 1902, at the Brookhants School for Girls. Flo and Clara, two impressionable students, are obsessed with each other and with a daring young writer named Mary MacLane, the author of a scandalous bestselling memoir. To show their devotion to Mary, the girls establish their own private club and call it the Plain Bad Heroine Society. They meet in secret in a nearby apple orchard, the setting of their wildest happiness and, ultimately, of their macabre deaths. This is where their bodies are later discovered with a copy of Mary’s book splayed beside them, the victims of a swarm of stinging, angry yellow jackets. Less than five years later, the Brookhants School for Girls closes its doors forever—but not before three more people mysteriously die on the property, each in a most troubling way.

Over a century later, the now abandoned and crumbling Brookhants is back in the news when wunderkind writer Merritt Emmons publishes a breakout book celebrating the queer, feminist history surrounding the “haunted and cursed” Gilded Age institution. Her bestselling book inspires a controversial horror film adaptation starring celebrity actor and lesbian it girl Harper Harper playing the ill-fated heroine Flo, oppo­site B-list actress and former child star Audrey Wells as Clara. But as Brookhants opens its gates once again, and our three modern her­oines arrive on set to begin filming, past and present become grimly entangled—or perhaps just grimly exploited—and soon it’s impossible to tell where the curse leaves off and Hollywood begins.

 A story within a story within a story and featuring black-and-white period-inspired illustrations, Plain Bad Heroines is a devilishly haunting, modern masterwork of metafiction that manages to combine the ghostly sensibility of Sarah Waters with the dark imagination of Marisha Pessl and the sharp humor and incisive social commentary of Curtis Sittenfeld into one laugh-out-loud funny, spellbinding, and wonderfully luxuriant read."

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"To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is.

Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.

But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid."

#ordinary monsters #j.m.miro #night of the raven dawn of the dove #rati mehrotra #plain bad heroines #emily m danforth #book haul #new mexico #santa fe #local bookstore

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra

Author: Rati MehrotraPublisher: Wednesday BooksReleased: October 18, 2022Received: NetGalley I’ve been hearing SO MUCH about Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra. Naturally, it got me curious, so I had to pick it up the first chance I got. This is one of those delightful books that blends fantasy with historical fiction. Katyani owes her life to the Queen of Chandela – quite…

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#Book #Book Review #Books #Fantasy #Fantasy Novel #Fantasy review #Fiction #Literary #Literature #Net Galley #NetGalley #Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove #Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrota #Rati Mehrota #Review #wed #Wednesday Books

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove | Author: Rati Mehrotra | Publisher: Wednesday Books (2022)

#books #Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove #Rati Mehrotra

[thefallingdownthebookhole]

Once Upon A Book Club YA Box November 2022

⭐ OUABC YA Box - Bonds & Betrayal ⭐ If you are needing a new book subscription this is the one you need to try out! And you can get 10% off using my code DOWNTHEBOOK10 #ouabc #ouabcvip #booksubscription

Are you looking for a fun and unique book subscription to try out? Then you need to check out Once Upon A Book Club ! There are both young adult and adult box options as well as limited edition boxes! Subscriptions start at $34.99 a month + shipping! It is such a fun book box experience! I have been getting boxes from OUABC for about 2 years now and I love the experience that this box provides!…

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#bonds and betrayal #book haul #book mail #book subscription #Night of the Raven Dawn of the Dove #Once Upon A Book Club #Once Upon A Book Club YA Box #OUABC #OUABC VIP #YA Book Subscription

[whimsicaldragonette]

Audio ARC Review: Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra

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Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Synopsis:

To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is. Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul. But when Katyani and the princes are hurriedly summoned back to Chandela before their training is complete, tragedy strikes and Katyani is torn from the only life she has ever known. Alone and betrayed in a land infested by monsters, Katyani must find answers from her past to save all she loves and forge her own destiny. Bonds can be broken, but debts must be repaid.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review after the cut

My Review

I loved this book so much! It's so nice to get a good standalone adventure that wraps up in a satisfactory way but doesn't suffer from feeling too abrupt. I thought it was the perfect length and the pacing was excellent throughout. I connected very quickly with the characters and was consistently surprised by the plot twists.

One of my favorite things is reading fantasy books set in places other than "Medieval Europe" and learning about the customs, mythical creatures, food, clothing, etc and there is plenty of all of that in this book where the setting is an alternate medieval India.

The writing was beautiful and kept me fully engaged while I read and listened. There were many passages I took note of for their beauty.

I loved learning about all of the different monsters. I had limited knowledge of most of them and so I appreciated the descriptions of their physical forms and actions. It never felt info-dump-y though and was always relevant to the plot.

I especially loved how there were many descriptions of monsters and their monstrous ways and it managed to be bloody and occasionally horrific without being horror. I was never really scared by the monsters - only intrigued. Especially since there is an emphasis on the monsters' humanity even though they are not human. They're very different, but in many ways they aren't. In fact I would say that the most monstrous characters were humans.

I loved the slow-burn romance - there was just enough of it to make me root for them while not overpowering the rest of the story - the magic, the monsters, the politics, and Katyani's journey to knowing and finding herself were the main focus.

Katyani goes through many trials throughout the story as she learns who she is, who she was, and who she can become. Her journey of self-discovery is compelling and pulls the reader breathlessly along for the ride.

The audiobook narrator did an excellent job bringing the story and characters to life. She obviously knew how to pronounce all of the unfamiliar terms that I would have stumbled over, and that made it a richer experience.

Even though this is a standalone and does wrap up satisfactorily, it leaves room for future books exploring Katyani and Daksh's adventures. I hope the author does write such sequels, and will read them as soon as I can get my hands on them.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing an e-arc and audio arc for review.

#wednesday books #rati mehrotra #night of the raven dawn of the dove #YA fantasy #alternate medieval India #arc review #netgalley #shilo reads #audiobook review

[reallyromealone]

SOULMATES 5

Muzan x male reader

Warnings: Omegaverse, male reader, mpreg, gay, arguing, shit gets weird ngl

She's a long fic

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tengen set (name) behind him as the pillars drew their blades at the demon, the scent of pure rage falling off them in waves as Akaza smiled playfully before rushing at them.

(Name) saw the damage being done and made a run down the hall, not an easy task with a pregnant belly. The Omega realized how much of a maze this place was as the sound of crashing could be heard getting closer "nonono!" (Name) said shaking with fear for his pup, clenching his eyes closed as he hugged his belly, the sound of a woman laughing could be heard and it was almost in slow motion as black wisps covered his vision as a woman with white hair crashed through the wall fighting Shinobu, the pillar and (name) locking eyes before he blinked and was in...well he couldn't tell you where he was....well he didn't know where he was.

"H-how..." (Name) mumbled as he held his belly, looking down at his pup "did...did you do this?" (Name) was confused as he gently rubbed his belly, feeling a small foot kick back "thank you for protecting me my little dove" (name) said before standing and looking at his surroundings, he was in a field somewhere "might as well find shelter..." (Name) said wondering in a random direction, hard to see in the darkness.

He was thankful Muzan purchased him thicker materials, the night air slightly chilly against his skin "don't worry, I will keep you safe my darling" (name) said as he continued his journey.

"Where did he go?!" Tengen freaked out as the fight stopped for a second so all could process what the fuck just happened "where the fuck did you take him!" Tengen hissed out as he slashed at Akaza "we know as much as you do" the upper moon said causally "though our he won't be pleased with his mate and pup missing"

The realization amongst the demons dawned at the fact that they lost their Lords mate and Muzan was already well aware of the situation and like that the moons were gone.

"We have to find him before them" Tengen said coldly.

(Name) had been walking quite a distance before he came upon a shrine, old and abandoned but shelter none the less.

"Thank goodness your papa let me read those books, once I'm rested we can find food" (name) said as he sat at the tiny Engawa as the storm clouds rolled in, covering the dark sky "let's find some light..." He said worried.

Thankfully on the old shrine there were some candles and some match sticks "luck is on our side little one" he whispered as thunder rolled in "we got in just in time"

The storm raged on for hours, (name) humming his unborn pup a lullaby as he looked out the window, heart growing fond at the thought of his mate.

"I know this isn't the best but we will make it through this"

Muzan was ravenous with rage as he ripped apart the home he made for (name), the Alpha having moved the omega and pups belongings back to the infinity castle "when he returns he will never leave the castle" he hissed out all the lower moons bowing before him "find him, if he is harmed in any way you know what will happen"

Death.

It was a race between the slayer's and the moons, night and day for the Omega.

(Name) learned the shrine wasn't abandoned for too long, maybe a few months give or take, finding bedding and the like in a small closet "we really are lucky aren't we?"

(Name) constructed a small nest in the corner and removed his robes, revealing his shift that Muzan gifted him as apparently omegas wore these under clothes in the west.

The robes were large enough to suit as a makeshift blanket as he snuggled into the nest, the sound of rain soothing him as his pup moved slightly.

(Name) woke to the sound of cicadas as he opened the sliding doors to see the morning sun shine down on him, the rain completely gone.

Dressing himself the Omega stepped out and took a full look at his surroundings, what he thought was a shrine was actually an old farm "where there's a farm there's people" the Omega said softly while taking in his surroundings "I guess we're here for now..." (Name) said going back inside and taking a full look at his new temporary home "we should probably find people, we need food"

A month had passed, (name) using his survival knowledge Tengen taught him growing up and the Botany books Muzan let him read, finding roots and such and generally surviving.

He was outside sweeping the Engawa when a carriage with two women passed by and stopped while waving at him.

Curious (name) wandered to them "are you alright?" A woman asked curiously and (name) sighed "well you see... I have been stranded here" he explained and the two nodded "this farms been left behind by the former owners, the wife actually lives at our home..."

"Oh?" (Name) asked curiously "yes, you're welcome to come with us, we have a doctor in the village not to far from our home"

(Name) agreed to come with them, the women calling their home "eternal Paradise" where omegas and women go to find sanctuary under their ruler Doma.

Where had (name) heard that name before...?

The members of this place doted on (name), not a lot of people got pregnant here, having escaped abusive mates and the likes.

They spent their time bonding with the Omega, helping him get used to the space and finding darling baby clothes.

"I-I am actually trying to find my alpha... Or my brother, either is fine really" (name) said not wanting to admit he wants his alpha a little more, feeling a sense of betrayal at the thought of choosing between them.

"Maybe our Lord may know!" One of the omegas said happily as he cuddled (name), the Omega having spent a few weeks with them and though they were kind to him, he needed to get out of here.

"Really?"

"Of course, he's all knowing!"

(Name) was brought by the members of the 'eternal paradise' to their leader, a man with white blond hair and eyes (name) had never seen before "my... Hello little Omega, are you alright?" The man's voice was almost clipped, staged and calm.

"Hello lord Doma... I'm sorry to bother you like this" (name) said softly and doma smiled at the shy Omega "leave us" he said to the cult members who bowed and left the two alone "come here Omega..."

"You been through so much..." Doma said sweetly as (name) sat before him "why do you come to see me?"

"I-im looking for someone... Or someone's to be specific"

"I see... You must have travelled far"

"A bit, you see my brother doesn't approve of my relationship with my alpha and tried to take me back but I just wish they could talk a-and maybe work things out"

"They seem to really hate one another..." Doma said softly as the Omega nodded "they do, I-I just wish they could get along for the pups..."

"Well little one, you're welcome to stay in eternal Paradise for as long as you may need" Doma said softly, the demon letting (name) ramble and talk before the pups decided they wanted to have the attention "oh! Sorry... They have strong kicks" he said softly and doma looked curious "may I?" He asked and (name) let him gently place his palm on the others belly, feeling the movement.

"I'm having twins, my alpha is very excited" (name) said "oh! How rude of me, I spoke so much about myself but I haven't asked you about your day"

This actually threw Doma off for a second, people only come to him for guidance as they believed he could speak to the gods "My day was wonderful thank you" Doma said though today had been quite boring, hearing peoples woes and such.

But it was nice being able to talk about himself "I'm glad you had a good day! It must be hard running all this"

Doma didn't know why he let the Omega come see him every day, the two talking for hours.

Muzan failed tell Doma who his Omega was, the Alpha seeing as Doma never left the cult he wouldn't need to do so.

(Name) stayed for the remainder of his pregnancy, helping as he waited for the Alpha Doma wasn't looking for, the demon having grown attached to (name) who never asked from him anything but his company, the Omega clearly didn't understand what this place was or exactly what power Doma had but the Demon didn't mind.

"Oh... Oh no" (name) mumbled as liquid leaked down "no...! Alpha isn't here... He needs to be here..." (Name) sobbed out as the members tried consoling him, bringing him to Doma "I-I need alpha...! I need Muzan!"

The room halted at the name the Omega cried out, as Doma came to check on the issue "you're... That (name)?"

Another contraction rolled through as Doma began blasting his thoughts for his lord to hear "where is he?" Muzans voice spoke clearly before seeing his Omega get soothed by the omegas.

"You where here...?" Muzan felt like an idiot, not bothering to check with Doma because well as mentioned before, why would he?

He liked to keep out of the blonds head as much as possible.

The room cleared out of the members as Doma watched the two interact, he didn't know what he considered (name), the psychopath was attached to him but was quite pleased to know that they were mates with his lord.

That meant he could see him more.

"Shhh, dont fret Omega" Muzan said softly and like that Doma alone, the sound of a biwa heard.

He missed the peppy Omega already.

(Name) was clinging to Muzan as the Alpha tried soothing him, poor (name)s emotions spilling out fully as he tried to remain strong and calm but....

He missed his alpha so much.

Another contraction rolled through and (name) shook in agony "m-my brother..." He sobbed out "I-I want..."

Muzan kept trying soothing his poor omega "p-please... I need to see him..."

Muzan could feel the anguish from the bond and sighed summoning kokushibo and giving very clear instructions on what to do next.

It wasn't tengen who found the note in the night, attached to an arrow imbedded into a wall of the slayer's headquarters but instead Tanjiro who curiously brought it to Tengen as it was addressed to him.

'Tengen Uzui

Remember what killing me will do to your brother and the pups before reading the rest of this'

A thinly veiled threat Tengen noted as he continued.

'your brother and my mate is in labor though he demands your presence, bring whomever you desire but remember.

This isn't a battle.

Remember what this will do to (name)'

An address was added to the bottom, the Hashira shaking in rage but had to consider his brother.

It was a threat yes but... He needed to see his brother and the pups.

The address wasn't far, the slayer's managing to get there within half an hour as the moon hung high, the slayer's able to see the moons on guard both upper and lower "our Lord is with his mate, only the brother is allowed to enter" kokushibo said simply, eyes staring down the slayer's who were equally on guard, tengen walking forward "what is this is a trap?"

"He wouldn't risk killing his mates brother" tengen knew Muzan wasn't that reckless, the affects of that could put (name) into a drop or even a sleep especially seeing as the two siblings are incredibly close.

Tengen was let into the small home where (name)s scream could be heard, the Hashira rushing to see his brother being consoled by Muzan "hold his hand, he desires your comfort"

Tengen couldn't believe he was taking orders from a demon but when (name) reached out to him so teary eyed the Alpha instantly was at his brothers side as he gripped his hand almost painfully "darling I'm going to need you to push now" Muzan said and (name) shook his head "c-cant!"

"Yes you can... Come on darling, don't you want to see our pups?"

(Name) was sobbing as he tried pushing, letting out a painful groan as tengen supported his brother, whispering encouragement to the Omega "Fuck!" (Name) hissed out and that was the first time either alpha had heard him swear but not the time.

The slayer's and moons dead stared each other as Zenitsu tried not to make eye contact with them and Doma waved at Shinobu flirty to the woman's disgust "so.... Who thinks the pups will be human or demon?" Zenitsu asked finally and everyone stared at him with a look "they will obviously be human/demon!" And that created a debate as the poor Omega after four hours have birth to the pups, Muzan cleaning the pups before handing them to the Omega who looked at the two alphas "look pups, it's your uncle and papa..." (Name) was a mess but deliriously happy as the pups made little noises as the Omega scented them "thank you...both for not fighting" (name) said "I-I know this was..." (Name) was teary eyed as he clutched the pups "thank you..."

"Of course"

"Anything for you"

(Name) let the alphas hold the pups and watched Tengen make silly faces to the youngest pup, Muzan wrapping the pup so the folds moved to the left opposed the the right like the eldest.

Muzan was quiet with his pup, the two obviously bonding as the babe grabbed his finger with his tiny hand, the Alpha unblinking as he gently scented the pup.

The two alphas didn't want to admit it but they both had a deeper connection now that the pups were born.

Tengen knew he couldn't make his brother a widow and leave the little ones without a father and Muzan was well aware of the betrayal it would be to (name) to kill his brother.

It would be unforgivable.

"I... I don't want to be seperated from either of you" (name) said softly, playing with his fingers as the two alphas looked at him "please don't make me chose..."

(Name) never voiced his feelings on this but it was damaging that he was seperated from his loved ones because they hated each other.

He knew he was asking the impossible but he just wanted his family to get along.

"Please...."

"He eats people (name)..." Tengen tried reasoning with his poor brother who looked so heartbroken "I-I just want... I just want you guys to get along" and began sobbing, his distressed pharamones making the pups cry, the alphas now trying to soothe a crying Omega and two new borns, both looking alarmed though tengen was more openly worried "give me my pups!" (Name) hissed and the alphas complied "I-I just want my pups to have their family!"

Logically (name) knew why it wouldn't work but he just gave birth to two pups and his Omega was on high alert.

"(N-name)--""no! Out! Both of you!"

The two alphas were stunned but weren't given room to argue as the Omega growled at them.

And that's how tengen and Muzan were standing outside the small home wide eyed and kind of shocked.

"I- what...?"

"I wasn't aware my omega could react like that"

"Hes a Shinobi, he's capable of anything"

"...what happened?" Rengoku asked confused and Tengen didn't even process he was around demons "he kicked us out?" Tengen said still shocked.

"What did you two do?" Shinobu asked with a raised eyebrow and Muzan glared at her slightly "we didn't do a thing..."

"We refused to comply with what he wanted" tengen said "and what did he want?"

"For us to get along"

The moons and slayer's all looked at each other almost disbelieving "they literally eat humans"

"That's what I said!"

"Well unless you guys want (name) to let you anywhere near him or the pups, we can't fight" Tanjiro said simply and the two alphas realized he was correct, that would just make situations worse.

None of them knew how to proceed, a temporary truce being formed until they could settle on how to handle this.

(Name) was seething with rage as he flicked between consious and feral as his pups fed, the Omega kissing their tiny heads as he kept them close.

When the pups fell asleep, the Omega tucked them safely into the nest, body in pain from giving birth but he needed to keep his pups safe.

Crawling to the door he cracked it open to make eye contact with a six eyed demon and waved him over, completely ignoring his alpha and brother.

Kokushibo listened to his Lord's mate as he was held to equal importance by the moons, (name) whispering into his ear "could you tell Shinobu and Tanjiro to come here..." He asked softly, voice hoarse from screaming for four hours.

The demon nodded to the Omega who thanked him quietly before closing the door and returning to the pups.

The moons knew better than to not listen to (name) if they didn't want to face Muzans wrath.

The two slayer's went into the house where (name) doted over his babes "Shinobu... I want you to be the god mother...." (Name) said softly, not looking at them "I know if god forbid anything happens you will make sure they are loved and valued"

"I understand (name)" the Omega said watching the other "Tanjiro.... I have a request of you, I know it's a lot to ask but could you please get me supplies for the pups, I know you know what a pup needs and... Would you be willing to stay with me? Nezuko can stay as well but.. this is my first time really around children.."

"I-I would be honored!" Tanjiro said and bowed to the Omega "thank you...." (Name) said ushering them close "this is (child A) and this is (child B)" he introduced and Shinobu gently traced (child A)s cheek "they're beautiful..." She said softly "absolutely stunning" Tanjiro said genuinely as he smiled at the pups.

"I'm not leaving my pups with slayers" Muzan seethed as Shinobu explained the situation, and Shinobu wasnt having any of this shit.

She wasn't very happy her dear friend was mates with the king of jackasses but there wasn't much to be done!

"Well until (name) decides he wants to even look at any either of you, we will work in rotations on who watches him"

"And why should we listen to you?!" Daki hissed out, not wanting to take orders from a human "because I'm those pups god mother and what I say goes currently" Shinobu said with a smile.

Everyone could agree this was the weirdest and most uncomfortable time for everyone involved and no one was happy "where's Tanjiro?" Tengen asked confused and Shinobu just wanted to go home at this point "(name) chose him to essentially be a midwife of sorts to help him with the pup"

Muzan was furious at this, ready to rip the door open and bring his mate to the castle and force him to forgive him but it wasn that easy.

It never was.

So begrudgingly they worked out a crude schedule.

The forest was dense enough to keep out sunlight so it was one Slayer and one demon per shift.

Each shift being twelve hours.

#demon slayer x male reader. #demon slayer x male reader #demon slayer x reader #muzan x male reader #muzan x reader #male reader #omegaverse #omega male reader

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

#cryptidclaw's warriors au #? #Im tempted to use these in the au #some characters deserve some more fun names hehe #rise of change #warrior cats #warrior cats design #warriors #warriors names #warriors naming #warriors prefixes

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

#warrior cats #wc

[lyralit]

[ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪʙᴇ] ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏᴜʀꜱ

[under the break bc this is really long]

red

lipstick

cherry

blood

crimson

scarlet

brick

vermilion

cardinal

wine

beetroot

lobster

mercury / mars

apple

maroon

ruby

claret

rosy

poppy

blushing

watermelon

strawberry

grapefruit

anne

orange

peach

tangerine

auburn

ginger

fire

fox

amber

gold / golden

tawny

burnt

venus

cantaloupe

carrot

pumpkin

Titian

yam

tiger

marmalade

pepper

rust

butterfly

fall

apricot

squash

clay

yellow

sunny

sand

butter

syrup

medallion

golden

bee

honey

daffodil

sunflower

buttercup

sandstone

corn

lemon

yolk

dandelion

taxi

saturn

sunset

pencil

banana

pineapple

duck

schoolbus

potato

green

grass

spring

herb

juniper

chartreuse

clover

lucky

leprechaun

seaweed

pickle

leafro

earth

pistachio

basil

emerald

alligator

army

aloe

jade

olive

matcha

lime

blue

sky

ocean

crest

navy

cadet

aqua

blueberry

butterfly

robin's egg

lapis

flame

peppermint

jay

lavender

corn

wheat

cobalt

slate

denim

peacock

arctic

sapphire

purple

mountain

dawn

heather

violet

grape

eggplant

amethyst

cheshire

crocus

bruise

blackberry

ube

lavender

grape

plum

lilac

periwinkle

black currant

iris

orchid

beet

pink

blush

flamingo

guava

rose

peony

cherry blossom

salmon

lemonade

bubblegum

lotus

pig

cotton candy

punch

coral

hot pink

pink panther

rose quartz

blobfish

dragon fruit rind

rhubarb

lipgloss

[bonus: shades]

black

panther

night

pitch

onyx

jet black

coal

penguin

suit

cat

obsidian

zebra

diamond

raven

bat

magnet

oil

ebony

ants

black pearls

plum

squid ink

truffle

shadow

grey

cloud

dust

rocks

silver

smoke

ash

graphite

dolphin

iron

basalt

titanium

tin

dove

pigeon

slate

scales

smoke

flint

steel

white

marble

pearls

dove

linen

snow

porcelain

alabaster

ivory

cloud

bone

rice

foam

whipped cream

lace

eggs

lily

coconut

milk

zebra

polar

cream

brown

chocolate

cocoa

rabbit

bear

squirrel

bark

chestnuts

cinnamon

coconut

teddy bear

violin

caramel

coffee

cydney's backyard fence

mocha

penny

walnut

gingerbread

paper bags

acorns

mud

courtesy of @cydthesciencekid

#in the end it's mostly listing things that are those colours haha #also half of these are names #colours #writerblr #lyralit #creative writing #writers #writing #writblr #writers block #writing ideas #rainbow colours #colour spectrum #drawing reference #writing reference #colour dictionary #colour

[willshipanything-blog]

Breaking the Rules- Chapter 19

It's been a minute! But just shy of a month, and the next 6k word chapter is here!

This chapter, we finally get to see a certain basement that we haven't come across before 👀 I've only been hinting at its contents for a couple of months 😅

Full tags, as well as the fic if you prefer, is on AO3 here.

Full Tumblr chapter index can be found here.

Hope you enjoy lovelies! 💜✌️✨

Chapter 19- The Second Basement

Sleep never greeted you in the night, and for once you were thankful for your anxious mind that hadn’t allowed you to drift off. Al’s soft snoring told you he’d eventually fallen asleep, though his slumber was occasionally broken by sudden jerks and whimpers. Nightmares of you unveiling those secrets he’d kept from you, no doubt. It wouldn’t matter soon- you’d expose them with or without his help, take them by force and drag them kicking and screaming into the open for the both of you to confront. 

There was no hiding anymore, no sneaking around to uncover some mystery. It was the weekend, and you weren’t going to wait until Al was at work on Monday, his back turned before you put your plan into action. You were going to find out the truth, and he was going to be aware of every step in your plan. Just as soon as the first hint of morning came. 

Your eyes had adjusted to the inky blackness of night; when the dim light of dawn finally came after sleepless hours, it felt blinding, a renewed sense of seeing. As if a new day had brought a different type of light, one that had stripped back the confusion, laid bare the world of you and Al for what it really was. You saw everything as if with fresh eyes now: Al’s comforting hold around you was possessive and paranoid, a desperate plea to keep you close to him and away from the truth at any cost. The secrets he’d hidden to ‘protect’ you were nothing more than selfish, self-preserving lies meant to portray a half-formed version of Al you knew to be false. 

You’d slunk around in the hushed hours of the night, reaching for the things you needed as best you could whilst still ensconced in Al’s slumberous hold, inching towards the bedside table; turning covertly; placing the moving parts of your plan in their proper place. Like setting up chess pieces of your plan, preparing the board for a checkmate. It wouldn’t be a game that Al would enjoy, wouldn’t contain the sort of pain that usually excited the both of you, but it was necessary. And it was time. 

You turned in Al’s arms, humming softly as your hands threaded through his ashy brown hair.

“Good morning.” you whispered, Al’s eyes opening a crack as he roused from sleep; that sideways smile began creeping onto his face as he saw you smiling up at him.

“G’morning, dove-oh…” Al’s voice caught in surprise as you maneuvered yourself on top of him, his hands sliding down your torso to sit on your hips as you straddled his body. If his hardness pressed beneath wasn’t evidence enough of his obliviousness to your plan, the sudden tight squeeze on your hips and Al’s croaked humming was further proof. Perhaps his drowsy lust was clouding his judgment, though maybe he really did believe all was forgiven after his earnest beseechment last night. 

You were happy to play into the fallacy for now, gripping his wrist in your hand and kissing the side of his neck with a ravenous hunger. The desire you felt was half-real, but the need to hide from Al’s eyeline hid an ulterior motive. There was no apprehension in your plans, but if Al had clocked your wobbling jawline or growing wetness in your eyes, he’d have realized too soon the trap you were laying. Instead, with your lips suckling on his neck, your eyes averted from the piercing blue of his, you simply heard the amorous growl bubbling low in his throat, felt the slow grinding of his body beneath yours.

A sudden clack of metal had Al’s breath catching, and you sat up to see those blue eyes, mere inches from your own, widen in surprise.

“Wha-?” Al’s eyes flicked upwards, his neck craning to look at his hand which was now tethered to the bed by a set of silver handcuffs. You’d slipped them from your bedside drawer, quietly clicked one cuff around a wooden slat on the headboard and left the other unlocked, partially hidden beneath your pillows. A covert set-up as Al still slept beside you. It was just a moment of distraction to spring the trap on Al, ambush him when he least suspected it. He’d used misdirection and flattery to first capture you, and you were nothing if not an astute apprentice of the type of magic that Al performed.

When Al looked back towards you, he wore that sideways half-smile, still drowsy from sleep and not fully cognizant of what was happening. Or what was about to.

“Oh, we wanna change up the game today, huh little bird?” His free hand stretched towards you, but your body leaned away from his touch. Still atop Al’s body, you began to scramble off of him and the silky sheets, but your scurrying seemed to give the game away, and Al’s free hand managed to find your fingers.

“Dove?” In that one word question, the suddenly knowing, distressed tone and his immediately clawing grasp, he knew your plan. You’d climbed off of Al and the bed, though your fingers were still enmeshed in his fierce hold, bones creaking under the strain of his desperate grip.

“I’ll come back Al. I always do.” 

“No, Y/N, you won’t!” he cried, scrambling himself now, trying to stand whilst still chained to the bed. “Not this time. Not if you see what I did. Please, dove.”

With his wrist clamped firmly to the bed, Al was barely able to fix his feet onto the carpet, stretching awkwardly to keep ahold of you as you tried your best to back up toward the door, your fingers still clenched in his vice grip. 

“Stop, Al! I- I have to know. You know I need to do this!” Your surefooted plan was betrayed by the fissuring crack in your voice, but you continued to pull against him, attempting to wrest your hand away from his, pulling tighter and tighter against his shaking grip until a pop! and a pained gasp pierced the air. 

You fell backwards, Al’s hold on you suddenly vanished. In an instant you were up, using the chest of drawers near the door to prop yourself up. Only when you realized you were out of Al’s reach did the searing pain in your hand register; when you held it up in front of you, your pinky finger looked wrong. It bent at an impossible angle, contorted like the crooked limbs of the tree that stood in the yard across the street. You swallowed the sudden sour taste of bile in your throat. There would be time to fix such a pain later, and you forced your hand to your side to focus on the current situation instead. Al was still in an uncomfortable hybrid of sitting and standing, wearing a pained look of anguish on his face (because of the physical pain he’d just caused, or his worst fear of his own actions being finally unmasked?). No time to consider such distinctions now. 

Your good hand fumbled blindly behind you, trying to locate the handle on the bedroom door. Al had sussed your plan in an instant, and was already making his next move, leaping into a better position on the bed to yank at the chain holding him in place. You watched, transfixed for a moment at the image of him tearing and clawing at the cuff around his wrist, roaring like a snared beast trying to escape its bonds. You almost felt pity for the broken creature in front of you, if not for the necessity of such a trap. In no other scenario apart from this- having Al physically restrained- would you be allowed to freely slip away to search the other house with his knowledge of it. His desperation, his sheer strength over you, might never allow it. 

That strength reared its head just then, the sound of splintering wood seeming to startle the both of you. Al’s frantic display, his frenzied and brutal attempts to escape the handcuffs, was actually working, his bestial strangth enough to actually start breaking the thick wooden slats holding the cuffs in place. A short, startled gasp escaped him, breaking you from your temporary mesmerism. The realization that Al might soon break free spurred you into action. 

In a moment, you slipped through the door and tore through the house, the blood pounding in your ears almost enough to drown out the sounds of breaking furniture and Al’s animalistic shouts. By the door, beside your own front door key in the ceramic bowl, you picked up the bigger set of keys. It was a moment’s work to use the small gold key in the front door and (after a quick glance up and down the empty, early-morning street), to run towards the front door that had been beckoning you for weeks, daring you to enter. You dared now. 

The keys jangled as if in taunt as you fumbled to find the right one, their teeth jeering as you scanned the too-many prongs and ridges for the correct one. In your wild haste, the heavy tangle of metal grazed your broken finger and you dropped the whole set with a strident yelp. A despairing clatter as the keys dropped to the ground. A dared glance back to the house- the door still shut with Al still inside. The image of splintering wood and shattered glass shot through your mind, but you swallowed it down along with the pain shooting through your hand and forearm. Crushing your teeth together in gritted determination, you lurched forward to scoop up the fallen keys, pinching your thumb and finger to grab a single key by its rounded base. You opted for a small brass key most similar in size to the one to Al’s house, and, after a couple of shaky attempts to press it into the lock, it slid in. The door clicked and swung open. 

This felt almost too easy, as if you expected more resistance from the secrets hidden within to remain hidden. You pushed the door, a slight creak as the inside of the house revealed itself to you, before you stepped over the threshold.

Just like the other house, the door opened up into the living room, although ‘living room’ seemed a strange name for a place so devoid of life. Dust motes floated like ghosts in the dawn light, blades of pale yellow light stabbing through the ripped net curtains and  illuminating the near-empty area you'd stepped into. Sparse furniture resided here; a small stool, its leather seat cracked and pale from sun damage, a filthy rug that might have once been a vivid chartreuse, now damp and dark as seaweed. A couple of small figurines on the dark wooden mantle, covered in enough dust you couldn't say whether they were human or animal in form. The only other thing in here was the smell, sitting stale and heavy on every surface. But nothing incriminating. You noted the layout of the lounge was similar to Al's house (though a silent jeer slithered through you at the realization that this too was 'Al's house'). You figured the other parts of the house might match its counterpart across the street. Where would Al choose to hide the secrets he didn't want seeing the harsh light of day? There must be a basement.

You followed a familiar path to reach the kitchen, the dimensions of this house eerily exact to the one you’d come from. Like a shadowy version of the bright house you shared with Al. Maybe this was an alternate reality to where the Grabber was relegated, only allowed back into the warmth of your shared house when Al’s self-control wavered. Surely it was the unheated house, not the thought of that wraith, blowing a cold breeze through your bones. You continued forward, fingertips brushing the rough walls where faded wallpaper had given up trying to add some cheer to the desolate house, the thick shag beneath your feet replaced with threadbare carpets that you trod alone now. 

The kitchen was just as bare-boned as the other rooms, and darker still due to the decrepit blinds suppressing the outside light. Empty countertops were strewn with dust and debris, and an old model refrigerator stood like a grave, no monotonous hum of life emanating from it. You did a double take at that; the refrigerator was standing right where the door to the basement should have been, if this house really did correspond perfectly with the other. 

Dismayed, you slammed a palm against the metal side of the fridge pockmarked with rust, only for it to teeter slightly, as if years of standing in one spot hadn’t sunk it completely into the linoleum tile beneath it. The floor, when you scanned it with an astonished eye, had unmistakable marks, two jagged white lines where the refrigerator looked to have been moved a foot or so. Repeatedly, from the etched line where the vinyl flooring had abraded into two clear tracks. Emboldened by this discovery, a fresh wave of adrenaline surged through you, summoning strength you hardly thought yourself capable of. You braced your body against the huge contraption and shouldered and pushed until (inch by torturous, backbreaking inch), it gave. In less than a minute, the refrigerator had been shoved a couple of feet to the left, revealing a maroon door behind it. The color of aged blood. A dull silver padlock, speckled with rust, was the final obstacle between you and the basement. 

Your guesswork was getting better; when you plucked a small silver key from the bunch, you found that it slid into the open maw of the keyhole with only a little resistance, probably from the build-up of rust in the mechanism. A clack as the shackle came loose, an even louder thud when you allowed the padlock to fall to the tiled floor. You pushed open the door to be greeted with a musty breath of air and a wooden stairway leading down into the darkness below. This really was the final-

“Y/N.”

Al stood heaving and panting mere feet from where you’d frozen upon hearing his voice. One foot had suspended over the threshold of the basement door, one clawed grip stilled on the door jamb. Your limbs stayed in place whilst your neck turned to look at Al. 

Hair clung to his sweat-soaked brow. Specks of red daubed his pale torso on one side, transferred from the messy aftermath of his escape: an abstract collage of skin and metal and blood around his wrist. He’d stopped in the kitchen doorway, but you knew that he wasn’t completely spent, that he could’ve taken a few more strides to grab you, to hold you back from taking another step. But it was a new type of exhaustion carved out on his face, the tired eyes and stooped figure revealing a look of hopelessness, one of surrender. 

When he gave a weary, subtle shake of his head, it was unconvincing, as if you both knew that wasn’t an order you were going to obey. Not a rule you were going to follow this time. He’d finally lost, and you saw that realization behind his doleful expression. Like a funeral rite where grief and acceptance shook hands in uneasy union. You returned a subtle nod of your own head before taking a step forward. He let you slip through the blood-coloured door without a fight. 

You darted down the stairs, almost like your body wanted you to arrive before your mind made sense of what you might find. A fraction too late, and the sight of the room had you stumbling on the final two steps. You didn’t catch yourself, letting your body tumble to the ground, knees cracking against the stone and the heels of your hands scraping the rough, pebbled surface. Your hurt finger seared with a scorching pain, but any physical hurt was lost when you looked at the scene in front of you.

Was the worst part of it the appalling sight before you, or the fact that deep down, you had an idea that you would find exactly this scene when you decided to descend the steps? That you knew what secrets Al was desperate to hide. You didn’t rise- couldn’t rise. Not when your own guilt weighed heavy, a rock tied to you, holding you in its drowning depths, your lungs screaming for air and the light of the surface growing dimmer in your sight. You deserved the feeling, and forced your eyes to flicker up, to confront the truth which you’d ignored for far too long. 

There, laid out in front of you in four raised mounds of dirt, was the truth of it all. Four makeshift graves, cramped together close enough that the boy’s fingertips might have grazed. Like they might have been at a sleepover, cracking dirty jokes, sharing soda pops and fizzy candy, confessing which girls they liked as they curled up in comforters lined in a tight row. Impossible now, of course, and an image of a stagnated childhood lanced through your mind like an aneurysm- a stack of comic books collecting dust; a disused baseball mitt, the stitching frayed; an overturned bike, its spokes still spinning slowly.

They were so small, too small, and not quite uniform; the one on the left, closest to the wall, was the shortest in length. It was probably the first. Probably Griffin. Was it so small because he was the youngest, or because Al was new to it at that point, miscalculating the size grave he’d need to dig? A stifled mewl clawed its way up your throat, and finally you wept at the sight before you. 

This wasn’t a basement. It was a debasement, a pathetic graveyard, an obscene cemetery in which every inhabitant had been put here by the same monster. No funeral rites, only the distant echo of screams you could almost hear as four lives slipped away from this world, surrounded only by fear and pain. The funereal processions were the small bodies being carried from one basement to another. No fresh clods of earth or flowers lay atop them, just dirt and lye to hide the sight and the smell. No grave markers at all, and a bilious flip in your throat choked you at the realization that you actually had to think to remember all of their names. Only four fucking names, Y/N- your own selfish repression of the past was a desecration of their memory. 

The wooden stairs were creaking slowly, announcing Al’s arrival down here with you. His boots (unlaced where he’d shoved his feet into them in a hurry) appeared by your side, but he said nothing, did nothing. You gave a silent apology to the mounds, as if daring to avert your gaze somehow dishonored them further, before glancing up at Al. His hands were trembling, jaw wobbling, but he was forcing himself to look too. You stood to join him in a wordless reflection, both of you looking down in reverence and silent sorrow. 

You wondered if the Grabber- if Al- might have given some twisted eulogy after he’d completed the task, when he’d filled in each tomb. That creature full of sick hate and sadistic torment- did he look upon his work and laugh? Or was he more clinical, apathetic at this part of his procedure once the game had come to an end? Until you, the Grabber had shown no signs of remorse, no signs of stopping his spree. From the way the graves were cramped in one corner, there would have been room for more across the entire length of the back wall where you eyes now traversed-

There was more. One more grave, half-dug, set apart from the rest in the far corner. You hadn’t seen it over there in the shadows, too busy grieving the lost lives in front of you. A shovel lay beside the piles of dirt surrounding the small area, the gravedigger’s task suddenly ceased. This was different. The fifth grave was empty. Shallow and half-formed. The site had been outlined, slightly longer in length than the others. Separated from the boys’ plots, so clearly not to be categorized with the Grabber’s other victims. It had never been filled. The intended occupant had never made it as far as the second basement. Even if it were never to be filled, you knew whose grave this was meant to be. It was yours. 

You’d avoided the same fate as the others, but that was no softening thought as you staggered to the other side of the room. What Al had originally planned, your own would-be coffin, laid out before you. Was it fear of what might have been, or disgust that he hadn’t ever come to rectify this abomination, horror that he hadn’t deleted any trace of his original plans before Al showed that he was capable of doing better? So many emotions, each refusing to take center stage, too much of everything somehow making you feel almost nothing right now. 

“When did you stop digging?” your eyes didn’t stray from the upturned dirt to ask Al the question. Al had probably begun the excavation as soon as he’d taken you- you were an anomaly after all. He’d never planned on keeping you around. But how late into your captivity did he stop making progress on the fifth grave?

“Dove… I’m-” You held up a hand, palm flat towards him to halt his apology. An apology to you, here in this room, would feel like a sacrilege.

“Was it after the first time we fucked?”

“A…little later than that. After that first promise. I wanted to keep you, and when I kissed you that first time, you kissed me back. I never dug after that.” 

You remembered that day, picturing the other basement where you’d been kept- maybe a couple of weeks after your abduction. You’d argued, questioned why the Grabber hadn’t killed you yet. And he’d admitted he liked how the Game had changed. Admitted he wanted you: to care for, to hurt, to fuck and to keep as his. You’d let him in, reciprocated the kiss he pressed to your trembling lips, and in doing so, had saved yourself from a shallow grave. You’d wanted to forget the hurt, but it was all still here, waiting to be found eventually. In saving yourself, you’d simultaneously doomed yourself in other ways that were less tangible than the feel of his warm body against yours.

Numb now, too many feelings screaming in your mind at once. But one concrete idea- that you were still here. Despite whether your choices had been brave or foolish, they’d been your own. So few choices given your captivity, but that had been yours alone. You’d rejected the possibility of losing your life to the Grabber, even if it meant, eventually, you’d given your life to Al in a new way completely. 

You found yourself picking up the shovel, starting to fill in the uprooted dirt of the unfinished grave. Even if that ending might once have been a possibility, it wasn’t anymore. You began to pile the earth into the shallow dip, crying freely as you rejected this fate. Your injured finger was throbbing, exacerbating your pained cries, when a soft hand pressed on your shoulder. Al’s arm reached out to take the shovel from you, and you stepped back, understanding his meaning. You watched him work, steadily scooping the soft earth and compressing it back into place. His shoulders began to bob, and alongside his soft crying you heard muttered apologies, over and over. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It might have been for you, for those boys, for Al’s own shattered psyche. 

After he patted the last of the loose earth into an almost-flat layer, he dropped the shovel and turned to face the room, his eyes puffy behind his limp hair. He strode, but not towards you, moving to an unlit area beneath the wooden stairs in the room, reaching for an unseen object before standing upright holding a small wooden box. Another kept secret- but one he was clearly going to reveal. There was nothing worse to find than the four small graves you’d already uncovered today.

“It has some things- of theirs,” Al gestured to the boys’ tombs with a sweeping hand, “You can look later, but it’s all been real heavy, dove. If that’s ok?” 

You must have nodded, even if you were unaware of it, because Al passed you to ascend the stairs, a calloused hand on your cheek and a whispered comment to take your time before he climbed the steps out of the basement. 

But take your time with what? Processing all this, really processing everything that had happened, in the almost-year you’d spent with Al, and the events before your arrival, would take countless hours. If you even wanted to pick it apart at all- it might feel too much like an exhumation, a morbid autopsy. There was nothing to be done here in this basement. You couldn’t bring them back. You couldn’t even bring their killer to justice, your own cowardice and selfishness stronger than your moral compass. That had broken a long time ago. Instead, you offered a quiet apology and a hopeful prayer that at least now, those boys knew peace. That they were somewhere better than where Al would end up in the next life. Somewhere better than you’d end up, too. You climbed the staircase a few moments later.

In the empty kitchen, Al locked the door once more, moving the refrigerator back with ease. He retrieved the wooden box from the side, holding out his free hand towards you, the one torn and bloody from escaping the handcuffs. You took it, your shaking fingers gripping his, before he led you home. 

“Are you scared of me, Y/N?”

You looked up from where you were sitting on the couch. Al had spoken softly, but the sudden cleaving of silence felt loud as a crooked tree falling. Since the pair of you had walked through the door, you hadn’t uttered a single word. Al had sat you on the couch, had constructed a makeshift splint for your finger, had cleaned and massaged your feet that had collected all sorts of rocks and glass shards during your barefoot getaway. He had smoothed your hair with his gentle hands, had spread a blanket over your lap and tried to coax you to eat and drink something, anything. 

For all your hurt, you’d only let out a throaty exhale of pain when he’d popped your finger back in place (‘Not broken, dove, but dislocated. This will hurt a little’). Al’s apologies and soft reassurances had died down when they were met with stony, dissociated silence on your part, but he’d spoken again after a few hours to ask such a question. 

You looked towards him, where he stood a few paces away. As if he was worried the answer to his question would be yes, and he could distance himself even further, become less of a threat. He must have tended his own injuries at some point: you noticed a bandage wrapped around his wrist to match the dressings you’d affixed to his bloodied knuckles only last night. Hands that could heal and destroy in equal measure- you didn’t think about the skewed math of how proportionate that ratio was. But, did that mean you were scared of him? You answered, as usual, with honesty.

“No. Not anymore.” It came out weaker than you intended. 

“Do you hate me?” 

Al’s second question wasn’t so easy to answer. It wasn’t a ‘yes’. But, after all the things you’d seen him do, the first-hand experiences of his wrath and violence, the even worse things you’d been reminded of today- could that answer ever fully be a ‘no’?

“I-” you began, the strain in your voice and the staggered pause enough to convey your own hesitance and uncertainties, “I don’t hate you Al. But I hate the ugly things you’ve done.”

“Yeah,” he huffed softly, “me too.” 

Al walked towards you, handing you a glass of water you hadn’t noticed him holding. Your inert state of shock hadn’t accepted anything to eat or drink all day, and the crying hadn’t helped your dehydration- you hardly realized how thirsty you were until now, taking the glass and drinking it down in a few long gulps. While you drank, Al perched himself on the coffee table facing you, and when you handed back the empty glass, he remained sitting, looking at you. Silent as the grave. 

It seemed as though he was drinking too, taking you in with each prolonged stare and deep breath. You didn’t like to think why he seemed to be memorizing the trace of your face, each wave of your hair or curve of your body as he sat there mutely. Was his silence his way of giving you the floor? You’d finally spoken, so perhaps he expected countless questions after the things you’d witnessed in that dark, artificial graveyard. He’d be right- but where to even begin?

You swayed a little, feeling suddenly tired, but you suppressed a yawn to ask him a question. The Al who took you all those months ago (had he a shred of honesty or decency), would have said no. You hoped the Al sitting in front of you would say different these days: “Do you regret the things you’ve done?”

A deep breath before Al forced open his eyes on the exhale, pale blues centered on you. Solemn, and sincere. 

“I have lots of regrets, Y/N. Countless. What’s in that basement, over there,”- his eyes flicked quickly to the window, in the direction of the other house- “those boys that I- that I took, and- and killed? Yes, I regret it.”

Nothing here was good. But some of this situation- the honesty, the admission of regret- that had to count for something, didn’t it? If not for those boys, their families, then at least for you and Al. It showed he truly had changed, even if those awful acts couldn’t be reversed. These thoughts scared you, because they spoke volumes for what you had become. A sympathizer for this man, this murderer. The devil’s advocate, who still believed that it wasn’t wholly wrong to stay, to live out some semblance of a happy ending with him. To put your own selfish love above what was right and just. To allow the blackness to seize you, enter you, tainting your essence, your soul, with its black, inky poison.

“Y/N? You still with me?” Al asked, tapping your knee softly. You opened your eyes. When had they closed?

“I’m here, Al.” you murmured, still consumed by your half-conscious thoughts. 

“I know you want me to be honest, so I will say this,” Your tiredness abated at the promise of another truth. “I regret the way I treated you, you know that, dove. But I don’t regret taking you that day. I’m sorry for so much, for all the pain I’ve put you through. But I won’t sit here and lie. I can’t regret the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

You had no remark, no answer to give. Not because you were repulsed by Al’s hideous confession. But because you understood that sentiment so deeply. Because being taken by the Grabber was the worst thing that had ever happened to you. Because being taken by Al was, impossibly, the best thing that had happened to you. If admitting that was akin to insanity, Al prevented the words leaving your mouth with a soft brush of his thumb along your lips.

“You’ve barely slept, little bird. Get some rest, huh?” He guided you to lie on the sofa, stroking your head before walking away from you. It would be too easy to close your eyes and fall back into your dark musings, but you did have one more thing to say to Al. One thing he needed reminding of, something that wouldn’t waver, even when faced with the horrors of his past transgressions. 

“Al,” you said, and he turned attentively to your call, “You never asked me if I still loved you.” You endured the ensuing silence and his unwavering gaze on you, willing him to pick up your suggestion and ask that question, but he never did. You answered regardless. “I do love you, Al.”

Even the golden sunset light illuminating his face couldn’t kindle a spark of warmth in those woeful blue eyes. He gave a slow nod, accepting your declaration carefully. As if you’d written it in a letter and he was committing it to memory, folding it up and tucking it into a pocket of his heart. Like he might never hear those words again.

He’d left you warm under the blankets, but as he turned wordlessly to leave, his coldness reminded you of an earlier time. He might as well have bolted a metal door behind him with a thud and a click. You contemplated following him, but a drowsiness hit you like an oncoming wave; you could only watch his form retreating into the next room like a sailboat drifting out to an endless sea. Sleep came too easily for someone who had seen such horrors that day.

Al sat in the armchair, watching his little dove sleeping on the couch. After everything, crushing up those sleeping tablets in her water seemed insignificant, a scratch on the surface, so paltry compared to the deep wounds he’d previously inflicted. But it wouldn’t matter soon. Drugging her would be the last bad thing he’d ever do to his love. Or the second to last bad thing, perhaps. 

Despite her parting words of love, Al couldn’t choose to believe them anymore. How could she love him, after all he’d done? Today had terrified him, when she’d cuffed him to their bed and had escaped to uncover his darkest secret. He was glad for the discovery now, that she’d seen the true evil he’d done, was still capable of doing. Given the right provocation, who was to say that Al wouldn’t let that otherness within him overtake him completely, hurting his dove after every promise not to, enjoying the pain and torment and violations he might still administer. 

His little thing might profess love, but that emotion was a twisted figment of her imagination, something she’d created out of the inescapable situation in which he’d imprisoned her, finding a false presentation of hope, a small nugget of light within the darkness he’d dragged her into. He’d fooled her for a little while with his tricks, each roguish smile and small gift, the sensual pleasures and the games they played that had distracted from reality. It was just a temporary hypnosis. If there was a name for such an ailment, Al couldn’t think of it right now. All he could think, even looking at the peacefully sleeping form in front of him, is how much hate must really lie beneath that perfect surface. How much rot and ruin he’d caused within that shell of beauty and kindness. 

She doesn’t want this life. How could she? But he feared even now, with her dishonest declaration of love, that she would deny the truth. For her sake, Al would have to end everything. It wouldn’t bring any sort of atonement for him, but he could give Y/N her life back. If he kept her here, it would be akin to a kill count of five. He still had the chance to spare one life. 

Al’s chance was now. He rose from the chair, quiet not to wake his dove. He pulled open a kitchen drawer, retrieving the weapon that will end everything. Returning to the armchair, he held it to his chest for a little while as he watched the soft rising and falling of her chest, her mouth parted slightly, hair tousled and cheeks red. Every feature and expression, every twitch of her finger, each breathy murmur just perfect. His perfect dove. But no- not his. Not anymore. 

Finally, Al lowered the item down onto his lap, looking down at the blank notepad he’d gotten from the kitchen. Reaching for a pen on the table beside him, he began composing the words that would bring the best chapter of his life to an end.

#the grabber #the grabber x reader #the black phone #albert shaw x reader #black phone fanfic #albert shaw #the grabber x you #albert shaw x you #the black phone fanfic #black phone

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

𓅨 As Dawn Breaks: Chapter Twenty-Nine

As Dawn Breaks: Mother Night and Father Time, after having sired seven Endless to personify life in the known universe, create Earth and human life begins. One last Endless is created: Dawn, the personification of illumination and hope, the beginning of a new day and a chance for happiness and improvement. A love will span thousands of millennia, breaking with every sunrise and renewing hope come sunset. Yet, even the personification of hope can lose the very notion of her existence from the sting of a broken heart.

Warnings: Miscarriage Mentions, Explicit Language, Explicit Material (Unprotected Sex is a No No).

To Note: Dream/Morpheus x Endless!FemaleReader(Dawn), This Involves Themes That Are Not For Everyone. 

Word Count: ~2.1k

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“I do not feel glamorous or beautiful,” You huffed as you walked through the village market, your eyes glossing over the various goods for sale. Whoever said that pregnant woman glow obviously have never been pregnant themself because you felt so bloated and so disgusting at times you thought it a miracle that woman became pregnant on purpose. Matthew, who had been accompanying you when Morpheus couldn’t, let out a caw. 

“Oh yeah, when my wife was pregnant with our daughter she wouldn’t let me touch her period. Said it was my fault that she was like that… course she couldn’t keep her hands to herself the last trimester… but really, no one ever talks about the downsides to being pregnant.” Matthew chirped from your shoulder, ruffling his feathers. “But you do look put together, ma’am.”

You huffed once more. While you may look good, you felt bloated, waddled everywhere you went (and your belly wasn’t even that big yet), and you kept falling asleep in the oddest of places not to mention you were tired all the time. Were you not meant to be an Endless? Why did you have to be tired!? 

“Hmm, I currently feel like sitting down and falling asleep, that seem to be put together to you, Matthew?” 

“Seems like you’re doing exactly what you are currently doing, ma’am,” Matthew replied frankly. Your eyebrow twitched as you headed in the direction of the palace, a nice bath and nap sounded very nice at the moment and your feet were starting to hurt.

“And what am I currently doing?” You grouchily questioned. 

“Growing a baby,” Matthew reminded you. “Which, by the way, is fucking awesome and incredible, and oh, I should probably tell you that if it’s exhausting for a human to grow a human kid… How much energy do you think it takes to grow an Endless?” The raven had a point, you weren’t too stubborn to admit that.

“I concede to that,” You sighed, reaching up to run your fingers over Matthew’s back. “Would you mind running ahead to notify Morpheus and my dove that I am returning?” Matthew bobbed his head at you. 

“‘Course,” He replied. “Still can’t believe you agreed to inform him of your movements. You need to tell him that you're going to the bathroom too?” You cracked a grin and chuckled lightly at the raven's mutterings as he took flight from your shoulder. 

“Oh I did, Morpheus reworded his request only an hour after I started reporting every movement I made, even those that involved shifting in my seat.” You heard the receding raven's echoes of laughter and grinned. Rubbing your belly, you began making your way across the bridge connecting the village to the palace. 

Upon bringing you to The Dreaming, Morpheus had been far too overprotective of you for fear of you being hurt, or worse, having another miscarriage. It was endearing and heartwarming to see how engaged he was with your pregnancy, though you had to admit, he often went a little overboard on the protection. You were perfectly capable of taking care of yourself and certainly would be able to feel if your baby was in distress. You weren’t young and you weren’t inexperienced. One could even say you had learned your lesson. 

You reached the palace and glared at the stairs you were going to have to climb to get to your rooms and then, the bath. For a brief moment, you considered just transporting yourself to your wing. It would be easy, wouldn’t take much effort on your part, not to mention quick… your feet would thank you. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Your shoulders slumped and your lip pouted at the deep and severe words that came from behind you. Curses, you were so close to getting yourself to your wing and the bath. Halting in step, you crossed your arms and pouted deeper as Morpheus strode over to you, his coat billowing behind him and a light scowl upon his face. You went complacent and plastered an innocent look on your face. Morpheus came to a stop in front of you and gazed down at you with a look of disapproval. 

“My Hope,” He drew out, “What did I tell you about using your essence when you are in such a delicate state? You are exhausted as it is, there is no need for you to put further strain upon your body.”

“It’s only to my room!” You protested, swinging an arm out. Morpheus countered your menial protest with an eyebrow raise. “And how did you even know I was considering it!?”

Morpheus’s lips curved at the corner as he wrapped his arms around your body and tugged you close. 

“You dove, my beloved, is in agreement with my sentiments,” Morpheus told you, enjoying the way your face morphed into a scowl at the admittance that it had been your dove that had ratted you out. You started grumpily muttering under your breath. 

“It was just because of the stairs,” You softly complained, chewing on your lower lip. “My feet hurt and I feel like I need a nap.” Morpheus stroked your hair soothingly and nuzzled the top of your head. 

“You should have called for me, my Hope.” 

“I’m pregnant, not an invalid.” You huffed, leaning into him. 

“I know that, Dawn,” Morpheus murmured, his arms shifting against your body to sweep you off your feet. Now cradled within your lover's arms, you sighed as the pressure on your feet disappeared. Your relief was audible and visible as Morpheus carried you to your desired destination. Much to your happiness, Morpheus joined you, placing your body on a ledge within the bubbling water. His hands reached for your aching and swollen limbs and in seconds you were moaning beneath his fingers massaging your flesh. 

“How does that feel so nice,” You softly moaned, wiggling yourself into a comfortable position and sticking your other leg out for Morpheus to massage. He chuckled and moved to take your ordered leg, his fingers tiptoeing across your flesh in gentle caresses. Morpheus couldn’t help but appreciate how lush and goddess-like your body had become. Your body was curvier, your hair thicker, and your breasts swollen with milk. You were an exquisitely beautiful being but the pregnancy had only blossomed your already breathtaking looks.

“I can make you feel even better, my Hope.” Morpheus purred, moving his lips up your leg with slow teasing. You groaned at the insinuation of his words and shifted, your body flaring with need.

“Morpheus must you tease me so,” You complained, shifting against the uncomfortable need and fire that was now boiling within your belly. The sudden yearning for Morpheus’s love and touch outweighed all the negative feedback you were experiencing with being pregnant. You wanted him and you wanted him now. Morpheus carefully lifted your body and set you on a plethora of towels waiting at the edge of the bath, letting one of your knees rest over his shoulder so he could continue to lavish your skin. After all, he was getting ever so close to his prize and would beg on his knees to taste you if that was what it took. Lucky for him you were not the slightest bit opposed, squirming around on the towels your lover had placed you upon. Your hands were roaming everywhere, desperate to appreciate and stroke whatever you could touch.

“Forgive me for my tease, my queen,” Morpheus spoke against your inner thigh, his lips pressing gently into your skin and mouth sucking just hard enough to leave marks. “You are simply far too irresistible.” Your leg trembled within his grasp and you dug your heel into his back. 

“My Dream, please,” You whispered, your fingers finding themselves caressing his neck. “My body longs for your touch and kiss.” Morpheus reached your hip bone and lifted his eyes to meet yours. His beautiful silver-blue eyes were nearly black with lust and that made you shiver. You retained that eye connection only briefly, Morpheus’ great hunger and desire for you was too much to resist and he dove down. His tongue eagerly flicked through your folds, lapping at what you had to give and being entirely greedy. 

You groaned and lifted your hips against his face, feeling flames licking at every surface of your skin. Morpheus hummed in happiness and licked further at the swollen folds of your flesh, drinking the sounds of your ecstasy. You grabbed fistfuls of his obsidian hair, twisting against his mouth and further pressing your heel into Morpheus’s back when he sucked on your clit. You whimpered and tugged on the strands of hair within your grasp, oh how divine it felt to have your dream feasting upon your aching flesh. It seemed that the farther along you got in your pregnancy the sweeter you became. 

He was taking his time, savoring your taste, and in no hurry to break you apart to your essence in picture-perfect ecstasy. Murmurs of the old language spilled from your honeyed lips in a quiet symphony, building to a crescendo that was sure to be exquisitely beautiful. The swells of pleasure that repeatedly lapped at your essence begged for release and yet, you wanted to hold onto the comfort of intimacy.

“Morpheus,” You moaned out, his intimate name falling from your lips like honey from honeycomb. Sweet, thick, and delicious. Your lover growled in satisfaction, the vibration of his sound reaching your flesh and making another bolt of pleasure rip its way up your spine. Your back went taut once more and you yelped. “By the Creators!”

Morpheus felt your trembles shake your entire body. He felt the way you raked your nails across his scalp, felt the sharp tugs on his hair. He felt it all. It wasn’t long until your moans and gasps turned to cries of ecstasy. Pregnancy had made you sensitive to the slightest touch and you could not hold back the tidal wave of pleasure that was crashing against the bounds of your physical body, any longer. Back arching one last time, your orgasm washed over your skin in a dance of electricity that had your legs jerking Morpheus’s hold. Satisfaction burned within Morpheus’s chest as he washed utter bliss bloom on your face. Your body relaxed as you moaned softly. 

“Feel better, my Hope?” Morpheus gently asked, his lips now toying with the curve of your hipbone. “I should hate to leave you in such an uncomfortable state.” You giggled softly and let your fingers slide through his messy strands. Then you brushed your fingertips along his cheek. 

“Oh I feel much better,” You sighed, the aches and pains within your limbs and body entirely forgotten. “I think I could do with a nice nap.” Morpheus hummed in agreement, placing several kisses along your baby bump while slipping his arms up your sides to gather your body. 

“Then rest, my love, I will bathe you and bring you to bed. You do not need to lift even a finger.” He murmured, dragging you back into the water and his heavenly embrace. From there Morpheus lovingly washed your hair for you, and then your skin, though you had to admit he probably spent at least ten minutes caressing your baby bump. You didn’t mind. There was something so endearing about seeing Dream of the Endless obsessed with his child, and you knew that he was absolutely serious about being the best father he could be. You knew that in your essence. 

Morpheus brought you out of the bath, having his sand caress your skin, drying it before forming a gossamer night dress upon your body. You sighed and pressed your face into his neck, once again basking in the intimacy you had with your lover. He gently set you upon your shared bed and quickly joined you, knowing that you were going to want him there to hold you while you slept. It was a good thing that Morpheus had delegated many of his tasks to his subjects. Rolling onto your side, you slung your leg over his side and wrapped your arms around his torso, sighing happily. Morpheus looked down at you.

“Are you comfortable, my Hope?” He asked, wanting to make sure that you were in absolute comfort and in no discomfort whatsoever. You happily hummed and tucked your face into the crook of his neck. 

“Quite so,” You murmured, wiggling your body one last time before allowing your mind to slip into a dreamscape. Morpheus hummed in appeasement the moment you slipped under and fully relaxed against him.

Date Published: 4/24/23

Last Edit: 4/24/23

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#morpheus #morpheus x reader #lord morpheus #dream the endless x reader #dream of the endless x reader #dream the endless #dream of the endless #dream x reader #the sandman netflix #the sandman x reader #sandman x reader #the sandman

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Idea #52: Targaryen Restoration, but make it magical

I have approximately a thousand and one thoughts about Brynden Rivers. This is less to do with his position as The Three-Eyed Raven and more to do with all he accomplished before becoming part of a tree - becoming Hand of the King, playing a key role in defeating three Blackfyre Rebellions; becoming Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. In addition to being a master of realpolitik, he is an example of everything Jon Snow could have become in a world where Rhaegar won.

So, naturally, my mind took all the things I love about Bloodraven, mixed in a little TH White, and came up with: What if Brynden Rivers got to be House Targaryen's Merlin - and its King Arthur?

Aka: The Shiera Snowbird Fic

Just imagine it:

Everything in Robert's Rebellion happens as per canon - save Rhaegar gets his Visenya. Or, more accurately, his Shiera, as Lyanna's daughter is born with all of her mother's beauty and a pair of mismatched eyes: one lilac, one dove grey.

Shiera Snow, as she is called, is raised as Ned Stark's bastard in Winterfell. Like her namesake, she becomes a great reader, found more often in the company of the Maester than any of her half-siblings, and by the time of Jon Arryn's death there are rumors she has become a sorceress of the blackest arts.

These rumors are fueled in part by Lady Catelyn, who sees Shiera's great beauty and fears she will use it to seduce her way into Robb's inheritance, and in part because of Shiera herself, who seeks out the Witches of the Wolfswood and keeps no gods.

The truth is rather different - Shiera is a budding greenseer, haunted by dreams she can't explain - dreams of the Long Night and an albino man with a red birthmark crying out to her for help. In her search for explanations, she's dived further into the esoteric than any in the North have in years but found none of the answers she seeks.

When Ned goes south, Shiera heads north, eventually crossing the Wall and reaching the cave of the three-eyed raven. She rescues a surprisingly youthful Brynden Rivers from the roots of weirwood trees and destroys the Children of the Forest who were keeping him hostage, using the magic of his Blackwood and Targaryen blood to hasten the return of the Others and the destruction of mankind.

While canon proceeds elsewhere - Ned is executed, the War of Five Kings rages, Daenerys becomes the Mother of Dragons - Brynden teaches Shiera the secrets of sorcery and reveals her Targaryen ancestry. Together they work to ensure the success of Dany and Young Griff's actions in Essos - and the downfall of their enemies in Westeros.

Dany and Young Griff - who truly is Aegon VI - join forces, wed, and reconquer most of Westeros, which is too divided to stand against them.

Eventually Dany and Aegon make their way North to determine why no word has been heard from the Kingdom since a single bloodied missive was sent to King's Landing by the Boltons some years before - and why no messengers who pass The Neck return alive. They and their armies learn that the Wall has fallen and the Others have overrun most The North.

They're almost equally surprised to find Bloodraven and Shiera - by this point called Snowbird for the snow buntings she wargs into - leading a group of survivors in the ruins of Winterfell.

An extended War for the Dawn sequence follows, with Aegon VI proving to be Azor Ahai reborn, Dany agreeing to die so that Lightbringer can be reforged, and Aegon dying in battle with the Night's King.

Brynden and Shiera, whose magic was instrumental in defeating the Others, are now the last of Targaryen blood left alive. Only they can control the dragons Dany brought into the world. They are crowned King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms somewhat against their own desires, but well aware that the civil war that would follow if they refused would decimate an already destroyed realm.

What follows shouldn't quite be a golden age, but should be an age of great renewal and rebirth - a Renaissance, if the Renaissance included the return of magic.

Bonuses include: 1) Everything about Shiera Snowbird echoing Shiera Seastar, intentionally or unintentionally, with at least half the accusations of sorcery against her in her youth coming more from male fear of an educated woman and female jealousy of her beauty; 2) Unlike everyone else, Bloodraven should find only surface similarities between his half-sister and great-niece, and be repeatedly heard to say they are very different people; 3) Brynden and Shiera's relationship starting very much on mentor-mentee footing, which slowly evolves into friendship and true respect. The romance between them should be very late to the game and only come after Brynden realizes that the relationship he had with Shiera Seastar was deeply unhealthy; 4) As much magic as can be shoehorned into the world, with more magic being capable the more people believe - and the stronger Dany's dragons become; and 5) The triumph of practical, pragmatic politics over all else.

And that's all I have for this plot bunny. As always, feel free to adopt this bun, just link back if you ever do anything with it.

Other Jon Snow Headcanons: Aelor the Accursed | Aegon the Adopted | Aegon the Undying | Aegon the Unyielding | Aemon the Adventurous | Baelor the Brave | Daemon the Destroyer | Daena the Dreamer | Daeron the Desired | Dyanna the Defiant | Jon Whitefyre | King of the Ashes | Lady Arryn | Lady Baratheon | Lady Lannister | Lady Stark | Lord of the Dance | Prince Consort | Prince of Summerhall | Queen Mother | Rhaegar the Righteous | River Queen | Shiera Snowbird

More Terrible Fic Ideas

#plot bunny #fic ideas #game of thrones #a song of ice and fire #female jon snow #jon snow #jon snow is a targaryen #brynden rivers #brynden x shiera #bloodraven #daenerys targeryan #aegon vi targaryen #house targaryen #long night #white walkers #targaryen dynasty #return of magic #azor ahai #three eyed raven #got #asoiaf

[greekstar]

Warrior cat name Ideas Prefixes - A-Z A Acorn Adder Amber Ant Apple Arch Arrow Aspen Ash Asher Alder Amber B Badger Bark Beech Bellow Birch Berry Bird Black Blizzard Brave Breeze Bright Brown Bell Bug Beetle Bluebell Blue Bounce Brindle Brush Bush Buzzard Buzz Bee Bumble Bass Basil Bubble Brine Beaver Bison (I feel like this only goes good with ‘horn’ or Bisonpelt/fur.) Bat Bone Butterfly Burdock Broken Bramble Bracken Bay Brisk Blossom Briar Boil Branch Bud C Cloud Cloudy Crystal Cold Cricket Cliff Cardinal Crying Cougar Coyote Cobweb Chick Cow Cave Cheetah Carrot Coral Cactus Claw Cedar Cherry Cinder Clover Copper Creek Crooked Crouch Crow D Dew Dewy Duck Dusty Dust Dune Down Dagger Dodge Dolphin Daisy Doe Dapple Dappled Dark Dawn Dead Dove Drift Dusk E Eagle Ebony Echo Egg Eel Ember F Fallen Fallow Fawn Feather Fennel Fern Ferret Finch Fire Flame Fleet Flint Flower Flow Fly Fox Freckle Frog Frost Furze Fuzzy Foal Falling Fall G Gale Gust Golden Gold Goose Gorse Gorge Grass Gray Green Grass Goldfish Guppy Ghost H Hail Half Hare Hawk Hay Hoot Hazel Heather Heavy Hollow Holly Honey Honeycomb Hummingbird Horse Happy Hornet Hound Heron I Ice Ivy J Jagged Jay Joy Jaguar Jackdaw Jump Juniper K Kestrel Kink Koi L Lake Larch Leaf Lark Leopard Lichen Lightning Lily Lion Little Lizard Log Long Lost Loud Low Lynx M Maggot Mallow Maple Marsh Meadow Milk Minnow Mint Mist Misty Mole Moon Morning Moss Mossy Moth Mottle Mouse Mouth Mud Mumble Mink Muddy Moonlight Mountain Mushroom Monkey N Nettle Needle Nut Newt Night Nimble O Oak Oat Odd Olive One Otter Owl Orange Ocean Orca Opal P Pale Perch Pool Pike Peak Prickle Pounce Pine Petal Petal Pebble Pear Patch Pirate(kittypet or loner) Polar Peach Panda Pond Pigeon Plum Q Quail Quick R Rabbit Rain Ragged Rat Rattle Root Raspberry Reed Red Robin Rock Rose Rowan Rubble Running Rushing Rush Russet Rust Rye Raven Raccoon Rustle Rattlesnake Ravine Rapid S Sage Short Sheep Sedge Shrew Slate Slow Snail Sneeze Sorrel Soot Spider Spruce Sun Sunny Swallow Shallow Shade Sharp Scorch Sand Sandy Sky Silver Smoke Snake Soft Snow Sparrow Speckle Splash Spotted Squirrel Stalking Stalk Stalker Starling Stone Storm Stumpy Stump Sweet Swift Shred Sloe Shell Seed Shimmer Shimmering Skunk Spirit Squid Shy Sound Summer Sapphire Spiraling Spiral Shark Saturn T Tall Talon Tooth Timber Tiger Twig Tumble Thorn Thistle Thrush Tawny Tangle Ting Trout Torn Toad Tiny V Vine Vixen Void Vole W Wasp Weasel Web Weed Wet Whisker White Whale Wild Willow Wind Wolf Winter Wisteria Whisper Whispering Water Wave Waver Whisper Watermelon Whistle Wood Y Yellow

Yew

Yarrow- suggested

You guys DONT WANNA KNOW how LONG this took. I’m crying. And I might’ve missed some so feel free to send me messages in chat to request me editing it and putting it in some (not like messaging but the. Chat in this post lol.)

@cryptidclaw I also did this for our Au to help us with renaming.

I will get to suffixes soon I promise.

#Greekstar’s Suffixes/Prefixes #name ideas #Prefixes #suffixes #Just some name suggestions.

[house-of-slayterr]

INFP - INFJ Characters I Relate To

Luna Lovegood - Harry Potter 

Wanda Maximoff - WandaVision 

Number 7 - The Umbrella Academy 

Cassie Ainsworth - Skins

Max Caulfield - Life Is Strange

Peter Parker - Spider-man

Lapis Lazuli - Steven Universe

Raven Queen - Ever After High

Bubbles - Power Puff Girls

Newt Scamander - Fantastic Beasts 

Nico di Angelo - Camp Half-Blood

Charlie Kelmeckis - Perks of Being a Wallflower

Amelie - Amelie 

Aurora - Sleeping Beauty 

Musa - Winx Club 

Alice Kingsleigh - Alice in Wonderland 

2-D - Gorillaz

Persephone - Greek Legends 

Victor Van Dort - Corpse Bride

BMO - Adventure Time

Asriel Dreamer - Undertale

Jason Dean - Heathers

Courage - Courage the Cowardly Dog

Lucy Pevensie - The Chronicles of Narnia 

Romeo and Juliet - Romeo and Juliet 

Barry Allen - The Flash 

Davy Jones - Pirates of the Caribean 

Merlin - Merlin 

Susanna Kaysen - Girl, Interrupted 

Emma Chotta - The Red Band Society

Carrie Krueger - The Amazing World of Gumball

Arwen Undomiel - The Lord of the Rings

Ethan Lewis - Euphoria 

Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables

Rue - Hunger Games

Ratcatcher 2 - Suicide Squad 

Misty Day - American Horror Story

Lydia Deetz - Beetlejuice

Joshua Washington - Until Dawn

The Phantom - The Phantom of the Opera

Aurora - Maleficent 

Alison Cameron - House M.D.

The Monster - Frankensstien 

Crybaby - K-12

Sweeney Todd - Sweeney Todd

Abigail Hobbs - Hannibal

Credence Barebone - Fantastic Beasts 

Kermit the Frog - The Muppets 

Ofelia - Pan’s Labyrinth 

Ponyboy Curtis - The Outsiders

Coraline Jones - Caroline 

Rogue - X-Men

Candy Chiu - Gravity Falls

Eloise Turner - Last Night in Soho

Zoe Benson - American Horror Story 

Sam Manson - Danny Phantom 

Louis de Pointe du Lac - Interview with the Vampire

Antigone - Greek Legends

Wiccan - Marvel

Orpheus - Hadestown

Melinda Sordino - Speak

Evey Hammond - V for Venddetta

Fisk - Undertale 

Harry Osborne - Spider-man

Greg Wuliger - Everybody Hates Chris 

David - Hilda

Buffalo Bill - Silence of the Lambs 

Christine Daae - The Phantom of the Opera

Scorpius Malfoy - Cursed Child

Frances Houseman - Dirty Dancing

Max - Sharkboy and Lavagirl 

Susie Salmon - The Lovely Bones

The Grabber - The Black Phone 

Ethan Morgan - My Babysitters a Vampire

Stevonnie - Steven Universre 

Abby Sciuto - NCIS

Miles Halter - Looking for Alaska 

Jacob Portman - Miss Peregrine 

Sarah - Labyrinth 

Marius - Les Mis

Bridgitte Fitzgerald - Ginger Snaps 

Thomasin - The VVitch 

Edith Cushing - Crimson peak 

Basil - Dorian Gray 

Allen Ginsberg - Kill Your Darlings 

Jane Eyre- Jane Eyre

Andrew Detmer - Chronicle

Wanderer - The Host

Kurt Wagner - X-Men

Scout Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird

Emma - Blue is the Warmest Colour

Syrena - Pirates of the Caribbean 

Sara Crewe - A Little Princess

David Haller - Legion 

Skeeter - The Help 

Nico Minoru - Runaways 

Dave Lizewski - Kick-Ass

Annie Sawyer - Being Human 

Nugget - Kindergarten 

Chip Dove - Jennifer’s Body

Mia Warren - Little Fires Everywhere 

Chase Mathews  - Zoey 101

Eli Goldworthy - Degrassi 

Willow Rossenberg - Buffy

Fiona - About a Boy

Violet Harmon - American Horror Story 

Anastasia - Anastasia 

Spike - Buffy

Theo Putnam - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina 

Frances Shea - Legends 

Micheal Darling - Peter Pan

Jughead Jones - Archie Comics

Johnathan Morgenstern - The Shadowhunters

Rapheal Santiago - The Shadowhunters 

Bree Tanner - Twilight 

Angela Weber - Twilight 

Michelle Jones - Spider-man Homecoming

Davina Claire - The Originals

April Ludgate - Parks and Recreation

Alec Lightwood - The Shadowhunters

Nia Nal - Supergirl 

Raven - Teen Titans 

Remus Lupin - Harry Potter 

Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mockingbird

Will Grahm - Hannibal 

Harley Quinn - DC Comics

Amy Dunne - Gone Girl 

Lexi Howard - Euphoria

James - The End of the Fucking World

Vision - WandaVision 

Nina Sayers - Black Swan 

Veronica Sawyer - Heathers 

Mathew Murdocck - Daredevil

Gellret Grindelwald - Fantastic Beasts

Dawn - Total Drama

Sally - The Nightmare Before Christmas

Eurus Holmes - Sherlock 

James Wilson - House M.D. 

Professor X - X-Men

Ester Coleman - Orphan

Winter Anderson - American Horror Story 

Needy - Jennifer’s Body

Joan of Arc - Clone High

Micheal Morbius - Morbius 

Nick Goode - Fear Street

Miss Honey - Matilda

Cole Sear - The Sixth Sense 

Brea - The Dark Crystal 

Ingrid Beuachamp - The Witches of East End

Victoria Winters - Dark Shadows

Bella Swan - Twilight

Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim 

Fern Arable - Charlottes Web

Dwayne Hoover - Little Miss Sunshine

Rose Bukate - Titanic 

Candyman - Candyman 

Magenta - Rocky Horror

Tom Riddle - Harry Potter 

Bruce Banner - The Hulk 

Sirus Black - Harry Potter

Barbra Godron - Batman 

The Enchantress - Suicide Squad 

#INFP #INFP Characters #INFJ #INFJ Characters #characters I relate too #alice in wonderland #the enchantress #misty day #abby sciuto #needy lesnicki #frances shea #cassie ainsworth #Abigal hobbs