the woman with the nimbus of Dust

She looked at the way he screamed, the suggestions planted in his mind, and she smiled, her eyes wide with wonder while she took everything in. Marisa was a force; she was like a raging flame, taking a hold of Mierin's heart and setting it alight. She couldn't remember when she ever felt this, felt this much, this good, and she was taking it all in. Mierin watched Marisa walk to her, and the man was out of her mind for a moment as she let Marisa guide her up, a surprised moan leaving her mouth as she felt those lips against her own. Permission to enter was granted immediately, her own hand grabbing onto her hips, pulling her closer as she kissed back with as much passion as Marisa gave her.

As she heard him try to flee, she smiled into the kiss. Did he really think that she hadn't sealed everything after Marisa had come in? She felt the loss when Marisa pulled back, but hearing her words had her smile again. She pulled her back in for another kiss, a short one, but one that hopefully made Marisa realise how much this meant to Mierin. Finally, someone who wanted to see her darkness, who wasn't asking her to hold back, to pretend there wasn't something cruel crawling underneath her skin. And it made her realise she was utterly in love with Marisa.

She stepped back from Marisa, her normal bright eyes darkened when she thought about what she was about to do. As she turned around, looking at him like a predator would watch its prey, she embraced saidar fully, the room vibrating with the power inside her. Normally, she just let a sliver trickle in; not many felt the true extent of how much she could take. A laugh left her lips as she saw how much he wanted to leave, saw the trail of blood where he tried to crawl away, "Did you really think we would let you leave? We are not done yet." He looked back at them and rattled on the door handle. "There is no one but us here." That, and she had soundproofed the room; nothing that happened in this room would get out.

In a few steps, she was near him, grabbing his hair in her fist and dragging him back. He was kicking and screaming, but it only excited her more. Mierin weaved and opened his mouth, a weave of air, water and earth forced into his mouth, bulging his throat before she cut it into little pieces into his body, like bugs going underneath his skin. He started clawing at his skin, screaming loudly while she just looked at him with dark eyes, then looked up at Marisa, her eyes softening a little as she met her gaze.

#tw: torture #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔪𝔦𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫 𝔢𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔢 #• | verse ; souvra nesodhin soende #nightdaughtcr

often so marisa's heart felt hollow. long had passed the days when she still pondered it, wondering whether something was utterly wrong with her... well, had anyone witnessed all that occurred within this room, they would certainly have affirmed that theory... but now, her heart brimmed with far too much. each glance, touch, kiss & exposure of those wildest instincts made it beat harder, heavier, faster, as though it longed to burst from her chest. & for all the love she had carried locked deep within herself — for her child, & for the child’s father — it had at times been easy to believe herself incapable of feeling anything at all. awe, pleasure, admiration, hunger — none of it remained buried now, & she welcomed every bit of it. she embraced it wholly for the first time in years. or perhaps her whole life... embraced, too, the fact that the woman in her arms was both the cause & the cure of it.

marisa smiled when mierin kissed her again, understanding intimately all that the other woman poured into it. & perhaps, for the first time in longer than she could remember, she was not only wholly in touch with herself, but attuned to all that raged beneath mierin’s surface too. like the tender brush of a powerful molten iron that she was, devastating & beautiful all at once... marisa’s arms fell away with slight reluctance, though not without the silent promise of drawing her close again at the very next opportunity, to enclose them both within that shared little world no one else could possibly understand, & no one ever truly had understood ever before. marisa pulled back a chair & sat, legs crossed & shoulders reclined into an almost deceptively relaxed posture. a stark contrast to the watchful, reverent gaze consuming every action crafted for little more than their shared amusement — & his worst nightmares. mierin’s light seemed to spill into even the darkest corners of the room. old books from ages past spoke of beings made of light. angels, they had called them. & marisa imagined this must have been what those people once witnessed... & it was little wonder they’d felt dread. much like the man whose screams would’ve echoed through the entire building, had the weave not trapped every sound within those four walls.

marisa’s brow arched softly, visibly impressed by the display of mierin’s creativity. she could nearly picture every hair on his head turning grey from the sheer terror twisting across his face. ❝ afraid of cockroaches, i see, ❞ she mused with a soft grin, struck by the almost beautiful intuition mierin possessed for weaponising another’s nightmares against him. had mierin ever truly been given the opportunity to let it all out before? if she hadn’t, then she was a pure natural. oh, if they could witness the force she truly was, not a single soul would dare contemplate crossing her again... marisa bit lightly at the tip of her finger as their bright eyes locked together. ❝ if i were you, i’d have died happily, dear, ❞ she teased softly, though her gaze remained fixed solely upon mierin. ❝ though well, even if death becomes what you seek here, do remember the task yet left unfinished. ❞ she had felt his mind crack so easily beneath her suggestions. even now, though she was no longer actively channelling, she wouldn’t have been surprised if yet another suggestion had already taken root. ❝ tell me, my darling... would you take pleasure in taking his life? ❞ she asked mierin softly then.

"Oh, I'm not cocky, just confident. I know my worth." And if she would let Lews see that she was moving on, maybe making him a little bit jealous, well, that would suit her quite well. It was not the main reason she was going to leave with Marisa, no, that really was all on Marisa herself; she had no business being this alluring to Mierin. She let her fingers trace the other's jaw as they stepped away from each other.

As she was about to walk towards the door, she heard Marisa's words, a brow rising before she was spun around, back into her arms, and a delighted laugh fell from her lips as she pulled her close again, walking backwards to what she believed was the exit, letting Marisa guide her this time. "I will show you some other time. Now I really want to explore more of you all by myself." Still, she let her hands roam over the other's body. Hearing the gasps and whispers as they made their way through the crowd, but paying them no mind. "Your place or mine?"

#• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔪𝔦𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫 𝔢𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔢 #• | verse ; souvra nesodhin soende #nightdaughtcr #• | queue .

& that confidence only fed the fire already burning fiercely through every inch of her being. not that she hadn’t known it already. mierin was proud. truth be told, they both were. & surprisingly enough, it was kind of force that could easily have the other's bend to the sheer willpower that came alongside it. but between them? it had always been like magnets shifting poles — one moment resisting, straining against one another, the next snapping together impossibly tight. an equal. & right then, marisa wasn’t about to fight the current stirring between them. her blue eyes remained fixed upon the other woman, & those near-scandalous whispers only deepened her smile. ❝ i just might hold you to your word. ❞ there was some mischief in her gaze as she said it, before allowing them to calmly make their way out of the great hall. ❝ i don’t really care, ❞ marisa replied honestly. usually, she might’ve given it more thought. usually, the thought of bringing anyone back to her place would’ve seemed unthinkable. yet there was no reluctance whatsoever at the thought of sharing her most private space with mierin. ❝ i just don’t want to hold back any longer... ❞ saidar flooded through her, & the space before them split cleanly open. for all the enjoyment she’d taken in their journey to the venue, she certainly wouldn’t refuse the boon of their craft now.

as bewildering as it might have seemed to some, there were times when accepting warmth & love proved far harder than embracing pain. his confession drew her gaze downward ; if anyone seemed capable of peering into her very soul, it was asriel. what exactly she feared he might see within her was difficult even for herself to decipher. the emotions raging within her were too many, too volatile. enough to leave a sharp sting of tears gathering behind her eyes. she blinked it away & slipped gently from his embrace. her fingers brushed along the curtains as she paused beside the open balcony door, cool night air kissing her skin. ❝ don’t say things like that... ❞ she murmured into the moonlight. the moments they shared felt like a reprieve from reality — a fantasy she knew would never fully take form. it had been far too late for that for quite some time. & it hurt, wishing so desperately that it could be possible. instead, it remained nothing more than borrowed time. & she never truly expected him to understand.

@nurturingscul said ❝ i am eternally yours. until the stars go out. and maybe, even after that. ❞

#nurturingscul #• | ( inbox ) answered .#• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔞𝔰𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔩 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔮𝔲𝔞 #• | verse ; la belle savuage #• | queue .

was it the resemblance that made her blood boil as she stared at lyra’s stern expression? always those defiant words thrown her way, despite how desperately lyra had once tried to please her. well, her temper had not emerged from nothing. a temper she often despised in herself. a temper she had once found infuriating in asriel, too. a temper now being sorely tested. & yet the frustration seething within her stemmed from nothing less than wanting the best for her daughter. ❝ it’s because you’ve yet to learn that the pain of disillusionment carries a far steeper price than facing what’s out there head-on. ❞ if her voice sounded cold, it was because reality itself had never been anything else. to think even scholars believed ignorance could ever protect her — fools. not when there was nothing she could do to spare lyra from the pain of it all. marisa reached out, her thumb grazing lyra’s cheek as her fingers lightly tilted the child’s chin upwards. ❝ your parents were just as stubborn. just as defiant. it did them no good. ❞

@nurturingscul said “ I don’t need to face reality; I’m not just that type of girl. ”

#• | verse ; northern lights #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔩𝔶𝔯𝔞 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔮𝔲𝔞 #• | queue .#nurturingscul

memerepositorygt

❤️ SHIPPING PITCH SHEET

Got a ship concept in mind? Here’s a chance to pitch it!

This sheet is intended for elevator pitches that can be discussed more in-depth later if all involved parties are interested! It features options for imperfect resolutions because, as we know, not all relationships end well.

Bold, italic and strikethrough as desired. Elaborate as much or as little as you’d like! This is just a starting point with a little extra meat on it.

Remember to specify muses for multimuses!

❤️ What does your muse see in mine?

❤️ What do you think my muse might see in yours?

❤️ What kind of relationship do you see these muses having?

❤️ How often do you think they see each other?

❤️ What struggles do you see them having together- both within the relationship, and outside of it?

❤️ What might keep them together in times of strife?

❤️ What future do you foresee for these characters?

❤️ Are you willing to write…

❤️ Is there anything else about this ship idea you’d like to mention before we discuss it further?

#• | ( inbox ) memes #( either ❤️ or filled form :p )

"Almost all of them are. Even my own husband, especially him." She said. She knew Tommy, and she knew that he wasn't a nice man. The war had taken the nice parts away. She, herself, had gotten harder in time; she had seen too much, gone through too much, to not have rough edges. Maybe that was what made her not like most women here; they had everything handed to them on a platter, but not Marisa. She seemed to be a fighter, someone who also has rough edges. "I still love him, but it's the truth. He is a very smart man, sees things not many others do, and he does care about some things more deeply than he lets on. Doesn't mean he can still be a bastard," She said the last part with a small smile and winked at Marisa. Tommy was a bastard in a whole different way than the other men; he did have morals and was a family man. His family was the most important thing in the world, and she was now a part of that family, together with their daughter Ruby. And she was deeply in love with him, would always be, even when he sometimes treated her badly.

Lizzie wasn't going to confess that, yes, she was here to get dirt on some people. Some things Tommy could use to advance in politics. So instead of answering the last question, she takes another drag of her cigarette, "he has more interest in men in the bedroom than women, it seems." In her opinion, one may love who they love; she didn't see the problem with same sex couplings, but it was something frowned upon by some others. Tommy shared her thoughts on the subject; they were quite progressive in that regard. "His lover is quite prominent as well," and he was not here, so she didn't think Marisa would realise who it was tonight.

#• | verse ; la belle savuage #daffcdill #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔷𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔥 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔨

a strange, unfamiliar feeling began to coil at the pit of marisa’s stomach as she listened intently to the other woman’s words, allowing their contradictions to sink into her heart. it wasn’t that she was unfamiliar with them. she had an ample experience of despising someone she had no choice but to love — an inherited inadequacy of family, it was. so no, it wasn’t that. it was… envy. those feelings, despite everything, made things somewhat bearable.... even as they choked you without mercy, even as they made the pain worse. still, it seemed preferable to simmering indifference. or pure hate. contempt. she felt rough fingers on her dæmon brush her calf, & the remaining cigarette grew thinner between her fingers from the tension as she resisted the urge to kick him away. still, she forced a small smile onto her lips, returning elizabeth’s.

❝ well, aren’t we all? ❞ the question was meant to be lightly teasing. & if her voice had grown a touch more serious, it was because that was the reality of it. it was always about taking at the expense of another — & those who clawed their way up that ladder knew it better than most. it required a degree of ruthlessness. & the way lizzie answered her question with silence was statement loud enough. ❝ ah, ❞ marisa clicked her tongue, relieved to steer away from the subject. ❝ now, that explains it all. ❞ taking a final drag, she put down the cigarette, pressing the burning end against the metal railing. ❝ & there i might’ve hoped at the very least one of them would view us as more than objects. it amazes me, really — that the magisterium would excommunicate them on the basis of a mere rumour of it, whilst all they do is lick each other’s boots... no one will convince me otherwise that when they take our hand in marriage, it is still to impress other men. ❞ it was hard to contain the venom she harboured deep within, for all men. still, there might have been the tiniest strand of sympathy for the two lovers, for they too, in the end, were deprived of a kind of freedom that should be anyone’s right. as she was. as they all were.

wellfell

that's not what she imagined it would be . getting to their heads ? that's all there was to it ? shoulders slump in obvious disappointment because marisa too was treating her theories as .. theories . as she should , actually , everything that's said around here are simply words and assumptions . if she goes mad like jade it's merely because akina is imagining lots of possibilities ─ she keeps connecting everything to everything , making a meaning out of nothing . it felt much better than sitting around and doing nothing , like the older citizens of the town who have gotten numb . akina couldn't .

‘ that's not a very nice thing to think about . ‘ a small frown on her face . one leg mindlessly swaying back and forth on her stool , an elbow on the counter as her eyes linger on the small window . marisa seems so calm about everything , nothing was apparently bothering her the way it was bothering akina . she'd smile and stay quiet around everyone to be accepted , liked , small enough to be allowed to linger around because otherwise she'd be as isolated at the guy that was living in the bus . ‘ .. i was thinking . if they're fully in control of this place , they would already kill us . why do the talismans stop them ? ‘ another theory , another beacon of hope . her palm rests under her chin , dark eyes trained on the older woman . slightly more pleased , even morphing her stare into something mischievous . a small smile . ‘ or maybe they're playing with us ? tsk . i used to do that to the boys in highschool - make them think i like them . so i could make them do my biology homework . ‘ ugh she hated that class . akina's profession was mathematics , a quiet genius , sometimes embarrassed to be called a nerd if she revealed that she was good at it . cool girls shouldn't be that good in math . she smiled , enough about monsters . ‘ what about you ?? were you good at school ? ‘

#wellfell #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔞𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔞 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦 #• | verse ; the town with no way out

digging was heavily discouraged here. whoever spoke over the radio might as well have been the one to bring the house down atop matthews' family for daring to seek answers. but in the end, the townspeople were scarcely any different. you'll lose it. you'll die. they've all died. that was what they kept saying. keeping her theories to herself had largely been a tactic — means of avoiding the looming concern over the potentially fragile state of her increasingly fixated mind. oh, if only they knew the strangeness of this place only further sparked it alive. so she had no intention of discouraging the young woman’s contemplations. if anything, the liveliness in her voice tugged a faint smile to the corners of marisa’s lips. ❝ i might be wrong, but i’d encourage you to turn your assumptions over from every angle before getting too caught up in the tiniest details & losing sight of the bigger picture in the process. ❞ marisa allowed herself the remark. a gentle nudge revealing that, however mad — or obsessive — her hunger for answers appeared, it was hardly something she intended to suppress here. ❝ now, do you think they truly are? ❞ the faintest frown etched itself across her brows, ❝ in charge. ❞

boyd, donna — they chose to remain silent about far too many things. as though silence alone could contain the panic, as though it might keep everyone safe. the night had long ceased to be their only enemy. oh well — their enemy. if marisa herself truly feared anything, it certainly wasn’t the creatures taunting people after dark. the woman let out a soft chuckle at akina’s next words. eventually, the glass found its way to her lips. ❝ i do like the way you think, akina, ❞ the brunette remarked once the brief wince had faded from her face. ❝ now, wouldn’t you like to try that approach on your nightly admirer? you just might get the right answers straight from the source. & do try not to repeat that i encouraged you to speak with one of those things. ❞ they’d all grown far too afraid. she could already imagine the outrage such suggestions would provoke. but something told her she could trust akina to keep her tongue firmly behind her teeth when it came to that. say one word too many & they’d sew your lips shut beneath the guise of good intentions... ❝ oh, i found it rather dull. too easy for my taste. nonetheless, one must occasionally craft a different impression. ❞ & some things never changed. however little she knew the girl beside her, marisa suspected there remained far more to akina than what was merely implied. ❝ now, if biology was not to your taste, what was it you found so childishly easy? though, judging by your fondness for riddles, i might already hazard a guess. ❞

"I do have so many ideas I would like to try out on him. See how long his body or mind will hold on before he gives up." She said that, as she saw how scared he was of them, it filled her with a pleasure she felt only when she was exceptionally cruel towards someone. Have her animalistic side come out to play, and seeing this side to Marisa had made her only more beautiful. She had already noticed that Marisa also liked some of the more 'darker' things, but she had never expected it would get to this extent with her, so she was pleasantly surprised. Even more so, the other seemed to know what she was doing, like she had done this before.

When Marisa reached out, she leaned into the touch more, adoration for the other shown on her face. She listened to Marisa talk and saw the weave usually used to heal people's minds now doing damage to his mind, planting memories there that were different from what had actually occurred here. "Make it hurt, my love. I want him to remember the pain." She was torn between wanting to hurt him more and wanting him gone so she could kiss Marisa. Show her what seeing her like this had done to her.

#tw: torture #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔪𝔦𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫 𝔢𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔢 #• | verse ; souvra nesodhin soende #nightdaughtcr

marisa's stomach twisted in the most pleasant of ways in response to mierin's words. never before had she imagined something so simple could make her feel this much... this impossibly good. that perfect blend of mierin’s velvet-soft, utterly alluring voice carrying equal measures of adoration & cruelty. it revealed the full spectrum of her essence, those ethereal facets as much as the darkest depths, & marisa could feel her heart swell at the sight of it. & wasn’t she the luckiest woman alive, to have this beautiful creature leaning into her touch... welcoming it, craving it... craving her in return.

❝ oh, it will hurt... ❞ she mused, scarcely able to tear her gaze from the other woman, however the landed back on their victim. ❝ one attempt to remember more of tonight will leave him recalling nothing but pain. ❞ she added, & the suggestion sank deep into his mind. she wasn’t certain whether the prospect of waking diminished or remaining conscious through every agonising second terrified him more. ❝ or let’s make it more interesting, shall we...? not merely remember it — but relive it. ❞ marisa chuckled softly as his eyes widened further, as pleas came out in choked sobs. it was remarkable, the way the human mind worked. such profound torment required no more than a suggestion carefully planted within him, & his neurons would fire in agony without any applied stimuli.

& now she wanted to see precisely what mierin wished to do to him herself. what exquisite physical & psychological cruelties she might devise to break him apart piece by piece. after a brief moment’s consideration, she released him & rose to her feet. her hands cupped the brunette’s face, fingers grazing porcelain skin as she guided her to her feet before capturing her lips in an utterly passionate kiss, her tongue immediately seeking entrance. & however wholly her senses devoured mierin, she still caught his strained sounds as he attempted to flee. a painfully human instinct... of course he would run the moment opportunity presented itself. like some frightened little mouse... she caught mierin’s bottom lip lightly between her teeth before pulling back. ❝ he’s all yours, my darling... ❞ she whispered, a glint sparking in her eyes. ❝ show me... ❞

ancientforgcd

#• | ooc ( mun )

She found she liked Marisa's boldness, the way she spoke her mind, not caring about the consequences. It seemed to come with a freedom that Lizzie had never felt before. She let her eyes go over her form, taking in the way she stood at the railing, one arm over the other, protective of herself. There was more there than she was willing to show; it made her curious. At the other's statement about her holding her tongue, she smiled back at her. "Hmm, so you've been watching me?" A brow rose in question, still the smile lingered on her lips.

"Truth is that most of the women bore me, and the men are all bastards." She said easily, taking another drag of her cigarette before continuing, "I prefer to watch, to see what is happening around me. You can tell a lot about people by just watching them interact with others." She normally didn't enjoy these parties, with too many stuck-up people who only cared about their image. "Did you know that Mr Pool has been having an affair?" Tom liked her to come with him just for this, to have her watch, listen, and report back to him with rumours and things he could use against someone.

#• | verse ; la belle savuage #daffcdill #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔷𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔥 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔨

a slight tilt of her head & a small, knowing smile, soon eclipsed by her hand as she brought the cigarette back to her lips, was answer enough. left open to lizzie’s own interpretation as to why her gaze had lingered on her a few too many times throughout the evening. ❝ oh, all of them? ❞ marisa’s brow arched in quiet question before she exhaled a slow stream of smoke. ❝ so ranking higher than the others still not suffice to earn one a place in the ‘for’ column? your husband, dare i say, may have his head screwed on better than most. who would’ve thought politics required so little brains at all... ❞

far too many women seemed content with the course their lives had been set upon. whatsoever guiding their actions... all content to remain no more than porcelain ornaments at their husband’s side. not that marisa thought they excelled in that role either... if that were the case, she wouldn’t be leaving a trail of stares in her wake like breadcrumbs... & elizabeth, too, required neither make-up nor extravagant jewels to radiate a natural beauty others could only envy. beautiful & smart...

marisa nodded softly as her dæmon’s golden tail swept across the tiles, as though in quiet approval of lizzie’s words. she gasped then, quite theatrically, ❝ an affair? oh my... & here i thought they were far too proud for anything but playing the field... ❞ how most wives wouldn’t even dare contemplate their husbands’ notorious infidelity was quite beyond her. ❝ but do tell me... ❞ marisa added, ever so softly sliding closer to the other woman, ❝ are you to be the mind behind the schemes that will eventually corner dear mr pool? ❞

"Oh, darling, I do enjoy some destructiveness at times. It has its own beauty in some way. Don't you think?" She tilted her head to the side and smiled, "But that was not the reason. The reason was my worry for you. I wanted to know for certain you were okay." She confessed this as a matter of fact, as if it was natural to care for a colleague like this. Like she would care for anyone else like this. The truth was that there weren't many people in her life she cared about, and even fewer she would invite into her home.

The closeness, the way Mierin could feel her relax at her kisses, at their closeness, it had butterflies erupt in her belly. She was not going to overthink this, just enjoy it for as long as it lasted. It would only be a little while after all, their indulgence in each other, there was no reason to get any feelings in there. Because she knew that once she let herself fall fully, she would become obsessed with the other. It was, after all, the only love she knew, an obsessive one. "Ah," she just said against Marisa's neck, sucking softly on the skin there, before bending lower, mouth moving towards her chest. "You know I would love to read it as soon as you are finished with it."

Did she want to know now? Yes, yes, she did want that. But she understood the need to keep things to yourself when you are on the verge of understanding something, so she knew Marisa would want to keep it to herself for now. And she would not press her further. "How do you propose me asking nicely enough?" She asked, looking up at Marisa while her lips moved over the swell of her breast, on the edge of her cleavage as she spoke.

#• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔪𝔦𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔫 𝔢𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔢 #• | verse ; souvra nesodhin soende #nightdaughtcr #• | queue .

❝ oh, yes... ❞ marisa leaned in, her lips brushing against mierin’s ear as she murmured, ❝ i doubt i could ever tire of seeing you shatter underneath my touch — the beauty of it… ❞ as though it were a secret meant for them alone. yet there was more truth to the destruction between them than first met the eye… marisa felt old patterns dissolve in mierin’s presence, the weight upon hers shoulders not lifting but being ground slowly into dust. burned away, allowing something far more beautiful to rise from the ashes. a different kind of weight, perhaps, one she had no desire to be freed from by anyone else…

she pulled back, meeting those eyes again. the smile on her lips far too soft for comfort… if only mierin had known how deeply such a casual admission brushed against the most vulnerable parts of marisa’s being. something she was not yet willing to reveal. & she was almost grateful when the attention to her neck spared her from having to speak, if only for a moment. ❝ that might take a while, ❞ marisa hummed, her fingers slipping into mierin’s soft locks. the truth was, she felt like a predator circling its prey — still shapeless, yet harbouring something rare & extraordinary within. many threads she had tried to follow over the years & where this one might lead remained to be seen. & as much as it had been a pleasure to work with mierin, to challenge consensus together, this was something she needed to unravel alone…

marisa’s fingers closed around those dark locks &, firm yet careful, drew mierin’s head back. ❝ for a start — by not beginning something you may not intend to finish, ❞ she said, one brow arched. did mierin have any idea of the power she held over her in moments like this, of the tension coiling instantly through her entire being? ❝ i shall not take responsibility for whatever destruction i might unleash under such circumstances… ❞ the brunette teased, though her words strayed little from the truth. her lips pressed just beneath the curve of mierin’s jaw, keeping her head tilted back. ❝ because if we begin now, two things are certain. one… i may not be able to keep my hands off you for as long as we share the same space — which brings me to the second: it would rather hinder me from moving any closer to granding you access to my finished work... ❞

She took out a lucifer and lit it for the other, her hand cupping around the flame to keep it alive long enough to light her cigarette. She kept her gaze on the other woman, not looking away before leaning back when she saw the flame had caught. "Do they?" She questioned back, a half smile playing on her face, thinking she had caught the meaning of what she had said, but not being certain, she didn't want to assume after all. Her fox daemon, a dark silver in colour, tentatively moved to the golden monkey, as a way to greet them, make himself known to the other.

She took Marisa's hand, "It definitely is a pleasure." She responded. Keeping her eyes locked for a while longer, but after a little bit, Lizzie looked away from Marisa's penetrating gaze, looking out over the city. She took another drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke away from them, "It seems our husbands have been spending quite some time together. Because of that, I've heard your name fall into our household a few times." She paused for a moment, looking back at her, "It seems my husband was quite impressed by your intelligence, said something about you is different from the other wives he had seen around."

#• | verse ; la belle savuage #daffcdill #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔷𝔞𝔟𝔢𝔱𝔥 𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔨

in a fleeting moment, the brunette chewed lightly at the inside of her lip before leaning against the railing with the softest hum. there was nothing particularly subtle in performing a quiet measure of another's character. it might have been a rather poor quirk — forming strong opinions upon first meeting someone... nonetheless, she's been scarcely wrong about those first impressions. & now, marisa couldn't help a small smile under her nose, one arm wrapped around her middle, the other elbow resting atop her forearm as she drew in a slow inhale, letting the smoke fill her lungs. the monkey previously perched upon the railing, dropped lightly to the ground as marisa’s head spun faintly. it had been quite some time since she last smoked. maman had never much approved of it... still, he kept his distance from the other dæmon, offering no more than a small nod in acknowledgement.

❝ oh? ❞ genuine surprise coloured marisa’s voice as she tapped the ash over the balcony. ❝ presumptuous, as my own husband would no doubt call me, along most of his dear friends… i haven't made it much the habit to be allowed to speak first, ❞ this time her smile widened. not a single trace of feeling sorry painted on her face. ❝ refreshing… ❞ she mused then. ❝ though it does make me wonder why i’ve heard so little from you this evening. i couldn’t help but notice — there were moments you seemed to bite your tongue. more than a few, in fact. ❞

@cculters / marisa x rose the hat.

Hunger, that was what she felt. A thirst for their essence, their steam. One day, there had been many more creatures like her, but they were no longer among them. They had all been killed, and now she was alone. She had found her way here, a country filled with many children. No adults in place, and she could feed from some of the children as much as she wanted.

As she was about to cut open a child she caught, torturing them, they being scared and in pain made the steam so much tastier, so much sweeter, she heard someone come in. 'Stay away.' She growled in their head, her voice in this woman's head as if it were a thought of her own, 'or I will make you regret ever laying eyes on me'. She looked back at them, her eyes lighting up in the darkness of the room.

#• | verse ; the subtle knife #• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔱 #• | queue .#daffcdill

to hear a child’s screams in a place like this was something marisa had not yet encountered. however abandoned the city seemed, she could still, at times, hear arguments, or even laughter, echoing along the curved streets. sometimes cries of despair, after which she would find abandoned shells of humanity — children crossed the cusp of adolescence, no longer there. no predator haunted the children who roamed the city so freely, as though it had belonged to them ever since the last adult had vanished. it was almost a relief that the voice she followed out of sheer curiosity was not a girl’s — & if she were honest, she half-hoped it belonged to a boy, one likely fuelling lyra’s more unwise ideas…

marisa paused as the voice roared through her mind. oh, that was new… she felt adrenaline surge through her veins. those glowing eyes drew a soft gasp from her. not of fear, but of intrigue. the shape in the darkness was unmistakably human, unlike the irregular spectres that roamed the streets. she hesitated only a second before stepping further into the darkened room. her golden dæmon, however, lingered a few feet from the entrance. coward… ❝ i do not intend to intrude, ❞ marisa said softly. ❝ do carry on, please. ❞ & with that, she took a seat, keeping her distance, yet near enough to make out the lines of the other’s features.

mysterycflife

The world around Mark flickers again. White walls. A too sterile kitchen. Vomit-green carpet. He didn't even notice the words he had spoken. The tone unfamiliar to his ears, but common to his vocal cords. Of course, he was making little sense now. All sense had left the building a long time ago, so to speak. Perhaps the moment he had decided to have brain surgery in his basement for the unlikely chance to see his wife again. To have Gemma back.

He shrugged her hand off his shoulder and stumbled back a step. The thumping in his head getting stronger. "You have to pass the ball!" Sparking brown eyes found Marisa, before the innocence in them disappeared into the void again behind the wall of lifelong grief. And innocent Mark had lost before he had even started school.

Suddenly, the pain in his head had him bend over. It felt like it was splitting his head. "Argh...Holy fuck!" This is Mark. Foul-mouthed and unapologetically rude.

#• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔨 𝔰𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔱 #mysterycflife #• | verse ; the product of a morbid human imagination

this time, marisa kept a step back, watchful for any sign he might falter, poised to catch him in case he was to sway & fall, before his head struck the pavement & finished him on the spot. that, at least, neither of them wanted — regardless of whatever trouble his current state was stirring on every level. ❝ alright, ❞ she nodded, as though playing along might coax his scattered consciousness back into something whole. ❝ alright, i’ll pass the ball, but you need to tell me more, mark, i don’t—— ❞ she had no need to feign concern. she had grown rather fond of him, & of his sister. & if anything, she may well have been the only one he could speak to about his decision to join the severed floor. perhaps the only one he believed could truly comprehend the depth of that choice. ❝ hey, hey, ❞ this time she reached for his forearm again. ❝ i think you ought to be taken to hospital… ❞

mysterycflife

There was more than maturity behind the large eyes looking up at the woman. Their hazel color now almost swallowed by muddy brown. Dark and foreboding. There's a knowing gaze behind them. Fear. Existential dread. Will's small body shivers, but he can't get himself to pull the blanket around his body tighter. He wouldn't like it. It has to be cold.

"Alive," he answered, voice steady despite the rattling teeth. "Where are my mom and Mike?" They had been here just a moment ago. "I want them back." It's not quite the truth. More a performance of youthful innocence than reality. He was supposed to say things like this. "I shouldn't be," he changes the topic back to her question. "Zombie boy. They found my body in the quarry."

#• | ℑ. 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔞 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔱𝔢𝔯 / 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩 𝔟𝔶𝔢𝔯𝔰 #mysterycflife #• | verse ; the upside down

marisa nodded softly in understanding, as though she had long anticipated the answer. still, she would not put words into the boy’s mouth — not if he were to place even the smallest piece of trust in her goodwill, despite the adults watching her with lingering suspicion. her work might have been far easier had the sheriff not seen through all the manipulations regarding william’s disappearance. ❝ well, i’m here to do whatever i possibly can to help you feel better, william. ❞ there was a quiet promise in her voice, one intended solely to lift his young spirits.

❝ they just need to answer a few questions, but i promise they’ll be back in no time. ❞ she assured him, jotting something down before setting the notebook aside & rising to fill a cup with water ; her fingertips prickled at the chill of the liquid filling the plastic. it cracked softly at the boy’s next words. ❝ that’s something we’re all trying to figure out as well. at times… ❞ her lip caught between her teeth as she took a seat in front of him once more, offering him the water, ❝ attempts at such cover-ups do happen after an abduction. do you know what that means, will? ❞ a soft nudge, to see what sort of story he might offer about his experience concerning his disappearance.

corxner

There was an immense relief that he felt when Marisa didn't move away from his hold. He held her closer, tighter, as if worried she'd realize what a stupid choice it was to let him be so close and slip away again. He felt more in control this way, being able to feel her warmth, knowing she's real.

He shivered softly at the feeling of her breath on his neck. He didn't cave, however. He's still a host, and he's got someone to look after— no matter the tension they were in. Even the good ones. He possibly couldn't be that rude, surely. He had overstepped enough. One more wrong move and all of this perfectly balanced, yet fragile trust would shatter.

“ Wouldn't dare dream of it, ma'am ” the younger reassured her with a small, quiet chuckle against her neck, burying his nose a bit closer to the nape of her neck. Faust should let go now, let the doctor rest and close her eyes proper on the bed, and he could sit vigil just outside the corridor like a good hound that he was. But he didn't budge.

“ Is this the part where you'd tell me to leave you? Let you rest? ”