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@ourcbcros
𝙒𝙀 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 , 𝙒𝙀 𝙁 𝘼 𝙇 𝙇 - 𝘿𝙐𝙏𝙔 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙎, 𝙄𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙎 | 𝙎𝘼𝙔 𝙒𝙀 𝘾 𝙃 𝙊 𝙊 𝙎 𝙀 𝘽𝙐𝙏 𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙉 𝙊 𝘾𝙃𝙊𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝘼𝙏 𝘼𝙇𝙇 | 𝙈𝙀𝙍𝘾𝙔, 𝙋𝙀𝘼𝘾𝙀 & 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙃 & 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙏𝙀𝘾𝙏 𝙐𝙎 | 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝙏𝙇𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙍𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙔 𝙎𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙐𝙎 , 𝘾𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙄𝙉 𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙉𝙊𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝘽 𝙇 𝙊 𝙊 𝘿 .
@ourcbcros ; 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 , 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜-𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 , 𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 & 𝚘𝚌 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒-𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 . 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚍. 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚜.
𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 , 𝚓𝚞𝚍𝚐𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚜 , 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒-𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚖
𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑: 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚍𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚌𝚛/𝚍𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚌𝚍𝚒𝚕𝚕 , 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚜 , 𝚡𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚜
"Our friendship will stand strong," Mierin replied with a sad smile. She knew Elan was hurting as well. Lews had abandoned both of them, and now everything was changed. He had cheated, had fallen in love with that cow Illeneya. Someone the opposite of herself, and so very different from Elan as well. For now, she let him touch her hair, her shoulder blades, eyes closing at the feeling of this intimacy, she stepped closer to him, enveloping her arms around him in a hug.
Everything seemed so senseless to Mierin. How could they move on from this pain? It was like there was a hole in her heart, and nothing would ever be able to fix it. He had seen a tiny glimpse of her darkness, her ability to be cruel, and had gone running the other way. But Elan had stayed. They were so different in many ways, but the same in the things that mattered. "I would like a way to break free from this cycle. If this heartbreak is in every life I get to live, I do not want it." She confessed to him, her head resting against his chest now, she was making herself smaller, taking every bit of comfort he had to offer her.
elan had never seen her as small ; she was as strong & powerful as not just any could be, her heart no less fierce. still, as she leaned into his arm, as his embrace settled around her, she felt precisely that. the heart of stone that once seemed impossible to crack revealed itself as little more than a sharpened surface, guarding parts far more fragile, & long unseen by anyone else. this world, the people within it, their minds so deeply divided. the way he was made, as were his ideas, & mierin herself, too, slipped beyond such divided definitions. yet it seemed they had both chosen to yield to those illusions, chosen to believe them, chosen to place hope within them, & as ever — pain was all left in their wake. ❝ is it something you truly believe? ❞ he asked, his strokes continuing through her hair, down the length of her back. so often his mind wandered the realms of possibility that tangible proof of his philosophies proved difficult to grasp. & even he, at times, wished to witness such things with more than the mind's eye. proof... of suffering endured lifetime after lifetime. proof of the hopelessness. & hope for a clearer path ahead, had it proven true. ❝ out of the love we share, dearest friend, should i find a way to break this cycle, i shall not forget you. ❞
Okay, so she's the only reason I can get out of my self-imposed exile.
Lanfear was so careful not to let saidar slip through; she needed to keep all the weaves inverted and hidden from the creatures. You couldn't do much with inverted weaves, but keeping things hidden and setting traps were among the things you could do. She would teach Moiraine after a bit of a rest, as she felt quite drained by everything. This was nothing for her; normally, her well was so deep that it took a lot for her to get tired, but it seemed there was only a little drop left at the moment.
She had heard Moiraine say there was nothing to eat or drink, and at the thought, she felt her stomach cramping. Her throat was so dry, and her stomach so empty. But at least she was away from those beings. Lanfear set the traps and alarms and returned to Moiraine. Her hand was resting on Moiraine's back lightly as a way to ground herself. "It does seem very prison-like." She said in answer to Moiraine's earlier statement.
She sat down, tired, eyes closing. She was so exhausted, but she could feel her strength returning very, very slowly. She patted the space next to her for Moiraine to sit down as well. "We knew about them, but they did not like any of us visiting; quite a few were attacked, so it was decided that only a handful of people could research, and it was painfully slow to do so, because of their volatility and them not working with the researchers." Lanfear tried to explain to Moiraine. The truth was that they did not like being watched for very long. They wanted to do their dealings and get them out. And if something happened they didn't like, people wouldn't come back out.
"We should try to sleep. I'll teach you inverted weaves when we wake up." She was so tired, but she did not know if she could sleep. She was so afraid to get those nightmares again, or to realise that this escape was another one of their tricks and going to sleep would make her realise it. She had never been afraid to go to sleep; Tel'aran'rhiod was her realm after all. She was one of the most powerful people in there, but she couldn't reach it from here; it was this tower, this building that kept her inside. She lay down on the rags, "Can you please lie down next to me? I'm not sure if I can sleep." Her voice was eerily soft as she admitted to being unsure, to needing to feel her next to her.
months ago, the very thought of lanfear’s touch had made her flinch ; now, the slightest brush of fingers anchored her more firmly than anything else could. from endless visions of one seeking the other’s end, to becoming the only two souls capable of keeping one another afloat. & moiraine knew it was not merely the trauma they had endured, nor could she continue pretending their conversations — every hour spent together — had meant nothing at all. merely because they were both willing to look beyond it, towards a singular purpose ahead, did not mean it ceased to exist. & however gruesome the visions had been, they left moiraine contemplating how tightly their threads had woven themselves into the pattern, regardless of direction they may yet choose to keep them going, or however long they may yet be weaving them. never in her life had moiraine felt so diminished ; mentally, physically, emotionally. lanfear’s voice, weakened though it was, kept her tethered to herself. questions asked, answers exchanged, idle thoughts pondered — all of it kept her from slipping into the hollow those creatures had carved into her mind.
❝ not much has changed since then, ❞ she murmured, inclining her head faintly. few dared venture through, & many who sought knowledge there had never returned as well. & those who did return claimed the stated price was merely the smallest fraction demanded for whatever bargain one sought to strike. moiraine’s fingers traced the ivory bracelet that has been resting upon her left wrist all this time. even with the sa’angreal, she could scarcely reach so much as a trickle of the one power. she felt hollow. utterly drained. had it not been for the artefact, they might have consumed her entirely long ago. & some irrational part of her feared she might never feel whole again...
but then lanfear’s reminder rendered the exhaustion impossible to ignore. still, moiraine did not move at once, despite the quiet agreement of her nod. they should rest indeed. it was troubling enough to consider they might not soon find water or food. rest was the very least they could afford themselves before attempting whatever came next. though she suspected it would take days before she felt even partly herself again. still, her eyes refused to close, even as she settled against the wall behind her.
by then, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, & when she turned towards the source of the fragile voice, they settled upon the pale softness of lanfear’s features. this time, there was little hesitation. shifting slightly, moiraine reached once more for lanfear’s hand, holding tightly as she eased herself beside her. even had the space been larger than necessary for one person alone, she would still have drawn nearer. she would still have pressed their foreheads together. ❝ just hold onto that, ❞ moiraine said quietly after a moment, as though lowering her voice might soften the understanding she held of lanfear’s fears. the very same tormented thoughts haunted her own mind, & each time they surfaced, her grip upon lanfear’s hand tightened instinctively. ❝ we are here now. & in time, we shall find our way out of this place. ❞ it was an anchor she herself desperately needed. & however she trembled at the thought of those heart-rending visions returning, she forced her eyes closed then, focusing instead upon the softness of lanfear’s skin, the warmth of their mingled breaths, & the firm clasp of their intertwined fingers. ❝ together, we shall figure something out. ❞ still, the oppressive weight hanging above them would not be so easily ignored. ❝ would you care to speak of it..? to get it out... ❞ the aes sedai asked softly then, uncertainty threading through the whisper.
˜”*°•. Mere minutes - that’s all it takes for the absence of breath to kill. So why was he still alive? Why, after weeks of suffocating, was he still able to walk the earth? His lungs were burning, his head was spinning, yet he wouldn't die . His gaze didn't divert from Moiraine, however his thoughts were scattered. Despair colliding with anger ; he was the Dragon Reborn, how could she keep on questioning him, controlling his every step and action as if he were her tool ? But then, there was also the knowledge that she was not wrong. Lanfear had tricked them all. She had lied into his face, tortured the woman he had known since birth. Forgiving her was impossible - so why did he want to see her ? Why did he keep gripping onto her memory refusing to let go ?
❝ No. ❞ An answer he wasn't sure where it was meant to go. ❝ You keep saying that . You keep talking about how kind I am, how good I am, but you still think I will succumb ❞ Couldn't she see the irony in her words? If he'd been terrible, then fine. If he'd been heartless, violent, horrible. But he hadn't. He'd done everything that'd been asked of him, and still, he was not trustworthy. Well, he didn't care anymore. ❝ Your mistakes are not mine. You were deceived by him, you took me to him claiming that this is how we win, I was merely listening to you. ❞
He didn't want to blame her - oh he knew how irrational he sounded, how unfair. It was almost like the words were taking form on their own, though, almost as if cruelty had taken over him . She had helped him since the beginning, and despite all their quarrels, he couldn't imagine his future without her. Then why was he desperately trying to hurt her ? ❝ I appreciate your advice, Moraine. i always had. ❞. he said - his tone holding a strange tone of distance. ❝ I am the Dragon Reborn. Don't ever forget that. ❞ And for a brief moment, he felt like something inside of him took over. Almost as if the words had not been his. Before a second thought could be given though - a scream tore through the air. Not distant, not faint. And then, silence. ❝ Did you hear that ? ❞ He asked before turning towards the distant trees.
the world was anything but simple. & the more she witnessed those endlessly intertwining threads of paradox, the less certain she became of what she knew — & the less willing she was to trust what stood plainly before her eyes. her expression softened, if only by a fraction, as their eyes bore into one another. ❝ you speak as though cruelty & compassion alone determine allegiance. were that truly so, i would have long since stood with the shadow, for there is little i would not do to see you to the end. ❞ it was a plain truth, & one that held precious little mercy ; for him, for herself, or for anyone who stood between them & victory in tarmon gai'don ❝ that much, at least, you must already have known. ❞ lanfear herself was anything but simple, anything but one-dimensional. had that not been true, rand would not be standing at such a crossroads now. & she wouldn't make her own questionable choices — what he could view as made against him, but ever done for him. or for the man he was yet to become. a man he already seemed to embody more fully with every passing breath. ❝ there are many reasons that draw people to his side, & cruelty rarely so is the main out there. ❞
still, no answer came to tell her whether she ought to step forward or retreat. the frustration of it gnawed at her; whenever she directed him, he resisted, yet now that she offered him a choice plainly, he seemed determined to avoid answering altogether. or perhaps the question had never been whether he wanted her there at all, but rather what he wished from her. what was it he truly needed? & whether she could give it, whilst remaining incapable of standing idle whenever he so carelessly placed himself in danger’s path. ❝ then be wiser than i was, & learn from my mistakes, ❞ she merely challenged. ❝ because yes, for all that i knew, i failed to see beyond the deceit before me. i ask only that you remain cautious of falling into the same snare. time no longer affords us the luxury of such mistakes. you are not afforded such luxury. ❞ at times, it remained difficult to see him as anything beyond the boy she had first met in emond’s field. & at others, it was difficult to see beyond all that he was destined to become. ❝ i never forget. but will you remember that you are more than that? ❞ too many times had she witnessed power twist people into something crueler than they had once been. & however cruel he might yet become, she still wished for him to hold tightly to the goodness she has just spoken of.
saidar filled her instinctively as the sound tore through the stillness, her gaze fixing at once upon its source. within, she reached instinctively for lan. a trolloc? an eyeless? the abrupt end to the scream served only to sharpen her caution further. her gaze returned briefly to rand before she turned & made her way towards the trees.
Which Ajah would you be in Wheel of Time?
WHITE AJAH
the white ajah are focused on philosophy & truth. the rarest of the ajah, they disconnect themselves from worldly matters & rather turn to logic, mathematics, & ideologies. though they are often described as cold & emotionless, they tend to be unbiased, rational individuals & are a necessary force in the world.
TAGGING: @nightdaughtcr @wellfell @ghstlnes @thenightmareofyourdrems @xnostos @svjetllost & whoever wants to!
That's why my mother was on Dragonmount when she gave birth to me? And that's why I fulfilled the prophecy of the Dragon Reborn? Because your uncle cut down that tree? We've been connected since before I was born.
❤️ 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?
One-Sided / Unreciprocated | Noncommittal | Unbalanced | Mismatched Priorities | Mismatched Expectations | One Using the Other | Using Each Other | Transactional | Hidden Incentive | Transformative ( Positive / Negative / Neutral ) | ‘I Can Fix Them’ | ‘I Can Make Them Worse’ | Codependent | Committed | Casual | Friends with Benefits | Fling with Consequences | Nebulous Situationship | Together for Appearances | Arranged Partnership | Partners in Crime | Rivals / Enemies Who Got The Wires Crossed | Cross-Alignment / Cross-Faction Romance | Slow Burn | Mutual Pining | Fairytale Romance | Soulmates ( Wholesome / Tragic / Condemning ) | Cold | Warm | Passionate | Chaotic | Stable | Unstable | Nurturing ( One-sided / Mutual ) | Protective ( One-sided / Mutual ) | Obsessive ( One-sided / Mutual ) | Possessive ( One-sided / Mutual ) | Toxic ( One-sided / Mutual ) | Masochism Tango | Other ( specify! )
❤️ How often do you think they see each other?
Only by Chance | One Avoids the Other | They Avoid Each Other | Infrequently, by circumstances outside of their control | Frequently, but for strictly nonromantic reasons | Occasional Meetup | Planned Dates | Frequently, for romantic reasons | Living Together | Other ( specify! )
❤️ 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?
Haven't thought that far ahead! | Domestic Bliss ( with children / without children ) | Committed & Content | Complacency / Settling ( with children / without children ) | Amicable Exes | Bitter Exes | Restraining Order | Tragedy | Mutually-Assured Destruction | Other ( specify! )
❤️ Are you willing to write…
Marriage Threads | Pregnancy threads | Parenting threads | Sex Scenes | Love-As-Redemption | Love Triangles | Open Relationships | Polyamory | Jealousy | Heated arguments | Break-ups | Cheating | Divorce | Toxicity |
❤️ Is there anything else about this ship idea you’d like to mention before we discuss it further?
Every reaction she got from Moiraine to her efforts only urged her on. She loved how the others' otherwise stern composure was so easily abandoned under her touches. It made her want to do it more and more. She could see her resolve lessening; it was easy to tell if you knew the signs. It was in the way she breathed just a bit faster, the way she licked her lips, a small sigh, the way Moiraine leaned into her a little more than usual.
And it was fair to say that Lanfear let some of her composure fall as well. She had brought her here after all, to the place that was hers the most out of everything. Something so personal that if Moiraine were to look down from the balcony, she would see the piano that had been in the dream Moiraine had gotten into. She didn't let herself think about what it could potentially mean. Instead, she let Moiraine lead her to her bed, sitting down on it when she felt herself reach the edge and felt Moiraine push her onto it.
She looked into Moiraine's eyes, a smile playing on her lips. It was merely Lanfear acting on desire; for once, there was no actual plan behind it. "Would it matter if this were a mere distraction?" She questioned, "I am here with you now, aching for you to touch me, as much as I want to touch you." She kept eye contact, looking up at her, while her hands went underneath her dress, slowly pushing it up, and her fingers ghosted over her thighs. She leaned in, towards the inside of her thighs, letting her lips kiss over the tender flesh there.
❝ it matters to me, ❞ moiraine heard herself say. being with lanfear demanded a surrender of control far extending levels of her usual tolerance. her mind raced still, turning over the countless games lanfear might be weaving ; in each, she was drawn further away from rand. what were the chances that yielding, as she found herself tempted to do, would prove a grave misstep? what if something happened there while she was here? for all the desire in their eyes, trust did not follow, however swiftly they've been moving stones over the board, together. but a mere brush of fingers, the weight of their locked gazed & the path before them felt suddenly singular, inescapable. & then the feeling of her lips...
moiraine's eyes fell closed as heat spread across her whole body. just for a second, before she looked back down. her fingers lingered at the belt at her waist before she cast aside the bird-shaped scabbard, dagger still sheathed within. not until now had she spared a single thought to the ones remaining over her still... one exposed with skirts up. no doubt lanfear would find amusement in it. ❝wait, then..❞ yet another thought pressed forward soon enough, though. her fingers brushed lightly along the other’s jaw, guiding her gaze upward with quiet insistence. it seemed almost inhuman, such beauty that she was — & moiraine had never been blind to it, however hard she tried to remain unaffected by it. ❝ what are the odds a single misstep might cost us more than we are willing to pay? ❞ she asked as threads of spirit began to gather slowly about them. she had watched with profound attention the last time lanfear wove them, yet still... lanfear’s channeling was so swift, so assured, & the weave itself far more intricate than any laid upon warders.
verses to add for moiraine: hunger games & from
what are your hands covered in?
S t a r s .
they burn, don’t they? & yet you still hold on. The flesh on your palms peels back, your fingers burning down to bone. Your tissues char & break away, your blood boiling inside your hands. The heat rushes up to kiss your face & chest, a sunburn in the dark & yet–yet you hold on, because they are beautiful. It hurts, but you see only the beauty of the moment, none of the pain. All of that suffering is worth a few moments of brilliance, isn’t it?
TAGGED BY: @nightdaughtcr
TAGGING: whoever wishes to play!
this was my heated rivalry
The returned hug gave her warm feelings, a sense of belonging spreading through her, and, for a moment, it choked her up. She had done the right thing, saving Moiraine. Of that she was certain now.
She had lost count of how many times they made another turn; everything here looked the same, and it messed with her mind, but she knew that they had to go on further. At one point, they had to find a corridor that was different from all the others. The good thing was that she couldn't hear the creatures anymore; she hadn't for a good while now. So it seemed that they had at least given up chasing them for now.
After another turn, she felt Moiraine tug slightly on her hand, making her stop and turn around to face her. A question on her face, while she released the other's hand, but still she kept silent as she watched the other go into a dark room. Following her now and her nose scrunging up at the stench of it all. But it did seem as if there had been no one in here for a long time. So maybe they could rest here for a bit. Lanfear walked in, looking around, seeing the bones that could have been them if they had been imprisoned by them for much longer. Of that she was certain. She walked around the room. Trying to find a place where they could hide and rest for a bit.
It wasn't long before she found a door. She opened it and found some sort of dead-end chamber, but at least it didn't reek as badly, and there was some fabric in there they could maybe stack and use for sleeping. It was also easy for Lanfear to set an alarm at the first door and an inverted trap at the second door. "Moiraine," She said softly, "come here. We could rest here for a bit. I'll set up wards, if you could see if there is something to eat and drink, and something to get somewhat comfortable on?"
they imitated with unnerving precision... so much so that, here, once more enveloped in near-total darkness, moiraine found herself doubting her senses for yet another time. her mind, by habit, traced every dire possibility. trusting in any kinder outcome had become a near impossibility. still, there was something in lanfear's voice those creatures could not mimic... & it posed to be the same sort of anchor as holding onto her was. she turned towards the sound, abandoning her search along that side of the room. her steps were near soundless, save for the faint crack of small bones beneath her feet as she made her way towards this new-found door. with a slight nod, barely caught in the corridor’s thin light, she added, ❝ one or two along the corridors would not hurt, too. ❞ her hand brushed lightly against the small of lanfear’s back as she passed into the chamber.
her eyes began their slow adjustment to the utter darkness within. still, her hands searched blindly for walls, for objects, for any trace of furnishing. there was a table ; bare, offering nothing. the previous scent & brittle crackle of broken bones left little hope of finding anything salvageable for a meal, & though her stomach tightened against the very notion of swallowing, they would have to find something soon enough... still, as something brushed her foot, moiraine knelt, searching for whatever lay scattered across the floor. rags, chains... dust & dirt... a palliasse. ❝ there is nothing. but at the very least, we have something to lie upon. it resembles a prison cell... ❞
lanfear’s form lingered as a dark silhouette against the narrow slit of light at the far end of the room. she could make out the faint movements of her fingers, though the rest of her remained swallowed by shadow. there was not the faintest sign of her embracing saidar... ❝ had that ter'angreal not been created in your times? ❞ moiraine asked at last, her voice soft as she settled against the wall, having abandoned the search for sustenance or water. the air itself lay too dry to offer even the faintest threads of water, had she attempted to draw upon it. & beneath the question lingered the slightest note of surprise. she had not expected lanfear to prove quite so hindered by those creatures as she herself was, so taken by surprise, so lost. so little had ever been known. what little she did know had been enough to lead them into this futile attempt at escape. & she must have wrongly assumed she was the only one in it…
take me down.
˜”*°•. He stood there motionless. However hard his body was screaming for him to attack, he couldn't react . Thoughts stuck on what felt like a surreal dream. The knife at his throat, her standing there with the audacity to threaten him. It was not words anymore tossed around like knives - it was actual knives, and he was going to let none underestimate him again.
❝ What do you think you are doing? ❞ If he wanted to, he could kill her. If he wanted to, he could kill everyone and destroy everything. Was it really what she sought to witness ? for why else would she step on every line ? It was one thing lecturing him, trying to convince him to follow her lead. And it was entirely different choosing violence to achieve it.
Still, even as saidin was fighting itself. out, he didn't do it. She can't control you anymore. Was this why she was turning against him ? because words could no longer change his mind? because he was forming an opinion ? because he was not her tool? Maybe she is the one losing her mind. Maybe she was the one who could be no longer trusted, maybe she was the one with the blurred mind. The Tower had been her home - who was to say emotion was not dragging her into paranoia?
@ourcbcros sent: (knife) - sender uses a knife against receιver as a threat
a knife poised at his throat... she did not have to hold a cold, sharp piece of iron, it's edge threatening to open the delicate throat, to be just that. her task had ever been an impossible one. her hands, in the worst of fates, destined to be stained with the dragon’s blood. it seemed their bloodlines were fated to clash. even if at far away crossroads, they met together. oaths broken, blood spilt. how perilously close were they to repeating it, again & again? how many times had they stood thus before... their souls, ever bound?
❝ watching, ❞ came her swift reply, her gaze fixed unflinchingly upon his. he may have been taller, stronger, his power growing beyond comprehension, yet she stood before him without the slightest tremor. if anything threatened to break her composure, it was sorrow. ❝ i have no desire for this, yet, at the very least, i thought you had, indeed, meant it when you said we wish the same thing. ❞ neither of them might see it through to the end, though she wished for nothing more than not to witness his fall — or worse, to be its cause. ❝ that we wanted the same thing. may i still believe that remains unchanged? ❞ had madness fully claimed him, she would not be standing here, yet just how swiftly had he begun to descend that path? how long before it would take him?
Lanfear had made her home in one of the old buildings still left from the age of legends. She had made it livable, and no one would expect her to be there. They were alone here, no living human in sight. "I just want to be sure no one barges in needing your attention. I do not like being interrupted." She said easily as she pushed her towards the bed. "And the chance that one of those you travel with decides they need your wisdom is quite high." As Moiraine started to suck on her earlobe, she moaned, tilting her head to the side to give her more space. Her hand moved towards the back of her head, fingers going into her hair, making a small fist so she could pull if she so wished.
Her other hand moved towards her back, pulling her flush against her. "I want you, Moiraine." She confessed, not thinking about the implications of that statement, as it was true. In this moment, she wanted nothing more than to have her way with the other woman. She put a thigh between the other's legs, creating pressure there. Lanfear pulled on Moiraine's hair a little, exposing her neck for her as she moved her lips over the other's jaw, taking in her smell, tongue going over her pulse point, feeling the beat of her heart in the artery, lips moving over her neck, kissing, sucking on the skin.
the softest snort came as a response, followed by a brief ❝ oh, is it? ❞ as rand seemed wholly unwilling to concede he might, at the very least, consider her counsel, while even egwene had grown increasingly wary. moiraine might as well have torn every single hair off her head, attempting to navigate their mule-like obstinace… or discern the workings of that young man’s mind. yet the feel of lanfear’s hand in her hair unravelled that frustration, reshaping it into a tremor instead. not fear, but excitement? fear of excitement the other’s touch was awakening… no discipline could contain the shiver that traced the length of her at that whisper. want… had she ever imagined herself so undone by a desire she should not feel, yet which followed her as faithfully as a shadow across the desert.
moiraine drew a sharp breath, the sensation stealing her composure as her hands tightened at the other’s hips, seeking balance, her eyes falling shut. she ought not to have allowed it... & least of all, allowed herself to want it as fiercely as she mistrusted it. ❝ you may take only in measure of what you are willing to yield in return…❞ her voice, already low, edged towards teasing. still, no less a mask for her own admission. still, it was like this other night all over again, & she found herself yielding as she had then — drawing the other closer, even as she pressed forward, guiding lanfear step by step towards the bed. ❝ is this your way of distracting from what lies ahead? ❞ moiraine asked, pushing her slightly, down at the edge of the bed. ❝ a tactic you, perhaps, intended for rand as well? i imagine he might appreciate it more than i do...❞
rhuidean lay scarcely a day & a half ahead, & whatever unease stirred within her was surely nothing beside rand’s burden. it was not she who would face the trial, after all. yet the tension eased, gradually, as moiraine found herself unable to resist pressing at lanfear's buttons like that even now… with such questions, with stepping between her knees & looking down into her eyes, burying the stirrings of guilt. towards siuan— perhaps even towards rand ; even as she has been watching him with egwene, knowing lanfear was there with him nearly every night. & she saw... that same unspoken weight lingered in his eyes, as it did in her own.
