Henlo! I’m mulberry, and this blog was created for the purpose of dumping my boring ass screenshots, gif sets, fics, and the odd art featuring my OCs and fictional men who totally don’t live rent-free in my head. I’d also love to make some friends while I’m at it, so asks and dms are always welcome 🖤
ocs & fandoms✨
mavka🥀 (bg3) . tag . mood tag . art tag . playlist
ella🪻(datv) . tag . mood tag . playlist
thya🌷 (ffxiv). tag . art tag
Oh, I'm also on ao3 now! If you’d like to support my (probably not very good) attempts at writing about elf d, click here. If you’d like to follow me on bluesky, click here!
masterlist✨
death & his maiden . memento mori . vanitas . requiem
bloodless . la petite mort . jouissance
midnight blue . aromatic
Hello everybody! I meant to post this on Thursday, the day of @pinkberrytea's actual birthday, but had some unforseen health issues get in the way. 💔 I am here now, delivering this piece of her wonderful and beautiful oc Mavka and of my isekai'd bard oc Ofelia. 💕 You don't have to read the first part to enjoy this, but you can find it here 💕
Berry- you are the light of my life 💗 You're one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and I can't imagine a day without you in it 💕 I would do anything to make you smile, just like you've done for me time and time again 💗 I hope you like this little tale between these two, and I can't thank you enough for being my best friend- I don't know if I'd still be here in this fandom without you. You've done so much for me, and you're so kind and so talented and incredible- I hope that this gift shows even a small bit of how thankful I am, and will continue to be forever. 💕 Happy Birthday, my love 💗 I love you 💕
✧˖Divider: @/cursed-carmine
✧˖Summary: Entering the Shadowlands hand in hand, Mavka and her plucky bard, Ofelia, combat inner turmoil and the dangers of the wasteland in their bid to free themselves from the tadpole. As Ofelia's feelings deepen, Mav seems to pull away from her, and as the human puzzles over how she can fix this chasm between them, a lurking evil rears its ugly head. Will the pair push past it, or succumb to its influence?
“Comfy?” Ofelia murmurs, watching the flushed tiefling underneath her gaze, back from her nest of pillows. It’s a luxury Ofelia insisted on, especially with the bleakness of the Shadowlands to contend with.
“You’re just teasing,” Mav mutters, fond admonishment on her tongue. “You already know the answer.” Ofelia hums, dropping her lips to the tiefling’s jaw, leaving feather-light kisses down the length of her neck before leaning back on her elbows again. The shine in Mav’s eyes is almost intoxicating- luring Ofelia closer and closer to the lips she’s kissed hundreds of times since that night in the woods just a couple of weeks ago…
Every single one since has been like she’s caught in a dream- despite the creche, despite the treacherous mountain pass, and the crushing weight of the tadpole still warring for their constant attention, Ofelia’s reveled. They haven’t had a night to themselves ever since- caught within one whirlwind or another before crashing into Ofelia’s tent exhausted and drained. A simple kiss before falling asleep in a tangle of limbs has left Ofelia hungry.
She wants more—more and more of Mav, preferably until she’s drowning in her. She wants to feel their skin pressed together, and if her heated kisses and squeezes haven't been enough indication, she wants the opportunity to show her just how much she craves the other woman’s proximity.
They’ve taken each step slowly, a pace that leaves Ofelia heady with adoration but aching with desire. It’s good- it’s wonderful. Everything they do is wonderful… but Ofelia wants the barrier of their clothes to no longer accompany each nightly affair, and while she’ll make sure Mav’s comfortable, she intends to make it a reality.
“Mmm,” Mav sighs, letting Ofelia press her lips along the sharp ridges of bone beneath her clavicles. Every muscle tenses and locks around Ofelia’s shoulders, fingers playing with Ofelia’s errant locks or dipping to her scalp to gently scratch over the delicate skin. Every shiver that blessedly runs down the length of Ofelia’s spine floods her with a warmth that settles low in her hips, leaving her arching into Mav’s touch as her nose presses between the two soft swells of her breasts, regretfully locked behind her sleep clothes.
Losing herself to the sensation of Mav’s hands tangling in her hair, she presses her lips to each piece of bare skin she can reach, wishing she could undo the clasps keeping the rest hidden from her. Her hands instead brush along Mav’s hips, fingertips tenderly dipping beneath the hem of her top yet not straying further, but enough to rub circles into the shivering muscles of her stomach. The sounds she plays out of Mav’s mouth leave her head swimming, idling over her sternum before joining their lips together in a feverish dance.
Push, pull - pull, push.
Mav’s hands skirt along Ofelia’s shoulders and to her corset top, stumbling on their path until both hands drift slowly past her breasts to anchor to Ofelia’s waist. The whine that she passes along onto Mav’s tongue is heavy with need and protest.
“What? Did I do something wrong?” Mav asks, pulling away with a deep flush coloring her face and concern knitting her brows. Her kiss-swollen lips look delicious, and Ofelia has to resist the urge to reach down and nip at them, biting down on her own instead.
“N-no…” Ofelia whispers, her thighs still caging in Mav’s legs as one hand props her up and the other remains fixed at Mav’s hip. “I just…” Her mind spins under the persistent thrum beneath her skin, demanding this devolve further. She sifts through the distracting images in her mind of mouthing at Mav’s breasts, at pulling her pants down, at… gods… at the thought of tasting her.
“Are you enjoying this?” Ofelia asks, voice small and quiet. A part of her still worries, of course. She’s always afraid of pushing too far or jumping ahead too soon. Mav’s eyes widen subtly, a trusting smile lifting her lips.
“Of course,” She chirps, fingers idling over Ofelia’s shoulders. A grin precedes Ofelia’s next kiss, more chaste than the others that came before it. “Are you?”
“How can I get more is the real question. She laughs when Mav presses another kiss to her lips, their entanglement warm and gentle. Mav’s arms circle her neck, and Ofelia’s heart skips a beat in reply, enjoying the leisurely pace the tiefling sets without demanding more- for now. It’s a welcome reprieve from the daily horrors they face, and knowing that this awaits her each night fills her heart with warmth and her mind with promise. The Shadowlands can steal and leech and tear whatever it wants from her- as long as she has Mav to come back to, she knows she’ll be whole again by the morning.
***
The next day throws them into the midst of battle after battle- the drider, the plant-like creatures, a murder of cursed crows. After each one, the distance between Ofelia and Mav grows, spurred by a conversation they had upon waking.
“What’s wrong?” Ofelia sat up, sleep still weighing her lashes as she peered into a corner of the tent where Mav’s hunched form resided. The tiefling flicked her tail in acknowledgement before letting it sway side to side, the only indication that she’d been in distress.
“N-nothing! Just… a bad dream,” Mav mumbled, knees pulled up to her chin with her back to Ofelia. The human yawned and stretched, not dissuaded, before she crawled forward and wrapped her arms around her lover.
“You can talk about it if you want,” Ofelia prodded gently, hoping to wrench free whatever fear was clinging to Mav’s tongue. The tail beneath her gently wound around her arm, earning a soft hum from Ofelia.
“I… can’t. Not right now, at least…” Ofelia sighed, but didn’t push; instead, imparting her care and reassurance on a few careful kisses to Mav’s horns.
As Ofelia’s eyes flicker back to Mav’s slouched form, she checks her for injuries. Sometimes Mav dreamt of the past, the one she couldn’t remember. Those bits and pieces were usually enough to ruin the tiefling’s entire morning and render her speechless until Ofelia was able to drag her free from its horrific grasp. But today… hasn’t been like the others.
“Those hounds nearly got me, huh?” Ofelia offers, trying for something light to hopefully repair the lines of communication that seem to have fallen by the wayside. Mav doesn’t answer, continuing to stare up at the malevolent building before them.
Ofelia’s throat constricts- barely there, barely cinching, yet still felt. She waits, holding her breath, and when relief comes, it is nearly imperceptible in comparison.
“Oh… yes.” Mav murmurs, finally looking back at Ofelia. The tone of her voice feels like she’s talking to a stranger and not to Ofelia- the one who’s been sharing nearly every waking hour with her. The realization makes Ofelia’s skin crawl and her chest ache.
“Come on, let’s get inside and maybe find those clues we’re looking for.” Mav hovers, listless as a ship lost to sea, and as Ofelia watches her face, she sees the tiefling’s muscles twitch- her brows furrowing, her lips turning down in a sneer. Just as soon as they do, they revert back as if puppeted, and a fist closes around Ofelia’s neck as she reaches out to touch the other woman.
“Please- don’t,” Mav whispers, emotion weighing her words down, and Ofelia pulls her hand back as if burned.
“Oh… sorry.” She watches the tiefling walk ahead, closer to Lae’zel as they make their way to a side door. The sting of rejection burns her gloves as she stares down at them, clinging to the fabric and seeping down into her bones. It blurs her vision and needles her heart until worry eats like rats at her immovable body.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have pushed it last night… shouldn’t have pushed her.
The thought is like a brand behind her eyelids as Karlach smacks her back and shoots her a grin, propelling her forward. It echoes in her mind as they make their way inside and meet the cursed doctor and his nurses, and it’s in her muscles as they wind back and stab the doctor in his stomach, just as Astarion rips his throat out. Hot, sticky blood coats her cheeks and stains her vision a murky red, a veil she can’t see through as they continue onward…
“Gods, I can still taste that vile doctor’s blood in my mouth,” Astarion grumbles as they finish setting up tents for the night. Ofelia had reluctantly let Mav go, counting on her promise not to stray far as the tiefling had gone off towards the water. Ofelia looks after the path she’d taken now, wistful, until a pair of pale fingers snap in her face.
“Hello? Am I invisible to you? I was speaking.”
“When aren’t you?” she jabs back, earning a hiss in return.
“Look, I’m sorry your little girlfriend isn’t here to be the center of your universe, but some of us would like more than five minutes of your time. You are our leader, aren’t you?” Astarion’s been a bit less cruel ever since they’d defeated the orthon and put that drow in her place, almost bordering on friendly. His sudden, nearly compassionate vying for conversation shocks her as she blinks and swallows.
“I never wanted to be…” she trails off, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifts from foot to foot. Despite that lamentation, it isn’t what he needs to hear. “It’s just… something is going on with her, and she won’t talk to me… But you’re right. I haven’t been paying attention today. I’m sorry,” He sighs, pouting like the melodramatic man that he is, before placing his hands at his hips.
“I’m sure you’ll get to the bottom of it. You’re always poking your nose where it doesn’t belong.” This makes her smile, a faint thing that puckers the corner of her lips, and he mirrors it. “But I do hope that you get it figured out soon. I do love to do my complaining to a captivated audience.”
“Ha-ha,” she enunciates, letting her arms dangle at her sides. “I know you were just fishing to figure out what was wrong. You really do care.”
“As if, darling,” he scowls, turning to right his stool upon the fancy rug he’s laid out before reclining atop it. “Now, if you please, I would like to figure out how Prince Edward will be winning over his bride this evening, and if this doesn’t end in debauchery, I’m torching the bloody tome.”
She shakes her head and bids him goodnight, laugh quiet on her tongue as her previous woes flood back in to drown it.
Ofelia’s mind wanders as she picks up her lute from her tent and calmly strolls off towards a copse of red trees. She lets the odd breeze lift her fringe and sweep her hair off her shoulders, the night deathly quiet as the ever-present chill in the air creeps in.
Idle notes fill her ears as she plucks, the strings serving to tell a story her lips can scarcely bring themselves to form. It’s melancholy, yet hopeful- a soul trapped, waiting for rescue. It billows around her as she searches for the right words beneath her eager fingertips.
“Tart and sweet, you’re all I need,
The way it’s meant to be.
On dull gray waters, I’ll look for you,
And pull you out to sea…
Drift in, my love, don’t let the tide,
Strand you on the shore…
Come float with me, beneath the waves,
Now and forevermore…”
Her strums die out as her fingers hover over the strings, their wail harsh and jarring without the dedicated pressure. She looks up into the endless black beyond the moon barrier, roiling and seething and seeking entry. Never tiring- always hungry. Ofelia lies back, the grass surprisingly soft as she stares up. It’s dark, as always, but if she looks long enough, she can almost imagine stars.
Weary from the day’s travels and trials, her eyes begin to drift shut. The ground is unusually comfortable, luring and sweet as she lets exhaustion take hold. She vaguely thinks that she should head back, climb into her bedroll- Mav will surely be worried if she goes into her tent to sleep and finds Ofelia missing. Yet… she can’t bring herself to rise, remembering Wyll nodding to her as she’d walked off. At least he’d spread the news of where she’d gone.
Ofelia dreams of sweet embraces and sharp-toothed smiles. Glittering pink eyes swim in her vision, swathed in affection and adoration. It’s heady and intoxicating, the more skin they reveal. It’s a welcome reprieve from the longing and troubles they’ve been going through, and just as Ofelia’s finally about to join them with a kiss, it snaps free, and she’s being shaken awake by rough hands.
“Mm… hmm?” Her speech is garbled as it fumbles over her tongue, blinking her eyes clear of sleep before startling. Mav stands before her, bundle of rope in one hand, face a mask of pain as tears glimmer on her cheeks. Ofelia immediately jumps up, nearly toppling over in her haste to see what’s wrong, and as she reaches for Mav, she’s once again barred from contact.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she scrambles, ignoring the burn that scalds the back of her throat at yet another denial. There are more important things to accommodate right now, and Ofelia’s feelings aren’t one of them.
“I… I need you to tie me up,” she murmurs, almost imperceptible, and Ofelia blinks.
“Wait… what?” She shakes her head, confusion muddying her senses as she looks Mav over for injuries- some kind of explanation for her current state. All she finds is the same old tiefling she’s come to know- every curve in its place and every lock of hair immaculate. “What for…?”
When Mav finally meets Ofelia’s eyes, there’s a swirl of sorrow so deep and yawning that she nearly steps back, staring into its severity. It’s an abyss, quiet and beseeching, and when Mav speaks again, Ofelia moves closer instead.
“I… I’m sorry, Ofelia…” she whispers, voice quiet like the flutter of a moth’s wings. Every tear plucks at Ofelia’s heartstrings, and she reaches forward to tentatively take the rope out of the tiefling’s hands.
“Tell me what’s wrong,” The bard soothes her with a caress on the back of her hands, guiding her over to where she’d been sitting before. There’s a tree trunk half rooted in the ground, and she let's Mav sink in front of the gnarled roots as Ofelia unwinds the length of rope.
“I… do you remember when I killed that poor bard? Quil?” Mav asks quietly, allowing Ofelia to gently sit her down in front of the tree. Ofelia quirks a brow, thinking it an odd time to bring this up until-
“Is it happening again?” Realization is like an ice bath, making Ofelia’s senses sharp and her movements faster. She treats every knot with care, the length of the rope working in her favor as Mav faces away from her and Ofelia tends to the pattern over her arms.
She flushes at the knots she’s weaving, remembering vaguely doing it on herself once, hoping she’d be able to put it to good use someday. It’s a shame this isn’t exactly what it was intended for, but as she turns Mav around to face her and secures the rope to the roots- making sure to triple check it’s all secure- she expunges every other thought in place of worry and concern.
“Yes… If you don’t do this, I’ll kill you.” Mav’s voice is tearful, so wounded and small that it tears Ofelia’s heart in two. She motions for Mav to try and resist, to get up, to lunge- but she doesn’t budge. Once she’s resting back on her calves, Ofelia takes her dainty face between each palm, feeling tears brew in her own eyes.
“You won't. You’re stronger than whatever this is. I know you are,” she murmurs, conviction in each syllable. The tiefling in front of her closes her eyes and leans into Ofelia’s touch, sob caught in the back of her throat.
“I need you to move away now... But please don't leave me… please don’t go…” The desperation sends a fresh wave of sorrow through Ofelia’s limbs, and she does as she’s told, though every inch that separates them feels like she’s losing pieces along the way.
“Talk to me- talk to me until you can’t anymore,” Ofelia offers, wringing her hands together, lost and unsure of what to do. Every second that passes is agony- this waiting. Mav’s lips tremble, and she nods, looking around before finally meeting Ofelia’s eyes.
“I…” And with that one word, she’s gone.
It’s like watching her melt into someone else- an animal starving and angry. Ofelia jumps back as she tries to lunge forward, the fury in her now ruby irises like a shock of electricity. She stills at its violence- the complete takeover that bleeds into Mav’s limbs and seizes control from the one she loves most.
Love…
Ofelia loves her… gods, it’s true- she can feel it in every breath as she watches her lover writhe and snarl and snap and curse. Once they’re through this, she’ll tell her- she should have been saying it all day… But she doesn’t have time to regret or wish things had been different- whatever this is, it isn’t Mav, and with grim determination, Ofelia turns and reaches for her lute.
“Really?” Mav growls, her voice so unlike the one Ofelia knows that it feels like daggers in Ofelia’s ears. “Music?”
“You’ll sit there and enjoy it, and if you don’t like it, you can leave us alone!” Ofelia snaps, pointing her finger at whatever entity occupies her lover’s bones before sitting cross-legged in front of her. The tiefling growls and strains at her bonds, but ultimately it’s of no use. She won’t be getting out of them, and whatever is caged behind her eyes will have to suffer.
As her shaking fingers lay over the strings, she breathes in deeply. She could play the song she’s working on, but it isn’t done yet… She’d rather reserve it for Mav’s ears only, however, so instead she closes her eyes and picks the first one that comes to mind.
She tunes out the fear- fear of wondering if Mav will come back, if she’ll be okay… She suppresses tears as her fingers find the right frets, tips callused from years of use. She looks up once more, searching for any indication that the woman she loves is there, but instead she’s met by a complete blockade. Ofelia swallows, centers herself with another deep inhale, and begins- whatever this is, it won’t scare her away.
She’d sacrifice everything and anything for Mav, and this? This is nothing.
“Overwhelming ecstasy,
Your skin is like a melody.
Your heartbeat brings me to my knees,
Just begging for a chance to simply
Taste the moonlight on your lips,
The fever sings, the honey drips,”
Ofelia winces when the entity wearing Mav’s skin laughs- cruel and cutting. She pays it no attention, instead choosing to meet that icy glare with warm affection.
“Curtains closed, the record skips,
No one’s ever loved like this…
I’m certain, it must be holy,
To feel something so pure…”
Her voice rises over the awful words and violent demands that this Urge makes Mav say, takes up every bit of space in the air between them. Ofelia doesn’t relent- doesn’t give in. No amount of threatening or intimidation will scare her from her post. This is the one place she’s meant to be- by Mav’s side, no matter what. She’d promised it with a kiss, all those weeks ago, and to her, a promise isn’t something made lightly.
Please… please come back to me…
There under the light of the moon, Ofelia’d vowed that this world was her home now. There’s simply no going back- not when the love she’d been searching for all her life is in front of her, fighting to come back, to be here. She’d seen too much to let it all slip away now- if she’d survived the death of her parents and all the abuse she’s been through in this life, then it must have been for this very reason.
All of it just to be here for Mav- and she wouldn’t give up if her life depended on it. And it very well may…
She isn’t sure how much time passes beneath the endless darkness of the shadowcurse. It could be hours, it could be minutes… All the while, Ofelia continues to play. Her fingers dance over the strings with newfound purpose, heart set on dragging her tiefling out of the abyss.
“And if you run, I’ll be right behind you…
We’ll make it out…
Nothing left between us, but light and sound.
Take me to outer space, fly me up to Jupiter,
I am yours, forever…
And I’ll always be at home…
With you…”
Her fingers slow to a stop, tears flooding her vision as she gazes up at Mav through a murky lens. With that subtle flick of her eyes, she only has a split second to register the tail that comes up, realizing a second too late as it wraps around her throat. She’d never secured it…
“That’s enough, little songbird,” the thing behind Mav’s eyes coos, the grip over Ofelia’s windpipe constricting to the point of pain. She gasps for oxygen, tries to cry out, but there’s nothing. “So long I’ve watched, so long I’ve waited. You comfort, and you coddle, and for what? Do you think you’ll see the end?”
Ofelia’s fingers scramble uselessly at Mav’s tail, unwilling to sink her nails in for fear of hurting her. She tugs and tries to loosen her binds, but it’s to no avail- her lungs futilely trying to inflate with air she’s been denied access to. She makes one final plea- one with her mind and not with her mouth.
Mavka… please hear me… please come back to me… PLEASE!
The tiefling bends forward, thrashes back, shakes her head, but it’s working. It’s working, and the ghost of a laugh tries to push past Ofelia’s lips, her vision growing darker and darker as each second slips by. There’s a stillness as Mav’s muscles lock, and her face turns up to the sky, tears shining bright on her pale cheeks. Ofelia smiles, the burn in her chest becoming nigh unbearable, before Mav’s tail loosens and she falls on her side.
“Ofelia!” If not for the panic clouding her voice, it would sound like chimes in an evening breeze. A whisper of wind over the surface of water. The crackling of a flame, lit in silent vigil. Ofelia can’t do anything else but blink to clear her vision, chest still heaving beneath every desperate gasp for air as Mav collapses on her side and blinks through tears as she begs for the bard to answer.
Lilacs… pink and flush with life… glittering with tears.
“Mav…?” she whispers, throat hoarse as needles prick the delicate flesh inside her neck. It hurts to talk, but she can’t help but smile, can’t help but reach out and tangle her fingers in those soft, silken locks- the color of flower petals and kitten noses. The tiefling nestles her cheek into the palm of Ofelia’s hand, and the way she fits so perfectly within it splits her in two- the person she was before, and the person she is now.
“You’re okay,” Ofelia murmurs, corners of her lips stinging as the force of her gratitude lifts them higher. “I was so worried…”
“You were worried? You should have been worried about yourself!” Mav sniffles, still gazing up at her with that soft crease between her brows. “I am so sorry…”
She closes her eyes, and Ofelia can tell that she’s trying to succumb to whatever guilt is gnawing at her heart, but the bard won’t let that happen. She hauls herself into a sitting position, fingers finding the hilt of her dagger before pulling it from the sheath to press into the rope keeping Mav bound.
“No, don’t… what if it happens again…?” Mav murmurs brokenly, gaze still sheltered beneath her long lashes, but Ofelia ignores the plea as she drags the sharp edge over the rope until the tiefling is free. She’s shaking, arms curled in on herself, but Ofelia pays that no more attention than she has to- her own encircling her lover as she pulls her close and into her own strong embrace. One she imbues with love and affection, so strong it dredges hot tears into her eyes as well.
“You’re safe now… we’re safe. Do you hear me?” Ofelia asks, ignoring the strain on her voice as her hand reaches up to cup the tiefling’s chin before forcing them to lock eyes. Such pretty orbs, filled with a sorrow she’d kill to expel. Mav’s lip wavers, but she nods, and Ofelia smiles softly. To anyone else, it wouldn’t look like what it means, but to them, it holds a greater purpose.
“I love you.”
It’s quiet- scarcely audible- but it may as well be the only sound in the world. It’s evident in each of those three syllables- in the shape of her lips and the way her fingertips skim over Mav’s cheek- that it’s the only thing that matters to her. And as they pick themselves up and embrace like they’ll die if they let go, it’s the only thing on Ofelia’s mind as she presses soft kisses to the side of her face…
***
“No, you guys go on ahead today- I am gonna see if there’s a room in the inn available and let Mav get some rest.” Ofelia peeks up over the clothes she’s sorting as she packs them in a smaller bag. Mav lies behind her, sound asleep and clutching her pillow, as Ofelia redirects her attention to Astarion.
“If you say so, darling. You really aren’t going to tell me what those marks are?” His gaze lands on her neck, and Ofelia shakes her head. She didn’t feel like wasting a healing potion on a bit of bruising, but she does know Mav will feel guilty if she sees them again…
“It’s nothing,” she assures him with a soft smile, and he squints his eyes.
“You do seem to be better than you were yesterday,” he says, waving his hand in front of her. “I can only imagine the many things that could have caused that in the throes of passion,”
“Astarion!” she hisses, shooing him out. He raises his hands innocently, a grin on his face as he turns and delivers the news to their companions.
Ofelia lets the tent flap fall shut, flush on her cheeks hot as visions flood her mind of the many things Astarion could have been alluding to. She pops the cork off a potion, downing it as quickly as possible before hearing Mav stir beside her at all the commotion outside.
“‘Felia?” she mumbles, one hand across her face as she rubs at her eyes. Ofelia smiles, her palm resting over the top of Mav’s head as she lightly brushes the hair from her face and gently strokes her thumb over the base of her horns. A light shiver passes through Mav’s limbs, and the bard laughs.
“Come on, I’m getting us a room so you can sleep on a proper bed and have a nice warm bath.” Ofelia murmurs, regretfully removing her hand so she can finish tucking away a few of their nicer things before closing the bag.
“Are there any open?” she murmurs sleepily, sitting up with a yawn as she scoots closer and rests her head on Ofelia’s shoulder. Her heart still skips a beat whenever they touch, even in the simplest of ways, and Ofelia wraps an arm around her torso.
“I’ll kick someone out if I have to,” Ofelia smirks impishly when Mav pouts, wide eyes pleading and worried. “Okay, okay, maybe I won’t. I guess we’ll see,”
The tiefling smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and in an instant, aching worry billows inside her bones in place of their earlier playfulness.
“Are you alright?” Ofelia asks, concern furrowing her brow as she places a finger on Mav’s chin and forces their gazes to meet. The tiefling nods, her eyes dropping lower until they glide over Ofelia’s neck, and she worries that perhaps the potion didn’t work.
“I’m… I’m sorry…” Mav mumbles, so quiet that it’s barely audible. There’s a sting in Ofelia’s eyes, and she shakes her head, turning so she can wrap both arms around Mav. She presses her lips to the tiefling’s neck, whispering little reassurances into her skin. She smells just like the lilies in her soap that she uses to wash her hair, and Ofelia pulls back just enough for their noses to brush, earnest affection burning in the corners of her eyes.
“I love you,” Ofelia whispers, holding her tight. Tears gather in Mav’s eyes, and Ofelia shakes her head before leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss.
It’s careful- as if she’s holding a fragile doll in her hands. Soft and sure, she covers Mav’s mouth with hers and lets her hands run up to cradle her jaw in her palms. Ofelia’s heart breaks open, spills her devotion in a wave of tears, and she lets it drown her as she sinks further into their embrace. They remain there, moving in slow intervals, until the sound outside evaporates into only the lapping of the lake on the shore.
“Let's go,” Ofelia finally breaks the kiss for air, cheeks darkening at the matching flush dusting Mav’s nose. It’s beautiful and sweet, her pink eyes heavily lidded and filled with what Ofelia can only describe as longing. It stabs at her heart and pries it open- an ache filling her chest as it spreads throughout her body and settles low in her stomach.
“Okay,” Is all Mav says as she slips on some sandals and follows Ofelia out.
It’s easy enough to secure a room in the inn- once Jaheira’s eyes fell on Mav and her withdrawn state, she’d instantly agreed. Ofelia also traded with Mattis in secret while Mav went up to prepare it, practically paying enough gold for a ruby necklace rather than the bath salts she now holds in her hands. It’s worth it, though- worth it when Mav’s eyes light up as she sits perched on the edge of the tub, water starting to steam up the small washroom when Ofelia pulls it out of her pocket.
“Let me make sure it’s not too hot, and then I’ll pour these in and-”
“I know how to run a bath, Ofelia,” the tiefling scolds, though there isn’t any real fire behind it. Ofelia cracks an amused grin as she waves the other woman off, testing the water with her fingers before stopping the faucet. As she peers into it, her tired reflection watches back, and Ofelia blinks it away as she starts pouring in the salts.
“There- that should be perfect. It smells like lavender,” she smiles as she stands to her full height. When she turns, her eyes widen as Mav starts to tug off her top.
“Um… do you want me to be in here for this?” Ofelia asks softly, and Mav's cheeks grow an even more vibrant shade of scarlet.
“I… was hoping you’d join me.”
It’s an innocent enough request, and Ofelia nods before her mind has time to process her answer. She subconsciously curses herself for fumbling so hard as she watches Mav’s hands resume their path down her torso, and she comes back to herself with a hiss.
“What?” Mav jumps at the noise, and Ofelia groans apologetically, pressing her fingers against her eyelids.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ofelia murmurs, opening her eyes with a sigh. “Can I?”
She isn’t sure the color on Mav’s cheeks could grow deeper- a full flush that creeps down her neck and chest, blossoming below the neckline as Ofelia swallows thickly. She’s about to rescind her request- afraid she’s crossed some kind of boundary, despite Mav’s offer- before the tiefling nods and places her hands over Ofelia’s as she guides them over.
Everything in the room narrows to a point- inconsequential in light of Mav pressing Ofelia’s fingers to the hem of her top, the drip of the faucet falling out of perception as Ofelia takes a deep breath and slowly slides her fingers up the tiefling’s stomach.
The soft hitch in Mav’s breathing sends Ofelia’s heart into a galloping rhythm as she steps closer and lets her eyes fall on the soft swells of her breasts beneath the fabric. Every inch that’s revealed causes her pulse to grow louder and louder in her ears- thumbs dipping into the hollow of her navel, soft satin bunching up around her wrists as she follows the gentle slope of Mav’s waist until she comes to a stop over her ribs.
“Are you sure?” Ofelia dips her head closer, forehead pressing against the tiefling’s as they peer into each other's eyes. More questions linger beneath those three words- unspoken wishes cloying and sweet as they drift like a vision behind Ofelia’s eyes. Mav’s lip catches between her teeth, and Ofelia trembles at the motion- at the way her flesh blanches beneath the pressure of each pointed canine, and with a careful nod, Ofelia doesn't waste another second.
She pulls the fabric up and off, their eyes tethered and unwavering. It’s like an unspoken dance, brimming in the space between them- caught carefully in a gossamer web before a pretty smile unfolds over her lips and she drops the ground out from beneath Ofelia’s feet.
She lets her gaze fall- breath stalling in her throat at the sight. Soft, nipples pebbling as the air hits them, the ridges of her bones spreading like a work of art down her chest. Ofelia swallows a noise of relief, stifling the urge to enact every fantasy that's been wandering through her mind for the last few weeks at the sight of her perfect, flushed skin. She wants to touch, to squeeze, and kiss and bite…
She breathes shakily and anchors her fingers in Mav's shorts and underthings, gliding them down and off to leave her bare and exposed to Ofelia’s worshipful gaze. From her knelt position, eyes caressing every inch her hands long to follow, the tiefling before her looks like a goddess. One of those carved marble sculptures surrounded by flowers, the only difference being the warmth in Mav’s eyes as they stare at each other.
“Come here, your turn,” Mav laughs softly, clear like a chorus of bells. Ofelia doesn’t hesitate, face so warm she’s sure it’s hotter than the bath water as she rises to her full height and shivers beneath Mav’s tender touch.
Her fingernails trail across Ofelia’s skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake as her shirt falls to the floor. Mav’s pupils dilate at the sight of her underthings, hooking on the straps as she carefully drags them down Ofelia’s arms. Every glance takes a little more willpower with it, shaking by the time her bra joins the rest of their clothes, scattered around their feet. Normally, she’d want to pick them up, but now she can’t even bring herself to care.
“Let’s get in there before I forget about the bath,” Ofelia murmurs, fingers shaking as she rests them over Mav’s hands. The tiefling nods, gaze heavy-lidded in a simmering mirror of her own, and she turns as calmly as possible as she pulls her love along.
Higher than any bathtubs back home, it takes a bit more coordination than her frame of mind will presently allow, and at her almost-slip, Mav giggles when she flails her arms and sinks into the hot water faster than she’d meant to.
“Don’t laugh, it’s so hot,” Ofelia whines around a pout, acclimating to the temperature as the woman before her starts to climb in.
Her bounds of candyfloss pink tresses remain tucked into an elegant knot at the back of her head, horns shimmering in the low light. She stands, eyes shut as she absorbs the scents and sensations of the water, before slowly sinking in. It’s a sight that may seem mundane to anyone else, but Ofelia can’t tear her eyes away as the tension melts from Mav’s body into the warm water that cradles her up to her collarbones- as if even it recognizes the beautiful creature nestled into its embrace and seeks to soothe her troubles away.
The quiet amplifies Ofelia’s heartbeat until it’s the only sound in the room, the women’s gazes locked above the bubbles. Gods… she’s beautiful. Glowing pink and flushed red across her dainty cheeks, Ofelia can handle it no longer. She tentatively holds a hand out, palm up- offer silent but sincere. Mav takes it eagerly, a ripple of affection and desire roaring through the human’s heart, as she draws her close until Mav’s back is pressed against Ofelia’s front and she’s tucked securely in her arms.
“Thank you…” Mav murmurs, her voice ever quiet, but ever musical. “For doing this for me, for… not leaving. Last night I was so afraid… more than I’ve ever been since waking up here.”
Ofelia’s hands rub at the tiefling’s shoulders, careful and aching with the intent to comfort. She doesn’t speak, allowing the woman before her to continue as a sting burns in the corners of her eyes.
“You aren’t afraid of me… You never have been. Even when I was… choking the life out of you…” she halts momentarily, voice thick with tears. “I… I love you too, Ofeila.”
The words billow like chiffon curtains in a warm breeze, brushing against Ofelia’s skin as the scents around them carve into her very soul. The camphor and pine, fresh blooms and wet oak… all of it burning into the back of her mind like a brand. It sears against her throat in the form of a muted sob, and when Mav turns her head in concern, Ofelia readjusts their bodies and wraps her arms around the woman in her lap, rushing up to meet her lips.
It’s clumsy and heated, no illusion of propriety clinging to the fringes of her desire. It all falls by the wayside as Ofelia’s hands cradle her jaw and grip her waist, her mouth devouring every sigh and moan like she needs it to live. The plushness of Mav’s lips, the taste on her tongue, the feel of her slick skin, the ridges of her body beneath reverent fingertips… Ofelia pulls back long enough to trail her kisses along Mav’s neck, down the elegant slope as she mouths at the thrumming pulse beneath her skin. Heady with yearning, she imbues her piety into marks upon the tiefling’s skin- drawing noises out of her that make Ofelia’s head spin with want as heat curls in her stomach.
“I love you,” Ofelia whispers into a kiss to Mav’s shoulders. “I love you,” Into the hollow of her throat. “I love you,” Across the back of her hand, and “I love you,” finally at home as their lips lock in tandem. A waltz that will never end, stretching long into the years ahead- Mav’s fingers tangle in Ofelia’s hair, loosening the updo until it pulls free from its tie, pooling into the water around them as the bard’s hands grip her hips.
That hunger voracious, it threatens to burn her up from the inside as her lips dance over Mav’s throat before Ofelia’s hands implore her upward, bent on shaking knees until her lips seal around that perfect lilac bud- tongue insatiable in its ambition. The sounds that her ministrations play out of Mav’s mouth are like music to her ears, drowning her in sensation as sharp fingernails drag ceaselessly over Ofelia’s scalp.
Beautiful…
The word repeats in her mind over and over as she caresses the planes of Mav’s body, finding nothing but soft skin and blinding devotion as her eyes flick open and meet burning pink irises, framed in dizzying black. Soft hands cup Ofelia’s jaw, lower lip tucked beneath her sharp canines, the overwhelming urge to be the one her teeth are sinking into swimming in her mind as she drags the flat of her tongue deliberately over Mav’s nipple.
Ofelia drinks in the tiefling’s fluttering lashes and furrowed brow like she’s trying to burn it into her retinas- refusing to ever give it up. Clarity is an undercurrent running through her mind as she slots her thigh between Mav’s legs, cursing under her breath when the tiefling bucks her hips and finds friction in the angle it provides. Gods, the noises she makes… It sets her skin on fire as she yields to the other woman’s desire. Desire she imparts on soft, wet kisses upon her neck.
“Do you want me to bite?” Mav’s soft tinkling laugh sounds breathless- caught between moans as Ofelia nods- desperation evident in the motion when her nails dig into Mav’s hips, and she sobs at the pressure against her throat before that pinch of pain. Perfect, sharp- it stings across her vision when her eyes shut, fanning at the flames as they burst to life behind her eyelids.
Ofeila’s only ever dreamed of this… In the short minutes before falling asleep, images of skin against skin, of soft sighs and bruising kisses, flit through her mind like she’s in a small, intimate theater. It’s a fantasy she’s reveling in even now- scarcely able to believe it’s real, that she deserves any of it… But when they pause for a moment to catch their breath, Ofelia can’t remember anything that came before. She only exists now- tangled in this moment in time where perfectly sweet eyes blink down at her, heat swathing them in a rosy glow, dusting her nose as her fingers stroke Ofelia’s shoulders.
“Will you come to bed with me?” Ofelia whispers, afraid that talking too loudly will break the spell that hovers over the room. Mav only thinks for a moment before nodding, her agreement bidden on a warm kiss against her cheek.
When they rise out of the water, a chill spreads over Ofelia’s skin. It’s cold- biting- but it won’t last. Not as they wrap themselves in linens and stand in the threshold, both glancing at each other before passion lights the fuse once again.
They barely make it into the room before Ofelia finds Mav’s waist and presses her against the closed door, lips crashing together like they’ll both disappear if she stops. Warm, plush, soft as velvet… Her fingers start at Mav’s cheeks before dipping lower, gliding down her neck as she finds the soft towel and pushes it to the floor. Bare and naked, breathless and whimpering, she stands- Ofelia’s fingers finding goosebumps over her arms the farther they trail. They come to a rest momentarily over Mav’s full hips, stroking and reverent against the pointed ridges that act like a path, letting them guide her down as one hand wraps around the back of her knee and hoists it up until it rests over Ofelia’s hip, before her fingers find the place she needs her most.
“Ofelia!” Mav cries, head falling back against the paneled wood as her tail snakes up the bard’s thigh and tightens. Ofelia drops to place fervent kisses against her sharp collarbones, the tip of one finger stroking teasingly over that pulsing need- not enough pressure, not enough relief. The awe in her throat bursts out in a rough exhale, eyes lifting to tangle in the other woman’s gaze as she lets a lopsided grin spread over her lips. She melts in Ofelia’s hands until she’s soft and shivering, silently pleading for a remedy to her ache as she wiggles her hips.
“I’m sorry,” Ofelia breathes against the shell of Mav’s ear, continuing her torturous rhythm. “I couldn’t wait,”
Mav laughs breathlessly, hands tight on Ofelia’s shoulders, before she finds her towel and loosens it until it spills down her body. “Me either,”
Initiative is like a push and pull- a dance they each take the lead on. Surrendering to the tiefling is sweet, following her prodding until the back of Ofelia’s knees hit the mattress and she’s sinking into it. Giddy smile stuck on her face, afraid it’ll become permanent, she reclines until her head hits the pillow. She watches Mav straddle her hips with barely restrained enthusiasm, eyes fluttering shut as the tip of her tail grazes Ofelia’s inner thigh.
“Love you,” Ofelia chokes out around a sigh, mouth hanging open at the feather-light touches that drag between her legs. Never quite reaching their mark.
“Will you say it again?” Mav asks innocently, beckoning Ofelia from the haze she had been sinking into as she blinks her eyes open. A few locks of hair fall loose from their careful updo, framing her face in an aura of soft pink. The smattering of freckles that kiss her nose and dust her cheeks makes Ofelia’s heart skip a beat, and she reaches up to cradle the tiefling’s cheek in one hand and pull her closer with the other.
“I love you,” Ofelia murmurs, tracing her full lips and cheekbones, determined to commit them to memory. “I love you, Mavka.”
Locks of sakura hair tickle Ofelia’s face, shielding them like a curtain from the outside world. She can’t help but get lost in those glittering, jewel-toned irises, swirling with emotion that sits like an anvil over Ofelia’s throat. Love… It rings with an undeniable honesty when she says it- feels at home on her tongue. Ofelia loves Mav’s smile, her soft voice, her careful affection, her pretty horns that sit like a crown on her head… Never in her life has she ever felt so hopelessly in love- likening it to worship as she imparts that feeling against her lover’s lips.
If she had ever felt like she had something to die for, to live for, to sacrifice it all for- then it’s the tiefling in her arms. Every touch holy, every whisper devout. Ofelia anchors her hands to Mav’s hips and rolls the two of them over, rising to part her thighs before she sinks into the mattress between them.
It’s almost unfair, how beautiful she is… Blood rushes to the surface, draped like claret satin over her full breasts and neck, hair fanned out across the pillow. Ofelia’s eyes trail over every inch she means to follow with her lips, heart throbbing in her chest, and she aches. The flushed peaks of her nipples, stiff in the cool air… the seductive curve of her wide hips, held fondly between Ofelia’s hands… Every inch of her is nothing short of exquisite, begging the question of how the bard ended up so lucky in the first place…
“I’ll do anything you ask of me,” Ofelia whispers, the words slowly filling the spaces between them. “I can’t imagine ever going home… I can’t imagine ever being away from you…” Her thumbs caress Mav’s skin in slow circles, tender as the commitment on her lips. “I want to be yours, forever.”
Whether overwhelmed by its sincerity or awed by it, a quiet whimper shudders out of Mav’s mouth in light of Ofelia’s honesty. It feels… right. Has felt right since that night they first kissed in the woods, fingers intwined as their mouths said everything for them- both too timid to realize at the time how utterly entangled they’d become.
Ofelia mirrors that first taste as their hands find each other, and as she leans down, she serves not only the ravenous yearning inside her, but the relief she’s been withholding since she had Mav’s leg wrapped around her hips.
“Gods,”
Ofelia’s heard all manner of music over the years, but nothing has ever come close to how sweet Mav’s moan is against her ears. Both thighs cushioning Ofelia’s head, the flat of her tongue runs up the slick seam of her- tasting and indulging on a river of want. She’s tart like the popsicles they’d enjoyed in the late summer heat, soft as the petals of a flower, wet with morning dew. Ofelia rolls her tongue around that stiff bundle of nerves, well past their point of arousal, playing sound after sound from her lover’s lips as she chases satiation by rubbing her legs together.
It isn’t enough…
But it’ll have to be- the only thing on her mind being how she can best wind Mav to her breaking point before she shatters.
“Ofelia,” the tiefling whispers, eyes shut tight as the bard applies her talented tongue and wrings another cry from those soft lips. Grin pressed eagerly into the crease of Mav’s thigh, ghost of her touch replacing her mouth as her lips suck violet bruises into the pale flesh; she delights in that wickedness. The hitch of breath, the disappointed whine, the hand that now rests over her head as the grip on Ofelia’s hair tightens and loosens in time with each feather-light stroke.
Desire kindled by every muted noise and shiver, she dives back in with passionate demand, eager to sate her appetite. Lips coaxing the ache she herself perpetuated, Ofelia’s tongue works in tandem with her deft fingers- circling that tight heat she longs to sink into as she shuts her eyes and lets her instinct and Mav’s fluttering prompting guide her.
Slipping in to the first knuckle, they both echo each other- Mav on a frantic keen, Ofelia in a content hum. Pleased to knead such potent bliss from the flick of her tongue and the caress of her fingers, Mav’s slick heat compels her deeper- desperate to mount to something as Ofelia laves without mercy. Granting her lover’s wish, she works another digit in, both engulfed with ease as honey pools between each knuckle and tastes just as sweet when her tongue sweeps over each valley to catch it.
Louder than any affirmation she could utter, her body paints a clear enough picture. How she rolls her hips against Ofelia’s mouth, how her fingernails scrape against Ofelia’s scalp… Lewd are the sounds of their joining, swallowing Ofelia in sensation and lust so hot, it flashes across her skin with impatience- but she can’t give in. Is burning as her rhythm builds to passionate thrusts, she maintains on Mav’s encouraging whimpers and clenching muscles.
“You’re so beautiful,” Ofelia murmurs, lips pressed against swollen flesh, lazy smile stretching them wide. She catches mulberry irises, drowned in twin pools of ink, heavily lidded and foggy with satisfaction. Uncertain if she’d even registered the compliment, the tiefling’s mouth mirrors her own, tide pulling her further and further from conscious coherence.
It seems that once again, though with less fatal ramifications, she had forgotten about Mav’s tail.
“Mmph!” Ofelia rasps against slick flesh, flinching at the jolt of pleasure that shoots up her spine. The gentlest stroke over her sex, rubbing against her own arousal, Ofelia whimpers and halts her movements for the split second it takes to register what’s happening before the heat that had fueled only a low flame before erupts like wildfire.
White hot, winding between her hips, Ofelia moans as each delicious ridge drags through her folds as the tip winds around her thigh. Propelled by her subconscious desire for relief, she rolls her hips against the contact as her fingers pick up their pace and wring louder sobs from Mav’s lips.
A push here, a careful suction of her lips there, and that edge dances closer as shivering thighs flex around her ears.
Upon delicate urging, Ofelia seeks Mav’s tadpole as she shuts her eyes and reaches out. It’s there- a pink ribbon in the dark- and she tethers herself to it as a stream of sensation and thought floods her mind. At first, it’s almost too much- trying to find a foothold as the phantom feeling of being filled leaves her dizzy. With as much control as she can wrest from their linked consciousness, Ofelia lets a single trembling word float between them.
Together?
Blinding is the concession as it blooms behind Ofelia’s eyelids, spreading through every inch of her like a powerful tide. Words are useless, not when everything blends- the line that separates them blurring until they’re hardly distinguishable from one another.
Fingers dig into taut flesh, arm wrapped tight around one thigh as she continues her ceaseless rhythm- the echoes coiling low in her own body as her anguished whimpers muted as she drags Mav closer with her tongue. The band stretches tight- cognizance flickering and dulling with every stroke. Eyes fluttering open once more, locked in their mutual suspension before tumbling over, she can feel every unspoken word flow over her skin and sink eager claws in.
Please… more… I love you…
With one final hook of her fingers and the gentlest hint of suction, Ofelia’s hips stutter in their rocking- caught, squeezed to the point of breathlessness, shivering as they both fall together. Mav’s shattering is breathtaking… Coursing through their minds, it sweeps Ofelia away on the current as she submerges into that mindlessness. Her head empties of anything but the sensation of her love, tangled together in their collective bliss as vision and hearing lapse in awareness.
Dizziness floats between her ears as they softly disconnect, chests heaving for air as oxygen pushes wildly for purchase. Ofelia presses her lips into the creamy expanse of skin her arm is clutching possessively, shaking breath hot as Mav’s fingers cup Ofelia’s cheek and tilt her face up so their gazes can meet.
Wrecked with euphoria as it clings to her cheeks and flashes over her lips, Ofelia smiles back. Overwhelming elation chimes through her ribs as her heart throbs in reply, beckoned forward on that look alone as she crawls up Mav’s body.
Caging in Mav’s head with her shaking arms, the tiefling’s legs wrap around her hips and cradle the two of them closer. Skin upon skin, breaths mingling in the space between them… Ofelia drinks in the silky sheen of sweat clinging to Mav’s forehead and cheeks, the scent of her skin mixing with the floral notes of the soap. Gazing up at her through a curtain of thick lashes, Ofelia bends down and claims her lips with a tenderness that seems to put the rest of the world on pause.
It’s careful and determined, framing the taste of her lips in quiet affirmations and intentional yearning. Even after they’ve crossed this bridge they’ve been waiting on either side of, hesitant to make the first move, even now after they’ve crossed it… It feels like she’ll never get enough. Though they’re pressed so tightly it’s hard to find a part of them that’s not touching, Ofelia longs for more- wants to kiss her until she’s satisfied, though a part of her knows that she’ll remain eternally starved.
“I meant everything I said before,” Ofelia says when she finally pulls away, fingers brushing errant locks off Mav’s cheeks as the tiefling gazes up at her. “I… want to stay. I know I said before that I’d like to find a way home. But I think I’ve found it,”
“But what about everything you’ve told me? Your old friends? College?” Mav asks, timid voice, careful and fluttering with uncertainty. Ofelia can tell she’s hesitant to accept such a declaration, but Ofelia is certain- hasn’t been more confident of a choice ever before.
“I was trying to find my place in the world when I was taken- but I was still fumbling. I was just going through the motions, trying to find something that worked. I’d get up, learn, work, and go to sleep. Over and over… it was a damned cycle.” Ofelia speaks in a hushed whisper, tracing Mav’s jaw over and over with her index finger. “Being abducted was terrifying, and I was afraid that I’d never see Earth again… but after meeting you and getting to know you and… falling for you,” she smiles. “It’s just a past chapter. It’s colorless and distant. Our friends… us… I couldn’t go back even if I wanted to. Everything I love is here,”
Mav’s palm cups Ofelia’s cheek, eyes wet with unshed tears, and in those twin pools she finds everything she’d been searching for and everything she’d never found. Love? Concern? Beauty? Meaning? It’s all lingering like drifting petals over the surface of that reflective pond, dancing in Mav’s eyes like a sky full of stars. Trapped beneath an eternal twilight in these cursed lands, Mav shines brighter than the moon- the only light Ofelia’s ever needed.
Mav’s arms wrap around Ofelia’s neck and tuck them tightly together, lips pressing words into the bard’s neck like they’re vows. Ofelia follows along, each one more reverent than the last- accepting the careful caress of her lover’s hands running up and down her back.
“I won’t lie, I was afraid you would go… eventually…” Mav whispers, and Ofelia tightens their embrace. “I don’t want to face whatever comes next alone… I don’t want to win and see you go… I want you all to myself.”
Ofelia laughs quietly- the kind that catches in your throat. With another promise bidden on a kiss to her love’s dusty pink cheek, she pulls away and grins. “I’m pretty sure I can make that a reality.”
It’s something to behold, when joy unfolds over someone’s face completely. Not just in the curve of her full lips, but in the crinkle at the corner of Mav’s eyes and the pinch of her nose. It feels like a throbbing pinch in Ofelia’s chest- her insatiable desire to make her do it again and again possessing every limb.
They rest in a tangle of limbs, lapsing in and out of consciousness as the day slips by. Ofelia can tell, when she wakes to fetch some water hours later, that rest is just what Mav needed as the beautiful tiefling curls up beneath the covers. She stands in the threshold of the bathroom, sipping on her water before setting the glass down on the small dresser beside the door. She tosses on the nightdress she’d packed before she eyes the lute she’d brought along.
The echoes of her earlier attempt at writing a song float back into her ears as she carefully pulls the instrument into her arms. Walking quietly over to the small velvet chaise on the opposite side of the room, she perches on its edge and clears her throat. Words dance behind her closed eyelids- a reminder, a vow- filling the gaps she before didn’t know how to. They flow like leaves scattered over a river throughout her mind, fingertips itching to pluck out the melody as the memory of last night wrests control and she begins to strum as softly as she can.
“Time slips by, beneath my feet,
My love, a distant memory.
Hopes and dreams, are lost it seems,
Better left, to pointless reverie…
I thought storm clouds, were all I’d know,
Until your sunlight hit my eyes…
A gentle kiss, pulled from that abyss,
And showed me clear, bright skies.”
Mav begins to stir at the sound, faint though it is, and as her lashes flutter open, Ofelia locks their gazes while the tiefling listens to her continue on the lyrics that she’d sang the night before, beneath crimson leaves.
“Tart and sweet, you’re all I need,
The way it’s meant to be.
On dull grey waters, I’ll look for you,
And pull you out to sea…
Drift in my love, don’t let the tide,
Strand you on the shore…
Come float with me, beneath the waves,
Now and forevermore…
Now and, forevermore…”
Mav pulls back the covers and sits up, candlelight embracing each curve in its golden glow. Ofelia smiles- gaze lost in her beauty- as the tiefling walks over and sits beside her, knee propped up to support her arm as her chin rests daintily on it.
“That was pretty. Is it something you learned before?” Her appreciative eyes track over Ofelia’s fingers, and the human lifts her hand to caress Mav’s pink locks.
“Actually… I wrote it. For someone special,” She watches as realization unfolds over Mav’s soft features, and returns to strumming; the melody filling the space between them. Soft and tender, it still reflects a lingering melancholy- afraid that they may not make it out on the other side of this, that whatever wants to steal Mav away will never let go… But despite all their hardships and struggles, a certain optimism lingers beneath the surface of those waves.
When Mav pulls her into a kiss, it all makes sense.
People always say that you should never rely on love- that there’s more to building the future than romance and desire. But to two people who have nothing?
I don't even have the words to tell you how much this means to me. I shall write a live reading review of your wonderful gift later, but for now, suffice it to say that this is literally the best thing I've read in my whole entire life. Thank you. For this. For everything. For being my ray of spring sunshine. I love you.
I wrote a little series of oneshots from @optimisticgrey’s Cozy December prompts. You can find them over on AO3 if you’d like to give them a read. They are all simply holiday fluff and I hope you like them!
Thank you for the prompts, Hanna! This was so much fun!! 🥰❤️
