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.

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.

"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?"

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 | 

"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.

"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.

❝   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. 

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.

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... 

"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.

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…

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."

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.

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.

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? ”

perhaps   that,   too,   was   nothing   more   than   exhaustion.   she   had   been   too   tired   even   to   change   her   clothes,   or   to   take   the   longed-for   shower...   to   wash   away   the   lingering   trace   of   hands,   of   perfume,   the   sent   of   worn   leather   she   still   seemed   to   carry.   as   if   to   cast   it   off,   she   drew   in   a   deep   breath,   filling   her   lungs   instead   with   faust’s   scent   instead   —   grounding,   calming…   another   quiet   oddity.