Verse Dune - Tumblr Posts
@forgesdestiny asked: i belong to no one, but my heart belongs to you. feyd to holly
Who knew a man so deeply steeped in blood and violence could say such things to a girl like her. A failed mentat, yet her fathers personal advisor. The Harkonnen's were always prideful, but to escape the fate of being food for pets was a surprise to her, even if she didn't understand that she wouldn't have been in the first place.
Sapho stained lips spread in a wide smile, hands finding purchase on his forearms as he holds her close. An outcome she had not seen, the ruthless Feyd-Rautha, holding her so close he'd be scared to lose her. And yet, here they were.
" I think I'm glad I failed my training, for once. " It had been a heartbreak for her, as if she had just lost someone so close, to fail it. Too kind hearted, not serious enough, they had all said. She just couldn't kill that part of herself. But once she realized what it had been for, it had felt as if the burden of all that weight she had carried were carried off by ornithopter.
" For if I had succeeded, we would not be here. And my heart would not be yours. "
@forgesdestiny asked: they took what is ours. and we do not allow these crimes to go unpunished. paul to holly
He was chased out a boy and returned a man. What had happened to him in the desert, she will never even begin to pretend to understand it. They took his father, his home, his legacy. Everyone thought he was dead, left out among the sand only to be swallowed up by the Shai-Hulud. He was thrown to the wolves and returned leader of the pack.
" I will not stand in your way, my lord. " Holly had thought she was next after he was dragged out of the mansion, only to be spared by the Harkonnens solely by the fact that her father and her had been loyal to them during their previous reign. However, Feyd-Rautha was a much crueler ruler than Glossu Rabban, and she felt as though any move could have been her last.
The half mentat goes as far to even step out of the way for him, hands clasped behind her back. She inhales deeply the scent of the desert, the Spice, sickly sweet. And the spice in the air compliments the taste of Sapho on her tongue, it's surely a memory she wont yet forget, helping Paul Atreides reclaim his rightful place.
" Though I do hope you are ready to put up a fight. "
@forgesdestiny asked: i see all of you. and there is not one part that i do not love with everything i am. paul to holly
Tears threaten to pour over the brim of her eyes. There's a shake of her hands as if she 'd get rid of this feeling through them- though there's doubt in that. Holly takes a step back from him and presses a palm to her lips only to shake her head. A response couldn't come fast enough, couldn't save her from the awkwardness that is her processing his words.
" No. " She says, through a sniffle, hands resting on her hips now as she looks at the ground. " For you to love a failure would be humiliating for you, my Lord. The daughter of a spice farmer, at that. A failed Mentat, a Sapho addict, not nobility... " It's as if Holly didn't have anything else to say other than pointing out her flaws. Maybe if she were able to rewire her personality, KILL that part of her, she'd have broken his heart. Well, then again maybe if she had been successfull, she wouldn't be here. Maybe she would be at the hand of the Emperor instead of her father, on Arrakis.
@s-unfleur asked: i can't be the only thing that gets you through the day. / chani + holly from here
Sapho stained lips twitch upwards, eyes flickering white for just a moment. As if she had to calculate it. Everything was calculated for Holly. It was in her nature, having been trained to be the one thing she could not become from a very young age. And even where she failed, her father still saw potential in the girl.
Maybe there was one or two other things, the Sapho juice is really what got her through the mind numbing meetings, the dullness, the monotony of it all... though the thought of Chani still did wonders for her. Fuck Paul, fuck Duncan, fuck Gurney and her father and Stilgar and every other person she knew on this god forsaken planet. And fuck the Sapho. It was Chani.
" No, I think you are, my love. "
@s-unfleur asked: what we have is complicated, but it's good and real. / holly + chani from here
Hands are folded together, lips pulled into a tight line as she thinks, all color in her eyes disappearing. Holly isn't calculating this time, no she's just thinking. About the situation they're in, about the sietch, about Arrakis... it's all complicated, and how their relationship is going to last, she's not sure. Surely Holly would be kicked out permanently of the government mansion for this... her father wouldn't be happy, but she would be.
" It is. But I've never been happier. I've come to terms with the most likely outcome of my own situation... and I'm not upset about it one bit. Not as long as you're there. "
@s-unfleur asked: i used to feel very alone. i was scared i'd always feel that way. / holly + chani from here
Hands grasp at Chani's, red stained lips spreading up into a wide smile. The grip she has is akin to a vice, TERRIFIED that if she were to let go, she'd lose her Fremen lover. She is, after all, a soldier. Holly was not meant for this, she was meant for meetings and political stances. A human computer at best, though Chani saw right through that.
" I did too... but I'm here. We have each other now, there's no need to be scared any more. "
@s-unfleur asked: are you going to be okay? / holly + paul from here
Chest rises, eyes fidning anything other than his eyes, or the prying eyes from the other side of the sietch. Holly gets it, it's extremely rare they ever have any outsiders here. Have there ever been any at all ?? Perhaps Duncan Idaho, he had been the only one in who knows how long. She doesn't particularly care to think about any of it at all.
The past twenty-four hours had been hard on all of them... Holly hadn't thought that the Harkonnens would drive them out of their home. A calculation she did not account for. God, she's so stupid for not even seeing it. Had she of, maybe she could have said something, maybe Leto would still be alive and they'd all be at the mansion and they could have defended themselves and-
" Yes, I'll be okay. Thank you, m'Lord. "
the fact that holly sides with the atreides and dalton sides with the harkonnens makes me sad
Dune verse
Holly & Dalton. heavily affiliated verse with s-unfleur
It is unclear what her childhood was like, an absent mother and a father too obsessed with making a name of himself for generations to come can only spell out disaster. It wasn’t great, Holly doesn’t speak of it often.
Though she showed signs of great intelligence as a child, faster at mathematics than the next child and remembers things as if she had just been told not even a moment ago. Her father had sent her off to train and hone her skills, to become a mentat better than the known universe had seen. She did very well for herself, she was able to expand the capacity of her memory and accelerate the speed at which she calculates. Useful, is what she finally was. Maybe now her father would put her first instead of the Solari’s he’s been eyeing.
Holly had been doing so well, but when it came to rewiring her personality, that’s where she failed. Something so minuscule in the grand scheme of it all, she could not cultivate the naïve mind. Her training had to be cut short and she was sent home at the age of fourteen, just one year before she was due to finish her schooling.
She found her new home on Arrakis, where her father, Dalton, worked under the Harkonnen rule, running spice production. He ran a tight ship, though the man had never been on a spice crawler. He had never known dirt under his nails or dehydration so strong.
Upon arrival she had thought that he would be furious, disown her, send her out into the desert never to be seen again… and yet, none of that had came. Instead he had welcomed her home with open arms and a warm smile on his face. And every chance he gets, he brags about her, to everyone and anyone willing to listen. He had been advised to take on a real mentat, but the man refuses, his daughter is just fine.
Under the Harkonnen rule, Dalton makes a lot of money. Enough that Holly is taken care of, treated right… or so he thinks. Under the Harkonnen rule… well, that’s another thing she doesn’t speak about. Its horror after horror, and her father is none the wiser. All he sees is Solari’s.
Eventually the Harkonnens are forced to give over Arrakis to the Atreides. Leto had proved to be a kinder ruler than Rabban had been. Under his shirt lived rule, Holly had found hope for a better life and future. Holly hadn’t hated everything for once. Though she still felt useless, she didn’t feel as awful. The girl could finally breathe again.
Makes me sad to think about how alone holly feels in her dune verse. failed to become a mentat, she technically isn’t one, the harkonnens see her as nothing but an object, the atreides, although nice people, are royalty and she feels out of place, and the fremen… they’re the fremen. Regardless of her ship in the verse, she just does not feel at home anywhere.
@s-unfleur asked: being admired and being loved aren't the same thing. / holly + leto from here
Eyes flicker white, expression turning into that of a quizzical look. Translucent pupils fixate on the vase sitting out of place on the small table pressed up against the wall. Truly it did not belong there, but that's not why she had singled it out. Eye contact had been too painful the moment she realized that what her father felt for her had not been love. It had been exactly that, admiration of an object to be shown off. She can't imagine why.
Eyes return to normal as she finds her gaze falling upon the Duke. Head tilts to the side a moment, hands clasped in front of her waist. No, they're not here to talk about the mentat girl.
" I suppose you're right, my Lord. Do you find that happening often, with the people surrounding you ?? "
@s-unfleur asked: “You are no one’s property!” / holly + leto from here
Chest rises, expression softens. Her eyes turn in such a way that it's as if she's about to cry. Sure, her training required her to get rid of those emotions, to be able to give advice and guidance without prejudice and the thought of preconceived notions... but she failed it. That is the reason she failed to become what she had so desperately studied and trained for, for the first fifteen years of her life. And even though she had failed, a part of her still tries to push down those emotions, even if there was no need to anymore. A part of her clings so desperately to it.
The Harkonnens sure did a good job of making her feel as much. Like she wasn't a person at all- Glossu Rabban ESPECIALLY made her feel like nothing more than an object. He was an angry, small man and it showed in the way he treated people.
An exhale, through her nose. Holly stutters over the words leaving red and black stained lips. The very thought of finally being able to think and do for herself was not registering in her own brain. She cannot even fathom freedom at the moment.
" S-so, you won't be wanting to see me then ?? "
@s-unfleur asked: "I always want to look at you." / holly + leto from here
Fingers deftly find the thin fabric, pulling the iridescent gown over her head. Blonde hair tousled in the act, or was it his fingers wrapped around tendrils only minutes before ?? Smile tugs at lips, finding herself before the vanity so delicately decorated. Hand reaches for the brush that sat neatly in its place.
" That has gotten you into trouble on more than one occasion, I'm sure, my Lord. "
@s-unfleur asked: “You are so lovely.” / holly + leto from here
She never had this. Only the cruel hand of a worse master, and surely hearing damage came of it as well. It's a stark difference, night and day, even though he's told her to be free, be her own person, she still clung to the man as if she had no other option. Being his made her freedom taste sweeter.
" You're just sayin' that. "
Of course he's saying it. And she knows that he means it. The words sound so good on his tongue, his voice decorating every nuance and syllable of the compliment. She doesn't believe him, not really, but it'd be nice to hear again, and again, and again, even if it was a lie, because she never had this.
@profecier asked: we never talk about that night. + holly from here
The blue in her eyes disappear. Calculating, thinking, searching the databanks of her mind for any memory she had left of that night. It's not like she had forgotten them, though, she had wanted to. Every second of every moment of those hours were ingrained into memory. It was a blessing and a curse to have formal training of the mentat kind. In this case it proved a curse.
Though her eyes return to normal, she still does not look at Paul. Bad manners in the presence of a Duke ?? Perhaps. Though quite honestly at the moment she could not care any less. Its unlike her.
" Perhaps, my Lord- " She says, hands idly shoving objects into the Fremen made pack that Stilgar had offered her. No, she wasn't leaving... Holly had just needed a distraction from the things she had wished to forget. " There is a reason for that. "
@s-unfleur asked: "What I love, I want to control it." / holly + not-batista from here
Fear is the first emotion she feels. Likely it will be the only emotion she feels for now- it has been since he's taken control of the spice production on Arrakis. He has proven to be a very ruthless man, and from the moment he saw her, it seems as if he has made it his personal mission to make her life hell.
She swallows down the lump in her throat, heart beating so fast it felt like she might have a fucking heart attack. Those words wouldn't be the first lie he's told her, and surely not the last either. Were Holly not so frightened, maybe she'd laugh at them.
" But you don't love me, my Lord. "
@s-unfleur asked: “It’s a wonder you’re still alive.” / holly + stilgar from here
Throat dry, and she still manages to swallow. The living conditions were worse here than in the mansion. There she had never wanted for water. There she had no reason to fear the 'savage Fremen' that lived in the desert. There she was 'safe'. And yet, she'd rather be here in sietch Tabr, half dead. At least here she had a fighting chance. In all honesty, Holly is surprised her body wasn't fed to Feyd-Rautha's pets or killed by the hands of Vladimir himself. It really is a wonder she is still alive.
There's a wheeze, wincing at the inhale her body had forced. Her back had been turned towards the Naib, thumb idly grazing over the water ring he had so graciously given over to her just a few days prior. Maybe as a distraction, maybe as a gift, she surely didn't know.
Blue eyes find him over her shoulder, skin still purple and brown from where Glossu had decided to leave his mark. Another wheeze, another wince. The cool rock beneath her felt great on her feet, though. Maybe she should press her skin to it.
" I'm just as surprised as you are. Statistically speaking, I should be dead. "
@profecier asked: is this safe? are you safe? + karcis from here
Chest rises, hands rake across the giants face with a loud inhale. A sniff, as if he's smelling the air... but it's an exaggeration. What is safe anymore ?? Maybe he had felt it once long ago, before the young Lord was born, but he doesn't remember much of what it felt like. Had Paul ever felt safe ?? He's sure he had, at some point in time. Up until recently, there was no cause for concern for him...
" Yes, this is safe, we're fine. " A blatant lie. In all honesty, Karcis had no fucking clue. What is safe anymore ?? It wasn't Arrakis, that's for certain.
" I'd suggest we move away from here, my Lord. " Just a precaution.
Sighs leave lips with every press of his to pale skin. With every nip and suckle he makes on her delicate flesh. Were their presence not needed momentarily, she'd have him strip her once more right where she stood. Fingers gave up the brush long ago, now digging into his forearm gently, hanging on to the moment. The good thing about an eidetic memory is that she won't forget about it. Mentat training is a blessing and a curse.
Lips leave her neck, hands leave her waist and she's lulling her head back against his shoulder before he raises the brush to blonde hair. It's relaxing- never has she had her hair brushed by someone else before. Never had she been treated like a human before. Eyes close, an obvious sign of feeling safe enough to not be on edge around the man.
" I hadn't. I don't know what you're talking about. " The tone of her voice implies a joke- she isn't usually good at those.
his arms are wrapped around her in an instant, body pressed to her back as lips press against her temple. brown eyes meet blue in the mirror as he takes the brush from her small hand. arm lingers around her: protective, territorial, & loving all tied into one neat package. they have no other worries in the world so long as they're hidden away in holly's private chambers, & perhaps that's why the duke is as bold as he is. with no need to hide from prying eyes, no need to maintain secrets from the woman he still shares a bed with.
lips work their way down her exposed neck, teeth suckling a bruise onto the pale skin he finds: only for them to know about, & it'll drive him crazy until it fades. then finally his arms release her, as much as he doesn't want to. he runs the brush through blonde hair as if he's done this a hundred times before. soft & gentle, never pulling too hard when the brush snags on tangles. ❛ hm, i thought you hadn't heard anything. ❜ glances at her once more in the reflection, but the twitch of a smile on his lips is unmistakable.
@s-unfleur asked: we don't know each other well, but i'm here for you. / holly + stilgar from here
Those words feel like a punch to the gut. Why ?? He's offering his presence, his words of wisdom as sietch Tabr Naib, and maybe even as a friend... maybe it's because Holly felt like she knew the whole of him within those two seconds that she first laid eyes on him a few months ago. She doesn't have prescience, but Holly hadn't completely ruled out the possibility of them becoming lovers. It's still on the table even now... though then she felt as if they already were.
Holly hadn't ever felt like that. She only paid attention to it because it was a new feeling, a curious one. Her eyes had filled white upon laying them on him- and on his way out he had stopped for a moment to have a look himself. Maybe that's why it hurt... did he not feel it too ?? Was this one sided ??
" Thank you. Your presence is most appreciated as I heal and mend- " His presence is most appreciated regardless of what she had been doing. She only hopes to be able to call him a friend and something more in the future.