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In the moments that it took the new emperor to slide his sword out from the corpse of his brother, Tanju came to the only possible decision. He threw himself onto the ground and prostrated himself—knees, elbows, forehead all desperately kissing the cool marble—even as he cried into it, "Long live the emperor!"
Ardashir's boots came into view first, then the tip of his sword, held loosely at his side, dripping a trail of blood behind him. When he stopped walking, the drips began to gather into a pool. "You wish me to live long?"
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In the aftermath of a bloody coup, the emperor's consort finds himself desperate to stay alive. His body and his magic are all he has to offer, for the one who possesses these will also possess the throne.
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Tobias had always known he'd marry without the luxury of doing it for love; he just hadn't realized how hard it could be.
Nor that, upon his partner's death, he'd be expected to grit his teeth and do it all over again.
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Why one small American town won’t stop stoning its residents to death by Charlotte_Stant for sophiahelix
Fandoms: The Lottery - Shirley Jackson, The New Yorker RPF
24 Dec 2025
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The picturesque village of Buell, Maine is one of the last in the United States to continue the tradition of the “harvest” or “prosperity” lottery. Its residents insist the lottery makes them stronger, even as condemnation from outsiders grows.
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His sweet niece looked up at Jake. “Is that why you went to prison?”
“No, dear. Your uncle got mixed up with some bad men who stole all his toys and ratted him out to even worse men, also known as the police. And then your uncle enjoyed state-sponsored meals for four years, ratted out more of his friends who stole his toys, got out, got a new name and started selling houses to stupid rich people.”
Linnea frowned at him. “I made a prison from my blanket for my teddies the other night. Then I went to sleep.”
Jake smiled at her. “Good for you, squint. I slept with a shank for four years. No teddies.”
“Why didn’t that boy want to play with me?” she insisted.
“Trust me, there will be other boys to play with.” Jake looked around the park. If she made a friend with some kid from a particularly fuckable parental unit, he’d allow it.
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Smooth Water All Our Days by 20thcenturyvole for pendrecarc
Fandoms: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
12 Mar 2021
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Laurence desires nothing more than to retire to Tharkay's estate and help Temeraire get to Parliament, for what more could he want than a place in Britain with space enough for a dragon, and the company of a dear friend? But wars rarely end so neatly. Bellicose lords, Bourbon princes, errant heirs and shadowy forces threaten to undermine the very peace that Laurence and Temeraire fought to obtain, and ruin the happiness that Laurence was just beginning to glimpse.