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harringrove-groove · 2 years

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Billy’s love-hate relationship with sex

I wrote it in series of tweets and didn’t bother to edit it yet, but maybe you’ll enjoy it :D it starts out as a headcannon but then actually develops plot :’D enjoy <3

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I like to imagine Billy swings from being very sexual to barely being able to stand being touched completely casually. He always try to act like he’s into it, and maybe one time he overdoes it or maybe Steve’s getting that good at reading him-

because Billy’s ready to go, even to he has to suppress a cringe every time Steve’s’ hands touch new part of his body. but then, Steve just stops. he backs up a little bit and says “I don’t think you want to do it right know” and just kisses him very gently

and Billy’s so grateful- not only for stopping but also not making it a question, not expecting Billy to explain, because he can’t, he have no idea why sometimes sex is all he’d like to do and other times it’s makes him break in cold sweat

and just like this, Steve stops every time he sees The Signs. sometimes Billy actually tells him to continue because he’s great, just pent up and desperate for it. but they never have sex when he has his “cold” episodes. They don’t talk about it, either, really

the first time Steve decides is a thing that needs to be put in words is when it becomes obvious Munson is going to become a permanent fixture in their sex life. bc Eddie’s sweet and really empathetic, but Billy’s great at hiding and his body language gets really confusing

so one time, after he witnesses Billy putting himself on Eddie’s lap even though The Signs are obv for Steve, he puts his foot down and interrupts. Eddie looks immediately anxious and Billy looks pissed of and relieved at the same time. Steve knows he’s embarrassed,

but continuing like that will end up in everyone getting seriously hurt. but his boyfriend liked bluntness so he says “Billy doesn’t always like sex and he has no idea how to say that so he just goes with it” Billy cringes and Eddie immediately pales.

“oh my god, Billy” he gasps, letting Billy off his lap “shit, sorry, I haven’t had any idea, i’m so sorry, did I ever-” Billy interrupts him harshly. “yeah, you didn’t know, bc i didn’t tell you, stop being sorry” and then grumbles, “you didn’t do anything I didn’t-

-want you to. besides, Steve’s always in the guard dog duty” Eddie blinks at them and asks “when now, then?” They end up staying at Eddie’s trailer for whole night. They watch tv with uncle Wayne and pass a joint around them. Wayne smokes too and tells them hilarious-

stories from his time in the Navy. they’re only mildly disturbing and Wayne spends pretty consequential amount of time shitting on people like Billy’s dad, who all had to had inferiority complexes due to being nobodies in the military

when Steve and Billy leave in the morning, Billy’s weirdly quiet. Steve’s about to ask what’s wrong when he says “do you even like Eddie?” and when Steve glances at him, he looks anxious. “what do you mean?” he asks carefully. “I mean do you like him. as a person.

outside sex. do you see us hanging out. without sex” Steve blinks, suddenly feeling extremely quesy. “Billy- you know you’re allowed to just have friends, right?” Billy snorts derisively, and rolls his eyes. “i’m talking about the kind of sexless hanging out we do”

Steve’s fluent enough in Billy speak to realize that by that he means “romantic hanging out” “being in relationship” he supplies. “stop being a fussy” Billy says, kind of frowning, but there is a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “so?” and… steve doesn’t know

“I-” he stammers and Billy’s face stays carefully neutral “to bo honest i don’t know if I can feel romantically about Munson. like, I like him, he’s a good dude, and i like when we hook up with him, but like. I don’t feel any connection” Billy starts looking subtly disappointed-

-but Steve’s not done talking yet, “but!” he exclaims, “you know, if you want to. you could. with Eddie specifically. I mean, I wouldn’t mind. no! even more, if you want it, the. I want it for you! like we can still fuck the three of us, but if you two have feeling during that-

-I wouldn’t mind, of course not! Like, I get it, we basically spend most of the time with Eddie and-” the unexpected sound from the passenger seat. Billy’s crying. “shit, fuck, baby, i’m sorry, it’s not what you want? sorry, should let you spea-”

Billy shuts him up by putting his hand on Steve’s mouth and growls “every time you open your stupid mouth I convince myself i’m still in the coma and my brain is making you up” before Steve can decide whether or nor he should get offended, Billy continues-

“because there is no other reason for you to be able to always say the fucking greatest, most generous thing in a whole world” Billy laughs but it’s the kind of wet laugh that always comes with crying “what the fuck, you’re reacting like I asked for a dog, not to cheat on you”

“it’s not cheating if I give you a go ahead” Steve says, and then adds quickly so Billy can’t argue “besides, you’re handful also outside the bedroom, so I guess the extra pair of helping hands in this department can’t harm things” he shoots Billy dirty look-

-but the other boy still just looks kinda disbelieving. “look, can’t hurt to try, right?” the he gets serious “you have to promise me one thing though, babe” he says and Billy relaxes like yeah, favour, he can do favours and barter for things he wants. “yeah?”

“the second you’re uncomfortable with something, sexual or not, physical or not, you tell me or Munson. and if you feel like he’s not listening to you, you tell me and I fucking ruin his life” Billy’s breath hitches a little, but it’s not time and place, so Steve-

just puts a firm hand and Billy’s thigh and say, more forcefuly this time “this is my only condition, okay? you promise me that and stick to it and i’ll do anything to make sure you guys are doing at least as good as us, okay” he asks, jiggling Billy’s thigh. “okay” says Billy

next time they see Eddie, Billy starts with “Look, Munson, we need to talk” while Eddie exclaims “listen, before we start I have something to talk to you about”. then they both freeze. Billy looks desperately at Steve, while Eddie glances at him with mix of anxious and curious

well, all right. “I swear it’s a good thing we want to talk about it, Billy’s just grumpy he has to talk feeling. but maybe you could start?” Eddie starts looking straight up fascinated, but he still nods and produces- scans of a book? it’s looks like homework

it’s not homework. “okay, so this is a system usually used in more- like complicated sex, but since some of us” he shoots Billy a looks and a smirk “have trouble

expressing themselves” he babbles and then seem to catch himself. “Of course, this is completely valid, to have that trouble under stressors-” he catches Steve’s exasperated look, takes a deep breath and gets to the point. “so, I think safewords”

Billy makes kind of disgruntled noise, like he does every time he thinks Steve coddles him. “come on, Munson, be serious, i’m not some pussy-” “nope” Eddie interrupts him. “you’re a very manly man, who’s bad at communication. that’s a staple of masculinity!

but either way, safewords or we can call them signals, if you prefer- they make everything easier, not just sex. you know, with the explosive temper you both have, they can mean something like «I need a breather, calling a five» without having to say that, or having to guess”

Steve is just hearing about this concept for the first time, but it seems really fucking smart. and useful. being able to back out from a conversation like that is, particularly for Steve, probably more appealing that from sex, but he’s listening nevertheless.

“I like it” Steve says, since Billy is only making faces, and looking like he’s trying to stop himself from saying something unsavory. Billy’s not surprised about it, because Steve loves a good system. Billy prefers spontaneity, but doesn’t feel like he should complain-

-since Eddie’s coming up with all of this because he get all panicky about sex, like he doesn’t fucking love it. but Steve already made him promise to like. talk to them when he’s getting weird, and having dedicated word for this cannot hurt. But he still doesn’t like it

“isn’t it kinda getting the big guns, freak? you’re trying to get me used to all that pervy business, huh? did you at least get a whip, or something” he bitches, his words more clipped than he planned. Eddie looks confused for a moment but then arches his eyebrows,

like he knows Billy’s just fronting, all bark and no bite. “I mean I can find something last minute, I you’re asking so nicely. but maybe we should get the safewords sorted out?” “not red, yellow, green?” Billy asks, because fuck’em it’s not like he’s a prude who’s never

heard of sado-maso. Steve elbowing him perfectly into jugular makes him curl on himself on the tiny picnic blanket they’re sitting on and remember that Steve probably never did heard of it. at least, not of theory, which doesn’t stop him from being perfectly kinky fucker

who could definitely swipe the floor with some guys in Cali who considered themselves very much into scene.

Steve, in fact, never heard pretty much anything about sado-maso except for crude jokes made by guys who definitely hadn’t had a second idea about it either. also, he didn’t really want to learn about it now. “hey! can someone explain these safe words to the innocent?” he said

prompting Billy to groan and Eddie to laugh in his face of Steve’s angel routine. “it’s like streetlights. red, yellow, green. stop, slow down, go. you ask for a color before you do something fucked up to whomever you’re tucking” Billy says, still kinda bitchy

but getting over himself. maybe even squirming a little, like he’s imagining what that fucked up things may be and getting excited about them. Eddie produces a pained sound and corrects “well, not quite- but we won’t be using them like that, so it’s not important right know.

but basically, yeah” Steve frowns. “so what’s wrong about just saying stop, slow down?” he asks, and Eddie gets right back into lecture mode “well, there’s nothing wrong with them, but sometimes they can be rendered useless, you know, like when you plan or saying stop but don’t

actually want fun to end.” Steve opens his mouth but thinks about it, decides he’s not ready to unpack that and let’s Eddie continue. “and that’s while safewords are great and thing whole communities agree on, but they only work” he points at Billy, who actually wasn’t going

to snark right now, who raises his hand defensevly“if everyone involved agree on them, okay?” he points at Steve this time, and he kind of feels like that one time when he was forced to play the nerd game with the little nerds, so he doesn’t say anything and just nod

“okay” Eddie moves on, “so yeah, you can use colors, like Billy said, but I personally prefer when everyone has a personal word to use- something that has no appeal to them and what they usually don’t talk about” he mimics being grossed out. for me, it’s “joghurt”. so like, if

you two are at each other’s throats and I scream “joghurt” that means you need two shut up until I leave the room, because it’s bringing bad memories and I’m going to have a meltdown if I won’t remove himself, okay?” Steve nods, grateful for non-sexual example, while Billy

stiffens up and looks a bit perturbed by that bit of vulnerability, which, that’s not that surprising, not coming from Eddie. he’s definitely most forthcoming with his shit than all the other fucked up people Steve associates himself with. “okay, so there’s a big thing

about safe words: they’re indisputable, under any circumstances, not mater what. if someone says «red» or their word, everything stops, no matter if you are fucking, or fighting or arguing- it just ends and nobody complains about it, ever, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of”

while the beginning of this particular part of his speech Eddie directs at Steve, he ends it with his face inches from Billy’s’ who responds with just a slightly sour grin and a playful tug at Eddie’s vest “that’s a beautiful sermon, Mr. Munson, but can wrap it up already?”

he shoot’s Steve unsure look. “We also have a thing to talk about?” he clearly didn’t want it to come out as a question but Steve likes it, that he’s basically asking for permission. so yeah, Munsons right with his directing - between the two of them, Steve is usually the one

to call the shots and Billy’s the one liquidating and then having internal conflicts about how easy it is for him to just give up. Steve usually intuits the fuck out of their mess and tries not to pry, but it seems like Eddie has completely different philosophy when it comes to

talking. having emotions and dealing with them. which, like, Steve already knew, but it’s weird to see in practice. and also used on his boyfriend. usually, the talks they talk between ending up i. someone’s bed oscillate between small talk and gossip, even if

Billy likes to call it “getting up to date” or “making sure we’re not about to get chased out of the town”. but usually is gossip, plain and simple and the only really relationship-y thing they do is fuck. it’s clearly already changed, because while Billy is flirting

most often than not, usually his flirts are a full frontal attack, overdone and cheesy. today Billy’s hitting that really sweet tone he’s so ashamed of, and they didn’t even get to the part during which Billy and Eddie actually discuss actual relationship.

Eddie actually looks surprised the second talk was still on the menu. So he thought he already covered it, or that it wasn’t that important to them. or maybe, Steve thinks looking at sprawled out, smoking Billy, who does his best to really exude that completely fake

feeling of borderline boredom. so maybe Eddie thinks Billy’s done talking for today. well, he’s certainly not in a mood for other activities yet, still so anxious about what he wants to say. “so what’s next in the agenda, Munson” he asks. steve in turn, is completely relaxed

sending Eddie that lazy, carefree grin, as he lets his eyes wander. that flusters Eddie like usually, which is unexpected for someone bringing their fuck buddies printouts out a book on sado maso, but not unwelcomed. he clears his throat and decides they should

probably think about what they want their safewords to be. Steve says “monster” without giving it a second thought, voice way more gravelly than he intended. Eddie frowns with sympathy but inquires further. “are you sure it won’t come out in a conversation? bc it could get

confusing” “nah, it’s always demodogs, or demogorgon or whatever cute name kids came out for those fuckers” he answers, “pretty sure i only think about them as a monster in my nightmares” he shook himself a little. Billy was quiet during this exchange, not only

not offering his thoughts on the presented topic but also becoming still like a statue. “Billy” Steve nudged him lightly to get his attention back on the conversation. Billy, shivered as if he just get out of a deep water. momentarily he looked like he thought of

something then turned the deep shade of red, one that definitely meant he was really embarrassed. So Steve just ignored that, kicking Eddie in the shin when he opened his mouth. in the end, Billy volunteered “I think I talk about my shit too much” he laughed, still

bit pinkish in the cheeks. “‘think I will stick with red, ‘till I can think about something better”. “sure, sure” Eddie nodded. “so? what was your thing?”

It was so much more awkward to actually talk to Eddie rather than speculate about how that conversation could go, with Steve, i. the safety of night, few drunk beer and a smoked joint. asking Eddie out in the harsh light of the day, while they all sat outside,

just about in the middle of nowhere, it felt wrong. invasive. “you’re only sane person in this goddamned town” he finally spited out. it wasn’t going how he planned, but he preferred to fall back on familiar routine then make a fucking idiot of himself. “don’t let it get to your

head, the bar is like, on the floor” he continued before Eddie managed any response beside his shit-eating grin. he fished massacred pack of marlboros from the pocket of his jeans, and only when he already had a cigarette between his lips, he murmured: “we should go out sometime”

there. statement. no questions. Eddie gaped at him like a fish out of water, his gaze flicking to Steve, who finally decided to be of some use. “don’t look at me, man” he laughed. “this one’s between the two of you and I sweared not to micromanage”. “So everything’s clear?”

Billy asked, completely rhetorically, since he didn’t give Eddie chance to react before crawling over him and kissing his open mouth, one of his hands finding a place in his hair, the other one – on Eddie’s flat stomach. they were kissing only for a moment, before something

gripped his hairs, hard, and yanked with enough force to make him let go of Eddie and get to his knees. Steve was standing over them, picture-perfect vision of politeness, looking almost disinterested, if not for a gleam in his eyes Billy first saw long before he would even dare

to dream of having- this. Billy panted in the general direction of Steve’s crotch, but he only smiled a bit wider and shook Billy by the death grip he had on his hairs. “now, Billy, all this talk about communication, don’t you think you should let Eddie at least state his opinion

“Munson knows I’m a treasure” Billy panted, trying to actually get a look on Eddie’s long body sprawled on the ground, but the task was proven near impossible due to Steve’s hand still forcing him to look up at him. “Uh-huh. Sure, Eddie, you have something to say? Or ask about?”

You could still hear a smile in Eddie’s voice, but he started sounding a bit nervous. “Uh, yeah actually, I think there’s still more talking to do, as sad as I am to let Billy here go”. Billy groaned. His jeans were getting uncomfortably tight, as his dick swollen as Steve and

Eddie talked over him. “And I’d rather not do it in the field” they’ve decided to meet on the neutral ground this time, since possibly groundbreaking discussions and shit. “Yours or mine” Steve asked Eddie directly, not letting go of Billy’s hair in the slightest, ignoring

him still. Billy whined. While he actually preferred to hang out in Eddie’s trailer, Steve’s parents’ house had enormous advantage that was a full ton of place and actually comfortable beds that could fit all three of them without somebody always being at risk of falling of and

smashing his head on a bedside table. Steve just shushed him. “I wasn’t asking you” he said in that flippant tone perfectly matching a rich bastard who’d just walked all over a fucking mess like Billy. He’d keeled over, if not for Steve’s hand, which was starting to feel like

his life-line, his only connection to slowly fading reality. “Jesus Harrington” Eddie’s voice was coming from far away as well. “we can ride to yours, I can’t exactly march him like that in front of neighbors. Or Wayne”. the thought of being lead through a trailer park, or having

to face someone he was seeing almost everyday send a wave of- something through Billy, as well as shiver of weird mix of pleasure and embarrassed, setting his veins on fire and freezing them at the same moment. “fuck, fuck, fuck” he chanted, squirming, not even trying to move

from his position at Steve’s feet. he thought fleetingly, that if they were supposed to talk soon, he probably wouldn’t be much of a help. he would maybe even prefer that – leave talking to Steve. he would know exactly what to tell Eddie to convince him it was a good idea

Billy’s talking never get him too far, except maybe put him in ever bigger trouble.

TBC

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove headcanon #steve harrington #eddie munson #harringrove #mungrove #steddily #billy hargrove needs a hug #he gets fucked silly #and sometimes that’s enough <3 #wip #twitter fic

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fruity-m0nster · 7 months

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Woe, Tara be opon ye

#my art #digital art #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #tara the tressym #woe tara be upon ye #sometimes my shitpost is good enough to post #baldurs gate 3 #bg3 gale

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cutiesigh · 5 days

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❤️🖤🩷

Wuthering Waves has taken over all of my free time recently, so here's a sketch of Scar!Ren I originally shared in da 14DWY Discord!!

#14 days with you #to be tagged later #Sometimes a team is just Sephiroth; some random flower girl; and a dragoon from FFXIV #Like....... Look me in my eyes and tell me that one of Jiyan's abilities isn't just stardiver /silly #Anyways!! Sharing dis on my main only because it's just a sketch and doesn't feel ''official'' enough for da 14DWY blog #If I come back to this piece + retouch/put more effort into it maybe I'll reupload it there instead #But ya!! Any inconsistencies in Scar's outfit is because I was too busy staring at Taoqi <3 #There was also absolutely no rhyme or reason as to why I drew Ren as Scar specifically too—#—Other than the fact that he WOULD rock da onigiri strip (RIP T_T) /ij /silly #Plus I was going to draw [REDACTED] as (WUWA SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!) Geshu but?? Babes I don't think the timeline works out??#I really saw the marks in the same spot and was like “oh!! they're the same person :3” LIKE GIRL NO?? This is what happens when you skip cs #Geshu is still my number 1 next to Taoqi though (in terms of design) <3 I have a type teehee #Mayhaps I will draw [REDACTED] after all...... (It's currently 3pm and I'm nowhere near my tablet)#Also also!! A treat for those who've read this far: Day 3.5 will be made public very soon!! It's pride month n I wanna celebrate—#—With everyone's fave demi/pansexual enby (who sometimes does a bit of stalking) (as a treat) (he's a yandere)#Violet's birthday is also June 10!! Early birthday gift!! Yippeee!!#Ok I'll shuddup now <3

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watercups · 11 days

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style test: wyll & karlach

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #wyll ravengard #karlach cliffgate #my bg3 faves #multiple polycule routes when #its not enough that tav gets to go to hell with the both of them #patch in the polycule dating Please let it be serious #i think so much abt how karlach's actor links charities for donation bc they dont want money through twitch to profit bezos #sometimes i still think about how wyll's actor in one audiobook said this out loud:#I feel his breath on my neck. I think if [redacted] were to bite me like the vampire in the film I would /totally/ sit back and let him.#100

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ot3 · 7 months

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the thing about jojo yaoi is theres a lot of it that's really good but despite it's massive popularity jotakak is not one of them. you can make jotakak good if you're willing to put in a lot of work building your mind palace which is fair because a lot of jojo requires a mind palace to make good. but i'm just not sure why in a world that has so much yaoi on offer you'd spend your mental energy on jotakak

#part 3 is one of the worst jojo parts in general it is so tedious to get through #i will never understand the kakyoin girlies.#well maybe i do he had such a strong introduction that araki then did almost nothing with.#he gets to be a weird freak sometimes but not nearly enough

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starry-bi-sky · 23 days

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tales of the passerine - danny fenton being bruce wayne's first kid

okay okay. so this is like a continuation/elaboration of my oneshot/prompt i wrote about the idea that Danny was the first batkid. We have a lot of aus where he joins the family after the rest of the bats do, right? So hey! Lets shake things up a bit. Danny is the first to be adopted by Bruce Wayne.

Danny's parents and unfortunately Jazz die shortly after the events of TUE -- how so? I was gonna say an ecto-filter explosion, that would call back to the TUE explosion and trauma behind that. But lets do something new! Carbon-monoxide poisoning.

It's not too unexpected for something to break in the Fenton house, especially with the Fenton parents' questionable understanding of proper weapon handling and lab safety. The water heater broke from a stray shot by one of the weapons, and was promptly MacGyver'd incorrectly. Danny went to stay with Tucker for a guys' night, and came back to a dead silent house.

(Danny's neighbors got a very unfortunate shock when he ran to the next house over in hysterics.)

There was a lot of shuffling around with CPS, the police. People had to be called in to handle the equipment in the lab, and the GIW was rumoring to show up in aid to clearing the scene. When Danny heard of that, he immediately went and dismantled the ghost portal to the best of his abilities. He burned the physical blueprints of all his parents' inventions, their blueprints on the ghost portal, and their most dangerous weapons were destroyed beyond recognition. Anything to prevent the GIW from getting their hands on his parents' tech.

It opened up another investigation, but he was not under the list of suspects. He was placed in the care of Vlad Masters, where they then went back to the rebuilt castle mansion in Wisconsin. Danny, terrified of the future that has once passed and may do so again, shuts down in his grief. Inadvertently, he ends up somewhat repressing his ghost half. Something Vlad, who is grieving Madeline but relishing in Jack's demise and his custody of Daniel, is not very happy with.

Vlad's... gone into a bit of a mental health spiral. He's becoming increasingly possessive over Daniel, the final remnants of his friends and a liminal being like him. He doesn't like that Danny's repressing his ghost half -- both out of genuine concern as a ghost, but also because of his desire to control Danny and groom him into the perfect son. If you ever had a phase where you read Dark SBI found family fics, first off; me too bro, and second off; those are the vibes I'm thinking of.

Danny's mentally shut down from grief! And fear. He's dropped into a bad depressive state -- paralyzed with grief and the terror of the inevitable. Clockwork saved his parents because he believes in second chances, but what's the point of that when his family ended up dead anyways? Danny doesn't wanna believe that he's destined to become evil, and he's holding out onto that hope, but it's a thin line, and he feels utterly hopeless and trapped. He hasn't used his powers or ghost form since he trashed the lab, and Vlad has alarms set up to prevent him from trying to escape.

He's also unintentionally cut off Sam and Tucker -- both of whom are so scared and concerned for Danny too, and are trying their damndest to reach out to him. He keeps ignoring their texts. Danny basically haunts Vlad's manor. He goes out to eat if he has to, attends parties Vlad drags him to, and stays in his room all day if he can.

At parties, Vlad doesn't allow Danny to leave his side, or really talk to anyone -- not that Danny wants to. A product of Vlad's increasing possessiveness. Well, he almost doesn't let Danny leave his side. Danny has a habit of slipping off to hide somewhere for the parties whenever he can, and Vlad reluctantly allows it so long as he stays alone.

This becomes an advantage when eventually, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after missing for years, and holds a bright charity ball to celebrate the return. Vlad has been chomping at the bits to get his hands on Wayne Industries, and with the return of its owner there is no better opportunity to wipe out his rival. He goes, and he as normal, brings Daniel with him.

Vlad thinks Wayne will bleed his little heart out for Daniel's poor orphan sob story -- he's a fellow orphan himself, after all. He's not wrong; Wayne's little heart will bleed, just not in the way that benefits him.

Bruce sees Vlad and Danny approaching before they're even close enough to introduce themselves - and like with many of the children he will soon come to care for, it's like someone set a mirror into the past right in front of him.

Danny Fenton's suit is tailor-made for him, and despite the fact that it's his perfect size, the sag in his shoulders, the ducked down head, and the way he hunches into himself all pictures the image of a child in shoes too big for him. There's a far away, glazed over look in his eyes and grief marble-cut into the lines of his face. There's not enough makeup in the world that will hide the dark circles under his eyes.

("My nephew, Daniel Fenton." Vlad's hands are possessive on Danny's shoulders. Bruce immediately notices the way the boy tenses under his touch. "His parents passed recently, and as his godfather I was designated his guardian.") ("I'm so sorry, the loss must've been terrible.") ("Yes, carbon-monoxide poisoning caused it. Daniel was out with friends, when he came home... they had already passed.") (Bruce immediately dislikes that Vlad shared the details of their death unprompted -- he likes it even less when Danny flinches at the reminder and hunches into himself.)

Danny runs off at some point earlier into the charity. At this point, parties are still being held at Wayne Manor (because iirc google search mentioned that was a thing at first before it was changed), so he disappears and hides in one of the empty rooms nearby. It just so happens to be the same room Bruce Wayne hides in when he needs a break from all of the socialization.

Thus begins a long, long process of trust. Bruce can't reveal his hand as being smarter than he looks, but he can be compassionate. Kindness needs no measure of intelligence. He keeps Danny company for as long as he can before he runs the risk of being found.

Rinse and repeat. Vlad insistently wants Wayne Industries, and he'll go to as many Wayne parties as he can to get his hooks into the man. The problem is that Bruce Wayne is never alone, and getting him alone is impossible. Finding him too. It's like the man never stops moving. Always talking to someone, always circling somewhere. He orbits around the room as if he isn't the sun of the Gotham Elite's solar system.

Danny's had such repetitive behavior that Vlad never thinks to believe that Bruce Wayne is disappearing to go talk to him. That "Vlad's" son is even interacting with him at all. Danny never gives him a reason to think so, and neither does Bruce.

Danny doesn't actually acknowledge Bruce until a handful of parties in, where he hands Bruce a small slip of paper he smuggled in that says; "don't trust Vlad". Danny's face stays carefully blank, but he's so tense that his hands are trembling, and he's purposely looking away from him. Bruce plasters a smile onto his face, slips the paper into his pocket, and tells him "okay".

(he's been busy with his own goals with the mafia, but he sets aside time to investigate Vlad Masters. He was holding off. Until now.)

Danny does eventually start speaking to Bruce, he's starting to really like the guy. He's starting to see a little hope, even as Vlad is starting to get more and more agitated with him the more he refuses to use his powers.

He reaches out to Sam and Tucker again, and starts trying to reconnect with them. Vlad has spyware on his phone, and he limits the amount of times he can talk to them. A weird parental control lock of some sort that leaves a time limit on how long he can talk to them for. 30 minutes. Danny doesn't tell them anything about Mr. Wayne.

Danny, slowly, wants out of here, and he's slowly gathering the motivation to do it. Vlad is genuinely scaring him -- and Danny wonders just how truthful the past-future Vlad was when he told him that Danny wanted his ghost half separate. He starts trying to come up with an escape plan.

Vlad has anti-ghost wards everywhere around the mansion, and while they're always on, they boost to full power at sunset. The doors and windows are always locked, all main exits have alarms set on them. The only reason it's not super extensive is because Danny hasn't tried leaving at all yet, so Vlad hasn't had to tighten anything.

At night, Vlad locks the door to his room and puts up an anti-ghost ward around the room. The mansion is on the outside westward side of Madison, more entrenched in rural Wisconsin. The closest town is a four-way stop sign with one house on three corners, and an open bar on the fourth. Not much to go.

He refuses to go to Sam and Tucker; Vlad would look there first. It's too dangerous. Vlad would sound alarm bells and have a manhunt looking for him, Danny can't risk going just anywhere. Too much risk of being found, sold out, or caught. There's really nowhere for him to hide.

Until there is. Bruce is telling Danny about the history of Wayne Manor, and says, as casually as saying the weather; "The manor has dozens of empty rooms, I'm sure Alfred wouldn't mind filling another one if he could." And quietly, hesitantly, Bruce places a careful hand on Danny's shoulder, unrestrictive and gentle; "He wouldn't mind getting one ready for you if you need one."

And there it is. There's his out.

Danny, just as quietly, replies; "I'll keep that in mind."

The ball starts rolling.

Now I've been trying to summarize this au as much as possible for length convenience, but Vlad has been steadily growing more and more controlling. More emotionally manipulative. More agitated at Danny for not using his powers.

He wants Wayne Industries under his thumb but he's been steadily growing more and more concerned with Danny. He's started grabbing him, yanking him around, shaking him; trying to goad him into using his powers. He gets angry when Danny doesn't react, or tells him he doesn't want to use his powers. He hasn't outright attacked him, but he's getting there. This has been happening over the time it takes for Bruce to indirectly offer Danny sanctuary at his home.

It all comes to a head when Vlad stops going to parties at all -- something Danny has to pretend he isn't upset about -- because Vlad doesn't want him around other people anymore. Vlad rarely goes now without him, and only leaves to go to a Wayne function or to handle something at VladCo.

Danny can't wait for Vlad to leave long enough to escape. So he leaves during the night of a big storm. Vlad's locked him in his room, but Danny doesn't bother trying to go for it; he goes to the alarmed window instead. Danny's been repressing his ghost half so long that he can't access his powers immediately anymore -- he can feel it, he knows its there, but he can't quite reach it.

He breaks the lock by hand.

Immediately the alarm goes off through the entire castle, filling the room with red, and he scrambles for the rope the Wisconsin Ghost left for him a few months back. Danny's already out and climbing down the side of the castle before Vlad even reaches his door -- the only good thing about the entire room being ghost-proof is that Vlad can't get in that way.

The rope ends before it reaches the bottom, and he's still twenty feet in the air. It won't kill him if he lands it right. Danny takes his chances, and drops. He breaks his ankle, but he survives.

And he fucking books it to the back garden. He hears Vlad shrieking over the thunder and rain.

I'll save the full experience for a future oneshot, but Danny makes it out into the nearby woods and forcibly experiences what it's like to be in a horror game, trying to hide from the thing that's hunting you. There's only one thing going through his mind; "i'm going to die"

I have this mental image for this scene. Very stereotypical horror imo. Where Danny is hiding behind a tree, with a hand over his mouth, and Vlad is a few feet away from him, glowing ominously red through the trees, trying to search for him.

Danny doesn't get away from this unscathed, but he does get away alive. That's all he could ask for. He gets away by getting his ghost half awakened long enough to transform into Phantom and fly to Gotham.

But he gets to Wayne Manor, he gets to Bruce. Or, at least, Alfred answers the door from his insistent pounding. Danny's just in tears and Alfred gets him in the living room, wrapped in a towel, with ice on his swollen leg before he has to step out and alert Bruce.

Bruce already breaks multiple traffic laws on a nightly basis. And that's just with the sheer existence of the batmobile itself, not including the speeding and military artillery attached. He breaks double the amount trying to speed back to the cave and get out of the suit.

Right off the bat: Bruce will know, at least before Dick enters the picture, about danny's powers. He'll figure out something considering the fact that Danny traveled from Wisconsin to New York in a single night. That'll be a bit of complicated affair, but I've already got something in mind.

Actually it'll probably be very soon after Danny joins the family, because Bruce tries to offer to fight for custody for Danny - the state Danny was in at arrival is clear enough evidence for a trial. But Danny immediately shuts it down, says it's not going to work and then Vlad will know Danny's with him and he won't be safe. He tells him that Vlad cannot know Danny was with Bruce.

Danny's biggest regret was not telling his parents he was a halfa, and while he doesn't want to tell mister wayne (yet), he does tell him about Vlad being one. He needs to know why Danny can't be seen with Bruce. So he tells him, and Danny's current plan is to just hide out from Vlad until he turns 18. That way, he has no more legal jurisdiction over him. After that? He's not sure.

And to wrap this up, since this has already gotten very long and I can make more posts about this au later; I've thought about it, and I'm going to say that Danny does become a vigilante before Dick enters the scene. He goes by, as you probably guessed; Nightingale. "Gale" for short.

#dpxdc #dp x dc #danny fenton is not the ghost king #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc crossover #tales of the passerine au #i dont want to overemphasize how much vlad sucks but also i dont want to downplay it. but also i didn't wanna make this post too long #i didn't emphasize enough on vlad's possessiveness but i wanted to make this post as general enough as possible for the au.#for some more wiggle room in the future if i make more posts about this au.#the consequences for Danny repressing himself was not a concern i was focused on for the post but i am thinking about it and mulling it ove #i'll be blunt my main specific reason for why this occurs shortly after tue is bc it means dani doesn't exist yet and it means i dont have #to include her in the continuation of this au. i love that girl but she's a dead weight. i dont wanna come up with an elaborate reason as #to why she's not in the picture when i can just say 'she never created in the first place' instead. i don't have anything for her to do #I don't want to risk giving her a poor plot line just so that she exists in au.#sometimes i really hate just how long my posts get. i feel like it kills my engagement. but i also don't want to make posts that have #a part 1 and part 2 just because I think it got too long.#i feel kinda bad for having Danny take the spot of 'first partner' from Dick. But that was part of the reason i was inspired to make this a #i've already got the skeleton of a reasoning for danny becoming a vigilante being made in my head.#He can't go by Phantom since that risks drawing Vlad's attention -- a new vigilante showing up in Gotham. a place the visited frequently #who goes by the name Phantom? He'd be on that faster than chickens on meat. and nightingale has familial meaning behind it due to being #part of an ancestral name. it follows robin's theme of using it to honor his parents while still having its own unique enough lore to stand #on its own without feeling like a cheap copy. plus the bonus meta reason that it follows the bird theme. which personally is vital to me #my other alternative to Nightingale is Sparrow. mostly because it has good phonetic structure for a hero name. not too many syllables #a good balance of consonants and vowels. dont want a hero name with too many syllables or unbalanced consonants. or worse; both.#my reasonings is that hero names should be easy for a civ or teammate to yell while still being understood. max amount of syllables before #it threatens to become too wordy is 3. If it goes over 3 it should have a balanced consonant-vowel ratio. Wonder Woman is a good example #some things got cut here that were in the initial oneshot. like danny giving bruce his physical ghost core and showing up bloody.#the first son au

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lovesickeros · 6 months

Text

☆ even the gods bleed [ pt 4 ]

{☆} characters arlecchino, furina, lyney {☆} notes cult au, imposter au, multi-chapter, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings blood {☆} word count 3.7k {☆} previous [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

Fontaine was bathed in darkness, not even the moon daring to illuminate where the common man fears to walk. The streets were bleak and empty save for the constant, rhythmic ticking and clanking of machines marching on endlessly, dauntlessly wading where even the bravest dared not to venture. Not even the sharp click of the Gardes boots followed the occasional hisses of steam as they walked the barren streets.

It was haunting, and it'd been like that for days now. It showed little signs of stalling in the slightest, too. Every inch of Fontaine was practically crawling with Gardemeks– like a swarm of rats skittering about.

Arlecchino had secluded herself in the Hotel Bouffes d'ete for days at this point, waiting– biding her time. Her nails clicked against the wood as she tapped at the table in a stilted rhythm, the subtle click of the clock mixing into the clanking outside, weaving in and out of earshot as the patrols slipped by. She reached forward after a moment of thought, reaching for the white king.

She leaned back against the chaise, tilting her head just enough to catch a glimpse of a patrol of Gardemeks as they vanished behind the rows and rows of buildings. It wasn't enough to keep her attention for long, however, her features twisting in disinterest as she glanced back to the chessboard– and the letter neatly resting beside it. The seal was unmistakable and a sobering sight, demanding her attention– the soft hues of blue etched into the shape of a dragon stared back at her in a way that almost unsettled her.

She had already parsed through it's contents hundreds of times, but she was met with only vague, flowing script that only served to irritate her more then anything– it filled the page top to bottom yet managed to say nothing at all. Her hand reached out again, but instead of reaching for the letter she plucked the black rook from the board, setting it down with a soft click.

Arlecchino had all the time in the world to sit back and observe her prey, but all that time would be useless if she lacked the information to act.

And he was quite tight fisted about it, evidentially. None of her inquiries or attempts to decipher any potential codes in the letter left her empty handed. She could not act without even knowing the reason for his summons– it was almost worded like a personal affair rather then one would expect for a foreign diplomat. In truth, she'd expected a scalding report on her operatives, but it lacked any mention of anything of the sort.

She was no stranger to people masking hostility behind pretty words and compliments, not that it was ever unwarranted per se– the Fatui did not create connections through honesty and genuine kindness. They have strong armed more then their fair share of people into cooperation to the point distrust is all the Fatui are met with outside of Snezhnaya. Every word was meant to conceal the deceit, every action meant to conceal the price later paid.

So she had been..skeptical of the letter, to put it lightly. She doubted the Iudex of all people would offer a hand to the Fatui without a price attached– a trap, perhaps, meant to lure in the most powerful piece left on the board. Her eyes narrowed, reaching for a white rook and moving it to the right.

Or he was hiding something. Something that he simply couldn't risk getting out to anyone, not even the Divine themself. A tempting prize, whatever it was.

..A dangerous prize, too.

She'd considered burning the letter and forgetting it all together– the risk was great, and she couldn't risk getting caught up by whoever else the Iudex may have on his side of the board. But she could hardly pass up the challenge and the prize that he fought so hard to keep from prying eyes and ears. Even her agents came back empty handed each time. She lazily picked up a black rook, sliding the white pawn aside.

"Lyney," Arlecchino drawled, crossing one leg over the other and turning her gaze to the door as it slowly creaked open. The pale visage of Lyney stepped through, though his siblings were noticeably absent. The weariness that weighed down on his shoulders was apparent in the slightest furrow of his brows and the subtle creak of leather as he clenched his fists behind his back. "Father." He choked out, the title dragged out by the sharp inhale and shaky exhale.

He looked out of breath, she noted.

The silence that lingered after the small exchange was punctuated only by the click of another chess piece being moved. She sets aside the black rook, letting it sit among the dozen other pieces that had been wiped off the board. She can see the conviction glinting beneath the fog of exhaustion, but if he would utilize it was another matter all together.

He had seemed to make his choice quickly, at the very least.

"Our contacts and operatives within the Fortress of Meropide have gone silent– all we have is their final confirmed missive.." His voice is confident, but it is rigid as the words spill from his lips. He takes a sharp step forward, unfolding his arms from behind his back and opening his hands– the small, water stained and messily folded note catches her eye, plucking it from his palms with a half hearted interest. "They believe the Duke left the Fortress of Meropide..and that he may be coming to the Court of Fontaine."

Her eyes narrow dangerously, nearly crumpling the thin paper in her hands– yet just as quickly, she collects herself.

But she cannot get rid of the bitter taste on her tongue, lingering as she sets down the note and slides it to the side, her lips pursed into a thin line.

So the Iudex had shown one of his pieces..she tightly grasps a black rook, tipping over the white rook, letting it roll against the board.

If the Duke was involved, things were much more complicated then she expected– he would be a problem, she was certain. She couldn't blame the lamb for fearing the wolf, either. Whether her agents had been killed or captured by the man mattered little. He had his ways, and he was a force that could instill fear in even them.

Which meant the possibility that her operation was already compromised was far too real.

What had the Iudex so concerned he had gone through the trouble of bringing in the Duke and herself? The Fatui was one thing, but to specifically request one of it's Harbingers..

The Prophecy? The thought had her clenching her fist, but..no. If it were to rear it's head now, the Iudex could simply not afford to waste time on his contacts deciphering his nonsensical script– If the prophecy were to be the issue, there time would be limited to mere minutes in the worst of cases. Which meant it was worth biding his time in order to ensure absolute secrecy.

So if not the prophecy, then what?

Her next moves were..limited. She was already walking on eggshells considering her position and the reputations of the Fatui– especially with a Harbinger in the midst. If they caught wind of her operations, they'd weed out her operatives and be on guards for any snakes that lingered in their garden.

She reached for the chessboard again, picking up one of the white rooks from the board with a scowl. The sharp click as she sets down the white rook and sets aside the black pawn draws a shaky inhale from Lyney as she moves another black pawn, the dull click of the pieces drowning out the distant clinking of machines.

..A draw, perhaps.

The pieces were all falling into place– the players of this game were slowly being revealed. Whether she could secure her victory..she was unsure.

She wasn't even sure who her opponent was. Only that the Iudex himself was but another piece in their game.

Arlecchino reached for the board again, yet this time she hesitated. Perhaps she could still swipe the win from beneath them, if she played her cards right.

She would simply have to capture the king– or, if need be, let it end on a draw. Either way, she would not concede. She could not afford to concede. Down to the last piece, she would drag out this match until she was in a position to force their hand into the outcome she desired.

She stood slowly, picking up the king piece and observing it for only the briefest of moments before she set it down on the table, taking measured steps around the table and across the room. She was hunting a much more dangerous quarry today– it would be no simple runaway traitor this time.

"Do you remember the directive?" She inquired coldly, her hand lingering on the door for that long, tense moment. "..Yes, Father." Lyney faltered, taking a hesitant step back and bowing at the waist. "Then do not stray."

All that was left was the silence and click of the door shutting behind her as she disappeared down the hall, her boots clicking harshly against the floorboards. The rest of the agents knew better then to linger in her path as she stepped down into the lobby, adjusting the cuffs of her sleeves. She barely even acknowledged the Fatui agent standing at the ready by the heavyset doors, their gloves hands held out with her cloak held loosely in their palms. She quickly snagged it from them, tugging it over her board shoulders and clasping it around her throat.

With a quick tug, she brought the hood up over her head to conceal her sharp features, lifting her hand and placing a neatly folded note within their waiting hands. She had only one chance to make the right moves and secure her victory– no matter the cost.

Each piece had it's purpose.

Oft, that purpose was a bloody and horrible end– but for the grand goal of the Fatui built on the backs of the dead, it was an honor.

She didn't bother speaking a word as she dismissed them with a wave of her hand, pushing open the heavyset doors and stepping out into the barren, damp streets. The rhythmic clink and whir of Gardemeks was still distant– she needed to move. Her boots clicked and splashed in the rain soaked stone of the streets as she slithered between the buildings, ducking through the openings in the patrols.

It was almost too easy.

She tilted her head back, taking in the towering Palais Mermonia with a scowl, her hands clenched into fists. The final moves were being played– the king was within her reach, yet she felt no more confident then when she began.

The air carried a sense of unease, thick and heavy, filling her lungs until she felt her breath still in her chest– listening to the empty, bleak night that seemed so..quiet.

She'd done her fair share of research, had more then her fair share of her agents try to peer into the Iudex's office or the Archon's supposedly hidden chambers, but every attempt was a failure. She had to give them credit, they were quite elusive when they wished to be. Though now she only thought about it bitterly– this was all a risky gamble, in the end, and only time would tell if it paid off.

With minimal effort, she'd managed to pull herself to the flat, tiled roof, eyeing the massive tower peaking out of the center cautiously. At least here the wandering patrols down below weren't likely to notice her..she could hear them passing by the spot she'd been in only a few minutes ago, just beneath her. She pulled the hood further over her face, peering through the sheer darkness of the night for any oddities, but it was almost impossible to see in the dark.

Her boots clicked softly against the tiles as she approached the tower jutting out from the Palais, her hand gliding along the smooth stone, pressing against odd indents or crevices. If it was for the Archon's chambers, she doubted they made it very difficult– she'd only met the woman once, but she doubted the Iudex make it all that complex just from a brief glance. And it surprised her little when one of the stones sunk into the wall, gears whirring as the walls split open to reveal a stairwell straight into an inky black hall. Only the barest hint of light peaked under the door at the bottom, but it's occupants must have heard her, considering it went out not a moment later.

She cautiously stepped down into the small crevice, her breath visible in the bitter cold air– her shoulders tensed at the subtle sound of muffled footsteps behind the door, her vision flaring with a molten heat between her shoulder blades as she reached for the worn handle of the door. The heat of her vision was enough to just barely heat the metal, her vision flaring like a quickly building inferno.

Arlecchino was prepared for a fight, if it came down to it.

The door creaked as she pressed against it, shoving it open with a grunt of effort and surveying the room with narrowed eyes and a biting remark on the tip of her tongue– the lavish opulence was expected, she supposed, but the lack of the towering figure of the Iudex was not.

Yet before she could get a word in or even take in her surroundings properly, the light flickered back on and she had to squeeze her eyes shut with a hiss at the sudden brightness. She could hear the door being shoved closed behind her, the hurried footsteps retreating just as quickly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

..This was a joke, wasn't it? It had to be.

She'd expected the Iudex, perhaps even the Duke if she'd been unlucky, not the Hydro Archon. She had half the mind to test her worth as an Archon then and there, her temper flaring like an uncontrollable blaze, barely kept at bay. It took all her self control to force herself to smile politely at the woman rather then snarl.

"Miss Furina," She sneered beneath her hood, x shaped pupils locked onto the startled, trembling Archon with thinly veiled contempt. "What a..pleasant surprise. You'll have to forgive my manners, I assumed I was meeting with the Iudex." She observed her body language carefully– the way her eyes darted about like a frightened rabbit seeking escape, the slightest tremble of her lips..

Arlecchino opened her mouth to offer another scathing remark, but her jaw audibly clicked shut as her entire body seemed to lock up. Even her vision went cold against her back, a chilling feeling creeping up her spine as someone, or something, crept up behind her. Their footsteps were almost silent, the slight rustling of their clothes the only thing she could hear over her heart pounding against her ribcage.

Arlecchino had always prided herself on being on the other end of that sensation– she was the monster, and her target was the prey frozen like a deer between the hunters crosshair.

It was a chilling feeling to have the dynamic shifted on it's head.

She couldn't even swallow, her jaw clenched so hard she could hear it creak as she tried to reason with her quickly splintering mind– a futile effort, her joints locking up almost painfully. Black spots were quickly swallowing her vision from the lack of air in her lungs, the sound of shuffling behind her barely audible over the ringing in her ears.

For a moment – a moment too long to have only lasted the seconds that it did, yet so quick it gave her whiplash – she thought she would hit the floor dead before she could even glimpse her assailant.

And then it was gone. She came crashing back into reality with a startled inhale, her lungs burning and her knees nearly buckling under her. The instinct to lash out and kill whoever had done it was intense, yet she couldn't bring herself to move even a finger– it would be so easy to twist around and ignite them with searing flames, but her feet were rooted in place.

She almost didn't notice the surprisingly gentle hands unclasping her cloak, tugging it off her shoulders, if not for the sheer intensity of the presence still lingering behind her. Her mind was still fractured, struggling to right itself after the ordeal, and it had her seething.

"..Are you certain you held back enough?" Furina croaked, the normally soft lilt raspy and almost hoarse. "Not– not that I doubt your capability, most Divine!"

Arlecchino felt her nails dig harshly into her palms, heat swelling beneath her skin– Divine? Had she lost her mind? The Divine was..

The Divine was upon their throne where they belonged. She'd seen them!

"Hm. Well, maybe? Sorry, I didn't think it'd affect you too." Their voice was sickeningly soft as they stepped around her like she wasn't even there, focusing their attention on the Archon who seemed more then delighted about it. "What gave you that impression, most Divine? Aha, I..was completely unaffected, as you can see! Perfectly fine."

Furina let out a small squeak when they pinched her cheek, but the almost affectionate smile that tugged at their lips revealed the lack of malice behind the action.

"You're a bad liar, Furina. You might want to sit down..please?" They didn't take her protests for an answer, gently pushing her to sit on the bed before abruptly turning to face Arlecchino once more, a forced smile on their lips. "Oh, good, you're..uh, not dead. That's good. I thought I fried your brain. Sorry?"

..Had she hit her head on the way here? The Divine should still be on their throne, yet she couldn't shake the weight of their stare– it felt tangible. She felt like she was standing face to face with the stars– galaxies and constellations bearing down upon her.

She grit her teeth and clenched her hands until she felt the sting of her nails against her palms, grounding herself in the pain through the sheer overwhelming nature of their existence.

"You.." She croaks, reaching out with a shaky hand and grabbing them by the collar of their shirt, lifting them up until their feet left the floor– she pays no mind to the startled protests of the Archon. Arlecchino would crush her like a bug before she even got the chance to intervene and they both knew it. "You shouldn't exist– you aren't them, and yet you..you're the imposter, aren't you?" Her grip tightens yet they face her without an ounce of fear, meeting her unyielding glare with a pondering look.

Arlecchino wanted to make them bleed just to see if she could, the urge to sink her teeth into skin welling up in her chest to the point she visibly snarled, her mask of politeness long . "You're the imposter." Her expression falls for a moment before she schools it into one of apathy, setting them back down and holding them there for a moment, finally releasing them after a tense moment. "Or you were supposed to be."

Hers brows furrow– she wants to demand answers, to throttle them for damning them to being nothing more then dolls for the supposed Divine to break at their whim, but none of the words come to her.

"..Why now? The current Divine has been in power for years, yet you descend now?" Her shoulders tensed, lips pursed into a thin line– it's impossible to ignore the truth that lay before her. The Divine is a fraud and this..imposter is the true Divine. How many years had they been in power, now? How many years were they waiting? Why did they wait? Was the suffering of Teyvat not enough? Was the blood that painted the steps of their stolen throne not enough?

She'd personally been on the wrong end of the Divine's wrath– she wonders..had they watched? Had they seen the cruel hand of their imposter and turned their back on Teyvat?

"I.." They hesitated. It made her seethe, her hands clenching into fists at her sides– her vision flickered, flames swelling within it's casing just to be smothered by the presence of the Divine. But once that spark had been lit, she refused to let it go out. "I didn't know."

The answer does not satisfy her. There is an itch beneath her skin that she cannot scratch, a fire that burns in her chest so hot it scorches even herself.

"And what about now? Are you content to cower like prey in the safety of the Palais Mermonia?" She snapped, taking a step forward, her brows furrowed and her glare intense– she can see the slightest bit of worry in their eyes. She revels in it. "Will you let them use your acolytes like pawns? How many more need to be broken on the steps to your throne before you act?"

Again, her vision flares and dims– it refuses to be used against the Divine that created it.

"Have you no answer?"

The room is silent. They do not speak and neither does she.

Even the world itself seems to quiet in the face of her accusations, fury boiling to the surface so hot it incinerated all it touched.

"I will kill them myself."

Their words are quiet, but they are not soft– there is a vindictive, searing anger that explodes out like dying stars within their eyes. The sight of constellations replaced by a void that would not be . The smell of ichor grows stronger– to the point she feels almost lightheaded.

"..I am aware that I have failed in preventing this, but I had no choice in the matter. Still," They muse, their voice like the tolling of bells. A solemn melody that stills the swelling fury burning in her chest, if only for a moment. "I will rectify it– I will tear down their throne of lies and let not even the earth tarnish itself by burying their corpse among it's soil."

They pause for a moment, holding out their hand– scarred and bandaged by the weapons of the devout, yet still they take upon the burden of dirtying their hands to save those who did not save them.

"Do you trust me, Arlecchino?"

Did she?

"Will you help me?"

She exhales heavily, meeting the starry iris' of the Divine with a scowl still tugging at her lips. Arlecchino trusted no one but herself.

"..Yes."