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aster-d-angelo · 1 year

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Reth and Valia — The Morning After

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? You look terrified.”

The voice echoed around her, her head on a frantic swivel as she tried to track its source in the inky black. Heart pounding in her ears, breath caught in her throat, her hands searched the darkness for a weapon, any weapon to defend herself.

Not that it would do much against—

A low, dangerous chuckle rattled in her chest, Valia shuddering violently as a scarred hand suddenly materialized from the shadow, the dark smirk behind it full of razor-sharp teeth. Before she could escape, long fingers wrapped around her small form, slowly squeezing the life out of her.

“N…N-No-o…” she gasped with crushed lungs, unable to scream as the teeth parted—

Her alarm clock buzzed, jerking Valia from sleep, yelping as she almost fell out of bed. Panting for breath, she brushed messy bangs from her eyes, adrenaline fading as she took in her perfectly normal room, her perfectly normal roommate snoring away in the perfectly normal bed opposite hers. Okay — she was okay. That giant bastard wasn’t trying to eat her, she was perfectly fine.

…yeah, right. She moaned, burying her face in the pillow.

This was not gonna be a good day.

After a few minutes lying there regretting her life choices, she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed to face the day anyway, being careful not to wake her dormmate. The dawn light peeked through the curtains, catching in her hair as she tied it up into a pony tail and pulled on some running clothes. A good morning run always cleared her head, smoothing over any poor sleep and jumpstarting her brain for the day. If she was lucky, maybe it could help her forget about him for a while.

The crisp, almost-but-not-quite autumn air filled her lungs as she stepped out onto the cobblestone, taking a couple minutes to stretch and loosen up. Then she was off, the long, paved path around the edge of campus slowly disappearing under her sneakers. The steady rhythm was soothing, allowing her to focus on nothing but her deep breaths and her slowly increasing heart rate.

Half an hour later, she arrived back at her door, heart thumping pleasantly in her chest as she cooled down.

There — now she could face the day.

A hot shower made her morning even better, exerted muscles relaxing under the heat. Once she was cleaned up and dressed, Valia gathered her stuff together, locking her dorm room behind her and heading to the main office.

They’d let her know last night that her new schedule could be picked up the next day, and as Valia glanced over the piece of paper the tired secretary had halfheartedly pushed at her, her brow furrowed. Her new responsibilities were gonna cut into her precise, streamlined routine — expected, but no less disappointing.

Stuffing the paper into her bag with a heavy sigh, the cadet headed for breakfast, squinting in the early morning sun as she walked across the main campus to a long, low building.

As usual, the mess hall was packed, cadets and younger officers all taking the opportunity to grab some breakfast before heading to class or other tasks. Picking up her own tray, Valia meandered through the crowd towards her regular table. Per their routine, her friend was already there, a loaded fork halfway to her mouth before she noticed Valia’s presence.

“Valia, hey! Where did you disappear to yesterday? I couldn’t find you all day!” A hand brushed dusty auburn bangs out of her eyes. “I didn’t even hear you come in last night either, if you came in at all!”

A sigh escaped her. Yesterday…she didn’t even wanna think about yesterday.

“I did come in last night and as usual, you were snoring like a freight train — just like this morning, in fact. How do you always get here before I do? You weren’t even up when I left for the main office.”

The other cadet grinned widely. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

Shaera Blackwen, or just Shae as she liked to be called — one of Valia’s squadmates, her best friend and roommate for the last year, and the bane of her existence when it came to lying about anything. Or boys.

Valia cast a longsuffering look up at the ceiling. “Anyway, a few senior officers pulled me aside after the ceremony for a couple things. No big,” she finished, her tray settling with a clack as she sat across from the other cadet.

Hazel eyes narrowed behind round glasses. “Liar. You were gone for hours!” Juice spurted as one of her sausages was violently impaled and waggled accusingly in Valia’s face. “What were you really doing?”

Rolling her eyes, Valia bit the tip off the sausage, ignoring the indignant yelp about stolen food as she chewed. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?”

A devious smirk bloomed on Shae’s freckled face. “It’s what I’m here for. So, were you with a boy?”

Oh, this was gonna be good. “In a way.”

Valia sighed again as pure joy lit up her friend’s face. “No way! What’d you do?! Did you kiss?!”

The very thought made her cringe. “Uh, no. We talked for a while.”

“That’s it? C’mon, girl, you were with him for hours.” Propping her chin on her hands, Shae leaned forward with an expectant gleam in her eye. “So, what’s he liiiike? Is he handsome?”

The tips of her ears felt like they were burning, but her friend didn’t seem to notice. “I guess you could say that.”

“How tall is he? You’re probably gonna need a stepladder no matter what,” Shae grinned, laughing as Valia flicked a bit of egg at her. Just because she couldn’t top 5 feet…

“He’s usually about 60, I think.”

Shae’s eyebrows rose. “Inches?”

Lifting her glass, Valia smirked over the rim. “Feet.”

Shae’s eyes went so wide Valia almost choked on her orange juice. “Y-Y-You…an asset?!” the other cadet hissed in shock, practically crawling across the table as she grabbed for Valia’s shoulder.

“You’re gonna get food on your uniform,” Valia lectured, pushing the cadet back into her seat. “Yes, an asset, but not how you’re thinking. I was selected to be a handler and I had to spend some time with him as a test.”

And wasn’t that just peachy? As explained to her after they’d finally let her out of the cage last night, the entire ordeal had been a test from her superiors to see how she handled being thrown into a potentially dangerous situation involving an asset. Her resulting performance, utter terror notwithstanding, had netted her probationary handler status, something she was still trying to grasp even as she relayed everything they’d told her.

“I have a few more duties now, like making sure he eats and behaves,” she finished, not entirely sure how to feel about the starry look in her friend’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you get to work with an asset!” Shae gushed, then gasped and grabbed at Valia’s hand. “Which one is he? Can I come visit sometime?”

Yeah, she’d been afraid of this. Shae’s personal name for the current roster of male gladiators was “The Boyfriend Catalog” — this conversation had nowhere to go but down.

“He’s the Mountain Demon—” she started, only for her mouth to snap shut at Shae’s fierce inhale.

“No. Freakin’. WAY! How’d you get one of the hot ones?!”

And they were off. A little stunned, but far from surprised, Valia just watched the other cadet melt in her seat. “Those arms are amazing! And have you seen his abs?!” Shae’s enraptured sigh practically pulled dreamy hearts and sparkles out of thin air, dragging another sigh from the blonde.

“Yeah, I have seen them…was forced to sit on them, actually,” Valia muttered to herself, trying to tamp down the embarrassing memories as her friend continued to rave.

“And his hair! There have to be laws, I can’t even…” Slumping in her seat, Shae let out a content sigh. “You’re one lucky girl, Val.”

Valia shrugged as casually as she could manage. “I wouldn’t say that…”

Hell no, she wasn’t lucky. Her new responsibility was three-quarters ass and would require her to give up precious study time to essentially babysit him. The only upside was how good it was gonna look on her resume, which in turn could lead to a promotion.

At least Shae had seemed to forget about visiting for the moment — just thinking about a hardcore fangirl gushing about the fights to Reth was digging a pit in her stomach.

“Wait’ll I tell Cyrin! He’s gonna love this!” Shae’s little squeal brought Valia back to the present.

Valia sighed, dropping her head into a hand. “I actually don’t think he’ll be that interested. Where is he anyway?” she asked, glancing at the vacant seats on either side of them.

Shae’s hand flapped dismissively. “He had a meeting with our history professor. Something about extra credit.” She crunched on her toast, a few stray crumbs flying. “He’s got a different lunch period too.”

“Our schedules are so different this year,” Valia murmured, poking at her eggs. “Guess we won’t see him till dinner.”

“Anyway, don’t go getting too attached to the extremely hot asset now,” her friend grinned, getting fully back to her food. “Heaven knows that wouldn’t work out.”

Valia’s eyes rolled. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

-.-

So talking with Shae hadn’t helped. At all. In fact, it had probably made things worse.

An exasperated sigh gusting from her, Valia trudged down the barrack corridor, coming to a stop in front of the cage. The dimmest light through the tiny row of windows above illuminated the massive form within, stretched out on his stomach and head resting on his arms as quiet breathing filled the cage. For a moment, she just looked at him, fingers caught thoughtfully on the bars.

In all honesty, yesterday hadn’t been that bad, excepting the part when she’d thought she was gonna be an afternoon snack, of course. Bits and pieces of her nightmare tried to resurface, but Valia shoved them back down. It was all just baseless fear anyway, and she had a job to do, starting with dealing with her newest headache.

“You gonna stand there all morning?”

Valia nearly leapt out of her skin as the soft baritone rumbled from inside. Shit, she’d thought he was still asleep.

Embarrassment heating her neck, she unlocked the door, stepping in just in time to see a messy head of blue hair lift. Dark teal eyes found her tiny form, a lazy smile forming. “Lost in thought, sweetheart?”

God, something about him just unfailingly rubbed her the wrong way. “Don’t think that’s any of your business,” she snipped, arms crossing defensively as she stayed near the door.

“Good morning to you too,” Reth chuckled, propping himself up on his elbows. “You taking me out to eat, then? Could make a date of it.”

The heat crept up to her ears. “You’re not my type.”

That goddamn smirk appeared, just oozing self-confidence as he cocked his head. “Sweetheart, I’m everyone’s type; they just don’t know it yet.”

Damn, he’d made an art out of pissing her off. Her teeth gritted as she glared at him, tongue digging into her cheek out of frustration as she did her best to bite it.

“You—!” Anything she might have said trailed off into a murderous growl, hands clenching like she wanted to strangle him. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”

She twisted the dial, smashing the button and shoving down the awe that surfaced as Reth shrank down. Picking himself up, he slapped the dust off, sticking his hands in his pockets and nodding at the cage door. “After you.”

Valia turned with a huff, marching out the door.

Only to stop dead in the hallway.

She had no idea where the assets ate.

Her boots wavered, one way then the other. She hadn’t technically been given an official tour or even a briefing yet, and the general layout of the asset barracks from her orientation a year ago was hazy at best. It would have to be nearby for efficiency’s sake; maybe at the other end of the hallway—?

“Having trouble?”

Valia bit back a scream at the voice just inches from her ear, spinning around to see Reth bent over next to her, casual smirk in place.

“Cafeteria’s that way,” he continued, straightening and jerking his chin down the hall, back the way she’d come.

Words failed her, the combination of anger and embarrassment too much to articulate, so she just glared at him, pivoting to stomp in the direction he’d indicated.

Reth just sauntered along behind, smirking just off her shoulder.

-.-

With a huge sigh, Valia collapsed into a seat, her lunch tray tossed onto the table. Was it possible to be this exhausted by another living being? And it was only noon!

She picked up her sandwich and irritably bit into it, chewing fiercely as her earlier runner’s high was slowly replaced with vexation. Her morning hadn’t gotten better after finding the asset cafeteria, unfortunately. Shower day was a thing too, apparently, and her face had been beet red the entire time, Reth teasing her endlessly. Sure, he’d been in a crude wooden shower stall of sorts and she hadn’t come close to seeing anything, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t been uncomfortable as hell.

By the time she’d put him back in the cage and just caught her first class of the day, her mind was too full of other things to focus on the lesson. Going over what they’d learned later tonight was gonna be a pain.

Ah well, she was practically married to her textbooks anyway, as Shae liked to put it — what was another couple hours of study? Speaking of study, her field maneuvers class was in 20 minutes and her supervising officer was a hardcase with punctuality.

She shook her head in resignation, taking another bite of her sandwich. Was this how every day was gonna go? She wouldn’t last a week at this rate.

-.-

Valia stared at the squad manifest, eyes running down the page until they picked out her name. She was heading a team again this year, almost the same one as last year but for a couple member changes. The name below hers pulled a sigh out of her — of course it couldn’t have been him transferring out.

“Sarge,” a sarcastic voice said from behind, making her stiffen a moment before rolling her eyes.

“Sergeant Claybourne,” she replied, not bothering to turn and take in that sneering grin he was surely wearing.

“Squad ready for inspection.” His barely contained scorn was not lost on her, Valia mentally drawing in a fortifying breath before turning. As usual, he was closer than he had to be, easily looming over her with his hands in his pockets. Subtly rebellious and enjoying every second of it.

She nodded, keeping her face blank. “On my way.”

When he made no move to head for the door, she restrained an irritated huff, slipping past her second-in-command and heading out to the parade ground.

Oh, that she could get Drener Claybourne written up — harassment, insubordination, anything to get him out of her face for a while. Leading a squad was hard enough without a narcissistic asshole deliberately undermining her authority.

Awaiting her at parade rest was her squad, six other cadets in her year. Eyes ahead, Shae snapped a salute in sync with everyone else.

“At ease,” Valia ordered, assuming parade rest herself. Despite Shae’s best efforts, personal friendship had no place here, only rank and orders and comrades-in-arms.

They spent the next hour going over basic rules and drills, the new squadmates starting to fit in like the old ones. Every once in a while, Shae would wink at her and Valia would roll her eyes in response.

Good thing today was only general orientation and such — she didn’t quite have the wherewithal to focus on anything more complex, not with a head full of new, complicated things trying to mesh with the old, familiar things. Her brain would settle down eventually, organizing her world back into neatly labeled boxes, but it would take time.

Even longer if a certain asset kept his antics up.

“Alright, squad dismissed,” Valia called, giving a nod as her cadets jogged for the ready room to pick up their stuff and head to their next classes. Shae lingered behind, falling in step with Valia as they followed everyone else.

“Feels good to be back with the crew, even with new people,” the other cadet murmured, shooting a glare at Drener, who just smirked at her and tossed his bag over his shoulder. “Though I could still do without him.”

“You and me both,” Valia agreed, double-checking her schedule. Still a couple periods until she had to get back to Reth.

“How’d you sleep last night, anyway? Your eyes are looking a little dark,” Shae hummed, leaning in until Valia gave her face a gentle push.

“I’m fine. Just getting used to being back at school, that’s all.” She was tired, but that was to be expected, what with all her responsibilities, both old and new — nothing to be concerned about yet. Both Shae and Cyrin would read her the riot act if she let herself get anywhere near complete exhaustion anyway, so she wasn’t too worried.

Everything was gonna be just fine.

…yeah, she probably shouldn’t have thought that.

-.-

History was always a nice class.

Golden sunshine poured in through the atrium windows, making the polished wood of the lecture hall positively glow. The quiet hush of whispers between cadets provided a soft white noise, perfect for concentrating. It was typically here that Valia allowed herself to slow down and actually enjoy her studies, as well as take a break from her busy day…although getting to sit down was nice too. Head propped on one hand, she was currently poring over her textbook, reading ahead a bit to prepare for the lesson.

“Hey, Val,” a soft voice said, a large form looming on her right.

Valia glanced up to see her other friend sliding onto the bench seat next to her, the corner of her mouth tilting up. “Hey! Missed you at breakfast.” A bit of fatigue lifted from her shoulders as she straightened, crossing her hands over her book.

A warm smile crossed Cyrin’s face, textbooks thumping onto the desk. “Yeah, I was discussing extra credit for my history project.” Once seated, he leaned into her, nudging her slightly. “Heard you had an experience last night.”

Damn, Shae moved quick. “Tell you at dinner,” she murmured back, eyeing their professor as he walked to the podium, saying something about homework to the verbal dismay of the other cadets.

An hour later, they were headed to mess, Cyrin getting a step ahead to catch her eye as she stifled a yawn. “Shae told me you met a guy.”

“Of course she did,” Valia huffed a laugh, gaze flicking up to her friend’s expectant face as she stretched her stiff muscles. “Don’t faint or anything, but I’m working with an asset now.”

It took a couple seconds to process, but Cyrin’s mouth eventually fell open, ice blue eyes ridiculously wide. “An asset?! How in the hell did you swing that?!”

“Shh!” Valia hissed, swiping a hand at his mouth which he dodged easily, being at least a foot taller. “I don’t want everyone to know!”

“Well, sorry, but this is kind of a big deal!” he whispered loudly back, incredulity melting into a wide grin. “Congratulations!”

A dry laugh escaped her, almost lost as they entered the chaos of dinner. “Don’t sing my praises just yet. He’s a real headache.”

Curiosity knit his brows together as they each grabbed a tray and wound towards their table. “Really…how so?”

Trays clacked onto the table, Valia glancing around conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Shae, but I really thought he was gonna eat me at first.”

Embarrassment colored her face as Cyrin tried to keep a straight face. “Don’t laugh!” she snapped, giving him a shove. “You’ve heard the stories!”

“I’ve heard the rumors, which is all they are,” Cyrin replied, voice shaky from holding back laughter.

Pouting, Valia hunched over her food, stabbing at her carrots. “Fine, if all you wanna do is laugh at me—”

Immediately, a hand was on her shoulder, Cyrin swallowing down a giggle. “No no no, I’m done laughing, I swear.”

“Better be,” the cadet threatened, switching to an overhand grip on her fork and jabbing it a couple times in his direction.

Cyrin just chuckled, easily snagging her wrist and redirecting her fork at her food. “So what was it like?” the blond asked, turning to his own food.

Her fork stilled, then picked around her potatoes. “It was…weird. But not all bad.”

“Bad?”

“Dude, they just tossed me in there with no warning and locked the door. I was in there alone with him for hours.”

“Ouch, that sucks.”

“But we did talk, so I guess that was okay.”

“You have to work with him now, right? Make sure he eats and all?”

“Yeah. Nothing like being a glorified babysitter.”

“I dunno, Val. Feels more like an opportunity to me.”

Valia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Opportunity how?”

“Well, who else gets to spend regular time with an asset? Think of what you could learn being around him.” Cyrin paused, then flashed a grin. “He is good to you though, right? Cause if not, I’ll have to beat the shit out of him.”

That got her laughing, her shoulder nudging his side. “Good to know.”

-.-

By the time she dragged herself down the barrack corridor for the second time that day, the setting sun bright in her tired eyes, Valia was more than ready for a break. Her entire day had been absolutely crazy from start to finish, what with the start of the semester and getting the crew back in working order after break. Classes weren’t so hard, but running her own squad had its own set of difficulties and they never failed to exhaust her.

Trying to hold back a groan, she unlocked the cage door, slipping inside only to stop dead at the sight that greeted her.

Scarred muscle flexed, abdominal muscles bigger than her standing out as the giant body banged out crunch after crunch in the cramped cage. Soft exhales were the only sign of exertion, Reth’s face focused and almost contemplative as he worked.

Her fingers squeezed the bars just a little tighter. She knew she shouldn’t stare, but…wow.

Finally tearing her eyes away, Valia suppressed a jump when she found his eyes watching her. The tiniest smile in the corner of his mouth, Reth knocked out a few more sit-ups before acknowledging her. “Like what ya see?”

Nothing if not predictable. “Not particularly,” she replied, voice calmer than her heart pounding in her ears would imply. Good — he didn’t need to know, especially since she was too tired to deal with him normally, much less extra flirty.

“Ooh, that’s cold. So much for working on my six-pack.” Shifting back to lean against the wall, Reth gave her a once-over, a half-smile on his lips. “So, honey, how was your day?”

Her eyes rolled at his sarcastic tone. “Just fine, thanks. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my dorm to study, so can we make this quick?” The dial spun as she spoke, light flashing and dust billowing.

For a moment, Reth just stared at her from where he’d shrunk, though she hardly registered it as she was already on her way out. Just get this over with and get back to her room for a nap and a study session, that was all she had to do.

Halfway down the hall, Valia didn’t notice the approaching hands until it was too late. A panicked yelp escaped her as she was scooped up, held bridal style in arms thicker than her legs. On instinct, she flailed, only to be tucked against a broad, muscled chest like an unruly toddler.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she hissed, wanting to push away, but also not wanting to touch the bare chest pressing into her shoulder. Where the hell was she supposed to put her hands?!

“You looked tired. Figured you’d enjoy the ride,” Reth grinned back, easily holding onto her despite her struggles as he walked unhurriedly to the cafeteria.

“Put me down!” Deciding the chest was off-limits, Valia swiped at his face, teeth gritting to find it just out of reach. “Someone’s gonna see us!”

“So what? S’not like you’ll get in trouble. We’re ordered to do stuff like this all the time.”

Valia stilled at that, gaze finally finding his face. This…this was new. Handlers actually ordered their assets to carry them around with batting an eye? Forget lazy, that was just humiliating, and judging from the hint of resignation in Reth’s eyes, no one cared.

It wasn’t like Valia to feel conflicted. Once she made a decision, she ran with it, for better or worse. Deciding to devote a chunk of her life to the military was one of the bigger ones, made even easier by its honorable, upstanding, and nationalistic nature, the keywords there being “honorable” and “upstanding”.

But for something like this to supposedly be a regular occurrence in such a place, combined with her new, up-close-and-personal perspective on the assets, was…disconcerting.

It seemed she still had a lot to learn about the assets and the soldiers who handled them, but for now…

“I don’t want to be seen like that,” she murmured, avoiding the gaze she could now feel on her. And then even quieter, “…I don’t want you to be seen like that…”

The silence was almost unbearable, footsteps the only sound aside from her thumping heart. God, that was so cheesy, he was never gonna take her seriously—

“Okay.”

It was a single word, but it certainly spoke volumes. Surprised, Valia relaxed muscles she’d hadn’t known she’d been tensing, gaze turning expectantly to the floor.

“But you’re too cute to put down, so I’m carrying you anyway.”

That goddamn bastard.

-.-

Tossing her last textbook onto the precarious stack on her desk, Valia crashed face first into bed. Oh, that she could sleep forever and never have to deal with anything ever again.

“Rough day?” Shae asked, throwing back her own covers and dropping into bed herself.

“Understatement,” Valia groaned back, turning her head just enough to breathe. “And I have to do it all again tomorrow.”

“Preaching to the choir, girl.” Pulling the covers up, Shae rolled over to face the wall. “Get some rest, Val. You earned it.”

The thought of having to brush her teeth and pull on pajamas almost made her cry, but she hauled herself up anyway, taking a few extra seconds to hang up her uniform instead of throw it over the chair like she desperately wanted to.

When she could finally drop into it, her bed was soft and comfortable, Valia curling up and sighing in contentment.

Alright, so the day could’ve been worse, but all in all, it hadn’t been so bad—

The image of Reth’s abs popped unbidden into her head and Valia muffled a squeal of frustration in her comforter.

So much for sleep.

#g/t #g/t writing #d'angelo drafts #reth #valia #reth and valia #still not completely sure what I'm doing #but here's some more :D

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lovesickeros · 6 months

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☆ 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."

#sagau #genshin sagau #self aware genshin #genshin impact sagau #self aware genshin impact #fic tag #imposter au #genshin cult au #genshin impact cult au #arlecchino #lyney #furina #you do NOT wanna know what i got put thru writing this fic #trying 2 find out where arle was in the few times we DO see her and going down a rabbit hole of fuck fontaine and its layout actually!#I spent like 3 hours looking it up and checking in game it gives me a migraine thinking abt it. ew #anyway trying to write a really smart character is surprisingly difficult when ur as dumb as rocks #also used an actual chess match for this and gave myself an even worse migraine trying 2 make sure i didnt repeat moves or smth #furina doesnt get a spotlight yet just imagine her sitting in the corner trembling like a wet kitten you found on the side of the road #arlecchino goes thru a crisis more at 11 #shes a tired single dad shes isnt getting paid enough for this okay #hands u a fic over half the length of the other THREE PARTS #ehe :]#is arle actually on ur side??? is she gonna double cross u???? who knows!!!!!#shes unpredictable she might stab u for funsies #anyway im gonna go nap in a ditch now this took SO LONGGGGG OH MY G-D #also just think acolytes who arent buddy buddy w reader and even resent them is so tasty #bc how r they supposed 2 know reader was a human vibing 5 minutes before their got eebied 2 teyvat..#reader gotta roll up their sleeves and get 2 WORK sometimes murder IS okay #they gotta fix some shit around here and that means committing several crimes all at once. sometimes more #a group can be g-d (just got here) their dragon (neuvi) their cat (archon) their dog (wrio) and their wolf (arle)

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