#you gotta be kitten me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

oliviaischillin1204 · 9 months

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you gotta be kitten me

Pairings: Platonic Prinxiety

Word Count: 1,822 words

just a silly little thing i came up with when i used to play neko atsume djfhghdjskjdh. good times man

Some days were meant for grand adventures, Roman thought. Trying new things, climbing new heights, and achieving goals beyond your wildest dreams.

Other days were for sitting in the living room, half-watching a musical bootleg on the TV as you rapidly refreshed Neko Atsume over and over and over again.

Roman groaned for the fifth time in as many minutes as his garden, yet again, failed to attract any new cats. He knew the point of the game was to be patient, but come on! His entire yard was decked out with the highest quality cat trees, toys, and trinkets possible, all elegantly displayed along the beautiful Zen Garden backyard expansion model. He kept his food bowls stocked with Deluxe Tuna Bitz, even upgrading to a nice plate of sashimi or two when he had gold fish to spare. There was no reason at all why he should be so incapable of attracting rare cats to his garden.

“Lookit. I got another one.”

And of course, the worst fact of all: Virgil was fucking great at the game.

Roman groaned in exasperation. “Which one now?”

Virgil turned his phone around and held it up for Roman to see. They were both on the couch, lying toe-to-head so they could both recline while sharing the good blanket between them. After a few moments of blinking, Roman could make out the distinctive striped shirt, cap, and baseball bat that belonged to none other than--

“Joe DiMeowgio,” Virgil confirmed. Roman’s jaw dropped.

“What? How did you find him?”

Virgil shrugged, pulling the phone back and tapping the screen smugly. “He likes the baseball.”

Roman made an affronted noise. “That’s like, one of the most basic, boring, blah toys you can have in the entire game.”

“He’s a simple cat with simple needs, Princey,” Virgil deadpanned. Roman groaned, draping his arm over his eyes in defeat, but his dramatics were interrupted by Virgil’s foot popping out of the blanket to kick him.

“How dare you kick a man when he’s down, you villain!”

Virgil ignored him, settling back into the couch now that he’d stopped Roman’s whining. “Maybe just try switching up your yard once in a while. The cats need variety.”

The two fell silent again. Roman pouted down at his phone as he pondered the Goodies shop in the game’s menu. It was true, he didn’t like to switch out his items often-- his preferred method for games like this was to save up until he could get all of the expensive items first. It made sense to him; why waste time collecting cheap items if he could get the most payback from the expensive ones?-- but now, he found himself scrolling through the early pages of the shop’s catalogue, looking for a new toy to catch his eye.

And, well... something did:

Fluff-Thing Teaser: a ball of fluff that inspires playful strikes. Your cat will never get bored of this thing!

Roman eyed the toy in the photo. It was definitely a cheap one, costing only 100 regular fish. But what really caught his eye was the wording-- “inspires playful strikes”.

His eyes drifted from the screen in front of him, to Virgil’s foot, still exposed from when he’d kicked Roman earlier.

He turned the idea over in his head, his lips twitching into a smile. He dropped his hand to the side, and, as subtly as he possibly could, summoned a small handheld toy with a ball of fluff on the end.

Clearing his throat to cover the laugh building up inside him, Roman rearranged himself so the Fluff-Thing Teaser was hidden from Virgil’s sight, resting on his own chest so the fluff-ball tip was an inch away from Virgil’s foot.

He waited. Waited. Waited...

And swiped the piece of fluff straight down Virgil’s sole.

The reaction was minor, but immediate-- Virgil jerked, his foot pulling back minutely as a startled gasp burst out of him.

“What was that?” he asked sternly. Roman looked at him over his phone.

“What?”

He thought he sounded pretty innocent, but Virgil clearly wasn’t fooled. “Don’t do that.”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! I swear on my sword, I haven’t touched you.” Which wasn’t a lie. Roman hadn’t touched him-- the Fluff-Thing Teaser had.

He dropped his eyes back to his screen, feigning obliviousness to Virgil’s glare. After a few moments, however, he too returned his attention to his game.

Roman bit his lip, flipping quickly through the item pages for his next trick. He quickly found it:

Wing-Thing Teaser: Mild curiosity will turn into obsession once your cat starts pouncing on this tufted teaser.

Roman bit his lip again to avoid laughing aloud. He focused on swapping the Fluff-Thing for the Wing-Thing (listen, he didn’t choose the names, okay?) and hid all but the feathery tip in his sleeve. He coughed, shifting himself again, and swiped the soft toy down just beneath Virgil’s toes.

“Fuck!” Virgil burst out again, yanking his leg all the way back to his chest. He grabbed his foot defensively as he rubbed at the skin. “Fucking-- stop that.”

“I’m literally not doing anything,” Roman lied, but he couldn’t stop the smile that was curling up at the edges of his mouth. “Why are you being twitchy?”

Virgil glowered at him. “I’m always twitchy.”

“Well, you’re being extra twitchy today. Just sit back and look at the cats.”

For a moment Roman was worried that Virgil would get up and ruin his game, but luckily for him, the anxious side merely rubbed at his foot once more before, hesitantly, stretching his legs out in front of him again. His brow was still furrowed, and Roman kept his eyes directly on his phone.

Waiting for the perfect moment to strike with a straight face was nearly impossible, but he knew that Virgil was expecting it now. As soon as his eyes caught sight of the Wild-Thing Teaser in the catalogue, he knew this one would be much more obvious than the first two toys.

Well. Time to give up the act.

Roman shoved the fluffy ball of the Wild-Thing directly in between Virgil’s first and second toe. The anxious side made a noise of confusion, then shock, then burst into laughter.

“Dude!” he managed through his giggles, reaching for his foot to yank the toy away. Scrunching his toes around it instinctively only made it tickle more, and Roman watched with amusement bright on his face as Virgil giggled at the accidental self-tickling.

“Did I do that?” Roman asked innocently. Virgil glared at him as he eyed the item with a fair amount of suspicion.

“Wait,” he said suddenly, eyes widening. “Is this the--”

“The Wild-Thing Teaser? Well, it appears so!” Roman finished for him, grinning widely as he waved his phone in the air before reading the description. “‘Talk about a big tease! Just try to stop your cats from pouncing at this fluffy fur ball.’”

He snorted. “Aw, looks like they’re right! This kitty right here couldn’t help but play with the lil’ fuzzball!”

He relished in watching Virgil grow more and more flustered at the teasing.

“Shut up-- I’m not-- I’m not a cat,” he protested. Roman laughed at his flustered indignation.

“Well, you’re certainly acting like one! Are you having fun playing with your new toy, Mr. Meow-Meow?”

He laughed louder as Virgil realized that he’d been rolling the small fuzz ball in between his fingers. The emo side threw the toy to the side, crossing his arms and pouting. “Well, you’re the one being freaking immature, summoning toys like that!”

“Ah, but that’s the spirit of the game, isn’t it? Finding all the cute little toys that make your little kittens as happy as can be--”

“I’m not a cat!”

“Oh, yeah?” Roman asked. “Prove it.”

Suddenly one hand darted forward and clamped around Virgil’s ankle, where he’d accidentally left his leg within Roman’s range. With the other hand, he summoned the next tool on the list, and this time he was lucky enough to see the recognition dawn on Virgil’s face.

“Roman!” he hissed (another point in Roman’s ‘Virgil is a cat’ agenda), but he was too slow, because Roman was already flicking and fluttering the Zebra Grass Gadget all up and down the bare sole of Virgil’s foot.

The result was immediate: Virgil squealed, yanking his foot back helplessly against Roman’s much stronger grip as the toy tickled his sole.

“‘Watch your cats’ fascination turn to obsession!’,” Roman recited over the sound of Virgil’s giggles. He made sure to brush the grassy toy in rhythm to his words as he continued, “‘It has a fluffy teaser tip that they just. Can’t. Resist!’”

“Stop ihihihit!” Virgil said through giggles. His other leg kicked out in time with his bursts of laughter, but Roman’s grip kept the captured foot nice and snug as he fluttered all along the wrinkles of his sole.

“Which toy is your favorite, kitty?” Roman teased. “Or do you just love them all so much?”

Virgil looked like he was about to argue (well, as much as he could through his silly laughter) so Roman flipped the Zebra Grass Gadget around and scratched its stem on the ball of Virgil’s foot. That was enough to make any snarky words die on Virgil’s tongue, replacing them with desperate screeches of laughter instead.

“Okay-- okay okay okahahahay!” he gasped, rocking back and forth in his trapped state. Roman moved to trail the stem up and down the arch of his foot, and Virgil gripped the fabric of the couch like he was fighting off torture. “No more, no more-- please it tihihihickles!”

That was enough for Roman. He slowed the tickling until he was just barely grazing Virgil’s foot with the stem; he waited until Virgil had calmed down before quickly flipping the toy around and giving one more tickle with the grassy side.

“Ah!” Virgil yelped. He yanked his leg back, and this time Roman let him go.

He couldn’t help but grin at Virgil as the anxious side caught his breath. The soft grass of the toy floated through the air as Roman lazily twirled it around his fingers.

“Well, well, well...” he drawled. “I’ll be honest, I think this is even more fun than the actual game!”

“Shut the fuck up,” Virgil said, face still flushed.

“Aw, you don’t think so? You sounded like you were having lots of fun. These cat toys really do work... kitten.”

Suddenly Virgil was lunging forward through the air, arms outstretched. Roman only had half a second to scream before the emo side had him pinned on his back.

“You think I act like a cat?” Virgil asked. “Lemme ask you this, Princey: did you forget that cats have claws?”

He raised his hands, ten fingers wiggling just above Roman’s stomach, and Roman realized that this game was about to get much harder.

#my posts #my writing #tickling #tickle fic #tickle community #sanders sides tickling #lee!virgil #ler!roman #drafted on jan 27 2021 #you gotta be kitten me

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lovesickeros · 5 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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