To be honest with everyone, after reading this through, it's really not one of my best works. It's too long and doesn't capture the Halloween spirit properly. The only reason I allowed myself to post it was because I promised it was coming. (+ it shows a few hints and spoilers to View 15 as a throwback for me :>)
Even after knowing this, I hope all who decide to read it enjoy it! I had a lot of fun writing it even if I think it's rushed and boring in some parts.
I should also probably apologise that this is 2-3 days late. This is a really long event special, and took me ages to go over and edit. If you find any errors or gaps then I'm sorry 😭
On the bright side, this non-canon View helped me get back into the swing of writing Insatiable Madness! I'm not going to sit here and say I plan to start working on the main series again straight away, as I physically can't since work is piling up again, but hey we'll see when Christmas time rolls around...
Insatiable Madness
Diverted-Dimension (Halloween 2025)
|Sagau Yandere Fatui Harbingers x Reader|
It feels like I haven't been in this void for ages! It sure feels spooky...
Reader is Gender Neutral!
You ran up the stairs excitedly, bursting through your bedroom door and charging towards your innocent calendar pinned to the wall above your bed, kneeling on the duvet to get a closer look at the square circled in red ink.
Yep! It’s official, today is the 31st of October! Known as one of the best days in the whole year! At least you think so anyway, others might think differently.
Halloween was very special for you tonight, more special than usual in fact! A few weeks ago you’d gone with Arlecchino to Rora’s shop, mainly to spy on her new designs being completed with the intention to snag them before they go on shelves– but that’s not the point here!
When you’d arrived that day, there was clear excitement in the air. You were a bit confused, but after being lightly encouraged by Arlecchino, you swallowed the anxiety-filled lump in your throat and asked Rora and her friendship group what they were so excited about.
It turned out, one of Rora’s friends across the city was creating a massive festival for everyone to join as they felt the city had become more parasocial each year.
“Wow! A festival? I haven’t heard of one being held in this city for years!” Your eyes were sparkling, contrasting Arlecchino’s dark eyes looming behind you.
“Uhh, yeah!” Rora hesitated for a second. “It’ll be a lot of fun. He plans to have an apple-bobbing booth, a herb booth, a bonfire booth, a pumpkin booth, a facepainting area…” She trailed off, getting lost as she listed all the events from her head.
Arlecchino leaned down to your ear, eyes narrow with a neutral frown. “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t even consider it. It sounds far too crowded for you.”
“Just you wait,” you glared at her, “I’m getting us to this festival.”
“...a limited edition costume shop sponsored by my brand, and a candle shop, and a haunted mansion, and a candy floss machine!” She finished just as you turned back to face her.
“That sounds amazing, Rora! You wouldn’t happen to know if… Well, everyone in the city is invited, would you?”
“Aha don’t sweat it, friend!” She laughed, patting you on the shoulder friendlyly. “Everyone’s invited, including you.
“Really?” You couldn’t help the smile growing on your face.
“Duhhhh! Of course you’re invited twin, why wouldn’t you be invited? Not only does the word everyone mean everyone, but you’re also a friend! I would never leave out one of my friends!”
“I guess I…” You shook your head to stop yourself from continuing. “No, you’re right. Thanks Rora, you’re the best.”
“Don’t tell her that, it’ll go straight to her head.” One of her friends rolled her eyes playfully.
“Too late~”
The second you got home, you made it your main mission to get Pierro to let you go to the festival. For the next few weeks you begged, and begged, and begged Pierro to let you go out.
Unfortunately for him, you weren’t taking no as an answer. No matter how harsh he denied your request, getting harsher and ruder every day, you always came crawling back asking for the same thing. You could tell he was growing annoyed with you, but you didn’t care. If it made him more likely to agree the next time, you’d keep persisting until you got the answer you wanted. You really wanted to go, after all! There’ll never be another opportunity to go again, especially with the Harbinger’s locking you in the house more often now. Anyway, as you were explaining:
Continuous begging was your main plan, and with his growing annoyance, you knew you were close to his no’s eventually becoming yes’s. Uhh– well, you were confident in that being true, until you realised you had less than a week left to convince him.
The time flew by so quickly, you didn’t realise you had less than 7 days left! Damn it, that’s not nearly enough time to make him crack. It seems you’ll have to show more desperation than ever! Should you get on your knees and be suppliant? …No, that would only work on Scaramouche, and maybe Sandrone too the more you think about it.
What else could you use? Think Y/N, think… What could you use to persuade him to let you go out? Hmm…
…You’ve got it! Why didn’t you think of it before? Bribery!
“Please Pierro, I’ll never ask for anything else ever again!” You were on your knees, hugging the back of his legs as he attempted to walk through the living room.
“No.” He grumbled. “How many more times do I have to say it?”
Capitano watched the scene from the sidelines, an exasperated sigh leaving his lips. “Just agree, Pierro. I will watch out for them.”
“That’s giving in to their rebellious behaviour, and telling them that behaving this way will always get them what they want. Not only that, but you’d attract attention in such a busy space. Why do you think we’re hiding here in the first place?”
“That’s not true!” You argued. “It’s a Halloween Festival, meaning everyone will be looking strange and dressing up too!”
“Everyone will look like The Captain?”
“No! Well, kind of. It depends if there’s a Darth Vader cosplay…” You trailed off. “Nevermind that. Please, please, please, please, please can I go if Capitano comes with me?”
Pierro sighed deeply, grabbing both of your hands wrapped around his knees and yanking you away from him. “I’ve heard all your points, but my final answer is no. It’s pathetic how you wish to go to this festival in the first place. Why not just stay here and do what you would there with us?”
“Why would I want to do that?” You raised an eyebrow. “That defeats the whole purpose of going!”
“So your purpose is leaving us to run away? Y/N, we’ve talked about this. No more of this ‘escaping’ farce.”
“But I wouldn’t try to escape if Capitano went with me, he’d make sure I’m close to him at all times!”
“It doesn’t matter.” He shook his head dismissively, arms crossed. “I thought I wouldn’t have to have this conversation with you again, but it seems I was overestimating your common sense. What have I told you about–”
“Yes, yes, I hear you.” You rolled your eyes childishly, interrupting him by covering your ears. ‘I’m not listening to his indoctrinating, shit-filled opinion of how I should be behaving again. I thought my ears were going to bleed last time I was forced to listen to his monologuing. Somehow, he’s even worse than Pantalone.’
“Capitano, please say something to him. I’ll do anything you want if you manage to convince him.” You whispered to him when Pierro had left the room with a huff, the shine from your begging eyes reflecting off of his helmet
“I thought I told you the phrase ‘I’ll do anything’ always ends in disaster to the proposer.” He scolded you lightly. “You learnt that first hand a while ago.”
“I know, which is why I use it on you. I know you won’t use it against me because you always warn me after.”
“Still,” he facepalmed, “you should know better. Both on the fact that I can’t do anything against Pierro, and neither can you.”
“Fine, you have a point. Can you just promise to do something for me?”
“And what would that be?”
“Could you maybe turn a blind eye to guarding the house tonight, pretty please?” You batted your eyelashes at him with a pleading smile.
“...You want to sneak out, don’t you?”
“Heyyy not so loud! Who said anything about sneaking out, did I say anything about sneaking out? Whew, that was a close one. We don’t want anyone else hearing that and taking it as truth do we?”
“It’s this kind of behaviour that makes you treated like a child.” He sighed. “But very well. We’ll see where the night takes me.”
“You’re the best, Captain!”
Your ingenious plan of bribery may have backfired, even when you didn’t really bribe much, but… you did it! With Capitano helping you out, you have no doubt you’ll successfully be able to crawl out of your bedroom window and run to the festival undetected. The Harbingers never bother you during ‘bed time’, so it's not like they’ll notice you’re gone or anything.
As long as you make it back before the sun rises, everything should be peachy and it’ll be like you never left in the first place. This is the perfect plan, nothing can go wrong! …well, other than if Capitano snitches. But you don’t think he will. He’s never done it before so you should be good.
Anyway, as you were saying earlier, tonight was the night of the festival. Thanks to your master planning, you’d already finished packing a bag with everything you could possibly need for the night. It was mainly just bottles of water and money, but hey, you can never be too careful!
Opening the window as silently as possible after slinging your bag on your shoulders, you looked towards your bedroom door before slowly climbing through the window frame. With a sigh, you climbed down from the roof onto the ground, running as fast as you could the second your feet hit the pavement.
You could feel your heart racing with every step you took, ragged footsteps and breath growing achy and unstable. When you deemed you were far enough from the house, you leaned back against a brick fence with a slouch, trying to catch your shaky breath and quiet your heart down.
That worked… It actually worked! Not only that, but it worked surprisingly better than you thought it would. Phew, you should really catch your breath before continuing though. Your adrenaline is rushing through your system like crazy!
The street lights weren’t on yet, sky dark enough not to see but not dark enough for them to turn on. It creeped you out a little bit but to be honest, after everything you’ve seen, you don’t think it’s bothering you as much as it would have a few months ago. Either way, it’s good that it’s still dark. As much as you don’t feel safe, you think you’ll be safer with them off. Even though you’re sure nobody is following you right now, it would be a good idea to be careful regardless.
After a few minutes, you felt enough energy to continue. You were only a few streets away now, meaning you wouldn’t have to wait in anticipation for much longer. Oh, you’re so excited! What will you do first? Rora said she’d be at her fashion stall, so maybe you should go there to grab a costume for the night. That sounds fun!
Ahh, a night without any Harbinger bugging you. You thought this day would never come. You better make the most of it, let’s splash some cash!
You walked quickly once you felt your heart calm down, body still feeling tingly from the adrenaline still coursing through your body. You turned a few more corners and selectively walked down a few streets you hadn’t seen in a long time before stopping at a black gate with an orange, purple, and black banner waving on the front of it.
This is it! Wow, you’re actually here… Quickly, go in! You don’t think it's your adrenaline making your heart race anymore. Is this fear? Pshh, nah. You have nothing to worry about. It hasn’t even been an hour since you left the house, everything is fine. Instead of thinking about something that will never happen, why not think about what else you’re going to buy at the festival?
Hmm… You’ve been wanting a few candles for awhile now, maybe you can go there once you buy a costume? Sounds good–
“Boo.”
Your blood ran cold when you heard that voice, immediately recognising who it belonged to. That silky yet intimidating tone, matched with her almost seductive speed and analysing volume. ‘Arlecchino… but, how!?’ You thought with a grimace, slowly turning around to see her with glowing eyes and her scythe aimed at your neck.
“You were told to remain at home, told to forget about ever trying to come here, told to never try to escape again. And where do I find you?”
“Arlecchino…! Heyyy, fancy seeing you here-” You stepped back in fear, eyes darting to try and find someone you recognised.
Her scythe dissipated into flames, a sigh of frustration leaving her lips when she looked at your genuine fear. She stepped closer with each step you took back, eventually catching up to you when summoning her spikes to prevent you from moving away any further.
“Cut the bullshit, Y/N.” She interrupted you while grabbing your shoulder in a tight grip. “Although I saw you running away to join the festival from a mile away, I didn’t expect you to actually try and come alone without one of us, especially without your disguise. What were you thinking!?” She shrugged her blazer off, wrapping it around your shoulders and scowling as she noticed it didn’t fit.
You were stunned like a deer in headlights as she clothed you, paralysed from the waist down. Your lips trembled, a weight in your throat preventing the questions you wanted to ask from coming out.
“Silent, are we?” She crossed her arms disappointedly. “Speak. If you do, then maybe I’ll hold off on your punishment and let you stay here for just a little while longer.”
“Wait, seriously?” You hitched a breath.
“There’s no point in dragging you back when you’re already here. Don’t misunderstand, you’re in a lot of trouble when we get home. Now, speak.”
“There isn’t much to say really,” you trailed off, “I just… really wanted to come here. To feel normal again, I mean. Even if it were just for a few hours.”
“I see.” Her eyes narrowed. “A pathetic notion, but an unsurprising answer. Very well, if this truly means so much, I will accompany you.”
“But…”
“Would you rather I take you home early?”
“No! Definitely not.” You cringed, eyes widening slightly when the spikes she summoned disappeared, allowing you to move again. “Kinda defeats the whole ‘normal’ visit here though.”
“Be grateful it’s me who found you first. If it were, say, Dottore, would you have as much fun?”
She has a point there. Although, you do feel Columbina or Childe would have been a lot more fun in this situation. They’d at least join in with the carnival games, and let you have fun. You reckon all Arlecchino will do is follow you around and intimidate anyone who tries to speak to you.
Is it even worth still being here if she’s going to do that? You came here to have fun, not mope around...
“Arlecchino, could we maybe just–”
“Y/N!!!” Your face paled as you heard yet another familiar voice. Columbina’s chin rested on Arlecchino’s shoulder, a happy smile on her face as she skipped up to you when you made eye contact with her.
Did you just premeditate her arrival? What the fuck!? No! No! Go back to the house, you changed your mind! Going around together with them both? That sounds like torture!
“I knew something was wrong the second you went to bed, who would’ve guessed you’d pick a full moon to go out?”
“It was thanks to her I’d noticed you’d gone missing,” Arlecchino began to explain. “Without her, you’d still be walking around the festival without one of us to accompany you.”
“Don’t say that, Arlecchino… It’ll paint me as the villain…” She pouted. “Anyway, I was so worried when I found your bedroom empty! What happened, nobody hurt you right? I was so anxious when I saw your window open with nobody in sight.”
“I’m fine.” You deadpanned at her coddling, pushing her poking fingers away from your body. “Why’d you go up to my room anyway? I thought we said–”
“--that we were having sleepovers every night after you spent time with Scaramouche without my permission? Mhm, absolutely correct.” She finished your sentence for you with a playful nod. “You should definitely join us, Knave.”
“I’ll have to pass you up on that offer. I’m extremely busy during night hours.”
“How curious…” The Damselette's eyes squinted slightly in confusion, turning back to normal when she looked your way once more. “Oh well, not like it matters. I’m sure when everything calms down we can have another tea party together.”
“I don’t–”
“I look forward to it. I’m sure The Decider feels the same way. Moving on, we ought to keep moving if we wish to avoid the others and enjoy the festival to the fullest with one-another.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say we’re going to ‘avoid the others’?” You mimicked her, feeling your pulse throb in your throat in terror. “Everyone’s here as well!?”
“Ah. Well, yes. I thought you would have guessed as much already.” Arlecchino shook her head at your incredulous expression.
“How did you all get here before me!? I left the house first!”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with that. I really must reemphasise the fact that we should keep moving. Even if Pierro, Pulcinella, and Pantalone stayed home, it’s best to be careful.”
“Silly Y/N, I thought we told you escaping is impossible.” Columbina added on with a teasing smile, holding a dainty hand out to you.
“You did.” You sighed hopelessly, gently placing your hand into hers, flinching slightly at the threatening tight squeeze she gave once she got a firm grip on you. “Let’s just go before I run for the hills.”
“Which would be a mistake,” Arlecchino glared at you, “don’t keep making mistakes you can’t atone for otherwise they’ll catch up to your retreating form.”
_________________________________
“Oh, what the fuck.” You deadpanned, staring at Childe’s enthusiastic expression in comedic horror.
Touring around the festival with Arlecchino and Columbina wasn’t as dreadful as you originally thought, Columbina’s happy and bubbling excitement balancing her coworker’s nonchalant and unemotive shrugging. It felt… right, somehow, as disgusting as you felt to admit it.
Tonight was supposed to be your night. A night for you to enjoy and only you to enjoy. You hate having to share everything with the Harbingers now, why couldn’t they let you have at least one night in peace? Having these two double-check everything you want to do and interact with is exhausting, and it’s taking the fun out of everything!
You sighed to yourself, shaking your head with an unpleasant frown as the three of you approached Childe’s infectious smile.
“There they are!” He grinned beckoning you over to the candy floss stand he was sitting next to. “Isn’t this stuff amazing? It looks like my hair!”
“...You’re not wrong.” Your frown was shaking into a small smile when you saw the exact colour of orange matched his hair almost too perfectly. “You do know what it is, right?”
“Candy floss, right? The vendor told me earlier and gave me some to try when he heard I’d never tried it before.”
“Well, what did you think of it then?” You sat down next to him, grabbing a piece of your own.
“That’s the thing, I didn’t get to eat it.”
“What do you mean you didn’t get to eat it?” Columbina raised an eyebrow while watching the situation from afar. “Did you forget what it tasted like?”
“No! I’m not an idiot.” He scoffed. “I tried to wash it with water because I noticed it looked dirty. But then– and get this–! It disappeared right in front of my eyes!”
“Pfft-” You quickly slapped your hand over your mouth. “I’m sorry you did what!?” You were struggling not to laugh.
Did he seriously try to wash the candy floss with his vision!? That’s the funniest thing you’ve heard all week! Imagining his dumb expression while watching the candy floss disintegrate is making you feel much better about yourself.
“That’s hilarious, you’re like a raccoon!” You couldn’t stop the giggles leaving your mouth and being heard through your hand.
“It’s not funny.” He sighed with flushed cheeks, moping where he sat. “The kind vendor gave me that candy floss for free, and I wasted it.”
“That’s what you get for not being careful.” Arlecchino shrugged, grabbing a cone for herself to try. “You said this was… ‘candy floss’?”
“Ooooo pass some over here too please, I’d really like to try it too!” Columbina snatched a pink cone for herself, immediately popping it into her mouth and squealing in delight. “It’s delicious, and it’s melting on my tongue… I can’t get enough of it!”
“Don’t eat too much.” You lightly scolded her. “There’s a lot of sugar in there, you’ll become more hyper than usual if you eat a lot at once.”
“Sugary?” Arlecchino questioned herself as she picked a very small almost unnoticeable piece from her cone, plopping it into her mouth. She quickly recoiled, tossing the cone into Childe’s arms with a larger scowl on her face than usual. “Too sweet. You can have it.”
“No thank you.” Childe held a hardened stare. “I don’t eat scraps.”
“If you don’t want it, I’ll have it.” You piped up. “Can’t believe you don’t like it after having the smallest piece in the world.”
“But you already have your own cone.” Arlecchino pointed out, finger outstretched to visibly describe her disappointment. “And you said it wasn’t healthy to have too much all at once.”
“I can do what I want.” You took the cone out of Childe’s hands, stuffing your face with the contents. “Besides, the way this evening is going, I hope I never recover.”
“Aha!” Columbina let out a hearty giggle. “They’re joking, right?”
Without saying anything, Childe suddenly stuffed his face into one of the candy floss cones you were holding, face completely covered by the sugary orange fluff. He soon flinged himself back up, licking his lips with a happy smile.
“Hey, that is good!”
“Tartaglia, what do you think you’re doing!?” Columbina screeched in horror, snatching the cone he stuffed his face in from your hands and throwing it to the floor.
“I wanted a taste.” He shrugged, not minding her frustration at all. “And mind your face there, it looks a little too scary for your darling muse.”
“You–!”
“If you wanted a taste, you could have just asked for my cone instead.” You tiredly shook your head, feeling dangerous mumbling from Columbina’s direction and sweating slightly. “I was joking earlier, I really wouldn’t have minded.”
“Well I would,” Childe gave a mutual nod to Arlecchino. “That was your cone to enjoy, and it was my own fault that I lost my own.”
“But that doesn’t– oh, nevermind. Sometimes I don’t understand you.” You groaned into your hands, feeling yourself being pulled away from the prideful ginger boy by familiar hands.
You were yanked away from him, being hugged from behind by the brooding Harbinger with a pout. “I’m guessing we’re going now.”
“Oh you guessed that?” Arlecchino pushed the two of you forwards with one hand. “How remarkable of you, I wouldn’t have come to that conclusion if I were in your position.”
“Haha. Very funny. Your jokes are getting worse.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Childe gave a wave as he leaned back on the straw he was sitting on, a lazy grin on his face. “Have fun tonight! If any of the others ask questions, especially Dottore, don't say I didn’t warn you…”
Great, so the others are just as mad as Arlecchino when she first found you. Fabulous. Suddenly any happiness you felt from Childe’s antics had gone again. You’re never hearing the end of it from Pierro after this. Actually wait– Dottore? What’s he got to do with this? Why is Dottore specifically mentioned? It was Columbina who discovered you’d gone missing, not him!
“Don’t worry about him.” Columbina sighed, calming herself down with a deep exhale. “Just forget about anything he said, he wasn’t making any sense.”
“Really? Because to me he seemed more normal than usual.” You raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.” She nodded with a smile that looked too perfect to show peace. “Tell them, Arlecchino.”
She scoffed lightly, patting your head and lightly stroking the hair on top of your head to even the locks out after. “Childe can be… mischievous at times. Take every word that leaves his mouth as a possibility, not an absolute.”
“Right…”
The three of you continued to walk through the festival after that, the nice atmosphere you commented on earlier now being soured into one of awkwardness. You walked through many crowds, finding each more boring than the last.
Before long, you’d reached the candle booth you were thinking about earlier. But unfortunately for you, it seems you weren’t the only one in the household who wanted to look at the candles.
You stopped, watching a familiar Harbinger shuffle through many candles on display. She seemed to be placing them in different piles, nodding or shaking her head visibly to show which she liked or disliked.
It was kind of funny, actually, the person running the stall looked tired watching her fidgeting. From the severity of his face, she must have been doing this for a long time. Maybe she’s gone through the entire stall looking for the perfect scent? That would be funny– but also kind of bad for the vendor.
“Hm? Y/N? Is everything– oh.” Arlecchino looked between you and the Harbinger you were staring at, deadpanning slightly.
“Let’s go say hello,” Columbina clapped in excitement, “she looks like she needs help.”
Ugh, you suppose you should help her out. These two aren’t really giving you the option to just walk away so fine. Little do they know you’re only willingly walking up to her to help the vendor out.
“Sandrone.” You sighed as a greeting, not giving her a friendly wave. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh!” She turned around in surprise, eyes flicking to the three of you in slight betrayal. “How dare you sneak up on me during such an important decision! I could have dropped the candles!”
“Important decision?” You questioned her rhetorically, walking over to the table to see the two candles she was looking at earlier.
There was both a green and orange candle lined up parallel on the table, one being ‘Green Apple with Rosemary and Mint’ scented and the other being ‘Pumpkin with Cinnamon and Honey’ scented.
Hmm.. those scents actually sound amazing, but you’re not going to tell her that. Just seeing her take a liking to those two is making you want to pick a different one instead just to spite her.
“Decider. Which is better?” She opened both of them, shoving each under your nose with haste, almost hitting your face both times.
“You did that so quickly I didn’t get to properly smell them.” You quickly blocked your nose with your hand so she wouldn’t get close to hitting it again.
“Ughhh, you are impossible!” She groaned dramatically. “Arlecchino, Columbina, come over here. I’d like your opinions too.”
“Candles, huh?” Columbina took a candle from her outstretched hand, sniffing it and humming pleasantly after. “Apples~!”
“Sandrone, what do you even need candles for?” Arlecchino beat you to asking your own question.
“Well, you see, I’ve found it quite hard to focus in our rambunctious household, as radical as that sounds. I figured a change in ambience could change this, hence my interest in incense.”
“Can’t you just… get incense instead? An open fire inside a house with 12 people sounds like a nightmare.” You scoffed at her surprisingly normal inquiry. “According to Rora, there should be some sold in the festival somewhere.”
“According to who?” She raised an eyebrow, jealousy evident in her slightly deeper tone. “I didn’t realise we were making friends outside of our family, Decider.”
“It’s a carefully observed friendship.” Arlecchino patted the girl on her shoulder reassuringly. “Nothing is said without me being there.”
“Hm.” Sandrone made an approving sound, shrugging before forcing the orange candle into your hands. “Hurry and make a choice quickly, don’t make me say it again a third time.”
“Before I do,” you gave an awkward smile, turning to the other harbinger’s next to you, “what do you two think?”
“Hmmm…” Columbina made a noise to show she was thinking, the humming sounding sweet and intoxicating. “I’d say the orange one. The green one is too strong if you’re looking for a scent to help you focus.”
“I agree,” Arlecchino nodded along, bending down to smell the orange candle in your hands. “The green one is too acidic, and attacks your nose instead of caressing it.”
“...” You looked at her incredulously, a disgusted snarl on your face. “One, that’s disgusting, never use that imagery again. Two, this is one of the most boring conversations I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
“Glad to see you’re having fun.” Sandrone tutted with an arrogant grimace. “Well, according to democracy, it seems we’re going with the orange candle.”
“What would you know about democracy?”
“A lot of things.” She gave you a warning glance. “I think it’s you who doesn’t know a lot about democracy. Who’s the adorable poor pest who always gets outnumbered by Fatui Harbingers?”
“Did you just admit you think I’m adorable?” You ignored the second half of her speech.
“What? No!”
“She definitely did.” Columbina nodded along mockingly with you, her smile growing when noticing the Harbinger’s frown stretch downwards. “What do you think, Knave?”
“No comment.”
“Hmph- whatever.” Sandrone clicked her tongue, spinning around so nobody could see her flushed cheeks. “I’m getting the orange one. Maybe I’ll let you all share it with me if you treat me a little kinder.”
“Oooo good idea, we can have it lit during one of your tea parties!”
“Now that is an exquisite idea!” She laughed outwardly, sliding the candle over to the vendor who looked ready to jump off a bridge. “Inform Signora of this plan, hm? I believe she’s at the costume stall.”
‘Rora! That’s Rora’s stall!’ Your eyes shone at her words, you nodding eagerly without a second thought.
“We’ll head there straight away. Thanks, Sandrone!”
“Huh? Oh– yeah, it’s nothing.” She turned her head towards you to make her suspicion visible before turning back to the vendor.
The three of you walked away after that, Arlecchino looking around before whispering in a tone only the three of you would hear. “Don’t get any ideas. It’s obvious what you’re planning.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you shrugged, faking innocence. “I want to mark this night special by buying a special costume for the future.”
“But you don’t even know– ugh.” She groaned to herself. “I’m not repeating myself again.”
_________________________________
It didn’t take long for the three of you to find Rora, she was beaming with her Draculaura cosplay on and calling out to groups to come try her booth out. The sight made you smile gently, her bright smile growing impossibly wider the more people stopped to listen to her.
“Let’s go!” You didn’t wait for the other two, running to her.
Rora waved at customers happily as they walked away, turning to you and her eyes widening in shock.
“Noooo way! You actually turned up! And you came to my stall, thank you, thank you!”
“Of course!” You nodded, excitement evident in your tone. “I wouldn’t miss your stall for the world! You said it was sponsored by your shop, right?”
“Uh-huh! There’s lots of costumes here for people to try and wear out for the night! Aaaaand, if they really take a liking to it, they can buy it for next year!” She explained, gesturing to the room divided by curtains behind her.
“Rora, aren’t you worried someone might… I don’t know, steal the clothes?”
“I must agree.” Arlecchino’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “As one of your contracted employers, I have to worry about sales.”
“Psshhh, don’t worry about it you two. Money isn’t a big problem for me! ….okay, well, maybe it kinda is, but still. Not only that, but it’s not like anyone’s actually tried my stall yet.”
“Nobody’s tried your stall yet?” Columbina asked with a sad undertone. “We should change that. Let’s go in, Y/N!”
“Oh, my, gosh!! Arlette, Y/N, who is this?? Your other friend is so pretty! She could also be a model for me!”
“Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.” Columbina giggled while clasping Rora’s hands. “You’re very pretty yourself.”
“This is Colum..- um…” Shit, you can’t use her Harbinger name. Think of another name, any name! “…Colleen?”
“…Colleen…?” Columbina turned to you with a confused look.
Oh dear. That’s an unfortunate name. But deserved, so… you don’t care. It’s not like Columbina will be offended or anything.
“Y-Yeah…!” You laughed awkwardly, trying to fake confidence. “This is Colleen, she’s a long time friend of Arlette and I’s.”
“I see.” Rora squinted her eyes in suspicion at your begging expression before sighing with bright eyes. “A friend of Y/N and Arlette’s is a friend of mine, so welcome, welcome! Come on in, and we’ll get started.”
“I’ll wait out here.” Arlecchino commented, watching the two of you get led in by Rora invitingly.
Columbina looked over at you with a teeth shining smile, squeezing your hand slightly as you walked through the deep purple curtains, your eyes widening in amazement when you saw the row of glittery costumes on display for you to pick. There were costumes of all kinds laid out, all of them practically begging for you to pick them with each of their unique colours and styles.
“Rora…” You breathed out in amazement, not knowing where to look as they all looked simply breathtaking.
“I know, I know, you can clap.” She prided herself in response, arms crossed with a smirk at your face. “It’s sad nobody’s gotten to see this other than you two yet.”
“I suppose it’s good that we get to see it then, hmm?” Columbina sang.
“Huhuhu~ Obviously! Now go pick out a costume that will make you shine!”
Columbina was quick on her feet, rushing over to a white dress with red splatted all over it to look like blood, the costume being paired with a mask and large weapon. Heh, one good thing about constantly being threatened is you can tell the weapon is a fake! Although, now that you’re really thinking about it, you shouldn’t be proud to know it looks plastic.
“Ooo the Angel with a Shotgun costume. Love that for you.” Rora winked with finger guns.
“‘Angel with a…–’ Seriously!? It’s named after a nightcore song?”
“Hey! It didn’t start as a nightcore song.” She pouted. “Besides, I like the name. It’s literal, charming, and brings nostalgia. No?”
“Should I know what that means?” Columbina clutched the costume to her chest, eyebrow raised.
“No!” You yelped without thinking. “It doesn’t matter. The costume suits you, go try it on.”
“Yeahhh, who cares what they say? You give nightcord vibes anyway, tooootally suits your cute yet dangerous aura you’ve got going on right now.”
“That is one of the strangest insults I’ve heard in my entire life.” You whispered to her. “I guess it could also be seen as a compliment too.”
“Good. Because the latter is what I meant. Now, stop stalling with chit-chat and pick an outfit for yourself!”
You grumbled in reply, eyes darting around the booth to find a costume you liked the most out of all of them. Evidently by the amount of time you spent looking around, it was clear that you had no idea what you were doing or what you wanted to pick.
You gazed at the different costumes, fingers trailing over certain fabrics in wonder of what they’d look like on you. Eventually, you set your eyes on a black costume. You couldn’t actually tell what it was, but you oddly felt gravitated to choosing it.
Rora let out a surprised noise when you picked it, a supportive smile stretching unnaturally on her face.
“I… didn’t think you’d pick that one. But it definitely suits you!”
You groaned inwardly at what you thought was her fake optimism, turning to her with a conflicted expression. “Did I pick a bad one?”
“No! No, you didn’t.” She tried reassuring you with a lighter tone, arms waving in front of her face. “It’s just… um, well… I feel like it wouldn’t do your radiance justice is all.”
“Justice…?”
“I see you wearing cloaks and other clothing that hides your features all the time! It feels to me like you’re hiding yourself from the world.”
If Columbina wasn’t behind the curtain less than five feet away, you would have laughed at her accuracy.
“I promise you that really isn’t the case!” You began to reason with her, taking a deep breath in to come up with a good lie. “I’m confident about myself, truly I am. It’s just that I feel most comfortable wearing lots of clothes piled on top of each other. It feels like I’m constantly getting hugged, ya know?”
“I mean I guess…” She looked at you strangely. “But are you sure? Like, really, really sure? I won’t judge you if you’re comfortable with telling me the real reason why.”
“I’ve told you the real reason, what makes you think I haven’t?”
“That blazer you’re currently wearing… That’s Arlette’s isn’t it? She wears that to work everyday, there’s no way I could be mistaken. The stitching, the fabric, and the size are the exact same. And according to the rest of your outfit? It doesn’t look planned…”
“Oh!” Your eyes lit in surprise, and slight hope she’d catch on. “I just get cold easily. Arlette’s really nice, so she didn’t think twice about offering it to me. I tried to give it back, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“I see.”
Columbina drew back the curtains, revealing herself to the two of you. The costume unsurprisingly fit her well, complimenting her angelic features and hair extraordinarily. She gave a ‘scary’ pose, before lifting her killed mask off with a silly giggle.
“What do you think?”
“I think–”
“My, Damselette darling!” A powerful female voice echoed through the booth, the woman stepping in confidently, much to your disappointment when you realised who it was.
“You look gorgeous, magnificent even.” Signora clapped, Columbina nodding and doing a twirl in reply.
“Thank you, that means so much coming from you Rosalyne!”
“Is this… another friend?” Rora suggested, whispering into your ear. “She’s… gorgeous too. Jaw-dropping even.”
“Hello, yes, it’s very delightful to meet you.” Signora gave the whispering girl a wicked grin before grabbing you by your upper arm and twirling you round to face Columbina directly in front of you.
“Say goodbye to your friend here, you’ve been in this booth for far too long. You can talk to her another day when you’re not as busy.”
“Right.” You flinched at her hands gripping both of your shoulders hard. “Sorry Rora, but we really need to keep moving. I promise I’ll give you the money or the costumes back tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She hesitantly nodded. “I’ll see you then, no pressure if you can’t decide though.”
You were dragged out of the booth after that, light complaints erupting from your pained cries being ignored. When deemed a safe distance away from the booth, Signora let go of her grip on your arm, a painful red ring around it being the only trace left behind.
“I know you’re bad at lying, but that was horrendous, even for you. If I wasn’t impressed by your friend's apparel and stitching, I would have burnt her where she stood for flying too close to the sun.”
“Don’t say that about her! She was just concerned for me because she’s my friend!”
“That girl shouldn’t even be your friend. Having you out here is enough of a risk as is! We trusted Arlecchino knew what she was doing, but after witnessing what you almost revealed, I’m starting to reconsider.”
“I’m sorry, you’re starting to reconsider? Since when did your opinion matter?” You laughed dryly. “All you people have done since you entered my life is make me feel scared. I finally find someone else outside of home who makes me feel safe, and all of a sudden she’s at risk of being incinerated!”
“How dare you talk back to me this way!” Signora growled. “Know your place, Decider. We decide what’s best for you, because we have hundreds of years more experience than you’ll ever have. We care more about you more than that wench ever will!”
“You’re so… ugh!” You stopped yourself from saying anything further, knowing what it would mean if you tried. “I hate you so much!”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Of course I do! You never let me dress the way I want, talk to whoever I want, do things I want to do. You’re just like the others, but always convince yourself you’re anything but!”
“Do not make me the enemy here!” She shouted in your face, raising her voice to a threatening volume which made your bones shake in fear. “Bottom line, everyone outside of our household is the enemy. I will not stand here and let you doom us all by buddying up with someone who threatens our entire foundation here in this world.”
“You’re starting to sound like Arlecchino.” You spat, turning around to avoid the hatred in her eyes. “Here’s my bottom line, Signora. You’re a fucking hypocrite.”
You started walking away from her, a growing feeling of nausea bubbling in your stomach from hearing her shouting and looking her in the eyes. You didn’t really have a plan, you just let your feet take you wherever they wanted to go.
You passed by many of the Harbingers on your trip: Dottore carving pumpkins with his wide selection of surgical tools, an amazed crowd surrounding him as he carefully poked his design through the surface. You heard faint gasps praising his precision with his utensils, whatever that’s supposed to mean… ew, that sounds dirty.
You also coincidentally passed by Scaramouche after, who seemed to be ‘encouraging’ other kids apple bobbing. You swore at one point he’d dunked a kid’s head in the water when he complained too much, but when you did a double-take the kid was dry. Weird. Must’ve been your imagination.
Anyway, you walked past without sparing them a second glance. You just wanted to be alone right now, is that really so much to ask? At this point, with all the Harbingers here, you’d ironically be alone if you walked home now. Ugh, no. Bad idea. They were already so angry at the thought of you leaving the house alone without one of them. If you left alone again to return home they’d probably blow a fuse… and maybe blow you to pieces in the process.
You walked up to a wooden sign, reading the words carefully in your head and deciding to follow the labelled path. It didn’t take long to reach the end, a massive bonfire with chairs surrounding it meeting your vision. This is a nice place, and there’s nobody here? Everyone must be enjoying the festival before coming to relax up here.
You sat down on one of the chairs closest to the fire, letting out a deep sigh of fatigue.
“Decider.”
Oh for the love of– seriously!? You were being dramatic before about not getting space and alone time, but at this point this is taking the piss! You shouldn’t be too harsh though, as it’s Capitano who’s come to speak to you. Be nice, he tried his best for you.
“Capitano.” You greeted gently with a friendly nod, a smile on your face. “I’m guessing word went round quickly about my disappearance.”
“Indeed. My apologies, I tried to keep it hidden for as long as possible.”
“It’s fine. Columbina’s known to be quite vocal, so it’s not your fault.”
“Columbina?” He questioned out loud, moving closer to you and sitting down on the chair next to yours.
“Yeah…? She was the one who first noticed I went missing and told everyone?” You turned to him with a scrunched face.
“I believe you’re mistaken. Columbina was one of the last Harbingers to find out about your adventure.”
“But–” You blinked rapidly. “Hold on, that can’t be right.” You breathed out an awkward chuckle. “Arlecchino told me it was her who ratted me out.”
“A lie, Decider. Just because Arlecchino treats you decently doesn’t mean she always tells you the truth.”
She was lying? But, why would she lie about Columbina finding you? Not only that, but Columbina was with her when she lied and didn’t argue against it! What’s going on!? If it wasn’t her who found you out, who did? Capitano wouldn’t have ratted you out, he promised he’d let you slip by. Sure, he could have lied, but Capitano never goes against his word. It’s in his values to never go against something he’s agreed to do!
Capitano sighed, clicking his fingers in front of your face to stop you from overthinking further. “It was Dottore who found out first.”
“Dottore?” You shrieked in horror. “How do you know this? You could have been lied to. That crazy surgeon couldn’t care less about me half the time, he never goes to my room. …thankfully. If he did, I’d sleep in the attic.”
“I know because he came to me first as he was tampering with the compass that first helped us find you. It was an accident when he pressed the locator button while asking me questions. He thought it was an error at first, but the trail kept moving and you weren’t in your bedroom.”
Oh… that makes so much sense. So that’s how the Harbingers knew where the festival was! Arlecchino might’ve known, but none of the others would have.
“So it was just coincidental.” You groaned into your hands, Capitano patting your hunched back to try and ease your worries.
“If it makes you feel any better, I am also to receive a punishment from Pierro when we return. When they found out you’d left, and I feigned ignorance, it was obvious I’d helped you.”
“Sorry.” You cringed. “I should have listened to you last night.”
“Yes.”
“Okay, no need to rub salt in the wound with such a blunt answer.” You sighed. “Do you know why Arlecchino and Columbina would lie? I just can’t think of a reason why.”
“???” Capitano tilted his head, visibly magnifying his incredulous expression of doubt on his face that you obviously couldn’t see for his helmet.
“What?”
“Y/N, if I told you not to step too close to the fire because it was hot, what would that show?”
“Uhh… it would show that you think I don’t have common sense?”
“Well, yes, but that wasn’t what I was going for.” He coughed into his hand. “It makes you more aware. Indeed, you know the fire is hot, but having someone say it outright makes you specifically think about it consciously instead of unconsciously.”
“Okay? I don’t see where this is going.” You tried to understand, but couldn’t. “You’re sounding way too sciency for a general.”
“My point is, and this is just a theory, the Harbingers know you’re aware that you can’t run away without one of them quickly finding out. If you were told a specific name in relation to that point, regardless of the truth, aren’t you going to think about that name more often before doing the action?”
“I mean, yeah, but I still don’t see how that would benefit those two. Won’t that just make me more afraid of them?”
“You… still don’t get it?” He mumbled to himself, barely audible to you. “Y/N it still makes you think about them specifically, over all the other Harbingers. The purpose was to remind you that whatever you do, they’ll always know where you are and what you’re doing.”
“Ahhhh…” You nodded in understanding slowly. “That’s messed up, and didn’t work the way they thought it would. This is some yandere stuff, huh? Very Halloween-y.”
“Knowing you, I don’t want to know what that means.”
“Yeah, you don’t.” You shook your head. “Anyway, can we go home now? Since you’re a Harbinger, I won’t be punished too badly if I come home early, right?”
“Yes, I believe that’s a good idea. Should we go get the others?”
“NO! No, absolutely not. As much as it angers me that they’re having fun at the festival I wanted to go to and they didn’t originally, I won’t deny it was fun watching them interact with this world’s customs for a day.”
“Not even Childe?” You could have sworn the tone of his voice made it sound like he was making puppy eyes.
“Not even him. That infant can drown in candy floss for all I care-- err, actually, thinking about it… we should probably go get him. I don’t want to find out what a sugar-rushing Childe acts like. We may need someone strong to keep him down.”
🖤 Pairing: Yandere! Platonic! The Tsaritsa x Female! Daughter! Reader (feat. Pierro)
💛 Word Count: 0,7k+
❤ Warnings: -
[Edited]
Do not re-upload my writing to another website or use it without my permission. Also, don’t ask for a sequel unless I like the story enough to write one. Please reblog so other people can see my stories!
I don’t know if Archons can have a child, because I don’t play the game, but let’s just say they can. Also, another yan platonic, featuring the Tsaritsa with Pierro as the cameo. Maybe I’ll expand on the latter and make it romantic.
You were the Tsaritsa’s only daughter.
And the status might conjure up an image of a princess locked up in a tower to some people.
They were right. At least, to some extent. Your tower was a palace carved from ice and blood. Your dragon was your mother. And your prince? Well, there was no prince. There were only guards, who was her sinister subordinates who seemed to respect her ambition more than herself. It was safe to say that you’d been living in this situation for as long as you could remember. Control was disguised as protection, for that was how the Goddess of Love showed her love to you.
You understood her reasoning, truly. She’d made many enemies over the last centuries due to her pursuit of a new world order. Some simple words of affirmation, typically uttered by mortal parents, wouldn’t shield you from the dangers of the outside world. And she was merciful, because although you were still unsure of whether her utopian vision would be better than this one, she hadn’t punished you or anything. But you wouldn’t deny that her affection was still heavy and suffocating, like being trapped in ice.
She was gentle, too gentle. As such, she had to harden herself. And you, her only thread of sanity, were equally frozen over. Losing you would kill what little of humanity, of love, left within her.
Still, there were days when you wished she were a mortal mother with their open affection and sincere words. There were days when you wished you could laugh and chat with her about silly things like a crush. And there were days when you wished you could explore the world freely without guards, servants, or whatever monstrosity she created with the help of the Harbingers. Many humans thought having a status meant more freedom, when it wasn’t always the case. Because if it were, why would she hide herself away? Why would she subject you to cold supervision and distant affection? Why would she forbid you from playing outside, even long after you grew up?
Sighing, you stared at a bird that happened to fly past. Oh, how you envied them. How they could travel back and forth with no barriers, who were only concerned with their instincts, and who never had to deal with ancient grudges. Sometimes you wished you were born as one, and not the daughter of an ice queen, where you couldn’t even date someone without fearing for a political problem.
And yet, here you were. Dressed in the finest silk and decorated with the prettiest jewels, but never truly free. Never truly happy.
Beside you, your handmaidens were shifting uncomfortably after one too many ignored pleas to return inside. How funny it was that you still had a curfew despite being centuries old. If you were a human, and you had friends, they’d surely mock you for a rule meant for little kids. But you weren’t a human, and you had no friends, so nobody would mock you for that, let alone have the audacity.
“Your Highness.”
You closed your eyes and sighed heavily.
“What is it, Pierro?”
Pierro, the Director of the Fatui, a royal mage from the fallen Khaenriah, your mother’s right hand and also her second eyes when he wasn’t busy with his schedule. He was as formal as the others were, but he was subtly stern to you in a way only someone close to your mother could. You respected him, but he was still another hindrance to your freedom.
“There will be a ball tomorrow, and Her Majesty desires to see you in a well-rested state.”
You rolled your eyes subtly; a little act of rebellion you dared to commit once in a while.
“Surely, I can afford just a few more minutes of stargazing?”
“There shall be more opportunities for such an activity, Your Highness.”
He lied. There wouldn’t be any opportunity due to this infernal curfew. You wondered what it felt like for those humans to stay up late out of their own free will without being punished by your mother. Or her subordinates.
“Well, tell her that I shall retire once I see a star twinkles.”
Pierro narrowed his eye.
“I believe that you’ve been indulgent enough for today, Your Highness.”
You wished you could huff childishly, or snap at him for ordering you around, but disobedience would surely reach her ears. And when it did, you’d be locked inside your room to appreciate what little freedom you had.
So, you settled on another loud sigh and stood up from the bench.
“Fine.”
Pierro merely nodded and led you inside the main building, ignoring your exasperation as always.
some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.
As a bisexual, an asexual, and a human being with a sense of decency, I believe that people should love whoever they want to love (as long as it isn’t creepy or non-consensual), even if that someone is no one
As a Christian asexual hetromantic, I’m reblogging! Although my characters are rainbow and not gay, gay people are valid! Bi and pan people are valid! Ninbinary and trans people are valid! All of y’all are valid!
reblogging as a someone who has the common knowledge to know people have the right to love and marry whoever they want, and have the right to not be judged upon or descriminated against in any way!
as someone who both supports the LGBTQ+ community and is part of it, i feel the need to reblog this, it’s honestly nuts that some people will just scroll past this
We have been forcibly displaced from our homes and now find ourselves without shelter, food, or basic necessities.
We urgently call on kind-hearted individuals and humanitarian organizations to come to our aid.
Every donation, no matter how small, can make a big difference in the lives of our children and families.
🚨Please help us — time is running out 🚨
My name is Mahmoud Al-Halaq, from Palestine - Gaza - I am 29 years old. This message is addressed to every person who carries compassion, kindness, and love in their heart. After 470 days of war on Gaza, the destruction that has occurred, the displacement we have faced, moving from one place to another, and the loss and death of loved ones and friends, I found myself alone without a home or place, and even the prices of food are astronomical. The world has changed so much that life has become gloomy and boring. Therefore, I ask for your help in rebuilding myself, my life, and my family's life anew. You are our remaining hope in life. If there were an opportunity to work, I would not waste a minute nor ask for help from anyone, but I urgently need assistance for my family, my children, and the women to rebuild what has been destroyed and crushed in this devastating and painful war. Thank you for your time and support; we draw our strength and resilience from your support. 🍉
Hello, my name is Karina. I'm organizing this campaign for Mahmoud Alhallaq, whose previous campaigns have been shut down or have had their
My name is Ahmed, I’m 20 years old, and I’m from Gaza City. I used to dream of a peaceful life, completing my education, and getting a job, but the war has turned that dream into something impossible 💔😭. We lived through this massacre in every painful detail, and we are still in pain 😔. We were so happy when the ceasefire was announced, and we returned to our homes in the north of Gaza after being displaced for a year and a half in a tent in the south of the Strip. After we fixed a small room in our destroyed house to live in and start over, unfortunately, the war returned, stronger than before 💔. Now, we have no shelter and no source of income. We have exhausted all our savings during the war. I know that I started my campaign very late, but that’s because there is no other way to help my family 🙏. I am fully confident and hopeful that someone here will help us as much as they can and save my family in these difficult circumstances 😔.
I know that the feeling of starting from scratch is painful and frustrating, but I hope to receive any amount for my family 🥺🙏.
https://chuffed.org/project/helpahmedfamily
My Story: From the Hell of War to the Search for Safety My name is Ahmed, a 20-year-old young man from Gaza. Since the war began, my life ha
Even a small donation would have a great impact on us 🥺. May God bless you, my friend 🥰❤️.
My name is Sondos, I am 21 years old, from northern Gaza. I suffer from chronic asthma. Our house was completely bombed, my father was injured in the head, we lost all our belongings, we were displaced several times, and we have no money at all to buy treatment for me and my father, in addition to the famine, lack of access to food and clothes, and the very high prices. We have lost everything 😭💔. I have created a donation campaign in the hope of getting enough aid for me and my family 🥹. My campaign is new and I have not received any help yet. Please donate as much as you can and save us 😭. Any amount you donate will help us a lot, please 💔
Please support my campaign to help my family, unfortunately my campaign is new and I have not received any support for the moment and I am also trying to help my family, I hope you will donate as much as you can
My name is Sondos, and I am from Gaza City, specifically the northern part of the Gaza Strip. I am 21 years old and a third-year Business Ad
You’re the half-dragon child of a king and a dragon mother who gave up everything to marry him. When you hit puberty, dragon features start to emerge, and now your father spends his days fending off knights determined to 'slay the dragon.
I felt like a monster. My father banishing travelling knights. Sometimes having to duel and kill those that wouldn't leave. I could hear the people. They claimed a witch had laid a spell on him. One that made him protect her. They claimed the witch had killed the Queen and replaced her. That the Princess, me, was actually a demon.
The only thing that made me feel safer was the fact there was an equal number claiming that the whole family had been cursed and the witch was hiding behind us. That if they could break the spell we would all be saved. That the witch had been jealous of the love and care my family had for each other and our people. My own Guard knew the truth. He has been laying rumors that the transformation is somewhat permanent for me. So I can live without fear. The Captain of the Guard is trying to find a way to pretend she had slain the witch. Her and father planned to use the child murderer they had found in the woods. But father is hesitant. He doesn't want to cause trouble for the magic users of our land.
Mother suggested using an amulet, pretending it was an old curse that a poor innocent person was unaware of when they found it. So no blame to anyone. But that also has its flaws.
So for now. I sit in my window, wings folded against my back and an elegant crown of horns protruding from my head, watching my father fight for my life.