#doublemasked

[ostentumm]

His body trembles after the huge destruction he's left behind. He's covered in his own blood. His arm, the one that is monsterized, is bleeding profusely, but it looks like it's still intact. "This is MY body. I have control. I have control!" he repeats with a sense of urgency. He's trying to convince himself. As he's TRYING to pierce his eye with the dagger, that same arm attempts to stop him.

He's fighting himself.

"EUGH!!!!"

Unfortunately, the moment there's someone in view, Oliver's monster side is now targeting him.

"Ru--," and before Oliver can even warn him, his body is already MAKING a haste move to kill.

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[balemoonash]

they've crossed paths once before so it hardly comes as a surprise they might do so again. she has no idea what he could have found interest in, whatever he appeared to be looking at, but perhaps this is the perfect chance for them to catch up properly this time, have a quiet chat over some drinks so long as he finds it agreeable. "Childe." she greets him politely of course, just as she does any other person unless they happened to get on her bad side. "would you care to join me for some refreshments? I was just on my way to a small café for a warm drink. consider it my treat."

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[khaenriahn]

MAYBE HE'D BEEN TOO HARSH, especially when it came to something that was so wildly out of control between others. pettiness was not something lost on him, something which had grown into him over years of his childhood and far into his adulthood. withdrawing into himself has always been his way to avoid that selfsame harm he felt throughout those years, shielding his heart away to make certain that it would not bleed so profusely.

yet this only works when it involves one angle of it, doesn't it? had it been him who had been stolen away, well... one knock on the door is all it takes to silence the thoughts racing through his mind, waiting patiently before the face of the red head soon shows opening the door at his surprise visit, a few wrapped items in hand at his side.

❝ You're not busy today, are you? Given our mutual friends being in such close proximity and how they know of your family situation, I would think on your birthday... ❞ he can only assume they might have made plans to keep the harbinger's mind at bay for the day.

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[depthsofdreaming]

Even if Freminet hadn't been busy hiding Clervie during Childe's stay at the House of the Hearth, he still would have gone to great lengths to avoid the Harbinger. Never mind the fact that Freminet's history with Harbingers outside of 'Father' weren't the best... and never mind that Freminet was part of the mission that failed to rescue Childe... Freminet simply wasn't big on talking to strangers. Besides, there were plenty of extroverted children who weren't here when 'Mother' was in charge to keep him busy.

Seeing Childe in this city, his first instinct was to turn and walk quickly away pretending he hadn't seen him, but when they made eye contact it was clear that Childe had seen him. Freminet knew 'Father' would be disappointment in him if she found out he ignored a Harbinger and a previous guest of the House so he unwillingly locked his legs in place, knees quivering already. He swept his hat off and clutched it nervously to his chest as he bowed.

"M-M-Master Childe! I-I would like to apologize on behalf of my siblings for our f-failure to retrieve you from the Fortress of Meropide! If- if we had a little more time... or if I had been stronger...!" He knew he was ranting a little but found himself unable to stop.

"P-please don't hold the results of our mission against m-my siblings or the House of the Hearth!"

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[ragnvindrdawn]

@doublemasked​

Despite having somewhere to work from, there’s still plenty of things that require attention before a proper opening. Currently the tavern is only for those within his small circle of friends, yet someone apparently thinks otherwise. “We’re not open—” When he turns to see who decided to enter, without taking the sign outside into consideration, his disappointment is quite clear. “It’s you...” Surely the Harbinger has better things to do with his time than make an appearance here of all places. The last Diluc remembers seeing the man is that one unfortunate and very brief time they had been housed together. Whether Childe shares that memory is another matter entirely.

Setting down the cloth he’d been cleaning shelves with, he places both hands on the counter, watching Childe carefully. “I doubt you could possibly have anything you wish to say to me, so I admit I’m curious as to why you’re here — or perhaps you just intend to bother me for ‘fun’.” Ignorance is much easier when the person in question isn’t in front of him.

“If you’re after something to drink, however, I’m afraid I have nothing to offer you at the moment. You’re free to come back another time, though I’m not sure the kind of beverages I intend to sell would be to your tastes.”

[scarletwinds]

Cats somehow always knew the best and warmest places to sleep. Having followed a tabby cat to this particular tree, Kazuha found himself wedged between two of it’s branches attempting to catch up on the sleep he had lost the night before.

Before he could fully fall into his resting state, the wind carried to him an unfamiliar scent sooner than he could even hear footsteps approach. The person himself was unfamiliar yes, but clinging to him was the familiar iron tang of old blood or newly forged weapons, and the sharp smell of cold, deep, running water. A practiced fighter.

“If you’re looking for solitude, I’m afraid this area is taken. If it’s companionship you seek, my mind is open to all honest warriors.”

He alerted the other to his presence and did not mention that if they sought to attack him, they would be met with more resistance than just a wooden sword.

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[khaenriahn]

FINGERTIPS KNOW NO HESITATION HERE, cautious in how they press the sharpened blade to the neck of an unsuspecting guest. to say this was something he had come to expect was, frankly put, an absolute lie. rather, it was more of a disbelief that the eleventh harbinger would make his way so brazenly into the home of an enemy. whether it all should to be named bold or idiocy was difficult to say. something he was far better off not thinking during this moment, when danger lurks right beneath his roof, having wiled away within the confines of his kitchen, threatened by how kaeya presses metal closer to exposed skin to draw the smallest drop of blood.

now if only his sword didn't feel so heavy 一 weighted by some knowing that his body seems to retain while his mind can't seem to quite comprehend.

❝ I would've thought the Fatui would be smarter than this. ❞ kaeya knows that they can be, deceptive masks aplenty for each one, which is why he finds himself particularly alert. ❝ But to wander into a Favonious captain's home without so much of being undercover? Why, it leaves quite a lot to the imagination. ❞

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[khaenriahn]

BY THE MOMENT HE’S HOME, he knows that what he’s just experienced was nothing so ephemeral as a harmless dream. faint traces of darkened purple have trailed over him like a brush of paint to a canvas, as if they were but blossoming bruises to the gaze of the unknowing. one hand moves to cover the faded blotch half-covered by his sleeve, though to cover the subtle mark which trails down his cheek from beneath the darkness of his eyepatch would find to be a more tedious task despite the partial covering of his bangs. ah, not that he doesn’t have a myriad of things he can pluck from to explain it all to cover the reality of it, all dependent on how any interaction might go.

though, in truth, he hadn’t thought to be faced with a conversation so soon when eyes fell upon the familiar hair of red as the door clicks shut.

❝ Oh? My, and here I thought you’d be out on the town after everything not long ago. ❞ not that childe wasn’t invited into his own home, but the knight couldn’t help but feel how poor the timing was. ❝ Any special occasion I should know about? ❞ something easily casual, laying out the elaborate position for the harbinger to set the mood of the conversation before choosing his own course of action.

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