Day 10: Spider
/ᐢ⑅ᐢ\ ♡ ₊˚ TKTober Day 10: Spider ꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ ♡‧₊˚ ♡ Tags: Implied Arlefuri (Arlecchino/Furina) ./づ~ :¨·.·¨: ₊˚ Arle boss form mention `·..·‘ ₊˚ ♡ , post-AQ, petnames
“What were you thinking this afternoon?”
“Huh? This afternoon?”
Arlecchino’s face remained unchanging, almost bored, as her hands absentmindedly combed through Furina’s hair.
Furina swallowed from her position on those strong thighs, resisting the urge to fidget, as the silence dragged on. Between the two of them, she was always more of the talker and that went for almost everyone and every situation. It was just that she genuinely didn’t know what Arlecchino was talking about.
“Arle?”
“Earlier this afternoon, when the traveler wished to spar with me, you had a… transfixed look on your face,” Arlecchino said. Furina hummed, the recollection coming easily now: Aether had requested Neuvilette’s help for something, and she’d been too curious to not come along. It was amusing to see him amass a team consisting of Arlecchino’s coworker and familiar ginger (who’s enthusiasm for the spar died rather quickly as soon as Aether explained he was merely there to support, not fight), a rather poor, sickly looking doctor from Liyue (who… well… she would never see the Traveler in the same light again after making the poor man run to the point of coughing up a lung), and—
Herself, wielding her new vision.
Neuvilette had carried them through the fight in all honestly, just as Aether predicted. As reassuring as it was to have the Great Ludex watch her back, her heart had thundered when Arlecchino launched backward into the air and unveiled a secondary form with ease. She’d always known the harbinger was powerful, but even so, nothing had prepared her for the way dark energy cut through the grounds just by their team.
“Did I scare you?”
“N-no! No,” Furina gasped, shaking her head. Her reply was too quick, and she hastened to clarify, pulling herself upwards to face Arlecchino. “Honest, no. You’d startled me, yes, but I wasn’t—I wasn’t scared.”
Arlecchino’s head tilted. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Furina affirmed. It had been scary, being in a fight, but she’d known from the moment Arlecchinos’s amused glance met hers that she would walk away unscathed. And she had! Honestly, the main damage taken was by the poor doctor, and that was more due to running around than Arlecchino’s attacks. On her end, there had been little more to do than summon the occasional hydro friend, cheer on Neuvillette, and be transfixed at how smoothly Arlecchino moved in the air.
The expression she’d had staring down at them from the sky, completely at ease in her own power, was beautiful. And then limbs seemed to branch out from her back, and she’d looked straight out of a fairytale.
“Then why stare?”
“Well, that’s—” Furina looks away, suddenly flustered. “It’s pretty silly. Nothing interesting!”
“I’m interested.”
“No, really! It’s just a silly Fontaine children’s story!”
“A children’s story?” Arlecchino echoed, leaning in closer. Furina squeaked as arms closed around her waist, tugging her into Arlecchino’s shadow. “Why wouldn’t a Father be interested in that?”
Blasted, Furina and her lousy choice of words! She swallowed as Arlecchino’s fingers pulled loose her buttons, cold hands meeting her skin. The contrast of temperatures made her shiver, and Arlecchino’s looming overhead expression, just at ease as earlier in the day, left her heart thundering. “A-arlecchino?”
“Mon Cherie, won’t you share with me the story?”
“U-um, I—eehehehehe! Wahahahit, wahahahahahit!”
Furina jolted in Arlecchino’s lap as surprised giggles left her lips, squirming at the sudden attack of tickling fingers along her bare skin. They circled her stomach, eager to map out the sensitive spots Arlecchino no doubt had memorized twice over, and she yelped as they slipped to needle her sides. “A-Arlehehehe! Why?!”
“It’s a children’s story you refuse to share, no? Then I shall deal with you as though a child.”
“B-but! Thihihehes isn’t hohahahaaw you t-treheheat your kids!”
Arlecchino smiled, bemused. “You would much prefer this method than how I tend to pull secrets loose from my children.”
“W-Wehehehhehehell! Lehehet’s tahahahalk about thihehhes!”
That—okay, that was probably true, but still! Furina let loose fresh peals of laughter as Arlecchino moved to dig into her sides, knuckles seemingly intent on rubbing along the curve of her waist in the most maddening way. But she was no match for someone of a Harbinger’s title, and every attempt made to escape was foiled instantly by how quickly she folded to a harsher nudge against her ribs or scratch along her stomach.
“Won’t you share, droplet?”
Furina squawked. Share? What could she even say when she was busy laughing her head off, mind occupied by the sensation of Arlecchino’s hands, now warm after tucking themselves quite comfortably against Furina’s stomach. Her face heated up as Arlecchino leaned over, squeezing her eyes shut to avoid the gaze seeking her own. No doubt her cheeks were burning pink, her fair skin making any attempt at hiding her fluster useless. Though even if it weren’t, Arlecchino could probably still tell. “S-Shahahare whahaaht?!”
“Playing dumb? Very well—let me convince you to recall.”
She shook her head as they continued their ascent, giggles morphing into wild cackles as fingers prodded, pinched, tickled every centimeter of her torso before petering back downwards. She squawked in realization, thrashing against Arlecchino as sweat beaded on her forehead.
“N-nahahah! NohaHAHAH! NAHHAat THEREHEHEHE!!”
Furina shrieked as Arlecchino’s nails met her thighs, quick and deadly in how they slipped down to scratch at the sensitive inner area. She threw her head back, eyes popping open at just how that area was, desperation hitching her voice an octave higher. “PLEAHAHAHAHSE!”
“Would you like that? For me to plead you to share?”
Furina kicked her legs out as she begged through her laughter but trust a Harbinger to be anything but unrelenting. Those hands held her down with ease as they spidered along her thighs.
Spider… spider!
“SpiHEHEHEHDEHEHER! It’s spihheheheheder!”
“Hm?”
Arlecchino’s nails dragged along exposed skin as Furina curled up, cackling. “StAHAHAHAP! NAHAHAHA MOREHEHEHEHE! I’LL SHAHAHAHARE!”
“Good girl.”
Archons, her face could only get so red. Furina whined as Arlecchino’s hands shook themselves loose from her legs, fingers intently pricking her as they left; still, it was an act of mercy that Arlecchino leaned back and let her scrub at her burning face in peace. Leftover giggles left her winded, and she winced as she rolled into a sitting posture.
“Are you alright?”
“I-I’m okay. Actually, I’m way better off than that doctor from today.”
Arlecchino chuckled, eyes twinkling in amusement as Furina wheezed in a way not so different than Baizhu. Okay, maybe she needed to exercise more.
She squeaked as fingers met her side, intent. Arlecchino nudged her again. “The story?”
Oh, that. Furina sighed, feeling the redness that’d started to recede from her cheeks bloom once more; it had been a busy passing thought then, and it was even sillier now that she’d had it tickled out of her like an interrogation scene from a B-grade musical.
“Um, there’s a Fontaine children’s rhythm that, actually,” Furina paused, trying to recall it. “It’s about a spider. An itsy-bitsy spider, and it goes… up a well? I think?”
“It rains,” Arlecchino said. “And it washed it down the well.”
“Yes, that one! And—wait, you’re from Fontaine. I forgot! You already knew the story!”
Arlecchino raised a brow. “I did. What I do not know is why you were so distracted by a nursery rhyme.”
Furina coughed, glancing away. “It’s… because of you.”
“Me?”
“Your transformation, today!” She snapped, the exhilaration of the earlier fight welling up in her. “It was—it was unexpected! You just moved your arms and then your body changed, and these extra limbs came out of you and you looked like a spider catching us all in your web. It was so cool! You were so strong, and confident, and I was totally wowed because you were so, so beautiful!”
Arlecchino blinked at her, blank gaze broken as surprise overtook her before fading into a gentle veneer of a smile. Furina’s heart thudded when the smile was transfixed her way, mystique. “Thank you, Mon Cherie.”
“Y-you’re welcome.”
She fidgeted as Arlecchino reclined against the sofa, almost lazily, before patting her lap in clear invitation. Furina smiled as she crawled back, tension leaving her when the same hands that tormented her now combed through her hair in patient adoration, careful to smooth out the curls she’d messed up in her squirming. She closed her eyes, sighing.
“You… really are beautiful, Arle.”
“You as well, Furina.”
“Not Mon Cherie?”
Arlecchino chuckled, pinching Furina’s cheek. “You’re beautiful, Mon Cherie.”