acutabove: (✧ feel the fear in my enemy's eyes)
tartaglia ✧ "childe" ([personal profile] acutabove) wrote in [community profile] gacharolls2021-08-06 12:01 am

>> 005 | I’m a soldier, not a plaything


[ Liyue is burning.

It had only been a few hours since the Snezhnayan army had landed on the city’s shores and in that time the soldiers had wasted no time cutting a swath of destruction and violence throughout the safe harbor. Merchant’s stalls were tipped over, their contents ransacked and pillaged. Temples burned on hilltops, shrines to the gods splattered with blood and viscera of their most devout followers. Ornate, gilded residences once home to nobles and elite politicians crumbled by the wayside and bodies of Liyue’s former citizens bled together in red trickles of blood that flowed like rivers through the streets.

Whatever class system that had been put in place before was inconsequential. There was far too much carnage to pick out the robes of a noble from ones of a commoner, and all parties bled the same.

It was uncertain what had prompted the attack. For all extents and purposes negotiations had been fine, with some trade ships conducting business as usual between the two nations as recently as a week ago.

One of the bodies laying in the street was a small figure garbed in Liyuen clothing, clutching a Snezhnayan matryoshka doll. Childe, better known as Tartaglia to his servants and Ajax to his close family, glanced over the grim sight and murmured a soft prayer before continuing on his way through the city. The bottoms of his boots and trousers were soaked with blood, stained until the fabric changed from a dull grey to a red so deep it was practically black.

He’d been pulled from his chambers by one of his men stumbling in, clothes ripped and tattered, blood flowing from a wound in his side. He’d yelled something about a surprise Millelith ambush and how several of his comrades had already been taken out while they were ransacking the Golden House, and then promptly passed out.

As Childe made his way there he took note of the destruction of the city with something like satisfaction and elation in his dark blue eyes. Perhaps it was because of his status as a Harbinger or maybe because his upbringing was less than conventional, but this was the sort of environment that he thrived in.

Bodies of Liyuen citizens littered the ground underfoot in the walk he took to reach the doors of the Golden House, and before stepping within he noted how they were slightly ajar, small handprints of blood standing out on the wood next to larger ones slimmer than his own.

How strange. He wondered if people had tried to take sanctuary here before the Fatui found them, or if they’d been chased here and sought to make their final stand in one of Liyue’s most well-known landmarks.

He sincerely hoped no blood got on the mora. From the last time he’d visited the mint he remembered that the caretakers tended to just leave it laying around in piles.

As he steps inside Childe finds himself staring at a scene of such carnage and violence he can’t help the catch of his breath, the way his pupils dilate while something warm and hot burns under his skin.

His men lay on the floor, clothes ripped and torn with the press of a blade or a spear. It’s a pole arm, he concludes, when he lifts his eyes and catches sight of a few more of his men surrounding a man with long brown hair dipped in gold.

And gods, he thinks. This man is a vision.

He wields the pole arm effortlessly, as though it’s another part of him. Childe watches as his men go flying with the force used against them, the butt of the shaft used in connection with an open palm to force the Fatui into giving the foreigner a wide berth.

Childe thinks he recognizes the uniform as something of similar make to the Millelith, but he’s not sure. There’s too much blood staining down the man’s front to be able to tell, and Childe hopes not all of it is this beautiful foreigner’s. ]


Enough. [ He calls out, voice ringing authoritatively in the open space. His men on the floor groan in reply. Childe keeps his gaze on the man in front of him, desire thrumming through his veins. ]

You’ve given my men quite the work out, haven’t you? [ It comes out teasingly as though there isn’t a Fatui lying limp with his arm missing. ]

My name is Tartaglia, Eleventh of Her Majesty the Tsaritsa’s Harbingers. But you can call me Childe.

[ And he smiles, the gesture so innocent it’s unfitting for the bloody scene all around them. ]

And what are you called, my lovely?
geocash: (♪Until I drown)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-09 02:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Zhongli would be lying to say there was no curiosity in him, watching Childe beam so. He doesn't really make any logical sense, slipping from cold and unerring, threatening in every way, to this warm, bright expression. It's something he hasn't seen, and it's enough to stump him utterly for a time.

Childe really is lucky he doesn't understand how strong his draw is. Though, in this limited space, how much could he take advantage of it...?

Then again, he's not thinking about that at all. He's thinking about the way Childe is dressing him, hands warm and close. The slip of silk over his skin is enough to make him shiver, and for a moment, he's too distracted to slap hands away from his hips.

He's getting complacent. How... troublesome. There isn't much he can do about it though.]


... don't be coy. We both know where this is going. You have your pet, you may as well start acting like it. Stop treating me like I have any say in the matter.

[It would be easier, he thinks, than this strange back and forth.]
geocash: (♪I don't ever want to be)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
Playful banter.

[Zhongli scoffs, but leaves it at that. Fingers curl around strands of his hair and he allows it - for the moment, it's relatively harmless. It certainly isn't hurting his temperature having him relatively nearby.

On the subject of heat, Childe isn't entirely wrong. It's not the coldest place to be, even still damp as he is, but it's not pleasant. Goosebumps rise on skin and the last dregs of dampness cling to him like a jealous lover, in ways the sheer fabric nearly fails to do so.

His fingers are even cold to the touch when Childe grasps his hand, and he hesitates a moment on the way to the bed.]


I imagine you will quite graciously keep me warm, if I simply accept?

[He would, of course, rather not. Childe may have kept his hands to himself before, but over the night and onward? That's harder to say. If he's honest, he wishes the harbinger would just be overt about it - not knowing when to expect it leaves his already exhausted body still on high alert.

At first, at least, he's not willing to take the offered kindness at all, simply sitting at the edge of the bed. Maybe, he thinks, he'd rather use the chaise lounge. Anywhere but near this... man. Perhaps that's a little childish, but he's exhausted enough to be petty for once.]
geocash: (♪As it pools on the ground)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 06:19 am (UTC)(link)
[He hasn't wished for his abilities so strongly in ages. This was never meant to be an easy task - letting go of his place as both guide and protector had been a reluctant necessity.

That's largely unrelated, though. He sits, stubbornly, as the cold seeps into the relative comfort of the room, sinking into fingers and toes and turning his nipples into perky little bumps in his clothes. Even the jewelry seems bent on freezing him into the snake's embrace.]


I don't need your help. The blankets alone would be enough, and this bed is large. Even if I agreed to lie there, I'm not asking for more. My pride and I will be fine. I have survived worse.

[But... ultimately, after a while, he can't deny it any more. His gaze flicks to Childe with an expression of dismay, perhaps even disgust on his face, and he rises up to lift the blankets.]

Just... stay there.

[As if he's not the one being ordered around here.]
geocash: (♫A phantom divine)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
[He'd forgotten how fragile human bodies are. Even beneath the covers, his body settles itself into a notable, frustrating shiver. It's fine, he tells himself, the feeling will start coming back and the shuddering will subside.

Childe speaks and his gaze slides to the Snezhnayan, a gruff little exhale as his eyes close.]


You're still acting like I have a choice. If you decide you want something, that is your right as the victor, isn't it?

[He could probably stand to give Childe a small victory, but... ah. He doesn't want to. Not yet. The Harbinger has already proven that if he really wants, his hands will do as they like, regardless of Zhongli's thoughts on the matter.]

I ache. If that's all, I would like to rest.

[As he speaks, ignoring the chill of the blankets even against his skin, he turns away from Childe to settle himself in the space. He wasn't lying - he certainly aches, both from the cold and from the injuries (which, he suspects, will feel worse in the morning thanks to said cold on the myriad of bruises).]
geocash: (♪Watching the needle)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 08:54 am (UTC)(link)
[For one minute, two even, he thinks maybe he'll be able to rest. The heavy furs and soft mattress are almost enough to doze off in. It's a luxury he's really not used to.

... And then, there's the sound of movement over the howling of the winds and noise of the palace shifting in its anger. Sound turns to heat, and against his aching and cold body, it's almost, almost a salve. If it weren't the very man who advocated his current predicament, the gesture could almost be sweet.

Perhaps a bit less sweet, with how fast Childe's cock hardens between them, hot and thick against his skin for a moment before the harbinger slides down to lift his leg up. With little recourse, he just... allows it, not quite freezing and perhaps gritting his teeth as he speaks.]


... Ah. You have other pets you accost? Whores, perhaps, unable to refuse your whims? At least I won't be alone in this discomfort, then.

[His tone is cold, but he's much too worn for anything more than that. At least it's just that, for now.]
geocash: (♪Until I drown)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 09:43 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps it's that fact that concerns me.

[The press of Childe's lips raises goosebumps on Zhongli's skin, his fingers curling in some attempt to stay still and steady. Honestly, the temptation to elbow him is extremely strong. Just the heat of warmth against his nearly-bare skin keeps him still and steady.

And if the harbinger does stay like this? Well, perhaps this isn't the worst thing in the world. Strange, not terribly comfortable, but-- Childe leans in, mouth pressed to his neck to suck, and Zhongli flinches.]


Don't-- [Everywhere already aches, and the dull throb that rises when he's finished seems to oscillate between unbearable and completely unnoticed. It does have a slight reaction in him, though, a tiny hitch of breath he tries to hide. Is he blushing? He can't tell, his cheeks have felt warm since before he climbed under the covers. His cock, thankfully, barely moves from the attack on an erogenous zone he scarcely realised he had.

Great. Wonderful. He needs to rein that in immediately.]


... Stop that. I have enough to heal from, you are correct. Adding to that and the discomfort of trying to sleep in jewelry is unhelpful. Are you really so impatient you can't wait even a little while?

[Every argument he can bring up, he does. It's not a skill he often uses, much less needs, but at this sharp a disadvantage, it's his only real recourse short of giving in.]
geocash: (♪Thread a weft of yarn)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 11:08 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps you should have cautioned your men to be more careful then.

[If they had been any gentler on him, Zhongli probably wouldn't be here. He grunts when weight presses him down into the soft mattress, scowling at the lump shifting where Childe disappeared beneath the blankets.]

A single night's rest isn't worth my name. You have no reason to even want it anyway.

[hands rove over his stomach and Zhongli finally moves to snatch them by the wrists, heartbeat picking up.]

Stop. You're sorely mistaken if you think I won't risk freezing because you won't keep your hands to yourself.

[This threat would hit harder if just holding the harbinger's hands away from his skin didn't leave him basically completely defenseless. It would be trivial to push him onto his stomach or back fully, and the best he could do would be to try to elbow or kick the harbinger.

Which, at this point, is admittedly tempting.]
geocash: (♪Oh how I wish for soothing rain)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-10 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[The wetness is itself a twofold problem, of course. If he were to flee the covers now, it would freeze him all that much faster. Admittedly, he thinks he probably should have realised before an entire tongue has flattened over his dick. Fingers let go of a hand in order to grab the redhead by the hair and shove.]

I-- said-- Stop!

[Childe's mouth was so hot though, tempered by the surrounding wetness against his skin. He doesn't freeze this time when the instinct kicks in. He needs to put distance between them and get Childe away from him.

It's a tall order when the room alone is trying to kill him. Still, at least he's trying something this time, shifting to try and sit up and scoot away.]
geocash: (♫I am all you ever wanted)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-11 12:56 am (UTC)(link)
[All this over his name? Zhongli certainly thinks not. Childe isn't hiding his lust, bright in otherwise fathomlessly dark eyes, and that doesn't give him much confidence. His grip remains firm, even as it aches in his muscles to do so.]

I don't believe you would stop even if I gave my name. You have yet to follow through with a single thing you've said, save for bringing me here.

[After he gives his name, then what? All of it is just an excuse for Childe to take what he wants anyway, isn't it? He has something to call him, it doesn't even seem offensive. Zhongli just wants rest, and he's sure he'll get none now. Rest, and then lips on his neck. Stay like this, and then he's pressed into the bed.

What kind of fool would he be to believe a man like this?]
geocash: (♪Would you trust in me?)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-11 01:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Truly, this man is the worst. Perhaps not from an influential standpoint - yet - but certainly from the perspective of one man just trying to rest after being beaten to exhaustion, a long boat ride, the frigid cold, and everything else that's come between their meeting and now.]

Perhaps if I thought there was anything trustworthy about you--

[His words stop as Childe fights against his grip again, tongue dragging over fabric with the addition of teeth. The noise he makes isn't entirely displeased - mostly, but there's a tiny, tiny thread of arousal that sneaks in. It's hard to hear, hard to even see when it twitches on his scowling face.

Maybe he's glad his body hasn't started wholesale reacting yet. This is humiliating enough as it is, and Zhongli considers for a moment. What would be the best course of action...? Ultimately, it's hard to say. He doesn't really want Childe down there, but...]


... What will you do, if you do receive my name?

[His grip loosens on Childe's hair, because frankly, he doesn't have the strength to keep it up. He's too ill-fed, too sore, too tired. It might just be easier to endure whatever the harbinger wants to do to him, right now.]
geocash: (♫A phantom divine)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-11 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[Maybe. Perhaps. There's nothing at all in what he says or does that makes Zhongli think Childe would do anything less than keep taking.]

My body has no need for satiation, you should be able to tell.

[His heartbeat is picking up, but he's still more frustrated than anything. It helps, somehow. And he just... lays back, exhaling a beleaguered breath.]

If there's a risk you'll continue, I may as well just endure it now, then. Go on, then.

[Will he be able to get out of this without a sharp reaction or anything he doesn't want to give? Probably not, but he's evidently going to try. If Childe doesn't care what he wants, maybe he'll care that he's doing nothing.]
geocash: (♪Until I drown)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-11 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
[It's a small reprieve, at least. The foreigner glances down at him with a soft hum, his expression blank and bland. All of it is intentional, of course. It's his best guess at how to halt this - if Childe keeps going despite his words, then there's no point in fighting with them. It's better to fight with apathy in that case, he thinks.]

I told you, didn't I? You are undeserving of it. Am I supposed to simply fall upon my knees and prostrate myself in thanks that you didn't simply kill me, and miraculously believe that you are a man of good intentions? You've made it abundantly clear that nothing matters but what you want, so take it and be done.

I don't need to be a masochist to find the prospect of enduring your whims more appealing than giving you something with the slimmest chance that I won't still have to endure said whims.
geocash: (♪If you keep my thoughts)

[personal profile] geocash 2021-08-11 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Briefly, that sharpness returns to Zhongli's gaze. Childe's already realised it, no doubt, but this isn't over. Even as he stares, the harbinger's expression softens into some sort of admiration, and he knows it's only half-worked at best.

The blankets flutter again and his head disappears, leaving the brunet with just enough time to take a breath and close his eyes. Archons help him, except that would be foolish. Expecting that... his jaw tenses as palms cup his ass and thumbs spread his cheeks apart. Maybe it should be more surprising, but honestly with how hungry Childe's been acting for his body?

He still flinches when the harbinger's tongue swipes over his rim, inhaling sharply despite his attempts at preparation. Though he doesn't openly squirm, with his thighs pressed against Childe's shoulders the other will struggle not to feel how they tense. This is, after all, what he accepted.

But... ah. It's been a long time, hasn't it? This, this is a little harder to just ignore, and he has to bite his tongue when Childe's tongue shifts to dive into him. Despite that, it doesn't completely mitigate the way his breath hitches. Fuck.]

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Time goes by so slowly, etc

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wraps this up

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