Echoes of the Multiverse

Posted: **Sat Jun 17, 2023 3:43 am**

Childe wasn’t a bad guy.. Well, okay, he was kind of a bad guy, but it was always for good reason, you know. He had goals, accomplishments that needed, uh, accomplishing, and with the weight of the Tsaritsa’s happiness on the line, nothing would stand in his way. Whatever the Tsaritsa wanted, the Tsaritsa got, and sometimes that led to Childe having to make some… decisions that impacted the lives of other people. Not that it mattered too much, what were a few lives of ants in the long run anyway?

He had spent a majority of his life serving her, time that he would never regret despite his personal goals reaching far beyond what she could offer him. Though his loyalty to the Tsaritsa was so great he simply couldn’t imagine a good enough reason to go against her wishes. Childe was a man of his word, if he were to enter an agreement nothing would stop him from getting the outcome expected of him. What was the point of battle if not to win? The point of duty if not to serve? Perhaps Childe just held a bit higher standard than most–a sense of pride that others just couldn’t fathom.

Oh well, he had come to the conclusion long ago that he was a step above the rest, that’s just how it was and how it would be.

Something that led him to an interesting situation with a young guy from Mondstadt. Childe had met Benny purely by coincidence as he hadn’t much business in Mondstadt prior to being asked to survey the Knights of Favonious and although he found this task to be rather dull, he would do it to his utmost ability. That’s when one evening he was turning in for the night he came across a badly bruised young man sitting with his back against a rock appearing to be slipping in and out of consciousness. How interesting. Out of the goodness of his heart, Childe helped patch the boy up and carry him back to the city of Mondstadt. Childe stayed with the injured overnight, making sure that every time he awoke he felt safe, warm, and was gently urged back to sleep. That morning when the younger man came to and began thanking the ginger with the enthusiasm of a kid, Childe simply explained that he is the eldest brother of three that he cares for deeply, and that he would hope someone would be so kind to them if they were in a similar situation.

The young adventurer’s fate was sealed that day for after having a taste of sweetness Childe decided that Bennett would become one of his goals–something he would never give up on.

Again, Childe wasn’t a bad guy. In fact, he was the best partner this scrawny little adventurer could ask for. Any time Bennett got himself into more than he could chew, Childe was there with his bow ready to shoot down any that opposed the ash-haired boy, and when Benny got carried away coming home covered in scrapes and bruises, Childe was there to patch him up with a delicate kiss. Or when the other felt the need to return to Mondstadt, to the place he had spent his entire life, Childe was there to remind him why he needed the harbinger, how much his life had improved since he left silly ol’ Mondstadt–how he couldn’t have any of this success without Childe’s influence. Slowly the Snezhnayan crept his way into the boy’s life like a roach. A handsome, charismatic, affectionate roach. The boy was lucky to have him.

That brings the pair to current day, having just docked in Inazuma per a job for the Tsaritsa, and a generous adventuring task for Benny–something to keep the boy occupied while Childe handled business–the two made their way into the city.

“So, what’s on the agenda for today? Nothing a strong, capable adventurer like you couldn’t handle, I’m sure,” the harbinger chuckled, making small talk to dispel any suspicion from wandering eyes as he assumed they’d be an interesting sight. They walked side by side, Childe’s arm draped over Bennett’s shoulders, squeezing his exposed shoulder just enough to remind the other that he was to not run off on his own just yet.

Posted: **Sat Jun 17, 2023 5:06 am**

If there was anybody who had any right to mope around and curse his own existence, it was Bennett. His bad luck coupled with being left in front of the Knights of Favonius' headquarters only a couple of days after being born had plagued him, and continued to despite everything he tried. Bennett refused to give up that easily though. He would not commit to a life full of loneliness and misery, no matter how many times he had to be resuscitated by his fellow Adventurers or had to spend the night being warmed by the flames his Vision allowed him to summon. It was the very reason he'd even been blessed by the Gods in the first place. Even as he slipped into unconsciousness due to blood loss, he had remarked that a lack of reward didn't mean an adventure was useless-- rather, he had been thankful for the experience in itself.

When he had awoken, his wounds had been cauterized by the brilliant flames of his Vision, and the blessing rested so perfectly in the palm of his hand. His efforts hadn't gone to waste after all, and he had practically skipped the entire way back to Mondstadt to show off the ultimate reward. From then on, he had given it his all no matter what stood in his way, honing his swordsmanship and snatching up every commission he could get his hands on before any of his fellow Adventurers could. Many of them brushed it off as Bennett's tendency to take the harder hits because of his shit luck, but he honestly was being a little bit selfish about it. More adventures for him, more praise given to him by his dads, more of Teyvat he got to see. He'd been to Liyue plenty of times, had been mauled by Rishboland Tigers in Sumeru, saw oases in the desert-- the one place he'd never been was Inazuma.

It was understandable, of course. Up until very recently, the nation had closed itself off and refused to let anybody in or let anybody out. He'd read up about a Vision Hunt Decree going on not too long ago, as well, and had decided that he definitely didn't need to risk losing his most beloved blessing. He knew his luck would lead him straight into a trap, so he'd instead chosen to go to the Guyun Stone Forest upon being asked at the dock in Liyue. The Geo Hypostasis had handed his ass to him a handful of times before he sheepishly asked Noelle to join him for a couple of days-- much to somebody's chagrin.

Speaking of that somebody. Snezhnayan diplomats weren't rare in Mondstadt, but one of the twelve Harbingers showing up out of nowhere? Bennett probably would have ran and hid if he hadn't been in a particularly desperate situation at the time. He'd heard from Mika that he and Varka had come upon Fatui scouts, escalating to the point that Il Capitano of the Harbingers was summoned to remedy the situation. Apparently he'd been strangely reasonable and had agreed to peacefully depart, which Bennett... didn't really understand. Everything else he'd heard about them had been negative, tensions rising between the nations of Teyvat especially once word of a Gnosis Hunt came out. Whatever a Gnosis was...

But he hadn't been in any position to refuse the help, and so he had more or less become something like a friend to Childe. He was also particularly kind on the surface, and Bennett had really questioned if people were just completely wrong about the Fatui for a long time. Over time he'd shown more and more of what lurked beneath his charming and friendly act, and despite being confident that he wouldn't be foolish enough to let somebody treat him a certain way... Bennett had found himself unable to make up his mind on whether he wished to part ways with Childe for good or continue adventuring beside him. Being a Harbinger meant he was getting access to places Bennett had never even dreamed of being able to get to before. Ultimately, or at least for now, he'd decided he could handle being messed with. His luck treated him much worse than any person ever could, in his mind.

So, upon being offered to accompany Childe to Inazuma once the borders had opened up, he had agreed pretty quickly and excused himself from Mondstadt for a couple of weeks. They boarded the ship in Liyue Harbor, and although Bennett had spent a good portion of the trip vomiting over the side of the ship, it had gone well enough and Childe had managed to get him into Inazuma with a little (a lot) of flaunting his position and a particularly kind man who Bennett had bonded with over both being from Mondstadt, and having both been blessed by the Pyro Archon. He had been admittedly dismissive of the way Childe treated him though, which Bennett hadn't been sure how to process. Did he... Was there something lying beneath the welcoming crowds and the best food he's ever smelled...? He was glad in a way, and in another way he was a bit concerned.

"I want to check out their commissions, but I've got no idea where to even begin looking," He admits, his head swiveling side to side. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought, trying to remember who the man from earlier-- he really should have paid more attention to his name-- had said to get in contact with if something required a higher level of authority. The Yashiko... Yushito... "...Yashiro Commission? I think that guy said somethin' about them, but I could be wrong. Oh, you're also here on business so you're probably expected somewhere."

He turns his head to look up at Childe, absentmindedly fiddling with one of the metal details on the other's coat tail.

Posted: **Sat Jun 17, 2023 6:33 am**

When he'd first heard the warning of the Harbinger who brought Osial back to Liyue, it'd gone in one ear and out the other. Most in Teyvat had a firm stance on the Fatui. Even more so when the Harbingers were added to the equation. They were textbook antagonists, evil, and as evil's enemy, how could the young Doushin not want to see him behind bars? His life's goal was to make an impact on the corruption of the world, and with a living, breathing example of that walking, how could he not dive head-first into the case?

The only issue? He'd yet to commit any crime. At least... a crime he could be punished for on Inazuman soil. That would be quite an issue in his little plan to tackle one of the remaining Harbingers. But with their eighth dead due to the traveler, he was sure the Snezhnayan would be at least somewhat on guard with his actions.

Still, he was a man of commitment to his goals as well, and if he could nip things in the bud with Tartaglia, that was one less fatui to deal with. He gathered what information he could on the man's reasoning for his visit, digging where he could, and made sure he was near (but not too close to) the docks off of Ritou. Word of mouth spread much easier with the Sakoku Decree recalled, and he found out when the ginger was set to arrive, give or take a few hours. Traveling by boat wasn't an exact science, after all. Still, he was more than happy lurking in the shadows of Ritou in wait. It wasn't like he had many cases at the moment.

Green eyes watched the ship come to a stop with a few others, but the man's target immediately had jade locked on vibrant hair and flashy movements. There was something unexpected, though. Something he hadn't heard word of.
A smaller male with ashen hair nearly falling off the dock as he distanced himself from the ship. One the Harbinger caught by the arm before he tipped over the wooden planks entirely. His curiosity piqued while observing the two, only following once he was sure the pair wouldn't notice him. He'd followed plenty of people before, after all. There aren't many places to hide in the light when you're working to fight the darkness.

Tartaglia was supposed to clean up La Signora's mess, so why did he have another visitor alongside him? That was going to make things complicated...

They seemed close enough, what with how physical the taller of the two was, so perhaps the ashen-haired boy was a trainee of some kind? Heizou wasn't sure yet, but that was all the more reason to follow them. Maybe the boy was trapped? He didn't seem to be, but things weren't always what they seemed. Potential threat lurked everywhere with the fatui, and if he could save someone good before anything went wrong, he'd consider that a success. Hell, even if he could prevent further bad things, he'd take the win.

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 12:01 am**

With the mention of the Yashiro Commission, Childe’s eyes darkened remembering his distaste for their commissioner. A flashing daydream of the Harbinger decapitating that arrogant bastard in front of his pathetic younger sister filled Childe with glee. A vicious grin spread across his lips as his mind raced with the various ways he could skin Ayato alive and leave him on the Tsaritsa’s doorstep as a well-deserved gift. But no, that’s not why he was here, instead he was expected to make things right with the Tenryou Commission after La Signora’s major fuck up. Bitch got what she deserved as far as Childe was concerned and if he had even bothered to show up to her funeral he would have danced on her corpse.

Luckily, Bennett hadn’t been paying attention to Childe’s expression, giving the man ample time to fix his face. He looked down at the boy who was simply playing with his coat tail as they walked. Fucking adorable. “I am,” he began, giving Bennett a generous smile, “though you should be well aware by now that my favorite place to be is right by your side.” The grip on Bennett’s shoulder tightened as Childe led them to a side street behind some local shops, asking the ash-haired boy to hand over the map he just received. “Now, I expect you to be back at the lodging,” Childe took a second to mark their accommodations on Bennett’s map before continuing, “by nightfall. I don’t want to have to come looking for you,” then he marked a few more locations on Bennett’s map, “Here’s where you’ll find the Yashiro Commission, some good food stalls, and merchant shops.” Childe was well aware that the boy had never been to Inazuma and would absolutely wish to bring back some sort of local souvenir. The arm around the boy disappeared completely as the Harbinger pulled out a small pouch from his front pocket, holding it out to Bennett. “Lastly, here’s some mora, don’t spend it all in one place ‘cause I won’t be giving you more for the rest of the trip. Unless…” he grinned, bringing up a slender hand to caress Bennett’s flushed cheek, “you decide to be really good for me.”

With that Childe turned to walk away, waving his hand behind him in a farewell. His innermost desire to slam Bennett against the wall next to them, press his body impossibly close to that of his young companion, and sink his teeth into that pale neck to taste his sweet blood was becoming too much to bear. He had to quiet the demon inside him before he made an absolute mess of the little adventurer right here in the streets of Inazuma; but he couldn’t do that right now, especially not while they were being watched. So, focusing on the task at hand was the best distraction Childe could come up with.
Since docking in Ritou, Childe was well aware of wandering eyes all around them, but he sensed a lingering presence that peaked his interest in the best of ways. Though he was unaware of what or who he was sensing to be exact, he was excited for the possibility of a fight. A battle. A chance to win. It was all he could think about as he made his way to the Tenryou Commission.

When he was 14 years old, a decade ago at this point, a shy, anxious boy–very much the opposite of Childe’s current companion–went into the woods to have his fate sealed by an unknown swordsman that Childe would soon refer to as Master. In what was 3 months to him, but 3 days to his mourning family, Ajax was slain and Tartaglia was born. His naive fears, and wanderlust were replaced with confidence, charisma, a deep rooted thrill of just being alive but that wasn’t all that little Ajax gained from his time in the abyss. He was blessed with a darkness that grew inside of him, a manifestation of the abyss that was murderous and bloodthirsty, that thrived on battle and the thrill of victory. Taking over many of Tartaglia’s human desires and replacing them with carnal urges.

Childe had become somewhat of an expert when it came to sedating these urges, only having the worst ones present when he was near people that he cared deeply for, so simply staying away from his siblings had kept these feelings at bay. Unfortunately for his companion, this all changed after a few weeks spent with Bennett. Childe found himself clawing at his own skin to stop himself from carving his name into the boy’s back while he slept or keeping him chained to the bedroom wall when he had those silly little ideas to leave Childe’s company.

That’s not to say Bennett didn’t get his fair share of Tartaglia’s physicality, the bites, bruises, and scratch marks were evidence enough, but the boy should count himself lucky that the Harbinger was so good at keeping his true desires contained. Afterall, Childe loved the adventurer, showed him that in everything he did to make sure that Bennett was comfortable, that he got to see Teyvat, that he didn’t have to worry about money or social status. Childe knew what was best for the boy, and the sooner Bennett accepted this truth the sooner he’d be freed from punishment. It was really that simple. If the older man had to show Bennett how much he cared by force, then so be it.

Some time had passed as Childe was lost in thought of the good ol’ days, and although he had made great progress in getting to Inazuma City causing the scenery to change, there was one constant that he couldn’t shake. He was still being watched, which he was honestly glad for since he assumed this meant no one had followed Benny; he’d hate to have to kill someone their first day in Inazuma for putting hands on his little guy. Bennett wasn’t a fan of death, he always seemed anxious after Tartaglia had to take care of business in his presence. If Childe could avoid doing killing in front of him, he would, but unfortunately for the boy, mercy was rarely on the man's to-do list.

Childe stopped, crossing his arms nonchalantly over his chest, not even bothering to turn around, fully confident that he had the upper hand on his so-called follower. “I’m not sure who you are, or what I can help you with, but you might as well come out. I can smell your cologne from here.”

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 1:08 am**

Where Childe was aware of the presence tailing the two of them, Bennett was completely oblivious. It was his first time in Inazuma after all, and he was finding it hard to figure out where exactly to direct his attention to besides the Harbinger. He knew that his attention was more than worth fighting for to Childe, so he tried not to pay too much attention to anybody else in particular unless he really had to. Most would say it was narcissistic of Childe, but Bennett wasn't convinced that it really was. Perhaps he was being manipulated into thinking it wasn't, but there were many things about the other that he simply didn't feel comfortable assuming.

Bennett smiles, coyly, at Childe's insistence that his favorite place was by his side. Nobody else said things like that to him because of the constant problems that followed him around, so every time he'd considered going back to his solo adventures, Childe had been able to easily change his mind or convince him that they worked together too well to part ways. How a teenager blessed by the Pyro Archon and a young adult blessed by the Hydro Archon got on so well was beyond him at this point, but maybe they were just good at balancing eachother out. Flames that grew too strong were quelled by water, sopping wet spirits were uplifted by warmth.

"Nightfall, got it," He nods his head, watching as Childe marked the map here and there to show him where they'd be staying and where he could find things to do. He planned to familiarize himself with local vendors and merchants before heading to the Yashiro Commission, maybe chase after a couple of Bake-Danuki if there was nothing for him to help out with. Chasing those little shits would fill in a lot of the time. He holds his hands out to receive the bag of Mora, cheeks flushing at the implication. Shit. He was way too easy to rile up. "R-Right, I'll be careful."

He watches Childe seemingly disappear into thin air-- he was alarmingly good at that-- before he consults the map again, tucking the bag of Mora away. He's never once spent the entirety of the Mora the other has allowed him, but he also kind of doubts he would get much of a complaint if he did. He's seen the amount of Mora the Fatui slung around like it was no big deal, has forced himself to not go weak in the knees when Childe off-handedly mentioned a sum that would send any of his dads back in Mondstadt into cardiac arrest. There were perks to being in the pocket of a Fatui Harbinger, and yet he was as humble as could be. It wouldn't do him any good to get high and mighty about it-- his luck would tear that down in less than an hour.

He decides to replace what he'd thrown up into the ocean on the trip there, wandering between groups of people and really just letting his nose guide him. Tri-flavored skewers, sakura shrimp crackers, onigiri, and dango milk for dessert. He finds a quiet spot to sit down and enjoy the beverage, retreating into his thoughts for a little while. Wondering what kind of commissions he'd be sent out on, what sort of creatures he might find, how interesting it was to see foxes around the handful of shrines he's seen so far, and of course...

...

Childe smiles like there's a part of him missing, as if he was waiting for the opportunity to let loose everything he held behind a thin veil of companionship. Bennett knew, vaguely, what might have changed him so drastically, but he's yet to have seen what made him the Tsaritsa's fine-tuned weapon of war. What Childe did to him on a daily basis was only a fraction of what he was capable of and... Somehow, Bennett was intrigued. Danger followed Childe everywhere he went, and perhaps Bennett felt that his luck was similar, but when he stepped back and took a look at everything that has happened between them, almost none of the worst injuries he's gotten have been a result of their environment or attacks from monsters.

It wasn't one-sided, but it was certainly off-balance. The times Bennett lashed out against Childe were few and far between, and frankly, almost never because he was actually angry at the other. No, what pissed him off most was his luck screwing them over at the worst of times. Failing to start a fire because it suddenly began to rain, getting flung off the side of a mountain in Liyue and having to climb back up again, tripping and falling onto the bag holding their food and ruining all of it-- before, he had been prone to using his sword to hack at a tree until the frustration was gone, but once Childe had forced himself into his life, Bennett took to the idea of beating the shit out of eachother to vent his anger. He never won, but that wasn't the point. Childe could take him in battle and last until he was too exhausted to move, and no matter what Bennett blurted out in anger, he always healed him and held him when his post-anger anguish set in.

It looked and seemed like Childe only healed him because he didn't want to lose his favorite toy, but Bennett would argue that there was something besides that as well. Love? Bennett felt something like that for Childe, at least, but it was hard to read him at the best of times. When he looked into Childe's eyes, they lacked the glint of liveliness that every other person he met had. They were deep like the ocean, and sometimes he swore he could feel himself being pulled under the waves when Childe was on top of him, breathing heavy like a wild animal-- like he wanted to tear into Bennett more than anything he has ever wanted before. It frightened him how much it didn't frighten him. Beneath him Bennett felt at peace, lovingly rubbing his hands up and down Childe's arms as the Harbinger refused to let up, let him breathe...

...

Bennett shakes himself out of that thought, cheeks flushed. He returned to that specific memory frequently, even when he wasn't supposed to be thinking such things. Puberty, or something. Hopefully nobody saw him! He uses the rest of his dango milk to cool himself down before he goes about finding the Yashiro Commission. Through Byakko Plain and Konda Village, he fumbles his way into Chinju Forest. The monsters lurking there would keep him plenty busy.

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 1:59 am**

God, this guy was such a creep... Didn't he know taking kids into alleyways was a red flag? Well, probably. He probably also knew no one would say anything about it, given his position in the world. But, Heizou wasn't like other girls. He also wasn't a girl, but that was beside the point. The kid looked barely younger than him, maybe three years tops, but he followed the Harbinger damn near eagerly as the grip on his shoulder tightened. While he couldn't see their expressions, he could only assume the worst based on their body language, and worry for the blonde's safety increased the longer he remained beside the man.

Thankfully, that didn't last too long, though. Tartaglia wasn't quick to leave the boy, which wasn't unexpected, but the way he treated him before he did was. It looked akin to concern, or at least something similar as he gave him parameters, mora, and marked locations on the other's map. It was... confusing. From what he'd heard of the Harbingers, things like concern were hardly a part of their vocabulary, so seeing one act with such care towards someone? It felt wrong. It was wrong. There was something amiss there that the detective was determined to dig into. Why was the man traveling with a child? Why was he so concerned with him? How were they connected?
Sure, there was the possibility of familial ties, but given the way the man spoke near the end, Heizou was hopeful that wasn't right.

Still, he followed along regardless, watching the boy make his way toward the vendors nearby for a moment before he returned to tailing the Fatuus. The man seemed relatively lost in thought, but his excitement was nearly palpable, even from the distance Heizou was following at. His pace was a tad tricky to keep up with properly, the longer-limbed stride of the man making it slightly difficult to keep a good distance at all times. It wasn't impossible to keep up, though, and Heizou followed him all the way to Inazuma City.

Presently unaware of the man's current state of mind, and how he felt about being followed in relation to the other boy, the detective paused. He watched the man stop ahead of him, ducking behind something to attempt to hide as he listened as best he could. C... cologne? He didn't wear cologne. Not on investigations, at least, so was there someone else following them? Had he really not noticed them? Or was the man bluffing because he knew he was there? Mind working at a thousand miles a minute, he remained hidden, unwilling to give his position by speaking or reveal himself to the deadliest thing he'd followed in any way. Not that he hadn't already, but nevertheless...

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:00 am**

The Harbinger waited, listening to the sound of the wind, the animals nearby, rustling of leaves, anything he could use to pinpoint where his stalker was. But he came up empty handed. Childe was no stranger to being hunted, he was quite popular if he was being completely honest, but rarely did he come across someone so cowardly that they remained hidden after being found out.

He chuckled, turning toward the direction he assumed the follower to be given the current lay of the land and the last time he heard faint footsteps, he summoned his bow and readied an arrow. “Look, I’m in a good mood, so I don’t really want to hurt you. Let’s talk about this like adults.”

Again he waited, listening... Bingo. No matter how minute the movement, Childe would pick it up almost instantly. He knew exactly where the other hid.

“Now, now, don’t be shy, we walked all this way together… shouldn’t I at least know your name?” with that he let the arrow fly, watching as it pierced the tree directly behind where his follower hid in the bush. Before the arrow even hit its mark, Tartaglia readied another, this time imbuing it with hydro using his vision. “Last chance, friend. You gonna come out and play?” He stood, patient for just a moment, fully intending to hit the stranger unless they complied.

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:30 am**

Chinju Forest is filled to the brim with monsters, and Bennett gets to work thinning them out. He was lucky that Pyro had a strong reaction when used again enemies who used Electro, alongside feeling a lot better now that he'd replaced the food in his stomach that he had lost along the way. Hilichurls, Abyss Mages, Cicin Mages, Mirror Maidens-- Hey, wait, those last two were Fatui. Not that it particularly mattered after he had realized it, because they were already done for. Whoops! Bennett was more afraid of getting other people in trouble than he was getting himself in trouble, so he'd just... forget to collect their dropped items and pretend like that never happened.

He finds a couple Onikabuto too, but he has no reason to collect them so he instead just continues on his way. A few more fights are settled before he finally makes it out of the forest and comes upon the Kamisato Estate. Yay! Another Hydro user to resize his holes! Just kidding, Childe would go full scorched Earth if that happened. Whatever that meant. Bennett doesn't even come across either of the Kamisato siblings, instead he speaks to Madarame Hyakubei, who sends him off to do a bunch of requests for the locals. Cooking certain dishes, picking sweet flowers, dealing with some monsters that were getting a bit too close for comfort-- those sorts of things.

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:31 am**

Crouched and hesitant when the man quieted as he waited, the teen remained still, his only movements being the shift of his chest due to controlled breathing. He was then fully aware of his surroundings following the chuckle, eyes scanning what he could, ears alert as he listened for anyone else. There was no one, and he knew he was the one being called out, but still. The cologne comment struck an odd cord, leaving him cautious as he looked warily in the other's direction just as the man let his arrow loose.

Green eyes widened, his hand shot out to catch the arrow, and his lips pursed as he sighed. There was no use in hiding any longer. Not when he was virtually being stared at by the man. That wasn't just a lucky shot. This was the eleventh Fatui Harbinger, after all. So, he stood and tossed the arrow back toward the man as he proceeded to dust himself off. "Talk this out like adults... quite a statement for a man asking to play, don't you think?"

Voice cautious, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the man as his nose scrunched with a sneer of disgust. "Is that what you do with the children you have follow you into alleys? Because I'm not too sure I'm interested if that's the case."

Carefully moving as his nerves sent adrenaline and horrible plans through his mind, Heizou took slow breaths, stopping on the path and staring the man down. "Detective Shikanonin Heizou. I'd say it's a pleasure, but I'm certain we're both well aware that it's not." Doing his best to keep any emotion other than distaste out of his voice as he spoke, he cursed himself internally at the barely-there tremor in his words.

Posted: **Mon Jun 19, 2023 5:02 am**

Finally, Childe was awarded a visual of the predator but to much his surprise he was met with someone closer to Bennett’s age than his own. With soft burgundy hair, and piercing green eyes, the Fatuus was in for a bit of a treat. “Nice catch,” he praised sincerely, smiling while he let his bow fade, “looks like we’re playing games already.” Despite the playful tone Tartaglia used, he was quite impressed with the guy’s ability to catch his arrow.

The man chuckled, returning to a relaxed position he placed one of his hands on his hip. “You’re a bit opinionated for someone I found hiding in a bush,” he began, “but if you must know I have better things to do with my time than to lure children into my devious traps as you’re so convinced.”

This kid was amusing, speaking on things he knew nothing about, acting so self-righteous you’d think he was given a Hydro vision. What was his motive, Childe wondered, he had never met anyone that questioned his interesting relationship with Bennett so openly. Did he happen to know the young adventurer somehow? It seemed impossible considering Tartaglia was almost certain Heizou was a native Inazuman and Bennett never spoke of any friends, especially not one from a nation he had never even been to.

“Heizou,” he parroted, taking in the sight of the boy in plain view, “I’m Childe, and on the contrary it is a pleasure.” blue eyes remained fixed on the other while Tartaglia scanned for anything suspicious. “So, Detective,” his voice switched to a mocking tone momentarily, “what can I do for you? I’m a very busy man, you know.”

Echoes of the Multiverse

I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]

Re: I Keep my Special Boys in the Cave [Genshin Childe/Bennett/Heizou]