(no subject)

[iniquiticity]

wellreadfan asked
I love that the Marquis is a masochist, because of course he would be. Also, in general, the Tyrant fills are great! Dark mirror worlds are my jam. I don't know if you're tired of writing them right now, but if not, for NSFW Friday maybe an early scene of the Marquis and the Tyrant falling in love ... or whatever their fond-on-one-side-worshipping-on-the-other thing is?

at first he does not have much use for the dark foreign thing that appears on his doorstep, but it is bad form to be disinterested in a man who wishes to serve, so he tests the boy’s loyalty. he will either be hammered until the ultimate power of his will or lose interest, and either way washington is satisfied. at first he orders the man to kill the songbirds that distract him, then he has him suffocate a man who washington dislikes. then he shows him a map and indicates a little town harboring resisters - barely a town, just a couple of sad houses perched together like beggars seeking company.

“get rid of it,” washington says, and the boy - his name is gilbert, although washington knows that to have a name is to be weak, and has taken to thinking of him as the dove killer. he is thinking of ways to remove himself from this person who is washington. washington could be a human; he requires divinity.

the dove killer nods. at night there’s a curdle of smoke in the air and flickering red in the distance. he has the dove killer for dinner, and this clever knife of a man tells it was magnificent to see flames hop from one building to the other, and men appearing out of holes. they did not come when they were called, as rats do not. they burn like rats, though.

he does not deny that the loyalty is a rush. he has allies, and generals, and men, and soldiers, and servants. but the dove killer is different. he thinks at first the boy is some spirit sent from god to tell him he is correct. an angel of vengeance and violence. a thing made of blood from hell, that is his.

the dove killer seems to enjoy the tests. “the dead make a good column for which to proclaim your glory, your excellency,” the dove killer says, when he has returned from poisoning the well his enemies are using to drink.

your excellency. he likes the sound of it.