@mistrisen asked: deception 🤔
( 1 + 10 = ... CRITICAL FAILURE )
AS SOON AS THE WORDS ESCAPED HIS LIPS, Strahd knew he’d made a mistake. Tatyana set her jaw as rage set itself upon her features. A glance to her hands, curling into fists, and Strahd felt nauseous. He’d told this lie before, he had told it so many times, how could he get it mixed up? He winced, cursing himself, as memory came to him. He had told it a bit differently. He’d had this exchange before, with her brother, who had stolen his accursed journal. What was the story he’d told Ismark Kolyanovich? It was Leo. It was all Leo. The man holding the dagger was Leo. The hands pressing a goblet to Sergei’s sliced throat was Leo. Strahd covered his mouth, as if struck. It felt like his world was collapsing in on itself, as his lie became clear — not just his lie but his truer nature and the delicate web of lies he had spun to keep her close to him. Strahd felt it gathering in his stomach: black despair. With his hopes shattered, the vampire’s gaze flickered up to meet hers as she spoke.
❛ I thought you said it was a Ba’al Verzi who killed your brother. Not Leo himself. ❜ Her voice trembled, but she remained resolute, unlike her husband.
Strahd stuttered, still, though his reaction had given him away already. ❛ I-I simply meant — ❜
❛ Liar! ❜ Her scream cut through him like a knife. It was like glass shattering, louder than thunder rending the castle asunder, and infinitely more painful than lightning shooting through his heart. It’s happening again.
Worse than any revulsion was the raw fear in her eyes. It’s happening again. You are going to lose her. The numbness in his limbs pervaded every movement, still he reached out toward her. In response, his Tatyana shook her head, taking a step away from him, gathering her skirts with the intent to flee.
Gods, please be kind to him now, he could not do this again —
❛ Tatyana, you have to understand... I did it for you. I love you. ❜
