bakerstreet | Not who you see

THE FALSE PRETENSES MEME

It's only a natural response to want to be shown love and affection, no matter how hard your exterior is. If not in those words - if you truly are that cold - perhaps what you seek is adoration or worship. Regardless of how you slice it, there's something invigorating to the ego in being the object of someone's ardor. And that's what you are now, to put it mildly; the way they look at you, you'd think you hung the moon and stars. In fact, their love for you has lead to a relationship with them. Congratulations! It's all going so well.

Except that it's all based on a lie.

You're not the person they think you are...maybe even literally. They could think you're someone else completely, as such, or it could be more abstract. They don't know what you've really done, do they? The crimes you've committed, the blood on your hands - what if blood they cherished? It's doubtful if they knew what you truly were, they'd look at you with such tenderness. That's not something you can deal with. You've grown used to them and don't want to let them go. Not now.

You love them. They've wormed their way into your heart, and you just can't lose them. You just...can't. Despite what your intentions were at the beginning (you were being purposefully cruel, you were playing along, you didn't want to hurt them, you wanted to give them what they wanted), you've bought into your own hype. Whatever you have to do to keep this ruse up, you'll do.

But, of course, what's done in the dark will be brought to the light. Soon, those eyes that look towards you will be filled with pain and doubt; you can't keep your little secret forever, and it will only gut your lover in the end.

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[ Definitely the deceiver. ]

[Thoughts on deceiving this one? Maybe he'd try to convince Wangji he's quitting demonic cultivation or convince him that he has more control than he has?]

(no subject)

flutegremlin - 2021-03-11 09:22 (UTC) - Expand

[ Deceiver. ]

[ the deceiver. feel free to pm to plot beforehand! ]

[ Can be either role. The angstier/more slow-burn it is, the better :') ]

[ Can either deceive or be deceived. ]

[ Most likely the deceiver, but I'm very open to her being the deceived instead. Also open to platonic scenarios if that would fit the CR better. ]

[ To deceive the seeker of truth? Truly a fun angsty thought to muse: Deceived. ]

[ The deceived, unless you're wondering who the mysterious beauty from the ball was of course. ]

[Could be the deceiver in that he has discovered that his core is his shi-di's]

[Could be the deceived.]

[...well, Huaisang deceived everybody. Ideas for these two?]

jc_superstar - 2021-03-11 11:40 (UTC) - Expand

fanning_whispers - 2021-03-11 16:43 (UTC) - Expand

Number 3!!

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[ or, as we call it around here, wednesday ]

[ probs the deceived tbh but it can go either way! ]

[Could be either way! Deceiver: Maybe undercover/under morphing disguise long term? Some AU where the Order is trying to hide in plain sight? Deceived: Taken in by a Death Eater's/Bad Guy's "I'm not really bad!" ploy?]