Scaramouche's POV, a few weeks later
"Surrender!" Childe shouted as he continued training with Y/N, which was essentially just an excuse for him to spar with another "worthy" opponent. As if he'd ever be satisfied with just one match, I scoffed. If it weren't for the fact that Tartaglia was just doing his job as a Harbinger, I would have already stepped in and stopped this nonsense.
"Never!" Y/N replied, their eyebrows set and eyes narrowed in concentration, determined to win.
Childe smirked and dashed towards Y/N to strike them in the chest, which Y/N blocked with the end of their polearm, presenting the ginger with a golden opportunity. Now there was an opening to Y/N's side and belly for Childe to hit, and he did. Y/N gasped out in pain and dropped to the floor, hands on their stomach.
"I... surrender..." they gasped out, still panting heavily from the blow to their stomach. Childe grinned in satisfaction and lent out a hand for Y/N to take. He helped Y/N to their feet and smiled at them.
"You're getting better at sparring, Y/N. Good job," Tartaglia commented, and Y/N smiled shyly.
"Yeah, yeah. Stop being so sentimental, Tartaglia. Getting better at fighting won't guarantee that you'll survive out in the world with real opponents," I cut in, finally revealing my presence. Childe raised an eyebrow at me and Y/N visibly jumped, making me smirk. Had they not noticed me for this entire time?
"What is it, Bald Deer?" Childe asked, using his annoying nickname for me. I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips. "Did you forget? The Tsaritsa gave you a task to complete in Mondstadt just a week ago. She sent me to tell you that you should start on it right away. You know Her Majesty hates to be kept waiting," I informed Childe, tsking when Childe's eyes widened as he recalled his mission from the Tsaritsa.
"Ugh... Well, Y/N, I have to go for now, so you can take a rest for a little bit," Childe told me, giving a soft smile and turning around to head inside, but then stopped in his tracks.
"Oh right... I was going to talk to Zhongli today. Y/N? Do you mind doing me a favor? Could you go to Liyue and stop by the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to talk with their top consultant, Zhongli?" Childe requested, and I narrowed my eyes. How could he suggest such a thing-
"Sure thing, Master Childe!" Y/N exclaimed enthusiastically. I sighed. I could not risk making Y/N suspicious by butting in on their conversation with Tartaglia, so I kept my mouth shut. Thankfully, I had an important duty to take care of in Liyue anyway, so I would have to stop by the funeral parlor to make sure nothing happened.
Y/N's POV, in Liyue, outside Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
...
At last, arrived in the marketplace of Liyue Harbor. It hadn't been that difficult of a journey, though, because I just used the portal that led to just outside the harbor. After that, I just had to walk to the building Master Childe had told me was Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and try to act normal. From what I'd gathered from my master, the Fatui weren't exactly welcomed in this nation.
So, I decided to take in my surroundings. I had rarely been outside of Zapolyrany Palace before, except for that day when I'd met "The Traveler" as Childe had called her. Naturally, I was fascinated by the busy shops and the storekeepers shouting out to passersby and the scenic view of the ocean that the harbor a little ways off provided. I couldn't remember much from my past, so I had no idea if I had ever been to any nation other than Snezhnaya or Liyue before.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at my destination. Taking a deep breath to muster all my courage, I fixed a smile on my face and walked up to the lady standing outside the parlor.
"Hello. Welcome to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. How may I help you?" the lady asked in a flat tone. What's up with her? I thought to myself.
"Hello. I was wondering if I could speak with your consultant, Zhongli?" I answered, keeping a friendly smile on my face.
"I'm afraid that I cannot allow that, unless you have scheduled a meeting with Mr. Zhongli?" the lady continued, staring at me so intensely I wanted to squirm a little.
"Um, I do. I'm here for Mr. Zhongli's meeting with Master Childe," I stated hesitantly. The lady's eyes instantly narrowed at me and her back stiffened. Uh oh. I must've said something wrong. Oops...
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Zhongli will not be talking with anyone from the Fatui. Goodbye." And with that, the lady walked into the building and slammed the door shut.
"Well, that went incredibly well," I sarcastically remarked to myself.
I was just about to leave when the door of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor opened once again, revealing a tall, handsome man in his mid-thirties, I assumed, wearing Liyue traditional clothing in geo gold and black.
"Hello, Y/N. I take it Childe sent you here to speak with me?" the man spoke calmly. I nodded my head nervously. This person must be Zhongli, but how did he know my name...? It unnerved me, to say the least. I'd thought nobody outside of the Fatui knew about me.
"Don't be nervous. Childe has told me lots about you. You're a new agent in the Fatui, if I recall, yes?" Zhongli smiled kindly at me, but I was still intimidated and merely nodded.
"Do come inside. We can go to a separate room, where we won't be interrupted. Rest assured that whatever you tell me today is between the two of us. Okay?"
I smiled slightly and entered the parlor, trying to steady my beating heart. What would Zhongli have wanted to talk to Childe about?
And more importantly...
What did Zhongli mean by "whatever you tell me is between the two of us"?
A/N: I AM SO SORRY GUYS. I HAVE TO END THIS CHAPTER HERE, NOT BECAUSE I WANT TO, BUT BECAUSE I'M NOT FEELING THAT GREAT TODAY, SO I WILL HOPEFULLY UPDATE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS SO THAT YOU GUYS DONT HAVE TO ENDURE THE TORTURE OF A WHOLE WEEK OF NO UPDATES LMAO.
Please note that from now on, I may not be able to update twice a week, which is why I updated my posting schedule to only Wednesdays.
Anyways, have a great, awesome day!!!!
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The Twelfth Fatui Harbinger (Semi-Hiatus)
Fanfiction"You're so cute thinking you scare me. You should be scared of me." "I'm so lucky to have found you Y/N. You understand me in ways nobody else has." "I love you, Y/N." *** What if the Traveler had a best friend whom they traveled with after losing t...
