Into Madness [Scaramouche x Fem!Reader]

Chapter 4 - "Bond"

"Get up, it's time to go." You felt an arm prod your side and stiffened. Years of fatui training had kept your instincts sharp, and you reacted immediately. 

A cold, lethal surface was next to you as you felt for it, grabbing the hilt. You dropped into a defensive stance, the world blurry and dim. Wide awake without your eyes quite opening, you pointed your sword against the nearest shape you could make out, ready to strike. Before you made out the thin, lanky figure of the ex fatui boy. Oh, so it hadn't been a dream. You thought in disappointment. 

You'd dreamed of home, of Snezhnaya with its snowy peaks and white winters, dark flecks of ebony jutting from the glimmering ground. It wasn't exactly a warming sight, but to you it was home, and you missed it when all you saw before you were rocks of bronze and dust. 

"What is your problem?" You asked irritably as he drew back in surprise.

"What is your problem? It's not good to stay in one place for too long, we should get moving. What if the Rifthounds come find us?" You lowered your sword and moved your bag up a more comfortable place up your back, praying that the contents inside were still whole.

"Anyways, here's your cloak." He said, handing it back to you, "And thanks, I guess." He muttered.

"I wouldn't be able to deliver you to the Tsaritsa if you died" You shrugged.

"I wasn't going to die to the temperature, you know." He crossed his arms, but seemed to wince at the movement.

"That's good." You told him, "But you were cold when you blacked out yesterday." Sore spots in your arms and legs reminded you of the battle prior. Your legs hurt just from standing up, and your arms too. Scaramouche's movements also seemed less deliberate, and you figured that he must've had it worse.

"We should have breakfast first, exploring without energy could be dangerous." You decided as you strode to the brightest place in the cavern, where sunlight could be seen seeping through a crack in the ceiling.

It was comforting, in an odd sort of way as strands of the golden glow could be seen floating down, adding shades of light yellow to the mixture of darker colors on the ground. You carefully set your bag alongside the oasis of light, letting the limited warmth bathe your skin. 

Sunlight felt good, no matter the situation. Maybe it was because you were too used to dreary winters and snowstorms, but it made you notice that despite everything, at least you were alive, at least there was hope. 

You unzipped your bag to reveal some packed food that just needed some heating up. You'd have only packed Snezhnayan specialties, but Childe had advised getting used to cuisine from other nations such as Liyue and packed you only such as well as lightweight traveling foods from Mondstadt and Inazuma. 

It wasn't a lot, but enough for a day, light foods from a few different nations. At the bottom were some emergency rations that you imagined tasted foul, and decided to save them for only emergencies.

You took out a tea break pancake and started with that, letting the fluffy yet crispy flavor fill your mouth. You were too lazy to use the water heater you'd brought, and maybe it was just your hunger, but they tasted good anyway, slightly doused in chocolate and syrup. 

Tartaglia had posted a tiny label for the name each food and what nation they were from for you just in case you wanted to more of it before you returned to Snezhnaya, and you were grateful. You were already considering a trip to Mondstadt. 

Preparing to down the last of your meal consisting of grilled tiger fish with an apple, you added Liyue to your list of places to visit when a chill ran down your spine. A glare radiating hostility. It turned out to be Scaramouche standing silently behind you.