"Your inauguration is today, isn't it?" She whispered quietly, crystal eyes glued to the sky above rather than the man beside her. The moon casted a jarring glow on her face, the white glow framing her body as if she were an angel.
"Yes . . ." Scaramouche said after a moment, knowing what she would say next.
"I don't like it." She replied quickly, palming the vision in her hand. "But, I know it's too late to say anything like that. Just promise me that you'll be alright."
Scaramouche turned to her, her face a mixture of worry and sadness. The sky was dark now, and the sun had set long ago. The cool wind of the night blew through Scaramouche's hair as he spoke.
"Don't worry," He reassured in a confident tone, though not even he could hide the tremble in his voice. "Nothing will happen."
-
"[Name]!" Tian gasped after you walked through the doors of the Jade Teahouse. The hanfu she had gifted you was still on and your bag slumped off of your shoulder. It had been a full day since leaving the teahouse, yet it somehow felt like years since you last saw it. The morning sun illuminated your figure from outside the door before you closed it gently behind you.
"Tian, I hope everything's okay." You smiled, adjusting the straps of your backpack.
"Are you hurt?" Tian asked you as she brushed off any dust that was on you.
"No, I'm alright. I . . ." You trailed off. "I'm sorry. I couldn't kill the dragon."
Tian simply smiled at you. You were convinced there wasn't a single mean bone in her body. "It's okay. Thank you for trying."
You nodded, still looking down at your feet. You didn't regret healing the dragon, but you still couldn't help but feel upset at yourself.
"Oh!" Tian said suddenly. "That reminds me. A gentleman came in earlier this morning requesting to see you."
"What?" You murmured. "Where is he?"
Tian guided you towards a tea room that was separated from everyone else. She stood at the sliding doors and motioned for you to go inside.
Inside the small tea room was a low table with a few floor seats. Two of them were taken, one by a man with dusty platinum hair tied at the back. His white overcoat was decorated with black and gold accents and his pants seemed to cut off right at the top of his knees. The other seat was occupied by a girl with round glasses and mint green hair that nicely framed her face.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." The man spoke, a teacup in hand. "My name is Albedo, and this is my assistant Sucrose." Sucrose smiled slightly, though she had a look of worry on her face.
"It's nice to meet you as well . . ." You responded slowly as you took a seat in front of them. You couldn't help but feel a little put on the spot. "What's the occasion?"
"We came to investigate the unknown beast that was said to be around the Dunyun Ruins." Albedo said matter-of-factly, setting his cup down and staring at you with a level of intensity you weren't prepared for.
"A-and you need to speak to me because?"
"We stopped by this teahouse to take any witness accounts from nearby villagers when we heard that you had gone off to slay the dragon."
Your eyebrows furrowed. "How did you know that was me?"
"We asked the tea lady if she knew anything about it and she mentioned you." Sucrose chimed in, her voice quiet.
"Oh . . ." You sighed. You couldn't blame her for spilling that information, it wasn't like you had asked her to keep it a secret anyway. "Well, yes. I did visit the dragon. Does that answer everything?"
"No." Albedo's voice was stern. "Did you kill the dragon?"
You had a hard time reading the man. Why did he need to know? Was he after the bounty reward as well? If so, it wouldn't be a smart idea to let him know the dragon was still alive. You healed the creature for a reason.
"Maybe if you actually explained your intentions, I would feel more inclined to speak with you." You said calmly.
Sucrose's eyes averted at your words, but she didn't say anything.
"I apologize. I suppose this conversation was too one-sided." Albedo said finally. "We are alchemists from Mondstadt, and we have been researching the sudden appearance of the Opaline Draikana. She is an ancient dragon that allegedly lives within the skies, and rarely visits the mortal world."
Sucrose chimed in, her voice quiet but firm. "Despite general consensus, the Opaline Draikana is a docile creature. We are here firstly, to ensure that the Draikana is not slain because of the bounty and secondly, to investigate the reason she descended below the clouds in the first place."
You nodded as you absorbed the information the alchemist gave. "I see . . ."
After a moment of silence, Albedo cleared his throat. "So, allow me to ask you once more. Did you kill that dragon?"
"Actually, I healed her."
Sucrose dropped her teacup, a small amount of tea dripping out of the edge as she stumbled to place it upright. "I-I apologize!" She stuttered, trying to recollect herself.
"I'm surprised as well." Albedo whispered with eyes wide. "Please, tell us what you mean by that."
"Well, her hind leg and wing seemed to be hurt, so I deduced that she had probably injured herself somehow. I used my Hydro vision to heal her."
"Unbelievable . . ." Sucrose muttered. "Healing a Draikana . . . It's unheard of."
"And after? What happened after that?" Albedo asked, feverishly taking your account down with a pen and notepad.
"She uh, she kind of just left after that. Her leg seemed fine and she was able to fly until I could no longer see her." You spoke slowly, tracing circles around the cup you held as you talked.
Albedo stopped writing after a moment, closing his notebook and placing it into one of the inner breast pockets of his jacket. "This information is invaluable. I have to thank you for being willing to speak with us."
Sucrose eagly nodded along. You smiled at the two. They were clearly passionate about their field and they seemed to be good people.
"It's a shame we weren't able to see the Draikana herself, but this will do." Albedo mumbled mostly to himself, bringing his teacup up to his mouth.
"Actually, she gave me something after I healed her," You took off your bag and reached in, retrieving the large scale and placing it gently on the table. "She plucked it from the base of her wing."
It was Albedo's time to drop his teacup. He caught it quickly, his hands shaking as he placed it back on the table. "Unbelievable." He whispered. "Simply unbelievable."
You smiled, nudging the scale across the table closer to them. Albedo tentatively picked it up with two hands, the scale just slightly larger than his face. It was as if he were holding a giant slab of pure opal. The teardrop shaped item shimmered under the yellow lights of the teahouse, the color of it shifting every time he tilted his arms.
"This is beyond anything I could have hoped to investigate." He mumbled, eyes transfixed on the scale.
"It was an out of body experience," You admitted. "I didn't even know I could heal until I fixed the Draikana's injury. She might have given it to me as a token of her gratitude."
"Amazing . . ." Albedo finally placed the scale back onto the table before bringing his gaze up to you. "Would you be willing to lend the scale to us? You will be given it back of course."
"Yeah, I suppose that's fine." As gorgeous as it was, you knew that it would be safer and taken care of in the hands of Albedo and Sucrose.
"Wonderful, how does eight hundred thousand mora sound? No, that's too low, forgive me. Is nine hundred thousand mora satisfactory for you?"
"W-what?" you stuttered. If not for the grip you had on your teacup, you may have accidentally dropped it as well. "What do you mean?"
"For the scale, of course."
"You're giving it back after your research is done, aren't you?"
"Of course, but this is simple protocol." Albedo spoke as though he were discussing the weather. "It would be improper of me to simply take a specimen like this from you and not repay you somehow."
"You must have visited the Draikana for some reason; did you need the reward from the bounty?" Sucrose asked.
'Yes, I suppose you could say that." You whispered in a low tone.
"Then please, it isn't the two million mora, but I would feel much better if you took it." Albedo smiled this time.
You wanted to cry tears of joy. The sadness of the day floated away as you thought about finally being able to go home. If you were lucky, you would be able to apologize to Scaramouche, and maybe see him smile once more.
"This means so much to me, It's beyond what words can describe," You said softly. "I don't need nine hundred thousand mora, I really only need around seven hundred fifty thousand. I can cover the rest with my own savings."
"If you're sure." Albedo shook your hand before retrieving a ridiculously large bag of mora and handing it to you.
You stared blankly at the bag in your grasp, the hefty weight of the coins reminding you that this was real.
"We will be on our way then." Albedo got up after placing the scale in a glass container and bringing it to his side. Sucrose quickly followed, waving a small goodbye to you as the two of them slid the room's door quietly. Albedo gave you one last look of affirmation before leaving.
After recovering from your state of shock from the overall situation, you quickly got up and called out to Tian. "Tian! You have to see this!"
Tian stumbled into the room less than gracefully, her body bursting through the screen doors the second you said her name.
"Were you spying?" You giggled, watching her form sprawled across the floor.
"W-well, not really," She rubbed her head before sitting in a cross legged position. "I was just waiting outside."
"I have great news Tian, look!" You pushed the bag of mora into her lap, the clicking of coins like music to your ears. Tian sat frozen in place, her hands mid-air as her jaw slowly dropped.
"WHAT!?" She exclaimed after a moment, opening the sack and taking out a single coin to inspect it. "H-How much is in here?"
"Seventy five hundred thousand mora! Oh, and here." You reached into your bag and retrieved a smaller bag of mora, this one being your savings. "A cool quarter-mil. Use it when the debt collectors visit you again."
"[N-Name,] I-"
"You have to accept it. No ifs, ands, or buts."
"You killed the dragon?" She squeaked in awe. "Was that gentleman with the white hair the one who placed the bounty?"
"No, not at all. He gave me the mora himself." You smiled, reaffirming her.
Tian shoved the bags of mora to her side and brought you into a tight hug. You felt the fabric on your shoulder dampen, low sobs resonating through the air.
"Thank you [Name]." She whispered.
You waved a slow goodbye at Tian, her face still tired from tears. Her eyes wrinkled as she smiled, waving back at you from the doors of the Jade Teahouse. It was night when you sat in the carriage. You closed your eyes and focused on the distinct feeling of the bamboo wheels beneath you beginning to turn.
You couldn't promise the fate of LeeYang, but you smiled knowing that at the very least, Tian and her daughter could live in peace and not have to worry about debt collectors. Your carriage was set to arrive near Liyue Harbor, and you sighed gently thinking about your home. You would finally be able to sleep in your very own bed and cook your own food. You would be able to water the plants that lined your bedroom window. You would see Scaramouche again, and even if it killed you, you would apologize to him.
You knew for sure that you wouldn't be a Fatui agent by the time you arrived. You technically hadn't betrayed the organization, but you were gone for days on your own volition, and you weren't too keen on staying as an agent either way.
You accepted that a job like that just wasn't for you. While your heart ached at the thought of leaving the Balladeer, you knew that staying as an agent under him would only make you miserable and difficult to be around.
You had already hurt him enough. This was the right thing to do.
-
Scaramouche sat at his desk in a bleary state. It had officially been four days since you had disappeared. He shuffled through the superfluous amount of files on his desk, a somber expression pairing the bags that cradled the underside of his eyes. Usually, you were the one who filed his work.
No. Scaramouche shook his head. He was supposed to be focusing on the gnosis of Baal, and that fact was made much clearer as Childe sat in one of the loft chairs in his office.
"Why are you always around me?" Scaramouche complained with a groan as he lifted his eyes off his paperwork for the first time.
"No reason." Childe lied. He was sitting in a terribly ungraceful way, his body sprawled horizontally and his legs dangling off one of the armrests on the chair.
"You don't even look like you want to be here, just leave."
"No can do, Scaramouchie." Childe sat up a little straighter this time.
Scaramouche scoffed at the immature nickname. "If you don't tell me why you're here, I'll kick you out myself."
"Ugh," Childe sighed. "I just don't want you to do anything stupid, man."
"Stupid? What do you mean?"
"Well . . . [Name]'s been gone for a while, and I know you liked her. Maybe more than I thought. She hasn't been seen by anyone yet, so I just don't want you to do anything rash." Childe explained slowly, carefully picking his words.
Scaramouche had long ago lost his edge that usually made him snap quickly, for when he responded, it wasn't laced with his usual anger or frustration.
"Whatever." He muttered, his eyes falling back to the pile of papers beneath him.
Childe was about to go back to making bubble sounds with his mouth until a loud, rushed knock at the door made him fall off of the sofa.
"Come in." Scaramouche said lazily, his voice barely audible due to his lack of sleep.
"Lord Scaramouche," an agent burst through the door panting. "Agent [Name] was spotted in Liyue just a few moments ago."
Scaramouche shot up from his chair at the mention of your name. "Where is she now?"
"We aren't sure, but one of the locals said they saw her heading towards the grasslands in the outskirts of the city."
The hills. Scaramouche fastened his catalyst to his side quickly and rushed out of the room as though his life depended on it.
"There he goes, doing something rash." Childe muttered, though his face betrayed his words; a smile on his cheeks.
You sat on the grassy field, the small slopes of ground sweeping up and down as the sun turned green blades of grass gold. Your hanfu shimmered in the evening glow, the silky fabric absorbing the light and reflecting it beautifully. You didn't know what made you want to visit the hills, but the sudden urge to lay on the grass and watch the sunset pushed you into visiting.
The wind danced lightly on your face as you inhaled a large, crispy breath of air. You felt comfortable here, like you knew the place well.
The faint sound of grass being stepped on made you turn around, wondering who had also come to sit by the hills.
"[Name] . . ." Scaramouche said after his eyes met yours, your name feeling foreign in his mouth. He looked at your sitting form in the glowing sun of the early evening, an awestruck look on his face. You were wearing a pastel hanfu that was slightly torn at the sides, yet it held an elegance Scaramouche wouldn't dare try to describe. Right around your neck was a chain that hung all the way to your chest and ended with a royal blue hydro vision against your skin.
He stood there, jaw agape as his mind put together what he had originally lost. Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your vision, it was just too similar. He froze as glimpses of conversations and images began to shoot through his mind.
"Why, your majesty?"
An image of the Tsaritsa's face materialized in his thoughts, and memories of the dark and cold room he was once in began to spin around his conscience.
"My newest Harbinger . . . This will all be over soon."
Scaramouche fell to the ground on his hands and knees, fistfuls of grass in his hands.
"Scaramouche!" You shouted as you watched him collapse, your legs already beginning to run towards him. You crouched beside his curled figure and placed your hand on his back. "Are you okay?"
Scaramouche turned his head to you, his eyes focusing on the vision around your neck that had begun to glow a deep sea blue.
"You always look so tired after training, it makes me want to protect you."
It was you in his dreams—no, his memories.
You, who would heal his injuries and wait for him in the evenings so you could secretly watch the sun set; You, who would lend him your eyes, ears, face and smile even when he simply wasn't having a good day.
"It really is you . . ." He whispered, his voice raw and unbelieving.
"W-what are you talking about?" You stuttered in confusion, slowly taking a seat on the grass next to him.
"You're saying you don't remember?"
"N-no?" You replied, now curious as to what he had meant. Scaramouche thought about whether saying anything was a good idea. How would you react? Would you even believe him? Why could he remember when you couldn't?
He waved a hand of dismissal after a while, ultimately deciding that he wouldn't. If you couldn't remember, there was no telling what would happen if he said anything.
He got up from his knees before plopping back down, the underside of his legs directly on the grass below him. You followed suit, taking a seat next to him with your knees hugging your chest.
"Why did you leave?" He asked after a brief moment of silence.
You struggled to answer him, yet you knew that not saying anything would only be cruel. "It felt like that was the only thing I could do. When I heard of LeeYang's family, I didn't know what else to think. The guilt was eating me up from the inside."
"Did you really feel that guilty?"
"Yes." You confessed, your eyes blurry with water. "I felt terrible. Maybe I left because I was hoping the Archons would notice what I was doing, and forgive me for not helping sooner."
Scaramouche couldn't help but refute your words. He knew now that you would take care of those you cared about, not because you sought retribution, but simply because that was who you were.
"Then, why did you come back if it made you feel that way? I'm not a good man." Scaramouche asked quietly, his face turning to you.
". . . You're good to me." You looked at him then, eyes glossy and shiny like glass from the sea. "I'm sorry. I know I broke our promise."
Scaramouche didn't say anything to that, his eyes focused on the sky above him. The clouds drifted by slowly and peacefully.
"But," You began. "I didn't do it to hurt you. I care about you, Scaramouche." The words came out of your mouth more easily than you had expected, and tears threatened to fall from your eyes.
"I know." Scaramouche replied softly, not a single hint of malice in his words. "I forgive you."
You shuffled in place, trying to find a good way to articulate your feelings. After a few moments of silence, you gave up trying to be coherent and began to speak.
"I broke my promise to stay with you as an agent, but . . . I would like to keep my promise to you as someone you can love."
Scaramouche turned his body to you, his extravagant hat blocking the view from behind him; his face was the only thing in your vision. He brought a single finger under your chin and tilted your head, glassy eyes meeting yours as he leaned in to kiss you.
It was a soft, loving kiss, one that felt pure and innocent. His lips were soft pressed against yours, his hands now at the back of your head. You could feel a tear slip down your cheek quickly as you relished in the touch of the man you had missed so much.
You broke away after what felt like an eternity, your mind foggy and dazed with love. Scaramouche rubbed at his eyes slowly before bringing a hand to cup your cheek.
"Do you promise?"
"This, I promise."