Credit: https://twitter.com/kadrena_/status/1422458581195137026?s=09
• • • • •
A/n: Spoiler/leak alert in the smol text
ⁱ ˢᵃʷ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵉᵃᵏˢ ˢᵃʸⁱⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢᶜᵃʳᵃ ⁱˢ ᵃⁿᵉᵐᵒ· ʷʰⁱˡᵉ ⁱ'ᵐ ᶜᵘʳʳᵉⁿᵗˡʸ ⁱⁿ ᵈᵉⁿⁱᵃˡ, ⁱ ʷⁱˡˡ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵖᵃʳᵗˢ ʷʰⁱᶜʰ ʰⁱᵍʰˡⁱᵍʰᵗ ʰⁱᵐ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᵉˡᵉᶜᵗʳᵒ· ⁱ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ʷᵃⁱᵗ ᵘⁿᵗⁱˡ ⁱᵗˢ ᶜᵃⁿᵒⁿⁱᶜᵃˡˡʸ ˢʰᵒʷⁿ·
This font looks funky af lmao
P.S. This is a republished chapter, so old readers might see their votes and comments already cast.
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •
[Y/n POV]
"Let's have a little chat, shall we?"
There was a moment of silence.
Before Y/n hurriedly turned around and tried to take a leap for the exit.
The moment they came in contact with the door, huge electro chains appeared on its handle, knocking them backward.
"Where do you think you're running off to?" Scaramouche asked them, certainly not amused.
"I... Outside." Y/n looked at him nervously. "For fresh air."
"The air is plenty fresh here."
Y/n scrunched up their nose. "Of course it is with all the dust and debris you guys are racking up in here."
Despite their light-hearted remark, Y/n's eyes raced through every corner of the room, trying to analyse what room they were in. This seemed to be the deepest one in the factory, one that wasn't in use by the factory.
Why is this room so empty? What's the purpose?
Surely not to bring people in to question them... right?
Scaramouche pulled out a delusion from his pocket. It wasn't his own.
"Do you know what this is?"
"I... It's a delusion."
"Oh, but is it?" He threw the delusion on the floor, shattering the glass into pieces. Y/n's eyes widened.
Nothing came out of the container. No elemental liquid. Nothing. It was one of the defective illusions they tried to falsely advertise as Fatui-made delusions.
"I talked to Aless today, and this is what I found on him." Scaramouche continued. "Upon further questioning, I obtained some curious intel on who's responsible for this."
Y/n clenched their fists. No matter how much Aless helped them, in the end his first loyalty would always belong to Scaramouche.
This wasn't the satellite's fault, but for Y/n's for thinking something like this wasn't inevitable.
"Are you still going to stay silent, Y/n?" Scaramouche pressed further.
Y/n looked up at him. Whatever was gonna happen to them, they hoped he hadn't punished Aless for his involvement in this.
"Before you joined the Resistance, I asked you if you'd still stay loyal to me." Scaramouche said, realising Y/n wasn't going to be much of a talker today. "It seems like I know what your answer is now."
Y/n stared at him wide-eyed. Why did it seem like Scaramouche was more upset than angry?
Or is this just his way of mocking me?
"I'm still on your side!" Y/n yelled. "I just didn't want the Resistance to suffer because of the Fatui's doing!!"
"You do realise that by doing so, you're basically betraying us??" Scaramouche raised his voice to match Y/n's, but it held the same amount of composure. "What are you going to do if the Tsaritsa finds out about this??"
Y/n realised the point he was trying to make. "I don't know. I just wanted to help them."
"Help?" His expression darkened. "What can a being as insignificant as you hope to achieve? The most you could've done was stupidly try to sabotage the Fatui's operations, and even that got you caught red-handed."
Y/n frowned, looking for some way, any way, to talk back. "It doesn't matter if I was caught. I've done what I had to do."
"Oh? What exactly did you do?"
"The Resistance knows you guys aren't trustworthy sources of help anymore."
"You think you trying to mix in toys with our supply will break their faith in us that easily?" Scaramouche crossed his arms, tilting his head. "It'll only take an excuse and a couple days of consistent supply to get back on track."
Y/n tried to stand their ground. "It wouldn't."
Would it..?
Scaramouche laughed. "You really are quite foolish, Y/n. The moth will always be attracted to the flame. You can blow it out, but the moment it lights back up again?"
Y/n wanted to interject, but it didn't seem worth it. He wouldn't know the true extent of Y/n's progress, no matter how many words he weaved.
"Alright. Enough about the Resistance, now. Since you've been so sure of your actions lately, let's see how self-aware you actually are." He smirked.
Y/n raised an eyebrow.
"Answer me this. Why do you think you're here?"
Y/n swallowed, a single drop of sweat trickling down their face. Was this the kind of pop quiz where, if they answered wrong, he'd chop their head off?
Maybe this is what he's using to decide whether he should spare me or not...
"It was because the Tsaritsa captured and cornered me-"
"Did she now?"
"Well, yeah! That's how I..." Their voice trailed away.
Wait... is that not right?
He could only laugh in amusement. "Did it really never cross your mind before? Why you were able to lead a normal life as an adventurer, before suddenly being targetted by the Fatui?"
Y/n grew silent.
"Almost as if there was something that... triggered it to happen?" Scaramouche hummed, his eyes turning towards the badge he'd thrown before.
Y/n's eyes widened as realisation hit them. "The badge!"
Wait. But it did line up with what happened that day. Before Y/n laid eyes on the badge, everything had been practically normal.
"Oh! You catch on quick." Scaramouche smirked. "Or do you, really?
"But wait!" Y/n paused to collect their thoughts together. "What does this have to do with me supposedly betraying the Fatui?!"
"Ever since you told me about how you ended up in your situation, I've been wondering about it. It's not too hard to come to this conclusion unless you're genuinely just dumb.
"The attendant badges are connected to send signals to the Tsaritsa. The moment you found yours, she knew you were still alive."
So all of this happened just because I picked up a small ornamental piece in the middle of the snow?!
If I hadn't done that, where would I be right now?
A place of comfort... would I be closer to it if I just held back?
They could hear Scaramouche tut, as if he had read their thoughts. "Just a small act of curiosity, and look where that led you. At least now you can stop blaming the Fatui for your circumstances."
Tears formed in Y/n's eyes as they thought about it more. There were no words that could explain their regret.
"Why are you telling me this now? It's not like I sabotaged the Fatui for revenge."
"Oh. I just felt like you deserved to know the truth. Of how your friend stabbed you in your back."
"What?"
"'Don't leave Mondstadt', she said, 'A horrible future awaits you'." He repeated Mona's sentence mockingly.
Y/n glared at him through their tears. "Do not!"
It was all pointless to begin with.
There was no way to avoid me coming back here.
She was not responsible.
She was not...
"The only way you could've avoided this was if you. left. Mondstadt!" Scaramouche continued, pressing further on every word he said. "Stop lying to yourself. She set you up for this. They all did."
"That's ridiculous." Y/n said that, but they're faith was already wavering. "None of them knew about it."
"Oh, but she did. She saw your future, correct?"
Y/n had no words to refute that.
"Or is that implying that her predictions were simply inaccurate?" He put a finger to his chin and smirked at Y/n. "Either way, you just trusted the wrong people."
Y/n's shoulders shook. They struggled to keep themself together. To lose composure in front of Scaramouche was equivalent to surrendering to him.
But was there really anything proving that they hadn't already done so?
'It's all your fault.' They wanted to say. Scaramouche was the one who left them in Mondstadt anyway. He was the reason they were still here, suffering.
But he was also the reason why they were still breathing.
"Now, I think you've gotten enough time to contemplate about your past." Scaramouche smiled once more. It wasn't a pleasant one. None of the previous ones were. "Get back to the Resistance, Y/n, and play your part like the good puppet you are."
Puppet?
That's the first time he's referred to me that way.
Time froze for Y/n. That word... the way Scaramouche said it made it sound so derogatory. It was nothing like the usual insults he threw at them.
Something's wrong.
"I'm willing to give you yet another chance, since it's quite pitiful if you had to die here right after realising how much you were wronged." Scaramouche continued.
"Why?" It was Y/n's turn to question him. "I'm just a pawn in your- or rather, the Fatui's game, no? It wouldn't matter if you did over with me here and now.
"Besides, wouldn't it be much easier to just have a more obedient, uncaring subordinate for a role so crucial? Would save you millions of mora worth of losses, surely."
Scaramouche's smile disappeared. He wasn't caught off-guard, but he clearly didn't want to answer.
"You've called me plenty different things before, but a 'puppet'. What do you mean when you call me that?" Y/n asked, recalling the Fatuus' words. A mere puppet wouldn't receive such a special treatment, and if Scaramouche had a reason for specifically assigning Y/n their job, Y/n wanted to crack it open.
"That isn't for you to know."
"Huh?"
"You're dismissed, Y/n." He turned towards the door.
"What do you mean I'm dismissed?! You're the one who called me here!! At least answer my questions before you leave!!"
"There are certain things in this world that you shouldn't pry in, Y/n. When are you going to realise that?" Scaramouche looked back at them with a glare so intense it sent shivers down their spine.
They took a step back. The last time Scaramouche looked this menacing was when they first tried to escape from Mondstadt. It felt like any moment, Y/n would burst into tears in fear of their safety.
But the harbinger simply opened the door and left, leaving them in silence.
Silence.
I'm sure it's better than the noise he could create.
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •
As they reached the entrance, they could hear a group of Fatui workers behind them whispering among themselves. One of them, who was part of a trio, seemed to be holding back tears.
"I can't believe he did something so reckless. Didn't he know what he was getting into-?!"
"Hush, Irina. You're going to attract attention."
"What? Andrei just died, and you're concerned about us being too loud?"
Y/n frowned. Someone died recently? Is that a common thing within the Fatui?
"Wait, isn't that the self-proclaimed satellite that he helped out? Because of whom Andrei ended up executed?"
"Huh. Right, that's her!"
"Calm down, Irina..."
"Why do they get to keep living?! This isn't fair!!" The Fatuus named 'Irina' yelled, almost as if she was speaking to Y/n themself.
Y/n turned around. "What do you want from me? And who is Andrei?"
"Ha! That's the 'lowly Fatuus' you heartlessly lured into your trap!" She snapped. "He's executed because of you, and you couldn't even be bothered to know his name!!"
"Lured into my trap..?" Y/n blinked. "Wait, you mean-"
The Fatuus who led me to the location of the factory in the first place?!
He was executed?!?
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •
[Aless POV]
Something was wrong. He could sense it.
But there was nothing his presence could do to make things better. Even he was aware of it.
Aless wasn't the only person who assisted Y/n in their futile endeavors. There was a Fatuus named Andrei who led them to the factory, causing all of the 'ruckus' to happen in the first place.
His eyes gleamed as he remembered the conversation that took place before Scaramouche left to confront Y/n.
"I have disobeyed you, master. I will undergo any punishment you see fit." He said.
"You have simply followed my orders." Scaramouche responded in an instant. "To never let Y/n face distress, you decided to aid them."
The harbinger paused.
"However, if you want me to give you a task as compensation...
... Kill the one responsible for humoring Y/n's curiosity."
"Y/n." He spoke, hoping the other would recognise his voice, not that it made much difference.
"What is it?" At least they responded.
Y/n was unaware of the fact that it was Aless who carried out Andrei's execution.
Despite never knowing Andrei for more than a moment, they were mourning for him. They were angry for him.
Would they start hating me, too, if they got to know the full story?
"It's not right to stay locked inside."
All that came back was silence. Aless' shoulders tightened.
The first time he saw Y/n, he also saw a side of master that he wasn't aware of. Master was always tense, constantly giving out an aura of hostility.
But around Y/n, he let his guard down. Y/n was always able to make him chuckle. Even if they quarrelled, master never dismissed Y/n like he did Aless and the other agents. It was clear within the first few days that Y/n was not someone to be apprehensive of.
Aless did not expect Y/n to understand, because there was no way they could know of it. Even if they did, something like this was hard to believe.
And maybe, he reckoned master too wasn't aware of that truth.
He'd always ask him. What is our next course of action? Hoping to find a different answer.
It was always the same one, though.
As Aless backed away from the door, another hand pressed against it.
"You have two seconds to open the door before I bust it down." Master said.
In response, Y/n clicked the door open and gave them both an annoyed look.
It didn't last long. The moment the door was unlocked, master thrust it open and forced himself inside.
"Hey-!" Y/n began, but he closed the door behind him before they could finish.
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •
[Y/n POV]
"You sure know how to throw a tantrum." Scaramouche said, closing the door. "Let's see what you do to avoid me now."
He grabbed Y/n's wrist as he saw them reach for the door, placing his other hand on the door handle.
Y/n turned to him. "There's nothing left to say between us."
"Are you sure about that? I still have a fair share of things to say to you."
"I don't want to hear it." Y/n looked away. "Not from someone who kills another person off just because of a small mistake."
"It was not a small mistake. And it's not under my control on who gets to live. You try pulling the strings in the Fatui, you suffer the consequences."
"Then what about me? I've also broken a lot of rules. Or is something else that you plan to-"
His expression turned dark. "How about you let me do the talking?"
Y/n wanted to retort back, but they kept their silence. Angering Scaramouche wouldn't bring the dead Fatuus- Andrei back, nor would it prove to be favorable to Y/n in any way.
"The order of checking the mishandling of the delusion production was given to me from the palace." He spoke sternly. "There was no way the case would've been solved without them knowing the identity of the perpetrator. Now I could either give your name away and have you lose your head, or choose another person who was also technically responsible for the whole madness."
"What..." Y/n's blood ran cold. "So you basically got someone executed just so that I could be saved?!"
"Basically." Scaramouche shrugged. "Your position within the mission is more important than that Fatuus anyway."
"You're a heartless person..."
Scaramouche frowned. "Watch your words. You're standing before your saviour."
"Screw your saviour complex!!"
"Silence, Y/n."
And there was silence. Because Y/n couldn't fight more knowing that their actions were also responsible for Andrei's death. They were the one who dragged him into this mess in the first place.
I'm sorry you had to suffer for my misdeeds, Andrei.
"The ktisis that I gave you. Do you still have it?"
Y/n silently pulled out the glass chess-piece from their pocket, handing it over to Scaramouche in an instant. The cold slowly returned in their body.
Dammit.. Has it been getting worse?
"Excellent." Scaramouche hovered it between Y/n and him. Y/n noticed the ktisis had gained a new shade of dark purple along with the red.
"Have you ever wondered why the ktisis is able to supress your helpless icy condition?"
Y/n paused. "Because it's a powerful device the Fatui made?"
Scaramouche tutted. "You have too much blind faith in our abilities, don't you? How disappointing."
"Huh? What the hell do you mean?"
"The ktisis is a device for accumulating foul energy." Scaramouche continued as Y/n listened. A smile formed on his lips when he knew he had their attention again.
"It contains the energy collected from Durin, and now the one from the serpent beast, Orobashi."
Y/n brought their hand closer to the ktisis as their brain registered Scaramouche's words. The nature of the ktisis slowly became clear to them.
"This is what I've actually been working on all this whole time, and what I came to Inazuma for." Scaramouche added. "Everything else is just a side gig."
"Wait. So... this ktisis has the energy of Durin present inside it as well. Was this also why you were in Mondstadt back then?"
"Indeed. All my efforts have led me here to this moment." Scaramouche offered the ktisis to Y/n. "And I temporary bestow it upon you, so that you don't die because of the cold. Isn't that something to be honored about?"
Y/n frowned. Their memories felt out of place, but they remembered the destruction Scaramouche had created in Dragonspine.
It looked like Scaramouche had harnessed the energy he needed to, since another hue was added to the glass piece.
"You seem to have finished your goal in Inazuma. Why don't you just go back?"
"Oh. Of course." Scaramouche clicked his tongue. "The reason I'm still here is because my 'side gig' isn't complete yet. But with you helping me out, it might just be over sooner than I expected."
Y/n stared back at the ktisis and noticed that the purple shade had lessened.
"That... isn't the only thing, is there?" They asked Scaramouche. "You haven't achieved your main goal either."
"Ah. You noticed." Scaramouche smiled. "Yes. Unlike Durin, whose heart was still practically alive, Orobashi has been long dead. There are remains of his condemnation, but they're simply dried resources of foul energy.
"To harness it, we must ignite it. And to ignite it, one will have to supply negative energy in his stead."
Y/n blinked. "So that's why you...?"
"I've been finding ways to supply that energy, starting with myself." He looked away. "I'm sure you've noticed but I've been sleep-depriving myself to become more agitated."
"Oh.." So that was the story behind it. "Just don't do it again."
"It's also why I've given you the ktisis. Not only does it suppress your cold, but you also stay near the Sangonomiya Resistance, whose members are fueled by a desire for revenge." Scaramouche smirked. "That too for Orobashi, their dead God. Now isn't that fitting?"
"What the hell?!"
"Now, now. Don't be so upset. The more negative energy the ktisis feeds on, the more of Orobashi's energy it accumulates. The more energy is accumulated, the better it gets at preventing your body from succumbing to the cold." Scaramouche nodded to himself, pleased by his thinking.
Y/n, however, didn't share the sentiment.
Why?
I've been using them without realising it.
"Also, everything I said to you back at the factory, I won't taking any of my words back." He distanced himself from Y/n. "They were all genuine conclusions I came up with, and are highly likely to be true. It's better you accept that too."
Y/n sighed. "It's fine. Whether or not they contributed in my capture, I don't care. The time I spent with them was worth more than any harm they could've caused me."
"Ah. That again." Scaramouche narrowed his eyes. "Say, then, do you develop loyalty to anyone who gives you a good time?"
"Huh? I'm not going to forgive you for the orders you placed on Andrei, if that's what you're planning."
"Oh, but I need your loyalty to still be on my side."
"Ugh. It's not like I'll try doing anything dangerous a second time. And me ignoring you isn't going to do your mission any harm." Y/n rolled their eyes, turning away from Scaramouche.
The harbinger inhaled, staring into the distance to give Y/n's claim some thought. "While that is correct..."
Knew it.
"... I can't just have you acting this way."
"What?" Y/n opened one to look at him.
"Say, then. What is it that would satisfy you? I want to make sure there are no loose ends."
"Well..." They awkwardly looked away. Scaramouche was either being nice or planning something again.
But it wouldn't hurt to try, they guessed.
"You did say there was a certain kind of tea you were used to. If you could show me how to make it..."
"Oh? Y/n wants to impress me now?"
"No I don't! I just want to get better at making it!!"
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •
"The very first thing you're going to need is the correct type of tea leaves." Scaramouche looked at Y/n for a split second. "Not grass."
Scaramouche had brought them outside, along with other utensils that he needed to make his one-of-a-kind tea. A carpet was placed on the ground with a table in the center of it.
"I never used grass!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Then we have a bigger problem to worry about."
"Just show me how you make it." They tiredly rested their chin on the table.
"Fine." Scaramouche removed his glove and proceeded to insert tiny leaves in a mortar and pestle.
Y/n watched closely as his wrist gracefully curved around to crush the leaves into thin powder.
He poured boiling water into a teapot along with the powder that he just made, and a couple more ingredients Y/n couldn't keep track of.
During the entire process, both of them remained silent. Y/n was almost mesmerised by how graceful and confident his movements were, as if he knew this procedure by heart.
Scaramouche poured out the freshly prepared tea into two small cups. Y/n reached for the one in front of them, only for him to chop them on their head.
"Ack-!" Y/n stared at him.
"Be more patient." He scolded them and opened a small bag of sakura petals, placing them on top of the teas
He gently blew on the tea, before smirking at Y/n, indicating that they could proceed with drinking.
Y/n waited for him to do the same with his tea. They tried to mimick the way he sat with his legs tucked underneath him, and the way he held his cup with both hands. Every move felt calculated, but Y/n did not know Scaramouche could muster this overly courteous demeanor.
Y/n looked down at the tea in their hands, thin trails of vapour emerging from the corners of the petals. Scaramouche had already begun to drink his tea, so they took a sip of it too.
"Ugh..." They stuck their tongue out. "It's kinda bitter..."
Scaramouche frowned. Y/n did not want to ruin the moment by angering him, so they stopped.
"Well, this is the tea that you were so curious about." He said, finishing his cup of tea and looking Y/n in the eyes. "Did you get all the steps now~?"
"It's complicated." Y/n sweatdropped. "But I'll try.."
He nodded dismissively, probably not expecting much out of them.
After a while, Y/n finished their tea. They weren't sure whether they were supposed to eat the petals, so they just left it in the cup.
There was an awkward silence, during which thoughts of the executed Fatuus creeped into their mind.
No! Not 'the Fatuus'!
His name is Andrei! Remember that his name is Andrei!!
"You're making an unruly expression." Scaramouche commented. "Are you still bothered by what happened at the factory?"
Y/n was tempted to reply to him with a rude remark, but they restrained themself.
"Yes..." They replied finally.
"Hm. If it's the guilt of losing Andrei, I suggest you don't be bother by it too much." Scaramouche continued.
Wait. He knows Andrei's name?
"That idiot was actually pretty carefree in general. He would've gotten his head cut off sooner or later. You just happened to be the trigger."
"Uh-huh..." Y/n wanted to remark that that wasn't comforting in the slightest.
But the fact that Scaramouche made an attempt to comfort them, it made them feel a nice, squishy feeling in their stomach.
Right now, he was here before Y/n not as the Sixth harbinger, but as a person who was willing to hear them out.
Like every other mission Scaramouche worked under, this one was also not his own. If it weren't for the Fatui, he probably wouldn't have bothered executing Andrei.
"You better not be spacing out in the middle of me talking." Scaramouche glared at them. "I don't want you grieving about this issue anymore, understand?"
"But I can't just-"
"Y/n. You wouldn't have known that Fatuus if you didn't try venturing beyond your boundaries." Scaramouche sighed. "If anything, this should be your lesson not to try anything on your own."
Y/n didn't know what to say to that. There was an awkward moment of silence.
After a few minutes, they decided to change the topic. "Uh... Where did you learn this tea from?"
Scaramouche paused for a moment, before falling in thought. "It's an Inazuman type tea. I learnt it back in the day, when I had a little more time on my hands."
"Oh. I had a feeling it was related to..." Y/n blinked. "Wait, you've been to Inazuma before?"
Scaramouche stared at Y/n. "I've been here alright."
Y/n gave him a pitiful expression. "Probably didn't have time for sight-seeing and all, did you now?"
Their words earned a glare from him. "I am from Inazuma."
"Oh..." Something seemed to click inside of Y/n.
"You're from Inazuma!"
"Yes."
"You were born in Inazuma!!"
"Yes!" He said irritably.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Y/n slammed their hands on the table. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?! There are so many places I wanna see here that you could tell me more about! Why, we could even go there together!!"
Scaramouche was staring at Y/n as if they had commited an atrocity by sitting up like that, but Y/n remained unfazed about it.
They had never bothered to consider that Scaramouche was also his own person, and that he'd also have a place he was born and grew up in.
Wouldn't it be nice if he could reminisce the moments he spent here?
They clicked their fingers as an idea popped in their head. "Ah! The summer festival is coming soon. Would you like to-"
"No." He raised a hand.
"Why do you have to be like that??" Y/n huffed, crossing their arms. Unbeknownst to them, the harbinger was actually enjoying that reaction.
• • • ᯽᯽᯽ • • •