As confused as I was when I started this @redvoid-40 - Tumblr Blog

Husk of Opulent Dreams

Good and evil were the song of sentient life, useless and cacophonous.

But if he were to wrench this "heart" out,

He would no longer be able to feel anything at all...

Donning his wanderer's hat, he headed eastward alone.

"This gold ornament is a proof of identity granted by the Almighty Shogun,"

"And she will not abandon you."

[...]

But in the end, the golden arrow-feather were covered in dust,

And all tales were incinerated in karmic flames till nothing remained.

"Yet, this is all but a fleeting dream of glory."

"And it will all one day drift away amidst the sighs of a suffering earth..."

Was it a "him" from the past who said this? Or "him" from the future?

The vagrant cared not, for when he awakened,

It was not he, but that ethereal future that dissipated.

Perhaps a day will come when this body's adventures, its experiences,

Will become tales to be passed along by mortals, distant memories that flow through the ley lines.

But for now, his third act is still ongoing.

- ‘Husk of Opulent Dreams’, Genshin Impact

ScaramouchexFem!Adventurer!Reader

Not-SFW bellow the cut. Also, this final chapter is like 11k words long, beware.

“We should take another bath,” his Adventurer said, fingers running through Scaramouche’s silky locks. Her breathing had slowed down somewhat, for the comfort of the man using her chest as a pillow. “The sheets-”

“Can be changed before we go to sleep,” Scaramouche mumbled, voice muffled by her breasts. “I’m not moving right now just because you made a mess.”

“And whose fault is that?” His Adventurer asked, and Scaramouche just knew that her cheeks were a lovely shade of red.

“Mine,” he answered easily, raising his face to smirk at her. “And don’t you forget that.”

“Don’t look so proud of yourself.”

“And why not? What was it that you said again? I don’t think I’ve ever felt so good before,” Kunikuzushi said in a high-pitched tone, mock-imitating his Adventurer’s voice.

His woman let out a mortified noise, bringing her hands up to hide her face. Scaramouche chuckled at her, feeling his smirk widen for a moment before a thought brought tension to his jaw and turned it into a tight-lipped scowl. Slowly, he pushed himself up and off his Adventurer, so he could sit by her side with his feet on the floor and his fists clenched over his thighs.

“That would be high praise, wouldn’t it? Being the best you ever had, I mean. Especially if you consider how many must’ve come before me.”

Scaramouche heard shuffling behind him before his Adventurer wrapped her arms around his waist. He felt her warm chest press against his cold back as she laid her cheek on his shoulder, and he couldn’t help but turn his neck to kiss the crown of her head and take a moment to breathe in the scent of her washed hair, only made sweeter by the fresh sweat clinging to it.

“Why does this bother you so much?” His Adventurer asked. “You clearly had partners before me, too.”

“That’s different.”

His Adventurer turned to look at him. “How?”

“The ones I had before were exchanges. A favour for a reward. I didn’t care for their pleasure, nor did I care to hold them. They were cold and unfeeling.” Like me, Scaramouche thought as his scowl deepened. “But you… You are overbearingly warm and tender. You treat me like precious porcelain and ask for nothing in return. And the mere thought of you looking and touching others like that - wasting yourself on lesser beings -, is enough to make me sick.”

“Caring for someone is never a waste, though. At least, I don’t think it is,” his Adventurer said, moving so she could sit on his lap and face him with that gracious little smile on her face. “Caring is not a finite capacity. No matter how many people came before, it doesn’t make the way I feel about you right now any less intense. If anything, my experiences made me who I am today and brought me here. Maybe, if I had not allowed myself to care about others before, we would never have met. Now, that thought makes me sick. Because, I… Well…”

Scaramouche raised an eyebrow as his Adventurer’s voice trailed off and her smile died. She looked oddly serious and anxious, making him curious as to what she would say next.

“Go on,” he urged, cupping her cheeks. “You were doing so well with your rehearsed little speech.”

His Adventurer let out an outraged little noise as her nose scrunched up. Scaramouche let her pull his hands away from her face and hold them captive close to her heart.

“It’s not rehearsed!” She protested. “I’ll have you know that everything I say to you comes from the heart.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are you going to finish that thought, though?” Scaramouche asked with a smirk. “Or do I need to give you some incentive?”

“When you say it like that, I don’t know if you’re teasing or threatening me.”

“Can’t a man do both?”

“You’re so mean,” she said with a pout, but kissed his lips anyway. “But you’re kind too. Though you try so hard not to be.”

“Only a silly Adventurer like you could ever call a Fatui Harbinger kind.”

“I’m not talking about the Fatui Harbinger. To be honest, I believe you can be a real nightmare to your subordinates.” Scaramouche scowled at that, but his Adventurer only smiled in response with no fear of retaliation - he really was too soft on her. “I’m talking about you, about Kunikuzushi. About the man who somehow completely swept me off my feet in just a few days. Honestly, it’s kind of scary how much I’ve thought about you since the day we met, and how much I’ve been wanting to be close to you.”

Scaramouche stared at her with wide eyes, flinching when a strange fluttering sensation spread inside his chest.

Of course, his little Adventurer completely misread his reaction and quickly climbed off his lap to turn her back to him, leaving nothing but cold space between them.

“I-I don’t mean to sound overbearing or make you uncomfortable. I know that we just met each other, and I may be sounding a bit crazy and lovesick-”

Lovesick? Scaramouche thought, raising a hand to his mechanical heart. It was beating as steady as usual, but the fluttering feeling inside only increased when he repeated the word in his head. What is this woman doing to me?

Scaramouche took a deep breath and stared at his Adventurer. She sat on the edge of the bed with her back turned to him as she continued to freak out and talk non-stop in an attempt to downplay the meaning behind her words, and he wasn’t sure he wanted her to. It seemed that, despite the hateful machine in his chest and Scaramouche’s own carefully cultivated rancour towards humans and their treacherous promises, Kunikuzushi’s latent hope for a sense of belonging still found a way to make itself felt.

“Anyway, I’m just saying that I’m happy that we had the chance to meet. I really like being with you, Kunikuzushi,” his Adventurer continued. “I feel safe and comfortable and understood. Which I know is weird because we know so little about each other. But-”

“I’m a puppet.”

Scaramouche saw his Adventurer’s back straighten like a rod and immediately he scowled, swallowing a lump in his throat as he turned his gaze downwards, to the clenched fists laying over his knees. Why did he say that? Hadn’t he learned to keep his identity safe from humans? That knowing the truth of his existence could only evoke horror in them? That they would sooner throw him into flames than even try to-

“What do you mean?”

Scaramouche raised his eyes and found his Adventurer staring at him with furrowed eyebrows and her head tilted to the side. Words failed him when she moved closer, gently laying a hand on his shoulder.

“Kunikuzushi, is everything alright?” She asked, looking so worried and warm and welcoming. “Please talk to me.”

Scaramouche swallowed. “I’m not human.”

To his shock, his Adventurer smiled.

“Well, I kind of figured it out last night, when you said I enjoy sex like you humans.”

Scaramouche blinked, surprised that he had said such a thing to her and completely forgotten about it.

“It seemed to be a sensitive subject, so I didn’t ask more, but I would be lying if I said I’m not curious,” she admitted with a sheepish smile before looking panicked again. “Only if you want to talk about it, though! I don’t want to intrude or make you uncomfortable. Of course, I’d love to hear you out and to learn more about you, but only if you want to share these things with me. I’m happy with whatever-”

“Stop… fretting so much,” Scaramouche scolded. “Let me talk for a change, alright?”

His Adventurer closed her mouth and nodded eagerly, making Scaramouche sigh. He let his body fall against the pillows, pulling his Adventurer down to lie with him.

“I was created by Beelzebub, the Electro Archon. A vessel without a heart, made to keep her own hidden and safe. She was supposed to be my… my mother. However, she deemed me inadequate to serve the purpose she had in store and discarded me. After that I became a Wanderer, travelling all of Inazuma, as if there was anything worth seeing in that land or its people.” Scaramouche scowled, eyes glued to the ceiling. His memories were old, partially eroded and blurry, but revisiting them still brought up feelings of betrayal and inadequacy that his mechanical heart was quick to morph into anger. “Looking back, I should’ve known better than to expect anything other than betrayal from a nation ruled by her. Centuries of my existence, thrown in the fucking trash.”

Scaramouche felt his Adventurer’s warm hand cup his cheek, urging him to look at her as she propped herself up on his chest. As usual, she had a smile for him, but this one was sympathetic and sad.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Kunikuzushi. Do you want to t-”

“Forget it,” Scaramouche said, pulling his woman back in his arms to silence her. “I’ve said enough. Your turn now.”

He felt his Adventurer sigh, most likely disappointed at his unwillingness to share more, but she didn’t press any further.

“Well, I’m from Mondstadt and I’ve been working as an Adventurer for a few years now,” she began, humming as her brain seemed to struggle to come up with more facts about herself. “I got an Anemo Vision in my late teens. And… I think that’s it?”

Scaramouche craned his neck uncomfortably so he could properly glare at the woman using his chest as a pillow.

“That’s it? You never seem able to shut up. But when I give you free rein to talk your little heart out, you find yourself at a loss for words?”

“Well, I’m just a regular human,” she said, rolling on top of him with a smile. “Other than having a Vision, I’m just like most people.”

“Most people don’t play the Lyre like you do,” Scaramouche pointed out. “Nor do they pout and scowl when mentioning their parents.”

That whipped the smile off his Adventurer’s face and Scaramouche would feel regretful if he wasn’t so curious.

“Not sure my family drama is date talk.”

“I believe we’re far past date talk,” Scaramouche stated. “Do you think I just tell anyone about my origins?”

His Adventurer tilted her head. “You didn’t really share much.”

Scaramouche snarled his Adventurer’s name, making her raise her hands in a surrender gesture.

“Fine, fine. But don’t blame me if it’s all too mundane for someone who is literally of divine origins. Also, how much are you familiar with the History of Mondstadt?”

“I have some superficial knowledge about it, but you can go over what you must.”

“Well - as you may know - centuries ago, the Lawrence Clan and other aristocratic families ruled Mondstadt in what was quite frankly a tyrannical regime. That ended after the Gladiator Vennessa and Lord Barbatos worked together to defeat the dragoon Ursa and start a rebellion to free the city from the Lawrence Clan. I was born into one of these old aristocratic families. And I think it’s easy to imagine that holding a grudge against the new Mondstadt and Lord Barbatos is basically a family heirloom by now.”

To his surprise, Scaramouche snorted at the joke, and his Adventurer smiled.

“Anyway, my parents weren’t too happy that I liked to sneak out of the house to play with other kids in the city. So they did their best to find ways to keep me away from them. Lyre practice, dancing lessons, etiquette classes… The list goes on. Not to mention they pushed my older sibling to play with me whenever they had spare time, even though they’re quite a few years older, and we have very different ideas of what is classified as fun. Still, after a certain age, there’s really no way to fully keep a child locked inside the house without having the Knights of Favonius knocking on your door to see if everything’s alright. So they had to make peace with me being able to go out now and then, as well as having friends in Mondstadt,” his Adventurer continued, smile quickly turning into a scowl. “I think the real issue was when I received an Anemo Vision. Having a child so closely associated with Lord Barbatos was a big no-no for my family.”

His Adventurer paused for a moment, scowl deepening as she looked away and took a deep breath, as if pulling strength from the surrounding air. She held that breath inside, holding on to it tight, before letting it go harshly and finally turning her gaze back to him.

“My parents took my Vision from me.”

Scaramouche froze, eyes uncharacteristically wide as he absorbed that sentence and all that it implied. He had heard about what happened to people who had their Vision taken away; read multiple reports of how people would plummet into a fog of confusion and madness - all courtesy of the actions of another of his creator’s puppets. And, though those stories held a sort of sadistic appeal to the distorted pump inside his chest, Scaramouche could not deny the cruelty behind the act. To take away someone’s Vision was no different from reducing them to a shell of their former self, if they were lucky.

To think there are humans who would do that to their own child, Scaramouche mused, taking in this new side of his Adventurer with something close to awe. Looking at her now was like staring into a lake; he could see his reflection there, even if it was not quite him.

Scaramouche laid his hands around his Adventurer’s hips, holding her tight to reassure himself that this connection he felt was real, and not a mirage conjured by the loneliness of his existence.

“What happened?” He asked.

“To be honest, I don’t remember much. I started feeling tired all the time, and just… joyless. I don’t remember actually doing anything in that period that was not prompted by my parents or sibling. And so the days started to blur one into another until a few months had passed without me even noticing it.” His Adventurer took a deep breath, then to his surprise, she smiled. “It was my sibling who saved me. They were so worried that they sneaked my Vision from my parent’s hiding place and returned it to me in secret.”

“After that… Well, I’m not proud to say it, but I flew into a rage. When I came back to my normal self and understood what my parents had done to me, I yelled and screamed and cursed at them like I had never done before,” his Adventurer admitted with a forlorn expression. “They tried to calm me down, but I was so angry that I just left the house with the clothes on my back and nothing more. And I haven’t really talked to them since. I mean, we see each other sometimes, when I go visit my sibling and their kids, but we don’t really talk.”

Scaramouche narrowed his eyes and sat up so their noses touched and his Adventurer had no choice but to look at him.

“You sound regretful.”

“I am. Leaving my home and family like that was not easy, and sometimes I wish things had turned out different. It wasn’t all bad memories, you know? My parents made mistakes, but there were plenty of good things too.” His Adventurer sighed, forcing a smile as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. “I miss them.”

Scaramouche wiped her tears away, before pulling his Adventurer close so she could bury her face in the crook of his neck.

“So foolish… letting yourself cry over things in the past.”

“I know,” his Adventurer replied, voice muffled against his skin. “It’s been a while since I talked about these things. I didn’t think it would affect me like that.”

Scaramouche heard her sniff against him and held her tighter.

“You better not get any snot on my hair.” His Adventurer’s sniffing turned into a chuckle, and that was enough to ease the scowl on his lips. He was about to tease her further, but her stomach growled loudly, making him snort. “Such a noble lady I have in my arms.”

The lady in question tried to remove herself from his embrace, but Scaramouche’s arms turned into iron bars around her, barely allowing her enough leeway to pull away and stare at him with a lovely blush on her cheeks

“We skipped lunch, you know? And we did spend a lot of energy,” his Adventurer mumbled, then gave him an unamused look at the indecent smirk on his lips. “I was talking about the hiking we did to take the Seelie back to its court. Though… I guess the sex counts too. Maybe even more than the hiking to be honest. It was quite good. Well… way more than quite good. It was better than I thought it would be, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot, as you can imagine. But anyway!” His Adventurer spoke loudly, shaking the naughty thoughts from her head. “Should we go out to eat? The restaurants should be closed until dinnertime, but there are some street vendors that-”

A startled noise escaped his Adventurer’s lips as Scaramouche threw her unceremoniously to the soft pillows by his side.

“I’ll have someone bring food from the Hotel’s restaurant,” Scaramouche decided as he retrieved a menu from the nightstand and put it in his Adventurer’s hands. “Choose what you want. As long as it’s not only desserts.”

His Adventurer took the menu from his hands and immediately her gaze moved to the right side of the pages. Scaramouche rolled his eyes and took the menu back. He produced a pen from the nightstand and proceeded to strike out the prices of every item on the menu, uncaring of the woman scolding him.

“This is vandalism, Kunikuzushi!”

“I do not care.”

Satisfied with his handwork, he returned the menu to his Adventurer, who took it in her hands with a pout, scrunching her eyebrows to try to see the price of the items in there without success.

“Now, choose something for us quickly. If you don’t, I’ll just find a different way to fill you up.”

Scaramouche smirked as his Adventurer used the menu to hide her blush from him.

---

For the next couple of days, the Adventurer and Scaramouche did not leave the room. Fatui agents worked as servers and errand boys. They delivered whatever their Lord Harbinger demanded at any hour of the day or night with downcast eyes, fearing what could befall them if they accidentally caught a glance of their Harbinger’s companion in a state of undress.

Still, the Fatui were grateful for the small respite. For the last couple of days, they barely saw the Sixth Harbinger. And, on the few occasions he demanded their services, the Balladeer was in a never-seen-before good mood that caused him to treat his subordinates with something close to human decency.

So, it was with great chagrin that a Cicin Mage and a Hydrogunner under Scaramouche’s command watched a very familiar ship dock in Liyue Harbour, with none other than La Signora in it. She may have been number Eight of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers in terms of power, but was definitely a close second when it came to annoying Lord Scaramouche. She only lost to Lord Tartaglia - who was standing on the docks of Liyue Harbour to receive Lady Rosalyne with a practised smile on his face.

“Why do you think they sent Lady Rosalyne back with Lord Scaramouche’s ship?” The Cicin Mage asked as she watched Lord Tartaglia greet his superior with a large - and largely false - smile.

“I don’t know, but it can’t be good.”

Just on cue, La Signora turned her icy gaze in their direction and snapped her finger, commanding both Fatui to rush towards her.

“You called, my lady?” The Hydrogunner asked as both he and his companion kneeled before the Harbingers.

“Go find Scaramouche and tell him to meet me in Northland Bank as soon as he gets the message. And make it quick - I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

---

Scaramouche violently slammed the door in a Cicin Mage’s face and groaned, letting his forehead drop against the wood.

I should have her punished for coming to me with such a message, Scaramouche thought, but before he could act on that, his Adventurer showed up.

“Is everything alright?” His Adventurer asked, walking out of the bathroom in nothing more than a silky robe. “Kunikuzushi?”

“I’ll have to step out for a couple of hours,” he said. “There’s a pest by the name of La Signora demanding my attention.”

His Adventurer chuckled, drawing Scaramouche’s attention to her and her smile.

“That’s alright. I should probably go back to Mr and Mrs Huang’s Inn. They must be worried.”

“There’s no need for that. You can rest here and I’ll order a footsoldier to deliver a message.”

“Somehow, I think having a Fatuus knocking on their door to tell them that I’m alright would worry Mr and Mrs Huang even more,” his Adventurer said. “And it will be nice to have a breath of fresh air. We can meet someplace outdoors after your meeting is done, maybe have some tea. I can bring my lyre and play to you, if you want.”

His Adventurer approached him and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. Scaramouche let himself melt into her embrace, hands resting on her hips so he could pull her flush to him. He buried his face at the juncture of her neck and shoulder and immediately began to leave wet kisses there, pulling breathy little moans from his lady.

“Don’t tease me like that, Kunikuzushi.”

“Who said anything about teasing?” Scaramouche asked, hands sneaking underneath his Adventurer’s robe to push the fabric off her warm skin. “I have every intention of following through with my actions.”

“But, your meeting-”

“Will wait.”

---

Lyre case in hand and backpack on her shoulders, the Adventurer hummed happily as she walked through the streets of Liyue Harbour. She had gone back to her inn and spent a few minutes apologising to Mr and Mrs Huang for disappearing without notice, before retrieving her lyre from her room. She also took the opportunity to change into a clean outfit and grab a few fresh pairs of underwear as well, despite not wearing anything other than the hotel’s flimsy robes for the last couple of days, if that.

Heat pooled in the Adventurer’s lower belly as her mind transported her back to the hotel room and the time spent in Kunikuzushi’s arms. It had only been a couple of hours since the last time Kunikuzushi was inside her, but she was already craving his attention again.

Maybe suggesting a date outdoors wasn’t such a good idea, the Adventurer thought. Especially since I apparently went back to being a horny teenager who can’t keep her mind out of the gutter.

There was nothing she could do about it now, so the Adventurer elected to wilfully push her arousal to the corner of her thoughts as she focused on what she could do to make this a pleasant outing for both her and Kunikuzushi. She knew he wasn’t a big fan of crowds - or people in general - so she had suggested for them to meet at Mt Tianheng, where they could enjoy the view of Liyue Harbour by themselves. It would be nice to bring some takeout from Wanmin Restaurant as well; she had been looking forward to having Kunikuzushi try Xiangling’s cooking and that would be an excellent opportunity to share it with him without having to deal with the bustling streets of Liyue.

With that in mind, the Adventurer made her way to Wanmin Restaurant and purchased a few of her favourites. After chatting a bit with Xiangling and Chef Mao, she made her way to Yujing Terrace. As the Adventurer walked by a small artefacts shop, something caught her eye, so she quickly made her make a quick 90-degree turn and marched to the stand. She greeted the seller and quickly pointed to a small, heart-shaped jewellery box with a glossy, red and blue flower pattern on the surface.

“May I see it?”

“Of course!” The seller quickly retrieved the box and put it on the Adventurer’s palm. “This is a brass artefact with an enamel lid. The flowers there were hand-painted by a renowned artisan from Qingce Village. It’s perfect for storing small mementos or even medicine.”

“It is quite lovely,” the Adventurer complimented. “How much does it cost?”

It took everything the Adventurer had not to grimace when the seller told her the price. While it was a sum she currently had on her, it was definitely on the expensive end of the trinket’s spectrum. Also, it had been longer than usual since her last commission for the Adventurer’s Guild, so her funds were slightyl low at the moment.

The Adventurer was about to put the small box back when Kunikuzushi invaded her thoughts, just as he had been doing since she first saw him.

“You do not know how cruel a heartless man like me can be when I’m being mean.”

The Adventurer hadn’t liked the derogatory tone in Kunikuzushi’s voice when he described himself as heartless back then. And now that she knew a bit more of his origins, she believed she understood, even if just a little, how important possessing a heart was to him.

I think he’ll really like this, she thought, running her thumb over the smooth, flowered surface of the jewellery box. And I should be able to accept commissions again soon. My savings should last me a few more days. Hopefully.

The Adventurer sighed softly before smiling at the vendor.

“Do you gift-wrap?”

---

Once Scaramouche arrived at Northland Bank, the receptionist was quick to jump to her feet and offer to guide him to the large conference room in the back, where La Signora was waiting for him. The Harbinger noted her eagerness to take him there as quick as possible, so he made sure to walk as slowly as he could, taking pleasure in the palpable anxiety bursting through the poor receptionist’s skin in the form of trembling and sweaty hands.

“La Signora has been waiting for you, my lord,” the receptionist mentioned with a nervous smile.

Scaramouche hummed in response and slowed his pace even further.

The receptionist noticed it, but didn’t dare to say a thing to him. She only adjusted her strides to match his rhythm as her hands began to shake almost violently.

Once they arrived at the door, one of those shaking hands knocked twice on the finely carved wood before pushing it open to announce the arrival of the Sixth Harbinger.

Rediscovering his impatience now that he was face to face with his unreliable colleague, Scaramouche pushed past the receptionist before she could finish speaking his title. He took a moment to slam the door on her face before turning to face the fuming woman sat at the furthest end an oval table.

Scaramouche didn’t bother to even greet La Signora before taking a seat close to the door, as far from her as possible.

“Well, here I am. And I don’t have all the time in the world, so out with it.”

Predictably, La Signora slammed her open palms against the table as she shot up to her feet. Her eyes were as cold as a glacier, but her face was burning-red.

Scaramouche smiled, and she screamed.

“Who do you think you are, demanding me to be quick after you made me wait like a fool!? It’s been hours since I gave orders for you to see me!”

“I don’t think anything, my fair lady. I know I am your superior. As such, I do not take orders from you,” Scaramouche replied. “You should know your place as well, lest you find yourself in the sort of trouble you won’t be able to get out of.”

“From what I heard, you’re the one who’s getting himself in trouble,” La Signora said, lowering the volume of her voice but somehow sounding more unpleasant than before. “Allowing yourself to get lost in an Adventurer’s patched up skirt.”

Scaramouche’s smile curled into something ugly as he slammed a fist on the table’s surface, easily tearing out a good chunk of the wood without even using Elemental Energy. A heavy silence settled in the room as La Signora stared at him with her catalyst raised and ready for combat.

“You better contemplate your next words carefully, witch,” Scaramouche warned in a low voice. “I am not only superior to you in terms of rank; I am superior in strength as well. And if I need to physically remind you of that to put you in your place, I will. That floating thing won’t be any more help to you than a balloon.”

La Signora stared at him for a moment as her brain and her heart battled for dominance regarding what she’d say next. Scaramouche had no doubts that La Signora had at least a dozen insults tucked away somewhere inside her venomous fangs, but in the end she was self-conscious enough to understand that swallowing her own poison would be better than risking a single bite from him.

“As if I cared about some Adventurer,” La Signora said, already moving towards the door. “I just came because Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, has ordered the both of us to oversee the operation in Inazuma. Our ship leaves tomorrow morning, so you better say your goodbyes.”

---

The Adventurer found a lovely spot on Mt Tianheng, with a wonderful view of Yujing Terrace beneath and a cool shade provided by the treetops above. She stretched out a blanket and placed the takeout boxes from Wanmin restaurant on top of it, all neat and sealed, waiting for Kunikuzushi to arrive.

Satisfied, she sat down and fiddled with her lyre absent-mindedly, improvising soft tunes to fill the empty silence around her. She watched the clouds drift by as she played, allowing her mind to wander alongside them.

It was a while until Kunikuzushi showed up, feet stomping on the ground and narrowed eyes glowing with anger. He didn’t as much as look at her as he let himself flop down on the stretched blanked, laying on his side with his back to her.

The Adventurer immediately stopped playing and just looked at him for a while, wondering if it would be better to give him some time to cool down, or if she should urge him to talk it out with her.

“Keep playing,” Kunikuzushi ordered. Then, as if reading her thoughts, he added: “I don’t want to talk about it now.”

To the Adventurer’s surprise, the words came in the form of soft whispers instead of the aggressive bark she expected. She smiled at Kunikuzushi and nodded - even though he could not see it - before her fingers resumed their dance over the strings.

Scaramouche closed his eyes as the soft sounds filled the air, falling like a blanket over his anger and weighing it down until it stopped squirming inside his chest and finally settled into something more manageable.

However, he could still hear La Signora’s grating voice from the back of his mind:

“I just came because Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, has ordered the both of us to oversee the operation in Inazuma. Our ship leaves tomorrow morning, so you better say your goodbyes.”

Scaramouche scowled. He had never got along with any of the Harbingers; but La Signora occupied one of the highest positions in his black book. Being under the scrutiny of those cold and dismissive eyes of hers always raised his shackles, transporting him to a time someone else had looked at him that way, even though he had come to them for help.

That sly fox. She’ll get what is coming to her.

Scaramouche knew the Tsaritsa would send him back to Inazuma soon. He had planned for it, making sure to share every bit of knowledge he had about the nation and its many vulnerabilities so the Fatui could spread over slowly but surely- spore by spore and hyphae by hyphae, like a poisonous fungus taking over rotten tree roots. Now, after months of acting behind the scenes, it was finally time for him to return to the land of his creation, and take from his creator that which was rightfully his.

“…better say your goodbyes.”

What Scaramouche had not planned for was getting attached to an Adventurer that was just as witless as she was warm. Kunikuzushi had vowed to himself to never again let anyone set residence inside the empty cavity in his rib cage- to never again let himself believe that mortals could fill his chest with their flimsy emotions and even flimsier lives. Lest he experience the pain of having another piece of him ripped out when they abandoned him, leaving Kunikuzushi with nothing but a wider and colder hollow inside his chest.

And yet here he was, standing in front of the footpath to his completeness and still hesitant to take the first step because of a mortal.

It is not fair.

Scaramouche was a divine creation meant for adoration, and yet abandonment was all he remembered ever experiencing. And, now that he had someone to distract him from the ever-present feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, he was supposed to give them up, just like that? Gods had never cared for compromising, so why should he - an existence as close to divinity as Beelzebub herself - know nothing but it?

“I’m yours! Kunikuzushi, I’m yours! Yoursyoursyoursyours!”

Scaramouche sat up as his eyes suddenly opened, literally and metaphorically.

Of course, there was no answer to that question, because nothing could ever justify the many hardships he was forced to endure throughout the centuries. He was meant to live life as he wanted, taking and keeping whatever he wanted, for as long as he wanted.

“Kunikuzushi?”

Scaramouche looked over his shoulder and found his Adventurer staring at him with furrowed eyebrows as her fingers hovered near the strings of her lyre.

“Something is bothering you, isn’t it? Is there anything I can do to help?”

She really was gracious, worrying about him so openly, playing the invisible strings of his non-existent heart with the same care she played her lyre. Just looking at her made the burning ire inside Scaramouche morph into something more pleasant, but just as fervent.

His Adventurer put her lyre aside and reached out for him. Scaramouche was quick to grab her hand and pull her to him, slamming his mouth over hers as he pushed her back against the quaint picnic towel she had stretched out in preparation for his arrival.

The food she brought him - caring creature that she was - remained forgotten to the side. Scaramouche needed something else entirely to settle his appetites.

Scaramouche kissed his way to her ear, running the tip of his nose over the sensitive cartilage before catching her earlobe with his teeth the way he knew she loved. His Adventurer hugged him tight, stifling a moan against his neck as he started working the layers of clothing off their lower bodies.

“W-We’re out in the open,” his Adventurer pointed out as his fingers started circling her clit. She was already soaked. “Kunikuzushi!”

“I don’t care,” he growled against her ear, using his unoccupied hand to pull her palm against his hard cock. “You’re mine, remember? I should be able to enjoy you however I see fit. And if anyone dares to complain about it or look at you in this state, I’ll turn them into dust. So don’t you worry about it,” Scaramouche cajoled, smiling wickedly as he called his Adventurer’s name in a honey-sweet voice. “Just say yes.”

His Adventurer bit her lip, eyes darting all around as if someone would walk on them at any minute.

Silly woman, Scaramouche meant every word when he said he’d undo anyone who dared to gaze upon her like this.

With a chuckle, Scaramouche raised fingers covered in her essence to pull her face back to him. His thumb ran over her lower lip, freeing it from the abuse of her teeth before diving into the warm and wet cavern of her mouth.

“Say yes,” he urged again, eyes fixed on her mouth. “For me.”

Scaramouche shuddered as his Adventurer bit his thumb gently, mouth vibrating against it as she got the so-coveted syllable out. Her warm and calloused hand finally grabbed his cock firmly and guided his tip into her opening.

Scaramouche smiled and slowly pushed inside of her. He imagined that’s what coming home felt like.

---

Redressed and with his carnal appetites satiated, Scaramouche and his Adventurer turned their attention to the food she had brought. She shared details of every dish excitedly, and watched with anticipation as he took the first bites, then smiled widely when he announced they were to his liking.

They ate slowly while his Adventurer told him about her day, sparing no detail whatsoever. Scaramouche listened to her patiently, making a few teasing comments here and there to watch her face contort in funny human emotions that he never quite understood; she blushed, laughed and pouted, and he drank it all like the fine wine her land was known for.

“What about you?” His Adventurer asked suddenly. “How was your meeting?”

If it was anyone else asking him this, Scaramouche would have no doubt that they were digging for intel on the Fatui. While he didn’t care at all for the Organisation itself, he would’ve definitely delivered a rather painful punishment on the fool who dared to direct such words to him. But this was his sweet, little Adventurer; and she was just silly enough not to realise that her mundane question involved secret political information about one of the largest and most influential organisations in Teyvat.

“You want to go to Inazuma, right?” Scaramouche asked with a smile, ignoring her question completely.

His Adventurer furrowed her eyebrows. “One day, yes. If the Sakoku Decree ever-”

“Never mind that,” Scaramouche dismissed with a wave of his hand. “I will take you there. We set sail tomorrow.”

His Adventurer scrunched up her brows, and her mouth opened, then closed. She did that again and again, like a fish out of water. It was the first time Scaramouche saw her at a loss for words, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Scaramouche moved closer, ready to steal a kiss, but his Adventurer pushed him away.

In truth, she had only laid her warm hand on his chest, as if asking for some space, but for Scaramouche, it felt as if he had been shoved to the side. It felt like something he was very familiar with.

Rejection.

Scaramouche wasn’t sure what expression he had on, but it must’ve been quite a sight to behold if the wide-eyed look his Adventurer gave him was anything to go by.

“Kunikuzushi,” she whispered in a trembling voice. “Please, take a breath. Let’s talk this over.”

“I don’t need to breathe,” he snarled. “What part of I’m a puppet didn’t you understand? Are you really as stupid as you look!?”

His Adventurer flinched at his tone, but Scaramouche was too deep in his own head to care about her discomfort. All he could see were dispassionate eyes - treacherous eyes, dead eyes - looking down at him with indifference and disdain. His chest filled with heat and he had to push himself to his feet and step away, lest he burned his woman with pressured steam.

Scaramouche looked over his shoulder at his Adventurer, only to find her staring at him with wide eyes and hunched shoulders, like a cornered animal waiting to have flesh pulled out of her bones. He hated seeing that look on her face, especially knowing he was the reason she seemed so scared.

The entire situation left a bad taste in his mouth, so Scaramouche did what he always did whenever he felt inadequate.

He chewed everything up and spat back at the world.

“Why are you staring at me like that!?” The Harbinger demanded, spinning on his heels so he could fully face his Adventurer. “I have never hurt you on purpose, so don’t you dare give me those eyes! You are an ungrateful woman, did you know that? I’ve been so gentle, so good to you- and you pull away from me! You’re just like every other human in this land. Selfish, cunning, treacherous.”

“Kunikuzushi, calm down,” his Adventurer asked. “Sit. Let’s talk.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Scaramouche screamed. “I’m here, offering to give you what you wanted and you spit my kindness back on my face! What is the problem? Hasn’t my company been to your liking?”

His Adventurer pushed herself up on trembling legs and dared to take a step closer. “Of course it has. You must know how much I care about you.”

That made Scaramouche’s next accusation die in his throat. He snapped his jaw shut and glared at the woman standing in front of him, looking on the brink of tears.

Kunikuzushi wanted to brush those tears away with his thumbs, but Scaramouche stood his ground.

“Then why did you push me away?” He asked.

“If I went to Inazuma with you, would I have a visa?”

“What?”

“Would I have a visa to live there, to work there?” His Adventurer asked. “I know there is a branch of the Adventurers Guild in Inazuma, but only Adventurers who are in the country legally are allowed to accept commissions.”

“Are you doubting my abilities to provide for you?” Scaramouche accused, narrowing his eyes at her.

“That’s not the issue,” his woman stated, voice and expression strangely firm despite the tears brimming in her eyes. “Please, answer my question.”

Scaramouche scowled. “No, you will not have a visa.”

“Kunikuzushi, do you understand what you’re asking of me?” His Adventurer asked, taking another step in his direction. “You’re asking me to give up my life and follow you to a nation where I’ll have no means of taking care of myself.”

Scaramouche’s eyes widened at the sheer absurdity of his Adventurer’s words, before incredulous, mocking laughter bubbled out of his chest. Ignoring the hurt look his woman gave him, Scaramouche said her name in a condescending tone.

“What life?” He asked. “You run from place to place, running errands for any low-life in Teyvat for a meagre little sum of Mora that is barely enough to keep you fed between jobs. You sleep in the wild when it’s raining to save money, and wear clothes and shoes that look like they’ve been around since the Archons War. And, after putting yourself through all of that, you don’t even have a home to go back to. I mean, if you were to die in the wild, how long would it take for anyone to notice you were gone? Weeks, months? Come on, surely you must see that what you have is not a life. It’s barely surviving.”

Scaramouche finished his spiel with an arrogant smirk and stared at his Adventurer with arms crossed over his chest.

However, she did not return his gaze. She kept her eyes down, as if the space between her feet was the most interesting thing in the world.

Scaramouche scoffed at her lack of response and opened his mouth again - ready to spell out to her that coming with him was the best thing that could ever happen in her not-life - but whatever words he had died when he noticed tears falling from his woman’s eyes to stain the grass beneath her.

“How dare you?” His Adventurer asked in a whisper so low, Scaramouche was sure he only heard it because he was a puppet created by a god.

Scaramouche’s smirk died, and he called her name again, this time with worry.

When his Adventurer raised her face to look at him, her eyes were red and she looked so angry that Scaramouche was certain that was the only colour she was seeing too.

“How dare you mock me like this? You have no idea of the sacrifices I had to make, or the risks I had to take in order to make a name for myself as an Adventurer!”

It seemed that it was his woman’s turn to scream, and Scaramouche would have found the image of her anger beautiful, if not for the bitter sadness in her eyes tainting her ire.

“Do you think it was easy to make a living after I left my parents’ house? No one in Mondstadt wanted to hire a member of the nobility, so I had to juggle any odd jobs that showed up while I trained to become an Adventurer. And even after that, it was hard to find anyone that would commission me. I had to go way out of my comfort zone and pick up whatever came my way, no matter how inexperienced I was back then. It took me years of hard-work to establish myself as a reliable Adventurer who can take her pick of the available commissions in the Guild, instead of accepting whoever would take me just to make it through the day. My life may not amount to much when compared to your divine existence, but I worked hard to get where I am today. And I will not let you - or anyone - talk down to me like that!”

By the end of her outburst, his Adventurer was red from the neck up, with clear tear-tracks on her face and shoulders raising and falling sharply with each breath she took. The silence that followed her words was heavy and hot, and Scaramouche knew that a spark was all it would take to cause an explosion and knock down whatever it was they had built between them.

Unfortunately - for him, and for her - Scaramouche was far more used to surviving the destruction of flames than preventing them from scorching his life in the first place.

If I’m meant to part ways with her as well, I might as well do it on my terms.

“Your efforts and sacrifices don’t make your current life any less pathetic,” Scaramouche said, nose high in the air. “I don’t see why you cling to these small achievements of yours so much. You may be able to choose your work now, but it doesn’t change the fact that, at the end of the day, you have nothing to show for it. I’m offering you the opportunity of forgetting you ever had to put yourself through these probations, and just live like the noble you supposedly are. But if you prefer to survive like a slave, instead of living like a queen, that’s fine. I guess you really are as stupid as you look.”

Not giving his - no, not his; he was never meant to have something that was his - the Adventurer a chance to reply, Scaramouche turned his back to her and walked away.

At least, this time, he could tell himself that he was not the one left behind.

---

The sun was setting on the horizon by the time the Adventurer’s tears had dried and she dared to move from the spot Scaramouche had left her. Ants had walked all over the food left-overs, and she had no choice but to throw it all away as soon as she returned to Liyue.

What a waste, she thought as her hands pushed everything down a public garbage bin.

Once that was done, she wandered the streets for a while. The night-lights were starting to come up, giving a golden glow to the ever-vibrant city, but everything seemed grey and uninteresting to the Adventurer’s eyes.

Without noticing it, she found herself on the docks, gazing upon the ships stationed there. There were many sailors loading and unloading all types of cargo from them, and some Adventurers too- extra-hands hired to help with the twilight rush.

There was a vessel where the Adventurers didn’t set foot on though, and it was easy to understand why.

That must be the ship Kunikuzushi was talking about.

The Adventurer stared at the large Snezhnayan ship, following one of the many hurried Fatui while she marched back and forth on the deck, barking orders at her underlings as if there was no tomorrow.

“Put your back into it! We need to have her perfect for Lord Scaramouche tomorrow or else he’ll have our necks!”

The Adventurer reached inside her pocket and pulled the lovely artefact she had got to the man in question. She wasn’t sure why she even bothered with it; it’s not like Kunikuzushi could ever have any use for something so inconsequential.

“You must be the pet.”

The Adventurer let out an unflattering noise as her shoulders shot up to her ears. Heart running leaps inside her chest, she turned to the owner of the voice and her shock came in a second wave at finding one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen standing by her side. Tall, with platinum-blonde hair and finely dressed, she also stared at the docks.

The Adventurer knew right away who she was.

“There’s a pest by the name of La Signora demanding my attention.”

“You’re La Signora, right? The one who came to take… Scaramouche to Inazuma.”

“What if I am?” La Signora asked with a scowl on her red-painted lips. “Do you resent me for taking him away from you?”

The Adventurer blinked, taken aback by the question, and took a moment to ponder.

“K- Scaramouche and I just met,” she said after a few moments, rubbing her thumb over smooth enamel flowers. “There’s not enough between us to resent.”

La Signora fixed her icy gaze upon her. Her mask was covering her right eye, but her left one was certainly more than sharp enough to cut deep with just a glance.

“I certainly hope this is an attempt to fool yourself. Or I might just have to put you in your place for daring to try lying to me.”

“I’m not lying,” the Adventurer said. “We must have spent four days together in total. If that.”

“For fools, a night is all it takes,” La Signora said with a smile full of teeth. “And only a fool would ever let someone as horrible as Scaramouche get close to her.”

The Adventurer closed her fist over her heart. “We can all be fools sometimes. That’s what I think.”

La Signora seemed taken aback by her words; her diamond-sharp gaze dulled as she turned back to the horizon. The Adventurer stared at her, wondering what was going through her head, wondering what could make a woman like her - who possessed such cold eyes and cutting smile - look so forlorn.

“May I ask something of you?”

Ice quickly overlaid the glimpse of raw sadness in La Signora’s gaze at her question, but the Adventurer pressed forward. Before she lost her nerve - or quite possibly her head -, she extended a humble hand towards the Harbinger, making an offering of her inconsequential little heart.

“Would you give this to him? I mean, it doesn’t have to be you, as I imagine that such a silly errand is far below a Harbinger’s rank. But, if it’s not much trouble, could you ask one of your subordinates to deliver it to him? They can just leave it somewhere in his room or something. No need to even have to say it’s from me. I know it’s stupid. He likely will throw it away as soon as he sees it. But… I got this for him. So I figured I may just… you know.”

La Signora had no words for her, but the look she gave her was enough to make it clear to the Adventurer that she saw her as nothing more than a worm. A particularly daft worm.

It was the same look Kunikuzushi gave her a few hours ago, just before walking away.

Blood rushed to her face as the Adventurer lowered her hand and eyes; she could feel tears threatening to burst through again.

“Sorry,” she said in a whisper. “It was a dumb request.”

The Adventurer was about to hide the stupid trinket in her pocket when an icy hand closed around her wrist like an iron bar.

“You!”

The Adventurer watched in stunned silence as a Gunslinger sprinted towards them before dropping to a knee in front of La Signora. The Harbinger pulled the artefact from her hand and threw it toward her subordinate, who was barely able to catch it before it hit the floor.

“Deliver this to that nuisance that calls himself the Balladeer.” The order fell from La Signora’s lips like an icicle. “But do it tomorrow, after we set sail to Inazuma.”

“Yes, my lady,” the Fatuus said, before scurrying away.

At last, La Signora released the Adventurer’s wrist, leaving a red handprint on her skin that felt like an ice burn. Without a word, she turned her back to her and walked away.

“Wait!” The Adventurer said, rushing to catch up with La Signora’s long strides. “Thank you for doing that. But… Why did you? I thought-”

“We can all be fools. But only sometimes, so don’t get used to it.”

The Adventurer froze in her tracks and watched La Signora march away from her without even sparing her a glance.

---

If Scaramouche’s defective heart allowed him to feel emotions like a normal person, he would have been all too happy to leave Liyue. Scratch that, he would have been ecstatic to bid this ridiculous nation and its occupants a long-overdue goodbye.

Once he was back in Inazuma, he would finally claim what was rightfully his and bring Beelzebub down to her knees. After centuries of being denied his Gnosis and his fate, he would make himself a god - a complete being, worthy of unconditional worship.

Scaramouche should have been joyous to leave, no matter how crookedly the coils in his chest turned.

However, as he watched the city of Liyue Harbour move slowly away from him, Scaramouche felt nothing but resentment and a vague, almost-there regret. Not for leaving the city - honestly, it was too bad Tartaglia was so useless that he could not bring it down, even with help from an old god - but for being unable to take with him what he wanted.

If he had been better - calmer, more composed and compromising -, would the Adventurer have agreed to come with?

That doesn’t matter now. She doesn’t matter.

Scaramouche scowled as elemental energy left him in waves, something that did not go unnoticed by the Gunslinger approaching. The poor Fatuus gulped and looked down at the small heart-shaped artefact in his hands, wondering which was worse: to risk being blasted off the ship by Lord Scaramouche, or to run away and accept La Signora’s punishment for disobeying her orders?

Before he could reach an answer, Scaramouche noticed his presence. And he was all too happy to have someone to direct his annoyance at.

“What are you standing there for? If you have something to say, get over here.”

The Gunslinger felt cold sweat run down his back as he quickly took the last few steps towards the Harbinger in front of him before dropping to his knee.

“My lord,” he greeted, voice trembling. “I’m so sorry to bother you so early in the day, but I came at the request of my lady, La Signora.”

Just the mention of her name seemed to put the Balladeer in an even worse mood, and he made sure the poor Gunslinger felt it as his energy pressed down on him, making him lay a fist on the floor to keep himself partially upright as Electro made his skin itch.

“You better run back and tell that witch that I have no interest in any message that comes from her.”

“My lord,” the Gunslinger repeated, eyes still on the floor. “It’s a delivery. She has ordered me to deliver something to you.”

The energy weighing down on the Gunslinger’s shoulders seemed to ease slightly, and he dared to sneak a glance at his superior. Lord Scaramouche was still scowling, looking down at him as if he was an insect, but there was a tinge of curiosity in his eyes.

“Well, what is it?”

Knowing there was no escaping now, the Gunslinger swallowed his fears and presented the small artefact to the Sixth Harbinger. He saw his lord’s eyes glow for a moment - like lightning falling from the sky - as he quickly snatched the thing from his hand. He barely even glanced at it before fixing the destructive power of that gaze upon the cowering Fatuus kneeling before him.

“Is this some sort of joke?” Lord Scaramouche asked, voice rumbling like thunder. “Do you think this is funny?”

“No, my lord! Please, I’m just following orders,” the Gunslinger said, trembling as he shut his eyes tight. “I don’t know why La Signora asked me to bring this to you. It isn’t even from herself.”

“…What?”

“She was talking to an Adventurer yesterday, and she took this from her hands and ordered me to give it to you after we set sail. I’m so sorry, my lord. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just-”

There was a brief moment of white-hot pain as the Gunslinger felt the Balladeer’s foot connect with his stomach and send him flying until his back hit the mast of the ship. He fell to the floor gasping in pain, but after a few moments to catch his breath, he managed to push himself up in a sittng position, just in time to see his lord Harbinger disappear below deck.

As a couple of Fatui soldiers approached to check his well-being, the Gunslinger whispered a quick prayer to her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. All things considered, he felt that he was rather lucky for completing his order with nothing more than a few bruises to show.

From the glimpse he caught of the look in the Sixth Harbinger’s eyes, the Gunslinger knew he was angry enough to kill.

---

Inside his cabin, Scaramouche paced from side to side with dozens of questions in his head and a little heart in his hand.

When did she buy me this? Was it before or after our fight? Why did she still find a way to give this to me? What does she mean by it? Is she not angry with me? Does she not resent what I said to her?

And he did say quite a lot of horrible things, didn’t he? Scaramouche recalled every word he spat at her the day before and felt a very familiar sense of distaste, but it was strangely aimed at his own person. Nothing of what he had said was true, so-

Why did I say those things? Did I want to hurt her that badly? Was I actually trying to push her away?

He had certainly succeeded on that front. Though he was an ever-lasting existence, Scaramouche was completely out of time. There was no way he could go back now without losing everything he worked for in the last centuries. Which begged the question-

Why did that witch not give this to me yesterday, or anytime before we set sail? Was she trying to prevent me from finding her? From bringing her with me?

Like most Harbingers, the Eighth of them took pleasure in watching other people’s misery so it was not far-fetched to figure that this little stunt may just haven been her way to dangle the Adventurer in front of Scaramouche - close enough to make him salivate, but still just out of reach. He bet that the shrew was cackling like the old hag she was inside her cabin, certainly so satisfied with herself. The thought alone made Scaramouche clench his jaw and his fists.

And he regretted it immediately as a cracking noise reached his ears. Cursing under his breath, Scaramouche rushed to the desk tucked right beneath the large window of his cabin and set the box there to examine the damage he had done.

“Fuck. No, nonononono.”

Cracks formed a spiderweb on the enamel top of his gift, marrying its smooth surface with rough indentations that crooked the painted flowers’ lovely arrangement.

Scaramouche’s hand hovered above the heart, fingers flexing as he stared at the damage he had done. Though he didn’t need to breathe, his chest moved up and down rapidly as his anger, stress and misery mixed in a boiling concoction inside him that was quickly bubbling its way up his neck.

He could see the Adventurer standing before him, giving him that sad, disapproving look that made him feel all sorts of inadequate. Scowling, Scaramouche turned his gaze back at the artefact on his table, successfully blocking the vision of the Adventurer.

But not her voice.

Why did you do something like that?

“It’s not my fault!” Scaramouche screamed, glaring down at the inanimate object as if it was the origins of all the horrible feelings building up steam - building up pressure - inside the machine that he was. “If you had just agreed to come with me, none of this would’ve happened. I would’ve treated you like a queen, given you everything you could’ve asked for. And if you wanted to continue to work as an Adventurer so bad, I would have figured out a way to get you the damn paperwork. I would!”

Then why didn’t you tell her that? Another voice asked, and it took Scaramouche a moment to recognise it was his voice, calmly berating him from inside his own head. Why didn’t you reassure her when you could?

“She should have known! I shouldn’t need to spell out everything for her all the time. Some things should be understood without saying! And if she’s too stupid to figure that out by herself, then- then!”

Then it’s better that you left her, Dottore’s voice whispered, and he could easily picture his shark-smile. What was the point of even entertaining the possibility of taking that silly Adventurer with you? Do you think she would have stayed by your side? One deep look inside that horrific machine you have for a heart would be enough to send her running to the mountains. And if she was able to look past all the gunk and crooked coils of your being, she would still leave you through death. You think an air-head like that will survive long?

“Shut up!”

Scaramouche slammed his palms on the desk loudly, and silence fell over him like a curtain.

“It’s not my fault,” he repeated one last time as looked down.

Trembling fingers glided over the table before they settled on cracked enamel, caressing the heart he was given and which he had broken.

---

The Adventurer watched Kunikuzushi sail away. Alone, she stood on the docks, eyes trained on the Snezhnayan ship, until it disappeared on the horizon.

Well, that’s that, she thought, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands before pulling on the straps of her backpack. I should be on my way as well.

Just as the Adventurer turned around, a very familiar, high-pitched voice called her name.

“Paimon, Traveller,” the Adventurer greeted the two approaching figures with a smile that hopefully didn’t look as forced as it felt. “We’ve been running into each other quite a lot lately.”

“That’s true! Paimon thought you would have gone back to Mondstadt already!” The floating creature said. “It’s not usual for you to stay so long in Liyue, right? Oh, no! Don’t tell Paimon that you were with that horrible Harbinger until now!”

The Adventurer clenched her teeth to keep her smile in place, but she could still feel her lips tremble as tears burned the back of her eyes.

“Shut up!” The Traveler scolded, giving their companion the look. “She doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Paimon immediately started to fret and apologise.

It’s fine, don’t worry. I’m just a bit sensitive right now, is all,” the Adventurer said as she rubbed her eyes again before giving a couple of light slaps to her cheeks. “Anyway, it’s weird that you guys are still here as well.”

“We’re looking for Atsuko,” the Traveler explained, quick to pick up on the Adventurer’s desire to change the subject. “Have you seen her, by any chance?”

“Atsuko? Yes, I’m pretty sure I did,” the Adventurer answered, tapping a finger against her chin as she slowly turned around, eyes searching the people in the docks. “She should be… Oh, there she is!” The Adventurer pointed towards the young woman with a smile. “Did you take a commission from her?”

“Nothing like that,” Paimon said, floating with her hands behind her back. “Paimon and the Traveler are hoping to get to Inazuma, and we thought Atsuko might be able to tell us how to gain entrance. She is from Inazuma, right?”

The Adventurer felt her heart skip a beat as a very specific Inazuman came to mind, but was quick to push his infuriatingly flawless face to the back of her thoughts.

“Guess the Electro Archon is the next one on your list, huh?”

He called her Beelzebub, his creator. His… mother.

“That’s right! Paimon has a feeling they will be the one to lead us to the Traveler’s sibling!”

The Adventurer smiled and reached out, holding the Traveller’s hand in both of hers.

“I’m rooting for you. I really hope you find your sibling, Traveler. Next time I’m in Mondstadt Cathedral, I’ll say a prayer for you.”

The Traveler smiled and squeezed her hands. “Thank you.”

“What about Paimon?” The flying creature asked, shaking her fists in the air.

“Of course, I’ll say one- no, two prayers for Paimon as well,” the Adventurer reassured as she released the Traveler’s hands to adjust her backpack.

“Good!” Paimon said. “Are you going back to Mondstadt already?”

“Yes, I got a few things for my sibling’s kids and I want to give it to them. Also… I think I want to sit down with my parents and try to have an actual conversation with them for once.”

The Traveler and Paimon exchanged a look - both aware that the Adventurer’s relationship with her family was a bit tense, though they didn’t know the details.

“I think that’s good,” the Traveler said at last. “Communication is important. Mind if I ask what brought this about?”

The Adventurer shrugged as she looked down at her feet.

“And, after putting yourself through all of that, you don’t even have a home to go back to. I mean, if you were to die in the wild, how long would it take for anyone to notice you were gone?”

“I don’t know. It’s been so many years that I honestly thought I’d never want to talk to either of them again. But right now I feel like I’m losing them. I just… I guess I don’t want to feel like I’ve given up on my family without a fight, you know?”

“I do,” the Traveler said, and she knew they meant it with every fibre of their being. “I hope it goes well.”

The Adventurer grimaced. “Me too.”

“Paimon is sure everything will work out fine! There may be some arguments, and maybe a bit of screaming… likely a lot of crying too,” Paimon said, voice trailing off as the Traveler gave her the look, again. The Adventurer didn’t look too bright either, so she was quick to change her tune. “But every family gets in fights now and then! And these things take time too, you know? So if it becomes too much, you can always take a few days off and then go back to talk more.”

“That is actually a good idea,” the Adventurer said. “Who knows, maybe after you two have enough time to stir the pot in Inazuma, I may be able to visit, too.”

“We don’t plan to do anything crazy there,” the Traveler said. “I just want to ask the Electro Archon about my sibling. I’m hopeful everything will work out fine this time around.”

The Adventurer pursed her lips, swallowing a list of reasons of why she doubted those two would ever be able to go through a country without causing some sort of uproar. While most of them had to do with the Traveler’s track-record, there was one important reason she could not in good conscience omit; regardless of the number of Fatui watching them.

“I’m sure it will,” the Adventurer said with a smile as she pulled the Traveler in a quick hug and whispered in their ear: “The Fatui are in Inazuma. Be careful.”

As quick as the Adventurer pulled the Traveler in, she pushed them back, ignoring their wide-eyed stare. She made sure to hug Paimon next, keeping the same silly smile on her face.

“You two take care, alright?”

“We will!” Paimon reassured. “Now come on, Traveler. Let’s go talk to Atsuko.”

The Traveler nodded, sparing the Adventurer one last smile before walking away.

The Adventurer kept a smile on her face as she watched them go, even though she could feel a horrible weight settle in the pit of her gut.

Why didn’t she tell them about Kunikuzushi- no, about the Balladeer? Was it because she didn’t even want to mention his name? Or due to a misguided sense of loyalty that she really should not have towards a man she has known for a grand total of four days - if that -, and who left her after saying the most hurtful things she ever heard in her life?

This is ridiculous, the Adventurer thought, again rubbing tears off her eyes as she spun on her heels and started her long march back to Mondstadt. I am ridiculous, letting him get to me like that.

She really was, but she could not help it; despite the way Kunikuzushi left her, the Adventurer could not stop thinking about him. And it wasn’t even the expected “good riddance, I didn’t like him anyway” sort of thoughts. Oh no, when the Adventurer thought about Kunikuzushi - which was all the time - she couldn’t help but wonder how he was doing, if he was alright, and if her gift made its way to him in the end.

Not that Kunikuzushi would care about it. He made it clear he has no use for any heart that would come from me. And I should not think about him, anyway. I should focus on what I’ll say to my parents when I see them. Yes, that’s what I’ll do now! No more thoughts about Kunikuzushi!

And focus the Adventurer did. At least for a couple of hours, she was able to drive away thoughts of Kunikuzushi as she played out a multitude of scenarios inside her head of how her conversation with her parents could go.

Those proved to be as heart-wrenching and as butterfly-inducing as wondering about Kunikuzushi’s well-being.

“I’m exhausted just thinking about it,” the Adventurer said out-loud. “I might need to take some time for myself, like Paimon said.”

Looking over her shoulder, she could see that she had already put some distance between herself and Liyue Harbour. While she loved the city, she didn’t see herself returning to it anytime soon. She may not have too many memories with Kunikuzushi there, but they were definitely too intense for relieving after the emotional rollercoaster she planned to power through with her parents.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to Sumeru,” the Adventurer mused as she tugged on the straps of her backpack. “Maybe I should go back.”

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