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Scaramouche didn’t like how Tartaglia was always with the Traveller. There wasn’t anything he could do to stop them from meeting. Lumine and Tartaglia always agreed to spar every week in the Golden House, and they never failed to honour their promise.
Scaramouche tried the kind approach – he came up to Lumine and struck a conversation with Lumine. Even as her guard was up, Lumine still spoke to him without hostility, even if she did choose her words carefully. Still, it was one step from being treated like an enemy.
Lumine was nice to everyone, even nicer to people like Zhongli and Tartaglia. What was it that made them different from him? Was it his origins? Was it something else that Tartaglia had that he didn’t?
Scaramouche pondered about it for a long time and when he finally saw her again in Inazuma, frolicking about with Thoma, Ayaka and members of the resistance, something in him snapped. Lumine cared less for the people who asked for her help. Instead, she grew more urgency in trying to find her missing brother. She was pushing people away and that was how he liked it.
One day, Lumine had been alone, even that flying creature called Paimon was nowhere to be seen near her. This was the opportunity, his big chance.
Emerging from the shadows, Scaramouche approached her, being careful not to scare her. “Traveller. It is very nice to see you here.”
Lumine jumped at his sudden appearance but her guard dropped when she saw who it was. “Scaramouche. I knew someone was following me but I didn’t think it would be you. So, what is it that you want?”
Scaramouche hummed. “I was just passing by and thought to give you my regards.”
“Well, you’ve given your regards. What else are you here for?”
Scaramouche held his chin, as though pondering over the question. “Do you really want to know?”
Seeing the darkened expression and the sinister smile on his face, a shiver ran down Lumine’s spine. She shook her head, turning away from him. She had to put some distance between her and Scaramouche. “No, it’s fine. I need to leave.”
She tried to seem casual when she walked away but her heart was pounding in her chest. Scaramouche observed her retreating figure, her shoulder blades easily seen from her backless outfit.
Scaramouche was not going to let Lumine out of his sight anymore. If she roamed about, there was no guarantee that she would come back to him. He couldn’t risk having her leave his side. Before she could even separate from him, he had to make her stay.
Scaramouche touched her head and she immediately fell into his arms, unconscious. The Fatui Harbinger carried Lumine in his arms with ease as he kissed her forehead, admiring her sleeping face. “You’re not leaving me, Lumine.”
……
Paimon couldn’t find Lumine no matter how hard she looked. She begged countless people for help, going as far as asking Tartaglia for any clues. No one knew where the traveler had gone. It was like she had disappeared into thin air.
For a long time, no one heard from Lumine, no one had seen her. Not even the well informed Tartaglia. That is until the Tsaritsa summoned all Harbinger to her ice-cold castle. To have summoned all the Harbingers, it appeared to be quite important. Tartaglia stood before the Tsaritsa, seeing Scaramouche head closer to her as she spoke of their missions. Scaramouche’s mood seemed to be quite well.
“Moving onwards. I would like to introduce a new member of the Harbingers,” the Cryo Archon announced. Everyone looked towards her where she sat on her throne. With a wave of her hand, a young blonde girl stepped through the portal, her golden eyes staring back at the Harbingers. Tartaglia was perhaps the most surprised to see the new Harbingers.
Lumine; the hero of Liyue, the honorary knight of Mondstat.
Lumine stood before them, dressed as she was last seen. Yet something seemed different about her. Her eyes no longer had the glimmer of life in them. Her expressions were dull, like she had no emotions at all. Scaramouche held his hand out and Lumine took it without hesitation, like a doll being controlled. He pressed a kiss to her hand, smiling at her like she was the only one he could see.
It was an expression many of the Harbingers (almost all) didn’t expect to see of the Balladeer.
“I would like to let all of you know that she will be under my care,” Scaramouche announced, pulling Lumine closer to him, almost hugging her. “And you’re not allowed to simply touch her. I won’t forgive anyone who does.”
As he spoke, Scaramouche glanced at Tartaglia, a deadly glare thrown in his direction.
That glare made his blood run cold and Tartaglia felt thrilled at the prospect of using Lumine to fight Scaramouche. Perhaps, the Balladeer could give him a challenge worth his time.
……
Lumine sat on Scaramouche’s bed, still expressionless. She was robbed of her will and only answered to Scaramouche. Scaramouche embraced her from the back, caressing her soft blonde locks, running his fingers through them.
“I told you, Lumine. I won’t let you leave,” he whispered, turning her to face him.
Even as Scaramouche kissed her lips, she made no move to retaliate. She was truly like a doll who was being controlled but Scaramouche didn’t mind.
If that was how she would stay by his side, Scaramouche didn’t mind if Lumine was kept in this doll-like state forever.
“Eternity starts now.”