Work Text:
My Fair Lady
"Sir, The Fair Lady is nowhere to be found. We've checked the perimeters." A Fatui guard knelt behind the man sitting atop the cliff, one leg propped up as the other hung on the edge.
"Hm.." He took his large hat off as the metal dangling from it chided with the others as he tilted it over to rest beside him.
"We... We did find this however..." The agent quickly placed the unused cryo vision, once lit and full with light, now dim and barely any presence of Signora in it.
"Do you think she was happy with how she died?" The agent couldn't see the man's face. All he saw was the man's tense shoulders, droop slightly as soon as he placed a hand over the dead vision.
"W-what?" The agent didn't know if the man infront of him was asking for an actual reply or if he was speaking to himself. Even the Agent didn't know if the Sixth harbinger was capable of feeling emotions.
"Leave. I want to be alone. Tell the others that their work is done. Resume positions." The Sixth Harbinger clenched the lost vision in his hand and stared out at the island and sea before him. His mind flashed back to the last memories of Signora and him having a fight. His very last words to her was to go ahead and fight to her death, but he didn't think she'd take it literally.
All of a sudden, the confirmation of her death sank in and he had that unpleasant feeling again appear in the pit of his stomach. The spit in his mouth tasted bitter and his breathing became uneven. He didn't mean it. He didn't know why she couldn't listen to him. Why he didn't persist to stop her. God.
God? There existed a God? Haha. When was the last time he relied on a God for answers?
He was staring straight into nothing and yet still, he didn't know why he felt so empty to the point that he could just jump off this cliff right now and nothing would change the feeling. It was a feeling of discomfort which arose with the realisation that The--no, His Fair Lady was passed on.
He brought the cryo vision on his lap to stare at it but his vision started to become blurry and before he could blink the liquid forming around his eyes, they fell over the vision and onto his hand. Right. He'd lost the Eighth member of the Fatui but he also lost his partner. The only person that he tolerated when she came stealing his Mora and spending it all on things she wanted for herself. Her perfumes, her dresses... He couldn't wrap his head around it. Her cryo vision sat in his hand and he couldn't stop the water works even though his face emotionless.
He was settling on the fact that he was never going to hear her whiny voice when no one was around and hear her complain that she chipped a nail or complain about her heels hurting her feet and forcing him to feel guilty and massage her feet with his hands. Hah. It was really hitting him.
"Haha.. Signora. You really... Are irritating." He closed his fingers around the vision which looked like it glimmered for a second, but he thought he saw wrong and only pocketed the object and wiped his face.
He closed his eyes and let the sun rays which he hated to feel on his body, to fall on his beautiful porcelain skin. It's not like there would be anyone to nag him of taking care of his skin as he grew older. Funny how people you never knew your entire life, suddenly becomes the biggest impact when you've only known them for a few years.
He opened his eyes and got up with the hat that was also a gift from the said woman. She'd barge into his room one day and forced him to wear while saying something about protecting his aging skin. He placed it on top of his head and touched his chest. "Puppets do seem to feel emotions." He whispered softly as if hoping any moment now that his feelings would actually die and he wouldn't feel this way anymore.
He walked towards the entrance of the small abandoned house where the Fatui Agent was standing guard at and nodded his head. "Let's leave. Tell the others that we're making our way back to Mondstadt."
The agent looked at him flustered and slightly nervous, "Y-Yes sir!" He immediately bowed but then paused in his tracks, "Um.. Sir? Should we continue searching for her belongings or--"
"I said to tell the others that we're heading Mondstadt. What part of that don't you understand?" He snapped at the Agent who trembled slightly in fear. It wasn't all that of a secret that the Sixth harbinger was ruthless and very, very impatient. He had no tolerance for wasting his time on useless things too.
" Y-yes! I understand! W-when are we--"
"Tonight." The Harbinger walked off and disappeared before the Fatui Agent's sight with that and clenched his fists. He was headed to the small village that was once maintained. If he remembered correctly, they moved out because of the poor quality of life but some stayed behind. He reached near the area and spotted a small child selling what looked like crystal marrows. The kid had a good head on his shoulders but out here, it was impossible to market it. "Kid. I need the prettiest flowers you could find. I'll even pay you extra if you get them for me in the next hour."
"Ahh?! Really? How much? How much?" The kid's eyes widened at the size of the bag of Mora he stuck out. He didn't have anymore use for it either. "I'll do it! If it's this bag then fine." The child demanded as he threw the heavy pouch towards him and the kid went scrambling off God alone knows where.
After about an hour, the small child came running back with a freshly picked bouquet of flowers. "Haaaa....! Haaa! Here! Haa... They're... They're dendrobiums!" The child handed him the bouquet of bright red flowers, much like Signora in her crimson form. The harbinger only nodded his head pleased and turned about to leave when he felt a tug of his shirt. "I don't know what happened but I'm sorry for your loss. They're often given to Graves... But if it's not for that then--"
"It's for a lost friend of mines. I'll be going now." He walked away leaving the kid behind and without much effort, the Harbinger was already walking up the stairs of the Inazuma headquarters.
"Halt! Who are you?! Hey! W-wait! You cant--" The guards tried to stop him but he only had to lift a hand at them and send them all flying. He bursted through the doors, setting eyes on the Raiden Shogun who moreorless expected him.
"You're not invited here unannounced." She got up and from her seat and walked down the stairs elegantly.
"I'm not here for a chitchat." His eyes held no emotion in them as seeing that familiar face brought even more unpleasant memories.
"Hm....Then what exactly are you here for? I'm not willing to hear you out after the Fatui created--"
"Signora...." He cut her off, "Signora's belongings."
As if shocked herself, the puppet infront of him didn't move nor said a single word for a few seconds before breaking the silence, "You can feel... Emotions?"
"Whatever I can feel, I don't want it anyways. It's unpleasant." He clenched his jaw and lowered his head so that the woman infront of him would stop staring into his face.
"These are the last of her things." She stepped closer and stretched a hand out with the items once she fetched it as he took it and then turned around to leave wordlessly.
"Don't you think that you're evol--"
"Goodbye, Ei." He gave her a glance over his shoulder and left, returning to a beautiful spot in Inazuma where the water glimmered beautifully with the low glow of the plants around.
He opened the bag with Signora's last belongings and stared at it for a moment before burying it underneath the soil near the water and kept the half side of her earrings for himself. He kneeled infront of the new grave and bowed his head as he placed the beautiful dendrobiums over it to decorate the layer of soil.
"The water here...is really nice. You begged me for a vacation at the beach and I told you no so I'm laying you down in a beautiful place near the water you wanted so badly." He clenched the earring in his hand and breathed in softly.
"You will live in my memories, My Fair Lady."