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“Who are you talking to?”
Paimon looks around in confusion. Clearly baffled by Aether’s actions. Suddenly speaking to the space around him, alert and tense as he follows an invisible figure.
Without looking at Paimon, “Paimon, don’t speak for a bit.”
Aether locks eyes with a figure outlined in white light disappearing and showing up as he likes.
“You’re distracted by her.” Scaramouche’s eyes flit to Paimon for a brief second. The Balladeer was inside his mind so Aether spoke to him through his thoughts.
“You know, I’m curious. Why are you so adamant on this futile mission of yours?” The harbinger flickers and reappears behind Aether, speaking directly into his ear.
Frowning, Aether jerks away, ‘You wouldn’t understand. You don’t even understand your own allies.’
“Allies? What nonsense.” Raising an amused brow, “I only need followers like Haypasia here. Allies are useless before power.”
“In fact,” reaching a hand out to Aether, Scaramouche gestures, “You’re also quite fortunate yourself. You have the honor of being my first listener.”
Scaramouche’s face fell at Aether’s scowl, “And here I was in a good mood. Why’d you have to ruin it?”
‘Did you know that because of you, your first follower was targeted by The Doctor?’ Aether informed, hands clenched by his side.
Scaramouche pauses before chuckling, putting his hand to his head. “Is that your attempt at sowing discord between us? How pathetic. Just like your misguided determination.”
Glaring harder, Aether, ‘It’s not misguided.’
He says with absolute conviction.
Scaramouche stops laughing to level him with a blank look. “Then what else could it be?”
Before Aether replies, the harbinger flashes right before him and leans toward him. “Are you insinuating that I’m unworthy to be one?”
Stepping back in surprise, the back of Aether’s shoe hits the edge and he trips backward. Unable to catch himself, he falls into a bed of foliage in between some trees. Looking up Aether found himself face to face with a crazed expression and sharp eyes.
“Don’t forget, I’m the one in your consciousness.”
Scaramouche pins him to the ground, he leans down, until Aether could almost feel something brush his ears. “And no one but you can see me.”
“Aether! Are you okay?” Paimon exclaims, flying to his side.
Aether opens and closes his mouth a few times before choking out, “I’m fine. Don’t come over.”
Try as he might, Aether was unable to free himself. A pair of hands held his wrist down as he felt his body weigh itself down. Gritting his teeth at the man above him, ‘Let go.’
“Listeners should learn to listen. Your mouth is better off for other things.”
Scaramouche says and presses his lips to Aether. While aware that Scaramouche wasn’t actually kissing him since he only exists in his consciousness at the moment. Aether panicked when it felt almost real.
“Mhm!”
The struggling intensified but Scaramouche held on. Changing targets from his lips to his neck, biting down on the flesh hard. Aether gasps painfully, wincing as the teeth releases him.
Fixing the incredibly smug Scaramouche with a glare, the Harbinger laughs. “That’s a better look on you.”
Aether considered biting his tongue but, 'As a god, you’re endangering your first follower. Aren’t you ashamed?'
His canines show from the smile he gives Aether, “Ashamed? Why would I be?”
Scaramouche goes in and Aether immediately turns his head, landing a peck on his cheek. The fatui smiles against his skin, “I’ll leave you with a gift. Whether it’s a blessing or not, that’s up to you.”
And right after Aether feels the weight above him disappear, thunder shakes the entire place. Lighting comes down in drones, indiscriminately attacking everything.
Paimon screams, “Ah! What was that?!”
Pushing himself off, Aether looks outside to see the ominous weather. It must have been The Balladeer's doing.
“Let’s go check on the others.”
Sure enough, Tighnari was injured from the lightning strikes.
They bring him in to rest with Haypasia, slowly lowering him to the ground as he grunts and coughs. “Thanks.” He says through another wince.
“Take it easy.”
Tighnari regulates his breathing as the others crowd around him and his patient. Looking up, something caught Tighnari’s attention, “Hey…ugh! Ha…That wound, where did you get it?”
Aether looked down at his body, he couldn’t see any.
Tighnari shakes his head and flinches at the feeling as he clutches his heart, “The one…argh–the one on your neck…”
“Hm? You got injured? Let me see.” Dehya gently swept his hair out of the way peering all over Aether’s neck.
“Huh…this looks like teeth marks. Something bit you earlier?”
Aether froze, reminded of Scaramouche. He claps a hand over the supposed mark and clears his throat, “Uh, I didn’t realize. Probably.”
Unable to meet their worried expressions, Aether changes the topic to Haypasia. Hopefully, to get everyone’s mind away from it.
Damn Balladeer.