Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"are you sure about this?"

"how many times do i have to tell you," he snapped. "just do it already."

you sighed and opened a plug, having a wire in your other hand. "alright. ready?"

"do it."

you nodded so he could see it in the mirror, moving the plug and plugging it in its rightful position. purple eyes followed every moment up until the insertion. scaramouche flinched in pain, feeling the rush of energy course through his body. the purple energy from the gnosis flowed through him, filling him to the brim with energy.

"yes," he mused. "more power. this is what i was made for."

you stayed quiet.

"beelzebul made a mistake, abandoning me alone. how dare she... after i'm done with this god creation program, i'll seek my revenge. she will bow before me after this."

"she'd still clap you", you thought. "as much as you can handle this type of power, your vitals and mental state are unstable. there's no way you can measure up to a god who has been having this power for longer than your existence."

you tightened the cable, making sure no energy would leak out from the sides. the purple energy glowed, the buzz of the static making the wire vibrate while you checked for any misfits.

"all set," you murmured out loud, brushing your hands off and admiring your handiwork. "i'll be off now, my lord."

"you've done well," he chuckled, checking out the source of his power with the mirror. "now i can truly ascend to godhood."

not a word left your lips as you jumped down, making sure to use the four leaf sigils that were floating in mid-air. you landed effortlessly, walking towards the grand sage who had made his entrance.

"well done," he praised you. "i can always rely on you to perfectly execute such tasks, {name}."

"i'm glad to be of service," you said between clenched teeth, trying to prevent bile from slipping out of your throat. "i will be taking my leave as i have a meeting to attend to."

"very well," he said. "take the day off tomorrow. due to the heavy amount of progress we've made, i believe a little rest would be beneficial."

"what are you talking about down there," scaramouche sneered, watching you about to leave. "what about {name} taking the day off tomorrow?"

that was the first time he said your name, making your eyes open slightly in shock. he'd never call anyone by name, only using their name like a title that he saw fit to give. only those who mattered to him would be called by name.

"i believe that she deserves a small rest," azar spoke. "she has made massive jumps in our plan. tomorrow she should rest."

"no," scaramouche retorted. "in order to become a god as soon as possible, we need to continue making jumps. {name} come in tomorrow."

"if that's what you'd like," you called to him, bowing your head, and taking your leave.

you know you'll get your ears chewed off tomorrow by him, but for now it doesn't matter. for now, you had a meeting with al haitham who suddenly requested your assistance. he requested for you to meet him at his house, considering kaveh was out in the desert working on a project.

"{name}, you arrived."

you closed the door to his house, seeing al haitham reading a book on the dining table. "hello scribe al haitham."

"you can drop the formalities," he assured you. "just call me al haitham. aren't we friends?"

"alright, if that's what you want," you smiled at him, sitting across from him at the table. "what did you want to discuss?"

"well, there's a rumor floating around about a god creation plan concerning the akademia. and who would be better to ask than the grand sage's personal engineer?"

you tried to keep a poker face, hand unknowingly tightening while you tried to keep yourself composed. "a god creation plan?"

"yes," he mused. "would you happen to know anything?"

"i believe i don't," you lied through your teeth. "why would you need this information?"

"if this is true," al haitham placed his book down, looking at you intently with his grey-green eyes. "the sages will have to be placed under investigation for going against lesser lord kusanali."

"..."

you didn't reply, shifting your gaze from his face to the table in front of you. a sigh left your throat. how could you bring yourself to tell him that you're a key member in their god creation plan? it wasn't even that you wanted to. you were a devout follower of lesser lord kusanali, but you had no power to go against the akademia. if you were, you'd have to abandon everything that you had and probably either be exiled or killed by the "new god" himself.

"{name}," al haitham placed his hands on yours in a comforting grip. "you can tell me."

"i don't know what you're talking about," you snapped back. "i don't know about the grand sage's plan."

"then find out for me," he released your hand. "can you do that?"

"scribe al haitham, i don't see how it's any of my concerns. i'm one of the very few engineers in all of sumeru, investigating and overthrowing the akademia is not part of my job description."

"i'm asking this as a favor from a friend," he tried to reassure you. "i'm not asking as a scribe. i'm asking this as a person who wants to see sumeru flourish, and we can't do that without our god."

you stood up, walking towards the door. before you could open it, al haitham slammed his hand on the wood, holding it closed. his body wasn't directly touching yours, but it was very close. your heart started to beat faster out of fear. both of you knew it though, he could see right through you.

"{name}, if we create a plan to destroy this false god, we'd have a chance to stop this corrupt system. we could save lesser lord kusanali. we could do what's right. don't you think that's a good enough cause to fight for?"

Chapter Text

"i'm sorry," you said coldly. "i'm not interested. let me go, i have to get rest for work tomorrow."

"but you have no work assignments," al haitham corrected you. "what could you possibly be doing tomorrow?"

"the grand sage requested my help in a matter," you said, trying to remain true without spilling more details. "that matter is private. so, i'll be leaving."

you pushed his hand off of the door, hastily leaving his house and closing the door behind you. al haitham sighed deeply, running a hand through his grey locks as he returned to the kitchen table, drooping into his seat.

rather than return home, you decided to go back into the lab to continue to work. scaramouche was still strapped inside when you returned. it was part of adapting to the power from the gnosis, and he was enjoying every second of it.

"oh, i didn't expect to see you here," scaramouche mused. "eager to continue working, are we?"

you didn't say a word, finding the tools that you needed to continue working on another cable that you'd plug into his back tomorrow. tears filled your vision slightly, hands continuing to work while your mind was a battlefield. here you were, wanting so desperately to join al haitham and save your god, but you couldn't risk losing so much. after all, your whole life was spent trying to pursue a field that was looked down upon, seen as being unnecessary and unpredictable. that was when you were recognized by the grand sage, and made his personal engineer, and roped into the god making plan.

during your time working relentlessly was when you received your vision, shining brightly as a token of encouragement to keep pushing through your struggles. it warmed your heart, and with that determination, helped you create your first ever robot that continues to live today inside of your house.

"hey, i'm talking to you," scaramouche yelled. "your god is speaking to you."

"if you'd be so kind as to let me work," you spat back, not turning your back. "we can finish this faster."

he didn't reply, making you tense your muscles waiting for any sort of impact. but, it never came. all you heard was steam being dispensed, then a pair of feet hitting the ground and walking towards you.

"i see that you're quite upset."

your eyes widened in shock slightly, hearing the change in his voice. it wasn't arrogant or demanding as it always was, but strangely human considering he was a puppet.

"how could you tell," you mumbled, loud enough for him to hear. "ah, sorry for my rudeness. i shouldn't be talking."

"i'm glad you know your limits," he mused. "however, i recognize you as someone of... importance. yes, importance. you're imperative to this plan's success."

"i'm grateful you hold me to such high standards," you mindfully said, tinkering with the parts. "however, the plan is nowhere near done."

"yes, that is a setback. the faster i achieve godhood, the faster i can reclaim what is rightfully mine."

"i'll do my best then," you said, poker face on. "however, i do question your methods."

"excuse me?"

"if i may be allowed the privilege, i would like to tell you why."

"go on."

you were slightly taken aback by his answer, however that meant that you might offend him. therefore, you cherry picked your words and used them very carefully so as to not upset him more than you might. "i believe that displacing a god already who has been rendered incapable of ruling her own country is a cruel method."

"which is why they need a replacement," scaramouche retorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the workbench that you were using to see your face. "she's incapable of her duties as an archon."

"however my lord, she's been locked away by the sages. i don't see how someone can function as an archon when they cannot even leave the imprisonment of the sages."

"if she really was as powerful, she could easily break out herself."

"i just wonder," you hummed, looking up at the manufactured ceiling. "if she were ruling sumeru, would there even be a need to replace her?"

Chapter Text

"look {name}," he sighed, tilting his hat to cover his downcast eyes. "i was given this opportunity. so there is no need for doubt. i will be the best god that ever existed. and think about it, you get a huge part in this."

he looked at you, making you stop working and meet his eyes. they were violet, beautiful amethyst crystals encased in porcelain-like skin. "i'll make you my right hand {name}. you'll be my right hand. that is how much i respect and believe in your abilities. it's only natural for you to receive such privileges."

"however i have to warn you my lord," you said to him, trying to not get lose in his eyes. "the sages... they may have let you do all of this, however i believe that they might be using you."

"using me? hah... hahaha!"

then he laughed, turning around and bracing himself against the workbench while his other hand held his stomach. "oh don't be silly {name}. those mortals won't be able to. and how dare they?"

"i wouldn't doubt the akademia," you said scornfully. "they've done some incredible things without their god."

"however {name}, if i recall correctly you're the one who made most of their achievements come to life. you're an extension of the akademia."

then he went quiet for a moment, eyes twinkling in curiosity and thought. he spoke up again, "do you really believe they could?"

"possibly," you said, finishing the tinkering on the wire, then stretching your hand outwards. "if you don't mind, can you pass me the small little pipe?"

"such a daring person," scaramouche scoffed, passing you the pipe that you needed. "asking a soon-to-be-god a juvenile request. but no matter. you have provided me with insight {name}, which is why you deserve to be my right hand."

"i'm simply a humble engineer," you looked at him, giving him a slight smile. "i'm happy to provide you with any assistance, however my place is not by your side."

"you don't get to make that choice. i'll see that you'll adjust to your role after my ascension."

that's if al haitham and cyno don't beat you to it, you thought. they won't let that happen. please, both of you. free lesser lord kusanali. i can't help, i'll only make the problem worse, and i can't even prevent it. just please... hold on...

"i'll be taking my leave now," you bowed your head, lowering your gaze so you don't stare at him in the eyes. "i'll need to make some modifications to your plan, so i'll be taking these."

you grabbed the blueprints off the table, folding them neatly and placing them in a leather bag that you usually dedicated for spare parts. "goodbye, and i'll be here again tomorrow."

"get ample rest," he called after you. "i don't want you to take any breaks, mortal."

"no need to be such a slave driver," you mumbled to yourself after you left. "jeez... hey! {bird name}!"

a small squawk filled your ears, your pet bird coming to perch on a nearby branch. you scribbled down 2 short notes, requesting al haitham and cyno to meet with you tonight at your house. "go give this to scribe al haitham and general mahamatra cyno. if they refuse, make sure you change their minds."

your bird squawked again, grabbing the two notes and flying off immediately to deliver them. then, you slung your bag over your shoulder once more, and set off for home. it was getting later, so you decided to make dinner. some pita pockets would suffice, considering you'd be meeting them quite soon so there was no need to make it very big. maybe a midnight snack would fill the rest of your stomach later.

a small mechanical sound filled your ears as you set your bag down at your usual place, hanging on a dining chair. you smiled, looking down and seeing a miniature mechanical crab making its way over to you.

"why hello there {robot name}."

it looked happy to see you, eagerly dancing in front of you and whirring with what seemed like glee.

"hahaha, i'm happy to see you too. it's been a long day."

then, it held one of its legs up towards you, letting out a small sad whirr. the small joint seemed to have a wire broken, and desperately needed oiling.

"let's fix you up," you gently patted its head, grabbing some mechanical parts and oil from your bag and gently holding its leg while you fixed the wire and re-oiled it for extra measure. it didn't take you long. "there we go! all done. feel better?"

it walked around and came running back, knocking you over and wrapping its legs around your waist. a gesture that you'd like to interpret as affection. "haha, i guess you are."

a knock on the door.

"ah, i guess they're here."

you looked down, seeing the mechanical crab didn't want to let go. so, you spun it around so the legs that hugged you were in the front, wearing him like a backpack. "alrighty, there we go." then you walked to the door, opening it and seeing the two males who you requested.

"{name}," cyno said your name. "you called?"

Chapter Text

a/n: imagine karkata (mechanical crab) but mini... you'll see why

"yes i did. if you could step inside so we don't get overheard."

both the males walked inside, making themselves comfortable at the dining table. cyno noticed the small mechanical crab that was around your back, staring at it in fascination while it seemed to be recharging.

"i see you have a friend," al haitham noticed. "care to explain?"

"this is my small creation, {robot name}. it's my companion."

"ah i see," cyno said. "anyways, what did you need us here for?"

"you two are working against the sages, correct?"

cyno looked at al haitham, a scowl on his face. "you told her?"

"i did earlier," the taller male responded. "i didn't see an issue, considering she's a friend."

"stop being irrational," the general huffed. "but yes. we are."

"here."

you grabbed your bag, rolling out the blueprints to scaramouche's creation. "this is the layout for the god creation plan." then, you took out a red marker, placed a thin sheet of glass over the blueprint and circled some parts. "and these are the weak points."

"when will you be finished with it," cyno asked you.

"approximately two days."

"that's not a lot of time," al haitham murmured to himself, trying to think. "okay. i believe this could work. the plan should still be effective."

"save lesser lord kusanali," you asked the two of them. "give her the chance that she needs to regain control."

"we will," cyno reassured you. "and thank you."

you nodded, "do you need a copy of this? i'd be happy to actually test out my latest invention."

"sure, let's give it a try."

"{robot name}, scan."

your robot whirred to life, scurrying on top of the table and using its eye to seemingly scan the blueprints. then, you opened the top portion of its metal casing and inserted a small lens. your robot began to beep, then it ding'd. the lens came out, and you polished it and placed it inside of a box that had some fluffy fabric to prevent any damage. you placed it on the table.

"all you need to do is shine light from the indented side, then you'll see the image projected."

"wow," al haitham said, eyes glittering with wonder. "that's... that's amazing."

"i got my inspiration from fontaine's kamera," you said proudly. "it's quite revolutionary, so i made my own little spin."

"clever," cyno said, smiling at you. "you're azar's engineer alright."

"ah right," al haitham said, removing his akasha terminal and placing it in front of you. "if you wouldn't mind, can you tamper with this one?"

"what do you need? is it broken?"

"no no," al haitham corrected himself. "let me explain."

he gave you the list of compromises that he needed to make, your eyes on the akasha terminal and your brain spinning with ways to fix it.

"and that's all."

"great," you said happily. "i'll finish this tonight. then, i'll get back to you tomorrrow with it fixed. i'll package it to you under the guise of needing repairs."

"thank you," al haitham said. "and if i may be allowed to ask, what made you change your mind?"

"i had a conversation earlier," you said truthfully. "it made me realize how much the sages truly don't care about their god. and honestly, they're using me too. once this god creation plan is finished, i'll be cast aside or made into a puppet. tch, not like i already am not a puppet."

"i'm happy you changed your mind," al haitham said truthfully. "i mean it. i am."

"same here," cyno interjected. "having someone like you on our side means a lot in this fight. we'll have the upperhand in no time."

"i'll continue as if nothing happened. i can't exactly sabotage the god creation plan, which means that you and your squads are on your own. i'll assist you with whatever technological changes you need."

"we'll keep in touch," al haitham said. "cyno and i will take our leave."

"stagger your departure times," you suggested. "it might look odd if you left together. even though you came together earlier, usually around this time, my place has a lot of guards around. stagger it and sneak out the back door."

"understood. al haitham," cyno called. "you or me first?"

"you go first," al haitham suggested. "i need to discuss something with {name}."

Chapter Text

cyno narrowed his eyes, "then i guess i'm not leaving."

"cyno, you're missing your chance," al haitham said sharply. "if you don't leave now-"

"people have probably already saw us coming inside together. it'd make no difference."

"cyno."

"al haitham, you need to stop keeping secrets," cyno said sternly. "if you don't keep communication open with me, then you're only weaving distrust."

"it's a personal matter," al haitham corrected him.

cyno narrowed his eyes, wary of the scribe before he looked at you. "{name}, if he does anything-"

"i won't do anything," al haitham defended himself.

"-you know where to find me," cyno finished, as if al haitham never interrupted. "i'll be off now. i'll come back tomorrow. there's something i need."

you nodded, flashing him a smile. "have a safe trip back and a good rest."

he tilted his headwear down, then he opened the backdoor and was gone. you could swear you saw him glare at al haitham before you left, making you look at him to see he was wearing an unbothered expression.

"{name}, i do have a question for you."

"what is it?"

"do you truly enjoy the work that you do for the akademia?"

you looked at your robot that was staring at you from the table, tilting its head in confusion. after giving it a small pat – and it scurried away to rest on your couch and tinker with some gears you gave it – you looked at the scribe. "it's what i'm good at, and if i wouldn't be accepted anywhere else if i were to try and pursue it outside of the akademia."

"if it were accepted all throughout sumeru, would you be in the akademia?"

"i can't exactly answer that. in a way, my life wouldn't be the way it was without azar's help."

"last time i checked, you got an internship in fontaine from your own efforts."

"that's true," you said with a small smile, remembering the thrill and excitement when you got a letter from fontaine's engineers stating that they were impressed with the developments of the akasha that you had done for the akademia. "those were good times."

you turned to the table, grabbed the akasha terminal that al haitham gave you and began to take it apart with some tools you grabbed from your bag. said male walked around the side, sitting in front of where you were tinkering, watching your nimble hands take apart the terminal with ease.

"so, what made you turn your back on the akademia that gave you so much?"

"i have a deep respect for lesser lord kusanali," you said. "she hasn't been given a chance to even celebrate her birthday openly, let alone rule sumeru. it's her own right to do so, not the sages."

"if we let her free and she says no to engineering, would you change your mind?"

"i wouldn't," you said, a determined look on your face. "and besides, who says that she won't need any help? i'd be glad to be of service to her rather than azar."

"you say his name with such detestment," al haitham laughed.

"i could say the same for you scribe."

"i'm glad you decided to help us," he said gratefully to you. "you mean a lot to me."

"how so," you asked.

"i wouldn't have the chance to save our god if it weren't for you."

"then i'm glad you feel that way," you said.

"actually, do you mind if i stay over today?"

"stay overnight? why," you asked, then remembered. "is kaveh back from his trip?"

"no he's not," al haitham yawned and stretched, muscles under his shirt straining against the fabric. "i'm just too tired to sneak back home. and maybe he is home."

you laughed, "alright. do you want me to make you anything?"

"i'll be fine, i just need some rest."

"you already know where the guest room is," you pointed with your head, gesturing to the hallway that led to where the rooms were.

"i'll wait for you to go to sleep first," he pulled out a book.

"what? why? and how do you manage to have physical books on you at all times?"

"i have my ways," he smirked, beginning to open the page. "but, i want to make sure you get some sleep. sometimes your tinkering self gets too engrossed in your work and you don't sleep."

"you caught me," you laughed. "don't worry, i'll go to sleep in a bit. just have to finish it."

as you worked on the akasha terminal modifications, al haitham read his book but looked up once in a while. he subconsciously traced your face, starting from how your eyelashes looked so long as you stared down at the terminal, following the curve of your nose down to your lips. then, as if to break him out of his spell, he broke his trance and looked down at his book, searching for where he left off. a small annoyance-laced groan left his lips as he restarted the page.

"you okay," you asked him.

"i'm okay," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose and his eyes squeezed tightly. "i just lost my place, that's all."

"relatable."

you both focused on your own duties in silence for another hour, however al haitham just couldn't stop staring at you. it was annoying him, making him question why he was losing focus on a book. kaveh wasn't anywhere in sight to annoy him, so why couldn't he read? he slammed the book, standing up and walking to the guest bedroom. "i'll be off now, good night."

"night," you said after him. "jeez, who put a stick up his butt?"

you saw your robot powering off for the night on the couch, beginning to sleep soundly. after a long sigh, you looked down and powered on the akasha terminal. it was disconnected from the system, armed with a new addition that could sense large concentrations of dendro energy. you placed a ball of dendro energy that tighnari had given you, activating it before putting on the akasha terminal to check. it worked perfectly, making you sigh happily.

"i knew it'd work," you cheered. "time to head to bed."

you looked at {robot name}, walking over and taking it up in your arms, carrying it to your bedroom. "man you've gotten heavy, maybe i should replace some gears," you muttered aloud.

al haitham didn't sleep, in fact he had his hand on the door, breathing heavily due to the fact that he almost got caught spying on you. his other hand was wrapped around his mouth, trying to muffle the breaths he took, heart pounding so fast from the adrenaline and the thrill. he was confused, why was he spying on you? why was he afraid to get caught? and why did he smile when he saw you celebrate?

the next morning, you walked to the laboratory with your handbag, expecting to be greeted with scaramouche's insatiable complaints about how he needed more power. instead, you were greeted with him leaning on the table yet again.

"good morning my lord," you greeted scaramouche. "can i help you?"

"i thought about what you said last night."

"about what?"

"how the akademia could potentially be using me," he side-eyed you warily. "do you... do you know something that i don't about them?"

Chapter Text

"i'm just as in the dark as you are," you said simply. "i'm azar's engineer, not his assistant. it was an educated guess, you could say a hypothesis."

"you're the main orchestrator for this project," he snapped. "how can you not know anything?"

"balladeer," you raised your voice, making him grunt and fall silent. "i'm in charge of only the inventing process. whatever the akademia decides for you, whether it's using you or letting you take over, i don't know. i'm making an educated guess based on their past behaviors."

"tch... fine. then, i have an order for you."

you mentally rolled your eyes, "what is it?"

"find out the sage's plans once i become a god and report back to me. i'm sure you can do that, no?"

"i'll try," you said honestly. "i don't even know if that's possible, but i'll see it done."

this would be a good time to ask the sages for inside info for cyno and al haitham's plan.

"perfect," he offered you a small smile – whether that was a smirk or a genuine smile, you couldn't assume. "thank you."

"of course," you said, giving him a smile of your own. "shall we get to work then?"

he was unusually very quiet and still, complying with every direction you gave him. other times when you tried to lift his arm to strap a mechanical device around him, he'd wave you off or slap your hand away. this time, he allowed you to move him around as you saw fit.

scaramouche internally was in a state of calm, which even surprised him. he wasn't bothered by your touch at all, in fact when your hand made contact with his skin it made him shiver slightly. he saw you yawn from the mirror, and that was when he decided to initiate a conversation with you. let's not make this awkward, he coached himself.

"are you getting enough rest?"

you looked up from inserting the cords, eyes slightly wide from hearing him talk. even though the mirror was in front of him and he could watch what you were doing, he preferred to look back at you without it.

"well?"

"ah sorry," you cleared your throat. "it's just that you don't normally have conversations with me. yes, i've been getting enough rest."

"you look tired," he said bluntly. "long days?"

"well," you confessed. "i had a lot of thinking to do last night. and a lot of the blueprints needed adjustments. so i spent a lot of time looking at them."

"i see," he thought out loud. "how long do you think it will take until it's done."

please say it'll take longer, he thought. wait, what?

"it should take another couple days to finish if i work at this pace."

damn it. he didn't reply, mostly confused with why he was feeling disappointed that you'd probably leave his side after a few more days. mentally he hit himself, we need to stay focused on the plan. not some mere engineer.

"i see."

"you're all done for now," you said, tapping his back and wiggling the plugs to make sure they were secure. "how does it feel?"

he stood up and moved around, "it feels okay."

"sounds good," you smiled. "i'd wait at least another hour to get adjusted. move around a bit too just so you get used to it."

he nodded at you, "okay."

you sent him a small smile, standing up and adjusting part of the back-end of the robot. he admired the handiwork you did on his back, seeing all the cords flowing with the power of the gnosis. it made him happy, and yet he felt so empty. now he finally got what he was looking for: a ton of power, having and using a gnosis, and becoming the god he was born to be. but, why did he slightly feel unsatisfied?

his thoughts were interrupted when he heard a loud clang. "Aah! Ouch!"

you uttered a string of swear words under your breath, holding your wrist between your legs and feeling the pain. he immediately stood up, walking towards you.

"what happened?"

"one of the parts that i was trying to attach fell on my hand," you groaned.

"let me see."

you held your hand up, scaramouche being able to see the large bruise that was beginning to farm. he gently took it in his hand, running his cold hand lightly over the welt. then, you felt something coat your palm. you looked at him, seeing him rub some cryo condensed slime on your hand and wrap it with a small handkerchief.

"stop being so careless," he scolded you, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. "go take a break until your hand feels better."

"m-my lord?"

Chapter Text

"are you deaf? i said take a rest until your hand feels better. we still haven't infused the knowledge capsules yet."

you nodded at him quietly, gently taking your hand back out of his grip, moving to collect some of the tools with your uninjured hand.

"my lord, i have a question."

"go ahead," he sat back down in the chair. "i'll allow it."

"why do you have these things with you? it's not like you need them."

he sighed through his nose, "do you have to question everything? just drop it. i'll see you tomorrow if you feel better."

a sigh left your lips, "alright. i believe azar wanted to come check in with you later today."

"tch. that old geezer. sure."

you looked down, seeing as you couldn't use the tri-clover to glide down like you always did. you heard a hiss, and before you could look back and see what he was doing, you felt him grab your waist and zipline down with you, holding you close to his body before you both landed with ease. a blush took over your face, looking back at him. he looked completely unbothered, standing there with his arms crossed and staring at you.

"a 'thanks' is in store, engineer," he scoffed.

"thank you for helping me down," you said, bowing your head with respect. "i'll be off now."

he nodded, using the tri-clover to go back up to the large robot. you gathered your things, hearing a loud hiss from steam as he put on the wired pieces again. before you opened the door, he yelled down at you. "you owe me."

you laughed, "understood."

when you closed the door, you had an entertained smile on your face. your eyes drifted to your palm that had an electric violet handkerchief tied around it neatly, gently covering your wound. it made your heart beat quicker thinking about it, holding it close to your chest. i guess he isn't as bad as he seems.

as you walked back to your house, you suddenly recalled cyno's words last night. "i'll come back tomorrow. there's something i need."

"what could he possibly mean," you muttered, walking around. "oh that's right, i should pick up my order from the blacksmith."

you ran up past the adventurer's guild and through the market, seeing how activity-filled it was. people were yelling and selling their wares – carpets, meat, fruits, gadgets, almost everything imaginable. you walked to the blacksmith, "hello! i'm here to pick up my order."

"ah {name}," the blacksmith smiled, placing down his hammer. "what a coincidence! i just finished your order."

"oh really? thank you? how much?"

"20,000 mora for the gears."

you pulled out your wallet, about to pay before you heard someone's footsteps next to you, the jingle of mora filling your ears.

"that should be the right amount," cyno said to the man.

"t-thank you general."

"cyno," you said happily, turning to him with a smile. "when did you get here?"

"just now," he said, watching you grab the bag of gears and storing them in your bag. "do you have everything?"

"yep! thank you for paying!"

"of course," he said simply. "let's get going, i still need that favor."

"of course," you chirped. "what is the favor?"

"i wanted to know... do you play TCG?"

"you kidding? of course i do!"

"you do? huh," he said incredulously. "i had no clue you played."

"i mean of course," you scoffed. "although, i do it in my spare time."

"i see," he said. "how about we go somewhere quieter to play."

"sure," you chirped. "my house then?"

he nodded, making you smile and take his hand, practically dragging him there. it wasn't that far from the market, luckily being around a 5 minute walk. you both had conversations about your card decks, making you gasp in disbelief how stacked he was.

"you have THAT card? how," you said. "it makes me think that you scared some person enough to get it."

"i wouldn't use my abilities like that," he rolled his eyes. "that's against my morals. and besides, you already have a really good set. it surprises me that you only play recreationally."

"well yeah," you said, opening your front door and placing your bag down on the chair and hearing the door close with a click. "i usually get busy, so there's not a lot of time. i'm surprised you have time as well."

"i finish my work fairly quick," he said, taking note of the robot that ran over to say hello. "ah, hello there."

you turned around, seeing your robot bouncing around energetically in front of cyno. "{robot name}, cards please."

it straightened in attention, quickly running to your room to grab your cards while you and cyno took a seat at the table. right after you got situated, your robot came back, jumping into your lap holding the cards in its hands. it crawled on top of the table, setting down the cards and moving to its own seat with its own deck.

"{robot name} plays?" cyno looked at your robot in disbelief, how it sat so happily and waiting for its turn.

"yep," you laughed. "its accumulated quite the deck. i was able to program its ability to see the cards and play. pretty cool right?"

"i admit it, it's pretty admirable," cyno said, pulling out his own deck. "now, let's play. do you have the dice?"

"yep," you pulled it out of your bag. "sure do."

both of you (and the robot of course) played TCG for hours, wins and losses and card exchanges flying around the table. finally, it was close to dinnertime, your clock alarm going off at around 6pm.

"ah, sorry i kept you so late," you said. "if you'd like, i wouldn't mind making you dinner?"

"sure," cyno said, a small smile on his face. "i'm okay with anything, cook what you'd like."

"if you insist," you said. "let me make you that rice dish. sounds good?"

"mhm," he said. how did she remember?

you laughed, "think of this as repayment for earlier."

"speaking of which, how's the god creation plan progressing?" his eyes drifted to your wrist, which he had been eyeing the whole time without saying anything.

"ah," you noticed his gaze on the bandage around it. "well, a small accident happened. nothing is broken, i just bruised it."

"don't cook yet," he commanded. "that handkerchief isn't going to help. let me patch it up properly."

"it's fine cyno," before you could finish, he already ran to your bathroom and grabbed some medical supplies that you kept. he brought them back, grabbing you by your bicep and pulling you to the table – gently of course – and sat you down. carefully, he untied the handkerchief and set it down, observing how the jelly-like texture stuck to the fabric and how your bruise looked very dark.

he opened a medical kit and grabbed some ointment and prepared some bandages. uncharacteristically, his touch was soft, very delicate and gentle as if he was handling a snowflake. you never thought that he would be careful with injuries, considering he's used to them all the time in the desert – honestly you were expecting him to just slap a bandaid on and call it a day. he used two fingers and applied the ointment, making you flinch. after he was done, he muttered a small "sorry" and skillfully wrapped the bandage around the wound. not too tight, yet not too loose that it'd fall off.

"that should hold," he tapped your fingers. "do you feel numbness in your fingers?"

"nope," you said. "thank you cyno."

he put away some excess supplies, "you're welcome. how about i assist you with dinner then?"

the two of you struck up some very mellow conversation while you two made dinner. your robot was dozing off on the couch, eventually getting up when you and cyno finished dinner. both of you sat at the table yet again, eating in silence.

"thank you cyno," you said with a smile.

"no worries. let me know if you need anything any time. i'll assist you with whatever you need."

your robot jumped in cyno's lap making him flinch, nuzzling into his stomach while you laughed. "i think {robot name} likes you."

"i guess so," cyno smiled at it, petting its head gently.

you gathered all the plates, putting them by the sink to be washed later, noting that you'd probably need {robot name}'s help. "i don't think i've ever seen you so relaxed cyno."

"i just feel more at ease," he said. "now that you're with us, i feel that the plan will go perfectly without a hitch. however, there's no 100% guarantee, so we must stay vigilant."

you nodded, "yeah. it's crazy to think that you'll be trying to take down one of my- oh! wait! i forgot to tell you something."

cyno raised a brow while you ran to grab a piece of paper, frantically scribbling something down. "what is it?"

"the knowledge capsules," you said, continuing to write. "the akademia still has yet to add the knowledge capsules to the false god. and due to my injury, i think that it might be still a possibility that the plan might go slower."

"hmm," cyno thought. "how much time do you think we have?"

"i'd estimate another couple days," you said, folding the paper and sliding it to cyno. "this has all the details, read it if you can. i wrote it rather quickly."

"thanks again {name}," he said, standing up. "i should be going, it's late. thank you for the dinner and sleep well."

"will do," you said with a smile. "if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"thats my line," he joked.

"wow, cyno making a normal joke? impressive."

he glared at you making you laugh, "get home safely."

cyno gave you a chaste nod, walking out the front door and closing it behind him. your robot made a sad sound, making you lean down and pat its head. "it's okay, he'll be back."

then, a knock at your door. "back already?"

you walked to the front door, and were immediately pushed on the ground.

Chapter Text

"where is he?!"

you groaned at the impact, your robot coming to your aid and making angry noises at the person who came barging into your house, then scurried away to find something to protect itself with. 

"good evening to you too, kaveh."

"{name}, did al haitham come by recently?"

you sat up, dusting your clothes off. "he did, and he even slept over because he didn't want to deal with you." realization struck you, "wait, why are you in the city? weren't you in the desert on a building project?"

"you see," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "i forgot to grab my bag of tools. and someone locked me out of his house. i was just trying to find him."

"aaaand," you drawled. "why come to my house?"

"because he always talks about you at home," he groaned. "so i figured that he'd be here."

you nodded, "well, i can tell you he isn't here." he opened his mouth to talk before you interrupted, "and i'm not hiding him either." he tried again, "and i don't have a spare key."

"damn it," he cried. "do you have any tools i could borrow?"

"depends," you hummed. "what did you need?"

"i need a compass to use for my sketches and some spare rulers," he thought aloud. "seeing as you're my favorite engineer and person to bother, you have them right?"

you sighed, "yes, i have them. follow me."

you brought him to your other room that was an inventor's dream – lined with tools and all sorts of devices with lamps and a large table in the middle covered with blueprints. "it's not exactly clean," you apologized. "but, here we go." you reached into a tool box, grabbing a compass and rulers of varying sizes. "how are these?"

"perfect! thank you {name}," he said gratefully, hugging you. "man you really are a lifesaver!

"alright get off," you said playfully. "you still have a project to do."

"o-oh right," he came to his senses. "and sorry for sumpter-dozing you earlier. i didn't mean to."

"it's alright," you said. "have a safe trip."

"thank you!"

he left in a hurry, running out the front door with the new materials he required. you ran after him, opening the door and yelling at him, "RETURN THOSE WHEN YOU GET BACK!"

"OKAY!"

you sighed and closed the door, turning to your robot that came back holding a pillow in its arms. "let's head to bed."

it nodded, running to the bedroom to make itself comfortable while you got yourself ready for bed. the morning came sooner than you thought, stretching your arms above your head and checking on your bruise. it seemed to get better, however you didn't want to do too much work on the project before al haitham and cyno were ready to execute their plan.

"oh right," you mumbled. "the handkerchief."

you checked the table, grabbed scaramouche's handkerchief and packed it in your bag before you forgot. then, you re-dressed your bandage in order to make sure it healed faster. after getting ready, you kissed your robot on the head and headed outside, walking past the market to the secret laboratory that was hidden among the foliage. when you walked inside, scaramouche was waiting for you at the top, seemingly talking to someone. you quirked a brow, placing your bag down and making your presence known.

"good morning," you called up.

scaramouche simply nodded, "{name}."

then, the person next to him turned to you. a mask adorned his face, hiding his eyes from view. he had blue hair that was messily styled, two strands framing his face. his figure was tall, very tall, practically looming over scaramouche. he waved down to you, zipping down the tri clover down to you and walked towards where you stood, scaramouche following suit.

scaramouche had an emotionless facade on his face, however it was easily to tell he was displeased with the man who was in front of him. he crossed his arms, trying to brush off the tense atmosphere.

"hmmm," the man hummed. "so you're the engineer for this project?"

"yes sir," you nodded in affirmation, keeping your voice even. "my name is {name}, and i'm an engineer for the grand sage."

"oh," he mused and laughed, scaramouche scoffing and turning his head away with the roll of his eyes. "so you're the grand sage's pride and joy. i've heard a lot of good things about you."

he grabbed your chin, tilting it and trying to get a better look at you. "you are quite fair. what's a lady like you doing busywork as an engineer?"

you gently removed his hand, not trying to be rude, "well, this is something i'm good at. i have the grand sage's attention, no?"

he laughed, "sharp. i like it. why don't you come and join the fatui?"

"the fatui? i'm sorry, i have no interest," you said, trying to keep your voice even. "i'm perfectly happy here in sumeru."

"oh are you now? hmm. fair. this place has given me numerous opportunities. it is only natural that you find yourself happier here."

"the fatui has their ranks full," scaramouche interjected. "she wouldn't be able to join even if we begged her majesty."

"ah, so you also recognize her strength," the man laughed.

"my strength lies in here," you said pointing to your brain. "not on the battlefield."

"we could fix that," the man said, coming closer to seemingly hold your cheek, making you want to step back.

"dottore. let's not dwell on these mortals. come, we have more to discuss," scaramouche spat, making him stop and smirk at you.

"fine," the man named "dottore" said. "get well soon."

he laughed and walked away, making you look down at your hand in disbelief before he used the tri-clover to zip up to the main body of the puppet. scaramouche looked at you with his purple eyes, seemingly staring at you up and down to check if you were okay. his eyes zero'd in on your bandage, making him glare slightly before he zipped up to follow dottore.

"jeez what's up with him," you mumbled to yourself, beginning to work on another part of the puppet. you looked up, seeing both of them talk in the mechanical part of the puppet.

then, several fatui agents came scurrying up to you, "hello {name}, we'll be helping you with your progress on shouki no kami. please instruct us."

"ah alright," you said, slightly nervous, then pointed to the gears that have yet to be placed. "for phase two, we need the legs to be highly mobile. if you could arrange the gears in..."

you gave them a rundown of what you needed to do, they nodded and got to work immediately and efficiently. not their first rodeo, you thought. they're too experienced to be novices. i'd wage my bet that they're underlings from snezhnaya.

"you there," you said to the nearest fatuu. "when did you all arrive?"

"we arrived this morning ma'am," he said. "the balladeer has requested our assistance."

"the balladeer? how so?"

the fatuu looked at your hand, "he said that you might need extra assistance, and here we are."

you nodded, "thank you." your gaze traveled to where scaramouche was still conversing with dottore. why?

after another hour, dottore left – after throwing you a wink (that somehow got scaramouche in a worse mood than he always was in) – and you plus the underlings were still busy at work with the legs mechanic. you watched the underlings skillfully attach all the parts, efficiently getting more work done, as you checked the blueprints one more time.

"how's your hand," scaramouche stood in front of you, tilting the blueprint that you held up down so you could see his face. he was several inches away, making you flinch and back away slightly. "haha, you should see your face."

"lord scaramouche," you said, slightly groaning. "must you scare me?"

"no," he said playfully. "i just felt like it. now answer my question."

"well, it feels a lot better," you said. "ah! i have your handkerchief if you want it back."

you walked to your bag, face slightly red from being so close to him, and he followed you back. after digging through your bag, you grabbed the handkerchief from him and handed it back to him – neatly folded. he scoffed, grabbing it from you and immediately tying it around your hand once more. "keep it."

your cheeks heated up a little, scaramouche's notions being slightly more forward and gentle than you expected. "wow," you teased. "where's the cold and sarcastic harbinger go?"

"do you want me to be like that," he asked you, seriously. "i'm showing you kindness, you should accept it gratefully. thoughtfulness from a god like me doesn't come often."

"and who's helping you get there," you laughed and reminded him. "last time i checked, you asked me for my help."

the balladeer stepped inside of the akademia, looking around at the vast libraries. he walked up to the grand sage's office, being escorted by some of the best bodyguards in all of sumeru.

"ah, the balladeer," the grand sage stood up and bowed. "i'm grateful you have chosen our nation for your ascension to godhood."

"last time i checked, you're missing a god," scaramouche spat. "however, i need your help with my ascension. you are the nation of wisdom, and i see no other place worthy enough."

"right," azar cleared his throat, turning to his assistant. "call her in."

"right away," he said, walking to another room. your office.

"we have a very... special person who i hope will be of value to your plan."

"don't disappoint me."

you walked out, following the assistant and stood in front of the balladeer. scaramouche looked you up and down, a twinkle in his eyes. azar was eager to introduce you, "this is {name}, our most skilled engineer. she's had training in fontaine, and i've recognized her talents so much that she's someone who has even programmed new additions to the akasha terminals."

"nice to meet you," you said.

"will you not show me respect like your grand sage here?"

azar smirked at your response. "you haven't ascended to godhood, have you?"

scaramouche looked at you with an angry look, practically trying to melt you into the floor. however, you continued. "that's why you've come to sumeru. for our help, correct?"

"hah," he laughed incredulously. "you've got some nerve talking to a harbinger like that."

"we have other options for engineers if you're unsatisfied with {name}," azar said from his table. "however, they're nowhere near {name}'s skill and talent."

he looked you up and down, sighing before he said, "fix the attitude."

"i never did," scaramouche said simply. "you're my best option."

"and the only one who's been able to put up with you," you shot back. "i'd say that this is a win for you."

"this will also be beneficial for you," he said after some thought. "you're the main contributor to this project. it's only natural that i recognize you as the creator of a god."

"as much as that sounds amazing," you said, fiddling with some spare parts. "azar will take all the credit."

"just know that your god recognizes you," scaramouche said to you. "i recognize you as someone of importance to this project, the main contributor."

you slightly smiled, "thank you."

Chapter Text

"let's call it a day," you said to the workers. "you've all done an excellent job. let's continue our hard work tomorrow."

"yes maam!"

they all bowed to you, scurrying to collect their belongings and rushing out of the laboratory. you looked up to scaramouche, who slapped an underling's hand off of him. maybe they didn't hear? you used the tri-clover to zip up to the main control area, "my lord-"

"i said don't touch me," scaramouche said, not noticing your presence. "how dare you put your hand on me."

"m-my lord," the underling stuttered. "i was simply trying to fix the wires since they're slightly loose."

"does it sound like i care? hands off."

"my lord," you said louder, then looked at the underling. "you're dismissed."

"yes maam," the fatuu stuttered, bowing to scaramouche before using the tri-clover to leave.

"my lord if you'd be so kind as to turn around-"

"scaramouche."

"huh?"

"call me scaramouche when we're in private," he said. "that's an order."

"well then scaramouche, can you let me adjust these?"

he turned around quietly, giving you access to the wires. "just hurry up, we have plans later."

"'we'?"

"did i stutter," he asked. "come on, we don't have all night."

your mind wandered while you were fixing the cables, wondering what his plans were for the night. in general, you were quite worried because of where he was planning on taking you considering sumeru is still a very busy place. a part of you was curious though, because it wasn't like him to act so casual with you. considering his ego is bigger than the sun, he's warmed up to you a lot over the course of working on the project.

"all done," you said, tapping his shoulder gently to let him know. "what plans did you have?"

"well i wanted to go to your house."

you stopped before you could go down the tri-clover, turning to him with a questioning look. "e-eh? my house?"

"what's wrong, engineer," he asked you. "something wrong with that? i'm merely blessing your house with my presence. you should be thankful."

"it's just..." you thought of what to say. "it's unexpected. that's all."

"{name}, i'm surprised that you haven't realized this by now," he said, walking over to use the tri-clover. "my actions aren't meant to be predictable."

he zipped down the tri-clover, you following suit. however, in mid-air, you slipped and nearly fell, but caught yourself in mid-air and landed gracefully. you looked over at scaramouche, seeing his arms outstretched, almost in a "catching" position. when he saw you looking, he dropped his hands and coughed, re-adjusting his hat and walking to the front. "well? lead the way."

it was silent on your way back to your house, and luckily you didn't encounter a lot of people on the way home. the few people that were out and about didn't see you, and the guards were under the akademia's control, so it wasn't worrying that they saw you. eventually, you both ended up at your house.

"this is a very small place," he commented, hands crossed over his chest.

"thanks," you said, how can he be so blunt. "you can put your shoes on the rack."

when you opened the door, you saw your robot right in front of you, looking up at you both. scaramouche took your hand, moving him behind you and conjuring a large ball of electro energy in his hand, "stay back."

"wait no!"

he lowered his hand, your robot quivering with fear as you scooped it up in your arms and held it close. "it's my invention. not a regular robot."

your robot made some sounds of disapproval, almost cursing him out which made scaramouche look at it with surprise. "is it... is it cursing at me?"

"i don't know," you said, trying not to laugh. "anyways, this is {robot name}. it's my helper and my creation."

your robot started squirming, making you put it down, and it ran away into a room and came back holding a pillow, holding it in front of him defensively. scaramouche laughed, "your creation. it reminds me of you. but, enlighten me, do you use him for your own selfish purposes?"

"i don't," you said thoughtfully. "there are times i have to ask for help with things, or i program things that can be useful, but it has a mind of its own. i don't try and control it, and it's self sustaining."

scaramouche went quiet, thinking about some things that happen to him. "will you ever abandon your robot?"

"huh?"

your robot gave him a questioning look, and almost as if it understood, it ditched the pillow, ran to him, and hugged him, legs wrapped around his ankle like a toddler. scaramouche flinched, then gave you a look that screamed "help me", but you laughed and said, "see? a mind of its own."

"answer my question," he said, hand crossing over his chest, returning to his usual facade.

"never," you shook your head to prove your point. "i'd never abandon my robot. ever."

that's when he looked at you, his eyes wide with shock and wonder. then, it looked like he was tearing up, but he tore his gaze from yours and hid it with his hat. you didn't question it, your robot looking up at him and hugging him tighter.

"i'm fine," he said a moment later, returning to his usual look.

you nodded, "i won't pry."

he spent some time with you for the rest of the night, asking you questions about the blueprint that you made as well as any other information you might have on azar. eventually, somehow it shifted to stories about you and him too.

"are humans really like this?"

"yes," you laughed, belly aching from all the giggling. "we have conversations with ourselves in our head, but when it comes to execution... it depends on the person. it can either go horribly wrong or horribly well."

"tch, who would have thought."

"don't you spend a lot of time with mortals yourself?"

"i was betrayed by them," he spat. "i don't spend a lot of time with them."

"betrayed you? how so?"

he went quiet, then explained in a scornful voice part of his story. you were silent the whole time, letting him fully say everything he needed to.

"scaramouche, you do realize that mortality is inevitable for humans, right? your friend never abandoned you. it was because he was ill. he couldn't control you, and i don't think he left you on purpose."

he went quiet, you taking one of his hands in yours with hesitance. surprisingly, he didn't resist the small gesture and you continued. "humans are... complex. their goal is to survive and live a happy life or fulfill any goals. thankfully with medicine, they can help make their lives better. but they're not immortal like you are."

"why did you shift from 'we' to 'humans'," he asked you. "you were talking as if you were one yourself, and now you're talking about them as if you're like me."

"there's a woman named faruzan who went adventuring a long time ago, and somehow, she was stuck in a complex puzzle that forever halted her aging. i'm in a very similar position. i'm not hundreds of years old, but i've also paused my aging. i can resume it at any time i'd like though, thanks to technology."

"paused?"

"mhm," you nodded. "i'm neither human nor immortal. just like you."

"what do you mean you're like me," he asked. "i'm a puppet. i've never been a human."

"if you're not a human, then why do you act like one?"

"huh?"

"you act sad, you act happy – the way i see it, you're more human than you think you are. and it's a good thing. a good god must be able to connect with the hearts of their people, no?"

he went quiet, squeezing your hand gently and looking at you. both of you were seated on the couch side by side, your robot went to bed a long time ago, and he looked at you with wonder and amazement. he looked so... human.

"human emotions get in the way," he said, breaking eye contact. "how can i act like this?"

"human emotions are what made you angry and resent your friend who passed," you said to him. "those emotions are what make you want to ascend to godhood. the way i see it, you make yourself cold and distant to compensate for losses, correct?"

he stared at you, almost confused and puzzled. "how..."

"again," you said. "you're human. you may not be completely human, but you're human-like."

scaramouche looked down at his lap, then where your hands connected together. then, he looked up at you with almost child-like wonder, leaning in.

"then, tell me if this is also a human-like emotion."

Chapter Text

he leaned in and hugged you, holding you to his chest. you reciprocated the hug, body moving on its own while your heart began to frantically beat in your chest.

why am i hugging him back?

even though he's making a plan to take over lesser lord kusanali's place, you could see that despite spiraling and nearly going insane, he was savable. as you hugged him, you made a small prayer.

cyno. al haitham. please. save lesser lord kusanali, and lesser lord kusanali, forgive him.

"is this human?" he separated from you, still holding your sides. "feeling... the need for warmth."

"it is," you affirmed. "everyone feels it."

"it feels like," he began to tear up. "it's almost like i've been cold my whole life. but... i don't want to lose anyone else. i don't want to go through that again."

you hugged him again, "you haven't been cold your entire life. it's been lonely for sure, but think about it. once your ascension is complete, you won't be alone anymore. you have me and your people."

"stay immortal," he said to you. "you have to. i... i don't want to lose my friend."

"i'm your friend? wow," you said breathlessly. "who knew that after months of working together, you finally consider me your friend."

"don't get comfortable," he scoffed and let go. "we still have to finish my ascension. then... we can be as close as you'd want."

you slightly blushed, "alright, if that's what you'd want."

too bad your ascension is never going to happen.

after another day of working, the day has come. the traveler, you found out from al haitham, was involved in a lot of the plan. cyno had cornered azar in the sanctuary, and they were able to free lesser lord kusanali. you were still in the workshop, talking to scaramouche about the knowledge capsules when the dendro archon and traveler began to approach. when he felt their presence, he ordered you to leave.

"{name}, you have to go."

"i know," you said to him, giving him a chaste hug. "you'll be okay, right?"

"i'll win," he assured you. "after this, i want to tell you something."

"you do? huh, i wonder what it is," you thought aloud.

"it's important, so you'd better be cheering for me through and through."

"i will," you laughed. "i helped build this after all."

a small clang resounded at the door, the groans and screams of the fatui underlings resounding throughout the workshop. "{name}, go."

"alright."

you gave him a small smile, using the tri-clover to leave. for a minute, you thought you could see him mouth something to you, but there was no time to think about it. time to hope the traveler already located his weak points. not like there were many though.

on the way to the akademia, your mind was a tsunami of thoughts; over the past few months you've spent with scaramouche, it'd be a lie to say he hasn't grown on you. and yet, he was the person that would stand against your god in a battle for the position. it was conflicting, your heart wavering like the waves of an oceanic tide. you hummed a short song to yourself as you walked, trying to somehow still your heart.

"he's just a project," you tried to say to yourself. "he's... just a project..."

as the heart wavers, it almost weaves fake thoughts into your mind. maybe it was a mistake to help al haitham and cyno... no they're my friends of course i should help. maybe... i shouldn't have gotten so close to scaramouche.

you thought back to all the development and work that went into not only the god, but into your relationship with the balladeer. especially the night 2 days ago. after your conversation with him, and seeing him fall asleep on your lap after tears were shed, he wasn't the cold and arrogant harbinger that he always appeared to be. he is immature in the language and ways of the human world – who somehow thinks death is the same as a betrayal? – very similar to a broken toy. he believed that he was cold and ruthless and it showed through arrogance, but you could see right through him by reading his actions.

your thinking brought you to aaru village, walking around and seeing the sights of the desert. in a way, it brought you a lot of calm. sometimes seeing a village that wasn't as bustling or as chaotic as sumeru city made you feel a little more at ease and calm. not only that, you guessed you wanted to seek out al haitham considering this is where all the "mad scholars" were banished and abandoned.

you walked around, seeing al haitham sitting down and reading a book calmly, deciding to sit next to him. "al haitham."

he looked up, closing his book and smiled at you, "{name}."

"did the plan work? i'm assuming yes because i heard the traveler and lesser lord kusanali walking around outside the workshop."

"it worked perfectly," he said, placing a hand on yours reassuringly. "now to wait for the traveler. how have you been?"

"could be better," you said, slightly bitter. "it's just that i've learned a lot over the course of these few days. and right now, it's a lot to take in. i'm sure it'll all sort itself out though."

"you're capable of it," he said, then looked at your wrist, handkerchief still wrapped. "are you injured?"

you held up your hand, almost confused until you remembered. "ah this. i was working on the puppet and got injured. nothing big really."

al haitham lifted your hand gently, holding it up so he could take a look. then, he pressed a small kiss on the fabric; it was delicate, almost like he barely grazed it with his lips. it made you flinch then turn slightly red, the notion being very out-of-character for him.

"you know," he said softly. "you really need to take better care of yourself."

"i did," you said, trying to even out your voice. "i wrapped it and everything. it's just in the healing phase, so it doesn't hurt as much anymore."

he placed your hand on top of his thigh, holding it carefully so as not to cause you pain. "i'm relieved it's nothing serious, and not caused by some sort of fight. if so, they'd have a large issue with me."

you laughed, brushing the comment off, "haha, i guess. i'm just clumsy."

when you looked at him, you could see almost a hint of redness on his cheeks. "just be more cautious."

"stop being so careless."

scaramouche's words came into your mind, making you return into the same trance you were in when you were walking to aaru village.

"{name}? did i say something wrong?"

"it's nothing," you said, gently removing your hand from al haitham's touch. "i was just thinking. do you think they'll end up killing the balladeer?"

"i don't think lesser lord kusanali would think of that," he said. "but, if he does resist, then more advanced... measures might be used." you nodded, then al haitham spoke again. "why the glum look? you should be happy. after all, you wanted this, no?"

"we can be as close as you want"

"it just... al haitham, i know that this was wrong of the fatui to do so, but why does my heart feel so empty?"

Chapter Text

"empty?"

"it's just... for the past few months while working with the balladeer, we've grown to be like friends. or at least that's what i'd like to think. it feels wrong in a way, all my hard work emotionally and physically is now starting to go to waste. and now, two people i've grown to admire are now fighting."

al haitham cupped your cheek, wiping wetness that escaped from your eyes with his thumb. he used his other hand to pull you close to him, making you cry harder from feeling so empty. al haitham's touch was comforting, and it was warm and safe, so why didn't it feel like scaramouche's touch?

"then, tell me if this is a human-like emotion."

"it's okay {name}," al haitham said softly. "you're human, it's only natural. but you need to understand that he's wronged so many people. he's part of the fatui, he tried to replace our god."

but it's all one big misunderstanding, you thought. he's done so many things. but he's misunderstood, he himself misunderstood humans as an entirety.

"call me scaramouche when we're in private," he said. "that's an order."

he's not the cold person that everyone thinks he is. he just hasn't been given the chance to be the person he wants to be. for all this time, he's been a puppet of his own emotions that he doesn't understand.

you couldn't reply to al haitham, simply crying harder. it hurt you, that you had to betray your friend that you had just made. maybe, maybe if he will still be alive and well, you could continue and grow closer to him like you wanted.

eventually, you stopped crying. it took some time, but the tears finally stopped. you napped for a little on al haitham's shoulder while he read to recover some energy, eventually waking up to tinker with some parts that you secretly kept from the workshop.

"you just never stop, do you," al haitham chuckled, watching you work.

"nope," you said. "it helps me take my mind off of things."

"sounds nice," he mumbled, continuing to read.

"{name}, al haitham. the plan is done."

your heart dropped to your stomach as the words left your mouth, "did it go well?"

"lesser lord kusanali is now the archon," cyno said. "you can all return to your posts. however, she requested that you meet with her, {name}."

"lesser lord kusanali? me?"

"yep, let's get going."

al haitham said, "just breathe. she's a kind god."

you nodded, "thanks al haitham."

he nodded and looked at cyno, "i'll come back in a moment. i just want some quiet time."

"you can stay out here as long as you'd like," cyno said, then mumbled the next part of his sentence. "not like i'd care if you'd spend your whole life out here."

you giggled, walking side by side with cyno on your way back. he looked over at you, noticing the puffiness underneath your eyes that looked slightly red and downcase.

"want to hear a joke?"

"oh no spare me," you joked and laughed. "sure, go for it."

"a pita pocket walks into a bar. the staff says no because they don't serve food there."

you snorted, "that one was actually kind of good."

he smiled, "careful where you're walking."

"who knew that your dad jokes would improve?"

"my jokes were always good," he says with a straight face, making you burst out into a giggling fit.

"somewhat," you said. "sometimes your jokes are amazing. you don't have to try so hard to be funny."

he scratched his neck bashfully. "thanks. i'll keep that in mind."

the walk continued, both of you talking about TCG and anything else that came to mind. however, he didn't pry into why your eyes looked the way they did – sullen and almost guilty. but, he didn't know what you felt so guilty for. and maybe, now wasn't a good time to ask.

"do you think you'll be reinstated as the general mahamantra?"

"the way i see it, it's inevitable. however, we'll see what the dendro archon thinks."

"there's no one better for the job," you said and elbowed him playfully. "no one else is as scary as you."

"ha ha, very funny," he said. "we're here, are you ready?"

you took a deep breath, "yep. i'm ready."

he opened the doors to the sanctuary, gesturing for you to step in. "she wanted to meet you alone, but i promise, she's quite gentle according to tighnari."

you nodded, fixing your clothing before walking inside. the sanctuary was flowing with energy, the power of dendro evident in the walls and design. there stood a small child, who you assumed to be lesser lord kusanali.

"welcome {name}," she said before turning around. "i'm lesser lord kusanali, but you can call me nahida. i'm glad you came."

"it's an honor to be here and meet you, nahida."

"it's an honor for me to meet you."

"h-huh?"

"you're the main person involved with the akasha terminal, right? and you took part in the plan to free me, right?"

"i... i did and didn't. i was the main engineer under azar, and had to make the balladeer into a god. for that, i sincerely apologize."

"you did what you had to do," nahida said. "but, you developed the technology that helped set me free, as well as tried to stall the project as much as possible. hmm... that wound on your hand, you didn't get that on accident like everyone thinks, did you?"

you held your injured hand in your good one, "haha... is it that obvious?"

nahida giggled, "a little. however, i was just checking."

"if i may ask, what did you summon me here for?"

"alright, let me assure you something. {name}, if you were worried that i'd punish you for any of this, you're sorely mistaken. you are a contributor to the freedom of sumeru. and for that, i thank you."

you smiled at her, "i'm glad to have helped, nahida, the pleasure is all mine."

"now, about the balladeer. i understand that you're close with him?"

Chapter Text

"we're friends, yes."

"you'll be tasked with looking after him. is that okay? he is still in a coma, and i've kept him hidden."

your heart leaped, so he's not dead. "i'll do it."

"wonderful," she cheered. "you'll still have time for your duties as engineer, so i'll have the balladeer be transported into your office as it has enough room. will that be okay?"

"of course," you said happily.

"ah, now that i remember. since i'm closing down the akasha terminal, i might have to request your assistance. if you could, an expert like you could make things a lot easier."

"just say the word and i'll come as soon as i can," you assured her. "i'm happy to serve under you, nahida. please get sumeru back on the right course."

"i will."

it's been a month since then, and seemingly everything has returned to normal. you decided to not attend the dinner held by nilou, despite cyno and al haitham's wishes for you to go, and decided to make yourself a little more comfortable in your office so you could watch over scaramouche. in a way, you didn't feel like intruding (despite even the traveler thanking you for your help) on the feast considering you were only the technical support. you decided to spend the day eating your own food in the comfort of your office while you fidgeted with some spare parts to make some upgrades to {robot name}'s current design. you were contemplating on powering down {robot name} since you wanted to leave it at home, however it decided to come with you and gave you attitude when you tried to shut it down.

now, it's by scaramouche's side at all times, keeping a watch over him.

"you sure like him, don't you," you chuckled to your robot.

it beeped back a response, almost as if it was saying "yes".

"haha, i thought you were so scared of him." angry beeping. "jeez, alright. i get it. just watch over him a little more for me."

scaramouche was still in a coma, nahida telling you that he fell trying to reach after the gnosis that she took from him. you still felt guilty, "maybe i should have made some type of foam so it could have cushioned his fall."

your robot gave you a questioning look, then beeped again.

"you think he wouldn't have used it? right..." more beeps. "hey! what do you mean he deserved it?"

you walked over, patting it on the head and you laughed when it made noises of protest. "let's be more quiet, i don't want to disturb him."

a few days later, you woke up in your little sectioned off area and went to check on scaramouche. you pulled back the curtain that closed off his bed, seeing that {robot name} was still asleep, curled up into its box form and just stayed next to his bed. you pulled a chair and sat next to scaramouche, playing with his hair and watching him rest peacefully. if you had known any less, you would have assumed he was dead, but at least he was breathing and his heart rate was pretty stable.

"scaramouche," you said quietly. "you've missed so much. are you ever going to wake up?"

you sighed, no response as usual.

"let me fill you in," you continued, gently smiling. "nahida is now ruling sumeru, and they got rid of the akasha terminal. but, i'm sure you already know. i've told you everyday now for the past month. aren't you excited? i made an invention that's now being created in fontaine, so i might have to go pick it up. maybe i'll be able to formally release it and sell it to everyone. it's a new and invented kamera that has multiple lenses. oh! that reminds me, i probably have to go to fontaine again soon. they offered me another internship, so i think you might be under nahida's care."

you sighed, he still was quiet and lying down quietly. he hadn't moved or stirred since the day you saw him. "alright. i'm sure you're done listening to me talk. i have some more work to do, so i'll go do that. see you, scaramouche."

after moving the chair, you re-adjusted the covers and started to walk to open the curtain. suddenly, you were suddenly pulled into an embrace.

"and who said you can go running around without me?"

you opened your eyes, shocked at the voice, and you looked up to see scaramouche, eyes groggy with sleep and his lips slightly upturned into a smile. it looked so genuine, so gentle, and yet his touch was clingy and possessive – in a good way.

"scaramouche?"

he scoffed, releasing you from his hug but still having his fingers linger a little higher than your hips. "who else would it be?"

"you're awake," you said wondrously. you couldn't believe it. "scaramouche! you're awake!"

then some tears began to leak out from your eyes, quiet sobs raking your body as you pulled him into a hug. scaramouche faltered for a bit, then slowly moved his hands to pat your back as you made his clothing wet with your salty tears. it was awkward, but nonetheless more comforting.

"of course i'm awake," he said. "i can't die, idiot."

"sure you could have," you said. "just because you're not a human doesn't mean you can't die!"

"i'll be more careful," he responded curtly, breaking the hug and looking you up and down. "and what about you? are you hurt?"

"why are you asking about me when you just woke up after being in a coma for a month!"

"it's because i could hear you," he said, the tint of redness on his cheeks. "the whole time i was asleep, i could hear you yapping all the time."

"i'm glad," you smiled. "i'm so glad you could hear me."

"is it because you don't want to tell me everything in one go?"

"n-no it's not that," you said. "it's just that, i'm glad you could hear my words."

"but, i was also able to hear you talking to the dendro archon and that scribe," he tsked. "you sure have a lot of explaining to do."

you gulped, suddenly nervous, "alright, what did you want me to explain?"

—-

"i can't believe you," he said in disbelief. "how could you do that? and how did i not realize it?!"

"i said i'm sorry," you said. "it's not like i wanted to do that."

"i feel so lied to," he said, mocking you.

"{name}, don't worry, he'll wake up."

"but what if he doesn't," you cried to nahida. "i feel so at blame, how could i have let this happen?"

"you're human," she comforted you. "completely human. you fell for him, didn't you?"

"what," you said breathlessly. "n-no i can't-"

"{name}, face the truth. you love him now. you're in denial. i may not be as experienced with humans and their feelings, but i know it when i see it. your care for him, the way you look at him and check on him every hour to see if he's alright. sometimes twice-"

"a-alright! i get it," you sighed. "i'm just... struggling. i'm not supposed to, am i?"

"i never said it was wrong of you," nahida said. "he's been abandoned countless times, and if i were to abandon him as well, he'd be a threat to all of sumeru once more. but if you abandon him, i don't think he would recover from that."

"how so?"

Chapter Text

"after our fight was over and he was semi-unconscious before slipping into a coma, he said your name. not just once or twice, but at least five times. he cried a little too."

"tch how embarrassing," scaramouche said to himself.

"i see," you said.

"now {name}, dig deep within yourself, and admit the truth."

scaramouche could hear your heart from the way you talked, the way you always treated him well. at first when he heard from the lesser lord about your involvement, he grew bitter and cold. all he could think of was how you did this because you pitied him and looked down on him. but, when you started talking to him about your day and any news from sumeru, his thoughts changed. and when nahida visited, any thoughts that he had that you were doing this out of pity blew away with the wind.

"balladeer, i know you can hear me. your consciousness is still present."

"you want to talk to me after you humiliated me? tch," he scoffed. "if {name} hadn't exploited my weaknesses, i wouldn't be like this."

"she didn't do it because she wanted to. if you think about it, she was following the law. the fatui and the grand sage imprisoned me for years. i didn't even get a chance to rule. but if you think about it, she saved you too."

"huh? how did that traitor save me?"

"you would have been a tool for the sages," nahida said simply. "if you had gone through with it and defeated me and the traveler in battle, you would have been another tool that the sages can use for their own selfish purposes. i'm sure {name} has discussed it with you before? she's not an engineer because she got lucky; in fact her hypothesis is quite accurate."

"tch."

"i know you're bitter and cold, and your past with the electro archon has made you upset. how about we turn over a new leaf for you?"

"huh? redemption? i'm in no need of saving."

"you're scared to be alone," she said. "that's why you separate yourself from any potential friends. but {name} saw through you, didn't she. do you want to cause her more pain and anguish by hurting people again? or do you want to try and show you can be a better person."

"..."

"i'll leave you with that choice."

"scaramouche," you said, voice broken and slightly begging. "if you could hear me while you were in a coma, then can't you understand that i didn't do this on purpose?"

"then, in order to prove you're not a traitor, i have a special request."

"a request? what is it?"

a/n: everyone ready for the finale that drops tmr? i know i am :)

Chapter Text

"stay with me."

your eyes opened wide, seeing him look at you with his violet hues. he was dead serious. "w-what?"

"you heard me. stay with me. for the rest of eternity." he looked down, trying to hide his face. "don't... don't leave me."

"i never planned to."

the next day, nahida gave scaramouche a makeover after you informed her that scaramouche was awake. he came back to your office, knocking on your door. when you opened it, you saw his new attire, and to finish it off: a new anemo vision with the electro archon's feather.

"whoah," you said breathlessly. "wow you look... you look really different."

"stop gaping at me like a fish," he scoffed, making his way inside and setting his hat down on your table. you closed the door behind him, following with the roll of your eyes. "when do you leave for fontaine?"

"i leave in a week," you said, lifting his hat so you could grab some extra parts that he covered and adding them to the kamera that was in front of your chair. "my kamera is almost done, there's a few glitches in there... there we go! time to test it."

"i'll test it."

you looked at him incredulously, "do you even know how it works?"

"i do," he said simply. "i haven't been living under a rock for my whole life, you know."

"alright old timer, go take it for a spin."

he glared at you, making you giggle. then, he turned the camera around so the lens faced towards himself, and pulled you close to his side. you looked at him with surprise, his eyes were focused on the lens and you heard a small click!

"sc-scaramouche!"

then, he looked at you, and leaned in, pressing a kiss to your lips. your eyes were wide with shock, eventually you closed them. click!

"had to get that on kamera," he said after he broke away from you. "well? how did they turn out?"

he laughed when he saw how flushed your face was, eyes looking at anywhere but him while your cheeks heated up. "haha, who knew you'd get so flustered. cute."

you grabbed the kamera from his hands, looking at the film that came out of it. "i-it turned out-"

your tongue turned into putty in your mouth, seeing the kiss in very high quality and in color. there was no way you could finish the sentence. he laughed again, catching his breath in between words, "oh my goodness, you really need to see your face right now!"

he grabbed the kamera, taking a photo of you and showing you, laughing deviously. "hahaha, look at you!"

"scaramouche!"

he took one more photo of himself sticking his tongue out before you grabbed the kamera from his hands, placing it on the table and sitting down, face flushed. then, a knock on your door interrupted scaramouche's everlasting laughter.

"{name}?"

you opened the door, seeing al haitham and kaveh at the door. "oh! you two! what brings you here?"

al haitham gave you a small box, "it's a gift. from me."

"and me!" slap.

you stifled a laugh while you grabbed the box, "t-thank you."

"who is it?" the ex-harbinger walked over to you, seeing al haitham and kaveh standing in the doorway. "oh. you."

"oh, the balladeer. i'm surprised that you're awake now."

"better than never," he spat back, eyes piercing into his.

both of them glared at each other while kaveh came running to hug you, smiling happily. "oh {name}! it's so nice to see such a warm and welcoming face in sumeru city again! i left your tools in your mailbox at your house!"

"thank you kaveh," you said.

all of a sudden, you could feel a menacing aura, both you and kaveh looking over to seeing al haitham and scaramouche glaring at the blonde man. "h-how can i help you both," kaveh stuttered.

"oh it's nothing," al haitham said, forcing a smile.

"get. off," scaramouche spat.

kaveh released you, hands held in a surrender position, "jeez! okay! i was just happy to see her again."

"what's all the commotion?" all four of you looked and saw cyno standing in the doorway, hands crossed over his chest while he glared at all of you. "are you all bothering {name}?"

"don't worry cyno," you said. "al haitham and kaveh just came by to drop off a gift."

cyno paused, looking at scaramouche with narrowed red eyes. "and who's he?"

"hmph, you don't need to know my name," scaramouche spat, then looked at you. "who's this kid?"

"kid? me? hah," cyno laughed. "yeah sure, as if you don't look like one yourself."

"guys let's not fight please," you said. "not in my office. you're all free to do that on your own time."

al haitham scoffed, "i wanted to ask something in private," then looked over at scaramouche, "but it seems we won't be alone. actually, i wouldn't mind if he listened in."

"hmph."

"stop 'hmph'ing," you said to scaramouche, then turned to everyone. "i'll see everyone later. thank you for the gift kaveh, and thanks for the drop in, cyno."

they both nodded, then said their 'farewells' and left.

"so, al haitham, what is it?"

"i wanted to know if you'd be okay with going to dinner with me next week," he said. "just to catch up."

"ah sorry, i'll actually be leaving for fontaine. sorry."

"it's alright," he assured you. "i'll wait for you. how long is the trip?"

from the corner of your eye, you could see scaramouche getting more and more pissed off. he was practically death staring at al haitham, looking at him up and down. you could practically hear his thinking. who is he? why is he ignoring me? what the hell is his problem? this lowly mortal can never amount to me.

"that i don't know," you said. "i'll keep you updated."

no! no she won't keep you updated.

"stay safe on your trip."

"she'll be with me," scaramouche interjected, walking to you and wrapping a hand around your waist and pulling you flush towards him. "she won't need to worry."

al haitham went quiet, then looked at you, "alright. i won't keep you any longer. have a safe journey."

"bye!"

he left, closing the door behind him, making scaramouche drop his other hand – that wasn't wrapped around your waist – as soon as you looked at him.

"scaramouche."

"what?"

"... did you just give him the middle finger?"

"he had it coming." he let go of you, walking to the back of your office and sat down on the couch making you scoff in disbelief.

"i can't believe i'll have to deal with you flipping off all my friends."

you began to tinker once again, fine tuning the kamera's overall aesthetic.

"let me remind you," he said from his couch, lying down. "you're stuck with me for the rest of our lives, so get used to it."

Chapter Text

"nahida! kunikuzushi! you're back! did you both get the knowledge you were after?"

"yes," nahida confirmed happily. "we have received the knowledge, however i will be sealing it up."

"oh really? is it because of what happened with kaveh and sachin?"

"that's right. however, sachin's knowledge is important because it shows one of the various perspectives of life. i won't be stopping anyone from pursuing it."

"i see," you hummed. "well, i'm glad it went well! it was fun watching! and man, kuni you got destroyed by kaveh and his toolbox..."

you tried to stifle a giggle, nahida doing the same while scaramouche looked at both of you with disappointment. he sighed, "i was told to go easy on the other representatives anyways, my only job was to make sure nothing got out of hand."

"that was still pretty funny," you giggled.

"i'll be going off to seal it off," nahida excused herself. "goodbye, you two."

you bid her farewell, returning to work on {robot name} since a recent fall left it somewhat broken, much to your dismay. a sigh left your lips, sitting back at your desk and re-building one of the arms. you could hear scaramouche walk around, standing next to you and looking at the various parts that laid out in front of you.

"do you ever stop working on these things?"

"mmm," you pretended to think. "no."

"every time i come in here you're always working," he retorted. "it's almost like you're never free these days."

"well i heard from nahida herself that you'll be taking classes soon so you won't be free either," you chuckled, seeing his annoyed façade drop. "isn't that right, hat guy?"

"don't even remind me," he mumbled. "such a bad nickname."

"i think it's perfect," you said happily, then you stood up to go place the now repaired leg on {robot name}. you attached it on with ease, feeling his eyes on you. "fits you perfectly."

"i'm more than just a hat," he snapped, taking off his hat and placing it on the hanger that you had on your wall. then he walked over to you, turned your head towards him with one hand and pressed a kiss to your lips. "did i do well at the championships?"

"you did great," you said, approving his actions. "i'm very proud of you. by the way, did you need something? i thought you'd go with nahida to seal up the knowledge."

"i just wanted to spend some time with you," he said. "but it seems like you're busy."

"well, my repairs are mostly done. you and nahida took some time with the knowledge, which means that i can assume that you ran into the traveler."

"they were there long before we arrived. we just had a short chat. also... did you know about lesser lord kusanali enrolling me in vahumana?"

"well maybe i did," you smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck. "and maybe i thought it was also a good idea."

"how so?"

"well, i thought maybe the course could do you some good. and, it'll give me a good reason to see you since you'll probably go wandering around after your 'debt' to nahida is paid off. after that... well we probably won't be spending as much time together as we do now even though i'm 'always busy'."

"well, i won't be leaving after."

"for what reason?" you gave him a look of disbelief, but was matched when he gave you a look that was filled with longing and passion.

"i'm forever in debt to you."

"no you're not," you said gently. "you don't owe me anything."

"you've given me so much, and yet it feels like i constantly put you through so much turmoil. i'm forever in debt to you because you love me."

"you love me, and i love you. that's all that matters, okay?"

"if you say so," he said, hugging you tight. "i love you."

"i love you too," you said, squeezing him tighter. "please don't see our relationship as transactional, okay?"

"you know what i mean when i talk about debt," you heard him say. "... can we stay like this for a little?"

"if that's what you want," you hummed.