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7 days left...
The night the Adeptus left him to bleed. He had never been so starstruck and excited before. This is definitely the first. Scaramouche needed to sleep.
6 days left...
Scaramouche traveled to Liyue Harbor to get hold of a taste of new cuisine. specifically from a chef named Xiangling. He adored the kid and her specialty in cooking.
5 days left...
Scaramouche has heard of a singer down in Liyue Harbor. A famous figure named Yun Jin.
As he strides Liyue Harbor, trying to locate Heyu Tea House, he hears a lot about Yun Jin. An opera performer... I see, he thought to himself
As he listens to her voice, his ears are thanking him as her voice soothes him more, a true blessing from the archons. He has to take the Adeptus here.
4 days left...
He found out the Adeptus' name is Xiao, revealed by Hu Tao. Presumably, a friend of Xiao, as the young lady, hasn't stopped rambling about it as soon as Scaramouche tries to mention his name. Too energetic, he thought.
3 days left...
Standing face to face with Scaramouche is a person named Zhenyu, a famous writer in Inazuma who wrote A Legend of Sword.
His novel grew more popular with the help of an illustrator named Calx. Calx... now where do I know him from? He tries to remember but to no avail.
2 days left...
Scaramouche's wound hasn't healed, nor has it close at all. He struggles not to turn it into a nasty scar.
1 day left...
Scaramouche's panic arises as his wound has still not close nor heal at all. He ventures down from Wangshu Inn when a man calls out to him.
"That won't turn out nicely," He turns around to see a tall man with light green hair with a white snake wrapped around his neck. "Do you need help with that?" The man asks.
"Will it scar?"
"No. I promise it won't."
"Will it heal very fast?"
"How fast do you want it to heal?"
"Before tomorrow evening."
"Luckily, I have just the solution!"
"Make it seem like it wasn't even there to begin with."
"As you wish, sir!"
Before Scaramouche could even realize, his wound was healed. There are no signs of it scarring too, only thing left now is to meet with Xiao.
The day
Xiao was the first one to be there. Scaramouche followed him not too long, he opens his mouth to speak.
The moonlight glimmering over them set the mood, and Scaramouche took a step closer to him. "As per my wish," he pauses, looking carefully into Xiao's eyes. "I'd like to dance with you here."
"No." Xiao said sternly, backing away slightly. Scaramouche tries to reach for his hand, but Xiao's polearm got to him first. Alas, another slit was placed upon him.
"Any favor other than that. Come back here in a week, same conditions." And once again, Xiao slipped into the night, and Scaramouche is left to bleed again.
Xiao thinks the Harbinger is a nuisance in the inn. Though his presence is rather calming than alarming. These past few encounters led him to think he's a nice person, yet he can't trust him yet.
"A dance as a favor? He's up to something." He murmurs, glancing back at the inn and walking away.
Time is passing by slow, Xiao is anticipating the days until he meets the Harbinger. He is itching to see him.
Maybe if the Harbinger asks again, he'll comply with his favor.
A week finally passes by, and standing before Scaramouche is Xiao. "What’s your favor this time?" He asks, hiding his eagerness.
"I'd like to get to know you." He answers enthusiastically.
"No." Xiao rejects once again.
"But you said you'd grant me my second favor?"
"I never said that. I said any other favor than that. A favor that I guarantee to comply."
"How am I supposed to know what favor you can do?" Scaramouche's voice raised. The night is filled with Scaramouche's bells ringing as the wind flows.
Scaramouche received another slit, "really?" He asks, his voice now oozing with sarcasm.
Xiao disappears into the night, the same conditions placed on them once more.
This will be the last time Xiao will leave him there to bleed.
Xiao leisurely strolls through the mountains of Liyue. He takes the same route toward the inn and feels the same cool air against his skin, appreciating the moon that illuminates the dark road ahead. He even hums a small tune as he walks up the stairs, deeming it more enjoyable at the moment rather than jumping in the air and landing directly on top of the inn like he usually does.
What is it tonight that he feels lighter than ever? If he wasn't more aware of his every step up the stairs, he would presume he's floating in the air.
He feels giddy. He feels excited. He's looking forward to something.
To what exactly?
Xiao halts his steps and gazes up the moon. The same moon he and the harbinger had been under the first time they met.
It has been almost a month since then.
Xiao resumes his steps, feeling a light twist in his stomach growing more prominent as he gets closer to the rooftop. Maybe the harbinger doesn't really mean harm. Maybe he'll indulge a part of the harbinger's ridiculous request this time.
Maybe.
Xiao looks around the place as he sees no sign of the harbinger around. He sits down on his usual spot, gazing up the stars and waits for the harbinger to show up.
He waits.
And waits.
And waits.
He leans back, propping his hands on the floor to support himself. He lets the wind sway his hair and thinks that maybe it could also blow away his thoughts.
The harbinger didn't show himself tonight.
It was exactly what he wanted. He wanted him gone.
So why?
Why does he feel this way? Why do his insides feel like they're twisting in him and making him think that he wants to see the harbinger?
He waits some more.
He doesn't know how long he sits there, staring at nothing, but when the first rays of sunlight hits his skin and the sound of birds fills his ears, he realizes what he has been doing and he immediately sits upright.
What the fuck?
What the fuck?
He stands and jumps of the roof as he begins to travel through the air, his face beginning to feel hot as he covers it with his hands.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Scaramouche wanders the mountains of Liyue, finding the plant that is needed to concoct his ointment, as referred to by Dr. Baizhu. He had heard rumors circulating from the other Fatui that is patrolling the foot of the mountain.
He pauses when they mention his name, "the Tsaritsa is looking for the Balladeer. I heard they're devising a new plan."
A new plan? He thought to himself. Xiao has to wait. He has to go back to the Tsaritsa, but before Scaramouche could even leave Liyue's premises, he is approached by Tartaglia.
"Well, if it isn't the Balladeer, I almost doubted you will be carrying the mission here this early."
"What do you want?"
"Haven't you heard? The Tsaritsa is looking for you. She's assigned you on a mission."
"What mission?"
"Wipe out Wangshu Inn, starting with the Adeptus."
"No. No way."
"Why Balladeer? Have you found a new person to protect? No wonder you've gotten soft." Tartaglia ridiculed Scaramouche.
"Go back to Snezhnaya, Tartaglia."
"And the mission?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Listen here, if you don’t go on with the plan, then I will carry out the plan myself." And with that, Tartaglia leaves Scaramouche behind with an anxious expression. He can't go back to the Inn without having to choose.
To serve Her Majesty or to be with Xiao.
Another week has passed before Xiao sees the Harbinger again. He got to the roof first, as if waiting for someone. As if waiting for him.
The Harbinger turned around and was met with the sight of Xiao. "I was afraid you weren't gonna show up." He says almost sheeply.
"You are a week late."
"I have no more favors to ask, I fear."
"Then why are you still here?"
"I... Hey, couldn't you just reject me instead of wounding me?" Scaramouche tries to let out a chuckle but was only silenced when Xiao spoke again.
"I was afraid you wouldn't come back after the favor."
"Oh but I will."
"Then I will indulge in your last favor." Xiao says softly, finally bringing himself to look into the Harbinger's eyes. It was the first time he looked so carefully, noticing his indigo eyes.
"Come with me to watch Yun Jin's performance in the Heyu Tea House, she's amazing." And with that, Xiao finally agreed.
The stroll to Heyu Tea House wasn't a quiet one. The two kept asking about each other, getting to know one another as they placed another step closer to their destination.
Oblivious to Xiao himself, he had already indulged one of Scaramouche's favors.
The Tea House was filled with people waiting for Yun Jin's performance. The two were doing the same nonetheless. As Yun Jin steps on stage, the two's ears were blessed with the singer's voice.
Xiao accidentally grazes Scaramouche's hand, the latter feeling an electric touch as Xiao's face gets hotter. Who knew just a touch would spiral into this?
The walk back to the inn was just as entertaining as the stroll to the Harbor. Though as they near the Inn, they fell quiet. Absorbing each other's presence and company.
The silence was soon broken as a person yelled out for help from inside the inn. Xiao raced to where it came from and was met with the sight of the same Harbinger who attempted to destroy Liyue a while back.
What's he doing here now anyway? Xiao's train of thought was broken as he realizes the Harbinger wasn't looking at him, he was looking behind him.
Xiao whips his head to see Scaramouche staring blankly at the scene. All this time, was he just using him?
"Good job, Comrade! Though, I'd appreciate it more if you two took a little longer than this." Was the last sentence Tartaglia spoke.
Morax took care of Tartaglia after Xiao told him what happened. He still has one other person to take care of.
Xiao was enraged at the thought of Scaramouche betraying him. He was still a Harbinger, he will always be up to something. He and his comrade will always wreak havoc in any nation they go to.
Scaramouche was studying the destructions Tartaglia made after accompanying civilians who were caught up in Tartaglia's meltdown all day. Unbeknownst to him was a raging Adeptus headed straight for him.
He gets knocked down on the ground, his hat getting thrown down as well. Xiao's jade polearm aiming at his throat, the blade dangerously close. The moonlight illuminated Xiao so beautifully, he could see what seems to be... tears. In Xiao's eyes, there were tears.
"You traitor!" Xiao shouted, "you deceived me into leaving so the inn would be unprotected!" Then the tears started to trickle down Scaramouche's forehead.
"I wasn’t part of it, I refused to take part in destroying a place I grew to love." Scaramouche tried to reason out.
"You are nothing but a walking deception to this place. You can't be trusted." Xiao's polearm's blade grazed Scaramouche's throat.
"If I have to throw away my loyalty and stop serving for the Tsaritsa just to love you, I'll gladly do so." He pauses for a moment, "but if you still see me as a threat until now, then I must die in your arms while serving the Tsaritsa."
And Xiao's heart started to betray him. His body betraying himself as well.
He hesitated. Yet in one swift move, Xiao threw away his polearm, it clinks onto the ground. His hands reached for the latter's collar and pulled him up. His lips crashing onto the latter's, gripping his collar tighter than before, his knuckles turning white.
Scaramouche returns the kiss, reaching for his hair to deepen the kiss. The kiss was sloppy, it was passionate. It was mixed with hatred and love, crossing its thin and blurry line.
Xiao was the first one to pull away, Scaramouche's lips still linger on his.
It took a long time for the Harbinger to get Xiao's trust again. It took a long time before he could finally step foot into Liyue and Wangshu Inn.
It took a while to finally stand with him on the roof, in the dead of the night where the moon is bright and alluring.
The moonlight illuminates the two figure, Xiao steps forward. His hand reaching for the Harbinger's.
"I will indulge your first ever request when you were Scaramouche, Wanderer. To dance with you here, under the moonlight."
"I've waited a long time to say this was worth it."
Hand in hand was two lovers slow dancing under the moonlight. Wanderer's bells swaying with the wind, creating its own music along with the wind's soft howls.
Keeping each other close this time around, touching each other gently like a breeze.
Xiao will never leave Wanderer to bleed again.
Wanderer will never leave Xiao and Liyue again.