Work Text:
“I used to have a different name,” [REDACTED] once told you.
You looked back at them with undeserved affection. “Go ahead, then. Tell me.”
They huffed, averting his gaze to the floor. “It was Kunu… no, it’s stupid. Ignore it.”
The climate of Snezhnaya was not fit for your clothes, which was lucky, because nowadays you operated in Sumeru.
Your clothes were made for the arid climate of Sumeru. You acquired them through asking a psychotic hermit who claimed she was a witch to stitch them for you. She’d complied, rather reluctantly, in exchange for necromancy knowledge, and you’d ended up with your lightweight attire that tended to flow around you in delicate waves of fabric.
That was absolutely normal, however. You believed you originated from Khaneri’ah. You had to have originated from Khaneri’ah, they said. They tended to say a lot of things.
“Indispensible power,” one said. “Archon-like,” said the other.
“You’re a fucking i-di-ot.” Wanderer would say religiously. During the short intervals in Sumeru where he wasn’t taking second-hand tutoring classes from Akadeymian students who really needed Mora, and when you weren’t busy sweeping up magpie feathers off the floor, you two would manage to find some empty rooftop and scale the trellises to sit there.
“I got light and physics lessons,” Wanderer said in that tone which suggested that he had nothing else to say. A multicolored kite with a massive tear in it fluttered by, caught itself on a stray rusted nail, and continued following a light wind.
“Physics.” You contemplated this for a minute, “they don’t teach us that in the Fatui. We just learn fighting stuff, and things like that.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured.” He replied, leaning back on his hands. He’d recently started to open up about Inazuma, dead friends, the works.
“I’m actually aiming for the sixth position!” you said as cheerfully as possible. “It’s been dormant for centuries. And, I figured, why not?”
Wanderer stared back at you blankly.
“I mean, yeah.” You shrugged, “there’s no salvation or redemption for someone like me, but, whatever.”
“There’s salvation and redemption for everyone,” Scaramouche said, but not sarcastically.
“My god…” you groaned, stretching your arms out in the air. “I’m so tired.. I just got a new batch of fireworks and had to test them out, but they were so loud my neighbor got a panic attack. Don’t get how she got a vision when she’s so… er… un-brave.”
“Oddly specific.” Wanderer deadpanned. “Visions don’t come from bravery, so you can stop claiming that you have it.”
“Nuh-uh,” you insisted.
You and Wanderer were walking around Sumeru City aimlessly, except you were doing most of the walking and Wanderer was only being dragged by the arm across the pavement. You stepped on a brown leaf and frowned when it didn’t reply with a crunch. “I am brave. Everybody knows that. I do stuff for the Fatui, they do stuff with me. I just want to… y’know, make Khaneri’ah great again.”
He snorted. “That sounds like something a dictator would say. You say that in public, you get hit on the head. Learn to shut your mouth.”
“Why’d you join the Fatui, then A̵̧̳̜̬̳̭͊ͅM̷̨̡̧̥̥̩̰͚͈̭̰̰͊̈́͑́̃É̴̡̛̱̖̜̱̦͚̱̭̤͇̜̦͗̔̐̃̀̓̈́̓̕̕U̸̧̧̙͕̗̳̼̗̬̥̭̹̤̟̬̻̮͖͍͒̅̓̊̔͒͑̽̓̈̑̾͊͂͑̆͘̚̚ͅͅA̷̧̭̫̫̳̜̣̘͓̼̲͇̯̪͚̱̪͙̘͊̏͆̑̎͌̆̾͒̃͛̎̆͗̉͛̒͛̆̕̕R̸̡̛̻̯̳̝̖̟͖̞̦̱̤̼͇̮̝̫̪͑̋̾̿́̆̈́̈̚C̸̨͍̲̙̳̗͊͆̈́̋̒̇̓̿͑̈́͊̾̀̊͘͘͝͝͝Ç̸̛̩̼̞͈̺̓͊́Ş̷̧̢̛͇̗̩̹̰͔͕͉̠̩͛̅͑̋̈́̽̈́̐́̚O̷̮̪̽͗̈́̏̆̔̿̉̈͌̓̈́̋̉̽̋̇̉͂̕͘H̵̨͉͖̗͈̺̻̬̺͙͇̭͈͚̗̳̪̯̀̾̕͝?”
Blood pooled around you in steady crimson rivers. In your hand was your weapon coated in red.
“I’m a misanthrope. Also, who would be there to care if I tagged along? I’m totally, completely alone.” He paused, before tacking on a “and you?”
“I want Khaneri’ah back the way it was. Before Celestia. Before-“ you gestured around the bloodshed vaguely, “this.”
“Why do you care so much about them?”
Bodies lied around, mangled and twisted into piles of skin and blood. Columbina’s faint humming while she wiped up the bodies was the only thing breaking the silence. You looked at the floor.
“Because they’re my people.” You said. “And I’m their princess.”
“I’m so tired of killing people,” you muttered, casually slumping down besides Wanderer. You pushed your face into his shoulder shamelessly.
“You signed up for it.” He replied monotonously.
“I know.”
The benches outside the Akadeymia were always crammed with students. Some cramming before their exams, others just staring blankly at the sky, a few scribbling harshly into their notebooks and tilting the page away whenever somebody walked by.
Wanderer didn’t bother to fill the silence, so you talked first.
“The Fatui is just-“ you grappled for the correct words, “just a stepping stone. When the real battle comes there’ll be ten times more bloodshed, so I don’t mind killing a few hundred on my way through. It doesn’t change much, does it?”
He still didn’t reply.
“You aren’t… mad?”
“No. I’ve no reason for stupid emotions like that.”
“You terrify me,” ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔̤̦̜͇̬͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜ had admitted one day. You were, rather cheerfully, examining the Anemo Gnosis in La Signora’s hands. You turned around to look at him.
“Me?” you waved a hand, laughing dismissively, “I’m no monster. I’m just a person.”
“You don’t act like it.” he muttered.
You looked up from the floor, locking your eyes onto his, “what was that?” you’d whispered. It was nearly unintelligible between Signora’s gloating and Columbina’s singing, but he’d clearly heard it.
“Nothing.” He coughed, cleared his throat. “I said, maybe, we could do an alliance.”
You remained silent.
“You aren’t like other humans.”
“I’m not a human. I’m an immortal.” You replied curtly, and turned on your heel, as your shoes made a squeak against the crystal floor. You began to walk away, until ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔̤̦̜͇̬͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜’s hand took your wrist.
His hand was cold, lifeless, like a corpse’s. You slowly turned your neck around to see him properly.
“I said I wanted an alliance,” he replied, “was that a no? Because if it was a no, I would prefer to get it from you properly, instead of your cowardly w-“
“Actually,” you began, and ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔̤̦̜͇̬͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜ loosened his grip. You snatched your hand away. “I was going to accept.”
His hang hung there limply. You smiled.
“Still am.”
“Hey, remember when we first met?”
You two were walking across the rather dense patches of greenery in Sumeru’s forest. Wanderer hated walking, really, but he’d had no other choice when he was with you.
“Yeah.” He didn’t look at you. Why didn’t he look at you?
“Oh, it was wild.” You snorted, “you were looking at me like you saw a ghost, and I tried to kill you, and then you…”
He turned his hat downwards, trying to hide his smile, “yeah, no.”
“₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔̤̦̜͇̬͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜, so…”
You two had nothing left to say, sitting on the top of some Snezhnayan building. ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔̤̦̜͇̬͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜ was going to Sumeru City to retrieve the Dendro Gnosis, and that was just that.
“I used to have a different name,” ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜ told you.
You looked back at him with undeserved affection. “Go ahead, then. Tell me.”
He huffed, averting his gaze to the floor. “It was Kuni… no, it’s stupid. Ignore it.”
“You can tell me.”
“No. My point was-“ he swallowed, “I just… I don’t really want to be here.”
“Why don’t you leave, then? I’d leave with you.”
“No, no, that’s not it either. I… just… there’s no redemption for me.”
“There’s always redemption there. You just need to want it.”
He looked back at you without any sarcasm now.
“You expect me to be saved? I don’t believe in divine salvation or whatever shit you’re going on about.”
“I’ll save you. Every time. Because you’d do the same for me, right?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
REMOVING ₴̸̠̯͕̜̻͔̟͉̠̝̼͍͔̳̤͌̈́͑͛͌̇͌́́͑͘̚₵̸̨̖̩̻̘̳̹̐̆̒̊̊͑̋̏̓̈́̆͗̈́̇͐̈́͌͘͜͝͝₳̷̻̽̒̾Ɽ̷̢̡̢̮̗̬̻͍̝̥̲̙̮͇͉͔̯̪̿̀͒̊̅͘͘ͅͅ₳̶̡̖̣͍̱̙̝̩͇̜͑̀̅̈́͐́͋̔̍̂̄̓̀͐̉̏̈̿̚̕͠͝₥̸̟͉͍͍͕̲̦͉̱͇̜͍̖͓̙͓͔͈͇̟́͂̀̕ͅØ̸̧̢͖̻̠͓̦̣̻̮̳̩̖͚̩̯͈͑͆̈̍̂Ʉ̸̨̡͎̬̳̘͎͚̫̜̞̮̙̹̮͎͓͇͚̱͋̐͛͋̔̆̐̉͜͝ͅ₵̷̨̨̼̹̬̘̥̼͚̪̻̮͇̪̗̝͍̗̂͒̋͂̑̓͗͛̔̓͘͜Ⱨ̶̢̢̧͕̜̖̬͎͛̅͌͆̆̍̈̅͋́͌́̉̏́̀̋̀̽̕Ɇ̵̧̙̰̲͈̞̟͔͂̒̈́́͂̀̈́̔̎̒͜
Do you want to delete?
[[NO]] [[YES]]
ARE YOU SURE?
[[YES [[YES]]
DELETING…
DELETION SUCCESSFUL. PROGRAM DELETED BY IRMINSUL 6.7.
Then you came along. The Dendro Gnosis was collected, Scaramouche was dead, and then there was redemption.
In another lifetime, you looked back at him, but now he was just some random scholar.
“The Fatui’s a means to an end,” you’d say. You stared back at him, not knowing him, his name, and not knowing the agony it meant. “I don’t want to be here, but salvation isn’t a thing with Celestia.”
He’d fallen once, you’d fallen once. He figured he could make you do it again.