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[☕︎☕︎☕︎]
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A thousand eons away
two centimeters close
–
A thousand eons away he felt from his past life.
Scaramouche sighed softly as he swirled the tea in his grip. Two years in the Fatui, and he was finally proclaimed harbinger. It took him a little longer than expected, but he had all the time left in the world.
One year of training with commander L/n, and another year… Unlocking his sealed power with the help of the second harbinger. A year of brute pain and reminder that he wasn’t human, and would never be. Three hundred and sixty five days of being held up in a tank of liquid while he was viewed and experimented on like a specimen. Technically, it wasn’t even completely finished yet. At last, he was sixth on the list. Over the years that flew past by, the rankings stretched to ten harbingers. It was rumored that an eleventh seat may be taken sometime soon. To think his coronation was almost two hundred years ago now.
He spat the tea out and shattered the detailed piece of porcelain onto the carpeted ground. “And which of you scumbags decided to put sugar in my drink?” The servants nearby flinched and looked at each other with petrified eyes, as the one who served the tea froze on the spot. Scaramouche slit his eyes and gazed down at the shivering servants as though they were insects he was being merciful to not step upon.
“I.. I deeply apologi-“
“It was me! Sorry about that, I forgot that you didn’t like sugar.”
The familiar voice of commander L/n called out as she made her way over to the tea table. Everyone seemed to melt to the ground at her appearance. She saluted with a cheeky smile whilst fixing her cap. The major commander had been mysteriously moved to the Sixth’s division ever since he was promoted, and has been there ever since. Scaramouche gave her an unimpressed look as he let out a breath. Both of them knew he wouldn’t buy the cheap lie she made up, as if she hadn’t made him tea probably millions of times by now.
The Balladeer crossed his arms and looked away. “Your tardiness will be remembered. Make me another cup, personally.” He emphasized the last word as his eyes snapped back to the servants. Y/n walked back off to the kitchen area. She had made the mistake of leaving the tea serving to the other servants due to her meeting preparation as they somehow managed to lose her recipe that she hand wrote for them. Not that she had plans on sharing this information with her superior, knowing heads will be sliced onto the ground if she did so. Well, he seemed to have found out anyway.
She grabbed the porcelain container tea she personally imported from Inazuma once a month, (now ever other week because of him) grabbing a random spoon with flower patterns on the handle. One full spoon to make a small pyramid of tea leave pile, and around half a spoon. Boil it until… Until it seems about right. Maybe this was why the servants failed to make the tea right.
~
“-And you just have to boil it until the scent becomes strong enough to be smelled from a step away from the pot.” The commander concluded with a smile as she passed on the scribbled note. The servant sweatdropped as he received the paper and seeing the instructions on it. There were no precise measurements, but written as ‘one big scoop’ and ‘boil until smells strong but not strong.’
“..By any chance, do you have any rough estimations of measurements? Such as teaspoons or cups.” He asked as he looked over the note one last time. “Eh? Who uses those nowadays, just add what seems about right~” She smiled and jumped while looking at her clock. “Shoot, I have to go now. If anything happens, just blame me!”
The poor chef only watched with horror as the female ran away into the hallways.
~
“Here’s your tea.” Y/n announced as she placed the teacup on the wooden table, pouring the steaming liquid into it. The bitter scent with a sweet aftertaste arose into the air. Scaramouche glanced at the cup and grabbed the fragile handle, bringing the thin edge to his lips. Everyone but one person watched the contents flow down the harbinger’s throat anxiously. Finally, he looked away and opened his mouth. “Hmph. Everyone get out of my sight.”
That was his words for I’m satisfied for today, dismissed. All the staff passed the major commander a thankful look through the barrier of their mask and scurried out the doors. Just as Y/n was about to head out herself, she was stopped. “Not you, commander. I have matters to discuss.”
“Hm? ‘lright.” She shrugged and walked back to where he was sitting. She still remembered his coronation as a harbinger, where he received the new mask that he threw into his room and never touched again. Not that many of the harbingers below the top three wore them anyway, maybe the newest addition as an exception. What was his name… Childe? Cheld? By the time she reached the wooden tea table and stood with a casual sault, he was looking ahead of the large window. Snow was peacefully drifting down from the gray clouds above and adding up to the layers on the ground. As it always had been.
But what stays forever?
The two didn’t say anything for a while. Y/n half knew that he was probably thinking of an excuse that he kept her back. A tiny smile formed behind her mask in responce at the thought. He turned around for a quick second, before a scowl adorned his pale complexions. “Take off your mask. How many times do I tell you?” He hissed at annoyance at the coverage on her face. The bottom half of the commander’s face was barely visible, not even showing her mouth.
He never liked it. How that small, insignificant object he could smash into grains until it was nothing, got into her view every second. How it was meant to remind her of her loyalty and the chains to the Fatui.
Her loyalty was supposed to be his.
Smirking, Y/n pretended to raise the mask above her head as Scaramouche watched her. Suddenly, she stuck out her tongue through the halfway raised mask before pulling it back down. The girl held back laughter at the Balladeer’s stunned expression. “Oops, my hand slipped off. Excuse my manners.” She chuckled. Scaramouche’s gaze turned unreadable. The commander couldn’t tell if he was fuming, amused, confused, or annoyed. They stared at each other in their spots like that for the next few awkward minutes.
Without warning, Scaramouche got up from his seat, making large strides to his commander. Y/n didn’t get the chance to react as she was grabbed by her collar and her head was dragged down to his eye level. Her boots gave her an extra two inches while the cap gave almost half a foot. Eyes widening in surprise, her mouth opened and closed like a fish as the harbinger placed his other hand on the edge of her mask. Ripping it off her face, he held the object in his hand as his eyes remained on his companion.
S/t features almost too perfect to be human. Now that he thought of it.. It had been past two centuries since he joined the Fatui, how come she still looked so youthful? Snezhnaya was no stranger as the homes of non-humans, but most weren’t immortals. He had made an assumption that she was a yokai of some sort since she hailed from Inazuma. But looking at the almost artificial glint in her eyes…
They were far too similar to his own.
Scaramouche electrocuted the mask in his slender fingers until it disgrenated into black ashes that fall onto the carpet floor. He watched with sick satisfaction while his hand remained on her collar, wrinkling the fine fabric of the coat. “Next time, you won’t go untouched unlike your beloved mask. Major commander L/n.” The puppet stated in a tone barely above a mutter while maintaining eye contact. “You’ll be funding me for my new one, I have a meeting with other commanders in two hours.” She stated while crossing arms. An irk mark formed on his forehead.
Closing the proximity, he raised her chin with his middle and ring finger while his thumb and pinky squished her surprisingly squishy cheeks. An amused gaze layered his face. “I have one job for you in the meeting. It’s quite simple for that tiny brain, do you think you can handle it?” He spoke in a mocking tone as though he was explaining to a child. Her gaze turned into a slit eyed glare as she rolled her eyes. The harbinger suddenly let go, turning around as though nothing happened.
“If anyone questions your mask, get out of that meeting right there, right then and into my office. Her majesty can bear to lose one meeting room and a few commanders.” Scaramouche smiled innocently while crooning his head slightly back to Y/n. She sweatdropped, knowing any kind of answer other than positive would only make this conversation longer. “Yes ma’am.” She saluted lazily and left the room. The usual clicking of her boots got muffled by the carpet, which made the exit a little more awkward. A pair of half slit violet orbs stared at her figure as the woman closed the door and left.
~
“We are present today in order to discuss the new divisions and recruitments, along their positions I’m the future. This is a meeting that is held in the name of her benelovent majesty, the Tsaritsa.” The head commander boomed out loud as though he was a robot saying the same words in same situations. Everyone were lined up in an extremely long table with crystal symbols embedded onto the surface. Y/n always thought they should add chairs of some sort, the meetings often exceeded five hours when discussions got long. All eleven major commanders under each harbinger was present.
The tiniest one in the room internally sighed when she looked over at the others. They were still under the protection against vulnerability through their masks. Everyone seemed to gaze down at the commander of the Sixth’s, her lack of coverage in face. She had never liked any of her colleagues, too serious and always so snappy. But not like anyone could blame them, most were battle generals who fought hundreds of other rankings to get to their position today. Many commanders came and went as time and age took them, but they all somehow seemed the same to her.
“Before we officially begin our meeting.. Scapino.” Pierro’s commander slit his eyes as he turned over to her. “Explain your lack of respect to her majesty you are performing at the moment.”
Out of eleven, only four of the majors managed to earn code names by her majesty. Pierro’s, Capitino’s, Sandrone’s, and the Balladeer’s. All known to be extremely picky in choosing subordinates- or anything and anyone for that matter. Y/n pursed her lips for a moment before smiling sheepishly. “The treason I am committing shall not be overlooked. But please have understanding over my lack of caution whilst training with my lord.” She always mentally cringed at how formal she sounded when talking with them. If not for her exposed facial features, she would’ve stuck out her tongue inside her mask. But she had chosen her words smart this time. If they made any further comments, they would technically also involve the Balladeer into the conversation.
The Knave’s commander scoffed slightly under her mask. “A Scapino indeed. Always managing to weasel her way out of situations with such smart lips. The dolls of the orphanage children are more honest than her. Because they don’t talk at all.” She said without hesitation before reaching out to her cup for a sip of tea. A few servants on the side looked at each other. Y/n’s smile twitched but she strained to keep the corners of her mouth tilted up. “I apologize once again for my clumsiness. I will take responsibility for my actions.”
The one in charge of the meeting shook his head and sighed softly. To date, he wondered how that woman even got involved in such an organization in the first place. You would expect her to he teaching at a kindergarten and singing nursery rhymes rather than a head commander of one of the most disliked harbingers. “Let us not delay the discussion any further.” Like that, the meeting carried on.
Constantly eyed down and shot dirty looks, the commander of the Sixth’s was rather tense the whole duration as she was indirectly ignored throughout. Her ideas towards developments? Chewed on. When it was her turn for reports? Not a single eye focused on her. However, she did notice a few servants whispering to another.
After three painful hours both mentally and physically, it was finally over. As Y/n dragged her feet out the door with a slouched position and dreaming of her plush dorm bed, she saw one of the servants quietly exiting out once all the majors had left. He scurried through the hallways before turning a corner and disappearing from her line of sight. Strange, that was towards Scaramouche’s paperwork office. Not like that wasn any of her business.
Y/n stretched and sighed at the heavy coat around her shoulders. They indeed kept her warm, but often felt suffocating. She had always wanted to have a mission or vacation in Sumeru sometime, from words of her divisions it was wonderfully warm there. Not like the Fatui probably had any plans on batching her out on a mission anytime soon..
Flopping down onto the amber sheets, she sighed dreamily and curled up in the bed. Maybe her lord would overlook maybe two and a half stacks of paperwork unfinished. She just had an event equivalent to being sent on a three day battlefield. The only noise that filled her senses were the soft shuffling in her blankets and the occasional footsteps a few halls away.
The tranquility broke with three polite knocks at her door.
“Major L/n? I apologize for the bother, but lord Balladeer has summoned you right now.” A feminine voice chirped from the other side. Close to sobbing, Y/n got up from her bed and called out. “Thank you for informing me, I will be there as soon as I can.” No matter how much she felt like bursting into tiny pieces, yelling at servants who were just doing their jobs wasn’t going to solve anything. What did he even want.
Begrudgingly tossing her cap back on, the woman dragged her feet to the office. A few Fatui officers and underling soldiers often waved at her, as they blinked at her rare, tired state. Not to mention the lack of mask. The commander was known across the palace for her cheery attitude and being a stereotype pyro user. Seeing her look this blanked out was an extremely uncommon occasion. But who could blame her. After just exiting a meeting where she was preyed upon by all her coworkers, mountains of paperwork due next week, and a boss who just called her to be present in person right after.
She felt almost naked without the object covering her face protectively. Her expression was out visible to everyone else. Hand reaching to her mouth, Y/n began to softly chew on her nails. A bad habit she needed to fix, but managed to get better by not ripping it out whole.. She finally arrived at the door of the office after what seemed like hours of walking, before knocking a few times. “Name and business.” A familiar voice ordered behind the wooden furniture.
“Major commander L/n reporting as summoned.” After a moment, the door was opened by none other than the harbinger himself. Y/n internally sighed in mild annoyance upon giving his expression a brief scan. She knew that face. The one he always made whenever something didn’t go as he wanted it to. Like a child who was glaring at their mother for not buying them a treat at the store. “Why looking like an owl fledgling? Make yourself home, major.” He forced on a polite smile as he gestured for her to enter. She sweatdropped and eventually complied. (not that she had any choices to begin with)
Just as the woman entered, the door aggressively shut behind her figure. As she stood awkwardly in the middle of the office, Scaramouche ran his slender fingers through his dark azure locks with his expression still facing the door. Did she forget to hand in a report? Was past due in paperwork? Oh god, did he discover the accidental sewed up rip in his hat veil after she was ordered to replace it-
“It’s amusing, really.” The harbinger began with an unreadable tone. She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic, mocking, annoyed, or genuine. The last one was doubtful, though. “Watching soldiers waddle around struggling with even the most simple tasks, like a blind insect trying to find its way out the window. But the exit is right in front of them, yet they always miss it.” Her brows furrowed at his statement. Was he referring to her? He finally turned around with a fox-like smile with his arms behind his back.
One step closer. “By any chance, major.. Do you happen to recall my oh so complicating orders given a while ago?” Two steps closer. A bead of sweat dribbled down her forehead in anticipation. He had truly changed. A frightening amount in that.
“Eh- to.. Um. Come tell you if anyone questions my mask?” She smiled nervously while flicking her thumb against the side of her index. He wasn’t even present in the meeting rooms, and the conversation was only hinting towards one thing. Wait. That servant earlier, that was heading to the office.. “Ding ding ding! That’s correct.” His blue bangs cast a shadow over the top half of his expression, making the once innocent looking smile look terrifying.
She tensed as he took another step forward, until they were barely half a step away from one another. “-But today, I heard an extremely disappointing news. It made me very very upset.” The harbinger pouted, finally standing in the place he stood. “Just as I finished my last papers for the day.. A little bird came by and told me, that a certain commander didn’t go by my wishes. How sad.” He leaned his upper body in slightly. But strangely, neither could feel their breaths on each others’ skin.
“Do you know the dirt that gets kicked on my name each time someone under me who gets insulted simply lets the filth remain on them? Do you, commander?” He whispered into her right ear. The major thought of a comment to reply to the Balladeer, but decided against it. She was already in enough trouble. A small pout was painted on her lips at the thought. Each time she got in trouble, she seemed to get the longest lecture. Well, it was better than getting electrocuted until passing out..
“I apologize, lord harbing-”
“Lord Scaramouche. Archons, you speak as if I don’t even carry a name.” Scaramouche interrupted her with a scowl. There he goes with the different treatment again. He never even accepted any other underlings even calling his code name without a sir or lord at the front! “Lord Scaramouche. Please overlook this incident, I didn’t realize the weight of my actions.” She corrected herself with a court bow on her head. On cue, Scaramouche burst out laughing while holding onto his stomach. Whoever that was to walk into that office right now would think she had told him the funniest joke he had heard.
Y/n moved her weight between her feet, her superior finally calming down as he wiped the stray tears on the corners of his eyes. “Pff.. did anyone ever tell you how funny you are, Y/n? You could’ve made a fortune as a clown!” She didn’t know how to feel about that. “You’re the one to talk, when your alias is literally Scaramouche. Don’t you know? In her majesty’s favorite theatre play, he’s the clown of all clowns.” The girl spoke out her thoughts without much filtering, and soon halted.
“Repeat that again, major..?“
“До свидания!”
But not two days after this incident, the Knave’s major commander was mysteriously replaced.
~
To many Fatui soldiers, the relationship between harbinger Scaramouche and major L/n could be rather confusing. One moment, he’s tolerating the woman’s teasing comments like a tired parent. The other moment, she’s running away as he chased after her with a terrifying speed, electricity sparking at his fingertips.
“Hey, did you hear?” A cicin mage whispered to her friend. The mirror maiden tilted her head as she took a swing of her fire water. “Hm?” The tavern was bustling with soldiers enjoying drinks with their companions and young men arm wrestling on the tables before getting scolded by the bartenders. The walls were decorated with green and red lights, a small tree adorned in ornaments by the corner. Christmas was one of the days every Fatuus agonizingly waited for each year. It was the only day when everyone got the chance to visit their family or friends outside the organization. In their homelands only, of course.
Anastasia looked around, the ear-like decoration on her dark purple hood dangling from side to side by the movements. “The Balladeer and his major commander.. May be lovers.” She whispered quietly. Her friend chuckled at the comment and leaned in. “Major L/n’s taste is rather interesting. But to break your gossip, they are not.”
The mage sagged down, knowing her friend was probably right. “I know, but it’s still romantic to imagine! Think about it, the cold hearted, merciless harbinger, and a cheery, popular commander under him. Both hailing from the same nation, encounter under the snow in a foreign land.. Their forbidden feelings growing for one anoth-” “Ana. Shush.” The maiden placed a gloved finger on her companion’s lips before anyone could hear her go blabbering off. “Write that all in your fanfiction notebook, not here.”
The bell on the door jingled quietly as it was opened. No one paid attention due to the sheer amount of noise and bustle in the tavern. A cryo cicin mage stood on her toes and looked around, finding her friends sitting leisurely at a table with drinks in hand. “Ana, Yev!” She called out before carefully pushing her way through the soldiers. “Nina. I’m glad you could come.” Yevgeniya smiled through her mask as the third figure pulled out the chair and sat with the two. “I swear in the name of her majesty, you guys will not believe what I just witnessed with my eyes.”
Anastasia raised a brow and took a sip of her cocktail. “Her majesty’s name is a heavy one to use, what did you see?” The cryo mage heaved a breath as she snatched Yev’s drink and gulped the rest down. That earned her a small glare.
“Harbinger Balladeer.. Just confessed to major general you-probably-know-who.” Nina whisper-yelled at her two friends as Anastasia nearly fell off her chair in responce. The entire table fell in silence for a while, everything staring at one another through their masks.
“WHAT?!”
“I swear upon my family name. I didn’t even drink anything before, I’m still perfectly sober even now!” The girl defended her statement at the expected responce. “It was on the north cliff near the plaza, they kissed!” Yev placed a hand under her chin in conflict while the electro mage was coughing at her drink. Perhaps the worst or the best part was that Nina looked perfectly serious.
Meanwhile..
“I swear I saw someone under the cliff..” Scaramouche mumbled as he held the commander close to his figure, looking around. Y/n smiled, knowing that Nina barely ran away after she gestured for her to go. The senior cicin mage would’ve actually died if Scaramouche caught sight of her. “Maybe it was a bird? I didn’t see anyone.” She held back laughter. Her companion sighed and placed his face in the fur of his coat on her frame.
“What.. Are you?” He suddenly asked. “I know you’re not human, it’s been past four hundred years since we first met.” Y/n stayed still for a moment, debating to tell the truth or not. She knew everything about him, so she decided it would be unfair to keep her own identity from him. “I’m.. A hanyo, of some kind.” The puppet tilted his head in responce. A hanyo was usually the title for a hybrid yokai, mix between one and human. “Techincally, I’m closer to being a puppet. My mother, creator was a yokai, though.”
His non-existent heart clenched slightly at the mention. But curiosity got the best of him. “What do you mean by that.” The question came out sharper than he had meant it to. His new lover only smiled fondly as she cupped his cheek with her hand. “I will explain sometime. I promise.” She assured with a smile. Kunikuzushi believed her. As they touched foreheads, neither felt their breaths fanning against each other. If one were to touch their skin, they would feel it colder than the panes of frosty windows of the palace.
A thousand eons, he felt away from his past. But to her, he felt barely two centimeters close.
—-
Once again, tysm for everyone for showing this much love to my books I started as a joke 🥺
We have officially caught up where I left off before the editing phase began!! The story will get a lot more interesting from this point on (hopefully)
….So.. Remember when I said the original plot of this fic will ending in a sobbing angst?
Love u all ❤❤
4384 words
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