The Joker | Scaramouche

𝟏𝟓 | 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

♥

"Well well, what brings you here, oh-so-famous Joker?" Childe sang in a playful tone.

Y/n approached him with a wide smile and clapped her hands. "Oh, nothing much. I just need me a sugar daddy!"

"...huh?" the man tilted his head a bit, his ginger hair swaying in the cold Snezhnayan wind.

"You heard me. Now hand over that sexy loaded ass!" Y/n crossed her arms, eyeing him down. "If you don't give me the mora I will snitch on you to Teucer!"

Childe could only sigh and give up the pouch of mora he had on him in defeat. Y/n cackled and marched away with no shame.

"Did I just get robbed...?"

"It's called lending," Y/n suddenly popped up from behind him and Childe stumbled back a few steps. "Anyway, I forgot to ask but can you take me along with you to Liyue?"

"Right after you robbed me?"

"Great! Just tell me when you're ready to go. I will be with Signora for the next few days."

"What?! I didn't agree!" Childe shouted.

"Oh come on, this is what comrades do for each other!" Y/n winked and left him behind. With a hurried pace, she approached Signora's room and knocked.

"Come in," the cold voice said.

"Sis, teach me how to use my cryo powers!" Y/n then barged in excitedly, only to see Signora's stunned expression as she held a circular cushion, seeming to have patted her cheeks.

"Ahem," she coughed lightly before setting down the cushion and stood up elegantly. "First of all, let us continue this elsewhere. My room is unbefitting as a place for you to learn in. Let's head to the Fatui training grounds. Perhaps you can even fight with the others there."

"You're right! Let's go!" Y/n pulled the Fair Lady out of the building and into the snowy plains.

"It's this way," the typically elegant woman panted at how vigorous Y/n was before heading in the correct direction of the training grounds.

"Lady Signora."

Various Fatui underlings bowed at the sight of the harbinger and then glanced at the girl next to her.

"Respects to the Joker," they all bowed once again before continuing their training. Some occasionally turned their heads to Y/n, as if trying to sneak a peek but it was hard to tell with their faces hidden under hoods or masks.

"It's a bit embarrassing to show my powers in front of everyone..." Y/n mumbled. "Ugh, whatever. I'll just beat anyone who laughs at me!"

La Signora chuckled before restoring her composure. She needed to be careful when facing her underlings. After all, everyone knew her as the cold and intimidating lady, not an intimate and warm sister.

"Managing your powers is not something as simple as giving you instructions and following them. To develop your unique skills, you should reflect on them yourself. With your cryo vision, what do you wish to achieve and create? Do you want to defend, attack, or heal? Perhaps even support your teammates? It is all based on your preference.

"It might be more helpful to think of it by imagining how you want your skills to look like and if you're capable of doing it. For example, Tartaglia wields a bow but he can change to using dual hydro swords."

"It suits him. The swords," Y/n nodded firmly, a hand on her chin.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, it does suit him. You can take him as an inspiration for your powers," La Signora finished.

Thinking back to the game's features in Dragonspine, a lightbulb enlightened Y/n's brain.

"I just had the best idea in all of Tevyat. Hear me out. What if...I were to create a field of ice surrounding me and whoever is within it..."

La Signora slightly raised a brow in expectation.

"Will die instantaneously! Haha, I'm such a genius! Sike, I was gonna say that what if my enemies were to catch sheer cold...and still die. But slowly. And painfully..." Y/n rubbed her hands with an evil laugh, making the pyro Fatui agents from yards away shiver.

"That is not a bad idea. That could be your skill but what about your last blow? How will you execute that?"

"You mean my ultimate?" Y/n hummed, thinking for a while.

Her skill was made because she was salty about all those times she died of sheer cold but her final blow would have to be meaningful. She then recalled her title, the 'Joker.'

"Tears of Reflection. I will trap my enemies in a tear-shaped prison which also serves as a mirror. Each step they take, they will only see their reflection as they see fit. It will increase the rate of sheer cold and drive them into madness, depending on their mental strength that is."

"How exquisite," La Signora closed her eyes, imagining Y/n's power in its glorious display.

"Right? But now I just need to figure out how to form my cryo attacks. I mean, look at this!"

She flailed her arms about, releasing a puff of icy smoke. La Signora almost burst out laughing at the sight but had to contain it in front of her subordinates.

"Well...that is certainly...a problem..." the woman placed a clenched fist on her lips, clearly restraining herself from making any sounds.

"I'll give you permission to laugh at me..." the humiliated girl sighed, not daring to look at the Fatui army.

"Laugh? Not at all. You just need a little work and you'll be fine at handling your powers. Now, do as I say and if that doesn't work then we will switch to..."

And so, Y/n began her week-long training session with La Signora. By the end of the week, she was able to successfully master her skill and use her ultimate skill to a degree. As if it was planned by fate, Childe informed her of the trip to Liyue that night.

During the time, she had forgotten all about Scaramouche. That is, until he showed up the next morning, his eyes filled with mirth when spotting the mark he made on Y/n's nape.