「 𝐉𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐑? 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓,
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐀 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐍? 」
Scaramouche was known to have a foul mouth that spat haughtily and eyes full of judgment. Now take someone like Y/n, and you'll have another sharp mouth, shrouded in mock submiss...
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♥
"Who?" Y/n grinned and blinked once to add to her innocent expression. "Why would you think that I of all people would know where your brother is?"
Of course she knew. Word has already spread throughout the Fatui Headquarters about a Joker following the Prince. Even from afar, Aether would send her short letters to keep in touch.
But it wasn't like she was going to spill the truth and let Lumine meet her dear brother. It was too soon, even according to the storyline.
"A gut feeling..." Lumine murmured.
"Yeah! And you don't seem like you fit around here if you know what I mean!" Paimon raised her voice, questioning. "You actually have some of that boom shakalaka that the others don't have!"
"Oh my Morax, you see?! At least PAIMON gets me!"
"Boom shakalaka?" Lumine placed her hands on her hips, attempting to appear intimidating but she ended up looking cute to tease instead. "But Paimon has a point in a way. You feel like an outsider, like me."
"Uh, don't put me with the likes of you," Y/n sneered, trying to act like one of those bullies in school. "I am special and different!" She rolled her eyes dramatically and flipped her hair.
"I am the legendary oh-so-powerful Lord Scaramouche's future wifey!"
"..."
The room fell into silence and somehow it felt like they didn't take it as a joke. Y/n wanted to slap all of them for not laughing and instead clarified Lumine's question.
"Anyway, no. I've never seen another guy that looks like you before. And even if I did, why would I tell you? I'd hog the man to myself!" Y/n snorted, to which Lumine frowned.
"Why would you hog her brother?!" Paimon huffed.
"Because Lumine is pretty cute so that means her brother must be a fine lad. Why wouldn't I kidnap him?" Y/n raised a brow. She already did, in a way, but they didn't need to know that.
Meanwhile, Lumine fell silent because she didn't know how to react to the sudden compliment.
"Because that's creepy!"
"You know what else is creepy? YOUR MOM!"
"Hey!" Paimon stomped in the air. "Wait... I have no mom!"
Before Y/n could respond, a certain red-head exploded.
"I can't stand being here any longer!" Childe interrupted with a glare that was directed to no one in particular. There just had to be two people he detested in the room but his eyes couldn't glare at them at the same time.
"I'm going to go first. You can do the explaining," he snapped. He left the matter to Signora and she rolled her eyes, proceeding to not do what he wanted her to do.
How come he left early this time? My conversation with Paimon shouldn't have changed his actions to this extent...
Y/n shook off the bad feeling.
After Signora took Zhongli's gnosis as per contract, the Harbingers returned to Snezhnaya in a matter of days with the help of ruin guards. Y/n thought she would reunite with Scaramouche again but turns out the man had already left for Inazuma right after he received orders from the Tsaritsa.
La Signora was called to the Zapolyarny Palace the moment she returned, most likely to report on her duties.
It had been months since Y/n last roamed through the desolate halls of the Fatui and the chilling ambiance felt nostalgic despite her short time in the main headquarters. She envisioned the first time she met Aether on one of the cliffs in Stormterror's Lair, being chased by Kaeya and the Knights of Favonius, and joining Zhongli and Hu Tao for lunch.
It was strange how distant she felt from those memories that passed not too long ago.
"And this time, I'm alone," she whispered, her shoes stepping forward firmly one at a time. The silence made her voice more vivid as she walked down the familiar path to her room.
Their small haven.
"Aether!" Y/n felt free the moment his name left her lips. She stepped into the room, expecting to see the blond sitting in front of the mirror and braiding his hair like he did every morning.
But there was nothing, nobody in sight.
Where did he go?
Her smile faltered. Just when she thought they were going to reunite, he left. She had so many things to tell him too.
"Why is everyone leaving me?" she laughed dryly. She sat on his bed, a pained expression on her face. "Scaramouche, Big Sister Signora, and now Aether..."
Is this foreshadowing? Is the world trying to tell her that someone close will soon die and no matter what La Signora and those around her will perish in the end?
Light footsteps down the hallway had not alerted Y/n yet and Signora slowly walked to Aether's room. She was about to push the door open when she heard a quiet whimper, that of a reserved cat that finally let out its pent-up emotions. Her finger twitched at the pitiful cry and lingered behind the door.
"Don't leave... Sister..."
La Signora didn't know what it was but her heart tightened at the calling. She walked in and gently sat on the mattress where Y/n laid, her eyes closed and cheek against the soft pillow.
With unrealistically warm eyes, the cold woman brushed strands of hair away from Y/n's teary face. Her warm cheek felt searing against Signora's naturally cold temperature due to her cryo vision. The heat permeated her skin and she felt her own face flush in response to the sleeping girl.
The words that came out were not from the Signora, the Fair Maiden, or the Crimson Witch of Flamesーbut Big Sister Rosalyne.
"I won't leave. I will always be here."
And with that, the harbinger planted a delicate kiss on the girl's forehead. Y/n had never slept so well.
