Fate's Design

Puppet [Aether]

[Name] was just a puppet for people to use. A mercenary dressed in formal attire, ready to kill. They have no idea why the Fatui still needed them but they had no say in anything concerning their work. Just do the job, no questions asked. Created by the Fatui Harbinger, Sandrone, they were sent out into the world to cause chaos.

Modelled after a regular human, they were given the name "[Name]' and became a weapon for the Fatui. Their human looks helped in blending them in with the world but [Name] didn't feel human at all. They didn't even feel anything. The other Harbingers ordered them around and [Name] would follow without protest. May it be killing, kidnapping or any inhumane acts. [Name] wouldn't even bat an eye.

If they were to ever betray their creator, that would be the end of their life.

They knew nothing of human emotion. They only watched as the recruits feel emotions. It made [Name] curious. How can one person express such things with their faces, words and actions? They wanted to know how these people worked, but [Name] was never given any opportunities since they were not allowed to interact with others and only do as the Harbingers commanded.

Sandrone would often let the other Harbingers "borrow" [Name] if they needed to. And this time around, they were taken by the 11th Harbinger, Tartaglia. He was strange compared to the rest, he often spoke to [Name] as if they were the same. He told them all about Liyue, the place they were going to. This was the chance for [Name] to learn about humans up close.

As they waited in Northland Bank, [Name] would notice children staring once in a while. The guard, Vlad, explained that the children were just curious. [Name] often got "compliments" on how human they looked so, they were confused. "Do human children have some sort of sensor that tells them if somebody is human or not?" [Name] asked. "No, I meant that you don't look like a local." Vlad answered. "Oh..." [Name] wondered again.

They tried getting close to the child who was frozen stiff. [Name] thought back to what they witnessed before. They waved at the child who was starting to get comfortable. "Wow! You're like a doll! My sister would freak out if she saw you!" The little boy says. [Name] looks at the boy, confused. "Wait here, I'll go get my sister, she'll be so happy to see you!" The boy runs to get his sister.

[Name] stands in silence, wondering about the situation. Later on, the child's sister sees [Name] with awe. "You really are like a doll! You look so awesome!" She says. [Name] watches the girl observing them. They reached out, patting the child. The girl continued to gush over the living doll. [Name] takes off their gloves revealing doll-like hands. The girl hesitantly touches it but was amazed as soon as she felt [Name]'s cold hands.

[Name] didn't even notice Tartaglia's return until they were called. They approached him and notices new companions. "This is [Name], my...personal assistant." He hesitates at the last part. "Hello." [Name] says in their monotone voice. "Is [Name] a robot?" The floating companion says. "Not a robot. A doll." [Name] corrects. "I'm a Snezhnayan doll." [Name] responds. "If you have any inquiries about Northland Bank, feel free to ask me or Ekaterina who's inside." [Name] added.

The blonde male next to them was just silently observing. [Name] would glance back, now and again as they spoke with the other person whose name was Paimon. "Oooh! You can cook too! Hey Childe, can we borrow your little assistant, please!" Paimon asked. "Well...[Name] wouldn't mind, right." He looks over to them. [Name] nodded. "It is a pleasure to work with you Paimon and...you are?" [Name] looked over to the blonde.

"Aether." He answered. "Nice to meet you." [Name] bowed. Paimon was thrilled to have [Name] travel with them to meet the Adepti. [Name] felt nothing of course. Not an ounce. After a long walk, they sat down to rest. "So...If you don't mind me asking..." [Name] spoke. "What is it like to feel...happy?" They asked. Aether and Paimon looked at each other in disbelief. "So, you're saying you've never felt happy before? How about when you get delicious food, or finding treasure?" Paimon asked. [Name] shook their head.