The Most Important Gear

Chapter 14

"so... the plan with al haitham worked, and now lesser lord kusanali has sumeru under her control. now, you're working under her to 'repay your debt' and got thrown away from the fatui. in that process, you tried to erase yourself from irminsul, but the traveler and paimon stopped you from doing so. my memories were altered due to the changes that you made, and lesser lord kusanali tried to restore my memories but reverted me back to how i am now?"

"that sums it up," he said, leaning back on the sofa, looking at you with his blue-purple eyes. "there's something else that you should know as well."

"yes?"

he reached behind you and pulled your head down, connecting your lips to his. you were shocked, eyes blown wide while his were closed. as fast as he kissed you, it ended, making you sit up, alarmed. "scaramouche?"

"the two of us began to date after the god creation plan failed," scaramouche said to you.

"...how long have we been together," you asked breathlessly. "i-i can't believe you right now... this is all so much to understand."

"to answer your question, it's been exactly 3 months and 11 days with today being the twelfth," scaramouche recalled. "i know it's a lot to take in."

"i just... i'm so confused," you said helplessly. "i don't know what to think."

scaramouche couldn't help but feel something in his chest pull, making him super upset and disappointed. disappointed in himself to be more precise. this is all my fault.

"i'm sorry," he said earnestly. "if i had known that you would be in this amount of pain, i wouldn't have done it. to be quite honest, i didn't think i'd have my memories back because a part of me wished that you wouldn't be associated with me due to my past connection with the fatui. i wanted to erase my existence, a part of me wished that i had never been born at all-"

he got interrupted when he felt you wrap your arms around his figure, pulling him into a tight hug. your face was perched in the crevice between his face and his shoulder blade, and he could feel your heart beating quickly.

"don't ever say that," you scolded him, squeezing him tightly. "ever."

"but why-"

"everyone exists for a reason," you said. "human or not, plant or not, everything has its place in the world. i'm more hurt at the fact that you didn't consider how much my old self treasured you and loved you. i wouldn't date someone unless i loved them with my entire heart."

he had no response, just simply nuzzling into you more. "i'm sorry."

"i just... right now i can't see the two of us together. to me, you're a harbinger whether you are one currently or not. that's how i currently see you. to be quite honest... your blunt words and cruel way of speaking made me feel uneasy. but right now, you're so gentle that i wonder if you really were the balladeer. you both look the same but your actions are different."

"i said this to the old version of you and i'll say it again," he said. "this side of me is one that only you can see."

"i'm flattered," you said. "i just... can i have tonight to think things over? i think i just need to be alone for a bit."

he let you go, albeit reluctantly. "take all the time you need."

you nodded, standing up and walking over to your room. then you gasped, "{robot name}?!"

"ah... right," scaramouche said, walking over to you. "i forgot to let you know a few things. {robot name} according to you ended up breaking and needs a new core. also... you know that scholar? al haitham?"

"yes?"

"well... he's quite the rude person if you ask me."

"huh? him? well... i can somewhat see him like that," you admitted. "but what do you mean?"

"he's not very nice to me," scaramouche said, internally smirking. this is my chance to put some distance between them. "i don't like him very much."

"i-i mean i guess that's valid," you said. "but... he hasn't done anything evil right?"

"no he hasn't," scaramouche said. "i just don't like him."

"well seeing as he's the main brain behind the overthrowing of the sages, i guess you have every right to dislike him. goodnight, scaramouche."

"sleep well."

he walked out of your house, closing the door promptly behind and typing the code to lock it. a deep sigh left his throat from the events that transpired. oh well... at least she knows who i am.

"balladeer."

scaramouche looked to his left and saw nahida. "the dendro archon."

"is she asleep," she asked him. "i need to try something."

"she's going to sleep," scaramouche stated, albeit worried and also suspicious. "what are you going to do with her?"

"i need to enter her subconscious and create a backup of the memories she had prior to the ones i gave her," nahida said. "that way i can restore those as well as her old ones."