moriiartt

"Gather more ingredients, check up on the plants, pay the scribe a visit... What else? Ah, meet the Traveler at Puspa Café."

You mumbled under your breath and quickly wrote everything down in the small notebook you held in your hands. As an advanced alchemist, you had a lot of things you had to do and many people needed your presence. And as a busy person, you hated it when people don't ask for your help in advance. You liked to have your things planned out and schedules for your days, weeks and perhaps even months before the events actually happen.

But who were you to refuse if your beloved archon, the one you should have saved much earlier than just a few days ago, asks for your time and help in taking care of the fallen false god that is Scaramouche? You could never refuse Lesser Lord Kusanali. That's how it lead to today, on your way on the all-too-familiar path to the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

Of course, you had a lot of work to do. But a ten minute daily visit wouldn't disrupt your schedules too badly. That's what you thought, before opening the doors to his confined room and seeing him holding up your test tubes that contained various of important liquids with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Don't touch that!" you cried out in panic. Scaramouche turned his head to you, when he heard your loud and shrill voice, raising an eyebrow with an amused smirk on his face.

"Oh? And why is that? Is it because they might be some kind of healing potions that you shouldn't use on the bad and evil prisoner that is a Harbinger?" he taunted you, holding up two testtubes of different colours and swirling them around in their glasses. He might've been defeated by the likes of the Traveler and a childlike god, but his attitude and sassiness won't disappear into thin air with just one loss.

Scaramouche kept on lifting them higher and tilting them closer to the ground. "I wonder... Do I have anything to gain from listening to you?" he hummed in faux contemplation, "Right! I don't."

"You know full well that this isn't true." you huffed with an exasperated sigh, carefully nearing his figure. But with each step you took, he raised the testtubes higher in the air, threatening to spill them on the floor. What you said was true though, you stored the important liquids, the substances you made to heal this broken puppet, in your lab. And since you had to check up on him daily, you thought why not multitask and make a few alchemicals you needed the next weeks? Though you didn't anticipate that he'd be interested in them if you ever forget to bring them home. He really was a menace to society.

You instantly sat up and felt a sting in your lower abdomen, pressing your hand against it in an attempt to ease the pain. You looked at the boy next to you, no, your body next to you, before looking down at yourself and seeing the purplish, black attire with widened eyes. You were not in your own body anymore.

With that said, he lifted them up and tilted the tubes slightly to let one drop fall to the floor. You, who watched him with wide eyes, instantly sprinted forward to try and stop him from spilling more of its contents. What you didn't expect, was that Scaramouche's body was still weak after the fight. So when you did grab his wrist in an attempt to stop him, he let go in surprise, spilling the liquid over the two of you, who were tumbling down to the floor. The moment you opened your eyes was when you were greeted by... your own face?

"Ugh... My head hurts." your feminine voice complained, holding your hand up to your head. "What the fuck, why is my voice so high?" he cursed with your mouth, before looking up to see his own face right infront of him with bated breath. You are smart, so you were quick to catch up with the current situation.

"I told you not to touch my things!" you yelled out in anger, "Look at this mess! We've switched our bodies, because of your carelessness!" you scolded him. Your his eyebrows were knitted together in wrath. You were a busy person and had many things you still needed to do today, but you couldn't do that when you're not in your own body! Now it was your job to fix this mess.

A light laugh left his your lips. "So that's what has happened?" he huffs and stand up, dusting off the white labcoat of yours, before he titled his head. You watched him in confusion as he stopped in his movements altogether, wondering what he's thinking right now.

Then with your hands did he poke at your chest with wonder and surprise. "You're much flatter than you look." he commented nonchalantly, while continuing to fondle your chest. If you were still in your body, you would've flushed red in embarrassment and humiliation. But fortunately or unfortunately for you, since you're now in Scaramouche's body, you couldn't blush.

Instead, you stood up and took his hands away from your chest, glaring at him. "Stop touching my body like that! That is still my body you're occupying right now!" you remarked in a sharp tone. But he was quick to slap your weak hand away. No, his hand away! This was all too confusing.

"Well that's not what matters here! I don't want you to touch yourself when you're in my body." you explained yourself, giving him a nasty glare. "I have to fix this mess..." you grumbled under your breath, a hand covering your mouth as you paced around the room to think of a solution. Scaramouche only watched you struggle with a bored look on his face, before his face lit up with an idea.

"What's the matter anyways? It's my body right now, isn't it?" he reasoned, tilting his head with a smug smirk on his face. On your face. "I've lived long enough to have seen and touched female body parts anyways. Your body is nothing special." he huffed dismissively, crossing his arms above his chest.

"Absolutely not. I'm not letting you leave with my body to cause disasters outside. You're staying inside, while I go and acquire the necessary materials to fix this mess."

"While you're racking your brain, trying to find a solution, why don't I just... go out and walk around in your body for the day, hm?"

"Nope. I'm not going to stay here just because you said so." he retorted venomously. He was not going to sit here all day, when he found a new body and new strength to wander around this big place that is Sumeru. He had a new identity anyways and he badly needed an escape. Just for today. "Going out looking like me is a bad, bad idea. You have my face now. The big, bad criminal of Sumeru, the false god that tried to take over their archon's place... I wonder who would sell someone like you anything at all." and you knew he was right. Now that Nahida has rightfully taken her place as the dendro archon, Scaramouche was to be known as the bad guy all over Sumeru. No one would help a criminal. No one would talk to a criminal. No one would ever even look at a criminal. You had little to no options to choose from.

"How about we make a deal? You'll take me with you and I'll handle the people and help you out with fixing all of this." he hummed with a faux innocent smile. The compromise was good enough anyway. So with a heavy sigh, you agreed to this deal and dragged him with you along your small 'adventure'.

"What's this? Your secret base?" Scaramouche scoffed while looking around in your simple and small greenhouse. It was relatively well hidden from public eye, since wild animals broke in and trampled over your plants a couple of times already. "Yes, I'll brew my potions and poisons here." you replied sarcastically, kneeling down and caring for a few of your plants.

Your plants helped you a lot with your research and your alchemical substances, so you tended to them almost daily with great care. Originally, you two were at your lab to grab a few items you needed, but you couldn't help, but try to atleast keep up a little with your schedule.

Scaramouche watched as you used his body to take care of your plants. The soft and caring look you displayed on his face disgusted him a lot, yet he could feel a slight sting in his heart. Your heart. He held one hand above your chest, at the area where your heart beated steadily in a soothing rhythm. Oh, how he had wished for this feeling as well. How much he yearned to hear his own heartbeat as well...

"Ugh, it still isn't growing..." you muttered under you breath, snapping him out of his daydream. He looked over to your crouched figure, seeing you tend to withering dendrobiums, wondering why they weren't growing like every other plant. You just recently bought a few Inazuman plants to grow and experiment with, but you had little to no idea on how to care for them. So you've been trying, testing out different methods on how to keep them alive. Yet, every attempt has ended in failure up until now.

You were about to plug them out of the dirt to plant new ones, but Scaramouche was quick to stop you by grabbing your wrist. "That's not how you take care of them." he told you and took the pot out of your hand's reach with a surprising amount of care. He walked over to a lightly shaded area and placed the flower next to window, where the sun couldn't quite reach the plant. "Where's your watering can?" he asked you, his back still turned to you. Not able to fully comprehend what just happened, you wordlessly watched him relocate the plant, your mind still trying to process the situation.

"Why? Because I'm a former Fatui Harbinger?" he mused, eyes focused on the plant before him, before placing the watering can next to the pot and connecting their gazes with eachother. "Is a Harbinger not allowed to have basic knowledge of plants?" he narrowed his eyes at you, glaring into right at you.

As he gained no response from you, he turned around to look at you with a raised brow. "What?" he snapped threateningly. Though it wasn't that effective when he used her face and voice to threaten her. "Nothing." you respond, acting nonchalant about it and standing up, before taking a watering can from the other corner of the small greenhouse and handing it to him. "Just a bit surprised that you know how to take care of plants." you admitted, watching as he took the can and gently fed the dendrobium with an adequate amount of water.

"That's not what I said."

"But that's what you thought."

You teased him a little, ending your small bicker, as a small smile grazee your lips, finding the moment quite amusing. You watch him continue caring for the flower, while also lecturing you about how to properly take care of the dendrobiums.

"You said that, not me. Anyways-! How do you take care of dendrobiums then? Teach me, sensei."

After leaving your lab, you two were walking around in Sumeru City, a few places in mind that you needed to visit for the appropriate ingredients. They were headed to the goods shop to buy a few Harra Fruits and Zaytun Peaches, when they saw the Traveler and Paimon at the alchemy table. You remembered that you were supposed to meet them at Puspa Café soon, so you walked up to them to inform the two of your situation.

"Traveler!" you called out to them, waving your hand while walking up to them. Scaramouche begrudgingly followed behind. "The Balladeer!" Paimon screeched, flying a bit back at your appearance, before her eyes trailed over to Scaramouche, "And [name]!" she switched her tone up real fast. The traveler, in response, became much more guarded, readying their sword incase you, who they thought was the Balladeer, tried to attack.

"I'm sorry about him. And to clear up your confusion, some of my alchemicals were spilled and we kind of switched bodies. Now I'm trying to gather some ingredients to revert back this disaster." you explained shortly, not in the mood for long explanations. You wanted to get this over with already. The traveler obviously seemed to understand that and nodded their head. "So you're not able to meet me at Puspa Café today?" they asked, just to be sure, to which you shook your head.

"Hah! Funny how the sight of me seems to always make you tense up." Scaramouche chimed in, slowly nearing the three in prideful steps. It all seemed weird in Paimon's and Traveler's eyes, seeing how you were acting. "Relax, will you? I'm out here on an errand. I don't have time for you." The cold and sadistic tone and the mocking smile on your face just didn't correspond with your personality. It alerted the Traveler's suspicion, as they narrowed their eyes at you two.

"What?! But I wanted to try their new Baklava recipe!" Paimon stomped the air with a pout on her face. "What are you? A glutton?" Scaramouche snapped at her in return only to receive a hit by yours truly and an offended gasp by the flying companion. He let out a small 'ow' and rubbed his arm. Your body was quite weak, he thought, but didn't word it out.

"Sorry. I'll make it up to you another time. I'll even pay for the meal." you compromised quickly and pulled Scaramouche along, before he could retort another feisty comment. "We'll need to go now, see you another time!" and with that, you two walked to the goods shop.

The goods shop was only two minute walk from where you just talked to the Traveler, so it wasn't long before you arrived there. You quickly let your eyes scan through the items, before walking over to strike up a conversation with Hamawi, the owner of the shop.

"Hey Ha-" before you could even continue, Scaramouche slapped his hand over your mouth, a small polite smile on his face, as he looked at the owner. You were about to complain to him, when you noticed the nasty glare the old man threw you. You were still in Scaramouche's body afterall.

"I apologize for him, boss. You see, Lesser Lord Kusanali assigned me to take him outside for the day." he smoothly lied with the ever-so-friendly smile on his face. "We should all be considerate to our prisoners, they deserve a little freedom in our country as well, no?" the old man only hummed in response, not entirely approving of the idea, but not daring to question the archon's decision.

"I see... What might you need today, [name]?" Hamawi asked, his glare turning into a calm smile, as his gaze switched from you to Scaramouche. "Just a few Zaytun Peaches and Harra Fruits. The freshest if possible."

The shop owner did as requested and packed a few up, insisting that they needn't pay for it, since it's been a long time since you've visited him. He told you to come again soon, before Scaramouche pulled you away to get back to the Sanctuary of Susthana.

"Stop thinking about it. I've seen much nastier glares than that old man's. You don't want to know just how many of my subordinates hated and feared me at the same time. They were all the same. Their glares I mean." his dry laugh snapped you out of your thoughts, bringing you back to reality as you stared into his back with a conflicted gaze. "I see..." you mumbled under your breath, feeling quite bad for him now. Even his subordinate's disliked him, because of his spiteful attitude.

The glare you received from Hamawi didn't leave you mind. It this how many people looked upon him? Of course it was understandable that many had a grudge against him, but he was officially defeated and taken in by their god. Is it so hard to accept that? Those glares haunted your mind. You've never seen people you interact with on daily basis to have such a side to them. Such a hateful expression.

"Ugh, it's not working!" you grumbled under your breath, slamming your head against the table, while Scaramouche sat on the bed he used to occupy with the broken body of his. "Stop abusing my body." he huffed, watching as you desperately tried to come to a solution.

"Then stop touching my body!" you retorted, turning your head to glare at him, as he kept on poking your chest. He couldn't help it, your chest was incredibly soft and your heartbeat kind of calmed him down a little. Though he'd rather die than admit it. "Your body isn't as reactive as human bodys anyway, so a slam on the table should be nothing to worry about." you grumbled and turned to work to make a solution.

You were already quite tired already, given all the stress and brainstorming you've been doing. And to add to all of that, Scaramouche's body wasn't in a pristine condition. You had quite the hard time to stay awake at all, but you pushed yourself further, since you disliked the current situation a lot. You just wanted to get back into your own body. Although you tried to conceal your exhaustion, nothing escapes Scaramouche's sharp eyes. He noticed how your body slouched forward from time to time and how your eyelids seemed to close for longer than just a simple blink. And obviously, he knew that his own body couldn't handle a lot right now. They've been outside almost the whole day, his body's energy should be spent. Yet there you are, pushing yourself and trying to solve the mess he created.

A sigh escaped his lips, before he stood up and walked over to your slouched form. "Take a break." he said, pulling your figure up from the chair. You weakly tried to pull away, determined to find the cure to your own alchemy, but his grip was rather strong. "You obviously can't concentrate right now with that overworked brain of yours." he huffed, stating the obvious, while also harshly poking his index finger onto your forehead. Then he firmly took your wrist and pulled you over to the bed he sat on just seconds ago.

If it was anyone else, he wouldn't have cared in the slightest. But it was you who we're talking about. You had a strange kind of aura that just pulled him to you. He caught himself softening in your presence for few times too often. And he also felt a bit guilty about the matter. Nahida has assigned her to tend to his wounds and she did her work diligently, discarding all of her own contempt just to help him.

"I'm not done yet... I can still finish this..." you tried fighting against his iron grip, but failed miserably. He just pushed you down to lay on the bed, before walking back to the desk you were working on. The soft cushions of the mattress encouraged your current body to let exhaustion take over. Your eyes drooped, before eventually falling asleep. The last thing you saw was him attentively reading through the notes you've taken on the previous fails.

The next morning was when you woke up, laying in the bed you fell asleep on last night. Next to you laid Scaramouche, sleeping with no sounds at all, since he didn't need to breathe as a puppet. Wait-

You quickly snapped out of it and stood up from the bed to find an empty testtube on the floor. You picked it up and walked over to the desk he had been working on and saw various ingredients all over the place. The one ingredient that stuck out to you were the red petals that laid near your noteblock.

You sat up from your position, looking down at your own hands and attire to find yourself in your own body, still in the labcoat from yesterday. "He actually succeeded...?" you thought, looking down next to you, where he was still sleeping. Your movements caused him to slightly stirr in his sleep, his eyebrows furrowing together. Now that you looked closely, he was kind of cute-

He honestly looked like he's having nightmare of some sort, but you couldn't be too sure. His body didn't produce sweat like humans did nor did he tremble. But his expression said a lot. You gently placed your hand above his eyes to cover them from the light that was shining down upon him, thinking that maybe it was the sunlight disturbing his sleep. He actually calmed down a bit, his expression relaxing under your touch, not because of the sunlight. But you didn't need to know that. Not yet atleast.

You picked up the notes and saw his messily written handwriting about the different ingredients he tried, the many things he crossed out and all the protocols he wrote to keep track of the experiments. The last thing he wrote down was a list of ingredients, possibly the substance that worked. Dendrobiums.