Chapter Text
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“This morning The Balladeer strikes the streets again. After robbing a bank on Chinju Road, the supervillain known for his pranks and reaping havoc left behind a hectic scene. Eye witnesses say that he chased out all civilians before stirring up any trouble. Once he was done causing mischief, the pavement was severely damaged, water flooded the streets due to broken fire hydrants, and shards of glass from destroyed vehicles and windows scattered the road. Luckily, no one was injured, but it looks like Ritou’s one and only Scorcher has a long day ahead of him as he and other first responders clean up the scene.”
“Your total is 89.73.” An unenthusiastic tone broke its way into Kazuha’s thoughts, distracting him from his musing. A young, tired looking boy working as cashier practically stared into Kazuha’s shriveled soul, waiting for him to pay.
“Ah, right, apologies.” Kazuha mumbles as he pulls out his wallet, sliding his card out with his thumb. Kazuha tapped the card on the pin pad, waiting for a little beep before withdrawing it and stuffing his card back into his wallet.
“Have a nice day.” The cashier said, already ringing up the next customer as Kazuha grabbed his paper bags of groceries. “Have a wonderful day yourself.” Kazuha responded with as kind of a tone and smile he could muster- despite the anxiety simmering in his chest- hoping that might make the boy's day livelier.
Kazuha walked through the automatic doors as they parted ways for him. Stepping outside, he was greeted with a cold, sharp breeze. Kazuha shivered, but didn’t entirely mind the chilly temperature. The fall air was crisp, and the sun gave the autumn trees a warm hue. Wet leaves, damped from the rainy night before, huddled together in the streets and near sewers. The fall season was a comforting one to Kazuha, although it was a shame the leaves were too damp to hear the crunching of its corpse.
Kazuha shifted both his bags onto one palm so he could tug his headphones over his ears, and lift his jacket hood over his head. Placing one bag in each hand again, Kazuha began to walk. His apartment complex was just down this same street as the grocery store, and although he could drive, he was never quite fond of it. He preferred walking, especially when his destination was so close to his house, and he only needed a few items. Not to mention the weather was nice. Chilly, but not unbearable. Sunny, but not boiling hot.
Kazuha could hear the sounds of the city through his headphones. As noise canceling as his headphones were, they weren’t enough to cover the everyday hustle and bustle of Ritou to Kazuha’s keen sense of hearing. The sirens of first responders, the speeding of cars, the chirping of birds.
The sirens reminded Kazuha of his boyfriend. He narrowed his eyes as he wondered what his lover was doing. His lover, Dolion, the city Ritou’s only hero, though the city knew him as Scorcher. He was what the world called an Elemental. Elementals are individuals who are born with a condition called 'Visionary Competencies', which affects 15% of the population. These people develop an ability as they grow into their own unique personality, each power based off one of seven elements: Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro, and Cryo. There was an official leader for each element, all part of a group called The Archons League. Each leader was a top hero, spending their time in the corresponding nations, while guiding other heroes to stop the people who used their powers to hurt others.
These leaders were all descendants of what they call "The Seven Celestials." 400 years ago, seven babies, all under different ethnicities, were born on the same night, in the same town, under the same meteor. From that time onward, a small portion of the population was born with unique powers. Those original seven founded The Archons League, calling themselves "The Seven Celestials." As the centuries passed, their heirs would take their place as a top leader, passing down their power from generation to generation.
Scorcher possessed the pyro element, and had the ability to turn his body overwhelmingly hot, like lava. His long, slender, sharp fingers give him the ability to claw at anything and everything with extraordinary heat. He was truly amazing, if not a little terrifying. Plus, his dashing looks and charming personality made him unmatched to everyone else in Ritou. Never had he ever even been contested by one of his arch nemesis. He was an overpowered hero in a city full of underwhelming villains.
Yet, despite being known and admired by everyone in the city and all over social media, he chose Kazuha to be his lover. Kazuha was his. His boyfriend, his doll, his .
Kazuha felt extremely fortunate. It wasn’t easy being the hero’s lover, but Kazuha was up to the task. He loved Dolion. Even when he was angry, frustrated, or tired from the hero’s work, even when he lashed out, he loved Dolion.
He was sure Dolion loved him too, despite everything. He told Kazuha that, afterall. Even when he was being hard on Kazuha, he said it was out of love, and Kazuha trusted him.
All of this resulted in Kazuha being here, walking down the street with a bag of groceries. When he saw on the news this morning that the supervillain known as The Balladeer had caused up quite some trouble, he rushed to the grocery store. No one was hurt, but it caused a lot of commotion, and Dolion would be left to pick up after The Balladeers mess.
Most of The Balladeers crimes were petty, or just outright chaotic. Kazuha wondered what his intentions were. He was a bit of an oddball when it came to other villains. Most villains want power, riches, or just attention. The Balladeer though… it was hard to tell what exactly his goal was.
Still, The Balladeer had yet to seriously hurt anyone. Aside from threats, he’s never injured anyone, even when causing chaotic attacks like the one he caused this morning. The street had been mostly empty, and according to the reports, anyone on the street was chased out before anything happened.
However, it was a huge inconvenience for Scorcher and other first responders or city crew. Kazuha knew Dolion would come home later that day, irritated, so Kazuha decided to head to the grocery store and buy ingredients for Dolions favorite dish; Crab Roe Kourayaki.
Kazuha hoped that Dolion’s favorite meal would soothe any of his anger though. Irritation and annoyance was one thing, but pure anger was another. Kazuha loved Dolion, but he wasn’t always the biggest fan of when Dolion took his anger out on him, even if it was out of love and paranoia.
Kazuha grimaced at the thought of what could happen tonight if things got worse throughout Dolions day.
As Kazuha was lost in thoughts, he heard the snapping of a twig behind him. He whipped around to greet whatever made the noise. He felt too paranoid sometimes. Dolion always warned Kazuha he had to be extra careful. Even if the city didn’t know Dolion’s identity, even if they were unaware Scorcher had a partner, a villain could still find that information.
Kazuha slid his headphones off, looking to each side. There was another whoosh behind him, and he quickly turned back to face it. What he saw though, was a cat. A purple, wide eyed cat, with a gold feather tied around his neck in a red bow.
Kazuha instantly relaxed at the sight of the innocent cat. He smiled, softly chuckling as he crouched down and held out his hand to the cat. “Seems I was anxious for no reason.” Kazuha says softly as the cat slowly, cautiously walked up to him, sniffing his hand. The cat's sandpaper tongue then started to lick his fingers.
Kazuha chuckled, using his free hand to shuffle through his bag and pull out some salmon.
“I too have a cat, named Tama. She was the cat of a late friend of mine.” Kazuha said soothingly as he held out a piece of salmon. “Whenever I go to the store, I get some salmon so I can treat her on the days I make special meals, like today for instance.” The salmon wasn’t cut up into pieces, which meant the cat got to have the whole thing. Kazuha didn’t mind though. He bought two packs of salmon, and had plenty left over.
Kazuha continued to crouch as he watched the cat eat the salmon. The cat was different from other cats he has seen. Dark purple fur, beady eyes, the unique collar. The cat was cute all the same though. He wondered where its owner was. Perhaps it was just an outside cat, roaming around, although it looks much too groomed to be spending its days outdoors.
Kazuha reached out a hand to pet the cat's fur as it nibbled the salmon. Yes, this cat was very clean, and looked quite spoiled. Kazuha would have taken it for royalty if a monarchy existed anywhere in Inazuma.
“Are you lost, little guy?” Kazuha cooed softly. “You seemed like such a spoiled kitty.” The cat purred as Kazuha continued to stroke its head, happily munching down on its treat. Its friendly demeanor only proved Kazuha’s suspicions even more. Although it had a collar, it didn’t have a tag. Kazuha frowned at the revelation. This cat's owner must be quite worried.
Suddenly, the cat's head jerked up and it looked towards a dark alleyway. Kazuha raised an eyebrow, tilting his head curiously as he followed the cat's gaze and looked into the alley. There didn’t seem to be anything malicious around, despite the eeriness of the backstreet.
The cat picked up the piece of salmon in its mouth, before trotting into the darkness of the alley. Kazuha frowned, standing up and grabbing his bags as he followed the cat.
“You can’t just walk away after being given a treat. Don’t you know it’s rude to not give gratitude?” Kazuha jokes. He knew he wasn’t very humorous though, he was just trying to ease the nerves building up in his body, his instincts whispering that something was off. He would have just simply turned around and left, if it weren’t for the desire to help this cat.
The cat stopped towards the end of the alley and looked around, its tail swinging back and forth in anticipation. As Kazuha walked towards it, about to pick it up, his body flinched, halting in its tracks.
He was stunned. He couldn’t move, his body was paralyzed and tingling all over as his skin stung. Anxiety pierced his chest, but before he could understand what had happened, his vision started to fade and he began to fall over, watching a hooded figure approach him as everything went black.
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Kazuha groaned. His body felt static, his mind lightheaded. He felt limp, weak, and exhausted, any natural tension in his muscles having been completely evaporated. It felt like he was a feather resting upon a cloud.
Kazuha forced himself to open his drowsy eyes, turning his head to the side. Light peaked through a blinded window, illuminating lines of gold along the white cotton sheets of the bed he was in.
Kazuha took in his surroundings. He was in a fairly large bed with soft, fluffy white sheets and pillows, mimicking the cloud Kazuha had mused about. On the floor laid his shoes, as a pitcher of water and lamp stood on top of a wooden nightstand placed next to the bed.
The rest of the room was mostly bare, aside from a maroon and violet rug that sat in the center, and a painting of an Inazuman temple on the wall. As Kazuha tried to connect the dots of where exactly he was, the previous events came flooding back.
He passed out.
He passed out in a dark alleyway after what felt like being electrocuted, and some dark, eerie figure approached him.
Panic rose through Kazuha’s body, his heart racing and mind swarming with thoughts.
Kazuha threw the sheets off his body, and ran to a door. There were three doors in the room, two on the north wall and one on the west, next to the painting.
He tried the two doors on the north wall first. One led to a bathroom with a counter covered in marble, and a large bathtub at the end, beige rugs and towels placed in different areas. The other door led to an empty closet, only hosting a few hangers on a clothing rod.
Kazuha ran to the other door, but it was locked. He shook it, in denial of the situation he was in.
Had he been kidnapped? Or was this a trick Dolion was playing as punishment, since Kazuha went out without permission? Kazuha didn’t think it was that big of a deal, he was only getting groceries. Besides, asking Dolion for permission would have ruined the surprise of dinner.
Not that it mattered at the moment.
Kazuha said a silent prayer to the gods above in his head, hoping this was Dolion’s doing. Whatever Dolion planned to do, Kazuha could handle it, because at the end of the day Dolion loved him.
A villain, however, would not love Kazuha, and they would not hesitate to hurt him.
Not that Dolion ever hesitated to hurt him either.
Kazuha took deep breaths, convincing himself that this was Dolion’s doing. This was Kazuha’s fault, the consequence for going out without asking. All he had to do was text Dolion that he wanted to surprise him and needed to go to the store. That’s all he had to do. It wasn’t that hard. Kazuha knew that now, but it didn’t matter. A punishment would still be in place.
Kazuha crawled back under the sheets, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. This was fine. Dolion would show up any minute and do what he usually does to Kazuha when he doesn’t listen. Then Dolion would carry Kazuha back to their bed and they would fall asleep next to each other.
Kazuha continued to take deep breaths, repeating sonnets he memorized for stressful times under his breath. When Kazuha ran out of sonnets to repeat, he began humming songs he was listening to just earlier that day.
Or was it that day? He could’ve been asleep for days and have no way of knowing. His phone was no longer on his person.
Kazuha’s breathing started to lose control as the weak grip he had on his anxiety started to slip. His mind went back to buzzing with paranoid thoughts, screaming over Kazuha’s desperate yelling that this was just Dolion’s doing.
As Kazuha poorly attempted to calm himself, he felt something jump onto the bed. He froze, anxiety crawling all over his body like spiders wrapping him in a silk cocoon, suffocating him. He was hiding under the sheets, unable to see his surroundings.
Fear gripped his heart, forcing it to stop beating, when suddenly a tiny black nose peaked through the sheets.
Kazuha’s eyes widened, taken by surprise as the cat from earlier nodded its head back, crawling under the sheets and stuffing its nose in Kazuha’s face. Kazuha flinched, scrunching up his face as the cat licked his nose.
Kazuha’s thoughts died instantly, confusion temporarily replacing his anxiety. He let out a muffled noise of surprise as the cat started to chomp on a strand of Kazuha’s hair.
“His name is Scarameow.” A gruff voice said from outside the sheets. Kazuha flinched again, coiling into a ball at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He pushed through his anxiousness though, and peaked his head out of the sheets.
Kazuha’s eyes met with the sight of a young man with dark purple hair, cut in a way that resembled a jellyfish. He had eyes colored a soft shade of blue and lavender, reminding Kazuha of a dawn sky.
The man set a tray of food down on the nightstand, which consisted of a sandwich, an apple, a small bag of chips, and chocolate pudding. It looked like a lunch Kazuha would eat back in his school days.
“Tap his nose and he’ll stop chewing on your hair.” The man continued nonchalantly. “Hey- You stupid cat, stop.” The man reached over and lightly tapped on the cat's nose. It growled, narrowing its eyes at the man, but let go of Kazuha's hair.
Kazuha grew more confused. This wasn’t Dolion, nor anyone he has seen before, but he didn’t exactly seem like a villain either. He was sort of small, maybe a little smaller than Kazuha, and overall was very nonthreatening.
The man looked over at Kazuha, reading his confused expression as a smirk curled onto his lips.
“What? Don’t recognize me without the mask?” The man said with a mocking tone. When Kazuha stayed silent though, the man sighed, rolling his eyes.
“Hm, not like I’m his number one nemesis.” The man shrugged. “I usually have this headpiece and mechanic bodysuit, it makes me look taller than I am.” The man waved his hand around dismissively. “Went and robbed a bank this morning and destroyed a couple things in the process. Your man is probably still cleaning it up.”
Kazuha’s eyes widened as he made the connection.
The Balladeer.
Kazuha narrowed his eyes, looking at the man. Was this really The Balladeer? He didn't look very intimidating. The Balladeer looked quite menacing with his robotic suit, but this man? He was small and pretty and had these squishy looking cheeks.
“The Balladeer…” Kazuha whispered to himself.
“Ah, so he speaks!” The man chuckles, pouring water from the pitcher into the empty glass. “Yes, yes, that’s me, don’t revel in my presence.” He said sarcastically, “You may call me Scaramouche.”
Scaramouche held the glass out to Kazuha. “Go on, sit up and take it. It's just water, you'd be of no use if you were poisoned.”
Kazuha slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the vibration and sting in his body. Scarameow hissed at the movement, and Kazuha took the glass, sniffing it.
Kazuha had an astounding sense of smell, and he couldn’t smell anything off about the water. It seemed Scaramouche had told the truth. Famished, Kazuha started to chug it down.
“Geez, it's only been a few hours since I brought you here. You act like you haven’t had water in weeks.” Scaramouche said with a raised eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.
As Kazuha finished drinking, he looked up at Scaramouche. “What is going on? Where am I? Are you really The Balladeer?”
“Ah, I was wondering when you’d start asking questions.” Scaramouche smirked, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, petting Scarameow as the cat ran over to him.
“Yes, I’m The Balladeer. Not sure why someone would lie about that. I’m using you as bait. I know you’re Scorchers boyfriend. You’re in my base, but fret not, I won’t be hurting you.” Scaramouche spoke with a smug and confident attitude, a lace of arrogance as tall as Dragonspine coming up in his voice.
“Why? What do you plan on doing?” Kazuha asked with a stern tone.
“I’m just curious is all. Will Scorcher do what is right, or what’s convenient? We’re pretty confident in the answer, but curious nonetheless. Not to mention, it’s the first step in being taken seriously by the guy, as a real threat.” Scaramouche spoke, but he wasn't looking at Kazuha. Instead, he seemed more focused on Scarameow, rubbing his palm against the cats fur as it nuzzled Scaramouche’s hand.
“We’re?” Kazuha narrowed his eyes, tilting his head up.
“Yeah. Maybe you’ll meet her, maybe you won’t. Depends.” Scaramouche shrugged.
“Depends on what?” Kazuha asked. His anxiety had eased up completely at this point. Scaramouche wasn’t intimidating, and quite frankly neither was The Balladeer. He robbed banks and pulled off pranks, not murder.
“Depends on how long it takes that hollow minded boyfriend of yours to find you.” Scaramouche replies, standing up and stretching. “Anyways, I'm a busy man, and I've brought you your food, so I'm out. I’ll leave the cat in here so you don’t grow bored or insane.” Scaramouche glances at Kazuha with a subtle, mischievous smile. “I also left some toys on the stand. Remember the hair thing.”
With that, Scaramouche walked away. Scarameow followed him, but Scaramouche closed the door before the cat could walk through. He looked back at Kazuha with what almost seemed like a glare, before remembering the attention Kazuha gave him earlier and softening up. The cat jumped back onto Kazuha’s bed, nuzzling his hip.
“What a predicament…” Kazuha mumbles softly, petting Scarameow. His shoulders sank as he thought of how Dolion would react when he realized Kazuha had been taken.
Still, he knew Dolion would come save him. Kazuha may be severely punished for adding another scoop of problems to Dolion's plate, but at the end of the day, Dolion loved Kazuha, and that was what mattered.
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It’s been a few hours since Scaramouche last brought Kazuha a meal. Despite Scaramouche’s assumption of Kazuha’s terror, he wasn't nearly as scared as expected. According to Scaramouche’s accomplice, who had security cameras in Kazuha’s room and was monitoring him, Kazuha originally was quite startled and panicked, but since Scaramouche’s visit, he's calmed down. Kazuha had just been playing with Scarameow since.
Kazuha was an interesting man. Scaramouche kidnapped him just that morning, but could already tell that Kazuha was rather unique. He had been watching Kazuha in the shadows earlier. After leaving a rather inconvenient distraction for Scorcher, it was rather easy to kidnap his lover. However, Scaramouche watched longer than he intended. Seeing Kazuha act so softly with his cat made Scaramouche feel an odd sense of awe.
Still, neither he nor his accomplice had any intentions on hurting Kazuha. If he was hurt or scarred in any way, it could cause problems, so Scaramouche’s accomplice suggested treating Kazuha accordingly, so as to not freak out the guy so much.
Scaramouche reluctantly agreed. Kazuha was a prisoner after all, not a guest. Yet here he was, walking down the hall to the room they locked Kazuha in, holding a tray of tea, a plate of Sangayaki, and a bag of books slung over his arm.
He took a deep breath, flicking the lock on the door and entering the room. Kazuha, who was seated on the floor and playing with Scarameow, looked up, his body tensing.
“I already said I’m not going to hurt you.” Scaramouche said with a hint of annoyance, placing the tray on the nightstand. He tossed the bag of books at Kazuha’s feet as pens and books spilled out. Kazuha flinched at the sudden toss, and Scarameow hissed.
“Bunch of books, some pens, and a notebook. You’re welcome.” Scaramouche responded nonchalantly, grabbing the empty lunch tray and pitcher from earlier that noon and leaving the room.
A few minutes later, Scaramouche returned, pouring tea into a yunomi tea cup. Kazuha had been shuffling through the books, reading their backs and subtly watching Scaramouche’s movements with occasional glances.
“I worked hard making this food,” Scaramouche said, handing Kazuha the cup of tea. “I’d appreciate it if you made the effort worth it.”
Kazuha gently took the tea, cradling it in his hands as he stared at Scaramouche for an uncomfortably long time. Kazuha’s expression was unreadable, but Scaramouche could see the confused glint in his eyes. Kazuha looked over at the tray of food, contemplating, before standing up and taking the plate of Sangayaki.
Scaramouche sat down, picking up Scarameow to prevent the yowling cat from stealing Kazuha’s food. Kazuha sat back down, securing a spot a safe distance from Scaramouche. Kazuha watched as the cat tried to claw its way out of Scaramouche's arm, but gave up after only a few short seconds.
“Is he allowed to have Sangayaki?” Kazuha suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Scaramouche looked at Kazuha.
“Scarameow. Is he allowed to have Sangayaki?” Kazuha repeated.
Scaramouche shrugged, looking down at Scarameow, who now looked like he was on the verge of tears. What a drama queen. “I guess. Your funeral though. He’ll never stop begging you for food if you give into his innocent act.” Scaramouche responded.
Kazuha chuckled. “I'm afraid it’s too late for that now. I already fed him some salmon earlier.” Kazuha said as he tore a piece of Sangayaki and held it out to Scarameow. Scarameow took it between his teeth, gently, so as to not accidentally bite Kazuha’s fingers. As soon as the food left Kazuha's grasp though, the little guy went feral over it, making little munching sounds as he devoured the Sangayaki.
“Well, aren’t you charming?” Scaramouche said with a flatly as he watched the cat, unamused. Kazuha made a soft hum in the back of his throat as his lips subtly curled into a smile. Scaramouche looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re oddly calm for someone being held hostage.” Scaramouche said. Kazuha’s smile faded, and he looked back at his plate of food. He stayed silent, as though he was pondering on how to respond. After a few seconds, Kazuha spoke up.
“It doesn’t seem like I have a reason to be scared. I'm being fed and entertained, aren’t I?” Kazuha glanced at Scaramouche. He shrugged in response, leaning his head back against the bed.
“And you just take my word for it? I can’t tell if you're stupid, naive, or genuinely just that down to earth.” Scaramouche said with an eye roll. Kazuha let out a soft, awkward chuckle under his breath.
“So, what’s it like? Dating Scorcher?” Scaramouche asked after a few seconds of silence. Kazuha tensed up. It was subtle, the clenching of his teeth and rise of his shoulders, but it wasn’t subtle enough for Scaramouche’s keen eyes to ignore.
“It’s great. Hard sometimes, sure, But I am really lucky.” Kazuha said with a soft tone. Scaramouche rolls his eyes. “Don’t give me that. Tell me what it’s REALLY like. I mean, I gotta say, I was shocked when I found out he had a boyfriend. I mean, can he really love anyone other than himself?” Scaramouche asked sarcastically.
“I mean, he treats me well.” Kazuha responds with a strained voice. “He does love me. He tells me he loves me all the time.”
“So? Actions speak louder than words.” Scaramouche responded with sass. “Seems like a douchebag boyfriend. Like a misogynistic jock dating the sweet cheerleader girl in high school or some shit, and then he gaslights you every time you try to communicate with him. ‘You’re overthinking, she’s just a friend.’ and ‘My friend was just having fun, he didn’t mean to call you a bunch of slurs he can’t reclaim’. You know that trope?”
“Uh…” Kazuha awkwardly cleared his throat. “I can see where you are coming from… But he’s not like that at all. He’s just… confident.”
“Confident? Bullshit. He’s egotistic.” Scaramouche rolled his eyes.
Kazuha shakes his head with a sober frown. “When he finds out I’m gone, he’ll be worried… and very angry. I know it. He’ll come save me. I can’t imagine how anxious he must be right now.”
Scaramouche raised his eyebrows, looking Kazuha up and down in a judgmental glance. “You seem more concerned about him than yourself. Why? You’re the one who’s been kidnapped.”
“He has it hard enough already as a hero. Now he has this on his plate. You said you wouldn’t hurt me, but he doesn’t know that. He’s probably worried sick…” Kazuha frowns.
Scaramouche scoffed, looking back at Scarameow, who was now nuzzling against his palm. “That man is barely a hero. He’s not really making any meaningful change. All he does is police work, minus all the papers and reports.”
“That is fair, I suppose, but the image of him is the change. People feel safer with him in the city. And his power is terrifying. People are afraid to face him.”
“It’s not that scary. Find a hose and cool him off. What’s he going to do then?”
Scaramouche was initially joking, but that idea seemed to worry Kazuha, who looked at the floor, fiddling with his fingers with a troubled expression on his face.
“I’m kidding.” Scaramouche retaliated, not wanting to deal with any sort of emotional outburst from his hostage. Kazuha seemed so sensitive, a naive soul with a heart forced of gold. People like that irritated Scaramouche, blinded by optimism and in the denial of reality.
“No, you aren’t wrong.” Kazuha sighed. “His fingers are abnormally sharp, like the claws of an eagle, but they're as good as pocket knives if he can’t heat up. When facing a powerful opponent, knives are like sticks.”
Scaramouche raised his eyebrows, a little stunned by Kazuha’s words. He hadn’t expected Kazuha to agree.
“Don’t go using that to try and defeat him though.” Kazuha looked at Scaramouche, his eyebrows arched in worry and regret of his words.
Scaramouche snorted. “I feel like that information is obvious, but thanks anyways. Besides, defeating him in battle isn’t my intention.”
Kazuha tilted his head, curious. “Oh? Then what is it?”
“None of your business.” Scaramouche retorted. Kazuha’s frown tilted to the side. “Alright then, what about you?” Kazuha asks.
“What about me?” Scaramouche raises an eyebrow.
“Well, for one, you told me your name. If you didn’t have any intentions of hurting me, why would you tell me your name, reveal your identity?” Kazuha asked.
“Still none of your business.” Scaramouche glanced away. The only real reason he revealed his ‘name’ was because it wasn’t his real name. There were no official documents with the name Scaramouche on them that could be traced back to him. Kazuha didn’t need to know that though.
Kazuha sighed, looking at Scarameow, who at this point had fallen asleep on Scaramouche’s lap. “And… the cat? His name is a direct correlation with yours. How come?”
“Ah, I’ll answer that question.” Scaramouche strokes Scarameow's fur. “My accomplice found him on the streets. She said she named him Scarameow because he looked like me. It’s the dumbest thing ever, but who am I to care?”
Kazuha smiles. “That’s sort of cute.”
Scaramouche shrugged, dismissively agreeing. He continued the conversation, attempting to get Kazuha to open up more about Scorcher. It was like he had a script. His responses remained the same, that Scorcher was sweet, charming, and protective. It was really beginning to get on Scaramouche’s nerves.
There had to be some sort of dirt on Scorcher. The hero had a fragile persona, one Scaramouche could see the tears of, and he was determined to rip the art of lies apart and look at the sketches.
Their conversation slowly bled throughout time, lasting a good few hours. Eventually, as the night grew old, Scaramouche left Kazuha to sleep.
Kazuha was an interesting individual, who used poetic words and had unique perspectives. Scaramouche came to the conclusion that his original judgment on Kazuha was wrong. His heart wasn’t forced of gold, it was gold, combined with a sharp mind and incredibly mature sentiments.
Those kinds of people were rare. It was no wonder Scorcher seemed to cherish Kazuha so much. Unfortunately, those irrational feelings of love would be Scorchers demise. At the very least, that was what Scaramouche had believed.