Genshin Impact: A Fool

Soon, Arlecchino followed Dottore for his experimental lab in Snezhnaya. They passed through numerous terrains. A frozen lake, beautiful heaps of snow peaks, the gentle snowy forest. After an hour, they finally arrived at an inconspicuous small heap of snowy hill.

Dottore dabbled with a secret mechanism covered in snow, his fingers directly dabbled the machination through the white, showcasing his utmost familiarity. After awhile, a small entrance was revealed.

Arlecchino carried Heins into the dimly lit laboratory, her heels clicking a staccato rhythm against the cold, hard floor.

The air was thick with the scent of chemicals and the hum of machinery, a testament to Dottore's obsessive pursuit of knowledge and power.

She clutched Heins close, his lifeblood seeping slowly from the wound in his chest, staining her suit a dark, crimson hue.

As they entered the heart of Dottore's domain, Arlecchino's eyes flicked over the grotesque displays lining the walls - jars of preserved specimens, diagrams of twisted anatomical anomalies, and the occasional scrap of parchment scrawled with maddened musings.

She suppressed a shudder, knowing all too well the depths of depravity to which Dottore would sink in the name of "science" and "progress".

Dottore turned to face them, his eyes glinting with a manic fervor behind his spectacles.

"Lay him down here," he commanded, gesturing to a table in the center of the room. The surface was strewn with an array of gleaming instruments, their edges sharp and cruel in the flickering light.

Arlecchino hesitated for a moment, her heart screaming in protest at the thought of releasing Heins into Dottore's unsteady hands.

But reason won out over instinct, and she carefully laid him down, smoothing his hair back from his ashen brow with a trembling hand.

"Be gentle," she said, her voice a low, dangerous rasp. "He is not one of your experiments, Dottore. He is my heart, my soul, my everything. And if you harm him..." She let the threat hang in the air, the weight of her words heavy and unmistakable.

Dottore merely smirked, not at all cowed by Arlecchino's warning.

"Oh, my dear," he said, his voice a mocking lilt. "You needn't worry. I have no intention of harming your precious little Fool. Quite the opposite, in fact. I intend to give him a new lease on life, a second chance at existence. Isn't that what you want?"

Arlecchino's jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with barely contained rage and desperation. "Yes," she hissed. "But I know the risks, Dottore. I know the price that comes with your 'expertise'. And I swear, if you fail... if you let him slip away..."

She left the threat unfinished, the weight of her anger and anguish hanging heavy in the air. Dottore merely chuckled, turning his attention to the array of instruments before him. He selected a gleaming, wicked-looking knife, the blade honed to a razor's edge.

"Now, let us begin," he said, his voice a macabre singsong. "I assure you, my dear, that by the time we are through, your beloved Heins will be stronger, faster, and more resilient than ever before. He will be a marvel, a testament to the wonders of science and the indomitable power of the human spirit."

Dottore whispered, "Now would you please give me some personal space? I can't focus on my work if someone was to... Interrupt me in my operation."

It took every fibre of her being to leave the lab. Even then, outside the base, Alrecchino anxiously paced back and forth, her eyes, usually cold and indifferent, were filled with anxiety and deep-seated fear. A fear she never thought she could feel.

Arlecchino paced the length of the snow-covered courtyard, her heels sinking into the pristine white expanse with each anxious step.

The cold air bit at her skin, but she barely noticed, her mind consumed by the turmoil within. She had never known fear like this, never felt so utterly helpless and afraid. Arlecchino, the Fourth Seat of the Fatui, the harbinger of death and destruction, reduced to a woman undone by love and dread.

Her eyes, usually so cold and indifferent, were now a mirror of her inner anguish. They darted to the lab door, willing it to open, praying for some sign, some word of Heins's fate. Each second felt like an eternity, each moment stretching into a lifetime of waiting and wondering.

Inside the lab, Dottore stood over Heins's prone form, his eyes glinting with a manic fervor behind his mask.

He had seen many specimens in his years of twisted experimentation, but none like this boy. None with such potential, such raw, untapped power coursing through his veins.

"Ah, Sandrone," Dottore said, his voice a gleeful whisper as the pale-skinned woman entered with Pierro, who appeared in a heap of white. "It's been a while. I must say, your skills will be invaluable in this particular... procedure."

Sandrone regarded Dottore with a cold, appraising gaze, her blue-gray eyes as hard as flint. "Just this once," she said, her voice soft yet laced with a chilling undercurrent. "I will help with your sickening experiments. For the Tsaritsa's sake."

Dottore merely laughed, a sound of pure, unadulterated glee. "Can you blame me?" he said, his eyes never leaving Heins's still form.

"This boy... he holds a power that could threaten the gods themselves. And he's just a child, barely eleven years old. Imagine the potential, the possibilities..."

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a reverent whisper.

"But do you know what's truly fascinating? His physical growth... it's equivalent to that of a fourteen-year-old boy. The rate at which he's developing, the sheer power coursing through his young body... it's a marvel, a true testament to the wonders of the human condition."

Sandrone watched as Dottore prepared his instruments, her expression one of cold, clinical detachment. She had seen his obsession before, had witnessed the depths of depravity he would sink to in the name of "science". It was truly a sickening prospect.

Pierro stood silent and still, his eyes fixed on the scene before him. It wasn't until Dottore finished his rambling monologue that he spoke, his voice a cold, hard thing.

"Dottore, I do not care what you could gain by experimenting the God's Remains or whatever you harboured on that boy. But I have one warning from the Tsaritsa herself. Fool... Is not allowed to die. You must succeed in bringing the boy alive. Failure is not merely intolerable, is unacceptable."

Dottore shivered involuntarily. The threat from the queen... It was something that even he wouldn't dare to take lightly. In the end, he nodded obediently. He could be undeterred, but when it comes to the Queen, the Tsaritsa herself, he would not put himself in needless risks.

Pierro's eye glanced at Sandrone, "This is also a warning for you, Sandrone. Do your best in creating this 'Artificial Heart'. Use everything at your disposal, including the Fatui's treasury. You both cannot fail, no matter how long, no matter how hard, no matter how costly."

"Her Majesty the Tsaritsa put much important on Fatui's Resplendent Sword."

Both Sandrone and Dottore widened their eyes. Pierro telling them this was an equivalent to put them on a deadly leash. The fact that the news was previously not available for the rest of the Harbingers was a testament of the Tsaritsa's intention to not let the world knows of Fool's status until the timing is right.

They felt an indescribable chill, with a deep-seated fear gripping their chest.

Sandrone met Pierro's gaze, her own eyes hardening with determination and a bit of fervor. The privilege to use the Fatui's treasury is not something she could take lightly, even as a Harbinger. "I understand," she said, her voice a soft, deadly whisper. "I will not fail. I will not let the Tsaritsa down."

"Is that so... Then, I take my leave. I hope both of you would not disappoint the Tsaritsa. The ever-lasting winter... Is not something you could withstand."

With that, Pierro disappeared in a swirl of white, leaving Dottore and Sandrone to their grim task. The weight of the Tsaritsa's demand rested on their shoulders. And in the lab, amidst the gleaming instruments and the hum of machinery, the real work began.

Pierro, knowing the nature of the project of embedding an Artificial Heart into a human being, appeared just outside the lab, where Arlecchino sat all by herself on the snowy ground. He loomed over her and said, his tone gruff and low, "Arlecchino, the process could take up to two years, possibly even more. You are doing something meaningless, standing needlessly like a love-struck fool. It'd be better for you to go and continue the operation per usual."

Arlecchino trembled as she whispered, "Pierro, how is Fool? Can Dottore be trusted?"

The man held a cold look, his title the Jester the testament of his discarded feelings. He merely replied curtly, "Dottore is a cunning individual, however, the chance for him to fail in an experiment he relished himself in, unless there were unaccounted factors, is almost none."

Arlecchino gritted her teeth, the crimson X on her obsidian eyes glimmering, "Do not take Fool as a mere experimental subject!"

Pierro's white cloak bellowed in the snow as he coldly interjected, "Watch your tone, little Arlecchino. Now go. You are useless in this operation. It would be better for you to catch up with all the tasks you've been neglecting for the past three months. The Tsaritsa is merciful for those she deemed as useful, hence you are still keep within the Fatui."

With that being said, Pierro turned his back to her and disappeared in a heap of snows.

Arlecchino sat frozen in the snow, Pierro's harsh words echoing in her mind. Useful? She had once prided herself on being indispensable to the Tsaritsa, a vital cog in the machine of the Fatui's power.

But now, all she could think about was Heins, all she could feel was the aching, desperate need to be by his side.

With a shuddering breath, Arlecchino pushed herself to her feet, brushing the snow from her suit. Pierro's words stung, but they also held a kernel of truth.

She couldn't sit here, a lovestruck fool, while Heins fought for his life. No, she had to be strong and cold, like how she had always seen as.

Arlecchino squared her shoulders, her eyes hardening with newfound resolve. She would not let Heins down.

She would not fail him, as she had failed so many others in the past. This time, she would be the one to stand vigil, to be his guiding light in the darkness.

With a swirl of her cloak, Arlecchino set off towards the Fatui headquarters, her mind already racing with the tasks that had gone neglected in the past months.

As she walked, even as the snow crunched beneath her heels and the wind whipped around her, Arlecchino's thoughts remained fixed on Heins. She pictured him lying there, his life hanging by a thread, his fate in the hands of a madman and a woman she could only pray had a shred of compassion.

"Hold on, my love," she whispered, her breath misting in the frigid air. "Hold on, and come back to me. Come back, and let me show you the depths of my love, the heights of my devotion. Hold on, and let us face whatever comes next, together."

Arlecchino knew the road ahead would be long and fraught with peril. She knew that Dottore's experiments were as likely to end in tragedy as in triumph.

But she also knew that she would be there, every step of the way, a constant presence in Heins's life.

For in that moment, sitting in the snow and cold, Arlecchino had come to a realization.

Love, true love, was not about possession or control. It was not about demanding that the beloved be at your side every moment of every day. No, true love was about sacrifice, about putting the needs and desires of the one you loved above your own.

Like how he had not left a single wound on her despite their deadly clash. Like how he laid down his life all just for her.

And so, with a heart full of love and a soul ablaze with determination, Arlecchino's Harbinger facade came back with full force, her eyes cold and blank as her visage became the epitome of grace and death.

Her warmth and her vulnerability were reserved for her little Fool. On duty, she's still the same, as always.

She is Arlecchino, the feared Fourth Seat of the Fatui Harbingers.

Back at the House of the Hearth, Arlecchino sat on her study, sipping the cup of hot tea with elegance. After three months of being engulfed in her obsession, it's finally time to put the pending tasks on work. Arlecchino knew that this would be a separation from her beloved little Fool, a separation that will force the just blossoming love to be buried by her tasks and duty.

With a commanding tone, she ordered, "Call Lyney, Lynette and Freminet. Their training in the House of the Hearth has been satisfactory. It's time for them to continue their operation at the Hotel Bouffes d'ete. I shall personally supervised the operation in Fontaine."

A hidden agent bowed silently as he disappeared. A moment later, the trio entered her study and greeted obediently, "Father!"

Arlecchino said, her tone commanding and smooth, "We shall go back to Fontaine in a week. The pending tasks stacked due to your training shall be continued. I feel that you three have been satisfactory in terms of personal strength. Do any of you have any objection?"

Knowing that their Father required precise and concise answers, the three children nodded firmly, "We do not, Father."

"Good. Now go."

As the three went out of the room, the three did not say much.

Arlecchino watched as Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet filed out of her study, their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet room.

She felt a pang of something akin to sadness, a longing for the carefree days she never had a chance to experience as a child, like how her children were, abandoned by their relatives.

But such sentimentality was a luxury she could ill afford. The Tsaritsa had tasked her with a mission, and she would see it through, no matter the cost. And if that meant sacrificing her own happiness, her own desires, then so be it.

Arlecchino took a sip of her tea, relishing the warmth that spread through her body. She had neglected her duties for too long, had allowed herself to become consumed by her love for Heins.

But no more. She would be the harbinger that the Tsaritsa needed her to be, the unyielding and uncompromising force that struck fear into the hearts of all who dared to oppose the Fatui.

With a sigh, Arlecchino set down her teacup and stood, her cloak billowing behind her. She had much to prepare, many tasks to attend to before their journey to Fontaine. And she would not let anything, not even her love for Heins, stand in her way.

As she stepped out of her study, Arlecchino couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach.

She knew that this separation from Heins would be difficult, that the blossoming love that is her heart would have to bury itself again, until the day of reckoning comes.

But Arlecchino was a woman of strength and conviction, forged in the fires of adversity and tempered by the weight of her responsibilities.

She would not let her love for Heins be extinguished, would not allow the embers of their passion to be snuffed out by the cold, unyielding hand of duty.

No, she would nurture that love, would let it burn bright and strong within her, a constant reminder of the man she had chosen to stand beside her in this life.

And when she returned to him, when the tasks, the obstacles and the cruelty of fate that had kept them apart were finally fulfilled, she would show him the depths of her devotion, the heights of her love.

But for now, Arlecchino had work to do. And she would see it through, no matter the cost. For she was the Fourth Seat of the Fatui, the harbinger of death and destruction. And she would not fail.

A week passed by. Within the cold climate of Snezhnaya, stood Arlecchino. She donned her cloak but not her mask.

The operation in Fontaine required her to be the director of the Hotel Bouffes d'ete, without any suspicious activities that put the Maison Gardiennage, Fontaine's law enforcement, on alert. Behind her stood her three children, Lyney, Lynette and Freminet, cladded in their own cloaks.

She was also accompanied by her trusted agents, dressed as guards, along with the luxurious carriage to show the status she has as a noble 'Fontainian' in Fontaine, as the owner of the Hotel Bouffes d'ete which resided at the heart of Fontaine, the Court of Fontaine.

The operations in Fontaine have been entrusted to her the moment she became the Harbinger, and thus it was not the first time she set off for the grand city.

And, with a heavy heart, Arlecchino left for Fontaine.

A few hours later.

As the carriage approached the border of Fontaine, Arlecchino adjusted her cloak, ensuring that it fell in a way that displayed the crest of the noble house she would be posing as. In Fontaine, she was not the harbinger of death and destruction, but a respected noblewoman, the owner of the prestigious Hotel Bouffes d'ete, where operations of House of the Hearth were done.

It was a role she had played many times before, a facade that allowed her to move undetected among the glittering elite of Fontaine society. And while it grated on her to play the part of a pampered noblewoman, Arlecchino knew that it was a necessary evil, a means to an end.

When the carriage crossed the border and entered the Court of Fontaine, Arlecchino prepared herself, her ice-cold facade receded a bit.

With a final glance out at the grandeur streets of Fontaine, Arlecchino turned to her children, her voice a commanding whisper. "Remember, my children, we are here on a mission. We must be discreet, must not draw undue attention to ourselves. The fate of many depends on our success."

"Yes, Father."

Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet nodded solemnly, their young faces a mix of determination and a hint of fear. They knew the stakes, knew the importance of the task at hand.

As the carriage rolled to a stop before the grand entrance of the Hotel Bouffes d'ete, Arlecchino took a discreet breath, steeling herself for the trials that lay ahead.

With a final nod to her children and a commanding gesture to her agents, Arlecchino stepped out of the carriage and into the grand foyer of the hotel, ready to face whatever challenges awaited her in Fontaine. The operation had begun.

As Arlecchino continued her operation in Fontaine, within Dottore's experimental lab in Snezhnaya, Sandrone was forced to retreat as the Artificial Heart she had created to be used as a substitute for Heins's heart exploded the moment it touched Heins's chest. On the other side, Dottore scribbled on his notes as he narrowed his eyes under the mask.

"Even an Artificial Heart created with ten doses of the God's Remains is not enough to withstand the boy's ungodly power. As expected of a power that even the aloof Columbina feared."

Sandrone coldly discarded the ruined Artificial Heart and interjected, "That was the best version of Artificial Heart I could muster with my current disposals. It seems... I must create a more advanced Artificial Heart in order to satisfy the ungodly power within the boy. It seems like Pierro understood this, hence the permission to utilize Fatui's treasury."

It was also the testament of the Tsaritsa's fixation to bring the boy back. With this kind of power dwelling within him... The boy could probably bring the gods to their knees should he fulfill his full potential.

Dottore smirked maniacally as he looked at the tall, handsome visage that is Heins. "Such a shame the Gnosis Operation was still put on hold. If we could get our hand on one..."

Then, as if he was struck by lighting, Dottore whispered fervently, "What if... What if we asked for the Tsaritsa's Gnosis?"

Sandrone snorted as she looked at him with disdain, "If you want to die, then go ahead."

"Ohoho, my dear, that's not what I mean. You may not understand the Gnosis, but I was a scientist who had thrived to create a god. And in that exciting journey, I found... That Gnosis, while mystical and ungodly, was merely what you call an 'extension' of the Archons, if you even called it that. The thing is, for the Tsaritsa, the Gnosis... Is not so important after all."

"This boy... He would be a significant breakthrough in my cause!"

Sandrone could only shook her head, "You are mad, Dottore."

Meanwhile, in Fontaine, as Arlecchino was navigating the glittering ballrooms and opulent salons of the Hotel Bouffes d'ete, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach.

The operation was proceeding as planned.

She moved through the crowds of noblemen and women, her smile a perfect mask of politeness and charm. She listened to their inane chatter, their gossip and scandal, and felt a growing sense of disdain.

These people, with their frivolous concerns and their shallow lives, had no idea of the true nature of the world beyond their gilded cages.

But even as she played the part of the perfect noblewoman, Arlecchino's mind raced with the knowledge of the true purpose of her visit to Fontaine.

She was here to gather information, to uncover the secrets that would allow the Fatui to strike at the heart of the nation and bring it to its knees.

As she sipped her drink and laughed at the witless jokes of the men who surrounded her, Arlecchino couldn't help but think of the irony of her situation.

Here she was, the harbinger of death and destruction, the bringer of the Tsaritsa's justice, forced to play the part of a simpering fool in order to further her goals.

But such was the way of the world, and Arlecchino had long ago accepted the necessity of such subterfuge.

She would play her role, would be the perfect noblewoman that all expected her to be, and in the meantime, she would work to undermine the very foundations of Fontaine's power.

As the night wore on and the ball began to wind down, Arlecchino found herself a moment of solitude in a quiet corner of the grand ballroom.

She took a sip of her drink, letting the bubbles tickle her nose and throat, and allowed herself a moment of unguarded thought.

Fool, she thought, her heart aching with a sudden, fierce longing. My love, my heart, my everything. I will not let you down, my darling.

With a sudden surge of determination, Arlecchino set down her glass and straightened her shoulders. She would not let her love for Heins be a distraction, would not allow it to weaken her resolve.

Thus, she stepped out of the shadows of the ballroom and back into the light of the glittering crowd.

With a final, enigmatic smile, Arlecchino melted back into the crowd, ready to continue her operation and bring the Tsaritsa's goals on Fontaine to fruition.

As the days turned into weeks, Arlecchino threw herself into her work with a fervor that bordered on obsession.

She attended every social engagement, schmoozed with every influential personage, and subtly (and not so subtly) undermined the power structures of Fontaine, all while keeping a watchful eye on Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet as they carried out their own parts of the operation.

Lyney's magic tricks were a sensation, his street-smart ingenuity and natural charisma winning him fans and admirers at every turn. Arlecchino watched with a mix of indifferent and approval, knowing that her clever boy was growing up fast, his talents blossoming like a dark flower in the sun.

His sister, Lynette was exceptionally sharp and was very quick in her judgement, a talent she had due to her suffering 'avatism' that revert her to her ancestral lineage, resulting in a pair of cat ears and a tail that she grew out naturally. She played her part as Lyney's assistant in his performances, and was perfect for the role due to her quick reflexes.

Freminet, quiet and unassuming, kept the grand machine of the Bouffes d'ete running like a well-oiled clock, his technical prowess unmatched.

But even as Arlecchino reveled in their success, she felt a constant ache in her chest, a longing that could not be filled by the empty praise and shallow flattery of Fontaine's elite.

At night, in the solitude of her opulent chambers, Arlecchino would find herself transported back to that snowy forest, back to the moment she first laid eyes on Heins.

She would remember the way his crimson eyes had blazed with a fire that both terrified and thrilled her, the way his still small yet rough hand had held hers, promising a future she had once thought impossible.

She would remember the way he had praised her beauty, had seen her not as a monster, but as a woman worthy of love and devotion.

Arlecchino would lie awake, her heart pounding in her chest, as she imagined Heins's handsome face, his sharp jawline, the way his lips curved into a smile that could light up even the darkest of rooms.

She would remember the way his body had fit against hers like a missing piece of a puzzle, the night she let her heart unleashed its longing.

And with each passing night, Arlecchino would feel the weight of her love for Heins growing heavier, the ache in her chest more pronounced.

She knew that she should be focused on her duties, on the grand design of the Tsaritsa, but she could not shake the desperate need to be by his side, to hold him close and never let him go.

But even as Arlecchino struggled to contain the wild, untamed love that threatened to consume her, she knew that she had a duty to fulfill.

She had a purpose, a calling that demanded her unwavering devotion and attention. And so, with a heavy heart and a steely resolve, Arlecchino would rise each morning, don her mask, and continue her work, all while counting the days until she could return to her little Fool.

For now, she would be the harbinger of the Fatui, the bringer of the Tsaritsa's justice. She would be the perfect noblewoman, the consummate host, the unseen hand that guided the fate of Fontaine.

But even as Arlecchino navigated the treacherous waters of Fontaine's politics and power plays, she knew that her heart belonged to another.

Such a beautiful thing such as love... Is equally a painful thing. Arlecchino's let out a small chuckle as she clutched her heart, her gloved hand sunk to her chest.

It was the first time she could emphasized with those severed lovers. It was indeed... A painful phenomenon.

It's annoying, but foremost, it's... Enchanting. Captivating. Arlecchino let herself drunk in the feeling as she breathed heavily.

"I'll be waiting, my little Fool. I always will be."