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The Puppet's Boquet

Chapter 6: Dandelion Wine and Unread Letters; Kunikuzushi

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As winter rolled around, Kunikuzushi was finally fully healed. One afternoon, while Dorian was out foraging Kunikuzushi decided to pour two glasses of dandelion wine and light a fire. Just as Kunikuzushi was on his way to light the fireplace he noticed the firewood rack was empty. As Kunikuzushi was on his way to find firewood in the cellar he noticed a scroll and a letter sitting on the counter. Both were addressed to him. Upon opening the letter he read,

Dearest Kunikuzushi,

If you are reading this note I presume it is accompanied by a scroll and I am out foraging. I wanted to give you this scroll after you had fully healed, sometime in the winter, I would assume. If you are reading this letter, however, it means I haven’t given you the scroll yet. This is a scroll I found on your person when I found you in the forest I decided not to return it to you as I didn’t want to cause you any additional stress while you were healing. I hope this doesn't change too much, maybe it will help you recover your memories.

Yours,
Dorian

Kunikuzushi paused, processing what he had read. He didn’t want to be mad but he felt a feeling of mild anger rise, quickly he attempted to bury it. Pushing it to the side he turned to the scroll opening it. It began “Scaramouche” and suddenly all of the memories Kunikuzushi had repressed flooded back. Scaramouche, that was him. He was Scaramouche, the 6th of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. He felt tears slip out of his eyes. He wasn’t a good person, not that he ever thought he was, but he was even worse than he ever thought. He didn’t want to be this way anymore though. He had never known love, he hadn’t known better, no one had truly ever cared for him, but Dorian, Dorian took care of him even though he did not know who he was. He understood it now, the human feelings, the worth of their life, their value as sentient life.

Additionally, he remembered how he had ended up passed out, in the woods, where Dorian found him. There had been bickering amongst the Harbingers. Eventually, the bickering turned into violence. Scaramouche had fled, severely injured after being caught off guard by a fellow Harbinger’s attack.

Who was he? Kunikuzushi? Scaramouche? Could he learn how to be kind from Dorian? He might as well try, but if Dorian knew who he was he wouldn’t care for Kunikuzushi anymore. He had no doubt Dorian would abandon him as so many others had before. Maybe he could pretend he still had no memories, so he could learn, so Dorian would stay, just for a bit.

That evening Kunikuzushi told Dorian he had read the letter and scroll, he also told him it didn’t help with his memory, and so their time at the cottage continued, almost exactly as it had before.