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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

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Chapter 1: Big Brother

AN: Brighella, a mask of the Commedia dell'Arte. Brighella is seen by many as the 'Smarter and more ruthless' older brother of Arlecchino (both are from Bergamo, and both are known to be poor people that used tricks to get rich and known).

There is something quite insane about my odds.

In hindsight, bad luck is something interdimensional. There is no law that forbid the misfortune from a previous life to pass over and somewhat play a major role in screwing me from the very beginning. The first memory I remember, was the sight of a woman.

Motherly appearance, she had those warm blue eyes and lovely light-brown hair. If only she was as caring as her appearance was giving off.

From the very day I was 'reborn', I would say that things had been quite clear to me - even more as I started to pick up a few things within the first four years of my existence. I was born with green eyes and blue hair. And while that may not suggest something, I ended up realizing who I was supposed to be (as an Expy) the moment I learned how to speak and write in Fontainian.

Ah yes, I am in Fontaine. In Teyvat. Hoyoverse... Oh right, my appearance. You see, my dear (alleged) listeners, I am... Sampo Koski. Or an expy, as mentioned just moments ago. That meant I looked like him, I sounded a bit like him, but my abilities and my background was sharply different since I was... well, an insert.

Being Sampo means being ready for a world of pain since I was born with a bit of a 'perma-smug grin' on my face. Not a fault of mine, but definitely not one I could correct even with all my efforts to not have that cocky smile on my face.

Definitely played very bad when coupled with the fact I was an orphan and... part of the House of the Hearth. Before a certain hot lady took over. In fact, the one that found me, the 'kind' lady that became my 'mother', was none other than the predecessor to Arlecchino.

Crucabena was the one individual that made me realize even more how good of a mother I had my previous life. I wouldn't say that my first mom was that kind and tender as my butt was spanked a few 'reasonable' times when I was very young and bratty, but dealing with this 'Knave' was something else alright.

I never did a mistake to warrant a punishment, but I still got punished plenty of times. Not without cause, not without thinking. You can say that it was a matter of 'kindness' that I harbored towards my 'siblings'.

Mother is a monster? Well, if I can't fight her then it means I will play the sacrifice quite frequently.

That's not a choice I made without some understanding of what the punishments were all about: Crucabena was quite methodical with 'hurting' those that were beneath her. Kids were 'easy targets' and she had a preference for girls.

Dunno why- maybe it was a common case of misogyny or maybe she thought it would 'harden' the expected 'weaker' girls to make up for their flaws and stand up in potential to the boys. Either way, lots of fuckery going on with that mental gymnastic and...

I do have to say that having a young body does somewhat nullify any pain endurance one may have. I already had a flimsy one in my previous life, but now? I was starting from zero, and Crucabena loved to break my smile.

It made her happy or something, so, while some of my 'excuses' to draw the blame on myself ended up sounding too farfetched, she still took it out on me because she truly loathed me. Maybe it was because I was smart enough to know how to 'play her game', or maybe I was just that hateable. Once again, I am a Sampo expy.

Nonetheless, I had a few saving graces when it comes to being the punching bag of an adult with no common sense or remorse in claiming children to 'train' and have fight one another: most of the kids were already on my side. I was one of those rare cases that was born in the House of Hearth, or rather I was a newborn when I was found.

I was put in those conditions that should have either killed or made me 'stronger'. I lived, and I started to act as that sort of tender sibling that slowly but surely evolved into a 'kind big brother'. A bit of a development in that considering that it was difficult to get stuff done at four and five since I was 'too young to be trusted outdoors' as it allowed me to rely on older orphans to get me some stuff to give to the younger ones.

Yes, I was indeed becoming a smuggler. I was trying to not be Sampo, but I guess life was being pushy in that regard.

I suppose that explains why I ended up with a Anemo Vision but... I am derailing the topic.

After all, another big thing was where I was: Fontaine. While Crucabena's main base of operations was Snezhnaya, she favored Fontaine since it was her homeplace. In a twisted sense of irony, this allowed me to have greater freedom for the smuggling operations due to how lax the law enforcement is in Fontaine when compared to Snezhnaya.

That's not to say that the Land of Justice was devoid of the police, but between the regular French Police and the Russian Paramilitary, I prefer the former all the way.

So yes, the first six years of my new life were 'tame': I studied, I continued to nurture my connection with my 'siblings', I took the blame for a lot of stuff (the scars on my petite frame were proof that I was quite the abused child), and then I got to sneakily plan a way to kill 'Mother' in a way that wouldn't fuck up how the plot was supposed to go (and I don't know enough of this time to know how the story is meant to develop).

As I was 'losing any hope' of being part of the same generation where the new Knave would come along, I was delighted when a 'cursed' orphan was taken in and, through mother's advice to avoid her, it became clear who it was.

And it didn't take too long for me to have to be involved with little... Peruere.

Peruere was cursed. This is what she was told, and what others knew.

Being 'welcomed' in the House of Hearth felt less like being taken in by a family, and more being forced to work with someone that was responsible to nurture children into horrible jobs. While Peruere had not a single clue on what their final fate would be once they were old enough to be adults, she knew that it wasn't going to be savory.

Not when she came into this place after her new 'Mother' rescued her in such a brutal manner. Her attempted kidnappers hardly had a chance when the 'kind smile' of that woman briefly twitched in a scowl as she ravaged these people.

Peruere entered the House of Hearth with the awareness it wasn't going to be a nice place and... that's perhaps why she was instantly pushed away the moment her 'Mother' took notice of this. She was isolated, kept away from others- she was cursed, so she shouldn't be interacted with.

Alone with her thoughts, Peruere was soon making friends with those that didn't judge in that place: spiders and bugs. One of those had her full attention. Its abdomen had a similar pattern to her peculiar 'crossed' eyes.

The spider was also easy to manage- you feed it and you let it move around. It didn't even try to bite her once, and yet... it wasn't enough. With an expressionless look on her face, Peruere quietly glanced over her shoulder and sighed as she saw the other childrens playing in the courtyard.

If only...

"Hm, I bet ya wanna play too."

The sudden affirmation ripped her out of her thoughts and the girl turned to greet her sudden visitor. A brazen smile, a loopy pair of green eyes and blue hair kept short. She blinked, her mind instantly remembering someone mentioning the name of-

"Sampo."

He gasped, exaggerating a bit in the gesture. "Oh my, my newest sister knows my name? I am so gushing of happiness at the news. But still, yes. And you are Peruere, nice to meet ya."

Such a... loud boy.

"N-Nice to meet you."

"So, where you planning to join them?" Sampo asked, and the girl frowned. "You weren't? Does this mean I mistook my adorable sister's desire for companionship? Shame on me! I failed you within just mere hours of talking with ya, little Peruere!"

A-Adorable? And- And why is he being so loud and dramatic?!

"I-I wouldn't mind but-"

"But?" He inquired, eyes wide open as Peruere was suddenly pulled up and found her feet kicking the air as she was being held up by her armpits. "But?"

Sampo's voice once more pulled her out of her bafflement. "I-I am cursed."

Her eyes instinctually turned to her hands- a sleek black color spreading on her skin from her nails, covering a good part of her palms and-

"Are you infectious?"

Peruere frowned at the word. "What's that?"

"It means if you can spread it on others."

Could she? She had been touched by Mother, but she seemed fine so... maybe not. She shook her head, and Sampo shrugged.

"Well, if it can't spread to others, then there's no point in keeping you isolated. That's why people are isolated- when they are sick or because they are cursed in such a way it can spread to others."

"...I-Is it not because they hate me?"

"What? Nah, you're quite the pouty cute little kid, actually," Sampo assured, and the girl saw his smile widen up a bit as she had to hold back a pout at this comment. "So, wanna come and play with the others?"

"...Would they let me?" Peruere asked, finally a bit more hopeful about the opportunity.

"Yep. And if they don't, then they smell weird and we're going to play together and have lots of fun while they don't."

It sounded silly, but Peruere said nothing more as she was pulled in a hug and then carried to where the other kids were. At first she thought she had hoped too much as some voiced concerns about playing with her but-

"What? Did you all forget that you are talking about ditching family? This is your sister, and she has been ignored like that because of what? Mother being silly? Let's have fun because adults are dumb!"

Despite how dumb that sounded, his voice mellowed the distrust of others and, eventually, Peruere was integrated with the rest of the children. She still stood out because of her appearance and curse, but at least she made a few friends through this.

And she got to know her big brother, Sampo, and his silly antics.

AN

I have been waiting to drop this one in a while. I let the idea cook in my head, I let it stir in my brain, I allowed some other features to be added and... SampoExpy!SI is now Arlecchino's Brighella/Brother!

This may or may not 'change' with the more chapters come along and- I have to admit, the plot I have in mind is rich with Sampo-tier hilarious scenes, curious interactions, and some bittersweet moments.