#genshin impact the wanderer

[whoistartaglia]

you avoid your crush.

how do you deal with an unwanted but undeniable crush? you avoid them: save the friendship, mourn the relationship. or, so you thought.

including: cyno, the wanderer.

warnings: gender neutral reader, slight angst, mostly fluff.

cyno.

when you realized you’ve developed feelings for cyno, your best friend, you didn’t know what to do. you couldn’t tell him and ruin the friendship. that would be a disaster, and break your heart twice over: once, to lose cyno as a friend, and again, to lose him as anything more. so you resigned yourself to only have your heart broken once: you would avoid cyno until your feelings disappeared, and keep your friendship with him intact.

so that’s exactly what you do. everything was going fine, too—until today, when cyno cornered you in a small alcove at the akademiya.

“oh, cyno…! funny seeing you here…”

“is it, though?” he asks. “i do work here. we both work here, actually. wouldn’t it be stranger not to see me?”

yes, it is, but cuno doesn’t give you time to respond before he continues: “so isn’t it quite strange that i haven’t seen you in what? a week or two now?”

“yes… i guess.”

cyno waits for more, but you give him nothing else. you fidget under the weight of his stare. he’s observing you and you get the feeling like you’re an experiment gone wrong, a conclusion miscalculated.

“al-righ-t,” cyno finally says, drawing out each syllable. he hesitates for a second before his face hardens and he says, “if you want to avoid and ignore me and pretend i don’t exist, then you can avoid and ignore me and pretend i don’t exist. i can’t stop you, even if i hate it. but i would have at least wanted an answer as to why.”

cyno steps aside then, as if to tell you the conversation is gone, you’re free to go. but you don’t move, can’t move. you can’t even think as cyno steps away, only his words ringing in your ears: i would have at least wanted an answer as to why. you owed him that much, at least.

“wait, cyno—“ you take in a deep breath, and the words tumble out all at once. “i’m sorry, i’m so sorry for avoiding you i— i really thought it was the best since i like you and you don’t like me, and i didn’t want to ruin our friendship but it just ended up hurting the both of us and it was a really stupid, but i didn’t know what else to do and… i’m really sorry.”

you look up when cyno doesn’t say anything. he’s still studying you, maybe even more intensely than before.

“yes.” he finally says.

“what?”

“it was really stupid.”

your face burns in embarrassment. cyno continues, “not just your plan—but that you thought we couldn’t be friends if i didn’t feel the same way back.”

“i know i just—“ you abruptly cut off, repeating what cyno just said in your head. “you feel… the same way back?”

“yes. i’d tell you it was stupid not to realize i also like you… but until now, i didn’t know you felt the same.”

“oh.” and then again, because you don’t know what else to say, “i’m sorry.”

cyno allows a faint smile to grace his lips. “i’ll forgive you this time, [name]. honestly, i’m just relieved you don’t hate me.”

“i could never hate you,” you say immediately.

“it didn’t feel like that this week. or last.” you look down again, disappointed that you allowed yourself to make cyno feel that way. he continues, a little gentler: “you’re going to have to make it up to me.”

“how?” you ask, already knowing you would do anything.

“how about you let me take you on a date? granted that’s something you probably want but there, you can tell me everything.”

you wouldn’t say no on any circumstance, but especially not when cyno’s finally smiling at you again. your relationship was off to a more than rocky start, but you find yourself hoping you can turn it around for the better.

the wanderer.

it was hard to avoid the wanderer as you were adventuring over teyvat together, just the two of you. when you first realized your feelings for him, and decided they would only prematurely end your expedition when he didn’t feel the same back, you swore to keep them a secret. to do that, you would need to distance yourself from him, but that proved rather difficult and… well, extremely obvious.

you stare into the flames of your small campfire. you sit opposite of the wanderer, though on previous cold nights like these, you probably would have been right next to him. similarly, you both would have trading stories and reminiscing about past adventures, not blanketed in this silence.

it’s clues like those, coupled with the equally obvious signs that you were had feelings for him, that let the wanderer discover your plan.

the wanderer leans back, resting on his elbows. the sun was setting, and already the stars would come out. on clear nights like these, you would spend hours—maybe the whole night—pointing out the different constellations.

looking at you now, eyes boring in the fire, the wanderer knows that’s not going to happen tonight. at least, not if he doesn’t do something about it.

“you’re quiet tonight,” he starts. you glance up sharply at him.

“yeah, i guess,” you mumble, looking back down.

“why?”

you trace circles in the dirt. “i’m just… tired. i guess. yeah, i might just go to bed early—“

“have you ever heard of,” the wanderer cuts you off, “the phrase, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder?’”

you pause. he can’t possibly know… can he?

“i’ve know of it,” you reply tightly.

“so then you also know that you’re little idea of ignoring me in hopes that your feelings go away was doomed from the start, right?”

startled, you look back up again, and meet the wanderer’s gaze. you meet the wanderer’s gaze, and like all the times before, you know there’s no use in lying to him. not when he already suspects the truth. “i… yes.”

“and i assume you didn’t want me knowing because you didn’t think i liked you back?”

your silence is answer enough.

“well, you’re right.”

what.

what?

but then the wanderer cracks a smile, and he’s beside himself laughing: “oh, you should’ve seen the look on your face.”

“you’re the worst.” but now there’s a smile on your face, and you’re also laughing: at him, at your plan, at how despite your fears, the wanderer likes you back.

it makes you feel giddy, like you could spend the entire night laughing under the stars—and looking at the wanderer, now coming to sit next to you, you feel like you just might.

[captaincryolicious]

trapped in misery...

...until he comes to save the day

➳ scaramouche x gn!reader

➳ oneshot ; 1.3k

➳ cw. fluff, hurt/comfort, y/n has no motivation to do anything, scara is ooc but idc i just wanted to write scara comfort

zep's note ; this is so self-indulgent that i'll probably take it down sooner or later heh

content under the cut | masterlist

The clock on your nightstand read two-point-eighteen pm. 

Scintillating rays of the autumn sun filtered through the closed blinds, but through the change of seasons the strength and gentleness of the sun was fading, and they reached you no longer. All that seemed to reach you was an impending feeling of gloom, and you couldn’t shake it off. 

Completely still, you lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. At some point your thoughts had been running wild, one miserable thought following another, but by now your mind was empty and blank. It had been hours since you woke up, but your mind ran out of fuel and there was nothing left to think of. Yet, you didn’t move. You didn’t kick off your covers to get up and do something, even though that was probably the best thing to do right now. You couldn’t get yourself to do so, and you remained in bed idly, with no motivation or whatsoever to make a change to your current setting.

Oh, you could come up with plenty of things to do, that wasn’t the problem here. You could grab a book and read a little, get up and grab yourself something to eat, go outside to take a walk to feel better, tidy up your room to be productive, and so on. So many ideas, but they all lost their spark as soon as they popped up. It wasn’t laziness that kept you from acting, you were well aware. No, you wanted to do something, you wanted to get out of your current state, but nothing seemed promising enough to reel you out of that downward spiral. Nothing sparked your interest anymore, not even the things you usually loved to do. 

It was one of those days.

With a sigh, you pulled the covers a little higher up to your chin. You were buried in your soft duvets comfortably, but discomfort still coursed through your being. You wanted to close your eyes and go to sleep, just so that this day was over. You were tired, so so so tired. You didn’t want to feel anymore. And it was still so early in the afternoon. You allowed yourself to curl up into a little ball of misery, your gaze finally straying away from the ceiling as your eyes fluttered close. 

Darkness wrapped around you, literally and figuratively so. 

     “Y/N?” a voice filtered through the door, followed by a curt knock. 

You recognized that voice, and your heart jumped a little. But you didn’t reply, your voice gave in. You couldn’t get yourself to speak so loudly to allow him inside, and you stared at the door with the everlasting sadness lingering in the pit of your stomach. You felt so useless, even something as simple as calling out was too much for you today.

     “Whatever, I’m coming in,” you heard the person mutter, and the door opened. Scaramouche stepped into your room, merely a silhouette as the fickle rays of sunshine barely brought any light to your room. The blinds worked well to shroud your room in darkness. 

Scaramouche was quiet for a while, you felt his eyes observing you as he connected the dots. You, surrounded by darkness, still in bed even though the day had progressed for a big portion already, not saying a word upon his arrival. That could only mean one thing, and he knew all too well. 

     “Y/N…” he spoke, his voice unusually gentle. “You’re doing it again.” 

     “I know,” you whispered. 

     “Can I open the blinds?” Scaramouche asked, though you knew he would do it anyway regardless of your answer. 

     “Go ahead,” you mumbled, not looking forward to the sea of light that would flood your room in a moment. As much as you despised the darkness, it was also strangely… comforting, but in a way that smothered you slowly. 

You had to squint when the blinds no longer filtered out the sunlight from outside, and you pulled up the blankets to cover your face. Scaramouche was doing the right thing, you knew that much. Dwelling in the darkness wouldn’t get you anywhere, but you didn’t feel like being in the light either. 

But your boyfriend knew what to do, so he acted confidently. After all, he had seen you in such a state too many times for his liking, and over time he figured out how to deal with it when you were about to drown in another episode of misery. Though you didn’t act like it, you were always relieved when Scaramouche interfered with those moments. There was nowhere to run when you ran from yourself, and he was your only escape. 

     “You really have to treat yourself better, Y/N,” he lightly scolded you, softly pulling the duvet down to reveal your doleful face. “You look miserable, but I know you’re stronger than this.” 

     “I’m tired of always being strong,” you quietly admitted. “I can’t do it anymore.” 

     “Shut up for a moment,” Scaramouche said, though his tone held no malice. “You say that as if you have to suffer alone. Don’t forget you have me by your side. I may be an ass who doesn’t know much about comforting you, but I’m trying my damn best and I will never let you down. Now scoot over.” 

You did as he asked – or commanded – and made room for him to join you under the covers, like he always did when you were having a miserable day. He was cold, and his presence sent a chill down your spine. But it was a different kind of cold than the one that consumed you today, one that you grew to love. His inhuman form melted against you as he held you close, allowing you to snuggle up against him. Bad thoughts evaporated now that you had him near, his fingertips drawing circles on your back to distract you a little bit. You didn’t know what it was, but simply the idea of having him with you made you feel a lot better. Scaramouche wasn’t the nicest and warmest person, he could be quite harsh and blunt sometimes, but when he knew you needed him the most, he tried his very best to be your comfort. 

And it worked.

     “We’re going to make a plan for today, Y/N,” he started. “Staying in bed all day won’t help you.” 

     “Okay,” you muttered, playing absentmindedly with a strand of his violet hair. 

     “First, you’re going to try to eat a little,” Scaramouche began, still drawing little shapes on your back. “It doesn’t have to be much, just try it or I’ll have to force-feed you.” – you smiled a little, making a face at him – “Then we’re going out to do some grocery shopping and we’re going to treat you to something nice. As much as I hate to admit it, you know I can’t cook for shit so you’ll have to help me with that. Is that okay with you?” 

You nodded. As much as you didn’t feel like doing anything, the idea of doing things together with Scaramouche made it a little easier to find motivation. He was right; staying in bed all day wouldn’t make you feel any better. Going out with him would. So many times had that been proven. You knew it would do you good. The male knew very well what you needed in moments like these. Him. It was as if he possessed magic, motivating you when nothing else could. This guy singlehandedly pierced through your misery as if it were nothing. 

     “It’s time to get up, Y/N,” he announced. “Can you do that for me?” 

His cold fingers folded between yours as he got up and slowly helped you as well. You swung your feet over the edge of the mattress and rose, gaining a rare little smile from Scaramouche – one that made your heart swell with the smallest speck of joy. With your hand still in his, he guided you out of your room, away from your little pit of misery. 

He did it again.

[hopefully-helpful-daemon]

The Traveler: i really like this whole 'good guy, bad guy' thing you guys have going on.

Scaramouche: it's not an act, it's just that I'm mean and Childe isn't

[favficbirthdays]

Happy Birthday

The Wanderer (3rd January)

Genshin Impact

[ellenoir]

Many, loudly and proudly: "SCARAMONA!"

I, softly from the back: "Wandalayla."

[ikimaru]

memes in sumeru 👌

[kindrehd]

congrats on the new child king

[kitkaloid]

smallest mom in the world. very quick colors on a very old sketch

[cilorine]

the girlies summer vacation 🫧˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🧚🏻‍♀️ featuring scara i guess

this year's summer event cast are a funny mix! happy go lucky girls and then there's mr. grumpy lmao #itsnotaphasemom

[krystalmelodie]

That one friend who never takes their own advice 🤡

[jeunn-a]

my man

[whoistartaglia]

Hi!! I was wondering if I could enter your event?? (YJ LIKE LIKE the one w the love trope also GREAT picks yk?)

OKAY SO SO SO SOO I was curious about Scara (or Wanderer whatever Name you call him) x Reader with the “Love at first sight” trope?

(Also you have a LOVELY year and a splendid day!!)

thanks for the submission and thank you so much for your kind words!!

trope: love at first sight

including: scaramouche (the wanderer)

if you told scaramouche, the wanderer and former fatui harbinger, he would fall in love at first sight, he’d laugh at you and call you a fanatic daydreamer. but then he meets you, and all his notions of love at first sight and true love go out the window.

“did you place a curse on me?” scaramouche asks you. you’re spending a lazy afternoon together, doing nothing but laying on the couch and soaking in the sunshine filtering in from the window.

“no, not yet,” you say dismissively.

“are you sure?”

“yes? why?”

scaramouche sits up then. “because [name]. i literally, like—fell in love with you.

“so?” you ask. you give him a confused smile. “you couldn’t do that without me cursing you? is loving me really so bad?”

“yes.”

you give him a sour look.

scaramouche corrects himself: “i mean, no. i was just kidding—but not about that first part. i literally fell head over heels for you the first moment i met you. how else is that possible?”

you tilt your head to the side, thinking. “maybe i’m just so naturally amazing that you couldn’t help it.”

“or i was cursed.”

“hey!”

scaramouche holds his hands up defensively. “just kidding…“

“no divine intervention brought us together,” you affirm. scaramouche doesn’t respond, content to lay back down and soak in more sunlight. what he doesn’t tell you is that no, you’re wrong, it was definitely divine intervention that caused you two to fall in love—a blessing from celestia herself.

[ennonzi]

Hat Guy 🕊️

[hopefully-helpful-daemon]

Scaramouche, talking about his past: i guess it was the day I came home to a cold, empty house, devoid of light and love, and I knew then that my sorrows would only grow.

Diluc: Scara, that is the sadness life story I've ever heard. And you haven't even covered your Fatui years yet

Childe: well, maybe it get better?

Scaramouche: ha! No, at eleven things really took a turn for the worst.

[churomo]

wayward peregrine